Closer To Heaven
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The Pacific Union Conference elected new leaders and approved several bylaw changes during its 32nd Constituency Session on August 16-17 in Indian Wells, California. Becky St. Clair wrote the report for AdventistFaith.com. The session brought together 301 delegates from across the union’s five-state territory to conduct business for the 2026-2031 quinquennium. Marc K. Woodson was […] Source: https://atoday.org/pacific-union-elects-new-leadership-approves-bylaw-changes/
The Biblical Person of the Day
Nahum – the prophet who proclaimed God’s judgment over Nineveh
Profile
Short StoryNahum was a prophet of God who proclaimed a serious message concerning Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a powerful and cruel empire that had oppressed many nations.
Many years earlier, Jonah had preached in Nineveh, and at that time the city had repented. But later Assyria returned to violence, pride, and oppression.
Nahum proclaimed that God would not overlook Nineveh’s guilt. The Lord is patient, but He is not indifferent to injustice.
His message was a comfort to the oppressed. They were to know that Assyria’s power would not last forever and that God sees the suffering of His people.
Nahum describes God’s power with strong imagery: mountains tremble, seas dry up, and no one can stand before His wrath when He brings judgment.
Yet in the midst of this serious message stands a comforting statement: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.
Nahum’s story shows that God’s judgment is not opposed to His goodness. Because God is good, He does not allow violence, pride, and cruelty to rule forever.
The Decisive MomentNahum proclaims the fall of Nineveh and thereby shows that God’s justice is stronger than any cruel world power.
7 Special Things About Nahum
Strengths & Weaknesses
courageous in his message
clear in confronting violence and pride
comforting to those in distress
placed God’s justice at the center
little is known about his personal life
his message is very serious and difficult
The Mistake That Defined HimThe Bible does not report any particular personal failure of Nahum.
His life is primarily defined by his serious message about God’s judgment and his comfort for those who were oppressed.
Key Verse“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
The Life LessonGod’s patience does not mean that injustice will remain forever. The Lord sees the oppressed and sets a limit to violence.
Application for TodayWhen injustice seems great and powerful people appear untouchable, hold on to this truth: God sees, God knows those who belong to Him, and His justice will not remain silent.
Question for YouWhere do you need to trust today that God also sees the injustice that people seem to commit without consequences?
ContextNahum ministered during a time when Assyria was a feared world power. His message is directed especially against Nineveh, the capital of that empire.
ConnectionNahum is connected with Nineveh, Assyria, and the earlier message of Jonah, who had also been sent to Nineveh many years before.
Nahum shows that God is just and does not tolerate the violence of the powerful forever. His message is serious, but for those in distress it is full of comfort: The Lord is good and knows those who trust in Him.
See you tomorrow with the next biblical person!
The Life Story The Life Story of Nahum – Comfort in the Face of a Cruel Power 
A Prophet from ElkoshNahum is introduced as a prophet from Elkosh. The Bible tells us almost nothing about his family, his daily life, or his personal history.
Yet his name already carries an important meaning. Nahum means “comfort” or “comforter.” This name fits his message very well, even though at first glance his book appears very serious and strongly focused on judgment.
He brought comfort not through soft words, but through the certainty that God will not allow evil to rule forever.
Nineveh – the Mighty CityNahum’s message is directed against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. This city represented power, wealth, military strength, and political intimidation.
Assyria was known for its cruelty. Many nations had suffered under its violence, and both Israel and Judah had experienced the threat of this world power.
To the people of that time, Assyria may have appeared invincible. But Nahum saw beyond visible power to a higher reality: God remains Judge over all nations.
The Memory of JonahMany years before Nahum, Jonah had preached in Nineveh. At that time, the city responded to God’s warning and repented.
But Nineveh’s later history showed that this repentance did not last. Assyria returned to pride, violence, and cruelty.
Nahum’s message therefore reveals a serious truth: Past repentance does not replace present faithfulness. A nation that returns to violence and pride once again comes under God’s judgment.
The Lord Over Sea and MountainsNahum describes God’s power with striking imagery. Before the Lord the mountains tremble, the hills melt, and the sea can dry up before Him.
These images show that God’s power is greater than nature, greater than cities, and greater than empires.
Assyria may have considered itself strong, but before the Lord it was not untouchable. No human kingdom stands so high that God cannot reach it.
A Stronghold in the Day of TroubleIn the midst of this serious message stands one of the most comforting verses in the book: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.
This is the heartbeat of Nahum’s message. God is not only Judge over the wicked, but also a refuge for His people.
For those who live under violence, fear, and oppression, this is a powerful hope: God does not forget them.
Judgment Upon CrueltyNahum announces the fall of Nineveh. The city that had wounded others would itself fall.
His words are forceful because they show that violence does not remain without consequences. What Nineveh had done to others would now return upon the city in judgment.
God’s justice means that victims are not overlooked forever and perpetrators are not protected forever.
The End of False SecurityNineveh trusted in its walls, its soldiers, its treasures, and its power. But Nahum made it clear that all these sources of security would collapse.
When God sets a boundary, no human defense can stop it. Pride is exposed, and apparent strength becomes weakness.
In this way, Nineveh becomes a warning that power without justice cannot endure.
Comfort for the OppressedFor Judah and for all who had suffered under Assyria, Nahum’s message was a sign of hope. The oppression would not continue forever.
God had seen the suffering, even when for a long time it appeared that Assyria could continue without restraint.
Nahum comforted those in distress by showing them this truth: History does not belong to the violent. It belongs to the Lord.
A Message of Serious ClarityNahum did not minimize evil. He spoke clearly about guilt, violence, and judgment.
His message reminds us that genuine comfort sometimes does not consist in making injustice seem smaller, but in taking God’s righteous intervention seriously.
Those who suffer need more than kind words. They need the certainty that God sees, judges, and saves.
The Lasting Message of His LifeNahum shows that God’s justice is a comfort to the oppressed. His story makes it clear that no cruel power will endure forever.
It reminds us that the Lord is good and knows those who trust in Him. Especially in times of threat, God becomes a stronghold for His people.
Closing ThoughtNahum proclaimed the fall of a seemingly invincible city. His words were serious, yet for those in distress they were a sign of hope.
He showed that God’s patience is great, but it does not mean that injustice will continue forever.
His life story shows: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and His justice sets a limit to every cruel power.
FIRST AND SECOND CORINTHIANS
Lesson 8. The Power of Christ’s Resurrection
8.5 Final Victory Over Death
Christ defeats death and gives imperishable life
1. IntroductionPaul brings his great teaching on the resurrection to a triumphant climax. Death, which has hung over humanity like a dark shadow since the Fall, will not reign forever. At the second coming of Christ, the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be transformed. Then the perishable will put on imperishability and the mortal will put on immortality. Paul is not speaking of a bodiless existence, but of a complete transformation through the power of God. The final victory belongs not to the grave, but to Jesus Christ.
2. The Biblical FoundationPaul writes:
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
1 Corinthians 15:50
Then he reveals the great mystery:
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:51
And he continues:
“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:52
Then comes the cry of victory:
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:54–55
And Paul concludes with thanksgiving:
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
1 Corinthians 15:57
These texts show: Victory over death is God’s gift through Christ.
3. Connection to Our TimeDeath is still one of the deepest experiences of human helplessness. No progress, no medicine, no philosophy, and no human power can ultimately defeat it. We can prolong life, relieve pain, and preserve memories, but by our own strength we cannot escape death. Paul, however, proclaims a hope greater than human comfort. At His second coming, Christ will finally break the power of death. Therefore, Christians do not live out of despair, but out of the certainty that Jesus is Lord over life and death.
4. Central Message of the Lesson
At the second coming of Christ, the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be transformed; then death will be finally defeated and God’s children will receive imperishable life.
5. Theological FocusThe theological focus of this lesson lies in the final transformation of the human being at the second coming of Christ. Paul says, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” By this he does not mean that human beings will be bodiless in the kingdom of God. The context shows that “flesh and blood” refers to the present perishable, mortal condition of humanity marked by sin.
Paul therefore does not contrast bodily existence with spirituality, but perishability with imperishability. Our present body is mortal, weak, and subject to decay. This condition cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, humanity needs not merely comfort, but transformation.
This transformation takes place at the second coming of Jesus. Paul speaks of the last trumpet. Then the dead in Christ will rise, and the living believers will be transformed. This shows that Christian hope does not lie in an eternal intermediate state, but in resurrection and glorification at the coming of Christ.
The resurrection is therefore bodily and holistic. God does not save only an invisible part of the human being, but the whole person. Sin has affected the whole person: body, mind, relationships, life, and mortality. Therefore, redemption also embraces the whole person.
Paul says that the perishable must put on imperishability and the mortal must put on immortality. Immortality, therefore, is not something human beings naturally possess. It is given by God. Humanity is not immortal by nature; eternal life is a gift through Christ.
This is an important biblical truth. Since the Fall, death has been a reality. The serpent’s lie was: “You will surely not die.” But the Bible shows that death truly is the wages of sin. God alone possesses original immortality, and He gives life through Christ.
Victory over death is therefore inseparably connected with victory over sin. Paul says, “The sting of death is sin.” Death has power because sin separates human beings from God. Without a solution to sin, there could be no victory over death.
Then Paul adds, “The power of sin is the law.” This does not mean that God’s law is evil. The law reveals God’s holy standard and exposes sin as sin. Because humanity is guilty, it stands under the judgment of the law. The law can expose sin, but it cannot redeem the sinner.
Therefore, victory comes through Jesus Christ alone. He perfectly fulfilled the law, bore sin, suffered death, and through His resurrection broke the power of death. Our hope does not rest on our own righteousness, but on His victory.
The theological core is this: Death is not overcome by human strength, natural immortality, or philosophical comfort, but by Christ alone. At His second coming, He gives His people resurrection, transformation, and imperishable life.
6. Spiritual ReflectionThis lesson addresses one of humanity’s deepest fears: the fear of death. Death appears final, cold, and unconquerable. It takes people away from us, breaks relationships, and reminds us that we do not have our lives fully in our own hands.
Paul does not minimize death. He calls it an enemy. But he shows that this enemy will not reign forever. Through His resurrection, Christ has already won the decisive victory, and at His second coming this victory will become fully visible.
This gives Christian grief a distinctive character. Christians grieve, but not without hope. They weep, but not like people for whom the grave has the final word. Their hope is not based on human memory, but on God’s promise of resurrection.
The biblical teaching of death as sleep makes this hope especially clear. Whoever dies in Christ does not consciously experience the passage of time. The next conscious experience will be the call of Christ at His second coming. For the believer, therefore, the return of Jesus will truly seem “soon,” even if from a human perspective many years or centuries have passed.
This truth also helps us understand the so-called delay of the second coming. From the perspective of the living, the time may seem long. But for those who have died in Christ, there is no conscious waiting. They close their eyes in death, and the next thing they experience is Christ in glory.
This gives comfort at gravesides. Death separates, but it does not erase God’s promise. No grave is too old, no body too decayed, no life forgotten. The God who formed humanity from the dust can also call His people back to life.
Paul’s cry of victory is therefore not superficial. “O death, where is your victory?” is not a human shout of courage against a harmless reality. It is the rejoicing over Christ’s victory. Death still has power in this world, but it has lost its ultimate future.
This victory also changes the way we live today. If death does not have the final word, then we do not have to live for what is temporary. We do not have to desperately try to extract everything possible from this life as though there were no future. We may live faithfully, hopefully, and courageously because our lives are secure in Christ.
The hope of transformation also helps us deal with physical weakness. Our bodies are perishable, but not worthless. They are weak, but created by God. They suffer, but they will be transformed. Sickness, aging, and pain are real, but they are not final.
This hope protects us from two extremes. We do not despise the body as though only a bodiless soul mattered. But neither do we idolize it as though it must be perfect now. We live responsibly with our bodies, but our ultimate hope lies in God’s future transformation.
Victory over death also calls us to gratitude. Paul does not say, “Thanks be to our effort.” He says, “Thanks be to God.” Victory is a gift. Resurrection is a gift. Immortality is a gift. Eternal life is a gift. Everything comes through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, this lesson is deeply centered on the gospel. Death is defeated because Christ died and rose again. Sin is overcome because Christ bore our guilt. The law no longer condemns us when we are in Christ, because He is our righteousness.
This hope is meant to make our hearts steadfast. Paul ends the chapter with the call to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? Because our labor in the Lord is not in vain. The resurrection gives meaning to faithfulness. Nothing done in Christ is lost.
So when we look at suffering, death, and mortality, we may hear God’s final word: victory. Not because we are strong, but because Christ lives. Not because death is harmless, but because Jesus is stronger. Not because we understand everything, but because God’s promise is sure.
