You are suffering from ARR, Acute Revisionist Retrophilia. Snap out of it! Paul to the church of the first century in Corinth:

• 1 Cor. 5:1-2
  
  "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles — that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you."
   
• 1 Cor. 11:20-22
  
  "When you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you."

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True - somethings are still the same. But did the early church have huge buildings? no. Did they pulpits and pews and stained glass windows? Nope. Wasthe worship service dominated by an ordain pastor? Nope, all shared what they experience. Today the church is a passive, stagnant mess. Church is not something to go to. It is something you are. There should be no "jerusalem centers". So much of what we church today is tradition and paganism.

Well, I had the sermon on Sabbath, and when I looked, I had a great number of quotes from Spirit of Prophecy. I normally have a Bible text, then a quote, and then the lesson to be learned from it. But part of the sermon was on the thief on the cross, and scripture is very brief on what happened with the thief. So I had to rely more heavily on the Spirit of Prophecy then apply the lesson being given.

Sometimes the Bible is silent or doesn't expand on certain events, so Spirit of Prophecy fills in. Otherwise, we are just giving our opinion on a verse or the text, and that can get problematic to say the least.

NAME OF PATIENT: apl
DIAGNOSIS: Acute Revisionist Retrophilia
PROBABLE CAUSE: The Testimonies of Ellen White
PRESCRIPTION: Paul's letter to Timothy, 1 Tim. 3

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Jim - read "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola and George Barna. Funny, they are not even Adventists and don't even quote Ellen White. See now who needs to revise their view. Good luck!

I don't have any problem with looking to EGW's writings as commentary to help understand a Biblical story.

Could you kindly elaborate on these "pagan rituals."

You mean like having big church buildings? When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons, and no sacred spaces. Christians were the only religious people on earth who did not erect sacred buildings for their worship. The Christian faith was born in homes, out in courtyards, and along roadsides. Meeting in homes was a conscious choice of the early Christians. Church buildings are not "God's house." Constantine brought into Christianity sacred objects and places, basing them on pagan shrines.

Christians revere the "Holy Land." But Jerusalem is no more sacred than any other place on earth. But the pagan influence is there is revering the place.

Church buildings model after pagan shrines and Roman basilica. There are elevated platforms to separate the "clergy" from the "laity." There is no such division in the Church that Christ started on earth, but is perpetuated in nearly every protestant denomination, including the SDAs. The Pulpit, the pews, the balcony, the steeple, colored glass, the incredibly high cost of maintaining the buildings, money that could be used to the furthering of the Gospel.

We could discuss the order of services of Sabbath or Sundays, there are very little difference and much of it comes from pagan ritual. The sacred cow of "the sermon." Not many get much out of sermons, even if presented well. Sermons make the listener passive participants, that is, they do not participate. How rude if one were to interrupt. Much about the sermon comes from pagan orators. "The Pastor" is often an obstacle to every member functioning in the church. And on and on and on...

I'm sorry, that did not convince me IN THE LEAST.

Not my role to convince you. But try reading the book "Pagan Christianity" and all the references.