If only I'd known!
I would like to tell you of a personal experience I will never forgot that took place in a little town in east Germany.
In our street lived a man called Gustaf. He was married, had a family, and cared for them very well. He was a bus driver in a big company, one of their best employees. He would go early to the garage to repair and check his bus; His passengers often asked him if he was married to his bus or his wife. Gustaf was also very efficient at something else: he was an informer. This meant he secretly informed the authorities about anybody who didn't seem to be supporting the rigime. He kept his eyes and ears open, poked his nose into everything, and in particular discriminated against any Christians.
In 1984 many Christians were allowed to leave East Germany, so we left at once. A year after the unification, when the wall came down, in 1991, I took my family back to the little town to show them where i had lived and grown up. By chance we stopped at the house where Gustaf lived. At that moment Gustaf came out, and as soon as he saw us he came over to us. I told him I was happily married amd had one son and two daughters. In answer to my question how he was, he began to weep and said:"You know, if only I'd known this whole system would break up, I would never have behaved like I did and been an informer against Christians."
I must say, his tears were real. He continued: "You know, I have received my punishment-I was the first person they sacked in the bus company. No 'thank you' for my reliable work for over thirty years. No one talks to me anymore. No one will give me work. I have cancer."
I had never seen Gustaf like this before. He was quite an old man, but he was weeping like a small boy who must confess to his father that he shot his ball through a window and smashed it. Do you know this feeling too? "if only I'd known, I wouldn't have..."
It was a good opportunity to encourage Gustaf. We preached a gospel to him, the glad tidings of a saviour, the lord Jesus. We told him it was not too late to get right, and that we had forgiven him. Maybe your conscience is telling you that you can't excuse yourself any more. You can, like every sinner, each one of us, ask for forgiveness of your sins through believing on the lord Jesus. He died on the cross and shed his blood for me. Go on your kneed and tell him everything that is troubling you and you will certainly get an answer.
He became very quiet and began to smile and said, "thank you." We spoke a few more moments together before we parted.
Some years later we visited this little town again. As we parked the car, my wife and I were stopped by an elderly lady. "Hello, Friedhelm, is that you? Do you remember me? I'm Gustaf's wife." "Oh, I'm sorry I did not recognise you. How is Gustaf?" "That's what i wanted to tell you. On that day when you met Gustaf, When he returned to the house he was totally different. So peaceful, so... I don't know, so completely different. He died some time ago. So peaceful, so restful, quiet unbelievable. He had a lot of pain. He had cancer, but he died so peacefully." It was clear from what she said that he died saved. You may not think you'll live your life how you want to. You may think that you can live without GOD. Don't deceive yourself. Each person has to die some day. And then? where will you spend eternity? You cannot escape this righteous God. But you also can find peace for your soul and forgiveness of your sins in believing in the bloof of the Lord Jesus. Gods only Son.

If only I'd known! I would like to tell you of a personal experience I will never forgot that took place in a little town in east Germany. In our street lived a man called Gustaf. He was married, had a family, and cared for them very well. He was a bus driver in a big company, one of their best employees. He would go early to the garage to repair and check his bus; His passengers often asked him if he was married to his bus or his wife. Gustaf was also very efficient at something else: he was an informer. This meant he secretly informed the authorities about anybody who didn't seem to be supporting the rigime. He kept his eyes and ears open, poked his nose into everything, and in particular discriminated against any Christians. In 1984 many Christians were allowed to leave East Germany, so we left at once. A year after the unification, when the wall came down, in 1991, I took my family back to the little town to show them where i had lived and grown up. By chance we stopped at the house where Gustaf lived. At that moment Gustaf came out, and as soon as he saw us he came over to us. I told him I was happily married amd had one son and two daughters. In answer to my question how he was, he began to weep and said:"You know, if only I'd known this whole system would break up, I would never have behaved like I did and been an informer against Christians." I must say, his tears were real. He continued: "You know, I have received my punishment-I was the first person they sacked in the bus company. No 'thank you' for my reliable work for over thirty years. No one talks to me anymore. No one will give me work. I have cancer." I had never seen Gustaf like this before. He was quite an old man, but he was weeping like a small boy who must confess to his father that he shot his ball through a window and smashed it. Do you know this feeling too? "if only I'd known, I wouldn't have..." It was a good opportunity to encourage Gustaf. We preached a gospel to him, the glad tidings of a saviour, the lord Jesus. We told him it was not too late to get right, and that we had forgiven him. Maybe your conscience is telling you that you can't excuse yourself any more. You can, like every sinner, each one of us, ask for forgiveness of your sins through believing on the lord Jesus. He died on the cross and shed his blood for me. Go on your kneed and tell him everything that is troubling you and you will certainly get an answer. He became very quiet and began to smile and said, "thank you." We spoke a few more moments together before we parted. Some years later we visited this little town again. As we parked the car, my wife and I were stopped by an elderly lady. "Hello, Friedhelm, is that you? Do you remember me? I'm Gustaf's wife." "Oh, I'm sorry I did not recognise you. How is Gustaf?" "That's what i wanted to tell you. On that day when you met Gustaf, When he returned to the house he was totally different. So peaceful, so... I don't know, so completely different. He died some time ago. So peaceful, so restful, quiet unbelievable. He had a lot of pain. He had cancer, but he died so peacefully." It was clear from what she said that he died saved. You may not think you'll live your life how you want to. You may think that you can live without GOD. Don't deceive yourself. Each person has to die some day. And then? where will you spend eternity? You cannot escape this righteous God. But you also can find peace for your soul and forgiveness of your sins in believing in the bloof of the Lord Jesus. Gods only Son.