Steve Simms's Blog, page 301
November 24, 2016
Miraculous grief comfort in a Christ-led support group
God supernaturally used The Salvation Army Berry Street (a Christ-led support group or ekklesia) to comfort me as my dad was dying on Sunday, November 20, this year. Here’s how it happened.
Our worship leader asked if anyone would like to share a song. (Our worship leaders change every week and they almost never ask that.) Someone who was at Berry Street just the third time, got up and said that he would like to sing a song that he wrote after his father died. (He didn’t know that my dad was close to death.) As he sang I began to weep.
People began to gather around me, hug me, hold my hand, pray over me, and even share a special word from the Lord for me. I was so comforted and strengthened. Only God could have arranged the meeting like that. I am so grateful to be a part of a body of believers that lets the Holy Spirit direct the meeting and that genuinely loves one another! I’ve seen God deeply touch so many people through the open format at Berry Street. This time it was my turn. Thank You, Jesus! My father left this world at 2:45 the next morning.
With God’s miraculous comfort, I wrote this:
When I think about my father, Charlie Simms:
–I think about his love for and kindness to others. I have never had any doubt that he loves me, everyone in our family, his friends, and even strangers. He has always been one of my best supporters and best friends.
–I think about his character. I have never heard him say a cuss word or put anyone down. I have never known of him to lie, get drunk, or to be unfaithful in anyway. I have been continually inspired and awed by his integrity.
–I think about his optimism. He is the most positive, peaceful, and contented person I have ever met. Even in very hard times, he has always looked for, hoped for, and expected the best.
–And now I believe that he has entered into God’s best!
–The Bible puts it this way: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Charlie Simms
Here’s an obituary my brother wrote:
Charles (Charlie) Ray Simms was born on July 11, 1928 in Spur, TX to Oscar Brince Simms and Ida Bell Havens Simms. He was their seventh and youngest child. He spent his earliest years in West Texas until his dad moved to West Memphis, AR to find work during the Great Depression. There he attended and graduated from Hulbert High School where he played center on their six man football team. Blessed with an excellent voice, he decided to pursue broadcasting as a career. He worked for many radio stations in small towns across the south. While working in Tupelo, MS, he met Dorothy Rae Beeding and they were married and blessed with a 66 year union until she passed away in October of 2014. He is survived by a sister, Doris Simms Garrett, West Memphis, AR, three sons, Charles Steven (Steve) Simms (Ernie), Nashville, TN; Russell “Scott” Simms (Donna), Florissant, CO and Richard (Rick) Jay Simms (Debbie), Franklin, TN; six grandchildren: Erin, Claire, Zach, Savannah, Amelia and Jessica and seven great-grandchildren: Isaac, Ayden, Ian, Wyatt, Champ, Shannon and Naomi. Charlie spent extended periods at radio and TV stations in Little Rock and Jonesboro, AR along with Jackson and Murfreesboro, TN. He was a master salesman, a firm and loving disciplinarian of his boys and one of the most positive, optimistic people anyone ever knew. He entered into the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on November 21, 2016 in Nashville, TN. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends……until we meet again.
November 21, 2016
Why do churches hide the Light?
Why do churches hide the Light of Christ that is burning inside of everyday Christ-followers? In a world filled with darkness, why do we train Christians to hide their Light, by teaching them to be completely silent and listen to the same man speak to them week after week?
The working of God in and through everyday people is hidden and ignored in church. The living God is doing amazing things in the lives of all of the people present, however, only one person is allowed to speak, while the rest must politely listen. Thus the living message of God speaking through His many people is eclipsed by putting all the attention on the same man, week after week.
Weekly Talk? Or Daily Walk?
–Hearing a weekly talk about what Jesus did in the past is nothing like having a daily walk with Jesus in the present!
–Jesus Christ is so much more than religious words spoken from a platform in a church building. Jesus is not a theological subject to be dissected by the mind in Sunday morning lectures. He is ultimate reality to be discovered in the heart and surrendered to moment by moment.
Does church point people to the wrong man? “Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!” –John 19:5 (Perhaps we need to look to the living, resurrected Jesus rather than to a man on a platform.)
A literal interpretation of the Bible without a literal living out of the Bible is just a religious head trip. Dare we look beyond the norm and behold the Lamb of God working in and through ordinary people? If you dare, click here!
November 19, 2016
November 17, 2016
FROM THE AIR FORCE TO THE ARMY
LisaAnn is a regular at The Salvation Army Berry Street in Nashville. Here’s her story . . .
It had been a few months since I met Jesus, and I was experiencing peace, rest, and freedom from alcohol addiction. I was spending hours in God’s word and could hear him speaking to me…It was like a dream!
One night while I was praying, I felt like The Lord was telling me to join the military. I kept hearing this, but would continually ignore His voice; I did not want to do that! When I would talk about it with my mother, an “Air Force” commercial would come on television, this happened on 3 different occasions! I knew it was Him, so I reluctantly joined the military at the age of 19.
I arrived at Lackland Air Force base with a botched haircut, acne, and a “Jesus Saves” sticker on my suitcase. You could see me coming a mile away! I was messed up, pitiful, and scared to death…
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Y’all-worship (1 Corinthians 14:26)
An Observation About 1 Corinthians 14:26:
Beyond the status quo
We could all listen to Jesus
And then go with His flow!
Church consists of people passively listening to one man on a platform.
1 Corinthians 14:26 is people actively ministering to one another as prompted by the Spirit.
WCJD? (What can Jesus do?) Why don’t we set aside our program, lay down our control, and see? Why not surrender a church service to the risen Jesus and let Him run it from the start to the finish?
Who has the right to control Christ’s body? You live in and control your own body. Shouldn’t we let the risen Jesus live in and control His own body when we gather in His name?
“People teach Christianity but don’t practice it . . . If only the Christian church understood how contrary its foundation is to the Spirit of Christ and how it has supplanted the true ideal.” –Leo Tolstoy
One forgotten word was used to describe
The open forum in ancient Greek democracies
Where people met together as equals sharing their heart.
When Jesus named His body, the gathering of His people,
He chose that very word: “I will build My ekklesia.”
Behold! It’s the invisible God working in and through ordinary people! Let’s get back to the Greek New Testament concept of ekklesia: http://amzn.to/2ePVBei and release God’s heart-fire into everyday people!
November 13, 2016
Appomattox Christianity
In 1865 General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, leading to the end of the American Civil War. Christianity is about surrendering. Jesus put it this way: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
What if General Lee had signed the surrender papers and then stood up and announced that it was now time for a meeting with a detailed agenda that included a long talk by him? Wouldn’t that have contradicted his surrender?
Of course it would have. To surrender is to give up your control, your agenda, and your rights to another person or group. William Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army put it this way: “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”
Lincoln sums up Appomattox Christianity this way: “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”
So why don’t we Christ-followers, when we gather for worship, surrender the meeting to the risen Jesus by giving up our control, our agenda, and our rights. Instead of following a program that someone has put together and printed on a bulletin to be passed out to everybody present, why can’t we do like General Lee and just surrender the meeting to the risen Jesus and let Him do whatever He wants to?
I call that Appomattox Christianity. Meet with two or more Christ-followers, surrender the meeting to Jesus, and then wait and see what Jesus does. Are you ready to give it a try? Why or why not?
Learn more about Appomattox Christianity here.
November 11, 2016
Christianity is a bully-free faith!
A Christ-follower’s focus should be on love. We should never try to force, coerce, bully, intimidate, or manipulate people. We are called to “speak the truth in love” and to “consider others better than yourself.”
This Bible verse always makes me wonder: How much true Christianity is there in this world?
–“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” –1 John 4:20
November 10, 2016
Transition Of Power
Today we saw President Obama meeting with President-elect Trump, preparing for a transition of power. Perhaps this should remind us that those of us who call ourselves Christians are called to a similar transition of power. We are called to lay down our trust in self and in human governments and to replace it with trust in the Kingdom of God — obedience and submission to the government and rule of the living, resurrected Jesus within our heart.
Red states/blue states/the state of your heart . . .
Beyond red states and blue states is the state of our hearts. There will be trouble in our nation, until we let love transform us from within. How is it with your soul?
If we Americans were as concerned about making the risen Jesus the ruler of our life as we are about politics, then we would transform our nation into the most loving, humble, compassionate, and honest place on earth.
Vote Jesus as Lord (absolute Master) of your life! That’s the only vote that counts forever!
