The Jyväskylä Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jyväskylä, Finalnd, will be hosting a block party on the Lord’s Day, Saturday, September 2, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Activities include face painting, trampolines, slides, tunnels, soap bubbles, hair braiding, and music from Elvis Presley. The Jyväskylä Seventh-day Adventist Church website states that although the event is free, special programs will be sold for 10 euros. [1] The following was published by the Finnish church:
The purpose of the block party is to create a space for people in the area to meet and spend time together with music, food and activity points. Everything is free! Welcome to stop by or hang out.
• taste African food
• get a neck massage
• get a doctor’s assessment of your health age calculator result
• get your face painted
• jump on a small trampoline
• experience how it feels to tell your own story to a person who listens with interest
• slides, tunnels and other activities for children
• make big soap bubbles
• colors the prayer
• get a braid in your hair
• tell what you think love is
• to sit, talk and listen to music
• ask someone to pray for youSome of the activities are outdoors, some are indoors.
From 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., in the open air service, Braedan Entermann from Australia will speak, Ismo Hyvönen will sing and the children’s mini-play “Tavallinen toukka” will be performed.
At 4 p.m., the atmosphere will be set with the music of Elvis Presley. ISMO and MEN IN THE BACK perform Elvis’ music (indoors). Free admission, program €10.
For more information, call Pastor Ansku Jaakkola, 044 0231967
There is strength in different people being together. [1]
Jason Stevens, a faithful Seventh-day Adventist, is an American expatriate residing and working in Finland for over 22 years. Brother Jason shared the following assessment about this event with us, and we are making it available to you. Jason wrote:
Flyer advertising has long been considered an effective tool for generating interest in events such as parties, fundraisers, and even raves. Whoever’s in charge of community outreach and marketing at the SDA Church in Jyväskylä, Finland, apparently knows what it takes to reel in members of the local community through this medium. The church’s website (www.avoinsyliopistojkl.blogspot.com) features a blog post announcing a neighborhood block party, which is set to take place on September 2, 2023. The image below shows the actual digital flyer.
The advertisement is written in Finnish, but the text can be easily translated into English using your favorite translator. As a speaker of Finnish, I’ll try my best to offer a simple translation of each portion of the text, starting at the top and moving on down.
God’s Holy Sabbath Trampled Underfoot
You don’t even need to understand Finnish to be able to see that the block party is scheduled to take place during the hours of the Sabbath. While I can’t think of any aspect of a block party that would possibly be honored by God on His holy rest day, let’s just have a deeper dive into what the event is all about.
Korttelijuhlat: Block Party
Alueen asukkaiden yhteistä aikaa: Fellowship with members of the local community. It’s one thing to engage in the work of evangelism on the Sabbath, but quite another to fellowship with worldlings (1 Corinthians 10:20; 2 Corinthians 6:14).
La 2.9.2023 klo 12–17: Saturday, September 2, 2023, from 12:00–5:00 PM. Interestingly, nowhere on the flyer is the word Sabbath mentioned. This shouldn’t be too surprising, however, since the name of the church itself (Jyväskylän adventtiseurakunta, which translates to Jyväskylä Adventist Congregation) denies its Sabbath-keeping heritage.
Ilmainen terveysikälaskuri ja lääkärin arvio: Free health age calculation and doctor’s evaluation. Some readers will argue that reaching out to the community and providing health care services on Sabbath is to be considered medical missionary evangelism, but they have not considered that God’s faithful physicians are to rest on the Sabbath and put aside as many of their routine duties as possible, while also setting a right example for others {CH 236.1; 7T 106.2}.
Niskahierontaa: Neck massage. This seems like a rather intimate way to sow the gospel seeds, doesn’t it? A complete stranger, perhaps one of the opposite gender, touching and rubbing would-be converts to the faith? I know my wife would object to the idea of me giving neck massages to the women of the neighborhood, and likewise, I would recoil in horror at the thought of her “relieving the suffering” of the other men on the block. There’s surely a time and a place for neck massages, but in connection with the church’s community outreach, it’s a major no-no and an outright embarrassment.
Lapsille puuhaa- ja temppupaikka: Activities and tricks for kids. Here, the church is taking the easy way to draw families in: through fun and games. The full blog post on the church’s website reveals that these activities include jumping on trampolines, crawling around in tunnels, and sliding down a slide. Do we have a directive from God on whether our children should be allowed to play on the Sabbath? Oh, yes, we do! When we allow them to play, either indoors or out, on the Sabbath, God looks upon us as Sabbathbreakers {CG 533.2}.
Kasvomaalausta: Face painting. Yes, you read that right. The church is apparently trying to make Jezebels of the neighborhood children. In case that one got past you, here’s what the Bible says: “And when Jehu was come to Jezebel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window” {2 Kings 9:30). If you don’t know or don’t remember how things ended for Jezebel, I urge you to read on until the end of the chapter.
Leppoissaa yhdessäoloa: Relaxed fellowship. Should Seventh-day Adventists be relaxed and casual about their keeping of the Sabbath? What about their work as watchmen on the walls of Zion? “At no time may they relax their vigilance. Theirs is a work requiring the exercise of every faculty of the being. In trumpet tones their voices are to be lifted, and never are they to sound one wavering, uncertain note” {AA 361.2}. When believers become unequally yoked with unbelievers, invariably their conversation will center on light and trifling subjects. “Talking upon anything or everything which may come into the mind is speaking our own words” {CCh 263.4}. (Isaiah 58:13)
Maista afrikkalaista ruokaa: Taste some African food. This has the sound of a picnic rather than feeding the hungry. Referring to young Sabbathkeepers, Ellen White warned that “some of them have been a miserable example to unbelievers. They have not been willing to give up the world but have united with the world in attending picnics. [Note: The simple outdoor gathering of families or church members is not referred to here, but that in which church members ‘united with the world’ in a carnival type of community gathering was quite common then.] and other gatherings for pleasure, flattering themselves that they were engaging in innocent amusement” {AH 524.3}.
Hiusten letitystä: Hair braiding. This is ordinary, everyday work being performed as a free service on the Sabbath, plain and simple. Seventh-day Adventist beauticians may as well just go to work in the salon and call it evangelism.
Ulkoilmajumalanpalvelus klo 12–13, puhujana Braedan Entermann (Aus.); musiikki Ismo Hyvönen; lasten mininäytelmä: Tavallinen toukka: Outdoor church service from 12:00–1:00 PM, speaker Braedan Entermann (Australia); music by Ismo Hyvönen & Men in Back; children’s skit: “Hermie, a Common Caterpillar.” I can’t imagine what the sermon could be about if anything other than a stern rebuke against the local church’s leadership and a call for repentance. The musical entertainment involves a hired secular band equipped with typical rock ‘n’ roll instruments. The singer has established himself as an Elvis impersonator with a flashy stage show supposedly focusing on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s gospel catalog. Once again, the Spirit of Prophecy clearly condemns the actions the Jyäskylä SDA Church is taking in the hiring of worldly musicians {Ev 127.3}, and describes the kind of instrumental musical display in question as offensive in God’s sight {Ev 510.1}. The putting on of a theatrical display is also an offense to God, especially when the piece in question is from the world. “It is not for the workers to seek for methods by which they can make a show, consuming time in theatrical performances and musical display, for this benefits no one. It does no good to train the children to make speeches for special occasions. They should be won to Christ, and instead of expending time, money, and effort to make a display, let the whole effort be made to gather sheaves for the harvest” {CE 134.1}.
Tervetuloa oleilemaan! Come and Hang Out! Does this sound like an invitation to reverence God in His sanctuary on the Sabbath?
Vapaa pääsy! Kaikki ohjelma on maksutonta: Free admission! The entire program is free of charge. This is actually a deception, as the blog post on the church’s website states that admission to the concert is free but that the program costs 10 euros. Well, someone has to pay the worldly band to do their worldly work on the Sabbath.
Jesuit Spiritual Formation Hidden in the Woodwork
Certain additional activities are mentioned in the church’s blog post about the block party, including making giant soap bubbles (tehdä isoja saippuakuplia) and an interesting-sounding one about coloring a prayer (värittää rukouksen). Suspecting that this probably also has a connection to the forbidden (and why wouldn’t it, considering every single other element of the program?), I did some prayerful reading on the subject. Lo and behold, it is indeed a product of Ignatian spiritual formation, as you might easily conclude when landing on an article titled Coloring as Prayer on a website called Ignatian spirituality dot com. “Let your mind dwell in the images of creation presented, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you,” urges the author. Is this not idolatry, which is prohibited by the Second Commandment (a commandment expunged from the Decalogue by the Roman Catholic Church)? The practice is akin to praying with icons. For anyone who would try to counter my point, please read the section Getting Started with Icons in Prayer on Grotto’s The Ancient Secret to Praying With Icons webpage.
The Protest—Where Is It?
As I sit here writing this little article, there is one week remaining until this abomination of a block party kicks off. What I’ve presented here is clearly a crisis—a spiritual crisis—and “If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God” {3T 280.3}. What will you do about it? What should I do about it? Let us pray and ask God to shake us out of our slumber so that we will not remain neutral and indifferent but that we will lift up the standard for Christ, our precious Redeemer.
Sources
[1] http://avoinsyliopistojkl.blogspot.com/2023/08/korttelijuhlat-292023-klo-12-17.html
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Pray is available to all who want to stand for right, to “stand up, stand up for Jesus as soldier of the war.” I will surely be praying and will have other pray with me.
2 Chronicles 36:14-16😢
Ezekiel 16:15 😢
Ezekiel 16:22 😢
Ezekiel 16:30 😢
🔥⚠️Ezekiel 16:2 ⚠️🔥
2 Chronicles 36:14-16
Ezekiel 16:15
Ezekiel 16:22
Ezekiel 16:30
⚠️Ezekiel 16:2⚠️
Pr Roman,
The Evidence is mounting that the SDA Denomination is Doomed as was Jerusalem and the Jews of Old. While Professing Sabbath Keeping Seventh Day Adventists in that Organization are breaking every precept and statute of Gods Law.
From a Doomed People in the Desire of Ages.
The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious
foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The Saviour desired to
make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel’s doom. For this purpose
He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of divine truth. The
Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing allegiance to God. They had been
specially favored by Him, and they laid claim to righteousness above every other people.
But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain. They boasted of
their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy.
Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance,
and beautiful to the eye, but they yielded “nothing but leaves.”
Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food. So He had come to Israel, hungering
to find in them the fruits of righteousness. He had lavished on them His gifts, that they
might bear fruit for the blessing of the world. Every opportunity and privilege had been
granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of
grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep
yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they
would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was
eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to
minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not
give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment.
Withered beneath the Saviour’s curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots,
the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed
from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. “O Israel,” the Lord
says, “thou hast destroyed thyself.” Hosea 13:9.584
The warning is for all time. Christ’s act in cursing the tree which His own power had
created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians. No one can live the law of
God without ministering to others. But there are many who do not live out Christ’s merciful,
unselfish life. Some who think themselves excellent Christians do not understand what
constitutes service for God. They plan and study to please themselves. They act only in ref-
erence to self. Time is of value to them only as they can gather for themselves. In all the affairs
of life this is their object. Not for others but for themselves do they minister. God created
them to live in a world where unselfish service must be performed. He designed them to
help their fellow men in every possible way. But self is so large that they cannot see anything
else. They are not in touch with humanity. Those who thus live for self are like the fig tree,
which made every pretension but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but
without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is
lacking. They say, but do not.
For more than a thousand years the Jewish nation had abused God’s mercy and invited
His judgments. They had rejected His warnings and slain His prophets. For these sins the
people of Christ’s day made themselves responsible by following the same course. In the587
rejection of their present mercies and warnings lay the guilt of that generation. The fetters
which the nation had for centuries been forging, the people of Christ’s day were fastening
upon themselves.
In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time
in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may
plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her
last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then
the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease.
That day had come to Jerusalem. Jesus wept in anguish over the doomed city, but He
could not deliver her. He had exhausted every resource. In rejecting the warnings of God’s
Spirit, Israel had rejected the only means of help. There was no other power by which they
could be delivered.
Is the Above Nothing but Open Apostasy and Pretentious Leaves in the Eyes of God? Where are the Figs Christ is Looking For?
Is. 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot!
Lam 2:14 – 15 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth
Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure. {1SM 204.2}
I wonder where are the church members??? Is there only one person out of the whole congregation that opposes this fiasco??? Of course, EGW did state that only one out of a hundred are ready for the second coming!!!
Sister L would you be kind enough to share this quote
Have been searching for it but have not been successful
Thank you🙏
“It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.” {ChS 41.1}
The famous quote about not one in a hundred is in the context of city living vs. country living. “There is not one family in a hundred who will be improved physically, mentally, or spiritually by residing in the city.” {AH 137.2}
God bless.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Finland has long dropped “Seventh-day” from usage. Pretty much all churches display only “Adventtikirkko” on their signage. Simply “Adventist Church”, that’s all. They might meet on Sabbath but it’s not part of their identity anymore. So… anything goes.
Do you also have the quote on what constitutes “Present Truth”?
I think you must have Early Writings 63.1–63.2 in mind.
Happy Sabbath!
Thank you so much 👍
Bonjour,
Une fois de plus le soit disant peuple de DIEU,n’a jamais pris conscience de ce qui est arrivé aux enfants d’Israël,lorsqu’ils étaient au pieds du mont Sinaï,pendant que Moïse serviteur de L’éternel recevait les 10 commandements de Dieu pour le bien du peuple,ils s’adonnèrent à la débauche,et de toutes sortent de dépravations sous les yeux de L’éternel,mais la suite à été funeste pour une grande partie,comment l’homme peut-il défier Dieu à ce point?Certains sont Adventiste de nom,et en surface.Quelle tristesse.