Closer To Heaven
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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.
View an in-depth discussion of “A portrait of Love” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/7-a-portrait-of-love-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=7-a-portrait-of-love-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion
La Seconda Lettera di Pietro parla di «promesse preziose» attraverso le quali possiamo diventare persone nuove: non qualcosa da conquistare con le nostre sole forze, ma un dono da accogliere. Forse la libertà inizia proprio quando smettiamo di pensare di dovercela fare da soli. 🫂 Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/61napcGXIIM
HOUSTON, TX — A Houston-area Seventh-day Adventist pastor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while traveling with his wife to New York for a few days of vacation, according to reporting by Aidari Riera for Telemundo Houston. Pastor Luis Morales, a father of two daughters and pastor of four Adventist congregations […] Source: https://atoday.org/adventist-pastor-detained-by-ice-at-houston-airport/
The Biblical Person of the Day
Manoah – the Father Who Sought God’s Guidance
Profile
Short StoryManoah lived during the time of the Judges, when Israel repeatedly turned away from the Lord and fell under the rule of foreign peoples. In his time, the Israelites suffered under Philistine oppression.
He was married to a woman who had been childless for a long time. One day, the Angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and announced that she would have a son.
This son was not to be an ordinary child. He was to be consecrated to God from the womb and would begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.
When Manoah heard this message, he prayed to the Lord. He asked that the man of God might come again to show them how they should raise the child.
God answered this prayer. The angel appeared again, and Manoah asked about the child’s way of life and the mission connected with his birth.
Manoah wanted to understand how he should act as a father. His question reveals a heart that took responsibility seriously and sought God’s instruction.
His story reminds us that parenthood is not only a joy but also a spiritual responsibility. Anyone entrusted with a child by God needs His wisdom, guidance, and humility.
The Decisive MomentManoah prays for guidance concerning the upbringing of the promised child and thereby shows his sense of responsibility before God.
7 Special Things About Manoah
Strengths & Weaknesses
prayerful
responsible
sought God’s guidance
took his child’s calling seriously
did not initially fully understand who was speaking to him
reacted with great fear after the encounter
The Mistake That Shaped HimAt first, Manoah did not fully recognize that the Angel of the Lord Himself had spoken to him, and after the encounter he feared that they would die.
His story shows that even a seeking heart must learn to meet God’s presence not only with fear but also with trust.
Key Verse“O Lord, please let the man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.” (Judges 13:8)
The Life LessonAnyone who carries responsibility for a child or a task needs more than good intentions. He needs God’s wisdom and guidance.
Application for TodayAsk God for guidance regarding the people and responsibilities entrusted to you. True responsibility begins with the humble prayer for God’s direction.
Question for YouFor which responsibility should you consciously pray today: “Lord, teach me what I should do”?
ContextManoah lived during the period of the Judges, when Israel suffered under Philistine rule and God announced Samson as a future deliverer.
ConnectionManoah is connected with his wife, the Angel of the Lord, and his son Samson, who later became known as a judge of Israel.
Manoah shows that spiritual responsibility begins with prayer. He did not simply want to receive a child; he wanted to understand how that child should be guided according to God’s will.
See you tomorrow with the next biblical person!
The Life Story The Life Story of Manoah – A Father in Search of God’s Guidance 
A Man from ZorahManoah lived in Zorah, in the territory of the tribe of Dan. His time was marked by spiritual weakness and political oppression.
Israel was once again under Philistine rule. The people had turned away from the Lord, and the consequences of this unfaithfulness were felt in everyday life.
In this dark time, Manoah lived with his wife. Their home was quiet, because they had no children.
Childlessness and WaitingThe Bible tells us that Manoah’s wife was barren. For a married couple in those days, childlessness often meant pain, uncertainty, and social burden.
Manoah and his wife lived with this lack, without knowing that God was already preparing a special plan.
Sometimes a home may seem empty while God is secretly preparing a story greater than all expectations.
The Message to His WifeOne day, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife. He announced that she would have a son.
This child was to be consecrated to God from the very beginning. The mother was to live in a special way because the son would be a Nazirite of God from the womb.
The angel also said that this son would begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. This made it clear that it was not only about the happiness of one family but about God’s work for an entire people.
Manoah’s PrayerWhen Manoah’s wife told him what had happened, Manoah did not respond with indifference. He prayed to the Lord.
His prayer was simple and profound: May the man of God come again and show them what they should do with the child who was to be born.
This request reveals Manoah’s heart. He did not merely want to enjoy the promise but also to understand the responsibility.
God AnswersGod answered Manoah’s prayer. The angel appeared again to his wife while she was in the field. She ran and called Manoah.
Manoah came and asked whether the man was the same one who had spoken with his wife before. Then he asked the decisive question: How should the child live, and what should be done with him?
In this way, Manoah demonstrates an important principle: Whoever receives a gift from God should also ask for God’s instructions concerning that gift.
The Instructions for the ChildThe angel repeated the instructions. Manoah’s wife was to avoid everything she had been told to avoid. The son was to be consecrated to God.
Manoah did not receive every detail about Samson’s future life. But he received enough to know that this child stood under a special calling.
God’s guidance does not always reveal the whole path at once. Often, He shows the next step and calls us to faithful obedience.
The Offering and the MiracleManoah wanted to honor the visitor and prepare a meal for him. But the Angel of the Lord instructed him to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.
When Manoah presented the offering, something astonishing happened. The angel ascended in the flame of the altar.
Then Manoah and his wife realized that they had encountered the Angel of the Lord. They fell with their faces to the ground.
Fear and TrustManoah became deeply afraid and told his wife that they would surely die because they had seen God.
But his wife answered with spiritual clarity. If the Lord had intended to kill them, He would not have accepted their offering or announced such things to them.
At that moment, we see that Manoah was reverent, but he still had to learn to understand God’s revelation in the light of His grace.
The Birth of SamsonLater, Manoah’s wife gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him.
Manoah became the father of a child with a special calling. Samson’s life would later be filled with strength, danger, victories, and tragedy.
Yet at the beginning of his story stands a father who prayed: “Teach us what we should do.”
The Enduring Message of His LifeManoah shows that responsibility before God begins with prayer. He took the announcement of the child seriously and wanted to know how to guide him according to God’s will.
His story reminds us that parents and spiritual role models need God’s wisdom. No one can properly guide a soul entrusted to them unless they themselves seek God’s guidance.
Closing ThoughtManoah was not a judge and not a great deliverer, but he was the father of a child whom God had chosen for a special mission.
His prayer remains meaningful today because it reveals the attitude of a person who does not want to carry responsibility without God.
His life story shows: Whoever seeks God’s guidance before acting lays the right foundation for every responsibility entrusted to them.
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