Early Reviews for God’s Favorite Place on Earth
Viola introduces this work with “narratives anchor people to a unified vision. May this book give you a unified vision that will govern the rest of your life”.The Lord used this writing in my life in exactly that way!!! I couldn’t put this book down.
The story part of this work of art is unforgettable, really. I will always remember the way this book made me feel and the mental pictures it gave me of Jesus – fully human – as I imagined His interactions with others.
As a personality who operates from the heart primarily – I know my tendency to be lead by my emotions & not the Spirit… but I had over corrected of recent in trying to ignore my emotions and the Lord used this book to bring me back. Like a spring of water poured over a dry land, I felt His love just drown me as it has so many times before. He stirred my heart’s affections for Christ so much that I literally feel the warmth of His love back in me.
Visualizing the stories I’ve read so many times in the NT and focusing on the Lord’s heart….looking at the bigger picture and storyline behind it all…. has opened my heart up in ways I was yearning for. It changed the way I read the NT accounts of Jesus. It did exactly what I was desiring the Lord to do in my heart – help me know Him more intimately – as Lord, as Savior, as fully God and fully man, as friend.
Drawing me in to the heart of our Lord Jesus, God used this book to help me truly partake from the spring of living water and be quenched. It lead me back to the place of reverent awe & worship I always desire to stay in! Through this book, God helped fuse the disconnect I was feeling between my heart, emotions & my journey with the Lord. Though our feelings & emotions can trick us and we must be sure not to be lead by them or even focus on trying to “feel” a certain way……… the truth is He DOES make us feel and He uses our emotions perfectly to draw us to His heart! LOVE does FEEL. We can’t expect them or lean on them…..but praise God He has gifted us with feelings and it all fits right when He helps us bring them under His reign! We can’t make the mistake of trying to disconnect our emotions from our faith… and we must never desire to give the Lord anything less than our whole heart.
I am sure that the Lord will use this book for other personalities in different ways… there are so many practical lessons in how we relate to God, how we journey with Him… and others. But I wanted to share what He did in me through it.
This is one of those works I know I will continually come back to. Through this story & lessons following, He has imprinted many lessons & visuals in my heart & memories to draw from in future dry seasons.
I see so much clearer what the Lord is desiring in His people and I have been reignited in my vision to “waste my life” on surrendering to the Lord Jesus and giving Him lavishly my whole heart, soul & mind.
Praise by to the Lord on the throne! He is so worthy of all our praise!!! I can’t wait to see Him in person and look in His eyes and feel His embrace!! I can’t wait to see every knee bowed at His name and SEE Him in His place of King!! I am so EXCITED for Him!!! To get all He deserves!!! For all the glory & honor for ALL to see!! For the full redemption He is going to feel of all He endured for me and you!! For the amazement of everything set right!!!!
To look in His eyes and SEE the pure LOVE and acknowledgement, it was worth it, it was worth it!!! OHHH Lord Jesus!!! I can’t wait to see you on the throne and to see your heart satisfied, your longings met in your beautiful Bride that you have presented to yourself radiant without blemish!! I see glimpses of it among this groaning and I am yearning to see the conclusion!!! I LOVE YOU JESUS!
Frank Viola is to me, a hero in the Faith. I wish more people read his stuff.Some people have a tarnished view of what Frank Viola says and writes because of their negative view towards his book, Pagan Christianity. As a result, they’ve disregarded and rejected anything that has come out of his lips since then. They’ve thrown the baby out with the bath water, as they say.
If you’re in that crowd, then you’re at a huge loss. Especially if you have not read From Eternity to Here, Jesus: A Theography and God’s Favorite Place on Earth. I almost wish these books were released before PC.
For those who think Frank is a church destroyer, these 3 books put that misunderstanding to rest, in a big way.
No other writer or Christian I know has painted a picture of the Church in such a positive way as Frank Viola has, in my opinion. The words from these three books display his heart for unity amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ. More importantly, he reveals the heart of our Father for a home in us. He reveals that we are not orphans, but adopted into a family, and a home both for this world and the one to come.
Frank has helped direct me into a huge love for the Church when many have fallen away from her. I hope that many will read his book and keep an open heart to what the Spirit is saying through him.
If you fear sickness, disease and death, this book also puts a real nail in the coffin of death in how it reveals the finished work of Jesus through the life of Lazarus. It will also bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones. Jesus is alive, and so are we in Him. We don’t have to wait to be with Him after our flesh fails. We can all answer the call to become a Bethany, for our Lord. Highly recommend this book.
This book is written by a humble, humorous, sensible, and insightful person, Frank Viola. His imagination and skill in telling a story from over 2,000 years ago and having it come alive on paper is magnificent!
I cried . . I laughed . . . and I meditated while reading this book! Its simplicity and easy-to-read format allow the reader to absorb the profound truths throughout the book, without complicated clutter.
This is the first time I have read Frank Viola, but it won’t be the last. I can’t wait to read his other books!
Frank Viola hit a homerun with this book! Once it arrived I read it cover to cover in three settings…very hard to put down. Found myself crying at many of the poignant thoughts Frank brings to light. God’s Favorite Place On Earth…Bethany…I pray I am that Bethany! The book was so inspiring I immediately went online and order four more books to give to each of my children. You will enjoy the book like none you have ever read, guaranteed!
Frank’s deep love for Jesus abides in every sentence of this unique and beautiful book. He makes the dry bones of the old stories-from-Sunday-school dance with beauty and resurrection power. God’s Favorite Place is a call, a challenge, and a love story, all at once.
Frank Viola does a wonderful job of taking us back on a journey- to Bethany with Jesus. This book depicts the journey from a different perspective. He is with His friends, people He loves, and who love and accept Him. Jesus becomes even more real, more loving, and so human, and yet of course Divine. It touched my heart. I want to share it with others mainly because we still have Bethany here on earth- now. Read and decide for yourself where God’s Favorite Place on Earth is today. Blessings!
God’s Favorite Place on Earth realigned my heart toward Jesus and His mysterious, confounding, surprising, beautiful ways. It’s not often I learn something new when reading a book, but Frank Viola’s sharp storytelling and insightful interpretation made me hunger for more of the real Jesus. Pick up this book if you need a reversal in your Christian life; it will not disappoint.
This book has opened my eyes to how I can be a ‘Bethany’ for God. It is wonderfully written, and an awesome story that explains in depth Jesus’ interactions with the small family of Lazarus, Mary, Martha and their father. It led to convictions and calls us all (as individuals and as a church) to welcome Jesus into our lives such as this family did.
Frank has a wonderful ability/anointing to express the reality of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ in a bold and beautiful way. He offers a fresh perspective/revelation that will liberate the seeker from a religious mindset into a deeper passion for relationship with the Savior and fellowship with others.
Source: Amazon.com
