Monthly Archives: May 2015

A MOTHER’S HEART Poem Devotional

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May 10
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And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph) and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
–Matthew 27:55-56 (NLT)
A MOTHER’S HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
When Jesus was nailed on the cross, Mary was watching
Can you imagine how terrible it is to see Jesus dying?
When you bear a child, you’d want to give your best
When they get hurt, your heart cry and cannot rest.
Only a mother’s heart can understand suffering
It is pure love for their children that keeps her going
When she’s restricted by circumstance to give help
She never stops loving and continually dies to self.
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Mothers are God’s greatest gift to mankind. It is through our mothers that we first experience love, security and closeness. The child in the womb is a union that is bound by so much love, almost like how much God loves us. Mothers would give anything for her child’s well-being.
Mary, Jesus’ mother is the epitome of strength. We know that she watched her son beaten and crucified, yet she stayed at a distance and allowed God’s will to happen. It must have been the hardest thing to do. Bearing a child, caring and protecting them as they grow up and then watch that son or daughter killed right in front of you.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for mothers.
REFLECTION
What have you done to honor your mother today?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

TRAINING FOR GODLINESS Poem Devotional

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May 9
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Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. -1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)
TRAINING FOR GODLINESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Your body needs exercise and training
Just as your spirit needs God’s correcting
Developing muscles in your body is essential
It honors the Lord and is reverential.
Training for godliness will lead to discipline
It promises benefits such as overcoming sin
It reaps a harvest of fruits from the Holy Spirit
It brings us closer to heaven when we do it.
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I go to the gym regularly with my husband at least twice a week and we go for walks and bike as often as the weather permits. I was a cyclist for over two decades, regularly biking an average of 30 km/day and 100 km/weekend. I talk to the Lord while I biked and would enjoy bike breaks to magnify God in nature. I wrote love letters to God for over 30 years now. I feel incomplete whenever there are days that I missed. In those 30 years, I think there were very few odd occasions that I missed.
The bible tells us the importance of training for godliness which is much better than physical training. It is essential to take care of the body, but spiritual training should be first in hierarchy. There is much benefits to it in this lifetime and in the life to come.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for my body, soul and spirit.
REFLECTION
What is the condition of your spirit?

For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

ON WAVERING Poem Devotional

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May 8
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How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! -1 Kings 19:21 (NLT)
ON WAVERING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you faithful in doing what the Lord says?
Do you get buried in confusion and haste?
How much longer will you waver?
Why do you delay clinging to your Savior?
If the Lord is God, why aren’t you following him?
There is no salvation in deceitfulness and sin
A person with divided loyalty is unfaithful
No one can serve two masters and stay truthful.
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It is sad to know that there are believers who actually serve two masters. Some of them do not even realize that they are unfaithful to God. This is one way that the enemy tricks many Christians. Satan deceives many believers by twisting truths in the bible or taking many verses out of context. How do you detect when you or another believer wavers? Hesitation is a dangerous place to be in. When one dawdles, it shows their confusion. It also exhibits a lack of honesty and integrity.
God is a faithful God, he never wavers. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah confronts Ahab about how he and his family refused to obey God’s commands and worship Baal instead. He boldly challenged them to show that God is superior over all their other gods. God was with Elijah and he sent fire flashed from heaven to prove his power.
PRAYER
Lord, help me never to waver.
REFLECTION
What can wavering do to a person’s life?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

YOUR TRUE FAMILY Poem Devotional

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May 7
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Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother, sister and mother. –Mark 3:34-35 (NLT)
YOUR TRUE FAMILY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you close with your mother?
Do you have sisters and brothers?
How much does your family know Christ?
Do they live their lives under God’s light?
Are your family believers or unbelievers?
Do they seek the truth from God the Father?
Your true family is those who does God’s will
They are the ones who obey, is truthful and real.
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I have one sister and two brothers. Although we were a complete family, I have never really felt that I belonged. My father worked out of the country since I was born until my late twenties. My mother was always busy working too. I was the eldest and my brother and I had two year difference. It was just me and Danny for 13 years until my next brother Michael was born, followed by Iris after two years. My aunts and two cousins lived with us and my mother delegated her parental duties to her twin sisters. None of my family read the bible. They attended church occasionally.
The bible tells us that our true family are those who does God’s will. They are our spiritual family. They are the ones that God wants us to belong to.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for giving me your family of believers.
REFLECTION
Why did Jesus stressed the hierarchy of spiritual over biological family?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

HUMAN REASONING STRONGHOLD Poem Devotional

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May 6
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We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thought and teach them to obey Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT)
HUMAN REASONING STRONGHOLD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find yourself constantly justifying and reasoning?
God gave you a mind so you can relentlessly obey him
You are only human but don’t wage war as humans do
Only God knows what is best; we don’t have a clue.
Use God’s mighty weapons to knock down strongholds
Only his word and the Spirit can make you fearless and bold
Destroy every proud obstacle that stops you from seeking him
Capture rebellious thoughts; surrender it and you’ll have peace.
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I used to love philosophy. A topic can just go on and on, provoking more arguments, debates and syllogisms. I used to attend seminars and talks in the philosophical circle when I was in college. It gave me much delight to exercise my logic and persuasion skills. I was in pursuit of knowledge and reasoning. God opened my eyes one day and revealed to me that “human reasoning” was one of my many strongholds. The bible says that we need to use God’s mighty weapons to destroy strongholds. God’s word is the sword of the spirit.
PRAYER
Help me to align my thoughts to your truth.
REFLECTION
Why does God want us to surrender all our faculties to him?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

GOD’S CREATION IS GOOD Poem Devotional

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May 5
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Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. -1 Timothy 4:4 (NLT)
GOD’S CREATION IS GOOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
What do you have that God hasn’t given you?
Hasn’t he provided you with everything good?
Each of God’s creation is for his own glory
Give thanks to him and you will never be sorry.
Gratefulness means never rejecting his creation
Receiving it gratefully brings us close to perfection
God knows all things and has control your destiny
He has your interest at hand; embrace peace to be free.
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Thankfulness changes everything in one’s life. I used to be a very negative thinker and a worrier. It was not hard for me to be filled with all kinds of stinking thinking. A book written by a Christian changed the way I think. Being grateful for little and big things that God has given you daily was one of the tips he recommended. So I started listing down things daily for all things to be thankful for. Only after a few months, I noticed that it wasn’t involuntary for me to entertain negative thoughts anymore. My perspective changed from pessimism to optimism. So many verses in the bible tells us the importance of gratitude. It changes our attitudes. God created everything good and we should never reject any of his creation but receive it with gratitude.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for all your creation.
REFLECTION
How can you express gratitude for all that God has given you?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

HOPE FOR THE WEAK Poem Devotional

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May 4
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He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. – Isaiah 40:29(NLT)
HOPE FOR THE WEAK
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you hurting from a big challenge?
Is there any circumstance you wish changed?
The Lord gives you strength in difficulties
He brings hope to the weak in their frailties.
The powerless need not be hopeless
God can calm the troubled and restless
Even if you don’t see change or movement
He is surely working for your improvement.
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Are you overwhelmed with the many roles you play and the many challenges life brings?
God is always there for you. He guides you and protects you even if you don’t think so. I used to be a very impatient and a decisive person. I always troubleshoot when things are not working the way I want it. I learned to surrender to God the hard way. God had to strip me of all my self-sufficiency so I can learn to rely and be God-dependent instead. I was angry for a number of years as I watch all the things I used to be good at faded away. I felt helpless not to have control over them. I used to live by the world’s standard of “power.” I thought that power comes from intelligence and self-will. The bible says that we are stronger in weakness because God shows his power when we are weak and helpless.
PRAYER
Lord, give me strength.
REFLECTION
Why does God love the weak and powerless?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

WHAT EVERYONE’S DUTY IS Poem Devotional

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May 3—
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Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NLT)
WHAT EVERYONE’S DUTY IS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you have any secrets that you’ve been keeping?
Are you struggling with reverence for God and obeying?
Everyone’s duty is to fear God and obey his commands
Are you living up to his standards and demands?
God will judge us for everything we do
He sees our heart and all our rues
Everything is naked and exposed to him
Embrace humility so you can be redeemed.
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Duty is defined as a legal or moral obligation, a responsibility. It is a task or action someone is required to perform. Most of our duties come with the roles we play in life. Our duties are like boundaries that protect our relationships and lead us to progress and blessings in life. I was a mother since 28 years ago and was bound by the privilege to take care of my son. My obligation as a mother is to ensure that my son grew up in the love and knowledge of God and his will. I also have the duty to provide physical and emotional stability in his life.
The bible says that everyone’s duty is to fear God and obey his commands because God will judge all things, including our secrets.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be responsible.
REFLECTION
What duties in life are you struggling with?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

WISDOM PROTECTS Poem Devotional

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May 2
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Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her and she will guard you.
-Proverbs 4:5-6 (NLT)
WISDOM PROTECTS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you met wisdom in your life?
Wisdom can prevent you from losing insight
Seek God’s word and he will grant you revelations
It is a hunger for him that will lead to salvation.
Wisdom will protect you from ruin
It guarantees triumph over sin
Love wisdom and you will avoid disaster
Hate it and you will never prosper.
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Do you know the best investment you can ever have that will guarantee victory in all aspects of your life? It is not buying a house, a car or getting into financial investments. The ultimate investment that you can get into is to capitalize on seeking God and his word. When you are able to get access to the manual that God gave us in the bible, your life will totally be transformed and you will be showered with heavenly blessings beyond what you can imagine.
The book of Proverbs emphasizes much on the importance of wisdom in our lives. Wisdom is not just getting information but actually putting into use what facts you have gathered. Wisdom brings protection in our lives. If we love wisdom, we will be sheltered from destruction and ruin.
PRAYER
Lord, grant me wisdom to know you and all your truths.
REFLECTION
How can you cultivate wisdom in your life?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

RESTLESS SPIRITS Poem Devotional

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May 1
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Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
-Ecclesiastes 5:3 (NLT)
RESTLESS SPIRITS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find yourself unable to finish something?
Do you struggle focusing on one thing?
Too much activity gives you restless dreams
It makes you ambitious resorting to so much schemes.
Do you use too many words when you talk?
The more you say, the more you ought to walk
Limit your speech and activities to God’s truth
It will transform you and bring the Spirit’s fruits.
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The enemy uses so many distractions in our lives. One of his tactics is to give us too much distractions or too much activities. I used to think that multi-tasking is an indispensable skill in life but after God transformed me into a new born person, God replaced that twisted worldly viewpoint. I didn’t realize that too much activity brought about restlessness in my life. I wanted to do so much. I remember when I reached the age of 30 that I was speeding so badly to get all my dreams and goals met. I was also raising my son during this plunge into proving to others and to myself that I can do good in many things simultaneously. Just as the old adage “jack of all trades, master of none,” says, I was beginning to spread myself so thinly. My body suffered and my restlessness took over my life.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me simplicity.
REFLECTION
How can you avoid “busy” ness in your life?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com