When Heaven Invades Earth

Bill Johnson was one of the contributors of my free eBook Where’s God?, which is still available free of charge.

Oddly, we’ve not yet met, but we’ve spoken many times.

I suspect that someone day we will meet at a conference where we’re both invited to speak.

One of Bill’s most popular books is called When Heaven Invades Earth.

The book has been revised, and that’s the version I’m reviewing today (the publisher who I know well and respect graciously sent me a copy).

The following is an analysis that was shared with me by a close friend who also read the book and gave me their impressions. Their analysis makes sense to me so I’m including it in my review.

Before I explain what this book is about, my work has been described as NOT being for the masses.

Rather, my work has been described as “remarkable” because it’s different from what’s for the masses. Instead, my work is targeted at those Christians who truly love Jesus and who know in their bones that “their must be more” — even “more” than what’s regularly promoted by the Charismatics — so they are now looking for that which is higher and deeper and more real.

Hence, why my work is called “the deeper journey.”

The masses of Christians who are satisfied to sit in a pew once a week and hear a sermon, sing along with the choir or worship team, say their bed-time prayers, and are glad to tell people “I’m a Christian” don’t really have a pulse when it comes to having a living, vibrant, all-consuming life that pursues the Lord Jesus Christ in all things, where they are obsessed with Christ and are consumed with knowing Him and making Him known.

This audience (the masses) aren’t terribly interested in my work, and most of them have never even heard of it.

In my view (and in the view of my friend), this is where Bill’s book comes in. Unlike my work, Bill’s book IS a book for the masses. It’s a book that introduces them to the idea that there IS more.

Well written, Bill’s book portrays a picture of what “more” in the Christian life can look like. (My work comes after that.)

So you can think of Bill’s book as the entrance door where my work is the pathway that broadens and deepens the picture and gives Christians the HOW of accessing the MORE of Jesus Christ and His timeless purpose.

Therefore, as my friend said, “This book is a great introduction to your work. An introduction where your work goes further and is much more practical.”

Unless someone gave you the link to this article, if you’re reading this blog, you are already in the camp of those who are already on the deeper journey and who already know what the MORE is and what it looks like.

But you undoubtedly have friends and family members who are “content Christians” who go to church every Sunday, say their bed-time prayers, and are happy to live their lives similar to the rest of conservative America because they are confident that they are going to heaven when they die.

To our minds, that’s the main audience for “When Heaven Invades Earth.”

It’s a book that shows them that there is MORE. And hopefully, to instill in them a hunger where no hunger presently exists.

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Download Where’s God? for free here.

Get When Heaven Invades Earth here.

To see Frank Viola’s work on the deeper journey: books, articles, podcasts, etc. go to FrankViola.org.