The kingdom of God manifests when people are being led by the Spirit.

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Steve Simms

When God’s word
Is living in you,
Your heart becomes a place
Full of amazing grace
And the flowing light
Of living insight
Makes doing God’s will
Pure delight,
Joy unspeakable
And full of glory!

I wake up almost every morning with insight being birthed in my heart. It blazes within me like a burning bush. It’s such a blessing to be still and know that Jesus is alive and wanting all of us humans to be led by His Spirit.

The kingdom of God is Spirit-led order, not outward rules and religious regulations. (See Romans 8:14.) If you’re not doing the will of God from your heart, you’re rebelling against His kingdom. To keep first things first the kingdom of God (being led by the Spirit in your everyday life) must be your number one priority. To seek first the kingdom of God is to be so led by the Spirit that you make the risen Jesus your living Head.

For the kingdom of God to become more than a mere theological concept to you requires that you continually submit to the risen Jesus as your literal King and the Ruler of your daily life. If the kingdom of God isn’t ruling and reigning within you (if God’s not the monarch of your heart) you won’t ever be able to find it anywhere else.

The kingdom of God isn’t about religious rules and rituals. It’s about being continually led by the Spirit into God’s righteousness, peace, and joy. It’s not about religious talk. It’s about supernatural power to love (even our enemies) with acts of kindness and a heart full of God’s grace and compassion.

The best way to know the Bible is by doing it, not by hearing talks about it. Bible study is good. Daily letting the Holy Spirit use the Bible to deeply touch your heart is better.

Human beings way overestimate our power and reality, but we way underestimate God’s power and reality. The more Christ-followers are willing to allow themselves to be led by the Spirit, the more the kingdom of God is manifested in, through, and among them.

Many Christians trust more in sermon hearing than they do in having a daily walk with Jesus. Too often a pastor is like a governor on a rental truck that limits the speed it can go. Pastors, let God’s people go as fast and as far as He wants to take them. Jesus wants to lead us all to the great spiritual heights of the kingdom of God!

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Let the Holy Spirit be your leader!

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Steve Simms

When I tune in to, wait for, and focus on God’s still voice and obey the inner nudging of the Spirit’s whispers in my soul, without regard for outcome or personal desire, amazing insight comes to me, and I am awed by the presence and reality of the risen Jesus. Jesus graciously calls me to welcome His inner presence and leadership as a greater and greater part of my everyday lifestyle. One way I do that is to listen throughout the day, write down the insights that He gives me, and do whatever He prompts me to.

The New Testament doesn’t tell us to be led by religious leaders but by the Spirit. See Romans 8:14. The early Christians were Spirit-led people. Only Spirit-led people can light and spread fires of inner awakening. Jesus wants you to let the reality of His presence be part of your daily personal experience.

It’s the inner content of your life (not the outer content) that determines whether or not you’re happy. If you won’t pay attention to what’s going on inside you, you won’t be aware of God because He is working in you to get your attention.

Too often a pastor is like a governor on a rental truck that limits the speed it can go. Pastors, let God’s people go as fast and as far as He wants to take them.

Too many Christians have abandoned Spirit-led discipleship and put their trust in church attendance and a one-time “sinner’s prayer.” If Christians were as good at being led by the Spirit as we are at being led by preachers, we’d see continuous revival and spiritual awakening.

Church is a cracked up religious system that has shattered into tens of thousands of independent denominations around the world that proclaim their theology and their way as the best way. Perhaps it’s time to abandon the independent, human-led religious ships and instead embrace the direct Spirit-led discipleship of Jesus the living Way.

Is God just or merciful? Most people want God to be about justice when wrong has been done to them and about mercy when they have done wrong. Here’s the paradox. Everyone is accountable to God’s justice and everyone is offered His mercy. Unfortunately, many people think that they are too “good” to need God’s mercy, so they pridefully reject it and opt out to face His justice without His mercy. The end result of this choice will not go well. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!

Spring forward

New life conceives
As trees fill up
With leaves
And everyone who believes
Receives
Hope
From what God weaves!

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My statement identifying as marriage-sexual

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Steve Simms

People today identify as homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, and even transsexual. I’m marriage-sexual. I believe that sex is designed for marriage (a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman) so they can develop lasting heart-to-heart intimacy and produce children who will be raised in a stable loving home.

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“Jesus is Lord!” Say what?

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Steve Simms

Jesus is Lord, means:

  • Christ’s choices, not my choices.
  • Sold-out discipleship, not shipwrecked religion that has abandoned the practice of daily discipleship.
  • Christ’s control not my control.
  • In Jesus’ name, not in my name.
  • Christ’s will be done, not my will be done.
  • Jesus sets my boundaries, not me.
  • “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” not human-powered religion.
  • Self-surrender, not self-care.
    • What the living Jesus desires, not what I desire.
    • I belong to the risen Jesus, not to myself.

Jesus, I belong to You . . . (O Lord, help me to let You fully control the keyboard of my life every moment of every day and night so that You can continually write whatever You want to on the tablet of my heart and mind and freely direct my thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors according to Your will not mine.)

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“This is that . . .” What is “this”?

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Steve Simms

In Acts 2:16, Peter quotes Joel, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel . . .” referring to what was suddenly happening in and through the disciples on the day of Pentecost. So, what exactly is “this”?

“This is that . . .”

  • Spirit-controlled meeting, not religious programming.
  • Fire and passion, not passivity and inaction.
  • Boldness, not coldness.
  • Utter amazement and bewilderment, not boredom.
  • Christ’s ongoing presence and power, not just a religious hour.
  • Spirit-given, heart-felt utterance, not one man’s mentally prepared speech based on study.
  • Actual demonstrations of Jesus reality, not just presentations about Him.
  • Gifts of the Spirit freely operating, not collecting gifts from those present.
  • An outpouring of God’s Spirit, not a sit-silently-and-hear-it lecture.
  • Sons and daughters prophesying, not being silenced by a program.
  • Dreams and visions being released from God, not dry methodology.
  • Tongue-talking, not miracle-balking.
  • People “cut to the heart” by what they’ve seen and heard, not people eager to get away and get on with their day.
  • Perplexed people asking, “What does this mean?” not impatient people asking, “When will this be over?”
  • Christians looking like they’re drunk, not looking like they’re sitting through a formal service.
  • People speaking up while Peter was talking about Jesus and asking, “What shall we do to be saved? not, adhering to a religious protocol of silence.
  • Warning and pleading with people to repent, not helping them to live their “best life now.”
  • Calling people out of the “corrupt” contemporary culture, not making them comfortable within it.
  • Supernatural impact (thousands set on fire for Jesus and baptized), not church (or synagogue) as usual.
  • Being actively Spirit-led, not just being casually preacher fed.

I want “that” with all my heart. I’ve searched for and sought “that” all my life and will continue to do so as long as God gives me breath. Lord, send Your fire!

The focus of true Christianity is on the living Jesus, not on a preacher. Christian ministry should be done in the name of Jesus, not in any other name. The body of Christ is supposed to submit to Christ as its living Head, not to human hierarchy that tries to run it like an institution. See Ephesians 5:23-24.

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A plea for less sensuality and more sensitivity

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Steve Simms

Sensuality is about the feelings of the body. Sensitivity is about the feelings of the heart and conscience. Our self-focused culture is full of sensuality but the open expression of heart-felt sensitivity to conscience is rare.

Sensitivity to your conscience isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength that many people don’t have.

Sensuality is focused on self-gratification. Sensitivity is focused on kindness for others and speaking the truth in love. ‘

People who are easily offended are self-focused and insensitive to the fact that “hurt people hurt people.” True sensitivity has such compassion for other people that it’s not easily offended.

Society today focuses almost totally on sensuality while mostly ignoring sensitivity. Our culture is in trouble because following the feelings and desires of the body is seen as strength, while having a sensitive conscience is seen as a weakness.

Just because someone has a desire to do something doesn’t make it the right thing to do! The strength or weakness of a desire has nothing to do with the morality of a desire.

To refuse to notice what your conscience is saying opens the door of your life to much self-destruction and self-deception. To be sensually minded is to be a prisoner of your desires and feelings. Sensual desire is often deceptive. Many of our sensual desires need to be resisted and rejected, not justified and embraced.

Uncontrolled sensual desire leads to the bondage of compulsion. Putting sensuality above sensitivity leads to many human problems such as, drug abuse, alcoholism, overeating, other addictions, divorce. hatred, violence, abortion, casual sex, pornography, sex trafficking, child abuse, fraud, corruption, etc.

Sensual desires want to dominate and dictate your life. Don’t let them. Follow and obey the risen Jesus instead. Sensuality asks, “What do I want to do?” Sensitivity asks, “What does the risen Jesus want me to do?”

To be led by the living Jesus you need to begin to be aware of and sensitive to His presence. He wants His followers to be led by His Spirit not by their desires! See Romans 8:14.

Sensuality can never permanently satisfy the longing of the human heart, but awareness of and surrender to the living Jesus does! Look where following your own desires has gotten you inside and out. Following the risen Jesus has to be an improvement.

“Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality.” Ephesians 4:19. Turning away from the sensuality of our human desires, feelings, and opinions and keeping our heart wide open to the presence, intimacy, and Lordship of the risen Jesus is the great miracle all humans need.

Whether governments acknowledge it or not, sensitivity and compassion declare that a human fetus is a human life and is of no less value than any other human life. Medicine heals or treats illness. Pregnancy isn’t an illness. Sensitivity to conscience recognizes that abortion pills are not medicine.

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Poems that point the way to peace

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Steve Simms

Inner peace
Is release
From anxiety.

Troublesome times
Call for a peaceful heart.
A peaceful heart comes from
The inner presence
Of the risen Jesus,
Not from current events.

Anxiety
Makes time
Feel like
Eternity,
But Christ’s
Inner peace
Makes anxiety
Cease.

The risen Jesus
Can shift the gears
In your heart
And drive out
All the fears
That have
Stalked you
For years
As He steers
You to peace.

Let the living Jesus
Continually do
Whatever He wants to
Both in and through you.

Be about
Hanging out
With people who
Are all about
Humbly interacting
With Jesus.

Spread hope.
Be a mouthpiece
Of Christ’s presence
And peace.

Forgive like Jesus.
Unforgiveness
Replaces
Peacefulness
With bitterness.

Release your sin
And dare to begin
To live every day in
The peace of Christ.

The risen Jesus
Is the open door
To life and peace,
But if your heart’s
Shut down
You won’t want
To enter in.

Christianity’s not about being good.
It’s about removing everything
From your mind and heart
That’s in any way hindering
Christ’s grace and goodness
From freely flowing
In and through you.

Don’t trust the Universe. Trust the Creator of the Universe, the living Jesus Christ. See John 1:1-3.

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When Jesus is revealed in your heart

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Steve Simms

For too many Christians the presence of the risen Jesus has become rarefied instead of being verified and ratified by personal revelation and by a lifestyle that demonstrates His reality. Revelation makes reveals His reality!

Revelation is when spiritual eyes open and an inner awareness of the presence and identity of the living Jesus resounds within a human heart. Revelation occurred when Peter proclaimed to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” It happened when the resurrected Jesus walked the road to Emmaus with two broken hearted disciples who didn’t recognize Him until the moment that He took a loaf of bread and broke it in two. Revelation happened when Paul took the road to Damascus to persecute and arrest Christians there, but on the way was transformed when he saw a light and heard the risen Jesus call His name.

Almost 2,000 years later, revelation happened to me. I went to a Christian meeting in a college dorm and heard two people tell how the risen Jesus had changed their lives. In an instant Jesus became real to me and has been my constant companion and the joy and desire of my heart ever since.

There’s no high like the Most High! Jesus is the Most High God, the Creator of the Universe in human flesh! When that revelation resounds within you, you will never be the same!

Put and keep humble obedience to the risen Jesus first, far above every other desire and interest, not only in words, but also in thought and behavior. The fruit of the Spirit dries up when passionate Christ-followers let Jesus’ inner rivers of living water become an ex-stream situation.

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Help your country steer clear of chaos and corruption!

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Steve Simms

Our chaotic and corrupt culture is collapsing all around us and desperately crying out for help in the confusion of its spiritual lostness. We are now frequently seeing cruel and bloody mass shootings that prove that a culture that lives like we don’t need the living God desperately needs Him. America is the first society in history where individuals massacring people (for no apparent reason) has become a common occurrence.

Breaking hearts are crying out to God for peace, safety, and hope. The myth that says we don’t need the living God is being shattered by the demonic cruelty of random mass murder.

As long as people want to be entertained by violence and disrespect for righteousness, the profit motive will supply that entertainment for them. The more a culture consumes violent and disrespectful entertainment, the more they will experience it in their society. We need the living God to change our heart so that we as a people enjoy entertainment that vividly demonstrates the beauty and joy of kindness and a clear conscience, instead of overflowing with cruelty and rebellion.

Now is the time for Christians to cultivate, embrace, and demonstrate continual awareness of the presence and power of the risen Jesus Christ — to rely on and illustrate His ability to change human hearts and set people free, instead of relying on the proven ineffectiveness of guns, politics, laws, and law enforcement.

Flee the inner emptiness of trying to entomb the living Jesus in intellect or in religious ceremony. His resurrection can neither be rationally explained nor institutionalized.

We need the internal stirring of awe produced by the awareness of Christ’s supernatural presence as an ongoing heart experience. Choose to humbly open up to and consciously abide in His present-day reality.

The risen Jesus longs to release His ever-flowing inner rivers of spiritually uplifting power and hope in and through His contemporary followers. Put and keep humble obedience to the risen Jesus first, far above every other desire and interest, not only in words, but also in thought and behavior. See for yourself!

Refuse to quench God’s Spirit. Keep the stone rolled away from your heart. In full surrender ever embrace and obey Jesus’ presence. Let Jesus off the religious chain!

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The risen Jesus is working on me (and you)

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Steve Simms

I have encountered the Lord. Now the risen Jesus interacts with me heart-to-heart.

I wake up in the morning with encouraging words running through my mind and heart. Then I get up and write them down.

Throughout the day hope-filled thoughts come to me and make me aware of Christ’s reality. I delight to bask in them and to savor His presence.

When I read the Bible, the words come alive. They cause me to feel that Jesus is real and with me in the moment.

Sometimes Jesus corrects me. Sometimes He directs me. Sometimes I even sense Him calling my name and saying that He loves me. He releases rivers of living water that flow out my heart and fill me with the fruit of His Spirit.

This morning I awakened with this poem flowing from within me:

The risen Jesus
Isn’t stuck far away
Back in history
Or in some future day.
He promised to be
With His people always
So He can now
Live inside of you
And give you victory
Throughout each day
As “Christ in you,
The hope of glory.”

The best day to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection is every day. The best place is everywhere!

Easter Sunday may be over and done with for another year, but the resurrection of Jesus never passes away! Experience Him today!

I was in the woods on Easter Sunday (2023) celebrating the big stone that rolled away and left Jesus’ tomb empty. I was thrilled to see that nature had written Jesus’ initial on another big stone. Enlarge the pic below and notice the J on the big boulder in the waterfall at the center of the picture.

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