Closer To Heaven
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El pastor adventista venezolano Luis Alfredo Morales, de 50 años, permanece bajo custodia del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE), luego de ser detenido el pasado 6 de agosto en el Aeropuerto Intercontinental George Bush de Houston. Morales es un reconocido pastor de cuatro congregaciones adventistas del área de Houston, […] Source: https://atoday.org/pastor-adventista-venezolano-permanece-arrestado-por-ice-en-houston/
It's impossible to turn it off. The noise, the notifications, the stress. It's almost impossible to set boundaries in today's world, but God set one in place that is timeless. He gave us a space to leave it all behind, and it's called the Sabbath. Ask us about the Sabbath! We'd love to answer your questions. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uUB4FEprpWE
Daily Lesson for Thursday 13th of August 2026
Thus far, we have learned that love is patient, kind, joyful, resilient, believing, hopeful, and enduring (or perseverant) because Jesus is all these things. Once we see these qualities in Jesus, the next step is to imitate Him. That was Paul’s wish for the Corinthians. However, if we remove the “not” in the eight negative features of love, “we get a pretty good description of the Corinthians’ conduct within their church circle: envious, boasting, arrogant, rude, self-seeking, easily offended, and looking to see what others were doing wrong. Paul is tailoring the verbs he uses here to the Corinthian situation.”—Verlyn D. Verbrugge, “1 Corinthians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians, revised edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), p. 372.
The Corinthians had much to learn. So do we. After describing what love does and does not do, Paul concludes his section by emphasizing the everlasting nature of love so as to stimulate the practice of genuine love.
Image © Educational Concepts Collection at Goodsalt.com
One day, prophecies will no longer be necessary; we will speak only one language; and flawed human knowledge will be replaced by a brand-new knowledge of God (1 Corinthians 13:12). The gifts of the Spirit will cease only when the purpose for which they exist has reached its fulfillment (1 Corinthians 13:10). “But love will last forever!” (1 Corinthians 13:8, NLT).
Likewise, when Christ returns, faith will give place to sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), and that which we have long hoped for will be reality (Romans 8:24). And, most of all, love will endure as an emblem of the character of our triune God. Yet, there is a sense in which faith and hope will also last forever. Faith as the experience of salvation (Romans 4:3), and hope as the desire and expectation of new delights and knowledge in the new earth, will mark the experience of the redeemed forever. Yet love, God’s love, will eternally prevail.
Very soon, we will see our Lord face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until that day comes, we are supposed to define our lives with these three virtues: faith, hope, and love. This triad is representative of the fullness of Christian life through the Spirit. That is why it was often referred to among Christians (Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 5:5-6; Ephesians 1:15,18; Ephesians 4:1-5). Love, however, is the greatest; after all, it is the only virtue used to describe the very nature of God Himself (1 John 4:8).
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Dwell on the statement “God is love.” How are we supposed to understand exactly what that means? And though we can grasp the idea only in part, why is that phrase such good news for us? |
You can't solve a six-digit problem in your head, so why try to solve your identity and purpose alone? Some questions are too big for guesswork. Bring them to God. Watch now and reflect on where you're really searching for answers. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6jXkY3yoqHo
Now streaming on the Amazing Facts channel: Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. Tune in for clear, Bible-based answers to life’s most important questions. Watch, share, and grow in the Word. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhENzC57-Hw
La Lettera ai Romani parla della fragilità che appartiene a ogni essere umano, ma annuncia anche una possibilità nuova attraverso Gesù. Il passato può spiegare chi sei stato, ma non deve decidere chi puoi diventare. ❤️ Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NfyRLPYcn1w
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — Los líderes adventistas del séptimo día en Colombia no reportaron muertes ni heridos graves entre los miembros de la iglesia luego de que un terremoto de magnitud 7.4 sacudiera la parte occidental del país el lunes por la mañana, aunque varias escuelas e iglesias adventistas sufrieron daños estructurales, según informó Laura Acosta, del equipo […] Source: https://atoday.org/adventistas-en-colombia-no-reportaron-victimas-entre-sus-miembros-solo-destruccion-de-infraestructura-tras-terremoto-4-7/
Panama.- A primeras horas de la mañana de hoy 11 de agosto de 2026, se produjo una protesta de padres y estudiantes del Instituto Adventista Panameño (IAP), ubicado en Bongo, Provincia de Chiriquí, contra la Directora de la entidad educativa. Los manifestantes bloquearon la calle y los accesos a la institución adventista, pidiendo a las […] Source: https://atoday.org/protestas-contra-la-direccion-del-instituto-adventista-panameno/
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — Seventh-day Adventist leaders in Colombia reported no deaths or serious injuries among church members after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the western part of the country Monday morning, although several Adventist schools and churches sustained structural damage, according to reporting by Inter-American Division News Staff Laura Acosta. The earthquake struck at 7:34 […] Source: https://atoday.org/adventist-schools-churches-assess-damage-after-7-4-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-colombia/
The Biblical Person of the Day
Delilah – the Woman Who Betrayed Trust
Profile
Short StoryDelilah lived during the time of the Judges and is best known for her relationship with Samson. Samson had been especially called by God and gifted with extraordinary strength, yet his heart was often endangered by wrong attachments.
The rulers of the Philistines recognized that Delilah had access to Samson’s heart. They offered her a large amount of silver if she would discover the secret of his strength.
Delilah accepted the task. Instead of protecting Samson, she began to pressure him again and again, asking him to reveal the secret of his strength.
Several times Samson deceived her with false answers. But Delilah did not give up. She kept pressuring him with her words and accused him of not loving her if he would not entrust her with his secret.
Eventually Samson became inwardly exhausted and opened his heart to her. He told her about his Nazirite vow and that no razor had ever touched his head.
Delilah realized that this time he had told her the truth. She summoned the Philistines, caused Samson to fall asleep, and had his hair cut off.
Through her betrayal Samson lost his strength, was captured, blinded, and taken to Gaza. Delilah’s story shows how destructive it is to sell trust for money, personal advantage, and the interests of others.
The Decisive MomentDelilah betrays Samson’s secret to the Philistines and thereby becomes an instrument in his deep downfall.
7 Special Things About Delilah
Strengths & Weaknesses
had influence over Samson
was persistent in pursuing her goal
recognized when Samson finally told her the truth
knew how to reach people emotionally
treacherous
placed money and self-interest above loyalty and responsibility
The Mistake That Defined HerDelilah sold Samson’s trust and exploited his love in order to serve the Philistines.
Her story shows that closeness without loyalty is dangerous and that false love can destroy.
Key Verse“And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death.” (Judges 16:16)
The Life LessonTrust is precious. Whoever betrays it for selfish gain not only destroys others but also reveals the darkness within his or her own heart.
Application for TodayBe careful whom you open your heart to, and be a person who protects trust rather than exploiting it.
Question for YouWhere do you need to learn today to handle the trust of others with greater honesty, faithfulness, and responsibility?
ContextDelilah lived during the period of the Judges, when Israel was under Philistine oppression and Samson served as a judge and deliverer of Israel.
ConnectionDelilah is connected with Samson and the rulers of the Philistines, who used her to discover the secret of Samson’s strength.
Delilah shows how dangerous a relationship becomes when closeness exists without loyalty, love without truth, and influence without responsibility. Her story is a serious warning against betrayal and self-interest.
See you tomorrow with the next biblical person!
The Life Story The Life Story of Delilah – Betrayal Disguised as Closeness 
A Woman in the Valley of SorekDelilah lived in the Valley of Sorek, in a region that became closely connected with the story of Samson. The Bible tells us very little about her origins, her family, or her earlier life.
Yet her name has remained in memory because she played a disastrous role during a decisive period in Samson’s life.
She does not appear before us as a woman who openly used violence, but as someone who used closeness, words, and influence. That is precisely what makes her story so serious.
Samson and His Extraordinary StrengthSamson was special from birth. He had been consecrated to God as a Nazirite and was to begin delivering Israel from the hand of the Philistines.
His strength was extraordinary, yet his heart was vulnerable. Again and again, his desires and relationships led him into dangerous situations.
When Samson loved Delilah, she became someone he allowed to come close to him and to whom he eventually entrusted his deepest secret.
The Philistines’ OfferThe rulers of the Philistines wanted to defeat Samson. They knew that they could not overcome his strength by ordinary means.
So they turned to Delilah. They promised her a large amount of silver if she would discover the source of Samson’s great strength and how he could be overpowered.
At that moment, Delilah faced a choice. She could protect trust or sell it. She chose profit.
The Repeated QuestionsDelilah began asking Samson about the secret of his strength. At first, Samson gave her false answers.
He said that he could be bound with fresh bowstrings. When that did not work, he mentioned new ropes. Later, he spoke about the locks of his hair.
Each time, it became clear that Delilah was not asking out of love but with a specific purpose. She tested his answers and thereby revealed that she truly intended to hand him over.
Words Used as PressureDelilah did not give up. Day after day she pressured Samson and accused him of not loving her because he would not tell her his secret.
In doing so, she used his feelings against him. Love was not used as a place of protection but as a means of pressure.
Samson became inwardly exhausted. The Bible says that his soul was vexed unto death. Finally, he gave in and opened his whole heart to her.
The Secret Is BetrayedSamson told Delilah about his Nazirite vow and that no razor had ever touched his head. If his hair were cut off, his strength would leave him.
Delilah realized that this time he had told her the truth. She sent word to the rulers of the Philistines and had them come.
Then she caused Samson to fall asleep and had his hair cut off. The betrayal took place at a moment when Samson trusted her and was defenseless.
Samson’s DownfallAfter his hair had been cut off, his strength left him. When the Philistines came upon him, Samson did not immediately realize that the Lord had departed from him.
He was overpowered, captured, and blinded. Then they took him to Gaza and made him a prisoner.
Delilah’s betrayal thus became a turning point in his life. What had begun as a relationship ended in captivity, darkness, and deep humiliation.
A Warning About False ClosenessDelilah’s story shows that not every form of closeness is safe. There are relationships in which words may sound kind, while the heart is directed toward advantage, control, or betrayal.
Samson was strong against enemies but weak where his heart remained unguarded. Delilah exploited precisely this weakness.
Her story calls us not to give away trust carelessly and never to misuse the trust of others ourselves.
The Enduring Message of Her LifeDelilah shows how destructive betrayal can be. Her story makes clear that influence without loyalty becomes dangerous and that love without truthfulness can become a trap.
She reminds us that money, advantage, and power must never become more important than a person who trusts us.
Closing ThoughtDelilah had access to Samson’s heart, but she used that access not to protect him but to betray him.
She gained silver, but her story remained as a warning against false closeness and trust that can be bought.
Her life story shows: Whoever sells trust destroys relationships—and whoever uses love as a tool for selfish gain leaves deep wounds.
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