The Fellowship Of His Suffering - Key To Divine Exaltation

“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”
― A.W. Tozer

"God will never use a man effectively until He first wounds the man." .....paraphrased.

Philippians 3:10.
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

This is an amazing prayer request that Paul prayed to God concerning His desires. The most amazing prayer requests believers must make are the Pauline prayer requests. These prayer requests reveal some basic requirements for every Christian to have in order to live a victorious and fruitful life in Christ Jesus. They also reveal God's strategy for making available to us His greatest blessings for our lives.

The first prayer here is the prayer to know Jesus Christ. God never sends any man on a divine task/assignment without first revealing Himself to the man. The first equipment that the believer needs before he/she embarks on fulfilling his/her destiny or divine assignment here on earth is the revelation of Jesus.



The message of God is delivered to the world by a messenger that knows God i.e has an intimate knowledge of God (gynosko = intimacy). The apostles had a revelation of the Risen Lord. If this revelation was not important, Jesus would not have appeared to them after His resurrection. God never used a man mightily that He did not reveal Himself to.



He revealed Himself to the Old Testament patriarchs.  


He revealed Himself to Moses

The 2nd prayer request addresses the manifestation of power of His resurrection. This power of His resurrection was invested in us when we received Christ into our lives as our Lord and personal saviour. The Holy Spirit was sent to manifest this power in us and through us. This power is the power that conquered Sin, Satan and Death. It also positioned us at the right hand of God the Father in Christ Jesus! (Ephesians 1:19-21)

The 3rd prayer request which I want to emphasize today is the key to rulership or dominion. God never used a man powerfully until He first wounds him. The wounds He afflicts on them eventually become ranks of honor which He gives to them as they pass His test of suffering. Abraham suffered temporarily when God told him to sacrifice his son. When he passed this test of suffering, He was declared the Father of many nations. This was something Abraham had to go through just for God's kingdom to Advance. When God wants to do something new on earth, He first demonstrates it prophetically through a man on earth before it can be established. It always costs these men to be used. This action of sacrificing Isaac was a prophetic demonstration of God's will to send Jesus to die for the Sin of the world. It was necessary that a man passed through this test of suffering in order for Jesus to come; if not the coming of Jesus would not be possible. He also went through the suffering of leaving his family and homeland just to obey God; and thereby run the risk of being killed in the wilderness by thirst, hunger or men.



Paul prayed to know the "Fellowship of His suffering." What suffering is He talking about. First of all, Paul was not talking about the suffering of sickness, poverty, the curses and consequences of sin, struggles in life etc. Jesus explained what Paul was crying for or what Paul meant by suffering in Matthew 16:24-25.
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

When we talk about suffering, we are talking about what it will cost you to see the kingdom of God advance in your time. It cost the man Jesus everything to fulfill the will of God. It cost Him even His own life. "Fellowship of His suffering" means suffering the pain of self-denial in order to advance the kingdom of God. It means forsaking your dreams temporarily or even permanently in order to see God's dream fulfilled. It means getting involved in spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ at all cost. It means giving your all - your energy, your money, your convenience, your time - in order to advance God's kingdom through the spreading of the gospel.

Denial of self is the surest way of showing God that He is more important to you than anything else. That's why I believe God chooses to use it as a test and a prerequisite for glorifying men.

The fellowship of His suffering is a pain every believer must go through if he will ever rule with Christ. The price for rulership in the kingdom is partaking in the fellowship of the suffering of Christ. It is called "fellowship of His suffering" because you are not the only one involved in this suffering. Many Believers that have gone ahead of us have already partaken of the suffering. 

For Jacob to step into his highest calling as Israel, God had wound him before blessing Him.
Genesis 32:24-28
24) "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25) And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26) And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27) And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28) And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."



Why must God wound Jacob before blessing Him. That's His way of lifting men. Following Jesus must cost you something if you want to rule with Him. The price or cost of following Him is nothing compared with the glory of His rewards. It's like paying N10 to receive a Range Rover Jeep. 

When you suffer to advance His kingdom, you show Him that He is the most important person and thing in your life. This pleases Him and He rewards you handsomely.

To prove to you again that suffering is God's way of testing men and eventually glorifying them, In Acts 9:15-16, Jesus was instructing Ananias to go and pray for Saul of Tarsus who later became Paul the apostle. He made a statement that is shocking to people that lack understanding.
He said He would show Paul many things that he "MUST" suffer for His name's sake. Many religious people thought that Jesus wanted Paul to suffer because of what he had done to the church as Saul of Tarsus. If that is so, now that Paul is a new creation in Christ, why didn't the old things pass away? When God calls a man, He justifies that man. The word justification means "You never did what the Devil is accusing you of." Job was used of God in his time, yet he suffered. Did he do anything wrong to God? No! So this proves that this is something every believer was ordained to go through in order to be lifted. Now look at Paul's life. You will see the glory that God blessed him with in spite of the suffering. Paul exercised so much dominion that people called him a god (Acts 14:11); Demons acknowledged the fact that they knew him (Acts 19:15); sicknesses disappeared at his command (Acts 14:8-10); clothes that they used to touch him cast out demons and healed the sick (Acts 19:12); God took him on journeys where he saw things that he was commanded not to share with any man (2 COR. 12:4); Glory to God!
He so had a revelation of Christ's suffering that he encouraged the church and his son in the Lord, Timothy, to partake in it because of the great blessings that will follow - Rulership on earth in this time and in the ages to come.
2 Tim. 2:12 
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."

The mother of James and John came to ask Jesus a favour to grant her sons rulership in Christ's kingdom. Read Jesus' response to her in Matthew 20:20-23.
Matthew 20:20-23
20) "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21) And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22) But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23) And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father."

Jesus confirmed the fact that it would cost them a lot to reign with Him in life and in the world to come. There is a suffering you must suffer in order to move the kingdom of God forward. It would cost you everything. It would cost time consecrated in prayers; it would cost you your money (a lot of it). People spend a lot to campaign for political appointments and election because they know the benefits of ruling over a state or a nation which only lasts for a tenure of 4 years or at most 8 years. You think it would cost you nothing to rule over life and the world to come with Christ forever and ever? When Pastor gives instructions on what we should do to advance the cause of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, get involved and carry your own cross. See to it that the work is accomplished! This is your gateway to glory.



In Galatians 6:17, Paul said that he bears on his body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Do you bear the marks, signs of sufferings, of Jesus? What have you done for Jesus that cost you all? Start doing something for Him. Take your ministry, your cell fellowship etc to the next level. Take your giving to the Lord to the next level. Do something radical for Him that will advance His kingdom and make men come into His kingdom en mass and He will glorify you! It will cost you to follow Jesus! Many were called but few were chosen. The chosen ones were the ones that suffered with Him - The ones persecuted for righteousness sake; The ones killed for His sake; those that paid the price to learn of Him and His ways (Jesus called it a yoke in Matthew 11:29); those that shunned the world and lived a life of righteousness; those that consistently and sacrificially financed the preaching of the gospel; those that preached the word in season and out of season etc.


DISCUSSION.

1. From what you have learnt, what can you say it has cost you to advance the kingdom of God?
2. What can you say you gained from such suffering?
3. What do you intend to do, so that you will also bear on your body the marks of Christ?

The Key To Experiencing Wholeness And Fulfilment As A Christian.

TOPIC: THE KEY TO EXPERIENCING WHOLENESS AND FULFILMENT AS A CHRISTIAN.

Many believers that have problems with sin or living an effective life for God have these problems because they do not really know who they are in Christ. Any believer that knows who he or she is in Christ has a good sense of identity and this identity is enough to enable him/her overcome the Devil and sin. Eve was tempted when Satan told her that she would be like God if she ate the forbidden fruit. She was created in the image of God and if she had that revelation, she would not desire to become who she already was.

Jesus was tempted by the Devil and all the Devil kept saying during the temptation was, “if you are the son of God…” The devil knew that if he could make Jesus doubt who He was (His identity as God’s son), he would succeed in making Jesus fall into temptation. But Jesus knew who he was. He did not have to prove to the Devil that He was the Son of God by obeying what the Devil. He demonstrated Sonship by declaring the words of His Father. Sons depend on the word of their father. He used God's word as an instrument against temptation. When a revelation of who you are in Christ comes to you, you will overcome the Devil and Sin. This revelation of who you are in Christ comes to you as you read the Bible.

1 John 3:1-2

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”

This scripture answers the question, “who am I?” Anyone who has accepted Jesus as his/her Lord and personal saviour becomes a son of God. This question solves the problem of identity.

John 1:12

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

We are legally sons of God. That’s who we are positionally . Conditionally, God wants us to become like Jesus Christ experiencially. He doesn’t just want us confessing Christ but to live like Him. Becoming like Jesus Christ is what God wants every believer to aspire to be like. This is our destiny. This is called the “Being side” of the believer – This is who God wants us to become like conditionally. He wants us to develop the character of Jesus in us; for a man is known by his character.

Romans 8:29

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His son…” 

The next question a man has to answer in order to experience wholeness and fulfilment in life is, “Why am I here on earth?” After knowing who you are, this is the next thing you have to discover. This question solves the problem of purpose. Many Christians are confused about their purpose or their calling. Some assume that the platforms God has given to them is their calling. Your profession is not your calling but the vehicle God has given to you through which you can fulfil your calling.

Your profession is your platform. For instance, if you are a medical doctor, you are not alive just to be a medical doctor. The medical profession is a platform God gave you to enable you fulfil your purpose. He expects you to use your vocation as a medical practitioner to disciple people and advance the kingdom of God.

Joseph’s calling was not to be a prime minister in Egypt but his position as a prime minister was a platform God gave to him to enable him fulfil the reason why he was created. Joseph understood his calling and he described it to his brothers in Genesis 45:7-8

“And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharoah, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

His purpose was to preserve God’s people in Famine and prove to Pharoah that there was a God in Israel and He is the only and true God. His platform is underlined in his statement – lord of all Pharoah’s house.

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Every believer is called to carry out an assignment here on earth which God ordained for him/her to do and God gives us platforms and opportunities to execute it once we are willing and obedient to do it.

What is this assignment?

John 20:21

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

What did He send us to do?

Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

So, we are all called to preach the gospel to the unbelievers and when they get converted, we are called also to disciple them. Every believer has two dimensions to this assignment like Joseph had. One is designed to affect the body of Christ (Discipleship) and the other is designed to affect the world (evangelism). This is our God-given assignment and He has given us different platforms to help us carry it out effectively. Find your platform and pay the price to be the best in that area. Then use your platform to advance the course of the Kingdom of God!

DISCUSSION.

1. What is your platform?
2. How can you use it to advance the kingdom of God.

Napoleon Hill's Top 10 Rules For Success

Napoleon Hill's Top 10 Rules For Success

Napoleon Hill's Top 10 Rules For Success

Napoleon Hill's Top 10 Rules For Success

Setting Goals for 2016

Secrets To Taking Your Territory.

Most believers don’t understand the secrets behind ruling their environment. God has given us the Dominion Mandate, which is a mandate for rulership. It is a mandate that empowers us to manage the earth and all its resources as faithful stewards (Genesis 1:28).
Genesis 1:28
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

It is amazing to note that most of the people to whom God has entrusted the earth and all its resources don’t even know how to govern their own lives talkless of governing their environment. The Bible makes us to understand that every believer is made a king and a priest unto God in order to reign on the earth. Adam ruled as a king because He was a priest whose altar was potent. God visited him always in the cool of the day to commune with him and obviously to teach him how to carry out his task of dominion. As long as his altar was potent, he had dominion. When he sinned, his altar was desecrated and he lost the glory of God. When this happened, he lost dominion over all.

The physical world is ruled from the supernatural realm. The altar connects the physical realm to the supernatural realm. It is a designated for interactions, transactions and exchanges between the natural realm and the supernatural realm of existence. It is a place where covenants, vows and sacrifices are established and executed. No priest can function without a potent altar. It is the duty of the priest to make his altar potent.

Every land, territory and institution is ruled from the altar that is speaking in it. Whosoever must rule in the territory must first establish the ruling altar and then exercise power and dominion over the territory through the altar. By raising an altar in a territory, the priest brings God’s power, kingdom and glory into that territory and connects his environment to heaven.

For Christians, a functional altar demands that lots of prayers, worship, quality time spent in communion with God in the word of God and sacrifice be established regularly. When a believer spends time with the word of God, God equips him with the tools of Dominion. One word from God always changes situations. God gives to the believer a Rhema word which he uses to change his world (John 1:1-2; Hebrews 4:12).

Have you ever been reading the Bible when suddenly you were gripped by a fresh new understanding of God? That was God speaking! That was God sending a Rhema word! That was God revealing something new to you about Himself! So, what do I do to respond to this truth.

1. I write down the passage of scripture.
2. Then I meditate on it.
3. I try to immerse myself in the meaning of that verse or passage. What is God telling me?
4. I prophesy the Word over my life, situation or territory.
5. I adjust my life to the truth and, thus, to God. That means I agree with God, and I commit to take any actions necessary for Him to work in the way He has just revealed to me. I identify the adjustments I need to make in my personal life, my family, my church, and my work life in response to God’s revelation.
6. I write a prayer response to God and spend time praying it.
7. As I leave the place of Bible study, I watch to see how God uses that truth in my life during the coming days.
8. I take action by obeying the Word. It becomes a governing scripture in my life.

DISCUSSION.

1. What has God said to you recently through His Word? How did you respond to it? Did you experience a miracle?
2. Are you spending time regularly reading your Bible so you can hear God speak?
3. If you keep a journal as you read scripture, take time to review it and see if there’s a pattern to what God has been saying lately.
4. If you have not been hearing God speak to you through His Word, why do you think that is? What might you need to do to change that?

Rev Dubus -Taking The Battle To The Gates 2

Rev Dubus- Taking The Battle To The Gates 1

Rev Dubus-Deaf Boy Hears And Dances

Decide To Take A Chance And Succeed.

Every day, governments in one place or another are introducing pieces of legislature, enacting new laws, making more rules in an attempt to make their people more successful and happier individuals.

Permit me to share something Theodore Roosevelt wrote many years ago on this subject.

"There has never been devised, and there never will be devised, any law which will enable a person to succeed save by the exercise of those qualities which have always been the prerequisite of success: hard work, keen intelligence and unflinching will."

It is foolish for anyone to sit back waiting to see what the government is going to do for us. I am not suggesting governments don’t make difference... they do … many times, a big difference. But there are many things a government cannot do for us.

There are those only we can do for ourselves.

For instance, only you can decide to do good work, to give everything you’ve got to what you do, to be your very best.

Only you can decide to use your intelligence … to think… to think positive, progressive, constructive thoughts and then govern your life according to those thoughts.

Don’t let yourself be swayed by the opinions of others, by the chatter of the masses. Only you can decide to develop an unflinching will, to concentrate, to stay focused on your chosen objective until the task is successfully completed.

By following Theodore Roosevelt’s advice, you can most certainly be happy and successful, possibly beyond your wildest dreams.

When Werner von Braun was asked what it would take to send a rocket to the moon, he answered, “The will to do it”. The advice will get you to any destination you choose. Happiness and success are gifts you give yourself.

Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.

It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray.

  

The Law of Attraction Explained by Bop Proctor

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

What Do You Do When Your Prayer Isn't Answered.

Matthew 21:22

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

John 16:23

"And in that day, ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you."

There are numerous scriptural verses in the Bible that indicate that God wants to give us answers to our prayers.

Prayers without answers are pointless because the purpose for praying is to receive answers to our prayers. Complacency and ignorance tolerate unanswered prayers. We were not designed for unanswered prayers. God has made every resource available to ensure that we receive answers to our prayers. One of these resources is His open invitation to all His children to come to the Throne of Grace to find grace to help them in their time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

In spite of all these resources, a lot of people still pray without getting answers. This is partly because they don't really understand what prayer is and the principles that govern answered prayers.

Prayer is not my opportunity to have my way with God. Prayer is my response to His invitation to come boldly into His throne room and there have a discussion with Him that would alter the course of world history.

Prayer is my chance to tap into His heart and understand what He wants done on earth.
Through prayers, I partner with Him (co-labour with Him) to help release His will and purpose on earth.

There are two extremely significant revelations given to us in the Lord’s Prayer (a model prayer He gave to His disciples) in Matthew 6:9-15. The first part of the revelation is found in Matthew 6:10.

Matthew 6:10

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

The order of priority in The Lord's prayer is first praying for the establishment of the kingdom of God before praying for your own personal needs. When it comes to many Christians, there is only one priority - self-based prayers.



This is one of the reasons why prayers go unanswered. Praying just for your needs alone to be met. This is where many Christians find themselves. I call it the prayer of "Me, Myself and I."

James 4:3
"You ask for something but do not get it because you ask for it for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure."

This verse of the Bible clearly shows us one of the reasons why we don't get our prayers answered. god hates selfishness! he sent His Son to die so that He could deal with sin and self. Anything that enthrones self in the believer, God reacts against it. the believer is alive with the life of God's son so that he can live for the purpose of God and not for himself again.



So Jesus taught us, in the Lord's prayer, that our prayers should first of all be kingdom focused and not self focused. We should desire and earnestly pray for both the establishment and advancement of the kingdom of God in our environment. As the kingdom advances, the state of humanity improves. Anyone who prays for the advancement of the kingdom of God is actually praying for men to be helped. The kingdom came to deliver men from the destroyer, save and to transform their lives in Christ. The more it advances, the more men's lives improve. The apostles in the early church prayed for God's mighty power to always come upon them (kingdom) and enable them to preach and to heal the people. They were selfless and they got amazing answers from God.



When your priority becomes the advancement of the kingdom of God, every other need you have will be met because your prayers will receive instant answers.

Hannah had been going to the temple to pray to God for a child of her own, all to no avail, until she realised that God needed a prophet to stand in the stead of Eli whose sons had been rejected by God. She decided to surrender her womb to God for God to use her womb to first carry His prophet before she could carry her own children. Her prayer changed and became kingdom focused. She told God to deal with her barrenness and that the first child that would come out of her womb would be dedicated to Him and to His service. This was all God had been waiting for.

What have you been praying for? I assure you that God heard you the first time you prayed about it. The answers will come speedily when He knows that your motive for the prayer is what will bring glory to His name and help His people.

1 John 5:14
"And this is the confidence that we have in him: if we ask for anything according to his will, he listens to us. "


We serve a God that listens to every prayer and answers prayers according to His will. His will is not hidden. it is revealed in scriptures. Take out time to read the Bible and find His will and pray about them. You will receive your miracle! May God grant you the desires of your heart as you join us to pray for the end time harvest.

Unlocking The Flow Of Creativity To Change Your World.

Nature gave a wonderful gift to most of her little creatures-a gift we call "protective colouring"-so that the deer blends into the forest, the fish into the stream, and the bird into the tree. But from one notable creature was this gift withheld. The human creature stands out like a sore thumb on any sort of terrain.

I believe this is because the human was given a much greater gift. You and I have the divine ability to make our surroundings change to fit us.

When you change or improve as a person, your environment  and surroundings change to reflect this improvement. Just as you can tell what a business is doing for a community by observing what the community is doing for the business, so can you, with a few notable exceptions, tell what a person is doing for the community by assessing what the community has done for the person.


You can tell a lot about a person by carefully examining his or her environment. Contrary to popular belief, people are not the reflection of their environment nearly as much as we might think. Environment is a reflection of people. Change the people for the better, and the environment will change for the better as well.

Watch one person change, and the person will leave his or her old environment and seek out a new one-one that more closely reflects their emerging being.

Our attitude is the environment we carry with us during the day. It proclaims to the world what we think of ourselves and indicates the sort of person we have made up our minds to be.

It is the person we will become.

Yes, as we look at the fish, the bird, or the animals in the wild, we do marvel at how well nature has camouflaged them. But don't you think we should spend a little time being overwhelmed by our great gift of creative ability...then do all we can to develop and utilize this ability.

Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.
Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

  

How To Find The Right One By Jimmy Evans

People have become fearful of marriage. I hear a question from individuals all the time: Does marriage still work anymore?

The answer is YES. Absolutely it does. You have a one hundred percent chance of success in marriage because God created marriage, and He never makes anything to fail. He made us for marriage.

The reasons relationships fail is because we don't follow God's rules for marriage. God revealed these laws in Genesis 2:24-25.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

Laws create order, and if you follow them, your marriage can remain safe. Here are the four laws of marriage:

First, the Law of Priority.

This is expressed in the phrase "a man shall leave his father and mother." In terms of priority, the marriage has to be placed before all other relationships. Don't give priority to your parents, children, work, or hobbies.
When Karen and I first married, I golfed all the time and it almost destroyed our relationship. Your marriage has to come first.

Second, the Law of Pursuit.

This comes from the phrase "…and cleave unto his wife." The word cleave sounds foreign in English, but in the original language it means to pursue with all your energy. Deuteronomy commands us to cleave unto the Lord.
Are you actively pursuing your spouse? Marriage is work. It requires energy. Many couples apply no energy to their relationship but expect their marriage to thrive. That won't happen unless they pursue each other.

Third, the Law of Possession.

Marriage is about sharing everything, as revealed in "the two shall become one flesh." When you get married, you share everything with your spouse, from your bank account and furniture to important things like decision-making.

A dominant marriage, in which one spouse makes all the decisions and controls everything, always brings trouble. Selfish people cannot succeed in marriage because selfish people refuse to share. They won't cooperate. Ignoring the Law of Possession can wreck your relationship.

Fourth, the Law of Purity.

"They were both naked…and were unashamed." Adam and Eve were completely exposed to each other physically. They were also exposed mentally and emotionally until sin took that intimacy away. It forced them into hiding from each other.

A healthy marriage requires intimacy without fear. If we are careful in how we behave and take responsibility for our issues, this kind of relationship is possible. But if we hurt each other and don't take responsibility, we become sensitive. We refuse to open our hearts to each other.

Does marriage even work anymore? Yes, it does. But only when we put Jesus first and when we obey the laws of God. That makes it the most secure relationship on earth—but we have to do it God's way.

Blessings,

Where I Am By Billy Graham

Weeks before his 95th birthday, he said, “I am ready to start my next book!” We had recently completed work on his book The Reason for My Hope—Salvation. It was the fall of 2013. Thinking he would want a break from going through drafts of another manuscript, I was stunned at his drive and asked: “Would you like to take a little break and start work on a new book after Christmas?” “No,” he said, “I might not be here next year!”
Oh, but he was—and still is. Nearly two years later, at almost 97 years old, his 33rd book will be released. He had remarked about the contemporary books that had been written on Heaven and Hell. There was still a book he wanted to write on this subject because, he said, “Many people today do not understand the fundamental truths about mankind’s eternal destinations and that each person has a choice to make concerning the most critical matter of life—where they will spend eternity after death.”
“Mr. Graham,” I replied, “you have written and preached on Heaven and Hell for nearly 80 years.”





“Well,” he quipped, “I don’t feel quite that old.” In spite of his weak eyesight he said with a twinkle, “I just may live until my 100th birthday! … The more I listen to the news of what is going on in the world, and in the church, there is great confusion about the end times. Some people wonder how to get to Heaven and others don’t seem to care if they wind up in Hell. God has a lot to say about this, and He has not kept His promises hidden, but few pastors preach on it today. I would like to shed some light on what the Bible has to say about the subject of eternity for today’s generations.”
He asked me to assemble an outline from which we could work and ended the meeting with this thought: “Do it quickly because I’m an old man,” he said with a sense of Graham revival in his voice.
Before I left that day, I posed this question: “When people ask if Heaven is a literal place and where it is, what will you tell them?” Looking through the window that framed the beautiful Carolina mountains surrounding his home he proclaimed, “Of course Heaven is real because Jesus is real—He is the way, the truth, and the life—and Heaven is where Jesus is—and I am going to Him soon.”



In our several visits we talked about the wonderful aspects of a heavenly home and the devastating darkness of those who will never know such joy. He wished he could take all those who do not believe in the Savior to the foot of His cross where they could settle their eternal destination once and for all and have the hope of eternity in Heaven.

Pouring through his literary works that span nearly eight decades, a fascinating outline emerged and, in time, the book Where I Am was completed—with foundational teaching from the Word of Almighty God. It is not surprising that all 66 books of the Bible point to everlasting life. It is a repetitive theme of Scripture. While Mr. Graham’s preaching was the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, his evangelistic aim was to focus the light of salvation on eternity—where the human race will transcend the confines of a fallen world.
This man who wants to be remembered as a preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has said, “Man is precisely what the Bible says he is. Human nature is behaving exactly as the Bible said it would. The course of human events is flowing just as Christ predicted. And God’s Word is real—from eternity past to eternity everlasting.” This is the essence of his new book Where I Am.



God’s Word is eternal, and eternity’s destinations will last forever. He has declared that mankind can choose the eternal flame of His judgment or live forever in His everlasting peace. The Good News is that God sends out a booming invitation that says: “Return to Me; come and share My eternal home and be with Me where I am.” That is Heaven! That is Home eternal!
Who would not want to be where Jesus is? He is preparing a place for those who love and serve Him—now! Jesus has filled this place with the riches of His eternal truth and everlasting righteousness where the fruits of His works will be forever glorified. There will be continual rejoicing over His eternal wisdom. The Bible proclaims that we will praise Him continually and serve Him unending before His eternal throne when He reigns—eternally!



In this book, Billy Graham points to God’s eternal deliverance, God’s eternal sacrifice and God’s eternal love and joy. These are the anchors at the heart of Mr. Graham’s sermons that have drawn millions of people to their hour of decision. The everlasting Gospel that is washed in His eternal love will be proclaimed until the end. When that day arrives—eternity will come clearly into view. Mankind throughout the ages will witness the eternal kingdom and the everlasting King on His throne forever. This is why Jesus calls the lost and weary to His everlasting salvation with this promise of eternal forgiveness, mercy, grace and love: “That where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3).

START YOUR NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST

 You can have real, lasting peace today through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Start your four-step journey now!

Step 1 – God loves you and has a plan for you!

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”—a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).
But here’s the problem:

Step 2 – Man is sinful and separated from God.

We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23).

The good news?

Step 3 – God sent His Son to die for your sins!

Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God and be with Him forever.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
But it didn’t end with His death on the cross. He rose again and still lives!
“Christ died for our sins. … He was buried. … He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

Step 4 – Would you like to receive God’s forgiveness?

We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. We suggest praying the following prayer to accept Christ as your Savior:

“Dear Lord Jesus,
I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will.
In your name, Amen.”