For the first time in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Reform Movement, the World Assembly was held in the continent of Africa. After the delegate’s sessions, which took place in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa (June 24–July 11, 2012), the public conference was held at North West University in the small town of Potchefstroom, two hours outside Johannesburg (July 11­–14, 2012).

The theme of the conference was, “Surely I come quickly.” Revelation 22:20

WEDNESDAY:

After the Conference was opened by the President of the South African Union, BROTHER HENRY DERING (USA) gave us a study on the current signs of the end of the world.

The year 2012 has been the focus for theories about the end of the world. If you do a Google search for “End of the World 2012” you would get 1,560,000,000 hits.  Many have predicted the end of the world. Satan is creating many deceptions and will even impersonate Christ. The Bible, however, will enlighten us to the truth. The Bible speaks of the deceptions and the natural disasters which are on the increase, and we see this happening today. The Bible also states that Jesus will come when the world does not expect it. He comes as a thief.

The Three Angel’s Messages are the gospel to the world today. It is a positive message; not a message of doom, but of hope. It is about getting ourselves right with God.

THURSDAY:

BROTHER ANTON SALAVIOV (Australia) began the day for us by encouraging us to be not only conscious of the time in which we live, but more importantly, we need to fulfill the conditions needed to be prepared for the Lord’s coming.

He compared our days to the time of Ancient Israel. It was not God’s will that they wander 40 years in the wilderness, however, due to their fear and lack of faith, they were required to do so. Prior to the conquest of Canaan, Joshua had gone apart to pray and worship asking for help, and he had an encounter with Christ. In order for us to be able to spiritually conquer we also need to have an encounter with Jesus. We can believe all the doctrines, but if we do not know Jesus, we will fail.

BROTHER TZVETAN PETKOV (USA). Most of us want Jesus to come and put an end to all the suffering and pain in this life so that we can enter into eternal life. But, what was the reaction of the people to Jesus’ first coming? “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”  Matthew 2:1–3. Instead of rejoicing, it says they were troubled. Ask yourself—do you really want Jesus to come today or does the coming of Jesus trouble you?

The problem was that they expected a different Jesus—a powerful revolutionary, or at least someone born in the house of the High Priest or King. When Jesus came, they did not recognize Him since He came from the poorest area of Judea.

This did not only happen in the Jewish nation. It is the same today. Churches are preaching Jesus Christ, but it is not the Jesus in the Bible. Those of this class are described by, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?”  Matthew 7:22. Even in God’s church there is the danger that we do not accept the Jesus of the Bible, but put our own conditions and expectations ahead of His requirements.

We need to accept His sacrifice and permit Him to enter our lives, otherwise we will be like the Jews. Jesus will come and we will not recognize Him. And He will not recognize us. We need to experience the miracle of accepting Jesus Christ.

BROTHER LARRY WATTS (USA) continued by speaking on the important subject of, “Saved to serve.” It is not as important what God does for me, but what is more important is what I do for God. If God wanted you in heaven right now, He could bring that fiery chariot as you walk out of the building today and take you to heaven as He did with Elijah. However, there is needful preparation. Paul encouraged us to, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”   2 Corinthians 13:5

In Jesus Christ is the certainty of our salvation. If we have Jesus we have all.  Righteousness that brings us peace is not of ourselves. Was Jesus in need of salvation? No, He is the Saviour. He came to serve. He brought us salvation and we have then been “saved to serve.”

BROTHER PARMENAS SHIRIMA (Tanzania). We need to be ready for the Lord’s coming today because it has been delayed due to our lack of faith. We are living in a terrible world that is full of sin, that has been taken captive by the devil, but still in this situation we can have patience and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Philippians 2:5–6. We need to have the mind of Jesus. His joy was to come and save us. He took the form of a servant/slave. He came to this enslaved world and took our nature—human nature, in all its condition, except without sin. Now, Paul says let us have the same mind. Regardless of your position in the world, take the mind of Jesus and you will be ready.

