Radical (Back To The Roots) Church Is . . .

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church is a living message: *Christ alive from the dead; * actually present with us when we gather in His name; * personally directing the meeting and leading various people to share testimonies, gifts of the Spirit, Scriptures, prayers, etc. It’s not a mere spoken message. (Read 1 Corinthians 14:26 and/or visit The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, TN on Sunday mornings @10:45, 225 Berry St., 37207.)

Church is not about God in Heaven; it’s about God with us (Emmanuel) — “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  Church is not calm and controlled; its unpredictable and electric!

Church doesn’t rock with the culture; it rolls with the Spirit.  It is not a culturally relevant religious gathering.  Church is not supposed to copycat contemporary culture.  Church is a challenge to live a countercultural lifestyle.  It is a colony of the Kingdom of God governed by totally different principles and values than the surrounding society.

Church is not a place to be isolated from others; but a place for spiritual intimacy, openness, and healing.

If the people who make up God’s church would begin to listen to and obey their CEO, Jesus Christ, we would see the greatest spiritual awakening in world history.  Church is not submission to a man and his agenda; it is full surrender to the living, resurrected Jesus.  It’s not a preacher teaching minds; but the Holy Spirit reaching each heart.

Church is not an occasion to impress others or to be impressed by a person’s sermon; rather, it’s an opportunity to encounter and to be impressed by the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.

Spirit-controlled church is not boring. It’s more exciting that a close NFL Playoff Game. Don’t believe me? Read the Book of Acts and see for yourself.

Church is not a stiff, formal service; it’s a family gathering.

 

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, alternative church, alternative lifestyle, Emmanuel, faith, faith-based, family gathering, God with us, healing, intimacy, kingdom of God, National Football League, NFL, NFL Playoffs, recovery, religion, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, sermons, simple church, sold out, spiritual healing, surrender, surrender to God, unprogrammed church, What is church?, When you come together, witness | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

iChurch or GChurch?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

iChurch or GChurch?

iChurch is self-focused. Does it meet my needs? Does it make me happy? iChurch is controlled by human leaders, programs and agendas.

GChurch is focused on God. Is the attention on God? Is God, Himself, in charge? GChurch is controlled by the resurrected, living Jesus Christ and has no human agenda.

Steve Jobs led the innovation for the iPhone.  Who will be “the Steve Jobs of religion” and lead the innovation for GChurch?

There is a GChurch in Nashville, Tennessee that meets at The Salvation Army, 225 Berry St., 37207 on Sundays at 10:45.  Experience it for yourself.

 

 

Posted in Christianity, church, iChurch, innovation, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Steve Jobs Of Religion? — Come On Church, Innovate!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

An Eric Weiner quotation from the Op-Ed page of The New York Times, December, 2011:

“We need a Steve Jobs of religion. Someone (or ones) who can invent not a new religion but, rather, a new way of being religious. Like Mr. Jobs’s creations, this new way would be straightforward and unencumbered and absolutely intuitive. Most important, it would be highly interactive . . . A religious operating system for the Nones (those who claim no religion) among us. And for all of us.”

The Salvation Army Berry Street in Nashville (in the tradition of two great spiritual innovators — William & Catherine Booth — cofounders of The Salvation Army) is:

*  Straightforward:  Everyday people show and tell what God has done as they speak the truth in love.

*  Unencumbered:  People are free to follow and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit without having to follow tradition, ritual, or a program.

*  Absolutely intuitive:  Everyone is asked to listen to the voice of God and then to say and/or do what He tells them to.

*  Highly interactive:  Like in a support group, people directly minister to and encourage one another during the Sunday meeting..

Are you ready for some Steve Jobs style, biblical (see 1 Corinthians 14:26)  spiritual innovation? Check out The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, TN Sunday mornings at 10:45 — 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN   37207.

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Apple Computer, being religious, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, church, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, creativity, East Nashville, environment, freedom, Holy Spirit, humility, improv, improvisation, insight, interactive, intuitive, Mr. Job's, Music City, non-church, open church, operating system, organic church, participatory church, questions, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, speak the truth in love, spiritual innovation, straight forward, support group, unencumbered, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Views of Violence

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

If certain foreign nations and their leaders can be called evil (Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, etc.) and foreign terrorists and/or suicide bombers can be called evil, why aren’t America’s home-grown terrorists and mass murderers called evil?

Why aren’t all mass murders, regardless of their home country, called cruel, wicked, and evil?

As I watched the evening news reports about the horrendously evil act of the mass murder of innocent women and children in Connecticut, I couldn’t hold back the tears. People ask: “Why?” Could we be getting a harvest of violence from the tons of seeds of violence that we have planted in our society?

Evil is real and if we don’t learn to resist it and overcome it within ourselves, it will overcome us and eventually overtake us. Our society has taught (and brainwashed) the last few generations that they should disregard “rigid” morality and instead go with whatever feels good to them. We have glorified and glamorized violence in the media and in heartless and cruel video games.

Perhaps America needs to proclaim, obey, put on TV and other media, and even put back in schools, the commandment: “Thou shall not kill.”

Even religion can be violent, but genuine spirituality is loving and nonviolent.  Jesus put it this way:  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Here’s one more thought:  If prenatal medicine is a good thing, why isn’t prenatal violence a bad thing?

Posted in Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, foreign terrorists, home grown, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love your enemies, medicine, persecution, pre-natal, prenatal, prenatal medicine, Quotations, quote, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Amazing Anointing of An Agendaless Assembly

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

There is an amazing anointing on an agendaless assembly.  It’s the very presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, Himself.  The First Century Church knew this, not as a doctrine, but as a powerful reality every time they met together in Jesus’ name.

After all, Jesus had promised them this:  “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)  So what does it mean to be gathered together in Jesus’ name?  It means that we meet together with no agenda of our own — no prearranged plan, no program — trusting Jesus, Himself, to direct the meeting with His own agenda (in His name).

This is how the early church met.  (See 1 Corinthians 14:26)  And they experienced the amazing anointing of Jesus’ real presence in their midst.  The Holy Spirit moved powerfully among them transforming lives, giving people power over sin, making people bold witnesses, doing miracles, and bringing multitudes into obedience to Jesus.

However, as centuries went own, the church slowly began to organize, structure, and control its Sunday meetings gradually developing programmed meetings.  They shifted from meeting in Jesus’ name to meeting in the name of their own agenda and traditions; taking the leadership of church meetings away from the Holy Spirit and giving it to a man.  The Protestant Reformation didn’t change this.

We in the Western world have inherited the church tradition of the one-man control of church meetings.  Almost every church service in our culture is planned and then led from a platform by one man (or one woman).  Could this be why we don’t experience the same life-transforming power in our churches as they did in the Book of Acts?

There is an amazing anointing in an agendaless assembly.  Don’t just take my word for it.  Come and experience it for yourself at The Salvation Army Berry Street where everyday people, as led by the Spirit, show and tell what God has done — 225 Berry St., Nashville, Tennessee, 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45.

 

 

 

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, agendaless, alternative church, assembly, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, disciple making, discipling, First Century Church, Matthew 18:20, religion, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Western religion, Western world, What is church?, When you come together, worship | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The horrendously evil slaughter of innocents in Newtown, Connecticut, shows that something is dreadfully wrong with America. Lord, have mercy on us.

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Steve Simms
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Is Soicety Reaping The Violence It’s Been Showing?

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

Is society reaping the graphic violence it’s been showing for decades in movies, on TV, and in video games?  Can that be a factor in the evil acts of random mass murder being frequently committed in America?

Does showing scenes of someone driving a particular vehicle cause a certain number of people to buy and drive that car?  Of course it does.  Why else would companies spend millions of dollars to have their products and/or services shown in movies and in TV commercials?

We reap what we show.  If we regularly show disrespect, we reap disrespect.  If we continuously show lying, we reap widespread deceit, dishonesty, and cheating.  If we show scads and scads of casual sex scenes, we reap more of its consequences of disease, broken families, fatherless and/or unwanted children, and prenatal violence.  If we show smoking, we reap smoking and cancer (that’s why society has stopped showing smoking).

And if we regularly show graphic scenes of cruel violence, we reap evil mass murders.  Some people succumb to commit random acts of horrendous evil.

To change what we’re reaping, we’ve got to changing what we re showing (and watching).  Show sacrificial love.  Show strong character and inspiration.  Show peace and respect.  Show honesty.  Show service and doing good.

Here’s a quotation from Maria Weston Chapman:  “Grudge no expense — yield to no opposition — forget fatigue — till, by strength of prayer and sacrifice, the spirit of love shall have overcome.”

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com
Posted in agenda, censorship, cheating, choice, commercials, compliance, compromise, conscience, controversy, criticism, current events, cyber space, cyberworld, depravity, destruction of the family, destructive actions, dishonesty, disrespect, epidemic, evil spirits, feelings, graphic violence, guilt, heart-felt love, honesty, hope, injustice, lies, lifestyles, Maria Weston Chapman, media, media circus, mind, modeling, modern myths, moral failure, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, movie, movies, MTV, nonviolence, peacemaking, popular culture, prayer, pull of evil, Quotations, quote, Quotes, real world, reality TV, recovery, reformation, repentance, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, self-destruction, self-inflicted, selfish desires, service, sex, sexual problems, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking, social media, societal, society, suffering, thoughts, TV, TV network, unhappiness, unkindness, video, video games, viewer discretion advised, wake-up call | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Don’t Settle For Glee When You Can Have Worglee!

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

Don’t settle for Glee on TV, when you can have worglee in your daily life.  Worglee is anticipating and expecting good things to happen to you and to the people you love.  It’s the opposite of worry.  Although the process of both is the same, the focus is completely different.

The attention of worry is on negative events that can occur.  However, the focus of worglee is on positive events that can happen. So if you know how to put yourself through the dread of worry, then you have certainly the ability to change your worry into the joy of worglee.

So how are worglee and worry different?  The difference is in what you say and/or think about situations in your life.  Check out these examples:

Worry thinks: What will happen if I lose my job? What will my family have to do to survive?

Worglee thinks: What will happen if my boss gives me a big raise? What will my family do with all that extra money?

Worry says: What will I do if I get sick? How will I pay all the medical bills? Will my family support me? What will happen if I get so sick that I die?

Worglee says: What will it be like if I’m in great health all my life? What will I do with the money that I save by not having doctor and drug bills? What great opportunities will come to me because I am so healthy?

Worry thinks: What If someone I love gets hurt or seriously ill ? How will I cope with that?

Worglee thinks: What if my family and friends all live long, healthy, and happy lives? What exciting things will I get to do with each of them?

Worry says: What if my home is broken into? Or if I’m in an accident? What if I can’t deal with those situations?

Worglee says: What if my house is the safest place in my city? What if I am given an award for safety? How will I handle the love and attention my city bestows on me?

Worry thinks:  What if my boss called that meeting on Wednesday morning to embarrass me? What if she humiliates me in front of all my coworkers?

Worglee thinks: What if the boss called that meeting on Wednesday morning so she can honor and reward me? What a blessing it will be to be recognized in front of the company management!

The next time worry tries to get a hold on you, why not turn that worry into worglee?  Try it and see how rewarding (and fun) worglee can be!  Here’s a good example of worglee.

glee

Posted in adventure, angst, anxiety, anxious thoughts, belief, belief system, blessings, bummer, celebration, celebrations, change, change management, choice, comfort, compassion, contemplation, creativity, decision-making, discomfort, disconnect, discouragement, doubts, encouragement, experiment, faith, freedom, guidance, habit, health, health care, insight, inspiration, joy, language, lifestyles, making decisions, message, misery, motivation, revelation, security, self-image, self-talk, stop worrying, television, testimonies, testimony, thoughts, TV, values, words | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Don’t rock with the culture; roll with God’s Spirit!

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

Don’t rock with the culture; roll with God’s Spirit!

Posted in Christ followers, Christian, contemporary society, controversial, corrupt culture, having a form of godliness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You A Sold-Out Copycat?

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

Copycating contemporary culture — shouldn’t we take a higher view than monkey see, monkey do?  Rather than taking rides on society’s hot and trendy tides, shouldn’t Christ’s followers be on His side and go against the tide?

According to Jesus, His followers are to be “in the world, but not of the world.”  To quote Paul of Tarsus:  “”Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  They aren’t supposed to be compromised and sold-out to society’s values.

Believers are not called to copycat contemporary culture; believers are challenged to live a countercultural lifestyle.  Will you?

Posted in against the tide, American, American church, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, compromised, conscience, contemporary, contemporary society, controversial, controversy, countercultural, courage, cultural taboos, culture, current condition, current events, darkness, dishonesty, disrespect, Do not be conformed to this world, Do not conform, feelings, followers, followers of Christ, godly sorrow, hypocrisy, monkey see monkey do, personal pleasure, persuasion of media, philosophy, politics and religion, post-Christianity, pride, profanity, promiscuity, Quotations, quote, real world, renewing your mind, right and wrong, right living, righteousness, self-destruction, self-focus, selfish desires, society, sold out, spiritual transformation, television, temptation, values | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment