In 1964, many years before I was born, my Catholic-founded high school lost several students to death following a road traffic accident. Since then, (and to this day), prayers are held for the deceased every once a year so that they can exit purgatory into heaven. These prayers are held both at school and in Kampala so that even the old students can send their pleas to God to forgive the sins of students who passed away in 1964.

We who in one way or the other belong to the Martin Luther group that protested against many Roman Catholic beliefs and practices laugh at the concept of purgatory and the whole idea of prayers on earth lifting sinners from purgatory or hell. However, and sadly, in practice, many of us are not any different from the Roman Catholics regarding the issue at hand. I am not here to tell you to stop saying “may her/his soul rest in peace” when you lose a loved one. I just want to let you know that that prayer or wish is a waste of time. The moment a sinner dies, they are in hell from which no prayer, however sincere and heartfelt, can get them to enter heaven.This is according to the Holy Scriptures. If you are born again, NOW is the time to tell your loved ones to receive Jesus and to live for Him. If you do not do so now, thinking that your “rest in peace” will get them out of hell (or man-made purgatory), you will have done them an eternal disservice. “Now (while on earth, not in hell or purgatory) is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

All that I have written is a ‘rabbi’ trail I went on in my Sunday sermon entitled “Dwelling With God”. Surprisingly, on Tuesday, a church member who missed that service and hadn’t yet listened to the recording of the sermon sent me this wonderful (depending on how you look at it) message:

Related Sermon:

Dwelling With God

In the early hours of 5th January 2020 I had a dream in which church member X was sharing with me about how previously God had twice extended their parent’s life, during which time the parent accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. However, this time round, God had not extended the parent’s life the third time; the parent had died. In the dream it seemed like it was a dream X had had but at the same time it seemed like how one would share about what was going to happen. X was sad, the way someone would be at the loss of a loved one. I then encouraged X that that there is nothing better than a loved one dying in the Lord, and that the good thing God had extended the parent’s life twice during which time the parent received Jesus as Lord and Saviour. I also told X that a plea to God can be made for the parent not to die. I then went on to share how a few years ago, God revealed to me in a dream about one of my parents dying and how I pleaded with God to give my parent more years to live – and He did.

This dream reveals that not only was my ‘rabbi’ trail a word in due season, but also that salvation – the ticket out of hell to heaven – is received here on earth, not when a sinner dies without the Lord. As it is written, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (Revelation 14:13).

I pray that this article will inspire you to make disciples for Jesus of your loved ones. Waiting for them to die without the Lord and then you say, “Rest in peace” will not get them out of hell. R.I.P is useless.

God bless you.