Participants:
Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000018A
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00:18 If a prophet is the mouthpiece for God,
00:20 does that mean that everything they say 00:22 comes directly from Him? 00:24 Did prophets act as a scribe for God 00:27 writing out every word 00:28 exactly as it was relayed to them? 00:31 Does God inspire the thought or the word? 00:34 And how exactly does a thought, 00:36 an idea and instruction or counsel 00:39 get from the mind of God to the prophet 00:41 and then to the printed page 00:43 that you and I hold in our hands and read. 00:50 Ellen White had a public ministry of 70 years, 00:53 during which she had over 2,000 visions and dreams. 00:56 During the first 40 years, 00:58 most of these happened in a public forum 01:00 where she manifested signs 01:02 such as the lack of breathing and superhuman strength. 01:06 During the last 30 years, 01:07 most of these happen as dreams during the night. 01:11 But how did they get to the printed page? 01:18 The first stage was to write down 01:20 what she had seen. 01:22 Oftentimes she was given a broad sweep of history 01:25 or a current situation, 01:27 and then it was left up to her 01:29 to use her own words and expressions 01:31 to relay the message that she had seen. 01:34 She said, 01:36 "Although I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord 01:39 in writing my views as I am in receiving them, 01:42 yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen 01:46 on my own, 01:48 unless they'd be spoken to me by an angel, 01:50 which I always endorse in marks of quotation." 02:00 After Ellen had written things out, 02:02 it was then passed to her assistants, 02:04 who would type multiple copies of the manuscript 02:07 on carbon paper. 02:09 As they were doing this, 02:10 if they needed to adjust the grammar, 02:12 spelling, or punctuation 02:14 to improve the quality of the language 02:17 without changing the meaning of the text, then they would. 02:21 Ellen White commenting on this said, 02:23 "The reports that are circulated 02:25 that any of my helpers are permitted to add matter 02:29 or change the meaning of the messages I write out 02:32 are not true." 02:37 A copy of this 02:39 would then be given to Ellen White, 02:41 and she would review it 02:42 to make sure that it conform to what she had intended. 02:46 She then had the opportunity to make additional edits 02:49 called interlineations, 02:51 as these would be written between the lines. 02:54 A copy of the manuscript 02:55 would then be revised and read again and again 02:58 with additional changes made if need be. 03:06 The third stage in the process would be 03:08 whether the Ellen White or church leaders 03:11 felt the need for a book, article, 03:13 or publication on a given topic. 03:16 Ellen White and her assistants 03:18 would then begin the process of compiling the publication 03:21 either by Ellen White writing again 03:23 or by compiling the existing letters 03:26 and manuscript on a given topic. 03:28 A galley proof would then be made. 03:31 This was a preliminary printing of the book, 03:33 with especially wide margins 03:36 to allow for any edits or changes to be made. 03:39 The manuscript was then reviewed 03:41 by the book committee of the publishing house. 03:50 Following the approval of the galley proof, 03:52 the final step in the process was the printing of the book. 03:56 The printing plates were prepared 03:58 and then the printing would commence. 04:01 Nothing appeared in print 04:03 without careful and meticulous preparation. 04:06 The manuscript was thoroughly reviewed 04:08 to ensure that the intended message 04:10 was the message that was relayed. 04:17 The prophetic gift was given to lead and guide God's church. 04:21 It was not intended to be a stick 04:24 to beat people with, 04:25 though at times the council can be pointed and sharp. 04:29 Two constant themes 04:30 throughout Ellen White's writing 04:32 are the Bible and Jesus. 04:34 She always sought to uplift both of these and she wrote, 04:37 "I want you to read your Bible 04:39 and see the matchless charms of Christ. 04:42 I want you to fall in love with the man of Calvary." 04:45 We have a more sure word of prophecy 04:48 may be a light to us shining in a dark place, 04:51 guiding us back to God's Word 04:53 and showing the love of Jesus to us. 05:13 Having a mother who was a prophet 05:15 and a father who amongst many other things 05:18 was a General Conference president 05:20 would not have been easy. 05:21 Losing one of your brothers suddenly at the age of 16 05:25 and having your own father suffer disease 05:27 and an early death 05:28 would have been very hard. 05:30 Having parents who traveled extensively 05:32 during your early years 05:34 and constantly being in the public eye 05:36 made the childhood of Edson White more challenging 05:39 than what most of us would experience. 