7. Application in Daily LifePractical Steps:
8. Reflection QuestionHow does the certainty of the final victory over death change the way I grieve, hope, serve, and live today?
9. Closing ThoughtPaul shows that death will not reign forever. At the second coming of Christ, the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be transformed. The perishable will put on imperishability and the mortal will put on immortality. Then the great cry of victory will become reality: Death is swallowed up in victory. This hope is not based on human strength, but on Jesus Christ, who won the victory through His death and resurrection. Therefore, God’s people can already say today with gratitude and confidence: The final victory belongs to Christ.
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
1 Corinthians 15:57
18 August 2026 | This presentation explores the history and development of the Slave Bible, formally published as Select Parts of the Holy Bible for the Use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands, a Bible deliberately edited for use among enslaved Africans. It situates the text within the religious, political, and economic […] Source: https://atoday.org/atss-dr-conroy-reynolds-the-astonishing-story-of-the-slave-bible/
Daily Lesson for Thursday 20th of August 2026
Paul begins the last paragraph in 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 with an intriguing statement: “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50, NKJV). Many Bible readers use this declaration to say that Paul defends an immaterial existence in heaven. But the context indicates otherwise. The parallelism of 1 Corinthians 15:50 suggests that “flesh and blood” is in parallel with “corruption,” such as “the kingdom of God” is in parallel with “incorruption.” Just as happened in 1 Corinthians 15:42-49, here, as well, Paul is contrasting the body now (or even the corpse) to the resurrected body. The buried body is marked by corruption and mortality, whereas the resurrected body is characterized by incorruption and immortality (1 Corinthians 15:50,53-54). Simply put, Paul is saying that our bodies need to undergo a radical transformation in order to inherit heaven.
Image © Review and Herald Publishing Assn. Goodsalt.com
In short, Paul uses the ideas of corruption and mortality to refer to our sinful nature. In Jewish writings, “flesh and blood” is a phrase for fallen humanity, which is why our bodies must be transformed and purged of all imperfection at His return.
Only when our sinful nature is removed (1 Corinthians 15:54) and we go through the experience of glorification (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) will the proclamation “ ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:54, NKJV) be fulfilled. Then, this bold and defiant hymn will be sung: “ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:55, NKJV). This all will take place at the second coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Think about it: we close our eyes in death, and the next thing we will experience is the second coming of Jesus, when He raises us from the dead. No matter when a believer died, even thousands of years ago, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” they will be made alive “at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52, NKJV).
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Who hasn’t bemoaned how quickly life passes us by? In our own experience, that’s how quickly the second coming of Jesus will seem. Perhaps our first thought at His return will be “Wow, Lord, Your coming really was soon!” How does this idea help us better come to terms with what is seen as “the delay”? |
By Melody Tan | 19 August 2026 | It’s winter here in the Southern Hemisphere where I live. I grew up in the tropics so I don’t much enjoy the cold. However, there is one thing the season brings that I thoroughly enjoy: snow. Or to be more specific, the opportunity to snowboard. When I […] Source: https://atoday.org/its-okay-to-be-a-mediocre-christian/
A single word in Genesis reveals the true cost of sin. The serpent promised elevation, but the outcome echoed deception instead. Watch this and reflect on what sin has really promised you. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rBmAwNj3sOU
Bible verse of the day: "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." — Psalm 71:14 (NIV) Welcome to our Daily Prayer Meeting! This is a safe space where you are seen, heard, and prayed for. Start your day in God's presence—every day at 8AM ET, we share a short devotional from God's Word and lift your prayer requests to Him. You're not alone! Our prayer team is here to intercede with you and for you. Whether you need prayer, celebrate a breakthrough, or start your day with Jesus, you're in the right place. Share your prayer requests or testimonies of praise here: https://wkf.ms/3DBuapQ Engage with us in the comments:
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Share this video with someone who needs hope or tag a loved one who needs encouragement today. Today’s Message: Pr Don MacLafferty The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers committed to helping people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
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Watch our full playlist of daily prayer videos here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-k2Gb-DBYo–V8axD7iFUL6TFEckrhxv&si=vIljgfwrSZN6iJR2 God First, Daily Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Christian Prayer, Morning Devotional, Hope In Jesus, Bible Verse Of The Day, Prayer Request, Faith Community, Seventh-day Adventist Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGhJHdbcjoY
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=tVGpXnPGML4
Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr Adenilton Tavares de Aguiar, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.
Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]
