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WhenHeaven

—I N VADE S—

EarthSpEcial REviSEd Edition

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Books By Bill Johnson

A Life of Miracles

Release the Power of Jesus

Secrets to Imitating God

Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind

The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind40 Day Devotional

When Heaven Invades Earth

When Heaven Invades Earth Special Revised Edition

When Heaven Invades Earth 40-Day Devotional

By Bill Johnson and kris Vallotton

The Supernatural Ways of Royalty

By Bill Johnson and Mike seth

Here Comes Heaven

By Bill Johnson, Julia loren, Mahesh ChaVda

Shifting Shadows of Supernatural Power

aVailaBle FroM destiny iMage PuBlishers


WhenHeaven

—I N VADE S—

EarthSpEcial REviSEd Edition

APractical Guide to a Life ofMiracles

B i l l J o H n S o n


© Copyright 2003—Bill Johnson

all rights reserved. this book is protected by the copyright laws of theunited states of america. this book may not be copied or reprintedfor commercial gain or profit. the use of short quotations or occa-sional page copying for personal or group study is permitted andencouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. unless otherwiseidentified, scripture quotations marked nkJV are from the new kingJames Version. Copyright © 1982 by thomas nelson, inc. used bypermission. all rights reserved. Plain english Bible (PeB), copyright ©2003. used by permission of destiny image Publishers, shippensburg,Pa 17257. all rights reserved. Please note that destiny image’spublishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in scripture that refer tothe Father, son, and holy spirit, and may differ from some publishers’styles. take note that the name satan and related names are not capi-talized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point ofviolating grammatical rules.

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D e d i c a t i o n

idedicate this book to the two churches i have pastored:Mountain Chapel of Weaverville, California, and Bethel

Church of redding, California. you both embraced a life ofdiscomfort—living with continual risk—and were willing toendure the unexplainable to obtain the unforgettable. i owe youmore than i could ever repay. anks. i love you so much.


A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

Mom and dad—thanks for honestly believing i could doanything.

Mark sanderson, John Montgomery, kris Vallotton, dianeBrown, and dr. andre Van Mol—thanks for the consistentexhortation and encouragement to write. diane—your ideaswere very helpful.

elders of Mountain Chapel—thanks for giving me room togrow, encouraging me to follow my vision, and for buying me aMac.

staff and elders of Bethel Church—you are my heroes. yourwillingness to pay the price for revival has paved the way forfruit beyond our wildest dreams. you are the dream team.

dann Farrelly—thanks for honest evaluation of the mate-rials written, and for your tireless efforts in editing my stuff.

guy Chevreau—thanks for your candid suggestions andediting efforts. ey were invaluable to me!

Bobby and Carolyn Conner—thanks for the use of theangel Cabin for many days of writing.

Bob and Claudia Perry—thanks for the use of your shastahilton as a writing hideaway.

to my wife Beni—you are for me a taste of heaven onearth. anks.


E n d o r s e m e n t s

Bill Johnson is one of the nicest persons i know, and one ofthe most dangerous. he is a living, breathing version ofMatthew 6:10: “your kingdom come; your will be done onearth as it is in heaven.” that’s the cry at the heart of WhenHeaven Invades Earth. While many in the Church are justmarking time waiting to go to heaven, Bill’s challenge is tobring heaven to earth—right now! it’s a challenge we needto respond to with urgency.

this book is a faith builder. it challenges every believer towalk in supernatural signs and wonders as a natural part ofeveryday life.

—John arnottsenior Pastor, toronto airport Christian Fellowship

author of The Father’s BlessingFounder and President of Partners in harvest

When Heaven Invades Earth is revolutionary. it is filled withfaith from cover to cover. ordinary Christians will begin to seeextraordinary miracles in their everyday lives when they take upthe challenges this book throws out.

—Wes CaMPBellCo-Founder of new life Church

author, Welcoming a Visitation of the Holy Spirit


Bill writes in an extraordinary way that will inspire, equip, andmost importantly, impart the grace for the supernatural. ihighly recommend this outstanding book.

—Ché ahn

senior Pastor, harvest rock, Pasadena, Ca

this is the most faith-inspiring book i think i have ever read!theologically sound, it has profound implications on how aChristian lives in this world. Bill Johnson could start a reforma-tion with this book!

—staCey CaMPBell

Co-Founder of new life Church andPraying the Bible international

Warning! the contents of this book will confront doubt, unbe-lief, and sickness in your life and cause your expectancy leveltoward god to explode! Many books have inspired me, butWhen Heaven Invades Earth challenged me. i guarantee thatauthentic faith will arise in your heart and you will be changed.

—JiM W. goll

Co-founder of Ministry to the nationsauthor, The Lost Art of Intercession, Wasted on Jesus,

and The Coming Prophetic Revolution

it was truly edifying, enlightening, and heartwarming to read themanuscript written by Bill Johnson, entitled When HeavenInvades Earth. in second Peter 1:12, the statement is made, “. . .established in the present truth.” this is exactly what Pastor Bill iswriting about.


“Present truth” is what the holy spirit is doing right nowand what the lord is saying today, for this present moment.Many books refer to Jesus as the “great i Was” or the “greati Will Be.” Pastor Bill’s lively book focuses on Jesus as the“great i am.”

i wish i could have had this material 50 years ago when iwas just starting out in the ministry, but esther 4:14 describesthe whole subject as, “For such a time as this.” it’s right nowthinking. you will be thrilled by the testimonies of excitingmiracles happening in our day. it’s an energized example of“present truth.”

thanks, Pastor Bill Johnson, for pouring your heart intoyour writing. When Heaven Invades Earth fulfills the promiseof First Corinthians 1:5—that in everything (includingreading this book) you are enriched by him!

—diCk Mills

international Conference speakerauthor, God’s Word for You and Marriage Bliss

as my friend and pastor, Bill Johnson has mentored me in thepursuit of god’s kingdom. Bill’s passion to see the kingdom ofgod released in the earth today is highly contagious and bleedsthrough every page of this book. in my opinion, When HeavenInvades Earth is a must-read for those desiring a fresh encounterwith the living god.

—larry randolPh

international Conference speakerauthor, User Friendly Prophecy


in his book When Heaven Invades Earth, Bill Johnson showspeople who are desperate for more in their Christian life that allthings are possible for those who live immersed in the holyspirit. this book is a must-read for all people who desire to walkin the supernatural realm of the holy spirit in their everydaylives. i was so touched by the lord as i read it, my faith exploded!i could hardly put it down.

—heidi g. Baker, Ph.d.director, iris Ministries

Co-author, There’s Always Enough

this book releases revelation into the army of god that movesit into the kingdom work. Bill Johnson shows us that thekingdom of god isn’t just a future kingdom, but a kingdomwork that is available here and now.

—Cal PierCedirector, healing rooms Ministries

spokane, Washington

i have read many books on healing and miracles. this book ismore than just healing information. it contains revelatoryteaching and keys to living in the supernatural. i believe thisbook contains some hidden truths and revelation being sharedin these last days—a must for those wanting to receive andminister a kingdom of power, healing, signs, and wonders.

—todd BentleyPresident, Fresh Fire Ministries

international Conference speaker


A u t h o r ’ s N o t e

Some of the names of the people mentioned in this bookhave been changed. i’ve done so where i have felt

anonymity is essential.


T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Chapter 1the normal Christian life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Chapter 2Commission restored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Chapter 3repent and see . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Chapter 4Faith—anchored in the unseen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Chapter 5Praying heaven down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Chapter 6the kingdom and the spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Chapter 7the anointing and the antichrist spirit . . . . . . . . . . .109

Chapter 8teaching into an encounter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Chapter 9the Works of the Father . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Chapter 10Powerlessness: unnecessary and unbalanced . . . . . . . .151


Chapter 11the high Cost of low Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Chapter 12our debt to the World: an encounter With god . . . .191

Chapter 13our identity in this World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209

Chapter 14Warring to invade! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223

Chapter 15how to Miss a revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

Chapter 16infiltrating the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Chapter 17this Present revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263


F o r e w o r d

When i am interested in reading a new book, i alwayshave two questions: is the life of the author consistent

with the message of the book? is his (or her) ministry supportiveof the declarations of the book? if both questions are notanswered in the affirmative without resounding definition, i willpass on reading the book.

in the case of When Heaven Invades Earth and BillJohnson, i had prior knowledge of the author and his ministrybefore i read the manuscript. erefore, with the aforemen-tioned questions already answered in the affirmative, i happilyread the treatise.

i first ministered in Bethel Church of redding, California—which was pastored by Bill Johnson—in 2001, a few monthsafter my wife died. i had heard several tapes by Bill Johnson a fewmonths previous to going to Bethel. Being very much in thegrieving process over the loss of my wife of more than 47 years,i found myself being greatly ministered to while i was minis-tering. i taught in the school of supernatural Ministry and wasexposed to a large group of radical seekers after the kingdom ofgod. i was informed that their subject was the kingdom of godand that these sessions were only a part of their training. esessions were geared toward preparing for kingdom ministry.after the session, the instructor told the students, “you havestudied the kingdom; now go out and do the kingdom stuff!”and they did . . . in the malls, on the streets, in the bookshops,

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and coffeehouses! ey expected results and results happened!i got the impression that this group represented the spirit of

Bethel Church, which seemed to say, “let’s seek the kingdom,find it, declare what we’ve found, and give it away!”

When i returned to visit Bethel Church and Bill Johnsona second time, i had just learned that my fiancé, Jerry, hadcancer. Jerry, now my wife, was scheduled to undergo majorsurgery a few days after our visit to Bethel Church. at Bethel,two separate healing teams and a staff member and his wifejoined us in powerful seasons of prayer, each group withoutknowledge of the content and impressions of the others. theexperience was joyful, faith-giving, and confidence-buildingas they all agreed, “she will live and join you in an enhancedministry.” the surgery took place a few days later, and todayJerry is my wife and she ministers with me cancer free. to usthis experience at Bethel was a demonstration of the validityof the message of this book.

the direction and perspective of this volume is essentially,“What happens when heaven invades earth.” this book youare holding is literally out of this world! it is about somethingunseen yet more real than the eyes reading this word. it isabout the eternal realm, not yet fully seen or expressed butpresently accessible and awaiting the obedience of anyone orany group to “seek first the kingdom of god and his right-eousness” (Matt. 6:33).

i love When Heaven Invades Earth and am excited that itis about to break upon the Christian scene. i love this bookbecause it points us toward primary reality in a world almosttotally preoccupied with secondary reality. the reader of

WHEN HEAVEN INVADES EARTH

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scripture is aware that it ultimately defines primary reality as“unseen and eternal” while secondary reality is temporal, thatis, it doesn’t last (see 2 Cor. 4:18). Bill Johnson’s beliefs,teachings, and ministry center on primary or kingdom realityand finds that reality sufficient to change the face of “thatwhich is seen.”

i love this book because it declares unapologetically thatkingdom living and power are a part of the normal Christianlife. What is described in this volume is not some exotic and rareexpression, only to be viewed on infrequent occasions; instead, itis the very heartbeat of the kingdom believer’s life and ministry.

i love this book because it includes the necessity of repentanceor “change of mentality” as a prerequisite to seeing and enteringthe kingdom. is is approached in the brief but pungent mate-rial in Chapter 1 and somewhat enlarged in Chapter 3.

i love this book because it is a call to spiritual revolutionto change the face of the earth, and it reports on how onechurch is doing it by changing its neighborhood, city, andregion “one person at a time.”

i love this book because practical faith (is there any otherkind?) is clearly presented as being anchored in the unseenand living from the invisible to the visible. once we repent,we see the kingdom and upon that view, faith comes. this isably presented in Chapter 4.

i love this book because it is framed in a setting of themiraculous! its opening pages are taken up (much like Jesus atCana) with a miracle at a wedding and its concluding pagesnarrate the healing of a child.

i love this book because it challenges me to kingdom prayer

Foreword

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as the gateway to power and the means of getting heaven downto earth. as the kingdom of god sheds true and new light on allother truths, so it does to prayer.

i love this book because it makes clear the practical resultsand fruit of signs and wonders. We do not seek such things butare promised that signs and wonders will follow those whobelieve.

Finally, i love this book because it leaves me with an intensedesire to know god better, to fellowship with him more inti-mately, and to minister with him in more power than everbefore. is is coupled with a standing-on-tiptoe excitementabout what the future holds for myself in particular and theBody of Christ in general in sharing Christ with the world.

i now read this volume with a real, but fading, regret thatsomething like this was not presented to me 55 years ago wheni began ministry. it is a fading regret because i know that godcan make up for the years lost or limited by a lack of knowledgeof these things.

it is with no small measure of expectation of what readingthis work may effect in your life that i recommend it to youwithout reservation. read it slowly, read it thoroughly, and walkout what god teaches you through it. e results, i believe, willbe heaven invading earth in your life!

—JaCk r. taylorPresident, dimensions Ministries

Melbourne, Florida

Q


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Bill Johnson’s book, When Heaven Invades Earth, containsa message greatly needed for the Church today. it chal-

lenges many of our “sacred cows.” like gideon, Johnson had tobegin by tearing down the asherah poles in the backyard of theChurch. he is a man with a mission to wake up the Church.not since i first met John Wimber have i been so taken withsomeone’s understanding of the significance of the kingdom ofgod message. i have yet to meet a pastor who is morecommitted to “power evangelism” than Bill Johnson. e storiesof the healings and miracles done through the “little ole me’s” inhis local church are truly amazing. is book is not about sometheoretical possibility, nor some pie-in-the-sky theology, norsome rationale for the lack of power in the Church. no, insteadit offers practical, tried-and-proven strategies for pushing backthe kingdom of darkness and advancing the kingdom of light. iwish i had met Pastor Bill Johnson earlier in my life. i feel iwould be farther along on the road to moving in the power ofthe kingdom of god than i presently am at this time.

When Heaven Invades Earth is a must-read for every pastorand leader in the Church today. is book was written by a fifthgeneration pastor from the Pentecostal perspective—and, whatbetter perspective to hear from when it comes to the working ofthe holy spirit, especially regarding the gifts of healings. i havehad the privilege of meeting many pastors from the unitedstates and Canada over the past nine years of traveling. PastorBill Johnson, i believe, has more to say regarding the conceptsof “power evangelism” than any other pastor i have met.ough he is an assembly of god pastor and not a Vineyardpastor, he carries the dna of John Wimber more than anyone

Foreword

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else i know, especially when it comes to his passion for healingand the activity of the holy spirit. he is a radical pastor, a greatteacher, and an apostolic voice in the Church today. hismessage is not the sound of an echo; it is a voice of one cryingin the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the lord’s kingdom,which is at hand.”

this book is full of powerful statements i wish i hadwritten. so many wonderful quotes will be taken from thisbook—quotes such as the following: “one of the tragedies ofa weakened identity is how it affects our approach to scrip-ture. Many, if not most, theologians make the mistake oftaking all the good stuff contained in the prophets andsweeping it under that mysterious rug called the Millennium .. . . We are so entrenched in unbelief that anything contrary tothis world view (the dispensationalist’s view of a weak end-time Church) is thought to be of the devil.”

other great quotes from this book are: “unbelief isanchored in what is visible or reasonable apart from god. ithonors the natural realm as superior to the invisible . . . .unbelief is faith in the inferior”; and “Faith comes by hearing. . . it does not say that it comes from having heard. it is thelistening heart, in the present tense, that is ready for heaven’sdeposit of faith . . . . hearing now is a key to faith.”

When Heaven Invades Earth is a wake-up call to theChurch. it is a deathblow to “cessationism,” a challenge to“dispensationalism,” and it is a call to those within the Pente-costal heritage to return to their roots. the book is solidlybased in scripture and reveals the heart of a man who lovesnot only the spirit, but also loves the Word of god. With


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fresh revelation Bill Johnson takes us to scripture and letsscripture speak a fresh word to us. he forces us to see whatthe scriptures actually say, instead of only seeing what ourtheologically correct blinders allow us to see.

i have been waiting for Bill to finish this book so i couldoffer it at my book table at my meetings. he has so much to saythat i avoid missing any of his speaking times when we ministertogether. ey are too rich to miss. in this day of so many prin-ciples and strategies, it is refreshing to hear one call us back tothe strategy of Jesus for evangelism.

—randy Clarkglobal awakening Ministries

international Conference speakerauthor, God Can use Little Ol’ Me

Foreword

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I n t r o d u c t i o n

afew years ago i overheard a conversation that stirred mebeyond words. it was during my uncle david Morken’s

90th birthday party. along with a sizable crowd of familymembers, several of his peers in ministry had gathered for thecelebration. as a young man, uncle david had been a soloist foraimee semple McPherson before becoming a missionary toChina and sumatra, and later he became a right-hand man toBilly graham. his accomplishments are stunning, but are asubject for another time.

toward the end of the evening, i saw a few of the oldersaints sitting together, talking. noticing the subject was theoutpouring of the spirit during aimee semple McPherson’sministry, i couldn’t help but eavesdrop. With youthful enthu-siasm one said to the other, “it was like heaven on earth.” erethey were, some 70 years after the fact, with eyes brightened bythe memory of things that others seldom dream of. eir expe-rience became the standard by which all other days were to bemeasured. i was pierced through.

My heart burns for the coming move of god. i live for therevival that is unfolding and believe it will surpass all previousmoves combined, bringing more than one billion souls into thekingdom. yet, for this one moment, i wished i could go backin time.

as a fifth generation pastor on my dad’s side of the family,and fourth on my mom’s, i grew up hearing of the great moves

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of god. My grandparents sat under the ministry of smithWigglesworth and other notable revivalists. (i remembergrandpa telling me, “not everyone liked Wigglesworth.” ofcourse he is well loved today. israel also loved their prophetsafter they were dead.)

grandpa and grandma Morken received the baptism in theholy spirit in 1901 and 1903, respectively, and they loved totalk about what they had seen and experienced. ey’ve been inheaven now for over 25 years. i only wish i had another chanceto hear their stories and to ask them the questions i never askedas a young man. it would mean so much more to me now.

e quest described in this book began in me many yearsago. i needed to see the gospel in life as it is in print. For me itwas an issue of being faithful to god. however, it quicklybecame clear to me that such a pursuit was costly. Many misun-derstandings come when we pursue what others ignore.

i could not limit my values and pursuits to what makesothers comfortable. Being possessed by a promise i live withoutoptions. i will spend the rest of my life exploring what couldhappen through the life of one who is willing to cultivate thegod-given appetite to see impossibilities bow to the name ofJesus. all my eggs are in one basket. ere is no “Plan B.” andit’s from this posture that i write.


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1

tHE noRMalcHRiStian lifE

It is abnormal for a Christian not to have anappetite for the impossible. It has been writteninto our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impos-sibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.

on a cold and rainy saturday, church buses were sent tothe neediest parts of our city, redding, to find the home-

less and the poor. e bride and groom eagerly anticipated theirreturn and prepared a meal in their honor. e needy were to bethe distinguished guests of their wedding.

ralph and Colleen met while working in our ministry tothe poor. they shared a passion for god and a love for theneedy. although it is common for the bride and groom toregister for gifts at fine department stores, ralph and Colleendid so at target; and all they put on their wish list were coats,hats, gloves, and sleeping bags—to be given to their guests.this was not going to be a typical wedding.

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in our pre-wedding meeting the bride and groom encour-aged me to be sensitive to the holy spirit in case he wanted toheal people during the wedding. if i received a word of knowl-edge for healing, i was to stop the ceremony and pray for thesick. as a pastor i was excited to see what might happen. eyhad created far too great a miracle opportunity for god not to dosomething extraordinary.

e wedding began. apart from an extended time ofworship, followed by an evangelistic message and a prayer forsalvation, the ceremony ended up quite normal.

it’s very different to see among family and friends of the brideand groom people who are there simply to get a meal. it wasn’twrong. it was just different. Following the ceremony, the newlymarried couple went directly to the reception hall, got behind theserving table, and dished the food for their guests. e meal wasexcellent. e hungry became satisfied. god was pleased.

But before the wedding ever started two or three peoplecame to me with excitement in their voices. “ere is somebodyhere who only has two and a half to three years to live!” We hadcrossed a milestone. Miracles of healing had become morecommon . . . to the point that a life-threatening disease seemedmore like a potential miracle than it did something to fear. atin itself is a dream come true for me—people in north americaexpecting something supernatural from god!

The Miracle Continues

his name was luke. like most of the folks from the streetshe and his wife Jennifer had come to the wedding because food


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would be served. luke walked with difficulty, needing the helpof a cane. he wore braces on each arm, and a large brace aroundhis neck.

Following the meal my brother Bob and i brought theminto the church kitchen, asking him about the braces on eacharm. he told us his problem was carpal tunnel syndrome. iasked him if he would take the braces off and let us pray. he saidyes. (Whenever it’s possible i like to remove whatever thatperson might trust in other than god.) he did so, and we laidour hands on his wrists, commanding the tunnel to open and allnumbness and pain to be gone. he then moved his hands freely,experiencing the healing he had just received.

When we asked him about his cane and the obviousproblem with his leg, he described how he had suffered ahorrible accident. as a result he had an artificial shin and hipand had even lost half a lung. his walk was labored andpainful. When the surgeons put him back together, his legwas an inch too short. i had him sit down and encouragedboth him and his wife to watch what god was about to do. iheld his legs in such a way that they could see the problemand would be able to recognize any change. We commandedthe leg to grow. it did. When he stood, he shifted his weightfrom side to side, almost as though he were trying on a newpair of shoes, saying, “yeah, that’s about right.” the responseof the unchurched is very matter of fact . . . and veryrefreshing. i asked him to walk across the room, which he didgladly, without a limp and without pain. god was at work.he replaced one inch of missing bone and removed all thepain caused by luke’s accident.

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next we asked about luke’s neck. he told me he had cancerand was given a couple of years to live. he went on to explainthat the brace was necessary because of the loss of the musclesin his neck. e brace held his head in place. By this time agroup had gathered, not to watch, but to participate. at myrequest he removed the brace while another man in our church,a medical doctor, safely held his head. as we began to pray iheard the doctor command new muscles to grow. he calledthem by their latin names. i was impressed. When we werefinished, luke turned his head from side to side. all wasrestored. he then placed his hand on the side of his neck andexclaimed, “e lumps are gone!”

his doctor gave him a clean bill of health, and the mira-cles continued long past the physical healing. luke andJennifer began to serve Jesus as their lord and savior. Withinweeks luke got a job, the first time he had worked in 17 years.Jesus heals the whole person.

Just Another Day

although that kind of wedding remains unusual, ourchurch’s deliberate pursuit of the poor and the miracles arecommon. this story is true, and it is closer to the normal Chris-tian life than what the Church normally experiences. the lackof miracles isn’t because it is not in god’s will for us. theproblem exists between our ears. as a result, a transformation—a renewing of the mind—is needed, and it’s only possiblethrough a work of the holy spirit that typically comes upondesperate people.


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e aforementioned bride and groom, although noble, areordinary people who serve an extravagant Father. ere wasn’t agreat person involved, except for Jesus. all the rest of us simplymade room for god, believing him to be good 100 percent ofthe time. e risks that the bride and groom took were morethan god could pass up. in the midst of this marriage celebra-tion god invaded a home marked by hellish disease and estab-lished a testimony for his glory.

stories of this nature are becoming the norm, and thecompany of people who have joined this quest for an authenticgospel—the gospel of the Kingdom—is increasing. loving godand his people is an honor. We will no longer make up excusesfor powerlessness because powerlessness is inexcusable. ourmandate is simple: raise up a generation that can openly displaythe raw power of god. is book is all about that journey—thequest for the king and his kingdom.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk butof power.1

Seek first the kingdom of God.2

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Endnotes

1. First Corinthians 4:20 niV.2. Matthew 6:33.


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2

coMMiSSionREStoREd

Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to youby miracles, wonders, and signs which God didthrough Him in your midst . . . .1

Jesus could not heal the sick. neither could he deliver thetormented from demons or raise the dead. to believe other-

wise is to ignore what he said about himself, and more impor-tantly, to miss the purpose of his self-imposed restriction to liveas a man.

Jesus Christ said of himself, “e son can do nothing.”2 inthe greek language that word nothing has a unique meaning—it means “nothing,” just like it does in english! he had no super-natural capabilities whatsoever! While he is 100 percent god,he chose to live with the same limitations that man would face

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once he was redeemed. he made that point over and overagain. Jesus became the model for all who would embrace theinvitation to invade the impossible in his name. heperformed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right rela-tionship with god . . . not as god. if he performed miraclesbecause he was god, then they would be unattainable for us.But if he did them as a man, i am responsible to pursue hislifestyle. recapturing this simple truth changes everythingand makes possible a full restoration of the ministry of Jesusin his Church.

What were the distinctions of his humanity?

1. he had no sin to separate him from theFather.

2. he was completely dependent on the powerof the holy spirit working through him.

What are the distinctions of our humanity?

1. We are sinners cleansed by the blood ofJesus. through his sacrifice he has success-fully dealt with the power and effect of sinfor all who believe. nothing now separates usfrom the Father. there remains only oneunsettled issue—

2. how dependent on the holy spirit are wewilling to live?


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The Original Commission

the backbone of kingdom authority and power is found inthe commission. discovering god’s original commission andpurpose for mankind can help to fortify our resolve to a life ofhistory-changing significance. to find that truth, we must goback to the beginning.

humanity was created in the image of god and placed intothe Father’s ultimate expression of beauty and peace: the gardenof eden.3 outside of that garden it was a different story. it waswithout the order and blessing contained within and was ingreat need of the touch of god’s delegated one—adam.

adam and eve were placed in the garden with a mission.god said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”4

it was god’s intention that as they bore more children—who alsolived under god’s rule—they would be extending the boundariesof his garden (his government) through the simplicity of theirdevotion to him. e greater the number of people in right rela-tionship with god, the greater the impact of their leadership. isprocess was to continue until the entire earth was covered withthe glorious rule of god through humanity.

But in genesis chapter 1 we discover it’s not a perfectuniverse. satan had rebelled and been cast out of heaven, andwith him a portion of the fallen angels took dominion of theearth. it’s obvious why the rest of the planet needed to besubdued—it was under the influence of darkness.5 god couldhave destroyed the devil and his host with a word, but insteadhe chose to defeat darkness through his delegated authority—those made in his image who were lovers of god by choice.

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A Romance Story

the sovereign one placed us—adam’s children—in chargeof planet earth. “the heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;but the earth he has given to the children of men.”6 thishighest of honors was chosen because love always chooses thebest. that is the beginning of the romance of our creation—created in his image, for intimacy, that dominion might beexpressed through love. it is from this revelation that we areto learn to walk as his ambassadors, thus defeating the“prince of this world.” the stage was set for all of darkness tofall as man exercised his godly influence over creation. Butinstead, man fell.

satan didn’t come into the garden of eden violently andtake possession of adam and eve. he couldn’t! Why? he hadno dominion there. dominion empowers. and since man wasgiven the keys of dominion over the planet, the devil wouldhave to get his authority from them. the suggestion to eat theforbidden fruit was simply the devil’s effort to get adam andeve to agree with him in opposition to god, thus empoweringthe devil. through that agreement, he is enabled to kill, steal,and destroy. it’s important to realize that even today satan isempowered through man’s agreement.

Mankind’s authority to rule was forfeited when adam atethe forbidden fruit. Paul said, “you are that one’s slaveswhom you obey.”7 in that one act, mankind became the slaveand possession of the evil one. all that adam owned,including the title deed to the planet with its correspondingposition of rule, became part of the devil’s spoil. god’spredetermined plan of redemption immediately kicked into


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play, “i will put enmity between you and the woman, andbetween your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head,and you shall bruise his heel.”8 Jesus would come to reclaimall that was lost.

There Were No Shortcuts to His Victory

god’s plan of rulership for man never ceased. Jesus cameto bear man’s penalty for sin and recapture what had been lost.luke 19:10 says that Jesus came “to seek and to save thatwhich was lost.” not only was mankind lost to sin, hisdominion over planet earth was also lost. Jesus came to recap-ture both. satan tried to ruin that plan at the end of Jesus’ 40-day fast. the devil knew he wasn’t worthy of Jesus’ worship,but he also knew that Jesus had come to reclaim the authoritythat man had given away. satan said to him, “all thisauthority i will give you, and their glory; for this has beendelivered to me, and i give it to whomever i wish. therefore,if you will worship before me, all will be yours.”9 notice thephrase “for this has been delivered to me.” satan could notsteal it. it had been relinquished when adam abandoned god’srule. it was as though satan was saying to Jesus, “i know whatyou came for. you know what i want. Worship me and i’ll giveyou back the keys.” in effect, satan offered Jesus a shortcut tohis goal of recapturing the keys of authority that man lostthrough sin. Jesus said “no” to the shortcut and refused to givehim any honor. (it was this same desire for worship thatcaused satan’s fall from heaven in the first place.10) Jesus heldhis course, for he had come to die.

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e Father wanted satan defeated by man—one made inhis image. Jesus, who would shed his blood to redeemmankind, emptied himself of his rights as god and took uponhimself the limitations of man. satan was defeated by a man—the son of Man, who was rightly related to god. now, as peoplereceive the work of Christ on the cross for salvation, theybecome grafted into that victory. Jesus defeated the devil withhis sinless life, defeated him in his death by paying for oursins with his blood, and again, in the resurrection, risingtriumphant with the keys of death and hell.

We Are Born to Rule

in redeeming humanity, Jesus retrieved what had been givenaway. From the throne of triumph he declared, “all authorityhas been given to Me in heaven and on earth. go therefore . . . .”11

in other words: I got it all back. Now go use it and reclaimmankind. in this passage, Jesus fulfills the promise he made tothe disciples when he said, “i will give you the keys of thekingdom of heaven.”12 the original plan was never aborted; itwas fully realized once and for all in the resurrection and ascen-sion of Jesus. We were then to be completely restored to hisplan of ruling as a people made in his image. and as such, wewould learn how to enforce the victory obtained at Calvary:“the god of peace will soon crush satan under your feet.”13

We were born to rule—rule over creation, over darkness—to plunder hell and establish the rule of Jesus wherever we go bypreaching the gospel of the kingdom. Kingdom means, “king’sdomain.” in the original purpose of god, mankind ruled over


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creation. now that sin has entered the world, creation has beeninfected by darkness, namely: disease, sickness, afflicting spirits,poverty, natural disasters, demonic influence, etc. our rule isstill over creation, but now it is focused on exposing andundoing the works of the devil. We are to give what we havereceived to reach that end.14 if i truly receive power from anencounter with the god of power, i am equipped to give itaway. e invasion of god into impossible situations comesthrough a people who have received power from on high andlearn to release it into the circumstances of life.

The Key of David

the gospel of salvation is to touch the whole person: spirit,soul, and body. John g. lake called this a Triune Salvation. astudy on the word evil confirms the intended reach of hisredemption. that word is found in Matthew 6:13 (kJV),“deliver us from evil.” the word evil represents the entire curseof sin upon humanity. Poneros, the greek word for evil, camefrom the word ponos, meaning “pain.” and that word came fromthe root word penes, meaning “poor.” look at it: evil-sin, pain-sickness, and poor-poverty. Jesus destroyed the power of sin, sick-ness, and poverty through his redemptive work on the cross. inadam and eve’s commission to subdue the earth, they werewithout sickness, poverty, and sin. now that we are restored tohis original purpose, should we expect anything less? after all,this is called the better covenant!

We were given the keys to the kingdom15—which in part isthe authority to trample over all the powers of hell.16 ere is a

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unique application of this principle found in the phrase key ofDavid,17 which is mentioned in both revelation and isaiah.Unger’s Bible Dictionary states, “the power of the keysconsisted not only in the supervision of the royal chambers,but also in deciding who was and who was not to be receivedinto the king’s service.”18 all that the Father has is oursthrough Christ. his entire treasure house of resources, hisroyal chambers, is at our disposal in order to fulfill hiscommission. But the more sobering part of this illustration isfound in controlling who gets in to see the King. isn’t that whatwe do with this gospel? When we declare it, we give opportu-nity for people to come to the king to be saved. When we aresilent, we have chosen to keep those who would hear awayfrom eternal life. sobering indeed! it was a costly key for himto purchase, and it’s a costly key for us to use. But, it’s evenmore costly to bury it and not obtain an increase for the comingKing. that price will be felt throughout eternity.

A Revolution in Identity

it’s time for a revolution in our vision. When prophets tellus, your vision is too small, many of us think the antidote is toincrease whatever numbers we’re expecting. For example: ifwe’re expecting 10 new converts, let’s change it to 100. if wewere praying for cities, let’s pray instead for nations. With suchresponses, we’re missing the sharp edge of the frequentlyrepeated word. increasing the numbers is not necessarily a signof a larger vision from god’s perspective. Vision starts withidentity and purpose. through a revolution in our identity, we


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can think with divine purpose. such a change begins with arevelation of him.

one of the tragedies of a weakened identity is how itaffects our approach to scripture. Many, if not most theolo-gians, make the mistake of taking all the good stuff containedin the prophets and sweeping it under that mysterious rugcalled the Millennium. it is not my desire to debate thatsubject right now. But i do want to deal with our propensityto put off those things that require courage, faith, and actionto another period of time. the mistaken idea is this: if it isgood, it can’t be for now.

a cornerstone in this theology is that the condition of theChurch will always be getting worse and worse; therefore,tragedy in the Church is just another sign of these being thelast days. in a perverted sense, the weakness of the Churchconfirms to many that they are on the right course. theworsening condition of the world and the Church becomes asign to them that all is well. i have many problems with thatkind of thinking, but only one i’ll mention now—it requiresno faith!

We are so entrenched in unbelief that anything contraryto this worldview is thought to be of the devil. so it is withthe idea of the Church having a dominating impact beforeJesus returns. it’s almost as though we want to defend theright to be small in number and make it by the skin of ourteeth. embracing a belief system that requires no faith isdangerous. it is contrary to the nature of god and all that thescriptures declare. since he plans to do above all we could askor think, according to ephesians 3:20, his promises by nature

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challenge our intellect and expectations. “[Jerusalem] did notconsider her destiny; therefore her collapse was awesome.”19 eresult of forgetting his promises is not one we can afford.

We are often more convinced of our unworthiness than weare of his worth. our inability takes on greater focus thandoes his ability. But the same one who called fearful Gideona valiant warrior and unstable Peter a rock has called us theBody of his beloved son on earth. that has to count forsomething.

in the next chapter we’ll see how to use a gift to manifesthis kingdom—causing heaven to touch earth.

Endnotes

1. acts 2:22.2. John 5:19.3. see genesis 1:27.4. genesis 1:28.5. genesis 1:2.6. see Psalm 115:16.7. romans 6:16.8. genesis 3:15.9. luke 4:6-7.

10. see isaiah 14:12.11. Matthew 28:18-19.12. Matthew 16:19.13. romans 16:20 niV.14. see Matthew 10:8.15. see Matthew 16:19.


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16. see luke 10:19.17. isaiah 22:22; revelation 3:7.18. unger’s Bible dictionary, s.v. “key” (Chicago, il:

Moody Press, 1957), 629.19. lamentations 1:9.

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author ContaCt inForMation

BILL JoHNsoNBethel Church

933 College View DriveRedding, CA 96003

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.BJM.org


reCoMMended reading

Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministryby kris Vallotton

Basic Training for the Supernatural Ways of Royaltyby kris Vallotton

Developing a Supernatural Lifestyleby kris Vallotton

Loving Our Kids on Purposeby danny silk

Purity—The New Moral Revolutionby kris Vallotton

The Happy Intercessorby Beni Johnson

The Ultimate Treasure Huntby kevin dedmon


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