The Acts of the Apostles

by Ellen Gould White

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Genres: Christian

640 pages, Print on Demand

Published October 22, 2018

About the author

In brief, Ellen Gould Harmon White was a woman of remarkable spiritual gifts who lived most of her life during the nineteenth century (1827-1915), yet through her writings she is still making a revolutionary impact on millions of people around the world. During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books; but today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Her writings cover a broad range of subjects, including religion, education, social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, and management. Her life-changing masterpiece on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was more than a gifted writer; they believe she was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world's attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ's second advent. From the time she was 17 years old until she died 70 years later, God gave her approximately 2,000 visions and dreams. The visions varied in length from less than a minute to nearly four hours. The knowledge and counsel received through these revelations she wrote out to be shared with others. Thus her special writings are accepted by Seventh-day Adventists as inspired, and their exceptional quality is recognized even by casual readers. As stated in Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , “The writings of Ellen White are not a substitute for Scripture. They cannot be placed on the same level. The Holy Scriptures stand alone, the unique standard by which her and all other writings must be judged and to which they must be subject” (Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Washington D.C., 1988, p. 227). Yet, as Ellen White herself noted, “The fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour to open the Word to His servants, to illuminate and apply its teachings” (The Great Controversy, p. vii). The following is a more detailed account of the life and work of this remarkable woman who, meeting all the tests of a true prophet as set forth in the Holy Scriptures, helped found the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SDA CO-FOUNDER TELLS THE STORY OF ALL THE APOSTLES

Ellen Gould White (1827-1915) was the co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She claimed to have received numerous visions and dreams from God throughout her life.

She wrote in the first chapter of this 1911 book, “Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for… He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur… During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill… Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard.” (Pg. 11-12)

She states, “It is not a conclusive evidence that a man is a Christian because he manifest spiritual ecstasy under extraordinary circumstances. Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God… it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love.” (Pg. 51)

She explains, “Not upon the ordained minister only rests the responsibility of going forth to fulfill this commission. Everyone who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men… It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of soul-saving depends alone upon the ministry. The humble consecrated believer upon whom the Master of the vineyard places a burden for souls is to be given encouragement by the men upon whom the Lord has laid large responsibilities.” (Pg. 110)

She observes, “There are in our world many who are nearer the kingdom of God than we suppose. In this dark world of sin the Lord has many precious jewels, to whom He will guide His messengers. Everywhere there are those who will take their stand for Christ. Many will prize the wisdom of God above any earthly advantage, and will become faithful light bearers. Constrained by the love of Christ, they will constrain others to some to Him.” (Pg. 140-141) Later, she adds, “The cause of God in the earth today is in need of living representatives of Bible truth. The ordained ministers alone are not equal to the task of warning the great cities. God is calling not only upon ministers, but also upon physicians, nurses, colporteurs, Bible workers, and other consecrated laymen of varied talent who have a knowledge of the word of God… to consider the needs of the unwarned cities.” (Pg. 158-159)

She asserts, “At a later date the rite of ordination by the laying on of hands was greatly abused: unwarrantable importance was attached to the act, as if a power came at once upon those who received such ordination, which immediately qualified them for any and all ministerial work. But… there is no record indicating that any virtue was imparted by the mere act of laying on of hands.” (Pg. 162)

She warns, “It is a universal principle that whenever one refuses to use his God-given powers, these powers decay and perish. Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue.” (Pg. 206)

She asserts, “At the present time, when the end of all things earthly is rapidly approaching, Satan is putting forth desperate efforts to ensnare the world… Wickedness is reaching a height never before attained, and yet many ministers of the gospel are crying, ‘Peace and safety.’ But God’s faithful messengers are to go steadily forward with their work.” (Pg. 219-220)

She states, “All will be judged according to the light that has been given. The Lord sends forth His ambassadors with a message of salvation, and those who hear He will hold responsible for the way in which they treat the sords of His servants. Those who are sincerely seeking for truth will make a careful investigation, in the light of God’s word, of the doctrines presented to them.” (Pg. 232)

She suggests, “Impressions alone are not a safe guide to duty. The enemy often persuades men to believe that it is God who is guiding them, when n reality they are following only human impulse. But if we watch carefully, and take counsel with our brethren, we shall be given an understanding of the Lord’s will…” (Pg. 279)

She says, “The magicians of heathen times have their counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums, the clairvoyants, and the fortune-tellers of today. The mystic voices that spoke in Endor and at Ephesus are still by their lying words misleading the children of men. Could the veil be lifted from before our eyes ,we should see evil angels employing all their arts to deceive and to destroy.” (Pg. 290)

