Steve Simms's Blog, page 75

Beyond “adulting.” Happiness is having a kid’s heart!

Daily writing promptWhat does it mean to be a kid at heart?View all responses

Heart-connection transcends personal viewpoints and cultural differences It reveals our shared humanity. Open your heart to people like a small child does. Be honest because deception is a heavy burden to bear. Choose to be happy. Avoid the wrongdoing and wrong thinking that produce guilt. Be kindly playful and pleasantly silly. Be a kid at heart.

Adulting isn’t the ultimate goal in life. Jesus Christ taught that we need to “change and become like little children.” He encouraged people to take “the lowly position” of a child, but what does that mean?

I don’t think Jesus was saying that we should hold on to immaturity and be trapped in it for life. I believe He was encouraging people to embrace the beautiful qualities of childhood: an open heart, honesty, happiness, innocence, playfulness, and wholesome silliness.

“Go directly to Jesus.” People, “even in Christianity, stop this side of getting in Christ and stay in themselves, in a system, in ritual, in rites and ceremonies.” – E. Stanley Jones.

True Christianity isn’t about a church search and a religious place to perch. Experience the risen Jesus. Learn to be continually conscious of His presence, power, and reality. Search: The Joy of Early Christianity.

Jesus isn’t on vacation. He’s not hiding in church buildings. He’s trying to reveal Himself to whoever will be a kid at heart and take the time to notice and enjoy Him.

[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-37847" />Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

Desperately needing spiritual awakening!

When church meets we’re rarely clothed with the mighty power and the life-changing presence of the living Jesus, but if anybody points that out, they’re criticized like the little boy in the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” How can we experience spiritual awakening if we won’t humbly admit that we desperately need it?

Christians say that Jesus is Lord but very few believe that the Lord is able to lead and direct a church service without a pastor programming and controlling it. Since Jesus is Emmanuel which means God with us, we should let Him supernaturally lead and direct us when we gather in His name.

Church meets like Jesus is merely a distant and powerless figurehead instead of the living present almighty Lord and Master. Because we don’t truly believe that we can fully trust Jesus to directly and personally lead a church service by Himself, we struggle trusting Him with everything else.

Church services are usually set up so that no one is allowed to depart from the program and freely speak up or pray as led by the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit is often quenched. It’s unbelief and cessationism to think that Jesus will no longer directly lead individuals (and His gathered body) by His Spirit.

Christians can assemble to be led by the risen Jesus anytime and anyplace. The New Testament doesn’t tell us to meet at a particular time and place.

Christianity is about learning to let the living Jesus lead and direct you from within. Many Christians want to find Christ in a religious organization, but our hope comes from connecting with “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

[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-37839" />Photo by Darya Sannikova on Pexels.com

My wife Ernie

Daily writing promptDescribe a family member.View all responses

Our world desperately needs more encouragement, compassion, and kindness. My wife Ernie spreads those qualities everywhere she goes and to everybody she meets. She overflows with words and actions that give people hope.

Ernie keeps her heart open. She listens to people and hears with sincere interest the things they have to say. She celebrates their victories and grieves with them during their losses. She speaks hope-giving words, and she takes people muffins and cookies and uplifting gifts. She writes notes and texts and email messages that are so powerful that many people treasure and keep them. She’ll spend as much time listening to people as they need.

One of the most powerful ways that Ernie encourages people is by praying with them. Her prayers are Spirit-led and full of insights that make people aware of the presence and reality of God.

Ernie loves the living Jesus with all her heart and works to keep her focus on Him throughout the day. She strives to stay sensitive to His presence and His voice. She lets Him prompt her and direct her moment by moment. In the midst of her own struggles and pains, she keeps her eyes on Jesus and His hope burning in her heart.

Ernie is always hungering and thirsting to know Jesus better. She regularly reads the Bible with an open heart and then tries to do what it says. She is always looking for opportunities to put the Bible into action.

Life with Ernie is fresh and exciting because, no matter what we’re going through, I see Jesus living in and working through her. What a gift she is to me and to all who know her.

Notice Jesus Now

Have you noticed?
Jesus is here,
Jesus is there,
Jesus is everywhere.

I woke up with this thought in my mind and heart this morning. “Christianity isn’t about a religious organization. It’s about daily surrendering to and being led by the living Jesus.”

God wants people to daily follow and obey the risen Jesus, not just to be a good member of a religious organization. He uses painful circumstances (that He doesn’t cause) to bring us to the point of brokenness and surrender to His presence and to His will. In addiction recovery that is called “hitting bottom.” When we are desperate and have nowhere else to turn, we are most willing to open up to the risen Jesus and let Him take full control of our life.

Notice Jesus now, right where you are! Why wait until you have tried everything else and are full of despair? Breathe in the air of Christ’s presence now. Refuse to let Jesus go unnoticed, unobserved, and unfollowed in your life.

[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-37817" />Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com

I specialize in the food I most crave.

Daily writing promptWhat food would you say is your specialty?View all responses

There’s a hunger that leads to ongoing joy, not just to the temporary satisfaction of a full stomach. There’s a thirst that releases continual flows of inner peace, not just the short-term soothing of a drink or two. I specialize in satisfying the hunger and thirst that is a deep inner longing in human hearts.

Most people are hungry and thirsty for meaning, purpose, and inner peace. However, we too often try to satisfy our search for significance with substitutes of food, drink, drugs, and various diversions and distractions.

There’s a deep inner craving that calls out for more to life! Accept no substitutes for your inner longing for serious significance. Seek and you will find. You can be filled with faith — the inner food that makes life meaningful. Taste and see beyond the natural with your heart, not just with your physical tongue and eyes.

Humbly open your heart and partake of the inner healing and comfort that God offers. Dare to ask God (whether you believe in Him or not) to show you the truth. Then start to notice what begins to happen in your heart, in your mind, and in your circumstances. You’ve tried everything else. Why not give God a chance?

Physical food will never fully satisfy our inner longing, no matter how great it looks. My wife and I recently feasted on giant nachos at a mall in Costa Rica, but as good as they were, the satisfaction they provided only lasted for a short while. However, we have both found amazing satisfaction, joy, and inner peace from the risen Jesus that has lasted for decades!

Remembering Jesus Freaks

Daily writing promptWhat major historical events do you remember?View all responses

I remember when millions of people were visibly excited about Jesus and talked about Him wherever they went. When I first started seeing people like that on my college campus, I was scared of them, and I went to extreme measures to avoid contact with them. Sometimes I would even hide from them.

But then one day I got too close, and I listened to two Jesus Freaks talking about how they met the risen Christ. In an instant something changed inside of me, and suddenly Jesus was real and alive in my awareness. I’ve never been the same.

The Jesus Movement continues in my heart throughout the day every day. Although it is now considered a historical event (watch the recent movie Jesus Revelation) Jesus is more real to me now than ever! I don’t just remember the amazing things I personally experienced and saw Christ do during the Jesus Movement. I continually experience His presence, His voice, and His actions in the present.

Christianity today
Is way too tame.
It’s stays stuck
In a religious frame
That keeps it the same
Week after week.
It’s time to proclaim
In Jesus’ name
That there’s so much more
And to boldly reclaim
The reality of Christ’s presence.

We’re usually unaware
Of breathing air
But if we don’t
We will die.
It may not seem fair
But the fact is there.
You may not be aware
But it’s not just air
That’s keeping you alive.
Refuse to let life’s glare
Distract you from Jesus.

Here’s my story. It still amazes me when I remember it.

Immersion in the awareness of Jesus

“In Him we live and move and have our being,” but too often we are not consciously aware of that fact. We’re like the two disciples on the Emmaus Road walking beside the risen Jesus and hearing His voice, but unaware that He is truly with us (and living in us) no matter where we go! Like Mary at the empty tomb, we too often overlook Jesus because although He is right in front of us, we mistake Him for an ordinary gardener.

We act like Jesus has an on/off switch. We want to be aware of Him when we feel desperately needy, but then we tune out that awareness when we want to make our own choices and not be bothered by His convicting presence. We even use the words “sacred” and “secular” to describe the two states of consciousness that we waver between. It’s sad, but if we are honest, we would have to admit that we probably spend much more time unaware of the real presence of the living Jesus that we do savoring and surrendering to His presence.

So how can we live immersed in conscious awareness of the presence of Jesus? For me the key is an open heart that is willing to hear and to remember the words of Jesus (and the words of the Holy Spirit) speaking from the Bible and to let those living words burn in my heart, not only when I read the Word but throughout the day and night, even when those words challenge and convict me. When I refuse to “quench” the Holy Spirit and keep my heart open to His still small voice, He walks with me and talks with me and brings Scriptures to my mind and keeps my mind and heart focused on the risen Jesus. When I ignore the voice of God’s Spirit, I quench Him and my awareness of Jesus drifts from my consciousness.

I pray anywhere and everywhere but my favorite place to pray is in my bed when I lie down and every time I wake up during the night. I talk to God some, but I mainly listen and as I do a word comes to my mind and then more words. Then they become a sentence. The process often repeats until I have several sentences on my heart. When I fall asleep and wake up later, the sentences are still on my mind so when I get up, I post them on social media and in my blog. This happens almost every night. I also talk to and listen to God and seek to stay aware of His presence throughout the day.

[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-37759" />Photo by 7inchs on Pexels.com

Without the supernatural we don’t get the whole story.

When Christians abandon their awareness of the present-day actions of Jesus they focus on pastors and programs. It’s time to point people directly to the person of the risen Jesus, not to sermons or shows about Him!

“The whole story” of what God is doing today involves much that is supernatural.” The Asbury Awakening brought much of God’s supernatural working into the light!

When people criticize people for obeying God’s Spirit instead of sticking with religious tradition, they usually don’t know “the whole story” and lack the spiritual gift of the discernment of spirits. That’s why Peter, when criticized, humbly explained that it wasn’t his idea to preach to the Gentiles. He presented the details of how he was led by a vision and a voice from the Lord and how the Lord had to repeat the vision and the words three times before He obeyed. When Christ’s ekklesia in Jerusalem (the proper name of the ancient Greek interactive town hall meeting that Jesus said He would build) heard “the whole story” of how Peter had been led by the Spirit (see Romans 8:14) they dropped their criticism and submitted to what God had done to miraculously bring Gentiles into His kingdom. We need to humbly open our heart to God’s supernatural gift of discernment so that we can tell the difference between people acting from a critical spirit and people being led by the 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-37752" />Photo by Tessa K on Pexels.com

I’m Too Proud of Too Many Things

Daily writing promptWhat are you most proud of in your life?View all responses

Somewhere back in history some Christian (or group of Christians) made a list of the seven worse things that people can do. The Catholic Church adopted that list and called it “The Seven Deadly Sins.” To most people the sins on the list sound relative harmless (or even good). They are pride, greed, wrath (a bad temper) envy, lust, gluttony (overeating) and sloth (passivity).

What those seven attitudes and behaviors have in common is that they can easily take over our life and begin to manipulate and control us while we remain unaware that they have taken us captive. Pride is a great example of that. It’s easy to be a prisoner enslaved by pride while boasting and sincerely believing that we are totally free. However, when I look honestly at my life, I see that I’m too proud of far too many things to even know what I’m “most proud of” in my life.

Now for many years I have fought to eliminate the pride from my life. I’ve made progress but I still have a long way to go. Going through this ongoing process has shown me that humility is truly liberating and empowering. It frees me to forget about myself and to focus on being kind to other people and to enjoy showing respect to them.

[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-37745" />Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Aligning with wisdom

Daily writing promptWhat have you been working on?View all responses

When my thoughts, feelings, desires and behaviors are unaligned with wisdom they produce varying amounts of confusion, chaos, and consternation in my life. Therefore, it is important to me to work on aligning my mind, my heart, and my actions with wise choices. That may sound easy, but if you’ve ever tried to fully do it, you’ve discovered it to be difficult beyond belief.

My heart and mind have a will of their own that frequently embraces foolishness and stupidity. If I don’t resist them, they will sweep me into a sinkhole of self-destruction and try to drown me in despair. Because of that I refuse to listen to them, and I continually strive to make them align with wisdom. I am always working on:

Shutting down the stupidity that always tries to rise up within me. Searching for and collecting as much wisdom as I can. (I have 34 journal books that I’ve filled up with hand-written quotes from the many hundreds of wise books that I have read. I also daily read the Bible with an open heart.)Using discernment and wisdom in all I think, say, and do.Compelling myself not to act on my impulses until I first contemplate them and make sure that they are aligned with wisdom. Listening to and obeying my conscience instead of my thoughts, feelings, desires.Being sensitive to the voice of the living Jesus Christ and following His inner promptings throughout the day.

I don’t always succeed at those lofty goals. When I fail, I get up and try again. That’s what I’m working on and I’m never going to give up!

[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-37738" />Photo by u0410u043du043du0430 u0420u044bu0436u043au043eu0432u0430 on Pexels.com