Nuggets from Occult Invasion

This teaching undermines the gospel. Consider Jack Deere, who left Dallas Theological Seminary after 12 years on its faculty to become the leading theologian in Wimber’s Vineyard movement. He was interviewed by Graham Banister in Sydney, Australia, at a Spiritual Warfare Conference taught by Wimber and his team to 5500 church leaders (who paid 150 dollars each, over 800,000 dollars to attend). Peter told Simon the magician, who offered to pay for a course in signs and wonders, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money” (Acts:8:20But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
See All...). But Vineyard teams are well paid for “teaching” signs and wonders. Banister reported:

“After introducing myself, I said to Dr. Jack Deere, ‘I wonder if you might tell me why you felt my explanation of the gospel was defective yesterday?’ To which he replied, ‘I’m really not very prepared to talk about that.’

I was a little surprised…considering that he had just finished speaking to 5,500 people [and]…had informed us of the many ancient languages in which he had become proficient in order to fully understand the Bible. I wouldn’t have thought that someone with such impressive credentials would need to do all that much preparation for a friendly discussion on the content of the gospel.

I then asked, ‘Well, just off the top of your head, what do you think the gospel is?’ Jack Deere replied, ‘I’m not prepared to make a formal statement about that.’ So I asked, ‘Could you perhaps tell me informally what you believe to be the gospel?’ Jack Deere answered, ‘I’m not sure.’ Somewhat stunned, I said, ‘I find that quite surprising—that you’re not sure what the gospel is.’ He replied, ‘I used to be just like you…thinking that the gospel was simply justification by faith.’ I responded, ‘Are you saying it’s more than that?... What would you add to it?’

‘Deliverance,’ he said, ‘…things like demons and healing.’ I said, ‘You would add as an essential part of the gospel…the exorcising of demons and healing?’ He nodded. I continued, ‘…like what John Wimber was saying last night…?’ ‘Yes,’ he said.

‘But you’re not sure exactly what should be included?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not yet.’

‘Would it be fair to say,’ I asked, ‘that youre in a state of flux since you joined the Wimber thing?’ He quickly responded, ‘We’re always in a state of flux—you are….’

‘But on the gospel message?’ I asked…. Continuing to be amazed, I said, ‘Are you saying that you couldn’t go back into that pavilion and tell those people the gospel?’ He replied, ‘No—not yet.’ I responded, ‘When do you think you could do it?’ And he said, ‘Maybe five years, maybe ten….’ I remained stunned that one of the leading minds, if not the leading theological mind in the Signs and Wonders Movement, did not know what was the gospel!”