Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

thethrivinglife

When Faith Speaks: Reflecting Christ in an Upside‑Down World

Last updated on: March 1, 2026 at 12:30 am   by Dr. Feyi Obamehinti

When Faith Speaks: Reflecting Christ in an Upside‑Down World 2026-03-01T00:30:05-06:00 Dr. Feyi Obamehinti

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image From Freepix

Image From Freepix

Spring Is In The Air

Welcome to the month of March! The smell of spring is in the air, friends! Here in Texas, the talks about spring break are already happening. And we are about to lose that favorite one hour of sleep with Daylight Saving Time. There are lots of special moments to observe and celebrate this month. From Lent (which started last month on Ash Wednesday, February 18) and concludes next month, April 5), to St. Patrick’s Day and kicking off Holy Week with Palm Sunday on March 29. A very happy birthday blessing to everyone with a birthday this month. Special shout out to my husband celebrating another trip around the sun!

Acceptance Speech

There is concern among spiritual leaders about the times we are living in. A disdain for the things of God. A mockery of holy things. A contempt for the Bible. Imagine people throwing hatred at a singer for giving God glory after receiving his 2026 Grammys award. In closing his acceptance speech, Jelly Roll stated that, “I want to tell y’all right now, Jesus is for everybody,” he added. “Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with Him. I love you, Lord.” This is an acceptance speech that any Jesus loving, Holy Spirit filled, and God exalting follower of Christ would scream hallelujah for and thank God for such great stance of faith.

The Pharisees

However, that was not the case for the many people that literally “owned Christianity.” For them, the backlash was, “how can anyone say that Jesus is not owned by one group or the other.” When we look at the Word of God, we see some of the same attitude by people that claimed to own Christianity at that time. The Bible called some of them Pharisee in the New Testament. They were people and leaders that had strict observance of religious traditions and the Bible. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, describes Pharisees well. He states, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

The Sadducees

The others, the Bible called Sadducees in the New Testament. They are people that deny many aspects of the Bible and still follow some Biblical traditions. In Matthew 16:6,12, Jesus Christ called both groups of people and leaders out. He states, “And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. At last, they understood that Jesus was not speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Intellectualized Christianity

We have both groups today, doing so much havoc in the name of God and to His kingdom. What is scary is that many people in our day believe this hatred laden approach is the real gospel of Jesus Christ. In a time that Christianity has become intellectualized, followers of Christ have a responsibility to share and live out the real gospel of Jesus Christ they have experienced. At this point, someone reading this is saying, “then who is a real Christian?”

The Real Gospel of Christianity

The Bible tells us exactly the who and how of a real Christian. Romans 10:9. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Acts 16:31, “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.”  Ephesians 2: 8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”  John 3:16, “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.”

Relationship and Not Religion

For the 480-600 million born again followers of Christ around the world, each one is duly marked by Christ’s blood, sealed by the Holy Spirit and has a personal relationship with God, they carry the unshakeable assurance of salvation and eternity with the God of the universe. These ambassadors of Christ have activated faith that plunder darkness, speak the truth in love, discern deception, unashamed of the gospel of Christ and continuously seek to rescue the perishing. This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in each follower of Christ committed to reflecting Jesus Christ in an upside-down world.

Sacred Season of Lent

So, as we continue in this sacred season of Lent, may the real Christians, please stand up! The world needs the peace you carry. The world needs the joy you exude. The world needs the love that has transformed you. The world needs the fire that warms your heart. The world needs the unshakeable faith that anchors your soul. The world needs the assurance of hope you have in Jesus Christ. The world needs the wisdom you walk in. In other words, the world needs to meet and know the Jesus Christ that saved you, that transformed your life and is keeping you. Because out in our upside-down world, religion is having a wild party; and many are unknowingly attending to their own peril.

Coaching

Discipleship

Equipping

Parenting

Transformation

Deconstruction

Forgiveness

ICE

Lent

Marriage

Trump

About Dr. Feyi Obamehinti

About Author: Dr. Feyi Obamehinti is a wife, mother, an ordained minister of the gospel, Bible Teacher, speaker, life educator, author, co-founder of nonprofits Oasis Connection Ministries and Oasis Focus Inc. Dr. Feyi as she's known professionally, co-host Oasis Connection TV and Oasis of Hope Podcast with her husband-Dr. Johnson Obamehinti- from their home in Texas. As a life educator, Dr. Feyi loves to equip people with Biblical principles to thrive in every area of life. A dynamic international and national trainer/speaker, she is passionate about helping people "see life" from God's perspective - only one that truly matters. A nationally syndicated commentator, Dr. Feyi equips leaders on maximizing their leadership for the people they lead. She is an encourager extraordinaire of the Wellness Project, ambassador of hope, community leader and advocate. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post



February 1, 2026

Come As You Are: God's Special Gift of Change

Next Post



April 1, 2026 It’s a Jungle Out There In a Confused World!


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Coaching Discipleship Equipping Parenting Transformation Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am the wage you've earned through sin, but my opposite is a gift freely given. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Separation Hell Punishment Death

Related posts from The Thriving Life

General Christian

A Generation Searching for God in All the...

The Thriving Life

General Christian

Staying "RAW" In A Changing World

The Thriving Life

General Christian

Spiritual Resilience In A Changing World

The Thriving Life

General Christian

The Bible Was Never Banned: America Just Forgot...

The Thriving Life

TRENDING AT PATHEOS General Christian

Mixing Tourism and Faith - The Monastic Site...

Traveling abroad offers the opportunity to multitask by combining tourism with learning...

Seventy and Five Years Old: God Still Starts...

There is a small detail tucked into Genesis 12 that I skipped...

A Biblical Vision of Success in Christian Life...

The Concern and Quest  Recent trends and tendencies I note around me...

Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the Church

  Indigenous' Peoples Day or Columbus Day? Depending on where you live...

When Spiritual Growth Looks Like Losing Ground

Four Passive Spiritual Disciplines: An Introduction When I was a college freshman,...

Faith and Finding Your Current Season

“To everything there is a season,” Ecclesiastes tells us, “and a time...

view all General Christian blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube