DISCERN
Discern magazine (ISSN 2372-1995 [print]; ISSN 2372-2010 [online]) is published every two months by the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, as a service to readers of its LifeHopeandTruth.com website. Discern’s home page is LifeHopeandTruth.com/Discern. Free electronic subscriptions can be obtained at LifeHopeandTruth. com/Discern. Contact us at info@DiscernMag.com
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11 Why Pray?
Wonders of God’s Creation Way to Use Your Head!
Walk as He Walked Jesus Raises the Dead: The Widow’s Son and Jairus’ Daughter
By the Way
Five Things You Need to Know About the Middle East
Biblical history and prophecy provide the critically needed perspective to understand today’s difficulties and tomorrow’s hope.
What Does the Bible Say About “My Truth”?
The phrase “my truth” is becoming increasingly popular in today’s culture, but what exactly does it mean? Is there really such a thing as “my truth”?
God is eternal and almighty, and also omniscient—He knows everything. He knows our every need, our every problem and our deepest desires. So, why pray? 14 Lessons From 204 Years of Marriage
After 50 years, four couples share their insights and reflections on God’s incredible gift of marriage.
20 How to Know the Real Jesus
Very little is recorded about what Jesus looked like, but we can still know Him. 23 Is Purgatory Biblical?
The Catholic doctrine of purgatory claims to answer what happens to those who are neither pious nor evil. But is it real? Is purgatory in the Bible?
26 Freedoms Canceled
In an age of social media and political sensitivities, core principles of freedom of speech and religion are increasingly under threat. Where could this lead?
The Middle East Conflict: Will It Blow Up or Blow Over?
One hesitates to write anything about the Middle East several weeks in advance of publication. With no shortage of players constantly stirring that political pot, new tensions can bubble to the surface any time and quickly render today’s news obsolete. Amid such daily turmoil, you’ll find this issue’s lead article a great read for getting the big-picture perspective on this volatile area.
But today, as I write, the news headlines warn that the Hamas-Israeli fighting could easily spill over into a worst-case scenario with outside superpowers stepping into the fray. The analysts they’re quoting are not alarmists. It’s not a stretch of logic.
The current conflict erupted Oct. 7, 2023, with Hamas militants killing over 1,100 (mostly civilian) Israelis and foreign nationals. Israel retaliated with a vengeance, with tens of thousands of Palestinians dying.
The carnage on both sides has been staggering, and the question looms: Will conflict in the Middle East blow up or blow over?
How sad the irony!
The answer is . . . both. It’s going to get far worse—actually bringing humanity to a world-war-magnitude cliff of destruction—but then it will unexpectedly get better.
How do we know? A history lesson is in order.
It was on Oct. 6, 1973, almost 50 years to the day from when the current Israel-Hamas war broke out, that another historic Arab-Israeli conflict burst out. It came to be known as either the Yom Kippur War or the Ramadan War, because the Arab coalition’s surprise attack came on Judaism’s highest holy day, Yom Kippur, which also coincided with Islam’s holiest season, Ramadan.
Such sad irony—two highly religious groups, hating and killing each other during their most sacred times!
Yom Kippur—the greater meaning
What was lost on most people was the greater significance of Yom Kippur for the entire world. Most people assume that only religious Jews observe this day, unaware that some few Christians do too. Among English-speaking Christians, it is known as the Day of Atonement. And what that holy day foreshadows holds incredible implications not just for Jews, but for all humans of all faiths!
In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, yom means day, and kippur means “to cover or hide” or “expiation.” Expiation means the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing, delivering from sin or saving from evil. It is used to explain concepts such as reconciling, pacifying, purging away, forgiving, pardoning.
This Day of Atonement points to a major step in God’s plan of salvation whereby Jesus Christ, after He returns to the earth, will remove from our presence the root cause of humanity’s troubles—Satan. This will open the way, first, to our being reconciled with God and, second, to our being reconciled and making peace with our fellow humans.
Through the meaning of this day God has given us assurance that His way to peace is on the horizon and shown how He will make it possible!
Hope on the horizon!
This year Yom Kippur fell on Saturday, Oct. 12. It was one of several biblical holy days occurring in this time of the year, all rich with meaning for the process God is working out.
To their shame, the progenitors of modern Christianity long ago substituted holidays, borrowed from non-Christian religions, for God’s holy days and festivals—the ones Jesus, His followers and the original Church observed. In so doing, they robbed billions of people of the life-changing knowledge these days reveal about God’s plan of salvation!
Ready to know more? Simply go to lifehopeandtruth .com , search “God’s festivals” and begin an amazing journey of understanding!
Meanwhile, the Middle East will continue to percolate to a point just short of blowing up in our face. But fear not! The real story of the Day of Atonement, and all the rest of God’s holy days, assures us of how it’s ultimately going to blow over, and how a new age lies on the horizon!
Clyde Kilough Editor
Biblical history and prophecy provide the critically needed perspective to understand today’s difficulties and tomorrow’s hope.
Five Things You Need to Know About the Middle East
The Middle East has long been a region of intense and frequent conflict. Tensions and wars have ebbed and flowed as peoples and governments have tried to protect their lands and citizens from mistreatment by others.
Over the past century there have been numerous attempts to bring peace to this troubled region, but thus far, none has fully succeeded.
This article will highlight five factors that are explained in greater detail in our new booklet The Middle East in Prophecy.
These five things provide the context you need to understand the significance of this part of the world, make sense of the ongoing conflict between Arabs and Jews, and become aware of the future peace destined to come to this area.
1. The Middle East is God’s geographical focal point. One of the first things we need to understand about the Middle East is that this region is no ordinary piece of real estate. The Bible shows that the Creator of the entire earth selected this part of the world to be the birthplace of humanity—where humans were created and civilization developed.
The region has been called the cradle of civilization. It is also referred to as the Fertile Crescent because the productive heart of the Middle East is a crescentshaped area stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.
The Middle East is at the intersection of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Because of its strategic location, it was fought over by great empires and later by competing religions.
This land is where God worked with the biblical patriarchs and allowed their descendants to establish the Old Testament kingdom of Israel.
When it came time to build a temple, God personally chose Jerusalem for its location (2 Chronicles 6:5-6; 7:12). After its construction, God further explained, “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (verse 16).
Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, was where Jesus, the Son of God, was born. Nazareth, to the north, was where Jesus grew up, and He traversed the cities between throughout His ministry. Jerusalem was where our Savior was crucified and resurrected.
In the centuries since, followers of the three major Abrahamic religions— Judaism, Christianity and Islam—have fought over the land of the Middle East. All three religions consider Jerusalem a holy city.
From the outset of mankind’s history, the Middle East has been the central location of God’s interaction with humanity. Bible prophecy shows that at the end of this present age, this part of the world is also going to be the prominent location of conflict among the nations and the place to which Jesus will return.
When Jesus establishes the Kingdom of God on earth after His return, Jerusalem will become a center of education and peace for the entire world. We’ll consider this in greater detail later.
2. The Middle East’s problems are rooted in family squabbles.
Today’s animosity between Arabs and Jews is largely the story of conflict among the descendants of one family. It’s a story of hurts and grievances held for centuries. This family feud is prophesied to continue until the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The family can be traced back to a man named Terah, who had three sons: Abram (or Abraham, as he was later called), Nahor and Haran.
When Haran died, Haran’s son Lot stayed with his grandfather (Terah) and his uncle (Abraham). When Abraham answered God’s call to move to Canaan, Lot went with him. Eventually, however, they both became so prosperous that the land could not support their dwelling together, and they separated (Genesis 13:6).
Lot and his family ended up in Sodom. God brought Lot and some of his family members out of Sodom before destroying that wicked city.
Lot’s daughters had sons who became the fathers of the nations of Moab and Ammon—nations that would often be at war with Abraham’s descendants.
Rivalries also sprang up in Abraham’s family. Although God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child whose descendants would become a great nation and inherit the land where they lived, they became impatient.
At Sarah’s urging, Abraham fathered a child (Ishmael) with Sarah’s maid Hagar. This event triggered a long-running distrust between Sarah and Hagar. It eventually led to Hagar and her son, Ishmael, being pushed out of the family. This happened after Sarah bore Isaac—the son God had promised—in her old age. Ishmael became the father of the Arabs, and the hostility between Ishmael’s and Isaac’s descendants (specifically, the Israelites) escalated through the years.
Further illustrating how the extended family of Terah became interconnected, Isaac married Rebekah, a granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor (Genesis 24:1-4, 15). Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob, who fought with each other from the time they were in the womb. Both became the founders of nations, and their descendants became enemies (Genesis 25:23).
Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom (Genesis 36:1). Jacob (who became known as Israel) had 12 sons, whose descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. These two nations were also often at war.
A marriage between Esau and a daughter of Ishmael (Genesis 28:9) linked these two branches of Abraham’s family in their bitter rivalry with Jacob’s descendants.
These ancient jealousies and disagreements among the descendants of Abraham and his relatives has engendered the animosities evident today between many Arabs and Jews.
3. A major aspect of Middle East history involves Arab efforts to unite.
To understand the Middle East today, it helps to have an overview of the history of the Arab peoples and the rise of Islam.
In the centuries following their development as tribes and peoples, the descendants of Ishmael lived in Arabia, northern Africa and the Levant (the area along the eastern coast of Mediterranean Sea). They became known as Arabs, along with some of the descendants of Esau and Lot.
Although these peoples were prophesied to be independent and fight among themselves (Genesis 16:12), they shared a hatred of Israel’s descendants.
Religiously, the Arabs were very divided. Nearly all were pagan polytheists, worshipping various gods associated with the lands they inhabited or heavenly bodies.
The birth of Muhammad in A.D. 570 began to change that. Muhammad taught a religion called Islam, which gained rapid acceptance and gave the Arab peoples a much-desired opportunity for unity. However, Islam itself developed divisions among its adherents.
The Koran (or Quran)—the book containing Muhammad’s visions on how to live and his perceived corrections of the Christian Bible—has some sections advocating peaceful existence with non-Muslims and other sections sanctioning bloodshed against them.
Today many Muslims cite passages in the Koran advocating peaceful relations. Others cite different passages to justify holy war with brutal, horrific acts to advance Islam and destroy its perceived enemies.
Another significant issue—the question of who was the legitimate successor of Muhammed—is the basis for the current Sunni-Shia divide. The Sunni position is that Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, was the rightful successor. The Shia position, held by a minority, is that Muhammad had indicated his successor should be his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Today, approximately 90 percent of Muslims are Sunni. Yet in the Muslim nations of Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, the majority is Shia. Iran, governed as a Shia theocracy, seeks to dominate the Muslim world and funds terrorists throughout the region.
Understanding the emphasis placed on different passages of the Koran and the Sunni-Shia divide helps explain the ongoing divisions and conflicts in the Muslim world.
4. The Middle East is central to end-time prophecy.
The Middle East plays a central role in end-time Bible prophecy. The Bible can help us understand current events and what will happen in the future.
In recent years there have been some limited successes at making peace between the State of Israel and Arab nations. For example, the Camp David Accords, signed in 1978 by Israel and Egypt, and the first of the Abraham Accords, signed Sept. 15, 2020, by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, offered hope. However, Israel’s relationships with these nations remain tenuous, and its relationships with Iran and some other Muslim nations remain intractable.
Sadly, end-time prophecy indicates that the “ancient hatred” (Ezekiel 35:5) many Arab nations have toward Israel will boil over once again during the time preceding Christ’s return.
Psalm 83 describes a group of primarily Arab nations committed to the extermination of the Jewish nation. “They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You” (Psalm 83:4-5).
Daniel 11 also speaks of a likely end-time Arab coalition of nations led by a “king of the South” that will attack a “king of the North,” which refers to a restoration of the Roman Empire in Europe (verse 40). The king of the North will then enter and conquer much of the Middle East (verses 41-43).
Soon thereafter, the king of the North will be drawn into another battle—this time with a large army coming from the north and east (verse 44; compare Revelation 9:16).
Finally, armies from all over the world will be drawn to the Holy Land to fight against the returning Jesus Christ (Revelation 16:14, 16; Zechariah 14:2-4).
See our booklets The Middle East in Prophecy and The Book of Revelation: The Storm Before the Calm for additional explanation of these prophecies.
5. The Middle East is promised a peaceful future.
The time just before Christ’s return will be so chaotic that it will threaten the very existence of mankind. Jesus said that “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22).
Fortunately, God will intervene and save us. As He promised, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy . . . The Lord will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:16-17). When Jesus returns, His feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-12; Zechariah 14:4).
After Jesus defeats the forces of all the nations gathered against Him, He “shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9), teaching all peoples His way of peace (Isaiah 2:3). From Jerusalem, He will “judge between the nations” and rule with a “rod of iron” (Isaiah 2:4; Revelation 12:5; 19:15).
This means that Jesus will equitably sort out all the disagreements among the nations and have the power to enforce His righteous judgments.
With Satan removed from the scene and no longer free to deceive people (Revelation 12:9; 20:1-3), the wisdom and blessing of choosing God’s way of life will become abundantly clear.
Describing this time, Jeremiah noted: “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts” (Jeremiah 3:17).
As people and nations begin obeying God, they will experience real peace. Isaiah 32:17 declares, “The work of righteousness will be peace.”
This is the wonderful future for the Middle East and all peoples and nations who respond to the teaching of God.
Learn more in our new booklet The Middle East in Prophecy .
—David Treybig
The phrase “my truth” is becoming increasingly popular in today’s culture, but what exactly does it mean? Is there really such a thing as “my truth”?
“I’m speaking my truth.”
What Does the Bible Say About “My Truth”?
Have you ever heard someone say this? This expression, often spoken with great conviction, is a hallmark of what has been dubbed the “my truth” movement in recent years.
Though increasingly popular, this social trend is laden with ambiguity. A quick Google search for the definition of “my truth” yields various explanations
and perspectives. This begs the question: What is the truth about “my truth”?
Let’s examine this concept by considering four questions:
• What is it?
• What does it mean?
• Where does it come from?
• What does it produce?
Photo: iStockphoto.com/ johnwoodcock
What is “my truth”?
There is no single definition of “my truth.” However, it is generally assumed to refer to the beliefs or opinions of any given individual. Every person has a unique set of experiences, and we use these experiences to form conclusions about life.
“My truth” is what I believe to be true based on my own perspective and experiences. Likewise, “your truth” is what you conclude to be true based on your perspective and experiences.
What does “my truth” mean?
This can appear quite logical on the surface. After all, we all come from different families and backgrounds, live in different places, know different people and have different experiences. Naturally we’re going to look at things through different lenses.
But is that what the proponents of “my truth” really mean?
The “my truth” movement introduces the idea that because we are all unique, what is true for one person might not be true for another. This leads to a much more dangerous assertion: Truth is relative and there are no absolutes.
Where does “my truth” come from?
While the phrase my truth may be relatively new, the concept behind it is not. It is suspiciously reminiscent of relativism, which began gaining popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Cambridge Dictionary defines relativism as “the belief that truth and right and wrong can only be judged in relation to other things and that nothing can be true or right in all situations.”
Similarly, Vocabulary.com states that according to relativism “there’s no absolute truth, only the truths that a particular individual or culture happen to believe.” Moral relativists champion the idea that humans are qualified to determine right and wrong for themselves in most circumstances.
But are we?
In Genesis 3:4-5, Satan deceived Eve with an enticing and dangerous lie. He claimed, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Through craftiness, Satan promised Eve knowledge and authority that belong only to God. He tempted her with the idea that God was unfairly restricting humans by withholding the ability to determine right and wrong for themselves. Tragically, she believed him. From the beginning, humankind fell prey to the false assertion that we can decide right and wrong for ourselves, removing God from the picture. This false assertion is where the concept of “my truth” originates.
What does the “my truth” mindset produce?
Consider three natural consequences of “my truth” thinking:
• Multiple sources of truth
The mindset behind “my truth” encourages people to consider their own beliefs and ideas as their primary source of truth. When everyone does this, the result is multiple sources of truth.
If everyone has the ability to determine right and wrong, how can we tell when one person’s beliefs are more valid than anyone else’s? This phenomenon creates confusion that obscures the truth.
• Conflict
The belief that individuals should have their own versions of truth inevitably leads to conflict, especially when one person’s “truth” clashes with another’s. The notion that everyone can and should define his or her truth sounds ideal until these “truths” misalign.
• The “wise in your own eyes” effect
The “my truth” movement encourages us to look no further than our own lives and perspectives when forming our beliefs. When we do this, we are guilty of being “wise in [our] own eyes,” believing ourselves to be more informed, more competent and more qualified than we actually are (Proverbs 3:7).
So, if the “my truth” mentality yields negative results, what is a better alternative?
What is the truth?
First, we must determine what the truth actually is. The truth differs from “my truth.”
The difference is quite simple: “My truth” is what I believe to be true based on my ideas and experiences. The truth is what the Creator, who knows all things,
proclaims to be true. John 17:17 puts it plainly: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
For a deeper study of this important passage, listen to the Verse by Verse podcast episode “ Sanctify Them by Your Truth (John 17:17).”
What does the truth mean?
Understanding the truth involves accepting a fundamental concept: God defines what is true. He is the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong.
Once we acknowledge that God’s Word is truth, we must make a crucial decision: Will we cling to our own personal notions of truth, or will we align our beliefs with God’s Word? Will we adopt God’s truth as our truth?
This requires submitting our thoughts and beliefs to God, adopting His definition of truth and His standards of right and wrong. This may sound simple, but it takes great faith, humility and effort.
When we feel tempted to assert our own ideas of right and wrong, we must consciously choose to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. For more information about absolute truth, read “ What Is Truth? ”
Where does the truth come from?
In contrast to “my truth,” the truth has one source of origin. This allows it to retain its integrity and reliability over time.
That single source is the Bible.
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
God directly inspired Scripture as the single source of truth for all time—past, present and future.
God’s Word has always been, always is and always will be the truth. The words of the Bible still proclaim the truth, and they still equip us for every good work.
What does the truth produce?
Let’s consider three benefits of accepting God’s truth as our truth:
• Discernment
In 1 John 4:1, John encourages us to “test the spirits” to see if they align with God’s truth. Even
in John’s time, the culture was rife with ideas that contradicted God’s truth. We face a similar situation today, and we must also carefully evaluate what we hear or read.
Fortunately, the Bible gives us the tools to discern truth from error. It gives us a clear standard by which we can assess differing beliefs and ideas as we encounter them.
