Do Christians Have Free Will? Will They Always Have Free Will in Heaven?

People talk a lot about free will and Christianity. That Christians have free will and that is somehow a special trait that makes everything right. The Undercover Adventist has some bad news. Christians now do not have true free will, and we will ultimately give up virtually all free will as we know it. Let's talk about present tense first.

You take the first step using your will to become a Christian. Then it might come as a shock to many of you that we now must rely and trust on The Father's will. Not what I want, but what God wants.

So we are in fact giving up our free will. Just like the song....Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and Make after Thy will.....

That song is not a lie. We choose to follow Christ. In doing so, we are to strive to give our will over to God. Let's look at a part of The Lord's Prayer: "...Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." There's that "will" part again.

In fact, why would you want your will to even survive? And that leads to the second part. Our free will in the future, heaven.

God will not allow anyone in with a sinful nature. Our free will on Earth is part of our sinful nature. If you think you could not sin with your present free will, then you could save yourself.

We will be new creatures. What does that mean? Do you really want all aspects of your old self tagging along with you to heaven? Do you think God will put a seal on people who cannot let go of their free will? The seal of God alone will make it impossible for you to sin.

The Apostle Paul wrote many times about how we will become incorruptible. We will be completely new creatures devoid of our human weaknesses. The Undercover Adventist could not stay one minute in heaven without thinking an unclean thought if our free will was intact....completely.

Still not convinced? Okay, let's try a different and logical approach. Wouldn't you love to have your wife in heaven? Or husband? And be married forever? But what does Jesus say? We will not be married in heaven. My free will would love to remain married to my spouse in eternity. But I must give that person up. Jesus makes it very clear that humans in heaven will not be the same humans as earthly ones.

Here are more examples. Whatever your lot in life affects your free will. Whatever you are affects your free will. I would love to to fly like a bird. But I am not a bird. I cannot flap my arms fast enough to fly...even though I WANT TO FLY! My nature does not allow it. I do not have the choice to fly like a bird. Likewise a bird cannot do anything man can do. The bird's choices are limited.

Our choices will not be the same as they are now. We will only have good choices to make. Our free will is not going to be able to choose bad things. Bad things will not be an option for us to choose, no more so than keeping your spouse.  We will have freedom to choose whatever good things are in heaven. Earthly sinful choices will not be around. We will in fact be NEW creatures, devoid of human sinful natures. It is our sinful natures that we will not be able to choose anymore. So yes, as we conclude this, you will only be able to choose right, holy, good, decent, obedient, and Godly things. All other "free will" choices will be off the table.

On Earth we have a choice, go to church on Sabbath or go to a bar and drink. In heaven, we might have a choice to sing on Sabbath or fellowship with Jesus and drink His full measure. The free will choice of going to a bar and drinking, will not be there.

Be careful when you talk about free will. Your choices will be holy, not unholy. There will be no unholy choices in heaven. The thought of going to a bar on Sabbath will be totally removed from your memory.

Should Churches Support the Johnson Amendment?

Update May 4, 2017. Pres. Trump sign an executive order doing away with tax rules on pastors. We say GOOD RIDDANCE!

1954 Lyndon Johnson pushed an amendment through that made churches lose their charity tax free status if they supported candidates from the pulpit. Was this a good thing?

Not really. At first glance, you might think, sure! We don't need churches supporting candidates or getting involved in politics. That's a shortsighted approach. Christians are not outside of society and we don't give up our rights. In fact, current climate has made it tough to even admit that you are a Christian outside a church!

Why was this amendment not a good thing? First of all, if you support it, then you support the idea of government regulating churches. This is indeed a regulation of YOUR church. The government is telling you what you cannot say. Sure, all that happens is that you lose your tax free status. No big deal if you consider a church a business. The profit margin would be next to nothing. But the property taxes might get hit.

Anyway, let's get back to the government regulating what a pastor can say. That is never a good idea, even if the rule is one you support. You have now given precedent for the government making more rules.

Consider the consequences if you take the ban of political action from the pulpit or church grounds.

• You cannot talk about abortion in a political way. You cannot tell your congregation to support candidates who are against it. If there are state initiatives on it, you can't talk about it. Abortion is a very hot political subject.
• Ditto for gay marriage. Wouldn't you have the duty to tell your congregation that The Bible clearly is against it? Many states have had voters vote on this very thing.
• Anti-smoking, drinking, marijuana, drugs, etc. laws are off limits too.
• Anything that political candidates come out for or against is off limits. Read the platforms of each party during the last presidential election. We'll bet those topics were preached about.
• You would not be able to say that you agree or disagree with any political figure. Doing so would be seen as an endorsement of the side that agrees with you.
• You will not be able to invite current politicians such as mayors, or city council members. If they are in your congregation one morning, you would not be able to introduce them. In fact, you had better not have any meetings with them, even if it's in an unofficial capacity. A pastor is really never in an unofficial capacity, are they? Can they leave their morals and loyalty to The Bible at the door? Just meeting with a public official could be seen as political.

But it really gets back to why the government keeping track of what pastors say is a good idea. It's not. There should be no laws for or against churches.

Yes, pastors should have no political agenda when they preach. But just the very fact that they teach The Bible means they will make statements about right and wrong......in direct conflict with political candidates.

If there are two candidates, one supporting gay marriage and abortion, the other against, and a pastor gives a sermon on gay marriage and abortion....look out! You could be seen as endorsing a candidate.

Churches should not welcome any rules like this.

If if it means losing tax free status, bring it on. We should not be dancing with the government anyway. Unions get away with endorsing candidates by only being taxed on the time and effort they devote to this purpose. Churches could do the same.

Remember, we are not talking about endorsing candidates outright. But our Biblical beliefs and morals cannot be separated from current candidates. Pastors will be left with very shallow sermons. Even mentioning certain sins could be cause for alarm.

Voters are not as stupid as we think. Big unions endorse losing candidates all the time. Newspapers endorse candidates that lose. Endorsing candidates is not really a big deal. It makes more noise in the news media than it does to voters.

The bottom line is that we should not be allowing the government to make any laws about what can be preached. Americans should not lose a right just because they are in a church.

While this church has remained silent, we have taken The Bible out of schools, watched silently as millions of babies have been aborted, shrugged as gay rights and marriage have become laws, and relinquished our duties to the poor.

Are we really going to remain silent? Did people in The Bible remain silent?

Our sermons should never be based on whether they will follow some government rule. And by the way, the separation of church and state is nonexistent in our Constitution.

Does turning the other cheek mean accepting Muslim refugees?

The Undercover Adventist has heard some chatter on this subject. About loving your enemies and turning the other cheek. And that we should accept refugees because of this. We beg to differ. It is completely out of context.

Answer this. Do you or did you have small children in your house? Did you lock the doors? Why? Because you are mean and unchristian? Of course not. Do you screen some of the friends your kids hang out with? Do you ever tell your children who and where they should associate themselves? Of course you do. And it does not make you a bigot.

And that,my dear Adventist friends, is the point. Adventist churches kick people out. They ban them. They take them off their membership rolls. Why? Because they will either endanger people in the church, or preach some anti-gospel. Or worse. That's not mean. That's not bigotry. It's to keep people safe. We bet that many who want Muslim refugees, might support restraining orders for an abusive spouse.

If you believe that we should just regularly and with reckless abandon accept Muslim refugees, then you must be willing to go all in. If not, you are a hypocrite. So, don't lock your door. Tell people they cannot get restraining orders. Suggest that schools cannot expel students. Have churches not screen for child molesters. After all, that would be mean, right?

Since the vast majority of terrorist acts are committed in the name of only one religion, it is prudent, not mean, to restrain this. It's also common sense like locking your door at night or blocking bad influences from your children.

It has nothing to do with turning the other cheek or loving your enemies.

It's about keeping your family safe. Letting refugees in makes your children a little less safe. Just like leaving your doors and windows unlocked. In fact, Jesus told a few parables on having your house robbed.

>> The History of Christmas Trivia!

Miracles don't happen today? The world is full of modern day miracles

The miracles that Jesus did were pretty amazing to the people of the day. Raising the dead, healing sickness, and being able to walk through a hostile crowd without being touched. Some say miracles don't happen today. Some say they never did. It's all fairy tales. So the question for the day is, do miracles happen today?

The Undercover Adventist believes that every person on this earth, who God holds accountable, have experienced miracles. Everyone can say something like, "Wow, that was a miracle!" Even those that don't believe in Jesus. How do we know this? Things happen every day to ordinary people. They do get healed. Either by modern medicine or without. Sure, some say this is luck. What do people mean by luck? Perhaps what they mean at least some of the time, is "miracle," not luck.

But of course most of these daily miracles remain only in our minds for a short time. Think about when you thought something was going to be impossible. But it happened. The Berlin Wall falling was such a modern event. Given the climate just 20 years earlier, this was a miracle for those people.

We could mention many things. History is full of miracles. From the founding of this nation, to The Six-Day War. If you don't know anything about that, shame on you.

Our modern conveniences are also miracles. Think about The Apostles. What would they think if you told them someday you will get in an airplane and be anywhere in the world one day. In fact, we would argue that a plane staying up in the air, is a miracle! A scientific miracle!

The Apostles healed people. But they for sure saw a lot of pain, suffering and death due to illness and injury. Modern medicine is indeed a miracle. Take a pill, be cured of an infection. Break your arm, get it x-rayed, set, cast, pinned, and voila! A completely healed arm! Any broken bone two thousand years ago, could result in death, and sure to maim a person for life.

Just about every modern convenience and accomplishment would seem like a miracle to those living just 100 years ago.

Perhaps, just perhaps Jesus works these modern day miracles. Many scientists, doctors, researchers are led by The Holy Spirit. Could we say that some of these breakthroughs were God-led miracles? The principles that make modern medicine what it is today, many times were discovered by men of God.

People today might think that science and God are not compatible. But they have a long history of being intertwined.

And if you meet a modern day scientist who does not believe in God, ask them about evolution. Because the whole theory of evolution would have to be a miracle. In fact, how much belief does it take to actually believe that a complex human body evolved from an explosion? From one cell? From an ape! Now that would indeed be a miracle!

Adventists: The Broken Record of The Same Old Same Old Timeline and Other Such Things

For literally decades, people have heard and preached the same prophetic timelines. And people have lapped it up, swallowed it, and repeated it ad nauseam. Nobody ever seems to do any fact checking. Nobody ever seems to do any historical research. Nobody seems to believe that old prophecies can get changed or even cancelled. Or that new truths can be discovered. But perhaps the tide is finally turning. Maybe, just maybe, the The Undercover Adventist will not be the only ones to question old timelines.

These timelines have so many holes, they are prophetic swiss cheese. Why doesn't anyone ever seem to stand up and say WAIT!!!!! We are not going to pretend we are prophets. Nor are we going to actually come up with new timelines and such. That's not our purpose. The purpose here is to point out that something is either wrong or dramatically missing from old (current(?)) takes.

It's funny when you point out things in history, and the only response you get is, "Ellen White said nothing about it, so it's not important." Too sad, really. As if EGW is the end all to end all.

Think about it. What if people just sat on the current teachings when Jesus came? The so-called learned men of the time rejected Jesus. They had interpreted prophecy WRONG. Think about that for a minute or two. The well-read, teachers, scripture experts, priests, and leaders of Israel WERE WRONG! If everybody went along with the status quo, we would be in deep trouble. Beware of people claiming to be experts. Beware of people telling you that only they have truth. Beware of people telling you that a green wall is blue.

Yes, we will use the analogy of a green wall being blue. Adventists for almost two hundred years have been telling people that some green walls are blue. And people believe it because the experts say it. And they repeat it. When in fact, a green wall is only somewhat blue..perhaps. Yellow and blue make green in paint colors. In light however, green is a separate color from blue.

The Adventist church needs to stop telling people that green walls are blue. To stop putting square pegs in prophetic round holes. To cease and desists ignoring history.

Here are some historical facts.

The Roman Empire never ruled the world. Never.

The Holy Roman Empire never ruled the world. Never.

The biggest false religion on the planet and in the history of the world is Islam. In fact, it's the largest religion ever that has been "Anti-Christ." They kill Christians daily. And the world ignores it. Chew on that.

The biggest empire in the history of the world, as far as land, is the British Empire. It reached it's peak in 1920. The sun once never set over the British Empire.

Can you name the biggest empire in the history of the world, population-wise? That is, what empire has ruled a biggest percentage of the world's population? Hint: It was in China. Today China is the largest atheistic country in the world, and has made the Pope illegal to be followed. Did you know that? Has anyone from a pulpit told you that? Start asking why if you dare.

Who in history has conquered the most people? Would you even be able to come close to that answer? It was Kubla Khan.

The United States was not founded for religious liberty or any other such nonsense about a church. It was about money. The Pilgrims had nothing to do really, with the founding of this country. In fact, it's a myth the Pilgrims on the Mayflower were somehow bent on religious freedom. That was only a small part. Funny thing, the very King that they were supposedly trying to get away from, had to grant them a charter. Did you know that? Did you know that they were backed by wealthy investors? That's right. Even the Pilgrims were coming here for money. Religious freedom was an offshoot. A small part of the founding of this country. We wanted to be free from a lot of things.

The United States did not become a world power until WWI. Shortly before the British Empire reached it's peak. Did we mention they were the biggest empire ever?

Funny thing too, about the British Empire. They had kicked out the Pope and demolished Catholic churches hundreds of years before that. The biggest empire in the history of the world had tossed the Pope out on his ear.

Let's mention the Dutch. Did you ever wonder why such a small insignificant piece of the world had such a huge trade around the world? They were all over the place setting up colonies and trade posts. Amsterdam at one time was the richest city in the world. The world's merchants flocked to be a part of it. Oh yeah. And they had also kicked the Pope out....

We make such a big thing out of a Pope being tossed in jail.....and ignore much more significant events surrounding the Catholic church. And oh yeah. The world could care less that the Pope was tossed in jail. No matter how many times people say it, the world did not care. Revelation makes it clear. Very clear. That these are world events. Of course the empire that defeated the one that tossed the Pope in prison....was The British Empire.

That British Empire just won't go away.

And yet, when was the last time you heard anyone talk about The British Empire when talking about Daniel or Revelation?

Who just voted to leave the EU? Great Britain. The EU is in shambles. Never has been a solid conglomeration anyway. The hysteria that surrounded the EU in some Adventist circles was laughable. They were not telling you reality. Shame on them and the people that promoted them.

There has to be much, much more to end time prophecy than what we have been fed.

Today, 75% of the world is either atheist or nonchristian. Does anyone ever tell you that? And yet, they want to believe that somehow The Pope has big influence today. We at the Undercover Adventist have news for you: Nobody listens to The Pope much anymore, and certainly the world does not care.

Why is it the world is completely concentrated on The Middle East, yet we continue to talk something else.

North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, (the list is almost endless) could not care one iota about what The Pope says or does. While we talk up The Pope, ISIS beheads Christians.

Sunday Laws? Hmmmmm. Islam's "Sabbath" is Friday. Who has more influence in world affairs today? Islam or Catholicism? Chew on that. In Islamic countries, the first day of the week is Saturday. Do you ever hear anyone mention that? Whenever someone talks up the hysteria about Sunday Laws, politely mention Islam and Friday. Oh yeah. Mention that Islam has more adherents than The Pope does.

Remember the hysteria brought on by these zealots when Obama met with The Pope last September? You would think Sunday Laws were here. Think about it. How is Obama and The Pope going to team up to rule the rest of the 75% of the world that now could care less not only about The Pope, But Obama and the United States? How can the United States pass any law that the world would adhere to. The UN? Name on thing the UN has enforced. You can't.

China has just ignored an order by the so-called World Court. Yeah. Like that court has any teeth.

Speaking again of China. Where were Adventists when just the following days after meeting The Pope, Obama meets with Xi Jinping. Now that's news. But we bet you have no idea who Jinping is. And that is shameful. He's the leader of the largest atheistic and most anti-religion country on the planet: China. Obama was completely unwilling to do anything or say anything meaningful during this meeting. China still goes about its business, as does Russia. And that business is thumbing there noses at the US.


Here's a sad fact. Some Adventists are creating their own way out. They are now claiming that Islam was created by the Catholic church. Of course they have to come up with stuff like that.

Of course we could go on and on. And we will in other posts. Timelines will need to be changed, or Adventists will continue down the path to another 1844. We should not even have to mention that the forerunners of The Adventist Church have already had one timeline blown apart.

Remember the most learned religious minds before Jesus was born had it all wrong. And these leaders led people down the wrong path.

Before you blindly follow what some so-called expert says, think for yourself. These people NEVER want you to do that.

Ellen G.White herself wrote that there are more signs, more seals, more trumpets. Let's be determined as Adventists to discover them. After all, we claim the voice of prophecy.

If you do not know what is going on in the world, you will indeed be lead down the same false path that has nipped at the heels of Adventists for generations.

Two things Adventists of 100 years ago would not have believed. That an Adventist would be running for President....and that Jesus has not come yet. Are you too, stuck in the past?