Two years ago I was in an ambulance racing toward a hospital. I was on my back on a stretcher, having a heart attack.

My emotions were mixed. I was concerned for the welfare of my family. But what a wonderful feeling to know I was right with God, and if I were to go to God at that moment, I would hear "Well done, good and faithful servant"; and my family would be taken care of by the Lord in a much better fashion than I ever could were I to remain alive.

Let me tell you, when you are facing death, all that matters is how it stands between you and God. Nothing else is of equal importance.

We may be approaching war in America. If so, the streets may run with blood. Should this prove to be true, we want to be sure we are obeying Christ.

The earthquake comes or the bomb drops. We are caught miles away from our family. The roads are blocked. The telephone lines are down. People all around us are screaming in panic.

If we have been serving God with all our might, having laid down our life that His will might be done, we can be confident our family will be taken care of one way or the other (maybe brought up to Paradise to be with Jesus!) and we ourselves, should we die, will go to be with the Lord and with them. What a marvelous insurance and assurance to have!

But let us say God has reminded us time and time again that we have been putting off doing His will. Suddenly the disaster strikes. There is no time to repent. Our life and the lives of our loved ones are at stake. Our children do not know the Lord because we have not been setting the right kind of example. We have been too busy enjoying the many interesting aspects of the American culture.

Now where are we? Maybe downtown without our family. Are they dead? Are they wounded? Will God take care of them even though I have been careless? Do I have any passage of the Scriptures that comforts me with the thought that even though I have not served the Lord He will take care of my family anyway? Do I have any scriptural basis for this hope?

Would harm come to my beautiful little daughter? Harm came to many beautiful little daughters in other nations recently. On what scriptural basis would God make an exception for me?

The Bible says if we dwell in the secret place of God's perfect will, no plague will come near our house. But what if we have not been doing God's will, not abiding in Christ as we should? What then?

And what about ourselves in the hour that is likely to arrive? What will we hear from Jesus Christ? It may be, "Depart from Me, you lazy slave, you did not use the talent I gave you. Angels, place this man in the darkness away from My Presence."

"But I accepted Christ years ago!" Friend, the outer darkness is not for unbelievers but for careless, unfaithful servants of the Lord!

"Will I ever see my family again?" Who knows? You were not faithful to God. Maybe He will give your family to someone who has been more diligent with the things God gave him.

To be continued.