Tag Archives: believers

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When Evil is Praised, God is not Mocked… Enjoy Your Orchard! 

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Does it burn you up to see people getting praise who don’t deserve it? The devil blinds people to the truth. His job is to accuse genuine Christian believers, and to convince the weak to help him do his dirty work. The devil is the Deceiver, Father of lies, and the Accuser. He works hard to convince people to hate real Christians who love Jesus. The ONE and ONLY way to know the truth, is the PURSUE JESUS. 

People who ignore Jesus, choosing not to not talk or walk with him at all; might as well walk around covering their eyes and ears. There is NO way to be aware of the truth if you choose not to be its friend… for Jesus IS Truth! Only those of us who listen to God’s instruction can know the truth. We want nothing to do with the false praises of wicked people, and instead run to the arms of our Savior:  “Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them” (Prov. 28:48 New International Version).

People who falsely praise wicked people, usually do so out of fear. They want to stay in the “good graces” of someone they deem as “powerful,” or someone who can give them false security or what they consider to be favors. They choose to live a lie, instead of seeking the truth, when we should instead be desiring to stay within the good grace of God. God is the Only One Who can provide everything we need, and give us true security and joy. To not acknowledge Him, or lead others to Him, is to walk away from the truth. 

If we really want to know fact from fiction about a person, place, or situation; we need to ask Jesus about it. When we go our own way, we leave ourselves open to all the tricks of the enemy; and the enemy is very good at pretending! “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor. 11:14-15). This means there are people out there pretending to be Christians! These wolves are even fooling Christians who have abandoned the path of truth and righteousness! Jesus will be more than happy to talk and walk with those who find their way back to his path. We have nothing to lose if we follow Jesus… but everything to lose if we don’t!

Jesus says we can differentiate genuine believers from non-believers by inspecting their fruit. There are good trees, bad trees, and their fruit.  What kind of trees are in your orchard? Are they dead, or are they producing delicious fruit? Everything you need to know about real Christians and those who pretend to be Christians; is written in the Bible. We can find out about truth ahead of time, instead of waiting until we find ourselves in a desperate situation! 

When we see evil bring praised by men, the silver lining is God knows about it. His Word tells us not to worry about it, because He knows the truth about what is really going on. Even though it’s hard to watch when people praise men and women who are wicked,  God will not be mocked. He tells us that people who choose to participate in evil, will get what they deserve. He even reminds us in this Psalm “Of David. Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away” (Psalm 37:1-2). We can go about enjoying our lives, because God will provide justice in His good and perfect timing!

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8).


Pursue Jesus, and enter an orchard where good trees bear good fruit! 

Join us at The Silver Lining, as we explore the topic of truth. Explore other related topics, as well. Find daily encouragement on The Silver Lining Facebook ministry page. There will be godly posts and scriptures shared by myself and other Christian writers who love Jesus! 

Articles, Blog Posts

Jesus is Your ONE WAY Ticket to Heaven! Don’t Deny Him! Get on Board! 

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Come on, Christian Believers… Rise up! You have to make a CHOICE! You can NOT serve two masters! Either you’re with JESUS all the way, or not at all! You can’t say you’re a Christian, and then tell other people it’s okay to worship whomever and however they choose! That’s NOT witnessing! That is denying the power and authority of GOD as the ONE and ONLY GOD! If you’re telling people you are a Christian, but you’re appealing to the masses by telling others it’s fine if they believe in another deity, or fine to participate in religious practices which are directly OPPOSED to God’s teachings; I’ve got some bad news for you… you are NOT helping the lost get to Heaven! Don’t make the mistake of denying Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for you, and gave you salvation!

Denying Jesus due to ignorance:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ignorance as: “the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness.” Ignorant does not mean stupid or foolish. Being ignorant just means we’re unaware of a particular topic, or have not been educated on a specific subject. I’m intelligent, gifted, and talented in many different areas. So are you. But when it comes to Calculus, I’m completely ignorant. I know nothing about it, have never been educated in this type of Math, and frankly; I really don’t care. But one area where ignorance is NOT bliss, is the matter of receiving your salvation through Jesus Christ. Being ignorant in this area will cost you your very life… after death! 

So don’t be foolish; get educated about the truth today. Let Jesus save you now: HOW TO INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR HEART, AND RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE!  If you have been living with the belief that everyone gets to Heaven their own way; through various religions, journeys, and beliefs, I need to break the news to you… You have been believing a LIE! For the Bible says: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him’ ” (Jn. 14:6-7 New International Version).



Denying Jesus due to confusion:

Confusion is not from God; it’s from the devil. If you’re already saved, but have still been led to believe that there are alternative ways to get to Heaven; you’re living in denial of the truth. You need to renounce the lies you’ve been taught, so you can do what you were called to do, when you made the decision to give your life to Christ: Tell others about Jesus! Why would a true Christian be so selfish and self-centered, as to keep God’s Good News all to themselves, without telling another single soul?

If you have received Jesus, yet don’t believe your life will ever get better, you are in denial of what Jesus can do for you! If you are saved, yet believe you are perfect, you are in denial of why Jesus died for you in the first place! As Christians, we must continuously repent, apologize, and ask for forgiveness often; or we are living in denial of what it means to be a Christian. Ask the Holy Spirit to impress the truth deeply within your heart, so you will know, without a doubt, that Jesus is the ONE and ONLY way to eternal life.

Denying Jesus by refusing to follow him

Some people don’t want to give up their bad habits and fleshly desires. But Jesus is here to change our hearts. When we follow him, our earthly desires will give way to holy desires. Some people choose the world, because they feel they can’t attain perfectionism, but this does not mean we aren’t supposed to try living like Jesus. People choose many sinful things, believing these evil things will satisfy them. But these evil things only lead to more evil things. The truth is, people are really looking for peace, purity, and perfection; and unless they choose Jesus, they are living in denial of the one and only path that will take them there.

If you have accepted Jesus into your heart, yet purposely choose not to live the life of a Christian, you’re denying the truth about what your salvation means. Salvation means we have received the gift of eternal life through Jesus, and have decided to follow him. The Holy Spirit impresses this upon our hearts: We are to live our lives in continuous repentance, by asking for forgiveness of our sins. We are to live in the world, but not be of the world. We should pursue Jesus and desire a relationship with him. Jesus wants a relationship with us! “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’ ” (Matt. 16:24).



Denying Jesus by pleasing the world:

To be comfortable telling others that whatever floats their boat is great for them, when we know the TRUTH… is a SIN! It is a LIE; and people who die believing that lie, are going to end up in Hell! You’re not doing anyone a favor by sharing your faith as a Christian, while at the same time, telling them it’s acceptable to delve into world religions, which do not teach that Jesus is the one and only way to God! That is to deny the very foundation, the ROCK, of Christianity… God’s Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ! Christianity is the belief that JESUS CHRIST is THE ONE and ONLY way to SALVATION! Would we set a plate for our child’s lunch, yet not fill it with food? Would we buy a friend a favorite book, with all the pages torn out? Would we put our teen drivers into a car without any brakes? Of course not!  So why would we offer them a religion lacking the crucial, key component they need to experience healing, joy, and freedom on Earth? Why would we offer a religion lacking hope and truth in Jesus Christ… the one and only way for them to get to Heaven? Why?

If you know that Jesus is the one and only way to eternal life, and you believe this to the very core of your being; why on earth would you encourage your loved ones, and the people you care about, to go about practicing any religion they choose? Is it to prove tolerance? Is it to prove you’re a well rounded, open-minded person who gets along with everyone? Is that why some parents let their children flounder in the dark, believing the lie that they shouldn’t “interfere” with their children’s religion? While we cannot force our children to choose Jesus, don’t we love them so much we want to offer them the most valuable gift of salvation? Is It a Gift?  Yes! Withholding your witness to please the world is a LIE from the devil. Ask God to remove this lie in the name of Jesus, and to remind you that sharing the truth about Jesus is the most loving gift you can ever give… It leads to eternal life!  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matt. 7:13).

Denying Jesus due to strongholds:

Jesus knew his disciples had human weaknesses, such as fear. This is why the night of his betrayal, Jesus told Peter he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter, along with all of the other disciples, vehemently disagreed. But when Jesus asked his disciples to be on guard in the Garden of Gethsemene, they fell asleep! When praying for God’s will to be done, Jesus, overwhelmed with sorrow, was so distressed over what was yet to come, that he sweat blood! Yet he still asked for His Father’s will to be done. When Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and then badly beaten by the Roman guards, his disciples were overcome by fear; they ran away, abandoning Jesus. They forgot to trust Jesus their Savior, who had faithfully kept all of his promises to them.

If you’re letting fear or other spirits control your actions, you’re denying your God-given power and authority to overcome strongholds through Jesus Christ! You’re denying the fact that your very best friend in the whole world is able to spiritually come to your aid during trials, and give you miraculous victory! Peter allowed fear to take over, even though he had witnessed so many miracles of Jesus; including his own amazing experience of walking on water! When two servant girls recognized Peter as having been with Jesus, Peter twice denied it; he even denied knowing Jesus at all. “After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.’ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’  And he went outside and wept bitterly”  (Matt 26:73-75).

Denial of Jesus as THE Authority and Power of God:

Do you know “The Man?” If you have a relationship with Jesus, you will understand that anyone and everything in the entire universe comes under the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Every human, animal, and spirit must bow to him. Even if one chooses not to believe in Jesus as the one and only way to Heaven,  it’s still the truth. We can not create our own truth…  God is Truth! Someone might choose to believe night will never come, but it’s coming anyway; just as one can choose to believe Jesus isn’t real, but he’s coming back anyway! And Jesus comes with rewards… or consequences. We can choose to willingly worship God through Jesus, and be immensely blessed; or we can choose to ignore the truth, and end up living in hell for eternity. The Holy Spirit lives within true Christians, and provides wisdom and discernment against the world’s lies. Lies go against scripture, and they cause our spirits to feel “unsettled.” We need to seek wise counsel from our elders, look for answers in our bibles, and pray for God to continuously reveal truth in His timing.

If you are a Christian, and realize that you’ve helped to pass on false teachings of other world religions as being an alternative path to Heaven, you should feel conviction in your heart from The Holy Spirit. Get on your knees in repentance, and ask God to forgive you for living in denial of the fact that Jesus, and ONLY Jesus died for you; and that ONLY GOD’s SON is capable of wiping away our dirt, grime, and SIN. Forgiveness can only be given to us through Jesus Christ, and ONLY the blood of Jesus can cleanse us, and make us holy, and white as snow. Without being cleansed of sin, we can NOT enter Heaven, because sin is what separates us from God. It would be impossible for us to live in Heaven with Jesus without being washed clean! “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Denying Jesus because you’re ashamed of the gospel:

Let’s say you know fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you, and will keep you trim, healthy, and fit. Yet, you know a lot of your friends really like candy, and they want to be trim, healthy, and fit too! Your friends are very ill from eating just candy, and they never eat any fresh fruits or vegetables. You know the fruits and veggies will heal them, but you’re afraid you will be rejected for your advice; after all, you don’t want to offend them. So, you decide to tell them that if they choose to believe that eating sugary candies will help keep them trim, healthy, and fit; that they should keep on doing it.  In addition, you never even bother to tell them that eating fruits and vegetables will give them their desired results. Even worse, you have an entire vegetable garden and luscious fruit trees in your back yard, growing in such abundance, you can’t even harvest it all!

Wouldn’t you want to volunteer your nourishing, fresh food to your friends to help them get well? Especially when there is enough for everyone? Don’t you want to help them? Why are you not helping them? What if you find out that the candy eaters are dying from lack of the nourishment, and your nutritious fruits and veggies could have saved their lives? Would you tell them now? … Or, never? “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).

Denying Jesus by not pursuing him as our Master:

Of course when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, the most brilliant gift is getting to spend eternity with him in Heaven! The silver lining in serving only Jesus Christ as our earthly Master, is that our prayers are offered to The One who can really answer them! Jesus changes us, forgives us, gives us strength and courage, talks and listens to us; Jesus has a relationship with us! No other prophet, deity, spirit, religion, or false god can provide us with any hope on earth, or the joyful gift of eternal life when we are gone!

If we pursue only Jesus, we won’t get confused about where to go when we come to a fork in the road. Do we really want to get lost in the forest, or take the longest path when we are searching for the truth?  If not, we must pursue only the truth! We must choose Jesus! Choose Jesus, and stay close to his side. God offers us protection, refuge, and shelter from the storm! No other prophet, deity, spirit, idol, or false god can fulfill God’s promises. The devil will use the things of the world to deceive, manipulate, trick, control, tempt and tease you. He flashes shiny material goods, feel-good passions, money; and he lure his victims with lies about the grass being greener on the other side! He even comes disguised as Christianity, which is why we need to choose one master, and follow only Jesus! The devil’s plans are all meant to destroy you, and ultimately lead to your demise and destruction! ” ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24 NIV).

Get on board, Believers! Don’t deny yourself a one-way ticket to ride the train of truth! Hang on tight when it’s going full speed! Don’t jump off when it slows down. Pick up as many people as you can at all the stops along the way! You will be amazed at the glorious perfection which awaits you at your final destination!

There’s only ONE WAY to God, and it’s through Jesus Christ! It’s a free trip to Paradise, and we can stay forever!

Articles, Blog Posts

Queen Bee Gossip: Sweet as Honey or a Toxic Sting? (Series: Toxic People and Situations)

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What can be done when annoying bees buzz gossip into our ears, casting doubt about a friend or loved one’s character? How do you handle it?  Do you accept the information as valid and true, or do you go directly to your friend for his or her side of the story? Have you let a good relationship go to waste, simply because you accepted a story that caused you to side with the gossip, or did you consider something may be wrong if you only heard from one party?

When we think about the times we have found ourselves in these situations, do we discover that we’ve taken sides with the gossip, without knowing all the facts; or have we given our loved ones the benefit of the doubt?  Did we ever allow the person being gossiped about, to come to his or her defense? Did the person even know about it? Did the person give up? Why or why not? Was the person being gossiped about… you?

At one time or another, we’ve all found ourselves in a sticky situation when someone suddenly starts talking about someone else. In that moment, we have a choice to participate, or not participate. It can be uncomfortable to speak up about it, but the person who should really be feeling uncomfortable is the gossip herself. If we choose to participate, we will find ourselves stuck in a hive, wondering how to escape a sticky situation. Those who engage in gossip are often afraid to fly away from the queen bee, because they’re usually fearful of getting stung themselves!  And they will… get stung… because if a gossip is sharing info with you, the gossip will share info about you. To think this is false, is to live in denial about the spirit of gossip and how it works.

A gossip’s tasty little bits of information may initially seem to be sweet as honey, but there’s something to be said about food that is sickeningly sweet. When a gossip shares her irresistible story, people willingly eat it up. This is because the gossip falsely makes you feel special; as if it’s an honor to have been chosen to be trusted with her private little story. But it’s kind of like having a chocolate chip… you can’t eat just one. Each tasty morsel gives you a desire for another, and a little bit isn’t enough to satisfy. Eventually the listener wants a whole cookie, something to fill the belly:

“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts” (Prov. 18:8 New International Version).


If the gossip is really experienced, she or he will work hard to turn you away from her enemies, from the very people God intended for you to have in your life… truthful, compassionate, loving people. Why would a gossip do this? Because the gossip has an agenda: It’s an agenda to get attention from you, no matter what the cost is to anyone else. If the gossip is successful at getting you to stop talking to your friends and loves ones, and you don’t even really know how it happened, you may want to consider the fact that this busy bee body is downright toxic.

By definition, toxic means poisonous! Who wants to be near poison? Wouldn’t we want to separate ourselves from it? Of course! The gossip knows this, so the gossip creates the division first, to distract you from the real problem… the gossip herself! However, instead of you being separated from the gossip, you are instead craftily separated from the friends and loved ones who are a positive influence in your life. A gossip separates friends out of spite, jealousy, low self-esteem, selfishness and self-centeredness.

“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends” (Prov. 16:28).


The Bible condemns gossips; even grouping them into the same category as liars, slanderers, and God-haters!  God is not referring to this group with favor. A gossip is always a liar too. Why? Because the juicier the story, the larger the gossip’s audience will be, and embellishment means that more attention will be bestowed upon the gossip.

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. (Rom.8:29-31).

Try this experiment: Watch a gossip in action. Observe how people engage with her. They move in closer to her, and shut out those who are their targets. The gossip whispers for dramatic effect. People “oooh” and “ahhh” over her phrases. The news is always negative, and it is usually shocking. Bits of truth are thrown in to make the story seem true, and to make the gossip seem like a credible witness. The audience reacts by mimicking the gossip’s emotions. If she’s angry, they are “righteously” angry for her. If she’s having a pity party, her audience gladly pats her on the back and agrees that the person being gossiped about is truly thoughtless, unforgiving, and unChristianlike.

The gossip is the center of attention and the gossip wants to keep it that way. The focus will be on her and how much better she is than someone else, how she’s been mistreated by someone else, and how she is concerned about someone else. In essence, the gossip is an expert know-it-all about the person who is not even there to defend himself.  A genuine Christian should use discretion when concerned about a loved one;  and should seek to keep quiet about things that could hurt someone else or damage relationships among friends and loved ones:

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs” (Prov. 10:12).

Gossip is like having a  judge rule over a court case without allowing the defendant to speak. It’s like a football game when the offense runs forward to make a touchdown, but the defending team isn’t even there to try and intercept the ball.  If you challenge the gossip with questions to  verify how she got her information, her feathers will get ruffled, and she will become offended. She will become uncomfortable, and only then will she make an effort to change the subject.

In the worst case scenario, the gossip has no empathy, yet displays fake empathy by manipulating her captive audience into believing that she is concerned about the person being discussed. She is now in control of the situation, by having played on people’s emotions. Meanwhile the person being gossiped about is living a normal, healthy productive life, and usually has no clue about how much damage the gossip is causing behind his back. Yet slowly, bit by bit, people drop out of his life, all because of the gossip’s made up stories! Rarely will a good and fair man or woman come forward and say, “I heard this about you… is it true?” But why shouldn’t we do this? Why would we accept a one-sided conversation as truth? The Bible itself tells us this is a very naive thing to do:

“The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps” (Prov. 14:15 New American Standard Bible).

Most people can’t imagine how someone would play with real human lives in such a manner. But the truth is, it does happen, and it’s more often than we’d like to think. It happens when a gossip is at her very worst; and becomes a completely self-absorbed, self-centered, narcissistic person: Everything will be about her… everything. Not all gossips are narcissists; but ALL narcissists are gossips!  Beware the self-centered sting of narcissism!

If you’ve been caught up in the sin of gossip, the silver lining is that gossip is forgivable and escapable!  Repent of participating in gossip, and ask God whether He wants you to apologize to those who have been hurt by your participation in it. God makes good out of all things, when we come to Him with a repentant heart. Though it may take a while, God can heal broken relationships, and He can repair broken hearts. One small act of repentance can bring about a lifetime of beautiful gifts. God is a God of restoration. He can even replace many years which were lost due to the sin of gossip, and heal all the hearts involved. Ask God to remove gossip from your life today!

” ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten– the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed” (Joel 2:25-27 New International Version).


If you’re the one being gossiped about, remember that God is your protector. The Holy Spirit is at work, convicting the hearts of those who accuse you. You’re not alone. Jesus knows exactly how you feel. He chose not to defend himself, even though He was, and is, God’s beloved Son. He knew God had a better plan, and he trusted His Father. When we are unjustly slandered, by those who gossip about us, we can rejoice in the fact that we are taking part in the suffering of Jesus for his namesake. Not only do we take part in the suffering, but we will also take part in the great joy of God’s Kingdom! God will judge all of it, and make it right. Don’t waste your time with a queen bee, when you belong to the KING!

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:17-18).


Stay tuned for these upcoming June posts from the Series: Toxic People, Toxic Situations… 
Is She a Gossip? … 10 Red Flags

10 Ways to Escape Gossip

The Self-Centered Sting of Narcissism

The Jezebel Spirit

Flying Monkeys… What are They?

Jezebel’s Chess Game… Win or Lose?

Blog Posts

Good Trees, Bad Trees, and Fruit

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“Buy the truth and do not sell it– wisdom, instruction and insight as well” (Proverbs 23:23 New International Version).

I write The Silver Lining, because I want to share God’s truth freely with others. I don’t buy into false, worldly teachings; no Christian should. But sometimes Christians start looking and listening to what’s out there in the world, instead of to The One living within our hearts. Some Christians take a little detour, because they think they’ve found a better, easier way. But the Bible says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt.7:13-16).

If you’ve been tricked by a false prophet, fake teachings, prosperity gospel, a cult, or a narcissist pretending to be a Christian; you’re not alone. When you find yourself a bit lost in a wild, enchanted forest; look for the silver lining: If you pursue Jesus, he will set you back onto the path of righteousness. Look how much he loves you; he even tells us the signs to look for, which differentiate a believer from a non-believer!   A good tree bears good fruit: This means that real, genuine Christians witness to others, and do their best to live lives that are pleasing to God, which results in other people being led to Christ.  A bad tree bears bad fruit: This means there are people out there who may walk and talk like “Christians,” but they are only pretending to be believers, while secretly living unrepentant lives. 

Whether you have fallen for a trick of the enemy out of sin, or whether you were deceived by an evildoer; God wants to plant your feet back on solid ground! Turn your face towards him; call on the name JESUS. He is righteous to save us! “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous” (1 Jn. 3:7).

Genuine Christians bear good fruit!

Guest Bloggers

Guest Post by Edith Ohaja: DO NOT NEGLECT THE “LITTLE” THINGS

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It is very easy in Christendom today to major on the minor as people say or neglect the things that really count. Some believers don’t feel they are really serving God or doing anything important simply because their names are not seen on billboards or neon lights. They feel God is not pleased with them because they have not recorded miracles like raising the dead and opening blind eyes. They struggle to play in the major leagues of Christian ministry where they can found a church or fellowship with thousands of members or acquire relevance by some other contemporary standards.

Are you majoring on the minor, child of God? 

While I encourage every believer to seek the anointing for amazing supernatural impact, we should not in its pursuit despise the fundamentals which define our relationship with God and which will ultimately gain us admission into His kingdom when the Lord Jesus returns. When asked to identify the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40 said it was love for God and love for our fellow man. You may ask, “Is the preoccupation with supernatural manifestation not a reflection of love for God?” The answer is, “Not necessarily.”

Dear believer, love for God and people matters more than fame as a preacher. 

If it was a good criterion for adjudging closeness to God, Jesus would not have given the teaching in Matthew 7:22-23:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

We should spend quality time with God, appreciate Him and listen to His counsel. There are things that burden and excite God and He wants those that can be intimate with Him to share them with.

Desperation and impatience for outstanding spiritual power can lead one into temptation. 

If we become too desperate and impatient for power, we just might get it from the wrong source or we might get intoxicated with power from God and elevate it in an unwarranted manner or abuse it. In the ministry of Jesus, when his disciples were going on and on about how they subdued demons after an outreach, his response was:

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).

So, child of God, continue to serve God where you are. Magnify the basic disciplines of the faith – personal devotion (including ample prayer and bible study time), abiding in the presence of God – for by these, you will soak in and reflect the character of God in your daily life. That is what is referred to in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Also, do not neglect to share the gospel and care for people around you. God values you, He is taking note of your faithfulness, He rejoices over the fruit you are bearing, be it little or much, because it is fruit that will abide unto eternal life.

God values your service to Him whether the fruit be little or much. 

If you do the foregoing, when the anointing for signs and wonders comes, it will be authentic and it will not derail you in your walk with God. You will not be deluded by fame, wealth or influence. Rather, you will do only that which God has called you to do, not what others are doing, what will make you popular or what is lucrative. You will remain under the authority of your Father and return all the glory to Him.

More importantly, when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be counted among the sheep who will receive His kingdom. And He will say to you:

“Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:34-36). And while you will be wondering when you did all that to Him, He will say, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

With the love of Christ in my heart for you, dear believer, I pray that you stay blessed and rapturable.

~ ~ ~

The scriptures used in this post are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

“I said I am a bouquet of grace (right under my pic). You’re probably wondering what that means. It means my life has been decorated and is filled with the grace of God. It also means that you will find me exuding grace, even in the secular meaning of the word.” ~ Edith Ohaja

Edith Ohaja has been a born again follower of Jesus Christ since the tender age of 10. She is a lecturer in Mass Communications, teaching writing courses at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Edith is happily married to Richard, who is also a university lecturer. Edith loves to share the gospel, and it shows! Her radiance and joy show on her beautiful face, and through her written words. She shares stories, poems, articles, and insightful graphics on her blog. Edith will strengthen you and stir your emotions. This is because her wisdom and grace are gifts from God; and Edith gives all the glory back to God, right where it belongs!

Click here for Edith Ohaja’s original blog post: Do Not Neglect The “Little” Things.

You can subscribe to edithohaja.com to receive updates of new posts (inspirational, educational and entertaining articles, poems, quotes and graphics) in your mail. Subscription is free.

From edithohaja.com, you will find a link to Edith’s Facebook page: Aunty Edith, along with links to follow her on Instagram, GooglePlus (1), GooglePlus (2), Twitter (1), Twitter (2), Pinterest and StumbleUpon. Plus, you can connect with her on Linkedin.  Jesus is Lord!


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10 Questions for Christians Marching for Causes (Series: Social Media Sadness, Badness, and Madness) 

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Who’s right? Who’s wrong? As a Christian, how do you know which causes to support, or if you should participate at all? So many people are going in so many different directions, including our brothers and sisters in Christ. There are genuine believers, wandering believers, young believers, old believers, sincere believers, rebellious believers, passionate believers, laid-back believers, well-intended believers, entitled believers, people who falsely believe that they are believers, dangerously lukewarm believers, evil people pretending to be believers, and lost non-believers. These people are all loved by God, but they are not all Christians, just because they claim to be so.

A genuine Christian believer is one who has received Jesus Christ, and has a relationship with him. Many genuine, yet imperfect, Christian believers are living in confusion, conflict, and chaos because we listen to lies. If we do not engage in prayer, bible reading, and the pursuit of Jesus, we become more susceptible to being deceived, just as a non-Christian does. Unengaged Christians still have salvation, protection, rights, and authority in Christ, but they are living as if they do not. They cause confusion among their brothers and sisters in Christ, who seek to obey God and live by His Laws. With some claiming to be Christians, yet not living out a Christian lifestyle, it’s easy to see why people are led to march down so many false paths in the name of “Christianity.” Upon closer inspection, it’s not so difficult to find out why we are not all on the same page. The only pages that will truly unite believers, are those in the Bible.

As Christians, we have an innate desire to share truth, and fight for just causes. After all, we are fighting a spiritual battle every day. Most causes have political ties, with both liberal and religious undertones. We are living at a time where corruption is around every corner, with our country split right down the middle on whether we should respect and follow the godly laws upon which America was founded. Christians need to make sure we are not trying to “create our own truth.” For God IS Truth, and Only HIS truth is true. We must place our own hopes, dreams, and fears, into God’s hands, while trusting Him to care for them. We should then ask The Holy Spirit to speak truth to our hearts about the causes which ignite passion in our hearts. Then we must exercise wisdom and discernment, before marching forward.

There are many wonderful causes, and we are proud to participate in movements which could bring important changes for our country. But when a cause gets elevated over and above God’s truth, or attempts to replace God’s authority, we are definitely marching to the beat of the wrong drummer. Even the devil masquerades as an angel of light. Satan will deceitfully lead Christians down a path of distraction, danger, and eventually destruction if we do not keep our focus on God. Does your cause line up with scripture, or does it deceive you into believing your cause is the exception to God’s Laws? “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 New International Version).

Ten questions, Christians can ask ourselves, when deciding whether or not to get involved with a cause:

Does your cause…

1.  …Lead others towards God’s commandments and laws, or draw them away from God’s safety and protection?

2.  …Honor and respect God, or pay homage to your own selfish wants and desires?

3.   …Promote a peaceful bible-based message centering on goodness, nobility, and purity, or a false religion stirring up evil, chaos, and vulgarity? 

4.  …Spread Christ’s good news of hope, truth, and love, or ungodly shouts of anger, hopelessness, and hate?

 5.  …Involve prayer and possibly fasting, or involve impulsive acts based on flaring tempers and quickly-changing emotions?

 6.  …Come about after seeking God’s wisdom and discernment, or after being persuaded by the media, and opinions of others?

 7.  …Stem from a solid foundation on biblical truths, or from getting caught up in passing trends and fads? 

8.  …Stem from a passion to follow Jesus, or from a desire to further the agenda for separation of church and state?

 9.  …Come backed with proof and prophecy from the scriptures, or from worldly influence and ideals?

10.  …Give you peace that you are doing God’s will by following Him and listening to His voice, or leave you with the unsettling, smug satisfaction of using your own voice, while leaving God and Jesus out of the picture?

Christians who stand, march, and fight for causes which do not align with God’s Holy Laws, are hurting themselves and others. In a world drowning in deceit, there will be times that Christians with good reasons and well-meaning intentions, will support and participate in causes without realizing the evil motives of the enemy moving underneath. When a Christian discovers that the cause does not please God, he or she will experience conviction, seek forgiveness, and choose a different path. Christians need to understand that our emotions will deceive us; we can’t trust in a cause just because it makes us feel good. We need to ask Jesus to lead us to the truth, which will bring us peace. A cause without God in the middle, is quite simply, a lost cause!

The Silver Lining is God knows the hearts of His children. God knows whether we are truly seeking Him, or whether we are willfully engaging in the sins of stubbornness, rebellion, and pride. But God can use everything for our growth and His glory! Our job is to view situations with discernment and call out the sin, without judging our brothers and sisters in Christ, whom we are called to love. We can disagree with others, but demeaning fellow believers with threats, insults, name-calling and other forms of abuse does not display the character of Christ. Instead, we should pray for each other to grow, and in humility, acknowledge and understand that we all come from different walks of life.“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you” (Jas. 4:11 New Living Translation).

The most important question is: Are we willing to walk, march, and run for GOD’s cause…in order to grow the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? No cause is more worthy of our valuable time and energy. Eternal lives depend on us! There will be many times when people oppose, fight, and insult us as Christians for sharing the truth. We will be judged, as others seek to take over, hoping to drown out the message of righteousness in Jesus Christ. God has revealed in the scriptures, that our compassionate, truth-filled words will fall on deaf ears. The spiritually blind cannot see what the eyes of the spiritually discerning can see. People cannot receive truth until they elevate God above their own agenda and causes. But God promises us victory in Jesus! People can march for their causes, but the battle has already been won for us. The victory is ours, and our freedom is in Christ Jesus!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Cor. 15:57 English Standard Version)

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
(Phil. 4:4-8 NIV)

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Oh Christmas Tree… Let YOUR Lights Shine!

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The pre-lit Christmas tree promises “lights that stay lit, even if one goes out.” It doesn’t tell the truth. We’re all familiar with stressful holiday preparations. Everyone knows that a dose of irritation is included, for free, in every box of Christmas tree lights!

A few years ago, our family purchased a pre-lit, artificial tree with tightly wound lights. No longer would we have to face the hassle and anguish of stringing up lights. This tree would offer quick, instant set-up, and instant sparkle. But nothing man-made lasts forever. When Christmas came, we were disappointed to find multiple lights burned out on multiple strings.

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We spent several days dealing with our problem. We talked about replacing the lights, but it was impossible to find out which ones were attached to others. Our family looked for a new tree, but didn’t like the ones we found. They were either too tall, or too skinny. Almost all of them came… pre-lit. We finally found one for a great price, without lights. Yet, it didn’t seem to make sense to buy such a similar tree, when the money could be used to buy one for somebody else.

We went back home without a tree. My husband now had a migraine. This meant my teen boys and I needed to figure out what to do. Otherwise, December would be gone. One of them suggested we just cut the lights off of the tree, and put up new ones. I resisted. Couldn’t we just replace individual strings? No. It wasn’t possible. The strings were tangled, and lights were everywhere. After we unplugged the lights from the outlet, my son began cutting the crazy maze. I was wound as tightly as the light strings. We hadn’t we started this a week ago?

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Twin teenagers were doubly helpful. It took two days to remove all the light strings! Finally, we were ready to add new lights. As I began to string the bottom of the tree, I realized we didn’t have enough lights to finish! The next day, my husband was still recovering from his migraine. Yet, he headed to the store with one of the boys to get more lights, and do some important errands. During this time, I had developed severe bronchitis, and didn’t feel like doing much of anything. This was truly a holiday headache!

Discouragement breathed heavy lies into my ear. New boxes were brought home. “Surprise!” The lights inside were twinkling lights. The boxes had looked similar. How could I judge my husband, when I’d purchased garland lights only a few days prior, which didn’t match either! Ornaments were strewn everywhere. They were also disappearing… because ornaments and toys look the same to a six-year old.

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Every year, I expect the rush, and try to plan early. Each year, I fail. But new trials had been difficult, and God doesn’t see me as a failure! I began to look at the big picture. In spite of holiday stress and annoyances, my family was together. We irritated each other and argued, but we were together. My family pitched in on that last night, and decorated the tree… together. Tree decorating isn’t my family’s favorite tradition, because it’s a lot of work. But we do love the beauty, memories, and excitement of Christmas. It wasn’t about the tree. My family had cooperated, and brought me happiness, simply because of their love for me.

Our family knows to pull together, even in the small things, because God has pulled us through the bigger trials. He answers our prayers, providing us with everything we need. He draws us closer to Him, sharing wisdom about the world around us. It’s comforting to know God can make good out of everything, bringing healing and bringing us freedom in the process. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28 New International Version).

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Old lights, which have burned out, are useless for brightening a room. To be able to see clearly, we need new lights. When we leave our old selves behind, we become born again, brand new in Jesus. We can choose to take a step of faith, believing Jesus was born to die for our sins, and that God miraculously resurrected his body from the dead. Pray to God, and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Admit you are a sinner, and ask God to forgive your sins in the name of Jesus. Go in peace, knowing you will spend eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The light of Jesus shines through those of us who belong to him. When we let our lights shine, we become hope for those living in darkness. We all have light to offer, if Jesus lives within us. We can encourage others to shine, by seeking God, and sharing what Jesus has done for us in our own lives. As brothers and sisters in Christ, our lights will shine even brighter as we come together. Others will be drawn to the light, because God is light.

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A string of lights, with a burned out bulb, needs a replacement. A lost person, living in darkness, needs brand new life, and light, in Jesus. If a light has grown dim, we need to minister to that brother or sister in Christ. We must endeavor to encourage the brokenhearted and hurting, and help those who have lost their way because of pain.  An uncooperative light string needs tending. So do stubborn people. They need love, wise counsel, and healing in Christ. Those who receive salvation will always remain plugged in to Jesus, our eternal light source.

God is an everlasting light. His light never goes out, because He is light! “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ” (1 Jn. 1:5-10).

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ ” (John 8:12).