God's Ultimate Passion: Unveiling the Purpose Behind Everything | 
| Author: Frank Viola
Publisher: Present Testimony Ministry
Category: Book
Buy New: $159.61
New (1) Used (2) from $49.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 524682
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0978901908
Dewey Decimal Number: 260
EAN: 9780978901905
ASIN: 0978901908
Publication Date: January 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Book is brand new, and has never been opened. Thousands of satisfied customers!
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Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, Frank Viola introduces us to three tales that furnish us with a breathtaking glimpse into God's highest passion. The first is the story of a God who is an ageless romantic driven by one consuming pursuit. The second is the tale of a God who has sought for an eternity to have a resting place . . . a habitation . . . a home. The third is the tale of a God from another realm who visits planet earth to establish a heavenly colony that will give Him visible expression. All of these tales telescope into one another. They are but three scenes of one grand drama. Each of them is shrouded in a sacred mystery. A mystery that has been "hid in God for ages." The New Testament authors, especially Paul of Tarsus, unveil these three tales with maddening passion. Each tale flows out of the ultimate passion that lies resident within the throbbing heart of God. They are, as it were, His central intention behind creating the universe. Put together, these three tales embody "God's story"--the great interpretive narrative by which we may better understand the Bible, the Christian life, and our world. And that story is the chief reason why He created you! So watch the drama unfold and explore afresh the eternal passion of your God. In so doing, you shall find your own purpose and the passion by which to fulfill it. Reviews God's Ultimate Passion takes you on a guided tour of the Bible, tracing three interwoven storylines from Genesis to Revelation. It expresses the intensity, hope, and wonder of an engaged, grass-roots, visionary practitioner. It will help new readers of the Bible get the big picture, and it will help seasoned Christians remember what really matters.
Brian McLaren, author/activist . . . Viola artfully weaves his own story into the drama of redemptive embrace, making God's love both a deeply personal affair as well as something of an existential quest in which we all have a part to play. As such it is 'the old, old, story' retold for a new and contemporary audience. It is a great work of narrative theology made very accessible for any reader. This is clearly the work of a man who loves the Bible as much as he does the people for whom he writes. And it is a work well done.
Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways, The Shaping of Things to Come, and founding director of Forge Mission Training Network God Ultimate Passion is a masterpiece that takes seven thousand years of human history and simplifies it so that the reader can understand what has always been God's passion. It looks beyond the hands of God into His mind and heart as it places our lives and purposes in divine perspective. This is a must read for those who believe and for others who want to believe. God's Ultimate Passion reads like a movie on paper . . . Great Job!
Dr. Myles Munroe, author of Rediscovering the Kingdom . . . This poetic expose by Frank Viola is indeed a masterful work of art - a modern day mystical classic for sure. It is with a burning heart that I commend to you God's Ultimate Passion.
Dr. James W. Goll, Encounters Network, author of The Lost of Practicing His Presence, The Seer, Dream Language, etc. Some books are meant to be read and shelved. That's not true of the "Classics." Through the generations, books that are Classic speak to new generations who were not even born when it was written. It a book for this hour, without a doubt. But it will be a book for years and years to come. It has captured truth in simple language that speaks to the heart, not just the head. God's Ultimate Passion is one of those books. Upon reading it, I have ordered a case to be sent to people I know who must digest its message. I thank the Lord for the anointing that is upon its pages.
Dr. Ralph W. Neighbour, author of Where Do We Go From Here? and founder of the Cell Church Movement Frank sidesteps the maze of ecclesiastic labels to get to the heart of what church really is and how God sees it. Using the biblical metaphors of church, and fleshing them out with the whole sweep of Scripture, Frank gives us fresh insight into the church as Bride of Christ, House of God, as Household, Body of Christ and the Family of God. Frank's unique contribution has to do with passion and romance, elements of God's intention with his people. This is often missing in "missional" books written by men unhealthily driven by purposeful objectives and blinded to the passionate romance of enjoying God forever. It bothers me that our talk of being "missional" often misses this dimension. We see the church dressed in a business suit but never in high heels and evening gown. Frank reminds us that the church is glamorous and God is concerned with more than just getting the job done.
Andrew Jones, tallskinnykiwi.com A lot of literature comes past my desk, and this is one of the most refreshing books I have read in a long time . . .
Jon Zens, editor of Searching Together I was amazed. I was captivated. It was the Bridegroom revealed in such a compelling way that I tearfully rejoiced. Could it be true? The story I had known as a child suddenly took on new dimensions . . .
Dotty Zens, editor of Searching Together Viola leaves trivialities aside, turning instead to scriptural evidences of what motivates God Himself. He weaves the scriptural accounts of history into a wondersome tapestry with a common thread . . .
Charles J. Wilhelm, author of Biblical Dyslexia It's about time that someone has unfolded the Bible as a love letter written to us by the Father of all love who gave us Himself without reservation in His only begotten Son. Frank Viola has done this in God's Ultimate Passion, which is an exegetical treasury. Every page is densely packed with deep spiritual insights . . .
Frank Valdez, teacher
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
God's Ultimate Best Kept Secret! February 19, 2008
This is not just a random book I picked up. It is the book I wished I had written myself. Over the past few years I have been teaching and researching on mainly one single subject. I have become obsessed with this subject because I now know that this is really the Subject of all time, for it is God's obsession and His ultimate passion! I used to think that the Church was just a temporary necessity to help us endure and be strong until Jesus comes back. Who needs each other when we are face to face with Jesus? Who needs a messed-up church when you have a worldwide theocracy during the millennium rule of Christ? When I read, "When that which is perfect has come, then that which is imperfect will be done away" ...I saw nothing more imperfect than the church! So good riddance... come Lord Jesus! But I was very wrong.
You see, I understood very little of God's ultimate passion. I had an incredibly weak idea of God's purpose on this earth and therefore my part in it. I knew God loved me and wanted me to live forever, but as to why, how and for what, I had no idea. Oh, I thought I had it all figured out, but as I began to delve into the full richness and the glory God has stored up for us, it was as if a cascade of light flooded my soul. I now tremble at how huge God's purpose is for us! Not that I am aware of the fullness of it all, for now I realize that I have only explored a single speck of light out of a whole universe of galaxies. I am such a baby in this subject!
This book is a brand new book, written by another explorer, who is also a baby. However he has seen many things I have not and he is as enthralled with it all as I am, so I am recommending this book in hope I can recruit you to explore with us. So PLEASE, read this book... but nibble on it for you will miss out on most of it if you guzzle. And do not stop with this book, but continue to explore. And if we could share together our discoveries beyond this book, it should change how we act, love and dream, for it really does matter how we see the big picture.
A Stunning Achievement November 29, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Once Again Viola hits a home run - a most inspirational and insightful book.
Frank Viola continues to be a voice in the wilderness.
Learn the neglected fundamentals August 24, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is one of the best ever written on God's eternal purpose. Viola provided me with a whole new perspective on the mind of God and helped me understand better the Scriptures through which He reveals His mind. You will learn to look at the Bible very differently from what most have been taught, and some people will probably be threatened by this approach. I still strongly advise you to read this book and keep an open mind. If you do, Viola will take you on a journey into God's heart. There, you will learn what His desires are and how you can be part of their fulfillment! You will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the deeper life, and see why it is so important that Christians commune with each other in unity with Christ as their only head. Viola will show you how the three great images of the Church (the Bride of Christ, the House of God, and the Body of Christ) are reocurring themes in the Bible which reveal the Father's ultimate purpose for His Son, and the Son's ultimate gift to His Father. This book is one of the greatest helps I have yet discovered for helping believers get beyond themselves and live for God's purpose. This is a must-read!
Refreshing, Visionary, Engaging March 22, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
In "God's Ultimate Passion", Frank Viola emulates a man pursuing the heart of God responding to His irresistible invitation to spiritual union. This three fold story of God's romance and plan for the Bride of Christ, the dwelling place (house) of God, and the Body of Christ (the Family of God) is solidly based on Biblical teaching.
This is God's own love story. It is the story of a redemptive love, which draws the Bride of Christ into an expression of ultimate passion. The bride captivated with the bridegroom revels in his grace, to accept his love.
Frank writes with an exciting intensity and vision that is persuasive. He moves the reader to a positive response and life changing action "to let Him build us together with others in the way that He has always wanted...So that He might have His House upon this earth."
Viola is a gifted communicator stirring the reader to awaken a new perspective of self, God and the potential lying dormant within, "crying out for expression."
This is a book for "revolutionaries who are reaching for God's highest."
Copying an e-mail I sent to Frank March 22, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In the e-mail to Frank, I said:
I wanted to let you know that I got your book in January and how much it's meant to me. I loved this book!
I don't think I've ever heard a clearer description of God's passion. I was in one of your meetings in Williamsburg in 2004 and heard you talk about "the lady" in Williamsburg, but I didn't 'hear' like I did when I read this book.
I think I'm 'seeing' for the first time some things I've only known about vaguely. I received a clearer understanding of God's 'loneliness,' His 'romantic intention,' and His need for 'a place to stay.' One of the greatest impacts though was seeing that the Bride of Christ is a corporate woman and not individuals living independently (which is where I am right now). When I read the chapter "Exiting the Desert of Waste," I began to say to God, "I don't want to die in the wilderness. Lead me out and into the fullness of your purpose for my life."
This book was life to me. It's changing so many of my thoughts about God and about myself as I relate to Him. Thank you, Frank, for writing this important book.
Nancy Mauldin
Hampton, VA
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