Free Gas for Your Think Tank -- Short Reflections, Lasting Encouragement

The Living God Is Convicting . . .

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

The Living God is convicting . . .

He confronts our sin.

God is challenging . . .

He pulls us out of our comfort zone.

God is disquieting . . .

He overturns our apple carts.

Is the living God welcome in your life? In your church?

As I write, we are experiencing our first snow of the season in Nashville where I live. Snow represents God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Isaiah’s words, spoken and written close to 3 thousand years ago, still ring out in the human soul: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Snow is beautiful, even when it covers ugly things. Through your daily surrender to the living, resurrected Jesus, God can remove the wrongful, selfish, ugly thoughts and behaviors in your life and make you as white as snow.

If you used to be “Snow White,” but drifted away, God can heal you, restore you, and set you free. Draw near to the living God.

God’s forgiveness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, Music City, Nashville, religion, repent, salvation, saved, Savior, snow, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare | Tagged 3 thousand, apple carts, away, behaviors, challenging, church, cleansing, close, comfort zone, confronts, convicting, covers ugly things, daily surrender, disquieting, Draw near to, drifted, experiencing, first snow of the season, God's forgiveness, heal, in the human soul, in your life, Isaiah, it beautifies everything it covers, Jesus, life, living, Nashville, overturns, pulls us out of, remove, represents, restore, resurrected, selfish, set you free, sin, snow is beautiful, spoken, still ring out, the living God, Though your sins are as scarlet, ugly thougts, used to be Snow Whit, welcome, words, worngful, write, written, years ago | 1 Comment

Do you hide or delete God’s status updates from your heart’s wall? They are not spam, but the convicting voice of the Lamb of God, knocking on your heart’s door.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Steve Simms

Posted in Christ, Christianity, conscience, God, guidance, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, kingdom of God, lifestyles, miracles, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, peace, prayer, proof of God, recovery, religion, revelation, salvation, soul, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, Uncategorized, voice activated, voice of God, words | Tagged are not, delete, Do you, from your heart's, God's, hide, knocking on your heart's door, spam, status updates, the convicting voice, the Lamb of God, they, wall | Leave a comment

“Tebowing” Is Now An Official Word — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Tebowing — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow

Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Tim Tebow, has had a remarkable season in 2011, leading his team to the NFL Playoffs by spearheading several amazing comebacks. Tim, a sincere follower of Jesus Christ, openly shares his faith in interviews about football. He also kneels and prays on NFL sidelines.

Tim’s example has inspired world-wide imitation, even producing a new word — tebowing. (The Global Language Monitor just announced that it acknowledges that the word tebowing has officially entered the English language.)

So what is tebowing? Tebowing.com defines it this way: “To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.” Tebowing.com founder, Jared Kleinstein, says: “Some see it as humor, but some see it as a way to inspire hope and say that it’s okay to pray in public.”

I would like to expand the definition of tebowing beyond kneeling in prayer to: openly living and expressing sincere faith in Jesus Christ by following and obeying Jesus in everyday life. Here are some things that the church and 21st Century believers can learn from Tim Tebow:

* You don’t have to be a pastor/preacher/priest/minister to make a difference for God. Any believer can have a profound impact, even if only among a few people, if he/she will begin to unashamedly live and express his/her faith.

* Believers need to come out of their church buildings and find ways to openly follow and obey Jesus in the secular world. A hurting world needs hope, and faith in Christ is one of the greatest hope producers in human history.

* Churches should encourage and train people to live their faith, not just in religious gatherings, but also in everyday life. Rather than making people passive listeners on Sunday mornings, perhaps churches should implement the Bible verse, I Corinthians 14:26, and allow believers to be active participants by letting them share testimonies, words of encouragement, Scriptures, prayers, prayer requests, etc. during church meetings. This would help people develop the confidence to share their faith in secular environments and help spread tebowing even more.

(If you would like to experience a participatory church meeting and you live in the Nashville, Tennessee area; visit The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, 225 Berry Street, 37207 on Sundays @ 10:45 am. and/or Thursdays at 6:30 pm.)

* Praying is one of the most effective ways to impact people’s lives. Sometimes it is difficult to talk openly about our faith, however, praying with people makes it easier. I have found that if you ask someone: “May I pray with you?” the majority of people will say, “Yes.” Then, as you pray with them, the Holy Spirit moves upon them (often bringing tears to their eyes).

So come on church (and believers): Let’s go tebow!

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, champions, Christ, Christianity, church, church structure, comedy, Creator, crying, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, English, evangelicals, football, God, Great Commission, Holy Spirit, hope, house church, humor, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, lifestyles, miracles, motivation, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, National Football League, NFL, organic church, Playoffs, popular culture, prayer, prayer walking, religion, simple church, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, sports, Super Bowl, tears, tebow, tebowing, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, words, WWJD? | Tagged 21st Century, 22011, 225 Berry Street, 37207, a hurting world, a way to inspire hope, acknowledges, active participants, allow, amazing comebacks, among a few people, and/or, announced, area, around you, ask someone, begin, believers, Berry Street Worship Center, beyond, Bible, bringing, church buildings, churches should encourage, come on church, come out of, defines, Denver Broncos, develop the confidence, doing something completely different, don't have to be, during church, etc., even more, everyday life, everyone else, example, expand the definition, express, expressing sincere faith, faith, faith in Christ, find ways, follower of Jesus Christ, following and obeying, football, for God, founder, from, gatherings, get down on a nkee, he/she, help spread, hope producers, however, I Corinthians 14:26, I have found, if only, if you would like, implement, in human history, in prayer, inspired, interviews, it is difficult, it's okay to, Jared Kleinstein, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kneeling in prayer, kneels and prays, leading, let's go tebow, letting them, listeners, live, live in, live their faith, living, make a difference, makes it easier, making people passive, May I pray with you, meetings, minister, Nashville, needs hope, NFL, NFL Playoffs, officially entered, one of the greatest, one of the most effective ways, openly, openly shares his faint, participatory church, pastor, people, perhaps, pray in public, prayer requests, prayers, praying, praying with people, preacher, priest, producing a new word, profound impact, quarterback, rather than, religious, remarkable season, said, say, Scriptures, secular environments, see it as humor, share testimonies, sidelines, sincere, spearheading, start praying, Sunday mornings, Sundays, team, tears to their eyes, Tebowing, tebowing.com, Tennessee, the English language, The Global Language Monitor, the Holy Spirit moves, the majority of people, The Salvation Army, the secular world, then, this way, Thursdays, Tim Tebow, to experience, to impact people's lives, to talk, train, unashamedly, upon them, verse, visit, what the church can learn, word, words of encouragement, world-wide imitation, would help, yes | 8 Comments

Many Voices Are Stalking You, Seducing You . . .

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Steve Simms

Life has given us free will, the ability and freedom to make choices (its pro choice). Yet many voices are after you, stalking you, seducing you, competing for your choices.

* The loud voice of desire boldly booms the proclamation: “Satisfy yourself. Do what you wanna do. If it feels good, do it.”

* The voice of conscience pleads: “Do what is right.”

* The voice of habit says: “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

* The voice of apathy yawns: “Your choices don’t matter, so stay in your comfort zone.”

* The voice of intellect debates: “Be rational. Use your mind to figure it out. Do what is logical.”

* The voice of fear threatens: “Protect yourself. Run and hide.”

* The voice of popular culture and media seductively says: “Do what’s sexy, what’s hot, what’s vulgar and disrespectful.”

* The timid voice of modern, Western religion says: “Take some time on Sunday to do what’s traditional but do what you want the rest of the week.”

* The voice of God cries out: “Listen to Me and do what I say.” (Romans 8:14, ISV: “All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children.”)

In life, we have to choose between many voices. Use discernment. Examine outcomes. Then wisely decide which voices you will follow and which ones you will fight and resist.

My goal is to follow and obey God and to resist obeying any voices that disagree with Him. “Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than human beings!'” (Acts 5:29)

Posted in Acts 5:29, boundaries, casual sex, children of God, Christianity, conscience, fear, free will, freedom, God, habit, hearing God, Holy Spirit, language, life, lifestyles, mind, modern myths, motivation, phobic, popular culture, religion, Romans 8:14, self-help, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, voice activated, voice of God, voices, Western religion, words | Tagged Acts 5:29, after you, apathy, be rational, boldly booms, choices, choices don't matter, comfort zone, competing, conscience pleads, debates, desire, disagree, disrespectful, do it, do what I say, do what you wanna do, do what you want, examine outcomes, fear threatens, fight and resist, figure it out, follow, follow and obey God, free will, freedom, God's children, habit, has given, human beings, If it feels good, intellect, ISV, keep doing what' you're doing, life, listen to me, loud voice, make choices, many voices, many voices compete, media, modern, my goal, Peter and the other apostles, popular culture, pro choice, protect yourself, replied, resist obeying, Romans 8:14, run and hide, satisfy yourself, says, sedu8cing you, seducing you, seductively, stalking you, stay in, Sunday, take some time, the ability, the proclamation, the rest of the week, timid voice, traditional, use discernment, use your mind, voice, voice of God, vulgar, we have to choose between, We must obey God rather than, Western religion, what is logical, what is right, what's hot, what's sexy, which ones, who are led by God's spirit, wisely decide which, yawns | 2 Comments

WWJD? So What Did Jesus Do?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Steve Simms

WWJD?

Jesus wept

. . . humbled Himself

. . . washed His disciples’ feet

. . . fasted from food

. . . boldly spoke about God

. . . broke traditions

. . . challenged people to repent

. . . drove out demons

. . . healed the sick

. . . calmed storms

. . . forgave

. . . blessed those who cursed Him

. . . prayed

. . . befriended outcasts

. . . laid down His life for others.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, awe, challenges, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church history, conscience, crying, disciple making, forgiveness, God, Gospels, Great Commission, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, Lord, miracles, morality, mystery, mysticism, negro spirituals, new birth, New Testament, non-material reality, nonviolence, peace, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, religion, repent, revelation, Savior, sin, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tears, Uncategorized, values, Why be a Christian?, words, WWJD? | Tagged about God, befriended outcasts, blessed those who cursed, boldly spoke, broke traditions, calmed, challenged people, demons, drove out, fasted from food, for others, forgave, healed the sick, humbled Himself, Jesus wept, laid down His life, prayed, repent, storms, washed His disciples' feet, WWJD | 2 Comments

WDJSM? What Did Jesus Say Most?

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Steve Simms

What did Jesus say most (WDJSM)? The phrase most frequently used by Jesus in the Bible seems to be: “He who has ears, let him hear.” Jesus is quoted as saying those words 7 times in the Gospels (8 if you count Matthew 4:23 which most of the modern translations leave out). He also says a variation of that phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear,” 7 times in the book of Revelation. That’s a total of 15 times. Perhaps we should take those words seriously.

Jesus also said: “My sheep hear my voice.” In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says: “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.”

Peter, in one of his sermons recorded in Acts, quotes Moses and says that he is referring to Jesus: “Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from their people.”

From His first disciples to the present day, millions of people around the world from various time periods, language groups, and cultures have personally heard Jesus speak to them and converse with them. Have you heard His voice? Are you listening? If you listen, Jesus may surprise you like he did Mary Magdalene.

Mary went to the tomb after Jesus was crucified. She saw a man who she thought was the gardener and asked him: “If you have taken Him away, tell me where you put Him.” He called her by name, “Mary.” Suddenly she realized that it was Jesus who she had been speaking to all along. Jesus is speaking even though you may not realize that it is Jesus. But once you hear Him call you by your name, you will never be the same.

Sometimes I will say “Jesus I love you.” Then immediately I hear Him say: “Steve Simms, I love you,” and I am deeply moved. This is not some strange theology, but as I have shown, it comes from some of Jesus’ most repeated words.

It has also been accepted by various denominations since the beginning that Jesus still speaks. For example, how many Christian denominations have sung the song: “He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.”?

It is common nowadays to hear about Jesus in sermons, on religious TV shows, and from some of His courageous and zealous followers. But that is nothing like hearing Him call you by name. “He who has ears, let him hear.”

For a video about how to hear God’s voice, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QybEf2PJal0&t=119s

In the book of Revelation Jesus puts it this way: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the ekklesias.” Unfortunately most English translations misstranslate the word ekklesia as church. To learn more about that check out my new book, Beyond Church — An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible — Ekklesia; available at Amazon.

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Posted in awe, Bible, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church history, Gospels, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, Matthew, miracles, Moses, mystery, mysticism, Peter, Quotations, Quotes, religion, revelation, saints, sermons, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, television, TV ministers, Uncategorized, words | Tagged accepted, Acts, all along, an ear, Anyone who does not listen to, around the world, asked, Behold I stand at the door and knock, Bible, called her by name, Christian, common, completely cut off, converse, courageous, crucified, cultures, deeply moved, denominations, dine with him, even though, first disciples, followers, for example, from their people, Gospels, He walks with me, He who has ears, he with Me, heard Jesus speak, how many, I love you, I will come in to him, if anyone hears my voice, If you have taken Him away, immediately, it was Jesus, Jesus, language groups, let him hear, listening, man, Mary Magdalene, Matthew, millions of people, modern translations, Moses, most, most frequently used, My sheep hear My voice, nothing like, nowadays, one of his sermons, opens the door, personally, Peter, phrase, present day, quoted, quotes, realized, recorded in, referring, religious, revelation, say, saying, seriously, sermons, shown, since the beginning, song, speaking, still speaks, strange theology, sung, surprise, take, talks with me, tell me where you put, tells me I am His own, the gardener, tomb, TV shows, variation, various denominations, various time periods, voice, What did Jesus, words, zealous | 2 Comments

Incarnation Is Not A Flower (But God With Us)

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Steve Simms

Incarnation is not a flower, but like a flower it is beautiful and glorious — the life of God animating physical matter. Describing Jesus Christ, John the Beloved said: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God didn’t just give a teaching. He didn’t merely send a messenger. He became a human being.

Believers in Christ are also called to be incarnational (“Christ in you, the hope of glory). We are supposed to allow the Word to become flesh in us by allowing Christ to live out His life in our daily lives — just like a puppeteer lives out his life by animating a puppet.

It is not enough to talk about the Word or to understand the Word. Incarnation is allowing the Word to become flesh again by letting Jesus Christ actually live in us, direct us, and control our thoughts and actions.

Perhaps it is time for believers to move beyond theology and allow Christ to control our physiology — the way we move, the way we talk, the way we walk. Paul of Tarsus put it this way: “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I was resolved to know nothing while i was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

So how do you begin to live incarnationally? You give up your control of your life. You surrender control to Christ. You listen to Him and follow and obey whatever He tells you to do, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you feel.

Incarnational living is best learned in community. “When two or more gather in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” As Christians gather, the living Christ seeks to manifest and demonstrate Himself in their midst. (See I Corinthians 14:26) We are instructed to “Quench not the Spirit.” (In other words, don’t resist what Jesus tells you to do, but instead obey Him no matter what other people may think about you.)

If you would like to experience an incarnational gathering of believers that functions in obedience to God’s instructions in I Corinthians 14: 26, come visit The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN, 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church, church structure, East Nashville, glory, God, guidance, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John the Beloved, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, non-material reality, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, religion, revelation, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged 10:45, 225 Berry, 37207, about, about you, actually, allow, allowing Christ, and Him crucified, animating, beautiful, became a human, being, believers in Christ, Berry Street, best learned in, Christ in you, come, community, control, daily lives, demonstrate, describing, direct, don't resist, dwelt among us, eloquence, except, flower, follow, functions, gathering, give up, glorious, God's instructions, how do you, human wisdom, I came to you in weakness, I Corinthians 14:26, I was resloved, in my Name, in the midst of them, incarnation, incarnational, instructed, Jesus Christ, John the Beloved, listen, message, might not rest on, move, move beyond, Nashville, no matter what other peopole may think, not enough to talk, not with wise, obedience, obey, on God's power, Paul of Tarsus, perhaps it is time, persuasive words, physical matter, physiology, preaching, proclaimed, puppet, puppeteer, put it this way, Quench not the Spirit, send a messenger, so that your faith, Sunday mornings, supposed, surrender, talk, teaching, the hope of glory, the life of God, the living Christ, The Salvation Army, the Spirit's power, the testimony, the way, the Word became flesh, thembling, theology, there am I, thoughts and actions, TN, to know nothing, unconfortable, understnad, visit, walk, When I came to you, when two or more gather, with a demonstration, with great fear, word, Worship Center | 2 Comments

2011 in review

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Steve Simms

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 16,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

New Years’ Eve Ponderings

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Steve Simms

It is New Years’ Eve of 2011. The New Year, 2012, is arriving tonight.

I find myself this morning, yearning for the fire of God, for a great spiritual awakening, for a mighty move of God right here in Nashville, Tennessee.

William Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army wrote a song that moves my heart deeply. It goes:

O God of burning cleansing flame:
Send the fire!
Your blood-bought gift today we claim:
Send the fire today!
Look down and see this waiting host,
And send the promised Holy Ghost;
We need another Pentecost!
Send the fire today!
Send the fire today!

God of Elijah, hear our cry:
Send the fire!
And make us fit to live or die:
Send the fire today!
To burn up every trace of sin,
To bring the light and glory in,
The revolution now begin!
Send the fire today!
Send the fire today!

The revolution now begin! Let 2011 be the beginning of a great move of and demonstration of the life-transforming power of God.

So what is the most powerful & rewarding way to bring in the New Year of 2012? Pray it in!

Come pray with us tonight, anytime after 10:30 pm. We are at The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN, 37207.

Have a safe and blessed New Year’s Eve celebration, as you welcome 2012. And may your New Year be bright, beautiful, and full of hope.