Be a heart cultivator

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Steve Simms

If you won’t continually cultivate nourishing thoughts, feelings, and desires in your heart, deceitful and destructive ones will grow naturally. The thoughts, feelings, and desires that compel and control you are the ones you have cultivated within you. To keep your heart from wilting with worry cultivate it with hope!

A Christ-follower is a heart-cultivator improving the soil of his heart so it can grow and flourish with the fruit of God’s Spirit. Make your heart a greenhouse for God’s Spirit, not a warehouse of deception.

To cultivate continual awareness of the presence of the risen Christ requires much more than a daily dose of devotional literature. It’s an every moment thing. In a society filled with aggressive weeds it takes great courage to resist them and to cultivate God’s seeds in your heart.

The happiest people are cultivators who weed bad seeds from their heart and nurture it with Christ’s compassion, humility, and hope. To grow the fruit of God’s Spirit, cultivate your heart.

Cultivate your heart!
It’s time to start
To cultivate your heart.
Where it is closed
Let it be exposed.
Where it’s stoney
Remove all that’s phony.
Pull out all of your weeds
To make room for God’s seeds.
Life’s only real security
Is to cultivate
Christ’s purity
In your heart.

If you will persistently cultivate
God’s will within your heart
You will grow to celebrate
A harvest of the fruit
Of His presence.

The word “ekklesia” (translated as “church” in almost all English Bibles) is a political term. It was the proper name of the town meeting in ancient Greek cities where all citizens were considered equal, and anyone could speak out in the assembly. Jesus said that He would build His town meeting (ekklesia) on the rock of revelation (Spirit-given insight and awe) not on human organizational or theological understanding. Christ’s town meeting creates an environment of open, Spirit-led sharing (1 Corinthians 14:26) where Jesus can be the present, active, and hand-on Head personally directing His gathered body so it can literally demonstrate “the fullness of Him” and be His light in human societies. (Ephesians 1:23.)

When the light that shines in members of Christ’s body is dimmed by weeds of religious tradition, fleshly desires, deceitfulness, human insecurities, and other things, a nation grows dark. To reverse that trend requires Christ’s light bearers begin to cultivate in their own heart the ingredients listed in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The essence of Christ’s ekklesia is to cultivate an environment where hearts are willing to be cultivated, exposed, and healed. To believe that your desires change reality Is a delusion. Wanting something doesn’t make it true and doesn’t make it right.

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Posted in Christ in you the hope of, Cul2vate, growing in grace, spiritual formation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hand the crown to King Jesus

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Steve Simms

Human governments are temporary. The risen Jesus is the now and eternal Lord. They’ll be no national flags in Heaven.

Government establishes and maintains social order. Jesus changes hearts. Government protects people from physical chaos. Jesus protects people from the inner chaos of hopelessness and despair. Government works by making and enforcing laws. Jesus works by healing hurting hearts.

Because Jesus works in human hearts most of what He does is unknown until we open our heart to each other. If you don’t tell what Jesus is doing in your heart, you’re hiding some of His most powerful miracles from other people. Openly and humbly talk about what Jesus is doing inside of you much more than you talk about government. Then you will give people real hope for lasting change that heals both individuals and nations and goes infinitely beyond social order and patriotic pride.

Cancel corruption. Open your heart to radical honesty and sincere humility.

What a miracle when God opened up the Red Sea! What a miracle when you let God open up your hardened heart! Jesus builds His kingdom by opening hearts and connecting them to Him and to each other. It may not feel safe to open your heart to Jesus and to people, but it’s powerful! Take the risk!

The most important story people can tell, the most beautiful song they can sing, is to share what Jesus is doing inside them. The more we tell people what Jesus is doing within us the more they can see His glory instead of us. My favorite thing to share with people and to post on social media is what Jesus is saying and doing in my heart!

People often don’t want to hear what I hear Jesus telling me. Sometimes I don’t even want to hear it. It’s easy to be more concerned about preserving cash flow than about telling the truth.

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Posted in God's government, government, King Jesus, kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jesus isn’t afraid of an open mic! Neither should you be.

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Steve Simms

When an open mic and open hearts come together it’s powerful! Jesus isn’t afraid of an open mic! Neither should you be.

A microphone open to God’s Spirit is powerful! Ordinary people are allowed to reveal their heart to one another and to share what Jesus is saying and doing in their life. One open heart leads to another as people speak as prompted by the Holy Spirit and waves of spiritual life flood the meeting. The presence of the risen Jesus fills people with awe. The open mic is watched over by a few mature Christ-followers who discretely oversee what is said and done and are ready to lovingly correct anything that isn’t aligned with Scripture and with God’s Spirit.

Why is the world in a mess? Humans, like our first two ancestors, are in rebellion against the present reign of God. We resist and reject His authority as King and follow our own desires, opinions, feelings, and thoughts instead.

