This podcast episode focuses on the profound question of life after death, emphasizing the hope of a tangible existence beyond our earthly journey. I share insights from the biblical text, particularly from the book of Job, which affirms that our Redeemer lives and promises a resurrection. Throughout the discussion, I reflect on various biblical stories that illustrate this belief, including the experiences of Saul and David, and how they provide comfort regarding eternal life. We delve into the unique biblical perspective on resurrection, contrasting it with other worldviews that suggest a loss of individuality after death. Ultimately, I encourage listeners to explore their own assurance of eternal life and the importance of accepting Jesus' gift of salvation.

Takeaways:

• The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding and believing in life after death, as evidenced by biblical teachings.
• Job's affirmation of seeing God after death provides hope and assurance for believers facing life's trials.
• The stories of Saul and David illustrate God's presence and promise of eternal life even in difficult circumstances.
• The speaker stresses that accepting Jesus' gift of salvation requires personal acknowledgment and commitment to follow Him.
• Scripture passages affirm that God will not abandon His faithful ones, suggesting a comforting view of afterlife for believers.
• The speaker encourages listeners to take their spiritual journey seriously and assures them of Jesus' tangible presence in their lives.

Links referenced in this episode:

• www.bible805.com

Welcome to the Hobo Soul Podcast of Road advised from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life.

I'll talk to you every Tuesday and Thursday for about 10 minutes, and if you'd like more in depth information on walking with Jesus, you can find that at my www.bible805.com website. For now, let's get started on our topic for today, which is

Episode number 62, The happy ending for Hobo Souls.

In A recent Bible 805 lesson on answers to the Big Questions of Life From Genesis and Job, I talked about the biggest question of all, and that is the question, is there life after death?

It's obviously the biggest, most important question, because if there isn't anything after this Hobo Soul pilgrimage, after the challenges and trials, the tears, after trying so hard to do all that God wants and live a life pleasing to him, if there's nothing after we die, why bother?

But the clear affirmation of our verse shows that Job believed clearly that not only is there existence after death, but there's real, tangible, touchable life. Let's look at this a little bit more in this podcast.

Now, this tangible, touchable quality reminds me of when Jesus said, after his resurrection, look at my hands and feet. It's me, myself. Touch me and see. A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones like I do.

He ate with them, he talked with them, he walked with them, all of these sorts of things to show them that he was truly resurrected. He wasn't just some spiritual, you know, wispy ghost or whatever.

This belief of a physical resurrection, this truth of a physical resurrection is unique among all the world religions, many of whom view the afterlife as a total loss of individual personality and personhood, just sort of an amorphous nirvana of nothingness. The biblical view is in complete contrast to that. And we have a great message to share with our world because of that.

But as always, before we can share something, we need to probably understand it a little bit better ourselves and really become convinced of what the Bible teaches. Now, there are many, many passages in the Bible that talk about this, and this is a short podcast, but I'm going to share some of them with you now.

Going to tell you some stories. The first two are a little bit odd, but they really affirm what we believe. The first one is about Saul, who was the first king of Israel.

And just before his death he had a very interesting experience that affirmed the afterlife. He had gone against what God had told him to do again and again.

And he sins one final time by having a witch call up Samuel from the dead before he goes into a major battle. He just didn't know what to do. And so he tries this major w witchcraft thing. God allows it to really happen.

And when Samuel appears, Samuel tells Saul that he, Saul and his sons would be with him. Samuel the next day, affirming they would die in battle and go to where Samuel was in the presence of God. Now Samuel's sons do die by the enemy.

Saul, though, takes his own life. He dies by suicide. But Samuel makes no distinction of where they will all go following death. An important side note worth mentioning here.

This passage is significant for those who know someone who has died by suicide. They are not abandoned by God, even if they died in sin and sadness. Once a child of God, always a child of God. Even if, as C.S.

Lewis reminds us, we arrive home quite messy and muddy, we will be welcomed with love and will be with the Lord forever.

Now another story is about David and Bathsheba's child that they had, as a result of their adulterous relationship, and as part of judgment for that, God told David the child would die. After the child's death, though, his servants go, well, why? Why are you acting like this? Because David got up and he's eating.

And they said, when the child was alive, you fasted and wept. But now that he's dead, what? Why are you up and eating? And David answered, while the child was alive, I fasted and wept.

I thought, who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live. But now that he's dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back? No, I will go to him, but he will not return to me.

David affirmed that he would see his son again.

And in addition to an affirmation of life after death, this passage is also a comfort to those who lose infants, who die long before they can make a personal decision to trust Jesus as Savior. Those children are in heaven now.

The psalms, of course, have many passages that affirm life after death, and here are some of the representative ones. In Psalm 49, it says, God will redeem me from the realm of the Dead, he will surely take me to Himself. Psalm 73 says, Yet I'm always with you.

You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 59 says, My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.

My body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

And of course, Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. And it ends, of course, with, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God will swallow up death forever.

The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. And he also, in talking to God, he says, but your dead will live, Lord. Their bodies will rise.

Let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy.

And then Daniel, who wrote approximately 100 years after Isaiah, said, multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever.

There are so many passages, as the Bible goes on in the New Testament, affirming life after death, but a few worth remembering.

First of all, early in Jesus ministry, he assured the fearful Nicodemus that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He said that at the beginning of his ministry, and then at the end, he promised the thief on the cross next to him, today you will be with me in paradise. I could read you so many more. But more than reading additional verses, I want to talk to each one of you listening personally.

Personally, where are you with your assurance that you will be with Jesus and that you will have the eternal life that he promises? If you're not sure, take some time to talk with Jesus now about your eternal destiny.

He died for your sins so that the barrier between you and God could be removed and that you could live forever with Him. But this gift of eternal life isn't automatic. You must ask for it.

You need to confess that you're a sinner, someone separated from God by going your own way in every part of life. That's what sin is. And you want to come back to God by accepting that Jesus made it possible for you to do that by his life, death and resurrection.

Before you do that, know that accepting Jesus gift of salvation, though it is totally free and you don't need to do anything to earn or deserve it. You ask for it. Once Jesus gives it to you, he wants you to take it seriously. He expects you to follow Him.

You want to read your Bible, find a good church, and do all you can to be a consistent and growing disciple of His. But the really great news is that you don't have to do any of it alone. Now and forever, he will be with you in a real, tangible, touchable way.

That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more to help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com. For now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astoundingly real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hollow soul, no more a transient, wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.