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Eternity: Reclaiming a Passion for What Endures
"Using heaven as our point of reference lends new balance to life on earth and provides fresh alternatives for a world filled with hollow pursuits", says nationally known teacher and author, Joe Stowell. We belong to the world to come. In fact, since that world has already been planted in our hearts, we are already citizens of heaven. This well-known and respected Bible teacher shows how triumph in this present world can only come when we realize that while we live here, we don't really belong here. We belong in heaven, along side our Father and Creator.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
7 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Joseph M. Stowell
67 books18 followersDr. Joseph M. Stowell serves as the 11th President of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Comprised of approximately 2500 undergraduate and graduate students, Cornerstone is a Christ-centered university with a passion for global influence through the transforming power of the gospel. The University is committed to creating an environment where students thrive both spiritually and intellectually as they prepare themselves to influence our world as followers of Jesus.
An internationally recognized conference speaker, Joe has also written numerous books including "The Trouble with Jesus, Simply Jesus and You, The Upside of Down" and "Eternity." Joe also serves with RBC Ministries, partnering in media productions, writing, and outreach to pastors. His "Strength for the Journey" web ministry, www.getmorestrength.org, features daily devotionals, weekly messages and commentary, downloadable Bible study curriculum, and an audio library of his most requested messages. Joe serves on the Board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Wheaton College, and has a distinguished career in higher education and church leadership.
From 1987-2005, he served as the president of Moody Bible Institute, and as teaching pastor at the 10,000-member Harvest Bible Chapel in suburban Chicago from 2005 to early 2008 prior to assuming the presidency at Cornerstone University. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and Dallas Theological Seminary and was honored with a doctor of divinity degree from The Master's College in 1987. Joe and his wife Martie are the parents of three adult children and ten grandchildren.
An internationally recognized conference speaker, Joe has also written numerous books including "The Trouble with Jesus, Simply Jesus and You, The Upside of Down" and "Eternity." Joe also serves with RBC Ministries, partnering in media productions, writing, and outreach to pastors. His "Strength for the Journey" web ministry, www.getmorestrength.org, features daily devotionals, weekly messages and commentary, downloadable Bible study curriculum, and an audio library of his most requested messages. Joe serves on the Board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Wheaton College, and has a distinguished career in higher education and church leadership.
From 1987-2005, he served as the president of Moody Bible Institute, and as teaching pastor at the 10,000-member Harvest Bible Chapel in suburban Chicago from 2005 to early 2008 prior to assuming the presidency at Cornerstone University. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and Dallas Theological Seminary and was honored with a doctor of divinity degree from The Master's College in 1987. Joe and his wife Martie are the parents of three adult children and ten grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 9, 2017
This book explores the concept of eternity and how the Christian should live with a perspective fixed on eternity as opposed to an earthly one. Clear examples and memorable stories are included, but this book could have been shortened as some topics felt like they were repeated near the end of the book.
January 1, 2018
"Living here in the light of there under the conquering authority of the King!"
May 29, 2022
Dry reading but fairly solid theology.
September 2, 2023
solid book that addresses the reality and importance of eternity and encourage us to live purposefully in consideration of it.
August 25, 2016
Stowell is a Dallas Theological Seminary graduate, received an honorary degree from John MacArthur's Master's College and was president of Moody Bible Institute (all 3 are Evangelical Dispensationalist schools). He partners with RBC Ministries, another Dispensational Baptist group. As you might expect, his theology aligns with general evangelical Dispensational Baptist views. This is not a work that follows "Reformed theology" but an odd blend of views, focusing pointedly on encouraging the false Arminian "Victorious Life" sanctification views.
If you are looking for a conservative evangelical book on "Heaven 101," you'll be much happier reading Evangelical Amyrauldian ("4 point Calvinist") Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" or Dispensational Baptist Erwin Lutzer's "One Minute After You Die." This book IS NOT ABOUT HEAVEN or what heaven is like. It's about being "heavenly minded" and living the "victorious life" while living on earth.
In my opinion, this book was long, dry and boring and fluffy. Stowell spends most of his time telling light fluffy stories about politicians, public figures (who wants to hear a Chrystler automaker story?), his own ministries (CUM etc), different organizations, and some family stories. He tells us of a family that loses their children in a freak car accident; tells us about worldliness; he contrasts "earthbound believers" against "heaven-only types," probably going too extreme and showing some influence from an Arminian type false Victorious Life sanctification view (Pg 31-32); tells us blandly, unemotionally and boringly about future hope; tells us that heaven is viewed dimly in another chapter; another dry chapter to tell us heaven is real and dying is gain; a chapter on earthly benefits of being "heavenly minded"; a chapter telling us to make heaven important in our lives; a few chapters on how God's kingdom is in our hearts but we need to commit ourselves to see a transformation in our lives; the benefits of significance and security, etc; a chapter to tell us to be righteous; a chapter to encourage choosing kingdom values over earthly; a chapter to tell us we will be in tension with the world.
Like most unscholarly (and generally untrustworthy) works, he names figure after figure but never gives you a source for all these names he is dropping. Why should we care what Joe thinks?
UPDATE: After I read this book, I discovered that Dallas Theological Seminary and Moody Bible Institute are historically known as promoters of the Keswick/Victorious Life sanctification views. Read Reforming Fundamentalism by historian George Marsden or Andrew Nasalli's “Let Go and Let God.” So it makes sense that Stowell is promoting this false sanctification view. See the 5 Views of Sanctification books.
If you are looking for a conservative evangelical book on "Heaven 101," you'll be much happier reading Evangelical Amyrauldian ("4 point Calvinist") Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" or Dispensational Baptist Erwin Lutzer's "One Minute After You Die." This book IS NOT ABOUT HEAVEN or what heaven is like. It's about being "heavenly minded" and living the "victorious life" while living on earth.
In my opinion, this book was long, dry and boring and fluffy. Stowell spends most of his time telling light fluffy stories about politicians, public figures (who wants to hear a Chrystler automaker story?), his own ministries (CUM etc), different organizations, and some family stories. He tells us of a family that loses their children in a freak car accident; tells us about worldliness; he contrasts "earthbound believers" against "heaven-only types," probably going too extreme and showing some influence from an Arminian type false Victorious Life sanctification view (Pg 31-32); tells us blandly, unemotionally and boringly about future hope; tells us that heaven is viewed dimly in another chapter; another dry chapter to tell us heaven is real and dying is gain; a chapter on earthly benefits of being "heavenly minded"; a chapter telling us to make heaven important in our lives; a few chapters on how God's kingdom is in our hearts but we need to commit ourselves to see a transformation in our lives; the benefits of significance and security, etc; a chapter to tell us to be righteous; a chapter to encourage choosing kingdom values over earthly; a chapter to tell us we will be in tension with the world.
Like most unscholarly (and generally untrustworthy) works, he names figure after figure but never gives you a source for all these names he is dropping. Why should we care what Joe thinks?
UPDATE: After I read this book, I discovered that Dallas Theological Seminary and Moody Bible Institute are historically known as promoters of the Keswick/Victorious Life sanctification views. Read Reforming Fundamentalism by historian George Marsden or Andrew Nasalli's “Let Go and Let God.” So it makes sense that Stowell is promoting this false sanctification view. See the 5 Views of Sanctification books.
August 21, 2016
Stowell is a Dallas Theological Seminary graduate, received an honorary degree from John MacArthur's Master's College and was president of Moody Bible Institute (all 3 are Evangelical Dispensationalist schools). He partners with RBC Ministries, another Dispensational Baptist group. As you might expect, his theology aligns with general evangelical Dispensational Baptist views. This is not a work that follows "Reformed theology" but an odd blend of views, focusing pointedly on encouraging the false Arminian "Victorious Life" sanctification views.
If you are looking for a conservative evangelical book on "Heaven 101," you'll be much happier reading Evangelical Amyrauldian ("4 point Calvinist") Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" or Dispensational Baptist Erwin Lutzer's "One Minute After You Die." This book IS NOT ABOUT HEAVEN or what heaven is like. It's about being "heavenly minded" and living the "victorious life" while living on earth.
In my opinion, this book was long, dry and boring and fluffy. Stowell spends most of his time telling light fluffy stories about politicians, public figures (who wants to hear a Chrystler automaker story?), his own ministries (CUM etc), different organizations, and some family stories. He tells us of a family that loses their children in a freak car accident; tells us about worldliness; he contrasts "earthbound believers" against "heaven-only types," probably going too extreme and showing some influence from an Arminian type false Victorious Life sanctification view (Pg 31-32); tells us blandly, unemotionally and boringly about future hope; tells us that heaven is viewed dimly in another chapter; another dry chapter to tell us heaven is real and dying is gain; a chapter on earthly benefits of being "heavenly minded"; a chapter telling us to make heaven important in our lives; a few chapters on how God's kingdom is in our hearts but we need to commit ourselves to see a transformation in our lives; the benefits of significance and security, etc; a chapter to tell us to be righteous; a chapter to encourage choosing kingdom values over earthly; a chapter to tell us we will be in tension with the world.
Like most unscholarly (and generally untrustworthy) works, he names figure after figure but never gives you a source for all these names he is dropping. Why should we care what Joe thinks?
If you are looking for a conservative evangelical book on "Heaven 101," you'll be much happier reading Evangelical Amyrauldian ("4 point Calvinist") Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" or Dispensational Baptist Erwin Lutzer's "One Minute After You Die." This book IS NOT ABOUT HEAVEN or what heaven is like. It's about being "heavenly minded" and living the "victorious life" while living on earth.
In my opinion, this book was long, dry and boring and fluffy. Stowell spends most of his time telling light fluffy stories about politicians, public figures (who wants to hear a Chrystler automaker story?), his own ministries (CUM etc), different organizations, and some family stories. He tells us of a family that loses their children in a freak car accident; tells us about worldliness; he contrasts "earthbound believers" against "heaven-only types," probably going too extreme and showing some influence from an Arminian type false Victorious Life sanctification view (Pg 31-32); tells us blandly, unemotionally and boringly about future hope; tells us that heaven is viewed dimly in another chapter; another dry chapter to tell us heaven is real and dying is gain; a chapter on earthly benefits of being "heavenly minded"; a chapter telling us to make heaven important in our lives; a few chapters on how God's kingdom is in our hearts but we need to commit ourselves to see a transformation in our lives; the benefits of significance and security, etc; a chapter to tell us to be righteous; a chapter to encourage choosing kingdom values over earthly; a chapter to tell us we will be in tension with the world.
Like most unscholarly (and generally untrustworthy) works, he names figure after figure but never gives you a source for all these names he is dropping. Why should we care what Joe thinks?
July 9, 2012
Great I enjoyed this book while at work early in the Morning. The best time of Day to Pray and Read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews