Podcast Episode: 607 Memories on Remembrance Day 2026

Posted on November 10, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Pip: Jim Holbeck writes from Port Macquarie, and this week the calendar handed him a date that carries more weight than most.

Mara: This episode follows one theme — memory, service, and what Remembrance Day means when it lands on a grief that is also, quietly, personal.

Pip: Let’s start with the memories themselves.

607 Memories on Remembrance Day 2026

Pip: Remembrance Day is usually about the collective — the fallen, the nation, the two-minute silence. This post asks what happens when a deeply private loss folds into that public moment of grief.

Mara: The post opens with a church service in 2019, and the weight of the timing is immediate: “When I realised that the Thanksgiving service for the life of my beloved wife was to be held at 11 am on that day in 2019 I asked the celebrant to include something of Remembrance at the beginning of the service.”

Pip: So a memorial for one woman becomes, deliberately, part of a memorial for thousands. That decision — to ask for the Oath of Remembrance at a personal funeral — says something about how seriously service is taken here.

Mara: And the connections to military service run through the whole post. Carole’s uncle was killed by a sniper just days before the Armistice in 1918. A nephew, a Major and medical doctor in the Australian Army, who had recently completed two tours in a dangerous overseas posting was sitting close by.

Pip: There is something quietly striking about that — three generations of service sitting in the same pew, more or less.

Mara: The post also reflects on Carole’s own service, framed explicitly alongside the military kind. She was a teacher, then a Head Teacher and Senior Head Teacher in NSW TAFE colleges, and the post describes her as someone who “always put others before herself” — sending her own teachers to collect awards on her behalf because she felt they had done the real work.

Pip: Which is either extraordinary humility or the most Australian thing ever recorded. Probably both.

Mara: On one occasion the organisers called urgently to insist she attend, because the award was too significant to accept by proxy. The post closes on the question she answered in August 1964 — “Will you marry me?” — and nearly fifty-four years of marriage that followed.

Pip: The final line reaches for something beyond grief: “absent from the body but present with the Lord.” That is not a consolation offered lightly; it is the anchor the whole post builds toward.

Mara: Remembrance, personal and national, as one continuous act of attention to those who gave something of themselves.

Pip: Worth sitting with, especially when the date lines up like that. More from holbeck next time.

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607 Memories on Remembrance Day 2026

Posted on November 10, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

As I sat in church on Remembrance Sunday this year, my mind went back to being in the same church on Remembrance Day at 11am on 11th November 2019 and listening to a short Remembrance Day service.

The service held particular significance for me as it was a Thanksgiving Memorial service for the life of my deeply loved wife Carole who had passed away from cancer days before. When I realised that the service was to be held at 11 am on that day I asked the celebrant to include something of Remembrance at the beginning of the service. The Oath of Remembrance was read as part of the service.

I remember thinking on that day 7 years ago how appropriate it was that the service was being held on Remembrance Day when we remember all those who have served the country in times of war and peace, especially those who had lost their lives in doing so. There was a connection to Carole whose much older uncle had been killed by a sniper while serving in the British Army just days before the Armistice was signed in 1918.

My own father had gone to fight in France and Belgium from 1916 as part of the Australian Army as a signals instructor in Semaphore and Morse Code but had come home physically unscathed. Other relatives had served in the services in Australia during the Second World War.

Sitting near me was a nephew, a Major in the Australian Army as a medical doctor who had recently served in two tours of the most dangerous war zone overseas.  My own contact was being in the Australian Navy as a National Serviceman in 1955 so I had some idea of what service life was like, but only in peacetime.

As I sat there in church feeling so empty having lost the love of my life and my very best friend ever, I felt it was such a good day to remember all my wife Carole had done in serving the community as a teacher in her teaching career as a Phys Ed teacher in Qld and Victoria and as a Head Teacher and Senior Head Teacher in NSW TAFE colleges. Her dedicated and self-giving service, where she always put others before herself, earned her many awards, but she mostly sent some of her teachers to receive the awards on her behalf, believing they had done all the preparation and hard work in her section. However, on one occasion she received an urgent phone call urging her to come to the award ceremony because she was to receive a very major award and the organisers desperately wanted her to be present.

There are many ways we can serve our fellow humans, and Remembrance Day will always bring me memories of those brave men and women who served bravely for their nation. But it will back to me especially memories of a very attractive young woman who in August 1964, bravely said, ” Yes!” to my question,” Will you marry me?” and went on to become the most loving and self-giving person I have ever met. I was blessed to be able to love and to be loved by this most gorgeous creature for almost 54 years. Some memories are very sweet, though touched with a depth of sadness. Praise God that I know she is “absent from the body but present with the Lord.”

Memories on Remembrance Day! Praise the Lord for His provision of individuals who seek to live for others and for Him!

Blog No.607 posted on Tuesday 10 November 2026

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Faithfulness, Mental Health, Mini Reflections, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Tributes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Podcast Episode: 606 VOTING FOR THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS IN THE USA. The quality of the people need

Posted on October 29, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Pip: Jim Holbeck writes from Australia about American midterm elections, which is either eccentric or the most honest admission in political commentary — that what happens there lands everywhere else eventually.

Mara: That's exactly the premise. Today we're looking at a post that asks what kind of people should hold power, drawing on a surprisingly old source for the answer. Let's start with the case for ancient hiring criteria in modern elections.

Governing Well: What Leaders Actually Owe the People

Pip: The post opens with a genuinely interesting tension — an Australian writer weighing in on American midterms, not out of nostalgia or partisanship, but because he sees the two countries as linked. What happens in Washington tends to arrive in Canberra a few years later. So the question becomes: what standard do we use to judge candidates at all?

Mara: The post turns to the New Testament for that standard — specifically Titus chapter one, verses five through eight. The setup is that elected representatives, like church elders, hold a duty of care. Here's the direct framing: "It could be said that those elected to the House of Representatives or to the Senate in both the USA and Australia also have a duty of care for those who elected them to their high office."

Pip: So the argument isn't that politicians should be clergy — it's that the underlying job description rhymes. Someone entrusted with authority over others shouldn't be self-serving, and that principle doesn't expire.

Mara: Right, and the Titus passage gets specific. The qualities listed for overseers include being above reproach, self-controlled, upright, and hospitable. The disqualifiers are equally concrete — arrogant, quick-tempered, violent, or greedy for gain. The Greek terms are unpacked in the post: "episkopos," an overseer charged with seeing that things are done rightly, and "oikonomos," a steward or manager acting on behalf of another.

Pip: A steward acting on behalf of another — that's the part that stings a little when you hold it up to most campaign rhetoric.

Mara: The post lands on a broader point: in a world of competing ideologies, the qualities that make someone fit to lead are not ideologically neutral. The closing line is direct — "We hope and pray that those types of people will come to power in every nation, that those nations might know His blessing in the present and for the days ahead."

Pip: Ancient criteria, current ballot. The question of who deserves the job hasn't changed much.

Mara: What stays with me is the duty-of-care framing — that power is stewardship, not ownership.

Pip: A short list of virtues, a longer list of disqualifiers. Probably worth keeping somewhere visible. More from holbeck next time.

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606 VOTING FOR THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS IN THE USA. The quality of the people needed to govern in any country.

Posted on October 29, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

It may seem strange that an Australian living in Australia would have an opinion on who should represent the American people in the forthcoming midterm elections. But not so strange when one realises that whatever happens in the USA, the same is reproduced in Australia a few years later [or sooner.]

If those elected in the USA have the wrong values and attitudes, the fabric of American society will be shaken. Likewise, when elections are held in Australia, many will want to see the same decisions already decided upon in the USA to be adopted here. So in order to prevent any bad things  happening, we need to look at what sort of people should be elected in the positions of leadership in both countries and hope that such people are elected.

WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE SHOULD BE ELECTED?

There has to be some sort of objective standard to judge the people to be elected, or else there could be chaos. One such objective standard is that found in the New Testament where the qualities of people to be elected as elders/overseers are outlined. They are in positions of authority, having the duty to care for those under their charge.

It could be said that those elected to the House of Representatives or to the Senate in both the USA and Australia also have a duty of care for those who elected them to their high office. They must be seeking the best interests of those electors and not be motivated by ambition or greed for riches in their time in office. Let’s look then at the qualities needed for elders or overseers in Titus Chapter 1 Verses 5 To 8.

THE QUALITIES NEEDED FOR ELDERS OR OVERSEERS.

  • Elders [πρεσβύτερος, presbyteros]  a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian “presbyter”: — elder(-est), old.
  • Overseers. [ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos]  a superintendent, bishop, overseer.

THE TEXT OF TITUS 1:5-8 [IN BOLD ITALICS]

Titus 1:5  This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—

Titus 1:6  if anyone is:-

  • above reproach. [ἀνέγκλητος, anegklētos] irreproachable: — blameless. Not a known law-breaker.

of one wife, faithful in their marriage

and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. Showing strong but loving discipline.

Titus 1:7  For an overseer, [ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos; an overseer a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent, the superintendent, elder, or overseer of a Christian church.]

as God’s steward. [οἰκονόμος oikonomos]  a house-distributor (i.e. manager), or overseer, i.e. an employee in that capacity; by extension, a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively, a preacher (of the Gospel): — chamberlain, governor, steward.  must be :-

  • above reproach. [ἀνέγκλητος, anegklētos] irreproachable: — blameless.

He must not be:–

  • arrogant .[αὐθάδης authadēs] self-pleasing, i.e. arrogant: — self-willed.
  • quick-tempered. [ὀργίλος orgilos;]  soon angry.
  • Drunkard. [πάροινος paroinos] staying near wine, given to wine.
  • Violent. [πλήκτης plēktēs;]  a smiter, pugnacious (quarrelsome): — striker.
  • greedy for gain. [αἰσχροκερδής aischrokerdēs] sordid: — given to (greedy of) filthy lucre.

Titus 1:8  but must be:-

  • hospitable. [φιλόξενος philoxenos;]   fond of guests, i.e. hospitable: — given to (lover of, use) hospitality.
  • lover of good. [φιλάγαθος philagathos]  fond to good, i.e. a promoter of virtue: — love of good people.
  • self-controlled. [σώφρων sōphrōn]  safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion): — discreet, sober, temperate.
  • upright. [δίκαιος dikaios]  equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): — just, meet, righteous.
  • Holy. [ὅσιος hosios]  hallowed (pious, sacred, sure, holy. Set apart from evil.
  • disciplined. [ἐγκρατής egkratēs]  strong in a thing (masterful), i.e. (figuratively and reflexively) self-controlled (in appetite, etc.): — temperate.
  • hold firm [ἀντέχομαι antechomai]   to hold oneself opposite to, i.e. (by implication) adhere to; by extension to care for: — hold fast, hold to, support.
  • to the trustworthy word as taught, because God’s word is the written truth.
  • so that he may be able to give instruction i[παρακαλέω parakaleō] to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): — beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort(-ation), intreat, sound doctrine.
  • to rebuke. [ἐλέγχω elegchō]   to confute, admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke.

those who contradict it. [Rebellion against the will of God declared in the scriptures, is rebellion against Him and forfeits His guidance and blessing]

In a world where many ideologies exist which have widely differing values, it is essential that the people elected to positions of power have the values and ideas which will prosper their nation and not lead to its decline or destruction. God has shown the qualities of the people He entrusts to lead and care for His church. Such values are needed in those whom He allows in His divine providence to be in positions of power [with a duty of care] among the nations.

We hope and pray that those types of people will come to power in every nation, that those nations might know His blessing in the present and for the days ahead!

Blog No.606 posted on Thursday 29 October 2026.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Faithfulness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, Politics, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Podcast Episode: 605. The Good News and the Bad News in the Gospel Message. John 3 verse 16 and

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Pip: Jim Holbeck has a way of reading a beloved verse and then quietly pointing out the part everyone skipped.

Mara: That's exactly what's happening in this episode. The post works through John 3:16 and a string of related passages to show that the gospel message carries both a promise and a warning — good news and bad news, traveling together.

Pip: Let's start with that pairing and what it actually means for how we read these texts.

The Gospel's Double Edge: Good News and Bad News Together

Pip: The segment opens a real tension — John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse in the New Testament, and most of us land on the promise. But the post argues the warning is equally load-bearing.

Mara: The setup is precise: "We love to see the promise that when humans believe in Jesus Christ, they gain eternal life. What comforting words for those struggling with guilt and a poor self-image."

Pip: That comfort is real — but the post doesn't let it sit alone. The word translated "perish" appears more than ninety times in Scripture, and the post flags its meaning directly: "to destroy utterly; to kill, to bring to nought, make void." That's not a footnote word.

Mara: Right, and the post then walks through verse after verse where the same structure repeats — a promise on one side, a consequence on the other. John 3:17-18 is one of the clearest: belief means no condemnation; disbelief means condemnation already in effect.

Pip: The tense on that is striking. Not future condemnation — present.

Mara: John 3:36 makes the same move: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." Again, the wrath is described as already resting there, lifted only by faith.

Pip: So the gospel isn't just an offer — it's a diagnosis followed by a cure.

Mara: That framing carries through Romans as well. Romans 8:1 supplies the relief: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And Romans 5:18 traces the problem back to Adam — one trespass, condemnation for all; one act of righteousness, justification for all who trust in it.

Pip: The post also moves into the apostolic preaching — Paul at Lystra, Paul at the Areopagus in Athens, Paul before King Agrippa. Each time, the pattern holds: the good news is announced, and the bad news frames why it matters.

Mara: The Athens speech is particularly direct. Acts 17:30-31 has Paul telling the crowd that God "commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness." The good news of Jesus arrives alongside a deadline.

Pip: And the Agrippa passage captures the whole arc in one phrase — turning "from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God." The before and after are both named.

Mara: The post closes by holding both sides together: those who trust in Christ receive forgiveness and eternal life; those who do not remain, in the post's language, "destined to life apart from His presence and love." The gospel message, read whole, carries both.

Pip: Reading a familiar verse all the way to its edge — that's the move this episode kept making.

Mara: The promise and the warning aren't in tension; they're the same sentence. That's worth sitting with.

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605. The Good News and the Bad News in the Gospel Message. John 3 verse 16 and other verses. 

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Sometimes we fail to see the full meaning of the gospel message, such as that in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We love to see the promise that when humans believe in Jesus Christ, they gain eternal life. What comforting words for those struggling with guilt and a poor self-image.

But the verse also contains the words, “should not perish.” They imply that if humans do not believe in Christ, they will perish. That means that trusting in Christ is vitally important for one’s future as a human. The word for”perish” [ἀπόλλυμι, apollymi] is used more than 90 times in the Bible so it not to be ignored as we study the Scriptures. It means “to destroy utterly; to kill, to bring to nought, make void.” What then are some other verses which contain both good news and bad news in the same or adjoining verses. Here a few examples with the good news printed normally and the bad news printed in italics. 

 John 3:17-18,   For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 8  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

That appears to mean that humans are condemned until they put their trust in Jesus. Praise God that as soon as they trust Jesus, they are no longer condemned. 

When people believe in Jesus they are said to be “in Christ.” And St Paul declares this truth, Romans 8:1  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

John 3:36  “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” This appears to mean that people are already under the wrath of God and will remain so until they put  their trust in Christ. From the moment they believe, they are no longer under condemnation but have eternal life. 

John 5:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Those who hear the gospel message about Jesus and believe in Him pass from spiritual death and will not be judged. 

John 12:47-48,   “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48  The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” The purpose of Jesus’ first coming into the world was to bring salvation to humans, not to judge them. However, if they reject His words and fail to act on them, His words will be their judge on the last day. 

Mark 16:16  “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” It is the belief leading to baptism that brings salvation. However, those who refuse to believe will be condemned. 

Mat 25:40  “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”  In this parable Jesus contrasted those who failed to render assistance to fellow humans with those who did so. Their attitudes would be the same as their attitude to Him as their King. At the final judgment when the good were separated to the right, the evil would be separated to the left and as verse 41 puts it, “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Romans 2:6-9,  “He will render to each one according to his works: 7  to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life;  but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.   There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.” Those who do good in God’s sight are rewarded with eternal life. However, those who do evil, described as being self-seeking, not obeying the truth, obeying unrighteousness, will face God’s wrath and fury. 

Rom 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Again, this verse seems to imply that humans are under the wrath of God but Jesus has made it possible for them to be saved from His wrath. That is by trusting in His death by the shedding of His blood on the cross. That trust in His blood makes us justified in the sight of God meaning He declares us “Not Guilty.”

Rom 5:18  “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.“  The fall of humankind through Adam led to all humans being seen as sinful creatures in the sight of God for we all follow Adam’s pattern of rejecting God and failing to do all He requires of us. That means we are condemned by God. But God is gracious and merciful and has done something to make us righteous and no longer condemned. The one act of righteousness is a reference to what Christ accomplished by His life, death and resurrection when He died on the cross to pay the penalty for all human sin.  When we trust in His atoning sacrifice, God declares us righteous in His sight and this frees us from all condemnation. 

Rom 5:19  “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. “ This refers to Christ’s perfect life and death, and as we trust in Him for salvation, we are made right with God. 

2 Thessalonians  1:7 -10  “.. and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 9  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10  when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ” 

This describes the second coming of the Lord when He comes to judge the world. The saints [those believing in Jesus] are to be glorified whilst unbelievers will face eternal destruction in His absence. 

1 Peter 4:17-18,  “ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18  And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” The righteous [those trusting in Christ, obeying the gospel] are saved only by the mercy and grace of God through His provision of salvation through Jesus’ death. Those who reject His mercy and grace in Christ will face His judgment. 

Heb 9:27 -28,  “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. “

 Judgment awaits all humans but those trusting in Christ will be saved from condemnation. 

So it is true to say that the Bible often presents salvation and judgment as being associated in the same biblical passages. God has done something about the human predicament. Humans who fail to trust in Christ are destined to life apart from His presence and love in the future. But those who choose to believe in Him are guaranteed that they will be forgiven, receive eternal life and given places in His kingdom. 

We see in the apostolic preaching that St Paul preached both the good news and the bad news even to his Gentile hearers. 

Paul and Barnabas when they came to Lystra healed a man who was lame from birth. There was a response, Acts 14:13-15,  “And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 5  “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” He called their previous worship “these vain things“and added that they had received mercy from God in satisfying their material needs and now He wanted them to worship Him rather than to continue to “walk in their own ways.”

Acts 14:16  “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17  Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” His goodness to them should motivate them to walk in His ways and no longer in their own ways.

Paul addressed the Areopagus in Athens and proclaimed the purpose of God that all humans should seek and find God, Acts 17:26-27,   “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27  that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” But he followed that with a warning, Acts 17:30-31,   “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” They could no longer walk in ignorance but needed to repent and follow Jesus who would be the judge of the whole world. 

St Paul, brought before King Agrippa, spoke of his conversion and appointment to preach the gospel to his fellow Jews and to the Gentiles, Acts 26:15 -18,  “And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 18, “delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” King Agrippa was being told that unbelievers were in darkness and under the power of Satan, but those who believed received forgiveness and were set apart for God. 

The good news was that God had made it possible for even the Gentiles, whom God saw as being in darkness and under the power of Satan, to be forgiven and to belong to Him. How? By opening their eyes and enabling them to “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” 

What a blessing it is for humans to know that though they have lived in darkness and under Satan’s control, they can be forgiven, received into the family of God, and be blessed with eternal life. This is due to the grace of our gracious God and enables us to walk in the ways of the Lord, to live fulfilling lives and to glorify Him in lives lived for His glory. 

Blog No.605 posted on Monday 05 October 2026. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Beginnings, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Podcast Episode: 603 Why Are Some People Not Healed When They Have Received Prayer For Healing? 

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Pip: If you've ever prayed hard for someone's healing and watched it not work, you probably didn't need a theology degree to feel the weight of that question — you just needed to survive it.

Mara: Today we're working through a post from Jim Holbeck that takes that question seriously: why are some people not healed after faithful prayer? It's honest, it's personal, and it draws on a wide range of scripture to hold the tension without collapsing it.

Pip: Let's start with what the Bible actually says — and what it doesn't.

Why Prayer for Healing Doesn't Always Look Like We Expect

Mara: The post opens with some of the most cited promises in healing ministry — Mark 11:24, James 5:15, 1 John 5:14 — and the honest admission that even people who acted on those promises with real faith sometimes received little healing, while others with apparently little faith were greatly blessed.

