Category Archives: persecution

Drawing a fish with a stranger

Posted on April 28, 2018 by Steve Simms

If you’re fishing for unity in the body of Christ, bait with your heart, not with minute theological details! To experience “reel” unity, we need to let the Holy Spirit pull us together!   The early Christians experienced a supernatural sense … Continue reading →

Posted in early Christianity, early Christians, persecution, religious persecution, Uncategorized, unity | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Move when the Spirit says move

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Steve Simms

To follow Jesus we need to move when the Spirit says move. God calls the body of Christ to be windmills responsive to His Spirit, not religious gatekeepers who try to control His wind.  A church that never allows God … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, church services, flow of the Spirit, God sightings, Let the redeemed of the Lord, organized religion, persecution, religion, religious apps, religious persecution, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus said “Follow Me,” not “Follow a 501c3!”

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Steve Simms

Christian disciples turn the world upside down; but religious adherents are often swept along with the world’s viewpoints. Jesus said: “Follow Me!” Not: “Follow a 501c3.” The risen Jesus lives inside of all His followers, so He doesn’t need a hierarchy … Continue reading →

Posted in apest, body of Christ, Christian organizations, church history, church movements, church organization, institutional church, Jesus Movement, Let the redeemed of the Lord, organizational chart, persecution, reform movements, religious persecution, spiritual life, spiritual movement, transformation movements, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are the Beatitudes shock words?

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Steve Simms

1) It takes both deeply-felt humility and great courage to let God rule & run your life. (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”) God is like a window but because of our pridefulness, we … Continue reading →

Posted in church, have mercy on me, inner peace, merciful, mercy, peace, peace of God, peacemaking, persecution, poor in spirit, pure in heart, religious persecution, righteousness, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gloria Gaither reviewed “Beyond Church”

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Steve Simms

In the current issue of Homecoming Magazine, Gloria Gaither reviewed Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible — Ekklesia. Here are some excerpts from Gloria’s Library column: “The way we worship and get our souls fed is changing. Oh, I … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Acts, Because He Lives, body of Christ, book of Acts, church, church meetings, family of God, Gospel, Gospel music, Greek New Testament, Greek word, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God, kingdom of God, music, organic church, participatory church, persecution, simple church, Southern Gospel, Sweet Sweet Spirit, Uncategorized, Western Christianity, Western culture, Western society, When you come together | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

3 Bold & Radical Martin Luther King Quotations

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

3 bold, radical, and ignored quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “God has a way of standing before the nations with judgment, and it seems that I can hear God saying to America, ‘You’re too arrogant! And if you … Continue reading →

Posted in America, arrogance, Be still and know that I am God, bold, change, change agent, Christ, Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, church history, colony of heaven, commitment, contemporary church, disturbers of the peace, drunk, early church, gladiators, God calling, God-intoxicated, hearing God, hearing Jesus, ignored, infanticide, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgment, MLK, mores, obey God rather than men, outside agitators, persecution, popular opinion, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, radical, radical obedience, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spirituality, thermometer, thermostat, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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

Views of Violence

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

If certain foreign nations and their leaders can be called evil (Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, etc.) and foreign terrorists and/or suicide bombers can be called evil, why aren’t America’s home-grown terrorists and mass murderers called evil? Why aren’t all … Continue reading →

Posted in Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, foreign terrorists, home grown, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love your enemies, medicine, persecution, pre-natal, prenatal, prenatal medicine, Quotations, quote, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Why does a society that prides itself on tolerance and the accepting of diversity into the mainstream; marginalize the praying community?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Steve Simms

Why does a society that prides itself on tolerance and the accepting of diversity into the mainstream; marginalize the praying community?  

Posted in acceptance, alternative lifestyle, attitude, boundaries, brainwashed, brainwashing, change, choice, comment, community, compassion, compromise, confession, conscience, controversial, controversy, convenience, conviction, criticism, current events, deception, denial, hate, hate speech, human nature, human rights, hypocrisy, insight, lifestyles, mystery, persecution, philosophical, philosophy, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, prayers don't get past the ceiling, praying, praying community, praying in tongues, reasoning, revelation, societal, society | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Drunk Christians?

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Steve Simms

Some observers of the early Christians made fun of them and said:  “They have had too much wine.”  (Would you use the word “drunk” to describe a gathering of Christians, nowadays?) Here’s the response to that accusation, given by Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts 2, acts of God, alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous, alternative lifestyle, Apostle Peter, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Biblical concept, booze it up, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, church, church history, church meetings, drinking, DUI, Ephesus, filled with the Spirit, free spirit, good sermon, guilt, hangover, inner peace, inner rivers, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mother Mary, life, lifestyle Christianity, makes change, miracles, missional, morality, morals, move of God, movement, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, new wine, Oh my God, on the web, Paul of Tarsus, peace, persecution, Peter, preaching, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, prophesy, prophet, prophet Joel, quench the Spirit, quote, Quotes, reformation, salvation, sober up, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual drunkenness, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, testimony, This is that spoken by the prophet Joel, Why be a Christian? | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments