SMS; smart man speaking? Or PGP; personal God prompting?

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Steve Simms

Since the Protestant Reformation, church has been built on a lecture format — one smart man speaking (SMS) to silently siting spectators. However, Jesus taught that His ekklesia (the word was mistranslated into English as church) would be built on something that “flesh and blood” can not reveal — personal God promptings (PGP). (See Matthew 16.)

The flesh, human nature and human abilities, cannot manufacture the voice of God. We cannot hear God from a position of pride and control. Hearing God’s promptings requires heart-felt humility and the actual surrender of our will, our desires, and our comfort.

We can passively enjoy (or endure) religious programs and presentations based on SMS in church; however, when God’s living presence takes over, “flesh and blood” lose control and ekklesia begins to happen. The Holy Spirit begins to reign and rule as He prompts individuals to share testimonies, Scriptures, prayer requests, gifts of the Spirit, short teachings, words of encouragement, prayers, etc. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26.)

In meetings based on PGP, the kingdom of God is no longer a religious concept to be taught by lecture. It becomes the reigning reality in the midst of the meeting. As PGPs take over, awe fills the gathering.

These concepts are explained more fully in my new book, Beyond Church, An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible — ἐκκλησία. (It will be available @ amazon.com in a few days.) Check out the book Facebook page here.

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Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, book review, church program, church programming, Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Holy Spirit promptings, humility, kingdom of God, Matthew 16, promptings of the Spirit, Protestant Reformation, revelation, Spirit-promptings, the Kingdom of God is at hand, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, unprogrammed meetings | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Why do churches ignore this Scripture?

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Steve Simms

Our intention at The Salvation Army Berry Street is to implement the Bible’s mostly ignored instructions, introduced in 1 Corinthians 14:26, that inform Christ-followers what to do “When you come together.” We believe that this inspired idea of participatory interaction is not included in the Bible just to be ignored, but to be implemented when we gather for worship as Christ’s ekklesia.

When you come together plain letters

Here are two simple ways that you can begin to obey this Scripture in your church:

  1. Start a weekly Jesus 12;
  2. Have a special  Jesus Demonstration Sunday.
  3. Check out my new book, Beyond Church — An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible — Ekklesia; available at Amazon.

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Posted in 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Corinthians 14:26, bored in church, church format, making church more participatory, participatory church, participatory sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The inspirational Starbucks holiday cup

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Steve Simms

starbucks

–Fresh Insight On The Holiday Starbucks Cup–
The Christmas season
Is about a special purchase,
An amazing deal,
Not found in stores
Or on cyber sales.
Christ was born to pay His life
As the price for my sin —
His blood for my forgiveness.
All the red
Continually reminds me —
Even the Starbucks cup!

Posted in Christ in Christmas, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, for the holidays, Happy Holidays, holiday hype, Holiday season, holidays, online shopping, shopping, Shopping season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Up With Hatred?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Steve Simms

What’s up with all the hate, meanness, and cruelty?

We see the results of human hatred and cruelty everywhere nowadays — from terrorized and bombed out Syrians desperately fleeing to Europe; to drive by shootings on America’s streets; to random mass murders of innocent civilians, to suicide bombings, to strategically planned murders of innocent civilians in the name of Islam.
–So how can people hate people and want to kill people? Don’t they know that people are amazingly incredible! Can’t they see that people are wonderful — that people are the highest form of life on earth — that all people have the potential to show and to respond favorably to great love and compassion?

Your life matters!
Treat your life like it is
The most important and
Valuable thing on earth;
Because to you, it is;
Even if you don’t realize it.

Life’s too meaningful to be meaningless. Let the living, resurrected Jesus Christ turn your life from trivial to triumphant!

The human race is helter skelter and out of kilter! And we know it. We know that we have messed up and that we are not what we should be (both as individuals and as a race).
–So what’s up? We desperately need healing, deliverance, forgiveness, restoration, and inner peace.
–Where can we find the transformation we need (and long for deep inside)? In the living, resurrected Jesus Christ!

choose love

Posted in all lives matter, Christianity, civilians, forgiveness, helter skelter, inner peace, Islam, life matters, mass murders, peace, peace of mind, peacemaking, Prince of Peace, suicide bombings, Syrian refugees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Freedom’s Ekklesia Song

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Steve Simms
Ekklesia —
When we see a
Gathering be a
Body led by Christ;
The living Jesus Christ.
Ekklesia —
A galleria
Of God’s gifts flowing
Through ordinary
People like you and me.
Christ will lead ya.
He will build His
Ekklesia
And hell’s gates can’t
Stand against it.
Jesus,
We want to see Ya
In Your ekklesia!
ekklesia a
What is ekklesia? Read more about the ekklesia–the lost word of the Bible–here.
Posted in house church, I will build my church, Matthew 16, organic church, participatory church, simple church, the gates of hell will not prevail, Uncategorized, When you come together, worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Friday vs. Good Friday

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Steve Simms

black friday

To miss out on Black Friday is no big deal!
–To miss out on Good Friday is to miss out on the greatest pardon in world history.
(You won’t find the best deal on Black Friday. You find the best deal on Good Friday when Jesus paid the price for every wrong thing you have ever thought, said, or done.)

Posted in church history, death on the cross, forgiveness, history, Jesus, marketing, pardon, sales, salvation, sin, Uncategorized, world history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Meeting With The Living, Resurrected Jesus

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Steve Simms

Jesus wants gatherings of His followers
To be more than audience-style church services.
He wants to personally lead and direct His people,
Demonstrating His actual presence and power,
Through what He leads each of them to say and do.

The living, resurrected Jesus Christ
Is not confined to a lecture
By a church professional
In a religious meeting.
He is working everywhere,
Speaking inside human hearts,
To all who are courageous
And willing to listen.

Most people go to church saying,
“I wonder what the preacher
Is going to talk about today.”
People go to Spirit-led ekklesia, saying,
“I wonder what Jesus will do today.”
Jesus in our midst!
“It was only the repressing and ultimately, I am afraid, the all-but extinguishing of the Holy Spirit’s urgings, that has led to the dead way in which many services are conducted.” —Catherine Booth
“We are the very hands and feet of Christ, and as we experience His promptings, we find ourselves in the right place and time.”
–Salvation Army Major Bryce Davies

 

Posted in Catherine Booth, church services, Holy Spirit promptings, Jesus Christ, listening, listening skills, poem, promptings, promptings of the Spirit, religion, Spirit-promptings, spiritual promptings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’ll fight with spiritual weapons!

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Steve Simms

I'll fight booth

Plenty of people will fight with the physical weapons of guns and bombs. Where are the people who will dare to fight with spiritual weapons instead?

Christ-followers are called to fight evil with spiritual weapons rather than physical weapons. So what are the powerful weapons that Christ-followers are called to use against evil?
* Prayer, * Fasting, * Repentance, * Faith, * Loving your enemies, * Declaration of Scriptures, * Gifts of the Spirit, * Supernatural signs & wonders, * Binding and/or casting out demons, * Worship, * Confession, * The blood of the Lamb, * The word of their testimony, * Wisdom, * Speaking in tongues, * Doing the most good, * Non-cooperation with evil, * Writing, * Forgiveness, * Supernatural discernment, * Anointed words that penetrate people’s hearts with God’s light, * Evangelism, * Spirit-led acts of kindness.
–(Do these weapons always accomplish our desired outcome? No. But guns and bombs don’t always accomplish desired outcomes either!)
–“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” –2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)

Check out my new book, Beyond Church — An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible — Ekklesia; available at Amazon.

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Posted in acts of kindness, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, casting out demons, confession, Doing the most good, evangelism, faith, fasting, forgiveness, gifts of the Spirit, love your enemies, prayer, repentance, signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, spiritual weapons, Uncategorized, wisdom, worship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Has human trafficking ever been honorable?

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Steve Simms

If human trafficking is cruel and evil in 2015, how can we call it honorable in 1776?

Posted in 2015, abuse, immorality, morality, right and worng, Uncategorized, values, violence | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Overcoming Your Inner Terrorism

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Steve Simms
–My Spiritual Warfare Poem: Overcoming Your Inner Terrorism–
Throw out your inner foes.
Never settle for or surrender to
Their tormenting inner flows,
Their torturous status quo.
You can’t “Just say no.”
You’ve got to make
Your inner enemies go
With your spiritual ammo —
Continually fighting within,
Like a commando,
Or a charging rhino
Until you know
You’ve dumped
Their agonizing cargo.
we wrestle not against flesh and blood
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” –Ephesians 6:12-13 (NKJV)
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” –2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)
Posted in 2 Corinthians 10:4, armor of God, Ephesians 6:16, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, more than conquerors, positive thinking, self-help, spiritual enemies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment