Holy Spirit

I Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?


This is the one the most glorious truths for a redeemed human in all of creation. The Holy Spirit...the fullness of the Genesis 1 Creator God...the One who "hovered over the unformed waters"...the power of God on Earth...lives in ME! At the time a person gives their life to Jesus, their formerly dead spirit is fully justified, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence there. From that day forward, God, who owns it all and directs it all, lives in them! Whether you are 3 years old, or 100 years old, the same Holy Spirit lives in you the moment you chose Jesus. I don't spend nearly enough time living into the truth of this reality!!


John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.


The Holy Spirit is God, and is the fullness of every good thing. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Self Control, the knowledge of the deep things of God, the power to calm the wind and waves, the power that raised Lazarus from the dead, healed lepers, blind, lame...and much more...this perfectly loving person of God lives inside the spirit of every redeemed person. But, when I first believed I didn't feel any different! How can this be? It is for love!


Because God chose love to relate to His family, He committed to free will. God lets everyone choose what they want. Want more of God welling up into your circumstances, you can have it. Want to live like everyone around you, you can have that, too!


Salvation, the introductory step into God's kingdom, and every step deeper, requires a choice...a reach...with my words, and agreement with my choices. The difference in power between the uncreated God and created Tom Stolz is infinite. If God whispered that I would know the fullness of His presence, I would be instantly overcome with His power...I would have no choice in the matter. It is a good thing Jesus said "Lazarus, come out" when He raised Lazarus from the dead, otherwise the entire cemetery would have been raised.


Because of love, God waits for me to invite Him deeper. Gentle and loving, He waits for me to choose the good things, yet gives me space to disregard them...for love. If I will start the conversation, He has much He longs to reveal to His child, but God generally leaves the start of the conversation to the weaker side of the relationship...for love.


Having the Holy Spirit inside of me is more valuable than a billion dollar bank account. Literally the fullness of every good thing resides in me. If I had a billion dollars in a checking account, and a checkbook to draw the money out with, I would probably have no problem finding things to write checks for. The truth is, I have way more than a billion dollars inside of my spirit, yet I don't write nearly enough checks on the wealth in me.


A person could theoretically have a billion dollars in a bank account, a checkbook, and a ton of needs, and never write a check for fear the bank wouldn't honor the check. You could literally starve to death if you had a huge account you never drew from, or didn't know how to write a check from. This is how it is with the Holy Spirit inside of me, if I will never draw on His wealth, I will never get the benefit of His presence. The whole world is starving for the power of God to be released, but will I start intentionally writing checks on the unlimited wealth I have? The Bible tells me exactly how to write a check on the wealth in my spirit:


James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.


Luke 11:9-13 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”


According to the Bible, I write checks on the abundant wealth inside me by asking, seeking, knocking. I could just as easily say by "talking to the Spirit, looking for opportunities, and trying to apply the Power in my spirit."


What does this look like?


Imagine I get to work, and someone is annoying me. I can talk about them, complain to my boss, put on headphones and ignore them, daydream about getting to leave...or...I can talk to the Holy Spirit inside me "Holy Spirit, thank you that the fullness of peace is inside my spirit, please move this peace into my heart (mind, will emotion) where I can feel it. Give me words to unlock this annoying persons heart for you. The love you have for them, put it in my heart!"


Imagine someone I encounter is sick. I can feel sympathy for them, get them an aspirin, tell them how many other sick people I know or how bad colds are this year, tell them I will pray for them and forget as soon as I walk away...or...I can talk to the Holy Spirit " Holy Spirit, thank you that the same power that raised Lazarus from the grave is right here, right now, inside me. Please release healing power on this sick friend. Be healed, friend, in the name of Jesus"


Imagine I wake up feeling annoyed and complainy, and I can't really see any reason to be happy. I can let everyone know how miserable I am, all the reasons I have to be sad, and take comfort in how right I am to be miserable...or...I can talk to the Holy Spirit "Holy Spirit, thank you for the fullness of joy...all the joy that has ever existed is right inside me. Please move joy into my heart where I can feel it!"


This is how I can draw on the Spirit inside me. If I will ask, seek, and knock, I invite the Holy Spirit deeper and deeper into my heart. He is just waiting for an invitation to come deeper. As I learn to draw on this never ending abundance of wealth, I retraining my heart to live in the wealth inside of me, rather than trying to live in the weakness of my mind, will, emotions, and flesh. This is how we let our mind be renewed. This is walking by faith instead of eyesight!


Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.