• Peace
A myriad of incompatible ideas inevitably produces confusion and anxiety. In contrast, the simplicity of the truth produces peace. The Bible declares, “The truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). This describes many forms of freedom, including the peace that comes from giving up the unending search for truth from various oftendisagreeing sources.
In a world that debates conflicting beliefs and opinions, it is comforting to know that one source stands separate and above everything. As Isaiah 26:3 explains, “You [God] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
To learn more about the freedom that comes from God’s truth, read “ ‘ The Truth Shall Make You Free’: The Meaning of John 8:31-32 .”
• Humility
The best way to avoid being wise in our own eyes is to recognize how little we truly understand about the truth apart from God. Acknowledging that we are incapable of determining right from wrong for ourselves is a humbling and necessary realization.
As Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes shame.” Insisting on our own beliefs when they do not align with God’s is a manifestation of pride. However, as the verse continues, “with the humble is wisdom.” Rather than elevating our ideas to the level of truth, we must humbly come before the Creator and source of all truth and seek His guidance and wisdom.
Next time you hear people declare that they are speaking their truth, take a moment to consider whether or not their assertions align with the truth. After all, God’s truth is the only truth that matters.
—Monica Ebersole
Why Pray?
Idid not grow up in a churchgoing family, so prayer was never part of my life. Once I started attending church as a young adult, it didn’t take long before I was confronted with my need to pray. But prayer did not come naturally—not by a long shot!
Part of the reason was that I wondered why a God who already knew my heart and mind would want me to pray. God knows everything, so He does not need
God is eternal and almighty, and also omniscient—He knows everything. He knows our every need, our every problem and our deepest desires. So, why pray?
our prayers to know about our fears and worries or hopes and dreams (Matthew 6:8).
So, why pray?
Who am I to suggest to God what to do?
There were other, related reasons why I found prayer so difficult. One of those reasons came from
considering who I am in relation to who God is. “Who am I,” I thought, “to advise the Almighty God about what He should do?”
When we pray—whether we are asking for blessings, healings or protection for ourselves or for others—aren’t we, in essence, telling God, the greatest being in the universe, what to do?
God does not need our advice or suggestions. He knows what is best, and He plans what He does. His works are not haphazard.
Since God knows everything and since He is a God who plans, I reasoned that He does not need our advice.
So, why pray?
Another reason for asking, “Why pray?”
I also had a hard time overcoming the feeling that I was praying to the walls, so to speak.
Unlike human conversation, there was no feedback. I could not gauge God’s response by a verbal answer or the expression on His face.
With human conversation, there is immediate feedback. The smallest of gestures or the slightest sigh can convey to us the reactions of other people. Not so with prayer.
So, why even try? Why pray?
A vital part of the Christian life
Even though prayer felt unnatural and unnecessary to me, I knew quite early in my Christian walk that prayer is a vital element of a godly life. That’s because I kept reading about it in the Bible, and I kept hearing about it in sermons.
My first attempts at prayer were awkward and disappointing—disappointing to me, but not to God. In hindsight, I now believe that He looked at my feeble efforts the way a human father looks at a toddler taking his first unsteady steps. It was a joy to Him, even if it was so unnatural to me.
With time and effort, I slowly became aware of some of the reasons that God wants us to pray. Here are some of those reasons:
1. Prayer builds a person’s relationship with God.
One of the most astonishing truths of Scripture is that the all-powerful God of the universe wants to have relationships with humans. Prayer helps each of us build such a relationship.
Jesus taught His disciples, and us, to address God in prayer as “Father” (Matthew 6:6, 8-9). This means that we acknowledge not only His authority over us but also His love for us. And it reveals the kind of relationship He wants with us—a fatherchild relationship.
Any relationship requires sustained communication. The same is true for prayer, which is a measure of our relationship with God.
Although God already knows what is in our hearts and minds even before we begin to pray, He wants to know whether we value our relationship with Him. Will we make the effort to pray regularly? When we do pray, we demonstrate our desire to remain in a truly special relationship with God.
Building and strengthening our relationship with God is the most important purpose of prayer. A strong relationship with God forms the foundation for all the other reasons to pray.
2. Prayer humbles us.
Doggedly bowing our heads in prayer, even when it may not feel natural, requires humility. We humble ourselves in the very act of prayer.
Without humility, we cannot have a satisfying relationship with God. Scripture shows that God responds to those who approach Him with humility, and for good reason.
An arrogant heart is not one that seeks God’s will. A humble heart, on the other hand, is willing to change and seek God’s direction. Through a lifetime of prayer, we learn to adopt God’s will as our own.
Christ set the example the night before His crucifixion. Knowing the agony He would soon experience, He passionately prayed, asking God three times to remove the “cup” of suffering from Him. Each time, however, He also said “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39-44).
As Christians mature, they learn that God does not always answer prayers the way we hope or expect. Even so, we are to learn to accept His will.
3. Prayer builds faith.
Being willing to pray, even though there is no feedback, requires an element of faith. Faith that God is listening. Faith that God cares. Faith in God Himself.
That initial kernel of faith is only a starting point. Through time, we also develop faith in our experiences with prayer.
Looking back on my life, for example, I can see many instances in which God answered my prayers. Sometimes answers came quickly. Other times answers were delayed. Sometimes, answers never seemed to come at all.
The times I experienced quick answers built my faith. I remember those prayers with a sense of awe. They are proof that God listens.
What amazes me now, though, is how prayers that weren’t answered quickly—and those that seemingly remain unanswered even now—have also built my faith.
In some cases, I’ve come to realize that what I had asked for wouldn’t have been good for me. In other cases, I’ve seen the value of waiting for the right time. And for those seemingly unanswered prayers, I’ve learned—and I’m still learning—to trust God no matter what.
4. Prayer is an act of worship.
Prayer is one of the most important ways we worship God. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible defines worship as “the paying of homage or respect,” and as “the reverent devotion, service, or honor paid to God” (Vol. 5, p. 969).
That homage should generally come early in our regular prayers, as Jesus explained. When one of the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He gave them a model prayer (Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:5-14).
Notice that after addressing God as our Father, we are to recognize that He is holy, to hallow His name (Matthew 6:9; see “Praise God ”). This is not because God needs our praise. It is because we need to praise Him.
Worshipping God is a matter of putting our relationship with Him into perspective. Worshipful prayer helps us better appreciate His fatherly love for us and His authority over us.
5. Prayer is a sacrifice.
Setting aside time to pray is a sacrifice. It’s not always easy or convenient, especially when we have committed ourselves to regular daily prayer.
In essence, when we pray, we lay down a part of our lives to serve God. We give up moments of our lives to prioritize and connect with Him. This is one way we become living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
David wrote about this in one of the most beloved psalms: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
We pour out our hearts in prayer, and that is a sacrifice that pleases God. We may also lay down a portion of our lives in intercessory prayer, sacrificing our time on behalf of others.
A sacrificial attitude of showing love for others is the attitude God has (1 John 4:8).
Who am I?
Earlier I mentioned a nagging question that caused me to struggle with prayer.
I kept asking myself: “Who am I to tell God what to do?”
I’ve come to understand that I was asking the wrong question. The real question is not about me but about God: “Who is God that He wants to hear my prayers?”
God is my loving Father. He did not create me to be a slave, but to be one of His beloved children.
Even though He already knows my heart, He wants to hear me express my thoughts and emotions, much as any human father wants to hear his children’s thoughts and emotions.
The walls melt away
One other issue I mentioned was the sense of discomfort that came to me because there was no feedback when I prayed.
I’ve come a long way through the years. I discovered that the biggest battle is at the beginning. Once I get started praying, truly focusing on speaking with God, I forget about my environment and simply pray. The walls melt away, so to speak, and God is there to listen.
I am now in my 60s, having experienced the power of prayer personally for many decades. Prayer is one of the most important things we will ever do.
What about you?
Are you ready to experience the power of prayer, to enter into or to deepen your relationship with God?
Then do what the apostle Paul advised: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). You’ll be glad when you do.
—Bill Palmer
LAfter 50 years, four couples share their insights and reflections on God’s incredible gift of marriage.
essons From 204 Years of Marriage
Sweet Country Photography
Photo:
It’s been roughly 6,000 years since God joined the first man and the first woman together in marriage—and since that day, men and women throughout time and across cultures have been trying to crack the code.
What makes for a good, meaningful, fulfilling marriage? What can husbands and wives do to create a relationship that stands the test of time—not as the result of grudging endurance, but as a testament to decades spent enjoying and valuing each other?
I recently had the privilege of sitting down with four couples who have all celebrated 50 years of marriage (in the case of one couple, 54!). These are all couples who haven’t just survived a half-century of communal living, but who see their shared time together as a precious blessing that has shaped their identities in a deeply profound way.
Is it possible to distill the lessons and insights of 204 collective years of marriage (and 408 years of personal experience) into a single article?
Probably not. But what follows are some of the concepts and themes that kept resurfacing across four separate interviews and hours of conversation. My sincerest thanks to the Franks, Horchaks, Kiloughs and Johnsons for sharing both their time and insights with me during those interviews.
The first step requires a foundation
When I asked what prompted each couple to make a lifetime commitment to each other, the response was unanimous. The husbands and wives all saw their spouse-to-be as someone they could share their lives with—not just in terms of a living space, but as companions who they could share their thoughts and feelings with, each offering perspectives that the other valued and appreciated.
More than that, they saw each other as equals with a shared spiritual destination. “I felt like he was heading toward God’s Kingdom,” said Becky Johnson of her husband David. That Kingdom was a mutual goal—one they knew they both could journey toward together. Jim and Sharron Franks emphasized the importance of building a marriage on a solid foundation. Do you share the same passion for and perspective on God’s truth? Have you built a habit of communication? Is your relationship one of deep understanding and mutual respect?
Mr. Johnson had this to say: “When you stand before God and before the witnesses and before the ministers, and you look at one another and you make a vow to one another—you’re making a commitment. There are no escape clauses.”
The Bible makes it clear that God allows a marriage to be dissolved in very extreme cases, but otherwise, “there’s no way out of this. Okay—so we go through a rough period of time and we’re having trouble getting along. You know what? Commitment is there. That’s not going to change. And so we’re going to have to find a way to make these things work. And I think that’s part of it.”
The marriage covenant isn’t meant to be entered into without serious consideration. It’s a solemn vow before God and your spouse that you intend to be there until the end. You aren’t getting on this plane with a parachute—whatever problems you encounter, you’ll face together.
The effort doesn’t end with “I do”
The wedding day is only the first step onto a much longer road—one that these couples have been walking for more than half a century. In that time, they’ve learned a lot about what a strong marriage is (and what they need to do to make it strong).
One key—seemingly obvious but easily overlooked— is that a good marriage takes work.
How much work?
Probably more than you’d expect.
Mr. Johnson compared it to a garden. “I love having a garden,” he said. “But it takes some effort.” Is the work a negative aspect of marriage? No, like a garden, the effort is what produces something beautiful in the end.
After tying the knot, it’s easy for a couple to start putting less effort into the relationship. In dating, there’s a strong motivation to put your best foot forward. But in marriage, after the commitment has been made, it’s easier to stop trying as hard—to start drifting along with the current.
That won’t take you anywhere particularly useful. Instead, couples benefit from doubling down on their commitment to each other (Ephesians 5:22-33). The couples I interviewed spoke of the importance of showing love. You can pay close attention to the way your partner expresses love, and then make an effort to
show that kind of love. (Is conversation important? Just spending time together? Doing kind and thoughtful things for each other? Find what your spouse values and then do that thing.)
“I want to value him, and I want him to value me for me,” said Tanya Horchak of her husband Doug. “The bottom line is, if he values me for what I am, mistakes and all . . . that strengthens a marriage tremendously.”
Clyde Kilough referred to how in some ways, marriages are like emotional bank accounts. Withdrawals can cause some serious damage, but taking the time to fill that account with regular expressions of love can make life’s difficult moments easier to bear. “It keeps the other person very aware that, yeah, you may take withdrawals unintentionally from time to time, but you’re working on the other side too.”
Keeping lines of communication open
These couples also spoke of the importance of communication. There’s the old joke about the husband who had stopped telling his wife that he loved her: “I told you I loved you on our wedding day, and I’ll let you know if that changes.”
It’s easy to undercommunicate and much harder to overcommunicate. Making the effort to regularly share with each other—the day you’ve both had, the way you feel about each other, your hopes and dreams, things you’ve learned, jokes you’ve heard—is very valuable. Your spouse doesn’t know what’s going on inside your head unless you take the time to share it.
But listening also needs to be a priority. To quote Stephen Covey, “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” To quote God’s inspired Word, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19).
“We communicate a lot—about sometimes incredibly stupid things, trivial things, funny things, as well as serious things,” said Mr. Horchak. By being in a regular habit of communicating with each other, he and his wife find it easier to navigate serious discussions that might otherwise have been difficult.
Speaking of communication, Dee Kilough pointed out the value of using the fruit of the Spirit (as listed in Galatians 5:22-23) as a kind of mental filter for evaluating interactions. “This thing that just occurred: did it create love, joy, peace, longsuffering—you know, all these things? And if there was a glitch somewhere,
I would have to stop and evaluate that . . It helps you zero in when something didn’t quite go the way you wished it would.”
Marriage is a threefold cord
Marriage is a sacred covenant between a husband and wife—and God.
Leaving God out of the equation is a recipe for disaster, while seeking Him together brings blessings. Individual prayer and Bible study are important, but how often do you hear about spouses who study and pray together?
By coming before God as a married unit—sharing their thoughts with Him, asking for His help and guidance—and then taking the time to read and discuss His Word, married couples have the capacity to engage in three-way communication with the Creator of the universe, learning and growing together.
Putting God at the center of your relationship helps positively reframe a lot of potential issues. When there’s conflict—and there will be conflict—it stops being a matter of someone winning or losing an argument and starts being a matter of coming before God together to understand His will.
Married life isn’t a fight if both of you are seeking the answers together. The question is no longer, “Am I right, or are you right?” but, “What does God expect from us or want for us?”
That’s an answer a husband and wife can pursue by cooperating together instead of competing individually.
Submission doesn’t have to be a sore spot
In a modern-day setting, the apostle Paul’s instruction that a wife should submit to her husband (Ephesians 5:22) can come across as an antiquated and even offensive notion. But the four wives I interviewed found comfort and even strength in the way God designed the marriage to work.
Mrs. Horchak got to the heart of the matter, remarking, “If the husband is doing what Christ tells him [to do] in the Bible, I have no problem submitting to him.”
In the same passage where Paul mentions submission, he also charges husbands to “love your
wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (verse 25).
Mr. Horchak remarked, “You can cherry-pick words out of Ephesians 5—and people can sometimes in their own mind make it mean whatever they want it to—but to love your wife as [Jesus] loved the Church, that’s the key . . His example of being willing to give His life . . . it’s a high bar, and yet I don’t think that God would lay that out there as a goal if it wasn’t achievable.”
When a husband isn’t leading with the kind of selfless love that Jesus Christ exemplified, following his lead becomes difficult—or, in some cases, impossible. When a husband is leading with that kind of love, following his lead can become a joyful thing.
Mrs. Kilough explained, “God gave the leadership of a family to the man, but He gave the nurturing and care to the woman.” These different roles are designed to complement each other, not clash. Both of them are hugely important to the success of a marriage—and when done correctly, each should make the other an easier thing to do.
Taking time to reset and build up
But no matter how much work a couple puts into their marriage, there’s very little they can do to keep it from being impacted by external factors—tragedies, crises, emergencies and just the regular wear and tear that comes from what Jesus called “the cares of this world” (Matthew 13:22).
What they can do is equip their marriage to weather those external storms.
Mr. Kilough emphasized that marriage ought to be a sanctuary—a safe place where both husband and wife feel loved, valued and respected. So often it can be easy to behave and speak in a way that begins to transform that treasured sanctuary into a loathsome cage. If your words and actions aren’t building your spouse up, it’s time to consider why—and what needs to change.
The Johnsons realized early in their marriage that even sharing funny stories about each other could become a way of unintentionally tearing each other down. Out of respect for each other, they decided to be cautious about what stories they shared and how they shared them.
One thing that every couple I interviewed made a point of discussing was the need for a reset. When life
gets particularly stressful or demanding, they’ve come to appreciate the value of carving out some time to disconnect from the chaos and reconnect with each other.
“I remember years ago hearing or reading that when a marriage has more negative experiences than positive, that marriage is in danger,” said Mr. Johnson. “And sometimes life just brings you negative experiences. You don’t really have the ability to control that . . . The solution, or at least something to help with that, was to consciously build positive experiences into the marriage relationship.”
What that looks like depends on a whole host of variables. Maybe you can afford to take a two-week all-inclusive international vacation—or maybe all you can manage is to sit down to play a few rounds of cards after the kids are finally in bed. Either way, finding some time to breathe and enjoy each other’s company makes it easier to move on from past challenges and face future ones together.
“You have to understand when [those resets] are necessary,” said Mr. Franks, “because it’s easy to put it off and put it off: ‘Well, everything’s fine, everything’s fine.’ And you don’t really focus on yourselves and time together . . . Sometimes you just need to say, ‘No. It’s important for us to just take some time right now.’”
Solving problems together
During times of disagreement and conflict, it can be tempting, as Mrs. Johnson put it, to “go out and try to find somebody else that you can talk with that’s going to agree with you—to help get him straightened out. And they give you their ideas about how to straighten him out.”
There’s a huge benefit to seeking wise counsel, of course. But just seeking sympathizers doesn’t help. Instead, when we focus on solving problems with our spouse instead of in spite of our spouse, we have the opportunity to grow together.
“I look over our marriage and it always comes back to, yep, we’ve had our highs and lows, but we’re a team ,” said Mrs. Franks. “With everything we’ve gone through, it’s made us closer.”
Adjusting to the stages of life
These couples noted that a marriage won’t look exactly the same for 50 years. You’re growing, your spouse is
growing—and while that’s happening, the environment around you is changing. You might change jobs. You might move across the country—or to a different country altogether! You might have kids.
There won’t always be a clear game plan during each transition.
“Sometimes we just had to muddle our way through,” said Mr. Franks. “You know, you just say, ‘Well, we love
each other and we know it’ll work out, but we don’t know how.’”
Not having a game plan for dealing with every unexpected challenge can even become an opportunity for growth. As Mr. Horchak put it, “Where we come to sometimes is, the very fact that we both acknowledge we don’t have the answers—maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s where God can help
you learn some things that you do need to see—if you’re teachable.”
Mr. Kilough compared the stages of life to raising children. “Your kids keep going through these new phases of life. They’ve never been there, but you’ve never been there either [as a parent]. And you’re trying to figure out this phase, and by the time you get it figured out, they’re onto another phase.”
The same thing can happen in the marriage itself, with both spouses trying to learn in the moment what a new phase of marriage looks like and how it works.
One solution? Seek out the advice of those who have blazed the trail before you. “I think a lot of people have marriage troubles because they don’t think enough about marriage and talk enough about marriage and read enough about marriage,” Mr. Kilough continued. “There are people who’ve been through this before. They’ve written about it. They’ve got some pretty good ideas.”
(One such resource is our booklet God’s Design for Marriage .)
How growing your family changes your marriage
One of the biggest shifts you can experience in a marriage is simultaneously one of the most beautiful and difficult milestones in life:
Having children.
Life changes forever once you step across that line. But while society seems eager to paint marriage in general (and children specifically) as obstacles to a happy life, these couples had a different story to tell.
“I believe we could have had a successful marriage without children,” said Mr. Franks, “but it’s just such a blessing.” He sees his children (and grandchildren!) as a huge part of the “wonderful, wonderful life” God has given him.
“I think that’s what makes our marriage so wonderful too,” added Mrs. Franks. “I think our family has made it whole.”
The Horchaks see their children as part of their identity—they aren’t two people who have a family, but two people who are part of a family.
In planning a trip for their 50th anniversary, Mrs. Kilough realized, “I just want to be with my family.” Mr. Kilough elaborated, “We still enjoy going places
and doing things, but it’s not up there on the list like it used to be. And now it’s—you want to be with your loved ones.”
Letting your marriage define you
When I asked the couples what their lives would be missing if they’d never met their spouses, everyone struggled to find an answer. Over the course of 50 years, these husband-and-wife teams have grown so closely together that I may as well have been asking a bird to imagine life without its wings or a tree to imagine life without its branches.
What they communicated to me was that ultimately their marriage is bigger than either of them. It’s bigger than just their spouse. It’s bigger than the home they live in.
A marriage is, in so many ways, its own entity. The husband is a part of it. The wife is another part of it. So is God. And the point of marriage is for those three strands to become wrapped together into a single unit.
But if we only see ourselves as individuals who happen to be married, we miss the point. Each of us isn’t just an individual element of our marriage—the marriage itself must be part of who we are. It ought to be something that defines us—and more than that, it ought to be something we want defining us. When our spouse is absent, it ought to feel like part of us is absent too.
If that sounds a little familiar, it’s because the real lessons of 204 years of marriage aren’t anything new or revolutionary—but they are precious.
This lesson in particular has spent thousands of years tucked away at the end of the Bible’s second chapter: “‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24).
For 6,000 years, men and women throughout time and across cultures have been trying to crack the code to a good, meaningful, fulfilling marriage, but there hasn’t really been any need for that.
If these lessons from 204 years of marriage show us anything, it’s that the answers have been waiting for us in God’s Word the whole time.
—Jeremy Lallier
How to Know the Real Jesus
Very little is recorded about what Jesus looked like, but we can still know Him.
During art history class in high school, I was exposed to several pieces of artwork attempting to picture Jesus. There was a medieval Jesus, Renaissance Jesus, Baroque Jesus—each a different take on the divine Son of God.
As a Christian, though it might seem counterintuitive to some, I’m not at all interested in artistic speculations about Christ. My objection is twofold: First, the Second Commandment prohibits creating images of God. And second, the Bible simply doesn’t provide enough information about Jesus’ appearance, so all these portraits are inaccurate and unhelpful.
After all, how do you justify picturing Him as a lightskinned, long-haired European when Jesus was Jewish and lived in the Middle East?
The Bible gives us very little detail about what Jesus looked like physically, and as it turns out, God wants it that way.
The
challenge of relating
Knowing what someone looks like seems fundamental to relationships. Our friends and acquaintances are etched in our minds by their faces.
But with Jesus Christ, the One Christians strive to be closest to, that visual element is missing. The apostles, who spent 3½ years walking beside Him during His ministry, could describe what they saw with their eyes, heard with their ears and touched with their hands (1 John 1:1). But for us, and for the vast majority of Christians throughout history, Jesus’ actual face remains a mystery.
This raises an important question: Why would God choose to leave out of His Word a detailed description of His Son?
It’s worth considering why the visual aspect of Jesus, which some assign so much importance to, is something God omitted from the Bible.
Seeing isn’t necessarily believing John 2:24-25 highlights a particular human weakness. At this point in the story, Jesus’ ministry was taking off in a big way. He was preaching with authority, performing miracles and drawing throngs of people who eagerly professed to believe in Him. The excitement about Jesus was palpable.
But we find that “Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (emphasis added throughout).
Enthusiasm is one thing, but genuine belief is another. Jesus knew the weakness of human nature—He knew their “faith” wasn’t rooted in the substance of His message or the force of His character. It was driven by the immediate and visible miracles that He performed.
Their interest in Jesus was limited to what He could prove to them through tangible experiences—things they could see or feel directly.
Jesus knew then, as He knows now, what is in man.
We see a similar pattern in the desire for a photo or image of Jesus. People crave something tangible that can make their belief feel more real, grounded in what they can see and touch.
So, artists create images to make Jesus more concrete, to make worship feel more substantive. But this ends up actually diminishing Him. We can miss the point that God wants us to know Christ in a deeper, more profound way.
As Paul wrote, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NET Bible).
Since we don’t have inspired drawings of Jesus and have not much about His appearance, God must reveal His Son in other ways. There are essentially two vehicles God uses to give this knowledge to us.
Scripture as a window
The first way we learn about Jesus is through Scripture. The four Gospels are more than just a plot point in the arc of God’s plan for humanity—they are a window into the mind and character of Jesus Christ.
It’s through Scripture that we learn Jesus was kind and affectionate, welcoming children into His arms even when His disciples tried to turn them away (Mark 10:1316). It’s through Scripture that we see His deep compassion for the weak and vulnerable. It’s through Scripture that we understand Jesus had a tender heart for those who were misguided and exploited by others, seeing them as “sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36-37).
We can also read about other facets of Jesus Christ— that He valued quiet time, often slipping away for
prayer and reflection (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35); that He relished the company of others (Luke 7:34); that He addressed large crowds but also taught in intimate, personal settings (Mark 4:34; John 4:7-26).
Jesus was all about justice, but He was also full of mercy. He was bold and brave (John 2:15-16), yet gentle and humble (Matthew 11:29). In every respect, Jesus perfectly reflected God the Father.
Now, imagine giving even the world’s most skilled artist the job of capturing this kind of character in a drawing or painting. It quickly becomes clear just how impossible that task would be. The glorious mind and character of Jesus simply can’t be illustrated without misrepresenting or grossly limiting Him.
No, we don’t have images or photos of Jesus, but we have something far better—a more fulfilling way to know Him. We have the record of His personal example.
Learning by doing
The second way God conveys the precious knowledge of His Son is through the Holy Spirit.
In Scripture, different descriptors are associated with God’s Spirit to help us grasp what it can accomplish in a Christian’s life. One of these is “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding” (Isaiah 11:2).
When we look at the Gospel accounts, we see that they’re fundamentally a collection of words . Our responsibility is to connect those words, form concepts, internalize their meanings and let them guide our daily lives.
But here’s the challenge: we’re always tempted to read too much into certain parts or cherry-pick what we want to believe, while ignoring the rest. This means we constantly face the danger of trying to shape Jesus into who we want Him to be, rather than seeing Him as He truly is.
This is where the Spirit of understanding can come to our aid. Learning the profound truths about Jesus Christ is a gradual process, but God, through His Spirit, gives us the discernment we need. He gives us the understanding to help us make the right connections, reach the correct conclusions and piece together a faithful picture of Christ—one that we can strive to reflect.
But the Spirit’s role in helping us know Christ goes even deeper.
The apostle John makes a crucial observation: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments.”
One distinctive feature of the Holy Spirit is its power to help us obey God (Romans 8:4-5), which opens the door to knowing Christ in a much deeper, more intimate way. When we obey God, which was Jesus’ motivation His entire life, we move beyond just having head knowledge about the Son. We start to know Him through experience.
In other words, we learn by doing.
While we can know Jesus to some extent just by reading Scripture, the real learning occurs when we use the Spirit to live out His example in our own lives. This gives us a personal, firsthand understanding of Him—a kind of knowledge that works from the inside out.
For those of us who have God’s Spirit, truly knowing Jesus involves letting His example shape the way we think and act. It’s about seeing Christ’s character growing in our own lives as we follow His lead.
The true knowledge of God
For 2,000 years, most Christians have belonged to a group Jesus singled out as unique: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
Our belief in Jesus isn’t based on superficial artistic interpretations; it’s anchored to the eternal foundation of God’s Word and Spirit.
The ultimate understanding of Christ won’t be realized until the resurrection, when we shed our mortal bodies and finally see our Creator for who He truly is. As John wrote, “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Until that day, His Word and Spirit are more than enough to give us the knowledge of Christ, far surpassing anything an image or photograph could ever convey.
For further insight, see our online article “ Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? ”
—Kendrick Diaz
Is Purgatory Biblical?
Nearly all traditional churches believe that after death, the soul remains conscious and, depending on how that person lived, goes to either heaven or hell.
However, that commonly accepted belief has created a troubling dilemma. What happens to people whose lives were somewhere in the middle?
Will a person who lived a noble life but never accepted Jesus go to hell? What about someone who did profess Jesus but lived a less-than-stellar moral life? Will he or she go to heaven?
The Roman Catholic Church deals with these questions through a doctrine that developed over
The Catholic doctrine of purgatory claims to answer what happens to those who are neither pious nor evil. But is it real? Is purgatory in the Bible?
several centuries. That doctrine derives its name from the Latin word purgare, which means “to purify.” In English, it’s known as purgatory.
But does this not-really-heaven but not-really-hell purgatory resolve the dilemma and purify the soul? Is purgatory biblical?
What is purgatory?
To understand purgatory, we must consider the Catholic view of sin. Catholics believe there are two forms of sin a person can commit: venial sin and mortal sin. Venial sins are defined as minor sins that aren’t bad enough to deserve hell. These would include
character defects or sins that don’t have a major effect on others. For instance, telling a small lie or stealing a pack of chewing gum might be defined as venial sins.
Mortal sins are explained as major sins that are deserving of hell, such as cheating on a spouse or committing murder.
Catholic theologians wrestled with the dilemma of what happens to a person who dies without having experienced what they considered necessary punishment for committing venial sins.
Using primarily human logic, they concluded that there had to be a third destination that was neither as bad as hell nor as blissful as heaven. This became known as purgatory, meaning a place of purging.
Because Catholic theology teaches the need for both forgiveness and penance (works designed to purge the stain of sin and repair one’s relationship with God), purgatory was envisioned as a place where morally imperfect people go after death to have their sins purged through temporary punishment before being admitted into heaven.
How long in purgatory?
Though the Catholic Church doesn’t claim to know how long anyone stays in purgatory, it’s generally believed that it is determined by the number and seriousness of a person’s venial sins. This purging time could range from a few years, to decades or multiple centuries.
A classic Catholic work, My Catholic Faith, explains it this way:
“The greatness and the duration of a soul’s sufferings in purgatory vary according to the gravity of the sins committed. One who has lived a long life of sin, but is saved from hell only by a deathbed repentance, will stay in the purging fires of purgatory longer, and suffer there more intensely than a child, who has committed only the venial sins of an ordinary child” (1958, p. 168).
However, regardless of a person’s assigned sentence in purgatory, Catholic theology provides a mechanism for reducing this duration. An indulgence allows a person’s sentence in purgatory to be shortened.
Catholics believe there are actions the living can take to shorten a loved one’s time in purgatory. For instance,
prayers to Mary or certain saints can be recited on someone’s behalf and will shorten his or her time in purgatory. Many Catholics pray to St. Gertrude, who is believed to have a special influence on releasing souls from purgatory. (To learn more about this practice, read “ Should We Pray to Saints? ”)
History students will recall that the sale of indulgences to release people from purgatory was a key issue that sparked the split between Protestant reformers and the Catholic Church.
What is the belief in purgatory based on?
Though Catholics do try to use certain biblical verses to defend purgatory, some admit that the idea isn’t explicitly revealed in the Bible.
They often cite passages in the apocryphal books, mainly a section of 2 Maccabees in which Judas Maccabeus is described as urging Jews to “pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins” (2 Maccabees 12:46). However, the apocryphal books are not generally accepted as part of the inspired canon by non-Catholics. (To learn more about these writings, read “Apocrypha: Is It Part of the Bible? ”)
The writings of the early Catholic church fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Augustine of Hippo, are usually credited with developing this doctrine. It was later formalized and defined in the Second Council of Lyon (1274), the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438-1445) and the Council of Trent (1545-1563).
An attempt to answer a question
As we examine purgatory from a biblical perspective, we can acknowledge that it attempts to answer a logical question that derives from the popular idea of heaven and hell—what happens to people who are neither fully righteous nor fully evil?
Protestants typically deal with this question in one of three ways:
1. Avoid the question and claim only God knows what happens to people in this category.
2. Take a black-and-white approach, condemning everyone who doesn’t accept Jesus to hell.
3. Take the more lenient approach that God will judge people based on their hearts.
The first key to understanding why these ideas are incorrect is recognizing that the entire notion of going to heaven or hell after death is unbiblical. To learn why, read “Do We Go to Heaven When We Die? ” and “ What Is Hell? ”
The biblical teaching of the resurrection
Though Catholics claim certain biblical passages allude to purgatory, they often admit that it’s really logic and reason that necessitate a place of temporary punishment for those who are neither pious nor evil. However, doctrinal understanding should be firmly grounded in Scripture—not just human reason, logic or tradition.
First, the Bible doesn’t mention the word purgatory or describe any post-death place of temporal punishment. Contrary to what nearly all churches teach, the Bible reveals that we are mortal and that death is a state of unconsciousness. As Solomon wrote, “The dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Throughout the Bible, death is likened to sleep (see, for example, Psalm 13:3; John 11:11, 13; 1 Corinthians 11:30).
All of the dead—the righteous, the less-thanrighteous and the incorrigibly wicked—are unconscious in their graves.
The true hope of all the dead is a future resurrection—when the dead will be “roused from their sleep” (Job 14:12). The resurrection is the Bible’s answer to the dilemma of what happens to those who die in a moral state somewhere between righteous and evil.
The truth of the resurrections
The Bible shows that the righteous will be resurrected at the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
The book of Revelation shows there will be another resurrection, 1,000 years after Christ’s return. The Bible describes the people in this second resurrection as “the dead, small and great” (Revelation 20:12).
These billions upon billions lived their lives, never having been called by God, let alone rejecting His calling. In many ways, they represent the group some would place in purgatory.
After they are restored to physical life, “the books” (of the Bible) will be “opened” to them (verse 12). They will be given the spiritual perception only possible through
God’s calling (John 6:44). “The book of Life” will also be open to them—which represents the opportunity to have access to God’s Spirit and eternal life.
They will be resurrected and given the chance to learn about God, repent and live His way of life, without the deception and influence of Satan. They will be given a physical lifetime to overcome their sins and weaknesses with the help of God’s Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 37:14).
Jesus mentioned that people from the past, such as the queen of Sheba, who was neither a follower of God nor incorrigibly wicked, will be given an opportunity in this resurrection (Matthew 12:42).
Even the people of Sodom, who lived wickedly but were never called by God, will receive an opportunity to repent and change in this resurrection (Matthew 10:15; 11:24). Jesus indicated that these wicked people will repent and demonstrate a faithfulness that will exceed that of many of the religious people of Jesus’ day (Matthew 11:23-24).
You can learn more about the second resurrection in our article “ What Is the Great White Throne Judgment? ”
After this period, the Bible describes a third group— the incorrigibly unrepentant—who will be destroyed in “the second death” and “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). They will experience the ultimate wages of sin—death (Romans 6:23). God’s justice will be decisive and permanent, but not cruel like the idea of eternal torment in hell.
Embrace the biblical hope
Though the idea of purgatory provides people comfort that their deceased loved ones are not doomed to eternity in hell, the reality is that it provides a false hope. No matter how logical it may sound, it’s not in the Bible.
Thankfully, the Bible provides an even greater hope for all people.
You don’t need to fret about your loved ones suffering temporarily in purgatory or permanently in hell. They are sleeping peacefully in their graves, awaiting their time of resurrection.
To learn more about the hope of life after death, download our free booklet The Last Enemy: What Really Happens After Death?
—Erik Jones
Freedoms Canceled
Today’s world faces severe challenges to the cornerstones of democratic and Christian societies—freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Western democracies are imposing an avalanche of legislation and restrictive measures to wrestle with hate speech, disinformation, extremism and public disturbances.
The alarming rise of movements against free speech and the rapid loss of its protection in the West portend a move into one of the most dangerous and intolerant periods in modern history.
A war on free speech
A December 2023 report by the Future of Free Speech, an independent think tank, highlighted worrisome free speech trends in 22 open democracies across the globe from 2015 to 2022. This period encompassed momentous global events, ranging from devastating
terrorist attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, massive protest movements and political campaigns infused with disinformation.
The study found that all but one year witnessed a dramatic surge in laws constricting free speech, with national security, national cohesion and public safety being the most cited reasons.
Endangered freedoms
A strong commitment to free speech and, by extension, religious freedom was once considered a bedrock value of democratic societies.
Now law, culture and technology are dangerously coalescing to establish new standards around several hotbutton issues, especially gender, sex, marriage and the value of human beings at the beginning and end of life. Dissenters from the consensus will increasingly bump up against government coercion and cultural intimidation.
In an age of social media and political sensitivities, core principles of freedom of speech and religion are increasingly under threat. Where could this lead?
Louis Brandeis, a U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1916 to 1939, referred to the First Amendment right to freedom of speech as “the indispensable right.”
While polling shows that most Americans are concerned about free speech heading in the wrong direction, a survey from the Pew Research Center finds that more than half of U.S. adults have now tilted to favoring restrictions on information online as opposed to prioritizing freedom.
As the concept of harm from speech has been broadened, there is a growing intolerance from many who want to muzzle those who disagree with them on certain controversial topics.
Free speech gagged in Canada
In Canada, free speech is increasingly viewed as too dangerous to be allowed.
Freedom of religious expression has been under attack for years by a steady criminalization of speech,
initiated under the guise of promoting equality and combatting hate speech.
Under the proposed Online Harms Act, or Bill C-63, everyday Canadians would have their social media and streaming accounts shut down or shadow banned for creating content that has been rejected by a government-controlled algorithm.
With the stated aim of safeguarding the masses from hate speech, the police would have the authority to search the Internet for hate speech violations and arrest offenders.
Christianity in the crosshairs
Other proposed legislation may be used to eliminate using belief in a religious text as a defense.
If the religious exemption is removed, religious groups will be increasingly marginalized and silenced. Canadian parents, faith leaders and citizens who
provide faith-based guidance or counseling—including sermons or literature using the Bible—that espouse traditional views of marriage and sexuality or critique another religion could be deemed by Canadian courts as violating hate speech laws.
Extremism in the United Kingdom
The shocking radicalism seen on the streets of London following the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel has further fueled a fight against extremism and hate crimes.
“Our democracy and our values of inclusivity and tolerance are under challenge from extremist groups, which are radicalizing our young people and driving greater polarization,” said Michael Gove, a senior cabinet minister at the time who headed the department that produced a new definition of extremism. The new definition includes “intolerance.” In order “to protect democratic values,” groups can be blacklisted for abusive or insulting words.
Such a broad definition can be used against traditional biblical values as society redefines what is considered intolerant.
Protections and punishments
Laws in the U.K. were already moving in this direction with the Online Safety Act 2023, which set out to handle “legal but harmful” content on the Internet.
The wide-ranging law laudably aims to protect people, particularly children, from health care or political disinformation on the Internet, but also creates a new criminal offense of “false communications.” The big social media platforms— Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok— will now be tasked to define and eliminate what is “legal but harmful,” or face fines of up to 10 percent of their annual revenue.
Redefining extremism
Broadening the definition of extremism and banning speech based not only on content but on the reaction of others illustrate a relentless anti-Christian animus. The risk of unfashionable views—like the biblical teachings on sexual ethics—being censored for causing “psychological harm” is chilling.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the head of the Church of England and a member of
the House of Lords, warned that the new extremism definition “not only inadvertently threatens freedom of speech, but also the right to worship and peaceful protest—things that have been hard won and form the fabric of a civilised society.”
Free speech unease and disinformation fears
English-speaking countries have long traditions of free speech, but in parts of Europe, that tradition is far shorter. With religious and secular cultures already colliding, the COVID-19 epidemic lockdowns and then multiple elections with disinformation concerns, European leaders have faced growing threats to and from free speech.
Powerful laws against hatred, offense and insults have been expanding markedly throughout the EU. Bans on pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been drawn up in Germany and France because of hate speech and public order concerns.
A proposed new hate speech law targeting “toxic ideologies” in Ireland could make a person liable for a hate crime, even if unintentional, against any person or group with protected characteristics.
Denmark has reintroduced the crime of blasphemy. And it has amended its laws to restrict the entry of selected religious preachers whose teachings undermine “Danish values.”
Big tech becomes Big Brother
With the 2024 European parliamentary elections, EU officials grew alarmed by what they referred to as “tsunami levels” of disinformation. Foreign interference from Russian and Chinese propaganda operations brought about a flood of misinformation and disinformation. The resulting false narratives and conspiracy theories have been eroding electoral trust.
Already frightened by the rise of the far right across the continent, EU governments have become much more involved in policing speech.
The newest and most widespread law is the European Union’s groundbreaking Digital Services Act (DSA) that went into effect last year. The enactment of the DSA marked a significant shift in the landscape of free speech on the continent.
The law is a sweeping social media regulation that obligates social media companies—under threat of crippling fines—to act as privatized censors, shutting down and deleting anything the EU defines as terrorist content, disinformation or hate speech.
Good intentions, but . . .
Even as Europe has begun to wield this controversial new tech law aimed at creating a safer digital space, there will undoubtedly be unintended consequences and profound implications for freedom of expression, including religious freedom of speech.
Politicians are justifying these across-the-board laws as a way for government officials to hold fair elections and catch online child abusers. However, these same laws might also provide unchecked power to advance progressive projects or target ordinary citizens who embrace biblically based but unpopular views.
It is still unclear exactly who will be the ultimate authority to determine what constitutes the exceptionally broad and ambiguous concepts of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other online harms.
While removing illegal content sounds innocent enough, what constitutes “illegal” or “harmful” content could ultimately be determined by constantly shifting cultural tides, coercive governments or even artificial intelligence algorithms.
Shifting views on freedom
Nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults say religion’s role in American life is shrinking, according to the Pew Research Center, so it is not surprising that faith is more and more being squeezed out of the public square. The moral decline of the West means that our culture increasingly scoops up new and transient virtues, accepting government coercion to hollow out or replace the moral foundations, freedoms and objective truths the Bible provides. Freedom of speech is just one of the time-honored values that ends up discarded.
Freedom of religion is inextricably linked to freedom of speech, but denying these liberties in the name of tolerance is increasingly popular. As the religious character of the West continues to
grow more secular, so do our assumptions about religious freedom.
Premier Christianity reported on a U.K. survey that found a quarter of young people (18-34 years old) “would support banning the Bible if they believed it contained ‘hate speech.’”
The laws that ensured freedom of speech and religion in the English-speaking world have allowed the Church of God to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to nations around the world (Matthew 28:19-20). But the objective truths found in the Word of God are increasingly perceived as unwelcome because they clash with many contemporary beliefs and movements.
A different kind of famine
End-time Bible prophecies reveal a chilling future where, as biblical illiteracy surges and the Israelite-descended nations drift further from God, understanding of sin and repentance found in the Word of God will be judged as misinformation, disinformation or hate speech (Isaiah 59:14-15).
The prophet Amos vividly describes the fruitless search for God’s Word as a “famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).
These scriptures give us only the broad outlines of this situation, but it appears that in a deceived world (Revelation 12:9), the political and legal climate will become exceedingly critical and dismissive of true biblical Christianity. The Church’s task to “cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1) will be very challenging.
Even if a public media proclamation of the good news of Christ’s coming Kingdom gets shut off, silenced or canceled, we are reminded to “not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) and to “seek the Lord while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6).
Learn more about events about to unfold and mankind’s future in our free booklet The Book of Revelation: The Storm Before the Calm . —Neal Hogberg
If you have questions, submit them at
Q: A:When the scripture speaks about the Lord shortening the days for His elect’s sake, what does that really mean?
In Matthew 24 Jesus describes conditions before His return, and one of the things mentioned is that humanity will bring itself to the brink of total destruction. Jesus Christ will intervene just in time to save humanity from itself.
The phrase “for the elect’s sake” in verse 22 refers to those living God’s way of life in the end times. The time of “great tribulation” (verse 21) will be cut short for the sake of God’s faithful people.
Our article “ What Is the Great Tribulation? ” breaks this down. It discusses various aspects of the Great Tribulation—what it is, who is involved and what happens. We encourage you to get your Bible and read through the verses yourself.
You may also be interested in the following resources:
• “Christ Will Shorten the Great Tribulation .”
• “ What Is Jacob’s Trouble in End-Time Prophecy? ”
of some 1,500 years. And yet there is incredible symmetry and unity from Genesis to Revelation!
God has a purpose for allowing misunderstandings to exist. God’s plan for all mankind does not include everyone understanding His plan now, in this current physical life. But in the future the words of life from the Bible will be powerfully encouraging and instructive to everyone who has ever lived.
The materials on our website are designed to guide readers through the Bible and help them understand God’s purpose and plan. If you want to dig deeper into the nature of the God of the Bible, consider taking one of our “Journeys ” through the Bible. The four Journeys in the Journey Starter Pack will help you ask and answer the most important and fundamental questions in life.
When you sign up for a Journey, you’ll receive an email every day with the day’s reading and supplemental resources. But you can complete them at your own pace—faster or slower than we designed.
If you’d like to get a flavor of what’s in store before signing up, see “Knowing God: A Preview.” You’ll find it readable, thought-provoking and a helpful start in addressing some of the difficult questions you’re struggling with.
Q:In the book of Revelation it talks about a woman sitting on a beast having seven heads. Is that beast America?
Why is the Bible so hard to understand?
I’ve read the Bible about five times and still can’t understand why the God of the Bible is the One [we should] devote our life to. Why does God not make things clear for us mortals?
The Bible is the most amazing book in all human history. It was written by about 40 different human authors over a period
A:The beast in Revelation 17 is not America, but a representation of the Roman Empire prophesied to once again be on the scene in the end time. Check out our article “ Revelation 17: Who Is the Scarlet Woman? ” for a thorough explanation of who this beast is and how the woman sitting on it is connected to this worldruling empire.
For more on how America fits into end-time events, see “ Where Is America in Prophecy? ”
Wonders of GOD’S Creation
Way to Use Your Head!
Look, over there! Perched on that jagged cliff edge! What could it be? A cloud with horns? A sentient swarm of cotton balls?
No! It’s a Dall sheep, and it can climb those rocky ledges thanks to its padded cloven hooves. The sheep use this difficult terrain to their advantage when fleeing from hungry predators.
But more impressive than their sure-footed agility is their capacity for headbutting. God gave the Dall sheep a skull built for impressive displays of dominance. When two males go (literally) head-to-head, their brains are protected by a double layer of bone and specialized air sinuses designed to help absorb the impact.
And it’s a good thing too. Two sheep can charge at each other from a distance of up to 80 feet, and the resulting headbutt can be heard up to half a mile away.
Remember, kids—when grown-ups tell you to “use your head,” they probably aren’t talking about the Dall sheep method.
Pictured: Dall sheep ( Ovis dalli dalli )
Photo by James Capo
Text by James Capo and Jeremy Lallier
The Gospels detail Jesus’ raising three people from the dead. What do the first two of these resurrections teach us about Jesus’ character and the future?
Jesus Raises the Dead: The Widow’s Son and Jairus’ Daughter
Walk as He Walked
Throughout His 30-plus years of life, Jesus would have seen many people die. It’s likely that His stepfather Joseph died during Jesus’ young adult years. While He could have intervened or prevented every death, He didn’t.
But as Messiah He did demonstrate His power to raise the dead (Matthew 11:5). The Gospels detail three resurrections Jesus performed.
We will focus on the first two in this article, since both occurred in the earlier portion of His ministry. We’ll cover the third—the resurrection of Lazarus—in a future article.
These resurrections not only show God’s power over the grave but also underscore important elements of Christ’s character and foreshadow what He will do on a much larger scale in the future.
Jesus encounters a funeral at Nain
After healing the centurion’s servant in Capernaum , Jesus traveled about 30 miles south to the small Galilean village of Nain, known today as Nein. This small town was only a short distance southeast of Nazareth, so He had likely visited it before.
By this time, news of His astounding healings and miracles had spread, and He now had a sizable crowd following Him from place to place (Luke 7:11). Not all were committed disciples; many would probably be better described as interested and curious onlookers.
As Jesus and His followers approached Nain, they encountered a funeral procession. Luke described the situation: “Behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her” (verse 12).
Luke is the only writer to record this event. Luke’s Gospel puts a special emphasis on Jesus’ deep concern for those who were often overlooked and ignored.
Widows were, and still are, among the most vulnerable people in society. In addition to losing her only son, this widow had also just lost her protector and provider. She now faced an uncertain future in a society that didn’t have a public safety net for people in her situation.
A window into Jesus’ character
Upon seeing her, Jesus gave her His focused attention. He deeply understood the grief, fear and uncertainty she was feeling. “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her” (verse 13).
Luke’s words open a unique window into Christ’s mind, allowing us to see not just what He did, but how He thought and felt. Compassion is a deep level of mercy and tenderness for others. It’s empathy, genuine concern and a sincere desire to help. Jesus was profoundly sensitive to human suffering.
Compassion is one of God’s core characteristics— highlighted in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 33:19; Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalms 86:15; 145:8; James 5:11). It was a characteristic that Jesus displayed consistently (Matthew 9:16; 14:14; Mark 1:41). He even included it as a central lesson of some of His most famous parables (Luke 10:33; 15:20).
God specifically has deep compassion and concern for the vulnerable—especially widows and orphans (Psalm 68:5). In order to walk as Christ walked, we should show the same concern (James 1:27).
Jesus raises the widow’s son
Upon coming face-to-face with this grieving mother, Jesus gently instructed her, “Do not weep” (Luke 7:13).
Jesus wasn’t scolding her for grieving. He was gently preparing her for what He was going to do. He was about to reverse the cause of her tears.
“Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise’” (verse 14).
Jesus, showing the same authority that the centurion had recognized, commanded the restoration of life. Instantly, the spark of life reentered his limp body— breath was restored, his heart jolted back into action and whatever had caused his death was healed. God enabled him to spring up and speak (verse 15).
Jesus then presented him to his mother, alive and healthy.
Luke does not describe the reunion between this mother and son, but it was undoubtedly a strikingly emotional sight to see.
The news of this miracle spread quickly, even to John the Baptist, causing some to recognize Jesus was a prophet and others to ponder His divine identity (verses 16-20).
Jairus meets Christ
Not long after resurrecting the widow’s son in Nain, Jesus restored life a second time.
After Jesus returned to Galilee from the Gadarenes, a man named Jairus, “a ruler of the synagogue” (Luke 8:41) met Him. Jairus was responsible for the order and structure of Sabbath gatherings in the local synagogue.
But he was also the father of a terminally ill child.
His 12-year-old daughter—his only daughter—was on her deathbed. Instead of staying by her bedside during her final hours, he had torn himself away to seek healing from Jesus. Upon seeing Him, the distraught father “fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house” (verse 41).
All three synoptic Gospels indicate that Jesus did not hesitate but immediately set out for Jairus’ home.
Though it’s not our focus in this article, on the way to Jairus’ home, Jesus encountered a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for 12 years. She didn’t ask for healing but merely touched His garment and was immediately healed (Mark 5:29). We should note the gentleness Jesus showed when speaking to this frightened and nervous woman (verses 33-34).
Jesus had concern for both critical and chronic health situations. His healing allowed this woman to live without the ongoing impacts of this health issue.
Jesus raises Jarius’ daughter
As they continued toward Jairus’ home, they were met by a messenger with the news that the child had died. However, this did not deter Jesus from continuing to the house. He helped Jairus stay hopeful, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (verse 36).
Upon arriving, Jesus took the girl’s parents, as well as Peter, James and John, into the home to find a household in mourning.
He then said, “The child is not dead, but sleeping” (verse 39).
By referring to her as asleep, Jesus was emphasizing that the child was not suffering but was peacefully unconscious. Like all who have died, she was not conscious elsewhere but sleeping the sleep of death.
His primary focus, however, was on the fact that He had the power to wake her up—and would.
After going into the room where the child was, accompanied by her parents and the three disciples, “He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise’” (verse 41).
His gentleness was a striking demonstration of His perfect balance. When needed, Jesus could act with the
boldness of a lion. But, at other times, He could be as gentle as a lamb. Speaking in Aramaic, the child’s first language, Jesus softly told her in essence:
Little girl, it’s time to wake up.
Like the man He had raised a few weeks earlier, the young girl had her life restored instantaneously. “Immediately the girl arose and walked” (verse 42). Both the man and the girl were not only brought back to life but also healed of their sickness and provided an extra jolt of energy to make it unmistakably obvious.
Again, we’re left to imagine the overwhelming emotion and joy of the parents’ reunion with their daughter.
Before leaving, Jesus instructed the parents to give her something to eat (verse 43). Eating would have been powerful evidence she was fully healed, and, after such a traumatic experience, the child needed nourishment. He wasn’t just concerned about restoring her life, but also about her ongoing recovery.
Lessons from these resurrections
These two miracles are among the most inspiring and dramatic of those Jesus performed. They not only display God’s absolute power over the grave but also foreshadow what will occur on a much grander scale after Jesus’ second coming.
In both instances, Jesus transformed situations marked by death, chaos and grief into moments of life, calm and joy. When He returns to earth, Jesus will find a dying, chaotic and traumatized world—and begin the process of transforming it into a peaceful, joyful and life-filled paradise.
That transformation will be marked by the restoration of life —first for His faithful saints and later for “the rest of the dead” (Revelation 20:4-6).
Just as Jesus deeply cared about and showed compassion to the widow’s son and Jairus’ daughter, He will extend the same profound care and compassion to the entire world upon His return.
Though only God can miraculously restore life to the dead, we can emulate the compassion and concern Jesus exhibited in both situations. Genuine compassion and concern for those suffering physically and emotionally are necessary characteristics for anyone striving to . . . Walk as He walked.
—Erik Jones
Lessons From Deacon Brodie
On the corner of Lawnmarket and Bank Street on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is a busy pub bearing the name of an infamous citizen of the Scottish city.
William Brodie came from a respected and honored family. He was named deacon (president) of the Incorporation of Wrights (cabinetmakers), which made him a member of the city council. He mingled with the high and mighty.
A double life
But he lived a double life. By night he was a thief. Using knowledge he acquired professionally and copies of keys he made, he burglarized homes and businesses to support his gambling, his two mistresses (neither of whom knew of the other) and their five children. Eventually, he and his gang of three were caught, and his double life came to light. He was hanged on Oct. 1, 1788, before a crowd of 40,000 people, including his 10-year-old daughter.
Inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
One hundred years later, another citizen of Edinburgh, Robert Louis Stevenson, was intrigued by Brodie’s story of good and evil and wrote a play about him.
Later, Stevenson explored these themes further in his classic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, about a seemingly honorable doctor who periodically, voluntarily and involuntarily, transformed into a psychopathic criminal.
Biblical lessons from Deacon Brodie’s story
As my wife and I lunched in Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, I thought about lessons from his double life. Every human being is beset by the dark side of human nature. The apostle Paul wrote: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Christians wage a constant struggle to resist that evil nature: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
It requires the strength of the Holy Spirit to win this struggle: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:9).
What we sow is what we will reap
This struggle is an obligation not to be ignored. As Moses warned in Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
The apostle Paul also pointed out the cause-andeffect relationship of our deeds: “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
There are many spiritual reminders for us in the double life of Deacon Brodie.
Joel Meeker
