Steve Simms's Blog, page 67

The Bible’s Religiously Unapproved John

A man named John, independently of the religious establishment of his day, began to preach in isolated places (without official credentials) and to challenge people to fully surrender their life to the Lord. As a sign of their surrender John would dip people in water. The Greek word “baptizo” is used to describe that dipping. It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t go to get the approval of the leaders of any religious organization before beginning His ministry. Instead, “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized (dipped) by John,” and the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. Perhaps it’s time for Christ-followers to shift from following religious organizations to being led by the Spirit. See Romans 8:14.

Many of the heroes of the Bible had no official religious credentials, for instance: the patriarchs, Moses, the judges, the prophets, Job, Ruth, Ester, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles. They simply obeyed what the Spirit of God told them to do. The Bible tells us to wait on the Lord, not on a religious organization.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38555" />Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

True playfulness is a mercy party.

Daily writing promptDo you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?View all responses

Speaking plainly about playfulness: Guilt cuts the guts out of playfulness. The more mercy a person receives the more forgiving and playful he will be. Playfulness is glorious day-by-day celebration of guilt gone away. Give and receive mercy throughout the day and soon you will be playing like never before!

Little children in their innocence are the most playful people on the planet. But as humans grow and rebel, we get to know guilt, and after experiencing its shame we’re no longer the same. Our heart shuts down and feels too heavy to play.

No one has a right to mercy; it’s always undeserved. God’s mercy is His loving and free gift offered to us because it was purchased by the blood, death on the Cross, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let God wash away your guilt in the sea of His mercy so your heart can sail and rejoice with His joy. Let His mercy remove the misery of your shame. God wants to rescue you from the bad stuff you’ve accumulated in your life.

If you’ve ever been forgiven of something, you’ve seen the living God at work and experienced a surge of His joyful playfulness. Why settle for the misery of your guilt when you can live in the ongoing celebration of God’s mercy? God’s mercy is greater than your misdeeds and your miseries.

When the runaway rebellious son in the Bible returned to His father it was a demonstration of the guilt-free party time of the Father’s manifest mercy. Have you experienced that kind of mercy party? 

Forgiveness
Is the Father’s business.
That’s what Jesus
Was all about.
He bought it
With His blood
So He can now remove
The stones from human hearts
And tenderly replace
Them with His grace.

Let your heart
Be His house,
A nursery
For God’s mercy.
Learn to forgive
And be forgiven
So Christ’s garden
Can be found
Flourishing on
What was once
Stoney ground
And the fruit
Of His Spirit
May always abound
Within you.

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Psalms 116:1-2.)

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38548" />Photo by Yulianto Poitier on Pexels.com

Wholesomeness is my biggest challenge

Daily writing promptWhat are your biggest challenges?View all responses

In this world
That is so blind
To what is right,
The wholesomeness
Of a clean heart
And pure mind
Is hard to find.
I have to look
To the light
Of Jesus Christ
And let Him be
Always bright
In my sight
So I can stay
Connected with Him
Both day and night.
I strive to
Continually
Surrender my life
To Jesus
So His Spirit
Can clear it
Of all that’s unclean
And keep me filled
With His presence.

The wholesomeness
Of inner cleansing
And forgiveness
Is true bliss
Because suddenly
All guilt is gone.
That is why
I sing Christ’s song.

The wholesomeness
Of God’s forgiveness
Is never boring.
It’s always soaring
In the bliss
Of a pure heart
And a clean mind
Free from all guilt.

When life is hard
And I need to cope
I don’t find hope
In a bottle or a bar
But in a special Book
That helps me see
Christ in me,
“The hope of glory.

Modern media present a lifestyle of rebellion, guilt, and shame as exciting, but a lifestyle that produces mental and moral inner peace and well-being as boring. Wow! They’ve got it so wrong.

There’s no true freedom without wholesome restraint. If you give in to every desire that comes your way, you’ll be an inner mess. To continually consume words and images that are unwholesome is to become loathsome and bound up by inner confusion, even if no one but you knows the true condition of your heart and mind.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38539" />Photo by u0410u043du043du0430 u0420u044bu0436u043au043eu0432u0430 on Pexels.com

I’m nostalgic for Spirit-led Christianity

Daily writing promptWhat makes you feel nostalgic?View all responses

The Bible never says that Christians should listen to a weekly sermon. Religious tradition does. I’m nostalgic for the following things that the Bible says that Christians should do:

Be Spirit-led. (Romans 8:14.)Gather together. (Hebrews 10:25.)Pray together. (Acts 1:14.)Hear Jesus’ voice. (John 10:27.)Testify about what Jesus has done and is doing. (Revelation 12:11 and Acts 1:8.)Minister to one another. (1 Peter 4:1`0.)Take turns speaking when they gather. (I Corinthians 14:26.)Let each other prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14.31.) Teach one another. (Colossians 3:16.)Encourage one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11.)Exhort one another. (Hebrews 3:13.) Confess their sins to one another. (James 5:16.)Make disciples. (Matthew 28:19.)Continually read, ponder, and obey God’s written word. (Joshua 1:8.)Read the Bible together. (Colossians 4:16.)Worship in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24.)Humble themselves. (1 Peter 5:6.)Love one another. (John 13:34.)

These things flow from supernatural revelation, not from human abilities. Spiritual revelation will be cultivated in a humble heart that is ever hungry for more of Christ and His real presence. A human heart can never be satisfied while it’s full of inner emptiness. Seek the Lord and frequently open up and connect heart-to-heart with others who are doing so.

After writing this post, I went to Seedbed and read these words from Josh LeRoy: “Maybe prophets are prophets, not because God exclusively speaks to them, but because they choose to listen to what God is, in fact, saying to everyone.”

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38520" />Photo by Sameeh Karram on Pexels.com

The Relationship That Has the Greatest Positive Impact on Me

Daily writing promptWhat relationships have a positive impact on you?View all responses

I try to be like Simeon. You can too. He’s a guy in the Bible. Take a look at Luke 2:25-32.

Listen to the Holy Spirit’s revelation and move as He moves you and He will lead you to recognize and receive the living Jesus even when others are unaware of His presence and majesty. Then, even though other people may not notice the light of Christ’s revelation and glory, you (like Simeon) will overflow with gratitude, peace, and praise.

In the 21st century, Jesus is much more available than He was in Simeon’s time. For about 33 years Jesus was limited to the confines of a human body, but after His crucifixion, bodily resurrection, and physical entrance into the supernatural realm of Heaven, He returned in the person of the Holy Spirit. Now we can welcome Him into the temple of our body and stay continually connected with Him heart-to-heart wherever we are and wherever we go.

The relationship that has the greatest positive impact on me is the one I have with Jesus. I woke up this morning with the revelation and glory of the poem below forming in my heart to greet me. I like Simeon can interact with the living Jesus, but unlike Simeon there no limits to when and where I can spend time with Christ.

Jesus isn’t seasonal.
Jesus isn’t regional.
He’s everywhere
All the time.

A strange star stayed close to Jerusalem for two years

Some men were wonderstruck by a strange new star that rose and hung over far away Jerusalem. They sensed that it was a supernatural phenomenon — a sign calling them to learn more about the Jews. Somehow, they learned about the coming Jewish King, the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, and saw the star as a sign of His birth. The star lingered so the men decided to take a long journey to Jerusalem to find and to worship the Jewish Messiah.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they asked people: “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”

The whole city heard about those strange guys and their message and everybody in town was disturbed by it, including King Herod. Herod called together the religious leaders for some research and found out that the Messiah was prophesied to be born in the nearby little town of Bethlehem. Then Herod had those disturbing Gentiles brought to him and they told him the exact time that the star first appeared. Afterwards King Herod sent the odd strangers to Bethlehem to find the child King and to report back His location.

Mysteriously, the star led the Gentile men to a house in Bethlehem and to a boy named Jesus. They saw Him and His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped the toddler. They opened their treasures and gave the Christ child valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then dreams set in.

The wise men were warned in a dream not to report back to Herod, so they traveled home by a different route. Then the Christ child’s stepfather, Joseph, saw an angel in a dream who told him to take the family and escape to Egypt. So, they fled during the night.

When Herrod learned that the disturbing Gentile men had left without reporting to him, he was enraged and ordered all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger killed because that covered the time the wise men first saw the star. Then there was weeping and great mourning in the village of Bethlehem which continues to this very day. But the Prince of Peace was alive in Egypt preserving the hope of peace on earth and goodwill toward men — the hope of glory in the midst of our fallen, broken world. “Wise men still seek Him.”

New Year / New Start?
A resolution
Is no solution
Because a fresh start
Without a healed heart
Seldom can impart
Lasting improvement
In the way you live.
That takes an inner
Revolution.
Be receptive
To Christ’s perspective.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38501" />Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

I have no faith in human politics

Daily writing promptHow have your political views changed over time?View all responses

All attempts at human government are flawed. No earthly country has ever had a perfect government. When people talk about government they complain about corruption. The two go hand in hand.

That’s because all human beings carry varying degrees of corruption within us and the power of occupying an official government position allows a person plenty of opportunities to use whatever corruption is inside them for their own material benefit. If we had completely honest, humble, and righteous people in government corruption would disappear. But those folks don’t exist. No system of government is built on such people.

Over time my political views have slowly been replaced with an ever-increasing view of the kingdom of God with the risen Jesus, Himself, as the King and Lord. Jesus said that His kingdom isn’t seen with physical eyes because it is within human beings. He came to rule nations by ruling in the hearts and lives of the individual citizens of those nations.

Governments with their laws and law enforcement attempt to impose domestic tranquility on a country and to limit corruption, but they can’t eliminate the source of corruption — the deceit, pride, and rebellion in human hearts. Only the living Jesus can change people from deep within and give people a pure and honest heart that begins to reduce the corruption in their words and behaviors.

Only “Christ in you” is the hope of living under corruption-free government. When Jesus is your living and active King and Lord, and you are submitted to and committed to surrendering to His will, fantastic tranquility will reign in your heart. When corruption tries to rise up within you, Christ in you will sensitize your conscience and tenderize your heart against it, lovingly calling you to stay in His will and to avoid silencing His Spirit.

The way to turn a country away from corrupt government is to fill it with such Christ-controlled citizens. Only the living Jesus can do that. When people in a country start voting for Jesus by continually listening to, worshipping, surrendering their will to, and obeying Him, His corruption-free government begins to grow in their heart. Collectively their outward demonstrations of Christ’s sacrificial love and presence within them begin to gradually influence the culture and government of their nation. History calls that “a great awakening.” How we need one today!

There’s a place of rest
From your weariness.
Let Jesus, Himself, arrest
Your heart with His presence,
And fill you with a fest
Of faith, hope, and love.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38495" />Photo by Xabi Oregi on Pexels.com

My perfect space to write is any place.

Daily writing promptYou get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?View all responses

Words come together in my heart and head while I’m in bed during the night. When I get up in the morning, I grab my laptop and write them down wherever I am. I’m so focused and gripped by those lively words that I’m actually unaware of the space I’m writing in. So, I guess my perfect place to write is anyplace.

As I write the appearing words, they edit themselves from within me and grow in length and quality. More and more words come, and I tap them on the screen until they’re finally done. Then I have breakfast.

Often times during the day, no matter where I am, new inspiring words come my way by rising up from within me. I quickly post them on Facebook, so that I don’t forget them. Frequently they form just one sentence, but sometimes more. They almost always fit nicely in my next morning’s writing flow.

Here are the words that formed within me in bed last night:

Christianity isn’t
About just being wiser
Or getting a fresh new start.
It’s about experiencing
Christ’s living water geyser
Continually erupting
From deep within your heart.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38483" />Photo by Bju00f6rn Austmar u00deu00f3rsson on Pexels.com

Christ-listening Christianity or Christ-less Christianity?

There’s a voice crying out
In the wilderness of your heart:
“Behold the Lamb of God.
There’s more than routine religion.
Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make room for the risen Jesus.
Look. See. Surrender. Be free.
Experience God’s Spirit-led liberty!”

When Christians gather
To listen to God’s Spirit and hear
What Jesus has to say,
The things that they hear
Will align in an amazing way!

Christ-less Christianity that ignores the daily presence and reality of the risen Jesus lacks the power to heal human hearts. It leaves people as sheep without the Good Shepherd since it doesn’t teach them to hear and obey His voice.

We need Christ-listening Christianity. Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice.” Let’s listen and obey. I’m amazed by how often when I listen to “Christ in you,” what I hear is confirmed by other Christ-listeners.

Christ-listeners “hear what the Spirit is saying.” Log on your heart to the voice of Jesus. “Do you hear what I hear?” If we humbly listen to God’s Spirit, what we hear will align with each other and with the Bible.

Christ-less Christianity sets people down to listen to words about Jesus, but it lacks the power to radically change lives. It encourages people to try to do better, but the risen Jesus changes and empowers people from deep within. Christ-followers are called to carry and demonstrate the actual presence of the living Jesus to the people we daily encounter.

A gathering of the body of Christ needs to be more than just a platform for a one-man presentation. It needs to be an environment that encourages, empowers, and trains people to receive and obey direct revelation and inner promptings from the living Jesus Christ. Ordinary people are eloquent when they speak as moved by Christ. Church should welcome them to the pulpit! (Rev. 12:11.)

The great challenge in life is to hear, follow, and obey the risen Jesus in the ordinary of daily life. Take the challenge! A Christ-less Christmas is empty; a Christ-less life is more so.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38478" style="width:665px;height:auto" />Photo by Jishnu Radhakrishnan on Pexels.com

Christ makes me creative

Daily writing promptHow are you creative?View all responses

I woke up early this Christmas morning with these words developing within me like bells ringing in the distance, so I got up and let Christ’s creativity flow. This is what came out:

Looking for Jesus?

Church isn’t the only place to look for Christ. He can be found anywhere people will open their heart to Him and let Him in. You can notice Jesus at work wherever people express and demonstrate sincere love, kindness, and humility. You can feel His presence anyplace that you are willing to openly and honestly talk to Him and to humbly observe His tender actions and responses within you. You don’t need formal religion, fanfare, or ceremonies to encounter Christ. Anywhere and everywhere, He’s always pursuing a personal relationship with you. Courageously open your heart to Jesus and allow yourself to perceive His presence. Be still and know that He is God, Emmanuel — the Creator who became a man.

No matter where you go, there Christ is, lovingly knocking on your heart’s door, longing for you to catch a glimpse of His glorious love, mercy, and forgiveness so that you will give your all to Him. Get together anyplace with people who are ready and willing to open up and share what Jesus is saying and doing in and through their life. Tell each other about your relationship with Jesus. Let each one present share testimonies, prayers, revelation, gifts of the Spirit, Scriptures, songs, praises, worship, and teachings as they are prompted by the living Jesus — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then you will rejoice and celebrate with the openhearted joy and simplicity of the shepherds who found Jesus tucked away in a manger.

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." data-large-file="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." src="https://stevesimms.files.wordpress.co..." alt="" class="wp-image-38467" />Photo by Char on Pexels.com