The Bible Channel - Discover the Bible. (By Christadelphianvideo.org)

A @Christadelphians Video: Description:   The Lord Jesus understood that death is like sleep and that when believers die, they will sleep until the Lord awakens them at the final judgement.

### Summary
Jesus viewed death as a temporary sleep, offering hope through resurrection, contrasting with mainstream beliefs about the afterlife.

### Highlights
–  Jesus described death as sleep, signifying hope and awakening.
–  This understanding is rooted in the Old Testament, emphasizing continuity in biblical teachings.
–  Jesus’ miracle of Lazarus illustrates the power of resurrection and life.
–  Biblical language contrasts sleep with consciousness, indicating no awareness in death.
–  Resurrection is linked to Christ’s return, providing believers with hope.
–  Mainstream teachings diverge from the biblical view, presenting an immediate judgment.
–  Believers find comfort in the promise of reunion and eternal life through faith.

### Key Insights
–  **Death as Sleep**: Jesus’ metaphor of sleep portrays death as temporary, offering believers hope for resurrection and life beyond the grave.

–  **Old Testament Foundation**: The concept of death as sleep is deeply rooted in scripture, seen in verses from Deuteronomy and Psalms, reinforcing biblical consistency.

–  **Miracle of Lazarus**: Jesus’ act of raising Lazarus demonstrates His authority over death and foreshadows the ultimate resurrection for all believers.

–  **Consciousness in Death**: The Bible indicates the dead are unaware, contrasting with many beliefs about an immediate afterlife, emphasizing the peace in death.

–  **Hope in Resurrection**: The resurrection is a pivotal theme, highlighting the transition from death to eternal life for those who believe in Christ.

–  **Mainstream Divergence**: Traditional Christian beliefs often conflict with the biblical portrayal of death, which emphasizes unconsciousness rather than immediate judgment.

–  **Comfort in Community**: The promise of resurrection fosters hope among believers, encouraging meaningful relationships centered on faith and shared beliefs.

The podcastr discusses the creation of man in God’s image, the purpose of humanity, the introduction of sin through the Fall, and the hope found in a singular seed, Christ.

### Highlights
–  God created man in His image, male and female, to multiply and fill the Earth.
–  The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge represent choices leading to life or death.
–  Free will allowed man to choose obedience or disobedience, resulting in the Fall.
–  The serpent’s subtle influence led to Eve’s deception and later Adam’s sin.
–  The curse on creation led to pain, sorrow, and death, altering man’s relationship with God and each other.
–  Hope is provided through a singular seed, Christ, who will ultimately defeat sin and death.
–  The New Testament connects the Fall to human nature’s struggle and the need for redemption through Christ.

### Key Insights
–  **Creation in God’s Image:** Humanity was created to reflect God’s character, emphasizing the importance of our roles as stewards of creation. This foundational aspect of identity holds significant implications for how we live and relate to others.
–  **Choice and Consequence:** The presence of the Tree of Knowledge illustrates the importance of choice in human existence, with disobedience leading to dire consequences. This highlights the necessity of understanding and adhering to divine commandments to avoid spiritual death.
–  **Subtle Deception:** The serpent symbolizes the dangers of manipulation and deception, showing how easily one can stray from God’s truth. This teaches the need for vigilance and discernment in our beliefs and decisions.
–  **Relationship Dynamics:** The changes in relationships post-Fall demonstrate how sin distorts human interactions, particularly between men and women. Understanding these dynamics can foster healthier relationships based on respect and love rather than conflict.
–  **Cursed Creation:** The curse signifies a shift in the natural order, emphasizing the reality of suffering and mortality. This serves as a reminder of the fallen state of the world and the necessity for redemption and restoration.
–  **Hope in Redemption:** The promise of a singular seed, Christ, offers hope for overcoming sin and death. This insight points to the transformative power of faith and the significance of Christ’s sacrifice in restoring humanity’s relationship with God.
–  **Struggle with Human Nature:** The text outlines the internal battle faced by believers due to their sinful nature. Acknowledging this struggle is crucial for spiritual growth and the pursuit of a life aligned with God’s will.

Today we complete reading the book of Acts; Paul finally arrives in Rome and Luke’s record of his life ends by stating that he dwelt for two whole years in a lodging at his own expense, he “was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him” [v.6]  Paul “called together the local leaders of the Jews” [v.17] and explained to them the circumstances that caused him to be brought as a prisoner to Rome though “I had done nothing against our people.”  

These Jews respond saying, “we have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.” [v.21]   They then say, “we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect (meaning the Christians) we know that everywhere it is spoken against.” [v.22]

Many Jews came “to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the prophets.” [v.23]  This shows how the Old Testament is most valuable in teaching Christ’s message.

The hearers departed “disagreeing among themselves”[v.25] and Paul comments on God’s word through Isaiah, that those words “are right in saying to your fathers … This people’s heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed.” [v.27]

The prophet’s words are equally true today – most do not want to hear or read.  The Bible was the book that transformed the world when it was first printed and available for all to read, it was like the days in ancient Israel when David and Solomon inspired the people to serve God.

   But today!!  We can “barely hear” because of all the efforts to teach and believe that there is no God and all that exists sort of created itself, therefore we can live as we please.  Let us make sure our ears can hear – and our eyes can read. 

Today is the 11th day of the 11th month and 105 years ago it was chosen as Armistice Day, now called Remembrance Day as a day of solemn memory of the millions, who had fallen in what was called the “Great War” of 1914-18.    There was an ever greater war with many more millions dying in 1939-1945.  The 11th of November has become a Remembrance Day for all wars and people with an urge to remember gather in solemn ceremonies at dawn. 

There is value in looking back and taking stock.  There is even greater value in looking forward!  But to what today, can people look forward?  The future we see has a great many things that cause concern: there are 5 main ones. 1. The weather around the world has become increasingly violent, potentially caused by massive industrial development.  2. The world financial system is in disarray, all kinds of stopgap policies being tried to prevent a total system failure, but a policy to make it sound and dependable seems impossible. 3. There is more and more violent behaviour, especially among and by the young.  4. Multiple war fronts erupting all over the world but particularly in the Middle East and the Ukraine. And lastly, the potential for world wide deadly diseases. 

You may have heard the proverb about sowing to the wind and reaping the whirlwind. Do you know what it means?  Did you know it comes from the Bible?   The farmer in ancient times, sowed seed in his field by carrying a basket and scattering the seed around as he walked.  He took care to scatter it as evenly as possible but still some fell in unproductive places as the parable of Jesus tells us; it would be very unwise to sow on a windy day [Eccles. 11 v.4] 

Our reading in Hosea today [Ch.8] has, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” [v7]. The spiritual application here is about how we use our life, our intellect, and our energies.  You go to school; you are “sowing” for your future, we learn much more of the ways of living outside of school. What kind of “training” is that giving for the future. Those who sow so that the wind blows the seed all over the place are bringing a lot of useless stuff into their minds that will not only be of no benefit in the future, but has a large chance of being destructive.  

The context in Hosea is that Israel, especially the northern ten tribes, had done just that! We read in the very next verse, “Israel is swallowed up; already they are among the nations as a useless people.”  Their essential fault is [v.14] “Israel has forgotten his Maker” That is exactly the situation in the world today – they are sowing to the wind, believing there is no God, and now they are at their wits end with whirlwinds looming on the horizon. 

“The eleventh hour”  Do you remember how and why Jesus used that phrase?  It’s in a parable that’s in Matthew Ch. 20 where a landowner went out “to hire labourers for his vineyard”   God is the landowner, the world is his vineyard, who are ready to be labourers for him?  Even “about the eleventh hour” [v.6] when the day was nearly over he went out and saw more “standing idle” and invited them to work in his vineyard.

This world is in its “eleventh hour” and so many are sowing to the win