Life’s amazing when I’m Jesus-aware

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Steve Simms

I never get tired of focusing on and interacting with the living Jesus. Jesus died on a cruel cross 2,000 years ago, but He’s not dead and He’s not stuck in the past. Are you aware that He’s alive, present, and active today?

Insight and awareness often come as a personal whisper from Jesus. The more we listen to Him, the freer we become. Self-based feelings and desires are not reality. To alter your life to fit them is to depart from truth.

Focusing on our feelings and desires limits our awareness and distorts our perspective of life. Focusing on the risen Jesus fills us with supernatural insight, hope, and compassion. If you see Jesus as only for religious services or desperate situations, you’re missing out on the glory of the everyday Jesus!

If you’re always rushing to the next moment, it’s easy to continually bypass the living Jesus and leave Him in your dust. Hope is real and embedded in the human heart, but it won’t inspire you as long as you’re unaware of it! The circumstances around us and the anxiety within us lose their power when we stay aware of the glory of Christ in us.

The Creator of the Universe
Became a man named Jesus
To rescue us from self-destruction
And to free us
To follow Him.

The more
I let Jesus inspire
And empower me
The less
I'm driven
And controlled
By self-focused desire.

Being self-led
By feelings and desires
Leads to confusion,
Torment and despair.
Being Jesus-led
By following His Spirit
Leads to understanding,
Peace and hope.

Too many Christians
Want to be spoon-fed
By a nice sermon
But it's much better instead
To be Jesus-led
And to let Him
Be your Head.

Churches seem to be unaware
That ordinary Christ-followers
Have God-given insights
And powerful testimonies
That they could share.

If you declare
That Christ is in you
But you're not aware
Of His presence there
Perhaps you're deceived.

Look beyond temptation's glare
And the burdens that you bear.
Behold and be aware
Of the risen Jesus!

Running after
The dollar bill 
Can easily become
A lifetime treadmill
That make us unaware
Of the inner joy
Of "Christ in you."

How are you?
Don't settle for "fine"
When Jesus wants
To make your life divine,
Overflowing with
The Spirit's new wine.

If you don't have a desire
To be on fire
For Jesus
You won't be.
(Matthew 5:6.)

As human beings we’re spiritually dead until we’re born again and become Jesus-led. See John 3 and Romans 8 in the Bible.

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Jesus-led people experience ongoing revival

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Steve Simms

A Jesus-led person
Isn’t a fanatic
But someone who can
Help remove the static
From your relationship
With God.

I love to be around Jesus-led people who truly follow Him moment by moment! They help keep me focused on His presence. From the Jesus Revolution of the 1970s to the Asbury Revival this year, I’ve sought out and have gotten to know and interact heart to heart with many passionate Jesus-led people.

Jesus-led people radiate His presence wherever they go. They rely on Him, not on human effort. They continually wake me up spiritually and help keep me focused on the risen Jesus!

Jesus-led people live their lives in a state of ongoing revival. Spending just a few minutes interacting with Jesus-led people in His presence is more powerful than any sermon I’ve ever heard!

My favorite people are Jesus-led people. Their passion for Christ rubs off on me. I also love Jesus-led people from the past. I spend a lot of time with them thru their writings They inspire me to follow and love Jesus more and more. They are humble and embrace the Cross with joy.

Jesus-led people love to be high on Jesus, drunk with His glorious and unspeakable joy, and soaring in His Spirit. They passion for Jesus is contagious. When people allow themselves to be Jesus-led, spiritual awakening flows from deep within them.

The norms and traditions of formal religion often cause people to feel satisfied with their spiritual condition and thus keep revival far away from their heart. Don’t wait for a crowd. Be a Jesus-led revival of one and spread the reality of the risen Jesus everywhere you go.

Revival isn’t neat and tidy like a church service. It will disrupt your life.

A Christ-follower must be Spirit-led. You can’t be Jesus-led and self-led at the same time. Who’s making the decisions in your life?

Although you sing and shout with gusto if your heart isn’t continually hungry for more of Jesus, you’re not experiencing revival. If you want to experience revival the place it needs to start is in your own heart. Revival happens when you get hungry for more and more of Jesus. When there’s little hunger to know Jesus better, revival is far away.

When you are so hungry for more of Jesus that you pursue His presence throughout the day every day, revival has arrived. Don’t let it slip away. To keep your heart hungry for Jesus and revival, read the Bible and let it deeply touch your heart daily; frequently sing heart-felt worship songs directly to Jesus; continually listen to and obey God’s voice in your heart.

Jesus-led people are among us. Look for and spend time with them!


“All the way my Savior leads me.” –Fannie Crosby

“Someday life’s journey will be over,
And I shall reach that distant shore;
I’ll sing, while entering Heaven’s door,
‘Jesus led me all the way.’” –John W. Peterson
(How about you?)

Just because
It has a steeple
Doesn’t mean
A building’s full
Of Jesus-led people.

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Laying down the mic of self-righteousness

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Steve Simms

Let’s drop the mic of our opinions, feelings, desires, and self-righteousness and begin to be led by God’s Spirit in all that we think, say, and do. The redemption that came by Christ Jesus gives us supernatural inner power to do that. Miracles happen when Christians lay down the mic of self-righteousness.

Righteousness (both right standing with God and the power to demonstrate right/holy living) is given to people who continually rely on the living Jesus by courageously stepping out and walking in faith rather than exerting mere human effort. They become people who believe in the risen Jesus so much that they trust in and obey His inner guidance (instead of their own understanding, emotions, and desires) moment by moment. The Bible calls that lifestyle one that is “led by the Spirit” and declares that the people who live that way are “the children of God.” See Romans 8:14.

No matter where you go, you’re always mic’d up to God. He hears it all!

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No matter where life takes you be aware there.

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Steve Simms

I’m continually aware that many invisible things are happening within me that have nothing to do with my body or with physicality — spiritual things like consciousness, comprehension, thought, conscience, temptation, discouragement, fear, worry, guilt, torment, inner peace, joy, hope, love, wisdom, compassion, and on and on! Some of those things are deceptive and destructive and are prompted by forces of evil. Some are helpful and wise and are prompted by goodness. It’s vital that I learn to resist the destructive and to align with the helpful.

Awareness is not confined to our ordinary senses. There’s a deep inner awareness that people are often completely unaware of.

Your feelings, desires, and opinions don’t identify you. You are not them. You are the human being who observes them.

Pride makes us unaware of the lies we believe. Humility makes us aware of the truth.

Lies are invented but truth is discovered. Lies can be made to fit our desires and plans but truth disrupts them. We need the awareness to notice the difference.

Guilt crushes happiness! Become aware of your conscience and let it steer you to the joy of being guilt free.

Learn to be aware
That life is more
Than what you wear
Or the burdens you bear.

When you’re unaware
That Jesus is everywhere
You live your life
As if He’s only up there
In Heaven.

You’ll never follow
God’s inner voice
Until you’re aware
That it’s there
Inside you.

It’s hard to worship God if you’re unaware of His presence. Worship without conscious awareness of God’s presence is empty.

God’s Law is the great appetizer that makes us realize our spiritual bankruptcy and causes us to hunger and thirst for awareness of His righteousness and forgiveness. Trying to keep His Law makes us aware of our tremendous need to surrender to the living Jesus and to be continually led by His Spirit. When we ignore God’s Law we falsely believe that we are good people and have no need to repent. Thus we have little interest in or belief in Christ’s power and presence working daily within us.

Thinking or talking about Jesus isn’t the same thing as being aware of Him living and working in your heart. Gathering with Christians to hear a Sunday sermon has never done much for me, but connecting heart-to-heart with other believers throughout the day to pray and testify revolutionizes my life. Church too often uses nice words about God to make people comfortable instead of introducing them to the awareness of the presence of the living Jesus.

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The Jesus Prayer & The Philokalia

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Steve Simms

I discovered the Jesus Prayer years ago when I found the book, “The Way of the Pilgrim.” It’s about a Russian man who roams from Ukraine to the Russian far east. As he wanders, he tries to “pray without ceasing” by constantly repeating the Jesus Prayer in his mind. He has many amazing encounters with God. His prize possession is a copy of the 5 volumes of the “Philokalia,” a collection of writings by ancient Orthodox monks who lived at various times during the 4th through the 19th centuries, which he reads along the way.

“The Way of the Pilgrim” inspired me to begin praying the Jesus Prayer and to find a copy of the “Philokalia.” I’ve read it through 3 times and frequently read different parts of it. It’s the most powerful Christian book I’ve ever read after the Bible.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner.” The Philokalia and the Jesus Prayer continue to touch me deeply, to open my heart more fully to God, and to help me to rely on God’s mercy rather than on my effort. When I can’t sleep at night, I repeat the Jesus Prayer over and over in my mind. Often, I will repeat it during the day.

The Philokalia is about how to hear God’s voice and submit to His will. Monks share practical ideas as well as their own experiences. Their testimonies are powerful and often match what God is doing in my heart. I’ve never been much into formalized religion and liturgical prayers, but God has used those Orthodox monks and their Jesus Prayer greatly in my life!

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Stationary wasn’t stationary

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Steve Simms

Stationary was once popular, but it’s now becoming rare. It wasn’t stationary.

Most mornings I wake up with a word in my mind that I get up and write about. Today my mind was empty, so I asked Jesus to give me a word to write about. Suddenly out of nowhere, the word “stationary” appeared in my mind. I didn’t think I could write anything about stationary, so I resisted a bit, but then I heard Him say, “Just trust Me.” So, I’m writing about stationary today.

To treat life like a stationary bike is to stay stuck in one place. No matter how hard you pedal you don’t move forward.

When Christians are spiritually stationary and not moving forward with the risen Jesus, they’re refusing to let the Lord write on their heart. Christ-followers don’t stay put. They follow and obey the risen Jesus wherever He leads them. Faith that follows and obeys the risen Jesus is offensive to people who want to remain stationary.

Jesus objects to you being a stationary object. He calls out, “Follow Me!” Make your heart “stationary” that God can write on, not “stationary” so that it hardens and seldom moves to follow God’s Spirit. Fill your texts, emails, posts, and stationary with encouragement and kindness, not with despair and rudeness.

My relationship with the risen Jesus is a daily voyage of discovery that is never stationary but always grows and moves forward. For me following Jesus is like riding a mountain bike to glorious heights, not sitting on a stationary religious bike and going nowhere.

To dance with the living Jesus, you can’t remain stationary. You must move as He leads you from within. True love isn’t stationary. It always grows stronger.

Rule-based Christianity is like a stationary bike — no matter how hard you pedal your hard work won’t take you forward. True Christianity is about ever moving forward as a follower and disciple of the living Jesus, not about a stationary place to weekly sit through religious rituals. It’s about being Christ’s stationary and allowing Him to continually write His word on your heart.

Jesus, You be the pen and let me be Your stationary. Write Your will on my heart.

Discipleship is not
A drydocked boat
That stays stationary
And refuses to float
With the current
Of God’s Spirit.

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Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm religion!

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Steve Simms

Since Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm religion, should we? See Revelation 3:16. I’m desperate for more of Jesus. I long to see the body of Christ wake up, shake off lukewarmness, and get on fire for God.

It’s sad
When religion
That’s lukewarm
Is seen as the norm
For Christianity.

Jesus is everywhere
But lukewarm religion
Meets to follow a program
As if He isn’t there.

Neither lukewarm coffee
Nor lukewarm religion
Is very effective
At waking people up.

It’s hard to lose
Lukewarm religion
If all you want
Is to spiritually snooze.

To be lukewarm
Is to be asleep
To the thrill
And glorious appeal
Of the living Jesus.

Lukewarm religion
Likes to scold
People who are ice cold
And to stop
Those whose heart
Is burning with red hot
Love for Jesus.

A cold-hearted culture
Won’t be inspired
By lukewarm religion.
A Jesus revolution
Is required.

Lukewarm religion
Rarely makes room
For people
Whose heart is hot
With a whole lot
Of passion for Jesus.

Religious lukewarmness
Will persist
Until Christians
Learn to resist
The religious
Status quo
And begin
To freely flow
With God’s Spirit.

Religious words
Are like birds
That fly across
The mind
But leave the heart
Behind
Unchanged.
Religious reflection
Is not the same as
Direct connection
With the risen Jesus.

When presented
With no thrill
Lukewarm sermons
Can easily conceal
That Jesus is present
And real.

If we wouldn’t serve Jesus lukewarm coffee, we probably shouldn’t serve Him lukewarm religion. Revival occurs when Christians have the courage to let the living Jesus be unscripted and uncontrolled.

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Invisible things are at work in human beings

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Steve Simms

Invisible things matter. What’s unseen is very significant! Too many Christians have been trained to overthink religion and to overlook the invisible Jesus.

Invisible things work inside people day and night — a churning collage of confusing thoughts, emotions, desires and fears — producing the storm of human angst that attacks our hope and disrupts our mental health. The invisible Jesus will calm your invisible inner storm with His invisible presence and peace if you will let Him.

The truth can set you free: 1) Honesty admit your sins to God and to yourself. 2) Ask for and humbly receive His forgiveness. 3) Surrender control of your life to the living Jesus as you daily obey His promptings.

Since Jesus lives within me, cleanses me with His blood, transforms me with His glorious presence, and empowers me with His righteousness, I am no longer trapped in the up and down storm of self-approval and condemnation. Jesus is an ongoing daybreak ever enlightening my heart–a never ending sunrise within me.

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Choice and consequences

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Steve Simms

As humans we like to pretend that we can make bad and/or wrongful choices and have no negative consequences. Reality disagrees!

If you plant something it will grow consequences. Be wise about what you plant (or allow to be planted) in your mind and heart. Choose what makes you smile with a wholesome heart!

If your life is in a place that you don’t want it to be, your decisions helped direct it there. Much misfortune and mental/emotional anguish is self-manufactured.

Catastrophic consequences often begin with tiny bad choices that gradually become compulsive habits and then tormenting addictions. When you make choices (even small ones), you cause consequences that cultivate and create your circumstances.

Negative consequences are wake-up calls trying to notify you about bad choices you are making so that you can begin to choose better. You are free to make choices that cultivate peace of mind rather than choices that cause guilt and inner torment.

Negative thinking will mess with your emotions and your rationality and produce negative consequences in your mind and heart. To blame anyone or anything for the consequences of your thoughts and decisions is to deny the truth.

Instead of making choices based on feelings, desires, or compulsions, it’s more effective to think about the future consequences and to choose based on wisdom. If you’re unwilling to speak the truth in love and to do the what’s right regardless of the circumstances, you’re following your own desires instead of the Holy Spirit.

One of the most destructive consequences of wrongdoing is guilt. Stopping the wrongdoing, making amends where possible, and seeking forgiveness will stop the guilt.

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Respecting rights . . .

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Steve Simms

People have a right to pretend to be the opposite gender. I have a right to kindly believe that they aren’t.

Many people disagree with my belief that Jesus transforms me and guides me from within, but that doesn’t mean that they hate me. I disagree with people who believe that they can change their gender, but I definitely don’t hate them.

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