Closer To Heaven
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Our Sabbath School program has always been linked to the support of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission program. This video provides a little insight into this important work.
(0)Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-may-17/
by Melody Tan | 15 May 2025 | The camera operator turned to me. “This, right here, is church” he declared. We were sitting at the outside area of a shopping mall, watching a group of women interact. Among them was a recent immigrant who had her first child not long after arriving, without any […] Source: https://atoday.org/this-right-here-is-church/
Lesson 7: Foundations of Prophecy…………………………………………………………………
IntroductionThe foundations of prophecy are not just ancient texts and visions that are hard to understand—they are invitations into divine reality. From Isaiah’s call to Lucifer’s fall, from the Tabernacle at Israel’s center to the glowing coal that purifies lips—each scene reveals something about God, humanity, and our destiny.
Across these lessons, a powerful panorama unfolds: the holy God calls, encounters, dwells among us, reveals Himself through angelic beings, and invites us to join His plan. The prophets saw God’s throne, were cleansed, sent forth, and confronted evil’s reality—while pointing to hope in Christ.
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Spiritual PrinciplesGod calls people into His presence and service—like Isaiah: “Here am I; send me!” (7.1)
Angels and cherubim reflect God’s nearness and holiness—they serve His throne and accompany His revelations (7.2).
God’s glory burns like coals of fire—purifying, powerful, terrifying, yet merciful (7.3).
God’s place is always at the center of His people—in Israel’s camp and in our hearts (7.4).
Pride leads to a fall, as with Lucifer; grace leads to exaltation, as with the redeemed on Mount Zion (7.5).
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Application for Daily LifeBe open to God’s call. Don’t just say “Here I am,” but also “Send me!”
Honor God’s holiness. Let it order, refine, and transform your life.
Keep God at the center. Build your life around His presence, not work, money, or people.
Recognize the spiritual battle. Lucifer’s fall warns us; the Lamb’s victory invites us to hope.
Proclaim the gospel. You aren’t a mere spectator of Revelation—you’re part of it.
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ConclusionProphecy shows us not only the future, but God’s heart: His holiness, His nearness, His longing for fellowship with us. He calls ordinary people—like you and me—into His presence, cleanses them, fills them with His glory, and sends them to proclaim the gospel. We stand on the threshold between heaven and earth—and we may become part of a heavenly story.
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Thought of the Day“God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called—and uses them to change the world.”
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Illustration – “Noah’s Encounter with Prophecy”It was an ordinary October week in Leipzig, but for Noah, everything felt wrong. At 28, he worked in media technology, had a small apartment, a stable routine—and a growing emptiness in his heart.
He used to believe. That was when he spent time with his grandparents—the smell of old wood in the country church, Grandma’s open Bible with margin notes. But faith had slipped into the background; technology ruled his days, and religion felt distant and irrelevant.
Until one day.
On the tram, Noah spotted a small poster: “Come as you are. God is calling you.” It was so simple, almost easy to miss—but something stirred in him. That evening he googled the slogan and found a Bible website. Almost at random he clicked on Isaiah 6:
“I saw the Lord seated on a lofty throne…”
He read slowly, then quickly, and suddenly he was there: seraphim with six wings, smoke filling the temple, and the cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.” He felt like Isaiah—small, unworthy, lost—and yet called.
Over the next days he dove into Ezekiel 1, with its strange cherubim—four faces, living wheels, eyes everywhere—and God enthroned at the center. Terrifying, yet beautiful. Not a distant God, but a mighty, holy God like burning coals, cleansing and judging yet saving.
That night, after one of his reading sessions, Noah dreamed: he stood in a vast camp of tents, each under a banner—lion to the east, man to the south, ox to the west, eagle to the north—with the Tabernacle of light at the center. Then the scene shifted to a mountain of light: the Lamb on Mount Zion, surrounded by white-robed people singing—a vision from Revelation 14. He realized: they were where angels once stood, not by virtue of perfection, but through the Lamb’s blood.
Then darkness, and he saw Lucifer himself—once a shining cherub who sought to be like the Most High, then cast down like lightning. At his fall, people now stood in his place—redeemed by the Lamb.
Noah woke in tears. Never had Scripture felt so alive. He sensed God calling him.
In the weeks that followed, he joined a church, started a small Bible study, shared his story. Then one Sunday a pastor asked him to share at the youth meeting. Noah hesitated—he wasn’t a theologian or a speaker. But he remembered Isaiah: God had purified his lips with coal and sent him out.
So Noah spoke. He told of his inner thirst, of Isaiah, the cherubim, Lucifer’s fall, and the Lamb’s victory. Afterward, two young people approached him. “You spoke of the Lamb,” one said, “I thought Jesus was just a childhood story. Now… He’s real.” Noah realized: that was his call—to tell the world that every person is invited to stand on Mount Zion, once held by angels, now redeemed by Christ.
15 May 2025 | On May 2, 1975, 410 Vietnamese health workers evacuated from Saigon Adventist Hospital and others from their positions as Adventist pastors and church leadership in South Vietnam. 50 years later, dozens from the original evacuation gathered to reminisce and celebrate this vital moment. When the North Vietnam coup threatened the safety […] Source: https://atoday.org/former-refugees-celebrate-the-50-year-anniversary-of-loma-linda-universitys-evacuation-aid/
May 16, 2025
DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 30 – Between Rivalry and Riches: Jacob’s Children and God’s Work Amid Human Weakness══════════════════════════════════════════════
Bible Text – Genesis 30 (KJV)And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
7 And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
10 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.
11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
12 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son.
13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.
15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.
16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.
28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
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IntroductionGenesis 30 continues Jacob’s dramatic family saga: rivalry between two sisters, desperate longing for children, building a large household, and outmaneuvering a greedy father-in-law. Despite the strife and human manipulation, God remains at work: the twelve tribes of Israel take shape through the births by four different women, and Jacob’s wealth grows. This chapter shows how God accomplishes His sovereign plan through complex, broken, and sometimes unfair human situations.
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CommentaryRachel’s Envy and Bilhah’s Sons (vv. 1–8)
Rachel, Jacob’s beloved, is barren. In desperation and envy of Leah’s fertility, she demands children “or I shall die.” She offers her maid Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate. Bilhah bears two sons, Dan (“He has judged”) and Naphtali (“My wrestling”). Rachel views these births as triumphs over her sister, fueling ongoing rivalry.
Leah’s Countermove with Zilpah (vv. 9–13)
Leah, having ceased bearing children, follows suit and gives her maid Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah bears Gad (“Fortune”) and Asher (“Blessed”). Leah names these sons to express her own claim to favor and joy, though the pattern of competing for Jacob’s affection continues.
The Mandrakes and Leah’s Sons (vv. 14–21)
In a telling scene, Reuben brings “mandrakes” (fertility aids) to Leah. Rachel trades a night with Jacob for some of these mandrakes, and Leah conceives two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun, then a daughter, Dinah—each name reflecting Leah’s evolving hopes and gratitude.
God Remembers Rachel—Joseph Is Born (vv. 22–24)
At last God hears Rachel’s plea. She bears Joseph (“May He add”), praying for another son. Joseph becomes a key figure in God’s unfolding covenant. God’s grace triumphs over human failing.
Jacob’s Wage Negotiation with Laban (vv. 25–36)
After Joseph’s birth, Jacob asks to return home with his wives and children. Laban, aware God has blessed him through Jacob, insists on negotiating Jacob’s wages. Jacob proposes keeping “speckled and spotted” animals as his pay. Laban deceptively removes all such livestock from his flocks, hiding them from Jacob’s claim.
Jacob’s Ingenious Breeding Strategy (vv. 37–43)
Jacob uses peeled rods in the watering troughs—believed to influence the animals’ offspring—to ensure the flocks produce speckled and striped young. Whether by natural breeding patterns or God’s sovereign intervention, Jacob’s flocks multiply, making him exceedingly prosperous with flocks, servants, camels, and donkeys.
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SummaryGenesis 30 depicts a family torn by envy and rivalry, each sister using surrogates and fertility aids to secure Jacob’s favor. Meanwhile, Jacob cleverly outwits Laban to build his own wealth—yet it is ultimately God who grants the blessing. Out of imperfect, even unfair circumstances, God advances His covenant through both Jacob’s children and his prosperity.
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Message for TodayGod works through our weaknesses. This chapter features no moral heroes, only flawed people—yet God’s plan moves forward.
Envy and competition destroy. Rachel and Leah’s rivalry shows how comparison breeds bitterness. True worth is found in God’s love, not in what we produce or possess.
God hears even late in the game. After years of waiting, Rachel is remembered. No one is forgotten by God.
Prosperity often accompanies divine blessing. Jacob becomes wealthy, but behind the scenes, God is the one who multiplies.
Broken families can fulfill God’s purposes. From this fractured household emerge the twelve tribes of Israel. Even our messy stories can serve God’s kingdom.
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May 11–17, 2025 WEEKLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY READING Ellen G. White │ Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 4 “The Plan of Redemption” Read online here
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IntroductionChapter 4 of Patriarchs and Prophets, titled “The Plan of Redemption,” offers a profound glimpse into the heart of the Christian gospel. It portrays the cosmic significance of the Fall and God’s response through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. From heaven’s anguish over humanity’s sin to the unfolding of the rescue plan in Christ’s sacrifice, the text reveals the unfathomable depth of God’s love.
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Commentary══════════════════════════════════════════════
SummaryThe plan of redemption reveals God’s character—infinitely loving and perfectly just. Despite the depth of humanity’s fall, God offers restoration through Jesus Christ. Heaven, the universe, and humankind alike bear witness to the greatness of this plan, which was ordained before the foundation of the world.
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Application for Today“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
— John 3:16
Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/16-05-2025-genesis-chapter-30-believe-his-prophets/
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