August - Lake Union Conference - General Conference of Seventh ...

Conversations
with GOD
Dear God,
Atlanta, July 3, 2010 ... it will
stand as one of the most thrilling
days of my life—I’m still basking in the glow. Standing
shoulder to shoulder with 70,000 of my brothers
and sisters representing nearly every nation on
earth ... languages I don’t understand, national costumes
I don’t recognize, harmonies I’ve never heard
before—all singing praises to You, our Creator and
Redeemer! Breath-taking. Awe-inspiring. Lifechanging
... I don’t have the words to describe it. As
I even now voice this prayer there are tears running
down my cheeks. I’ve had a taste of tomorrow—just
a taste—but it was sublime. I want to be there. I plan
to be there. By Your grace I will be there.
The business sessions were interminable, though
necessary. But the reports from around the world
were part of the electricity of the Session. 1 I remind
myself that those are not just numbers on a page,
each represents a brother I didn’t know I had or a
sister I’ve never met. We belong to each other because
we have a common Father. Those numbers
represent people who, a short time ago, had no hope;
now they have hope. They had no reason to smile;
now they can smile. They had no purpose; now they
do. Every number is a story—a story of Your grace.
Thank You, God, for the reports.
When I became a member of this Movement in
1945, the total world membership was 576,000 ... in
the world! Today the number is more than 16 million
(though only You know for sure). Are they all
radiantly victorious Christians I suspect not. Even
among the first 12 they were not all radiantly victorious
Christians. But so many are; I thank You for
every one of them. Only seven percent of them live
in my country, but You told us to go everywhere with
this grand story and we are working pretty hard on
that.
Dear God...
b y D o n J a c o b s e n
Which reminds me, I enjoyed the time in the
exhibits because it gave me opportunity to see some
of the tools Your Church is using. Everything from
Adventist World Radio to ADRA (Adventist Development
& Relief Agency) to schools worldwide
and hospitals and printing presses, to the “little projects”
planted by You in the hearts of Your children all
over the world. They’re working.
Those who brought music to the assembly
brought extraordinary gifts. Often I didn’t understand
the words, but I didn’t need to ... the obvious
message they proclaimed and the radiance of their
faces transcended words anyway, and I was blessed.
But the corporate worship in the Dome—that is
the memory that will linger when all else has blurred.
You know, I had to commit the new theme song to
memory because I don’t read well with tears in my
eyes:
Saving grace—sweet favor from the Lord above;
Winning grace—that draws us to His heart of love;
Wondrous grace—that He should care for you and me;
Boundless grace—so deep, so full, so rich and free;
Redeeming grace—His pardon frees us from our sin;
Transforming grace—His Spirit makes us new within;
Triumphant grace—He comes! and we shall see His face
And ever more proclaim God’s matchless grace! 2
Different kinds of grace ... Your gift to us. Our
hearts responding in passionate worship ... our gift to
You. Thank You, Lord.
Amen.
Your Friend.
Don Jacobsen is the former president of Adventist World Radio.
He writes from Hiawassee, Georgia.
1. Seventh-day Adventists from around the world convened in
Atlanta, Georgia, for the 59th General Conference Session,
June 24 to July 3. See news.adventist.org for more information.
2. Words and Music by J. Bruce Ashton, © 2009. Used with
permission.
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