Closer To Heaven
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21 May 2025 | Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM) has a new president helm with Brad Mills’ set to take the lead come August 1. According to the official statement, Mills brings extensive experience in global missions. Including fluency in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic, the new president holds a Master of Science in Nursing, a […] Source: https://atoday.org/adventist-frontier-missions-announces-new-president/
Lesson 8.In the Psalms: Part 1…………………………………………………………………
IntroductionGod’s work with humanity doesn’t begin with a command but with grace. Isaiah wasn’t commissioned before his guilt was atoned for—but only after the glowing coal touched his lips. David didn’t promise to proclaim God’s ways before he was cleansed—but after God restored him. Even today, every call, every sending, every prophetic movement starts with one indispensable truth:
The eternal gospel—the saving, transforming grace of God in Jesus Christ.
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Bible StudyPsalm 51:9–17 – The Response to Grace
David had sinned grievously—adultery, deceit, murder. Yet instead of defending himself, he casts himself on God’s mercy:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (v. 12)
And then, once forgiven, he writes:
“I will teach transgressors your ways, that sinners may return to you.” (v. 15)
God’s grace doesn’t leave the fallen silent but turns them into witnesses. Those who have been forgiven are sent. Those who have experienced God’s love cannot keep it to themselves.
Revelation 14:6–7 – The Eternal Gospel First
Before the first angel calls for worship, before Babylon falls, before the beast is warned, it says:
“And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth…”
The gospel comes first—not as a preface but as the foundation. Everything else—worship, warning, judgment—only carries weight when grounded in grace.
The end-time remnant are not mere critics of the world—they are witnesses of transformation. Their light does not come from self-righteousness, but from the fact that they have been redeemed—and now burn with passion for the One who set them free.
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Questions & Answers
Question 1: What does David promise to do after he’s been forgiven and cleansed of his sin?
He says, “I will teach transgressors your ways, that sinners may return to you” (Ps 51:15).
He refuses to remain silent. The forgiveness he’s received compels him to proclaim.
He knows that only a sinner who’s experienced grace can point another sinner to true life.
David becomes a teacher not by virtue of his performance, but by mercy. He has walked in God’s heart—and now wants to lead others there.
Question 2: What does placing the “eternal gospel” before the three angel messages tell us about its foundational importance?
The order is no accident. God doesn’t first call us to worship, warning, or separation from Babylon. He calls us to repentance—through the good news that forgiveness is available.
The gospel makes worship possible—only in truth and gratitude can we genuinely honor God.
The gospel gives meaning to warning—we know we’re inviting people into freedom, not fear.
The gospel makes the end-time message credible—because we ourselves have been redeemed and changed.
Without the gospel, the three angels have nothing to say. With it, they bear the light of hope into a dark world.
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Spiritual PrinciplesGod never calls without first extending grace. Calling always follows forgiveness.
Those who have been forgiven become messengers. Grace longs to be shared.
The gospel is the foundation of all prophetic truth. Without it, there is no authentic message.
Evangelism is not a duty but the natural fruit of a transformed heart.
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Daily ApplicationReflect on your own story. Where has God touched, healed, and called you? Share it!
Start with grace. If you want to draw people to God’s truth, begin with His love.
Be honest about your past. Your weaknesses often unlock another’s heart.
Live sent. See every day as a chance—through words or deeds—to bear the gospel forward.
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ConclusionIsaiah said, “Here am I; send me!”—only after he was cleansed.
David said, “I will turn sinners back to you”—after he received grace.
The angels proclaim judgment, Babylon’s fall, the beast’s doom—but first, they declare the eternal gospel.
The redeemed are sent. The forgiven become vessels of mercy. And those who grasp the gospel cannot remain silent.
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Thought of the DayEvangelism begins not with a commission—but with an encounter with grace.
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Illustration – “I Will Sing”Leon, 41, was a street musician in Cologne. He was known not just for his music but for his past—addiction, theft, prison. His songs sounded raw, honest, broken—like his soul.
One day he sat under a bridge, guitar silent, staring into nothing. A young man sat beside him—not to give money, but to listen.
“I know your story,” said the young man. “But I have another one for you. Want to hear it?”
Leon shrugged. The young man spoke of the Lamb of God who bears sin, of a judgment that frees rather than condemns, of a future where even someone like Leon is not forgotten.
Leon laughed. “Sounds nice. But not for me.”
The young man replied, “Especially for you. Because God doesn’t call the righteous; He calls sinners.”
In the days that followed, Leon read Psalm 51 over and over—until he wept.
“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart.”
And then: “I will teach transgressors your ways.”
That became his verse. His calling.
He wrote a new song—not about pain, but about hope. Not about guilt, but about grace.
He performed it in the pedestrian zone. People stopped. One wept. A woman sat beside him. And Leon said, “I know your darkness. But I also know the light. Want to hear it?”
He became a singer of the gospel—not perfect, not polished, but redeemed.
One day, singing for youth in a center, he shouted, “Believe me—I’ve failed. But I found someone who never turned me away. And so today I can say: I am free. And I will sing.”
May 22, 2025
DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 36 – The Lineage of Esau: The Origins of Edom══════════════════════════════════════════════
Bible Text – Genesis 36 (KJV)1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
3 And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
4 And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;
5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.
8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:
10 These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.
13 And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.
14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
15 These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,
16 Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.
17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau’s son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.
18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau’s wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
21 And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23 And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
25 And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26 And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
27 The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
28 The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.
29 These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,
30 Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.
31 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.
35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
38 And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
39 And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40 And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,
41 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
42 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
43 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.
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IntroductionGenesis 36 can at first seem like a dry genealogy. Yet it is far more: it traces the growth of Esau’s descendants into the nation of Edom. It reminds us that God’s purposes extend beyond Jacob (Israel); He also shapes history through Esau. Though Esau is not the bearer of the covenant, he is not forgotten. His offspring become numerous, organized, and politically significant. Genesis 36 shows that God’s blessing operates outside the line of promise, even as His unique covenant continues with Israel.
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Commentary══════════════════════════════════════════════
SummaryGenesis 36 describes the birth of Edom from Esau, Jacob’s brother. It shows Esau’s separation from Jacob, his settlement in Seir, and the rise of a powerful people—complete with clan chiefs and kings. Even the pre-existing Horite tribes are acknowledged. Edom stands as an established nation before Israel, blessed and organized, yet outside the covenant line.
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Today’s Message
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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/22-05-2025-genesis-chapter-36-believe-his-prophets/
La transparencia es uno de los desafíos más notables en las organizaciones adventistas en Latinoamerica. Y la iglesia adventista en Panamá no escapa de esta realidad. En donde la participación de los delegados de las iglesias locales, solo se reduce a una figura de protocolo, sin acceso a una fiscalización verdadera sobre el manejo de […] Source: https://atoday.org/como-opera-la-union-asociacion-panamena-de-los-adventistas-parte-2-aumentando-las-propiedades/
In Romania, 11-year-old Freddie made a life-changing decision after being inspired by evangelistic topics. He felt God calling him to become a pastor and proclaimed his desire to be baptized immediately. This powerful testimony reminds us of the incredible influence youth can have when devoted to God. As stated in Messages to Young People, young people are the most effective evangelists to their peers. Watch and be inspired by how faith is touching the next generation. Like, comment and subscribe for more stories of hope and transformation. #YouthForChrist #FaithInAction #HopeInEurope Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZXihy0Efr8
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