The SOP is the clearest revelation of truth. Without it, the SDA Church would not exist and could not confidently believe and proclaim the truth. Thank you, Jesus.

It takes humility to accept the revelation of truth. I read recently in the writings of Ellen White that if we search the divine writings to verify our opinions we will never discover the truth.

That is exactly right brother Johann,

That is why when someone truly comes with an unction from God to get it right, it is ordained and not forced and this should be desired and embraced by the church.

1 Corinthians 14:1 "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy".

I do not sit down and try to imagine something to claim in the truth, it comes to me like a gift.

Most people here see what I write as something I made up that they have to give permission to, in order for it to be from God.

My God shows me things and then brings me to the words that say the exact same thing, and leads me through experiences that test the knowledge and I receive great blessings in acknowledging these gifts from God so I KNOW it is from Him. He leaves no room for doubt and continually brings these things to mind in all of it's dimensions so I will not grow weary of the same view.

All of the issues God showed me are currently important so they are present truth.

Every day, more and more, Jehovah is leading my mind to new heights.

The advantage we gain over sin when we get here is tremendous!

I could never fathom these things before God showed me the Sabbath. At that moment it was like neural pathways were developed and I could perceive the effect immediately. God gave me these things for His pleasure, and I am so secure in this. But then I look at how I am viewed by the church, people who say they believe in our faith, and they deny the Spirit of Prophecy and see my belief in it as a sign of being mentally unstable. If they only knew...

This is how to develop faith also. God knows we are selfish when He comes calling our hearts, so He meets us where we are to break us of ourselves and He gives us gifts. The question is not "why do I, JT have these gifts" the question should be "why don't more men in our faith have them?"

When I hear a sermon from a truly ordained man of God, I hear the same voice that talks in my heart come from his mouth and it warms my soul. Men like Pastor Bohr and Bachelor have the anointing of God, but there are literally thousands of so called Adventist's who take them on too. Do you think Stephen Bohr pulls any punches when it comes down to talking about it? He tells it like it is and if you don't like it, THAT proves the Spirit of Elijah in him. Unable to back down to the point that women left his congregation because he said he would never be a part of women ordained into elder-ship!

Psalm 68:18 'Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.'

I can quote so many texts in scripture promising these gifts but I'm crazy to claim them in the faith? Shame on the church for this.

Then He reveals His love and it subdues us. But a wise man knows the secret to the FEAR OF THE LORD!

I wouldn't quite put it like that even if I think I understand what you mean.

She said, somewhere, that if we studied the Bible on our own, she wouoldn't have been necessary.

I'll gladly illustrate.

There are different types of scriptural flaws, most of which are related to how words were translated, but some are in relation to omissions from scripture. A certain body of believers made changes to translations that omitted certain verses. When these different translation are placed side by side it becomes apparent by the pattern which translations were translated by which texts and this helped identify which ones were corrupted, by who they were corrupted, and for what purpose in their false doctrines they developed.

When God presented the oldest manuscripts ever unearthed in the Red Sea scrolls we found out so much about how perfectly God kept His word, even in the corrupted texts but a light is shown on the sincerity of those who kept it pure. God used the sin of the false church from their false doctrines based off their flawed translation to prove where His truth lies.

Translational flaws hid elements of scripture that God "put His finger over" so it would not be discovered by the wrong people and for trials of the right people.

One very good example is the "Verily I say unto you, today you will be with me in paradise" text. This one text was used by nominal Christians to prove a false doctrine for years, but when it was discovered what the text really says, it powerfully shined the light, revealing the forgotten truth. Revealed to His people in the last days that which was forgotten.

I could go on and on but you get the idea.

Let say we are in the time of Jeremiah 28 faced with two prophet claiming to speak for the Lord. How would a person know which of the prophet -- Hananiah or Jeremiah -- was inspired and speaking the will of the Lord?

We all know the outcome of what happened after that incidence and whose word came to pass. Despite, we should be able to know if a prophet is inspired or not without this information. Deut 13:2 says, that even if "the sign or the wonder come to pass" that this is not the indication of a true prophet.

By knowing the important determination that the Lord wants us to use to test a prophet is the crux.

As an exercise -- How can we tell which prophet in Jeremiah 28 is inspired?

Would it be better to say that God didn't "ordain" the flaws, but given they were made, He worked them out for good?

And as one so aptly put it, she is the lazy man's way of studying the Bible.

Ellen White rejected a book of doctrines based on her writings