It Wasn’t Great in America When . . .

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Steve Simms

There are many great things about America and its history but guess what. It all isn’t and wasn’t great.

I’ve been putting off writing and posting articles like this. That’s because I’ve written things like it before on my blog, on social media, and in my book, Off the RACE Track–From Color-Blind to Color-Kind, and when I do I get quite a bit of unkind comments.

  • It’s not great when Americans personally insult and attack fellow Americans because of their political beliefs.
  • It wasn’t great when government forced Americans to segregate.
  • It wasn’t great when the laws of America made human trafficking (called slavery) legal enterprise.
  • It wasn’t great that millions of people in America and their children and descendants were forcibly held in lifelong labor without pay, bought and sold, not allowed to learn to read, and denied all human rights.
  • It wasn’t great when more than 4,000 American citizens were publicly lynched without a trial between 1880 and 1960. (Go see “the lynching memorial” in Montgomery, Alabama.)
  • It wasn’t great when Americas began to systematically attack each other and about 600,000 people were cruelly killed, while untold numbers of people were injured in the Civil War.
  • It wasn’t great when about 100,000 people were marched from their homelands in the eastern USA to what is now Oklahoma, and many thousands died on their way. The victims called it The Trail of Tears.
  • It wasn’t great when Americans were disfranchised in the South and kept from voting for many decades because of the color of their skin.
  • It wasn’t great when the Supreme Court made prenatal human life disposable.
  • It wasn’t great when the American capitol building was attacked by violent rioters in an attempt to overturn a presidential election.
  • It wasn’t great when on numerous occasions some protestors became rioters and began to deface, burn, or destroy property and it wasn’t great when all protesters of a particular skin shade were falsely accused of doing that.
  • It isn’t great when people are insulted for wanting to tell the fuller story about America and its history.

Be great! Get to know the broader history of America.

Posted in American history, black history, greatness, race, racial reconciliation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m Still Growing Up

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Steve Simms

It’s hard to say, “I’m broken,” but it’s the truth. I need to be healed. I was born into a broken world as a broken human being who needs to be fixed. I’ve discovered that proudly trying to justify my feelings, desires, thoughts, and behaviors only keeps me broken and immature. However, humbly letting the living Jesus change my heart and life from day to day (“from glory to glory”) keeps me on the path to the mental, spiritual, and physical healing and wellbeing known as “the kingdom of God.”

The Cross of Christ is the wood that is fixing me. When I take my feelings and desires to the Cross and surrender them to God’s will instead of insisting on my own will, the risen Jesus makes my bitter water sweet. My body being “a temple of the Holy Spirit” is more than theology to me. It’s daily reality. “Christ in you (me)” is indeed “the hope of glory.” Jesus is fixing me bit by bit every day all along the way.

We broken people are often too proud to admit that we need to be fixed. We frequently think and say, “The way I am is the way I’m supposed to be.” Try not to do that.

The living Jesus is the fix for broken people. If you feel like you don’t have a clue, let Him your daily growth hormone.

For a beautiful day in your online neighborhood be neighborly. When you disagree, do it kindly.

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Posted in adulting, growing in grace, personal growth, spiritual maturity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giving Million-Dollar Smiles

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Steve Simms

Gratefulness is greater than grumbling and grumpiness. Yesterday I was in the uncomfortable situation of a long day of standing and waiting and all I wanted to do was to grumble and complain. (That’s why I didn’t post on yesterday’s Wake-Up Call.)

Suddenly I was reminded of a series of five affirmations I used to say a lot. It came to me that I should silently repeat those affirmations in my mind as I waited but do it differently than I used to. This time I felt prompted to say the last word of each affirmation three times, with more intensity, hope, and passion each time.

I began to silently say to myself:

* “I am peaceful, PEACEFUL, SO PEACEFUL!”
* “I am content, CONTENT, SO CONTENT!”
* “I am thankful, THANKFUL, SO THANKFUL!”
* “I am healthy, HEALTHY, SO HEALTHY!”
* “I am extremely happy, EXTREMELY HAPPY, SO EXTREMELY HAPPY!”

I noticed that as I increased the intensity and passion of each statement I subconsciously began to ever so slightly smile. I kept this up for quite a while and my smile gradually began to grow and grow. Eventually a few people started a conversation with me, and we had a delightful time together. We forgot all about our long wait. The bitter water of a long day’s wait became a sweet time with new friends.

If you get grumpy
And begin to grumble
Your mind will tumble
Like a clothes dryer
And constantly jumble
Your thoughts.

People who grumble
Inwardly stumble
And their thoughts crumble
Into discouragement.

Some thoughts may be
Unnoticed notifications
Directing you
To a better life.
Some feelings
May be too.
Pull them up
Like messages
On your phone.
Scroll and see
What they have to say.
Accept and follow
What they bring
To heal your heart
And improve your life.
Delete and block
Any inner spam
That distracts you
From hope, joy, and peace.

Notifications
Are the thoughts
That lift you up.
Accusations
Are the thoughts
That pull you down.
Make observations
Of the thoughts
That come to your mind
And carefully choose
The very best ones.

Love means caring about people’s wellbeing. It has nothing to do with whether or not you agree with their beliefs or behaviors. Give million-dollar smiles and show people that you care about them.

Photo by Miesha Renae Maiden on Pexels.com
Posted in positive thinking, happiness, affirmations, positive attitude, smiley face | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

If there’s a guarantee not to fail, it’s this!

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Steve Simms

As I was with a group on of people on Sunday night listening to God’s Spirit together, someone began to talk about waiting on the Lord. That’s never been one of my favorite subjects because I’d rather get going in my own power than wait around for God’s presence.

As she spoke a picture came to my mind. I saw a man sitting peacefully in a recliner. He was all by himself on the deck of a cruise ship. The words came to my mind, “That’s to wait on the Lord.”

Suddenly I realized that waiting on the Lord isn’t just being inactive. It’s to wait in God’s motion — to rely and to depend on God’s action instead of on my own efforts.

The man in the ship is going to get to the right destination because he is waiting patiently in the ship and relying on its motion to transport him. As he waits, he is being moved closer and closer to his destiny. Instead of trusting in his own actions, the man is trusting in the action of the ship.

When that image dropped into my mind, I was greatly encouraged. As I shared it with the other people present it encouraged them, too.

That’s how the body of Christ can wait on the Lord together. Instead of relying on a plan or a program when we meet together for worship, we can all listen to the Holy Spirit and rely on Him to individually speak to us. Then we can openly share the thoughts, images, Bible verses, feelings, and promptings that He deposits in our heart and thereby demonstrate the reality and presence of the risen Jesus to one another.

Gather in Christ’s name with a group of people. Wait on the motion of His Spirit. Then see for yourself how Jesus moves you forward as you wait on the Lord.

Instead of
Rushing straight
Out of the gate
With your plans
In your hands
Learn to wait
On the Lord
And His timing
And refining.
Let Him heal your soul
And make you whole.
That’s life’s main goal.
That’s life’s main goal.

Posted in art of listening, listening, listening prayer, listening skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Hardest Personal Goal

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Steve Simms

Walk in the Spirit

The risen Jesus
Is living in me
But we don’t see
Eye to eye.
We often disagree.
He wants to lead me,
But I want to be free
To do what I want
Whenever I want.
He calls me to die
To my own desires
And that requires
My full surrender,
Moment by moment,
To His will.
To follow Jesus
Is to walk through life
Being Spirit-led
By His inner presence
And not fulfilling
The desires of the flesh.
(Galatians 5:13-25.)

I want to be like glowing ripples and continually reflect the radiance of God in the stream of life. That’s my life’s goal.

Posted in goal setting, goals, Spirit-led, spiritual goals | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Art of Readjusting Definitions to Reality

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Steve Simms

It’s easy to distort definitions and change the meaning of words in an attempt to justify our own opinions, desires, feelings, and behaviors. However, to do so is often a departure from reality. Spirit-led artists can help us get back to actuality. People who do that are my favorite artists.

I’ve been thinking about some distorted definitions lately. Here are my attempts to realign a few of them with their literal meaning.

Love is love but
Sex isn’t
Always love.
Love is to
Put another’s
Wellbeing
Ahead of
Your own.

Being great
Means refusing
To spread hate
And cruelty.

Cruelty is cruelty
Whether it’s
Prenatal
Or postnatal.

Calling the destruction
Of reproduction
A “reproductive right”
Is an oxymoron.

War is
Postnatal
Abortion.
It makes some
Human lives
Disposable.

Gender is something
That you’re born with.
It’s not something
You get to choose
Like picking a ring.

Claiming a right to choose
Doesn’t mean people lose
Their right to criticize
Your choices.
On the other hand,
Freedom of speech
Shouldn’t mean being free
To verbally abuse
Just because
You disagree
With someone.

Some people
Are confused
By the question:
“What is a woman?”
The answer is
Simple to see.
A woman is
A person with
A natural
Female anatomy.

Christians aren’t
People who just say
That they are.
They are people
Who are witnesses
And peacemakers
By admitting
And letting Jesus
Overcome their
Weaknesses.
They’re participants,
Not attendees,
Doers of the Word
Not passive hearers,
Disciple-makers
Not stale religion
Partakers,
Enemy lovers
Who don’t hide
Under covers
But speak truth
With kindness
And love.

The best self-defense
Is self-surrender
To the risen Jesus.
Clear straight paths
Within your heart
So that the Lord
Can fight for you
To override
And cast aside
All the things
That hold you
In inner darkness.

A righteous culture can’t be built by arrogance, coercion, and force. It requires spiritual awakening that comes from humbly demonstrating and consistently speaking the truth with kindness and love.

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Posted in deception, definition of love, honesty, political correctness, speaking the truth in love | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Basking in the Warmth of a Glowing Fire During a Cold Dark Day

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Steve Simms

Life is stultifying. Humans need high hopes, but most people simply hope to cope–to just get by and make it through another day. Yet God is awe inspiring! Look what God can do! Let the Bible get your hopes up!

In the Bible you’ll see that fire represents God’s Spirit. Fire will either warm your cold heart, purify you, and light your way, or it will consume you, depending on whether you approach it carefully or carelessly.

Humbly come to God for mercy, cleansing, and forgiveness. If you choose to let your pride cause you to toss aside His warmth, His purity, and His light, instead of purifying you, the fire of God’s glory and perfection will burn you up. We can’t have it both ways.

God’s will is your redemption. He wants to rescue you from your rebellious self-destruction and despair. Jesus came to save you from your pride, self-focus, and sin so that His fire can purify you and you can live with Him forever.

Reject human vanity and futility by fully embracing and ever surrendering to God’s high hopes for you. Then you will begin to experience His peace that passes understanding and His joy unspeakable and full of glory–both day-by-day and forever!

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com
Posted in camp fire, church fire, fire of God, fire walk, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sometimes Loss Is a Wake-Up Call That Leads to Gain

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Steve Simms

Wake Up! Flee the deception of Egypt!

Let the Lord fight for you. Let Him protect and defend you. Let Him make His way where you see no way. Rely on His living presence not on your own feelings, desires, and opinions. Listen to His voice. Stand still and see the salvation (rescue) of God. If Christ is in you and you call Him your Lord, then live every moment like He is!

The answer isn’t on a ballot or in stale religion. (2,000 years ago, religion and government teamed up to crucify Jesus. That team is still a bad idea!)

The presence of the risen Jesus is the answer we humans need. Make it your first priority to always listen to Him and humbly do what He says (even when you’d rather not).

Love your enemies! In the midst of the hatred of slaveholding and civil war, Abraham Lincoln said: “With malice toward none, with charity (love) for all . . .” That’s the kind of leadership the world needs today.

To insult people because of their political views or their belief system is a sign of weakness; to kindly disagree is strength. In a free country people have the right to have and express political views that differ from yours. To keep your country free respect that right!

To make America hate again is the recipe for disaster. We need to make America radiate the hope of its founding documents again!

The most important
Battleground state
Is your state
Of mind.
It’s essential to find
Ways to be kind.
Filling your mind
With hate
Won’t make
Your country great.
Anyone can berate
And insult
But that’s a trait
That will result
In toxic bitterness.
The risen Christ
Is the open gate
That leads to a life
Far beyond hate.
Daily follow
And rely on Him.

If you think that hate
Will make a country great.
You’re not thinking.

Stale religion
Can produce hate.
But the risen Jesus
Doesn’t want you to
Walk through that gate.

Posted in faith and politics, political dysfunction, political peace, politicized religion, religion and politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Sequel of “This Changes My Mind Throughout Each Day”

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Steve Simms

After reading my blog post today, someone sent me this question: “I get it, but HOW do you hear the Spirit?” Here’s my answer to him.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” I take Him at His word. That means all God’s people hear His voice. As a new Christians I asked God why He spoke so much to people in the Bible but isn’t speaking to people today. Suddenly this thought came to my mind. “The problem isn’t that I’m not speaking. It’s that you’re not listening.” Ever since then I’ve been trying to listen better and better.

I think the key to hearing the Spirit is to humbly open your heart and be willing to hear things that you might not want to hear. The Spirit convicts of sin. When you feel convicted about a sin that you are doing (or have done) that isn’t just human guilt. It’s the voice of the Spirit calling you to repentance, healing, and victory over that sin. Respond appropriately.

The thoughts that cross your mind come from three sources: 1) Yourself, 2) the devil, and 3) God. Read the Bible everyday with an open heart. Ask God to give you discernment so that you can recognize which thoughts that come to your mind are from God.

Thoughts that come from God won’t contradict Scripture. Once you recognize a thought from God obey. If you ignore it or refuse to obey it, you will quench the Spirit and harden your heart, making it more difficult to hear God. The opposite is true. Every time you recognize the voice of God and obey it, you soften your heart and make it easier to hear God.

God seldom speaks with an audible voice. Yet He frequently puts thoughts in your mind and feelings in your heart. If something comes to your mind and you don’t want to do it or to think it, it’s not from you. It is either from God or the devil. If it disagrees with the Bible, it’s from the devil. If it aligns with the Bible and glorifies God, it is from God. I believe that you are hearing God, but you aren’t recognizing His voice. We too often want God to speak in grandiose ways, but He usually speaks with a still small voice (like He did with Elijah).

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This Changes My Mind Throughout Each Day

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Steve Simms

My mind is being changed every day. The more I listen and the more I humbly obey, the more my mind grows in its ability to think beyond my own desires, feelings, and opinions. My most important listening isn’t hearing human presentations. It’s learning to hear what God’s Spirit is saying within me. Every day the Spirit is leading me to think and perceive a little more from His point of view instead of from my own perspective.

Seven times (in the book of Revelation) the risen Lord Jesus told Christians to hear what the Spirit says. Perhaps we should try listening to God’s Spirit. The first step to following the risen Jesus is to open your heart and begin to hear what the Spirit is saying.

It’s easy to hear a politician, an influencer, a preacher, or an expert. It’s more important to hear what God’s Spirit says. Christians have been trained to sit and hear what a preacher says, but not to hear what the Spirit is saying. Don’t just go to church. Hear what the Spirit says (all week long).

If the distracting noise around you and within you annoys you, step aside and begin to hear what God’s Spirit says. Let Him be your inner Guide! God has thing under control. To be led by the Spirit you need to take the time to hear what the Spirit says and then humbly and courageously obey.

When the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit are rare, it’s because Christians are unwilling to hear what the Spirit says. To avoid quenching the Holy Spirit, you have to learn to actively and continually hear what the Spirit is saying.

The sound of the still, small voice of God’s Spirit is sweeter than a bird’s tweet. Hear what the Spirit says.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice.” Hear what the Spirit says. How can you hear what the Spirit is saying? “Be still and know that I am God.”

Simon Says is a game. Preacher says can also be a game called “playing church.” To hear what the Spirit says is game on! Hear God’s Spirit now!

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13.) Hear what the Spirit is saying.

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16.) Hear what the Spirit says.

Moses was willing to hear what the Spirit says. He was humble and courageous enough to obey what he heard. O for some Christians who will follow Moses’ example into even more glory!

Too many Christians
Would rather hear
Their favorite preacher’s
Religious research
Than to let God search
Deep within their heart.
O how we need to
Hear what the Spirit
Is saying!

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Posted in Holy Spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual awakening, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment