Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit - by Jack S Deere (Paperback)

About the Book

Deere, a former Dallas Seminary professor and skeptic of miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit's speaking and healing ministries today. He describes several reliable cases of people who were miraculously healed or who heard God speak in an unmistakable way, and he gives sound advice for using spiritual gifts in church.

Book Synopsis

In his classic Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere looked at the reason why many Christians (including himself at the time) struggle to believe in miraculous gifts, and he provided a groundbreaking biblical defense of the Holy Spirit's speaking and healing activities today.

In Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, the former Dallas Seminary professor revisits his earlier subject matter with fresh insight and even stronger conviction: the Scriptures teach that God is healing and speaking today just as he did 2,000 years ago.

Having almost entirely rewritten Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, this new edition comes at a time when the theological landscape has dramatically changed, and most evangelicals do believe in all the gifts of the Spirit. But many of us are still unsure how to understand those gifts, and there is much confusion today on what it means to be filled with the Spirit.

This book is for those familiar with Deere's work and for newcomers alike. In it, he:

• Explains the nature of spiritual gifts, defining each of them.
• Offers sound advice on discovering and using spiritual gifts in church.
• Tells documented stories of modern miracles and encounters with demonic powers.
• Examines the New Testament use of the phrase "filled with the Spirit" to show why and how God still fills his servants with the Holy Spirit.
• Introduces the newest literature defending and explaining the gifts of the Spirit.

With the care of a scholar and the passion of personal experience, this new edition builds upon the legacy of Surprised by the Power of the Spirit and the profound impact it's had among Christians of many traditions.

From the Back Cover

What caused a former Dallas Seminary professor to believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are being given today? What convinced someone skeptical about miracles that God still speaks and heals? A dramatic change took place in Jack Deere's life when he took a fresh look at the Scriptures. He discovered that his arguments against miraculous gifts were based more on prejudice and lack of personal experience than on the Bible. As soon as Deere became a seeker instead of a skeptic, the Holy Spirit revealed himself in new and surprising ways. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, 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. Finally, he gives sound advice for using spiritual gifts in the church. Written in a popular style, with the care of a scholar but the passion of personal experience, this book explores: the real reason Christians do not believe in miraculous gifts, responding to charismatic abuses, whether miracles were meant to be temporary, and why God still heals.

Review Quotes

'More than twenty-five years ago, the story of Jack Deere's encounter with the Holy Spirit rocked the evangelical world, as this cessationist seminary professor discovered to his great surprise that the Spirit was still speaking and healing today. Now, in the year 2020, Jack has shared his story anew with refreshing candor and wonderful biblical insight. I can't wait to see how this new 'Surprised' book rocks a new generation of readers.'-- DR. MICHAEL L. BROWN, host, The Line of Fire broadcast

'Since its publication in 1993, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit has been a brilliant introduction to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit at work in our world today. If you're longing for a fresh baptism in the Holy Spirit--for the first time or the thousandth time--this new edition is for you. Jack Deere is a statesman in the body of Christ, and this is a wonderful update to what is arguably his classic work.'-- PETE GREIG, author of How to Pray

'This book is like its author--bright, accessible, full of practical wisdom, and bursting with inspiring stories of God's love and power.'-- ANDREW WILSON, teaching pastor, King's Church London

'This book is the perfect example of why I am still surprised by Jack Deere. With humility, winsomeness, and competence, he is able to bring biblical clarity to some of the fuzziest and most heavily debated topics in the church. A mix of easy-to-follow theology, church history, and personal experience, this book will kindly answer the skeptic, pastorally lead the student, and safely disciple the seeker.'-- DAVID BOWDEN, author of Rewire Your Heart and founder, Spoken Gospel

'This marvelous, game-changing work about the power of the Spirit is transformative and challenging. Jack Deere offers mature insights learned from Scripture, from enduring testing, and from a wider range of experience with spiritual gifts than most others, and we have much to learn from him. It's a great privilege to endorse this book.'-- CRAIG S. KEENER, F. M. and Ada Thompson professor of biblical studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

'When my friend Jack Deere asked me in 1992 to read and critique the manuscript of Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, I was at first honored and later overwhelmed by its persuasive and, in my opinion, irrefutable argumentation. I remain convinced it was the most important evangelical book of the 1990s. Now, much to my delight, Jack has extensively rewritten that book, although his convictions about what the Bible says concerning the Holy Spirit remain the same. With new stories of verified healings and testimonies of the life-changing power of the prophetic, Jack has 'surprised' me once again. More than twenty-five years have passed since his book released, and a new generation of Christians stands in great need of the profound biblical and practical insights that Jack brings to bear on this subject. Get it, read it, and discover why Jack is 'still' surprised by the person and power of the Spirit.'-- SAM STORMS, pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City