Canadian Conference 2004

On the shores of the Credit River in Mississauga, Canada, we gathered the evening of Friday July 30, 2004 to begin the annual Canadian conference. The motto, “Commit thy way unto the Lord”, which is an excerpt from Psalm 37:5 would serve to focus those present on a renewed relationship with Jesus in our daily lives.

Br. Gary Foster, the new president of the Canadian Field, led out the opening meeting of the conference and petitioned the Lord’s presence to lead us into His truth for us at this present time and to thank Him for the many wonderful things that He does for us every day. How wonderful and thankful we should be that God is here to help us. We are the disciples of today just as those that Jesus chose when he walked this earth. We should think of our Christian life and focus on what God is doing for us today. Br. Foster read the motto, “Commit thy way unto the Lord” and asked us to really think to ourselves what the word “commit” means!

Next Br. Mitov challenged us to look a little deeper at Psalm 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the Lord”. This is both a promise and an invitation from God. Let us look at the context of this verse. David had written this when he was fleeing from Saul who at the time was trying to kill him. For David, being a king was not his ultimate goal but rather he looked forward to when the sinner would be without sin and be with his Lord. We have to look for the promises of God. Daniel was a good example of this in his life while in captivity in Babylon.

As evening was drawing on, Br. Kelly Shultz from Calgary, Alberta shared the Lord’s word with us. He gave us a brief snapshot of the work in Calgary and explained that, although there were currently only three members there, just like the early disciples, he was sure that the Lord would bless the work there and that from this humble beginning a great work would follow.

Once again our minds were focused on Psalm 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the Lord”. There are two paths that we can take in life; the way of righteousness and the way of wickedness. We read verse 1, 2 and 7-9 from Psalm 37 to give us some more context of the motto, found in verse 5. We live under a constant spiritual threat in Canada with all the wickedness and moral upheaval that is taking place in our society. Many people suffer from depression and anxiety. How can the great injustices of today continue? But God would not have us fret because of wickedness.

How do we survive wickedness in our society? In these verses of Psalm 37, God gives us instruction of how to do just that. He gives us four items of instruction:

1. In verse 3, it says, “trust in the Lord”. God wants us to really put our trust in Him and only Him!
2. In verse 4, it says, “delight yourself in the Lord”. God wants us to delight in Him and what He provides.
3. In verse 5, it says, “Commit thy way unto the Lord”. God wants us to commit to Him fully, without reservation.
4. In verse 7, it says, “rest in the Lord”. God wants us to find rest from the wickedness around us by looking to, and focusing on, Him.

Behind Br. Kelly, the sun set on a panorama of God’s creation, ushering in the beginning of the Sabbath rest and reminding us that in the Lord we really do find true rest for our spirit. We closed the first day of the conference as Br. Kelly led us to the throne of grace in prayer.

On a warm Sabbath morning, Br. John Radin welcomed members and visitors with Psalm 104: 33, “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being,” and a reading from Psalm 118: 24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

All 110 souls present enjoyed the missionary experiences shared by Br. Foster, Br. Kelly, Br. Augustus and Sis. Unger, which testifies to the work of the Holy Spirit amongst His people in spreading the gospel to a fallen world.
The Sabbath School lessons were about health and The Great Physician, “When Christ healed disease, He warned many of the afflicted ones, “Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee.” John 5:14. Thus He taught that they had brought disease upon themselves by transgressing the laws of God, and that health could be preserved only by obedience.” The Ministry of Healing, pg. 113.

The earliteen and Youth discussed Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and how Jesus opened people’s eyes then and indeed our own today to what God’s message of love is really all about. How in this one sermon by Jesus, He captured His entire truth and sowed a seed of profound impact within the hearer’s minds as He does today when we study it.
For the sermon, Br. Foster spoke on Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Look at the misery, the sadness, the depression, the wars and crime in our world. What has God done about it? In a crisis, two things happen to us; we can give up or we can trust God. One thing is certain; ultimately the truth will always prevail.

“For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” II Corinthians 13: 8. Hundreds of years ago there was a man named Galileo who said that the sun was at the centre of our solar system. This was different than the commonly held belief at the time, which said the earth was at the centre. Galileo was persecuted and even excommunicated from the Catholic Church because he would not recant his belief. Only in the twentieth century did the Catholic Church admit that they were wrong. The truth will always win out in the end. There are three reasons why God allows things to happen: 1. To sift out the wrong hearted, 2. To test whom you are and teach, 3. To lead us to be students of the Bible.
After a wonderful lunch provided by the sisters of Mississauga and Hamilton, we enjoyed a walk in God’s wonderful nature. We strolled by the site of the Toronto area’s first church, which became a powerful beacon of reformation light, its rays extending throughout Canada and beyond. This church was held at the time in Br. Timo Martin’s home, which is now a park hugging the river that meanders through its terrain.

After the break we enjoyed many special songs as the Urizar family and the Hamilton Choir praised the Lord. Br. Lowe then asked us “What is the greatest miracle?” Jesus, who lived His life on earth as a lowly carpenter and preacher, has had more impact on the world civilizations than any king, politician, leader or potentate. We must trust in Jesus and only Jesus.

Errol Fletcher led out a meeting of thanks with Psalm 92: 1, 2 “IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night”

Many people both young and old shared their personal testimonies of the Lord’s benevolence in their lives.
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 136: 1,2

Br. Ivo Yonov, from Montreal asked us “How many miracles has God performed in our lives? Yet we cannot say that we have the faith of Jesus!” It has been over one hundred years since the birth of the Advent message. There are third and fourth generations of Adventists now and still the Lord has not come. It can only be because of a lack of faith. Faith demands action! There are two attitudes of faith. These are illustrated in the spies that went out to view the Promised Land. Ten didn’t trust God and always-viewed things as negative and two that had trust in God and viewed things as positive. There were ten “grasshoppers” and two men. Joshua and Caleb looked from the opposite side than the others, with faith and one day entered the Promised Land while the others perished.

One of the most poignant moments of the conference came as the sun began to set in the western sky, a backdrop to Br. Timo Martin’s Sabbath closing service. For it was under this same sky, years ago, that Br. Martin and the small band of reformers closed their first Sabbath in this area. Over the years many a reformer from far and wide, even many of you now reading this report became a participant in those subsequent years of praising God at the close of His memorial of creation. Br. Martin focused our attention on the time in which we live. Soon the time of trouble will be upon us, “Jacob’s trouble”. Soon the sealing of the 144,000 will be complete, will we be ready…will you? We were reminded that Esau caused the trouble but Jacob benefited from it. We already see signs of the shaking that God is doing to His church. We see the signs of the times fulfilling all around us with greater and greater speed. Will you be ready? The events of the last days are coming; we must take shelter in the ark of God just as Noah did in his time. We must draw closer together as a people.

As the sun broke on the last day of the conference, Br. Oscar Oviedo asked us “What is the Church?” Is it a structure, a dwelling a shelter? There are many differences within a house/church. There are different people, opinions and purposes. The opposite is true of a body, which has many organs and systems, but they must work together. The main component within the body that binds them all together is the blood. Similarly in God’s church it is the blood that must bind us together! Which do we want the church to be? Do we want the church to be just a temple or a living body? We need to feel the redeeming power in us, the body of Christ!

Br. Foster then opened the closing meeting with: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Mathew 7:6

We need to understand what is holy! We know that the Lord tells us that these are holy: In Isaiah 6:3, we know the Lord is holy; The Sabbath, the Commandments are holy; marriage is holy; the Bible (2 Timothy 3:15), is holy; Tithe is holy; the church, God’s people are to be a holy people; Jesus is the head of the church, He is holy. God wants us to be holy!

After some more wonderful special songs by various brothers and sisters we participated in a rare and special event, the ordination of an elder, Br. John Bescec from Toronto. Br. Foster examined and gave counsel to Br. Bescec and his entire family on what the sacred position would entail. He also counseled the local Toronto church to support him in carrying out his new duties. It was a solemn and joyous occasion for all.

“This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” I Timothy 3: 1-7

Each of the speakers in the conference said a special farewell to each soul present personally. With an undertone of sadness that separation brings, we greeted each other a final time with brotherly affection and ended the few precious days of fellowship.
Amen