Eternal Perspective Ministries

My new children's book Heaven on Earth: When God Makes Everything New, which I wrote with my friend Lisa Tawn Bergren, released yesterday on August 11. It's beautifully illustrated by James Bernardin, and geared towards children ages 3-7. Scripture says, “We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell” (2 Peter 3:13). Unfortunately, many children are not looking forward to this because they have not been taught what the Bible says about Heaven.

Open theists, who believe that God does not and cannot know in advance the future choices that His free creatures will make, cite 1 Samuel 15:11 to prove that God changes His mind. God says, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me” (ESV). The word translated “I regret” is also rendered “I am grieved” (NIV) and “I am sorry” (NLT). Similarly, verse 35 tells us again, “And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel” (ESV).

Is it wrong to want to be successful? Not necessarily. Success can be good, if it’s achieved in godly ways. If not, it’s thinly disguised idolatry, which is always a failure, no matter how widely we’re praised. Success is measured differently in the eyes of God. For sure what He values most is not what people call success, but what God Himself calls faithfulness: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

If you are working a “secular” job, you are not second class in God’s Kingdom. You are no less called or gifted than a pastor or a missionary. Your ministry is to represent Jesus in your own sphere of influence and to provide financial support that enables others to do the work God equips them to do.

In my last blog, I shared John Piper’s reflections on turning 80. What follows is not a biography of John, but just a personal remembrance of some of the connections I have had with him over the past forty years. Hence, I will mention a few of my messages by name, since those were my purpose in being there and it was John who requested me to address these various subjects.

John Piper’s 80th birthday was earlier this year. Piper’s life and ministry, books, and his insights and passion for God, have been a great gift to me and Nanci and our children and grandchildren, and countless others. Tony Reinke posted this wonderful exchange below between Justin Taylor and John Piper during a Q&A. I just love what Piper says about living on the brink of eternity.

Honored historians plagiarize. Politicians invent war records. Coaches embellish résumés. Employees call in sick when they’re playing golf. Advertisements promise intimacy with someone beautiful if you buy this car or drink that beer. We’re so used to being lied to, and so prone to self-deceit, that it’s hard to discern what’s true and what’s not.

Note from Randy: This is a wonderful article by Kevin DeYoung, one of my favorite writers. Kevin rightly diagnosis our greatest need in life—that is, to behold Jesus. So often we think that what we want is intimacy, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii, and so on. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus (and by extension, the place we were made for, Heaven).

In Revelation 5:8-10, Heaven’s four worshiping animals (usually translated as “living creatures”) fall down before the Lamb alongside God’s people. John describes how they sing a new song about Christ’s redemptive work: Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Our ministry was sent this video from Set Free Alliance, a ministry focused on giving clean water, rescuing children, providing mobile medical clinics, and planting churches. One of their donors, attorney Peter Manning, was deeply impacted by my book The Treasure Principle: Peter became a “reverse tither,” with the goal to live off 10% of his income and give the rest away.