Hosting the Presence: Unveiling Heaven's Agenda

by Bill Johnson

 Let the Spirit live inside you!

Are you hungry for an encounter with Jesus? Do you want to make an impact on the world? In this power-packed book, Bill Johnson discusses how you can be a person who hosts the Presence of God. Though all believers obviously have the Spirit of God within them, there is more that enables you to be so full that you overflow His Spirit into your world. Take a journey and meet many great prophets and kings from the Old Testament who were known as people of the Presence—people who, in Johnson’s words, “God wanted to be with.” In this succinct and powerful book, Johnson encourages you toward a pursuit of the Presence of God above all else. In this book, you will   How to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and respond to Him.   How the Holy Spirit manifests Himself.   Biblical figures who were hungry for more of God’s Spirit and learned to host Him.   Stories of Presence-filled revivalists and personal encounters with the Presence!Bill Johnson “We are enabled to partner with the Kingdom of Heaven and see it released here on earth! The Presence of God within us will bring reformation to the world around us—encountering a loving God!” Host more of Him today! 

Genres: Christian, Theology, Spirituality, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2012

About the author

Bill Johnson and his wife Brenda (Beni) Johnson are the Senior Pastors of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Johnson is a fifth generation pastor.

Johnson was born in Minnesota in 1951 and became a Christian as a young child. Soon after, Johnson read seven books on prayer, which significantly affected his perspective and subsequent ministry.

Bill Johnson and his wife have three children: Eric, Brian and Leah.

Johnson speaking at a conference
Bill Johnson and Beni (Brenda) began as singles pastors under his father at Bethel. In 1979, they became senior pastors of Mountain Chapel in Weaverville, California.

While pastoring in Weaverville, Johnson attended a 1987 conference led by John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Church Movement. According to Johnson "A number of healings and manifestations broke out and I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't object to it, I wasn't opposed to it; I just didn't know how to pastor it in a way that it would continue and increase".

In 1995, Johnson attended the Toronto Blessing revival at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church. Johnson relates: "In Toronto I said, 'Lord, if You touch me again I will never change the subject.' So I went up for prayer every time it was offered. I didn't have anything dramatic happen, but I came home and said, 'I am going to give the rest of my life to this.'"

In February 1996, after 17 years of leading the Weaverville church, the Johnsons were invited to become senior pastors of Bethel. Today Johnson describes Bethel as a church where "everything we do either fuels revival or is fueled by revival." Under his leadership, Bethel left the Assemblies of God in 2006 to become a nondenominational charismatic church.

According to a recent book written by Johnson, "Face to Face with God", Bethel is "a church where supernatural encounters with God happen regularly, miracles are common, and the congregation has an infectious passion for spiritual growth." The church has approximately 1,500 members, and a School of Supernatural Ministry.

Their Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry has 1,200 students enrolled with over 370 from other countries. Johnson leads a network of churches dedicated to global, multi-generational revival, Global Legacy. Johnson has written a number of books and travels extensively as a featured revival conference speaker. Johnson is also involved with the Northern California Revival Fellowship, a group of north Californian pastors committed to revival.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about the Holy Spirit. It starts out with biblical and historical examples of people who were able to “host the presence”. This seemed helpful if you need to know the “why” behind it, don’t come from a totally Holy-Spirit-friendly church background or just need to solidify your own beliefs around Him.

In general, as with all of Bill Johnson’s books that I read, I found this one to be “meaty”, that is chock full of really good thought-provoking doctrine. At the very least, his books really make you think!

I enjoyed the second half better than the first. The last part went into more of the “how-to”. This is where I have copious highlighting to refer back to later.

The author talks about the place of the power of God, about grieving the Spirit, releasing His presence and much more. Here is one of my favorite quotes from this book: “Living with a continual awareness of Him has got to be a supreme goal for anyone who understands the privilege of hosting Him.” (p.157)

If you love Bill Johnson or you love learning more about the Holy Spirit or you love the prophetic/healing circle(s) in modern Christiandom, you will love this book. I would be really surprised if someone did not find at least one true wisdom nugget in this book that wasn’t worth the price of the book or more.

To get your own copy of this book go here:Hosting the Presence: Unveiling Heaven’s Agenda

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author himself. (I did not agree to do a book review in exchange for the book as usual, but instead I received it free from a give-away at a local conference, but since it was still free and I love his books, I decided to do a review!) I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(c) 2013 Cheryl Cope

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that this book would benefit from the attentions of a good editor... and proof-reader. It is full of typos, and can be quite rambling in style, meaning I had to keep stopping & dig for the meaning/intent (not necessarily a bad thing!).
However, having said this, I cannot recommend this book highly enough... I've found myself quoting from it for weeks! I feel undone by it... inspired... challenged... galvanised... My mind is expanded, my spirit thirsty, and my heart lusting after more of God. This is a revelation to me... so profound, and yet so, so fundamentally simple. Having just finished reading, I now intend to start again with a pencil & work through it again to pull out more of the meat, more of the meaning, and more of the application for my life & walk.
I might have knocked of a star for the editorial issues, but since the content more than makes up for it, 5 stars is somehow too few...

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about the Holy Spirit but this is one of the best.

Bill Johnson clearly sets out what it means to have the Presence of God in our lives,and how to host the presence.

A lot of Christians think that conversion is a one-off thing or that the baptism in the Holy spirit is the thing. The Bible speaks of Christ abiding in us, of repeated fillings of the Spirit. In other words, a daily relationship with God in which he indwells us and we consciously let our lives be directed by Him.

I will be re-reading this book and going deeper into the principles in it.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Bill Johnson book where it would have made more sense to underline the things that WEREN'T eye-opening.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Someone who celebrates before the answer … is someone who is about to experience the answer. Faith looks ahead and lives accordingly.”

An excellent resource for Christian living. Johnson challenges believers to new levels of surrender and relationship with God.

“Light drives away darkness without a fight. I can’t afford to live in reaction to darkness. If I do, darkness has a role in setting the agenda for my life. The devil is not worthy of such influence, even in the negative. Jesus lived in response to the father. I must learn to do the same.”

Well presented. Logical and forceful. The second half lacked the punch of the first. It’s as if he ran out of message before he had filled the page goal but kept writing.

“So much of the increased favor we get from God is really according to what we’ve done with the favor we already have.”

[Tim Mccord · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is New-age mysticism, faith-healing, prosperity gospel, and dominionist theology wrapped in Christian lingo, which makes it blasphemy. Pastors should have congregations on their guard against this sort of material.

[E. Scott Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Brilliance on display - and with humility.

This should be a must read in Bible college.

[Philip Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first of Bill Johnson's. Won't be my last.


Reading this feels pretty full circle for me. Bethel was a major factor in the Christian culture I was part of in my early years as a Christian. Once I felt I had my questions answered as to why I didn't find it compelling, I moved on, making a shift deliberately to try to learn from ideas/movements I respected and agreed with rather than endlessly sifting through this stuff. That was in 2013. Since then, this perspective has marched on, full speed ahead and is a major heavyweight in terms of creating assumptions on the Christian life and ecclesiology among Christians in my country. After watching the Childers/Cooper interview, I realised that it is this perspective (NAR) in particular (and not Charismatic theology in general, which I do think can be defended) that is shaping so much of the culture, vocabulary, assumptions, and practices of evangelical churches. So what are the specific claims? This is what I'm here to figure out.

Anyway, origin story over, what's the book saying?From what I've read/listened to about NAR, this book feels like a fairly standard articulation of what they're wanting to do. At some points, I resonated with what Johnson is saying: the church is the fulfilment of God's promise to spread his covenantal presence to the end of the earth, and the tabernacle and temple are fulfilled in Christ and then his new covenant people, in whom the Spirit dwells and whose bodies are temples of the Lord. Jesus is 100% man and some of his miraculous powers were done as a man by the power of the Spirit. There is some level of continuity between Christ and us in that regard. Some of the statements about what Christ accomplished on the cross were fine.

Some of my issues:

Sloppy Thinking
The book just felt super all over the place. A lot of what was said I couldn't make sense of. Loose and imprecise connections abound. Thoughts are left hanging and are not fleshed out. Leaps of logic are made regularly. Claims are made about church history that Johnson doesn't even try to substantiate. He'll say things in passing as though they're a given that are heavily disputed or have not been said historically, seemingly unaware that he's doing this. Even in the theological claim Johnson's making which I have some sympathy for —God expanding his presence in the world through a temple (garden, tabernacle, temple, Christ, church, New Creation)— the devil is in the details. Even in the best moments, this book would have majorly benefited from Johnson spending some time reading some G.K. Beale or Graeme Goldsworthy, just to iron his thoughts out and bring the best stuff to the table systematically. I wonder if part of this comes from the NAR understanding of the restored office of apostle, which leads to Johnson having a high trust in his gut instincts and low trust in what others outside the movement have to say.

Over/Under Realised Eschatology
This is mainly where I think the wheels fall off. Johnson is looking at the trajectory of Scripture and seeing God dwelling with his people in temples (or equivalents), and seeing prophecies where this will culminate and escalate in the new covenant. But some of these are only to be finally fulfilled in the second coming. Others of them have been fulfilled and have been in the possession of the church for 2000 years. I'll get specific here:

Bill Johnson quotes Isaiah 54:1 in the context of arguing that the church praises in order to acquire the presence of God and the fruitful results of that (I'll address this point below separately). But Isaiah 54 is decisively fulfilled. It is a promise to the barren woman with no children (exiled Israel who seems to have hit a redemptive historical dead end) that they will flourish again one day and inherit the world, that God will forgive their sins, and keep them safe eternally. Isaiah 54 is directly quoted in John 6 and Galatians 3, describing fulfilled promises in the possession of God's people now.

He unpacks the narrative of David's bringing the ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 and makes many fine connections. This passage is typological of the new covenant era. David is the priest King. The presence of God is in the Ark. Zion's world-impacting significance as a result of that is real. The people are filled with praises. But I would argue that has decisively been fulfilled. Just as this was a singular event in David's life with resulting implications for God's people, so also is the anti-type. Jesus is the priest King. He is the presence of God that has ascended into the new Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that is above. Psalm 68, commenting on the events of 2 Samuel 6, is quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4 in reference to the ascension of Jesus and his pouring out of the spoils of victory on the church. Likewise, God's people who live in the wake of this are filled with praises. But we're not trying to re-do this event each week. It has been established and we are welcomed into it. The church is the temple of the Living God and when we gather, we are taking part in this, because Christ, the greater David has secured it for us.

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:22-24). This is true every time we gather.

Another example would be his suggestion that Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1 is a "massive harvest that will take place before the end comes." It seems to me that this is fulfilled and has been happening since the first century.

God Inhabits the Praises of His People
Closely related to the above is this idea that worship is this means by which we secure the presence of God. I would argue that this is an assumption that many evangelicals have picked up by osmosis, largely through having their expectations shaped by the big names in worship music. The Trojan horse cliché is true here, I think. Johnson cites verses like Psalm 22:3, "God inhabits the praises of his people," or the 2 Samuel 6 narrative above to argue that worship is the means by which we get the presence of God. It's been said (rightly IMO) that for this movement, praise music is the third sacrament. So, Johnson argues, we need to engage in really passionate, extravagant, enthusiastic worship, so that God will show up, and we will tangibly feel his presence and be empowered to do signs and wonders. Further anyone who has an issue with this is the contemporary version of Michal, David's wife who complains about his dancing and is cursed with infertility.

But again, I think 2 Samuel 6 has already been decisively fulfilled. The church has the covenantal presence of God (i.e., beyond his mere omnipresence) in its possession. He is our God and we are his people. It's also a massive non sequitur to say that because God inhabits the praises of his people, that therefore, if you praise you're causing God to show up. It's a massive non sequitur to say that because you enter his gates with thanksgiving, that if you offer thanksgiving, you're at his gates. That's no more true than if I said "come to my house by car" and you took that to mean "I'm in a car, therefore I'm going to Phil's house." Obviously, none of this is to deny that singing praises is of massive significance in the Christian life. Of course it is.

That Didn't Age Well
This was a fascinating time to read this book. A number of the names Johnson mentions, both contemporaries and historical, have shown to be con-men and predators subsequent to the writing of this book. This speaks for itself when it comes to Johnson's comments about the importance of power in the life of leaders, even more so than character. He writes:

"It is true that power is not more important than character. But it is equally true that character is not more important than power.
Whenever we make that mistake, the gifts of the Spirit become rewards and are no longer gifts. This emphasis has actually damaged our effectiveness in the gifts of the Spirit. In fact, this approach has caused as much damage in the area of supernatural gifting as flawed character has damaged our witness to the world. Both are essential. Character and power are the two legs we stand on, equal in importance. For every gifted person without character, I can show you many people with character who have little power. That has been the focus of the church in my generation in most parts of the world. A lifestyle without power has been considered normal.


