Is God Judging You ── Now?

by Leonard V Johnson

We’ve been seeing in the news about the untimely deaths of several celebrities. I’m sure you have thought about what has happened to your loved ones and friends who have died. Do you know what our Lord Jesus Christ said concerning this? Because most people don’t know the truth of God in this matter. Our Lord Jesus said in the Book of John, chapter 5, and verses 28 & 29, “’ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29) and come forth──those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil [which means, those who have not kept the holy and righteous commandments of God], to the resurrection of [judgment].’”

And, this is what I want to speak about today. Judgment. Is God judging you – now?

I saw a photo that had several dead celebrities who just died this year together as a group, floating on a cloud ── I guess they were all supposed to be in heaven. Is this where they are? Well… our Lord Jesus taught a resurrection from the dead. Why is it that most do not properly understand this resurrection from the dead?

As you change the channel on your television and search through all the televised church services this Sunday, in nearly all religious broadcasts, you will only hear preaching about this life. Yet, we are told in the likes of 1st Corinthians, chapter 15, and verse 19 ── “If IN THIS LIFE ONLY we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” Our Lord Jesus Christ’s gospel Message has a large portion to do with LIFE AFTER DEATH. 

Under the divine influence of God’s Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote ──

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.” – vs. 22. 

So, everyone we have ever known ── family members and friends ── who has died, they all died in Adam. And, in Christ Jesus shall all be made alive again! 

God’s living word teaches us of a resurrection from the dead. But, why is it that people preach that if a person lived a “good” life (or has been immediately “saved” before death), they immediately go to heaven or if the person has not lived a “good” life (by whatever standard is placed upon what their definition of “good” is), they immediately go to hell and are burned and burned and burned ── and burned some more ── for ever and ever?

God’s living word says ── and I was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw this back in the year 1981 ── that “the wages of sin is death, …” – Romans 6:23. And like our dear brother and friend, Leon Daniels, just recently asked ── What do the Sunday keepers do with these Scriptures? Because, apparently, they believe that the wages of sin is everlasting life. Now… wages are what you get paid for what you do. And if sin is what you did, then your wages is going to be death. It’s not going to be hell with burning everlasting. That is not true at all. Why do they not teach God’s living truth? 

Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ ── we are living in a world with some amazing and astonishing technology and advancements! Like Elon Musk’s new Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot! And, SpaceX ── just to mention a couple. Yet, on the other hand, we are living in a world of evils that are unimaginable! This world is suffering with heartaches, evils, and troubles the likes of which I cannot imagine. This world is full to the brim with strife and violence and unhappiness and grave discontent. Observations indicate a rise in violence, lawlessness, and disagreements across all platforms.

Truly, this world started off on the wrong foot. Mankind ── which began with Adam ── the LORD God had decreed, as we read in Hebrews 9:27, “ … it is appointed for men to die once, but after this THE JUDGMENT.” So again, all who die in Adam shall be resurrected in Christ and brought back to life. 

This world began with Adam. And he chose poorly ── he chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And because he disobeyed the LORD God ── he partook of what was forbidden and instead believed and obeyed Satan the Devil ── he was then forbidden to partake of the tree of life and live forever in a state of sin and disobedience (Genesis 3:22-24). Because of this decision from Adam, the LORD God closed access to the tree of life, and it was closed until our Lord Jesus Christ ── our second Adam ── came. And even then, access to the glorious tree of life has only been open to a relatively few, only to those that God the Father would call. Because ── and even our Lord Jesus Christ said it, and not very many take this into consideration, “’ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; …’” – John 6:44.

So, there is no way, on our own, to come to the LORD God, unless our Father calls us. There is no way to get to Father God – who has eternal life – except through Jesus Christ. So, the overall majority of this world cannot get to God. No one can come except the Father who sent Him draws them. “’ For many are called, but few are chosen.’” – Matthew 22:14.

So, the tree of life, the Holy Spirit, remains closed to most of humanity. And, those of this world don’t understand or realize that it is good that the real judgment is not upon this world, as yet. The Apostle Peter writes that it is only the Church of God that is being judged at this time ── “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” – 1 Peter 4:17. Those of this world have not come to being judged – yet.

So, again, “ … in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.” “ … it is appointed for men to die once, but after this THE JUDGMENT.” When judgment will come on others. Judgment is now on the Church of God, but not on the world. So, a judgment has not yet been made on the majority of our loved ones, our relatives, our friends who have died. And, like what the Apostle Paul certainly desired us to do (1 Thessalonians 4:18 and 5:11), I want to give you some comforting truths.

Adam actually chose the way of Satan the Devil. Adam rejected the LORD God at the very beginning of this world. Adam made his decision. And as we read, “ … for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” -2 Peter 2:19. So many people don’t take time to properly understand and realize this, but Satan the Devil, influenced Adam and has, throughout all generations, influenced all humanity ever since. Satan has deceived all nations. Now… people who are deceived don’t know that they’re deceived. Unless the person is woken up. Because if they knew that they were deceived, then they would no longer be deceived. 

So, it was decreed ── from the foundation of the world, at the very time when Adam had made his fateful decision, that the Lamb of God would come and be our sin-bearer, that He would die for our sins and pay the penalty of sin in our stead on condition of our repentance and our believing in the gospel – cf. Mark 1:15.

So this world is really Satan’s world. Yet, our Lord Jesus said, “ … ‘I will build My church, …’” – Matthew 16:18. And He said that the gates of the grave would not prevail against it. In other words, the church would never cease to exist. He also shows us that it would be but a little flock. 

Notice in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 & 4, we read, “But even if our gospel is veiled, …” the very gospel that our Lord Jesus preached, “ … it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, …” – and it’s not a gospel about the person of Christ, but rather the Message Christ brought. “ … who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 

And so, right there, God’s living word shows us that Satan is the “god of this age” ── and sadly, the overall majority who preach do not understand this. Satan the Devil, appears as an angel of light, as a god of light. He claims to be the divine authority. He is a great archangel, a great and powerful spirit being ── who has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9). 

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, brought us the glorious gospel of the kingdom of God ── which is the government of God. Sadly, nothing has been more twisted and misunderstood than the living truth concerning the kingdom of God! Historically, Augustine of Hippo (whom we at the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries do not believe ever was a saint of our glorious LORD God) – Augustine and then later the Roman Catholic Church have identified the Church as the kingdom of God, viewing that Mother Church as the kingdom of God. And they claim that the kingdom of God has already been established, and that Christ came in the person of that Church, whom they call the Vicar of Christ. In other words, in place of Jesus Christ. So, they are claiming that the second coming of our Lord has already taken place – and this is the time of the Millennium.

The majority of Protestants throughout the world believe that the kingdom of God is something sentimental and is set up within men’s hearts. But, in truth, a kingdom is a literal government. And this is what our Lord Jesus came to proclaim. And, He did set up His kingdom on this earth – and it was our Lord Jesus who set it up. And, here’s another truth ── the LORD of the Old Testament, whom the Apostle John called “the Word,” and who was born of the virgin Mary (John 1:14), became our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Most of the churches of this world seemingly don’t know this. They believe that the God of the Old Testament was God the Father ── and sadly, who is betrayed by Hollywood as a ruddy boy called Malak! 

Our Lord Jesus came PROCLAIMING THE KINGDOM OF GOD! It was a prophecy. It is a kingdom ── a kingdom that will unite the world. A kingdom that will engulf all the kingdoms of the world (Revelation 11:15). Our King of kings and Lord of lords is coming to rule all nations! Recall that our Lord Jesus said, “ …’ If I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN …’” He’s coming as Supreme Ruler over all nations, and will set up a literal kingdom. 

We continue to hear so many people who believe that the kingdom of God is merely set up in the hearts of men, claiming that they are “born again.” We can be begotten in this life, but only our Lord Jesus has been born again – so far. He is the firstborn among many brethren. 1st John 3:2 – “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” He is the firstborn of many brethren. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” – Romans 8:14. A begotten child in his mother’s womb is still a child of his mother and father. 

Let’s move along to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, and verses 13 & 14, the Apostle Paul speaking concerning false apostles that would come along, “deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ” ── coming to you in His name. Our Lord Jesus warned that “ … ‘many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’” And again, this world – as a whole – is deceived and doesn’t know it. “ … And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” So, he doesn’t portray himself as an evil red-horned goateed pitchfork-wielding creature ── he portrays himself as the authority of divinity. He is “the god of this present age.” “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, …” – which, of course, they aren’t. They’re deceived. And they might be truly sincere, they could have the greatest of intentions and motives, but, “ … whose end will be according to their works.” 

Around the year 50 AD, there was a false Christianity that rose up and has deceived virtually the whole world. And, Satan the Devil has been deceiving the whole world by this counterfeit Christianity. In the 17th chapter of the Book of Revelation, and verse 5, we read of this apostate Church that is calling herself Christian ── “And on her forehead a name was written …” This is the name that the LORD God has labelled her with. “ … MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT …” In other words, this Babylonian mystery religion having become great and ruling over many different nations speaking many different languages. She’s also called “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” In other words, daughters who have come out of her in protest.

Well… there are so many mysteries like that that our peoples just don’t properly understand, because the world, as a whole, is deceived. They don’t truly understand God’s living word. Nor do they read the Bible to truly understand it. They just pick out a verse here or there and apply their own ideas and ideals to it. But they don’t take the verse in its context and place it together with other verses in their context to get the whole picture ── like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. 

There appears to be no other worldly doctrine that is more prevalent than that of the “immortality of the soul.” God’s living word ── twice ── tells us “the soul who sins shall die.” – Ezekiel 18:4, 20. And the LORD God is speaking here of the second death – of eternal death (Revelation 20:14; 21:8).

Of course, God Most High ── our great Ancient of Days ── knows that this world is deceived. He knows that the real guilt lies with Satan the Devil, yet the LORD God is allowing it. Allowing humanity to live the wrong way, and whatever we sow, that we will reap. And we are reaping wars, famines, pestilences, violence, chaos, and every other evil known and unknown to man. We can send rovers and helicopters to Mars. The marvelous Perseverance that reminds you of Alive No. 5 of Short Circuit, yet the evils are increasing throughout the world at an alarming rate.

Again, the Church that is called “Babylon the Great” in God’s living word – notice the 18th chapter, and verse 4 ── “And I heard another voice from heaven [the atmosphere] saying, ‘COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE, …’” And, the LORD God’s people here are the founding stock of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand “ … ‘Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Which is the Mother Church and her daughter churches. They are deceived churches. And, again, many of them may indeed be sincere, yet they are deceived. Their people have been brought up from childbirth being taught “as gospel” what those around them believe. Most parents pass on their religion and political affiliation to their children. And the majority of our peoples just assume those teachings as “gospel truth,” taking it all for granted ── including the existence of God in many cases. And most are dyed-in-the-wool advocates that will never change.

While we’re here in the Book of Revelation, take a look at chapter 12. “ … the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD; …” – vs. 9. So, this entire world is deceived. And, you may be sincere. But we’ve all been deceived. Now… the LORD God began to call me in the summer of ’81, and began to open my eyes and ears to what the world around me was teaching and preaching as “gospel truth.” What I am trying to proclaim to you is God’s Way. And it was our Lord Jesus Christ who brought His Message ── the gospel Message. Now, these churches proclaim a message about Christ. But our Lord Jesus was a Messenger who was sent from Father God, bearing an important Message concerning the kingdom of God and concerning salvation. 

Again, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.” And during that “Great White Throne Judgment,” it will be our Lord Jesus Christ who will be ruling in His kingdom as King of kings and Lord of lords! And then, all people are going to begin learning the living Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God ── with Satan the Devil and his minions having been bound and not around to deceive the nations anymore.

The Two Resurrections. □