"INDIVIDUALITY is SELFISHNESS!"

Individuality is the hard outer layer shrouding the inner spiritual life. Individuality is a "selfish mistress", separating and alienating people. Often times we see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we intertwine individuality with the spiritual life, the result is always  isolation. 

This shell of individuality is God’s unique natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are a sense of entitlement, tolerance and selfishness. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality (the need to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and to pursue the material things of this world) If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can NEVER believe.

But our spirit man cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. 

The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into communion with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to the calamity of free will. 

Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.

"Tearing Down the HOUSE of REBELLION!"

For too many Christians, REBELLION is a MINISTRY! They make it their business to defile the house of God (that being, their mortal bodies). Through premeditated acts of sin and perversion, deception and manipulation and outright lies, they have created a void between their person and the Lord God.

Many Christians (as well as non-Believers) rebel against God and His Word because they "love their SIN too much." I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed my sin before the Holy Spirit saved me from myself. Thank God for the Spirit of Conviction, Correction and Redemption. I was lost at sea and thought I was on a seven day cruise!

But what about you? Are you perpetrating a fraud and acting like you have never suffered under the grip of Satan and his imps? Are you in denial that you might still have a problem with letting go of the past?

The house of rebellion is a house built on shifting sand. It's foundation is crafted with lies. It's brick and mortar are manipulation and deception. There are no doors or windows. There is no running water or warmth. There is no peace or light. There is only utter darkness and its architect is Satan!

The Prophet Ezekiel said, "Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house." (Ezek: 12:2)  This is a clarion call to ALL BELIEVERS to resist the wiles of the enemy and be a light in the midst of darkness.

How do you tear down the house of rebellion. You tear it down by FAITH, and LOVE, and PEACE and JOY in the Holy Spirit. You tear it down by SUBMITTING to GOD'S WILL. You crush the foundation of deception and manipulation and perversion, with TRUTH and HOLINESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS. You plant a GARDEN of LIFE in its place that will be sustained by RIVERS of LIVING WATER.

You continually PLANT SEEDS (which is the WORD of GOD)! Selah...

"SILENCE of the LAMB!"

From the moment Jesus entered the earth realm as a Seed (the WORD of God), His initial destiny was the Cross, but His Return to Eternity with the Father was his legacy.

From His encounter with His cousin John the Baptist at the River Jordan until His death at Golgotha Hill, He was indeed "led by the Spirit." In every instance, at every turn and with each and every breath, the Lord God was ushered into the Presence of the Father for instruction by the Holy Spirit.

It was the Spirit of God that branded Him the "Lamb of God" from the foundation of the world (John 1:29). Only those who entered into the Presence of Yahweh through intense fellowship, meditation, prayer and supplication would recognize Him as the Lamb. Jesus was the Lamb ONLY ONCE for ALL! He is the Lamb no longer. He is now and forever the LION of JUDAH (PRAISE)!

It was the Holy Spirit who "silenced the Lamb." In the Garden of Gethsemane, when His anguish and inner turmoil was at its zenith and He was struggling with His mortality, the Holy Spirit quickened His mortal body and strengthened His resolve to complete His journey and "passion" to Calvary so that ALL MIGHT LIVE!

Being content in God takes away the cares of this world and the needs of man. In His "silence," Jesus transitioned from the "Son of Man" to the "Son of God," from time to eternity and from Lamb to Lion.

His silence reflects the true nature of son ship (being Spirit led) in that obedience is greater than sacrifice. In other words, Jesus' silence (obedience to His Father) was greater than His death (sacrifice of His life) on the Cross...Just think about that for a minute...

Obedience opens a "Door" that no man can close. (John 10:7) Selah...

"A GROOM is NOT a HUSBAND; A BRIDE is NOT a WIFE!"

The institution of MARRIAGE has deviated so far from the "original model" it is not even funny! The "spirits" of selfishness, individuality and entitlement have overtaken the spirits of submission, oneness and humility. Husbands, love your wives!

Today's couples spend more time, attention and energy on the WEDDING than the MARRIAGE. The definition of what marriage is, what constitutes a marriage and who can marry whom has been perverted by the wicked hearts of men and women seeking sexual gratification, financial stability and fringe benefits.

Boys are marrying girls. Boys are marrying boys. Girls are marrying girls. Boys are marrying dogs, horses and other animals. Some men are marrying cars. Freaking cars!
You get the drift. At the end of the day, what is really happening that is not being discussed on local TV, in your favorite church, in the barber shop or your targeted social media outlet is that, "GOD is being MOCKED!"

I know this will be hard to hear for all the religious folk, liberals, conservatives, and anti-Jesus pundits out there, but God only ever created ONE INSTITUTION. That institution is MARRIAGE; and marriage between a MAN and a WOMAN. There is only one agenda for the "broadening of the definition of marriage" and that is the destruction of the institution of the "FAMILY." Sounds diabolical doesn't it? Guess what? It is!

You can point to a new world order. I can point to the Word of God. You can stand behind the "rights" of man. I will stand on righteousness. You can point to political correctness. I will point to spiritual correctness in the eyes of the Lord God.

A man can never truly become a "groom" until he has first become a "bride." Wait a minute, Brother Nick, you're confusing me. You just said a man can't marry a man. You are correct grasshopper! In this sense, I am talking about a "spiritual bride" and the "Groom" is Christ. Christ will teach the "bride-groom" the intricacies of life, love, family, service, faith, finances and how to establish a spiritual legacy.

This is the training the man will need to teach his new "Eve" how to become a "bride" and, ultimately, a "wife." In turn, the groom , through submission (service) to Christ, becomes a "son" AND "husband!" The bride-groom studies His Word, learns how to fellowship with the Master, walks in truth and gives out of the abundance of his spirit.

A bride is immature and selfish and focused on self. A groom is foolish, impetuous and arrogant. She is still looking at wedding pictures six years into the marriage. He is still going to Happy Hour and Strip Clubs with the fellas ten years into the deal! She's spending too much money. He's never around to help raise the kids. Have you ever met these people? Are YOU these people?

The conclusion of the matter is this, "a husband will NEVER stay married to a bride and a wife will NEVER stay married to a groom."

"The DEVIL & DODGE BALL!"

Before the advent of computer games, iPhones, Instagram, Facebook and various other forms of social media, there was this foreign concept young people had called "playing outside."

Many people in my generation (Baby Boomers) can remember the hours of fun we had playing games such as duck-duck-goose, freeze tag, hide-n-go-seek, kick the can and red light-green light.

In grade school, it was mandatory that we exercised everyday and we also played games in gym class. My favorite game to play was "dodge ball." You remember don't you? You picked teams and the object was to throw the ball and hit members of the opposing team. If you got hit by the ball you were "out." If the opponent caught the ball you threw at them then you were "out." The last person standing was considered the winner.

It was usually the kids who were either afraid, who didn't want to play or the kids who were over weight and not as agile that got hit all the time and were eliminated immediately. You might ask, "where are you going with this Brother Nick?" I only have one question for you today?

"Why does the devil hit you every time he throws the dodge ball at you?"

You are probably chuckling a little at this photo (it's hard to find a photo of the devil, even on Google!) 

Although a little humorous, this is a serious subject. The reason why so many Christians keep getting hit by the devil is that they have become over weight and over burdened by the things and cares of this world. Christians consume much more of the "world" than they do of the "Word."  They are static and not dynamic. Many have become too lazy to exercise their faith and have spiraled into depression, apathy and despair.

There is a profound solution to prevent you from getting hit every time by the devil. He is beating you because you are too low in your thinking (Lodi bar). He is targeting you because he knows you won't fight back. He is getting you out of the game because he knows you are afraid of him. He is killing you because he knows you don't have any faith. He picks you on his team every time because he knows you are not a threat to take the ball out of his hands.

The winner of the game of dodge ball is usually the person who is fearless, relentless, powerful, agile and willing to take chances. He welcomes the challenge, attacks the enemy with a fierce determination and formulates a strategy to take out his opponent. The winner of this game will always pick Jesus to be on his team!

Likewise, in the realm of the spirit when you graduate in faith, you graduate in power, authority and influence. Your faith becomes so big, you can't even see or hear the devil. Because you only hear Christ, the devil doesn't exist to you anymore. In the life of a Believer, the devil is a non-entity! Christ defeated him on Calvary. That's all!

In the end, the game of dodge ball is a lot like life; the last Man standing (with Jesus) always wins! Selah...

"DEAF, DUMB & BLIND in the SPIRIT!"

Most often when we hear the phrase, "deaf, dumb and blind" (DDB) we automatically get a picture in our heads of the three monkeys sitting next to each other with their hands over their ears, mouths and eyes.

