Bill Johnson. When Heaven Invades Earth. Treasure House, 2003.

Recently I have been reading and reviewing a number of Christian books. All appear to want to reader to think about things a little differently. A Journey to Hell, Heaven, and Back wants to get the reader to not only think about his or her eternal destiny but how authentic our Christian beliefs and practices are. The Power of Favor encourages us to put more trust in the goodness of God. When Heaven Invades Earth, if anything, has an even stronger message. Is the Lord trying to tell me something?

The Kindle edition, which we reviewed, begins with a number of endorsements. Two stood out because of who they were from: James Goll and Heidi Baker. Goll is a Bible teacher who had an influence on one of the people who mentored me. Heidi Baker is best known for an international ministry to orphans. Since this book was written in 2003, one of the endorsements was from a person whose ministry has endured some scandal and whose judgment may be questioned. Those are chances we take.

Indeed, Johnson encourages the reader to take some risks—not blind leaps, but acts of faith based on the Bible. Faith, after all, simply means taking someone at their word. Biblical faith means taking the Bible at its face value, in other words, taking God at His word.

Johnson believes in the miraculous for two reasons: It is promised in the Bible, and he has witnessed it. When Heaven Invades Earth challenges the view that God no longer acts supernaturally. First, then, he deals with this limited theological outlook. We note that this is typically Western. For example, Heidi Baker is in the third or fourth generation of family members working in overseas missions. Her family has witnessed miracles in “less developed” countries for a hundred years. Sometimes we hear of such things, and people will qualify it by saying, “That was on the mission field,” as if those of us in a more secular culture do not need the Holy Spirit. If such things happen in India or Mozambique, why can they not happen in North America or Europe?

I bear witness that they do happen, though they seem to many of us few and far between. Last month in my own church the Lord restored the hearing of man who was deaf in one ear. Now both ears are hearing fine. Johnson challenges us to expect these things.

While When Heaven Invades Earth includes testimonies, most of it is Bible teaching. One simple example to get us thinking:

He [Jesus] performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God…not as God. If he performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle. Recapturing this simple truth changes everything…and makes possible a full restoration of the ministry of Jesus in His Church. (220, italics and ellipses in original)

Johnson reminds us of the salvation story. Man was given authority over the earth but ceded it to the devil when he sinned. But now, Jesus, the Second Adam, “Through His sacrifice He has successfully dealt with the power and effect of sin for all who believe” (225). If we are established in a relationship with God through the New Covenant, we have the Holy Spirit and the authority of His Kingdom.

Indeed, Johnson notes that biblical prophecies often contradict what contemporary theology says. Many Christians in the West teach that things are going to get worse and worse in the world till it becomes something irredeemable as it was before the Flood. But Jesus tells us that the Gospel will be shared with the whole world before the end comes (See Matthew 24:14). That sounds like the Church at the end of the age will have to be strong in order to accomplish that.

While Johnson clearly goes into more detail, his point is not to criticize, but to inspire and encourage. He notes that repentance means “a change of thinking.” When we repent, then we can begin to relate to God and see the possibilities of His Kingdom. Jesus’ basic message was “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

This is not just a heavenly mandate to have happy thoughts. Obeying this command is possible only for those who surrender to the grace of God. The renewed mind is the result of a surrendered heart. (331)

There is a tendency or temptation to see the Christian life in terms of positive thinking. That is a factor, but Johnson is saying that that idea is simplistic. We can have positive thoughts and be positively wrong. The question is this: Are we thinking like God? Are we dealing with secret sin? Are we trusting in the New Covenant and God’s promises through that?

If there is a focus to this book, it simply the words of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Do we understand the scope and authority of His Kingdom? Can God use us to see that His will is done here as is is done in heaven? That, indeed, is where even the title comes from. God calls us to bring heavenly conditions to earth. We understand that there is a spiritual battle and that “in the world ye shall have tribulation,” but isn’t it possible to bring Jesus’ power to bear in this present world?

The Bible instructs us to turn our attention toward the invisible. This theme is repeated enough in Scripture to make those of us bound by the logic of this Western culture quite nervous. (427)

Now God does say, “Come let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18) but He also acknowledges “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). This suggests, too, the need for repentance. Lord, may your ways be my ways.

When Heaven Invades Earth deals with questions of evil and troubles in this world. Johnson is no Pollyanna.

A woman who needed a miracle once told me that she felt God had allowed her sickness for a purpose. I told her that if I treated my children that way I’d be arrested for child abuse. She agreed and eventually allowed me to pray for her. After truth came into her heart, her healing came minutes later. (450)

The apostle Paul states that what you see is temporal, and what you cannot see is eternal [see 2 Corinthians 4:18]. Unbelief is faith in the inferior. (452)

Alas, he notes that, at least in the West,

Most of the goals of the modern church can be accomplished without God. All we need is people, money, and a common objective. Determination can achieve great things. But success is not necessarily a sign that the goal was from God. Little exists in church life to ensure that we are being directed by the Holy Spirit. Returning to the ministry of Jesus is the only insurance we have of accomplishing such a goal. (479)

With this comes a warning: “Unbelief is safe because it takes no risk and almost always gets what it expects.” (545)

There is much more. The book deals with personal issues as well as who the Holy Spirit is and what it will really take to accomplish Matthew 24:17 as we saw above. Jesus said, “All authority is mine on heaven and earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Lord, help us (me included) embrace that reality. Amen.

N.B.: As noted above, this review is of a Kindle edition, so references are to Kindle locations, not page numbers.