BROTHER JOEL BARNEDO (USA). Paul was a happy missionary. He was stoned and imprisoned yet he was singing. On the resurrection day, Jesus did not talk about the crucifixion; rather He was talking about peace, as He walked on the way to Emmaus.

Jesus is coming. Let us not talk about the persecution. Let us sing. Jesus is coming soon. It is easier for God to bring people to heaven, but it is harder for Him to bring heaven into people’s lives.

If we focus on negative things, we will get negative results. If you came here to focus on the sermon and the beauty of the gospel, you will go home happy. You will learn to start to do missionary work. We are not here to preach to you; we are here to motivate you—that you will enjoy canvassing, and when you go to your church, you will go to church early.  You will help the pastor with missionary work. This is the fruit of the conference. Those that do missionary work are the happiest people on earth.

BROTHER HENRY ANDRADE (Australia). “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.” Galatians 4:4

Brother Andrade briefly outlined details regarding important prophecies for the Advent people, as recorded in the book of Revelation. He began with the Seven Trumpets and went through the history of the Advent message as recorded in Revelation 14:6–7. God’s time schedule never fails.  On Oct 22, 1844, the poeple were waiting for the coming of Jesus, but He never came. It was a great disappointment for many. Brother Andrade reviewed important events up until the coming of Jesus and beyond the millennium, events which we should be familiar with.

God loves the sinner and wants the sinner to be saved, but the sinner has to change. Only this way can he be saved. No one knows the date or the hour, but we can form an idea in our minds that the time is close.

BROTHER DANILO MONTERROSO (Guatemala) shared with us some of the signs of the times that have occurred. Some of the physical signs have taken place (sun darkened, moon not giving its light, and stars falling). Other signs such as distress in an unstable society, social problems, family problems, political problems, problems in the church, men’s hearts failing them for fear, social crisis, and economic crisis all point to the fact that Jesus is coming soon.

Is the church ready to say, “Jesus come?” Are you ready? Do you remember what happened with two and one half tribes in the time of Moses? They said, we don’t want to enter the Promised Land. We want to stay on this side. How many today don’t want to taste the fruit of Canaan? How many are living comfortably and not preparing for Jesus coming?

Christ has not yet come, even though all the signs have been fulfilled. What is He waiting for? He is waiting for you and I to reflect the character of Christ and when we do reflect His image, He will come. “Blessed are the pure in heart:  for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

BROTHER ALFRED NGWENYA  (Ethiopia). Maranatha! Christ is coming. I want to see Jesus Christ appearing.  There is no joy in this world. Today, if Christ is in you, you shall be a happy man, a happy woman. The coming of Jesus should be fruitful for you.

Brother Ngwenya then went on to explain how several barren women in the Bible produced champions of truth. Something that could not produce became productive; something fruitful came from these barren women.  There is Sarah (Isaac’s mother), Hannah (Samuel’s mother), the wife of Manoah (Samson’s mother), and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mother). Finally, the mighty preacher, Jesus Christ, came from a virgin woman. Barren women produced generals.

If you have been unfruitful, come to Jesus and He can make you fruitful. He is waiting for you.

FRIDAY:

BROTHER VANGARRAL CHENGBE (Sierra Leone). Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. (Genesis 22:2)

Abraham obeyed, leaving in the early morning, without telling his wife. An appeal was then made for each one of us to sacrifice our best for the Lord—our talents, our time, and our money. If you can sing, glorify God through your song. God has blessed us with a variety of talents so that we can use them for His honour and glory. Make your sacrifice for your God.

BROTHER STEFANO LA CORTE (Italy) has now taken over the Good Samaritan Department. He gave us a summary of the 20 years that the Good Samaritan Department has been running:

Sister Santina Mascera has sacrificed many years of her life for the Good Samaritan Dept. and she remains the honorary president.

The Good Samaritan Fund has been supporting various projects all over the world from Africa, to Central and South America, Asia, Oceania, and Eastern Europe. The headquarters are in Casalguidi, Italy. Funds are collected from donations made through the church and also from the public.

In Italy, booths have been set up at some festivals and people walk by and donate. May God put it in our hearts to help support the Good Samaritan Fund as we are able.

BROTHER FRANCESCO CAPUTO (Italy). There was a little four-year-old boy that was very hungry, and he was with some other children on the street. He was looking for a piece of bread. He knocked on the door and a well-dressed man opened the door. He asked, “What do you want?” The boy said, “I am really hungry. I just want a piece of bread.” The man went into his house and came back with a piece of bread. Then he gave it to the boy. The child took the bread and thanked the man. Then the man started to talk with the boy, “Boy, do you know that you have a Father in heaven, and that Father loves all and He loves you too, very much.” The little boy was listening carefully, “Man, so we all have a Father in heaven? And so my father is your father?” The man said, “Yes, sure.” “So then if we have the same father, you are my brother. And you, my brother, are you not ashamed to give me this hard piece of bread and you are my brother?”  The man was even a Pastor, and he gave an old stale piece of bread to the little boy.

Religion is not passive. It is not saying, “No, no, don’t” or, doing nothing. The love of Christ is action. True joy will be found when you do good actions. True happiness is not limited to “don’t,” although sometimes the Lord starts us off this way.

May God help you to allow the living water flow through you. The sweetest words a person will hear will be, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. He doesn’t want to lose you. He wants you to stay with Him in heaven. The greatest sin is to reject salvation. Don’t do it. God loves you, and through you He wants to love others.

BROTHER MARTIN LAGUNAS (Mexico). “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”  Amos 4:12. The coming of the Lord is at the door. Do you believe it?

Ask yourself if you are in the process of being ready for heaven, or if you are in harmony with the world. The church needs to be pure. Many that profess to be Christians, dress, eat, and behave like the world. The only possible way to find out who they are is to hear what they say. Grace is coming to an end, and we need to behave like Zaccheus.  He decided to go and meet Jesus, and he removed all obstacles by climbing a tree. We need to remove obstacles.

Your works need to be in harmony with your faith. All your faith needs to be in God. Your heart is either with God or with the world. If you wish to see Christ and be with Him for eternity, you need to achieve sanctification in Christ today.

BROTHER ROLANDO DE LA PAZ (Philippines). An important training for church members is that of Medical Missionary Work. Medical missionary work is to free the suffering. Those that are helped are filled with gratitude and then God works upon the heart.

We all have different talents. Some have talents in the medical lines, others have different talents, but all our talents should be used for the glory of God. Before Jesus comes, we must be blameless. If we fully understand the plan of salvation, we will not dare to sin. Only through His grace, those that keep His commandments are made free.

The Lord is appealing to all of us to humble our hearts to Christ. My Redeemer lives and because He lives, I shall also live. If we lose heaven, we lose all. If we gain heaven, we gain all.

SISTER RAQUEL ORCE (USA) took us back in history to the time when the Passover was instituted in the nation of Israel while they were still in Egypt. Prior to their departure, the Lord instituted this celebration to help them remember the exit from Egypt and look forward to the coming of the Lord. This feast is a family feast, to be celebrated as a Sabbath by the entire family in ancient Israel.  Some preparation had to take place for the feast. The Lamb was carefully chosen. All the yeast was put away from the house. The house was to be thoroughly cleaned also. With the unleavened bread they also had to eat bitter herbs.

The important elements that were necessary to follow during the feast were: 1) with your loins girded; 2) your shoes on your feet; and 3) your staff in your hand.

We no longer keep the Passover, however the three elements are symbolic for us today. The loins represent the truth, the shoes—the gospel, and the staff—faith.

The shoes were on their feet, because they were to go out at any moment. And this is the attitude that we should have about our home. We should not have a home, thinking we will always remain. We have a new home—a heavenly home; and we have to be ready to go at any moment. This is by accepting the gospel and the Three Angel’s Messages—all church members must have loins girded, with their staff in their hand.

BROTHER PABLO HUNGER (USA). I am missing home. When you have been gone for some time, it is always nice to come home. When I visit the brethren they are so friendly and kind, but still, it is not like home.

Soon we are going to our heavenly home. In reality we are pilgrims on this earth. In Hebrews 11 we read of many faithful souls who considered themselves pilgrims on this earth. Moses had great privileges in Egypt, but he refused this luxurious lifestyle because he wanted something better.

Jesus is coming soon and He wants to take you to a better home for you to enjoy for eternity. Everything will be in harmony there.

Enoch enjoyed communion with the Lord, and this is the preparation that we need. When we have this desire in our hearts and put all our energy into the work of the Lord, then God will bring us home.

In the beauty of the heavenly home there will be no more sickness, sorrow, or death. This should be our message. Humanity needs comfort. They need hope. We need to bring the eyes of the people to the heavenly home.

How thankful we can be to the Lord for His love and pardon that made it possible for us to inherit this new home.

SABBATH:

During Sabbath School, PABLO HUNGER gave a missionary report regarding the new areas that have opened up for missionary work in the last five years. These countries include: Cuba, Haiti, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, Gambia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, and Malaysia among others. Let us support these new mission fields with our prayers and funds. We need to be united for this missionary expansion.

BROTHER IDEL SUAREZ (USA) presented the divine service using the conference theme as his title: “Surely I Come Quickly.”

He shared evidence proving the second coming of Jesus and spoke about how we can hasten the coming of Christ.

Peter said that in last days scoffers would arise (2 Peter 3:3–4). These have heard that Jesus is coming since they were children, and now they are old and He still has not come. Noah preached for 120 years. And now the Reform Movement is nearly 120 years old.

Brother Suarez took us back into history to the city of Constantinople, which had, for 1000 years, been ruled by Christians. The founder was named Constantine. The Anatolian Turks attacked using cannons, the Moslems came by land and sea, and the city fell.

Like this city, our planet cannot endure much more. In Revelation it says that Jesus will come, riding a white horse, then Babylon will fall. With the fall of every city, it is proof that human society cannot endure.

Jesus said, “Surely I come.” He will come in glory. He will be beautiful.

Many famous scientists who were sincere have been led to acknowledge that God is the author of all true science.

We need to open the books of Daniel and Revelation.  Paul says that prophecy is for unbelievers so that they may believe. Many do not know Jesus and yet we have a personal letter signed by Him. We need to read it, to live it, to share it.

If you want to be at the well of Christ, Jesus said, “I give you My coat of righteousness. I am your substitute. I am your guarantee.”

The afternoon was spent in testimonies and special songs in praise to the Lord.

BROTHER DOUGLAS FRANCIS  (Sri Lanka). “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

What is this price? God paid the price. He emptied Himself. He emptied His pockets. He paid the price—Jesus Christ. He paid the price for our redemption. He paid the ransom money and now He wants something back. He wants our hearts. He wants us to keep His commandments. He wants us to love Him. But, in turn, some ask a question. Does it pay to serve God? What do we gain from keeping the commandments? (Read Malachi 3:13–14)

When we encourage our members to faithfully pay their tithes and offerings, some start to make excuses, but, remember, He bought us with a price. So how will you pay Him back? You have to be the best stewards of your talents, which include our time, body, everyday living, and money.

We are blessed with a wonderful truth. We are blessed to be in the Lord’s church. We are blessed to be His children. He paid His price for us. So, it is our duty to show gratitude. We should pay stewardship and pay attention to our lives in order to fulfill His will in our lives.

All too soon it came time for the final farewell meeting. All the board members came and gave a few closing words of thanksgiving and encouragement.  We will be going back to our respective churches now with the blessings we received from the conference and with new courage and zeal to push forward the work of the Lord.

Beautiful unity and fellowship was shared amongst the 906 people in attendance on the Sabbath.

Brother Chileshe, the leader of the South African Union, closed the meeting with thanks and praise to the Lord.

Wendy Eaton