| Author | Message | ||
| Schasc Registered user Username: Schasc Post Number: 55 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yesterday after a long day of skiing we were looking for a worship story to read. Since we couldnt find the one we normally use, we grabbed my daughters primary treasure. Since we were all so tired and sore I flipped through it looking for the shortest story! Wouldnt you know it about halfway through reading the story, I realized that it was a story about EGW and when she got hit by the rock. Anyway the article ends her story by saying, "God had a special plan for her, and she did what He wanted her to do even when it was hard. She wrote many books for us to read, to help us understand the Bible." After I finished reading there was a long pause as I tried to think of what to say to my children. I told them that it is very dangerous to believe that a person needs other books to help them understand the Bible. I went on to say that the Bible is inspired and everything we need to know about God and his plan of salvation can be found in His word, and understood through the help of the Holy Spirit. Even though my wife is not at the same place in her journey that I am, she agreed with my statement. I guess a question that I have is how do I reconcile the statement I found in Primary treasure with benefit I receive from reading other christian authors? In other words when I read Chuck Swindoll I feel that his books do help me in my Christian walk. I know that if I bring this up with my father, He will say that is what the authors meant. I suppose one can choose to accept that line of thought and aussume that was what the authors of Primary treasure meant, but I have a feeling that they had a different agenda. It really did seem like a "flashlight to find the Son" approach. Maybe I am just to sensitive about the subject to have a rational approach. | ||
| Violet Registered user Username: Violet Post Number: 347 Registered: 2-2001 |
The difference is what you do with the information you read. I also read many Christian authors and have had many Bible verses pop after understanding what was going on in the time frame of the writing. The problem occurs when you take one persons interpritation over what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach you. Just like if someone here said something off the wall you would disregard and go on. The SDA take EGW word even if it sound crazy and try and make it fit. For example my favorite is "You must stop sinning to let Jesus in your heart". If anyone else would of said that most people would say 'Huhh?" But it is accepted as truth because it came from the little red books. The bottom line is discernment that the Holy Spirit gives you--Just because someone in a position of authority says it-- it does not mean its so. | ||
| Esther Registered user Username: Esther Post Number: 300 Registered: 5-2004 |
Schasc, I know what your saying. I grappled with this for awhile too. I have come to realize that while it is edifying for me to read various other christian authors and that I learn many insightful and wonderful things, I should not rely on them for my spiritual walk. My relationship with knowledge of truth should grow from the time I spend with God personally, in prayer and reading the Bible. There is an inherent difference in reading works from authors that are scripturally sound, and the writings of a woman who was way off base. Believe me I know that that rational doesn't work with your adventist families, but while I was adventist I was raised and believed that Ellen White was the basis for our doctrine and the fount of truth. I assumed that she had all the answers. Now that I come at things from a different perspective, I find that I enjoy reading various works, but I donít expect that EVERYTHING I read is 100% correct. I read and take what I can, and find that I thoroughly benefit from others insight and counsels, but that Iím not relying on them for my spirituality. Just my thoughtsÖ  | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 652 Registered: 7-2004 |
Schasc, The best way I know to discern my outside reading material (whether it be Martin Luther, Swindoll, Ratzlaff, Newsweek Magazine or even Dave Berry! ) is to in God's Word daily. My greatest enemy attempts to have my worship of him. When that doesn't work, he tempts me to put something between God me. David said in Psalms (14:1) that a fool is someone who leaves God out of their life. Since I am stuck on this earth, I can't live with my head in the sand. I don't wall myself off from the evening news, outside reading and non-Christian friends and influences. All I can do is live in the power of Jesus. He will keep me balanced as I stand in His love. His desire for me is to be alert and powerful in His Spirit. "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Rom. 8:37 EGW is not the only place I can find deception. God's Word is a light to my path. If I am spending time daily looking through His directions for me and listening to the Holy Spirit directions for truth, I have a filter in my life to discern what is Real Truth. And, as Esther said...those are my thoughts! Denise BTW, I use those SDA/EGW things that my children hear or read to bring out my Bible and show my kids proof of what is Real Truth! I even praise God for bringing those SDA "truths" up so I can openly discuss His amazing grace with them! | ||
