The Joy Of Early Christianity

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Steve Simms
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2 thoughts & some verse about blaming & unkindness

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Steve Simms

You don’t have to approve of things you disagree with and you don’t have to be unkind either. Instead, be honest yet compassionate.

Unkind words 
 Go in circles. 
 They return and 
 Bring unkindness 
 To the one 
 Who spoke them.
It's easy to be 
 A Pharisee, 
 To see wrong in others 
 But miss it in me.
It's easy to be 
 A Sadducee, 
 To use religion 
 But deny it's reality.
If you take the blame,
 You can change your game. 
 If you pass it on,
 You're hope is gone.

Blaming others is much easier than improving yourself (but it really doesn’t help much). 

People say, "Follow your heart." 
 The Bible says, 
 "The heart is desperately wicked." 
 To avoid wickedness, 
 Follow the Holy Spirit instead.
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Internal Christianity spontaneously flows . . .

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Steve Simms

There’s nothing like internal Christianity that spontaneously flows from the heart with rivers of love, joy, and peace! “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit.” God’s Spirit speaks intuitively within us. Listen!

Directional confusion: Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will flow “out of your innermost being,” not “into you.” For electricity to flow it needs an exit point. Same with the Holy Spirit. Open your spirit and let Him flow!

A hard heart quenches the flow of the Holy Spirit. Dare to open up and let God rewire your wounded heart! Instead of trying to “find yourself,” come out of hiding, surrender to the living Jesus, and let Him find you.

The Bible says, “Behold (focus on) the Lamb of God.” It never says to focus on a preacher. The message of Christianity isn’t come to church. It’s surrender the control of your life to the risen Jesus. 

Lecture me 
 And I forget. 
 Train me to 
 Listen to,
 Follow and obey 
 The risen Jesus 
 And I'm transformed!

Search Amazon for: The Joy Of Early Christianity book.

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When desires determine ethics

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Steve Simms

Your desires are not definitive of who you are, or determinant of your destiny, until you begin to obey them. Resist ungodly ones.

When our desires determine our ethics, right is soon replaced with wrong and often we no longer hear our conscience correcting us. Ignoring your conscience is dangerous. Violating it produces ongoing feelings of guilt.

Self-focus will crowd God out of your life. “Deny yourself,” and make room for Jesus!

Being ruled by your own desires is devastating; by rules is exhausting: but by Christ in you, is joyously freeing. When you ignore your conscience, you quench the Holy Spirit. The Bible says not to do that.

When you identify yourself by God’s desires for you and not by your own desires, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest in you. People who don’t think they need mercy are offended by Christ’s offer of repentance and forgiveness.

What you are (deep down inside) is much more important that what you own or how you look. Integrity is the greatest wealth. Most of the problems with government, come from corruption in the hearts of those who run it. The best government is to let your heart and life be governed by the kingdom of God.

Search Amazon for: The Joy Of Early Christianity

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When Christianity’s no fun, an hour a week is enough; when it is fun, 24/7/365 isn’t!

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Steve Simms

People don’t need more explanation of Christianity, but more demonstration of it. Christians need supernatural encounters with the risen Jesus, more than logical answers to theological questions. You have to wait till Sunday morning to hear your preacher live and in person, but Jesus is available 24/7/365!

Biblical Christianity is about mystery. (“Great is the mystery of godliness.”) It’s not about having all the answers. Jesus didn’t die to answer your questions, but to brighten your perceptions of His presence. Behold Him! If Christ is with us when we gather in His name, maybe we could take the time to encounter, experience, and interact with Him.

When you make room in your heart for appreciation, awe, wonder, mystery, and mysticism, experiencing God will become your norm! Christ in you is as powerful as Christ in any other human being. You don’t have to go thru a minister to experience His power.

When I read the Bible, I see Christianity as being much more alive, powerful, and Spirit-led than Christianity as presented today. Be careful not to let attending a religious service be a substitute for daily, spontaneous interaction with the living Jesus. When Christianity’s no fun, an hour a week is enough; when it is fun, 24/7/365 isn’t! Jesus said that His joy will be in His followers. Boring Christianity is an oxymoron.

When Jesus said, “Whenever you gather in My name,” did He intend for us to gather around a preacher-talk? Early Christianity wasn’t about a weekly preacher-talk, but a daily walk with the risen Jesus! Preacher-talks without Christ-encounters are what the Bible calls: “Having a form of godliness, but denying its power.” Are you hearing and obeying the risen Jesus better after the sermon’s over and you’ve left the building? Listening to people is more powerful than just lecturing them.

The Bible is an amazing Whistleblower. It brings to light the evil in my own heart and calls me to live a godly lifestyle. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Whistleblower. He lives in my heart, convicts me of my sin, and empowers me to turn away from it.

Biblical insight will change your plight. Read the Bible daily, with an open heart, and see. I believe the Bible because when I read it, it burns in my heart, changes my life, and connects me with the risen Jesus! Many people look for Christ in church; some in politics. He’s found in a surrendered heart. “Christ in you the hope of glory.”

Everybody’s experienced suffering thru someone or some situation. We all have emotional sores and scars. Speak truth with love. Rivers of living water will flow, if you make room for Jesus to connect your heart with Himself and with other people.

Search Amazon for: The Joy Of Early Christianity book.

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Pondering mental health

Posted on November 3, 2019 by Steve Simms

Your mental health is influenced by the thoughts you think. Improving the quality of your daily thinking will improve your mental health.

There are thoughts that are troubling to think, and scenes that are stressful to see. Mental health requires monitoring your mind. Much of our emotional pain is self-produced and comes from the mismanagement of our mind and from harmful thought patterns.

Mental health isn’t magic. It’s developed and maintained by continually improving the contents in your mind.

Your thinking has a bigger impact on your feelings than your circumstances do. Things seem better when your thinking is brighter.

If you won’t work to control, care for, and corral your thinking, you may find yourself being like a rancher who carelessly neglects his cattle. For wilderness survival you have to know what’s dangerous to eat; for mental health, what’s dangerous to allow in your mind. Promoting and watching fear and horror probably isn’t good for your mental health.

If you protect your computer and phone, why not also protect your mind from harmful downloads? Reject seductive media! An wide-open mind is dangerous. Open your mind to the good and wholesome, but close it to the unkind, discouraging, and profane.

Your mental health care begins with you. Daily monitor, care for, and improve your thoughts. What you are (deep down inside) is much more important that what you own or how you look. Integrity is the greatest wealth.

Your desires are not definitive of who you are, or determinant of your destiny, until you begin to obey them. Resist ungodly ones. When you continually identify yourself by God’s desires for you and not by your own desires, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest in you. When our desires determine our ethics, right is soon replaced with wrong and often we no longer hear our conscience correcting us.

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Conservative or Progressive Jesus?

Posted on November 3, 2019 by Steve Simms

Conservatively follow the risen Jesus, by holding on to and demonstrating His love to all. Progressively follow the risen Jesus, no matter what the culture says. Make progress obeying Him.

Church-focus should never eclipse Christ-focus. A service about God isn’t the same thing as surrender to God.

“Where do you read the Bible?” may be a better question than “Where do you go to church?” Jesus isn’t a subject to be lectured about. He is Almighty God and He wants to live in and thru 24/7/365.

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Both the racial divide and infanticide (post and prenatal) are on the wrong side of history.

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Steve Simms
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When the freedom to be born is randomly denied, all freedoms threatened.

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Steve Simms
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Realigning with the kingdom of God

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Steve Simms

God wants to govern people from the inside out. “The kingdom of God is within you.” The Christian life is about realigning your life to Christ’s inner government– the kingdom of God.

We can’t “quench the Spirit” and “be led by the Spirit” at the same time. At any moment, we are either doing one or the other.

Christ doesn’t give us a menu to choose a religious entertainment venue. He gives us a calling to: “Come and follow Me.” When Christians meet to be fully surrendered to Jesus, and led by the Spirit, the kingdom of God begins to manifest. For a meeting to be “led by the Spirit,” requires the surrender of human control and agendas. We need freedom to obey the Spirit.

Church began when the Spirit-led movement known as “the Way,” began to shift into an institutionalized organization. Jesus says, “Follow Me.” If we aren’t actively functioning as a Christ-follower, we’ve abandoned biblical Christianity.

Early Christianity was consumed with commitment to Christ. Contemporary Western Christianity seems compromised and casual. Jesus is present in the 21st century. There’s no need to go thru a religious organization to connect with Him. Call on Jesus now!

When churches exalt pastors and guest speakers, they create passivity and a sense of inferiority in the rest of God’s people. Pastor isn’t an office any more than golfer is an office. They both refer to people who engage in a particular activity.

You be a pastor (shepherd). Help someone grow in the Lord through your encouragement, caring, listening, and walking with them. If you disciple, coach, or encourage one or more people in the Lord, you are a pastor (whether you are paid for it or not). I’ve been much more effectively pastored (discipled) by ordinary Christ-followers than by official pastors.

The Bible never says that a pastor is the leader of a church, but one of five gifts or functions in the body of Christ (Eph. 4). When you learn to feed yourself spiritually and not be dependent on sermons, Christianity becomes thrilling!

It’s popular today to self-identify, but Jesus calls His followers to, “Deny yourself.”

The Protestant Reformation recognized that the Bible sees all Christ-followers (men and women) as priests. Why settle for less? If you’re missing out on the amazing, day-to-day joy of Christianity, search for: The Joy Of Early Christianity book.

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