Steve Simms's Blog, page 38
September 30, 2024
The Skill of Seeing Goodness as a Thrill
Badness has a thrill that goodness often seems to lack. When tempted between the choice of right or wrong, wrong frequently appears to be the most exciting choice; right, the dull and boring one. It takes skill to see beyond the self-destructive, craving impulse of the moment and to recognize the thrill of goodness. It takes the skill of humbling yourself and pulling down your pride in order to be able to recognize the thrill of following the risen Jesus into the joy of the Lord and the peace that passes understanding.
The pride that’s prevalent in our culture causes people to believe that darkness is better than light, that wrong is better than right. The truth is that the people who act like they think that they know it all and proudly pontificate about politics (or other topics) while accusing people who disagree with them of lying and cheating are speaking more from hearsay and opinion than from facts.
The skill of seeing goodness and humility as true greatness is best learned in Spirit-led community. A gathering of the body of Christ is the greatest town hall meeting in the world when God’s Spirit is allowed to speak in and through the various people present. It’s the way to see the goodness of Jesus working in and through other people.
Unfortunately, Christianity has usually been set up where people are shut down and Spirit-led community isn’t allowed to happen. When Christians gather as an audience and aren’t permitted to obey God’s inner promptings, the Spirit is quenched.
When we ignore our desires
And are led by the Spirit
So we do what God requires,
Not the comfort zone things
That our flesh desires,
People who love Jesus will be
A godly community,
A kingdom colony
Doing the things on earth
That are done in Heaven.
God wants to lead us
Out of the world’s ways
Beyond its deceptive haze
And enslaving dark daze,
Into the glorious light
Of the life-changing insight
And constant awareness of
And surrender to
Christ living in you.
September 29, 2024
I Try to Pay More Attention to These Words
Only the risen Jesus can give you “clean hands and a pure heart.” Christ is known through conversation and heart-to-heart relationship, not just by learning information about Him. Start talking to Jesus and listening to Him day and night. Let the King of glory come in and take over your heart and life.
The more I honestly talk to Jesus and admit my sinfulness to Him, the more I become aware of His love and forgiveness. Frequently saying “The Jesus Prayer” has helped me move beyond guilt and shame and become continually aware of His wonderful presence living in and through me.
The posture of traditional church is sitting and standing. The posture of the Gospel humble confession, repentance, and inner transformation — then testifying about Jesus, loving one another, and serving in His name.
September 28, 2024
Top Priority
My top priority makes me part of a minority. I want to see life differently than the majority of people do. I want to lay down any feelings I have of superiority so I can walk in humility and equality with all human beings. I want to lay down my own authority and decision making and instead to live by the authority and will of another. I want to live by the mind of Christ, not by my own mind.
Let the mind of Christ function vibrantly in you. A Jesus stuck in history can’t help you much. A Jesus stuck in Heaven is far away. But the risen Jesus living in and through you is “the hope of glory.”
Christians have been given “the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).” The Greek word translated as “mind” is “nous.” It doesn’t just mean the intellect of Christ. It means the mindset of Christ, the perspective of Christ, the understanding and insight of Christ. The “nous” of Christ is His way of seeing things. It is the ability that Moses had of “seeing Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27 KJV),” and leaving his old life behind. It is to “look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18.)”
Although we have been given the perspective of Christ, it is easy to ignore it and instead to live by our own point of view, our own understanding, and our own desires. For the perspective of Christ to fully and freely function in and through me I have to deny myself, take up my cross, and daily follow Jesus instead of my own thought, feelings, desires, and opinions.
Here’s an example. The “nous” (perspective) of Christ tells me to, “Bless those who curse you.” Although I’ve been given that perspective directly from Jesus, it is very easy to ignore it and instead speak unkind words. (Look how many Christians are doing that very thing nowadays.)
Here’s a mind of Christ challenge: Say or write something nice today to someone you disagree with or who has insulted you. Jesus put it this way: “Bless those who curse you.”
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War Doesn’t Kill People
War doesn’t kill people. People kill people. War is people feeling entitled to proudly and self-righteously kill people.
Nations don’t kill people. Their citizens who belong to their armed forces kill people.
Bombing is barbaric. It’s a method for killing people just because they happen to be in the area where bombs are dropped, missiles are exploded, and drones are blown up.
War is humanity’s biggest failure. There are no real winners in war. It’s full of losers — those who lose their lives, those who lose limbs, those who lose their physical and/or mental health, those who lose family and friends, those who lose their homes and property, those who lose hope, those who lose compassion.
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I am extremely fortunate to have someone who hears me and understands me. That’s intensely fulfilling. I’m so grateful to have a wife who does that. However, I’m talking about someone much greater than any mere human being. I’m talking about the God-man, the living and reigning Jesus Christ. He’s ready to hear you, too! Start talking to Jesus.
Learn to walk day and night with the light of God’s glory cloud and the glowing of the Holy Spirit’s fire always in front of you and inside of you. Hear and be responsive to the voice of God’s Spirit in your heart, in the Bible, in your circumstances, and in and through other people.
Refuse to be a spiritual spectator. Frequently gather with a group of Christ-followers who openly, humbly, and courageously share their heart with one another. Continually train and be a daily playmaker on team Jesus. Freely talk, post, and testify about what Jesus has done and is doing in your life.
Christianity is supposed to be about openhearted communication with Christ and with people. It involves “walking in the light”–being honest about what’s happening in your heart and tenderly listening to other people share what’s going on in theirs. If Christians will begin to gather to humbly walk in the light with one another, they’ll begin to experience the healing presence and glory of the risen Jesus.
To love people, we need to listen to them with an open heart and with compassion. Christians can learn to do that by gathering in the presence of Jesus and humbly opening up to God and to one another. That’s the meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:26 and James 5:16.
Too many Christians are looking to a mere human being for spiritual leadership. Mere humans, intentionally or unintentionally, will let you down. It’s much better to continually listen to, obey, and rely on the living resurrected Jesus Christ.
The risen Jesus can communicate directly to every person who is a member of His body, He doesn’t need to work through a hierarchical chain of command. He talks directly to you! Listen to and obey Him.
It takes true love and courage to point out ways that the body of Christ can be more open and more obedient to the Headship of the risen Jesus and to the direct leading of the Holy Spirit. Here goes:
Christians need to gather
With people who will
Listen to them,
Not just make them
Religious spectators.
Dare to care
And let people share
What’s really going on
In their heart.
Look beyond how they appear
On Sunday morning
And begin to hear
How they really are.
Christians are
Called to shine
Not to whine,
To love people
Not to make them
Walk the line.
“Love is kind.”
It’s time we find
Ways to love
And be kind
To enemies.
That’s the sign
Of the real deal.
September 26, 2024
Openhearted Hope-Filled Pondering
I love to ponder, to keep my heart open to hope and other uplifting influences. I’m continually hungry to learn about and acquire the 9 traits (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control) that are called “the fruit of the Spirit” in the ancient writings of Paul of Tarsus. So, I’ve spent my adult life listening.
I’ve read many hundreds of books by people from throughout history about how to acquire those traits. I’ve collected and handwritten my favorite quotes from those books in more than 33 blank journal books. I’ve devoured those quotations for years. They still stir my soul.
I look for, listen to, and connect heart-to-heart with people who radiate and are contagious with those traits. Young, old, or in between, they train me to find and open up to the things in life that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, praiseworthy, and virtuous.
I listen to my conscience and strive to daily obey it. As I quietly listen within, I hear wisdom and insights that I know come from beyond me. They develop within me and impact me deeply. I sense an indescribable presence and power that the ancient Book I read the most calls: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The long way is often God’s way of getting our attention, humbling our pride, and securing our full heart-surrender to Jesus as our absolute Lord and Master. Following Jesus is a lifetime, not a moment. When you’re weary with more than you can handle, allow Christ to carry you through moment-by-moment and give you rest as you journey with Him! (See Matthew 11:28.)
Life is a moment-by-moment rollercoaster ride that at some point will suddenly throw you off. Where will you land? Click by click life’s moments tick by until they stop. Then what? Ponder, listen, and learn.
Time’s moments rush by (without a pause button). Moments of the heart can last a lifetime.
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3 Jobs I Do Without Pay
I’m a writer, an exhorter, and an encourager, yet I am paid little (Amazon pays me enough each month to buy a meal) or no money for those jobs. But that’s okay. I love saying what I have to say, what burns deep in my heart. Occasionally I get a nice comment from someone saying that my words have inspired them and touched their heart. That’s the best pay ever! Thank you to everyone who has done that. I hope what I’m writing now will motivate and encourage you today! Blessings!
Speaking of the Passover celebration, Moses said: “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips.” To have lasting life-changing effect, religious observance must be more than verbal. It must penetrate, transform, and possess the human heart.
In the Bible, the most devout followers of the Passover observance in Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, rejected Him and worked to get the Romans to crucify Him. Jesus, speaking to the proudly observant Pharisees quoted Isaiah 28:13. He said: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
It’s easy to say and do religious things while keeping your heart far away from God’s presence. Biblical Christianity is far more than merely making a decision to passively attend the weekly services of a religion that preaches about Jesus and to routinely observe its ceremonies.
True Christianity is full surrender and obedience to the direct personal never-ending authority of the living Lord and Savior, day and night. Refuse to let your heart pass over the reality of the Passover and the present-day presence and power of the body and blood of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
When you say
You love God
But keep your heart
Far apart
From His presence,
You miss the essence
Of Christianity.
September 24, 2024
The Countercultural Heritage of Open Heartedness
I have a heritage of open heartedness, but it’s not genetic or cultural. It’s countercultural. Somehow as a small child I began to learn to go against my western cultural heritage of privacy and hardness of heart. I began to train myself to be transparent and honest.
Then one day in college I discovered a book that began to expose the darkness hidden in my heart and to flood me with light. I’ve been reading that book daily (with very few exceptions) for more than 55 years. The transparency of that book has led (and continues to lead) me deeper and deeper into my openhearted heritage. Here are some of the things it has taught me.
A hardened heart is not the sign of an innate lack of sensitivity. It’s a sign of pride, of fear, of stubbornness and of deep insecurity. Religion is a poor substitute for ongoing sensitivity and attentiveness to the risen Jesus.
God frequently uses ordinary people, daily occurrences, and flashes of thought to communicate to people. Simple things often shine supernatural light on those who notice them.
People try to avoid the voice and the presence of the God who asks, “Where are you?” They prefer to replace Him with their self-made gods.
Create space within yourself for prayer without ceasing. The purpose of prayer is to nurture and cultivate ongoing sensitivity to, awareness of, and surrender to the presence of the living God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Like ancient Israel in the wilderness, we human beings have the tendency to harden our heart in an ongoing attempt to protect ourselves from the inner pain of sensitivity and guilt. We often would rather hide inside our hardened heart than come out of the wilderness of our self-imposed darkness and into the marvelous light of God’s healing.
We humans don’t lack sensitivity to the presence of the living God speaking in our heart. We too often lack the courage to listen to Him, so we strive (often unconsciously) to ignore or shut down His voice. When people become aware of the presence of God their first tendency is to run and to hide–to get away from the uncomfortable conviction of sin and call to repentance that His presence brings.
Sensitivity to the presence of Jesus isn’t cultivated merely by hearing sermons or by learning more religious information. It’s nurtured by welcoming the Holy Spirit to be your constant inner guide. The greatest fact-checker is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Let Him continually fact-check your heart and personally direct your life.
Most human beings are innately very sensitive to the presence of God. When they hear the name of Jesus spoken sincerely from the heart, most people either become noticeably uncomfortable or very happy. Few people are passively oblivious to the deeply heart-felt mention of His name.
Try it for yourself. Begin to talk about Jesus like you sincerely believe that He is alive and present. Then notice how people respond.
Jesus isn’t just an example to for people to follow. His is present today to literally live within and through people. Christianity isn’t just about gaining religious information. It’s about experiencing continual transformation.
When a church service or other Christian gathering begins to regularly allow the Spirit of God to freely manifest without human controls, some people who feel uncomfortable with intimacy with God will eventually work (often behind the scenes) to shut it down. I’ve seen this happen too many times to count. It is a tragedy when Christians only focus on what Jesus did in the past and ignore His presence, His voice, and His actions in the present.
The saddest race
That humans face
Is the race
To run away
From God’s presence.
Stop that race.
Turn around and face
Your Maker.
Let Him replace
The hardness
Of your heart
With Christ’s love
And forgiveness.
Create inner space
For His amazing grace!
September 23, 2024
I Associate with Non-Religious Spirituality
Religion is often a vaccine that keeps people from catching a clear, captivating vision of the risen Jesus. Routine religion can easily become a distraction that traps people in spiritual inaction and self-righteous satisfaction. It often hinders people from being continually aware of the glorious, never-ending attraction of the living Jesus.
Being taught about Jesus without being brought into ongoing surrender to and interaction with Him, misses the point of Christianity. Learning religious information without being inwardly transformed by the living Jesus doesn’t accomplish much.
The most important thing that a Christian needs to do is to be always aware of, attentive to, and obedient to the inner presence of the risen Jesus. We’ve made Christianity mostly about never-ending learning about religion when it should be more about never-ending yearning for a closer and closer relationship with the living Jesus.
Churches, Bible schools, and seminaries (where people are taught information about Christianity) abound, but where are the discipleship centers where people are trained and mentored to daily listen to and obey the risen Jesus? Too many Christians stay stuck in acquiring more religious information through sermons, conferences, and seminars, when what is really needed is first-hand awareness of and full surrender to Christ’s inward presence and power that transforms people from within and continually produces the godly character of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps Christians need training centers more than preaching centers — gatherings for practical hands-on training in listening to and obeying the risen Jesus. Yet it’s hard to find such a spiritual gift encounter group where Christians gather to receive and demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit.
Christians aren’t called to be comfortable. We’re called to be led by and obedient to the Spirit moment-by-moment. (Romans 8:14.)
Here’s an example: The humility to “bless those who curse you” is not weakness. It’s Christianity in action! It is alignment with the presence and power of the living God. Be courageous enough to try it and see. This very day say something kind to someone who has said bad things about you. Too many Christians don’t have the courage to “Bless those who curse you.”
Is the body of Christ relational or institutional? I believe that the body of Christ is relational, not organizational. I believe that Jesus wants to build His body by connecting people heart-to-heart with Himself and with each other — not by dividing His followers and lining them up under multitudes of divisive, independent human hierarchies.
It’s easy to be
Stuck in doctrinal info
And religious status quo
With little spiritual
Get up and go.
Christianity
Isn’t what you know.
It is how you grow
Closer and closer
To the risen Jesus.
Religious routine
Focuses on things
That are seen.
It notices the number
Of people present
But often overlooks
The unseen
Presence of Jesus.
Instead of continually
“Looking unto Jesus,”
So His blood can clean
Hurting human hearts,
It looks to the scene
Of its weekly routine.
Jesus doesn’t belong
In a religious cage.
Let Him engage
You heart-to-heart,
Till you’re on the same page
As the Holy Spirit.
The world’s Top Talking-Topics are things such as: sports, the economy, politics, the weather, music, conspiracy theories, entertainment, travel, cooking, movies, current events, accusations, media, history, health problems, patriotism, and on and on. My Top Talking-Topic is the living, resurrected Jesus Christ! I can’t say enough about Him.
Talk about Jesus. Tell people about Him, don’t just listen to a talk about Him.
September 22, 2024
More Humility / More Surrender
I could humble myself more day by day. I could lay down my pride and surrender my will more fully to the Good Shepherd.
My Shepherd
Jesus the risen Lord
Is my pastor (shepherd).
I lack nothing.
He leads me.
He refreshes me.
He guides me.
He stays with me.
He comforts me.
He anoints me.
He lives, works, and
Speaks within me.
I overflow
With the fruit
Of His Spirit.
Where there’s humility
There’s tranquility
And civility.
Where there is pride
There’s accusation
And hostility.
“God resists the proud
But gives grace
To the humble.”
Here’s the simplified guide to an amazing life: Continually listen to, follow, and obey the living resurrected Jesus Christ.
We live in an age of deception. We need the Good Shepherd to lead us to truth. The left has left truth behind and superseded it with a person’s feelings and desires. The right has replaced truth with self-righteous assumptions, assertions, accusations, and allegations.
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