The Sword and the Spirit E-Book

John Greco

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 189

Beschreibung

Live by the Word. Walk by the Spirit.   You were never meant to live the Christian life in your own strength, so stop trying. Each morning, awaken your heart to the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. And then, each evening, renew your mind with the unchanging truth of God's Word.   The Sword and the Spirit - contains morning and evening devotions for a forty-day experience, - focuses on biblical truths related to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, - highlights the unity between Scripture and spiritual experience, and - includes a dedicated prayer prompt for each reading.

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

The Sword and the Spirit: A 40-Day Morning and Evening Devotional

Copyright © 2023 John Greco

9781424565641 (faux leather)

9781424565658 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from 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, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover and interior by Garborg Design Works | garborgdesign.com

Printed in China

23 24 25 26 27 5 4 3 2 1

For Uncle Tom and Aunt Roe.

I have watched you wield the Sword and walk by the Spirit my entire life, and I am grateful for you both.

CONTENTS

A Note to the Reader

Free to Be You

Light in the Darkness

Never Alone Again

Breath of Heaven

The Dry Bones Praise

What God’s Word Accomplishes

The Spirit of the Greater Things

To Live in Faith

All God’s People

Trustworthy and True

A Drink of Hope

The Sword from the Spirit

Insights from Heaven

The Jesus Book

Holy Heartache

Our Daily Bread

Holy Spirit Host

The Word Made Flesh

The Harvest Will Be Amazing

The Rest of the Sky’s Message

Whom Shall I Fear?

An Invitation to Go Deeper

Carried before the Throne

Finding Yourself in the Pages of Scripture

Where the Wind Blows

Thoroughly Bible People

Empowered from on High

The Way of the Word

The Gift That’s Just for You

Perfect like the Father

The Spirit’s Agenda

Judged by Scripture

Truth Unfiltered

What God Wants

The Spirit Walk

The Puzzle of Scripture

The Battle for Holiness

Your Second Birthright

Where Living Water Flows

The Milk of the Word

Babel Undone

Made to Last

On the Day of Small Things

The Gift of Music

Marked for Glory

Like Hearing Scripture for the First Time

Love Is the Reason

The Sower’s Warning

Immersed in the Spirit

Hope and a Future

Till the Last Day

Humble Enough to Be Wrong

The Fruit That Changes You

Obey Anyway

The Fruit That Blesses Others

On Eating Well

The Fruit That Worships God

The Tie That Binds

Spirit Power

Built on the Rock

Holy Fire

The Old Testament Made New

Those Who Carry His Love

The Secret to a Blessed Life

The Father’s Arms

Comfort for the Journey

Spirit-Led

Stars in the Night Sky

To Be Filled and Refreshed

A Worker Unashamed

Unforgivable

Desert-Road Bible Study

More Please, Lord

Raised on the Good Stuff

No Matter What Comes

The Merciful Word

Jesus in You

Always in Your Mouth

With One Voice

The All-Sufficient Word

Acknowledgments

About the Author

A NOTE TO THE READER

This book was written primarily for believers—for men and women who love Jesus and have made a commitment to follow him. In fact, much of what is written in these pages will only carry weight in your life if you have been born again. That said, if you happen to be a seeker or a skeptic or someone who walked away from God some years ago, my hope is that these readings will inspire you to seek the Lord and discover what you’ve been missing.

CONCERNING THE SWORD

In Scripture, when “the word of God,” “the word of the Lord,” or “the word of the Lord” is used, one of several concepts may be in view: God’s direct speech (Psalm 33:6); his messages spoken by his prophets (Isaiah 1:10); his commandments (Deuteronomy 5:5); his judgments (Hebrews 4:12); his appearances in human form (Jeremiah 1:4–9); the Son of God (John 1:1–2, 14); the gospel message (Acts 8:25); and the written Word, both the Old and New Testaments (2 Timothy 4:2). For this reason, I’ve capitalized word only when using it as a synonym for Scripture or the Son.

While this book deals primarily with the Bible and its place in our lives, there are times when we will explore other aspects of the word of God. It’s important to understand and take note of the distinctions, but drawing hard lines may not always be worthwhile. That’s because each meaning is related to all the others, and every nuance brings God’s heart to bear. And that’s really what we’re after: God’s heart.

CONCERNING THE SPIRIT

Some believers (and you may be included among them) hold that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, including miracles, healings, tongues, and prophecy, ceased after the apostles died. However, the Bible never gives any indication the gifts poured out on the New Testament church were given only for a limited time. In fact, there are passages that appear to teach just the opposite. (See, for example, 1 Corinthians 13:8–12.) It is my conviction that we must allow Scripture to inform our experiences rather than allow our experiences to color our reading of Scripture. Therefore, this book celebrates all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

CONCERNING THE ORDER OF READINGS

Though the title of this book, The Sword and the Spirit, might suggest that readings about the Sword would come before the readings about the Spirit each day, the opposite is true. My hope is that, each morning, you’ll read and be reminded to walk in step with the Holy Spirit throughout your day, and then each evening, as the busyness of life winds down, you’ll be refreshed by the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

I believe that the church will live up to its calling in our day when, and only when, believers across the spectrum of denominations and traditions embrace the entirety of the Word and the fullness of the Spirit. That’s the heart behind this little book. I pray it is an encouragement to you in your daily walk with Jesus.

Morning | Day One | The Spirit

FREE TO BE YOU

Now the Lord is the Spirit,

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:17

These days, freedom can seem just out of reach. Most of us spend the lion’s share of our minutes and our hours doing the things we need to do rather than the things we’d like to do. Jobs and chores and loved ones demand our attention. To step away and enjoy a time of true refreshment is a luxury that often feels just too pricey. And yet, the Bible describes the normal Christian life as one of glorious freedom.

To know Jesus is to have the Holy Spirit living inside. That means he is here with us all the time, whether we’re racing to check off the next item on our to-do list or collapsing into bed at night. So where is this freedom the Spirit is supposed to bring with him? Where is the relief we were promised?

True freedom, according to the Bible, goes far beyond having lots of choices and plenty of free time. It’s more than the pursuit of happiness or having money in the bank. The sweet freedom the Holy Spirit brings to us is the freedom to come home to ourselves, to be the people God created us to be.

Back in Eden, God created the first man and woman to be part of his family. Quite literally, they were made for him—to know him, love him, and be loved by him. In that, there was total and complete freedom. That’s not to say there wasn’t work to do (see Genesis 2:15). Rather, the freedom of Eden was peace and joy and a heart filled with worship.

When we lost paradise, we lost this freedom. No one has been able to live in true freedom since. No one except Jesus. He came to show us the freedom that was once our birthright. Not only that, he came to restore it (John 8:36). On the cross, he took the punishment for our sins so we could draw near to God. Then he gave us the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds so we can be people of Eden once again, people who look a lot like Jesus.

Through the Spirit at work in your life, you “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It’s happening one day at a time, little by little, so that you may know the freedom you were meant to walk in.

Father, tune my heart and mind to the promptings of your Spirit so I can experience the freedom I was made for.

Evening | Day One | The Sword

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

PSALM 119:105

There’s a reason many children are afraid of the dark. Darkness is the realm of the unknown, where our sense of sight is blunted and each step carries risk. There’s no telling what may be lurking just beyond our gait.

Of course, everyone grows up. Some of us shed our fear of the dark because we imagine there’s nothing to be afraid of. Others no longer fear because they’ve come to see the darkness as a friend who promises to keep all their secrets (John 3:19). They’d rather hide from the light than walk in it.

But there’s no hiding from God. He sees everything that happens in the darkness. He views all the stumbles and the falls, the tears and the heartaches. He knows every misstep and every regret. His heart is to rescue people from the darkness, to heal them and bring them into his kingdom (Colossians 1:13). That is why he sent Jesus, who is himself the Light that shatters the night (John 1:5). It’s also why he gave us his Word.

With so many people living in darkness all around us, this world is a shadowland, even for those who know the Lord. The Bible is, for us, the brightest of flashlights to shine on our path. When we read, our eyes are opened to the truth, and the lies of the devil fall flat. When we study, we learn to see through the empty philosophies of this world so that their appeals can no longer hold us captive. And when we take hold of the Bible’s promises, our gaze is lifted up out of this dark valley toward the heavens, where our hope is kept.