05:46 As he was growing up, he was for one of a better term, 05:49 the black sheep of the family, 05:51 the one that Ellen White worried about 05:53 more than the others. 05:54 He had a problem with lying, being deceitful, 05:57 just a problem child through and through. 06:00 He would cause a fear, rifts between his parents, 06:03 as James and Ellen had different views 06:05 on how he should be dealt with. 06:07 Sometimes he would go to a town and trade in the White's name, 06:11 but when the business fell flat, 06:13 he would leave town 06:14 leaving his parents to pick up the bill. 06:17 His father would happily have let him go 06:19 through the court system 06:20 and bear the consequences that way, 06:22 but his mother would bail him out 06:24 taking a softer approach. 06:31 After his father's death, things get worse. 06:33 He has a fight with the Review and Herald over royalties, 06:37 and he also writes to his mother 06:38 and tells her that he is not religious. 06:41 Ellen White though continues to plead with him. 06:44 She tells him that she has seen heaven 06:46 that it is for real. 06:48 Ellen had a better relationship with Emma, Edson's wife 06:51 and she writes to her 06:52 and asked her to ensure that Edson reads the letter 06:55 and does not burn it. 06:57 One time she had a dream 06:58 where she saw him caught in a riptide drowning 07:01 and she wakes up and writes him a letter. 07:04 This continues for years with seemingly little effect, 07:08 but God was working silently on his heart. 07:19 Eventually at the age of 44, 07:21 Edson White accepts Jesus as his personal Savior. 07:25 He writes to his mother and he says he now realizes 07:28 that Jesus loves him 07:30 and decides to throw himself into full-time ministry. 07:34 He read his mother's book, which stressed the necessity 07:37 and importance of working in the South 07:40 and decides to raise the funds to buy a boat 07:43 to sail down to the south wind. 07:46 The South wasn't a sought 07:47 after mission field at the time. 07:49 Slavery had just been abolished, 07:51 tensions were high, 07:52 and there were many people down there 07:54 who did not want the newly freed slaves 07:57 to have access to education. 07:59 Edson White set about to change this 08:01 through the Morning Star boats. 08:09 Edson White would go 08:10 and do a great work in the South, 08:12 providing huge momentum 08:14 to the work that had just started. 08:16 His boat idea was genius at a time 08:20 when schools and churches would regularly get torched. 08:24 His work in this new field would result 08:26 in approximately 15 schools, a sanitarium, 08:30 and a publishing house being opened. 08:36 There is no foolproof method of raising children, 08:39 each child must choose for themselves. 08:42 Ellen White wrote lots of counsel 08:44 on rearing children 08:45 and yet she had troublesome children 08:47 of her own. 08:48 The story of Edson strongly reminds us 08:50 that we should not give up on people 08:52 even when hope seems lost. 08:54 There may still be great plans for that person's future. 08:58 Pray for them, work with them, plead with them, 09:01 and let God have His way. 10:12 The Southern States of America 10:14 were a volatile mission field in the 1870s. 10:18 The Emancipation Proclamation 10:20 had just been signed by Abraham Lincoln. 10:22 Slavery had ended. 10:24 And yet for African-Americans, 10:25 there was still a long way to go for equality 10:28 in the basic essentials of life. 10:31 The Ku Klux Klan was strong in many areas, 10:34 and whenever a school for blacks opened, 10:36 there was a strong chance that it would get torched. 10:39 Whippings, shootings, 10:41 and lynchings were still commonplace. 10:44 Educational opportunities were limited 10:46 and schools were poorly equipped 10:48 or nonexistent at the time, 10:50 and there were no Adventist churches 10:52 south of the Mason-Dixon Line. 10:59 In 1865, just two years 11:01 after the Emancipation Proclamation 11:03 and also two years 11:05 after the Seventh-day Adventist Church 11:07 was officially formed, 11:08 Ellen White said that the church ought to begin work 11:11 in the South. 11:12 The first minister who came down here 11:14 was named Elbert Lane, 11:15 and he did some revival meetings 11:17 in Edgefield Junction, Tennessee 11:19 that led to a church being formed in 1873. 11:23 Churches would later start in Louisville, Nashville, 11:26 Memphis, and New Orleans. 11:28 In 1889, Charles M. Kenny 11:31 became the first black ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, 11:35 and he organized a church in Bowling Green, Kentucky 11:38 that Ellen White would later visit. 11:44 Edson White would now become involved. 11:46 After finally given his life to Jesus 11:49 at the age of 44, 11:51 he now found purpose 11:52 in this newly opened mission field. 11:54 Writing to his mother, he said, 11:56 "I have been thinking of going to Tennessee 11:59 to work among the colored people." 12:01 Edson White had a steamboat built 12:03 that he called the Morning Star 12:05 and sailed from here in Allegan, Michigan 12:07 across the Chicago, 12:08 then down to Illinois and Mississippi Rivers 12:11 to the state of Mississippi. 12:17 The first place that they docked 12:19 and begin working was in Vicksburg, Mississippi. 12:21 And as they set about working in the town, 12:23 they were met with stiff opposition. 12:26 After finding a suitable place 12:27 where the newly formed group could worship, 12:29 the owner of the property refused to sell 12:32 to have a colored church in the area. 12:34 He did though leave an exception 12:36 that if enough of the local residents 12:38 agreed to have them there, 12:39 then he would sell. 12:41 After getting agreement from enough of the locals, 12:43 the church was officially opened 12:45 as the Morning Star Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 12:48 The original building was burned down in 1955, 12:52 but the present one was built on the same spot. 13:00 A school would also be opened in Vicksburg, 13:03 and then further churches, and schools 13:05 would open in Yazoo City, Lintonia, Palo Alto. 13:09 The work was moving forward, but it was not without trial. 13:13 In Redwood, Mississippi, 13:15 Franklin Warrick had to leap from a train 13:17 to escape a lynch mob 13:19 that had been called to kill him. 13:21 In Calvert, Mississippi, MV Olan was whipped, 13:24 and his wife shot at 13:26 because of their commitment to educate 13:28 and evangelize the blacks in the South. 13:35 Edson White established the Southern Missionary Society 13:39 with the purpose of carrying the principles 13:41 of Christian education 13:42 to the people in the South. 13:44 In 1898, 13:46 the Gospel Herald Magazine was launched, 13:48 and the first eight episodes 13:50 were printed on the Morning Star. 13:53 Later on a health food company, a sanitarium, 13:56 and a clinic would open 13:58 along with 28 mission schools by 1906 with 1,000 pupils. 14:07 The idea of a missionary boat that could act as a school, 14:11 meeting house, printing press, library, 14:14 and training center was absolute genius. 14:17 He could move around when tensions got too high 14:20 as it was a mobile missionary station. 14:22 The work that the Morning Star did 14:24 provide a great impetus 14:26 and pushed the work forward here in the South. 14:29 From a wayward son who had no spiritual direction, 14:32 Edson White would help lay a framework 14:35 for comprehensive work to take place here in the South 14:38 that continues to this day. 14:41 No people group is excluded from the Great Commission 14:44 to take the gospel to all the world. 14:46 May God grant us the creativity and the wisdom 14:50 as we share this message, 14:52 especially to those 14:53 who have been ostracized and marginalized 14:55 by whatever society we may live in. 14:59 When I was growing up, if you wanted to study history 15:01 or do research on a particular topic, 15:03 there was really only one option that we had 15:06 and that was to read a book. 15:08 And I never really used to like reading that much. 15:10 So we decided to create a resource 15:12 that will translate this written information 15:14 into the language of today. 15:18 My name is Adam Ramdin. 15:19 And my name is Clive Coutet. 15:21 And we are the cofounders of Lineage Journey. 15:24 Back in 2016, I was reading "The Great Controversy" 15:26 and I was really struggling to find 15:28 any relevant video resources 15:29 that I could use to aid me in my study. 15:31 So I decided to approach Adam about the possibility 15:34 of making some videos on the Reformation. 15:36 So we started filming in the end of 2016, 15:39 and in 2017, we released 48 videos 15:43 that covered the period of the early church 15:45 all the way through to the end of the Reformation. 15:48 Then in 2018 and 2019, 15:50 we released another 52 episodes on church history. 15:54 These have now been viewed all over the world 15:56 in over 100 countries 15:58 covering about 50 different languages 16:00 and we have over 3 million views online. 16:04 These videos have been used as a resource 16:06 in both secular and Christian schools 16:08 as well as several church denominations 16:11 across the globe 16:12 using Bible studies, study groups, 16:14 as well as play to the general congregation. 16:16 They also make a great online evangelistic tool 16:19 where people are able to share them, 16:21 and we've seen them go into countries 16:22 that we ourselves can't go, 16:23 countries that are Muslim countries 16:25 where the Christian message cannot go. 16:28 One of the challenges we have, though, 16:29 is that amongst our team of almost 10 people, 16:32 we are all volunteers on this project, 16:34 sacrificing our time, our effort, and energy 16:36 in order to make these resources together. 16:39 Just to put things into perspective, 16:41 each Lineage episode as well as the filming 16:43 takes an additional two to three days 16:45 in post-production. 16:46 That is a lot of time and sacrifice 16:48 that this team has made 16:50 in putting 100 episodes together. 16:52 So we need to raise the funds 16:53 to cover the cost of the filming 16:55 as well as the continued production 16:57 costs that come after that. 16:59 So for as little as $1 a month, 17:01 you can help us to expand this ministry 17:03 to create new resources 17:05 to reach more people across the world. 17:07 Thank you for visiting this page 17:09 and taking the time to watch this video. 17:11 We really appreciate that. 17:12 Thank you for your support of the ministry so far. 17:15 And we ask that you would prayerfully consider 17:17 being a partner with us on this Patreon page. 17:21 May God bless you. 17:22 And we ask that you continue to keep this ministry 17:24 and our future plans in prayer. 17:45 In 1939, Ripley's Believe It or Not 17:48 wrote about the school in Madison, Tennessee, 17:51 and included its amazing story 17:53 in their long list of unbelievable things. 17:56 They reported that it was the only college in America 17:59 that was self-supporting, 18:01 meaning it operated without external funds, 18:04 income or endowments. 18:06 The remarkable story goes back to 1904 18:09 when Percy T.Magan and E.A. Sutherland 18:13 started a school that was originally called 18:15 the Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute. 18:23 Here in Madison, Tennessee, 18:26 just 10 miles north of Nashville, 18:28 one of America's most remarkable 18:30 and innovative schools started. 18:33 E.A Sutherland and Percy Magan resigned their jobs 18:36 from Emmanuel Missionary College 18:38 and moved down to work in the South. 18:40 In 1904, 18:42 they were here on the Cumberland River 18:44 with Ellen White on the Morning Star boat 18:46 when it suddenly broke down. 18:48 Ellen White and Mr. Palmer went ashore 18:51 and saw 412 acre farm that was for sale. 18:54 It was overgrown, full of stones and rundown, 18:57 but Ellen White commented 18:59 that she has seen the place in a vision 19:00 and thought they should purchase it. 19:02 The two teachers E.A. Sutherland and Percy Magan 19:06 were dismayed, 19:07 for they did not think the place look 19:08 promising at all, 19:10 but they decided to trust the wisdom of Ellen White 19:12 and moved ahead and purchased the property. 19:15 It began its first term with 11 students 19:18 but quickly grew. 19:20 And under Ellen White's guidance, 19:22 the educational philosophy of this school was established. 19:30 Madison sought to educate the whole person, 19:33 body, mind and soul, 19:34 instilling in students a spirit of self-sacrifice, service, 19:39 and a love of the simple frugal life. 19:41 Using the large property that it had, 19:44 students worked on the land 19:46 ensuring that they could pay their way through, 19:48 making it a self-supporting institution. 19:51 If students did not have enough money, 19:53 they were not turned away 19:54 but encouraged to work their way through school. 19:57 The teachers did not have high paying salaries. 20:00 And staff and students would work together every day 20:03 for five hours. 20:10 The focus of Madison was to be different. 20:13 Athletics and sports programs were not included, 20:16 but instead there was a strong emphasis 20:19 on mission work. 20:21 The purpose was to train self-supporting 20:23 domestic and foreign missionary workers 20:26 and teachers. 20:28 "The education given at the Madison School 20:30 is such as will be accounted a treasure of great value 20:34 by those who take up missionary work 20:36 in foreign fields. 20:37 If many more in other schools 20:39 were receiving a similar training, 20:41 we as a people 20:43 would be a spectacle to the world, 20:44 to angels and to men." 20:52 As Madison expanded, 20:54 it began to plan satellite schools 20:56 and institutions all across the country. 20:59 By 1914, there were 40 schools with 1,000 students. 21:04 In 1947, 21:05 the self-supporting entities form the Association 21:09 of Seventh-day Adventist self-supporting institutions 21:12 or ASI. 21:14 Once a year, they would meet here at Madison 21:16 for a self-supporting workers convention, 21:19 laying the foundation for the annual ASI Convention 21:22 that continues to this day. 21:24 In 1979, 21:26 the name was changed to reflect a more diverse membership 21:29 to Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries. 21:32 And it is a powerful mission driven organization 21:36 that has been responsible for some great projects 21:39 over the years. 21:46 Unfortunately, the school would sadly close in 1964, 21:51 and the reasons are complex and many. 21:54 Madison pioneered the self-supporting work 21:57 not to be confused with independent ministries. 22:00 Ellen White spoke strongly in favor 22:02 of the self-supporting work, 22:04 saying in the book "Welfare Ministry" page 64, 22:07 "There is a large field open 22:09 before the self-supporting gospel worker." 22:12 Self-supporting work was and is to work harmoniously 22:16 with the organized work and the collaboration 22:18 between these two entities 22:20 will make the gospel work doubly effective. 22:42 Born into a poor Mississippi black family in 1874, 22:46 into a family of freed slaves, 22:49 Anna Knight would rise above her humble beginning 22:52 to make a massive impact in the Adventist Church, 22:55 both in America and further afield. 22:58 At that time, where she lived 23:00 there were no schools for blacks, 23:02 and she wasn't allowed to attend the white schools, 23:05 but she would volunteer 23:06 to do chores for her white neighbors 23:08 if they would let her look at their books. 23:10 She had a massive appetite for knowledge 23:13 and despite the serious disadvantage 23:15 she set out to learn. 23:23 One day she saw an advert in a magazine 23:26 that if the reader sent in 10 cents, 23:28 they will be added to a list to receive free books. 23:31 She saved up her 10 cents over time 23:33 and sent in to receive the free samples. 23:36 Of the 40 or so people who responded, 23:38 one of them was a Seventh-day Adventist 23:40 and sent her a big stack of magazines and books. 23:43 Edith Embree sent her 23:45 a "Signs of the Times" every week, 23:47 and over time built a relationship up 23:49 with her. 23:50 She decided to keep the Sabbath which wasn't easy in a home 23:53 where everyone needed to work, 23:55 but she did not waver 23:57 even though she came under pressure for it. 24:03 Soon after Edith sent her a copy of the book 24:06 "Steps to Christ," 24:07 and Anna determined to be baptized. 24:09 And so, Edith Embree 24:11 wrote to the Southern Missionary Tract Society 24:14 and told them about Anna. 24:16 There were not many churches in the South, 24:18 let alone organize conferences, 24:20 and the nearest church was in Graysville, Tennessee, 24:23 382 miles away. 24:26 This did not deter Anna and she got baptized. 24:30 After this, she will be mentored 24:31 by Elder and Mrs. Chambers. 24:33 And then she would go on to study first 24:35 at Mount Vernon Academy in Ohio, 24:37 and then at Battle Creek College 24:39 in Michigan and train to be a nurse. 24:42 After graduation she returned back down to Mississippi 24:45 and started a school in the same town 24:48 that had given a trouble 24:49 when she started to keep the Sabbath. 24:51 By now they saw the benefit of education 24:53 for the younger children 24:55 and the ill feelings disappeared. 25:01 At the 1901 GC session, 25:04 she felt a call to the mission field. 25:06 She made arrangements for the work 25:08 back home in Mississippi. 25:10 And then she headed on what was perhaps 25:12 her most unique work, 25:13 the first female missionary to India. 25:17 She led many people to accept Jesus Christ 25:20 as their Savior 25:21 during her six years ministering in India. 25:24 She returned home 25:25 on what was supposed to be a furlough, 25:27 but ended up establishing another school in Mississippi. 25:30 And then in 1909, 25:32 she would be asked to open a sanitarium 25:35 in Atlanta, Georgia, 25:36 to establish the medical missionary work 25:39 amongst the African-Americans in the South. 25:46 She went on to pioneer education work 25:48 for blacks in the South, 25:50 working for six years 25:51 at the Southeastern Union Conference. 25:53 She would later work for the Southern Union 25:55 whilst living here 25:57 at what is now Oakwood University, 25:59 but it seems she spent nearly all her time 26:01 traveling by train, 26:02 visiting the various schools and pushing the work forward. 26:06 By 1932, she served as the associate secretary 26:10 for the Education, Home Missionary, 26:12 Missionary Volunteer and Sabbath School Departments 26:15 at the Southern Union Conference 26:17 Colored Department. 26:19 In the last year of her life, at the age of 98, 26:22 she served as the president 26:24 of the National Colored Teachers Association. 26:26 And in that same year, 26:28 the General Conference awarded her 26:29 the Medallion of Merit Award from the education department. 26:37 She lived a life of principle, working tirelessly, 26:41 both at home and abroad to share the message of Jesus 26:45 that she had learned at such a young age. 26:47 She lived a life for others, 26:49 rising above the disadvantages and prejudices that she faced. 26:54 The legacy of her life will be a long and rich one 26:57 that last to this day, 26:59 and she is a pioneer worthy of remembrance. 27:02 The church today needs men and women like Anna Knight 27:06 who will go into un-entered areas, 27:09 who will start schools, who will be a missionary 27:11 and share the message of Jesus, 27:13 whether that's at home 27:15 or whether that's in an un-entered area. 27:17 If God is calling you to such a work, 27:20 then harden not your heart and go where He calls. |
Revised 2020-04-09