Monthly Archives: October 2017

TRUE WORSHIP Poem Devotional

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October 21
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I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. – Romans 12:1(NLT)
TRUE WORSHIP
A poem and essay by ILMA
The only way you can worship truly
Is by giving your body to God openly
Let your life be a holy sacrifice to the Lord
Do not let the world corrupt you; seek his word.
Your mind, body, heart take part in true worship
It seeks God’s will and follows his Spirit
Never forget to honor the Lord fully
It will give him all the praise and the glory.
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Many years of my life were not really lived to honor the Lord. I was ignorant of what true worship was. Guidance to a holy life was not something that I was provided for. Instead, worldly ways were the norm as I was growing up. When I committed my life to Jesus at age seven, I was too young to be left unsupervised to figure out what a holy life was.
The bible tells us that true worship is giving our bodies to God as a grateful response to what he has done for us. He gave us his one and only Son as a living sacrifice so we can be freed from sin. Live a life of true worship.
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PRAYER
Lord, take my whole being so I can praise you with it.
REFLECTION
How can you manifest true worship in your Christian life?
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 SAVING YOUR LIFE Poem Devotional

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October 20
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And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. – Ezekiel 18:27-28(NLT)
ON SAVING YOUR LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you dying inside from all the trials in life?
Be hopeful and trust only Jesus Christ
When you intentionally choose to do right
You will be enveloped in the Lord’s light.
If you want to be saved, then turn from evil
It will be a big blow for your enemy, the devil
When you decide to choose a life that is righteous
You become heirs to God’s kingdom that is glorious.
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When you face physical danger, what do you do? The body has a built-in automatic emergency response that uses the nervous and endocrine systems to boost the body’s performance when there’s a threat. It’s like an emergency mechanism that the body mobilize to give us “super-strength” when there’s danger. When I was eleven years old, our apartment building almost burned. There was a fire in the market beside our home. My mother was eight months pregnant yet managed to carry a 10 cubic feet refrigerator by herself out of our house.
Do we save our spiritual life just as much as we do our physical bodies? Obedience and trust to God must be your response to spiritual danger.
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PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from evil.
REFLECTION
How can you equip yourself to defeat threats in 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

CONSEQUENCE OF SIN Poem Devotional

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October 19
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When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. – Ezekiel 18:26(NLT)
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When a believer decides to continue sinning
He will be blinded and crave for evil things
They will grieve God’s Spirit living inside them
It will open the door for Satan to easily tempt.
The consequence of sin is death to your spirit
If you ask for forgiveness, you will be freed
When you choose to sin, you choose death
When you run to him, you will find rest.
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If you have been living a life of denial, you open up yourself to dangerous living. Those who have never known the Lord will not know the consequences of their sinful living. It is just normal for them. I lived many years in denial that I was angry and that I had so many losses. I hid in performance and wanted people to approve me. I didn’t have self-worth. I was a very insecure person and felt empty because I didn’t feel like I belong to a family. I lived following what the world taught me: to seek pleasure and satisfy myself so I can cover up the pain of losing so many things in my life. I was spiritually dead for five decades, but God resurrected my spirit in Christ.
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PRAYER
Lord, never let me compromise my love for you with worldly desires.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to know the truth in order to make good choices?
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

LIVE AND NOT DIE Poem Devotional

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October 18
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But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. – Ezekiel 18:21-22(NLT)
LIVE AND NOT DIE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Turn away from evil and you will have a new life
Do what is just and right so you will surely live
Seek the Lord first and the truth so you’ll be free.
Confess and repent so you will be forgiven
Even here on earth you can experience heaven
Choose to live in truth and you will never die
Christ died so you can be free and live a joyful life.
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Do you ever wonder why someone would choose death over life? It doesn’t make sense why we would want to die instead of live. In the physical realm, we normally always choose to live but sometimes we choose death in our spiritual walk. When believers make choices based on their whims and desires, they choose death instead of life. When they knowingly disobey his commands, we lose our right standing with God. God will forgive transform you into the new person he planned for you to be. Choose God and you will never die.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for dying for me so I can live.
REFLECTION
When have you chosen death over life in your spiritual walk? How did God pull you out of death?
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

THE ONE WHO SINS Poem Devotional

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October 17
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The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. -Ezekiel 18:20(NLT)
THE ONE WHO SINS
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you deliberately choose a life in sin
You will die spiritually and your life will be grim
No one else will bear your own wrongdoing
You will be rewarded if you choose the right things.
The one who sins forfeits heaven if they continue
If you repent, God will transform and change you
Righteous people will be rewarded for their good choices
Wickedness will always lead you to bad consequences
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In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 18 gives us a clear picture of the justice of a righteous God. This verse we are talking about answers the question if a child pays for the sins of his or her parents. It clearly says that the one who sins is the one who receives death. It is not passed on to the children. The parents are not also going to die because of their children’s death. Galatians 6:5 supports this verse as well since it says that we are each responsible for our own conduct. There is a reward to those who repent and turn from wickedness.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for being a just God.
REFLECTION
How can you influence others to repent and turn back to God?
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

