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Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? — James 4:5
By Rick Renner
According to James 4:5, the Holy Spirit came into our hearts as a Permanent Indweller. It says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”
The Greek word for “dwelleth” is katoikidzo, a compound of the words kata and oikos. The word kata carries the idea of settling down, and the word oikos is the word for a house. Taken together, the new word means to take up residency or to dwell in a house. This word carries the idea of residing permanently. In other words, this word would never describe a transient or one who came to live in a place only temporarily. This is the picture of a person who has settled into a home with no intention of ever leaving.
In other words, when the Holy Spirit came to live in you, it wasn’t for a short period of time. When He came, He came to stay. From the moment you made Jesus your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit made your heart His permanent home. He has, so to speak, hung His own pictures on the walls, moved His furniture in, and settled down into a nice, big comfortable chair. He has no intention of ever moving out to leave your heart vacant while He finds somewhere else to live.
Think of that! The Holy Spirit doesn’t come only to visit occasionally. Your heart is His home. Meditate on this truth, and determine to live each moment of the day with a deep sense of awareness of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence. Welcome His fellowship; talk to Him; and yield to Him as He prays through you and gives you guidance and direction. A deeper realization of the Permanent Indweller who lives on the inside of you will help you stay on track and continually move forward in your walk in Christ!
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Rick Renner is a prolific author and a highly respected Bible teacher and a leader in the international Christian community. He is the author of more than 30 books, including the bestsellers Dressed To Kill and Sparkling Gems From the Greek.
In 1992, Rick and his family moved to what is now the former Soviet Union. Two years later, he and his wife Denise founded the Riga Good News Church in Latvia before moving on to Moscow in 2000 to found the Moscow Good News Church. In 2007, the Renners also launched the Kyiv Good News Church in the capital of Ukraine. Today, Rick serves as Bishop for this group of churches.
In addition, Rick and Denise pioneered a Bible school, and a ministerial association that serves thousands of Russian-speaking pastors throughout the former USSR as well as parts of the Middle East.
Rick also founded Media Mir, the first Christian television network established in the former USSR. Its broadcast capabilities via terrestrial stations in Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova, and as well by satellite means millions of people are reached with these messages. It has since expanded into book publishing and managing social media accounts. Website: Renner.org