The Undercover Adventist

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Lesson 2 - Friday Further Thought Unity in Jesus “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21, NKJV). Unity in the church is not something humans manufacture through policy, personality, or compromise. True unity is a spiritual work, brought about by the Holy Spirit when believers are fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. The foundation of unity is not uniformity of thought or preference, but a shared submission to Christ as Lord and a shared dependence on His Word. What Is Necessary for the Holy Spirit to Bring Unity? First, humility is essential. Scripture teaches that unity grows where pride dies. Paul urges believers to walk “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2–3, NKJV). The Holy Spirit cannot unite hearts that insist on self-exaltation or personal agendas. Second, obedien...

  Was Ellen G. White an Ordained Minister? The question of whether Ellen G. White, a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was ever an ordained minister has been a topic of curiosity and sometimes confusion. While she held ministerial credentials for much of her life and carried great influence in shaping Adventist theology and practice, the historical record reveals a nuanced story. Early Ministry and Role in the Church Ellen White (1827–1915) began her ministry in the 1840s following the Great Disappointment of 1844. Alongside her husband, James White, and Joseph Bates, she became a central spiritual leader among the Sabbatarian Adventists. Her visions and writings gave guidance to the young movement, helping to establish doctrines such as the Sabbath, the sanctuary, and health reform. From the earliest days, Ellen White spoke publicly, counseled ministers, and directed the spiritual life of the church. Her prophetic authority meant that she often filled roles simil...

  “Babylon Within” Scripture Reading: Revelation 18:4 – “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” Introduction: Brothers and sisters, the call to “come out of Babylon” has echoed through every era of God's church, and especially through the prophetic voice of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. But let’s pause and consider: We may not be in Babylon—but how much of Babylon might still be in us?  What is Babylon? In Scripture, Babylon represents confusion, compromise, and rebellion against God. In Revelation, it symbolizes a system that mixes truth with error, where man-made tradition replaces divine command. For us as Adventists, Babylon is not just about where we are physically—it’s about what we allow spiritually. Ellen White reminds us in Testimonies for the Church , vol. 5, that “we have far more to fear from within than from without.” Babylon isn’t only “out there.” It can creep into our h...

For Adventists, their beliefs and Ellen G White go hand in hand. Or so it seems for many members. They can't seem to do anything without scraping up what she said about whatever is in question. However, we should always remember our first and foremost fundamental belief: " The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history." But is that true? Do we really read The Bible as infallible and where we get our doctrines? It seems we do not. We change words. We cut out things. We talk about symbolism, other times, present truth, translations. Just about everything we can to slice and dice parts of The Bible that we do not follow. But we NEVER do that with Ellen G White. If she said it, well, it must be gospel. We must follow everything she said word for word, especially in certain books. That is what m...

Adventists have long been accused of many things. How do you answer false accusations about Adventist beliefs? First of all, be ready. If you have not already, you will be questioned. And probably in a hostile way. Be prepared to not get hostile in return. Three major issues for Adventists Ellen G. White. Many members of other denominations think that whatever this woman  said, did, published, or otherwise construed, is the basis of our salvation. It is not. And it never has been. We can blame this big one on ourselves. We have done a poor job of promoting our message and truths. If the first thing out of your mouth when evangelizing is Ellen White, you won't win many friends. You must first be firm that our salvation is based on Jesus and The Bible. After that, you can begin to attempt to turn the conversation around. Ask them what authors they like. Have they read books by Rick Warren, like The Purpose Driven Life? Do they know and read Max Lucado? Does their pasto...

If you are an Adventist, you have probably been judged on the basis of  Ellen G. White. The Undercover Adventist has just set a new milestone. Having now been judged from both sides. You see, we now get judged by not following Ellen G. White. And now, we are told that we are doing things JUST because of Ellen G. White. Of course Jesus was under attacks such as this. John the Baptist was accused of not eating or drinking, and Jesus was accused of eating and drinking. We believe this is the context of what Jesus meant when he said not to judge. The Pharisees judged Jesus by he did on the Sabbath. We are certain many Adventists would have been right there accusing as well. After all, on the surface, gathering grain was a BIG no-no on Sabbath. But motives are always the true measurement. And we do not know people's motives. Ellen G. White does not need anyone to defend her. She can stand on her own merit. Whatever she said must be taken in context and always tracked by The Bible....

The Undercover Adventist has been involved in various judgements brought on by fellow Adventists. Somehow, everything you do that could even have a hint of some past (ancient) pagan practice is bad. In fact, so bad, that one is doomed if one does not stop. Or, if you break a Sabbath rule, or other law in certain Old Testament books, you are a bad person. And bad people just are not following Jesus.  The problem with such judging, is that one is focusing only on the physical, not spiritual. Let's take a look at some glaring examples. I dare say that many Adventists we've met here, would have been ones to judge Jesus gathering grain on The Sabbath. Think about that one. What have you seen a fellow member do, and think to yourself how they should not be doing such a thing. For every law and statute, there MUST be a spiritual aspect to it. If not, it is just physical. Physical only being mindless following with no purpose but to follow the rule. For this gathering grain example, ...

We cannot fully support the very radical religious liberty part of the Adventist Church. Why? Because fighting against false and harmful religions is something we as Christians must do. We cannot remain silent, nor tolerate things  that are blatantly unchristian. There is a right and a wrong. For decades, the Adventist Church seems to want to remain silent on political matters. That cannot be anymore. We are seeing more and more political activities by Adventists, and it's about time. How can we remain silent when people do despicable things to our Christian values, literature, art, writings, and beliefs? The Adventist Church would want it's members to remain silent. To not talk about who you are voting for. Not to be discussing political ideas. To refrain from trying to persuade people on how to vote. Why? Do we give up our rights as US citizens solely because we are Adventists? We think not. In fact, we have only the Apostle Paul to look to for guidance. He demanded justi...