My Journey with the Gifts
A Journey from Skepticism to Supernatural Faith
You may be where I once was—hungry for more of God but shaped by teachings that said His supernatural work had ceased. My journey into the power of the Holy Spirit wasn’t one I expected, and it certainly wasn’t one I went looking for. But it changed everything.
I didn’t grow up in church. I believed in some kind of Creator, but I didn’t know anything about Him. That changed when I was sixteen years old, when my best friend told me about Jesus—that He died for me, forgave my sins, and wanted a relationship with me.
That night, I believed, and my life took a new direction. I soon got involved with Young Life, where a leader began discipling me and teaching me how to read and understand the Bible. He introduced me to the writings of C.S. Lewis, and from that moment on, I was hooked on theology. When I moved on to college at Texas Christian University (TCU), I met another Young Life leader whose deep biblical knowledge overwhelmed me. When I asked him where he learned the Bible so well, his answer changed my life: Dallas Theological Seminary.
Becoming the "Expert
After graduating from TCU, I enrolled in Dallas Seminary, eager to study the Bible in its original languages—Greek and Hebrew. I excelled in my studies and was invited into the Old Testament doctoral program. By the time I completed my first year, the seminary invited me to join the faculty as a professor. At the same time, I was pastoring a church in Fort Worth. I had reached a level of biblical expertise I never imagined.
But there was one thing I was absolutely certain about: God no longer moved supernaturally today.
A Crisis of Belief
At Dallas Seminary, we were taught that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit—healing, prophecy, miracles—ceased after the apostles died. I firmly believed this, and I taught it with confidence. If someone told me they had a supernatural experience with God, I dismissed them as emotionally unstable or deceived. Then came the moment that forced me to rethink everything.
I had long admired an author and psychiatrist named Dr. John White. When I invited
him to speak at a conference at my church, he agreed—but then he told me he wanted to give a lecture on healing. I was stunned.
“Jack, I actually believe that God still heals today. He still speaks. Miracles still happen.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could someone as brilliant and respected as John White believe such nonsense?
I had so much respect for him that I decided to prove him wrong. I opened my Bible and set out to study every single reference in the New Testament about miracles, healing, and prophecy.
What I found shattered my assumptions.
Confronting the Truth
The Bible didn’t support what I had been taught. In fact, it overwhelmingly affirmed that God still moves in power today. I was undone. I couldn’t unsee what I had just discovered, and I knew I had to learn more.
John White introduced me to John Wimber, the pastor of a large church in Anaheim, CA, who was leading people into a Spirit-filled, biblically grounded ministry. I attended Wimber’s conferences, where I met people who shared firsthand testimonies of being healed, hearing God’s voice, and experiencing His power.
I knew I had stepped into something real. But I also knew what it would cost me almost everything.
My church and my seminary could not accept my new beliefs. My friendship with John Wimber and my embrace of the gifts of the Spirit led to my departure from both. Leaving was painful. These were people I loved, friends I had known since high school. But I couldn’t ignore the truth I had found.
Stepping Into the Supernatural
During my transition, I stayed in Fort Worth for a year, helping plant a Vineyard church. Then John Wimber invited me to move to Anaheim to join his church staff. I traveled the world with him, speaking at conferences, teaching on healing and hearing God’s voice, and watching God move in ways I had once believed were impossible.
Eventually, I felt called to step out on my own. I wrote Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, sharing my journey into supernatural ministry. It became Zondervan’s bestselling book that year. I followed it with Surprised by the Voice of God, teaching people how to recognize the many ways God speaks today. Through it all, I have never wavered in my conviction that the Bible is God’s primary way of speaking to us. But I also know that the same God who spoke through Scripture still speaks personally to His people today—just as He always has.
What This Means for You
If you’re reading this and wondering, “Could this really be true?”—I understand. I spent years convinced that God no longer moved like He did in the Bible. But the moment I opened the Scriptures with fresh eyes, I realized I had been missing out on the fullness of what God had for me.
Maybe you’re hungry for more of God but afraid of being deceived. Maybe you’ve seen abuses of spiritual gifts and don’t know what to trust. Maybe you’ve heard God speak before but doubted if it was really Him.
I want to help you step into biblical, Spirit-filled faith—a faith where you don’t have to choose between sound doctrine and supernatural power.
Today, I travel across the country, speaking at conferences, teaching believers how to hear God’s voice, pray for the sick, and walk in friendship with Him. If you’re ready to explore this for yourself, I invite you to take the next step. God still speaks. He still moves. And He has more for you than you ever imagined.
It’s both biblical and possible to have conversational friendship with God, marked by regular moves of His power
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