John Bevere - The Holy Spirit: An Introduction

The Holy Spirit: An Introduction

Copyright 2013 by John P. Bevere, Jr.

PUBLISHED BY: MESSENGER INTERNATIONAL

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the AMPLIFIED Bible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION (Todays English Version, Second Edition). Copyright 1992 American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GODS WORD, 1995 Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked NIV84 are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. Note: Most New International Version Scripture quotations are taken from the 1984 edition and marked NIV84. A few are taken from the 2011 edition: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Note: Some New Living Translation (NLT) Scripture quotations are taken from the first Edition. Scripture quotations marked PHILLIPS are from J.B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English, 1962 edition, published by HarperCollins. Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from THE LIVING BIBLE. Copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NET are from THE NET BIBLE. Copyright 2001-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, italics and bold treatment used in Scripture and leader quotes indicate the authors added emphasis. Brackets in Scripture versions except those marked (AMP) are the authors parenthetical insertions.

ISBN: 978-1-933185-83-5

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS & DEVOTIONS WRITTEN & EDITED BY:

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Front cover artwork: Allan Nygren

Designer: Heather Huether

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Acknowledgments

To my wife, children, and grandchildren. You are each gifts from God and have brought such richness to my life. I will love you forever and ever.

To my son, Addison, your faith and hard work have enriched this message of the Holy Spirit. It simply would not have been what it is without your help.

To Jaylynn, thank you for your diligence to polish up this message through your excellent editing skills. Your efforts helped to provide both clarity and structure.

To Vincent, thank you for all your hard work in helping us create the devotions. Your work is truly one of a kind.

To the team members and partners of Messenger International, thank you for standing with Lisa and me. We couldnt have asked God for more loyal and true friends to journey with us in reaching out to the nations of the world with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most of all, thank You, Father God, for Your unfailing love; and Jesus my King, for giving Your precious life; and You, Holy Spirit, for Your amazing power, comfort, teaching, and intimate fellowship. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking us.

Table of Contents

About This Interactive Book

This book may be read cover to cover, just like any other book. However, we encourage you to explore the optional interactive elements for a more personalized experience:

Each chapter of this book is divided into five suggested daily readings with corresponding devotions at the end of the chapter. You can choose to complete one reading and one devotion per day, or you can adapt these elements to your preference. We suggest that those participating in a group study complete the reading and devotions for one chapter per week.

If you are reading this book as part of the Messenger Series study on The Holy Spirit: An Introduction , we recommend that you watch or listen to each weeks teaching session and answer the discussion questions as a group. Then, read the chapter in the book and complete the devotions. There is one teaching session for each chapter in this book. Discussion questions for each chapter are located after the daily devotions.

Enjoy!

Introduction

When my dad first asked me to help him with this book, I was immediately struck by a sense of disbelief. I thought, He probably hasnt prayed about this yet . Frankly I did not see myself as a worthy candidate. In fact, thinking about his request caused my stomach to flare like it was in the middle of a breakdancing competition.

I respectfully asked my dad to consider a few alternatives and to spend some serious time praying over the matter (maybe a year or two). Yet after a day of prayer, he was confident that I was the one for the task. It is important to him that the Holy Spirit does not become taboo amongst the younger generations, and he values my input as someone in his mid-twenties. My father and I know that many peopleboth young and oldwill avoid this topic if they dont understand who the Spirit is and how He functions.

So, despite my apprehensions, how could I refuse my fathers request? I was compelled to agree. What then transpired can only be described as a life-transforming journey. I began to see the Scriptures in a new light as God opened my eyes to many wonders of His Spirit. I soon discovered that the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood Person in the Church. Countless labels and stereotypes have been assigned to Him, but too few of us know Him as He really is.