Closer To Heaven
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La Sierra University will host its annual Lavender Graduation ceremony on June 5 at 6 p.m. at Sierra Vista Chapel on its church campus in Riverside, honoring LGBTQ+ graduates from the university and surrounding colleges, according to an article in The Raincross Gazette by Ken Crawford. Organized by Kinship Sabbath School in affiliation with SDA Kinship […] Source: https://atoday.org/la-sierra-university-to-host-lavender-graduation-honoring-lgbtq-students/
If your family’s been Adventist for generations, there’s a quiet assumption that creeps in: we’ve been here the longest, so we belong the most. Like faith came with an inheritance clause. A set of keys to the kingdom. Step outside that for a second and things look different. Churches drift into members-only clubs. Not on […] Source: https://atoday.org/who-feels-most-uncomfortable-in-our-churches-and-why/
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 19th of May 2026
Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you’ll move mountains (Matthew 17:20). If you’ve ever seen a mustard seed, you know how tiny it is. Yet, having faith this small can effect such huge change. Faith must, therefore, be very important and must also be powerful and strong enough to do something superhuman. However, just as a mustard seed can grow into a large tree (Matthew 13:31-32), our faith should grow and not remain static.
Indeed, we need a measure of faith in order to have a relationship with God in the first place (see Romans 12:3).
Image © Providence Collection at Goodsalt.com
We must first understand that faith is not a material thing; it’s a human response prompted by the Holy Spirit. God is the gracious initiator, who, through the Holy Spirit, draws us to Himself when we allow Him to do so (Jeremiah 31:3). We’re saved by grace, through faith, which is a response to God’s grace given to us through Jesus’ death. We are saved because we believe in God as a result of His grace. This lies at the heart of having a relationship with Him.
Next, we must remember that faith is not a feeling. “Many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith. . . . Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give.”—Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 72.
Some people might feel as though they don’t have faith because they don’t feel close to God or are not what they should be as a Christian. But faith is about believing and trusting God, not only in the good times but in darkness or in a storm, or even when you can’t fully understand what is going on in your life.
Feelings should never dominate our religious experience or our relationship with God. It’s precisely when we think we’re distant from God that we need to exercise our faith and call on Him (as did the father in Mark 9:24).
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Look up the following Bible verses and claim them as an act of faith to strengthen your relationship with God today: Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Chronicles 15:7; Romans 3:23-26; Luke 7:50. Speak them out loud as part of your prayer to God. |
WASHINGTON, DC – The North American Division (NAD) emphasized the importance of religious liberty during the 19th annual NAD Religious Liberty Dinner on April 22, 2026, at the Library of Congress, bringing together faith leaders, advocates, and public officials to support freedom of conscience as a basic human right. This, according to NAD News, by […] Source: https://atoday.org/let-tonight-be-more-than-a-dinner-nad-urges-action-on-religious-freedom/
Comments of the Week May 11-17, 2026 “I have so many clever retorts to this, but I’m behaving myself. ” –Robert Thomas on Aunt Sevvy, is oral sex in marriage a sin? Comments on EDITORIAL: Phone Calls From My Colleagues; If Africa Doesn’t Think, Here’s Why; Hebrews Proves that Daniel 8:14 Really Isn’t About the […] Source: https://atoday.org/comments-of-the-week-may11-17/
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