Pip: That asymmetry is the whole problem, isn't it. The promises are clear on the page. The outcomes are not.

Mara: And the post doesn't paper over it. It describes years of healing ministry, seminars on barriers to healing, and then this: "Sometimes it seemed that many who had recognised and, by God's grace, removed the barriers to healing, remained not fully healed."

Pip: Which is a remarkably honest thing to write when you've built a ministry around those promises.

Mara: It gets more personal. The post describes praying for Carole, his wife, through thyroid cancer, then breast cancer, then uterine cancer — joined by many others in prayer. The cancer spread. Doctors gave her three days. On the third day, leaving the hospital, he prayed over her and said, "Carole, if you want to go home to Jesus I will be ok. I love you." She passed two hours after he got home.

Pip: That's not a theological abstraction. That's the question with a name on it.

Mara: And the answer he arrived at was grounded in 2 Corinthians 5:8 — "Absent from the body. Present with the Lord." He writes that death and passing into the presence of Jesus is the ultimate healing.

Pip: Which reframes the whole framework — healing isn't absent, it's just not always the kind we were expecting in the room.

Mara: The post then works through six biblical reasons why healing may not occur as expected. God's sovereign purpose — Paul's thorn in the flesh, God answering "my grace is sufficient." Delayed healing tied to the resurrection. Sin as sometimes a factor, though never a blanket explanation. Unbelief, carefully handled so it isn't used to blame the unhealed. Suffering as a path to maturity. And God's answer simply being no rather than not yet.

Pip: The list is careful not to let any single reason become a weapon.

Mara: Exactly. The post is explicit: "Scripture does not teach that lack of healing automatically means a person has insufficient faith." It maps God's possible answers as yes — immediate, yes — gradual, wait, no with grace to endure, and ultimate healing through resurrection.

Mara: The closing turn is Job — recognising God's omnipotence while admitting his own understanding was insufficient. The post lands on Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Pip: Which is less a theological resolution than a posture. You don't get the answer. You get a way to stand when the answer doesn't come.

Mara: And for those who've prayed and felt let down, the post reframes the problem: our expectations may be at fault, not God's faithfulness. His expectations are based on his character, his will, his purposes — and those remain beyond full human comprehension.

Pip: Heavy territory. But handled with the kind of care that only comes from having actually lived inside the question.

Mara: The through-line here is holding two things at once — pray expectantly, submit humbly — without letting either one cancel the other.

Pip: Which is harder than it sounds, and probably why the question keeps coming back.

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Podcast Episode: 604 CAN HUMANS EXERCISE SELF-CONTROL?

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Pip: If you've ever watched parliament on television and thought "someone really needs to get a grip," you are, it turns out, asking a theological question.

Mara: Jim Holbeck takes that question seriously in this episode's territory — whether self-control is something humans can actually achieve, and what the New Testament says about how it works. Let's start with the case he builds.

Can Humans Exercise Self-Control?

Mara: The post opens with the world as evidence — government spending spiraling, political discourse coarsening, domestic violence shattering families — and asks whether self-control is even available to people living inside those pressures.

Pip: The answer hinges on a passage from Galatians. The setup is Paul's list of what the Spirit produces in a believer: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Mara: So self-control, in this framing, is not a willpower achievement. It is a fruit — something that grows from being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not something mustered independently.

Pip: That reframe matters practically. The post argues that Satan, named by Jesus in John's gospel as "the ruler of this world," can feed thoughts into human minds. The battleground is internal, and the weapon is what Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 10 as taking "every thought captive to obey Christ."

Mara: What that looks like moment to moment is a choice architecture. Each moment presents a decision, and a bad choice opens a path toward further bad choices. The post puts it plainly: "the right choice leaves us with many options."

Pip: The post also drills into the Greek. Two words carry the concept in the New Testament: enkrateia, meaning inner mastery over desires and impulses, and sophron, meaning sound thinking that leads to disciplined behavior.

Mara: The distinction is worth holding. Enkrateia is about governing what you want. Sophron is about thinking clearly enough that behavior follows. Both appear across Paul's letters and the Pastoral Epistles — Titus alone uses the sophron family four times, covering older men, younger women, younger men, and church overseers.

Pip: So the vision isn't individual heroics. It's a community where, as the post imagines it, "the behaviour and speech of all people were characterised by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

Mara: The transformation runs through Romans 12 — presenting oneself to God and being renewed in mind — and culminates in 2 Corinthians 3, where ongoing change by the Spirit moves a person "from one degree of glory to another."

Pip: The thread running through all of this is that self-control isn't a personal achievement — it's a posture of surrender.

Mara: And that's a question worth sitting with well past this episode.

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604 CAN HUMANS EXERCISE SELF-CONTROL?

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

It seems in many ways that the world is out of control. When one looks at the nations of the world, one is tempted to think that they have lost control of their expenditure so that living standards are deteriorating. Watching parliament on television gives the impression that some politicians have lost control of their senses and of the comments they make against other politicians in the parliament.

Or we could look at situations where domestic violence and sexual violence have led to shattered lives. We might ask “Why can’t people control their emotions and their temper?”

WE need to get control of our thoughts for the ruler over this world, Satan, the devil, or the accuser, is called as such by Jesus in John’s gospel, Jhn 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. Jhn 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.  (Jhn 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. He can feed thoughts into our minds, which affect our relationships and our behaviour.

Humans who were once under the control of Satan in the darkness of ignorance, sin, and evil can be delivered from that darkness. Colossians 1:13-14: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Being in His kingdom by the grace of God we begin to have the mind of Christ and become aware of spiritual realities and of truth. 1Co 2:15-16, The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Most people in the world long to see people act with self-control. But how can it be attained?

The Bible indicates one sure way humans can exercise self-control. It is by being filled with the Holy Spirit of God where self-control is part of the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” That comes by receiving Christ into one’s life as Saviour and Lord and asking Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit. It means allowing the Lord to take control of our lives as we surrender them to Him so that our behaviour and whatever comes out of our mouths is controlled by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and thus is pleasing to Him.

In practice, that means taking every thought captive to Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Life is made up of moments and in those moments we make choices for which we are responsible. A bad choice may lead to a series of bad choices and eventual disaster, whereas the right choice leaves us with many options. It is in those moments that we can surrender our thoughts to the Lord and allow Him to influence our decisions which will be consistent with the other parts of the fruit of the Spirit.

Imagine a community where the behaviour and speech of all people were characterised by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Self-control, enabling people to take their thoughts captive to obey Christ, who can break the power of adulterous, murderous and destructive thoughts and replace them with love, patience, and forgiveness for hurts they perceive they have received.

Humans can have victory over sin and evil as St. Paul wrote in 1Co 15:56-57, The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That comes from presenting all we are to God to allow Him to change us by renewing our minds. Rom 12:1 -2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The renewed mind does not act independently of God but takes thoughts captive to Christ who can modify them to become those that are indeed “good and acceptable and perfect.”

This transformation by the renewing of our minds enables us to conform more and more to the image of God so that we begin to see things more from His perspective rather than our own. That will affect how we think about situations and about people, and His Spirit imparts to us the self-control we need to think, speak and behave wisely. As St Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Ongoing transformation by the Holy Spirit enables us to more fully have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16, and exercise the selfcontrol that the Lord wants to show in all the difficulties and uncertainties of today’s world.

In the study below we will note that 2 words are used in the Greek New Testament to describe self control. They are: enkrateia, ἐγκράτεια meaning “I have mastery over myself.” The other is sophron, σώφρων meaning I think clearly and wisely, and therefore live in a disciplined way.”

For those who are interested in knowing more about self-control [and hopefully living it], I have included below the words used for “self-control” in the New Testament.

SELF CONTROL IN THE BIBLE

There are two main Greek words associated with “self-control” in the New Testament, with a few related words.

They are ἐγκράτεια [enkrateia] and σώφρων [sophron] and their cognates.

THE DISTINCTION

• ἐγκράτεια (enkrateia) Self-control and mastery. Controlling desires and impulses.

• σώφρων (sōphrōn) Self-controlled, being sensible. Sound thinking leading to disciplined behaviour

A HELPFUL SUMMARY IS:

• ἐγκράτεια = “I have mastery over myself.”

• σώφρων = “I think clearly and wisely, and therefore live in a disciplined way.”

THE FIRST WORD. [The G stands for the Greek number in Strong’s Concordance.]

1]. ἐγκράτεια — enkrateia (Strong’s No. G1466)

• Meaning: self-control, mastery over one’s desires, disciplined restraint.

• It comes from ἐν (en) = “in” + κράτος (kratos) = “strength/power.” The basic idea is having strength over oneself.

It occurs in:

  • Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.”
  • Galatians 5:23 —ἐγκράτεια (enkrateia). Paul presents self-control not merely as human willpower, but as something produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer. Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit. • gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
  • 2 Peter 1:6 — 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

• Key thought: inner mastery—being able to govern one’s desires and impulses.

G1467. ἐγκρατεύομαι [egkrateuomai] to exercise self-restraint (in diet and charity): — can(-not) contain, be temperate.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:9. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.
  • 1 Corinthians 9:25. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.
  • Titus 1:7-8. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled σώφρων [sōphrōn], upright, holy, and disciplined. ἐγκρατεύομαι [egkrateuomai]

THE SECOND WORD.

The other word with its cognates are:

2]. σωφρων (sōphrōn) — Strong’s No. G4998. Key thought: a sound, disciplined mind that governs behaviour wisely.

Comes from the base of σώζω (sózó) — To save, to rescue, to heal and that of σώφρήνphrén) — Mind, understanding. Meaning: safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled, discreet, sober, temperate. Self-controlled and sensible. Sound thinking leading to disciplined behaviour.

Related forms include:

G4998. σωφρονέω (sōphroneō) — to be self-controlled, think sensibly.

Titus 1:8. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

  • Titus 2:2 —Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
  • Titus 2:5 — younger women are to be self-controlled. to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
  • Titus 2:6 —Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
  • 1 Timothy 3:2 —Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
  • 2 Timothy 1:7 — God gives a spirit of “power and love and self-control” ( often translated “sound mind” or “self-discipline”). For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

• Key thought: a sound, disciplined mind that governs behaviour wisely.

6 occurrences of G4993 σωφρονέω.

  • Mark 5:15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
  • Luke 8:35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
  • Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
  • Titus 2:6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
  • 1 Peter 4:7) The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

1 occurrence of G4994 σωφρονίζω

  • Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

1 occurrence of G4996 σωφρόνως

  • Titus 2:12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

3 occurrences of G4997 σωφροσύνη

  • Acts 26:25 (But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I m speaking true and rational words.
  • 1 Timothy 2:9 (likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
  • 1 Timothy 2:15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control,

Blog No.604 posted on Wednesday 23 September 2026

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603 Why Are Some People Not Healed When They Have Received Prayer For Healing? 

Posted on September 16, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

1]. Many people involved in Healing Ministries take the Word of God seriously and base their ministries on the promises in His word. Such promises as these. 

(Mark 11:24  We can ask, believing that God has provided the answer, to be released in His time. .So I tell you, whatever you ask [present tense] for in prayer, believe [present tense] that you have received it, [aorist past tense]  and it will be yours [future tense.].

(1Jn 5:14-15. We pray. He hears. We have. If we ask [present tense] anything according to his will, he hears [present tense] us. And if we know that he hears [present tense] us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained [present tense] the requests made [perfect tense] of him.

James 5:15  The prayer of faith [offered in faith or based on faith] will save or heal the sick.] And the prayer offered in faith [literally the prayer of faith] will make  [future] the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up [future tense] . If they have sinned, they will be forgiven [future tense.]

1 John 5:14 -15, We ask. He hears. We have. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

These are very powerful promises because they originate from the mind of God Himself. I myself quoted them frequently during my ministry of healing in an attempt to raise expectancy in the minds of those to whom I was ministering. There was no doubt that many who received and acted on those promises received a large degree of healing. But not all. Surprisingly some who seemed to have great faith received little healing while those with apparently little faith were greatly blessed. 

My answer was to do seminars on Barriers to Healing looking at what the Bible taught as constituting barriers. See link here https://jimholbeck.blog/2022/09/29/432-learning-to-recognise-and-remove-barriers-to-healing-core-1-topic-4/

However sometimes it seemed that many who had recognised and, by God’s grace, removed the barriers to healing, remained not fully healed.

That was the case with my beloved wife Carole who recovered marvellously from thyroid cancer, then breast cancer and later became ill with uterine cancer. Many people joined me in praying for Carole that the Lord would heal her of this disease. However the cancer spread and the doctors eventually told me she had only 3 days to live. On the third day she was totally unresponsive, so as I left to go home I prayed over her and added “Carole, if you want to go home to Jesus I will be ok.  I love you!” Then as I walked out of the room I looked back to see if she had begun to sit up, healed, which I believed could happen.  But there was no change.  Just two hours after I arrived home I got the news that Carole had passed away or as I understood,  had gone home to the Lord. Into my mind immediately came the words from 2 Corinthians 5:8, “Absent from the body. Present with the Lord.” Carole had been healed, with the ultimate healing, at home with the Lord, in bliss, free from pain and disease. 

I understood afresh that death and passing into the presence of Jesus IS THE ULTIMATE HEALING. To know that brought some relief to the immediate grief I felt. 

2].  DOES THE BIBLE GIVE ANY CLUES AS TO WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT HEALED?
The Bible does indicate several reasons why some people are not healed when prayer is offered. Scripture does not teach that lack of healing automatically means a person has insufficient faith.Here are some Biblical reasons to consider:-
i]. God’s sovereign purpose. Sometimes God chooses not to remove a problem, even when a faithful person prays. Paul prayed three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed, but God answered: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9).So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  God in His goodness gave St Paul an answer to his ongoing troubles. It was to enable him to call upon His grace to cope thus building up his reliance on the Lord. 
Timothy also appears to have had continuing stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23). (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) Good practical advice which is always needed in life. 

It’s a reminder to us that none of us perfectly ascertains the fullness of God’s purposes,  for as Isaiah wrote, in Isaiah 55:8,  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
None of us will ever be able to comprehend the fulness of God’s purposes in His world. His ways of accomplishing His purposes may be totally at odds with the way we expected Him to work. His wisdom is perfect. Ours can never be on the same level as His. Humility demands our conviction that He knows best even when it seems that He is uncaring. He isn’t, for He is working His plans out through human lives.

ii]. Healing may be delayed. Scripture teaches that our ultimate healing is connected with the resurrection.Romans 8:23 speaks of believers “waiting eagerly for our adoption… the redemption of our bodies.” Rom 8:23  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Revelation 21:3-4 points to the final removal of sickness, suffering and death. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Even the most spectacular healings are only temporary because we will all die. Our ultimate healing takes place through our death or in the resurrection at Christ’s return.

iii]. Sin can sometimes be involved. James 5:15–16 connects prayer for healing with confession of sin. Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Confessing our sins to others instead of hiding them brings healing. “Confess” is homologeo, meaning “saying the same” about our sins as God has already declared. It is bringing them to the light to be forgiven rather than trying to hide or deny them.

Jesus sometimes connected illness with sin, but not every illness is caused by personal sin. Jesus explicitly rejected that assumption in John 9:1–3.  As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2  And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. The healing of his blindness in the purposes of God demonstrated God’s healing power.

 iv. Unbelief or lack of faith can sometimes affect healing. Jesus occasionally identified unbelief as a reason healing did not occur (Matthew 13:57-58; And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his hometown and in his own household.”58  And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:5–6). And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Jesus was perfect in His ministry and preaching but many hardened their hearts against his message and were not able to receive the blessings he was offering.
However, this factor of unbelief should never be used to blame every sick person who remains unhealed. Even Paul, Timothy and others who clearly had faith experienced continuing difficulties.

v]. God may have a different purpose. God can use suffering to produce perseverance, character and spiritual maturity Romans 3:3-5, What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4  By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” 5  But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
1Tim 5:23  (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)
James 1:2–4). Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
God may allow difficulties in our lives to bring us to a greater endurance so that we realise our needs are all met in Him. Paul’s continuing weakness became an opportunity for him to experience Christ’s strength. 2 Corinthians 12:10). For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Our strength becomes stronger as we discover He is our strength as we turn to Him for help.

vi]. God’s answer may be “no” rather than “not yet.” Jesus Himself asked His Father to spare Him from the trials He was about to suffer as He was about to bear the sins of the world. Mark 14:36  And he said . Yet not what I will, but what you will.” However, His purpose in coming into the world was precisely to die for the sins of the human race. His commitment to do the Father’s will was seen in  His prayer, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” He was applying the same truth He had taught in the prayer He taught His disciples to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“Perhaps the prayer we should pray in every situation is “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” In that way we fit in more with God’s purposes rather than wanting our own will to be done. Prayer is therefore not a means of making God do what we request. It is rather trusting Him to do His will in every situation for our benefit but particularly to His glory.  

The Bible holds two truths together:
1]. God heals — therefore we should pray expectantly. Jas 5:14  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. Jas 5:15  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

2]. God remains sovereign — therefore we pray submissively. “Jas 4:14  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes 15  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”Perhaps the prayer we should pray in every situation is “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
So a Christian can genuinely pray in faith for healing and yet remain unhealed without concluding that God has rejected them or that they have failed spiritually.

A useful way to teach this: Prayer for healing → Faith + Expectation → God answers. 
His answer may be:
YES — immediate healing. Seen in the ministry of Jesus. Matthew 8:1-3, . . . . When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

YES — gradual healing . Even Jesus healed in stages as we read in Matthew 8:23-25,And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24  And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
The healing was not immediate but came in two stages. 

WAIT — healing later.  The 10 lepers who came to be healed by Jesus were asked by Him to go and show themselves to the high priest. Luke 17:11-19, “  When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
They had moved away chronologically and geographically from the source of healing before their healing came. That often happens in healing ministries today.

NO — grace to endure / a greater purpose. That was the answer given to Jesus as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.” But Jesus submitted to His Father’s will and purpose,  “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

ULTIMATE HEALING — resurrection. The central Christian promise is not that every believer will be healed immediately in this life, but that every believer will ultimately be made whole in Christ at the resurrection.
 

SUMMING UP.

One must admit that the Lord is still healing hordes of people today in answer to the prayers of His faithful people. But we also have to admit that many have died after receiving what seemed to be believing prayer. 

Is there an answer to the question, “Why Are Some People Not Healed When They Have Received Prayer For Healing?”

Perhaps we could learn from a righteous man, Job, as he tried to make sense of all the difficulties that had come upon him. We read of his confession and repentance in Job 42:1  Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2  “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4  ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.  I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job had come to realise that God was omnipotent; nothing was beyond His power. His purposes would always come to pass. But his understanding of God’s purposes had been insufficient to understand the intricacies of God’s purposes. Considering the greatness of God, Job could do no other but repent of his attitudes towards God and commit himself to the Lord again. 

As the writer of Proverbs 3:5-8 put it, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

  • Trust Him completely. He does work all things together for good for those who love Him. Romans 8:28. 
  • Don’t rely on our own limited understanding. His thoughts and ways are beyond our understanding.  
  • Acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will direct every aspect of our lives. 
  • Don’t believe we are wise but rather fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
  • Even when we don’t understand why bad things happen to good people. 

DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

Perhaps we have been disappointed when people for whom we prayed did not recover. We may begin to think subconsciously that the Lord failed to live up to our expectations. He has the power to heal. He has made promises in His word about answering prayer, so why did He let us down? 

But we may need to recognise that our expectations may be at fault. His expectations are based on His character,  His will and His ultimate purposes, and no human has the ability to fully understand His will and His ultimate purposes. These are far beyond human understanding. He always fulfils HIS own expectations which are based on His eternal plan and purpose for the world and for all its peoples. 

OUR RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM OF UNANSWERED PRAYER

  • When it’s as though the Lord has failed to fulfil our expectations, our response perhaps should be, “Lord, You are supreme in this universe and I need to accept that things You have allowed to happen in this world are part of Your eternal plan and purpose. I submit to Your greater wisdom even though I do not understand!” 
  • YET! I still feel it is appropriate to share with those we are helping, the promise of Jesus in Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” This is His promise with no qualifications. It may encourage them to reach out to the Lord with some expectancy and bring them the healing the Lord has for them. Whatever that may be. Only He knows what that is. 
  • When we resign ourselves to understand that the Lord loves the person for whom we are praying, far more than we ever could, and will deal with them appropriately in His perfect love, we can experience some peace in the midst of our disappointment and sadness. 

Blog No.603 posted on Wednesday 16 September 2026

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment