Samoa SDA Church moved to Sunday

[Gibs]

When the sun sets any place on earth Fri. Eve. it is the beginning of Sabbath. It is not determined no other way.

But here it is!.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/interna...-sundays/999106

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[R. G.]

Dear Gibs,

Please allow me to give a little background information. On August 2, a number of South Pacific Division and Samoa Tokelau Mission leaders met in Australia with a group of Samoan pastors who lead congregations located outside of Samoa. Evidently, the outcome of the meeting was not what some members of the STM executive had anticipated. Rather than uniting everyone behind the Samoan Sunday decree, the actions taken appear to have officially reopened discussion of the Sabbath question in the South Pacific. There is to be a meeting of Samoan pastors (from both inside and outside of the Samoan islands) to seek a workable solution, and perhaps even an international committee to re-examine the question.

The reaction of certain members of the STM executive appears to be just what we are hearing in this interview -- an attempt to make it appear that the matter is all settled, and that our Samoan churches are now united in Sunday observance with the blessing of the General Conference. Actually, our Samoan Sabbath keepers are a large, growing, and vibrant grass-roots movement of more than 70 families who will never go back to Sunday keeping. Even in Tonga, where the whole error was originated more than 120 years ago, there is a small but rapidly growing group of Sabbath keepers.

Appeals to Elder Ted Wilson, General Conference president, seem to have fallen on deaf ears so far. I appeal to all loyal Seventh-day Adventists everywhere: Don't give our church leaders any rest until this vitally important matter is resolved, and every Seventh-day Adventist church in the world observes the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

God bless!

[teresaq]

MY SABBATH TESTIMONY: PULE LOCKINGTON

I was born a Seventh-day Adventist. My parents are from Saleaumua Church. At the end of last year, while the Church prepared for the change in time and date, I was with my brothers and sisters from here and abroad for our family reunion. The first weekend, in which the changeover took place, I, a Seventh-day Adventist member worshipped on Sunday, like most other Seventh-day Adventists but my brothers and sisters from overseas kept the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday).

On the following Saturday, I went to do my shopping. When I was at Farmer Joe’s Supermarket, I was standing by the potato shelf, feeling burdened and unsettled in my heart because of the Sabbath issue. I silently prayed, “God, please, if You know that what I am doing (keeping Sunday) is wrong, please let me know.”

At that moment, someone tapped me on my shoulder and said, “Have a blessed Sabbath today and tomorrow.” When I turned, I saw that it was a Sunday keeper from the Apia Church. I said to her, “I am very confused and want to know what is right.” She said, “Let’s just follow what our leaders have told us to do.” Then we parted. I returned home and sought out my brothers and sisters from overseas; they were keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.

I spoke with my brother who is a church minister in Brisbane (Aitui) and shared with him how I felt about the Sabbath and what took place at the supermarket earlier on, including the lady’s statement that we should follow what the church leaders have told us to do. My brother said, “It is not a sin if you don’t obey the leaders of the Church on the Sabbath issue, but it is a sin if you don’t obey God. We will pray for you sister, as you make your decision in keeping the Lord’s Sabbath.”

I asked my brothers and sisters from abroad to explain everything, about the Sabbath that we should keep, to our mother so that she also can make a decision to keep the true Sabbath, however, as is the case with Samoan elderly people, they are polite and obedient to the church leaders and when the seventh day Sabbath was explained to her, my mother said that whatever the leaders say, we should obey them as they were chosen by God. I said to her, but if the church leaders don’t follow God’s instructions on keeping the Sabbath, why should we continue to follow them?

From the second Sabbath of the year, I started keeping the Lord’s Sabbath as I should – on the seventh day of the week. My mother and family continue to keep Sunday, as instructed by the Samoa Tokelau Mission.

Three weekends ago, what I dreaded finally happened. My husband, who used to be a staunch Catholic but was baptized by Dr Erika Puni some years ago in American Samoa, came home quite annoyed and said to me, “What’s in your mind? Your mother, brother and sister in Samoa worship on Sunday but you continue to worship on Saturday. We should do the same and worship on Sunday as it will be convenient for our business and our family if we worship like everyone else on Sunday; in addition, we can have Saturday as our family day for outings and shopping. I said to my husband: “Whatever you want me to do, I will obey and respect you as head of our family, however, when it comes to keeping God’s holy day, I will obey God, not you.”

My husband was so angry; he told me that I was high-minded, difficult and stubborn and if that is what I wanted then that’s it for us, as there’s no use for us to talk anymore when I don’t listen to him. He then packed his bags and walked out of the house to live in one of our houses. I lived by myself in our home and went to worship, as usual, on the following Sabbath.

Last Sabbath, I was greatly encouraged and strengthened after the fellowship with Pastor Tapunuusa Sioeli Puni and his wife Arasi and our Lighthouse members at Vaoala. When I’m in church, I forget about my troubles and sorrows. The lesson and the message preached by Pr Sioeli on Sabbath added to my joy.

Last Sunday, after a week of separation and not communicating with my husband, I found a text message on my mobile phone. My husband had texted to apologise for all the unpleasant things he had said and for the unhappiness he had caused me. He also asked for my forgiveness. My reply was brief and sincere: “Jesus loves you and I love you too. You have long been forgiven. I know you needed space and time and I gave you that, but when you are ready, please come home.” My husband has returned home; he is now supportive of my keeping the Sabbath.

I thank God for His love and guidance. I am still distressed and broken in heart because my mother and family in Samoa are not with me in keeping the Lord’s Sabbath. Each time I try to raise the Sabbath issue with my mother, it ends in heated and bitter arguments. Please pray for my mother and my family, that they will do the Lord’s will in keeping His seventh day Sabbath holy.

Pule then sang the following song: Ou te le’i sau e fa’atoga i se mea Atonu e iai puapuaga a taeao

Tau ina talanoa ma Lau Afio Poo loimata e maligi ai

Ua E talia a’u talosaga Ae se’i aulia atu a taeao

‘Ae ‘ou te le’i faafetai Na o lenei lo’u manaoga

Tau ina talanoa ma Oe, Iesu Tau ina talanoa ma Oe, Iesu

[Alchemy]

I have heard of this before, but is this true?

I've heard that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is advocating worship on Sunday instead of Saturday, is this true?

I'm glad I saw this.

[Alchemy]

Dear Gibs,

Please allow me to give a little background information. On August 2, a number of South Pacific Division and Samoa Tokelau Mission leaders met in Australia with a group of Samoan pastors who lead congregations located outside of Samoa. Evidently, the outcome of the meeting was not what some members of the STM executive had anticipated. Rather than uniting everyone behind the Samoan Sunday decree, the actions taken appear to have officially reopened discussion of the Sabbath question in the South Pacific. There is to be a meeting of Samoan pastors (from both inside and outside of the Samoan islands) to seek a workable solution, and perhaps even an international committee to re-examine the question.

The reaction of certain members of the STM executive appears to be just what we are hearing in this interview -- an attempt to make it appear that the matter is all settled, and that our Samoan churches are now united in Sunday observance with the blessing of the General Conference. Actually, our Samoan Sabbath keepers are a large, growing, and vibrant grass-roots movement of more than 70 families who will never go back to Sunday keeping. Even in Tonga, where the whole error was originated more than 120 years ago, there is a small but rapidly growing group of Sabbath keepers.

Appeals to Elder Ted Wilson, General Conference president, seem to have fallen on deaf ears so far. I appeal to all loyal Seventh-day Adventists everywhere: Don't give our church leaders any rest until this vitally important matter is resolved, and every Seventh-day Adventist church in the world observes the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

God bless!

Hello R. G.,

How do you know this?

There has to be a valid "seventh day" in their new time zone, right? This can't be that hard.

[Stan]

So what happens if you fly to Aussieland, and it is Friday Evening from New York, the only day you get a ticket, and you cross the date line and it is Sunday?

Which day do you rest on?

Or coming back, you have 2 days that are Sabbath?

[CoAspen]

Stan, quit confusing people!!! It angers the grey matter!!

[olger]

[phkrause]

Stan, quit confusing people!!! It angers the grey matter!!

It is amazing that the simplest things are made to be so hard!!

[whbae]

When you are in Rome, do as Romans do.

On your way to Australia, you skip one Sabbath, on your way back you make it up by keeping two Sabbath rests. Doesn't it sound fair?

Won

[Tom Wetmore]

But what if you don't return by reversing direction and going back over the date line? You continue on around the world to return home. Or what about those that go and do not return?

[klriley]

It is interesting that most people have never read the article by JN Andrews that started this issue. In it he 'proves' that the 180 line is God's date line. When our missionaries came to the Pacific a few years later, they brought this practice with them. That is why Tonga has always kept Sabbath on Sunday. Of course, the day is called "Sabbath" in both Tonga and Samoa, so which other day would you keep the Sabbath on except 'Sabbath"?

I believe this issue is so hard for us to solve because the answer is not in the Bible or Ellen White's writings. SDA tradition says to keep Sabbath according to which side of the 180 line you are on, regardless of the local day. Science can't help, there is no actual place where the day begins or ends. History doesn't really help. It may show that the Pacific Islanders came from the West and therefore are of Asian origin, but that tells us nothing about where the day began, just that if they had brought the Sabbath with them, it would be the 'Asian' rather than the 'American' Sabbath. America was also settled from Asia, so on that logic the American Sabbath should also be the same as the Asian Sabbath. One assumption in this debate seems to be that the American Sabbath is correct. How do we know that? The fact is we have no facts to go on. The Sabbath in Jerusalem may have been testified to by miracles and by Jesus keeping it, but that says nothing about where the day begins. There is no logical or biblical basis on which to answer this question. We may just have to ask God.

[Daryl]

I read where God established a sunset to sunset day line, but I haven't read where God also established a date/day line, as in the skipping of a day when going one way and the adding of a day when going the other way.

[Tom Wetmore]

The Bible was written by a people that did not know and understand the earth was round. Nor did they have the dilemma of traveling faster than a horse either toward or away from the setting sun. The perception of time and seasons did not vary. And they also did not have to try to figure out Sabbath sunrise to sunset in the land of the midnight sun. God didn't need to explain that to them.

How would an astronaut on the space station determine sunrise to sunset for Sabbath observance? (They cross the dateline and see sunrises and sunsets 15 to 16 times every 24 hours.)