Not everything that looks holy is truly holy. In this episode, we’re talking about discernment — real, spiritual discernment — the kind that helps you recognize where God is and where He isn’t.

God didn’t call us to be impressed by appearances; He called us to know His presence, to recognize His voice, and to stay rooted in Truth. Today, I share how the Lord revealed this message to me through dreams, signs, and everyday moments — and why it matters deeply in the times we’re living in.

This is a call back to authentic faith — where your relationship with God is personal, real, and alive.

If you're hungry for truth… if you’re craving clarity in your walk with Jesus… if you want to grow in discernment… this episode is for you.

Every week I look forward to hearing from God about what he wants me to share with my sisters in Christ.

However,

the way that happened last week was different.

He gave me distinct signs and revelations that came while I was driving,

dreaming,

and just running ordinary errands.

He was leading me to life analogies almost like the parables from the Bible,

and I'm very eager to share it with you,

so let's dive in.

Welcome to Born to be a Butterfly,

where we embrace healing and growth in Christ so that we can experience true transformation.

My name is Nina Pajonas,

and I pray that today's message ministers to you.

It started with a trip to the Dollar store.

It was one that I had never been to before,

and it happened to be in a very ritzy neighborhood.

As I walked up to it, I thought to myself,

wow,

this is probably going to be the nicest Dollar Store I've ever walked into.

On the outside it looked pristine and it was decorated so beautifully.

It was also located in the cleanest shopping center I have ever seen.

But when I walked inside the store,

it was a mess.

I mean, it was an absolute mess.

There were boxes all over the floor.

It looked horrible.

And it was so shocking because the outside of the store had a beautiful Christmas tree and lights and it was joyous and festive looking.

And then I walked in and it was depressing.

Nothing about the interior of that store was impressive,

even though the exterior looked so promising and so inviting.

My expectation based on external appearances was profoundly different than what I experienced when I finally walked through the door and I was in the building.

Now, here's my first point,

and maybe you already have an idea as to where I'm going.

Many places will look great from the outside,

but once you get inside,

they're not what they seemed.

For instance,

you might hear a lot of hype about a certain house of God,

but you might not feel much of our living hope when you get there.

And while that might be disappointing to you, the Lord is far more concerned about your discernment when you're in the building.

That is what he kept impressing upon my heart all of last week.

The Lord was saying,

it is important that my children know me well enough to know when I am not in a building anymore,

if I ever was.

It's about recognizing where God is and where he isn't.

That is really the heartbeat of this episode.

I'm going to refer to Revelation 3:1 to the angel of the church in Sardis. Write,

these are the words of him who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.

I know your deeds.

You have a reputation of being alive,

but you are dead.

Great worship music doesn't manufacture the Holy Spirit.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love worship.

I'm a singer,

of course I do.

But it doesn't matter how pretty the music sounds.

God is not going to dwell in places that are no longer His.

I remember being in a church and the pastor said,

the Holy Spirit is moving so mightily in this room.

And I stood there thinking,

no, he isn't.

I don't feel him at all.

And the truth of the matter is, before that pastor even opened his mouth and said that,

I was already thinking,

where is God in this place?

Now, I'm not calling out the specific place,

but I knew that the Holy Spirit was not there.

Maybe he once was,

but he wasn't there that day.

And yet they were telling people that he was.

And if you're not in tune with the Spirit, you're going to assume that other people are right and that you're the one who's off.

But if you know what God feels like,

you'll know when someone or someplace is devoid of his presence.

Believe it or not,

even after that experience,

I wrestled with whether to stay or leave.

And it was the silliest thing that I could have ever done because I have a very good relationship with the Lord.

I never should have second guessed myself.

But sometimes we allow our feelings to get the best of us.

We follow our feelings instead of our faith.

And when we do that,

it's a mistake.

But I'll tell you what the Lord did for me in that situation.

He actually gave me a vision of corpses wrapped in linen.

I mean, I'm talking about one big bundle of bodies.

It was gigantic.

And I was immediately shaken to my core because it was clear to me that the Lord was telling me that is he a dead place and the people who are running it are dead?

The Lord has been impressing upon my heart that his children must learn to recognize what is authentic.

You cannot identify a counterfeit unless you first truly know the original.

The same is true with the Gospel.

Knowing the Word for yourself is not optional.

It is imperative.

It is for your protection.

You need to discern whether someone is accurately preaching the good news.

You must know the Word for yourself and have a personal relationship with the Lord.

That means spending time in Scripture.

It means praying,

seeking him in the secret place,

and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and train your spiritual senses.

As your relationship with the Spirit grows,

you begin to recognize his gentle nudges,

how he draws your attention,

how he warns you,

how he brings clarity.

That level of intimacy is what enables you to distinguish what is real from what only sounds real.

There were two words that the Lord kept pray pressing on me.

Authenticate and verify.

God made it abundantly clear that his children must learn to authenticate what they hear and verify who they follow.

Because if we cannot recognize the true voice of Christ now,

how will we recognize the counterfeit when he comes?

Scripture tells us that there will be one who presents himself as Christ.

This is the Antichrist,

and many will be deceived.

I am not saying this to cause fear.

I am saying it to stir wakefulness.

If you do not know the word,

if you are not walking closely with Christ,

if your soul is not in tune with the Holy Spirit,

you will be vulnerable.

I had a dream a few weeks ago, and it was strange because it looked like a cartoon.

In the dream,

there was a man lying in a bed.

He looked like an online pastor that I follow.

Anyway, his phone went off, and when he checked it, the notification showed that a Christian woman had gone to hell.

And he sighed and said,

oh no,

not another one.

Immediately,

I knew exactly what he meant.

Another one got fooled.

She thought she was on the narrow road when she was actually on the wide one.

One of the enemy's greatest strategies is convincing believers that complacency is normal Christianity,

that checking a box,

showing up to church and calling yourself a Christian is the same thing as walking with Christ.

And I'm here to tell you that is not the case.

Church attendance alone does not equal a relationship with the Lord.

God wants your heart,

not your habit.

I'll refer to Matthew 7, 13, 14,

where Jesus told us plainly,

wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,

and many are on it.

But narrow is the road that leads to life,

and only a few find it.

I am sharing this with you because I have learned firsthand that not everybody who says they're of God is of God.

And I don't want you to think that I am pointing this message at someone or something or someplace specifically.

That's not what I'm doing.

However,

I will tell you that I don't just follow everybody who claims to be of Christ online.

I'm not exaggerating.

There have been at least five people who popped up on my phone screen and immediately the Holy Spirit was like, oh, no,

absolutely not.

I had such an adverse reaction in my spirit,

they didn't even have to say a word.

One time I Almost dropped my phone.

I remember thinking,

what have you done in the darkness?

That my spirit reacted like that just by seeing your face.

The reaction wasn't mine,

not really.

It was the Holy Spirit.

I didn't know the person at all.

It wasn't about the way they looked. It was. It was the energy that my spirit picked up.

I felt like I needed to take a shower.

That's how heavy the feeling was.

And this gift has gotten stronger the longer I have walked with the Lord.

But it isn't about judgment.

I can't sit in judgment of anyone.

We have a judge, and his name is Jesus.

He's perfect. I'm not.

None of us are.

It's not about judgment.

It is about discernment.

There is a deep and divine difference.

So don't let anyone shame you for sensing that something is off.

You don't have to explain it.

If the Holy Spirit gives you an unsettled feeling, you don't need to stick around and analyze it. He knows what it is.

Even if he doesn't reveal the details to you when he sounds the alarm,

go.

When he tells you you're not safe with someone or safe somewhere,

listen.

The Holy Spirit will never steer you wrong.

You don't have to understand the urgency.

You only need to obey.

Remember,

people can say a lot of the right things,

but if you listen long enough,

the mask will always slip.

Now, on the other hand,

there's another woman that I do follow,

and I have for quite some time.

And I know that she is the real deal.

I know that because the Lord has used her to confirm many things to me.

Sometimes in less than 24 hours.

After my time with him in the secret place,

it has happened way too many times for it to be a coincidence.

She has a true gift for prophecy and for teaching,

and she is a blessing on my journey.

I don't know her personally,

but spiritually there is an inexplicable connection and I'm extremely grateful for it.

I say that all to say there are children of God out there trying their very best to do the right thing,

to preach and teach the gospel accurately.

You can find both good and bad leaders online and in the church.

It doesn't matter if it's a mega church or the tiny little church down the block from you.

It doesn't matter if it's an online pastor with a million followers or one with only a hundred.

All that matters is their integrity and their heart for the Lord.

You can't assume that everyone is trustworthy.

You must be careful.

God has you on a road to greatness that will glorify his most Holy name.

But don't forget who you're traveling with.

The closer you are to the true shepherd, the easier it is to recognize the voice of a stranger and to walk away.

And now I'd like to ask you a question,

and I would really like you to think about it.

Have you been relying on the appearance of a church or the activity of religion instead of cultivating a genuine and discerning relationship with the Lord?

Now let's pray.

Lord,

please make us sensitive to your voice and your presence.

Sharpen our discernment so that we can recognize what is from you and what is not.

May we remain rooted in your word and in our relationship with you so that deception cannot touch us.

If you tell us to go,

give us the courage to leave.

If you tell us to stay,

give us the strength to stand.

Keep us close,

clear minded and anchored in your truth.

In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

If today's message blessed you,

please share it with a friend and follow Born to Be a Butterfly so you never miss an episode.

If you're ready to dive deeper into my story of healing and transformation,

you can get my book From Broken to Butterfly on Amazon.

If you have any questions or would like to connect,

please reach out to me on Instagram at Born to be a Butterfly.

Or you can email me@ninapajonesmail.com the link to my email is in my episode description until next time,

remember the Lord can turn your wounds into wings.

You were born to be a butterfly.