Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit


Book Description

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.




Surprised by the Power of the Spirit


Book Description

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.




Surprised by the Voice of God


Book Description

"[This book] takes you tgo the Bible to discover the variety of creative, deeply personal ways God still communicates with us today. ..."--Back cover.




Surprised by the Spirit


Book Description

Tells of the place which prayer, the Beatitudes and the gifts of the Holy Spirit should occupy in your daily life.




Even in Our Darkness


Book Description

"I am the descendant of drinkers and drifters better at passing on their love for the bottle than family history..." Prepare yourself for an unvarnished, harrowing look at one Christian's life. A powerful memoir of knowing and being known by God through the pain of loss, tragedy, and brokenness—Even in Our Darkness explores what it means to fend off doubt and despair, even in the most painful trials. Jack Deere tells the true story of his life growing up near Fort Worth, Texas in the 1950's and the disintegration of his family following his father's suicide. Despite his difficult childhood and an inclination toward the depression that had crushed his parents, Deere describes how he began to wrestle with Christianity and how "God was...slipping in through the crack of an open wound." In his mid-twenties, Jack rose to fame and success as a leading scholar, popular speaker, and bestselling author. But despite being rescued and exalted, Jack was devastated in the years that followed, losing his troubled son to suicide and his wife to alcoholism. Only then did he fully face his own addictions, surrender control, and experience true healing. An authentic story of the Christian life, Even in Our Darkness is like following an experienced guide through a barren country. Like many believers, Deere has had experiences that nearly destroyed him, and he was shown, by grace, how to overcome life's disappointments and learn to hear God speak in unbelievable ways, despite the darkness that surrounds us. "Unmasked, unsettling, and unforgettable . . . this will change the landscape of your soul." —Ann Voskamp, bestselling author of The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts.




Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God


Book Description

Jesus knew the Bible better than anyone, yet he claimed that he had to hear his Father's voice in order to fulfill God's purposes for his life. His enemies, the religious elite, had supreme confidence in their knowledge of Scripture, yet Jesus said that none of them had ever heard the voice of the Father. When Jack Deere turned seventeen, he did not know God or a single verse of Scripture. Then, one night a friend quoted John 10:28 to him, and he believed in Jesus. At twenty-seven, he became a professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Semitic Languages at Dallas Theological Seminary where he taught his students to avoid the trap of believing that God still spoke outside the pages of the Bible. He believed it was all real--just as the authors of the Old and New Testaments had said it happened--but it no longer happened today. People who believed God had spoken to them personally were emotionally unstable or too lazy to read the Bible. After a trusted friend shared he believed God still spoke today, Jack began a thorough study of every instance of God speaking supernaturally to someone in the New Testament. He saw how they didn't just hear the voice of God; they were dependent on the voice of God to fulfill the highest purpose for their lives. Jack became convinced that we should expect God to speak outside the Scriptures, but he didn't have a clue how to hear his voice. This is the story of how Jack Deere learned to hear the voice of God and, in doing so, became a friend of Jesus. Now a modern classic, Jack wrote Surprised by the Voice of God over twenty-five years ago. Based on that first book, Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God has been entirely rewritten and includes additional thoughts and insights from a lifetime of hearing God speak. Deere guides you through the Bible to discover the variety of creative, deeply personal ways God still communicates with us today. You'll learn how God speaks with people apart from the Bible, though never in contradiction to it. Deere first describes the ways God revealed his thoughts to the men and women of the Bible, and then shares why God continues to speak to us today using the same methods. He provides counsel and guidance for knowing how to accurately hear God speak through prophecies, dreams, visions, and other forms of divine communication. With candor, sensitivity, and a profound understanding of Scripture, Deere identifies our hindrances to hearing the voice of God and calls us to a more intimate relationship with God. Filled with fascinating stories and personal accounts, Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God is for all who want to walk in friendship with God.




The Beginner's Guide to the Gift of Prophecy


Book Description

How Do You Know It's God? Safeguarding Yourself Against Deception Finding Balance and Insight Discovering and Activating Your Own Gift The Beginner's Guide to the Gift of Prophecy describes the operation of the prophetic gift in the church today. The book offers not only a balanced overview of the role of prophecy in the Christian community but ...




Understanding Spiritual Gifts


Book Description

What are spiritual gifts? Storms has spent several decades teaching on the topic of the spiritual gifts and equipping believers in the faithful practice of God's gifts. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion about the nature of the gifts and how they best function in the body of Christ. In this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations while confronting the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts--both the more miraculous and the everyday--are given to build up the body of Christ. God has graciously provided these "manifestations of the Spirit" so that believers might encourage, edify, strengthen, instruct, and console one another, all with a view to an ever-increasing, incremental transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. Throughout this guide, Sam Storms unpacks the glorious truth that there is a supernatural and divine energy or power that fills and indwells the body and soul of every Christian believer. Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual gifts for today.




A Jesus-Shaped Life


Book Description

"What if we could ... break free from self-destructive sins? see and value people like Jesus does? reflect Jesus’ love, joy, and peace to others? We are constantly being influenced by outside forces—our families, the media, and even our cell phones. Yet God promises to shape us in to the image of Jesus. A Jesus-Shaped Life invites you to invest forty days into learning how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he transforms you from the inside out. Throughout the course of six weeks, readers will explore selected aspects of Jesus’ character and learn how God’s grace can be reproduced in his followers. Spiritual exercises and discussion questions combine with daily meditations to create a valuable tool for becoming the person God created us to be."--Publisher.




Supernatural


Book Description

"There's no substitute for the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Maybe you're growing dissatisfied with the weak distractions offered both by our culture and, oftentimes, our churches. When it all sinks in, spirituality and ministry without the Holy Spirit is hollow. Join Carolyn Moore in rediscovering the supernatural! With a biblical basis and practical application, you'll learn how to work alongside the Spirit, and you'll become watchful for the powerful inbreakings of God's kingdom all around you."--Publisher.