General Conference President 2015-2019

General Conference President 2015-2019

Davi Paes Silva is Re-elected as General Conference President

Silva_Davi_Pae-2015

Earlier today, Friday, 28 August, 2015 (USA Eastern Daylight Time), Br Davi Paes Silva was re-elected as President of Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement General Conference. Br Silva’s name was one of three presented by The Nominating Committee to the 22nd General Conference Session of the SDARM. After the election, Br Silva addressed the session with a short message of exhortation.

A video of the message may be found online at: https://youtu.be/jPgraJxxUGk

Davi Paes Silva gives his first address after being re-elected as President of the General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, 22nd General Conference Session, Roanoke, VA, USA.

“Dear Brethren, I am very thankful to the Lord because we see that the Holy Spirit is working in the session and I am conscious, that we have a big task before us, and that by ourselves we can do nothing.

“I understand that those who voted made a commitment to support us in the work. We have no idea how to work by ourselves with our small team, but we depend first on God’s grace. We depend on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

“As we travel around the world, we see that we have much to do. We have many problems to solve. But if we get closer to the Lord, if we make a complete surrender of our life to Him, if we keep a connection with Him the whole time, for sure God’s people will be victorious very soon.

“Brethren, when we think that the message of the Seventh Day Adventist Church started in 1844, how many years have passed already? When we consider 1888, more than 120 years (have passed) and we are still in this wilderness.

“The Reform Movement started in 1914, more than 100 years (ago). I think, we have no reason to manifest a kind of triumphant idea – we have no reason.

“I think that it is time to seek the Lord. We should recognize our weakness. We should recognize our dependency, and we should surrender ourselves completely to the Lord.

“Otherwise, we don’t know how many years we will still walk in this wilderness. I don’t know, but we need to make a decision — not a resolution — but we need to decide by ourselves here, to seek the Lord with our hearts. Our connection in our life should include all the departments in our life.

“A question, brethren: Are we walking in the light that we know?

“I would like to read some Bible verses. Isaiah 55:6 & 7, ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’

“Brethren, besides surrendering our life to Christ we need to do something else. We need to remain in Him. Colossians 2:6 &7, ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.’

“In Revelation, chapter 14 we find the description of the character of the 144,000. ‘And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.’

“Brethren, what is the meaning of this, having the Father’s name and Christ’s name in our foreheads? What is the meaning? We have His character in our life.

“His character is impressed in our life. Verse four says, ‘These are they which were not defiled with women,’ which means they kept themselves pure – these people have a pure doctrine.

“They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. The Spirit of Prophecy says if you want to follow the Lamb to Mount Zion, we need to follow Him today. It is not enough, brethren, to dream about salvation. Salvation depends on a vital connection with the Lord the whole time, and verse 5 says, no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

“Now, God’s people have a work to do. We find in Revelation 18, ‘And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit…’

“Now in verse four, ‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people.’

“Then, brethren, we have a mission that is far beyond our power; we depend on the Holy Spirit individually and as a church. We need to be baptized by the Holy Spirit individually and as a church to fulfill the Word.

“We see here two great powers. For instance the Bible talks about Babylon. Babylon controls the world. The angel of Revelation 18 needs to face Babylon.

“Compared with the denominations of the world, we are just a very small number. How can we do this ourselves?

“Dear Brethren, we have a great responsibility before the Lord. Let us seek the Lord with all our hearts. I count on your prayers in my behalf and on the behalf of my team that will be chosen later.

“I would like to appeal to you, please, brethren, let’s take seriously our calling. Let us struggle with the Lord as Jacob, so that our name can be changed to ‘Israel’, an ‘overcomer’.

“I have a question for you, how many of you are willing to pray for us?  (A raising of hands)

“Thank you very much, brethren.”