:: The 21st General Conference Session

Bulletin #11, September 12, 2011

Spiritual Messages

The morning worships can be found in audio format at: Session Daily Worship

As several delegates had to leave for their homes due to various circumstances, obtaining quorum was becoming more difficult. Many of the doctrinal issues had to be left for discussion at another Session. We can make plans for the next Session but we need to keep these verses in mind: "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15).

22nd General Conference Session

Lord willing, the next General Conference Session will be held at our church property, Moriah Heights, in Plymouth, California, USA, from July 7-28, 2015, followed by the public general meetings in the Sacramento, California area from July 30–August 3, 2015.

The finalized officers' list and the updated Bylaws and Working Policy will be in the last bulletin (#12).

The final decision of the Session, before being turned over to the incoming administration, was the formulation of a statement of concern regarding our spiritual condition. This statement was entitled the Declaration of Porumbacu, Romania.

Declaration of Porumbacu, Romania

WHEREAS there is an increasing decline in the spirituality of our membership as seen in the lowering of the established standards of the church as clearly revealed in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy ("As I saw the dreadful fact that God's people were conformed to the world, with no distinction, except in name, between many of the professed disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus and unbelievers, my soul felt deep anguish" Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 133); it was

RESOLVED, that the ministry of the church take a firm position regarding the various aspects of worldliness in the areas of health, dress, and Sabbath reform as revealed in our existing resolutions. We need to clearly implement the disciplinary process as found in Matthew 18:15-18 with the purpose of rescuing these souls from peril. This work is to begin with the ministers (Hosea 4:9; Proverbs 27:23; Evangelism, p. 272:1). We need to understand that personal ideas that are not clearly revealed in the existing resolutions are not to be promoted by any worker.

The following work needs to be done:

• The most important work is that of self-examination, first for the ministry and then of the membership at large. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

• Each minister needs to understand the principles found in Matthew 18 regarding the personal labor for souls in sacrificing their own self-dignity and even laying down their lives for the salvation of the souls they are working with. (Mount of Blessings, pp. 128-129) Individual ministers should not contact those in leadership roles for assistance until they have done their personal labor.

• There is further need of educating the churches at large to understand the clear biblical reasons underlining the principles of our church regarding the beliefs as found in the existing resolutions. The work of educating the churches must be combined with the presentation of the messages from the book of Revelation in connection with Christ as our personal Savior. "If our people were half awake, if they realized the nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would be wrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message.… But whatever phase of the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, 'the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star.'" (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 118).

• The only way to succeed in the work of Reformation is that each member must understand his need of a Savior. "Before there could be any permanent reformation the people must be led to feel their utter inability in themselves to render obedience to God. They had broken His law, it condemned them as transgressors, and it provided no way of escape. While they trusted in their own strength and righteousness, it was impossible for them to secure the pardon of their sins; they could not meet the claims of God's perfect law, and it was in vain that they pledged themselves to serve God. It was only by faith in Christ that they could secure pardon of sin and receive strength to obey God's law. They must cease to rely upon their own efforts for salvation, they must trust wholly in the merits of the promised Saviour, if they would be accepted of God." Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 524.

• After working with souls for a sufficient time, "All exhibitions of pride in dress, which is forbidden in the word of God, should be sufficient reason for church discipline." (Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 647). This applies to all areas of worldliness including intemperance in working, eating, drinking, dressing, and sleeping. (Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 374).

• The workers and ministers who do not produce the fruit of their labors within twelve months need to evaluate their calling. "To those whom He calls to the work of the ministry, the Lord will give tact and skill and understanding. If after laboring for twelve months in evangelistic work, a man has no fruit to show for his efforts, if the people for whom he has labored are not benefited, if he has not lifted the standard in new places, and no souls are converted by his labors, that man should humble his heart before God, and endeavor to know if he has not mistaken his calling. The wages paid by the conference should be given to those who show fruit for their labor." (Evangelism, pp. 686, 687).

• "Jesus is coming; and will He find a people conformed to the world? and will He acknowledge these as His people that He has purified unto Himself? Oh, no. None but the pure and holy will He acknowledge as His. Those who have been purified and made white through suffering, and have kept themselves separate, unspotted from the world, He will own as His." (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 133). "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Bulletin Committee: Peter D. Lausevic, Paul Chapman, and Daniel Lee