LETTING THE SPIRIT FLOW
Part 14:
We soak, we sow, and then the Spirit flows! This is how we experience God's power in
our lives. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us to accomplish God's purposes.
It is through the Spirit's power that we obtain the wisdom and ability to be
Converterlators. When we spend time in God's Word, we experience what I like to call a
flowback from the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit working in us and through us in a variety
of ways.
As a child I was taken to an amusement park from time to time and we would always ride
on the bumper cars! You know, those cars that had
large rubber rings around them to protect the drivers.
The fun of this ride was trying to bump the other
cars. Sometimes I would get hit really hard, and that
would make me want to hit back as hard as possible.
Life is like this. We are always being "bumped" by circumstances and other people.
Sometimes these bumps can be really hard, and our response is to hit back as hard as
possible. At those moments we have a decision to make: Will we let the old flesh control
us, or will the Holy Spirit control us? In so many ways we are weak, powerless, and
vulnerable. However, we have been born to a living hope and we are kept by the power
of God. It is the Holy Spirit's power that allows us to respond to all of our life
circumstances with his strength
Many Christians today have heard about the Holy Spirit, but they have not encountered
him in a life-changing way. When we first ask Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit flows
his life into our mortal bodies. The Spirit's work begins in us when we first receive Christ
into our lives: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11, ESV). This sets the stage for us to flow with the
Spirit in our everyday lives. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to overcome the
sinful impulses of the flesh and the lures of the world that cause us to spend too much
time on perishable aspects of this life.
It is because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that the Holy Spirit's power flows
through us and enables us to be Converterlators. The Bible tells us, "I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I now live in
the body, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for
me" (Galatians 2:20). Our responsibility
is to get self out of the way so the life of
Christ can live and minister through us.
We will see the life of Christ flow
through us as we allow the Spirit of God
to crucify the selfish desires that
interfere with his working presence.
This is a transforming process done by
degrees, "And we all … are being transformed into the same image from one degree of
glory to another. For this comes from the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV).
This concept is so exciting because it takes us into a realm not bounded by the limitations
of the world we see now. There is no limit to what God can do! No wonder Paul prayed,
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according
to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). This is the resurrection power of
Jesus Christ. No perceived earthly power can possibly be compared to this. The prospect
of that power operating in us and our circumstances is extremely exciting!
When we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, his power flows through us. The Holy Spirit
is the only one who can make the converterlating process a reality in our lives. He is the
One who enables us to participate with God to accomplish his work. The Spirit giving life
to our mortal body brings inward transformation.
Paul made this clear when he said, "Therefore we
do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting
away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by
day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). Flowing with the Spirit is
the supernatural outcome of soaking and sowing to the Spirit. It is the outcome of our
relationship with God.
When a lamp is plugged into a wall socket properly and the switch is turned to "on,"
there is a dynamic relationship established with the source of electrical power; properly
engaged, the power flows and the lamp lights up giving light. The same is true with our
relationship with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the divine power source, releasing
the life and power of God into our lives when we are properly connected to him. There
are many times when I spend time in God's Word and the Holy Spirit prompts me to
make better business and investment decisions. In fact, he directs my decision making in
every area of life and orchestrates truth that impacts my everyday life.
God is always on the move. He is always working. There is a divine dynamic that begins
to play in our lives when we soak our hearts in his Word, and when we sow his Word to
the Spirit.
All of these truths become a reality in our lives when the Holy Spirit seals, reveals, and
deals with us. The Holy Spirit first seals us at the point of our spiritual birth, "In him you
also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13, ESV, emphasis added). In
Bible times, a seal was a type of security. It was typically used to guarantee a document
or letter, indicate ownership, or protect against tampering. The Holy Spirit is our seal in
every sense of this word; we are guaranteed, owned, and protected!
The assurance that we experience because of the Holy Spirit's seal sets us free to be
Converterlators in the time we have remaining in this temporary world. After the Holy
Spirit seals us, he begins to reveal the things of God to us. In 1 Corinthians 2:10–16 we
read:
These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit
searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a
person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no
one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have
received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so
that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we
speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by
the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The
person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them
because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the
Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to
merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as
to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ.
The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to spiritual truth. This gives us the ability to both
understand and respond to God's calling as we converterlate our time, talent, and
treasure. Without the Holy Spirit in our lives we will not have the things of God revealed
to us.
As the Holy Spirit reveals the things of God to us, he also deals with us. Jesus said "It is
the Spirit who gives life" (John 7:63, ESV). We choose to live under his control. It is
through the Holy Spirit that God works in us and through us, "For it is God who works in
you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). It is the
Holy Spirit's power that allows us to serve God's purposes in God's way. In the Old
Testament the prophet Ezekiel recorded God's promise to us, "And I will put my
Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws"
(Ezekiel 36:27)
When we flow with the Spirit we experience his power as we navigate our way through
everyday decisions and experiences: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you" (Acts 1:8). It is the Holy Spirit that guides our lives daily: "If we live by
the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25, ESV). The person who
practices soak, sow, and flow is an empowered Converterlator, ready to perform their
assigned tasks!
When we fail to follow the Holy Spirit's leading, we need to confess our sin and ask the
Holy Spirit to again assume control. The Bible tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1
John 1:9). Our old selves will constantly seek to reassert themselves, and when they do,
we need to run back to God!
As we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will reveal more and
more to us as we mature and do the things he discloses to us. As the Spirit empowers us,
we will find ourselves more responsive to God, presenting ourselves to him for his
service. Our relationship with God is all about these truths being worked out in our lives
through the various circumstances we encounter. We learn to depend on the Holy Spirit's
power. And it is at this particular juncture that we experience God's direction in ways we
never anticipated! This is what the Bible means when it says, "No eye has seen, no ear
has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But
it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out
everything and shows us God's deep secrets" (1 Corinthians 2:9–10, NLT).
We choose to be controlled by the Spirit. We ask the Sprit to control our mind. We
choose to set our mind on things above. By the power of the Spirit we bring our thoughts
into captive obedience to Jesus Christ: "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves" (Galatians 5:16, NLT). This
requires active participation on our part by the act of our will choosing moment by
moment to be controlled by the Spirit.
If you don't know much about the Holy Spirit, now would be a good time to learn more
about him. Go to the websites included in chapter 7 (page 65) and learn more about what
the Bible has to say about the Holy Spirit and his active role in your life.
When we invite the Holy Spirit to guide and direct and lead us, he shows up in a big way!
He transforms us and everything that we do … including our converterlating! He fills us
daily and equips us for service. He gives us joy and excitement and fulfillment. He draws
us into a deeper relationship with God. He gives us insight into God's Word. He leads us
to victorious living.
Letting the Holy Spirit Have Control
There is a war inside each of us. Though the old flesh wants to reassert itself, the power
of the Spirit can overcome it if we ask in
faith for him to control how we think,
feel, act, and talk. In Romans 8 we read,
"The mind controlled by the Spirit is life
and peace" (Romans 8:6, NIV84). The
mind is key (remember when we talked
about the Compass of Life in chapter
4?). The battle first takes place in our
head. The people or the things that
control our mind control us. It is crucial
for us to allow the Holy Spirit to control
us:
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh
desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on
what the Spirit desires.
—Romans 8:5
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
—Colossians 3:2, NIV84
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:25
It takes intentionality to live life under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Every day I ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my interactions and
decisions. I am learning he is orchestrating everything that impacts my
life. He gives me insights and guidance in my business and investment
decisions. I have learned, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he
who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,
which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:18).
God is the One who enables us to prosper, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel: 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches
you to profit, who leads you in the way you should
go'" (Isaiah 48:17, ESV). And it is always God who
gives the increase, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God
gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God
who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6–7, NKJV).
In the business world, a general partner is also commonly a managing partner, which
means that this person is active in the day-to-day operations of the business. I constantly
remember that the Holy Spirit is the general partner of my life. He calls the shots. My job
is to cooperate with him in everything I do and in all aspects of my life. Everything I
have is sourced in God. The Holy Spirit is orchestrating everything that occurs in my life.
It is the Spirit's power that has enabled me to be a Converterlator.
From a kingdom-impact standpoint, I have learned that being a Converterlator is not
simply for those involved specifically in Christian ministry. For a short period of my life,
God led me into "full-time ministry" with a large Christian organization. I met my lovely
wife, Ruth Ann, there and I learned in depth more about having a living relationship with
God. However, in time the Holy Spirit led us from that full-time ministry position into
the business world to serve God there. It was in the business world the Lord taught me
the concepts and principles that are being shared in this book and other materials.
KingdomNomics now has a worldwide movement, with a website, a project manager, a team of people helping with materials, and tens of thousands of people being exposed to
the life-changing concepts regarding the use of time, talent, and treasure for the purpose
of expanding the kingdom of God.
With each passing day, I am seeing the truth of this passage of Scripture, "I will open
rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness
the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the
plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand
together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it"
(Isaiah 41:18–20, ESV). The finger of God is responsible for everything that has occurred
in my life!
I do my best to avoid the mistake made by the last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, who
learned the hard way that God is in charge of everyone's life, no matter what their station.
He made the great mistake of idolizing the perishable things of this world, "And you have
lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven ... And you have praised the gods of silver
and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the
God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified
… You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting … Your kingdom has
been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians" (Daniel 5:23–28, NKJV). That very
night he was murdered.
Total Commitment
If we hope to be effective in practicing the KingdomNomics principles, we must
experience a continuing and growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. This
only happens when the Holy Spirit performs his functions within our hearts. It is the Holy
Spirit who reveals the things of God to us. Our relationship with God is one of God
continually revealing himself to us as we practice the concepts of soak, sow, and flow.
The Spirit searches all things, including the deep things of God. Therefore, unless the
Holy Spirit reveals these things to us, we will never find out about them. Without
revelation from the Holy Spirit, we cannot bring our lives into proper conformance to the
will of God, and we cannot be effective Converterlators.
God is looking for people who are willing to make a total commitment. He wants each
one of us to be devoted to the team. We are talking about eternity here. The eternal
destinies of people are at stake. God wants people in his kingdom, and then he wants each
person to be a committed team player for the advancement of his kingdom. The effective
Converterlator is filled with the Holy Spirit and depends on his power and wisdom to
accomplish all that God desires!