Here are four common styles of heart protection from Jesus’ “Parable of the Sower.”
1) Hard heart: Shutting down your heart to try to keep from being hurt.
2) Shallow heart: Living superficiality to avoid facing the more painful aspects of life.
3) Crowded heart: Cramming your heart full of empty thoughts, feelings, and desires to distract you from life’s troubles.
4) Pure heart: Keeping your heart humble, eager to turn away from all that’s wrong, hungry for righteousness, and obedient to God.

Regularly participating in a Spirit-led open mic meeting empowers Christians to clean out and purify their heart. Unfortunately, allowing Jesus to be the person in authority in a worship meeting is a rarity.

The body of Christ is a spiritual structure, not an organizational or physical one. It grows and spreads by people humbly connecting heart-to-heart as they are led by the Spirit. The body of Christ is built on spiritual authority coming from the presence of Jesus actively working in and flowing through various members of the body as He personally directs them.

Here are better questions than “Where do you go to church?”
Where are you involved in:

  • A Christ-controlled community?
  • A Spirit-led get-together?
  • A listen-to-Jesus meeting?
  • An obeying-God’s-Spirit assembly?
  • A Jesus encounter group?
  • A Holy Spirit huddle?
  • A gathering under God’s direct command?
  • A Jesus-led support group?

As Christ-followers, we don’t need to affirm that our sins are gone. The Pharisees were famous for proudly doing that. We need to demonstrate that our sins are gone by humbly and gratefully living in Christ’s power and victory over them and continually guarding our heart that we don’t get deceived by and entangled with them again. Christ-followers need to show the reality, love, and power of the living Jesus by our daily lifestyle, not just to proclaim it with words.

The first man and woman hid from the moment-by-moment awareness of the presence of God. Most of their descendants do too.

The “opportunity of your life” isn’t a great open door that comes once in your lifetime. It’s the opportunity of being alive day by day.

Christianity’s far more
Than religious ambiance
For an audience
In an auditorium.

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How does a Jesus revolution happen?

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Steve Simms 
Jesus revolution
Is birthed by awe
Not by analysis;
By revelation
Not by administration;
By inner light and insight
Not by religious rite;
By a tide of humility inside
Not by spiritual pride;
In the heart, not the head.
It's not a Christian audience;
It's people who experience
The risen Jesus day and night.
Dry bones will arise
Whey they sincerely look
Into Jesus' eyes.
Behold the Lamb of God!

The radiation
Of inner revelation
Is a much better solution
To anxiety and stress
Than self-medication,
Ongoing sedation,
And reality rejection.
For revitalization
Let Christ shine in you!

There's no outward solution
To the intrusion
Of identity confusion.
Only an infusion
Of light and insight
Can end the pollution
Of inner illusion
And bring about
A freeing conclusion.

Be an inner goalie.
Refuse to let
The devil's shots
Enter your heart.
Posted in Asbury Revival 2023, Jesus Movement, Jesus revolution, revival, spiritual awakening | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

True love can overcome love-phobia!

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Steve Simms

True love listens with the kindness and tenderness of an open heart that truly cares. True love humbly shares in and bears other people’s pain. Self-protecting love falls far short of the vulnerability of true love.

Love-phobic people know that it is frightening to open your heart to others, to care deeply about them, and to let them care about you. They know that love involves vulnerability and can easily be hurt by disappointment and heartbreak. Love-phobic people often run from and/or use blame or resentment to distance themselves from the people who love them the most.

Love-phobic people demand unconditional approval of their words and behaviors. If they don’t get it, they accuse others of being unloving. They define love as big warm blanket-approval that embraces and applauds their desires, feelings, and actions. They consider an unwillingness to applaud their choices as unloving.

Love respects people and their right of disapproval. It doesn’t get defensive, disappear, or shut down because of disagreement. True love knows that the people who love you continue to care deeply about you even when they don’t approve of or agree with your words or behaviors.

True love is sacrificial. Because true love continues to care about people no matter how much it has been hurt by them, it is beyond mere human ability. Divorce demonstrates how human love can come to an end and disintegrate into open disdain and heart-felt hostility.

True love is supernatural. It requires an ongoing experience of and awareness of God’s love that isn’t based on approval of your thoughts, feelings, desires, and behaviors, but cares deeply about you no matter what!

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Bugs that remind me of Jesus

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Steve Simms

On the stillness
Of backwater
I see bugs
That walk on water.
In the darkness
Of the night
I see bugs
That shine a light.
I get to see
God’s miracles
When I embrace
Receptivity
And make room for
Jesus to speak to me.

Continually make room
In your life
To freely receive
God’s gift of grace.
Work to replace
Your pride with humility.
Get out of God’s way
By bringing every thought
Captive to Christ.
So you can behold Him
And give Him space
To do His work
In and through you.

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The renewing of your perspective — seeing as Jesus sees

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Steve Simms

What does the biblical phrase “the mind of Christ” mean? Most English translations of the Bible translate the Greek word “nous” as “mind.” However, if you search through the definitions of “nous” you find that it has a broader meaning than just the intellect. Here’s an example: “reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil, the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially.”

As humans we observe life from the very narrow perspective (“nous”) of our self-interest. When humanity rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden our perspective (“nous”) shifted from God’s point of view to self-focus. Now our thoughts, feelings, desires, and opinions are skewed. They distort the way we view and interpret the things in our life. For us to be transformed and aligned with God, our perspective (nous) needs to be renewed so that it becomes accurate and impartial rather than deceptive.

If we learn to see our life and our circumstances from God’s point of view and surrender our will to Him, we will be transformed. Seeing from His perspective/nous, we will begin to behold the reality of the Lamb of God working in, through, and around us to make all things work together for our good.

Our human perspective/nous is like a man watching the Macy’s Parade in New York City from deep within an alley. He only sees a few feet of the parade at a time. However, the mind (nous/perspective) of Christ is like a man in a helicopter above the city and able to view the entire parade of life at one time.

The perspective of Christ is eternal. The human perspective is temporal and very shortsighted. Much of our pain, frustration, and rebellion is the result of our human shortsightedness. When we renew our perspective by continually looking beyond our own thoughts, feelings, desires, and opinions, and begin focusing on the “author and finisher of our faith” what glory, wonder, and awe come into view!

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Learning to rely on Jesus and His mercy

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Steve Simms

Viewing God’s mountain of mercy from the valley of dry bones.

When strength is gone,
When pride has vanished,
When self-inflicted shame
Has exposed our guilt
And wrecked our life,
When we can honestly say:
“I know that within me,
That is within my flesh,
Dwells no go thing,”
From that low place
We can view God’s mercy
As He runs as the Father
To embrace His rebellious child
Humbly returning home.

We need revival not just survival.
When we’ve come to the place
Where we’re willing to replace
The pride of group compliance
To a religious program,
With humble heart alliance
And genuine reliance
On the risen Jesus,
We’ll experience His glory
Not just hear His story!

When Christians gather for worship it’s a wonderful time to demonstrate radical reliance on the risen Jesus rather than reliance on a religious routine. The lack of direct ongoing reliance on the presence of the living Jesus creates a Christianity of religious pride, programming, and passivity.

Here are some keys to being the good and fruitful soil in Christ’s “Parable of the Soils” and to learning to rely on Him day and night:

1) Open your heart to God and keep it open all the time.

2) Let Jesus work deep within you.

3) Be a weed whacker warrior and keep all weeds and thorns out of your heart. (Weed whacker warriors remove the weeds in their life that interfere with their willingness to radically rely on the risen Jesus.) It takes humility and brokenness to be able to handle the truth and not deny it.

We humans can think up words. God can inspire words. Demons can inspire words. We humans need reliance on God’s discernment to recognize the difference and His wisdom to reject demon inspired words. It blows my mind that people who claim to be Christ-followers use words that are anointed by demons (commonly called profanity).

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Can you see God’s mercy?

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Steve Simms

“In view of God’s mercy” provided by Christ’s sacrifice (My hope is built on nothing less!)

If you are unwilling to view and accept the truth that you deserve and have earned God’s judgment, you won’t be aware of God’s mercy. Instead, you will falsely believe that you’re entitled to God’s favor and blessing.

Mercy is releasing someone from punishment that they justly deserve. Where there are demands and entitlement, there is no room for mercy. Pride never views mercy. It only sees entitlement.

The Beatitudes bring mercy into view. Those who are poor in spirit are aware of their great need God’s mercy. They humbly (meekly) mourn over their rebellion against God (in their actions and in their heart) and that makes their heart hungry and thirsty to fully submit to God’s kingdom authority and to always live according to His righteousness. They are comforted in their brokenness and their heart is purified so that they can continually view God and ever experience His mercy. They make peace with God and become His children as they are no longer led by their own desires but by God’s Spirit. Because they begin to obey God’s will and kingdom authority those who are rejecting God’s mercy will persecute them.

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Be an inner weed whacking warrior.

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Steve Simms

Be an inner weed whacking warrior. Aggressively resist, cut down, and remove every thought, feeling, desire, and opinion in you that hinders Jesus from freely working in you.

To be an Inner Weed Wacker Warrior you need to:

  • Be aware of and notice your weeds;
  • Care that they’re there and want them gone;
  • Dare to aggressively resist them;
  • Continually tear them out;
  • Share your need for and accept help and accountability;
  • Keep on fighting your inner weeds with prayer and great effort;
  • Never surrender to despair.

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