Thomas, here's the original reference for the quote I posted:

1NL - Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library Vol. 1 (1945), chapter 12, page 34

http://egwdatabase.whiteestate.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates$fn=default.htm$vid=default

Mike, here is the Laodicean message:

quote:

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14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

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Without doubt, this applies to us as SDA's. We are the ones who most make Christ feel sick. We are the ones who most feel rich and increased with good, not recognizing our true wreched condition.

However, given that, is it not also true that other churches also feel "rich and increased in goods"? Do they not need the righteousness of Christ as much as we do? Are they not in need of spiritual discrenment as much as we are?

Rosangela, I agree with you that the mission of the SDA is to preach the 3AMs to the rest of the world. But God hasn't commissioned other churches to preach the 3AMs. The purpose of the message to repent is so that Laodicea (SDAs) can preach the 3AMs to the rest of the world. Laodiceans are commissioned to call believers out of Babylon.

Tom, the counsel to the Laodicean people and church is to repent. Why? Because they are not preaching the 3AMs to the rest of the world. That's why it cannot apply to other churches or Christians in general. The only church God has commissioned to preach the 3AMs is the SDA Church.

Mike, can you substantiate your view from the content of the text? Here it is again, for your convenience:

quote:

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14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

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We have 2 areas that need to be defined from what I have read, and as the Bible says "Prove all things".
1. Laodecia is the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
2. Laodecia is the last church in history. We only have 7 churches identified, so it canty be 7 churches in the entire world as we are talking about prophecy, but this should also be proven.

This is what needs to be established first from the Bible so all can be in agreement. Any thoughts?
God Bless,
Will

Tom and Will, Sister White has already proven and substantiated these facts. How can you or I improve on them? Do we dare deviate from her inspired conclusions?

Is a lukewarm Laodicean in a saved state? I believe the answer is obvious. The SOP makes it clear - NO! And I am not in the least bit ashamed to accept this answer as authoritative.

Yet the case of those who are rebuked is not a hopeless one; it is not beyond the power of the great Mediator. He says: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Though the professed followers of Christ are in a deplorable condition, they are not yet in so desperate a strait as were the foolish virgins whose lamps were going out, and there was no time in which to replenish their vessels with oil. When the bridegroom came, those that were ready went in with him to the wedding; but when the foolish virgins came, the door was shut, and they were too late to obtain an entrance. {7BC 966.6}

But the counsel of the true Witness does not represent those who are lukewarm as in a hopeless case. There is yet a chance to remedy their state, and the Laodicean message is full of encouragement; for the backslidden church may yet buy the gold of faith and love, may yet have the white robe of the righteousness of Christ, that the shame of their nakedness need not appear. Purity of heart, purity of motive, may yet characterize those who are halfhearted and who are striving to serve God and mammon. They may yet wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb (RH Aug. 28, 1894). {7BC 966.7}

There is hope for our churches if they will heed the message given to the Laodiceans (MS 139, 1903). {7BC 966.8}

Some, I saw, would gladly return. Others will not let this message to the Laodicean church have its weight upon them. They will glide along, much after the same manner they have, and will be spued out of the mouth of the Lord. Those only who zealously repent will have favor with God. {4bSG 29.2}

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." We can overcome. Yes, fully, entirely. Jesus died to make a way of escape for us, that we may overcome every evil temper, every sin, every temptation, and sit down at last with him. {4bSG 29.3}

The Bible is and always should be our final authority. That is why we need to determine what the churches represent from a Biblical perspective.
How do you tell others MountainMan who are not Seventh-Day Adventists about the churches mentioned in Revelation? Do you show them what Sister White said, or do you show them from the Bible?
How do you expect to defend your faith if you cannot use the Bible? This is a huge problem, and I would like to see Scripture regarding this.
Sister White always uses Bible verses, and by the way I am more keen to listening to what she actually wrote in a volume than what what compiled by a committee which is a whole other topic on its own, and until there is Biblical evidence to support the churches being real churches, symbolic churches or what have you then the topic itself is dead in the water.
God Bless,
Will

I agree with what Will wrote. I haven't attempted to answer his questions because I'm lazy and it takes work to provide a proper answer, and I was hoping someone else would do it (how's that for honesty?).

His points are correct. We believe the Bible and the Bible alone is our rule of faith and practice. We should be able to make reasoned arguments from Scripture.