Closer To Heaven
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“How the Church Works” takes a deep dive into the inner workings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Each episode explores how church governance functions from the local congregation to the General Conference, traces Adventism’s roots in movements such as abolition and desegregation, and examines how its theology—especially the Great Controversy theme—shapes identity and mission. With […] Source: https://atoday.org/adventinnovate-how-the-church-works/
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 7th of October 2025
Rahab’s deal is very clear: life for life and kindness for kindness. The word cḥesed (Joshua 2:12), “loving-kindness,” has a richness of meaning that is difficult to express in one word in other languages. It refers primarily to covenantal loyalty, but it also carries the notion of faithfulness, mercy, benevolence, and kindness.
Image © Standard Publishing from GoodSalt.com
The words of Rahab also are reminiscent of Deuteronomy 7:12, where Yahweh Himself swore to keep His cḥesed toward Israel. “ ‘Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy [cḥesed] which He swore to your fathers’ ” (Deuteronomy 7:12, NKJV).
Interestingly enough, the same chapter (Deuteronomy 7:1-26) prescribes the ban (cḥerem) on the Canaanites. Here is Rahab, a Canaanite who is under the ban, and yet she claims, by her emerging faith, the promises that were given to the Israelites. As a result, she is saved.
The first image that inevitably comes to mind related to the conversation of the spies with Rahab is the Passover at the Exodus. There, in order for the Israelites to be protected, they had to stay inside their homes and mark the doorposts and lintels of their houses with the blood of the sacrificial lamb.
“ ‘ “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” ’ ” (Exodus 12:13, NKJV; see also Exodus 12:22-23).
“By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So all who hope to be saved by the merits of the blood of Christ should realize that they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation. While it is Christ only that can redeem us from the penalty of transgression, we are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved by faith, not by works; yet his faith must be shown by his works.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 279.
In that case, the blood was a sign that saved them from the destroying angel of God. As God spared the lives of the Israelites during the last plague in Egypt, the Israelites were to save Rahab and her family when destruction reached Jericho.
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What powerful gospel message can we find in these two stories? What gospel lessons can we take from them? |
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6 October 2025 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, I am a staunch Adventist, and wish to find a staunch Adventist man with whom I share interests, and who prioritizes the things of God. I live in ———–. Can you help me? Gentle Reader: Aunty doesn’t know a staunch Adventist man in the ———– area, and anyway, […] Source: https://atoday.org/aunty-can-you-help-me-find-an-adventist-husband/
AWR literacy schools in Turkana are uniting believers in faith and purpose. God is blessing their efforts to read, write and share the gospel in their communities. Discover more at https://awr.org. #AWR360 #BroadcastToBaptism Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Wrld5FjZgDY
Diana’s vow to never relive her mother’s suffering was shattered by her own painful marriage. After enduring the abuse and her husband’s controlling behavior, she chose to leave with her four children. What was next for Diana? Learn more at https://awr.org. Watch Diana’s full story: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EQNww5A2FrM #AWR360 MB017EUZ58YZPTX Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/t7mBxsbq9rU
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]