DON’T DRIFT AWAY Poem Devotional

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October 16
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So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
-Hebrews 2:1(NLT)
DON’T DRIFT AWAY
A poem and essay by ILMA
What things causes you to drift away?
Are there lies you believe that keeps you astray?
Do you regularly seek the Lord and his word?
It actually guides you to understand this world.
Listen carefully to the truth you’ve heard
Don’t drift away from it as fast as a bird
Embrace every detail of the truth’s certainty
Don’t be lost in this world’s false reality.
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Many of us easily drift from God’s will and his commands. We get tossed and turned by the waves of this corrupt world. Even though we have heard God’s truth for a very long time, we still get derailed from living the instructions of the Lord. Why do we drift from the truth? Many times it is caused by unconfessed sins. This is why the bible tells us to immediately confess our sins as soon as we are convicted of it. The longer we delay the confession, the longer we will go astray. One unconfessed sin leads to another and another. Sooner or later, we will just find ourselves turning our backs to what we have been taught in God’s word.
Just like in hypnosis, we must not be keeping our eyes on this world’s pendulum of sin. Let’s focus on the Lord.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me not to drift away from your truth.
REFLECTION
How can studying God’s word prevent us from drifting away.
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

WHEN I AM SINKING Poem Devotional

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October 15
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But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” -Matthew 14:30-31(NLT)
WHEN I AM SINKING
A poem and essay by ILMA
When I am drowning in fear
I feel your presence so near
When I get tossed by challenges
You are there to make changes.
When I am sinking in unbelief
You are still there to give me relief
When I am overwhelmed and discouraged
You lift me up so I can be encouraged.
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What do you do when you start sinking? The instinctive drowning response is an instinctive reaction that occurs in humans when close to drowning. While distress and panic may sometimes take place beforehand, drowning itself is quick and often silent. A person close to the point of drowning is unable to keep their mouth above water long enough to breathe properly and is unable to shout. Lacking air, their body cannot perform the voluntary efforts involved in waving or seeking attention.
When we start to sink in debt, losses, unbelief, addiction, worries, troubles, our initial reaction is usually fear. We’d do anything to cope with the helplessness the situation. They are called coping mechanisms. Couldn’t we just run to the Lord and ask him to save us instead?
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me that you are always there to pull me out when I am sinking.
REFLECTION
What are you sinking into right now? Have you asked God’s assistance?
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

RICH IN CHRIST Poem Devotional

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October 14
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I know about your suffering and your poverty – but you are rich! -Revelations 2:9(NLT)
RICH IN CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
The moment you believed in Jesus Christ
You are covered by his love and light
Christ is the King of all kings
You are rich if you believe in him.
You may be suffering from poverty
Stay strong and live for him faithfully
You are the son or daughter of God
You are always unconditionally loved.
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Romans 8:17 says “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Those who belong to Christ is definitely going to receive his legacy since we are heirs of him. Everything belongs to Christ, so that means that we are rich. Sometimes it is very difficult to think of our true identity in Jesus because the enemy bombard us with so much lies about our real character. We are his prized possession. We are very valuable to him, his masterpiece.
This verse in Revelation was a message to the church in Smyrna but it is also relevant to us Christians who walk the path to Jesus. We can be afraid of suffering, but if we remain faithful, we will receive the crown of life. The Lord wants us to assert our riches in him.
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PRAYER
Lord, never let me lose sight of my true riches in you.
REFLECTION
What good can suffering and poverty bring to us?
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

A PASSION FOR CHRIST Poem Devotional

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October 13
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But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first. Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.
-Revelations 2:4-5(NLT)
A PASSION FOR CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you forgotten the first time you committed to Christ?
You were full of passion to give him your whole life
You couldn’t stop thinking of him day and night
You couldn’t get enough of his radiant glory light.
What happened to you? Now you lost your passion
You are corrupted by the world and live in deception
Turn back to God who is full of love for you
Give him your all and continue to live a life that’s new.
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Do you remember the first time your heart was on fire for someone? Maybe it is the first time you met your spouse or the first time you laid eyes on your child. Could it be that passion you first felt for a job that you so wanted? We all have experienced to be full of love for someone or something. Then, after a while, you become so familiar and used to being with this person and take him or her for granted.
The Lord admonishes us when we give him lukewarm love. He wants us to repent and return to him whenever we are not passionate for him.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me on fire always for you.
REFLECTION
What can hinder us from a life of passion for Jesus and other believers?
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 FELLOWSHIP AND WORSHIP Poem Devotional

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October 12
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They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. – Acts 2: 46(NLT)
ON FELLOWSHIP AND WORSHIP
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you go gather to worship with your spiritual family?
Do you share meals with others to remind you of Christ’s suffering?
Believers are all called to build relationships in the body
Do you try to encourage and connect with others regularly?
When two or more gather in God’s name, He is in their midst
Sharing your joy to God’s people is like giving him thanks
Encourage and share your burdens and testimony
It builds up the body of Jesus Christ greatly.
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One of the gauge of an authentic Christian life is a healthy relationship with other believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 suggests that we must think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works and tells us not to neglect meeting with one another to encourage each other. We cannot call ourselves true believers if all we do is go to church on Sunday and listen to the sermon and not even talk to anyone in the church. Can you imagine being in a family and no one acknowledges the presence of each other? Many homes are broken because there are no relationships built. Let’s worship together with other Christians, share meals and grow in faith.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for giving us a family of believers.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to fellowship, connect and share with other believers?
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