Steve Simms's Blog, page 6

Hunger to Know God Better

Daily writing promptWhat’s the trait you value most about yourself?View all responses

I want to be
Like a dewdrop
On a grass blade
And to sparkle
In the sunlight
Of Jesus Christ.

The focus of church could be on something much greater than listening to one person preach every week. The focus of church could be on the presence of the risen Jesus and on helping people to be so aware of His very presence that Christ produces the fruit of the Spirit in and through them all week long.

Church could be a community instead of a lecture hall. We don’t need women to preach in church or men either. The Good News needs to be preached to non-believers, not to a gathered group of believers. They have already heard and received the Gospel.

A gathering of Christ-followers needs to be trained to hear God the Holy Spirit and to obey His inner promptings. Everyone present needs to be free to follow the leading of the Spirit. Then they can all demonstrate Christ’s presence by teaching, serving, and encouraging one another, by showing kindness to and sharing the Good News with non-believers, and by actively loving their enemies.

I believe that the calling of a pastor is to help people manifest the fruit of the Spirit in daily life. If you are helping someone to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit, you are a pastor.

When Paul and Barnabas were teaching Gods Word and announcing the Good News in Antioch, it wasn’t just the two of them doing it all. They had many other people preaching and teaching with them. There was no one-man pastor in Antioch. (Acts 15:35)

I don’t condemn traditional church. God uses it. However, I do try to encourage people to go beyond being passive Sunday spectators and to learn to be led by the Spirit day and night. (Romans 8:28) To learn more about how to go beyond church google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

The kingdom of God isn’t about empire or physical dominion. It’s about humbly surrendering your will to God’s will. The kingdom of God is neither an imperial nor a physical kingdom. It’s immaterial and arterial. It invisibly flows from the heart of God.

Christians with a vision
Of calling and mission
Want more than a sermon
Or a religious talk.
They want a daily walk
With Jesus Christ Himself.

When you taste
And you see
God is good,
You’ll make haste
Not to waste
A moment
Without Him.

Always stay,
Day-by-day
Connected
Heart-to-heart
With Jesus.
Live His way
Not your way.
If you stray
Hear Him say,
“It’s okay
To come back
Home to Me.”

I Write Because of Inner Promptings (Not for Money)

Daily writing promptList three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.View all responses

I pursue writing because of inner promptings, not because of money. I believe it’s vital to learn to listen to and obey what God is saying in your heart.

When you ignore God the Holy Spirit, you make Him sad. Try not to do that. If you’ve ever been ignored you know how that feels. The Bible says not to make the Spirit sad. (Ephesians 4:30) Instead pay close attention to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit and let Him speak to you and guide you from within. (John 16:13)

“Walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16) Set your mind on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) Let the Holy Spirit reveal things to you. (1 Corinthians 2:10)

Stop resisting the Spirit and holding Him back. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Instead cast down imaginations and bring your every thought captive into the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Always let the supernatural peace of God guard your heart and your mind. (Philippians 4:7)

Without the active and direct leadership of God the Holy Spirit Christianity shifts into being led by human programs and religious organizations. “Quench not the Spirit.” Allow the Spirit to personally and continually lead you from within. It is much easier to focus on trying to build the kingdom of God through our own effort and human government than it is to allow God the Holy Spirit to build His kingdom inside of you.

Here’s how I let the Holy Spirit speak to me. I look at what is in front of me and open my heart to inspiration. I was looking across a field at a forest and wrote this:

When I look at a group of treetops as they point to the sky, I see many trees of different heights, types, shapes, sizes, and shades of green. Yet I see only one forest and it is fully cooperating with the inner flow of life. Perhaps if people would let life-enhancing kindness freely flow from within them we could all point to the sky and stand together in awe of the beauty around us.

Later, I saw three doves sitting in a row on an electric wire in front of the majestic view of one great mountain topped by three peaks lined up, side by side. The doves showed me that true power doesn’t come from pride or strength or force. It comes from the love of God the Father, the death and resurrection of God the Son, and the indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit.

The human race
Needs more space
For great kindness
In every heart,
And true joy
On every face.
Slow down your pace
And make a place
For a release
Of inner peace.

The Culture of Kindness

Daily writing promptWhat aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?View all responses

Before the kingdom of God happens outwardly it happens inwardly inside of a human heart. That has been happening, without observation, for 2,000 years and has created a culture of purity, righteousness, and kindness.

Christians are called to be authoritative without being authoritarian. They are supposed to demonstrate and to speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

The kingdom of God culture refuses to follow or praise people who engage in demonic activity. Instead, it listens to and learns from people who demonstrate the fruit of God the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Unsubstantiated accusations are demonic. The Bible calls Satan the accuser. (Revelation 12:10)

Lies are demonic. The Bible calls Satan the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Unforgiveness and bitterness are demonic. Jesus wants people to forgive each other. (Colossians 3:13)

Ongoing anger is demonic. The Bible says: “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Promoting fear is demonic. The Bible says: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Christ-followers are called to cast out demons. (Mark 16:17) They are supposed to fight evil with spiritual weapons not with physical violence. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

I saw windblown red blooms riding high in a tall tree, flagging down my attention, making me think about the blood of Jesus and the door to the kingdom of God culture that God opened for me to know Him heart-to-heart. Living and abiding moment by moment inside of that door thrills me, fills me with peace and joy, and enriches my life beyond my greatest dreams.

I Love the Quaker Brand

Daily writing promptWhat brands do you associate with?View all responses

I love the Quaker brand, but not the company that makes and sells oatmeal. I love the Society of Friends that began in the 1600s and were called Quakers as an insult because they often shook and trembled during prayer and worship. I’m not so fond of the modern version of Quakers, but. I greatly admire the early Quakers. Here’s why:

I am inspired by the early Quaker peace testimony. They took the Sermon on the Mount literally. They believed that Christians should actually “turn the other cheek,” “love your enemies,” and “bless those who curse you.” They believed in total non-violence. The people stirring up political violence in the USA need to listen to the early Quakers. No one should be assassinated for his or her political views. No one! I miss an America where you could kindly express your opinion without someone wanting to demonize you because of your beliefs. The freedom to politely express your opinion (as I am doing now) without being hated for what you say makes a nation great. If America doesn’t get that freedom back no leader can “make it great again.” The early Quakers can show the way.I love the early Quaker faithfulness to the Bible and to historic Christian doctrine. Many modern Quakers like so many Christian denominations have abandoned the belief in basic Christian doctrine and biblical morality. Many people who call themselves Christians proclaim that they are deconstructing their faith. That often means that they reject the authority of the Bible. The early Quakers put the Bible and the Holy Spirit above non-biblical traditions and rituals.I am thrilled about the early Quaker belief in the equality of all Christ-followers. They rejected the non-biblical clergy/laity divide. They embraced Jesus’ command to not create and follow a human hierarchy. I am excited by the early Quaker rejection of planned worship meetings and their desire to let the Holy Spirit personally direct all that happened when they gathered to worship God. Everybody present was encouraged to listen to the Spirit and then say or do what they heard.The early Quakers discovered that God is more powerful than religion and politics. God transforms people. His supernatural transformation of people is much more powerful than anything that politics or religion have to offer. Seek to be continually transformed by Him. Live in continual surrender to God and demonstrate His love, power, and presence to everyone you encounter.The early Quakers trained people to be led by God the Holy Spirit — to be still and quiet and to notice and obey His inner promptings and the things He brings to mind and puts on the heart. Quiet is uncommon in contemporary culture. Hearts that need mending are crowded with clamor and chaos. Pensive solitude is seldom experienced in a society that prides itself on activity, accomplishment, and acclaim that is mixed with long doses of entertainment. Keeping up appearances by manipulating visible things and outward behaviors has eclipsed and darkened the interior richness and abundant encouragement that is available to the human heart. Like the early Quakers, we need to simply listen to and obey the inner voices of faith, hope, and love and let them lead us to joy and peace beyond measure. God is speaking
Today.
Will I listen
To what
He has to say?
Or will I walk
Away?
I want to stay
In His presence
And hear His voice
All day.

Developing Discernment

Daily writing promptWhat could you do more of?View all responses

Jesus said: “Many false prophets shall appear and deceive many people.” (Matthew 24:11) How can we recognize and avoid false prophets? Their lives will lack the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) They won’t have these qualities:

* Love — False prophets are unwilling to love their enemies or even to love people who disagree with them. (Matthew 5:44)

* Joy — False prophets rarely radiate the joy of the Lord. (Nehemiah 8:10)

* Peace — False prophets promote hostility rather than peace. (James 1:19-20)

* Patience — False prophets are impatience with people who disagree with them. (Colossians 3:13-15)

* Kindness — False prophets are often unkind. (Ephesians 4:32)

* Goodness — False prophets see goodness and innocence as weakness. (Galatians 6:10)

* Faithfulness — False prophets are unfaithful to the writings of the earliest Christians in the Gospels and the Epistles. (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

* Gentleness — False prophets are pushy and arrogant. (Philippians 4:5)

* Self-control — False prophets are often given over to and controlled by unhealthy attitudes, emotions, and desires. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Surrender Your Heart and Your Will to The Lord

Daily writing promptWhat’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?View all responses

To not know the Scriptures in a way that they burn in your heart and fill you with the power of God is to be lifeless. (Matthew 22:29) True life is to love the Lord with your all in all and to focus on caring for your neighbor in the same way that you focus on caring for yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

Jesus rose from the dead to live in His followers, not to start a lifeless religion. (John 14:20) Hopelessness is lifelessness. (Romans 15:13) To feel soulless is to be lifeless but surrendering your will to Jesus will bring you life and solace. (John 14:6)

To have religion in your life but no life in your religion is to have a lifeless form of godliness that has no power! (2 Timothy 3:5) True Christianity is to have the risen Jesus alive and working inside of you. (Colossians 1:27) It is to let Christ the living Word of God (John 1:1) literally work in and through you. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Spectator religion is lifeless. “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26) “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) Faith should produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and lead to Spirit-led activity (Romans 8:14) that demonstrates the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) and the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

Christians should talk about no one more than they talk about Jesus! (Acts 1:8) They should continually proclaim and demonstrate Christ’s lifegiving presence and power. (John 16:33)

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Spiritual Energy Doesn’t Come from a Temple

Daily writing promptWhat things give you energy?View all responses

God had King Solomon build a temple. During the dedication of the temple the glory of the Lord filled the temple. All the people present knelt with their faces to the ground as they worshipped and thanked God. (2 Chronicles 7:1-3)

Later the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that the temple was supposed to be about more than the rituals of animal sacrifices. It was supposed to be about God’s people humbling themselves, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from their wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14) It was supposed to be a house of prayer.

Instead of gathering in the temple court for prayer, people gathered to buy and sell animals for ritual sacrifice. Jesus drove the animal sellers out of the temple court because they had turned what God intended to be a house of prayer into “a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13) When Stephen was preaching just before He was killed for his radical and consistent focus only on the risen Jesus, Stephen said: “But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.” (Acts 7:47-48)

It’s interesting that about 40 years after Jesus was crucified, risen from the dead, and living in His devoted followers, that the temple and the whole city of Jerusalem was leveled to the ground by the Roman army just as Jesus had predicted. (Matthew 24:2) Like Jesus told the woman at the well: “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” He told her that instead “True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24)

God doesn’t want His people to think that Jerusalem or a physical building is a special place to worship. He wants us to know and daily experience worship flowing from our innermost being like rivers of living water (John 7:38-39) wherever we are.

Paul taught that a Christ-follower’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Paul called this “the word of God in its fullness,” and “the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25-27)

If you will humble yourself, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from your wicked ways, God will release such healing within you and through you that it will be contagious and spread throughout your land. Christianity is better caught than taught. Seek God until you become contagious with Christ. Put your faith in and radically surrender your thoughts, feelings, and desires to the control of the risen Trust in the presence and power of the living Jesus not in money, politics, or religious organizations.

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“Absorborize!”

Daily writing promptWhat’s your all-time favorite album?View all responses

The best way to experience and enjoy music, beauty, food, and the other good things in life is to absorborize them. The analytical approach pays attention to detail but often misses the joy of a heart that has been deeply touched and profoundly moved by something.

To memorize is to force information into your mind. To absorborize is to soak up and capture content with your heart. Wherever you sense hope, encouragement, goodness, joy, peace, kindness, and other heart-warming things, savor them and soak them up!

I seek to soak in and absorborize the presence of the risen Jesus Christ. One thing that helps me do that is to read the Bible and let the words continually burn in my heart.

Don’t try to force information about God into your brain. Instead always absorborize the risen Jesus with your innermost being and let the presence of His Spirit freely flow from deep with you. Every day make more and more room in your heart for God to work. (Philippians 2:13)

Christians aren’t rewarded by the hour — by the number of sermons they remember or how much of the Bible they have memorized. (Hebrews 11:6) They are rewarded by showing up, savoring, soaking up, and surrendering to God’s presence as they seek His face. (2 Chronicles 7:14) There’s no hierarchy in Christ. (Matthew 23:8) All are equally brothers and sisters. (Galatians 3:28) You don’t need someone to spoon feed you with religious information. (1 John 2:27) Instead, absorborize Jesus day and night.

I’ve never lived a perfect moment. Every moment of my life I’ve needed God’s mercy. That awareness keeps me absorborizing His love, His forgiveness, and His power. Be a holy soaker!

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I Always Want To Know More About This Topic

Daily writing promptWhich topics would you like to be more informed about?View all responses

A man named Thomas had some close friends who told Him they had seen someone who had been executed and entombed, who is now alive from the dead. Of course, Thomas didn’t believe them. He quite reasonably told them that he wouldn’t believe something that outrageous unless He himself encountered the dead man living.

A few days later when Thomas met the resurrected Christ, he called Jesus “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Thomas was a changed man. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He radically followed and obeyed his Lord for the rest of his life traveling to tell people about the God-man and training people to daily listen to and obey the risen Jesus. There are ancient indigenous Christian groups in India who trace their origin back 2,000 years to Thomas.

An encounter with the risen Jesus will drastically change your point of view about Christ. You will no longer think of Jesus as a famous historical personality, or as a good moral teacher, or as a religious leader, or as the lead character in “The Chosen,” or as a mythical figure, or as whatever you formerly thought Him to be.

A genuine encounter with the living Jesus will cause you to call Him “My Lord and my God.” Christ will begin show Himself to you more and more. As you daily surrender to His will and keep His commandments (John 14:15) Jesus will begin to build your life on the inner rock of direct personal revelation. (Matthew 16:18)

Today all true followers of Jesus have Him living inside of them as their Lord and their God. Christ living in them (Colossians 1:27) doesn’t just help them to cope with life. Jesus living within true Christians fills them with ongoing hope to see and experience God’s glory here on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
The true children of God are led by Jesus living inside of them as God the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14) They are led by the Spirit, not by the desires, feelings, and opinions of their flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Jesus doesn’t what the Spirit to be quenched when Christians gather in His name. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) He wants people to be free (John 8:32) to follow Him. (Matthew 4:19) As each person present in a Christian congregation listens to Jesus (John 10:27) and shares and obeys what the risen Jesus is saying to him or her, the glory of God demonstrates Christ’s presence and power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

Why not gather with some Christ-followers, listen directly to Jesus together, and let people share what Jesus tells them? You will be amazed at how Christ (the Lord and God) will demonstrate His presence among you. Jesus will take you beyond doubt to certainty. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Don’t just work for a living. Live to continually experience Jesus the God-man working in and through you. (Philippians 2:13)

Wisdom From Silly Playful Songs

Daily writing promptWhat would your life be like without music?View all responses

Simple, playful, silly songs help me remember the importance of having a childlike spirit. Life can seem so rigid and serious that it’s easy to shut down and forget to be spontaneous. Fun, children’s songs remind me to set aside my pride and to freely and innocently enjoy the beauty of being alive. Without silly children’s songs I might forget to do that.

Be childlike! Jesus encourages people to be like little children. Why?

Little children are tender and open hearted. They value having an innocent heart more than they value what other people say or think about them. They are spontaneously joyful. Jesus wants you to be that way.

Little children aren’t ashamed to cry. They aren’t embarrassed by their emotions. Jesus wants you to be unashamed to openly express heart-felt love for Him and for people.

Little children aren’t trying to please people or to live up to other people’s standards and expectations. They are so free that they don’t mind looking silly. Are you willing to be a fool for Christ?

Little children don’t hold grudges. Jesus said that when there is unresolved conflict, we should tell it to a gathered congregation of Christ-followers and that the people involved should listen to the congregation. (Matthew 18:15-17) This clearly means that Jesus wants the people in a Christian gathering to have the freedom to share their thoughts. (If not, how could people listen to them?)

Somehow, we have gotten away from Christ’s desire for His followers to have input when they gather in His name and not to always be silent spectators. Churches have quenched people’s childlike spontaneity instead of encouraging it.

O that the people of God would be allowed to have direct input in worship services. O that churches would allow people the freedom to obey God the Holy Spirit and to express themselves with the spontaneity of little children. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

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