The Canadian Field Conference commenced on August 2nd, 2013 and continued until August 4th.
The theme of the conference was, The Family of God. In celebration of the importance of the family unit, we were privileged to have Brother and Sister Petkov in attendance. Sister Petkov is the leader of the General Conference Family department and she presented some timely workshops in support of the family unit.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
Brother John Bescec opened the conference on Friday evening and gave an address regarding the textbook for family success – The Bible. All true wisdom comes from the Bible and the success of the family unit depends on the adherence of the family members to the Biblical principles. In the Bible the Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to “continue thou in the things which thou has learned.” 2 Timothy 3:14. The word, “continue,” means to “abide” to “stay” and to live out your Christian life. The Bible should dictate our morals. We all have had wrong practices and habits and in the Bible we are shown where our errors lie. In the training and disciplining of our children, there is no better source for direction than the Bible. The Bible is our instruction manual – owner’s manual. Satan wants to destroy families, but God, through His Word in the Bible shows us where true success lies. May God help us to search the Word of God to find those hidden gems for successful happy living.
After this initial introduction, our studies became more specific. Brother Oscar Oviedo presented a study entitled, “Man’s Role in the Family.” “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church.” Ephesians 5:23. Firstly, man has been given spiritual authority in his family as Christ’s authority over the church. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. The question was asked, “Husbands, do your wives love you because you love them or because you demand their respect and love?” The first role of man is to exercise this type of authority – based on love.
The second role of man is, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.” Ephesians 5:28. Man’s love for his wife should be as the care he gives his own body. He should nourish and cherish his wife. For a successful marriage the husband must make an attempt to understand his wife. To stop and listen. Sometimes that is all that they want – your attention – a listening ear. “Giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel.” 2 Peter 3:7. Rather than weaker, you could use the word, “more precious” vessel. Wives are first class people, not second class. If men love their wives they will learn to anticipate her needs and before she asks for something – they will do it.
The third role is for man to be responsible. If man is the head of the household, he is accountable in the same manner that a CEO is responsible as the head of a company, or a church leader is head of the church. He is responsible as one who has to give an account to God. One of his responsibilities is to encourage the family to use their talents for God. The wife is the help-meet. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Timothy 5:8. The man is the high priest of his home, being aware of the needs of the family. In closing, Brother Oviedo made an appeal for all men to ask themselves if they are fulfilling the role that God has called them to perform.
SABBATH, AUGUST 3
Sabbath morning dawned bright and sunny. After a lively Sabbath School, Brother Petkov spoke the Divine Service entitled, “The Heavenly Family.” “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” Psalm 27:10. “If God be for us, who can be against us.” Romans 8:31. “God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human family might become one with the heavenly family.” —SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1082
We have a heavenly family that is waiting for us. God is making space for us in heaven. “Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 327. The moment you accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, you are no longer an orphan. You have a large heavenly family consisting of millions of angels and people on other worlds. In order to foster the family relationship, it requires time. We have a biological family on this earth and also a spiritual family, both of which we must foster and cooperate with, even when we have our differences. To foster any relationship, communication is required. In this electronic age we find communication reduced to technology, but technology cannot replace reality. We were encouraged to foster the families that we have been given and take comfort from the fact that we have a large heavenly family that we should also foster. We are not orphans.
The afternoon was filled with song, memory verses and speeches by the future of the church – the children and young people. The Lord loves to hear the sincere praises of the little children. They presented some biblical characters and the lessons we can learn from them in relation to the family. The children shared with us the lessons from the sons of Jacob. The youth shared with us different family relationships such as Isaac and Abraham, Paul and his spiritual son, Timothy, and Hannah and Samuel.
The final meeting of the afternoon was a health meeting by Sister Raquel Orce who presented the subject of our mental attitude towards food. She covered areas such as: 1) Time – eating at regular and appropriate times. 2) Need –why, how and when we eat. If we have eaten until we are satisfied and a cake comes along, do we feel we need to eat it also? We need to eat slowly and recognize when we are full. 3) Measure – eat only what you need. Control your portions. 4) Environment –do you eat in a good environment? Or do you read or eat while stressed? If you are reading bad news your digestion can slow down. Eating should be done in a stress free environment. 5) Selection. Foods should be chosen that are nutritious such as whole grains. 6) Self-control. Pray, and think. Consider diligently what you will eat. 7) Thankfulness. Thank God for your food.
After dinner we all had an opportunity to share praise and thankfulness to the Lord in the Testimony meeting.
The final service of the day was conducted by Sister Raquel Orce who spoke about “Woman’s Role in the Family.” She directed us to Proverbs 31:10–31. This is a poem in the Bible dedicated to women. “Who has seen a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” v. 10. This is not any type of woman spoken about here – it is a virtuous woman. The following verses explain what a true virtuous woman is like. It speaks of her personal relationship to her husband and the understanding she has of him and his perceptions of her. “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” v. 11. It is a relationship full of confidence. It is not a passive, dependant relationship. It is an equal and healthy relationship. They collaborate together.
She also has influence on her children. “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” v. 28. Her husband and children admire and respect her. But it all starts from principles. She is not a reactive woman – one who only acts when circumstances present themselves – when there is a need. She is proactive. Her actions are done, not because a need has arisen, but her actions create another action. In v. 13-15 we can see how she plans ahead of time and foresees the results and prepares for those results. Her husband trusts her and her children praise her.
This is the type of woman that exceeds the expectations of her husband – virtuous. She is above average and not just as the regular pattern of women, but beyond expectation. What she does, she does well. She thinks and works today so that she can influence the events of tomorrow. “She considereth a field, and buyeth it.” v. 16. She is a woman without limitations. She works with her hands, has skills as a merchant. She is socially capable of making things happen. She does things without being asked.
In Romans 16, the Apostle Paul commends and thanks various people for their help in the church and several women, such as Phebe are mentioned. God has a place in His service for virtuous women, “for her price is far above rubies.” All women are capable of being this virtuous woman, with the help of God.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
Sunday morning found us at the shores of Lake Ontario, witnessing the baptism of dear sister Abigail Garcia, who has decided to follow her Lord and Saviour by making a public confession of her faith in baptism.
Brother Jerry Eaton continued by welcoming in Sister Abigail into the family of God. She has now been adopted into this spiritual family by faith. Rightly related to Christ, we are related to one another. We to foster this relationship and not let pride get in the way because it is pride that destroys the family relationship. Sister Abigail is now a new babe in Christ and in order for a baby to feel safe, they need parents to be united. In the church we must also foster this unity. Although there are many different types of people, and this is God’s plan – His miracle of unity in diversity can exist. We can balance our strengths with other’s weaknesses and help and support one another. Above all, in the family of God, we need to believe in one another and not give up on one another.
Children are a gift from God, and they have a very important role in the family. Brother Nicholas Anca shared with us their role. When God created man and woman He told them to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. It is not an easy task to raise children in this day and age and we need wisdom from God. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord.” Psalm 127:3. They are a heritage – not a property. We are responsible for their physical as well as spiritual well-being. Children should be taught the golden rule of life – the Ten Commandments. They represent God’s character found in heaven and this is what we want to instil in our children. We then need to pray for our children and not give up. God’s plan for us is to work first in the family, secondly with our neighbours and then with the world. The guidance of our children requires discipline with love. We are to give gentle guidance to correct habits, so that children learn to obey through love. We need to continually pray for our children and wisdom to guide them in the ways of righteousness.
After lunch, we heard from Brother Elder Hernandez about our relationship with our extended family, our in-laws. A good example is given in the book of Ruth, where we find the close relationship of Naomi and Ruth as in-laws. Brother Hernandez gave us some good counsels on how to effectively preserve our relationship and relate positively to our in-laws. 1) A man is to leave his parents to live with his wife (Genesis 2:24). He needs to begin his own household and not remain with his parents; to break the connection with the parents. 2) For fathers and mothers –when your children get married, don’t try to know every detail of their lives. They have their own concerns and need to deal with their own problems. 3) Don’t be nosy. For parents-in-law, don’t give your opinion about their decisions unless they ask you. Keep silent except in case of emergency. 4) Don’t ask to borrow money from in-laws. There is a risk that when they loan, they will manipulate your decisions in life. If you do loan, don’t ask what they did with the money. 5) Learn to listen and respect the advice given, but don’t feel guilty if you don’t follow their advice. You can respect the persons giving the advice but are not obliged to follow the advice. Following these simple guidelines can bring peace and happiness in your relationship with your in-laws.
And finally, Brother Petkov brought our closing meeting, by addressing the subject of “Victorious Families.” The biggest problem threatening our biological and spiritual families is the world. We need to protect our families. The world is not suitable to us since we are pacifists. One important principle to remember is that people are not the originators of problems. They are often victims, with the devil being the originator. Brother Petkov directed our attention back to the original address, of the importance of Bible study being the key to victorious families. God will teach us to learn to live with each other. A key point he brought out is that of the importance of work. The 4th commandment not only tells us to rest on the Sabbath, but also to work the other 6 days. In the United States, there is what they call the American Dream. That is to have wealth and no work. But we need to stop dreaming and start working. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32
The family is the building block of society. With healthy families, we have a healthy society; a healthy society in the secular world and a healthy society in the church. May God help us to follow the biblical counsels for ourselves, our spouses, our children and extended families in order to maintain this unity and strength in God’s church and then be an influence to the world. AMEN