“Let him hear what the Spirit is saying . . .”

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Steve Simms

A sermon that doesn’t help you hear God for yourself makes you dependent on a man.

If Christians meet
To focus on and seek
The risen Jesus,
God’s Spirit
Will speak
Within them.

Search: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

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Prince Charles calls out “the appalling atrocity of slavery” (the human zoo of history)

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Steve Simms

On November 30, 2021, I was at the Nashville Zoo which is housed on the Grassmere Plantation. As I walked the grounds, I noticed a quarters where human beings were housed in chattel slavery and treated like animals.

I saw the door was open, so I entered one of the two tiny, dark rooms. It contained several plaques with information about the people who had been trafficked there. Here’s one of them. It points out that in 1860, 32 innocent people were being forcibly held at Grassmere in lifelong labor and bondage (14 adults and 18 children).

Behind the slave quarters, there is a slave cemetery. The plaque in front of it reveals that the cemetery had originally been on another part of the plantation, but that these unidentified, human remains were dug up and moved out of the way to make room for animals to be held in the zoo.

Later that day, I turned on the news and heard Prince Charles speaking at the ceremony where the nation of Barbados officially removed the Queen as its head of state and became a republic. He boldly referred to: “the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history.”

British High commissioner to Barbados, Scott Furssedonn-Wood, said this about Prince Charles’ statement: “This is not just him coming out with a phrase; this is something that he believes very passionately in himself–that you’ve got to acknowledge injustice where you see it . . . He’s playing his part in that. It’s absolutely right that we express deep sorrow for that appalling atrocity of slavery and the unbelievable suffering that was caused.”

Perhaps the world will stay stuck in racial turmoil until we begin to honestly and openly reveal the details of the cruelty, brutality, and horrors of slavery. It’s time to shine the light on the horrible realities of the lifelong enslavement and torture of millions of Africans and their descendants.

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Is modern Christianity like an old tube of glue?

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Steve Simms

Without the glue of humility, openness, forgiveness, and compassion, humans are divisive and combative. When people come together to listen to and obey the living Jesus, their hearts connect with invisible glue.

If you feel like
You don’t have a clue,
Let Jesus be the glue
That puts you together.

If we don’t
Humble ourselves and let Jesus
Heal our shame,
We don’t gather
In His name.

Christians make much ado
About Jesus,
But too often we resist
Letting Him glue
Our heart to Him.

Much Christianity has become like an old tube of glue. It has dried-up and lost its ability to connect people heart-to-heart. Without daily submitting to the presence of the risen Jesus, Christianity is unglued and far removed from what it is intended to be.

“Do you go to church?” is a misleading question. What matters is how strong is your heart-connection with Jesus and His followers.

If you go to church and have little heart connection with people, you’re missing the point of the Bible’s one another commandments. If sitting on a church premises on Sunday doesn’t train you to daily stand on God’s promises, something’s way off track.

If you don’t like how you’re feeling, re-examine what you’re believing. Your mind is like glue. The thoughts you allow in it will eventually adhere to it.

What you choose
To believe
Can enlighten
Or deceive.

If you read the Bible and let God copy and paste it on your heart, it’ll give you a fresh, new start. Lord Jesus, keep me glued to Your presence and surrendered to Your will.

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Cancel-history hides much truth & calls it CRT

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Steve Simms

When some history
Is considered off limits
And kept in mystery,
We’re being contradictory
To the truth.

The history
We won’t face
Enslaves us to
A limited and distorted
View of our past.

Cancel-history
Only tells
One side
And stifles
Those who
Try to tell
The fuller story.

The parts of American history
That are cruel and dreary
Are being called
Critical Race Theory.

Let’s courageously
Push the limits
Of our history
And tell
The broader story.

When You limit your thinking
To the history you know
You'll never grow
In your understanding
Of the past.
Read some history
That will show you
Things you don't yet know.

