Debunking the Myth of “Divine” Fairy Dust

As I enjoyed lunch today with two new acquaintances of mine, an interesting question arose that sparked my interest. (SN Skippy’s Hot Dogs in Winston-Salem, NC are the bomb- diggity!) The summation of the inquiry was, “does having a black president really change the lives of black people?” My response was one that I have voiced even before the monumental election of the nation’s first black president. I said, “it does not matter who is at the head because if one desires for his/her life to change, then (s)he has to CHANGE it.” Accordingly, I felt it necessary to write on the subject of my title today: Debunking the Myth of Divine Fairy Dust.

What I mean by this is it’s really time that we, as a people, get real, and stop thinking that a man (with similarities to ourselves) is the saving grace that the black community needs. As I look at the status of today’s society, those who were poor before Obama are still poor now, and those who were rich are still rich! It’s necessary to understand that those who did have a change of lifestyle did so because they decided to be proactive in the Change. Subsequently, as believers we face a similar roadblock when we believe that because we have accepted Christ’s salvation that our work here on earth is complete because of “heaven bound status”. Your salvation does not guarantee you a good life on earth when there is an absence of proper work ethic.

I witness far too many Christians sitting around waiting for God to “open up the windows of heaven and pour them out a blessing that they won’t have room to receive” (Malachi 3:10), but they won’t even GET OFF THEIR BUTTS to position themselves under the window. IJS! Where they do that at? Salvation is not some magical elixir that grants you a “NO WORK ALL BLESSINGS” card. People of God we have to be realistic and look to our biblical forefathers for the definition of walking in the blessings of God. Those men and women put in some serious hours on the Kingdom time clock! Therefore, it’s imperative that we understand (for certain) that no man is going to change our lives, and not even God is going to CHANGE the things He’s given us authority over to change (check Genesis for that list). So, it’s time that Christians stop praying “oh Jesus change my life”, when He’s sitting in heaven telling us that He’s given us every tool to get the job done.

Time to get off the couch, saints, and realize that change won’t come from a container of “blessing dust”. Last time I checked my Bible still read “Oh foolish man, faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). So, let’s get active in manifesting destiny. Let’s get the job done!

Nikki D

Are You Trustworthy?

As we celebrate this beautiful Resurrection Sunday I feel it necessary to ask this question: are you trustworthy? This two-fold inquiry must be answered in order to establish your position in the Kingdom of God. But, first understanding the duplicity of this question is most significant. The first portion is, are you a trustworthy confidant to your fellow brothers and sisters here on earth? Can people trust that your word is your bond? Secondly, can God trust you with spreading the Good News that He has given you? Can He trust you to be a valid representation to the world of this Gospel?

These questions arose in my spirit this morning after reading a passage of scripture in Hebrews 6 beginning at the 4th verse.

“For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit, And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come, If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance--[it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace.” (4-6 AMP)

This passage was quite alarming to me because it identified the detriment of being untrustworthy with the word of God. God has given us the Good News for our redemption and salvation through His Son Jesus. However, if we turn away (willingly) from the Gospel, Hebrews details that it is impossible for us the be restored back to our salvation. Wow! Therefore, with urgency I ask my readers to not turn from the Gospel because of persecution, trials, and tribulations. It’s not worth losing the salvation that you have already personally experienced. Moreover, if you turn away, think of all the individuals that you are letting down that were supposed to experience the Truth through you!

So I poll the question again; can God trust you with His Gospel? Can He trust you to hold fast to His word even through persecution? Can God trust you to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection EVERY DAY and not just on Easter? Your very salvation and that of others depends on your trustworthiness.

Think about it… Can God and the people He’s placed in your realm of responsibility trust you?