As I was contemplating the fallout from being DDB in the Spirit, I could only imagine the tragedy of not being able to HEAR God. The WOG says, "Faith comes by HEARING, and (your ability to) HEARING by the Word of God." In the faith realm you "see" with your "EARS." In the natural realm, you see with your eyes. That is why it is so easy for the enemy to trick and manipulate Christians through the lusts of the flesh (what they SEE with their EYES)!

Oh, I shudder to think what it must be like not to be able to SPEAK to the Father. FEAR has muted the tongues of so many Christians. I am not talking about the "mumbo-jumbo" people interpret as prayer, or the songs we sing in church or even the crying out to God that transpires when we experience a personal tragedy or get into trouble. I am talking about the sacrifice we make of crucifying ourselves daily as we enter into the PRESENCE of GOD and to LISTEN (HEAR) to His beautiful voice, receive rebuke, instruction and direction on the pathway to truth and righteousness. Herein, "speaking" to God requires more "listening" than talking. You "speak" with your "heart."

I have heard the frustration of so many Christians who proclaim that they have never SEEN God! I listen intently as they describe what they thought the revelation of the Master was SUPPOSED to be like. How sad it is that any man or woman who hungers and thirsts for Him have not been satisfied with the vision of His Glory. His blueprint is EVERYWHERE! His signature is on EVERYTHING! His DNA residse in EVERYONE! How is it possible that a man or woman cannot SEE God? It is because THEY DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR SIN! They enjoy their SIN too much! 

But there are those who not only hear, see and speak to Him, but they also smell and touch HIM as He smells the aroma of our service in the marketplace and we touch HIM with our holiness and integrity. In the spirit realm, all of the senses are activated. however,, the most important sense is "spirit sense." This is the authentic "sixth sense." This sense gives the Believer the ability to actively access and engage the Holy Spirit 24/7!

The calamity of being DDB in the Spirit is that you may NEVER know the wondrous glory of the mind of God (His Word) through Christ Jesus and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as a mentor, teacher, adviser and leader in all things pertaining to the Kingdom of Glory!

"This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased! HEAR Him!"  (Matt. 17:5b)

"LOVE for the UNNOTICED: A Transferable Spirit!"

"Love's in need of Love today."  Stevie Wonder (1976)

In Jesus's day, the Samaritans were despised by Orthodox Jews because most of the Jews from that region had intermarried with foreigners (non-Jews). 

The irony of the parable of the "Good Samaritan" (Luke 10:25-37) is that the scorned Samaritan knew how to show love to his neighbor (having no relationship with God); whereas the Levite and a priest, having an intimate knowledge of God's law, did not.

The theme of this story highlights God's love for the unnoticed even until this day (Matthew 25:31-46). In the Gospel of Luke, we can see where Jesus recognized and "had relationship" with many women. Women were not held in high regard in those days and had no rights as citizens of Jerusalem.

However, through Jesus several women had critical roles in the development of Jesus' earthly ministry. Elizabeth, Mary, Anna, the Widow of Nain, The sinner who anointed Jesus' feet, women disciples (Luke 8:1-3), the woman searching for her lost coin, the persistent widow petitioning the unjust judge, the sorrowful women on the way to the Cross and the women who discovered the empty tomb gives depth and viability to God's love through Christ Jesus.

The social outcasts of His day were engaged and empowered by the love of Christ. What can we say about His love for the Gentile as He welcomed them with open arms into His eternal kingdom by faith. The lonely shepherds were given a spiritual leader with grace and peace and joy. The poor were enriched by His words as the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Samaritans were embraced and He ministered to tax collectors, prostitutes, the sick, prisoners, homeless folks, the elderly, lepers and was consistent in that He made no differentiation among them.

Jesus loved them all the same. He gave His life for each one of them (us). Jesus sought out the afflicted, the downtrodden, the forsaken, the lost, the weak, the defenseless, the estranged and gave them peace through FAITH in GOD! How do we love? Do you pick and choose who you will love and not love? Is LOVE the motive for your loving or do you have a hidden agenda for loving?

Jesus never promoted Himself. He simply said, "I can only say what my Father tells Me to say. I can only do what my Father tells Me to do." (John 14 ...paraphrased). In this mindset, a Believer can NEVER go wrong. Just do and say what God tells you.

Jesus' LOVE for the UNNOTICED MUST BE OUR LOVE and it is a TRANSFERABLE SPIRIT that should be ALIVE in EVERY BELIEVER! AMEN!