Billy Graham - Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond

Where I Am

2015 William F. Graham Jr.

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version. 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The use of italics and bold font in quoted Bible texts is the authors own emphasis.

ISBN 978-0-7180-7750-1 (ITPE)

ISBN 978-0-7180-7582-8 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015943085

ISBN 978-0-7180-4222-6

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CONTENTS

by Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham

WHILE HIS EARTHLY VISION DIMS, THE GLORY OF HEAVEN IS ILLUMINATED AS MY FATHER, DR. BILLY GRAHAM, SHARES FROM HIS PAST AND PRESENT THE REALITY OF ETERNITY IN HIS NEW BOOK, Where I Am. While he no longer preaches from the stadiums of the world, his heart still beats strong with the resounding assurance that he will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and he still invites others to secure their eternal hope.

My father has always stayed in tune with world newshe still doesand has said, My heart breaks to see the world in such turmoil. We are watching governments crumble; newscasters and people from around the world are asking, Is there anyone who can set the world on the right track? Is there any hope? Where will it all end?

Yes, there is hope, and when the end of this life comes, eternity will be realized.

The CBS News program Sunday Morning reported the week before Halloween 2014 that two-thirds of Americans believe in life after death, either in Heaven or Hell, and most believe they can describe them both. Yet their beliefs seldom, if ever, come from the Bible. So where do people get their information on a real Heaven and a real Hell? CBS found that most develop their visions of both places from the arts: from painters, musicians, films, and poets.

Opinions on eternity, therefore, gain a hearing based on cultural conjecture rather than the time-tested truth of Scripture. This supports a popular theory that because God loves the whole world, He will change His nature to embrace the universal hope that all mankind will go to Heaven when they die. This is troublesome, however, for others who cannot possibly imagine a loving God allowing some of historys most vile criminals to gain the glory of Heaven.

The truth is: God does not change (Malachi 3:6), and He has prepared Heaven for those who believe and obey Him. He also has prepared a place for Satan, his demons, and all those who reject Christ.

Just after he completed his last book, The Reason for My Hope: Salvation, my father immediately began drafting another book on the subject of eternity. Death is the doorstep to eternity, he says. But this age-old subject is still debated after thousands of years. While the culture reflects an ongoing interest in the afterlife, few take it seriously enough to make the necessary plans to secure where they will spend forever. The eternal affairs of mankind can only be determined by a decision made internally.

A longtime friend of ours, the late Zig Ziglar, wrote, The good news is there is nothing we can do that is bad enough to keep us out of Heaven; the bad news is there is nothing we can do good enough to get us into Heaven.

My father has preached on this truth for seventy years, and it is the heart of this book. From his earliest outline for this book, my father envisioned that it would be fleshed out using his archival sermons that span his seven decades of preaching and written works. He now invites you to reflect on the questions and answers that ultimately lead the souls of mankind into deaths tomorrow. From the beginning of Gods Word to the end, he shines the light on the answers to peoples questions: When does eternity begin? Where are the destinations? How do we get there? How long will it last?

As our nation and world travail in the midst of political, economic, and cultural uncertainties, readers will find comfort in the hope that comes from the unchanging truth of Gods Word. This book is a gathering of Gods promises by a man who is still a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You will catch glimpses into some of the conversations about eternity that my father has had with people from all walks of life. Whether talking with a world leader, the media, or the common man, my father always begins his answers to their questions with The Bible says... Now he shares what the Scripture says about eternity from all sixty-six books of the Bible. Each short chapter examines the biblical reality that mankind chooses where to spend life after death.

From the Old Testament writer who wrote, [God] has also set eternity in their heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB) to the New Testament writer who penned these words about Jesus: Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16), there is hope for everyone who will put their faith and trust in the One who gives us this promise: Where I am, there you may be also.

When asked, Where is Heaven? my father once wisely replied, Heaven is where Jesus Christ is, and Im going to Him soon. This thought prompted the title Where I Am, taken from Jesus words of comfort: Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.... I go to prepare a place for you.... I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (14:14).

My father has said with resolve, When I die, tell others that Ive gone to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christthats where I am.

MOST PEOPLE ACCEPT THAT HEAVEN IS REAL, ACCORDING TO A FOX NEWS POLL. Manyreligious and nonreligiousbelieve they will go there because God is a God of love.

Many of these same people, however, reject that Hell is real. Yet they reserve Hell as a very real place for people who have perpetrated some of the most hideous crimes in history and have absolutely no remorse in wanting some of the most infamous criminals to go to Hell.

What does it reveal about peoples hearts when they want someone condemned to Hell? They are obviously judging that persons actions against their own merit. They believe they are good enough to pass judgment on another person, but they accuse Godwho is holyof condemning people to this foreboding place.

Please... write on anything but Hell! This comes from bloggers in cyberspace who claim to be Christians. Responding to those who are sounding the warning about Hell, they write, This makes Christians look like they serve a God filled with anger and wrath.

The Bible clearly states of those who do not believe what it says, Satan has blinded their eyes and muted their hearing (2 Corinthians 4:35). Meanwhile, these nonbelievers brag and make light of the fact that they look forward to going to Hell, where they will enjoy their works of evil without the righteousness of God hovering over them.