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Selected Messages Book 1
the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is to be tested by the Word
of God. The Spirit which inspired the Scriptures, always leads to the
Scriptures.—
General Conference Daily Bulletin, April 13, 1891
.
Inspired Messages Wrongly Applied
One man, B by name, came all the way from Michigan with a
special message for Sister White. He said that Sister White had been
appointed by God to occupy the position occupied by Moses, and that
he, B, was to occupy the position of Joshua. Thus the work was to be
carried forward. Sister White’s work was to be united with his work,
and we were to proclaim the truth with power.
This man took the liberty, as many others have done, to mingle a
great deal of Scripture with his message, quoting passages which he
[44]
applied to Seventh-day Adventists. During my connection with the
work many such men have arisen. They have selected and arranged
scriptures which they made applicable to the people of God. Mr. B
read with a loud, strong voice the passages he had selected, declaring
them to be applicable to us as a people. He said that I must see that he
was right; for was it not the Bible he was reading.
“Yes,” I said, “you have selected and put these scriptures together,
but like many who have arisen as you have, you are wresting the
Scriptures, interpreting them to mean thus and so, when I know they
do not apply as you have applied them.
“You, or any other deluded person, could arrange and have arranged
certain scriptures of great force, and applied them according to your
own ideas. Any man could misinterpret and misapply God’s Word,
denouncing people and things, and then take the position that those
who refused to receive his message had rejected the message of God,
and decided their destiny for eternity.”...
From the various letters which have come to me, I see that when
such men as B, claiming to be sent by God, go to those who are more
or less isolated from our people, these souls are ready to grasp anything
that purports to be of heavenly origin. Letters come to me entreating
an answer; I know that many men take the testimonies the Lord has
given, and apply them as they suppose they should be applied, picking
out a sentence here and there, taking it from its proper connection,
and applying it according to their idea. Thus poor souls become