Do you know . . .
The details of
How slaves were treated
In America
Or how Jim Crow laws worked
And the impact they had
On people's daily lives?

Learn more history.

Instead of saying
God’s on your side,
Let God live inside
And lead you
To His side.

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Many claim Christianity, but what is it?

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Steve Simms

Until Christ is living in and demonstrating His love through those of us who claim to be Christians, we’re falling far short of our name.

Christianity's not about
Wanting to oppose,
Or to impose
Your will on people.
It's not about religious prose,
Or big church shows,
Or theology someone knows.
It's about how faith grows
As you rely on Jesus
In highs and lows
And follow His inner flows
With peace and repose
Going wherever
His Spirit blows.

Here's the 4-step, biblical solution to national problems that may Christians are resisting: 2 Chronicles 7:14.
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Whoever “is believing” in Jesus

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Steve Simms

I was shocked to read the words, “everyone who is believing in Him may not perish,” as I read John 3:16 in the Literal Standard Version of the Bible (a word by word, literal translation). Most translations I’ve read use the word “believes” instead of saying “is believing.”

“Is believing in Him” means actively trusting Him at the present moment, not just acknowledging certain doctrines. I’ve often understood belief in Jesus as something that I did when I was converted, not as something that I need to do in the present moment, however, when “I am believing,” I’m doing something–I’m actively trusting Jesus and relying on Him in the now.

I was convicted of how many moments (okay, hours or days or longer) I spend believing in myself and my own efforts instead of believing (trusting) in Him. When I’m trying to accomplish something by my own effort, I’m not believing that Jesus will do it.

The Literal Standard Version also quotes Jesus as saying that rivers of living water will flow out of a person “who is believing in Me.” (“Rivers of living water” refers to the supernatural flow of God’s presence that begins in our heart and then impacts our environment.) When I’m actively believing in Jesus in the present moment, I feel those inner rivers gushing out of me, however, when I’m trusting in my own efforts those inner rivers no longer freely flow.

A person who “is believing” is relying on Jesus, not on human effort. That person begins to experience the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), flowing like rivers from his heart.

Christianity isn’t a religious pose you do for human approval. It’s a courageous lifestyle of believing in and relying on Jesus. It’s easy to pose as a Christian, but we have to “fight the good fight of faith” to keep believing in, trusting in, and relying on Him.

Look who “is believing” in his parachute.

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Time for a Spirit-led test drive

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Steve Simms

Test drive the Bible. Read it with an open heart and notice what it does inside you.

If you never test drive your spirituality and experience Jesus behind the wheel, you’ll never know what He can do. The living Jesus doesn’t always speak in words, but He always speaks in ways a listening heart can hear.

Discipleship begins with repentance. It requires that we begin to think differently and to see things from God’s perspective instead of your own.

Experiencing the living Jesus is like experiencing self. It’s an internal and immaterial experience, so you can’t “prove” it, but you know when it’s happening.

Too many Christians
Merely listen
To religious talks.
Too few let Jesus
Dazzle them.

Beyond the mind,
Beyond opinion,
Study and analysis,
You can find
The risen Jesus.

The risen Jesus,
Although invisible
To my eyes,
Continually dazzles
My heart!

Let the living Jesus
Be your live-in
And daily direct you
By His presence within.

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I am (human), therefore I think

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Steve Simms

If you truly “know yourself” (your weaknesses and your strengths), you know all people, for though we disagree, we’re all basically the same. Compassion connects us. Conflict corrupts us.

Your consciousness can be controlled. You can focus your awareness on hope or despair, right or wrong, trust or fear. Shift your consciousness away from what troubles you and toward what inspires you.

Scientists can’t explain or prove human consciousness. Still, the fact you’re reading this shows that it obviously exists. Awareness of your thoughts is not thought. It’s perception!

Consider the thoughts that come into your consciousness. Refute the bad ones; cultivate the good ones. It takes courage to let your thinking and your lifestyle be led by your conscience. Our society greatly needs more people with that kind of courage!

Technology has made life easier and more comfortable, but no device can make your life meaningful. That’s up to you! Too much amusing leaves no time for musing.

If you made it up, it’s not the truth. If it’s not the truth have the courage not to tell it.

Discover and expand
The inner silence
Between thoughts,
For peace resides there.

Make a conscious choice
To cultivate your consciousness
Until it creates conditions
That cause contentment
To come to you.
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“My truth” & “your truth” don’t = reality

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Steve Simms

Opinions + feelings + desires rarely add up to truth. Opinionoids aren’t factoids. When your opinions differ with truth, it’s not a bad idea to change them.

Our opinions are like muddy windows. We seldom see clearly through them. If your opinions make you frustrated, angry, or arrogant, perhaps it’s time to re-examine them.

All opinions aren’t equal. Some are closer to truth than others. It’s important to continually truth-test our opinions. Human opinions are often a mixture of facts and feelings, truth and desires.

You have the right to express your opinions, but you don’t have the right to demand that other people agree with you. When people are mean in expressing our opinions, maybe they love their ego more than truth–maybe they’re trying to keep people from seeing their fear.

Ignoring facts and having no solid proof, it’s easy to believe that our opinions are more accurate than other people’s. In reality, our opinions are often little more than reflections of the biases of the social environment we associate with.

Being disagreed with isn’t the same as being persecuted. No matter how loudly we proclaim liberty, we don’t have much freedom when we’re stuck in our own opinions.

Our opinions often dilute and pollute truth. When people say, “My truth,” or “Your truth,” they’ve confused truth with opinion.

Here’s a deep thought: If you take “pi” (truth symbolized by π) out of opinion, you’re left with onion (layers of unstable feelings and desires).

Too often opinions are stated as fact. Perhaps we should say “perhaps” instead. Maybe it would be better if we say “maybe.” Here’s an example: Perhaps the arrogant and vulgar tone of profanity hinders mental health.

If knowing God better is your goal, you don’t feel kicked around when other people disagree with your opinions.

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Ready? Set? Go! (Putting T-day 2021 into action)

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Steve Simms

Thanksgiving is an action–a behavior, not a feeling. Join me in giving thanks today. (Tell God, “Thank You” in the comments section of this post.)

Thank You, Jesus, for being so real in my life and for demonstrating Your presence to me every day!

Thank You, Lord for my wife and for the beautiful relationship You have given us.

Thank You, Lord for creativity and for enabling me to think and write so many original thoughts.

Thank You, Lord for convicting me when I want to follow my own desires and for pulling me back when I start to stray.

Thank You, Lord for the hundreds of books that You have led me to read that have burned in my heart and changed my life.

Thank You, Lord for letting me experience You moving in and through ordinary people, starting with the Jesus Movement until the present day.

Thank You, Lord that You transformed my unbelieving family (parents and two brothers) into Jesus-lovers and Christ-followers.

Thank You, Lord for my daughter and for the privilege and joy you gave me of watching her grow up.

Thank You, Lord for the freedom and opportunity that WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter give me to post about my love for You.

Thank You, Lord for the Bible and for all the people who sacrificed and worked so hard to preserve it and translate it so that I can read it daily and let Your words set my heart on fire.

Thank You, Lord for the supernatural gift of tongues that lets Your rivers of living water freely flow from deep within me.

Thank You, Lord for all the miracles I’ve seen you do for me and for other people.

Thank You, Lord for giving me many friends who wholeheartedly love you and seek to follow and obey you in life and for all the encouragement and support they have given me.

Thank You, Lord for The Salvation Army supporting my wife and me and letting us oversee sermon-free, Spirit-led church for 10 years.

Thank You, Lord that I can offer Elephants INspiring The Room Kindle edition for free Thanksgiving 2021 through Giving Tuesday.

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