RODNEY KREIER
There was a time in my life when life seemed meaningless.  I felt like there was no purpose to my life and much of the time I was bothered by an empty feeling inside.  It was like something was missing in my life but I didn't know what it was.

I had a good childhood and good parents.  I didn't feel the emptiness in my life until my teenage years.  That's when I started trying to fill the emptiness with different friends and experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  My substance abuse continued into adulthood when it became a real problem.

One time, when I was using drugs and alcohol, something frightening happened to me.  My heart started racing and my hands started trembling.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  I can remember being terrified that I might die.  This feeling passed but it made me think about life and death and what would happen if I were to die.  I started to grow tired of the things that my lifestyle was producing in my life.  My marriage had problems, I almost got a DUI, and I was spending money that should have been spent on bills and food for my family.

One day my mom invited me to a Christmas Eve service and, with a little coaxing, I decided to go with her.  It was at that service that I realized what was missing from my life - it was Jesus Christ.  Even though I realized this, I still continued living life the same way.  The only thing that I changed was that I started going to church on occasion (Christmas and Easter).  I attended church this way for a couple years until I decided to make church a more regular part of my life.

One time a friend from church asked me a couple questions.  One of these questions was "Do you know for certain that if you were to die right now that you would go to heaven?"  I said, "No, I didn't think anyone can know that for sure."  My friend told me how I could receive eternal life and that I could know for certain that I would go to heaven. 

I realized that I had turned my back on God, so I decided to let Christ into my life. The next Sunday I went before the church and shared with them the fact that I believed in Jesus Christ and then I was baptized.

Now my life is better.  I don't have that empty feeling anymore.  My marriage is better and my life has a real purpose and meaning to it.  I still have problems, like everyone else, but now I have God's help and guidance through my problems.  And the best of all I have a peace that only comes from knowing for certain that I have eternal life!

What about you?  Do you know for certain that if you were to die today that you would go to heaven?  You can know for sure!