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Review Summary: Phenomenal First Step |
Date: 2008-12-15 |
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Details: This book lays out very clearly the beginning steps of how to walk in a life of supernatural Christianity. The foundational points are made helping Christians of varying backgrounds understand their right and responsibility to walk as ambassadors of God's Kingdom on earth. This is not the end of the journey, but a great place to begin in walking out life in an entirely new way. |
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Review Summary: This is incredible! |
Date: 2008-12-12 |
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Details: If you are at all open to the Kingdom of God, you should eat this book up! Bill Johnson is pastor of Bethel Church in Redding,CA. His book brings out the real presence of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is what Jesus' ministry was all about. Bill Johnson opens us to the invasion of Heaven brought to earth. When Jesus taught us to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven." Never again pray these words without understanding what they mean. Healing, deliverance, restoration, power, freedom, etc. are the priveledges of Heaven being brought to us now! READ THIS BOOK! |
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Review Summary: Some concerns |
Date: 2008-12-10 |
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Details: Review of When Heaven Invades Earth.
`When Heaven Invades Earth' has two serious flaws. First, it divorces the desire to experience the "spiritual" and miraculous from the Cross of Christ. Spiritual experience becomes the primary goal of the Christian life rather than a cruciform life. Second, the implication of the book's logic is that spiritual experience trumps scripture.
On page 178 it is stated, "as glorious as His life was on earth, it was the before side of the Cross. Christianity is life on the resurrection side of the Cross," and, "we know a lot about His (i.e., Jesus') life on earth. The Gospels are filled with information about what He was like, how He lived, and what He did. Yet that is not the example of what the Church is to become." Contrast this with Philippians 2:5-11 where the Apostle Paul exhorts believers to "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU which was also in Christ Jesus who...considered being like God something not to be seized, but instead poured himself out, taking the form of a slave...and becoming obedient even to death on a cross." Or to Peter's words, "for you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21). Did not Jesus himself challenge his disciples to "deny themselves and TAKE UP THEIR CROSS DAILY, and follow him" (Luke 9:23)?
We should consider Paul's response to the church at Corinth. The Corinthians boasted in their spiritual experiences (1 Cor. 14:37) and were zealous for spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:12). Paul did not forbid or denigrate spiritual gifts or experiences, but he corrected their priorities by pointing them to the example or paradigm of the Cross. It is in the crucified messiah that God has displayed His ultimate "wisdom and power" (1 Cor. 1:18-29), though this is a "stumbling block to those who seek signs, and folly to those who seek wisdom" (1 Cor. 1:22-23).
The book argues that correct interpretation of scripture is derived from or through spiritual experiences. Page 47 states "when we learn to receive from our spirit, our mind becomes the student and is therefore subject to the Holy Spirit. Through the process of revelation and experience our mind eventually obtains understanding." Page 56 states, "God never contradicts His word. But He is willing to contradict our understanding of His word." And it is argued on page 93, "not everyone handles this challenge well. Many hide their need to be in control behind the banner of `staying anchored to the Word of God.' By rejecting those who differ from them, they successfully protect themselves from discomfort, and from the change for which they've been praying." The implication is that individuals overly dependent on scripture are a principal obstacle to revival.
Whether intended or not, the book has executed a preemptive strike against anyone who raises a challenge on the basis of scripture to the practices and teachings it advocates. Critics can be dismissed out of hand as lacking "spiritual discernment" (or something similar) regardless of the validity of their scriptural arguments.
The book's own handling of scripture is questionable. There are simple mistakes, probably due to oversight, such as the statement, "in this passage (Matt. 22:29) Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their ignorance of the Scripture and God's power" (page 92). In fact Jesus rebuked the Sadducees, not the Pharisees.
More substantial is the book's interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4:18. Note the following statements from pages 44 & 45: "the Bible instructs us to turn our attention toward the invisible," "the invisible realm is superior to the natural...Because the invisible is superior to the natural, faith is anchored in the unseen," and finally "unbelief is anchored in what is visible or reasonable apart from God. It honors the natural realm as superior to the invisible. The apostle Paul states that what you can see is temporal, and what you can't see is eternal. Unbelief is faith in the inferior." This is an example of failure to pay attention to context. What Paul contrasts is present suffering in mortal bodies against future life in resurrected and immortal bodies. The promised resurrection life is "unseen," not because it is innately invisible, but because it lies in the future.
I do believe revival is needed today. Spiritual gifts are necessary to have a well functioning and healthy church. Genuine supernatural healings and so on, are a blessing and of great value. What is of concern with this book is that the emphasis is in the wrong place. History demonstrates that any revival not properly grounded in sound biblical teaching eventually goes awry.
I am not arguing for "balance" or for a non-radical Christianity. I am not opposed to change. Churches need change in many areas, including the recovery of many of the original teachings of the Bible (too many Churches rely more on tradition than scripture). A life conformed to the paradigm of the Cross, is not a "balanced" life by the world's or human standards. The exhortation from scripture to daily take up one's cross and follow Christ, or to have an allegiance to Jesus and his kingdom that trumps loyalty to nation, state and even family, is radical.
bear7755@gmail.com |
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Review Summary: Great Book--Great service! |
Date: 2008-11-24 |
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Details: This book challenges you beyond your safe little borders of Christianity. It encourages you to live more in the reality of God's power at work within us who know Him and keep saying, "what else am I missing out on in this faith journey that I need to know about"! |
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Review Summary: Challenge to an already established faith |
Date: 2008-09-29 |
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Details: I thought I knew what it meant to have faith in Christ until it was put to the test with this mandate I had somehow left out of my Gospel. Heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead. This was something Christ told us to do to validate the Words we speak. And He meant it. Wow!!! That puts a whole new spin on this walk with God. |
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out of 55 Reviews
