Over the holiday weekend of April 6-8, 2012 church members and friends of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement throughout New Zealand gathered at the local Auckland church for the annual spiritual conference.
The theme of the weekend was “With Diligence Make Your Calling and Election Sure.”
Br Matthias Thiel took Friday evening’s study entitled “The Need of Diligence”—diligence to search the heart in a decided, determined effort and renounce anything not relative to godliness; a carefulness in labour for holiness.
Br Alasdair Pow gave the Sabbath Service hour message entitled “What is Your Calling?”
We were challenged with the following questions: Do you know what your calling or purpose is? Is it sure? How many are called? What must we do to get in Christ’s Kingdom? Do we know whom we have believed?
Br Tipene closed Sabbath with the thought “It Goes the Way You Vote,” taking us to Christ in the Sanctuary, showing us our need of consecration in and conversion to Him in a Most Holy Place experience by faith, for the promise is given in Isaiah 9:7 (last part) “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Br Jacob de Souza spoke on Sunday morning on “Knowing Your Election of God.”
Seventh-day Adventists were chosen to be a peculiar and special treasure. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:” Exodus 19:5
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14
“Our only safety is to stand as God's peculiar people. We must not yield one inch to the customs and fashions of this degenerate age, but stand in moral independence, making no compromise with its corrupt and idolatrous practices.” CG 449
Br Alasdair took the last study entitled “A Full Surrender.” Our election is a high calling. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.” SC 43
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Copies of the presentations are available from the New Zealand Field office (contact: mthiel@sdarm.org.au).
–Summary of a report from Winsome Latimer