Steve Simms's Blog, page 10

Reviving Crushed Motivation

Daily writing promptWhat motivates you?View all responses

When I am being broken and downtrodden, and my motivation is being crushed I am motivated by a guy named Habakuk and His deep reliance on and trust in the Lord. Habakuk said:

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
(Habakuk 3:17-18)

Lord, Like the group of Moravians on the ship in the life-threatening storm in the mid-Atlantic, even when I feel broken and crushed, I will sing Your praises with great hope, trust, and joy so that my life may touch and help to transform someone the way those Moravians touched and helped transform John Wesley. Lord Jesus, Christ in me my hope of glory, empower me to be faithful to You and to this prayer.

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Finding “Wows” Beyond Streaming Movies

Daily writing promptWhat are your top ten favorite movies?View all responses

Uttering words I struggled to mean (little by little) led me to seeing “wows” on the valley floor of my life even in the right now of my painfilled and broken moments. I was recently reminded that the world is full of many kinds of “wows” — tremendous or tiny things that are amazing. “Wows” are so common and familiar (like the grains of sand on the seashore) that it’s easy to overlook them especially when in pain.

Yesterday a friend told me that I say “wow” a lot. I wasn’t even consciously aware that I did, but when he pointed it out, I realized I do. As we talked about why that might be, I noticed what he was cooking in a skillet and said, “Wow! Purple cauliflower! Oops I did it again.”

Saying “wow” could just be a habit or it could be something more — a grateful response to something remarkable. Many years ago, a question came to my mind that I believe was from God: If you could have any personal characteristics that you want what would they be? I came up with 5 and put them together in a sentence: “I am peaceful, content, thankful, healthy, and extremely happy.” I began to repeat that sentence many times in my mind day and night for years. I still do it some, but not as often. I thought about that sentence after my friend’s observation.

Wow! I think it worked. I think that when I say “wow” I am rejoicing in the Lord in spite of my painful feelings and circumstances. I thank God that I now have enough inner peace and contentment to notice little things and be thankful and awed by them. I am healthy and have a hardy happiness that doesn’t depend on hopeful happenings. I’m glad I say “wow” a lot.

Smile awhile.
Even when
Life’s a trial
A true smile
Is worthwhile.

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I Love to Express My Calling

Daily writing promptWhat do you enjoy most about writing?View all responses

I love to express what I feel called to say. Writing helps me to open up my heart and do that.

I hope that what I write helps you in some way. I hope it makes you think, encourages you, or inspires you. If it challenges you or if you disagree, I hope you know that I respect your right to have a different point of view.

People need a positive purpose, a hope-filled vision, a passion to live for, a reason to get out of bed. Writing is how I articulate the mission that motivates me. Our causes may not match, but we can still show appreciation for one another as fellow human beings.

The beauty of nature moves me deeply. It helps me connect with my reason for living.

When I look
At a tree
What I see
Astounds me.
I feel peace
Within me.

Listening to God the Holy Spirit — who I believe to be “Christ in me,” — thrills me. It fills me with a burning desire to share what comes to my mind and heart.

God the Spirit
Has a voice.
You can hear it.
Gratitude, love,
Conscience, and faith
Are inner ears.
Be one who hears
Until inner
Healing appears.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my posts. I appreciate your respect for my right to write about what I believe. I strive to do it with kindness and to honor your right to agree or disagree.

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I Love Living on Planet Earth

Daily writing promptWhat do you love about where you live?View all responses

There are so many things I love about living on planet earth. I love the beauty that surrounds me. I love the air that I breathe. I love the kindness of strangers and of friends and of strangers who become friends. I love the heartbeat that I see in the synergy and energy of the glorious plants and animals on planet earth–the heartbeat of God.

To keep
Your heart
Away
From God
Is to
Snub His
Heartbeat.
Pour out
Your heart
Before
The Lord.
Set your
Heart on
Jesus.

To live in the way of the Lord let God the Holy Spirit soften your heart. Let Him continually align your heart, mind, and life with what He has proclaimed in the Bible. Let Christ live in and be Lord and Master of your heart and overflow your life with “the hope of glory.”

I Feel Inner Peace

Daily writing promptWhat positive emotion do you feel most often?View all responses

Through the decades I have come to have inner peace — a sense of joyful contentment — in my life. It hasn’t come all at once, but little by little. It hasn’t happened easily. I’ve kicked and screamed along the way, but through it all I’ve gradually surrendered more and more of my life and will to the reality, presence, and authority of the risen Jesus and felt His supernatural peace gradually growing within me.

We humans don’t need a hypothetical Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4) who we only suppose, or a merely historical Jesus who we only remember, (Hebrews 13:8) or a rhetorical Jesus (Galatians 1:6-9) who we only talk about. We need the living, resurrected Jesus — God who became a human being to die for our sins — (John 1:14) to rule and reign as Lord and King within us. (Luke 9:23) When I let King Jesus have His way in me and mold my thoughts, feelings, opinions, and desires, He brings His energy (Acts 1:8) and changes me “from glory to glory” into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18) The peace of Christ is truly the “peace that passes understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)

The brilliant sunrise
And the morning moon
Call me to make room
For a closer walk
With the risen Christ
So Jesus can tune
My heart to God’s will.

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I Plan My Goals by Listening to a Voice in My Heart

Daily writing promptHow do you plan your goals?View all responses

People say, “Listen to your heart,” and “To your own heart be true.” However, many different voices speak in my heart. Some offer good and true advice. Others offer bad and deceptive guidance. My goal is to listen to and be led by one particular voice in my heart — the music of God’s voice.

A saint is someone who is continually led by God’s Spirit. (To be led by the Spirit is to tune your heart to the music of God’s voice and move in step with it.) A saint overflows with the joy, the fruit, and the gifts of the Spirit.

The Orthodox and Catholic churches call certain dead Christians saints, but the Bible says that all Christians are called to be saints–God’s holy people. (Romans 1:7) When a saint goes marching into a place, he or she carries the actual presence of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) A saint’s message isn’t presented with mere human wisdom but with demonstrations of the Spirit’s presence and power that radiate God’s supernatural revelation. (1 Corinthians 2:4-10) Saints are ordinary people who follow and obey the risen Jesus with their whole heart.

Instead of praying and talking to the official church saints, I let the saints talk to me. I’ve read hundreds of books by holy and devoted Christ-followers (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) from across the centuries. I love to let the saints talk to me, however, I always check what they say with the Bible.

“In truth, all human beings are called to be saints.” –William Stringfellow

“We can, if we will, become a saint, for God will never refuse to help us to do so.” –John Vianney

“Saints live not after the fashion of the world. The dignity of the saints is so great because they are not of this world, but ‘of the household of God.’” –St. Thomas Aquinas

“Be often reading the lives of the saints for inspiration and instruction.” –Philip Neri

“Never say, ‘What great things the saints do!’ but ‘What great things God does in His saints!’” –Philip Neri

“Maybe more than anything else, to be a saint is to know joy. Not happiness that comes and goes with the moments that occasion it, but joy that is always there like an underground spring no matter how dark and terrible the night. To be a saint is to be a little out of one’s mind, which is a very good thing to be a little out of from time to time. It is to live a life that is always giving itself away and yet is always full.” –Frederick Buechner

“Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” –Francis of Assisi

Here’s a poem that came to me:

There’s more to see than
Religious routine.
We need a new scene.
I want to see Christ
Actively working
Among His people
To make our hearts clean
And cause us to lean
And to rely on
His presence unseen.

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Lighting Up For Life, Not Just For Emergencies

Daily writing promptCreate an emergency preparedness plan.View all responses

This morning I walked out into the slowly disappearing darkness. There as I stood between the dim early morning moonlight and the newly rising sunlight I heard an inner voice say, “It’s all My Light.” I love to let the risen Jesus shine His light within me. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7) He’s “the way, the truth, and the life,” (John 14:6) and “the Light of the world,” (John 8:12) not just for emergencies. He’s the Rock of revelation to light your way day after day.” (John 16:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Through the inner government of Christ Jesus — the kingdom of God — the Lord is uniting His followers in one mind, one purpose, and one voice. (Romans 15:5) This is not happening through human legislation, executive orders, or religious organizations. It’s occurring from the inside out. It’s all about location, location, location!

Where is the kingdom of God being built? God’s kingdom is being built in every human heart that is being fully surrendered to King Jesus. God’s kingdom doesn’t come with observation. No one is able to say “Here it is!” or “There it is!” because the kingdom of God occurs inside of people. (Luke 17:20-21) It doesn’t have a physical location — no man-made throne or capitol building to point to. “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Because King Jesus lives inside of His faithful followers, God’s kingdom doesn’t need a human hierarchy, dignified titles, or outward rules to be able to effectively govern. King Jesus governs directly from within — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) As the Good Shepherd, (John 10:10) He inwardly leads His followers. (Romans 8:14) Christ’s sheep recognize, listen to, and obey His inner voice. (John 10:27)

What’s first in your heart? (Matthew 6:33) The kingdom of God or the kingdom of self? Loyalty to the risen Jesus or loyalty to a particular religious institution, to a favorite preacher, to a political leader, to a human ideology, or to a certain country? If you won’t allow Christ to establish and maintain His inner kingdom and to continually rule and reign inside of you as the Absolute Ruler over your thoughts, desires, feelings, and actions, you won’t be any good at helping His kingdom come in your community and your country.

Lighten your load with God’s Light. Christianity is so much more than merely passively sitting and listening to a religious talk. Let God’s light clearly and consistently shine in your heart. Google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

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Quit — To Give Up, To Break Your Word, To Refuse To Hang In There

Daily writing promptWhat is a word you feel that too many people use?View all responses

Perseverance and faithfulness are rare qualities. It’s easy to quit — to run away — to say that you’ll hang in there some other day. The Bible talks about people who have “a form of godliness” but are “denying the power thereof.” They are still attending a religious meeting now and then but their heart is far from God. (Matthew 15:8) They have basically quit pursuing His presence and seeking His kingdom (His inner government of their life). (Matthew 6:33)

Don’t quit on God. Refuse to exchange an effectual, fervent faith that continually burns in your heart for occasional religious activities. Passively sitting is quitting.

It’s vital to stay
Surrendered to God —
To yield to Christ’s way
Patiently each day
And not run away.
Discipleship is
More than words you say
Or the way you pray.
It’s persistently
Being Spirit led —
Refusing to stray.
Let Jesus in you
Be more than hearsay.
Make Him your mainstay!
Patiently be Christ’s
Faithful protege.
(Galatians 5:1)

Safe Sermon-Hearing

Daily writing promptWhat brings you peace?View all responses

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets.” (Matthew 7:15) If you are going to listen to sermons do it safely.

Always search the Scriptures to see if what is being preached aligns with them. When Paul (who wrote much of the New Testament) preached, people responded in two different ways. People in the city of Thessalonica passively listened, however, people in Berea “were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed.” (Acts 17:11-12) Trust the ancient Scriptures, not the shallow lip-cures of modern preachers.

Jesus said: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'” (Matthew 15:7-8) If the words of the Bible aren’t burning in a preacher’s heart, be careful. (Luke 24:32)

2. Always test the spirit of someone who is preaching to you. Here’s how Jesus’ disciple John said to do that: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3) If someone preaches “another Jesus” (Galatians 1:6-9) that doesn’t match the Jesus of the Bible, he or she is (intentionally or unintentionally) a false prophet. Don’t continue to listen to their sermons.

You can also test the spirit of a preacher by looking at his or her character and lifestyle. If a preacher isn’t living according to the Bible and daily demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit watch out. (Galatians 5:22-23) If a preacher isn’t living a life that is being led by and aligned with God the Holy Spirit, beware.

3. Use discernment. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) How does a sermon set with you? How does it “taste”? If something seems off base, that may be God the Holy Spirit warning you to avoid deception. This experience of the Spirit’s warning is a spiritual gift called “discerning of (or distinguishing between) spirits.” (1 Corinthians 12:10)

Avoid deception. Practice safe sermon-hearing!

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I Admire Peacemakers

Daily writing promptWhat profession do you admire most and why?View all responses

I admire peace makers in the tradition of Jesus, William Lloyd Garrison, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. who boldly speak the truth as drum majors for justice, yet do so with kindness, compassion, and mercy. (Garrison and King are among my Top 10 Greatest Americans.) Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

It takes rare courage to be a peacemaker. It’s not easy to boldly confront in love, injustice that is disrupting people’s peace and replacing it with cruelty — things like slavery and other forms of human trafficking, unfair laws, authoritarian government, discrimination, racism, violence, war, torture, economic oppression, etc.

Jesus taught and demonstrated a peacemaker lifestyle. He said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Even with His dying breath, Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him. However, few people who call themselves Christians actually follow those words from Jesus. I look up to people who do them. To profess those words is easy, but to literally live them out is quite rare. Anyone can make such a verbal profession. I greatly admire the few who apply those words in their daily life.

I believe that loving your enemies is so contrary to human nature that it requires supernatural power. I believe that Jesus offers that kind of mercy and truth power to people. When I see people humbly speaking the truth with love and compassion, I see Christ working supernaturally in and through them (even if they don’t claim to be Christian).

If you have a desire for peace, that’s a gift from God. Open your heart to the desire for inner peace and for relationship peace that turns enemies into friends. The best place to begin peace making is to make peace with God by humbly acknowledging and turning away from your rebellion against Him and receiving the forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and restoration that Jesus purchased for you on the Cross by entering into a life-long personal relationship with Him as your Lord and God.

The most important thing for a relationship with Jesus is one-to-one interaction with Him. Without one-to-one interaction with the living Jesus, going to church is just superficial religion.

Let Jesus give you peace even in the midst of life’s trials, tests, and trauma:

When a trial
Lasts a while
Keep your dial
Set on faith.
Every mile
Of the way
Rely on
Jesus and
You’ll find rest
In your test —
Peace from God
That even
Makes you smile
In your trial.
(James 1:2-4)