Ride The Glory Tide

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

There is a glory flow that will glow in your heart and grow ever stronger.  Go with that flow!

There is a stream that can redeem your dreams, even when it seems like they are gone forever.  Follow the gleam in that stream!

There is an inner river that will deliver peace, forgiveness, joy, hope, and love.  Release that river!

There is a current that will be a deterrent to self-inflicted pain and misery.  Connect with that current!

There is a tide that will be your guide so that you can ride your destiny.  Abide in that tide!

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.”

“Quench not the Spirit.”  Let it flow!

If you would like to learn to connect with the Spirit’s current come and be a part of a Spirit-led worship gathering where people (as prompted by the Spirit) show and tell what God has done — Sunday mornings at 10:45 at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207.

Posted in abide, Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, church, church meetings, comfort, corps, current, dancing with God, East Nashville, flow, followers of Christ, forgiveness, free spirit, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, glory, go with the flow, God, guidance, guide, hope, joy, love, misery, Music City, Nashville, pain, peace, quench the Spirit, ride the tide, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Scriptures, search for significance, searching for significance, self-inflicted, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual walk, stream, streaming, supernatural, surrender, surrender to God, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Aiming For Your Heart

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

Television and movies aim to reach your desire to be entertained.  Advertising aims to for your emotions.  Negative political advertisements aim to reach your fears.  Classes, seminars, and even sermons aim for your mind.  Love, however, aims to reach your heart!

You may have heard people say, “The Bible steps on my toes.”  However, the Bible is not aiming for your toes.  It’s aiming for your heart!

Don’t read the Bible like a textbook to inform your mind.  Read it like a love letter to inspire your heart.

When the Bible finally reached beyond his intellect, John Wesley (the father of the Methodist church) declared:  “I felt my heart strangely warmed.”

Some early Christ-followers said:  “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, proclaimed:  “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.”

Has the Bible reached beyond your mind and touched your heart?  Is the fire of God actively burning inside of you?

Sometimes our fire needs to be rekindled (or kindled).  If your heart is dry, come and receive a spark of God’s fire.  Visit The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207, on Sundays at 10:45 am. — where everyday people show and tell what God has done!

Posted in advertising, alternative lifestyle, belief, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible reading, biblical, Biblical concept, burning heart, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian history, church, church history, curriculum, devotion, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, inner peace, inner rivers, inspiration, intellect, intelligence, invisible, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, joy, kingdom of God, lecture, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, ministry, movement, Music City, Nashville, normal Christianity, relevation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seminars, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quote From “Aggressive Christianity”

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

In her sermon, Aggressive Christianity, Catherine Booth (co-founder of The Salvation Army) preached: “It is a bad sign for the Christianity of this day that it provokes so little opposition. If there were no other evidence of it being wrong, I should know it from that. When the Church and the world can jog along comfortably together, you may be sure there is something wrong.”

It’s easy to go downstream with the moral collapse of our Western culture.  However, God calls us to do the difficult thing.  He calls us to stand against the tide of sin and moral decay.

One way to do that is to lovingly carry The Salvation Army Flag (or another Christian flag).  The colors red, yellow, and blue, in The Salvation Army Flag, represent the blood of Jesus, the fire of the Holy Spirit, and a pure lifestyle of daily obedience to the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.

In past generations it was common for Christians to practice street preaching (sometimes called open-airs).  Nowadays it is very difficult to gather a crowd on the streets that is willing to listen.

However, carrying a Christian battle flag on the streets is a new way to hold open-airs.  Just carry a Christian flag while walking around and praying; and let the Holy Spirit connect you with anybody who He wants you to talk to and/or pray with.  In the mean time you are lovingly and boldly proclaiming the Gospel to all who see you walk by.

Check out this Facebook page:  Prayer Walking With The Salvation Army Flag.

Posted in Blood and Fire, blood of Jesus, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian values, evangelism, evangelistic meetings, fire of the Holy Spirit, followers of Christ, Gospel, Holy Spirit, invasion, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, makes change, ministry, missional, move of God, movement, national flags, open airs, openairs, outreach ministry, outside the box, prayer, prayer without ceasing, religion, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, street preaching, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Flag, witness | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Do We Need A More Effective Way Of Having Church?

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

In the West the church is not changing contemporary culture. Instead, church members are being swayed and swept along by society’s hedonism and the church appears to be powerless to prevent it.  We are a post Christian society.

Perhaps we need a fresh, innovative way of doing church — a biblical way that releases God’s life-transforming spiritual power.  A life-giving way of having church is described in 1 Corinthians 14:26, yet almost no church in the West follows that Scripture.  (However, China has tens of thousands of such churches — sometimes called house church or organic church.)

So what do we have to lose in America and the West? Why not give it a go?  Can this biblical way of doing church be any less effective that what Western churches are doing? If you live in Nashville, come to The Salvation Army Berry Street and experience participatory church for yourself on Sunday mornings at 10:45 at 225 Berry St., 37207.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American church, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, Christian, church, church meetings, church roles, church structure, contemporary society, controversy, corrupt culture, denominations, house church | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Better (More Biblical) Way To Have Church?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

Should church teach people:
1) To quietly sit and listen and mentally learn a lesson? (The traditional way of doing church.) Or
2) To actively participate and take possession of Christ-like attitudes and actions?  (The only way of doing church that I can find taught in the Bible — can you find another?)

Here’s what the Bible says about having church (1 Corinthians 14:26):  “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” It is an amazing way to have church! You really should experience this sometime.

If you live in Nashville and would like to experience 1 Corinthians 14:26 church, come and visit The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45.

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, biblical, Biblical concept, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church meetings, church program, church roles, church structure, disciple making, do church, faith, faith-based, house church, hymn, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, interpretation, Music City, open church, participatory church, speaking in tongues, tongue | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s no fun to run from God. Jonah smelled something fishy when he tried it.

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Steve Simms
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Should People Speak Out If They Believe Innocent People Are Being Killed?

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

Should people speak out if they sincerely believe that innocent people are being killed?  Most people would give a positive answer to this question.

For example, the government and the military of Syria have been killing tens of thousands of their own citizens.  Thousands of individual people around the world are speaking out against this (even though the Syrian government considers people who speak out against its cruel and evil behavior to be judgmental).   Also, national governments and the United Nations are speaking and working (although, unsuccessfully) to stop Syria’s behavior.

However, Syria’s government is pro choice.  They believe that they have the right to choose to get rid of citizens who cause them inconvenience.

So what’s the difference for the hundreds of millions of people who sincerely believe that it is both cruel and morally wrong to kill the innocent human life in the womb?  In the past 40 years many millions of those developing babies have been killed.

If people who speak out against the slaughter in Syria are heroes, why aren’t the people who speak against the slaughter of the unborn also called heroes?

 

Posted in against, America, citizens, freedom, government, heroes, injustice, judgment, judgments, military, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, popular culture, pro choice, pro life, prochoice, protest, right conduct, right living, speaking out | Tagged , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

What Is More Important Than Voting?

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Steve Simms

What is more important than voting?  There is no debate that many things are more important than casting your vote:  Honesty.  Kindness.  Decency.  Forgiveness.  A pure heart.  Compassion.  Fairness.  Thinking, talking, and acting according to righteousness.  Love.  Integrity.  Personal faith in and obedience to the Creator.

Whether or not you consistently follow and obey Jesus in your daily life is much more important that how (or if) you vote!

Casting your vote may be important, but . . .
Casting our your demons and
Casting your cares on the Lord,
Are much more important!

Posted in casting out demons, casting your vote, Christian, Christian values, commands, compassion, conviction, conviction of sin, courage, current events, demons, devils, ethics, evil spirits, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, forgiveness, honesty, integrity, kindness, lifestyles, love, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, right conduct, right living, righteousness | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Exciting Facebook Pages

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

I oversee three exciting Facebook pages:

Prayer Walking With The Salvation Army Flag

The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center

and my personal page:

Steve Simms.

Click and check them out.  Thanks so much for reading my blogs!

 

Posted in belief, belief system, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian organizations, church, faith, faith-based, organic church | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Should We Have The Courage To Let The Holy Spirit Flow?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

You won’t grow, if you don’t let the Spirit flow;
You won’t know, if you don’t let the Spirit show;
Eye can’t see; ear can’t hear;
Unless the Spirit makes Christ appear
And flood your heart with rushing rivers.
We’re told the key to the Gospel is just to hear it;
But we’re stuck in religion without the free-flowing Spirit.

The moving of God’s Spirit — there’s no need to fear it. He who has ears to hear the Spirit’s voice; let him hear it.

The Blood & Fire Flag of The Salvation Army represents the Blood of Jesus and the Fire of the Holy Spirit. Today our world needs for believers to allow the Holy Spirit to apply the Blood to our hearts and lives, and to fill us with His overflowing and controlling power!

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American church, belief, belief system, burning heart, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian flag, church, compromise, followers of Christ, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, Gospel, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, heart-felt love, hearts unfold like flowers, Heaven's door, hidden in plain sight, Holy Spirit, kingdom of God, life, move of God, movement, organic church, powerless, presence of Christ, presence of God, quench the Spirit, relevation, religion, revival, rivers of living water, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual drunkenness, spiritual formation, surrender, surrender to God, The Salvation Flag, Unlimited Power, worship | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments