Guilty Pleasures?

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Steve Simms

Is the phrase “guilty pleasures” an oxymoron? Here are some thoughts about guilt:

guilt anyone

To do wrong and feel entitled to have no guilt is like burning your hand and feeling entitled to have no pain. Guilt and pain are danger warnings.
–The solution to guilt is not denial, but the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.”
–Guilt (even when it is denied) will lead to either condemnation or forgiveness. Which one for you?
–“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” –Jesus

What current are you caught in? The current of contemporary culture of the current of Christ?
Are you captivated & controlled by cravings & compulsions?
Or captivated & compelled by Christ living in your conscience?
(“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” –Jesus Christ)

Posted in Bible, condemnation, conscience, consequences, everyone who sins is a slave, feelings, freedom, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, Lord have mercy, oxymoron, popular culture, Quotes, repentance, sinners | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hermeneutical Christians Have The Bible Burning In Their Heart!

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Steve Simms

Since the Reformation, Protestant churches have looked to only one man to interpret Scripture during their Sunday morning worship service. This man has traditionally been called the pastor, the preacher, the parson, and/or the minister.

The intellectual study of Bible interpretation is called hermeneutics.  Thus, the one-man focus of Protestant church services could be called the hermeneutical him — the man whose professional job it is to interpret the Scripture every week to the congregation in the form of a sermon prepared though much intellectual study.  (I was taught in seminary that a sermon needed one hour of study for every minute in length.)

By giving Bible interpretation the intimidating and huge name of hermeneutics, which ministers are required to study in seminary and/or Bible college, many ministers become convinced that they have a unique ability to understand the Bible that is far superior to the members of a congregation.

But is that so?  Church history is full of ordinary, uneducated men (and women) who have brought forth amazing insight into the Bible.  Jesus, Himself, bypassed the highly educated religious leaders of His day and instead called uneducated fishermen and tax collectors to be His disciples.  To this day, everyday Christians can have the Bible burning in their heart!

Perhaps the most effective hermeneutics is not intellectual at all, but spiritual.  Paul of Tarsus put is this way:  “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”

The Holy Spirit is available to all believers (not just to those with the title of “minister”). Jesus’ disciple John put it this way:  “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.”

The Spirit (the anointing, the living Jesus) can directly teach God’s people. He can speak in and thorough everyday believers. This is the meaning of the forgotten and neglected Protestant doctrine of “the priesthood of the believer.” The early Protestants proclaimed that ordinary believers could read and understand the Bible for themselves. Therefore, there is not just one, professional hermeneutical man in a church; but all believers can interpret the Scripture as led by the Spirit.

Perhaps churches could shift from highlighting and honoring one hermeneutical him to highlighting and honoring Him (the living, resurrected Jesus Christ).  If we had the courage and boldness to actually do that, we would see the Spirit of God do amazing things!

Posted in Bible interpretation, God's word like fire, Spirit-led, the anointing, words taught by the Spirit, you do not need anyone to teach you | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tennessee Titans Quarterback Marcus Mariota says . . .

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Steve Simms

Quotes by and about Tennessee Titan quarterback, Marcus Mariota:

“For me, it is a dream come true. It is an opportunity to fulfill a lifetime dream, and I am looking forward to it.” Mariota

“God has taught me that I can trust in Him. No matter what–whether things are good or bad–I know I can always trust in Him. And that has really allowed me to go All In for Him.” –Marcus Mariota

“When I relentlessly pursue Christ, I put all my faith in Him to be able to play well and lead my team. With His power, we are able to pursue and play for His glory. We want to go out and show the world that Christ lives.” –MM

“When things start to get rough, you find comfort in your faith. Knowing that no matter what, you can dust yourself off and be okay.” –MM

“I’m looking forward to this challenge. Pressure to me is when you’re not prepared. For me, I’ve prepared myself for this moment.” –MM

“Marcus is a force on the football field and a force for Jesus Christ. His passion for the game matches his passion for his convictions, and it is wonderful to see him live out his faith both on and off the field. He is certainly an inspiration for many young athletes.” –Lee Steckel, President and CEO of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“Mariota has spoken about the influence of his Christian faith and Hawaii’s Aloha culture, both of which encourage humility and love. Christianity teaches its followers to humbly love and serve others and according to Hawaiian leadership expert Rosa Say, the Aloha culture includes values such as ‘Ohana, which is an appreciation for family and community whose interests you look out for and who look out for you too.” –Michael Lee Stallard

“Mariota has been very outspoken of his faith to the media. He always gives glory and praise to God to begin all his interviews and press conferences. Mariota will use his platform of playing in the NFL to glorify God, and I hope to see Mariota have a successful NFL career.”  –Caleb Luketic

“He doesn’t feel the need to make us aware of it, but he’s got this inner fire.” –Darnell Arceneaux / Mariota’s high school coach and former Utah quarterback

–Mariota was on the cover of Sports Illustrated this spring wearing his Titan’s uniform (8) and behind a headline that says, “Flash of the Titans.”

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

beyond church book

Posted in 8, A Heisman in OUR House, advertising campaign, Christianity, faith, FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Flash of the Titans, Hawaii, Heisman Trophy, Lee Steckel, LP Field, Mariota jersey, Music City, Oregon, quarterback, Sports Illustrated cover, Tennessee, This Duck Has Landed, Titans, titansonline.com, Worship City | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Urges or Conscience?

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Steve Simms

“To thine own self be true,” writes Shakespeare as Polonius in his play Hamlet.  Those words have become so popular that you can find entire Tumblrs of pics of people with “to thine own self be true” tattoos. People often use this phrase when they are feeling defensive and want to justify following their whims, cravings, or orientations.

Be true 2 your urges? Or be true 2 your conscience?
–Nowadays people learn to obey temptation and resist their conscience.
(However, life is much more effective if you obey your conscience and resist temptation.)

be true

Need a thrill?
Don’t take a pill
Or get your fill.
Let God do something real!

R U ever puzzled by life? Life’s a puzzle and the missing piece is the living, resurrected Jesus Christ!

Christ or consequences?
Christ or chaos? –I choose Christ!
Christ or confusion? –I choose Christ!
Christ or corruption? –I choose Christ!
Christ or chagrin? –I choose Christ!

Fill the hole in your soul.
Let Jesus make you wholly holy!

Say hi to the living, resurrected Jesus — get high on His Presence @ The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, Tennessee 372o7 on Sundays @ 10:45 am.

Posted in desires, feelings, holiness, Nashville, orientation, religion, Tennessee, urges, whims | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ordinary People Swarming Together In The Spirit

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Steve Simms

A forgotten spiritual weapon . . . let’s bring it back into action!

When people meet for church
And are allowed to freely
Tell what God has done
A spiritual weapon’s released:
The word of their testimony.
–“And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony . . .” (Revelation 12:11)

If birds can work together and soar in swarms without a leader controlling their movements; then people can work together and testify together in church, soaring in the Spirit, without a human leader controlling the service!
–It happens every Sunday morning at The Salvation Army Berry Street!

Berry Street meetings are more like prayer meetings than traditional church services:
–“Church services will become more like prayer meetings. One of the greatest indictments on the church today is that prayer is not the driving force. Today, people tend to choose churches based on the appeal of the teaching and the worship instead of the fervency of prayer. If the church was a house of teaching, or a house of worship, that would make sense, but it’s not. The church is a house of prayer for all nations. Every person in the church will function as a burning intercessor and the services will be marked by this unified groan of fiery prayer.” –John Burton predicting the future of the church.

Perhaps, instead of a 1-man micromanagement in church meetings, we could trust everyday people, empower them, and trust the Holy Spirit by allowing them to speak out in the meeting as they are led by the Spirit (according to 1 Corinthians 14:26). What if the reality of the living Jesus Christ is more easily caught in a participatory, interactive community than taught by a lecture?”

me and berry st.

Come see this in action @ 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN 372o7 on Sunday mornings @ 10:45.

Posted in Berry Street, birds swarming, by the blood of the Lamb, how do birds swarm, John Burton, Nashville, prayer meetings, Revelation 12:11, Salvation Army, spiritual weapons, swarming, they overcame Him, word of their testimony | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“The Award For The Best Leading Actor Goes To . . .”

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Steve Simms

The leading actor plays the largest role in a film, TV show, or play. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is the Leading Actor. He gets the Oscar!

oscar

So why do we confine such an amazing Leading Actor as the Holy Spirit to an occasional cameo role in church meetings? What if we took ministry time in church away from men and gave it to the Holy Spirit?

“The ministry of the Spirit” or the ministry of mere men?
–The Bible refers to “the ministry of the Spirit” and how it is even more glorious than the glory that was on Moses when he received the 10 Commandments. It says “For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.” (See 2 Corinthians 3:7-11.)
–Do we experience the glorious “ministry of the Spirit” in 21st Century church meetings? Or have we exchanged “the ministry of the Spirit” for the ministry of mere men?

Here are some examples of the Holy Spirit playing the lead role in the Bible:

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” –Romans 8:14

“Let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”  1 Corinthians 2:4

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'” –Acts 13:2

“The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.'” –Acts 8:29

“While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you.'”  –Acts 10:19

“The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.”  –Acts 11:12

“As for you, the Anointing you received from Him (the Holy Spirit) remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His Anointing teaches you about all things and as that Anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” –1 John 2:27

There is a recent move that was made by simply following the Holy Spirit.  It is called Holy Ghost.  

Posted in 1 Corinthians 2:4, actors, Acts 10:19, Acts 11:12, Acts 13:2, Acts 8:29, Barnabas, Bible, demonstration of the Spirit, dramatic production, Galatians 5:25, Go to that chariot, Holy Ghost movie, in step with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, New Testament, Paul, Peter, Philip, Romans 8:14, Set apart for me, the Spirit said | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What The Church Can Learn From A NASCAR Pit Crew

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Steve Simms

Pit Stop Church

A pit stop is when a race car stops during a race for fresh tires, refueling, mechanical service, and/or repairs. While the driver waits in the car, the work is done by between 5 and 20 mechanics known as a pit crew. Other services include removing debris from air intakes; making adjustments to tire pressure; and cleaning the windshield.

pit crew church

The members of a pit crew have various roles. No one man does it all. The leader is the crew chief. Some of the roles include: 8 people are assigned as tire changers, 2 on each tire — 1 person takes the tire off and the other puts the new tire on. There are also 8 tire carriers who work in pairs – 1 brings the new tire to the car while the other carries the old tire away. There are also jack men who lift the car so the tires can be changed and lower it afterward.

Perhaps church could learn to function as like a pit crew, actively participating together as prompted by the Crew Chief, the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, in order to get people refueled, repaired, out of life’s pit stop, and back into the race as a spiritual team.

–“When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation . . .” —1 Corinthians 14:26

Posted in Christians in NASCAR, crew chief, pit crew roles, race cars, teamwork | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Does Church Need A Shake Up? A Restructuring?

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Steve Simms

While attending a Salvation Army Men’s Camp at Paradise Valley in Kentucky I was given the book, Why Men Hate Going To Church by David Murrow. The book gives some interesting insights into contemporary church.

why men hate church

David asks the question:  “What if Christianity’s primary delivery system, the local church, is perfectly designed to give us the results we’re getting?  What if church is built to reach women, children, and elderly folks?”  He goes on to say: “Men don’t hate God or Christ or the Bible or Christianity. They hate a system that makes them feel unneeded.”

Is our contemporary preaching and our religious system ineffective?
–“Too many preachers and teachers still communicate like it was 1875. They assume people are absorbing what they say. Reality check: the vast majority of Christian teaching today returns void.” –David Murrow
–Experience a fresh way of doing church, where instead of a 1-man sermon, everyday people, as prompted by the living Jesus, proclaim what they have seen and heard God do in their lives.
***Every Sunday morning @ 10:45, 225 Berry St., Nashville, Tennessee, 37207.

“Churches need men because men are natural risk takers–and they bring that orientation into the church. Congregations that do not take risks atrophy.” –David Murrow
–At The Salvation Army Berry Street we take risks every Sunday morning. We open the meeting up and allow anybody present to share what the Spirit puts on their heart. And every Sunday, the living Jesus guides the sharing and makes it flow together into an amazing demonstration of His Presence and power!

Reading David Murrow’s book made me think about how much more effective the military is at training soldiers than the church is a training warriors for Christ.

A military trains its soldiers by:
1) Some lecture; 2) Lots of drilling (getting soldiers involved in actions and practice); 3) Lots of war games (actively acting out combat situations).
Church trains its “soldiers” by:
1) Almost all lecture; 2) No drilling; 3) No spiritual war games.
–Which is more effective?

Posted in David Murrow, hate, men in church, Men's Camp, Nashville, preaching, reaching men, Salvation Army, Why Men Hate Going To Church | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Music City’s Magic Country Music Marathon Motivates Many!

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Steve Simms

St. Jude Country Music Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K in Music City:

country music marathon

Here are some quotations from signs spotted along the way in past Country Music Marathons that give us powerful life lessons:

“Keep Going. Keep Going” (Never give up on your dream.  Click here to read about a Nashville dream fulfilled after 121 years!)

“You’re NOT almost there” — At about mile 2.  (Life is a long haul. No matter where you are along the way, keep looking forward and keep dreaming!)

“Worst Parade, Ever” (Running a race is not organized and tidy like a parade. The race of life often looks like a mess full of frustration, pain, and disappointment.  But don’t quit. Life is a marathon, not a victory parade.)

“Insert Inspirational Quote Here”  (Although people may cheer for you and encourage you along the way, ultimately you are responsible for your own motivation, persistence, and endurance.)

“The miles make a runner, the attitude makes a person, both make a champion.” (It’s not enough to just keep going through life; we also need to keep hoping and believing.)

The 2015 St. Jude Country Music Marathon starts at the honky tonks in downtown Nashville on Broadway. It finishes at LP Field. Everybody who makes it to the finish gets to run onto LP Field. The big letters on LP Field remind me of the words “Let’s Pray.” Nashville has a great history of prayer — from the passionate prayers of its suffering slaves to the prayers during the destruction of the Civil War; from the Union Gospel Tabernacle (built as a revival center but later to become the Ryman Auditorium–the “Mother Church of Country Music”) to The Call Nashville when 70,000 people gathered on LP Field for 12 hours to pray and fast for revival and spiritual awakening on 07/07/07.

Because Nashville is Music City there will be 50 bands along the course at 28 entertainment stages. (Nashville is becoming known as Worship City.)

Last year’s marathon drew an estimated 36,000 runners to downtown Nashville. More than half the runners are visiting from out of state.  65 percent of this year’s runners will be women. There will probably be more than 100,000 spectators cheering runners on.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” –Paul of Tarsus

While you are in Nashville, come be inspired at Music City’s most unique church where instead of a 1-man sermon, ordinary people show and tell what God has done. Check out The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center on Sunday at 10:45 am. — 225 Berry St., Nashville 37207.

Posted in 1 Corinthians 9:24, country music, details, honky tonks, LP Field, Mother Church, Music City, Nashville churches, Quotes, run to get the prize, Ryman Auditorium, Salvation Army, St. Jude, The Call Nashville, Union Gospel Tabernacle, Worship City | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Your Right!

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Steve Simms

Faith is your right!

It’s Your Right!

You have the right . . .
To daily follow and obey
The living, resurrected Jesus Christ!
Don’t allow anyone
To rob you
Of that
Right!

A Rap ‘Bout Rights (Who has rights?)

Posted in basic rights, Bill of Rights, Civil Rights, freedom of speech, God given rights, human rights violations, religious rights, right of expression, the right to | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment