November 29
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LIVE IN THE LIGHT
A poem by ILMA
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning
We ourselves have heard and seen Him with our own eyes
We touched him with our own hands; He is the Word of life
This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him.
Now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life
He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us
We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard
This way you may have fellowship with us, with the Father and with the Son.
We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you
We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God
When we live in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship others
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
If we claim we haven’t sinned, we call God a liar shows no place for him in our hearts.
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MEMORY VERSE
So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. – 1 John 1:6
Read: 1 John 1
Many believers have no idea how to live in the light. In this verse, John explains to us how to practically apply this concept in our lives. In verse 6, it is shown by how we relate to God and how we have fellowship with the body of Christ as well.
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REFLECTION
• How can we live in the light when we are isolating ourselves from God and others?
• Why is light and darkness not compatible?
• What happens when we continue to live in the dark and yet we say we believe?
Monthly Archives: November 2019
CAUTION TO THE RICH Poem Devotional
November 28
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CAUTION TO THE RICH
A poem by ILMA
Listen carefully, all you who are rich: weep with anguish for what’s coming at you
There will be terrible troubles and suffering ahead of all those who are rich and famous
Your wealth will not last long, they will rot away and your clothes are like rags
Your gold and silver are corroded and that wealth will eat away your flesh like fire.
Those of you who are hoarders will face the day of judgment
Hoarding is clinging on to material possessions which you can’t bring anyway
You are born in this world without anything but naked
You will also return to the place you belong in the same way.
Hear the cries of those whom you have cheated so you can gain more
You have spent your years here on earth in luxury and convenience
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter
You have fully satisfied yourselves instead of looking after other.
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MEMORY VERSE
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you – James 5:1
Read: James 5:1-6
This letter of James gives a very harsh warning to the rich people. Like the man in the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, we see how greedy that man was storing up so much riches for himself instead of gaining riches in heaven. He had no idea that one day, all these things he stored up for himself will be gone for he doesn’t know when his life will be taken away from him.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the rich are cautioned vehemently here by James?
• Do you think that all rich people are not going to enter God’s kingdom?
• How can you be wealthy and yet enter the kingdom of God?
• Why is it very hard for the rich to really be true disciples? What stops them from being a true follower of God?
ON JUDGING AND SELF-CONFIDENCE Poem Devotional
November 27
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ON JUDGING AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
A poem by ILMA
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters
If you criticize and judge others, you are judging God’s law
Your duty is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you
God alone has the power to save or to destroy; you can’t judge your neighbors?
When you plan on doing things today or tomorrow, don’t be so certain
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow; you don’t know the future
Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone
Instead, say “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
Don’t be over-confident and talk of being certain about the uncertainties of life
You are boasting about your own pretentious plans and that is pride
All such boasting is evil and it is sin, rely only on the truth and God’s will
When you know what you ought to do and then not do it, it is sin.
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MEMORY VERSE
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you– James 4:11
Read: James 4:11-17
Human nature tends to always look at the wrong things or the negative side of others. Only by God’s grace can we see others as beautiful creatures made my God himself. We are cautioned by James to refrain from judging others because it is God’s law you criticize when you do that. He also reminds us not to rely on ourselves and plan without consulting God for that is pride. The only thing we should boast is that God has given us so much grace and mercy.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God prohibits us from judging others?
• Why do we need to rely on God at all times? How does pride develops when we constantly are independent
ADULTERERS Poem Devotional
November 26
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ADULTERERS
A poem by ILMA
What causes conflicts and arguments among people?
Don’t they stem from selfish desires at war inside of you?
You want what you don’t have so you scheme for it
Because of envy, you obsess to have it no matter what it takes.
You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God
And when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong
You desire only what will give you pleasure and don’t care how you get it
Don’t you realize that you are consumed by worldly cravings and desires?
You adulterers! Friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God
If you want to be a friend of the world then you are not a servant of the Lord
God opposes the proud but blesses and gives grace to all those who are humble
So be humble before God, avoid the devil and he will run away from you.
Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided
You can’t serve the Lord and also cater to your own selfish desires
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor
He blesses those who are obedient and constantly faithful.
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MEMORY VERSE
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God – James 4:4
Read: James 4:1-10
This warning of James is something that all believers should take seriously. We need to be focused on God’s truth and commands. When we aim to get what we want, we become friends with the world and enemies of God. Stay humble and pure and you will be able to resist the devil and be victorious in this spiritual battle.
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REFLECTION
• Why did James call unfaithful believers as adulterers?
VALLEY OF DRY BONES Poem Devotional
November 25
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VALLEY OF DRY BONES
A poem by ILMA
He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor
They were scattered all across the ground and were completely dried out
Then he asked me, “Can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones
So, I said, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!
The LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again
I will put flesh and muscles and cover you with skin and breathe life into you.
Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley
The bones of each body attached themselves as complete skeletons
Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones
Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the wind”
The Lord says “Come, I breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.”
So, I spoke the message as I was told and breath came into their bodies
They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
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MEMORY VERSE
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! – Ezekiel 37:5
Read: Ezekiel
This prophecy of the Valley of the Dry Bones was spoken to the Israelites by the Lord God himself through the prophet Ezekiel. It is a great promise of God to his own people to restore them from their spiritually dead state into full life again.
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REFLECTION
• How can believers hold on to the hope of the promise of God that he can restore even dry bones are have been dead for many years?
• How can we focus on God’s power to resurrect dead and dry bones into life again?
TRUE AND PURE WISDOM Poem Devotional
November 24
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TRUE AND PURE WISDOM
A poem by ILMA
There is only one source of knowledge and true wisdom, our Lord
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it in your life
Do honorable acts of kindness and good works with humility
For all these actions originate from God’s true knowledge.
Don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom
Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic
When there’s jealousy and selfish ambition you’ll find evil.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; it is also peace loving
It is gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others
It is full of mercy and good deeds and shows no favoritism
It is always sincere and pursues peace to reap a harvest of righteousness.
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MEMORY VERSE
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. – James 3:17
Read: James 3:13-18
There is only one source of true and pure wisdom, the Lord God Almighty. People chase human knowledge and pursue it without knowing that it is only the wisdom that comes from God that is pure, peace-loving, gentle and yielding to others. It is full of mercy and shows no favoritism.
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REFLECTION
• Why are humans always in pursuit of wisdom?
• What does jealousy and selfish ambition lead us to?
• How is the wisdom coming from the world very different from God’s knowledge?
• What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
UNTAMABLE TONGUE Poem Devotional
November 23
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UNTAMABLE TONGUE
A poem by ILMA
We all make many mistakes and we have no control over our tongues
For if we could govern it, we would be perfect and we will manage our lives well
We can make a large horse go wherever we want with a small bit in its mouth
A small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go
Even through strong winds in the storm, he guides it’s direction.
In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches
But like a tiny spark, it can say something and can set a great forest on fire
Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is like a flame
It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting our entire body
It can set our whole lives on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,
But no one can tame the tongue; It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses others
And so, blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth
Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
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MEMORY VERSE
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. – James 3:7-8
Read: James 3:1-12
The book of James reminds us of the uncontrollable tongue. It likens the tongue to a great forest on fire that can only be started even by a tiny spark. What comes out of our mouths is the one that defiles us and not what we put in it. We can only control it if the Holy Spirit live in us and we surrender our mouths to Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can we teach ourselves to control our mouth?
• Why do we need to watch what comes out of our mouth and always examine our hearts to keep pure?
DEAD FAITH Poem Devotional
November 22
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DEAD FAITH
A poem by ILMA
What’s the use of faith if you claim you have it but don’t show it by your actions?
Does that kind of faith save someone or even show a sincere act of love?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing
Would you ignore their need and say farewell and have a good day?
So you see, If you claim you have faith but doesn’t produce acts, it is useless
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.”
How can you show me your faith if you don’t act on doing acts of kindness?
We show our true faith by the good deeds and loving acts that we manifest.
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God
Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror
How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is dead?
Abraham was made right with God by his action to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
You see, Abraham’s faith and his actions worked together, it made his faith complete
He was even called the friend of God because he had a faith that wasn’t dead
Rahab was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid the spies
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
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MEMORY VERSE
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. – James 2:17
Read: James 2:14-26
Some people think that just by saying they believe in Christ and live in his grace is good enough to be shining for Jesus. We can’t say we have faith if it doesn’t manifest in our lives and in our actions. This is just like hearing the word and not doing it. Faith is dead without real acts of kindness and love.
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REFLECTION
• Why should actions accompany our faith? What happens when we don’t manifest the love and concern that is expected from those who claim they are believers?
ON FAVORING OTHERS Poem Devotional
November 21
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ON FAVORING OTHERS
A poem by ILMA
How can you claim to have faith in Jesus if you favor some people over others?
Suppose someone comes dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry
Then another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes
If you give special attention to the rich and give the poor discrimination.
Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?
They’re the ones who will get the Kingdom he vowed to those who love him?
But some dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who repress you and drag you to court Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
It is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures saying
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others
Then, you are committing a sin and is guilty of breaking the law
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the one who broke it.
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MEMORY VERSE
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. – James 2:8
Read: James 2:1-12
It is interesting how the book of James talks about how we must treat everyone equal and not favor someone over another. How many characters in the bible have been a victim of favoritism? Jacob favored his son Joseph which drove all his other sons to plot to kill him. Rachel favored Jacob and sinned by convincing her own son to steal his brother’s birthright. When we favor someone over another, we are inviting jealousy and other sins.
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REFLECTION
• Why is having favoritism or discrimination a very lethal practice in our world?
• Have you ever experienced to be a favorite? What did it do to the other people around you?
• Have you ever been discriminated or marginalized in your workplace, in your own family or another country you have moved to?
• What causes people to favor someone over others?
LISTENING AND DOING GOD’S WORD Poem Devotional
November 20
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LISTENING AND DOING GOD’S WORD
A poem by ILMA
Let’s all be fast to listen, slow to declare and to get angry
Human anger does not bring about the righteousness God wants
Remove all wickedness and dirt in your lives, take in meekly God’s word
He has planted it in your hearts, for it will definitely save your souls.
We are not just to listen to God’s word, but must put into action what it says
When we don’t do the word, we are deceived and are only fooling ourselves
It’s like looking at our faces in the mirror, walking away and forgetting our looks
If we meditate on the word and remember to do it, we will be blessed
When we claim we are religious but don’t bridle our tongue, we are fools
When we are careless with our words, our religion is worthless
Pure and authentic religion in God’s view is very different
It is caring for orphans, widows and staying uncorrupted by the world.
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MEMORY VERSE
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. – James 1:22-23
Read: James 1:19-27
It is a misnomer among believers to think that hearing the word of God and believing him is enough. Putting into action what Scripture says is the true sign of an authentic believer. Many different Christians who do not follow the word poses confusion and judgment from unbelievers and causes other believers to fall away or unbelievers to be repulsed. According to God, pure religion is living holy and blameless lives and helping the vulnerable and abandoned.
REFLECTION
• How can we remove true faith from religion?
• Why do you think God’s view of religion is very different from the world’s?
• What can hinder us from doing the word of God?
• Why is faith not good enough without action?