Steve Simms's Blog, page 73

A call to decelebritize Christianity!

Let’s decelebritize Christianity! Modern Christianity has celebritized people and minimized Jesus. On church bulletins and signs and on conference brochures and schedules, the names and pictures of preachers and Christian conference speakers crowd out the name of Jesus. Try this: Go to a church, conference, or ministry web page and count the total number of times a preachers’, speakers’, founders’, and staff members’ name is mentioned. Then count the number of times the name of Jesus is mentioned.

When Christians talk about church services or conferences that they’ve attended they frequently refer to preachers’ and speakers’ names, but almost never mention the name of Jesus. Look at Christians’ social media. They tend to promote preachers, speakers, and Christian writers much more than they promote and proclaim the risen Jesus.

If we really believe that the name of Jesus is above every other name, shouldn’t His name be mentioned and celebrated far more than any preacher’s, writer’s, or speaker’s name? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! If Christianity is about Jesus, we need to let His name crowd the name of every celebritized Christian out of our hearts, our churches, and our conferences. In the name of Jesus . . .

[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-38005" />Photo by Manuel Filipe on Pexels.com

I want to live in a place of heart-felt community

Daily writing promptIf you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?View all responses

I want to live in a place of heart-felt community where people caring deeply about each other is more important than people comparing themselves with each other and competing with one another. Those kinds of places are hard to find, but they do exist and can be created. For me those types of places are far more important than my geographical location.

The first time I found a place like that was at the University of Tennessee Martin. There I encountered a group of Jesus Freaks who were connected heart-to-heart with one another and with Jesus Christ. The time I spent there was amazing and life-transforming. Many decades later Jesus and those Christ-followers still have my heart. A group of us just had a beautiful, Spirit-led reunion a few days ago.

Ever since I left college, I’ve searched for and found (or helped create) places of Spirit-led community. I’ve never been contented with nominal, institutionalized Christianity when God has so much more for us than Sunday songs and a one-man sermon.

I love to tell the stories of the places I’ve connected heart-to-heart with Jesus and with people. I have two books about them: Beyond Church Ekklesia and The Joy Of Early Christianity. They can help guide you to my favorite places in the world.

I found “my heart strangely warmed”

Daily writing promptWhat’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)?View all responses

The strangest thing I’ve ever found (and kept) was my heart strangely warmed. The same thing happened to a guy named John Wesley in 1738. This is what he wrote in his journal:

“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. I began to pray with all my might for those who had in a more especial manner despitefully used me and persecuted me. I then testified openly to all there what I now first felt in my heart.”

One evening in 1970 I went very unwillingly to a Spirit-led Christian gathering at the University of Tennessee Martin, where people were describing the change which God had worked in their heart through faith in Christ. I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation. I then testified openly to all there about the presence and reality of the risen Jesus who I was now feeling in my heart. I’ve kept that awareness of the living Jesus and His presence in me ever since that day.

It’s time to abandon half-hearted Christianity! Let’s replace it with hearts that are strangely warmed and kept continually on fire for Jesus, day and night.

Christian minds have been poisoned by “cozy quite time Christianity.” It’s time to move beyond “the domesticated church of corrupted Christendom” and to boldly proclaim and demonstrate the presence, power, love, and kingdom of the living Jesus in the same way the first century Christ-followers did. (The quotes in this paragraph are from Seedbed Wake-Up Call.)

Poisoned minds persistently prefer their own perspective and resist the antidote of truth and love. To purse God’s righteousness and His kingdom we must abandon all hope in our own righteousness (and/or the righteousness of our nation) and instead humbly embrace His perspective: “There is none righteous, no not one.” That involves a lifetime of deep repentance and radical surrender to Christ’s presence, Christ’s will and Christ’s perspective.

Jesus is the path to joy

The more joy you have from Jesus the less you the less you follow “the pursuit of happiness” anywhere else. God’s Spirit, when welcomed into a human heart, produces joy. When Christianity abandons the living Jesus it becomes joyless and dutiful religion.

Jesus leads people to joy. If joy’s not increasing in your heart, perhaps you’ve wandered off His path.

Learn to open your heart and let Jesus flow within you as a fountain of joy. When you return your heart to God the Father, He throws a party and angels rejoice.

When life tries to fill you with anxiety remember that Jesus wants to fill you with joy. Details about Jesus will give you information, but conscious awareness of His presence and love will thrill you with joy.

Persecution should lead a Christian, not to verbal or physical retaliation, but (in Jesus’ words) to “leap for joy.”

[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-37985" />Photo by Tembela Bohle on Pexels.com

I skip for joy

Daily writing promptWhat part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?View all responses

Every day I work to skip away. I’m a skipper because I try to opt out of life’s distractions. I love to skip the following things in order to make much room for joy in my life. I strive to skip:

Negativity,Unhappiness,Loneliness,Discouragement,Anger,Depression,Frustration,Self-righteousness,Jealousness,WorryFear,Boasting,Addiction,Self-harm,Unkindness,Snap judgments,Self-focus,And anything else that distracts me from contentment, joy, and inner peace.

Joy won’t be an illusion if you’ll start skipping! Skipping with joy is the walk of hope. Learn to skip the things that are tripping you and making your happiness illusive!

Life’s great illusion

Pleasure seeking is an illusion
Because the pursuit of happiness
Is always elusive.
It leads to confusion
And ends in delusion.

Seeking Jesus
Keeps joy peaking
In my heart
But pleasure-seeking
Is joy leaking.

Jesus is my joy,
My greatest treasure.
He fills me beyond measure
With supernatural pleasure.

Set aside distraction.
Let the living Jesus
Be your constant attraction.

[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-37972" />Photo by Mesut u00e7iu00e7en on Pexels.com

A hearing heart

Let God’s Spirit continually urge you to stay focused on the urgency of always aligning your heart and your lifestyle to Jesus and His will.

Continually interact with the grace of God. Let Jesus cleanse and restore your heart every time it drifts from Him.

Keep your heart interactively engaged with the living Jesus. Continually focus on His inner presence and obey His promptings.

A listening heart hears more than words. When hearing sermons replaces personally hearing Jesus in your heart, Christians become spiritually deaf.

When Christians rely and depend on the working of the Holy Spirit instead of on sermon hearing, revival breaks out! I would love to see a church bulletin or a conference flyer where the featured preacher/speaker is Jesus! Instead of gathering around a preacher or a conference speaker, it’s time to gather around the living Jesus!

Words from God’s Spirit
Are heard by the heart.
Let your heart listen
And you’ll be amazed.

Daily writing promptWhat is good about having a pet?View all responses

A pet has no words but speaks loudly to a listening heart. A pet can train you to hear with 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-37962" />Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

I don’t have a prized possession.

Daily writing promptName the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).View all responses

Material things mean very little to me. I’ve never spent very much money on them. I very seldom see a material thing that I want or need. When I do I tend to buy the cheapest version of it. When my wife asks me what I want for my birthday or for Christmas, I never can think of anything.

I guess the most expensive personal item I’ve ever bought is the $500 computer that I am typing on at this moment. I appreciate it because it gives me access to the internet and is a platform for me to tell people about the love of my life — the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.

Here’s what I’ve just written:

It’s easy to be like the people of ancient Jerusalem who didn’t recognize Jesus even though the Old Testament prophets’ words about Him were read every Saturday in their synagogues. When Christ’s presence isn’t recognized and fully surrendered to, we’re left with a religious form of godliness that denies the power thereof. Although words are read about Jesus and His will, we live our lives as though He is dead because we don’t literally encounter and obey the risen Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory.

When the Bible is preached and people aren’t trained and empowered to daily apply it and live it, nothing much happens. Christianity needs to focus on heart-to-heart relationship with Christ, daily discipleship, and heavenly citizenship, not just on lectures based on a pastor’s religious scholarship.

Church trains Christians to rely on hearing external religious lectures rather than on Christ’s internal presence. People can’t be lectured into discipleship no matter how many Christian conferences they attend.

[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-37949" />Photo by Ju00c9SHOOTS on Pexels.com

Streaming innernet podcasts

Daily writing promptWhat podcasts are you listening to?View all responses

I stream uplifting innernet podcasts. There I said it! You may think I’m crazy (or that I don’t know how to spell), but that’s okay. Innernet podcasts are so exciting, empowering, and energizing that your opinion of me is not an issue.

What’s an innernet podcast? It’s an inner flow of thoughts, feelings, words, images, and ideas that psychology calls the stream of consciousness.  That phrase was first introduced by William James in his book, Principles of Psychology, in 1890. We all have access to the innernet and its huge array of internal podcasts. Many of them are troublesome. Some however, overflow with peace. I’ve trained myself to continually shut down the tormenting innernet podcasts and to search for and click on the encouraging ones. That’s made all the difference in my life.

I believe that peace-filled innernet podcasts are from God. I work to stay continually logged in to them. They fill me with hope and love as they stream within me day and night.

Here’s some thoughts from the most recent innernet podcasts that I’ve listened to:

Let the Spirit and the Word be heard with the heart!

When Christ-followers gather
And set aside plans and programs,
Structures and systems,
While simply waiting
On God’s Spirit
Something supernatural happens.
Hearts that were far from God
Hear His still small voice speaking
And are strangely warmed
By the reality of Christ’s presence.
As they become attentive to
And begin to humbly obey
His inner prompting,
A divine orchestration
Of Christ’s glory
Manifests among them
And church is transformed
Into Spirit-led ekklesia.

Ekklesia overflows with the joyful attitude of equality before God, open-hearted love and respect for each other, and humble dependency on the presence of the risen Jesus.

Too many Christians have lost the “fun”-damentals of the faith. They’re unwilling to enjoy the presence of Jesus throughout the day with child-like humility and playfulness. (Google: The Joy Of Early Christianity.)

It’s dangerous to make up stuff about Jesus (and to watch stuff that other people have made up about Him). It’s better to stick with what the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit say.

[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-37939" />Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

My favorite subjects weren’t taught in school.

Daily writing promptWhat was your favorite subject in school?View all responses

For some reason my favorite subjects weren’t taught in school. I’ve had to explore and learn them on my own. They include positive thinking, creativity, self-control, character development, awe, openheartedness, forgiveness, hopefulness, kindness, gratitude, joy, inner peace, humility, world peace, and spiritual growth.

I could have used a course in each of those subjects, but that’s now history. In high school I started pursuing those subjects on my own. I began to read every book I could find that related to any of those subjects. I didn’t keep count, but I’ve read many hundreds of books about various aspects of personal, character, and spiritual growth.

As I read books, I underlined the many statements that stood out to me and touched me in some way. Then I hand copied those powerful thoughts in blank journal books. Today I have 34 books crammed full of the wisdom that I have pursued. Eventually that wisdom began to flow out of me and for more than a decade I’ve been writing original thoughts on those subjects, posting them on Facebook, and compiling them into blog posts. I’ve also written several books on those topics.

My favorite subject of all is the living resurrected Jesus Christ. I personally encountered Him as a freshman in college and have been continually captivated by His presence and reality ever since them. Even in 3 years of theological seminary I never had a course about how to listen to, follow, and obey the risen Jesus and to read the Bible with an open heart as a love letter from God. I’ve had to lean that on my own.

Here are my most recent thoughts about these subjects:

Wonder,
Marvel,
Ponder,
Until amazement
And astonishment
Arise in your heart.

It’s time to break our dependence on the institutional Jesus and to reset Christianity on the living resurrected Jesus!Christians need heart-to-heart connection and Spirit-led community, not more sermons.Avoid a fictionalized Jesus. Fix your eyes on what the Bible says about Him!“I have treasured the words of His (God’s) mouth more than my daily bread.” –Job 23:12. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” –Jesus in Matthew 5:6. Following Jesus involves such intense longing for His presence and reality that you lose your focus on food as you hunger for and treasure Him more than you want to eat. It’s time to open our heart to “taste and see” “the surpassing glory” of “the ministry of the Spirit,” “the glory of that which lasts.” “The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.” (See 2 Corinthians 3:6-11.) The early Christ-followers, “sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,” were so caught up in their love for Jesus that they denied their own desires and opinions and obeyed His Spirit.[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-37931" />Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

Here’s the news:

Here's the news.
People accuse
And abuse
Each other.
They try to hide
Behind their pride.
They excuse
Their behavior
And they blame
Other people
For their shame.
They ignore
That they need Jesus
To be their Savior.
Lord, have mercy on us!

A big part of the problem is that Christianity today has withered up and lost most of its power. Pastors who keep a congregation as their audience have overlooked their calling to train and release people as God’s Spirit-led army.

[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-37923" />Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com