| Leigh Registered user Username: Leigh Post Number: 77 Registered: 2-2003 |
I agree with the need to regularly read God's word to keep you from falling for something counterfeit. Here on some of my thoughts on the flashlight/Son theme......... Several years ago, my younger daughter planted a few carrot seeds in our garden. It was a cloudy day and so she said, "Can I get a flash light to shine on the seeds since it's cloudy?" I kind of chuckled and told her the sun would be out tomorrow and the flash light wouldn't do any good any way. Later that day I was thinking about what she said and about "the lesser light" we supposedly had as Adventists. Let's say we did get a large flashlight and rigged it up so that it hung right over her seeds. When the sun did shine, the lesser light would block out the true light. The seeds would not make it. That's what I think happens with using EGW's writings. When people read these writings and try to follow them for spiritual growth, the "lesser light" blocks the True Light from letting them grow and live. | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2174 Registered: 11-2002 |
Yes, they do indoxtrinate them young, don't they? Here's how I would handle it. When my kids were young and I was concerned that a movie or tv program might not be approiate for them to view I would review it first. I suggest that with any SDA reading material your children will be exposed to then you review it first. Do your kids attend SDA school? I have posted this before but we have many new people on here so I will post it again. My granddaughter has had all her formal education in the local SDA aschool. She is now in second grade. When she was in kindergarten i asked her one day to tell me about school that day. She went on to tell me about EGW and that even though a bad, mean boy hit her head with a rock God knew she wanted to serve Him so God gave her special dreams that she wrote in books so we can get closer to Jesus. I honestly started gagging. And, just several months ago me and her were together alone in the car and she was telling me at school she learned how to have visions and she put herself in the stance of some of those EGW pictires where EGW looks all in a trance gazing heavenward. I frankly think to do these sort of things to little children is really bad. In your case though you were reading the story so you had the opportunity to teach your children truth. In my case with my granddaughter shee gets it at school and I can only try to set her right later and only if I know about it. | ||
| Violet Registered user Username: Violet Post Number: 350 Registered: 2-2001 |
I like that Leigh. How often we feed our souls on something less than our perfect Jesus. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3608 Registered: 12-2003  |
Great answers. I totally agree that the only way to be safe from deception is to be continually grounded in the word. As was stated above, deception can be found many places. Specifically regarding EGW, though, she claims God showed her the things she wrote. She demanded and the church has given her a completely different status than that of a mere devotional writer. Her repeated claims of inspiration put her writings in a different category from Christian commentary or devotionals. After we left the church, I decided that my Bible study had to be done thereafter without the use of commentaries. Once in a while I check a commentary if I'm wondering if I've read a text correctly, but for the most part, I've decided that commentary got me mired in deception once, so I now must rely on the Holy Spirit. I do find that certain authors, however, do resonate with the Bile in marked ways. That being said, I believe that studying the Bible in submission to the Holy Spirit is the way we internalize truth and grow the most. Colleen | ||
| Cathy2 Registered user Username: Cathy2 Post Number: 86 Registered: 2-2006 |
Leigh, that is a fantastic object lesson about the 'lessor light' blocking out the real light of Christ! I've got to remember your analogy. This thread reminds me of a verse I read today. The bible, itself, gives us our guideline for other authors, no matter how theologically profound and correct they are: ~Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true~ Acts 17:11 (NIV) Also, another verse for discerning the Truth in someone's writings (but I can't recall the book, chapter & number. The words stick in my mind, but not always the rest): ~Test the spirits; hold onto what is good~ For myself, the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, kept leading me straight, with scripture as the baseline. Sometimes, in the instant, sometimes, in time. But, always, on time. *When* I needed to know something, he made sure I had ('got') *what* I needed to know and in the way I could understand it. Not everything was enlightened all at once for me. Returning to scripture, over & over, was the only way for myself, to be sure and certain. The Holy Spirit would bring verses back to my mind, when they needed to come for a purpose. (but not necessarily book, chapter and number references. ) We are promised that he will guide us into all knowledge of Christ's truth. If we seek, we WILL find. We will spot what is 'off' more and more, as we learn with Christ more and more, throughout our lifetimes. Christ has the 'steering wheel' of our minds, thoughts and understandings. Cathy |
