Steve Simms's Blog

There’s Amazing Hope for You!

Daily writing promptWhat’s the first impression you want to give people?View all responses

There is amazing hope for your life. No matter what you have been through or are currently going through there is incredible hope is available to you supernaturally. If you look beyond systematized church and formalized religion, you can encounter the living and resurrected Jesus in a way that will propel you into indescribable inner healing, peace, and joy. Here’s how:

Sermons heard
Fly like a bird
In and out
Of the mind.
But when people
Do God’s Word
It comes alive
And burns in them.
(2 Timothy 1:6)

Who
Will do
Christ’s words
And be
Made new?
Will you?

Listen directly to Jesus Himself, not just to a religious talk about Him. Gather with Christians to together listen to and obey the ever-present Jesus, not to hear yet another sermon about Him. Sermons are shallow substitutes for the supernatural presence of Christ. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” The Bible never says: “If you want to go to Heaven, simply say a onetime prayer and be in the audience for a weekly sermon.”

When Christians are true doers of the Word and not just passive sermon-hearers, Christ’s light shines through them (Matthew 5:16) and changes their nation and transforms the culture around them. Then they experience genuine revival and spiritual awakening, and they don’t feel a need to rely on political power. Unfortunately, Spirit-led Christianity will soon shift into structured Christianity if it isn’t kept stirred up. (2 Timothy 1:6)

Sermons are soon forgotten. A direct encounter with Jesus is something that a person never forgets. Seek Jesus not another sermon. If spiritual growth came from sermon-hearing contemporary church attendees would be the most powerful Christians of all time.

For far too long churches have focused almost exclusively on human leadership and ignored the direct leadership of God the Holy Spirit and His supernatural gifts and fruit. The majority of Christians believe that Jesus can’t lead a church service, so they depend on a preacher to program and control it.

How many sermons must someone sit through before he’s allowed to speak up in church and testify about Jesus? No amount will do. To freely speak up in church a person has to either have official “ordination” or start his own church. If not, then people are only allowed to sit and listen (and maybe sing together a bit).

Churches call their Sunday meetings worship services. To me they seem more like sermon services.

Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and His right living, (Matthew 6:33) not just to sit and hear a weekly talk about it. Jesus also said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” (Matthew 5:6) not those who show up for a Sunday sermon.

Sermons make audience members. Hands on interactive Spirit-led training makes disciples. Sunday morning audiences are called churches, but is that really what Jesus had in mind?

The Bible tells Christians to meet together (Hebrews 10:25) but when it describes what they are supposed to do when they come together (1 Corinthians 14:26) it doesn’t sound anything like a church service: “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation . . .” That Bible verse is completely ignored or explained away.

Don’t wait till Sunday mornings to sit and hear another talk about Jesus. Allow Him to directly talk to your heart night and day!

Unfortunately, only a hired person is allowed to freely speak in most churches, yet Jesus said: “The hired hand is not the shepherd (pastor).” (John 10:12) Christians are called to humbly and daily demonstrate Christ’s presence and love, not to be bench warmers for a hired pastor’s talk.

I don’t see how anyone can read the Book of Acts in the Bible and then go to a church service and not realize that God wants to do so much more than He is allowed to do in Sunday services. Let the glorious works of God be displayed in and through your life (John 9:3) so they can demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. (1 Corinthians 2:4) Work out your own salvation with profound awe and amazement because God is at work in you to do His will and pleasure. (Philippians 2:19)

Don’t ignore or put out the Spirit’s inner fire. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Always keep God’s spiritual fire stirred up within you. (2 Timothy 1:6) Abide in the vine because apart from Jesus you can do nothing. (John 15:5) Christ in you is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) If you love God and are called according to His purpose then consistently trust in and rely on Him to work all things, good and bad, together for your good. (Romans 8:28) Then you will be able to supernaturally rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8) as you continually celebrate His grace (Titus 3:5-7) and redemption. (Galatians 3:13)

Sermon-hearing keeps Christians toned down and quietly stuck in their seats as mere hearers of the word–not doers. (James 1:22) Be someone who always rejoices and praise the Lord, not a toner-downer.

Toner-downers say
Don’t praise Christ that way.
It’s enough to pray
Very quietly.
You should always stay
Calm and dignified
And sit passively
In church on Sunday.
Hear Jesus Christ say:
“Shout from the rooftops.”
Who will you obey?
(Matthew 10:27 & 2 Timothy 1:6)

What I write and proclaim isn’t about church hurt. Because I am outspoken about my belief that Christianity is far more than Sunday sermon-hearing I’m sometimes accused of reacting to church-hurt. However, my belief that the risen Jesus has the amazing ability to personally and supernaturally lead a gathering of His followers is based on Scripture and personal experience. I saw Jesus directly lead a church service weekly for just under 10 years. My belief has nothing to do with church hurt. I even wrote a book about it. Google: Beyond Church–An Invitation to Experience the Lost Word of the Bible–Ekklesia.

My Favorite Book Inspires Creativity in Me

Daily writing promptWhat book are you reading right now?View all responses

I read from my favorite book every day. Why? Because it inspires me in many ways. Reading it produces hope, insight, courage, conviction, and creativity in me. Here’s what it produced in me just now.

Self-Righteousness is “Stoney” Ground (Mark 4:5)

Guilt confessed
And expressed
Unto God
Is addressed
By Christ’s blood.
Guilt repressed
And denied
Eats away
Deep inside
Of people
Until they
Are obsessed
And depressed.
Rely on
God’s mercy
Not on your
Righteousness.
(Luke 18:13)

Self-righteous people are active accusers, shame slingers, and guilt stoners. Only sinless people have the right to “stone” people, but the truth is there are no sinless people. (Romans 3:10) “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone . . .” (John 8:8)

True Christianity depends on Christ’s empowerment not on human effort. Jesus said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Rather than trying harder, Christians need to surrender their opinions, feelings, and desires to Jesus. They need to depend and rely on Him instead of on their own ability.

Paul asks a key question to the Christians in Galatia. “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you not trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

So, I ask you: When you go to church do you encounter the supernatural means of God’s Spirit at work within and around you? Or do you see human effort and religious programming? An honest answer to my questions will reveal why there is so little life-transforming power in contemporary Christianity.

Be a balanced Christian. Without daily absorbing the written Word we can be deceived by an evil spirit appearing as an angel of light. Without the direct, personal, and intimate leading of Christ the living Word abiding within us as our ever-present hope of glory we will drift into the mere religious formalism — that Paul tells us to avoid. (2 Timothy 3:5)

I Choose to Live by a River

Daily writing promptIf you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?View all responses

White water rivers are inspiring. All that living water rushing mightily by stirs up my heart and makes me feel wonderfully invigorated. I love to raft with the strength and power of their flowing. I am talking about the inner rivers of God the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38)

Is anyone thirsty for more of Jesus? Is anyone hungry for spiritual awakening. Is God’s word burning in anyone’s heart? God the Holy Spirit says, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty and wants God’s living water is invited to freely come and drink. (Revelation 22:17)

Go beyond mere religion. (2 Timothy 3:5) Lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Instead, acknowledge God’s presence and reality in everything you think, say, and do. Train yourself to always hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and to unceasingly seek King Jesus to rule and govern your life as your overarching priority. (Matthew 6:33)

Constantly rely and depend on Christ’s rivers of living water to abundantly flow from within you as the astonishing and glorious presence of God the Holy Spirit. (John 7:37-39) Don’t neglect the Holy Spirit’s presence inside you. (1 Timothy 4:14) Instead keep His inner rivers stirred up (2 Timothy 1:6) and freely flowing from your innermost being, day and night! Let Christ’s living water be a never-ending fountain springing up from the depths of your soul. (John 4:13-14)

Hear, do, tell.
Break the spell
Of passive religion.
Learn to dwell
And live in
God’s presence.
Say farewell
To self-will.
Allow Christ
To indwell
Your heart with
His Spirit.
Show and tell
What God’s done.
Obey His
Living Word.

1) Hear what the Spirit is saying. (Revelation 2;29)
2) Be a doer of what the Spirit says. (James 1:22)
3) Tell what you hear far and wide. (Matthew 10:27)

The goal of Christianity isn’t to get people to attend religious services on Sunday. The goal is to train people to faithfully listen to, follow, and obey the risen Jesus throughout each day. Drink up!

Christians are being lecturized, sermonized, systematized, ritualized, and politicized. What we need is to be revitalized by the presence and power of Christ’s rivers of living water!

The song, “I Can Only Imagine” isn’t biblical. The Bible says that we can do so much more than imagine. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) We don’t have to only imagine. We can know unseen things by direct revelation from God the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

An Abiding Relationship with Jesus Christ

Daily writing promptWhat’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)?View all responses

The coolest thing I’ve ever found is an abiding, heart-to-heart relationship with the risen Jesus. I can’t keep quiet about how Jesus has freed me from inner bondage and daily fills my life with peace and joy.

Let Jesus be
Your sin dissolver,
Not merely
Your problem solver.
Deny
Yourself,
Rely
On Christ!

Inner freedom is far more important than free stuff. The internal freedom of the fruit of the Spirit will grow as a gift within you if you consistently work to surrender to and align your heart and your will with Christ in you.

The fruit and the gifts of the Spirit are far more important and valuable than anything physical that Jesus can give you. Work diligently like a farmer to cultivate them and make room for them to fill and overflow your soul.

Feed Christians with Scripture facts and they might know the Ten Commandments, but they won’t know how to consistently obey them. They will know some Bible stories, but they won’t know how to love their enemies. They’ll probably know who Jesus is, but they won’t know how to daily abide in an intimate, surrendered relationship with Him.

Churches need to shift from merely feeding people more and more religious information. It’s vital that churches begin to effectively train people to actually and literally abide in uninterrupted intimacy with and obedience to the risen Jesus. Christians are being lecturized, sermonized, systematized, and ritualized, but what we need is to be revitalized by the presence and power of the risen Jesus!

Church is too often Sunday déjà vu. The words may change but the program’s the same song and sermon routine. I always feel like I’ve sat through the same thing many times before. But in extremely rare times when the Holy Spirit is allowed to take control and people begin to move with and obey His inner promptings, all Heaven breaks loose!

When life’s rough
Churchy stuff’s
Not enough.
You need to
Rely on
Christ living
Inside you
To get through
All that’s tough.
Churchy stuff
Without Christ
Is just fluff —
A mere bluff.
Please uncuff
The Spirit
Of God now.
(1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

Be courageous! Christians who call people their enemies, need to at least have the courage to obey Jesus’ command to: “Love your enemies.”

I Try to Skip Self-Focus

Daily writing promptWhat part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?View all responses

Self-focus makes me sad and unhappy. Skipping self-focus makes me skip with joy! Even so, I often feel compelled from within to make self-focus my routine. Instead, I make it my priority to always try to skip self-focus and to put my attention on the resurrected Jesus Christ instead of on me.

If we Christians want to get well (John 5:6) as individuals and churches, we need to let the risen Jesus take over and personally lead and direct us from within by His Spirit (Romans 8:14) as the living Head of His body. (Colossians 1:18) We all need to begin to listen to Jesus and do what He tells us to do, both in our day to day lives and in church services. (John 5:8)

Christ ignored
Is Christ denied.
(2 Timothy 3:5)
Let Jesus be
Your constant guide.
(Romans 8:14)

An Acrostic About
Institutional Churches:

Christ’s
Headship
Usurped and
Replaced by a
Counterfeit
Head.

The risen Jesus is the only legitimate Head of a church.
(Colossians 1:18) Let the living Jesus personally take over, direct, and lead every church service worldwide!

Don’t just go to church and passively sit through a service. Make church a gathering where everybody present is encouraged to “do business with God” by listening to and obeying the inner voice the Holy Spirit throughout the meeting. Let everybody in church have the freedom use their “response-ability” — their ability to listen to and immediately obey God the Spirit.

When Christ’s love
Is allowed
To freely flow
It will grow.
When it’s not
No amount of
Church attendance
Can make you know
What His love
Is truly like.

Do Christians quench God’s Spirit?
Where love isn’t freely flowing . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where peace isn’t present . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where people are impatient . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where there is unkindness . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where goodness is held back . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where people are unfaithful . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
Where there is little gentleness . . .
God’s Spirit is quenched.
(1 Thessalonians 5:19 & Galatians 5:22-23)

When Christians are tasteless salt and buried light, they rely on physical power and politics instead of on God the Holy Spirit. (Mt 5:13-16) Reading Matthew 5 deeply touches my heart with how blessed I am. I am blessed with poverty of spirit, tears, humbling experiences, hunger and thirst to do what is right, compassion for others, burning desire for a pure heart, yearning to be a peacemaker, and some insults and persecution. According to Jesus I’m super blessed!!

The Famous Person Who Loves to Interact with People

Daily writing promptWho is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?View all responses

I know a famous person who loves to warmly interact with all kinds of people from all over the world. He’s incredibly kind and compassionate and makes time for everybody. His name is Jesus.

Jesus interacts with people one to one and heart-to-heart. He gives them living water (John 4:10) that becomes an inner “spring of water welling up to eternal life,” (John 4:14) not dry religion. He makes radical disciples who daily follows and obey the risen Christ who lives within each one of them (Colossians 1:27) not just comfortable audience members who sit through a church service.

Oops! Christians have made Sunday morning audiences all over the world, but Jesus said to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19) It’s time to directly reconnect with the risen Jesus and His “rivers of living water” that freely flow from deep within His Spirit-led disciples. (John 7:38-39)

Institutional church trains Christians to be mere sermon spectators instead of powerful fruit of the Spirit cultivators. I’m not a good Christian spectator. It’s extremely difficult for me to passively sit and watch one man run and dominate a Sunday program when God’s fire is blazing in my heart.

My Pet Plea!

Daily writing promptWhat is good about having a pet?View all responses

Here it is. This is my pet plea — the desire of my heart.

Christians don’t be
An audience.
Make church about
Active heart-felt
Obedience
To God’s Spirit
And reliance
On Christ’s presence.
That’s the essence
Of true worship.
(John 4:23)

I don’t want to be
A Sunday morning
Hearer-only.
I want to be
A doer
Of the word.
(James 1:22)

Hearers-only
Go to church
To only hear
But not to do
Anything about
What they’ve heard.
The Bible says
Not to do that.
How much more
Hearing only
But not doing
Do churches need?
Enough is enough.
(James 1:22)

Do nothing
Christianity
Invites people
To sit and hear
A sermon
But gives them
No time at all
In the meeting
To do something
About what
They have heard.

Christ My Desire

I want my eyes
To see Jesus,
Not to see
One preacher
Monopolize
A church service.
Spirit arise
And take control.
Only You can
Make people whole.
Where’s a God size
Spiritual fire?

Sunday morning church gets to me. It’s so far away from what I see in the Bible and how I relate to Jesus that it breaks my heart. Contemporary church is an audience maker not a disciple maker.

What is a pastor? Here’s a definition: A pastor is a person who thinks he is the only one who has a right to speak in front of a congregation of Christians. He is someone who turns Christians into a passive audience.

I think Catholics may be closer to what God wants church to be than Protestants, evangelicals, and charismatics. Catholics at least get people actively involved in doing a few things — kneeing, praying silently from the heart, repeating prayers together out loud, participating in rituals, coming to the altar, and confessing their sins. Most of the rest of the churches merely let people sing a few songs and then make them sit and passively listen to the same man week after week monopolize the meeting. Why can’t God’s people in a congregation be free to listen to and obey God the Holy Spirit?

It Costs to Stop the Shutdown

Daily writing promptName the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).View all responses

It will cost you your pride to stop shutting down the Holy Spirit. (James 4:6) It’s worth the price. Humble yourself and pay it. (James 4:10)

Too many Christians have shut down their faith. (Hebrews 11:6) They have shut their heart down and rejected the invisible inner government of God the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) They have been unwilling to hear and obey what the Spirit is saying. (Revelation 2:17) They have neglected and refused to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) They have set aside and ignored the gifts of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

Instead of humbly repenting (Acts 3:19) of their sins, shutdown Christians have blamed and accused other people. Instead of seeking first the invisible inner government of God (Matthew 6:33) and His right living they have put their country first. Instead of denying themselves (Mark 8:34), they’ve focused on their own desires, feelings, and opinions. They have relied on their own power and ability instead of surrendering to and depending on the presence and power of God the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)

Shutdown Christians have an outward form of godliness, but they don’t give it any power to change how they live their daily lives. (2 Timothy 3:5) They are merely hearers of the word, but they refuse to actually and humbly do what it says. (James 1:22) Instead of blessing those who curse them and loving their enemies (Luke 6:27-29) they insult and despise them. Have you shut down the inner flow of God the Holy Spirit? (John 7:38-39)

The Godman Podcast

Daily writing promptWhat podcasts are you listening to?View all responses

According to the Bible Jesus is the Godman — God in human flesh. He laid down His life on the Cross so human beings can be restored to heart-to-heart intimacy with God the Father. Christ rose from the dead and lives forever so that He can now live inside of (Colossians 1:27) and through His true followers as God the Holy Spirit. He speaks and His followers hear His inner podcast. (John 10:27) I listen to the risen Jesus.

From the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1) Then the Word became flesh and gathered people around Him. His name is Jesus. He taught them. He trained them. He loved them. He led them. (John 1:14) Those people beheld His glory and spread His story, not just in words but in how they lived their lives.

Jesus the Godman is the true light that gives light to everyone. (John 1:9) He invites whosoever will to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23) yet multitudes reject His light. Many others just honor Him with their lips but keep their heart far away from Him. (Matthew 15:8-9) However all who truly receive Him, surrender their heart to Him, and rely on Him as their living Lord and their God (John 20:28) become children of God supernaturally born again. (John 1:12-13 & 3:3-7)

If you will let Jesus, the Godman, continually align your will with His will you will know Him as your Lord and Master. Then you will experience His glorious presence like never before!

Followers of the Godman should want the people they disagree with to be healed, encouraged, and transformed by Christ’s joyous presence and peace. (Luke 6:28) They should radiate His light. (Matthew 5:14) They shouldn’t use power or politics to try to defeat or humiliate people. (Zechariah 4:6) They should win them over by God’s love. (Matthew 5:44)

Through all that’s going on around us, we Christ-followers need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) Our hearts need to be constantly aflame with passionate love for and obedience to the Godman. (2 Timothy 1:6) We need to always demonstrate (1 Corinthians 2:4) the reality of Christ’s presence and love in all we say and do.

Nations are discipled by the power and presence of the risen Jesus being demonstrated in and through followers of the Godman — Christians who love not their lives unto death (Revelation 12:11) and demonstrate compassionate love for their enemies. Disciples aren’t made by politics.

In the final hours before His crucifixion, Jesus, the Godman, chose tenderness at a supper table not triumph from a conquering throne. He chose foot washing not enemy squashing. He calls us to do the same.

Followers of the Godman are supposed to be a supernaturally functioning family led by God the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, contemporary church is much closer to being a formal restaurant than it is to being a family. It serves up a meal of words, (called a sermon) collects money, and then sends everybody out into this lonely, mental health crisis world and hopes that they make it on their own until next Sunday morning.

My Favorite Subject is Practical Life Skills

Daily writing promptWhat was your favorite subject in school?View all responses

Hope isn’t magic. There are many practical ways to fill your life with hope!

My favorite subject is practical life skills. I am always searching for ways to improve my mind, my heart, and my behavior and to fill my life with hope. Throughout my life I’ve read many hundreds of extremely helpful books about personal and spiritual growth. The one that has helped me the most is the Bible. It has helped (and continues to help) me to experience and surrender to the living Jesus in more and more powerful ways.

Walking Life’s Emmaus Roads

To get to know and grow
Closer to Jesus.
Begin to listen to
Christ inside of you
And do what He tells you.
Go walk along and flow
With the inner leading
Of God the Spirit.
Live at God’s tempo.
It’s time to overflow
With the hope of glory
And with holy gusto.

You need to receive
The illumination
Of revelation
Directly from God.
The enumeration
Of religious ideas
And information
Is just not enough!
You need to become
A habitation
Of the risen Jesus.
Go experience what
Christ in you can do!
(Colossians 1:27)

Jesus promised His followers inner rivers of living water. (John 7:38-39) Yet far too many of us are content to let our heart be a dusty dried-up riverbed. It’s easy to walk through life unaware of the actual presence of the risen Jesus.

I’ve left what I don’t think is right. It seems to me that both the left and the right have abandoned true humility, overlooked the real presence of the risen Jesus, and given up on His supernatural insight. Now that’s a fright!

I choose to center on Christ living in and walking with me. I seek first to keep my focus on His mercy and grace and on His call for us all to humbly repent and to “Go and sin no more.”