She contends, “Christians should not appeal to civil tribunals to settle differences that may arise among church members. Such differences should be settled among themselves, or by the church, in harmony with Christ’s instruction…. Lawsuits between brethren are a reproach to the cause of truth. Christians who go to law with one another expose the church to the ridicule of her enemies and cause the powers of darkness to triumph.” (Pg. 305-306)

She states, “That there may be funds in the treasury for the support of the ministry, and to meet the calls for assistance in missionary enterprises, it is necessary that the people of God give cheerfully and liberally. A solemn responsibility rests upon minister to keep before the churches the needs of the cause of God and to educate them to be liberal. When this is neglected, and the churches fail to give for the necessities of others, not only does the work of the Lord suffer, but the blessing that should come to believers is withheld.” (Pg. 341)

She observes, “In every age Satan has sought to impair the efforts of God’s servants by introducing into the church a spirit of fanaticism. Thus it was in Paul’s day, and thus it was in later centuries during the time of the Reformation. Wycliffe, Luther, and many others who blessed the world by their influence and their faith, encountered the wiles by which the enemy seeks to lead into fanaticism overzealous, unbalanced, and unsanctified minds. Misguided souls have taught that … true holiness … leads men to refrain wholly from labor… The teaching and example of … Paul are a rebuke to such extreme views.” (Pg. 348)

She explains, “The Jews were God’s chosen people, through whom He had purposed to bless the entire race. From among them God had raised up many prophets. They had foretold the advent of a Redeemer who was to be rejected and slain by those who should have bene the first to recognize Him as the Promised One… Israel had stumbled and fallen, but this did not make it impossible for them to rise again… Notwithstanding Israel’s failure as a nation, there remained among them a goodly remnant of such as should be saved… Through unbelief and the rejection of Neaven’s purpose for her, Israel as a nation had lost her connection with God. But the branches that had been separated from the parent stock God was able to reunite with the true stock of Israel---the remnant who had remained true to the God of their fathers.” (Pg. 374-378)

She recounts, “Many of the Jews who had accepted the gospel still cherished a regard for the ceremonial law and were only too willing to make unwise concessions, hoping thus to gain the confidence of their countrymen, to remove their prejudice, and to win them to faith in Christ… Paul realized that so long as many of the leading members of the church at Jerusalem should continue to cherish prejudice against him, they would work constantly to counteract his influence… But he was not authorized by God to concede as much as they asked…” (Pg. 405)

She notes, “The apostle showed that religion does not consist in rites and ceremonies, creeds and theories. If it did, the natural man would understand it by investigation, as he understands worldly thing. Paul taught that religion is a practical, saving energy, a principle wholly from God, a personal experience of God’s renewing power upon the soul.” (Pg. 451)

She counsels, “Let not the follower of Christ think, when he is no longer able to labor openly and actively for God and Hus truth, that he has not service to render, no reward to secure. Christ’s true witnesses are never laid aside. In health and sickness, in life and death, God uses them still.” (Pg. 465)

She states, “With the growing contempt for God’s law there is an increasing distaste for religion, an increase of pride, love of pleasure, disobedience to parents, and self-indulgence, and thoughtful minds everywhere are anxiously inquiring, What can be done to correct these alarming evils? The answer is found in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, ‘Preach the word.’ In the Bible are found the only safe principles of action.” (Pg. 506)

She says, “Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, and day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ… It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome… Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.” (Pg. 560-561)

She suggests, “The reason many in this age of the world make no greater advancement in the divine life is because they interpret the will of God to be just what they will to do. While following their own desires, they flatter themselves that they are conforming to God’s will. These have no conflicts with self…” (Pg. 565)

She advises, “Let none think, because they cannot explain the meaning of every symbol in the Revelation, that it is useless for them to search this book in an effort to know the meaning of the truth it contains. The One who revealed these mysteries to John will give to the diligent searcher for truth a foretaste of heavenly things. Those whose hearts are open to the reception of truth will be enabled to understand its teachings, and will be granted the blessing promised…” (Pg. 584-585)

This book will appeal mostly to SDAs, of course; but other Christians interested in such topics may be interested, as well.

[Nathan Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I've finished this book, I can officially say I've read the entire Conflict Series. This series will change your life. I highly recommend reading it alongside the Bible on a regular basis. This year, I used the Correlated Bible Reading plan by Arl V. Voorheis, which you can purchase online. Free plans are available here https://ahefamily.org/2017/09/15/bibl...

I also used these linked reading plans for Desire of Ages and the four gospels. God will bless you richly as you approach these books with the spirit of a learner and a desire to do all that God commands.