Today experience life with Jesus

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Steve Simms

Look for Jesus today. He’s everywhere. If you notice Him, listen to Him, and obey His inner promptings, what a day today will be! Today notice Jesus everywhere you go. Surrender to His presence. Rely and depend on Him every moment.

For many Christians, Jesus is like the sky. They believe He’s present, but they rarely notice Him. To keep Jesus out of your today is to keep Him out of your life. The most ignored gift of the present moment is the omnipresent Jesus. Every day that I let Jesus lead me makes it easier to let Him lead me the next day.

Today is the time to experience life with Jesus! The fact that you woke up this morning means that Jesus hasn’t given up on you. When I wake up Jesus is always there to greet me. He can manage my day much better than I can. Today I will keep my attention focused on the risen Jesus.

The next time you pray will be the first prayer of the rest of your life. Make it humble and heart-felt.

The long-ago Jesus and the someday-in-the-future Jesus are both far removed from now. Let the today Jesus live and work in you. Jesus-past and Jesus-future are both unapproachable today. But Jesus-present is now reaching out to you. Respond to Him!

You can hear and/or read about what Jesus did in the past and will do in the future, but you can only experience Him in the now! My best life can’t compare to the life of Christ living in me!

To follow Christ, you need to be daily discipled and led by the living Jesus. When I listen to and obey Jesus, today is never a rewind of yesterday. Make today a day-long encounter with the risen Jesus.

If you allow Jesus to actively live in you today, He will lead you from the inside out. Every day brings more opportunities to interact with the risen Jesus!

I love it when members of the body of Christ meet together as a Spirit-led team. Christians need to interact with the living Jesus together, but you also need to interact with Jesus by yourself.

Spirit-led people are no longer in bondage to the desires of human nature. They’re directed by the Spirit not by their wants.

Instead of pursuing our own desires, feelings, and opinions, Christians are supposed to be daily led by the promptings of God’s Spirit within us. (See Romans 8:14.) We humans don’t know how bad we are and how much we need God’s mercy until we sincerely want and try to be good. It’s human nature to be desire-led, but Jesus wants His followers to be Spirit-led instead.

Photo by Nandu Vasudevan on Pexels.com
Posted in faith in action, faith in God, faithfulness to Christ, Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever, just in time, the right time, Today if you would hear his voice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying with diverse Christ-followers

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Steve Simms

My wife and I have for years have been praying heart-to-heart with diverse Christ-followers (from various churches and even those who are done with traditional church). On the phone, online, or in person, we meet with one or more other believers and pray with and for each other. It’s a beautiful thing.

Currently God is leading us to reach out to more people. In the past few months, He has introduced us to 4 new couples who are passionate about Jesus — two in their 30s and two in their 60s — who don’t know each other. We’ve been praying individually with all 4 couples, plus we have several other individuals and couples we pray with often. It’s amazing to experience the deep unity and power of the Spirit even though none of us go to church together.

Experience the unity of the body of Christ. Regularly pray with various Christians who don’t go to church with you. The family of God is far bigger than any church. Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God — true family members. The best way to get to know your brothers and sisters in Christ is to pray with them one on one or in small groups. Try it and see!

Christ’s body encompasses genuine Christ-followers from “every kindred and every tribe.” Go beyond your church and experience amazing heart-connections. Discover the supernatural unity of all true Jesus-followers. Open your heart to pray with and connect with all who follow Him.

I want to see a world-wide move of God awaken millions of church attendees to the moment-by-moment reality of the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and daily, heart-to-heart, Spirit-led connection with the risen Jesus. Praying with diverse Christ-followers is a step in that direction.

God wants to give you invisible visions that are seen with your heart awakened to the reality of Christ in you. Learning to pray with others will open the door of your heart.

Posted in agreeing in prayer, how to create community, learning to pray, pray for one another, prayer meetings, praying community, praying in the Spirit, praying together, soak in prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do Christians need a defibrillator?

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Steve Simms

Lord, defibrillate my heart. Revive me to the awareness of Your presence and Your prompts. Cause my heart to begin to beat in sync with You.

Christians need God’s defibrillator! Too many Christians are unaware of and unresponsive to the now presence of the risen Jesus and His inner promptings. We need Christ’s defibrillator to shock and revive our heart!

Your conscience is full of Jesus-prompts. Take some time and notice them.

When we stomp
God’s inner prompts
We choose to tromp
His will with our will.

The tethers of tradition and timidity keep many people trapped in spiritual passivity. As long as Christ in you is like a tethered balloon, you’ll be stuck and unable to freely flow with the wind of His Spirit. When we’re tethered to our desires we’re unwilling to follow and obey the living Jesus. If we neglect to remember to stay intimately connected to the living Jesus, we’re only going thru the motions of Christianity.

Without consciousness of Christ’s presence and daily dependence on His inner promptings we overlook His powerful reality in the now. Learn to be so dependent on Christ in you that He can literally live His life both within and through you every day. The more I surrender my independence and begin to depend on the risen Jesus the more I experience and treasure His reality.

The more you talk about Jesus, focus on His presence, depend on Him, and obey His inner promptings, the more you will treasure Him. Learn to treasure the now presence of Jesus more than life itself.

As long as Jesus is a hypothetical or historical abstraction in your life you’ll miss out on His glorious reality in the present. Dependency on Christ requires that you begin to notice, treasure, and obey the promptings that Jesus is putting inside your heart in the now.

To learn to be led by the Spirit, train yourself to regularly notice and promptly obey Jesus-promptings. Reading the Bible with an open heart shows us how the early Christians followed Jesus and trains us to experience and follow Him today. Unfortunately, many Christians study the Bible like a textbook but are unaware of the Teacher working in and through its words–the risen Jesus!

It’s time for Christians to move beyond just learning about Jesus and move into directly connecting with Him. Remember to experience and be aware of the living Jesus throughout the day.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com
Posted in experiencing Jesus, heart care, heart connection, heart monitor, heartfelt, Jesus is alive, the living Christ | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No co-pilot necessary!

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Steve Simms

Jesus is my pilot. I am His passenger. He doesn’t need a co-pilot.

Jesus challenges religious people to open their heart to God and be real. He turns over tables and disrupts traditions. He calls all people to turn away from wrongdoing. He tells the truth that uncovers uncomfortable situations. Unlike the Pharisees in the Bible, religious people today don’t try to crucify Him again. They just strive to avoid His presence and control.

You’re worse than you think you are. “There is none righteous, no not one.” Thank God for His mercy!

Pride empties your grace account. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Is your life on empty?

Any life that is empty
Of the awareness
Of the presence
Of the living Jesus
Is missing the reality
Of the security
And the adventure
Of this good news:
“Christ in you,
the hope of glory.”
“Fill my cup, Lord!”
Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com
Posted in biblical Christianity, Jesus is the Head, Jesus Take The Wheel, Spirit-led, test pilot | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Questions about American history that need public answers

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Steve Simms

The history of legalized human trafficking in America is a story that should be widely known and told:

  • How did it start?
  • What was taught to attempt to justify it and to keep it going?
  • What was it like for its victims and its perpetrators?
  • Why did it last so long?
  • How could such oppression be embraced by a society that treasured liberty?
  • Who were the courageous people who openly opposed it?
  • Why weren’t there more of them?
  • Why are its perpetrators honored while the abolitionists who spoke out against it are forgotten (or even villainized)?
  • Why did so many American churches support and embrace such cruelty?

The honest story of slavery in America should not be forbidden history.

Posted in African American experience, American history, anti-slavery, black history, Black history month, racial healing, slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Holy Spirit is fiery (not recommended for casual Christians)

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Steve Simms

The Holy Spirit is fiery. He came with flames of fire at Pentecost. When not quenched, He burns in human hearts. He disturbs casual, lukewarm Christianity. Thus, He’s not welcome and His leadership isn’t wanted or appreciated in most religious settings. Beyond giving Him a token mention from time to time, He’s mostly ignored in Christian gatherings.

Very rarely is the Holy Spirit ever allowed to take charge and disrupt a meeting like He did on Pentecost Sunday, creating the world-wide movement of Christianity. He’d like to get us moving again like a raging wildfire consuming everything in sight but the cold ashes in our heart resist His sparks and put them out before they can burst into flame. And we’re too often content with that. Casual Christianity is a causality of our apathy — a spiritual tragedy. It’s not the will of God!

To be Spirit-led
You have to get
Beyond your head
And open your heart
So you can start
To be aware 
Of God's nudgings
And promptings
Within you.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Posted in another Pentecost, casual church, Pentecost, revival, revival fires, spiritual awakening | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christsanity (Christ-sanity)

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Steve Simms

Humanity
Has to
Mentally battle
For sanity,
To inwardly fight
To overcome fright
And the dark night
Of the soul.
The risen Jesus
Is the light
Who can lead us
To the delight
Of Christsanity.

Welcoming the risen Jesus into the building called your brain and the house called your heart is much more important than visiting a church building. The more I lose my mind and find the mind of Christ, the more His thoughts fill me with the joy that He designed me for. The best, most effective, and most powerful counselor I’ve ever had is the living Jesus. He continually heals and restores me.

Learn to be controlled by Christsanity (the mind of Christ), not by the chaos of human cravings and desires. Christsanity is to not “be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It calls out: “March away from madness and into Christ’s gladness!” (Modern Christianity is based on “you-turns” where you turn (or don’t) as you see fit. Early Christianity was based on “U-turns” where you do an about face any time the Lord Jesus commands.)

Christianity without Christsanity is just as confused as secular culture. We need the “mind of Christ.” Christsanity requires ongoing personal connection with the living Jesus, not just hearing religious talks about Him.

Christsanity comes by continually surrendering to the literal Headship of the living Jesus, not by a following religious system. It’s produced by Spirit-led thinking. That’s the best mental health!

A simple hello to God is often the start of a life-long series of Spirit-led steps and supernatural God-sightings. When you feel like you’re losing your mind, look to the risen Jesus and let a daily relationship with Him restore you to sanity.

Christian revival (genuine spiritual awakening) is the spread of Christsanity. Unfortunately, Christianity is often more influenced by secular culture than led by the risen Christ. Christ-followers who don’t fit into religious systems are often rejected by organized Christianity the way the Pharisees rejected Jesus.

Institutional Christianity often gives people a false sense of spiritual security by causing them to believe that their religious affiliation puts them in right standing with God. Christians are supposed to be directed by Christ’s presence within them. The Bible calls that being “led by the Spirit.” See Romans 8:14.

Vanity
Drives sanity
From humanity.
Sanity isn’t offended
By truth.
Vanity is.

To be sane
Let Jesus reign
Within you

The unwillingness to hear and follow the voice of your conscience is a form of insanity. To deny the truth is to choose insanity, but we usually prefer to call it lying. Jesus is the truth. If you’re unwilling to tell yourself the truth, you’ll be uncomfortable around Him.

Lookie! Too many Christians are: 1) medicated by religious methods, 2) sedated by sermons, 3) anesthetized by apathy, and 4) inoculated by institutionalism, instead of being contagious with the fire of God. Lookie! I see Jesus right here, right now, saying: “Wake up!”

Photo by Paulo Mu00e1rcio Dos Santos on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian living, mental health, The Normal Christian Life, the way the truth the life, truth, what is truth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Plug into the presence of Jesus right now!

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Steve Simms

You don’t need more explanations and information about Jesus. Simply open your heart wide to His presence this very moment! Jesus is available to you right now. No need to wait for a religious service. Open up to Him now.

Churches have neglected to encourage people to stay ever connected with the risen Jesus. So many Christians treat church services like charging stations that they spiritually limp into them hoping for a substitute for direct, daily interaction with Jesus.

The time to be aware of the presence of Jesus is right now. Experience Jesus now — right where you’re reading this. Now. Hallelujah! Open up to Him this very moment. Thank You, Jesus!

Don’t be fooled! Watching a show or hearing a talk about Jesus is nothing like spending time personally interacting with Him. You don’t have to wait for a special meeting or event to plug your phone into a charger or to plug your life into the presence of Jesus!

Christians should never settle for a second-hand relationship with Jesus that goes thru a sermon or a program! Event or meeting focused Christianity easily overlooks and misses out on the now presence of Jesus before and after the program.

I love to write with a now awareness of Jesus, sensing His presence and transcribing what He puts on my heart. Thank You, Jesus, for being real and available now and offering direct access to Your presence to whoever will receive your offer!

Photo by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels.com
Posted in aha moment, Be still and know, Jesus saves, just in time, Now-moment, time, time to step up | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Make every now a holy wow!

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Steve Simms

Take the King’s crown in your life off of yourself and keep it ever on the living Jesus Christ. As Christians we don’t need more strength. We need fuller surrender to Christ’s strength.

Any day without glimpses of God’s glory is a boring story. It takes guts to be guided by God’s glory instead of by our own self-focused story.

Continually beholding
The glory and magnificence
Of the risen Jesus
Gives life true significance.

Greater glory
Than was on Moses
Fills the heart
That fully exposes
Itself to Jesus.

Look!
Jesus is everywhere
Not here and there,
He’s all the time
Not now and then.
Let His presence
Make every now
A holy wow!

All the words in the world
Can’t truly explain the Word
Who created the world
And became flesh
To live among us,
But hearts
That welcome Him
To freely live inside
Experience a radiant glory
That that rises far above
All the sermons
That have ever tried
To describe Him.

Self-glory,
The ride
Of pride,
Will destroy
Awareness of God.

Embrace full-time everywhere Christianity, not just part-time special-building Christianity. To experience the glory of God together Christians need to gather face-to-face and heart-to-heart, not just line up in rows and see the backs of people’s heads. See Hebrews 10:25. Unfortunately, church history drifts from committed discipleship to critical scholarship to casual showmanship.

A God-designed marriage is a place for His glory. It is a spiritual vineyard where the True Vine grows grapes of glory for the new wine of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of a man and a woman ever committed and surrendered to daily obeying the present, living Jesus together. Godly marriage is a model — a visible prototype — of the invisible relationship between Christ and His totally committed followers. The best (the new wine) lasts, and true love endures and flourishes in a marriage when both the husband and the wife continue to cultivate and quench not God’s Spirit.

God wasn’t invented to make you happy. You were created to daily follow and obey Him. Self-glorification is a deceptive medication.

This is a glory quencher. Since cussing is completely irrational and erratic, you’d think that educated, logical people wouldn’t do it.

Photo by Adrian Lang on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian poetry, church poems, glory, glory days, glory of God, glory on Moses' face, poetry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Supernatural hero, Jesus — full of justice and mercy

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Steve Simms

The hero in Christianity is Jesus. Exalt Him! All the rest of us have an equal status as His servants. If any Christian acts like he is superior to you, he’s being led by human ego, not by God’s Spirit.

My life isn’t about who I am but about who my Creator, the great I AM, is. His identity has captivated me! John the Baptist demonstrated the process of awakening from the striving life to the surrendered life. Talking about Jesus he said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

If you want to experience Jesus at work, look inside you. He’s knocking and asking you to open your heart’s door wider to Him. Open up and encounter His presence and power.

Remembrance of Jesus from the past without remembering, experiencing, and surrendering to His presence in the present is to forget and abandon His Good News that “I am with you always.” To miss the dynamic now of Bible verses and settle instead for merely recalling their former events and proclamations is a tragedy.

Without direct exposure to the inner light of “Christ in you” corruption darkens, hardens, and deceives the human conscience. Light shines wherever it’s not blocked. Step out of deceptive shadows and see.

Christians have been trained to hear what the preacher is saying to the institutional church instead of what the Spirit is saying to the family of God. I believe in the separation of church and spiritual state. No religious membership can make a person right with God. The only person I want molding me into his image is Jesus.

The great I AM and the slain LAMB OF GOD together demonstrate the unity of justice and mercy. The Old Testament focuses on religious rites, the New Testament on new life in Christ and Spirit-empowered righteousness.

The refusal to admit, expose, and turn away from injustice is a declaration that we trust in our merit more than in God’s mercy. People who don’t believe in God’s mercy can only hope in their own merit. That’s why people feel a need to say: “But I’m a good person.”

When guilt is denied, there are no grounds for mercy, forgiveness, or grace. If we offer our merit to God, it comes back marked “insufficient funds.” If we embrace His mercy, He replies, “Well done!”

Human nature has put mercy and forgiveness on trial and our jury of hardened human hearts has convicted them of being soft on crime. Forgiveness is reciprocal. If you’re unwilling to admit your great need for it, you won’t be willing to give it to others.

If you're still here
On planet earth
You need to hear
With your inner ear
To find out why
You're still here.
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com
Posted in forgiveness, grace, justice, mental health, mercy, spiritual healing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment