Closer To Heaven
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In 2000, when I was four years old, I attended my first General Conference (GC) session in Toronto, Canada. My grandfather was a respected church administrator and pastor for 50 years, allowing us a chance to be in the epicenter of the event. My first GC Session and those afterwards were experienced from the delegate […] Source: https://atoday.org/editorial-the-view-from-the-balcony/
When The Oil Stops, The Mission Fails — Paul Wilmott THANK YOU for your continued financial support of our Media Ministries. Please donate by visiting "https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANB4RC/envelope/start" and select “Media Ministries”. Connect With Us
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by Matthew Quartey | 23 May 2025 | At Sabbath School a few months ago, our class discussions strayed from the study topic and segued into funding and budgeting difficulties at Andrews University—problems that threatened to unleash deep institutional cuts. The question was whether the school’s long standing funding model, which relies heavily on student […] Source: https://atoday.org/why-dont-liberals-write-the-big-checks-wealth-disparity-stewardship-and-the-adventist-monied-class/
Lesson 8.In the Psalms: Part 1…………………………………………………………………
IntroductionThe Psalms are full of contrasts: exaltation and lament, jubilation and remorse, praise and pleading. They bear the weight of every human experience—and yet they breathe hope. Especially David’s life, which shaped most of the Psalms, shows how God’s grace meets human failure. David, once a shepherd and later a king, stood before God not on his own strength but on God’s promise. He foreshadowed Christ, the only one who kept God’s covenant perfectly—in our place.
These questions bring us to the heart of our faith: How does God save? What does intercession mean? Why is Jesus our only hope? And what happens when a sinful person is lifted up by grace?
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Answers to the Questions
1. In what ways did David prefigure Jesus, who truly fulfilled God’s covenant on our behalf? And why is what Jesus did for us our only hope?David was called “a man after God’s own heart”—not because he was sinless, but because he depended on divine grace. His sins (adultery, deceit, even murder) were staggering, yet his greatness lay in his reliance on God’s mercy.
The Psalms contain prophetic pointers to Christ. Psalm 22 describes a crucifixion scene centuries before the cross. Psalm 110 portrays the Messiah as both King and Priest, just as Jesus is. David’s life, though flawed, pointed toward the coming Savior.
Jesus did more than teach; He fulfilled the covenant no human could keep. While all of humanity—David included—failed repeatedly, Jesus remained perfectly faithful. Only because He stood in our place can we be saved.
“He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
Our hope isn’t our obedience but His. Our security isn’t our feelings but His sacrifice. Our salvation isn’t our promises but His faithful word.
2. Which sections of the Psalms are most precious or meaningful to you because they reflect experiences you’ve had?For many, including myself, Psalm 51 is an anchor—it speaks the language of repentance and of hope:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.” (v. 12)
When I was trapped in guilt, believing God had no use for me, these words became my own prayer. David shows that God does not reject a broken heart.
Psalm 23, too, resonates deeply in times of fear—in hospital corridors, at funerals. It’s more than comfort; it’s a reminder that the Good Shepherd never abandons His sheep.
3. Why do the Psalms so often point to the Temple? What can we learn from David’s love for the Sanctuary, and how does that help us appreciate Jesus as our heavenly High Priest “who is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us” (Romans 8:34)?For David, the Sanctuary was where God met His people—never a cold ritual, but a living reality of divine nearness. He writes:
“I will worship toward your holy temple.”
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!”
David understood: God dwells among His people and is accessible to them. Today we lack a stone temple—but we have Jesus, our High Priest, who entered the true Sanctuary and intercedes for us (Hebrews 4–8). His intercession is not mere metaphor but our lifeline. In weakness, temptation, or doubt, He never stops pleading on our behalf. Because of His prayers, our past is forgiven, our present secure, and our future guaranteed.
4. What personal experiences have you had of God lifting up “the contrite and humble” after the shame and misery of sin and welcoming them into His family?I think of Luke, a young man in my congregation who, at 17, was arrested for theft. He was expelled from school, spent time in rehab—and believed God had abandoned him. In that low place, a counselor read Psalms 32 and 51 with him.
At first, Luke prayed in anger—then in tears, and finally in hope. Today he leads a support group for at-risk youth. He often says:
“I’m not proud of my past. But I’m grateful that God didn’t hold it against me; He forgave my guilt.”
Luke was not only lifted up—he was sent out.
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Spiritual PrinciplesJesus alone fulfilled God’s covenant perfectly.
Forgiveness transforms sinners into witnesses.
The Sanctuary lives on in Christ, who intercedes for us.
The Psalms mirror our souls and open a window to God’s heart.
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Practical ApplicationPray the Psalms: Let them give voice to your heart when you lack words.
Rely on Jesus’ intercession in temptation—He stands with you.
Be honest with God: David was—and he was heard.
Embrace your calling: You are not only forgiven—you are sent.
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ConclusionHuman covenants fail, but Jesus kept God’s covenant. The Psalms narrate this tension: sin and grace, shame and restoration, failure and mission. We live within that story—not as bystanders, but as participants. For one who has received grace cannot remain silent; like David, we will say,
“I will teach transgressors your ways.”
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Thought for the DayThe Psalm ends not in lament, but in praise. Grace has the final word.
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Illustration – The Quiet Song of the CovenantPart 1 – Silence After the Applause
Samuel White stood in a dark concert hall in Zurich. The final piece had just ended, and the audience roared its approval. He had performed in a trance—Bach’s Partitas, psalm settings in modern jazz harmonies, a closing “Dona nobis pacem” with choir.
Yet he felt empty.
He bowed, smiled, and stepped offstage. Behind the curtain, only one assistant congratulated him. The rest was silence. The green room was cold; the mirrors were tired. He sat down, unzipped his case, and stared at his reflection—not in a mirror but in the cello’s polished surface.
There he was: the man who could do anything—and the man who had fallen apart before God.
No one knew what happened four years ago. No one but him, one woman—and God.
Part 2 – The Psalm in the Subway
Three days later, en route to the airport, Samuel found a discarded Bible on the subway seat. Inside was a slip of paper: Psalm 32, printed in plain type:
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered…
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and you forgave me.”
His heart pounded. He opened the Bible and read the Psalm. The words struck him like rain after drought. He stepped off three stops early and wandered, Bible in hand, like a thief carrying the world’s greatest treasure.
Part 3 – The Look Within
That evening in his hotel room, Samuel prayed—tried to pray—for the first time in years:
“God… I blew it. I messed up. I was proud and selfish. I hurt someone’s life and then hid.”
Tears came—not dramatically, but honestly. He turned the pages to Psalm 51:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God…
Do not cast me away from your presence…
I will teach transgressors your ways.”
Suddenly, inexplicable peace filled him—not the kind that says “all is well,” but that says “I know it all, and I remain.”
Part 4 – The Conversation in the Church’s Shadow
He visited a small suburban chapel and met Anna, a counselor who used Psalms more than formulas. He told her everything—broken, honest, unadorned. She listened quietly, then said,
“Samuel, what you did was wrong. But you recognized you broke the covenant. Do you know what the Bible says? One kept it for you: Jesus. You can stop trying to save yourself. He is your High Priest, and He is interceding for you now.”
Samuel wept—not out of remorse this time, but relief.
Part 5 – The Invitation
A year later, Samuel performed again—not in Zurich, not for thousands of clicks, but in a youth center in Basel. He played no Bach. He played his own psalms—songs where failure became truth and grace the melody.
Between pieces, he spoke briefly, honestly:
“I broke the covenant. I lost everything. But someone played for me when I could no longer play. Jesus held together what I destroyed on the cross—and He is interceding for me today. That’s why I can play.”
Part 6 – The Final Chord
After the show, a seventeen-year-old boy approached him:
“Mr. White,” he said, “my dad says there’s no going back. Once you mess up, it’s over.”
Samuel knelt down and handed him Psalm 51:
“He does not despise a broken and contrite heart.”
The boy’s eyes widened. Samuel added,
“He is the covenant-keeper.”
And with that, he played the final notes of the covenant’s quiet song.
May 24, 2025
DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 38 – Judah and Tamar: Guilt, Justice, and God’s Hidden Plan
A chapter on human failure and divine providence in the lineage of Jesus══════════════════════════════════════════════
Bible Text – Genesis 38 (KJV)1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.
21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
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IntroductionThis chapter seemingly interrupts Joseph’s story with Judah’s narrative. Yet Genesis 38 is far more than a scandalous side–note: it powerfully reveals how God weaves sinful lives into His redemptive plan. Judah—who will later play a key role in reconciling with Joseph—falls into moral failure here. Yet through repentance and responsibility, he becomes part of God’s unfolding grace.
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CommentaryJudah’s separation and moral decline (vv. 1–11)
He leaves his brothers, marries a Canaanite, and his sons die for wickedness.
Tamar, his daughter-in-law, is left a childless widow in her father’s house.
Tamar’s bold scheme and Judah’s failure (vv. 12–23)
Disguised as a prostitute, Tamar demands Judah’s pledge—signet, cord, staff—then conceives by him.
Judah unwittingly dishonors his own daughter-in-law and fails to fulfill his promise.
Exposure and confession (vv. 24–26)
Accused of fornication and facing death, Tamar reveals Judah’s tokens.
Judah admits his guilt: “She is more righteous than I.”
God’s sovereign plan (vv. 27–30)
Tamar bears twins—Perez and Zerah.
Perez enters the messianic genealogy (Matt. 1:3), demonstrating God’s power to bring blessing from brokenness.
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SummaryJudah’s sin and Tamar’s courage collide in a dramatic episode that nonetheless serves God’s purpose. Judah acknowledges his wrong, and Tamar secures justice. From their union emerges Perez—an ancestor of King David and of Jesus Himself. Even our failures, when met by repentance, can further God’s redemptive plan.
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Application for TodayGod works through flawed lives. Even in our failures, He can accomplish His purposes.
Confession brings restoration. Judah’s admission—“She is more righteous than I”—marks the turning point.
Courageous faith matters. Tamar risked everything to claim her rights; sometimes injustice demands bold action.
Redemption often arises from brokenness. Perez, born from scandal, becomes a link in the line of the Messiah.
Are you willing to trust God’s plan, even when it weaves through imperfect lives?
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May 18–24, 2025 WEEKLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY READING Ellen G. White │ Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 6 Seth and Enoch Read online here
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IntroductionIn an age of growing godlessness, two men stand out as beacons of faith: Seth, the “substitute” for Abel, and Enoch, who “walked with God.” While Cain’s descendants indulged in progress without God and sin spread like a curse across the earth, a godly remnant remained through Seth’s line. Enoch, one of its greatest representatives, was a man of faith and vision. His translation is a prophetic preview of the redemption of the final generation.
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Commentary══════════════════════════════════════════════
SummarySeth was Abel’s righteous successor, preserving a godly line through his offspring. Enoch was the shining example of that line: a man of faith who walked with God in a godless world. His preaching, prophecy, and lifestyle bore witness to God’s will. While the masses forgot their Creator, Enoch lived with eternity in view—and did not experience death. His life demonstrates that it is possible to live holy even in dark times.
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Message for Us TodaySource: https://fulfilleddesire.net/24-05-2025-genesis-chapter-38-believe-his-prophets/
As Much As Possible — Regie Samuel
Study: Lesson 8, In the Psalms: Part 1 — Matthew Rajarathinam THANK YOU for your continued financial support of our Media Ministries. Please donate by visiting "https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANB4RC/envelope/start" and select “Media Ministries”. Connect With Us
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On this episode of ANN: From flights of mercy across Canada to sustainable farming solutions in Africa and Central America, addiction recovery in Ecuador, and prayer movements in preparation for the General Conference Session, Adventists are answering today’s challenges with faith, action, and hope. Stay tuned as ANN brings everything you need to know about what is happening in the church worldwide. For a deeper dive into these headlines, visit https://www.adventist.news ANN is the official news channel of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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