The morning Manna will be provided at 6am. Thanks.

Studying In the Crucible with Christ in the SSnet.org series Lesson 4, may the Holy Spirit be the speaker to your heart. 

The Topic today is: "Ellen White on Character Building and the End Times"

The Opening Hymn will be 229 "Spirit of the Living God"

The Sabbath School Quarterly, downloadable from SSnet.org in the Teacher's Edition is on page 50 and for the laymen edition or Standard Edition, on page 36.

The SSnet.org site allows anyone, anywhere to read the lesson in their own language. Choose your own language to see God speaking also to your heart.

---The oops-theologians of Reformed Theology and influenced Reformed Theology Adventists, do not like to talk about character development in the process of sanctification.

---It is today appropriate to ask what Ellen White said about it.

---She is in conversation with a the Operator of Heaven in a direct line. That conversation data is very important for us. Even 130 years later.

---She had a "heavenly phone". We have a Smart-phone but which is only earthly. Her focus was sensitive and enlarged for revelations by God. Our focus shrunk less than that of a goldfish. Ours 8.2 seconds. Goldfish 12.1 seconds!

---How can we focus on divine things when we are accustomed to "flash-flash" = next-next-next with our fingers. "Oh, religion. Flash = next!"

---Our eyes do not read, we scan or browse by main word jumping. Jump to the last paragraph and read a few words, guess the content and think we know what it says. Move-on.

---But, we don't. We missed the fine nuances. We cannot develop in character. Character and biblical reading goes hand in hand.

---When Ellen White was asked in an interview by young M. E. L. Andreasen from Chicago University about the method of writing Desire of Ages, she answered him that she had to study her content just like any one of us. Meaning, if she does not pay attention to the content God gave her for herself, she will not be saved!

---To be utilized by God is not character development. Character development requires effort. It is not transferable. It is acquired to hardship experiences and overcoming joys personally and individually.

---Education 225 and The Youth's Instructor, January 16, 1896 is of great importance outlining in Adventist theology what character development is and what it is not.

---It is with enabling grace, it is by a saved individual, it got rid of all sinful habits and acquired habits by one's own past foolishness. That is Ellen White at her best.

---Not so with Reformed influenced theologians and members.

---Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to perform that which is good, I find not".

---Is it Saul or Paul?

---Augustine and most Reformed theologians and H. LaRondelle Perfection 221-223 argues for Paul.

---Paul scholars: LaRondelle (Adventist), George Knight (agnostic turned Adventist), I. Blazen (Adventist scholar in 1980 in SBT journal), Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wolfinus, Owen, Delitzsch, Hodge, W. Kümmel.

---Saul scholars: Chrystostom, Africanus, Bengel, De Wette, Hengstenberg, Neander, Muller, Adventist fighter Stuart, R. Gundry and myself.

---How do you read Romans 7? With the whole Bible and the whole Word of God. Principles of salvation from the rest of the Bible should be placed over Saul in Romans 7 and he is supposed to comply with the biblical way of salvation or fail. He failed in Romans 7 because he was Saul. It is almost a writing of his diary when he was still Saul. Very eager to work for God killing Christians!

---He did not say: "Original Sin in me is killing." No, he said "The Sin [Satan himself] in me is killing". Sin is personified because it also "deceives" (verse 11).

---The Reformed Theologians wants to read Romans 7 by itself fusing their ontology with Paul's writing and experience, allocate it to after his regeneration and making it a continuous struggle of the Christian until Jesus Comes. In conflict with Paul's other overcoming statements [also in Romans like, erase corruption in us, remove thinking and doing of evil desires successes.

---Where did Paul preach total overcoming? Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision [before thinking, pre-planned] for the flesh, unto lusts or desires".

---How much provision is "no" provision? 1%, 2%, 99%? 100%?

---It appears there is no room for any.

---Besides Saul talks of victory in Christ in Romans 7:25 "But thank be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. "Who can save me from this body of death".

---It is possible that the Sin he is talking or referring to in the latter part of Romans 7, is the father of death, Satan as "the Sin". ---The best Christian in the world still has the seeds of death in them. Deterioration is daily. Health-messages can slow the process