Bill Johnson wrote a book entitled When heaven Invades Earth in this book contains BJ s own writings on where he is coming from & where he is leading the Churchit is clear though BJ believes some different things… among them> Johnson believes that there will be a great end-time revival that will be initiated by an “Elijah generation” (a concept from the heretical Latter Rain movement) that shall transcend all other generations of Christians in regard to their ability to do great works of power. Johnson claims the following about himself and associates: “We will carry the Elijah anointing in preparing for the return of the Lord in the same way that John the Baptist carried the Elijah anointing and prepared the people for the coming of the Lord”
> Johnson warns against “a powerless Word.” The only way God’s Word lacks power is if we refuse to believe and obey it. The suggestion is false and abusive to the Lord’s flock that people like Johnson, who refuse to be taught the truth but relish signs and wonders, have “power” while those who love and believe God’s Word are powerless.
> Those who feel safe because of their intellectual grasp of Scriptures enjoy a false sense of security. None of us has a full grasp of Scripture, but we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our common denominator who will always lead us into truth. But to follow Him, we must be willing to follow off the map—to go beyond what we know. In reality, the Bible is a closed book. Anything I get from the Word without God will not change my life. It is closed to insure that I remain dependent on the Holy Spirit. (Johnson: when heaven invades earth)
> Johnson embraces a doctrine that teaches that during His earthly ministry Jesus operated only as a man and not God. Johnson claims that Christ laid aside His divinity. Johnson says, “He 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”
Rooftops & Rafters 
Johnson claims that Christ laid aside His divinity-
I’m not a Johnson fan myself, but in this quote he is right. If we read the first chapters of Hebrews, Jesus was lower than the angels and was after His resurrection given all authority Jesus is Lord and never mentioned God in the new testament, always Lord, cause He is still a resurrected bodily person in heaven seated next to the Father. And Jesus as a person we participate as the body of Christ also given all authority. It’s all a matter of the victory of sin in the flesh, and that is working still trough us. The case is, if Jesus was God he could not die on the cross, and we would never be part of the Body of Him and called Sons of God, cause Jesus is the son of God. Jesus is the IMAGE (read Hebrew 1) of God, not God himself. Study this, cause you will get the wrong knowledge of His being. Ok, there is a lot to say about it, and a lot would refute me.
Including me John.. I 100% disagree.
Jesus was God from the get go & we know this because of the virgin birth..
If Jesus was not God he would have had 2 earthly parents. Not a mother who was ovvershadowed by the Holy Spirit at conception. .
She had to be a virgin, as a married lady claiming a divine conception would have ultimately not been believed. Mary was a virgin, remember the culture was one where the wedding night bed sheets were presented to the on going wedding guests to prove a) the marriage had been consummated & b) that the husband had indeed broken the hymen of his virgin bride.. proofing her virginity. The penalty for not being would have been a stoning…
The scriptural account of Jesus conception is indeed truth.
Additionally, remember that at his birth the Gospels proclaim the coming of Emmanuel. Which means God with us… Why so. If this God Ness of Jesus was to occur later? Isaiah prophesied this too some 450 years before..
Furthermore, anyone in theory could claim ( & some have lol) to become divine around age 30.. but you & I both know that’s ridiculous right. ? These are crackpots & cult leaders…. He did not become divine, he always was. .. begotten not created… & The great I Am.He said that about himself & those around felt that his claim of being God was blashpemy.. in other words they didn’t be live in his divinity either…
So our choice is clear… Do we believe he was & is. God before the beginning of time, outside of time. Or do we believe he was anointed into divinity later.
Also please don’t confuse the laying down by Jesus of his majesty as he walked on earth as a God man. This is not the same as laying down his divinity , as Johnson in error. Claims…
Jesus came out of heaven, gave up his rights … to be limited by his human body. We know that because. He had the power to call on the angels to rescue him, the devil tempted him as such & he choose not to go with that.. he could have spent his entire earthly life proclaiming his majesty, ruler of the universe & making demands all over the place. Instead we find him walking in humility.. this is NOT the same as laying down his divinity. Which he did not do.
post moved – https://rooftopsandrafters.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/mantles/comment-page-1/#comment-551
The following was taken from the Book Strange Fire, The Rise of Gnosticism in the Church written by Travers and Jewel van der Merwe.
See whether you can identify any of the following heresies:
1. Have an “elitist mentality”.
2. Consider themselves essentially Divine, equal to Christ.
3. Believe they are the Manifest Sons of God.
4. Believe their Divinity comes from within themselves
5. Reject the literal Biblical view of the resurrection and the “rapture” of the church.
6. Are Overcomers and Conquerors of evil and the world.
7. Are in the process of becoming perfect and immortal in this age.
8. Claim to be members of the Melchizedek Order – High Priest with Christ.
9. Will purge the world of undesirables.
10. Will reign on the earth as gods.
11. Attribute their revelations to the Divine Gnosis (knowledge) located in them.
12. Share the same political ambition to establish the government of the “Sons of God” to the exclusion of the personal presence of Jesus Christ.
13. Insist the Bible should be interpreted allegorically, symbolically and spiritually.
14. Believe it is wrong to interpret the Bible literally.
15. Reject Israel as a chosen nation of God.
16. Are anti-Semitic.
17. Reject the written Holy Scriptures as the final, inerrant and infallible Voice of God above all other voices or experiences.
18. Stress love and unity with little or no regard for sound doctrine or a sound mind.
19. Reject the resurrection and redemption of the body.
20. Spiritualise the resurrection and redemption of the body.
21. Reject the personal coming of the anti-christ.
22. Look forward to the dawning of the New Age on earth, ushered in by a select group of Overcomers, the Sons of God.
23. Reject Orthodox Christianity.
24. Are always receiving “new deep truth” apart from Scripture.
25. Are essentially into “mysticism”.
26. Believe in the attainment of perfection and immortality here on earth without a literal resurrection and Rapture.
27. Rejects redemption by the blood of Christ.
I think the words of this Casting Crowns song “Praise You in this Storm” says perfectly what our attitude should be and our view of God. Let’s remember He is sovereign
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
[Chorus:]
And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
[Chorus]
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
Ah yes the “offering reading”… I highlighted the one in bold my church was using…. I wasn’t sure then & Im definitely sure now that we cant call up (or down) divine manifestations & Angelic visitations….
Declaring & decreeing a thing is an important part of the belief system In the River movement.. the belief that if we speak out a thing we can create it – just like God then.. !
To me these feel like an INCANTATION… demanding of God whatever we want…
Q: where is the submission to God’s will in that?
http://www.ibethel.org/offering-readings
OFFERING OF THANKS #1
As we receive today’s offering we are believing the Lord for:
Jobs and better jobs,
Raises and bonuses
Benefits Sales and commissions
Favorable settlements
Estates and inheritances
Interests and income
Rebates and returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts and surprises
Finding money
Debts paid off
Expenses decrease
Blessing and increase
Thank You, Lord, for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah!!!!!!
OFFERING OF THANKS #2
As we receive today’s offering
We are believing You for:
Heaven opened, Earth Invaded
Storehouses unlocked, and Miracles created;
Dreams and Visions, Angelic Visitations
Declarations, Visitations, and Divine Manifestations,
Anointing, Gifting, and Calls,
Positions, and promotions,
Provisions and Resources,
to go to the nations;
Souls and more souls,
from every generations,
Saved and set free,
Carrying Kingdom revelation!
Thank You, Father, that as I join my value system to Yours, You will shower FAVOR, BLESSINGS and INCREASE upon me so I have more than enough to co-labor with Heaven and see JESUS get His FULL REWARD.
Hallelujah!!!!!!
OFFERING OF THANKS #3
As we pray for new wells of revival, we pray for new economic wells in Redding to be created.
So Lord we ask you for:
Favor for our city with CEO’s, Government leaders & Kings.
Manufacturing firms that produce goods for the nations and provide new jobs for our people.
Technology to establish new markets, energy sources, and efficient solutions to grow as a population.
Laws & Courts that measure with the justice and the freedom of our land’s Constitution.
Civil servants that encourage entrepreneurs.
Media known for wisdom & truth.
Natural resources released, harvested, sold & reproduced.
Education, books, and Universities that develop mind molders who influence the influential.
Capital to build small businesses that provide services, arts and culture attracting both young and old.
Medical community known for integrity and excellence.
Repentance from poverty, small thinking, and envy.
Courage to recognize opportunities and make wealth.
Abundance to bless the world and the Prudence to save and invest.
Revelation to pass on wealth to our children’s children…
So we declare that when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices!
OFFERING OF THANKS #4
“I am powerful, and what I believe changes the world! So today I declare:
God is in a good mood.
He loves me all the time.
Nothing can separate me from His love.
Jesus’ blood paid for everything.
I will tell nations of what He has done.
I am important.
How He made me is amazing.
I was designed for worship.
My mouth establishes praise to silence the enemy.
Everywhere I go becomes a perfect health zone.
And…with God
Nothing is impossible!”
DECLARATIONS OVER THE NATIONS
“Thank you Lord that You are the hope of the nations and You will build Your church around the world.
We call to the nations in the North, the South, the East and the West and we declare:
JESUS IS LORD! No weapon formed against them will stand!
We release angelic activity with power, signs and wonders.
We cast down injustices, evil mindsets, corruption, poverty, disease and hopelessness.
We speak grace, peace, breakthrough and healing over the land.
We call for justice and reconciliation.
We ask that government leaders will have:
– Holy Spirit inspired, supernatural encounters and dreams.
– Wisdom, discernment, knowledge to make righteous governmental decisions.
We ask that church leaders and believers will have:
– Extreme hunger for God, new revelations, thoughts and ideas.
– Righteous decisions.
– Courage, wisdom, discernment, and knowledge of how to lead Your people. – Unity among the young and old.
– Demonic assignments broken and lives mended.
– Divine protection and favor.
– Abundance and provision.
– New leaders being raised up to carry revival fire.
– Extreme hunger for God, new revelations, thoughts and ideas.
Encourage and bless the nations and Your people with peace and display Your extravagant favor and love to them.
We call for revival fire to come!”
DECLARATIONS OVER MISSIONARIES
“Thank you Lord for the missionaries and their families. We ask that You would:
Encourage them by Your Word and promises.
Give them understanding, wisdom, insight and FRESH revelation.
Help them to be strong in supernatural strength and ability.
May signs and wonders follow them wherever they go.
We pray for open doors of ministry, necessary visa’s, permits and extraordinary language aptitude.
Give divine favor and connections. Open doors that no man can shut and make the impossible, possible.
Comfort them in times of loneliness.
Give them friends and relationships with like hearted people.
Lift them above every obstacle that appears before them.
Give them dreams in the night seasons from Your heart.
We cut off every assignment from the enemy and we speak breakthrough in every area that is causing discouragement, fear or doubt.
We ask for Your peace and joy to invade their circumstances.
We speak divine protection and good health over them.
We ask for provision spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially.
We speak victory over them and bless, bless, bless them Lord Jesus!
oh my! words fail me. how does one get this nutty????
It comes by not testing things against the word of God & using that as our final authority – instead people make things up that sound “good” or “nice”
This is one confused man … he is mixing up the concept of physical healing being included in the atonement…along with salvation… If that is true, then every true believer would be instantly & automatically completely healed the the very same moment that they repent of sin & accept Christ…
JESUS – NOT GOD UNTIL AGE 30!
Elsewhere, in a sermon entitled: when heaven comes dated may 6, 2012
http://www.ibethel.org/podcast/2012/05/08/when-heaven-comes
Johnson teaches that Christ is eternally God, but then he explains how Christ was not divine on earth until his (age thirty) water baptism! Is this consistent with the Hypostatic Union? Wasn’t the real Jesus Christ even divine at conception (i.e., born of a virgin)??? Yes, we are to follow the Lord’s example. But, emptying Jesus Christ of His divinity on earth to make Him like the “average Joe” is not acceptable. Jesus was 100% divine and 100% human on earth without sacrificing either. Being conceived by the Holy Spirit Himself (Luke 1:35) makes Jesus very different than the normal human being!
for full article: http://bethelsozo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/proof-three-pieces-of-evidence-that.html
now this concept Johnson teaches is also known as Dynamic Monarchism or Adoptionism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoptionism
An early exponent of this belief was Theodotus of Byzantium.
Adoptionism, sometimes called dynamic monarchianism, is a minority Christian belief that Jesus was adopted as God’s Son either at his baptism, his resurrection, or his ascension. According to Epiphanius’s account of the Ebionites, the group believed that Jesus was chosen because of his sinless devotion to the will of God.
Adoptionism was declared heresy at the end of the 2nd century and was rejected by the First Council of Nicaea, which defined the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity and identified the man Jesus with the eternally begotten Son or Word of God.
Sorry Bill, looks like you are preaching a Different Jesus & if a Different Jesus then a Different Gospel.
looks like the early church fathers would have called you out as a Heretic…
Latter Rain (manifested Sons of God) Doctrine
also known as dominionism – Kingdom Now!
http://truelightministries.org/blog1/archives/189
After the Latter Rain became somewhat of a scandal within Pentecostal churches in the 40′s and 50′s, ministers were wary of admitting to their beliefs. They hunkered down and got on with their lives, while secretly holding to the new revelations and passing them on to others. Thus the teachings survived – and now have re-emerged with fresh vigour.
This is the summery of this teaching. Those who support such beliefs as these follow in many respects orthodox beliefs in other areas. We can sum up the Latter Rain, the Manifested Sons of God, or Dominion teaching this way:
The Church must be restored and equipped to rule by the five-fold ministries.
It must come to perfection and complete visible UNITY.
Out of the purified church will come a spiritual elite corps, a Corporate Christ who possess the Spirit without measure.
They will purge the earth of all wickedness and rebellion.
They will judge the apostate Church.
They will redeem all creation, and restore the earth.
They will eventually overcome death itself in a counterfeit of the Rapture.
The Church will thus inherit the earth, and rule over it from the Throne of Christ.
Using the laying on of Hands in ways or manners that are not acceptable by the Word of God.
Exaltation of experiences over the Word of God.
Placing Apostles and Prophets above the Word of God.
Accepting the restoration of Apostles and Prophets when throughout history genuine Apostles and Prophets have again and again appeared.
Accepting Revelations and hidden knowledge above the Word of God.
The belief in the corporate Manchild.
The church is only restored by present day Apostles and Prophets.
New Order teaching about claiming to have powers and rights that belong only to Christ.
The teaching of the Feast of Tabernacles as describing or showing that God will indwell His people spiritually and cause them to rule before the coming of Jesus Christ.
A denial of the bodily and personal coming of Jesus Christ except they are able to rule first.
A Denial of the Imminent Return of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of Imminence.
The event known as the Rapture is for the Wicked.
Church is Israel. (replacement theology)
The New Order of the Latter Rain must overtake the Old Order Saints.
Jesus was the Pattern Son, not Deity, but a man with an anointing.
Spiritual Warfare focused wrongly as a means of replacing heavenly powers with church rulers.
Death will be destroyed for those who follow this teaching.
The House of God in John 14:2 is the church rather than New Jerusalem.
I have highlighted all that I have seen & understood to be the underpinning teaching I have sat under & now have come out from