The Beginner's Guide to the Gift of Prophecy (Beginner's Guides (Servant)) by Jack Deere (1-Jan-2001) Paperback by Jack Deere

by Jack Deere

Paperback

About the author

Jack Deere, formerly an associate professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, is a writer and lecturer who speaks throughout the world on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is the author of the bestselling book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit. Follow Jack on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorJackDeere.

Reviews

[Justin Kellam]

Very good book, not too long and very Biblical. Answers the major questions about prophecy from Scripture and the stories illustrate perfectly. Good mix of practical advice as well. A strong undercurrent of humility throughout.

[Liv]

Oof. This is a hard review. I read this before I knew of Paul Cain. I was confused about h Jack Deere using him as an example throughout this book. Apparently Cain had supernatural “gifts” from childhood that included mind reading at the family dinner table. That immediately struck me as demonic. But I allowed Deere to make his case. Cain then became one of the most popular charismatic prophets and healers (again, massive popularity is another red flag), yet Deere points out that he was never able to preach well, even disappointing and getting blackballed many churches. He attributed this to God keeping Cain humble amidst his massive gifting.

After this book was published, we find out Paul Cain was a child abuser in the worst of ways. To me, it seems clear that his “gift” was always demonic. His work led to the disillusionment of many Christians. Deere later realizes he never heard Paul Cain articulate the gospel, which explains his horrible preaching and likely the real reason churches no longer invited him to speak.

The message Jack Deere presents in this book is true: God uses Christians to perform incredible acts through their gifting in the Holy Spirit. He makes a strong biblical case for continuation of the spiritual gifts, and I still believe he is correct. But using Paul Cain as the primary example throughout ruined the entire thesis. It appears Deere has apologized for his affiliation with Cain, but the book itself is completely ruined to me.

5 stars for correct theology, -100 stars for using a child predator as the example.

[Elijah Canete]

Absolutely incredible book. Jack Deere really gives a direct, honest, and practical guide on how to navigate the gift of prophecy. (The gift of prophecy for those who aren’t aquatinted is hearing and sharing words from the Lord given by the Holy Spirit to another person, Paul talks about this gift quite a lot )

I think this book is an incredible and guide to practicing and growing in the gift of prophetic ministry. I’ve taken my time to read this book and have read it only once but have been already able to apply his advice in a practical way when ministering to people and discerning things for myself.

Language and style wise was incredibly refreshing, he uses and does a beautiful job in showing self restraint by not overcomplicating or over spiritualizing the topics. This book was written by someone with loads of experience but the tone is so humble and Christlike. He uses an amazing balance of real world relatable examples in his life and the Bible to demonstrate his points. I’m not sure how to describe it but his writing style just clicked with me.

The gift of Prophecy can be incredibly intimidating learning how to navigate. I believe this book is an incredible resource to help gain a base. Loved it 12/10

Will definitely be reading his other books.

[Edward Althoff]

Good book