As a result, they are making little difference in the world around them. We must stop grading on the curve, where our approval comes from fitting in to the accepted standard. We must return to Jesus Christ-perfect theology, the ultimate example of the gifts of the Spirit working in the context of the fruits of the Spirit: character and power" (140).

Kenotic Christology
I appreciate that Bill Johnson affirms the deity of Christ. I also agree that Christ is portrayed by Scripture as a man (obviously) and that he did his miracles as a man empowered by the Spirit. "... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him" (Ac 10:38)." I also agree that we are likewise given the Spirit and the church and as a result will be marked by doing analogous works. But to stop here is reductionistic. Johnson writes:

"Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is not a created being who somehow ascended to divinity, as some cults claim. He is entirely God, entirely man. But both His life and death were lived as man. What that means is that He set aside His divinity to live as a man. He was without sin and was completely dependent on the Holy Spirit. In doing this, He became a model that we could follow. if He did His great miracles as God, I'm still impressed. But I'm impressed as an observer. When I discover that He did them as man, then suddenly I am completely unsatisfied with life as I've known" (40).

I accept there is some continuity between Christ and his people. But surely there is great discontinuity too.
A couple examples:

1. In John 13:19, Jesus prophesies, with the intended result that his disciples believe that "I am (ἐγώ εἰμι)." "I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he."

2. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus calms a storm on a lake, which is something God does: "You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them." (Ps 89:9). As a result, the disciples have great fear and say: "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him” (Mk 4:41)? They do not say, "Ah look what we can do too," and rightly so.

So, Yea
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. I'm concerned about this movement.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obwohl die einzelnen Kapitel nicht unbedingt stringent geschrieben sind, konnte ich ein Goldstück nach dem anderen finden. Es hat mich sehr bewegt und eine neue Sehnsucht geweckt, seine Gegenwart zu „hosten“.

[Michelle Swallow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while I read a book which contains the answers to so many of my questions or puts language to everything I have been feeling and gives me that feeling that I am not the only one and I am on the right path. This to me was one of these books. The other two over the past couple of years which did this for me were The Blood & The Glory by Billye Brim and Heavy Rain by Kris Vallotton and another which I read many years ago and still read every so often is Seeing The Invisible and Doing The Impossible by Oral Roberts.

Hosting The Presence really blessed me in so many ways and took me deeper. From the outset Bill Johnson stated that the pattern we are to follow in terms of hosting the very presence of the Spirit of the living God is the pattern of Jesus’ life. He says,

“Jesus lived in response to the Father. I must learn to do the same. That is the only example worth following.”

His observations are deep and profound and yet so simple when he says it. He talks about the first person to touch Jesus on his arrival into the world being Mary the virgin but how the first person to touch Jesus / be in His Presence upon his resurrection was Mary Magdalene until John 20:17. He says how

“Jesus’ promise of sending Holy Spirit would now have to take on very practical expression for this one who had to have more of God. She had found the one thing-the Presence of God.”

In essence we all have to have more of God, to be continually seeking and growing ever deeper in relationship.

Further on, Bill Johnson’s statement that

“You are uniquely positioned in this world because of the cry of other people. His favour is upon you so you can be a part of His plan of distributing that same favour to others”

just totally resonates with me on so many levels. From Joshua’s stillbirth and sharing the story (testimony) of how God walked us through that so that others can also walk through it and find their peace with God through the storm, to working at CAP (Christians Against Poverty) knowing that for each client I speak to and help on their journey out of debt, we’re God’s answer to their heart cry for help.

Bill talks about how God isn’t into us increasing our knowledge about Him but wants us to increase in our experience and relationship with Him. He says,

“when God gives us revelation, He is inviting us to a new place of experience – knowing Him. To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:19). This verse states that we can know, by experience, what surpasses knowledge or more specifically, comprehension.”

There were so many parts in this book where I felt such resonance in my spirit that I wanted to shout a massive AMEN such as this:

“If for some reason you can’t seem to sense what to do in a given environment, worship. When in doubt, always worship.”

This has been my biggest strength in life since coming to know God. Every situation I have encountered I have chosen to worship as if my life or the life of someone else depends upon it. There’s such a beautiful, divine exchange which occurs when I give God glory, praise and honour just for who He is and everything else just takes its place when He is in His rightful place.

In my journey I have become so aware of many other Christians who make following Jesus about “doing” something for God. Many times the “doing” whatever that may be, isn’t actually for God at all but for a sense of seeking some form of significance or doing good works as if that somehow makes a person better. The God I know and love, has such unfathomable love for me no matter what I do or don’t do. He loved me to extremes before I ever bothered to give Him a second thought, so doing anything for Him now is actually not going to make Him love me any more than He already does. However, Bill says that,

“While it is one of my highest privileges to serve Him completely, my labour is the by-product of my love. This baptism [of the Holy Spirit] introduces us to intimacy at the highest possible level.”

I am so envious of what Bill has but more so of what King David has. I want so much to have greater intimacy with God and go all in over my head, forgetting what’s behind and just pressing on to the greatest prize of eternal life and intimacy with my God, my King, my Creator, my Father. And then, I read what Bill says about his passionate desire to live as Jesus lived, walking with the Spirit of God, so aware of Him with every step. This is the pattern to live. “We must be those who see what’s available and contend for a greater measure of His favour upon us.”

Bill Johnson continues to talk about the vital importance of worship followed by the power and presence of Holy Spirit:

“The Presence of God follows wholehearted, extravagant, extreme worship.”

“The people who are people of worship, regardless of circumstances, will become fruitful in ways beyond reason.”

“Massive efforts are made to do church in a timely fashion so we can continue with the rest of our lives. Apparently, many have not yet discovered that we really don’t have a life outside of Christ.”

“We are to know the ways and Presence of the Holy Spirit so we can cooperate with Him in a way that changes the world around us. This is true ministry.”

“In Matthew 28 they [the disciples] received authority, but in Acts 2 they received power. To this day this is true: authority comes from the commission, and power comes from the encounter. And while these two elements seem to have their primary focus on ministry, they are first the essential elements for our engaging the Holy Spirit for relationship. Power and authority introduce us to the nature of the Holy Spirit with a primary focus on hosting His Presence. Ministry should flow out of the relationship with the person who lives in us for our sake, but rests upon us for the sake of others.”

Oh my very days – the feeling I have felt so often in church and particularly on a recent Sunday morning meeting which brought tears to my eyes was this – Bill has written it down right here in chapter 10 of Hosting The Presence and this is what I feel is needed for our sakes but also for the sake of our community around us in our city and nation – the Spirit of the Living God as our focus. This book truly is phenomenal – it’s like Holy Spirit is answering everything for me in this book written before I ever realised (2012 when Rebecca was born). There are so many times in church that in the worship we’re just on the brink of something deep and profound, where the Presence of God is being ushered in and we’re hungry for God and then someone jumps up on stage and instead of guiding us in the moment and giving place to God to do what He wants to do they crack on with the programme of taking an offering, giving announcements and welcoming the speaker. It’s utterly devastating to me. Church is not, for me, ever supposed to be about listening to a carefully crafted message by a skilled and gifted communicator but instead is about spending time in the Presence of God, the One who transforms us and empowers us to be all that He created us to be and to transform our nations.

Doing church in a “timely fashion” as Bill puts it may make life appear to be easier to plan family life etc but oh my, what are we missing out on when we do this?

My absolute favourite times in church which I have experienced on many occasions have been when we have our senior pastors present and their sensitivity to the spirit of God has led them to hold back from just jumping up and carrying on with the programme. Instead, they have stewarded the moment knowing that this is about God and His people having a communion moment. I have been (and have seen other people) healed and touched in profound ways in these moments so much so that it has wrecked me for ever being satisfied with anything less. I am so desperate for more.

Two more quotes which reiterate and affirm this for me are:

“I’m not sure when it happened, or even how it happened, but somewhere in church history the focus of our corporate gatherings became the sermon. I’m sure the change was subtle and was even justified: it’s the high value we have for the Word of God. But to me, it’s not a good enough reason. That is not to devalue the Scriptures. It’s just that the physical presence of a Bible should never become the replacement of the Spirit of God upon His people.”

“Living conscious of His Presence with us is one of the most essential parts to this life. His name is Emmanuel, which means God with us. The God with us lifestyle is one we inherited from Jesus. We must live it with the same priority of Presence to have the same impact and purpose as He did.”

So, my takeaways from this book are simply –

To spend time in His Presence
To carry His Presence, giving thought and acknowledgement to Him whenever, wherever and always
To keep seeking more

[Akeyla Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Bill Johnson's work, but I gave this particular book three stars because to me it seemed like he was repeating himself a lot from previous works.

Which, I suppose, there's only so many different ways to tell people about the power of the Holy Spirit, so it's understandable. But I just didn't find this particular book as engaging as others from him that I've read... it was a lot harder for me to get through it.

[Josh Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One the best theologies on the Holy Spirit ever!

I love how practical Bill is. His writing moves all your sense yet is not sensational. It’s rooted in words you can read on the pages of scripture and in concepts you many not have previously connected but cannot deny once you notice them. Be prepared to be changed if you’re willing to open up to parts of scripture and parts of God you may not have understood before!

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book. I would really like some steps to move into the practice of what this book is about. This book gives no real practical help, just lots of stories and you are left to decipher what you can put into practice. I have heard most of this before in sermons and in other books. "When Heaven Invades Earth" is far, far better

[Joshua Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far this is my all-time favorite book. Literally tranformed my life. I never had thought of myself as a carrier of God's Presence, this brought real identity into my life. Then when I discovered God has allowed me to release His Presence I was wrecked in love and appreciation. This is a total must read for any Christian and should be a mandatory read for any Bible college ministry school.

[Dawn Bulchandani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. It is re-centering, liberating, and beautiful. I highly recommend it. Usher peace into your life through greater focus on the presence of God. It will change your life.

[Chuck Cova · Rating 3 out of 5]

just not sure about this guy...

[Lorna Longmoor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to follow. Honestly, not very clear writing. Clearly a smart man, but thoughts and flow are all over the place.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine hosting Queen Elizabeth. Impossible right??? Now imagine hosting the King of the Universe. Ridiculous, right??? Well, this is what apparently, we have been invited into as believers…Yes the latter, not the former…but who knows??? We might one day get a chance to entertain England’s royalty. Never say Never!!!
So, at the time I read this book, I had no clue what the verses in the Bible about God living in us meant. They just seemed surreal, ridiculous & a bit disturbing. It just didn’t make sense logically. No one that I had heard had even try to make sense of it. We just sang about it, read about it, and had to just believe. What it meant and what it did, didn’t seem to matter. And that is a sad reality. Imagine having Queen Elizabeth visiting in your house and not even knowing it or knowing what to do about it. I mean, a normal person would want to make the best impression, ask why they were there, ask all the things blasted on tabloids etc. I mean we would make the best of it. Right?!! At least I know I would. Well, apparently this whole royal visitation is what is happening in the believers’ life. And not only is the King visiting, but He is here to stay. This book helps us put this reality into perspective and practically do a fantabulous job at hosting. When you get done with it and GET IT…like really get what Bill Johnson is talking about, even the best butler in the palace of Birmingham will be paying you a visit to get some hosting tips.

[Jessica Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on Audible, and I found it distracting and irritating that the narrator didn’t know how to cite books of the Bible correctly, names of the Bible, such as Saul, were mispronounced as Sal. Even Kris Vallotton, who is on staff at Bethel, had his name butchered. It was very difficult to focus on the message with such gross errors. Amos was mentioned in chapter 12 at least a dozen times, but it was hard to follow the point Johnson was making as he referenced Amos with the narrator citing A-MOSE. Most books of the Bible, the narrator threw in an s at the end, changing Psalm to Psalms, First and Second Samuel became Samuels, and Revelation to Revelations. It really makes me want to quit listening to Bethel books on Audible, as this happened with a book by Beni Johnson, as well. The new word was also affixed to the term that’s commonplace to a believer, prophesied, which he continued to rename prophesised. I continued to wonder how this was not caught by an editor. Aside from the narration errors, it was a great book. Bill Johnson takes the reader through examples of saints who have hosted the presence well, both in Biblical times and modern times.

[Rena Sherwood]

This is just a retelling of certain Biblical stories in a "golly, gee whiz" style, plus some "testimonials" and very questionable bits of Christian history. Damn, Bill Johnson, you couldn't even think up anything original, nothing whitebread Christians would find provoking? Then again, that would put off your target audience, wouldn't it?

The book's description says this will help you get in touch with the Holy Spirit. No, it doesn't. Johnson says pray and read the Bible ... then all will be revealed.

I was a Born Again Christian for a dozen years. What a total waste of time. Just had my spirit broken, my childhood robbed, my life ruined, and was constantly punished ... but never found any evidence God existed, let alone the fucking Holy Spirit.

If you want to read something so dull, it'll put you to sleep, go for it.

No stars for this crap.

[Ollie Myrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hosting the Presence: Unveiling Heaven’s Agenda by Bill Johnson was an impactful read, and one which I believe gives a clear indication of whether someone is hosting the Presence of God in his or her life. It calls the reader higher and into an uncomfortable place of trusting the Lord beyond what they have always seen or heard. The following is a quote from the book: “We are the ones upon whom the promises of the ages have come to rest. And they are contingent upon our being a people who have discovered our eternal purpose. We have been chosen to be His eternal dwelling place. We have been chosen to host His Presence” (Johnson 2012, 203). My purpose must be found in Him to be one who has an eternal Kingdom impact, and that is by hosting the Presence of God well through my passion for Him.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read on living the deeper life with the Holy Spirit. Johnson writes very practically, clearing away what could be a lot of confusion and misunderstanding of Who the Holy Spirit is, how He moves in a person's life, etc. The author directly addresses concerns about fears people may have about fanaticism, those who may "go overboard" or "make things up."

The thing I liked the most about this book was that Johnson backed up all his points with Scripture. He wasn't stretching to do so; his exegesis was sound. I was extraordinarily impressed by this book, and I am pleased to say it is going on my "All Time Favorites" List!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

[Kay Adelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is deep, but it also explains things well. The author gives us examples, both from Scripture, Church history, and his own personal experiences, and backs everything up with Scripture, which is hugely important when talking about Biblical principles. But the main point he makes is how important it is, and how fulfilled we’ll be, when our life consists of focusing solely on Him and hosting His Presence.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to enhance their spiritual understanding of the Holy Spirit, the Christian life, and what our role is as Christians today in hosting His Presence!

Personal Review: 5/5 Stars

[Jacinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen reviews that said they were looking for a "how-to" book and didn't get that sense from reading Hosting the Presence. The Holy Spirit was all over this book and truly increased my hunger and desire to know God more. Not just His manifest presence but to know Gods' heart for me and His children. This isn't a book to check off of your list as something you read but it is to let God in and surrender to Him all your preconceived notions of what the Presence of God is. Let Him show you who He is and what His desire is for you. You will not be the same after reading this.

[Chad Gillihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why didn't I read this sooner ?!?!?!

I felt led to look this book up one day and was pleasantly surprised that I had purchased it the previous year but did not read it at that time....
However, "for such a time as this" comes to mind as I was now "ready" to read and receive it's message....I am now seeking "God's Presence" like I have not previously done or even knew of !! Amazing read !! It does require some "consideration time" while reading it, definitely not a speed reading type of book !!

[James Scott White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of revelation and understanding of who Holy Spirit is. There is excellent insight of how to recognize God in your life on a very intimate level and how to effectively harbor His presence. This book is great for anyone who wants grow in their relationship with the living God. Bill Johnson’s approach in the Christian-life is Presence-first; I believe that we can all look in awe of his ministry and understanding of God’s nature.

[Mechelle Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Johnson's books are not speed-reading fodder. Instead, they are filled with spiritual insights that require thought and prayer. I really enjoyed reading, Hosting the Presence. I started the book at the beginning of a week-long vacation and was finished the day before it was over. I identified with much of the content and was inspired to live in the presence. If you are hungry for God and want to be in His presence, this is the book for you!

[Kelvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and got a few precious pearls from it. I also enjoyed hearing theology and concepts expanded from experience.

When reading it I was hoping for something a little deeper and more practical. Though I agree with all the fundamentals, I would perhaps disagree with some of the theological concepts of bringing heaven to earth.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of The bests Books

It’s a really good book for someone that wants to go deeper in your relationship with God. I really like the way that He describes God in the entire book, like a powerful and loving God that wants to pour out his power and love in everyone, we just need to be available.