Supernatural Power of a Renewed Mind - Bill Johnson of www.iBethel.org
 
Disk 6 of 8 - Power of Revelation - Mark 6 Mind has been downplayed in Pentecostal circles, to a fault, because in times past, it has been exalted (logic and reason), to the exclusion of the Spirit's moving. People typically react to that error, by creating another error - going to the opposite extreme - downplaying it as having no value at all. Bible teaches that the 'renewed mind' enables us to demonstrate the will of God. The will of God is defined by Jesus in the Lord's prayer - Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. The will of God is the reality of heaven being realized, tasted of, seen, experienced here on earth. The renewed mind is the vehicle God uses to release that reality. The mind is an instrument of the Holy Spirit in the same way as if I went up to a piano and began to touch keys, there is a sound I expect that note to play, and if it has the wrong sound, in conflict, then I'm not going to use that key. People who are out of sync with the Mind of Christ does not use, no matter how available they are. Because, when they are played, they are discord; division; in conflict. The renewed mind is an instrument God plays that releases the reality of His heart into the imaginations of a renewed mind, releasing God's will on the planet (it's the big secret, hidden for us - The Kingdom of God, here and NOW). The mind is such a big deal, that it can actually shut down moves of God, thru the power of intellectual offence. It's not, "I'm mad at you" or "I'm bitter." Intellectual offence is when there are unresolved questions/issues that block our capacity to trust. (Offence a violation or breaking of a social or moral rule; transgression; sin; something that offends; the act of attacking; attack or assault). The Bible does not say 'my people perish for a lack of miracles' or bad relationships. They lack knowledge. Proverbs 29:18 Without Vision my people perish. Vision means to go about unrestrained (no certain destiny or destination). Vision means prophetic revelation (not goals), the Spirit of Revelation giving you the vision to see things that are unseen. This the backbone of living in faith. There is no faith without prophetic revelation. You cannot be born again without revelation. It's not seeing angels, but seeing in my heart something that is available to me that I didn't know was available a moment ago, because God spoke. Faith doesn't come from 'having heard' (a year ago, or yesterday), it comes by hearing (present tense). The hearing of revelation does not come to make us smart, more info (we could drown in all the info we have), but to make us aware, so that we can be transformed. Revelation is absolutely essential - without it we perish; you live by this. Without seeing present circumstances thru God's eyes, we will perish. Without seeing circumstances from His perspective, I'll die. We are sustained by the Spirit of Revelation. Ephesians was the only church Paul didn't correct. They had the greatest revival (Eph 1:18,19). God give you a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I'm teaching on angels, but I remind you again, there is no such thing as supernatural activity in your life without angelic assistance (they do the work). But I've got God, I don't need angels. No, God put them in His economy to use in this capacity, that's who He uses. We have no interest in worshipping an angel (they are servants as we are). Psalms 104 Describes how God moves - He rides on the wind. Ps. 104:3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariots; you ride upon the wings of the wind. 4 The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants (KAVA: 4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire). God is ushered into a situation by riding on angelic presence.
 
My people perish for a lack of knowledge, and without prophetic revelation we go about life unrestrained (no track to ride on). When we were born again with a specific intent. Jesus said, "unless you're born again you cannot SEE the Kingdom of Heaven." Not talking about when you die, you go to heaven. He told the disciples to preach the same message, "repent (change the way you think) because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (within reach; nearby; close by; ready for use)." Change your perspective on reality because I brought my world with me, and if you don't change the way you see things, you're going to miss a rich reality that's right in front of you. 
Mt 5:3 "God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them (NOW).
Mt 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom (exists NOW).
Mt 13:41 I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will remove from my Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil ... (this is a pre-judgment existence; the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS HERE, in the NOW)
Mt 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven." The Kingdom of Heaven is to OPERATE NOW, on this earth!!!
Repentance is embracing (to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly) the Spirit of Revelation. Embracing (accepting) what God says about a matter. When God talks it's a revelation. Jesus lived constantly confronting (not in a harsh sense), in conflict, with the logic of the world around Him. How are we living that's in conflict with our neighbors? How are we living that is a contradiction to the way life works in our city or people without God? There must be a different, a different perspective on reality. Jesus said if you want to live, you have to die; the fastest way up is to go down (humble yourself, you'll be exalted). When Jesus spoke these things, people said there's life in this thing, but it makes no sense at all. Why is it so superior to everything we see and reason thru? A renewed mind is a gift, because it harnesses the capacity of man, puts us into a co-laboring position with God, and God is able to trust the renewed mind to receive His impressions to become a creative force on the planet to release His expression of dominion on planet earth. Seeing the way God sees.
 
One of the great gifts of developing the Kingdom mindset is prayer and meditation on God's Word. In Eastern religions meditation is done by emptying of the mind. Biblical meditation is filling the mind. This is totally opposite. Have you ever worried about something for very long at all? Then you know how to meditate. Now you just need to change what you meditate on. Here is worry, sponsored by fear, and here are the promises of the Lord for every situation you'll ever face in life. I want to live by faith, and not by lies. I want to derive my joy, not from what I see, but from what God says. My hope and focus in life is on things I cannot yet see, but because God said it, I walk in obedience, knowing God is not a liar, and will keep His word. But I have this little voice over here that says, "hey, but you didn't think about this." Worry says, "hey, have you thought about this?" I quote the Scripture again, but that voice says, "Hey, but you forgot, years ago you didn't obey the Lord in this financial thing, and you reap what you sow." Ya, that's right. This thing that was so small, it's growing and growing. This little monkey on my back is now this huge ape controlling my life. That's what the spirit of fear does. When we focus on it, we're meditating on it (worry). God said, I will keep, in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the LORD always ...) Peace --> Shalom means divine health, prosperity, wholeness, wellness of being, soundness of mind. The mind that is braced, lodged in an immovable position, that is focused on ME. Why, because He trusts in Me. Why does worry/fear shout so loud for my attention? If I look at it long enough, that's what I begin to trust (it begins to win). It seems to grow bigger. I pray out of fear, and eventually stop, and start looking for sympathy. We meditated on it, and it won the affections of our heart. What the mind focuses on is what it develops a trust relationship with. What is it that your facing that God forgot about when He sent Jesus to the Cross to take care of all the issues and raised Him from the dead? What I feed my soul on will develop in me a trust of that area. When you have issues come up, read the Word until you see it (written and prophesied). If it's from God, it's a fact; not simply imagination (positive thoughts). Meditate on what God has said until you see it. If you're born again, you can SEE. The renewed mind looks at the impossible and considers it logical.
 
Mark 6:1 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, "Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? 3 He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, F21 Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. 4 Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family." 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.
When we first began to see a breakthrough in miracles in our church about 5 or 6 years ago, I use to tease you with verse 5: he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. It's an amazing thing when you've progressed to the level of being a Nazareth church (at least some miracles are happening). Jesus couldn't do any 'mighty' works except heal a "few" sick people (that would be an improvement for many people and churches).
We have a problem with our mind; in it's unregenerate state, it's a horrible weapon used against us (when renewed, it's an incredible instrument). The people were stunned, provoked: many who heard him were astonished, after hearing His teaching and seeing a few miracles. A teaching gift is supposed to release a realm of power in the room where people step into the miraculous. Anytime an anointed teacher is teaching a realm of miracles has been opened thru the declared word that we can step into. It's available EVERY TIME the Word is preached, I don't care if it's in churches who don't believe it, when the anointing comes, the miracle realm is available. John 3:2 Nicodemus ... said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous SIGNS you are doing if God were not with him." Teacher, doing signs. In Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe ... Jesus promised to the disciples that when they went and preached that God would work along side of you. As the Word is spoken, He would do miracles to confirm the very word that was spoken. Acts 4:29 enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Theme: declaring the Word opened up the miracle realm.
 
Jesus is in the synagogue in his hometown and the people go "wow, where'd He get this stuff?" They started off impressed. That allowed things to start happening; He's teaching, sharing things, walk along and heal and deliver while the Word is being ministered. Then they started to process what's going on in front of them. Hey, we know this guy; he grew up here, we know his brothers and sisters. They were offended at Him. New definition of offence (not, I'm so mad; God bless them with a brick): this is intellectual offence; they were just praising him a while ago. We know Him, this doesn't make ANY SENSE at all. When you have unanswered questions, that block our ability to trust in the unseen, this is an intellectual offence. Questions in our head, cannot interrupt communion (in our heart); if it does, it will produce unbelief and take you away from your fellowship with God. Questions are good, but answers don't relegate our lives. What God has said regulates our lives. If you use what you do not understand to control your level of obedience, you are walking in the spirit of offence. If you use what you don't understand to regulate how much you will trust God, how much you will radically obey God, you are in intellectual offence. I wish I could believe God, we just prayed for my grandmother, and she didn't get healed; she died. What happened; they have a genuine, heart-felt issue, grief, for which they have no answer. Because of that question, why didn't God heal in this situation, it has become an intellectual offence that has kept them from their possible miracle.  Most pronounced in Scripture is this passage in Mark - man (because of our current, delegated authority) can unplug the most powerful thing in the Universe, the declared Word of God. Mark 7 says we render the Word powerless by our traditions. Man has the capacity to render the declared word of God powerless by thinking doubtful thoughts, making uninspired decisions. Jesus, the Son of God, thousands of angels at his disposal, a mission that consumes His soul, He pursues the Cross, because of the joy set before Him on the other side, He embraced everything that came towards him, suffering, knowing His suffering would allow a people to live without it. His death would allow others to live. Jesus, a walking conflict with the rationale void of God.  He would walk, heal, deliver, preach, bring comfort to people non-stop, and here is this flow of miracles that the planet itself couldn't contain full record of, and here He walks into his hometown, preaches, they're impressed with His word, He's able to touch a few people, and suddenly they go into logic and reason, in a spirit of intellectual offence, and it shut down the anointing on His life. Anything was possible with Jesus (fullness of the Godhead). It all stopped when the people were offended. This is stunning. As long as they stayed in awe of the word and the demonstration of power, and didn't move into doubt, the miracles would have continued (I wonder if that person really got healed, or are they just saying they got healed. It's a spirit of arrogance and pride; this ugly spirit divorces us from the flow of the heart of God that has been released to transform society. Bill lives for reformation; he is literally pouring his life out for a national reformation (crying with passion at this point in the CD). It comes as people embrace the message that Jesus gave. Change the way you think ... why? Because I brought My World (heaven) with Me, and it's superior to everything you know. If you don't embrace that spirit of revelation that will open your eyes to see what you've never seen before, you will perish. I don't mean go to hell, you will never live, enter the very thing that God destined you to enter. I'm desperate for God, to the exclusion of everything else. All I want to do today (Bill speaking as a pastor) is to pour salt on your tongue to make you thirsty - thirsty for something that is not beyond reach. It's in the here, it's in the now. How do you think that violates the way people around you think? How do you view a situation/problem/circumstance declared impossible? Is there the demonstration of the mind of Christ that nothing is impossible with God; PERIOD? I will live from this resource all the days of my life. God is releasing to us the seeds of reformation, if I repent. I allow the spirit of revelation to open my eyes to see things differently than I've ever seen them before. When I see my circumstances without hope, I'm believing the lie. Any situation or area of my life where there is no hope, I am believing a lie. We have become too tolerant with these lies, saying I'm just human; that's what being human is. Without Jesus that's a good explanation/excuse. God has laid a track down for my life, clearly defined, I am without excuse. Since we know how to worry so good, change your focus. Look at what God says until you see what God says. Cry out in desperation, not hoping to convince Him. I don't pray as a person that hopes to gain God's favor; I pray because I have God's favor. I have His ear. Many of our prayers are shaped by our desire to get His favor. How would you pray if you had it? Hosea 6:3 Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." NLT "Press on" can be translated to "hunt" Pursue to know the Lord; hunt, passionately to abandon yourself to getting hold of God (to experience Him). The spirit of revelation is an experience of God, changing my reality. Outpouring of the Spirit is a violent outpouring. Faith is on the other side of that veil of offence (difficulty). It's thru tribulation (difficulty, offence) you enter into the kingdom realm. Press on to know by continual communion and experience with God the violent outpouring of the Spirit (anointing). I want a flashflood of the Holy Ghost that catches everyone off guard. Violent downpour of God; that's the kind that saves a nation in a day.
 
Prayer: I will keep in perfect peace the mind that is fixed on Me, because He trusts Me. Father we need help. I pray for a spirit of revelation; that the power, the spirit of wisdom will increase, but God, we're in a desperate place where we realize without this we perish. Without seeing the unseen, without seeing your promise, your potential, we get lost in our stuff. We ask your spirit of wisdom and revelation be generously given to every individual and family in this corporate body, so that on all three levels there is revelation flowing in our life where we are seeing and being exposed to things we've never seen or understood before. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
 
We are part of a move of national reformation. A great nation was known for great courage (Thomas Paine wrote what other leaders read to the troops, reading what was possible). My only regret is I only have one life to give for this cause. How does a nation think? It starts with great courage. Get over intellectual offense; come into a Kingdom reality - give us ferocious courage. Bill crying out for great courage. Get over our own unbelief and become what you've called us to be. Courage!!! Teach us how a nation thinks; a people separated from all other purposes in life; people reserved for that one thing; abandoned to one thing; transformed minds for transformed cities. Multiple that reality in us. Do something in us.  A level of the renewing of the mind that we never considered possible. Awaken us in the night with literal visions and dreams; invading our private space. We need your Help oh God. Help us to see differently. Pray for the person next to you - God make them a reformer, as a company of God's people.
 

Highlights:
Intellectual offence is when there are unresolved questions that block our capacity to trust.
Proverbs 29:18 Without Vision my people perish. Vision means to go about unrestrained (no certain destiny or destination). Vision means prophetic revelation giving you the vision to see things that are unseen. This the backbone of living in faith. There is no faith without prophetic revelation.
there is no such thing as supernatural activity in your life without angelic assistance (they do the work). Some will say, "But I've got God, I don't need angels." No, God put them in His economy to use in this capacity, that's who He uses. Ps. 104:3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariots; you ride upon the wings of the wind. 4 The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants. God is ushered into a situation by riding on angelic presence.
Repentance is embracing (to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly) the Spirit of Revelation.
If it's from God, it's a fact; not simply imagination (positive thoughts). Meditate on what God has said until you see it. If you're born again, you can SEE. The renewed mind looks at the impossible and considers it logical.
As the Word is spoken, He would do miracles to confirm the very word that was spoken. Mark 16:17, Acts 4:29
Jesus embraced everything that came towards him, suffering, knowing His suffering would allow a people to live without it. His death would allow others to live. Jesus, a walking conflict with the rationale void of God.
Intellectual offence shut down the anointing on Jesus' life (Mark 6:3,5). It's a spirit of arrogance and pride; this ugly spirit divorces us from the flow of the heart of God that has been released to transform society. 
National reformation comes as people embrace the message that Jesus gave. Change the way you think ... why? Because I brought My World (heaven) with Me, and it's superior to everything you know.
If you don't embrace that spirit of revelation that will open your eyes to see what you've never seen before, you will perish. I don't mean go to hell, you will never live, enter the very thing that God destined you to enter. I'm desperate for God, to the exclusion of everything else. All I want to do today (Bill speaking as a pastor) is to pour salt on your tongue to make you thirsty - thirsty for something that is not beyond reach. It's in the here, it's in the now.
Is there the demonstration of the mind of Christ that nothing is impossible with God; PERIOD? Since we know how to worry so good, change your focus. Look at what God says until you see what God says.
I don't pray as a person that hopes to gain God's favor; I pray because I have God's favor. I have His ear.