I have no faith in human politics

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
How have your political views changed over time?
View all responses

All attempts at human government are flawed. No earthly country has ever had a perfect government. When people talk about government they complain about corruption. The two go hand in hand.

That’s because all human beings carry varying degrees of corruption within us and the power of occupying an official government position allows a person plenty of opportunities to use whatever corruption is inside them for their own material benefit. If we had completely honest, humble, and righteous people in government corruption would disappear. But those folks don’t exist. No system of government is built on such people.

Over time my political views have slowly been replaced with an ever-increasing view of the kingdom of God with the risen Jesus, Himself, as the King and Lord. Jesus said that His kingdom isn’t seen with physical eyes because it is within human beings. He came to rule nations by ruling in the hearts and lives of the individual citizens of those nations.

Governments with their laws and law enforcement attempt to impose domestic tranquility on a country and to limit corruption, but they can’t eliminate the source of corruption — the deceit, pride, and rebellion in human hearts. Only the living Jesus can change people from deep within and give people a pure and honest heart that begins to reduce the corruption in their words and behaviors.

Only “Christ in you” is the hope of living under corruption-free government. When Jesus is your living and active King and Lord, and you are submitted to and committed to surrendering to His will, fantastic tranquility will reign in your heart. When corruption tries to rise up within you, Christ in you will sensitize your conscience and tenderize your heart against it, lovingly calling you to stay in His will and to avoid silencing His Spirit.

The way to turn a country away from corrupt government is to fill it with such Christ-controlled citizens. Only the living Jesus can do that. When people in a country start voting for Jesus by continually listening to, worshipping, surrendering their will to, and obeying Him, His corruption-free government begins to grow in their heart. Collectively their outward demonstrations of Christ’s sacrificial love and presence within them begin to gradually influence the culture and government of their nation. History calls that “a great awakening.” How we need one today!

There’s a place of rest
From your weariness.
Let Jesus, Himself, arrest
Your heart with His presence,
And fill you with a fest
Of faith, hope, and love.

Photo by Xabi Oregi on Pexels.com
Posted in faith in politics, politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My perfect space to write is any place.

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?
View all responses

Words come together in my heart and head while I’m in bed during the night. When I get up in the morning, I grab my laptop and write them down wherever I am. I’m so focused and gripped by those lively words that I’m actually unaware of the space I’m writing in. So, I guess my perfect place to write is anyplace.

As I write the appearing words, they edit themselves from within me and grow in length and quality. More and more words come, and I tap them on the screen until they’re finally done. Then I have breakfast.

Often times during the day, no matter where I am, new inspiring words come my way by rising up from within me. I quickly post them on Facebook, so that I don’t forget them. Frequently they form just one sentence, but sometimes more. They almost always fit nicely in my next morning’s writing flow.

Here are the words that formed within me in bed last night:

Christianity isn’t
About just being wiser
Or getting a fresh new start.
It’s about experiencing
Christ’s living water geyser
Continually erupting
From deep within your heart.

And here are a few sentences that came to me after posting this post:

  • Let the self-striving cease so you can experience God’s relief.
  • Instead of trying to find just the right words in your mind, let God inspired words freely and openly flow from your heart.
  • Follow the thoughts that come across your heart and lead you to the Cross of Christ. They are from God.
  • Let the risen Jesus train you to let “Christ in you,” speak and write through you.
  • No spiritual fire in the writer (or speaker), no spiritual fire in the reader (or hearer).
  • Too many preachers sermonize about God without showing people the fire of Jesus by opening their heart to let the congregation see the risen Christ actively living and working in them.
Photo by Bju00f6rn Austmar u00deu00f3rsson on Pexels.com
Posted in creativity, releasing creativity, writing advice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christ-listening Christianity or Christ-less Christianity?

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Steve Simms

There’s a voice crying out
In the wilderness of your heart:
“Behold the Lamb of God.
There’s more than routine religion.
Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make room for the risen Jesus.
Look. See. Surrender. Be free.
Experience God’s Spirit-led liberty!”

When Christians gather
To listen to God’s Spirit and hear
What Jesus has to say,
The things that they hear
Will align in an amazing way!

Christ-less Christianity that ignores the daily presence and reality of the risen Jesus lacks the power to heal human hearts. It leaves people as sheep without the Good Shepherd since it doesn’t teach them to hear and obey His voice.

We need Christ-listening Christianity. Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice.” Let’s listen and obey. I’m amazed by how often when I listen to “Christ in you,” what I hear is confirmed by other Christ-listeners.

Christ-listeners “hear what the Spirit is saying.” Log on your heart to the voice of Jesus. “Do you hear what I hear?” If we humbly listen to God’s Spirit, what we hear will align with each other and with the Bible.

Christ-less Christianity sets people down to listen to words about Jesus, but it lacks the power to radically change lives. It encourages people to try to do better, but the risen Jesus changes and empowers people from deep within. Christ-followers are called to carry and demonstrate the actual presence of the living Jesus to the people we daily encounter.

A gathering of the body of Christ needs to be more than just a platform for a one-man presentation. It needs to be an environment that encourages, empowers, and trains people to receive and obey direct revelation and inner promptings from the living Jesus Christ. Ordinary people are eloquent when they speak as moved by Christ. Church should welcome them to the pulpit! (Rev. 12:11.)

The great challenge in life is to hear, follow, and obey the risen Jesus in the ordinary of daily life. Take the challenge! A Christ-less Christmas is empty; a Christ-less life is more so.

Photo by Jishnu Radhakrishnan on Pexels.com
Posted in listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christ makes me creative

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
How are you creative?
View all responses

I woke up early this Christmas morning with these words developing within me like bells ringing in the distance, so I got up and let Christ’s creativity flow. This is what came out:

Looking for Jesus?

Church isn’t the only place to look for Christ. He can be found anywhere people will open their heart to Him and let Him in. You can notice Jesus at work wherever people express and demonstrate sincere love, kindness, and humility. You can feel His presence anyplace that you are willing to openly and honestly talk to Him and to humbly observe His tender actions and responses within you. You don’t need formal religion, fanfare, or ceremonies to encounter Christ. Anywhere and everywhere, He’s always pursuing a personal relationship with you. Courageously open your heart to Jesus and allow yourself to perceive His presence. Be still and know that He is God, Emmanuel — the Creator who became a man.

No matter where you go, there Christ is, lovingly knocking on your heart’s door, longing for you to catch a glimpse of His glorious love, mercy, and forgiveness so that you will give your all to Him. Get together anyplace with people who are ready and willing to open up and share what Jesus is saying and doing in and through their life. Tell each other about your relationship with Jesus. Let each one present share testimonies, prayers, revelation, gifts of the Spirit, Scriptures, songs, praises, worship, and teachings as they are prompted by the living Jesus — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then you will rejoice and celebrate with the openhearted joy and simplicity of the shepherds who found Jesus tucked away in a manger.

Photo by Char on Pexels.com
Posted in Christmas greeting, creativity, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The living one behind the big winter holiday

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Who are the biggest influences in your life?
View all responses

The biggest influence in my life is the living one behind the big winter holiday. Who might that be? His name is Jesus.

Let the good news that has caused great joy and disrupted routine religion in the hearts and lives of radical Christ-followers for more than 2,000 years, release great, ongoing life-changing joy in and through you: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord!”

The Jesus holiday that celebrates the Creator being born as a human baby grabs the world’s attention for weeks, but the reality of Christ’s presence and power is mostly unnoticed. Too many people have forgotten or ignored the living One behind the big winter holiday.

That winter holiday, established to honor Christ’s birth, has mostly shoved Him aside and become a day of obligatory sentimentalism. Look at all the characters that have replaced Jesus as the focus of His birthday: Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, the Chipmunks, NFL players, family members, and even Elves. Then let the winter day called Christmas call your heart to continually welcome the risen Jesus Christ with wonder, warmth, and worship, to daily follow and obey His way, and to always surrender your will to His.

If you’re a believer and Christ is in you, observe what He’s doing in there. Notice and obey the thoughts He’s putting in your mind, the instructions He’s giving your conscience, and the fruit of the Spirit He working to cultivate and release in your heart. Let Him reign in your brain, guide your conscience, and make you whole in your soul. The true white Christmas happens when your sins that are like scarlet are forgiven and become white as snow. (See Isaiah 1:18.)

If the Nativity of Christ was bigger in our hearts than our nationality, we’d have peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Unfortunately, there seems to be no room in the Christmas holiday for the risen Jesus to personally lead and prompt people to pray, testify, and worship from their heart.

It’s time for Christ-followers
To rise up and say
And to demonstrate
Night and day
How empowering
And healing it is
To have Jesus
As present-day,
Moment-by-moment
Lord, Master,
Savior and Friend!
Find Him today
And let Christ
Always lead your way.

Christmas is a winter day,
But Christ is bright and warm.
He’s the calm in life’s storm.
Let Him shape and form
Your heart to His holy norm.

Christ the Lord
Is risen
On Christmas Day.
He left the tomb
Always empty,
Alive to stay,
So he can be born
In your heart today.

What’s the Jesus holiday
Really about?
Read John’s Gospel,
And find out!

Photo by ole herman Larsen on Pexels.com
Posted in Holiday season, international holidays, winter holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hollow Days Are Boring

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Steve Simms

Hollow days are seldom happy. They’re just purposeless. It takes more than holiday parties to give purpose and meaning to hollow days.

A hollow day friendly society creates much apathy. Too many people are living in a nonstop hollow daze. When people live hollow days, their face begins to look like a hollow daze.

If your life seems meaningless, perhaps you’re stuck in a hollow day season. Jesus can make your hollow days be merry and bright!

Hollow days are boring. Every time we take a hollow day we miss out on the fullness of Christ. Try to avoid the Xmas hollow daze.

Jesus can
Make you jolly
And set you free
From holiday day
Melancholy.

Hollow day cheer: 

"Empty! Empty! 

We feel no cheer.

That the reason

We drink our beer!"

Home is no place 

For the hollow daze. 

Instead, step out of your haze. 

And fix your gaze

On things that raise 

Hope in your heart 

And fill you with praise

And gratitude for God.

I don't like to gripe

About all the Christmas hype

But I don't like for it to wipe

People's attention away

From the person identified

By the first syllable

And to replace Christ 

With hollow days.
Photo by Stephanie Borkowski on Pexels.com
Posted in emptiness, holiday hype, loneliness, meaninglessness | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where is Jesus now?

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Steve Simms

Christ-followers are called to live out and demonstrate the mystery of “Christ in you,” the glorious reality of “God with us.” We no longer have to await His arrival. Instead, we need to faithfully stir up the gift of His presence within us (and avoid quenching the Spirit) so that we can live in continuous revival — spiritual awakening that grows from glory to glory, daily changing us more and more into His image. By interacting with the risen Jesus moment-by-moment we live a Spirit-led life.

When I started attending church (around age 10) I couldn’t understand why the preacher always preached and acted like God was far away from us. It seemed like he thought that God was somewhere up in the distant sky. He talked about Jesus like He wasn’t in the room. Even as a child I wanted to tell the preacher: “God’s right here with us, can’t you see?”

Immanuel has been here on earth living and working in His true followers for 2,000 years. O for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that will forever surrender to His presence and His will! Behold the Lamb of God here and now, in this very moment and in all the moments that follow!

A famous Christmas song calls for all the faithful, joyful, and triumphant to come and adore Jesus, but it’s hard to find anywhere where faithful, joyful, and triumphant people are actively pouring out ongoing adoration to Jesus. However, here’s a poem that can help you get started experiencing the reality of the risen Jesus in your life.

Download Bible bits
And let them run
In the background
Of your brain.
Treasure them
With your heart.
Let them create
And maintain
The peace of Christ
Within you.

Photo by Adrian Cogua on Pexels.com
Posted in Christmas is about Jesus, experiencing Jesus, Jesus is alive | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Judging people’s character . . .

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Are you a good judge of character?
View all responses

Am I a good judge of character? You decide.

I saw character defined as “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.” Character is what you really are deep inside. It’s what you would do if you were completely convinced that no one would ever find out about it.

Good character requires that you live well with persistent honesty, compassion, purity, and integrity in all your actions, thoughts, and desires. By that standard, no one truly has good character.

True character is consistently thinking, saying, and doing only what is morally right. As humans we want people to believe that we have good character, but our true character comes out in unguarded moments, such as when we’re angry, frustrated, hurt, rejected, stressed, depressed, drunk, or high. Your reputation is what people think you are like, but character is what you are really like in your deepest self. Good character requires a completely pure heart and the innocence of a guilt-free conscience, but who has those?

The Bible calls character “righteousness.” It clearly states that “There is no one righteous, not even one.” The reality is that all humans fall short of true character. No one is completely honest and moral in everything that they think, say, and do. No one!

If you care about the deepest and most hidden content of your character, there is a way to true character. The way isn’t self-help. Our hearts are too broken and corrupt to be healed and repaired by self-effort. We need a better way.

Someone has said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” His name is Jesus and He is the Creator who was born as a human being. He was tortured and executed to suffer the worst consequences of our corrupt character. He rose from the dead to live forever so that He can now live in and through whosoever will fully surrender to Him and day-by-day fill them with His perfect character. The Bible calls that “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Here’s how Jesus changed my life and came to live in me:

There was a moment
When Jesus first arrived,
When I truly believed
And actually received
His presence within me.
O the glory I perceived
When Christ came and retrieved
My heart from despair
So I can now breathe the air
Of the wind of His Spirit
And read His word and hear it.

Lifestyle Christianity isn’t boxed in by church attendance. It happens wherever you happen to be throughout the day! Lifestyle Christianity is based on observing and obeying what Jesus is saying and doing within you, not on watching a church service. It isn’t about being a member of a religious organization. It’s about letting the risen Jesus daily organize and direct your mind, your heart, and your actions.

Because the Creator became a man as Jesus, we no longer need a religious organization in order to connect with God. Christianity is a lifestyle of connecting heart-to-heart with Jesus and being led by His presence within you, not a religion. The lifestyle of continually hearing and obeying Jesus is an incredibly exciting adventure. If Christianity isn’t continually changing your outward lifestyle from deep within you, it’s falling far short of its intended impact. Open your heart and try it for real!

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com
Posted in judgment, moral character, moral judgment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If “War Is Hell,” It’s Demonic!

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Steve Simms

A famous general
Said: “War is hell.”
War is demonic.
It teaches hatred,
Trains people to kill,
Slaughters sons and daughters,
Spreads waves of death
And devastation,
Yet is glorified
And memorialized
By human beings
Around the world.
Its monuments proudly stand
In almost every country.
Can people be that cutthroat
Without following demons?
Can you think of anything
Human beings do
That’s crueler than war?
Where are the monuments?
About loving your enemies?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Posted in anti-war, combat, War is hell | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When my happiest moments become consistent

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
When are you most happy?
View all responses
When my happiest moments
Become consistent
And fleeting joys
Come to stay
And to no longer
Quickly vanish away 
But remain with me
Throughout the day,
I have to say
I'm truly happy. 
Obeying Jesus
Is how happiness
Came my way.   

I'm happiest
When I'm guilt-free
And forgiven. 
I love to celebrate
The glorious liberty 
Of Christ's living water
Freely flowing
In and through me.

If you don’t find the Good News about Jesus Christ to be too good not to celebrate throughout the day and night, perhaps you’ve never really heard it. The voice of Christianity isn’t a Sunday sermon. It’s the risen Jesus speaking inside a human heart. (John 10:27.)

The voice of bold, consistent, and courageous rebellion against the sin that seeks to seduce and subdue us from within and without is seldom heard much in church. To hear the voice of radical Christianity listen to “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Every Christian is called to be a Jesus influencer — to tell people about and demonstrate the presence, power, and love of Christ.

I’m happiest when I’m focused on and surrendered to the living Jesus Christ. He keeps the joy flowing from within me.

Posted in happiness, how to be happy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment