Steve Simms's Blog, page 25
January 15, 2025
The Dove is a Symbol of Hope and Peace
View all responsesThe dove is a symbol of hope, purity, and the tenderness of God’s love. A dove with an olive branch represents peace. When the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, He came in the form of a dove. To quench the Holy Spirit is to chase away the dove of God, to disrupt His peace, and to abandon the awareness of His presence.
Every person you will ever see was made by God — a masterpiece of art created in His image. (You are, too). Look beyond the flaws of fallen human nature. Search for and appreciate the beauty and splendor in everyone (including you). It can be hard to find, but it’s always there somewhere, oftentimes buried deep within and crusted over with sin.
Jesus came (lived, was crucified, died and rose again) to restore God’s perfect art in every human heart so that His Spirit can live within and be the hope of godly glory. Christ says, “Come unto Me all you who are weary.” Let Him restore you to what God created you to be.
Quench not the Spirit.
Let the Dove
Of Christ’s light
Shine ever bright
Within your heart
And give you
Constant insight
And revelation
Of what you’re called
To be in Him.
When the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, He came in the form of a dove. The dove is a symbol of hope, purity, and the tenderness of God’s love. A dove with an olive branch represents peace.
To quench the Holy Spirit is to chase away the dove of God, to disrupt His peace, and to ignore His presence that restores His image in you. Continually welcome and cultivate the awareness that you all the people you will ever encounter are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Make your life
A real adventure.
Refuse to be
A Spirit-quencher.
Dare to venture
Wherever God leads.
Let the risen Jesus be the author and editor of your life. He’s much better at it than you are.
January 14, 2025
Bearing My Heart to Communicate Online
Bare your heart to the risen Jesus (not barely, but wholeheartedly) so He can abundantly bear the fruit of His Spirit in and thru your life. Let Him continually remind you, “If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Die to your own desires so that you can overflow with beautiful fruit for Christ’s glory and thus demonstrate that you are His disciple.
To get going
With the fruit
Of the Spirit
Get rooted,
And grounded
And growing
In Jesus.
Ever entwine
Your life in
Christ the vine
So Jesus can
Produce the fruit
Of the Spirit
Inside of you
And you can dine
In His presence
As you savor
His new wine.
Let God plant you by Christ’s inner rivers of living water and make you His spiritual fruit tree that produces abundance and never withers. The first step to being “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14) is to “hear what the Spirit is saying.” (Revelation 2:7) Jesus, God’s beloved Son, is speaking to you. Hear Him.
Christ living in you,
The hope of glory,
Hear His voice
And tell His story.
January 13, 2025
My Road to Hope
Let go and let
Hope in Christ
Live in you,
But more than just hope,
Let Christ, Himself,
Live inside
To direct and guide
All you think,
Say and do.
Let your hope be built
On nothing less
Than the rock
Of revelation
Directly from
God the Father.
Let Jesus be
Your living Lord
And always lead you
By His Spirit.
Jesus said, “It is I, don’t be afraid.” Let His “perfect love” cast out your fear of being led by His Spirit. Humbly keep your heart wide open to Him and faithfully obey His inner promptings.
There is a big difference between being led by the Spirit and led by human feelings and desires. One produces the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, …) as well as humility and repentance. The other produces pride, control, and manipulation. (Too many Christians are afraid to be Spirit-led. It’s more comfortable to be led by a preacher, a teacher, a program, or a tradition.)
God loves you no matter what but rejecting Him and rebelling against Him hardens your heart and destroys your relationship with Him. “Quench not the Spirit.” Let God show up and show out in your heart, so He can show you His presence, power, and love!
The same ole same ole is not the goal of Christianity. Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees for their rigidly recycled religious tradition. He said that the new wine of God’s Spirit requires new wineskins. Jesus didn’t come to lock us into traditions. He came to directly and personally lead each of His followers by His Spirit. (Romans 8:14) God’s mercies “are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) Jesus said: “I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) He wants to start with you: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus wants His followers to “live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) He wants to give them “a new heart and a new spirit.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
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Your Guilt Can Be Gone–Snack on That!
Guilt be gone! Jesus died to break the gravity of guilt’s hold on your life.
Receiving God’s forgiveness is the pathway to mental health. Because his (or her) guilt is gone, a forgiven person is free from the desire to hide from God. He can walk in the light of honesty and truth because he no longer feels a need to deceive himself or others. The ongoing experience of God’s mercy frees him from striving and conniving for self-justification. His heavy burden of shame and blame is washed away and replaced by humility and inner peace. He overflows with ongoing love for and gratitude to God.
God’s forgiveness is conditional. It’s not earned. It must be received as a gift. God’s forgiveness is received by what the Bible calls repentance. To repent is to be genuinely sorry for your sins, to confess them to God, and to receive His grace to daily resist temptation, so that sin can no longer control your life.
Because we humans can easily step out of sync with God, true repentance is ongoing. It is to keep aligning and realigning your thoughts, feelings, desires, and behaviors with the kingdom (the inner government) of God – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That alignment involves surrendering to and being “led by the Spirit” throughout each day. It fills your heart and life with the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit that include: love, joy, and peace. (See Galatians 5:22-23.)
Jesus put it this way: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” How do you get started? Notice any guilt that you’re secretly carrying inside of you. It may be deeply hidden and suppressed in your memory. Ask God to show it to you. As guilt comes to your consciousness, humbly own it and admit it with “godly sorrow.” Express your sorrow to God and ask Him to forgive you. From that point on, make every sin that temps you your enemy. Anytime a sin overtakes you and you begin to act on it or think about it, hurl it aside and ask God to forgive you for that specific sin.
If you are sincere, God will forgive you and cleanse you (whether you feel anything or not.) Look up the Bible verse 1 John 1:9 and embrace its incredible assurance. Memorize it until it continually burns in your heart. Quote it any time guilt tries to sneak back into you. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
It’s alive! It’s alive! The Bible overflows with the living word of God. It’s alive and will ignite God’s life in all who will humbly open their heart to read and obey it as a love letter from the risen Lord Jesus. Let God tattoo His word all over your heart so that you will be empowered to obey Him with your body, mind, and spirit.
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I Don’t Trust My Own Ideas, Feelings, or Desires
Shift from trusting in your own understanding and begin to trust in and rely on the Lord’s revelation both in Scripture and in His direct communication to your heart. Devour and savor the Bible and cultivate deep intimacy with the risen Jesus.
Make Jesus your best friend. Pour over His love letter to you–the Bible. Listen directly to and obey His inner voice. You don’t want to just listen to and/or read what other people say about your best friend. You want to directly interact with Him heart-to-heart. Spend your time in two-way communication with the living Jesus. It’s not enough just to hear religious talks about Him. Continually open up your heart to Him and chat with Him!
These two teachings from the Protestant Reformation can help you do that. “Sola Scriptura” (Latin for “By Scripture alone,”) is the belief that the Bible alone is the only written authority for Christian faith and practice. “Solus Christus” (Latin for “In Christ alone,”) is the belief that salvation is through Christ alone–that “Christ in you,” (the Holy Spirit actually living inside of and directly leading all true believers) is the only Lord, Head, and Savior of His followers.
Sticking with the Bible’s own words is much more powerful than any curriculum or devotional that people might write about it. When the Bible itself is read, shared, heard, and absorbed with the heart, the Holy Spirit Himself makes it burn in people’s heart, gives them amazing spontaneous insights, and trains them to be Spirit-led.
Jesus never said, “Come and take a seat.” He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16;15)
There is only one body of Christ in this world, and it isn’t any of the human organizations that call themselves a church. The true body of Christ is supernaturally united in the Spirit by Christ living in each one of His true followers (Colossians 1:27) who are being actively and directly “led by the Spirit.” (Romans 8:14) It contains people from “from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
None of the tens of thousands of Christian denominations worldwide are the body of Christ. There is only one body, and it is united by God’s Spirit. If you are not experiencing and maintaining that unity, you are disobeying Scripture. (Ephesians 4:3-4) Continually absorbing the Bible, listening to and obeying “Christ in you,” and giving no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) will launch you into a glorious relationship with the risen Jesus.
The devil works
Behind your back.
He’s got a knack
For getting you
Off of Christ’s track.
He likes to hack
Into your thoughts
And to attack
Your peace of mind.
When his thoughts come
Don’t let them stay.
Be sure to smack
All of them down.
And to drive them
Far, far away.
January 9, 2025
Reduce the Clutter of War! (Wars and Rumors of War)
Is the world in a new landgrab? Russia is killing lots of people as they try to grab Ukraine. Israel has grabbed the Gaza Strip at the cost of the lives of many thousands of civilians. China is threatening to grab Taiwan. And now the incoming President of the USA is threatening to grab Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada, parts of Mexico, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. This “gimmie gimmie” or else attitude has the world tottering on disaster!
These thoughts came to me New Year’s morning 2025 when I saw a picture of the faces of Russian soldiers lined up to be marched into war:
Soldiers when they were little children in their hometown wanted to play, not to kill and be killed. But now they’ve been trained to see things differently and so there will always be wars and rumors of war. Lasting peace will be seen as only a dream and Christ’s command to “Love your enemies,” will continue to be His most ignored words. Regardless of what other people do, I’ll pray Saint Francis’ prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
Some people are sent to go and die in war and some people get to stay at home and make money. A very few people who sit and govern in safety and comfort get to decide which people are sent. That’s never seemed fair to me.
Old soldiers may “just fade away,” but dead soldiers on the battlefield were quickly turned into corpses.
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As human beings we get attached. Certain things and certain people get ahold of our heart, and we treasure them. But all of our attachments eventually come to an end except for one–the eternal attachment.
The Bible is the collection of thoughts from God written down by the people who noticed and discerned them. God’s thoughts are higher than human thoughts. They soar far beyond the cognitive knowledge of the mind. God’s thoughts are life-givers and truth-tellers.
God still deposits His thoughts in human hearts, but they mostly slip by unrecognized. Begin to notice and discern God’s thoughts within you. Let them carry, empower, and lift you up day and night.
God’s thoughts are abundant and precious. (Psalm 139:17) They are “thoughts of peace and not of evil” designed to “give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God’s “thoughts toward us” are “more than can be numbered.” “Declare and speak” them. (Psalm 40:5) God’s thoughts are wise. (Proverbs 2:6) God’s thoughts align with the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Thoughts from God don’t come from human thinking or reasoning. They come by direct revelation from God. (Matthew 16:17) God is continually giving you thoughts from Him as He seeks to wake you up and show you His never-ending presence and reality. (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
The thoughts that God deposits in your heart are the pearl of great price. Set aside all distractions. Notice, treasure, and savor the God-breathed thoughts that come to you. Stir them up. Keep them ever burning within you so they can inspire, lead, and direct you in all that you think, speak, and do. Be still and know.
Trust in the Lord, not in your own understanding. Don’t put your trust in horses, or chariots, or religion, or doctrines, or a pastor, or a Christian celebrity. (They will all eventually let you down.) Trust in “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” and His voice speaking in your heart. Discern and confirm His voice by making sure what you hear aligns with Scripture. Then humbly step out and lovingly obey what He says.
“You can all prophesy.” It’s plainly stated in the Bible. Don’t just be a spectator who sits and listens. Speak up and declare what God has said and done in you!
Jesus never said, “Come and take a seat.” He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16;15)
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There’s Light to See Your Mission
Life without a mission feels meaningless. Without a purpose boredom and discouragement set in. Is there a reason that you’re here on earth? Yes!
How’s your appetite for the presence of God. Do you hunger and thirst to taste and see that the Lord is good? Do you draw near to God and press toward the mark of His high calling day and night? Or are you content to coast along though life and be distracted from Him?
Rank yourself on a scale from one to 10. 1) Your spiritual hunger is satisfied by attending a Sunday morning church service now and then. 10) You’re as hungry for God as someone who has been held underwater until they are about to pass out, is hungry for air? What’s your number? Is God happy with that number?
Secondhand Bible information won’t make you hungry. Firsthand Bible inspiration that burns in your heart will! Read it, ponder it, and savor it for yourself. Don’t just hear it filtered, processed, and presented through the mind of a preacher or a writer. Flesh and blood can’t reveal God’s word to you, but God can and will! Let God the Holy Spirit lead you as you read the Bible and directly teach you what it means. Let Him light it up with the brightness of His light shining in your heart.
Let the words of the Bible
Go directly to your heart.
You don’t need a middleman
To explain it secondhand.
The Holy Spirit Himself
Will help you to understand.
Let the Bible
Work directly
Inside of you,
Unfiltered by
Other people.
Let it show you
What to say
And what to do.
(1 Thessalonians 2:13)
When you pray
Make it two-way.
God will hear
What you say
But will you hear
What God will say?
Make the choice
To listen for His
Still, small voice.
Shine, Jesus, shine,
In this heart of mine.
Illuminate
The Bible’s words
So they radiate
Your presence
Within me!
January 7, 2025
Are Daily Devotional Books (and Sunday School Curriculum) Overused?
Christian books and pamphlets called “daily devotionals” usually follow the format of quoting a Bible verse and then having a Christian preacher or writer express their opinion about it through short insights and catchy illustrations. Then they end with a brief, written prayer. It all usually fits nicely on one page, and they do one for each day of the year.
Many Christians read one or more devotionals every day. (Believe it or not, sometimes they even prefer reading a devotional instead of the Bible.) However, for some reason I’ve never been able to stay with a daily devotional book. When I read the Scripture for the day original insights come to my mind that are so inspiring that I have no interest in reading what the devotional author has to say.
I believe that God wants to speak directly to everyone who reads a Bible verse by giving them fresh, original insights and revelation as they read and ponder the significance of what the verse means. Try it for yourself. Open the Bible. Read a verse. Then wait and notice any thoughts that come to your mind about the verse. Read it again and again and notice what comes to your mind. Don’t rush off. Be patient until you get some insight. Then write it down. What you write will be much more powerful in your life than what some devotional writer wrote. Why? Because you have written down something that God directly gave to you — not some second-hand comment from another person!
And how about Sunday school curriculum? Most churches spend money on Sunday school curriculum. That is, they purchase booklets that have lesson plans and lessons that are written for a particular age group from toddles to senior citizens. Most of the Sunday school classes that I attended when I was growing up were nothing more than the teacher reading the lesson directly from the booklet.
One nondenominational curriculum is called “Orange.” I’ve always preferred “Black” — the black leather Bible. I taught Sunday school for many years. I always opened the Bible to a particular book and asked people to go through that book with me. Someone would read a few verses and then people were free to share what they got from those verses. I learned so much from the “students” in the class and discovered that ordinary people have amazing insights about the Bible. You will to if you will trust the Holy Spirit to teach and inspire you.
Version 1.0.0
All Life Long I’m Being Taught to Live Better
Are you listening to the Spirit? Spirit-taught words will unleash God’s living Word into your life. Notice them. Receive them. Embrace them. Savor them. Obey them. Let them ever burn in your heart.
The Bible is meant
To be Spirit taught
So you can live caught
In the love of God.
No mere human being knows God’s thoughts, but the Holy Spirit does. Through Spirit-taught words the Holy Spirit reveals to humble hearts things that no eye has seen, that no ear has heard, and that no human mind has conceived. The Spirit empowers us to comprehend what God has freely given us. Words taught by human wisdom can never fully satisfy your heart. (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
Learn to notice, focus on, and obey the Spirit-taught words that God deposits directly in your heart. Continually absorb and savor the Spirit-taught words of the Bible so you can clearly discern what the Spirit is saying within you. Without the inner teaching of the Spirit the human heart stays in ongoing confusion and uncertainty. The answer for your confused heart is to humbly surrender to, embrace, and obey the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:14-15)
Spirit-taught words are living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. They uncover, correct, and replace the faulty thoughts and intents of the heart so that it can be unceasingly Spirit-fed and Spirit-led. (Hebrews 4:12)
When Christians are divided and separated into followers of individuals (such as Paul or Apollos), they are being worldly and ignoring the teaching of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:1-7) who is working to make us one body with the living Jesus as our only foundation. (1 Corinthians 3:11) All Christ-followers (regardless of their religious affiliation) are called to function together as God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-21) Spirit-taught Christians experience a sense of heart-to-heart unity when they encounter each other.
One of the first lessons God taught me as a new believer was to listen to Him and be Spirit-taught. I was reading the book of Acts and kept seeing where God spoke directly to people. In frustration I asked God, “Why aren’t You speaking today?” These words immediately entered my heart: “The problem’s not that I’m not speaking. It’s that you’re not listening.” Those words still burn in my heart and motivate me to keep listening directly to God and being taught by His Spirt as I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Now I frequently quote the young prophet Samuel and say: “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
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