I may go back and read them all at some point but didn't think it was necessary to write this review. The appendices are especially helpful in refuting cessationists. And he demands that we put him above all these good things. Luke 4:14-16. A few decades back, there were not many solid biblical and theological resources available on the Holy Spirit from a more charismatic or Pentecostal (or continuationist) perspective. Written in a highly readable style Surprised by the Power of the Spirit is investigation of how God speaks and heals today. I found the first chapter when he describes his conversation with John White to be highly engaging, and his descriptions of the healing done through Paul Cain and John Wimber to be astounding. Deere is an interesting case, and you will see this in the book as he shares his own story. He shares a few reasons why people do not believe in the miraculous gifts, but he points out one major reason: because they have not seen miracles in their present experience. Unlike many charismatic writers, Deere rejects the anecdotal approach to proving the power of God. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit's speaking and healing ministries today. I didn't end up going through the program but I had already got this book from the library and after trying the first chapter I knew I wanted to continue with it. His argumentation for the continuance of charismatic gifts makes tremendous biblical and … I'm so glad I did. Most who know me will know that I am an advocate for present-day apostles. "Surprised by the Voice of God" is good but spend your time on the other first. I'm so glad I did. He attacks Frieza with a barrage of energy blasts, but Frieza is unharmed and brutally subdues Piccolo. And because this text, and others, make it clear that these are distributed to the whole body of Christ, he would look to differentiate between the apostle’s ministry in these gifts and the body of Christ’s ministry. Yet perhaps the most amazing thing of all is his ability to demonstrate quiet power in ways often unnoticed by man. He also describes several reliable cases of people who were miraculously healed or who heard God speak in an unmistakable way. I was skeptical about the content, but found it to be theologically sound and worth contemplating. Specialize in your spiritual gifts. For those seeking "Something New" to borrow from Catherine Marshall, this is a fine read, written by a biblically sound scholar. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit's speaking and healing ministries today. The book is biblically-based and describes (and removes) the barriers to thinking that the gifts are no longer provided by God in our age. None of these things died for us; the Son of God did. Still, another problem is that non-apostles like Stephen and Philip were used in such miraculous ministries described as ‘signs and wonders’. Speaking from an anecdotal perspective, he shares how he was once a cessationist theologian and how he was convinced by both Scripture and personal experience how wrong that was. Finally, he gives sound advice for using spiritual gifts in the church. My husband and I have been on a quite a journey, both recently questioning the practice of spiritual gifts in the church. One such continuationist theologian is Jack Deere with his book, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit. There are times when he makes very poignant and honest statements. The final thing I would like to point out is that, in his Appendix B, Deere takes time to address the issue of the existence of apostles today. 14:1). Pingback: Tweets that mention Surprised by the Power of the Spirit – Book Review « The Prodigal Thought -- Topsy.com. It was good that Deere affirmed the impact of tradition and experience, as it can be easy for people to blindly follow and believe what their pastor says instead of examining the Bible for themselves. Jack describes the process by which he moved from a cessationist to believing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit being available today. And excellent treatment of continuationism, citing both antidotal stories and biblical accounts. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me some insights and things to consider I hadn’t examined before, such as looking in-depth at why Jesus healed in the New Testament and why God still heals and works miracles today. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee — Being more abundantly strengthened after his conflict; and prepared to exercise his ministry with success, and to confirm his doctrine by miracles. And, remember, Deere groups all nine gifts from 1 Corinthians 12 into the ‘miraculous gifts’ (see p68). None of these things controls our destiny; the Son of God does. Here is a short but solid list at my co-authored blog, To Be Continued. A phenomenal read even if you're not convinced of the gifts still being around. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit’s speaking and healing ministries today. He also describes several reliable cases of people who were miraculously healed or who heard God speak in an unmistakable way. He states that a false assumption of cessationism is believing that the apostle’s healing ministry was the same as the gift of healing. In "Surprised by the Power of the Spirit", Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit's speaking and healing ministries today. So I was interested to read his thoughts on apostles today. I suspect that I'll be using and citing from this book a lot going forward. I am very grateful for Dr. Deere's work here. Another example is that Paul tells us he speaks in tongues more than all of the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:18). I don’t say this in some ad hominem way, as I am aware there are some who have moved from continuationism to cessationism. Turn these five things into habits, and don’t be surprised when the Spirit begins to display His power in and through your life. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Former Dallas Theological Seminary prof gives convincing argument that the gifts of the Spirit are for today. That I need to do actual biblical research for myself. 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