Closer To Heaven
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Cheese is one of those quiet Adventist flashpoints. Ellen White called it wholly unfit for food and said it should never enter the stomach. She meant the strong aged stuff common in her day, full of bacteria from unpasteurized milk and slow travel. Her household skipped the yellow blocks. Today the picture is different. Pasteurization […] Source: https://atoday.org/should-adventists-eat-cheese/
By Nicole Brown-Dominguez, AdventInnovate Editor “Well,” the doctor says, sitting across from you holding your test results, “It’s not looking great.” They list all the symptoms and their root causes. Problem after problem rolling off their tongue. “You’ll make it out but it will require a lot of changes.” Okay, what changes? They shrug and […] Source: https://atoday.org/your-church-is-sick-and-diagnosis-alone-wont-save-it/
They came from different countries, different backgrounds and different journeys, but they arrived in Madagascar with one purpose: to serve and share hope. Our first day began in worship, reminding us that even across the world, faith can make strangers feel like family. Please pray for the Madagascar outreach, for every missionary serving, and for every heart God is preparing to reach. Learn more about AWR’s evangelistic work at awr.is/evangelism. #AWR360 #MadagascarForChrist Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DiLDBtnsa-w
COLLEGEDALE, TN — Southern Adventist University alumnus John Hargy, ’26, has been selected for a 2026–2027 Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to conduct research at Ege University in İzmir, Turkey, according to Southern News. Hargy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Southern, will study fasting and refeeding in relation to human intestinal stem cell […] Source: https://atoday.org/southern-biophysics-graduate-receives-fulbright-award-for-research-in-turkey/
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 25th of August 2026
We saw that some in Corinth doubted Paul’s intentions and love. Today, we will look into one particular reason: his changing travel plans (2 Corinthians 1:15-24; 2 Corinthians 2:1-4).
Image © Bible Adventure Collection at Goodsalt.com
Paul had been in Corinth before. According to 1 Corinthians 16:5-6, he planned to pass through Macedonia on his way back to Corinth and, perhaps, stay in Corinth for the winter. From Corinth, he would go to Judea with the offering collected for the poor in Jerusalem not only in Macedonia, but also in Achaia, Galatia, and Asia. However, he changed his plans because of a bad report brought by Timothy from Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Corinthians 16:10, 2 Corinthians 1:1).
Paul intended to go straight from Ephesus to Corinth and there address the issues reported by Timothy. The new itinerary would be Ephesus—Corinth—Macedonia—Corinth—Judea (2 Corinthians 1:15-16). He went from Ephesus to Corinth, but then he returned to Ephesus. His plans changed. He didn’t go back to Corinth as planned, at least not immediately, because his latest visit did not go well. So, he returned to Ephesus and wrote to them instead. He would rather send a letter than risk worsening things with another visit (2 Corinthians 2:1,3).
Paul’s intentions on the last visit were misinterpreted. Some in Corinth said that he was unreliable and that he did not love them enough (2 Corinthians 1:17). In his response to the accusations, he moved the Corinthians’ eyes to the gospel of Christ. He was faithful to his intentions to visit the Corinthians at the best opportunity, just as God had been faithful in fulfilling His promises to them through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:18-22).
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20, NKJV).
Thus, his response was not a confusing mixture of “yes” or “no” dependent on the circumstances, as they said, but was “always Yes,” just as God’s work in Christ is “always Yes” (2 Corinthians 1:19, ESV).
Therefore, the reason Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians instead of visiting them was his sincere love for them, not the opposite (2 Corinthians 2:4). Another visit right after the painful visit would bring them further pain, not the joy he intended to cause with his presence (2 Corinthians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 2:3). How easily his good intentions were misinterpreted.
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