Category Archives: mysticism

Is America Violent & Alienated From God Like Jean Valjean In Les Misérables?

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

Les Misérables, the new movie musical staring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried, beautifully brings Victor Hugo’s 1862 French novel to life.  However, it made me wonder:  Is America violent and alienated from God like the main … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, 21st Century, alternative lifestyle, Augustine, brainwashed, brainwashing, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, Christianity, conscience, conversion, convert, conviction, conviction of sin, cruel, devotion, discouragement, evangelism, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, fear, feelings, freedom, French novels, God, harmful thinking, hearing God, history, human nature, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, message, misery, moral failure, moral principles, morality, morals, movie, movie review, movies, musicals, mysticism, new birth, obedience, persecution, popular culture, prayer, relevation, religion, repentance, salvation, search for significance, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual themes, spiritual transformation, values, Victor Hugo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

21 Creative Blogs About Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy birthday, Jesus!  Here are some blogs I wrote about You and and Your birth: The World’s Most Unusual Christmas Greeting Christmas Eve Eve — The Night Before The Day Before The Fiscal Cliff The Christmas Drug — The High Hopes … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Twas the night before Christmas, angels, angels watching over you, Angels We Have Heard On High, belief, belief system, Biblical concept, blog readers, Christ, Christian values, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, culture, customs, cute story, devotion, entertainment, faith, His story, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, majesty, mystery, mysticism, prayer, reading, Reason For The Season, religion, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Spirit-filled, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual healing, spiritual transformation, tradition, Uncategorized, virgin Mary, worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Optimize Your Faith With Participatory Church

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

Faith can be enhanced or it can be diminished.  It is the responsibility of each individual to cultivate, nourish, and grow her/his faith or to allow it to wither away and possibly die.  Jesus illustrated this principle in the Parable … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, corps, encouragement, faith, faith-based, followers of Christ, freedom, honesty, Houston, improv, improvisation, insight, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual training, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Thanking God On Thanksgiving Day — 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy Thanksgiving 2102, everybody! (Let’s get started.) *Thank You, Lord for creating me and giving me life. Thank You for this beautiful world you have placed me in. (Sorry we humans have messed it up so much.) Thank You for … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, celebrations, church, comfort, community, compassion, confession of sin, conviction of sin, corps, creation, devotion, freedom, gift of God, God, God calling, God's protection, godly sorrow, guidance, happiness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, human life, human nature, humility, inner peace, intellect, invisible, inward change, joy, kindness, life, Lord, love, meaning, mind, miracles, move of God, movement, mysticism, Nashville, non-traditional church, opportunity, organic church, participatory church, prayer, prayer without ceasing, presence of Christ, presence of God, purpose, recovery, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, sin, spirit, Spirit-filled, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, surrender, surrender to God, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, truth, voice of God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What Would William Booth Say Today? (WWWBST?)

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

William Booth was the founder of The Salvation Army.  He was a man with a passionate love for God and a deep love for humanity.  He died 100 years ago this year.  What would William Booth say to us today … Continue reading →

Posted in authority, Bible type revival, Biblical concept, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian organizations, combat, deliverance, devotion, die to self, disciple making, disciples, discipline, discipling, England, faith, faith-based, fear, feelings, fight the good fight of faith, flag, followers, followers of Christ, freedom, glory, glory days, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart-felt love, heroes, history, inner city, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, ministry, miracles, missional, modeling, moral failures, moral principles, move of God, movement, mysticism, normal Christianity, obedience, open airs, openairs, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, praying, quote, Quotes, red hot, relevation, religion, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, righteousness, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seduction, self-control, self-denial, self-destruction, self-discipline, self-focus, sex, soul, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual walk, surrender, surrender to God, temptation, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Poem — Feel The Real Deal Thrill . . .

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

When you know that Jesus is real There’s a never-ending thrill, No matter how you feel. You can’t stand still Or follow the seductive appeal Of popular culture’s deal, Because your heart is full of passion and zeal To hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Christian, conversion, mystery, mysticism, salvation, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, surrender, surrender to God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

My 21st Century Psalm (King David Style)

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Steve Simms

I recently attended a prayer and fasting retreat sponsored by the Kentucky and Tennessee Division of The Salvation Army and was challenged to write a psalm.  So I did.  Here it is: Psalm of Steve #1 Nothing comes from nothing, … Continue reading →

Posted in belief system, Bible, burning heart, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, confession of sin, conviction of sin, creation, creationism, Creator, creeds, deliverance, devotion, faith-based, fire of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, gratitude, insight, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyles, live to please God, makes change, mysticism, new birth, praise and worship, prayer, revelation, Scriptures, spirit, Spirit-filled, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, surrender to God, testimony, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Will It Take For A Bible Type Revival To Happen In America?

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Steve Simms

At The Salvation Army Berry Street last Sunday we passed out paper and pens and had everybody who was willing to write out a question for God and then to listen to God for His answer to their question. Then … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American, American church, American history, Americans, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible type revival, Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church programs, conviction of sin, devotion, die to self, disaster, disasters, disciple making, disciples, discipline, guidance, guide, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, inspiration, institution, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, meaninglessness, message, movement, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, normal Christianity, participatory church, praise and worship, relevation, religion, repent, repentance, revolution, rivers of living water, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, society, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Is Evolution The Solution To How Life Developed?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Steve Simms

If you were walking through the woods on a large, uninhabited island and came upon a place where hundreds of apple trees were perfectly arranged in rows exactly 8 feet apart, what would you conclude? 1)  That evolution on the … Continue reading →

Posted in answer, apple orchard, apple trees, belief, belief system, creation, creationism, creativity, Creator, debate, life, logic, meaning, meaninglessness, miracles, mysticism, reasoning, scientific debate, species, theory, uninhabited island | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Simple Path To Peace (And Joy And Success) In Life

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

The Simple Path To Peace (And Joy And Success) In Life — Flip the switch of repentance and faith. Connect with your Creator. Let His spiritual life flow through and control you daily.

Posted in 'Tis The Gift To Be Simple, alternative lifestyle, Creator, daily, faith-based, flip the swithch, hearing God, hearing Jesus, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, listening, marvel, ministry, miracles, move of God, mystery, mysticism, obedience, Oh my God, presence of Christ, presence of God, put off the old man, religion, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, revolution, rivers of living water, salvation, security, self-denial, self-help, simplicity, soul, soul food, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual athletes, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual walk, spiritual warfare, still small voice, submission, surrender, surrender to God, truth, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment