Letting pain produce great gain

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Steve Simms

If you’re looking for something or someone to make you happy, you’re actually looking for the One who created you to be happy. Let your pain lead you to continually surrender the control of your life to the risen Jesus. The more I let pain cause me to look for and submit to the presence of Jesus, the happier I am!

Pain often helps propel people into continual supernatural joy with Jesus, so that they don’t feel a need to look for happiness elsewhere. It can cause us to seek to be consistently aware of His presence and obedient to His voice.

To be led by the living Jesus requires faith and action. You have to believe that God is speaking to you and obey what He tells you to do even in your pain. Being led by God’s Spirit is adventurous, exciting, and fulfilling. Try it and see.

Being Spirit-led is normal Christianity. Anything else is sub normal. See Romans 8:14.

It’s important for Christians to resist and be set free from the deception, torment, and influence of demons so that we can freely be led by God’s Spirit. Pain can wake us up to sneaky demons that can influence us without us even being aware of their presence, such as pride, rebellion, and racism.

The feeling of loss can toss down pride and guide us to surrender to the daily work of the Cross in our life when we let pain slowly produce great gain by training us little-by-little to embrace meekness, mercy, brokenness, purity, and hunger for righteousness. Then we begin to taste and see that God is working all things together for our good and we learn to literally rejoice in trials, temptations, persecution, and delay as we wait with Christ “the hope of glory” overflowing our heart with His present reality and power.

When Christians depend
On being spoon-fed
Religious nuggets
To ease their pain,
It’s hard to learn
To be Spirit-led.

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Posted in cause of suffering, healing, joy, no pain no gain, pain, suffering | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let go and let Jesus lead!

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Steve Simms

Wake up. To be numb inside is to miss out on Christ’s internal life. Embrace the lifestyle of binge-watching the risen Jesus and internally streaming the author and finisher of the faith.

Quick Christianity served up as a tidy Sunday service and then shelved for a week abandons the power of abiding in the vine and being led by the Spirit. Being led by a pastor or a program is nothing like being led by the Spirit.

Quick Christianity can be completed in only one hour per week. True discipleship is 24/7/365.

You can’t follow Jesus if you won’t let Him lead! To be a Christ-follower is to be daily led by the risen Jesus. Let go and let Jesus lead!

A dead Jesus can’t direct a church service but must depend on someone else to run things. The risen Jesus can. Dare we let Him?

To corral and confine Christianity to programmed church services is to cut it out of daily life. Let’s open the corral and let God’s Spirit run free!

An external church service is a poor substitute for Christ’s internal life. Keep your focus on being led by “Christ in you.” (When you find yourself wanting a church service to end, it reveals that you don’t really want to be there.)

A church service has a timed beginning and ending, but a relationship with Jesus should never stop, not even for a moment. Jesus is present when Christians gather but He is rarely surrendered to as the direct leader of the meeting.

If you know more about the Bible than you’re using in daily life, you don’t need more information. You need more application!

Christians are called
To be daily led
By the Spirit,
Not to just sit
Through a sermon
And simply hear it.

Christianity's not a service
That you sit through.
It's "Christ in you,"
Daily directing
What you say and do.
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Posted in Christian leadership, church leadership, leadership, led by the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wake up to heart-training

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Steve Simms

The living Jesus is the great Heart-Changer! We need to train our heart to continually open up to and surrender to Jesus.

I woke up this morning with these thoughts being written on my heart:

An open heart has ears to hear God’s Spirit. A closed heart is stuck in its own opinions. The human heart was created to be loyal to a king. If it closes to King Jesus it will surrender to the reign of deceptive desires. A heart closed to the risen Jesus is griped by pride and deception. “The pride of your heart has deceived you.” –Obadiah 1:3.

The human heart has departed from God and needs to be renewed by opening up to and surrendering to the living Jesus. Jesus said: “Out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” If we will keep our heart continually open to His presence and Lordship, He will expel those things and replace them with His Spirit.

King David cried out to God for a clean heart. Jeremiah prophesied that God would give broken people a new heart. To those who will give the living Jesus unending access to their heart, God delivers on David’s request and Jeremiah’s promise and “Christ in you” turns an evil heart into one being continually filled with God’s glory.

Then Jesus will build His ekklesia (the town hall meeting in ancient Greek cities) on the rock of Divine revelation as He connects people heart-to-heart to His Spirit and to each other. See Matthew 16:18 and Ephesians 2:22.

The human heart was created to be open to God and to other people. If yours isn’t something’s off. Continually open your heart to the Lordship and authority of the risen Jesus. For a heart-opening handbook, search for: The Joy Of Early Christianity book.

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Posted in heart, heart care, heart connection, heart is deceitful, heart of worship, heart religion, human heart, pure in heart, secrets of your heart | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

To connect heart-to-heart we have to open our heart

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Steve Simms

When Christ-followers open up to each other so the presence of Jesus can be seen in them, deep supernatural heart-connection instantly occurs. Religious words without heart-connection with Jesus and other Christians have little impact on people’s lives.

Strangers who are both connected heart-to-heart with Jesus quickly discover a heart connection with each other. I’ve frequently experienced that in my life!

To worship is to connect heart-to-heart with God and be awed by His presence. When you learn to “Rejoice in the Lord always,” worship is wherever you are! Christianity isn’t about a weekly spectator event. It’s about ongoing heart-to-heart interaction with the living Jesus.

Make the most of Jesus’ name. Say it, write it, think it, and savor it more than any other name, including your own!

Opening my heart: I believe that God has called me to be a passionate and persistent proclaimer and facilitator of “the priesthood of the believer” instead of one-man control of a church service. Because of that viewpoint I get much criticism and very little praise. In the past week, three different people who I don’t even know have rebuked me for my views that I post in my blog and on social media. That helps me to avoid the trap of my ego.

I have wanted to be famous, but God has protected me from that desire by closing numerous doors that I had worked hard to open. He has also called me to intentionally lay down things that I love to do. For example, I love to preach, but once He called me to copastor a church for 10 years with my wife and not to preach a single sermon. Instead, we had an open mic every Sunday morning.

Humility is hard to learn. I’ve still got so far to go.

Go to Jesus
Wherever you are
And keep your heart
Open to His presence
Because He is
Everywhere.
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Posted in Christianity, from the heart, heart, heart care, heart connection, heart-felt | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The body of Christ needs the living Bread of Life!

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Steve Simms

Jesus is the Bread of Life. He calls us to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” to daily surrender our heart and my mind to His presence, leadership, and Lordship as the living Bread. Here’s how I try to do that:

God’s Spirit gently leads, enlightens, and empowers. The devil tempts, deceives, and enslaves. I notice what is going on in my mind, desires, and emotions and then discern its source. Then I verify my discernment with Scripture and resist the devil while drawing near to and obeying God. I also frequently interact heart-to-heart with numerous other believers who are doing the same thing. I listen to what the Spirit is telling them and when we’re aligned it helps confirm what God is telling me.

I had a picture of a structure similar to the one in the picture below come to my mind and felt like God was showing me what the body of Christ is like when it is being led by the Spirit. It is people connecting heart-to-heart around no one and nothing but the living, invisible Jesus. Later that day I went for a walk on streets I haven’t been before and saw the structure in the picture. Almost every day I experience the supernatural reality that Spirit-led heart-connections actually demonstrate and release the presence and power of the unseen Jesus.

When members of the body of Christ aren’t communicating heart-to-heart with the risen Jesus and with each other they choke their supernatural connection with God’s Spirit. Then they begin to gather around and to rely on human methods and programs instead of on the living Jesus.

When I keep pointing out how much more effective Spirit-led gatherings of the body of Christ are than human programmed and controlled church services, I’m not bitter about church. I’m just excited about how incredibly amazing Spirit-led meetings are.

Posted in Holy Spirit, revival, spiritual awakening | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Connecting with the inner Comforter

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Steve Simms

The more you hunger and thirst for righteousness, the more the inner Comforter can communicate with you and fill you with Christ’s presence. The more you allow yourself to be broken and poor in your own spirit, the more you can hear God’s Spirit and let Him lead you beyond routine religion and into the promised land that He wants you to inherit. If you’ve been given a deep hunger to know Jesus better, don’t let anyone or anything hold you back from personally pursuing Him.

Connect today with the Comforter, Christ living in you, and hear what the Spirit, the Teacher, the Leader, the Head is saying directly to you. One of the ways that the Spirit speaks within us is to remind us of various Bible verses throughout the day. I don’t have one particular life-verse from the Bible but many living verses that take turns burning in my heart and fueling me from within as the Spirit brings them to my remembrance.

The worst memory loss is when we don’t allow the Comforter to bring Scriptures to our remembrance and ignite His fire within us. (If you’ll daily read the Bible with an open heart, you’ll notice that the inner Comforter will personally remind you of Scripture verses during the day.)

Do you want to learn to hear the Comforter more clearly? Gather with at least one other Christian at least once a week to listen to the risen Jesus and be led by His Spirit together.

Church is too often like a bank of lights with all the bulbs unscrewed and wondering why the people around them don’t see. I want to be more effectively plugged into the risen Jesus so I can shine brighter in this dark world. The dominion of desire devastates free will. The dominion of Jesus sets the will free to follow Him.

Roman Emperor Constantine turned Jesus’ ekklesia (town hall meeting) into the religious institution known as church. The Emperor’s new clothes have too often hidden the risen Jesus behind the institutional Jesus and made the inner Comforter difficult to connect with. The truth is that connection with the invisible Comforter is simple–just surrender to His presence.

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Posted in Comforter, fruit of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, memory, the Comforter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

If you’re a Christian, you’re a Christ-called missionary!

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Steve Simms

Every Christian is a Christ-called missionary sent to be a bright light who demonstrates the presence of Jesus to the world. To truly accept Christ is to embrace His calling to be His minister and missionary to those around you.

Churches are full of people who are Christ-called to be His missionaries but have been trained to ignore God’s Spirit. Let’s face it! As a Christian, you’re a Christ-called missionary, not just a passive sermon-hearer! It’s time to get out of religiosity and get going for Jesus!

Contemporary culture conspires to freeze your heart and make it as hard as ice. Let the warmth of the living Jesus melt the hardness in your heart until you overflow with inner rivers of living water. Train your heart to listen to and obey God’s Spirit, not the voice of temptation.

Instead of letting darkness distract, entangle, and deceive us we need to focus on setting hurt people free. Train your ears to hear the sound of the Spirit, moving like the wind within your heart and directing you with gentle nudges.

If you converse
With tempting thoughts
They will immerse
And coerce
You with
Rebellious desires.
Instead rebuke
Resist and refute
Until you boot
Them out.

If you don’t learn
To resist
And refute
The lies of temptation,
They’ll lead you to live
Like a brute.

Posted in ministry, missionaries, missionary, priesthood of the believer, royal priesthood, universal priesthood | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can the devil throw you with a stone?

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Steve Simms

Attune to
Christ in you.
Let Him guide
From inside
Your heart.
Be Spirit-led,
Not desire-led;
Jesus-led,
Not temptation-led.

Beware of the devil’s stumbling stones! What you let Christ do in you is much more powerful than what you try to do for yourself.

A plastic surgeon can’t make your soul beautiful, but the living Jesus can!

A degree can’t remove the debris from your life, but the risen Jesus can!

Travel can’t unravel the messes you’ve made, but Christ can set you free!

Binge watching your favorite movies or series can’t help you overcome your problems, but binging on Christ’s presence can!

A drink or two, or even a few or a slew, won’t overcome your pain, but Christ can!

Denial can’t remove your guilt, but Jesus can!

Entertainment can’t give you lasting inner peace, but Christ living in you can!

Shopping won’t buy you happiness, but the risen Jesus can give you joy!

Being in a crowd won’t end the loneliness deep inside of you, but Jesus can!

Neither fine dining nor non-stop snacking can satisfy the hunger in your soul, but Jesus can.

A big house doesn’t guarantee a loving home, but Christ can create caring community in any family.

Drugs can’t permanently end the torment within you, but the risen Jesus can!

Passivity won’t stop your discouragement, but the risen Christ can!

Sermon-hearing won’t empower you to live a godly life, but the risen Jesus can!

Music can’t keep your heart singing, but Christ in you can!

A tattoo in your skin can’t undo your shame, but Christ living in you can!

More and more money won’t keep you happy inside, but the living Jesus can!

Physical exercise won’t expel the demons from your mind, but Jesus can!

A costly sports car can’t transport you to unending love, but Christ can!

Sex can’t thrill you with never-ending joy, but Christ in you can!

Hanging out in a bar won’t bar depression from your life, but Jesus can!

Watching sports can’t keep you always rejoicing, but Jesus can!

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Posted in addiction, deliverance, desires, lust, overcoming temptation, recovery, temptation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My identity

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Steve Simms

Son of God have mercy on me.
My identity
Is Christ in me,
Not what I feel
Or what I want,
Or what I see,
But daily
Letting Jesus
Direct me
From within,
And living
By His mercy.

“Christ in you,” the inner Jesus, is infinitely more than a church service or a sermon or a Christian concert. He’s the Creator of the Universe, waiting for you to lay down your ego and quit blocking His way, so that He can release the ongoing flow His glory within you, though you, and around you.

Posted in Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christianity, discipleship, experiencing Jesus | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hand-me-down religion’s no fun!

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Steve Simms

Secondhand Christianity creates religious spectators. Firsthand faith produces Spirit-led Christ-followers. God’s more concerned with what you do the remaining 167 hours per week than with what you do for one hour on Sunday morning.

Hand-me-down Christianity is never as powerful as firsthand interaction with Jesus. Sermon-hearing and church programs are forms of hand-me-down Christianity that don’t require any actual interaction with Jesus. Toss out your religious hand-me-downs and begin to seek God and read the Bible for yourself! Be taught and led by the Spirit.

Secondhand Christianity is taught from mind to mind. Firsthand faith is more caught by the heart than taught by the brain. Religious hand-me-downs often entrap us in casual Christianity and prevent us from having frequent firsthand experiences with Jesus.

Hand-me-down Christianity is propagated by religious institutions. Firsthand faith is birthed in a human heart by God’s Spirit. Secondhand religion is a sedative. Firsthand faith stirs up the fire of God. Religious hand-me-downs may be comfortable but many of them block God’s light from our heart.

What a preacher tells you is hand-me-down Christianity. What the living Jesus tells you is first-hand faith! Jesus says this about religious hand-me-downs. “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”

Jesus wants to give you a living relationship with Him, not second-hand religion! Let Jesus make you a new creature in Christ, not a religious hand-me-down.

Beliefs about God are frequently religious hand-me-downs rather than resounding revelation. Which are your beliefs? If you’ve accepted all the religious beliefs you were taught by a church without questioning them and seeking God yourself, you have religious hand-me-downs.

How I lost my hand-me-down religion: I experienced a most unusual “if” thought once while sitting through a sermon as a teenager: “If you were born a Hindu what would you be today?” After pondering it I realized that I would have been a Hindu. Another thought rapidly followed: “Why do you think you’re a Christian?” In a flash I realized that my Christian beliefs were just hand-me-down cultural religion that I had blindly accepted. That revelation made me hungry for reality, so I asked God to show me the truth. About two years later I had a personal encounter with the risen Jesus that filled me with unrelenting passion to follow and obey Him.

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Posted in civil religion, formal religion, organized religion, religion, routine religion, Western religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment