OK - I am sort of cheating... it has been quite some time since I have blogged here. I am 'cheating' in that I had to write a book report or book review for the school I am now attending and instead of writing a new post - I thought I would just copy and paste for an update. But you know me... I always have plenty of words and I wanted to write a little something first!
For a few years now, my spirit has been bent towards Redding, CA. I fell in love with a movement happening there at Bethel church and saturated myself in books, CDs, teachings, and worship coming out of that place. I had the opportunity to go there for a conference a few years ago and left a part of my heart there! They have a Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry there and I would SO love to go. However, it was really just not an option. Finances, ties here to our city, jobs, kids, etc - all reasons that kept us here. So when we found out that God was bringing BSSM to us since we could not go to it - we knew right away we would be there no matter what. The Lord opened doors and both myself and my hubby applied and are now attending a satellite school to BSSM called SOAR. We are SO excited and honored to be among the first year students digging in and emersing ourselves in a movement that pushes us beyond our comfort zones and opens up opportunity left and right to release the Kingdom.
This brings me to the 'copy and paste' portion of this post! Our first 'book report' is due today... so I just thought I would share it here... if you have not yet read this book, "When Heaven Invades Earth" by Bill Johnson - RUN out and get it! It will challenge and inspire you to play your part is releasing Heaven...
Enjoy!
~Karrilee~
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When I was first handed the reading list for SOAR, I browsed it over and quickly found that I had already read through (at least once) over half of the books. However “When Heaven Invades Earth” was a book I kept meaning to read, but hadn’t got to yet. I recall back in 2004, ministering often online through a “The Passion of the Christ” live chat room that was set up in order to minister to and talk with people who had just ‘experienced’ the movie. I was active in that chat room for many months, befriending many new or not yet believers. One of them was slowly coming out of a fog and had gotten a hold of this book by Bill Johnson. At that point, I hadn’t heard of him but she kept saying that his book was saying the same things that I was telling her - and he was actually seeing this stuff happen first hand. I knew I had to check into this man. The rest, as they say, is history! So to read this book now, after years of reading other things written by Bill and the staff at Bethel – to read a bit of the beginning and see and know now that these things are STILL going on is such a blessing.
I have been submerged in the Bethel culture through books, visiting, watching online, and listening to various worship and teaching CDs/DVDs for some time now. The one truth that really hit home in reading this book is that it is not enough to have faith. I have the faith. But we must take RISK and put our faith into action to actually release the Kingdom of God into our city. Bill says, “My faith is not just an abiding faith; it is active. It is aggressive by nature. It has focus and purpose. Faith grabs hold of the reality of the Kingdom and forcefully and violently brings it into a collision with this natural one. An inferior kingdom cannot stand.” pg 51 (Johnson, 2003) The Kingdom of God is near. As near as we will allow it to fill us and flow out of us!
With his humility, hunger, passion, love, and experience (via testimonies), Pastor Bill shouts out ‘take risk!’ There is freedom in failing, in knowing that no one will have 100% success rate in the laying on of hands and seeing healing and other miracles take place. However, we will be 100% successful if we never try - zero for zero! Now is the time to step up and step out; to submit to His leading and hear His heart for the people around us – in our homes, our churches, our parks and coffee shops, grocery stores and malls. Hear Him crying out for them… Be bold. Offer prayer. Offer hope. Create an atmosphere in which He is invited in and released to bring about His will.
I love his emphasis on being Presence-minded. I love his heart for worship and his willingness to wait on God until He speaks. You can see him do this while giving a sermon and you can even ‘hear’ him do it in his writing. I love the Scripture and teaching he unwraps in this book. This man is in love and in line with the Word of God and he is confident in Christ and all that He has purchased for us in His death and Resurrection. I appreciate the back stories and testimonies; they make him ‘real’ – like one of us! I think at the heart of this book is the reality that we simply MUST know who we are in Christ. And once we know that… we simply MUST release Him wherever we go. The responsibility, honor, and privilege is ours and ours alone!
Now is the time to press through our own insecurities and hesitation, our own fears and self-preservation tendencies! Now is the time for the Church to arise and shine! This is the season for pouring out… for stretching beyond ourselves and our own comfort zones! It is our high calling to live as heirs with Christ, and to pray in agreement with Jesus, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10 NKJV) This book equips and inspires us to go out and do just that!
To order this book from Amazon - click HERE and join the movement!
