Came across this old Chestnut twice in as many days, i.e. Soul Sleep = an unconscious state, this is wrong, a child can tell you sleep is not a state where we know nothing, and experience nothing, rather it is an altered state of consciousness, and one in which God at times chooses to speak to his people

Hebrews 9:27 We DIE only once, and then we are JUDGED.

This is most misunderstood, if taken out of context [read the preceding verse] it makes scripture a lie, many people, like Lazarus have died more than once, if read in context the `death' here is that of baptism, [see Rom 6:3-10] and as Christians we then live under judgement,

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27, KJV)

If we sin we are disciplined by a loving Father. God's justice is not inevitably postponed to some future point in time, in fact as Christians we should expect swift justice, men reap what they sow at God's discretion, and God is clearly shown judging the world throughout scripture.

>>The TRUE DOCTRINE of the state of the dead tells us that at the
moment of death the SPIRIT does leave the BODY and goes either to
heaven or hell.<<

Actually scripture says this "Then shall the dust return to the earth
as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
(Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV)

The problem is so many Christians don't understand who God is, and it's not like this is some new concept…
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10, KJV)

God is everywhere, I will repeat that: God is everywhere. There is no
where God who is a Spirit is not present.

The parable of rich man and Lazarus is told from the Rich man’s perspective, he is in hell, but he can see Lazarus and Abraham, he can even talk to them, but friends get this, for this is the parable – he doesn't see God, and we know from the Word, God is there, Jesus' point was this, the rich man didn't recognise God when he was alive, and now he was dead he still couldn't see God – even though as scripture tells us his spirit had returned to God!

The heavens, the hells [the grave/sheol/hades, tarturus] are not places in geographical sense. We know everyone's spirit returns to God, and the dust to the earth and the soul dies.

Sheep are smelly

My Grandfather was a shepherd, I grew on a farm, we grew crops mainly but we always had a few sheep, my uncle gave my sister and I orphaned lambs to rear. I was never a sheep man though.

Shepherd’s like my Grandfather and my cousin today are born to the job, they know and understand their flock, my Grandfather had over thousand head, but it is no exaggeration to say he knew every one.

My mum recounts how she was driving across the fells with him in the car, and he cried out ‘sista, slow down lass, sista see that yow I selt her to a fella last back end’ translate from the vernacular, see there slow down young lady, see that ewe over there, I sold her to a gentlemen at the end of last year.’

Sheep are bizarre, stubborn, but not as stupid as people might think, instinctively territorial, the flocks are sold with the farms where there are, because the sheep are heathed, that is know the open ground to which they belong, and roam across the unfenced hills, but don’t run away.

They also suffer from more endless issues and problems and seem to require regular attention, from dipping to clipping, from feet trimming to worming.

Sheep men live and breathe sheep, you listen to the talk and the conversation is about invariably sheep, and sheep related.

Knowing these things makes me smile when I think about the Good Shepherd, and David was close to his heart. God knows every hair of our head and our every thought, just as a good shepherd recognises his sheep even though to a stranger they all look alike. Certainly people are pretty high maintenance too, always full of wants, and prayers in need, a good shepherd looks after his flock, protecting them and treating them, I wonder how a sheep feels about being plunged into a medicated bath, or receiving the worming medicine, or the ritual of clipping, or being treated for some the nastier diseases which I won’t go into.

Can’t be pleasant, and circumstances in life as we all know can be unpleasant too, the good shepherd looks after this flock and God looks after us, Jesus says we know his voice.

David knew and understood this truth, I love this expression ‘the rest thought Goliath was too big to hit, David thought he was too big to miss’ but David lived by faith, he picked up five stones before he challenged the giant, yet it took only one stone to slay him, why five stones, were four just in case? Yes in a way, Goliath of Gath had four brothers, David was just being prepared.

So let’s worship the God of David, the Good Shepherd of personal provision and care, [Ps. 23] who not only knows and recognises us, but "David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17:37, KJV)

If you like me are in a place you never imagined you’d be, if your problems appear insurmountable, repeat with me David’s declaration of faith, let’s speak to those man mountains, be cast away into the sea, because the Lord has delivered us from the devil, and from the hands of strong men, Jesus will deliver us out of the hands of this Philistine of a problem. Yes and Amen