- John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-19..........
Judgement for every human being that ever lived on face of earth will happen at God's APPOINTED TIME. As "TIME" does not exist with God, only with mankind, Judgement has been preordained according to God's wisdom. Each of us can speculate "when". The important thing is to realize that ..........It will.
Judgement, and "knowing" where you will spend eternity is a very compelling issue. I would like to share with you my salvation and how it came to be. I was born in October 1944 to parents of Polish descent. I was baptized in the Catholic church, went to Catechism, received First Communion and Confirmation. It was a long time ago and all I remember regarding these events was that I would be in St. Joseph's church in Yucaipa, California on California Street in the 50's and would attend Catholic church on Sundays and Catechism on Saturday mornings. It was a small town in Southern California and my mother would drive my brother and I to this church in our Nash Rambler automobile. I can remember being about 12 or 13 years old, standing in church (when you would stand) and having a strange feeling come over my body. It did not happen often, maybe 5 or 6 times over the course of two or three years, but it DID HAPPEN. As I got along in my teen years I drifted away from the Catholic church and did not attend as often. I left my home at age 16 and lived with my father for a year or so. At age 18 I met my "future wife". Her name was Judy. She was 15 and I was 18. Subsequently we married, had 3 children and stayed married for 43 1/2 years until she died on April 17, 2009 of ovarian cancer. Shortly after meeting my future wife I met her parents and her father was a Baptist. I had no idea what a Baptist was. I thought at the time that if you were NOT CATHOLIC you were not going to Heaven. Why, I have no idea except that it must have been instilled in my upbringing within the Catholic church. I am not blaming the church or anyone, I am only relating my beliefs at that time. Slowly her father began to show me things in the Bible. Sctripture is what he called it at the time. I knew little about the Bible up until that time. He would show me John 3:16. He would show me Job. He would show me John. He would speak with me always in a kind tone and loving tone. At that time I thought he was strange. It was only after I grew older that I realized he was a Christian (born again) and he was concerned. This entire process transpired over approximately 4 years. I got married at 20 and when I was 22, during one of his moments speaking with me he presented to me a question........"If I was to die that night, did I know for certain where I would spend my eternity"? A very interesting question to anyone, but to a 22 year old man who "thought he knew everything" it made me think. That night, while in bed, my wife asleep I admitted to myself that I did not know. I was not asleep, but my eyes were closed. Room was dark and I prayed to God that I needed to know that God was real. With eyes closed, I experienced the LIGHT of GOD. A brightness that to this very day, I have never again experienced. Yes, I did have a personal experience with God. Not all people do and I do not understand why I did, but I did. I awoke the next morning, full of joy and amazement and called my father-in-law to tell him I was saved last night.
Many events and circumstances have occurred in my life since that night. It is coming close to 50 years and these events are not important, other than to me and the participants and to God. However, I can and should say, that within a year after my salvation I realized what the Bible was saying when it said.....do not bow down to any graven images. I removed myself from Catholicism, I got baptized in an independent church within the next 10 years, I raised my children Baptist and God has shown His power to me several times. This story is not to degrade a religion. This story is to show you how God works. After salvation one still is in the world. One still is subject to sin. One still has a personality. One still must deal with life's problems. One still must earn a living. One still must wake up each day. Nothing changes with worldly events. However, once you become a "CHILD OF GOD" you realize God is watching and teaching you. God wants only the best for you and as you begin to listen to God, things do happen. Amazing how true this is. When you listen to God,......THINGS DO HAPPEN.