Jesus Is Alive & Active in the 21st Century — Church Can Catch Him Like A Sail Catching The Wind

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

When the leaves and small limbs of a tree are all leaning in the same direction, you know that something invisible is going on — the wind is blowing the tree.  That’s what happens at The Salvation Army Berry Street.  We raise our sails to catch Jesus like the wind!

When everybody is spontaneously sharing; all the testimonies, exhortations, gifts of the Spirit, prayers, Scriptures, and revelations lean in the same direction.  Then we know something invisible is going on — the living, resurrected Jesus Christ is shaping and directing the meeting!

The living, resurrected Jesus Christ is in all genuine believers.  So why do we only allow “ordained” professional clergy people to speak out about Him in church services?

The living, resurrected Jesus not only always sees us; when we meet in His name, He is actually present with us. So perhaps we could allow Him to freely move around the room and directly lead us!

See Jesus in action through ordinary people at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN 37207 — Sunday mornings at 10:45 & Tuesday nights at 6:00.

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, how to do church, How to raise a sail, meeting in His name, ordaination, order of worship, organic church, relational church, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual church, ways of doing church, why go to church, worship, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Church — A Bottled Water Plant? or A Mighty, Whitewater River

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church — A bottled water plant? or A mighty, whitewater river?

Contemporary church is too often like a bottled water plant. People sit passively, like flimsy plastic bottles in a row, hoping to receive a single squirt of water from a special spout.

Maybe God wants His church to be like a gushing, whitewater river. Perhaps He wants people to be buoyantly swept along in the current of His Spirit, demonstrating His power and presence to one another and to the world.

Experience whitewater church at The Salvation Army Berry Street in Nashville, Tennessee on Sundays at 10:45 am. and Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. — 225 Berry St. 37207.

Posted in bottled water plant, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church seating, church services, church structure, Holy Spirit, house church, How is water bottled?, institutional church, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville news, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, plastic bottles, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual church, spontaneity, spontaneous church, whitewater river | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Organic Church — Spirit-Led Assembly Required!

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Steve Simms

Love is not taught by a sermon or a lesson.  Love is caught when hearts are in Spirit-led connection.

Church — Spirit-led assembly required!  A church meeting should be a spiritual people-mover — connecting people to God and to one another.

In this dark world, millions of churches are without power. Perhaps a church meeting should be a work crew in which everyone present is working to restore power by actively hearing and obeying the directions of the Crew Chief, the Holy Spirit — not a crowd content to merely sit and passively watch one man talk.

Should a church service be program-driven or Spirit-driven?  Is a church service auto parts? Or is it a car?
–Various auto parts on a shelf are not a car. To produce a car the right parts must be assembled in the right way.
–Perhaps various members of Christ’s body passively sitting in a Sunday morning meeting, also need to be assembled: connected one to another, heart-to-heart — freely allowed to openly show and tell what God is doing in their lives.  Organic church requires Spirit-led assembly.

Church asks people to listen & leave. But what if we expected people to verbally participate & perceive God’s presence?

Hidden hearts cannot connect.. At The Salvation Army Berry Street (225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207, Sun. mornings @ 10:45), regular people (like you) are allowed to share from the heart about what God has done (and is doing) in their lives. And strong connections are made!

Posted in assembly, Christianity, Christianity with Power, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, God, led by the Spirit, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, simple church, Spirit-led | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Salvation Army Flag Prayer Walk Report — Nashville’s McFerrin Park Neighborhood

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

* A Morning Flag-Prayer-Walk In East Nashville’s Mcferrin Park Neighborhood Today! *

I left The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center walking on Meridian Street and a guy named, Crump (a 60-something man holding a jar 1/2 full of beer), asked about the flag. I got to tell him about the blood of Jesus and fire of the Spirit as well as about our corps. He said that in the summer he gets vegetables out of our free community garden. I was able to laugh with him, witness to him and pray with him. Then he very kindly and warmly sent me on my way.

A little further down Meridian two guys in a car slowed down and rolled down the window. The driver said something like: “What’s up?” I told Him about Jesus’ blood and the Spirit’s fire and while I was talking and holding the flag in the wind, he took my picture. They were both smiling as they drove off and I wished them a great day.

Next I saw 5 firemen standing in front of the firehouse at Meridian & Cleveland streets. I walked up and told them about the flag & the blood of Jesus. They pointed to one guy and said that he really needs it. So I got to start a conversation about how we are all need God’s forgiveness. I also got to invite them to Berry Street. It was a very uplifting time of interacting with those guys. And I thanked them for protecting our building.

I walked on to Dickerson Road and a guy was standing behind a run-down convenience market. He kept watching me. I tried to ignore him, but the Spirit nudged me to go talk with him. I shared with Robert about Jesus’ blood & fire, but he was too drunk to understand much. So I put my hand on his shoulder and began to pray for him. When I said: “And Lord, get him drunk on the Holy Spirit,” his whole body jerked and he began to walk away.

A bit further down Dickerson, a woman named Candy asked me about the flag. I got to tell her about it and pray with her. She is from Mexico and told me that she is a Pentecostal. She was very grateful for the prayer.

As I was almost back to Berry Street, a truck pulled over with two guys that I know. One of them is moving to Orland and I didn’t think I was going to get to see him before he left, so I was grateful for the opportunity to tell him by and wish him God’s best. They were the only two people I spoke with today who weren’t strangers to me.

If you are bored and looking for something to spice up your life, take up the Blood & Fire Spiritual Warfare Flag and go for a prayer walk! The results will amaze you.

Posted in Berry Street, Cleveland Street, fire station, firemen, McFerrin Park, Meridian Street, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Nashville church, outreach, outreach ministry, prayer without ceasing, prayers, praying, praying in the Spirit, religion, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Flag, witness, witnesses | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Hot. Cool. Yours.” Sochi’s Silly Olympic Slogan — What Does It Mean?

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

“Hot. Cool. Yours.” (It’s not just a silly slogan for the Sochi Olympics.)
* “Hot.” — Heat up God’s fire in your heart and spread it everywhere until you become an ever-burning, flaming torch for God.
* “Cool.” — Cool down your wrongful and/or self-destructive desires, behaviors, & attitudes, until you freeze them completely out of your life.
* “Yours.” — Continually tell God, “I’m Yours,” consistently living a lifestyle of surrender to Him and service to others.
(Consistently living by “Hot. Cool. Yours.” takes as much courage and training as the most dangerous Olympic events! Are you brave enough to do it?)

Posted in Christianity, cool, courage, faith, fight the good fight of faith, holiness, Hot, Olympic events, Olympic slogans, Olympic spirit, self-help, self-improvement, spirit, spirit fire, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, Train yourself unto godliness., training, Yours | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

I dare you to try The R5/NT/24 Miracle Challenge . . . (R5) Read at least 5 minutes every day in (NT) the New Testament for (24) 24 days. If you’ve got the courage to do this and not miss a single day, it will transform your life!

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in Bible, Bible concepts, Bible reading plan, Bible study, biblical, biblical studies, Scriptures | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Church — An Alternative Lifestyle To Popular Culture . . . Not A Religious Talk

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Steve Simms

A church meeting is supposed to be the prototype of an alternative lifestyle to popular culture, an actual demonstration of the values of the Kingdom of God, equipping people to live life like lights in the darkness–a spiritual support-group for overcoming our sins.  It’s not supposed to be a mere religious lecture.

Instead . . . “Church is organized to protect a leader instead of to point to Christ . . . church is built around the pulpit ministry. Monologue is the primary means of communication–people passively listening to the pastor expound.” –Jim Van Yperen

Maybe church should be more than one man’s weekly professional presentation. Perhaps every church meeting should an open and participatory demonstration of God’s power and presence.  See 1 Corinthians 14:26.

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, communion, community, Jim Van Yperen, monologue, organic church, passivity, pastor, prototype, pulpit ministry, quotation, Quotations, Quotes, simple church, spiritual, support group | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Church — Getting Christ To Flow Out Of Ordinary Believers

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

If, as the New Testament says, Christ is living in believers, why don’t church services focus on how to get Christ to flow out of ordinary believers; rather than spending so much time and effort trying to get religious teachings into them?

Perhaps church should be more than one man’s weekly professional presentation. Perhaps church should be an actual demonstration of God’s power and presence.  (Early Salvation Army meetings were interactive demonstrations of God; not professional presentations about Him.)

Church is called to ignite and release
Spiritual flames of love, joy, and peace;
Hearts ablaze, unrestrained,
God’s power, uncontained;
Freely flowing flames of faith
Blazing brightly from each face.

Feel the spiritual warmth at The Salvation Army Berry Street, where instead of a weekly sermon, simple people show and tell what God has done.  Sunday mornings at 10:45, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN 37207.

Posted in Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, how to do church, new kind of church, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, role of Christ in church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, ways of doing church | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

3 Categories of “Church” in the 21st Century

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Steve Simms

3 Categories of “Church” Services in the 21st Century
1) “Church” services that deny God’s existance (“atheist church”);
2) Church services that present programs & talks about God;
3) Church services that depend on and actively demonstrate God’s real presence and power.
#s 1 & 3 are currently few in number, but they will both greatly expand in the coming year

Posted in atheistic church, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, deny God, types of church | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Purpose of Church — Running Religious Programs or Connecting People With Christ?

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Steve Simms

The purpose of church is not to run religious programs.  The purpose of church is to help people connect with, follow, and daily obey the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.

When people begin to listen to Jesus and do what He tells them to, there is no more need for religious programs. Church gatherings can then flow freely, spontaneous and unprogrammed.  This leads people beyond sit and listen church services into participatory, interactive, spontaneous worship meetings based on open sharing and testimony as led by the Spirit.

When in a meeting where the Lord is present and freely adored, no one is bored.  They might be uncomfortable, afraid, convicted of their sin.  Or they might be inspired, thrilled, transformed.  But they can’t be bored!

We need to get back to New Testament style church focused on life-based teaching rather than classroom-style teaching. I don’t think Jesus taught much classroom-style lecture like today’s church does. Jesus’ teaching was sharing life with His disciples and letting His teaching flow out of real life situations.  All Christ-followers should teach like that today — through Spirit-led interaction, not just through prepackaged pulpit presentations.

 

 

Posted in church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church structure, organic church, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, purpose of church, simple church, Spirit-led interaction | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments