Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Celebrate Those Who Celebrate You

 


Celebrate Those Who Celebrate You

    Those who discern your worth deserve special recognition. Even Jesus instructed His disciples to respect those who received them and disconnect from those who rejected them. Go where your contribution is celebrated. Jesus did.

Scripture Reference

Matthew 10:11-13 :

"And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you."


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Dear Brethren, We Have Forsaken Our First Love

Dear Brethren,

We have forsaken our first love as our MESSIAH JESUS Christ said that in the last days the love of many will wax cold (Matthew 24:12).

◄ Matthew 24:12 ►

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold"

Our MESSIAH JESUS Christ called us to win souls for the Kingdom of God and make disciples of all nations. But majority of us have forsaken that to compete with the world for real estate and Forbes List  the Richest.  

Where is the Good Samaritan among us? 
Who will rehabilitate the destitute on street?

The following scriptures are enough for us to REPENT and RETURN to our first Love.

Timothy 3:2-4

King James Version

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Matthew 25:35-45 GNBUK

I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ “The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me!’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ “Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and would not help you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’

1 Corinthians 13

King James Version

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.


Friday, July 22, 2022

Don't Mistake Mere CHURCHGOERS for CHRISTIANS

 Don't Mistake Mere CHURCHGOERS for CHRISTIANS

Only those who obey the commandments of God are true CHRISTIANS.
Many fake pastors and fake prophets are deceiving millions of people in Africa.

True people of God see things through the eyes of God and not through the eyes of the world.

Powerless pastors are fake pastors.
Whoever makes prophecies that fail to  come to pass is a false prophet.
Majority of the pastors in Nigeria and the rest of Africa are fake pastors and majority of the so called prophets are false prophets who I exposed in my book, "The Prophet Lied" distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers worldwide.

Fake pastors and false prophets can only deceive fake Christians. And majority of those claiming to be "Christians" in Nigeria and the rest of Africa are fake Christians without any relationship with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God.
Being emotional in prayer, praise and worship does not mean you are spiritual in the Holy Spirit.
True believers are ruled by the Word of God and not by the ways of the world.
They have eyes, but they cannot see the things of God.
They have ears, but they cannot hear from God.
They listen, but they don't learn.

What fake pastors do in their closets are opposite to what they preach on the pulpits.
Pastors who beat their wives and cheat their wives.
Pastors who maltreat their servants.
Pastors who collect blood money
Pastors whose churches are nothing but whited sepulchres.

Our MESSIAH JESUS Christ already exposed them as it is written in Matthew 7:16-20 -

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
The Rhema Blog
since 2005.

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Support The Rhema Blog

 


Since 2005, I have been publishing The Rhema Blog in obedience to the command of our MESSIAH JESUS Christ as written in Matthew 28: 18-20:
"18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. AMEN."

Support The Rhema Blog from as little as N500 or US$1.
It only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. 

Thank you. 

Support The Rhema Blog 
In Nigeria, Send To
My GTBank current account:
0016426297 
Account name: Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Outside Nigeria, use money transfer through Western Union or other approved international remittances.

Faithfully,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Publisher/Editor,
The Rhema Blog,
Nigeria.


Sunday, June 27, 2021

Ignorance Kills

Ignorance Kills

Disobedience to the Word of God begets violence and violence begets destruction.

You cannot know Almighty God and you cannot have any relationship with God if you don't have a relationship with the Holy Spirit of God.
Any religion without the Holy Spirit is false religion. And false religion begets rebellion and rebellion begets destruction.
False religion begets terrorism.
Whereas True religion begets peace. That is why our MESSIAH JESUS Christ said as it is written in Matthew 5:9:
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
Therefore, cursed are the troublemakers, for they are children of Satan.
Yes, you are cursed if you are against peaceful coexistence of humans on Earth.

Many people are troublemakers by ignorance of the Truth and many people are troublemakers by arrogance in their conceit and deceit which they sooner or later manifest in the true colours of their characters.
Who is fooling who?
Fools who are fooling themselves, but they think they are fooling others.

The tragedy of many clerics and their followers is they don't have the gift of discernment.
They have eyes, but they cannot see beyond their noses.
They have ears, but they are deaf to the Truth and prefer to listen to lies of falsehood.

True believers and those who truly know God, don't look and don't see people and things through the eyes of the world.
They look and see things through the eyes of Almighty God.

The attitudes of True Christians are defined by the words of our Lord JESUS Christ in The Beatitudes as written in Matthew 5.
Finally,  only through the gift of discernment you can know the true sons and true daughters of God

John 1:11-13:

11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.


12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, The Rhema Blog.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

True Christianity


True Christianity is the Key To Heaven

16. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
~ Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:16 (New American Standard Bible)

Christianity can only be practiced by honesty and transparency and not by conceit and deceit.

Therefore, if you are not honest and transparent, you cannot be a Christian.

Being a regular church-goer or reading the Holy Bible cover to cover does not make you a Christian until you live according to the commandments of Jesus Christ as preached and practiced in the New Testmament.
Finis.

I do not need to write a thesis or quote from the exegesis of Genesis to prove the above definition of true Christianity.
Jesus Christ said by their fruits you shall know them and not by their lip service and mode of dressing.

Your actions will prove whether you are a true Christian or a false Christian.

The majority of those posing and posturing as Christians are in fact not really true Christians, but hypocrites and wolves in sheep clothing.

Do not be deceived or fooled by their lip service and eye-service "Christianity".

Their behaviour and attitude and how they live and relate with their fellow humans will show you their true colours eventually.

Actions speak louder than words.



Friday, April 25, 2008

The Empty Promise of Promiscuity

Friday, April 25, 2008

1. The Empty Promise of Promiscuity

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."1

"Recently I've become promiscuous," began 20-year-old Ellen's sad email. "I've been boy crazy for as long as I can remember. My father left my life when I was twelve. My mom worked long hours and had little time for my brother and me after our parents divorced. I don't understand why I feel I can't function without a significant other in my life. I had a baby when I was 16, married at 17, and now I'm 20 and divorced. I'm searching for a 'soul mate' and I'm in love with the idea of love. It's ruining my morals and my values. I feel empty. Can you help?"

The above message was sent to a counselor friend of mine, Dr. Bruce Narramore. Tragically, situations like this in today's permissive society are far too common where so many lonely people seek to fill the empty void and hunger in their heart with false substitutes such as meaningless sex and empty relationships—both of which serve only to increase their sense of despair.

Bruce said, "I encouraged Ellen to seek help to gain an understanding of some of the causes of her problems. I pointed out how the void left by losing her dad and mom programmed her to feel an unusually deep need for human connection which was probably the driving force behind her promiscuity and excessive need for a man in her life. I also told her she could never fill the void coming from those childhood losses through a sexual relationship or even through marriage. We can't fill childhood voids with adult relationships. That is like pouring water through sand. The water is temporarily cooling but soon vanishes. If Ellen doesn't reverse this pattern, she will go through life trying to find the parents she lost through one tragic relationship after another.

"Ironically, not until Ellen becomes emotionally and spiritually strong enough to live without a man will she be ready for a healthy relationship. At that point she will be a mature adult ready for an adult relationship, rather than an emotional child searching for a lost daddy. And she will no longer 'be in love with the idea of love' which is simply a childish fantasy. Instead, she will be ready to love and be loved by a real person."2

Fortunately, Ellen admitted that she had a problem and needed help. She did seek counseling to help her resolve her childhood losses. We trust that she is now well on the road to recovery and ready for healthy relationships. Ellen's situation is a reminder to all who have unresolved losses that they also need to resolve their losses so they can get off the endless merry-go-round of seeking to fill the empty void in their heart by looking for love in all the wrong faces and places and by trying to fill their void with "things" instead of healthy relationships.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to admit to any unhealthy relationships and/or behaviors in my life, see the cause/s of these, and find the help I need to overcome so that I will grow in maturity and learn to fully live and fully love so my life will be a clean channel through which your love can flow to others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen."

1. Matthew 11:28 (NIV).
2. Narramore, Bruce, Project Letter of the Narramore Christian Foundation.

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Monday, March 31, 2008

What Will Matter

Monday, March 31, 2008

1. What Will Matter

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."1

Today's Daily Encounter is by Michael Josephson of Character Counts (390.3).

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live in light of eternal values so that my life will not be wasted but invested in the lives of others for all eternity so that my life will matter. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV).
2. © 2004 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Rapture and Jesus' Return to Earth

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

1. The Rapture and Jesus' Return to Earth

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus] will come [again] at an hour when you do not expect him."1

When one of my nephews was only five, he heard me talking about Christmas being the time when we celebrate Jesus Christ's coming to earth. He wanted to know if Jesus would come back to earth again. I assured him that Jesus promised that he would come back again.2

According to Bible scholars the return of, or second coming of, Jesus Christ is called the Rapture which comes from the Latin word "Rapare" which means to take away or to snatch out.

Following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, he was "snatched away" and taken up to heaven. While Jesus' disciples were standing there looking up in amazement, two angels appeared to them and said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."3

Jesus' first coming to earth 2000 years ago is an undeniable fact of history. His second coming is just as certain. The critical issue is to be ready for Christ's return. According to God's Word here's what will take place at the rapture: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we [true followers of Jesus] who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."4

Jesus is coming again just as he went. It could be today. He said that he would come at an hour when we do not expect him.5

To be absolutely sure you are ready for the rapture be sure to accept God's invitation for forgiveness and his gift of eternal life. To do so click on the God's Invitation" button below or for further help click on the "Know God" button or on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, again I thank you for the promise of Christ's return. Thank you for your great salvation and the promise of a home in Heaven for all who believe in and have accepted you as their Savior. Help me to be sure I am ready today for Christ's return by having repented of my sins, asked for and accepted your forgiveness and received Jesus as my Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

NOTE: For an interesting depiction of the Rapture click on: http://www.youtube.com/v/SmLhyPjHVes. We do not endorse any of the other links on this page.

1. Matthew 24:44 (NIV).
2. See John 14:3.
3. Acts 1: 11 (NIV).
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV).
5. See Matthew 24:44.

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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Ignoring the Warnings

Ignoring the Warnings

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

1. Ignoring the Warnings

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."1

I read about a West Virginia State Trooper who stopped a woman driver for going 15 miles over the speed limit. After handing her a ticket, the driver asked him, "Don't you give out warnings?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "They're all up and down the road. They say, "'Speed Limit 55.'"2

I can imagine that many people—who have rejected God all their life and failed to accept his forgiveness for their sins—when they stand before God at the end of life's journey and are required to give an account of their life and receive God's judgment are going to want to say the same as the lady above: "Don't you give out warnings?"

I can imagine God saying, "Yes, sir/madam, my Word, the Bible, is filled with warnings from cover to cover to prepare for life after death. And every year of your life you were reminded of my offer of forgiveness and eternal life at both Christmas and Easter."

And this is what they will hear God say to them: "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have warned me over and over to prepare to meet you face to face after I die. Please help me to make my life right with you today, to obtain your forgiveness for all my sins and be prepared for life after death. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

And, Dear friend, if you have never put your life right with God, he is giving you that opportunity today. For God's Invitation go to: http://tinyurl.com/6k49w or for further help to know God go to: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV).
2. from Reader's Digest, "All in a Day's Work," by Patricia Greenlee.
3. Matthew 7:23 (NKJV).

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