I See Beautiful Performances Every Day

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What was the last live performance you saw?
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I see beautiful live performances every day! I see the sun, clouds, lightening, rain, stars and the moon performing in the sky as the tree branches wave them on.

I see Spirit-led performances when I observe acts of kindness, humility, generosity, compassion, and forgiveness. I see heart-touching performances when I see and hear people tenderly pray out loud for one another.

Throughout each day I see live performances in my heart when I focus my inner attention on the risen Jesus and notice how He is living and working within me and guiding me step-by-step.

Let the risen Jesus fulfill His promise to live in and through you throughout each and every day. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27.

When people accept Christ’s promise to lead them by His Spirit and begin to courageously, moment-by-moment, follow and obey His inner promptings, glorious spiritual awakening will sweep through their heart and their land.

The best performance on earth is to gaze at the living resurrected Jesus. Don’t let anything distract you from Him. Let His Spirit ever perform live in your heart!

Read the following promises. Memorize them. Receive them. Let Jesus perform them in your heart and dazzle you with His presence.

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17.

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:17.

“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. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you” John 16:13-14.

“As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” 1 John 2:27.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:14.

The best view on earth is to look with your heart at the living resurrected Jesus. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Hm he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 1:2

Christianity is
A daily Spirit-led walk,
Not a weekly
Religious talk.

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Love Leads to Community Involvement

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What do you do to be involved in the community?
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Instead of asking Christians where they go to church, ask them how they are demonstrating the reality of the living Jesus in society. Don’t just hear a sermon–be one! Speak and demonstrate God’s word yourself. “Christ in you” is limited only by your unwillingness to believe and obey Him. “Quench not the Spirit.”

When people who read the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit throughout the week go to church, they don’t need a sermon. They need an open mic so they can share what God has been showing them. See 1 Corinthians 14:26.

There are three things Christ-followers can rely on: 1) Faith–moment-by-moment dependence on the risen Jesus; 2) Hope–positive expectations as we allow God’s Spirit to move and prompt us from within; and 3) Agape–God’s never-failing caring and compassion for us and His desire to always connect heart-to-heart with us. Faith and hope spring from the direct revelation and experience of God’s agape in a human heart–a revelation far beyond flesh and blood and human understanding. The body of Christ is called to gather and demonstrate God’s agape supernaturally flowing in their midst as they obey the 50+ New Testament “one another commands” and “value others above yourselves.”

Just because some Legos are in the same box doesn’t mean that they are assembled together. Just because Christians are attending the same church service doesn’t mean that they have assembled themselves together. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25. Truly “assembling together” requires that Christians consider one another, provoke one another to love and good works, and exhort one another.

Since Christians are in every country, the idea of Christian nationalism makes no sense. The body of Christ is worldwide, not on any nation’s side. The rainbow in the sky is God’s promise that reminds us of our true identity in the One who created us male and female. It reminds us that we are called to follow Him, not our own desires, feelings, or opinions.

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My Job for a Never-Ending Day

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?
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My job for the never-ending day that’s on its way will be to bask in, reflect, and radiate the love of God. I will celebrate His love, His mercy, and His presence forever.

Let Love Blaze With God’s Spirit

Hearing what
A sermon says
Without checking
What the Bible says
Is dangerous.
Hearing what
The Spirit says
As you read
What the Bible says
Will set your heart
On fire with blazes
Of God’s love,
But hearing
What the Spirit says
Without doing
What He says
Is self-deception.
The Bible is
A hearing aid
To help you hear
And inspire you
To obey
What the Spirit says.
It’s not a textbook
To be taught.
Its words are
A heart-warming fire
To be caught,
Carried and spread
Throughout each day.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t follow an exact pattern. The Holy Spirit leads as He wills if a congregation is willing and courageous enough to obey Him.

It’s very frustrating for me to attend a church where the Holy Spirit isn’t allowed to take direct control of the meeting. It takes more than a lifetime of sermon-hearing to make someone a Christian. “He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying.”

Just because some Legos are in the same box doesn’t mean that they are assembled together. Just because Christians are attending the same church service doesn’t mean that they have assembled themselves together. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25. Truly assembling together requires that we consider one another, provoke one another to love and good works, and exhort one another.

When people who read the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit throughout the week go to church, they don’t need a sermon. They need an open mic so they can share what God has been showing them. See 1 Corinthians 14:26.

Since Christians are in every country, the idea of Christian nationalism makes no sense. The body of Christ is worldwide, not on any nation’s side.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com
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The Rare “Brand” of True Love

Posted on May 4, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite brands and why?
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Love never fails, but every unkind word is a failure of people to love one another. Love has never failed, but when it is set aside and replaced with pride and self-focus, human ego fails and paints human lives with emotional and mental misery.

Generic human love fails. The original brand of love is always reliable.

There’s only one unfailing source of faith and hope and that’s the failproof love of God which is being poured out into human hearts that are willing to humbly receive, surrender to, and be continually led by the Holy Spirit. Love (and all the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit) always flourishes in hearts and lives that are fully surrendered to living Jesus. Love is not an academic style study or Bible lesson of the Greek word “agape.” It’s the ongoing supernatural overflow of the unfailing “Christ in you,” and His inner rivers of living water.

To applaud, approve of, or accept wrong behavior is unloving. Instead of helping people it further entraps them in their wrongdoing. Love speaks the truth with kindness. God so loved the world that instead of approving of people’s self-focused desires and behaviors He made a way through Jesus for people to be set free and restored to a heart-to-heart relationship with Him.

God’s love defines our identity, but our self-focused desires don’t. They distort it. It’s time for people who passionately love Jesus to come out of the closet and begin to openly and kindly talk about Him and the beautiful identity He has for all people who are willing to receive it and walk in it. (The more I get my mind off of myself, the more I experience mental health and heart-felt happiness.)

True Christianity is a Spirit-led lifestyle that overflows with love. It’s not a human-programmed church style.

Courageously dare
To say and do
What God’s Spirit
Tells you to.

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I Admire Open-Hearted People

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
List the people you admire and look to for advice…
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I admire people who courageously open their heart to others and live with compassion, honesty, and humility. My heroes are people who radiate love, manifest joy, spread peace, show patience, display kindness, seek goodness, live with faithfulness, and communicate with gentleness, by continually surrendering to the control of the Spirit of Christ.

People who keep their heart open to the risen Jesus and allow their life to be led by the Spirit moment-by-moment, reflect the glory of God. I love to be around people like that. I’m fortunate to know and spend time with some people like that and to be married to someone like that.

I also love to read the writings of people like that who lived in the past. Many of those people are called “saints.” Some of my favorites are: Gregory Palamas, Ignatius Brianchaninov, John Wesley, George Fox, Catherine Booth, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avilia, John of the Cross, Leonard Ravenhill, Nicolaus Zinzendorf, and the writers in the Philokalia. I love their advice!

Faith is a roaring fire in the heart. It’s not a religious routine. Motion is like lotion and emotion inspires motion. Get fired up and start moving for Jesus and let His lotion sooth your soul.

Photo by Shihab Nymur on Pexels.com
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I want to vote for love not anger

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Do you vote in political elections?
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My words and my lifestyle are much more important than my vote. I want to live in love and vote for kindness and humility. I vote for love by refusing to vote for hostility. I don’t want my vote to put hostility in the White House. Therefore, I vote third party in presidential elections and avoid voting for angry people in other elections.

“Love doesn’t dishonor.”
In this world
Of dishonor
I want to run
Like a marathoner
To get away
From the put downs.

“Love isn’t self-seeking.”
With all the dedication
To self-glorification
There’s little joy.

“Love is not easily angered.”
The audibility
Of hostility
Is silencing love.

“Love keeps no record of wrongs.”
Our long list of wrongs
Has people singing
Many hateful songs.

Love that’s tiny
When cultivated
And Spirit-led
Will grow mighty.

Spiritual maturity comes from being led by God’s Spirit, not by our thoughts, feelings, or desires. See Romans 8:14 and 1 Corinthians 13:5.

Love recognizes that people have a right to choose their behavior. At the same time, love doesn’t demand that people applaud, approve, or accept behavior that goes against their conscience.

Posted in casting your vote, political dysfunction, political healing, presidential election | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

My Direction Is Christ Connection

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What gives you direction in life?
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My direction comes from Christ-connection. An inner heart-connection with Christ must be continually cultivated. Because our human nature isn’t comfortable with that kind of intimacy with the living Jesus, it tries to cut off (quench) the flow of the flow of the Spirit’s living water from within us. Our human nature doesn’t want to be constantly challenged by the call of Christ. It prefers comfort and complacency.

To live in union with Christ and flourish with the fruit and the gifts of God’s Spirit, His followers must do what He said: “Deny themselves, take up their Cross, and follow Me.” Unfortunately, that radical call to daily follow and obey the risen Jesus has been turned into a Sunday morning religious ceremony.

If Christians will take the religious lid off of the Holy Spirit, all Heaven will break loose! Instead of trying to force fit Jesus into a sermon, a liturgy, or a church service, perhaps we should try listening directly to Him and then do what He says.

God created human emotions. Christ-followers should be the most enthusiastic people on earth, overflowing with positive emotions. ignited by the presence of “Christ in you the hope of glory.” “Quench not the Spirit.” “Stir up the gift that is in you.” “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Posted in Christ in you, Christ likeness, Christ with us, Christ-centered | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Love never fails.”

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
View all responses

I have 36 journal books full of quotes that I have collected over the years. One of my favorites is: “Love never fails.”

Love constantly looks unto Jesus. It beholds the Lamb of God throughout each day. Experience love at Christ’s sight. Let Him ever write His love letters deeply on your heart and flood you with His patience and kindness, Let the Spirit of Christ lead you away from envy, pride, self-seeking, and anger so that you can enjoy mercy and forgiveness. Rejoice in the truth that if you will continually surrender your life to the risen Jesus, you can trust Him to protect you, direct you, and always be the hope of glory living in and through you. Rely and depend on Him every moment of every day. Jesus never fails!

People can’t see Christ in you if you hide His presence. Walk in His light. Day by day cultivate your heart so that Christ’s life can grow and flourish within you. Pull out the weeds that choke His presence and quench His Spirit. Plow up the hard ground in your heart so it can become Christ’s fertile soil. Let the Master Gardener prune your distractions, addictions, and rebellions so that you can bear even more fruit.

Let Jesus out of
The religious box
So He can detox
You from life’s hard knocks
And heal your hearting heart.

The pearl of great price
Is the Spirit leading
The body of Christ
And demonstrating
The presence of God.
Be still and know,
Then get up and go
Do what the Spirit
Tells you to do.

If you know Him,
Let your life
Be Christ’s poem
Revealing the beauty
Of His presence
So people can see
The Pearl of Great Price,
God eternal gem,
Shining through you
And reflecting Him
Everywhere you go.

Posted in Crazy Love, definition of love, love is patient, perfect love casts out fear | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Responding to Door Knocks Wakes Me Up From Life’s Hollow Daze

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
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It’s hard to wake up from life’s hollow daze. The word “holiday” came from the old English word, “haligdæg,” which means “holy day.” Every day is my favorite “haligdæg” because every day is a holy day, a gift from God, and Jesus is always knocking on the doors in my heart.

If you are a Christian, you are a temple of the Holy Spirit and Jesus is knocking on your closed doors so that He can turn the tables inside of you and purify His temple from deep within. Will you open the closed doors in your heart and let Him in and take full control?

Who is that knocking on your closed doors? It’s the risen Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Door-Knocker, is your hope for healing, inner peace, recovery, and sanity. See Revelation 3:20. (You can keep some of the doors of your heart closed to the living Jesus, but you can’t make Him stop knocking.)

Jesus is knocking on your closed doors. Open up to Him and live your life with all your doors always open to the risen Jesus. It takes courage and faith to open wide your closed doors to the living Jesus. The people who dare to continually do so are filled with the wonderful fruit of His Spirit. See Galatians 5;22-23.

Even when people
Try to padlock
Their heart
And to block
The sound
Of Christ’s knock,
It echos deeply
Within them
Like the tick-tock
Of a loud clock.

Photo by Michaela St on Pexels.com
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From Camping to “Gloramping”?

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Steve Simms

Thanks to the Boy Scouts, as a pre-teen and a teenager I went camping once a month for years. It was always an adventure and a challenge. There were always obstacles to overcome.

When I was 19, I had an experience that is the solid rock of my life. I encountered and surrendered to the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and I have camped on an ever-growing relationship with Him the rest of my life. I love “gloramping” in Christ — camping in His glory!

A Christian lifestyle isn’t a pattern that we learn to follow or a religious program that we regularly attend. It’s moment-by-moment surrender to “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Christ-followers are called to a Spirit-led way of life that rises far above human habits. The fruit of the Spirit isn’t produced by good habits or self-effort. It flows like rivers of living water from deep within people who let the risen Jesus fully inhabit them. As they constantly submit to Christ living in them, He personally directs their thoughts, words, and actions throughout each day. If churches would begin to train people to continually listen to and obey the risen Jesus (instead of catering to human complacency by conducting comfortable church services) spiritual awakening would become the norm in the body of Christ.

Christ’s love is the key to God’s kingdom. (“The greatest of these is love’). When we begin to experientially know the love of God (not just understand it as a concept) we begin to actually rely on and totally depend on God’s love for us moment-by-moment. We learn to live in love throughout each day, not just to philosophy about it. As we, more and more, live in God’s love we experience the reality of literally living in God and of God truly living in us. (1 John 4:16.) Perhaps church could become a place where people train together to live in love by listening to God’s Spirit and each person saying and doing whatever the risen Jesus prompts them to.

Christianity unity has to be the heart-to-heart unity of the Holy Spirit. Christ-followers will never come into full doctrinal agreement on earth. Seeking unity through doctrinal agreement has backfired. It has splintered the one body of Christ into an estimated 40,000+ independent Christian denominations world-wide (not counting all of the independent congregations).

During the Jesus Movement I saw unity between believers bring multitudes into a direct, personal relationship with the living, resurrected Jesus. When we sang, “We Are One In The Spirit,” we meant it, and we felt it, and we lived it. But then some of the 40,000 denominations began to chip away at our unity by trying to pull us into their institutionalism and diverse doctrinal beliefs. Over a few years the Spirit-led lifestyle of the Jesus Revolution was snuffed out by churchianity. O that Christians would return to the heart-to-heart unity and direct, personal leadership of God’s Spirit!

The inner voice you hear calling you to acts of love and kindness that are beyond your complacent zone, isn’t something in you telling you what to do. It’s someone speaking personally to you through your conscience. His name is Jesus.


Make the choice
To obey Christ’s voice
And soon you will rejoice!

Follow Christ Himself,
Not just sermons
About Him
Or the preachers
Who preach them.
Let Christ Himself
Living in you
Personally lead you
In all you say and do.
–John 17:26.

When you ignore
The inner restraint
Of your conscience
The voice of Christ in you
Becomes faint.

Photo by Cliford Mervil on Pexels.com
Posted in camp fire, Christian camping, Men's Camp, training camp | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments