Monthly Archives: December 2017

GRATEFUL FOR GRACE

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December 11
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Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words. -2 Corinthians 9:15(NLT)
GRATEFUL FOR GRACE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you ever received an undeserved gift?
Christ gave you grace even if it doesn’t seem fit
He sacrificed his life for you and died for your sins
Did you thank him for what he did so you can be free?
The gift of grace is too wonderful for words
Only the righteous can overcome this world
The holy people of God are forever grateful
Follow Jesus’ way and you will learn to be faithful.
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Have you ever been speechless from someone giving you something or doing some acts of kindness to you? When I got divorced from my first husband who was abusive, it was very difficult to go through the motions of finding a new place to move into. I was new in Canada and my 16-year old son was joining me soon. A group of men from a church in the town I lived helped single mothers to move out. They provided for the extra hands to lift the pieces of furniture. I wasn’t a born again Christian then when they helped me. What was so overwhelming was when they prayed in a circle before they started moving out my things from my old house and prayed again to bless me and my son after. What grace God has given me through these people.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the undeserved favor you have given me.
REFLECTION
What does thankfulness do to you and to others?
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

UNRECOGNIZED Poem Devotional

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December 10
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He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.
– John 1:10(NLT)
UNRECOGNIZED
A poem and essay by ILMA
God existed before the world was created
He made all things, was pleased and delighted
He made man and woman in his own likeness
He asked them to be holy and live in righteousness
Man disobeyed God and gave in to Satan’s temptation
So God had to bring Jesus to grant man’s redemption
Christ came in the world, but the world didn’t recognize him
Their hearts were corrupted for they were living in sin.
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When someone you used to know becomes unrecognizable, what do you think led you to have a distorted view of that person? When you are drawn to someone because of love, you want to know much about this person so you can get closer to him or her. You wouldn’t want to have anything to do with someone you despise, so you would most likely stay away from them. The farther you are from someone, the less you know about this person. The nearer you are to them, the easier it is to know them.
It is the same with Jesus Christ, we can recognize him if we maintain a close relationship with him through his word. If we have this fire to know him deeply, we will hear his voice and know what his Spirit is saying.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to always seek you so I will always recognize you.
REFLECTION
What hinders us from recognizing the Lord?
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

PRAYER FOR CONFIDENT HOPE Poem devotional

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December 9
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I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13(NLT)
PRAYER FOR CONFIDENT HOPE
A poem and essay by ILMA
May the Lord, who is the source of all hope
Make you thrive and not just survive or cope
May peace fill your heart because you trust in him
May your heart be filled with the Holy Spirit.
May you continually trust and depend on him
Then you will have courage to overcome sin
Listen to the voice of his spirit deep inside you
He will transform your life and make you new.
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What is the most ardent request you have ever made from God? How can we develop discipline to automatically have confident hope? It wasn’t an easy thing for me to be hopeful because I have gone through a lot of traumas and pain. It was almost an impossible feat for me to be optimistic because I viewed things in the filter of such experiences.
Then I learned baby steps to build my trust in him and his words. I learned to continue to depend on the one who love me most, our Lord and Savior. When we trust that the Lord will provide, guide, teach, convict us, we will reap the fruits of the Spirit which is peace and joy.
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PRAYER
Forgive me when I don’t choose to trust you Lord.
REFLECTION
How can trusting in God build your hope up
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

GLORY TO GOD Poem Devotional

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December 8
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Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.
– Luke 2:14(NLT)
GLORY TO GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Glory to God who is all-knowing and Almighty
He is faithful and is able to give you victory
Praise the Lord of heavens who created everything
Only he can deliver you from bondage and all sins.
He is the source of all wisdom and righteousness
He alone can bring all his promises into fullness
When you live a holy life, he is pleased
Awesome wonder is the Lord who brings peace.
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The word “glory” in Hebrew is “kabod”, which means abundance, honor and splendor. Have you ever been with someone who was full of splendor or brightness? We, humans are inclined to go up and down. We sometimes are at the top of world and just in a few moments, we could be totally under such pressure that we can’s press on. Humans are very weak and sinful and it is almost impossible to have the glory on our own effort. This is why the Lord gave grace and mercy to those who love him and obey his will. He wants us to have the same glory and power he made us with, but we can only receive that by faith and by living a holy life. He deserves all the glory because he loved us first. ________________________________________
PRAYER
Lord, I praise your Holy name, you are most worthy of all.
REFLECTION
What is the reward awaiting those who bring the Lord praise?
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

NEWS THAT BRING GREAT JOY

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December 7
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“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior -yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. -Luke 2:10-11(NLT)
NEWS THAT BRING GREAT JOY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you feeling down these days?
There’s good news for us all today
Don’t worry about trials and sufferings
You are released from bondage and sins.
God has sent his only son, to bring great joy
He has given us reason to be glad and overjoyed
Praise the new born king for he will save us all
He brings new life from our old nature that is sinful.
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Have you ever received a news that brought you so much joy? It was when my husband declared that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I have gone through a lot of painful relationships in my past. These traumatic experiences made me suspicious and mistrusting of other people’s motives. But when he assured me that he was true to his word, I was appeased.
There is good news that bring us much joy: the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of God’s promise for salvation and eternal life. He was born from the family of David in Bethlehem, in a manger. Though he was a king and owned everything, he came among the poor.
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PRAYER
Thank you for your fulfillment of your promise for salvation.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God chose a poor family to be Jesus’ parents?
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

NEW BRANCH BEARING FRUIT Poem Devotional

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December 6
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Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot-yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him. -Isaiah 11:1-2(NLT)
NEW BRANCH BEARING FRUIT
A poem and essay by ILMA
God promised a Savior for all mankind
He’ll come from the stump of the family of David
A new branch bearing fruit from the old root
The baby Jesus will be born to calm and soothe.
The Spirit of the Lord will be upon Jesus Christ
He will deliver us from evil and give us new life
Will we die to our old self to embrace the new creation?
Will we die to sin so we can receive our salvation?
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After a tree has been cut and chopped, the stump is usually a small remaining portion of the trunk with the roots still in the ground. Stumps (both those on the ground and stumps of removed branches) are sometimes able to regenerate into new trees. Often, a deciduous tree that has been cut will re-sprout in multiple places around the edge of the stump or from the roots.
The bible talks about the promise of salvation through the stump from the family of David. It is described as a new branch bearing fruit from the old root where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come from. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus.
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PRAYER
Lord, please help me to bear fruits as you give me new life.
REFLECTION
Why are fruits of God’s Spirit important in a believer’s 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

KING OF ALL KINGS Poem Devotional

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December 5
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All kings will bow down before him, and all nations will serve him.-Psalm 72:11(NLT)
KING OF ALL KINGS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Is there anyone more powerful than Christ?
He is the one who can free and give you life
Jesus is sovereign over kings of all nations
They will all bow down to give him adulation.
When all kings humble themselves to praise Jesus
They will look up to him and focus to him all their gazes
King Jesus, the king of all kings will be worshiped
They will fall on their knees, bow down to his kingship.
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To “bow down” is defined as to get into a prostrate position, as in submission. In Daniel 3:5-6, there was a rule of King Nebuchadnezzar that when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, they need to bow to the ground to worship his gold statue. Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. Daniel’s friends were confronted by the king because they didn’t bow down to the idol. They were later on send to burn, the three of them, but the Lord protected them from burning so that they will all know how powerful the Lord is.
Scriptures claim that Jesus Christ is king of all kings and when the time comes, all kings will bow down to him.
PRAYER
Lord, I bow down to your sovereignty and give you praise.
REFLECTION
What happens when we bow down to Jesus and declare him as our king?
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

WHATEVER IS GOOD AND PERFECT Poem Devotional

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December 4
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Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. -James 1:17(NLT)
WHATEVER IS GOOD AND PERFECT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Each time we have something good going
We ought to give the Lord thanksgiving
Whatever is right and flawless
It comes from our God who is faultless.
Watch out for blessings that come your way
It is from our good God, so continue to pray
Ask and you will receive from our Lord and Savior
He loves you and grants you a life that is bountiful.
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Do you count all the good things that come your way? Are you thankful for these blessings in every way? What makes a person happier in life? When someone is complaining all the time, it is very hard to learn to be thankful. I used to be a negative and whiny person. I allowed bitterness to creep in my heart. By doing that, I allowed myself to become a grumpy and difficult person to be with. People started avoiding me, until someone I loved honestly assessed my pessimism and bitterness.
I started to count my blessings. Each day, I would keep a list of things that I can be grateful for. It started out as a short list, but progressed to longer ones later on. We are reminded to thank the Lord for every good and perfect thing that we receive.
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PRAYER
Thank you Jesus, for your generosity.
REFLECTION
What happens if we don’t acknowledge the blessings we receive?
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

REJOICE AT HIS BIRTH Poem Devotional

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December 3
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You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. -Luke 1:14(NLT)
REJOICE AT HIS BIRTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
When God sent his Son on earth
He wants us to rejoice in his birth
It is the manifestation of his great love
The baby Jesus was sent from up above.
Rejoice, rejoice, for we are set free
He brought light so we can be able to see
He removes all our guilt and shame
Just call on his most powerful name.
There is no darkness in him
He brings to light all our sins
Be glad that he was born
Give up all forms of scorn.
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Consumerism and traditions have destroyed the real essence of Christmas. We have completely lost focus on the true meaning of it. It was spun to worldly pursuits and people pleasing. What happened to the “give love” instead of “give me what I want?” In this selfie generation, each person thinks of what they can get instead of what they can give. Even in the giving, shouldn’t we ask ourselves what the motives behind it are?
Christmas is about rejoicing at the birth of the promised one who could free us from our prisons of greed, envy, jealousy, anger, lust, pride, independence, idolatry, disobedience, rebellion, stubbornness and all other sins. It is to remember how we shout be rejoicing and spreading God’s good news of salvation.
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PRAYER
Lord, keep me focused on the reason for Christ’s birth.
REFLECTION
How can we protect our hearts from corruption of the true meaning of Christmas?
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

GREAT JOY IN CHRIST

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