Nikki D

Responsibility: A Hard Pill to Swallow

I am in humble submission writing this entry as I endure the spiritual lashings of my chastisement. Man… I was a sad case for a moment, but thank God for the Holy Spirit who gets us together even when it hurts (See: “This hurts Me more than it’s going to hurt you.”). In meditation, it was brought to my attention that I just don’t take responsibility for my actions all the time. I would much rather make excuses in less than desirable circumstances. And like many others, after I have made the excuses for being mediocre in certain areas, I run to the Father in prayer for Him to make it all better.

However, comma, but! I hear the words of Paul as I press into God for answers. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Hebrews 5:12). Subsequently, I began to smell the Similac on my own breath which has replaced the T-bone steak of my teaching and understanding. It’s hard to confess when you’re wrong, and the reason for a particular failure! However, this step is necessary for our spiritual growth. It’s time that we mature in our faith and stop making excuses for unresolved issues.

Jesus never said that walking in purpose (on purpose) was easy work, but He did tell us to fret not because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Furthermore, to quit or never initiate a task because of its difficulty is unacceptable! God holds us to a standard of holy excellence, and we are destined to achieve this as we continue to strive; adorned with our blood stained banner. In this season, God is in search of believers who dig in their heels and brace themselves for the wave that approaches. And on the back end of this wave will be the blessings and manifestations of God. Before these blessings surface, however, we conduct a self-inventory check; taking responsibility for our shortcomings.

God loves us, but we have to grow up and take responsibility for our circumstances. Otherwise, He will lovingly leave us behind in our Pull-Ups (training pants) as He goes on to bless the spiritually mature!

Advance your thinking and be responsible!

Nikki D

All Smiles & Giggles: Finding the Bright Side

Hola Good People!

I am truly blessed this beautiful Thursday morning, and I thought I should share a little encouragement with you all. I love God; and for this, He daily shows His love and gratitude for me. He gives me words to speak into others lives, and this wisdom I know is not of myself. It’s refreshing to hear the expressions of appreciation that others share with me because of the words spoken through me from the Throne. What I love the most, however, is that God thinks enough of me to speak to me.

I’m learning that there are still GREAT people in this world, even when the horizon of humanity appears bleak. But, I’ve learned to find the God in every situation in my life. Even when all HELL is breaking loose, I put on my garment of praise and began to thank God for all His wondrous power. And this praise, is what immediately changes the atmosphere of every dismal situation. When we find “the bright side” in all circumstances, life remains illuminated by the Son.

God is an awesome refuge in times of storm. For it is in Him that we should live move, and have our very being (Acts 17:28). Be blessed good people and know that, YOU LOOK SOOOOO MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU SMILE!

Nikki D

Sinners Will Be Sinners

An interesting topic came up yesterday in a phone conversation with my sister. We were conversing about several subjects, and then, the inevitable discussion, about how “church folks” need to get a grip on reality surfaced. This reality is that Christ is soon to return for His church without spot or wrinkle. However, what struck me as different in this conversation was when my sibling quoted a phrase from a sermon she had watched earlier that week. She said that “people cannot fault sinners for acting like sinners because they don’t know any better.” Wow, was all I could say in response to this quotation because it was definitely valid.

As I began to meditate on this phenomenon it became apparent to me that we as Christians are not on our posts as we should be. We are allowing internal character discrepancies to be swept under the rug, and are not representing Christ as His true ambassadors to the world. Thus, it’s no wonder that sinners can be in the presence of self- proclaimed “Christians” and feel absolutely NO CONVICTION to turn from the error of their ways. This is repulsively the case because nowadays sinners and saints play in the same cesspool of sin! And sinners who are desperately seeking Christ are reluctant to come to church because of unjust judgment they encounter by hypocritical believers.

Subsequently, the record stands that just because ones sins are not outwardly apparent, does not mean they go unaccounted for by God. He sits high and looks low. And God is at His breaking point for letting BOGUS Christians continue to fraudulently perpetrate His name and lead His lost sheep into eternal damnation. So, understand that sinners will speak, think and behave like sinners, but there should be a change when they come into contact with “Real Christians.” You could be the only God that they encounter, and I f you are misrepresenting the Kingdom and lead them astray, know that God is not pleased.

Get your sin problem fixed and then go out and introduce others to the Antidote of sin. The blood of Jesus is the answer, and His love covers a multitude of sins.

Let’s get real about God and our service to Him and His people!

Nikki D

Miss Not Your Grace Period

There are moments in our lives when we choose to march to the beat and rhythm of our own drum. During which, we believe ourselves knowledgeable (enough) outside of the wisdom of God. This is more evident as the world continues to evolve and become more independent of biblical teachings, and lean on personal philosophical and theoretical understanding. However, what unbelievers fail to realize is that there is a grace period that is quickly approaching its ending. And what I mean by this can be examined in St. John 6: 65-6:

“And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father. After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him.” (Amplified Bible)

In this section of scripture Jesus was being brutally honest with His disciples and those who were following Him because of the miracles they witnessed Him perform. He told them, basically, that even though you are zealous about what you are seeing me do and you follow me now, many will betray and turn from me. And why? Because during the grace period given by the Father to truly accept Christ as their Savior they were more concerned with how Jesus could feed their physical man.

God only allows us a grace period of time when He opens our hearts to be fully receptive to the words of Jesus Christ. He enables us in that time to fully understand the teachings of His Son. However, if we use that time to see what we can "get out of" Jesus instead of seeking the very essence of His spirit, we miss out. With that said, I urge you to allow not your grace period of truly accepting Christ into your heart because of your being distracted by carnal motivations. The Father only provides (and enables) us with an allotted amount of time for us to "get it". But at the end, it’s up to us to accept it.

It grieves my spirit to think of those whose grace periods for understanding and acceptance of Jesus Christ are coming to an end. However, I am more deeply sadden by those individuals whose period has now expired, and like the disciples in the above passage, they have turned away to follow Christ no more. And the more startling reality is we don’t know if God will ever open up that grace period for them again to be saved by Christ.

Don’t miss your grace period people! Accept Christ as your Savior today! Despite popular belief He is real and He is soon to return for those who wisely chose during their period of grace. So, now’s the time for you to be included in the family as well. If you choose to accept Jesus today as your personal Savior please repeat aloud the following prayer:

Lord I am a sinner in need of a Savior and I know that this is my moment of grace to receive salvation. I have heard of you before, but now I want your words to be planted deep within my heart and not be just another passing whimsy. God I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die for my sins and that you raised Him from death on the third day. And for that, this day I willingly choose You!

If you have prayed that prayer welcome to the family! We are glad to have you join us. I recommend now that you ask God to lead you to a Bible-based church, and that you began studying your bible in quiet time (I recommend starting with the book of St. John).

God bless you good people! And don’t let God’s grace pass you because of unwillingness to receive.

Nikki D



Serving Shadows Instead of Substance

Through observation, conversation, and meditation I have come to realize that the state of Christianity is under attack. There are numerous Christians in mental and spiritual bondage regarding true freedom found in Christ Jesus. I watch as believers ritualistically and legalistically follow doctrines in order to “work out their salvation”. But, they fail to find liberation through the acceptance of Christ's salvation, grace and mercy.

Reading through Colossians 2:16-17; 20-23, Paul discussed this growing trend in Christendom:

“So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ… So, then, if with Christ you've put all that pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? "Don't touch this! Don't taste that! Don't go near this!" Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic. But they're just another way of showing off, making yourselves look important.” (The Message)

People, we miss that the substance of our salvation is Jesus, not the technicalities that make us look and sound holy. Christians need a reality check on what living in salvation really entails. If we are in constant condemnation under the laws and rules that we attempt to follow to the T, we are never going to experience the reason why Christ died for us. Therefore, it’s time that believers remove the spiritual cataracts that have been placed over our eyes by the enemy, and really begin to live the abundant life.

God wants us to have fun and enjoy our time here on earth. And despite the popular belief of some Christians, we can sing, dance, celebrate, laugh, smile, etc. and still love God and be called to (and following) the purpose that He intended for our lives. Moreover, it’s important that we stop lingering on, and serving, the shadows (rules, doctrines, traditions etc.) that prepared the way for Christ, and really serve Christ (the substance of our salvation) in freedom.

Choose substance people!

Nikki D

Enjoying “Minister to ME” Time

God has equipped us all with, at least, one gift. And with this gift, there is a double duty attached to it. I have more recently, began to understand the power of this twosome. Thus, I would like to share, so that you may also be empowered by my findings. First, however, you must seek God to find the spiritual gifts you have been given.

I clearly know that my spiritual gifts are writing, teachable comprehension, and encouragement. With that being revealed, I am able to help others get through life’s struggles with my writing, knowledge, wisdom, and my sensitivity to the needs of people. This sounds like something super admirable, but it actually comes naturally because it’s what I was created to do. However, not only does the world benefit from my gifts, I do as well! And this is an absolutely breathtaking discovery.

Subsequently, I am now in a season where God is allowing me the opportunity to minister to ME. No, not your regular pep talks, and run of the mill affirmation repetitions. I am literally getting revamped, revived, and renewed by words written by me, by poems performed by me, and by answered interceding prayed by me. I am literally learning that everything I sacrificed to put out is now being reciprocated to heal and satisfy my soul today!

I absolutely love God because He never overlooks His little ones. So be of good cheer folks and search out those gifts that God has bestowed unto you, and see how they minister to you. Go back and read your writings, listen to your songs, recall a testimony that you prayed into manifestation; MINISTER TO YOURSELF!

Blessings Good People!

Nikki D

I Declare “NO”!

Not knowing when to say NO had never really been an issue of mine, or so I thought. It’s a wonder how the very issues that you deal with personally are the things that God unctions you to share in order to help others. And the even crazier part about it is that this teaching usually takes place while you, yourself, are in the midst of the lesson. So today good people, I admit that saying NO has been an issue for me.

I am a sucker for a sob story; however, if you read Breaking the “Sob Story “Cycle then you understand that sob stories and pity parties are babysitters for Satan. However, the convincing stories of others’ woes still tug at my heart strings from time to time. And before I know it I’ll allow myself to be pulled into carrying the burdens of others. But, I thank God for Holy Spirit revelation because this day I say NO to carrying unwarranted burdens. I can remember a quote that read “your poor planning and/or procrastination does not constitute an emergency on my end.” With that said, I no longer have time to waste on pity parties, sob stories, and “woe is me” scenarios because I have a great assignment in front of me. And just like a newly pregnant mother I am very protective of my belly, and rightfully so! What God has conceptualized, and is now initiating the contractions for will not be hindered by my incapability of saying NO.

So although it may feel as though I’m letting people down, or am being new in my attitude and approach, I am simply being selective of who I allow to “touch my stomach”. The baby that is birthed will benefit the world, but I must do the pushing. And with that said I must declare an amplified NO to every spirit that attempts to hinder the birthing of this vision. You will not abort this process and neither will I because I have learned when enough is really enough… and today I say NO!

Signing Off!

Nikki D

Now or Later: The Choice Is Yours

When examining the written ministry of the Apostle Paul, I notice that through his letters he laid down the foundation for many churches. Paul was always direct in sharing of the Gospel to the people. This was never more apparent than as it's documented in 1 Corinthians 11:32 when Paul lays out proper guidelines for partaking in the Lord’s Supper. His final words on the topic struck me as must relevant and important for Christians today in every aspect of our walk. “If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.” (The Message Translation)

Wow! These words that Paul wrote are powerful! He blatantly tells us that getting our lives straight NOW will keep us from a fiery demise LATER. The choice is definitely ours. However, I find so many believers today that have become so relaxed and “all-knowing” in their relationship with God that they are unable to receive proper rebuke and conviction when wrong. Such an attitude originates from a prideful Lucifer spirit, and is light years away from godliness.

People, we must remember to stay humble in our relationship with God, by acknowledging that we need daily help from His Spirit. This submission to the Holy Spirit, therefore, requires daily repentance. And although being convicted, and then repentant for wrongdoing doesn’t feel good all the time, I would much rather get healing lashes from the Master now than to burn outside of His presence eternally! IJS (I’m Just Saying), A definitely sounds better than B in this situation.

I little chastising NOW will save you from eternal damnation LATER. So, I suggest that we proceed with our spiritual “whippings” presently, so that we are guaranteed our spot in eternal glory with our heavenly Father. Therefore, remember that submission to the Father NOW or LATER is definitely your choice, but it’s so much easier to bow willingly in humbleness than to be made to bow down in the end. Because EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord in the end regardless of how we feel about it.

Choose today! NOW or LATER?

Nikki D

Breaking the “Sob Story “Cycle

“Nobody likes me, everybody hates me. I guess I’ll go eat worms; long thin skinny ones, short fat juicy ones, itsy bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.”

Sob stories. Everybody has one; myself included. Yep, we all revert back to those “woe is me” moments when we decide to partake in our celebration for one, pity party. Well it’s high time that we stop the madness and realize that regardless of how screwed up our situations may be, we still have sane enough thoughts to think on how messed up our presumed circumstances are. Right now there are mental patients trapped in the confines of their own minds wishing that they could have one moment of clear thinking without demonic interruptions. And what do we clear headed people do with our time? We sulk and complain, pout, and whine about how life is not the perfect shade of sunshine.

Get over yourselves people! Christ is soon to return for His church without blemish or spot, and sulking Christians do not fit the bill of acne free. We all need to take a detailed introspective check and really decide whether or not we want to live another year of complaining about our deficiencies. Or, we can choose to suck it up, wean our baby spirituality off the bottle, and began to fight for what belongs to us. The kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12)!

So if you’re going to succeed today, you have to put the whining to the side and smear Vaseline on those cheek bones because the enemy is going blow for blow with you. Show him what you’re made of saints! Show the devil that you are no longer the whimpering, cowardly, procrastinating, complacent Christian that he was once able to contain. Show him that you have gotten off the emotional rollercoaster and have now decided that amusement park rides are a thing of the past.

Pack up those sob stories and throw them overboard; never to be murmured again. Replace them with stories of victory, even if initially they aren’t your own personal ones. There are many victorious testimonies in the Bible that can be used as you transition from victim to victor. Use them freely, and before you know it you’ll be substituting your own stories of victory!

Time to get a move on destiny people… no time to waste being depressed and salty. God needs you to be fully capable of handling the outpouring of His Spirit that He is orchestrating in these last days. And in order to be available, you must be burden free; especially from those self-inflicted. Shake it off and refuse to utter sob stories from this day forward!

Signing Off Good People!

Nikki D

You Are Blessed!

As I sit here and flip through the more than 500 photos of the tsunami/earthquake stricken Japan, I realize just how blessed I am. God has protected me through many ups and downs, and sees it fit daily to provide me with my daily bread. As I look at the faces of these people, I am deeply sadden and helpless as to what I can do to help them.

But, as I continued scanning, I began to see glimmers of hope in the photographs. And this hope was found on the faces of children. I realized that we are to come to God as children because kids are so easy to forgive; so easy to forget wrong doing and devastation; so easy to bounce back to life! Let’s be like these children and realize that we are just blessed to have another day to see the beautiful world which God created, regardless of the devastation that may surround us. We are blessed beyond measure, and it’s time that we begin to live like it.

You are blessed good people!

Nikki D

photos courtesy of Yahoo News