Of course, a lamp must be turned on to be effective. In the same way, we must take up God’s Word daily if we are going to make our way through this dark world. Though a flashlight may grow dim from use, the light of God’s Word only grows brighter as we walk in it.

You have not been left to wander in the night. The Lord has given you a mighty torch to dispel the darkness. Are you confused? Go to his Word. Afraid? Take comfort in his precious promises. Searching for answers to life’s most important questions? Invest your time in the book that has them.

God lives in the purest, sweetest light there is, and you’ve been invited to follow him there (Psalm 89:15). Take up and read!

Lord, make your light shine through me as your Word illuminates the path you’ve set before me.

Morning | Day Two | The Spirit

NEVER ALONE AGAIN

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

JOHN 14:18

They were there when he opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, and restored the strength of the paralyzed. They’d seen him silence storms, command demons, and raise up the dead. His parables and teachings, not easily forgotten, filled their minds and their hearts. The disciples were convinced Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah whom God had promised his people, the King who would reign in Jerusalem forever.

But then, Jesus seemed to go off script. He started talking about leaving, about returning to the Father, about preparing rooms for them in the Father’s house (vv. 1–4). It didn’t make sense. It didn’t fit with their understanding of the Scriptures or keep time with the hope beating in their chests. They didn’t want to be left alone again, not after all they’d seen and heard. They wanted more of Jesus, not less.

Jesus knew their hearts, and he knows ours. This desire for greater intimacy with him, for more eternal truth, for more kingdom goodness is nothing to be brushed aside; it’s in our DNA, given to us when God breathed life into Adam.

Though his friends didn’t understand how it could be possible, Jesus promised to be a greater presence in their lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit than he had been when he walked and talked with them during his earthly ministry. He told them, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (v. 20).

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit enjoy perfect fellowship, and through the Spirit in our lives, we can enter in. We have been invited to partake of the love they share, to be at home in their presence (vv. 21, 23), to enjoy the intimacy we were created for.

How is this connection, this abiding, maintained and enjoyed? The same way it is with any relationship: through love (15:10). God’s love, of course, is not something that can be earned. Rather, as you obey the commands of Jesus and chase after his heart, you are choosing to rest in his great love for you—to let it wash over you and cleanse you.

There is no greater joy in the universe than knowing Jesus. Because he has given you his Holy Spirit, he is closer to you than your own skin. Rest in his love.

Jesus, I want to know more of you. May my life be defined by the experience of your presence.

Evening | Day Two | The Sword

BREATH OF HEAVEN

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16

When you stop to think about it, it’s incredible. Unthinkable, really. When we were trapped in a dungeon of our own making, God saw fit to bend low and pass a note through the prison bars. He used words we could understand, wrapped in human experience and the universal language of story, to show us the way to freedom.

This “note” is the Bible, the only book in the world that was breathed out by God. That means it’s the only book that holds divine authority. We are meant to take the words of Scripture with all the weight of heaven. We would be fools to brush aside what we don’t like, to simply disregard what doesn’t line up with our own way of thinking in the moment (Proverbs 1:7). And yet, sadly, that’s what many people do when they crack open their Bibles. To use our prison analogy, it’s like opening up the note we’ve been given to discover it’s a signed and sealed pardon from the governor—and then proceeding to use it as toilet paper.

Scripture shows us the way to salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), but it also shapes us into people who more perfectly reflect the image of God with our lives (Romans 12:1–2). In short, God breathed out his Word so we could breathe it in, each and every day, and by breathing in the air of heaven, we might live as heavenly men and women here on earth.

A person could spend ten lifetimes studying Scripture, and it would still not be enough time to explore all of the divine mysteries contained in God’s Word. And yet, the through line of the Bible—God’s great love for sinners—is simple enough for a small child to grasp. At times, Scripture peels back the veil between heaven and earth, revealing eternal secrets otherwise unknowable. At others, it delivers insight into the human soul, allowing us to see the depths of our great need under the curse of sin. But mostly, the Bible is God’s story, and his beautiful heart can be seen on every page.

Spend time soaking in the Scriptures, and you’ll begin to taste a bit of heaven on your tongue (Psalm 34:8). God is good, and his ways lead to love and joy and the true shalom of the kingdom—the perfect peace and wholeness that is your inheritance as a child of the King.

Father, reveal your heart to me as I read your Word so I might fall more deeply in love with you.

Morning | Day Three | The Spirit

THE DRY BONES PRAISE

“‘I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.’”

EZEKIEL 37:14

What does it take to bring a person back from the dead? It’s not enough to jumpstart the synapses in the brain so they fire and snap once again, nor is it sufficient to wake the silent heart so that it begins pumping blood through coarse and dried arteries. It isn’t simply a matter of inflating lungs and reanimating cells either. To make a dead soul alive, it needs the Spirit of God.

The prophet Ezekiel saw this process unfold before his eyes when, in a vision, God brought him out into the middle of a morbid valley filled with dry bones. The people of Israel were like those bones—beyond dead with no hope of restoration (v. 11). The citizens of the Northern Kingdom had been taken captive by the Assyrians and spread far and wide, in large measure becoming indistinguishable from their pagan neighbors. More than a century later, the people in the south were taken into Babylon. The nation was no more, Jerusalem was toppled, and the temple of God lay in rubble. Worse than that, this calamity was not simply the result of unfolding world events; it was caused by the stubborn, sinful hearts of the people (Deuteronomy 28:36; Jeremiah 16:12–13).

God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy, and the bones he saw rattled and clacked into place. Tendons and muscle and skin soon overtook them. Again, Ezekiel prophesied, and the four winds came and filled those bodies with the breath of life. The vision was a promise to Ezekiel. God would bring the dead nation of Israel back to life. The people would be numerous and mighty. And the wind that would fill his people would be the very Spirit of God (Ezekiel 37:14).

As Jesus put it, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63). We were once “dead in [our] transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), but then God came and breathed new life into us. We have been born again, made new, and transferred from the realm of darkness to the kingdom of light by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:13).

Never forget that you are a walking miracle, just as unlikely as a valley of brittle bones becoming an army of the living God. The same Spirit “who raised Jesus from the dead” is at work within you “to fulfill his good purpose” through you (Romans 8:11; Philippians 2:13). He is the reason your future is brighter than your past.

Gracious Lord, my life is yours. I place it in your hands to do with as you please.

Evening | Day Three | The Sword

WHAT GOD’S WORD ACCOMPLISHES

“My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

ISAIAH 55:11

There must be something in the mind of a toddler that filters out words like “Don’t climb on that!” “Spit that out! That’s not food!” and “It’s time to clean up!” If you have small children, then you know what it’s like to have your words fall to the ground without having accomplished their purpose. If only small children knew every word a loving parent speaks to them is for their good.

In much the same way, the words our Father speaks are for our good, but unlike the warnings and commands we give to our children, his words never fall flat. They always accomplish their purpose. It’s been this way from the beginning. When God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), light appeared. Then he proceeded to speak all of creation into being. The effectiveness of his word is not limited to the six days of creation either. He spoke promises to Adam and Eve, Noah, the patriarchs, and the prophets, and not a single one was empty. Later, when God the Son appeared, he spoke to the wind and the waves, and they died down (Matthew 8:23–27). He commanded demons and diseases, and they fled (Luke 4:33–36; 7:1–10). He called the dead back to life, and they obeyed (John 11:43–44).

The Word of God that we hold in our hands—the Bible—is no less potent. The promises and warnings God gives us in Scripture are just as powerful and effective. God has not changed; he still calls new realities into being. He still commands the impossible.

When King Josiah heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his robes in grief and then reformed an entire nation (2 Kings 22:3–23:25). When the Ethiopian eunuch tripped over a description of the Savior in Isaiah 53, it sparked a conversation that changed the course of his life (Acts 8:26–39). And when the Bereans searched the Hebrew Scriptures, they believed Paul’s message about Jesus of Nazareth (17:10–12).

It is not by chance or coincidence that you are reading his Word. Though the Bible may not have been written to you, it was written for you. You are meant to read it, meant to be changed by it. Let his commandments shape your life. Let his wisdom renew your mind. Let his promises awaken your heart. But most of all, let his love wash over you.