Robin Williams Made Me Think About Suicide

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

I’ve been thinking about Robin Williams‘ suicide. Suicide is tangible evidence of the invisible evil forces at work on us all. Humans have been programmed with a survival instinct. It is not natural for us to override that programming and take our own life. Animals don’t do that, why do humans? Because we are continually attacked by invisible evil forces that constantly strive to overcome us, make us hopeless, and coerce us into self-destruction. Jesus put it this way: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”


Although this invisible battle is real, there is a power that can overcome it in you and carry you to victory — to hope, peace, love, joy, significance, and meaning. The power is a Person — the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. He’s ready to fight in you and through you to give you “life to the full.” Let your battles, pain, and despair drive you to Him, not to self-destruction!

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Posted in demons, depression, despair, hopelessness, human life, human nature, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, spirituality, suicide | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Going back to the future (in the Spirit)

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

Yesterday I stood on the spot where I first encountered the living, resurrected Jesus Christ in the lobby of Ellington Hall at The University of Tennessee Martin. On that spot 44 years ago, God put a blazing fire in my heart and today my passion for Him is still burning ever stronger!

When I first encountered the living, resurrected Jesus Christ while standing on that spot, I was swept up in a campus spiritual movement of love, friendship, passion for God, spiritual revelation, community, confession and repentance, compassion for others, openness, tears, rejoicing, celebration, spiritual warfare, bold proclamation by ordinary people, mysticism, and great hunger and thirst for God. The movement burned brightly for awhile and then faded away. But it has never left my heart. I’m soaring in the Spirit, hungering and thirsting for God, seeking more of His presence and His power that will release a spiritual contagion that will spread around the world and infect millions with passionate love for and obedience to the living, resurrected Jesus.  

 

I believe that a great spiritual awakening is about to begin in Nashville that will shake our city and the nations!

Posted in conversion, convert, spiritual awakening, spiritual hunger, University of Tennessee Martin | 2 Comments

Whose Drone Are You?

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

drone

Christ-followers are called to be God’s drones, soaring though life, obeying The Wireless Connection That Never Fails! Whose drone are you?

(“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” –Paul of Tarsus–Romans 8:14.)

Posted in Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, Romans 8:14, Spirit-prompted, spirituality | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Robin Williams — “Words & Ideas”

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Steve Simms

Robin Williams’ words and ideas brought joy, humor, inspiration, and entertainment to so many people. Yet he, himself, was overcome by despair. So sad.

No matter how good and successful our lives may look to others, we all need the comfort of inner peace and contentment. Life can become unbearable without it.

robin williams

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”  –Rudyard Kipling

 

A few more thoughts:  Perhaps we should call it suisad instead of suicide.

Please don’t let yourself get that sad. Sadness is a great enemy of humanity! Never surrender to it. Never agree with sad thoughts and feelings that lie and tell you that there is no hope for you. Fight them with passion. Continually fill yourself with positive thoughts– daily reading positive books, continually repeating positive affirmations. Get help from friends, doctors, counselors, a support group, and God! Self-destructive feelings can be overcome! I’ve struggled with negative and depressing thoughts and feelings since childhood. With God’s help and your determined, persistent resistance, you can push them away from your heart and mind!

Posted in depression, despair, discouragement, overcoming depression, Rudyard Kipling | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

ABC’s New TV Show “From Hell” — Really?

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Steve Simms

“From Hell” — Really?

ABC has a new TV program — “From Hell.” From the promo it seems to present people’s frustrations, pain, and misery as a form of mass entertainment. My thoughts:

* Other people’s suffering doesn’t entertain me. It breaks my heart.

* So what kind of a society is entertained by people’s troubles?

* If a Christ-follower mentions Hell, they are called narrow minded, fundamentalist, judgmental, and/or mean spirited. So why not ABC?

* Christ-followers want to share the good news that God has provided a way to avoid Hell, not to make money off of people’s Hell-like circumstances.

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A highly planned program without personal interaction would make for a boring family gathering or party. What about church?

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Steve Simms

sleeping in church

What about church?  A highly planned program without personal interaction would make for a boring family gathering or party!

Posted in creativity, innovation, multi-voiced church, participation, participation in church, participators, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

This Little Light Of Mine–What If We Let It Shine In Church Meetings?

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Steve Simms

Churches sometimes teach the children’s song, This Little Light Of Mine.  It goes:  “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine.”  However, then we teach just the opposite to adults and children in our church services.

When church meetings continually train people to only sit quietly and listen, and not to speak out and share their insights with one another; aren’t we training Christ-followers to hide their light?

If you hide your light in the dark of night, darkness immediately removes your sight. Jesus put it this way:  “No man, when he has lighted a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed; but sets it on a lampstand, that they who enter in may see the light.” –Luke 8:16.

Perhaps church should train Christ-followers to shine their light by training them to listen to the Holy Spirit and then to share their insights with one another during church services. If believers are too intimidated to share their light with one another in the loving environment of church meetings, how will they ever get the courage to share their light with non-believers in secular settings?

Need training to share your light?  Come visit The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where, instead of a 1-man sermon, regular people show and tell what God has done — Sunday mornings at 10:45 and Tuesday nights at 6:00 — 225 Berry St. 37207.

 

Posted in children's songs, Christ, church, church meetings, Luke 8:16, lyrics, music, Music City, Nashville church, Nashville news, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, simple church, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, This little light of mine | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to create community in church

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Steve Simms

When many speak and share in a meeting, community comes forth. Church is called to be community, not an audience.

In a traditional church service, there is one person speaking on the platform and everybody else is in the audience watching.  In organic church, everybody is on the platform and Jesus is the audience, watching and directing the meeting as He prompts people to praise, share, and testify.

If only we would stop ignoring Jesus at our side in church meetings and instead would encourage everybody present to listen to His voice and then to say or do what He tells them to in the meeting, we would experience the living Jesus Christ working in our midst in powerful ways through ordinary men and women!

Is participatory, organic church an “ancient ruin”?  The prophet Isaiah said:  “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.”

In 1st Century church meetings, ordinary believers ministered to one another and everybody was free to speak out in meetings, as prompted by the Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26) However, that form of church meetings was soon abandoned and became a ruin — a place long ago devastated.

Perhaps the early 21st Century is now the time to rebuild and restore participatory, organic church meetings!  (Experience organic church with us on Sunday mornings @ 10:45, 225 Berry St., Nashville 37207 at The Salvation Army Berry Street.)

“Church can’t be a place where we feel like a visitor, or somewhere we’re afraid to allow others to see our messes. It’s got to feel like home.” ―Ross Parsley

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Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, 21st Century, ancient ruins, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church community, early Christians, early church, early Salvation Army, East Nashville, ekklesia, how to create community, Isaiah, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville think tank, Nashville tourist attractions, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, Ross Parsley, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Flag, Salvation Army Nashville, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” to Love, Peace, & Joy

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Steve Simms

In a world filled with violence, disrespect, hatred, and meanness, the movie, The Hundred-Foot Journey, beautifully illustrates the fact that reaching out in friendship to people you feel threatened by can be inspiring, healing, and transformational.  It vividly portrays the evil of violence and prejudice and the power of kindness, humility, repentance, and forgiveness.

Go see it!  But don’t stop there.  Why not take a 100-foot journey outside of your comfort zone and make friends with people from another culture or ethnic group?

And if you are really brave, visit a support group when people are open, humble, and vulnerable with one another and experience the power of love and kindness in action.  The First Century church was originally a support group where everyday people shared their victories and burdens with one another and encouraged one another in love.  (See 1 Corinthians 14:26.)

However, the church gradually shifted from a support group to a religious performance featuring the same man on a platform week after week.  But now, in the Twenty-First Century, around the world God is restoring support group style church where ordinary people show and tell what God has done.

If you are close to Nashville, Tennessee, your 100-foot journey can be to The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St. 37207, where regular people share from their heart as they feel prompted by the Spirit.  Come see on Sunday mornings at 10:45 and/or Tuesday nights at 6:30.

hundred foot journey

The Hundred-Foot Journey stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Daval, and Charlotte Le Bon.   It was produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Juliet Blake and is based on the novel The Hundred-Foot Journey written by Richard C. Morais. 

Posted in Charlotte Le Bon, Helen Mirren, Juliet Blake, Manish Daval, movie review, Nashville, Nashville church, novels, Om Puri, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, Richard C. Morais, Salvation Army, Salvation Army Nashville, Steven Spielberg | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Full Gospel–Salvation Army Style (“Others” or Jesus–Finding Balance)

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Steve Simms

The Salvation Army is off the race track. Check out my new book, Off the RACE Track–From Color-Blind to Color Kind at this link. Commissioner Israel Gaither says this about it: “The racial divide in America is real and it is deep. Steve Simms begins his exploration of the problem with three questions. He then takes the reader on his personal journey into lives and circumstances that too few would even dare imagine going. He is intentional about finding answers–no matter the risks. But he cannot question without engaging experiences that would otherwise be unknown and thus unappreciated. This is a rare account of a man who literally takes action on his belief in the worth of others. Interested in discovering what you can do to address the problem? Then you must read Steve’s story!”

Off the RACE Track poster

Check out my new book, “Off the RACE Track–From Color-Blind to Color-Kind.

“Others!”  This one word was the entire contents of a Christmas telegram sent by Salvation Army founder, General William Booth, in the early 1900s to encourage Army leaders around the world.

others

Booth could not afford to send a telegram containing a long message to his officers around the world.  So his entire message needed to be reduced to a single word.  This word needed to encourage, inspire and direct.  In those early days of the Army, his officers didn’t need to be reminded to put Jesus first.  They were all on fire with passionate love for Christ.

However, at that time, social services was secondary to saving souls and proclaiming the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.  William Booth did not want The Salvation Army to forget about needs of those they were ministering to spiritually.

Booth put it this way:  “But what is the use of preaching the Gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated on a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive.”  So with one word, “Others!” General Booth reminded the officers to be like Christ and to think of  and serve others and their physical needs.

But what about today?  What if William Booth was going to send out a one-word text message today to Salvation Army Officers?  Well, nowadays the Army is known for its social and disaster services, but many people don’t know that passionate love for Jesus is the driving force behind those services.

What Would William Booth send out today?  I think it would be:  “Jesus!”

booth

Posted in Christian history, church history, Full Gospel, Gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, message, quotation, Quotations, quote, Salvation Army General, Salvation Army officer | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment