Candy is Dandy, But Discernment is Better

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Steve Simms

Deception tastes sweet like candy like your favorite candy. When discernment dies deception dominates. Test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1-3) Seach the Scriptures daily. (Acts 17:11) Let God the Holy Spirit lead you (Romans 8:14) with His gift of discernment and His other spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

Even if an angel from Heaven (or Angel Studios) should preach another Gospel (Galatians 1:8) or another Jesus than the Jesus described in the Bible (2 Corinthians 11:4) use discernment. Run from deception.

Stick with the way the earliest Christ-followers overcame deception. They did three things: (Revelation 12:11) 1) They set aside pride and relied on the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of their sins. 2) They testified about the true Jesus — the Creator in human flesh (John 1:1-14) — and their testimonies are recorded in the Scriptures. 3) They practiced radical self-denial and were even willing to die for the truth. (Luke 9:23)

Deception is devastating. Don’t be entertained by it. Avoid it at all costs. Learn to worship the way the first Christ-followers did.

Jesus has so much more for His followers! I believe that Jesus wants us to meet together as so much more than a passive audience. I believe we are called to go far beyond church as usual. Here are the biblical reasons why I believe that:

* When describing how He wants to build His followers together, Jesus used the name of the ancient Greek townhall meeting — “ekklesia” — where anyone present could speak up in the gathering. (Matthew 16:17-18) I believe that was a deliberate word choice, not an accident.

* The Bible says that Christians are supposed to “be doers of the word not hearers only.” (James 1:22)

* Jesus told His disciples to go and make disciples, not to stay and make audiences. (Matthew 28:19-20)

* When the Bible tells Christians to assemble themselves together, it tells us that we are to actively exhort and encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25) We are called to connect with each other heart-to-heart.

* The only place that the Bible tells Christians what to do “when you come together,” says that everyone has something to share. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

* The Bible says that Christians are supposed to be “led by the Spirit,” (Romans 8:14) It’s very difficult to be led by the Spirit when we have been trained to simply sit through another weekly religious program.

* There are 50 something one another commands in the New Testament. Passively listening to a sermon by the same person each week trains Christians to depend on a pastor instead of ministering to one another. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

* The Bible says that all Christians are priests. (Revelation 1:6) That means that every Christ-follower can hear directly from God. When Christians are turned into a silent audience, it hinders them from being priests who lovingly minister to one another.

For many more reasons, google my book: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

Photo by Terrance Barksdale on Pexels.com
Posted in deception, discernment, fact checking, false prophets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Give Me A Break From Unwise Choices

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Steve Simms 
In a culture 
That's unwise 
Let your eyes 
Look beyond 
The routine
Till you find
The wisdom 
That's unseen.

God wants His light
To be a lamp
That is bright
In your heart.
To be wise
Internalize
True wisdom.
Seek it out.
Let your heart
Absorb it
Like a sponge.
It’s not enough
To analyze
Or memorize
Information
Without inner
Transformation.
True wisdom
Will lead you to
Bright insight.
God’s inner light
Will shine with
Joyous
Revelation
That’s far beyond
Mere human
Intellect.
Log on to
God’s inner net.
Download His
Perception.
Live in it
Day and Night.
Trade your AI
For wisdom
From the sky.
“Christ in you,
The hope of glory.”

Beware of cultural confusion. Unwise eyes don’t see straight.

Posted in contemporary culture, counterculture, culture, revelation, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Invention and Technology Aren’t The Answer

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
The most important invention in your lifetime is…
View all responses

What is life about? Neither knowledge, invention, technology, or AI have the answer to that question.

God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:17) The day that Adam and Eve ate from it they immediately experienced separation from God and hid themselves from His presence and from each other. (Genesis 3:6-10) Ever since then humans have been trusting in and priding themselves in knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1-2) while hiding their heart from God and from each other. (James 4:1-2)

God sent Jesus to restore humanity to Himself by atoning for our sin, our disobedience, and our rebellion, through His death on the Cross. (Galatians 3:13-14) Now Christ offers to fill us with His power by living and working within us. (Colossians 1:27) Then we can “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:1-3) as we are led by God the Holy Spirit empowering and guiding us from within. (John 16:13)

True Christianity is so much more than religious words. (Matthew 15:7-9) It’s about bringing your heart closer and closer to God. (1 Corinthians 4:20) True Christianity is to let Jesus overflow your heart with His love day and night (John 7:38-39) until you radiate and demonstrate His presence and compassion (John 3:18) to everyone you meet. (Matthew 5:14-16) True Christianity is to humbly (James 4:6-9) live by continually eating from the tree of life. (Revelation 2:7)

Here’s your answer: Let the risen and present Jesus continually calibrate your thinking, feelings, and behaviors to move in sync with God the Holy Spirit.

May humanity find the answer before it's too late.

Naked creature 
And his wife 
Were obligated to 
Start new life. 

Placed in beauty 
Under the sky 
Through the years 
They did multiply 

Factories smoking 
Sings of progress 
Wanting more 
And loving less. 

Nuclear sandpaper 
On the balloon, 
One small rub 
And boom.

Posted in meaning of life, purpose of life, the gift of life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Joyful Heart Is My Ideal Day

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.
View all responses

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” My ideal day is to have a joyful and grateful heart that is so contagious that I spread joy to everyone I meet. I have trained my heart to be like that through the life-long process of spiritual awakening.

People need genuine joy. Here’s how to find it.

The Bible clearly demonstrates this: Spiritual awakening can’t be produced by laws or formalized religion being imposed on people. It requires a humble heart, gut-wrenching repentance, and full surrender to the leading of God the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 29:13) When will we humans ever lean that?

God called Israel to be a godly nation, but when you read their story in the Bible, they never truly lived up God’s calling. They never consistently obeyed God’s laws. Even their best heroes and their “good” kings sinned against God.

The Old Testament prophets boldly criticized and rebuked both Israel and Judah in the name of God. They continually challenged them to go beyond the hypocrisy of outward appearance and religious formalism and to diligently purse true righteousness that comes from a heart fully surrendered to and obedient to God. Then when Christ came to show them His way, the most religious among them rose up against Him and convinced a mob to demand that the Roman governor crucify Him.

Since Christ came, many nations have called themselves Christian, but all those nations have fallen far short of cultivating truly Christ-like culture and community. They have promoted formal religion, imposed it on their people, and produced the pride of self-righteousness, but they haven’t changed people’s hearts in the way that produces widespread moral purity, genuine holiness, and Christ-like love that overflows with humility. When will we ever learn?

Laws can never create a godly culture. God’s righteousness begins to manifest itself when individuals sincerely and consistently open up to, align their free will with, and obey God the Holy Spirit. The world doesn’t need more legalism. It needs genuinely heart-transforming, spiritual awakening. Nothing less will do!

Photo by Anastasiia Goncharova on Pexels.com
Posted in spiritual awakening, spiritual growth, spiritual life, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Poetic Observation About Killing Fields

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Steve Simms

The killing fields
Of war and wombs
Could fill up tombs
But the bodies
Are torn apart,
Scrambled like eggs.

Killing humans, regardless of the excuses, is cruel and tragic.

Photo by Jan van der Wolf on Pexels.com

Posted in anti-war, peacemaking, War is hell | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Three in One Perspective on Life

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
View all responses

My perspective on life is based on a timeless book that continually touches me deeply and transforms me from within. It is always training me to act, think, and speak in Father Alliance, Christ Reliance, and Spirit-Compliance.

  • Father Alliance is to always seek to surrender to and align your life with the will of God the Father. (Matthew 6:33)
  • Christ Reliance is to daily depend on the risen Jesus–God the Son–instead of on your own power. (Colossians 1:27)
  • Spirit Compliance is to consistently think, say, and do what God the Holy Spirit says instead of what you want to. (John 16:13)
Posted in Holy Trinity, perspective, point of view, world view | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Word Monitoring Is Always on My To-Do List

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.
View all responses

For me word monitoring is a job that I never finish. I live surrounded by floods of words that are coming at me from all around and also from inside of me. Many of those words are harmful, misleading, false, unkind, negative, or tormenting. I don’t want those kinds of words to abide in my mind or to hide in my memory, so I am always on guard — watching for, avoiding, and rejecting them. I never mark word monitoring off of my to-do list. Neither should you.

Words play with your mind
And Scrabble your thinking
But words are not a game
LIke Wordle or Quordle.
Your word sequences
Have consequences
They create Wordscapes,
Mental views–landscapes
Inside of your mind–
That influence your actions,
Form your emotions,
And direct your desires.
Cross words that are harmful
Out of your thinking.
To find ways to be kind
Wipe warped words from your mind.

People who assume that unproven accusations are true have abandoned word monitoring and opened themselves up to deception. Without ongoing word monitoring self-righteousness rises up and true humility and peace of mind are seldom experienced.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Posted in language, the Word, words | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Cooking?

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
View all responses

“What is it?” What is life? What is it all about? The answers are in the living bread. Eat the bread of direct revelation from the living God that comes to your heart every single day! (John 6:48-51) There is plenty for everyone. Whosoever will let him come and partake. (Revelation 22:17)

What is the leaf that can live in and grow in a human heart? “Belief.” Faith can not only grow in your heart. If it’s carefully and continually cultivated it will flourish there.

Believing in Jesus is much more powerful than mere mental assent to religious doctrines. It goes far beyond acknowledging the things that Jesus said and did. Faith is so much more than being intellectually persuaded by the case for Christ.

The kind of belief that the Bible is referring to in John 3:16 isn’t based on information in the head. It’s built on the rock of direct revelation from God (Matthew 16:17-18) that makes His word burn the human heart. (Luke 24;32)) True belief goes far beyond what physical eyes and ears can see and hear. It is supernaturally revealed to the eyes and ears of the heart. (1 Corinthians 2:8-10)

Faith depends and relies on the existence of God (Hebrews 11:6) not on mere human understanding or self-effort. (Zechariah 4:6) True belief trusts that God will bless those who diligently seek His face. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Belief can’t be taught classroom style, but it can be shared and demonstrated. Belief becomes contagious when people humbly and tenderly open their heart to testify (Revelation 12:11) and allow others to see and hear the reality of the supernatural faith in God that is living and working deep inside of them. (Philippians 2:13)

If you need to fly somewhere and think that a plane can take you there, if you really believe you will get on board and surrender your all to the pilot and the plane. True belief is nothing less than surrendering your all to the risen Jesus and relying on His presence (Colossians 1:27) to lead you and direct you throughout each day. (Romans 8:14)

The Bible indicates that Jesus wants His followers to be disciples who demonstrate true faith by the way they live, (John 8:31) not religious spectators. He wants them to be God’s family, (1 John 3:1-2) not a passive audience. He wants them to teach one another, (Colossians 3:16) to encourage one another, (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and to bear one another’s burdens, (Galatians 6:2) not to just to passively attend church. However, if you want to be an active participant and “doer of the word” instead of a spectator, (James 1:22) there’s a good chance that your living reliance on the risen Jesus will be labeled as rebellion.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com
Posted in bread of life, faith, meaning of life, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No Computer Can Explain This

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Steve Simms

True love cares enough about every human being to treat them with kindness and respect. Regardless of the political climate, Jesus commands His followers to love each other and even love their enemies. Why don’t we?

God cared so intensely about humanity that He gave His all to rescue people from pride, rebellion, and self-destruction so that whosoever will continually trust in, rely on, and depend on the presence of the living Jesus — on His death to atone for their sins, on His blood to cleans them, on His resurrection to embolden them, and on His Spirit to daily live in and through them — will be rescued, redeemed, healed, adopted, made new, empowered, and given intimate and never ending access to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (John 3:16)

Avoid deception reception! Before you accept and believe something to be true hesitate and wait long enough to thoroughly investigate and evaluate it. Celebrate truth; dissipate lies. Refuse to fluctuate between the two. Never allow hate on your plate! Don’t believe something because you read it on a computer, a phone, or a tablet. Seek truth.

I don’t trust in, rely on, and depend on Jesus because I read something about Him but because He lives and works powerfully within me throughout each day. He wants to do the same within you.

Posted in God's love, John 3:16, love is patient, love of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Overcome Fear by Changing Your Thoughts

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
View all responses

You can’t stop a thought from flying through your mind, but you can prevent it from roosting, cawing, and squawking in your head. A key to mental health is to quickly shoo away negative, painful, tormenting, and destructive thoughts. If you want to be happy conquer your mind and force it to think healthy, uplifting, peaceful, pure, and joyous thoughts.

An uncontrolled mind is a nest for deception. It freely welcomes and embraces distorted thoughts without intently examining them to see if they are true. (1 John 1:4)

Fear thoughts will make you scared. They will also make you self-focused, irrational, and unkind. Refuse to give fear thoughts any room in your mind. (1 John 4:18) Replace them with love thoughts. (Matthew 5:44)

Angry thoughts will keep you angry. They will keep you far away from inner peace. However, if you will begin to regularly and consistently pray God’s blessing on everybody you are angry at, your anger thoughts will gradually be replaced by compassionate thoughts. (Luke 6:28) That is called forgiveness. (Matthew 6:14)

Guilty thoughts are warnings from your conscience that you are in the wrong. To get rid of guilty thoughts turn away from whatever is causing them (Matthew 4:17) and ask God to forgive you. (Psalm 51:1)

You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control your thoughts. Will you? (2 Corinthians 10:5) Self-control begins when you take control of your thoughts. (Philippians 4:8)

Unhealthy thinking prevents people from experiencing thriving mental health and ongoing inner peace. (Romans 12:2) You are responsible for the thoughts that you allow to linger and lodge in your mind. You are the only person, place, or thing that can fill your mind with healthy thoughts.

Instead of allowing your thoughts to be random and uncontrolled ask God the Holy Spirit to help you take control of them and align them to God the Father’s will. (Galatians 5:22-23) Let the risen Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, work deep inside of you (Colossians 1:27) to train and empower you to have and maintain true mental health. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Posted in inner healing, mental health, positive attitude, positive thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment