September 1
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ECCLESIASTES 2
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. – Ecclesiastes 2:1-8
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ECCLESIASTES 2 THE VANITY OF THE PLEASURES OF LIFE
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Are we truly content when we get the pleasures that we obsess about?
Or do we crave more after having attained all these desires?
Do we chase happiness as if it will do us some good?
Do those moments of gladness satiate us long enough?
Why do humans pursue the pleasures of life as if it truly matters?
We acquire things that we think will make us complete or happier
And yet, we still feel empty inside after getting all these material things
Isn’t it all vanity, to chase treasures that will not last till eternity?
Would all our possessions benefit us at the end of our lives?
Could we take these things that gave us delight when we die?
What is the essence of life if we just pursue that which gives us pleasure?
Isn’t it pointless to live for what will disintegrate and not last forever?
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the author consider the pleasures of life pointless?
• Do you agree with his viewpoint on the vanity of the pleasures of life?
Monthly Archives: August 2023
ECCLESIASTES 1 THE DOWNSIDE OF HUMAN WISDOM
August 30
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ECCLESIASTES 1
8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”?
It has been already in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be among those who come after.
– Ecclesiastes 1:8-11
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ECCLESIASTES 1 THE FUTILITY OF LIFE & MAN’S DISCONTENT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
We wake up each day and do our rituals to fulfill our roles
We work hard to get what we want and we’re always on the go
Day in and day out, we labor and yet we are not satisfied
Each day we expect something better than yesterday
Yet we cannot avoid that which gives us discomfort
Life will still have ups and downs whether we face it or not
Nothing that we see today has not already been in the past
The cycles of life will eventually happen, it will come to pass.
Our lives here on earth is pointless and without a purpose
If we do not know why we are here, it will be useless
If we acknowledge the Lord, the Maker of all things
Then life won’t be meaningless, it will be worthwhile
So, all those who have been chosen, let us renew our minds
Bring it captive and obedient to Christ, so we can truly find
The Lord fills our hearts with his faithfulness and love
If we receive his gift, our discontent gets transformed into joy.
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REFLECTION
• How can we break the cycle of discontent in our lives and appreciate the simplicity of things that God has created and given to us?
ECCLESIASTES 1 A LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS VANITY
August 29
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ECCLESIASTES 1
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. – Ecclesiastes 1:1-7
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ECCLESIASTES 1 A LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS VANITY
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
This world is not where the kingdom of God is
It is only a place where we stopover in our journey
The world and everything that is in it belongs to Satan
Therefore, all physical things cannot be taken to God’s kingdom.
Because of our sinful nature, all of our desires are worldly
Unless we commit to the Lord, everything we do is vanity
Everything we do on earth belongs to the systems of this world
But the Lord love us so he gave us freedom through his word.
Every little or big thing we do in our lives doesn’t really matter
It is all meaningless unless we follow the path to righteousness
Why do we toil so hard just to get our wants and desires met?
That too, is pointless; it doesn’t satisfy us; it still makes our lives empty.
Look at everything around you, is there a meaning to it all?
We toil, we watch the things happen around us, yet we fail
Without divine intervention, we will never understand life’s meaning
But only in God can we appreciate life and recognize his reason for his creation.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think that life is meaningless without God? Share some experiences that you have encountered that will prove the emptiness of life without God.
2 TIMOTHY 4 THE LORD STRENGTHENS AND RESCUES US
August 28
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2 TIMOTHY 4
17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So, I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. – 2 Timothy 4:17-22
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2 TIMOTHY 4 THE LORD STRENGTHENS AND RESCUES US
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
While we live in this corrupt world, wickedness surrounds us
We ought not to be defeated by such unrighteousness but always trust
In him alone will we have strength to go through the valleys in our lives
He is the one who rescues us and deliver us from all hardships and strife.
If we rely on our own strength and our understanding we will fail
If we seek him first in all, we will be overcomers and not fall
Even though we are surrounded with all kinds of evil
If we come close to him, he’ll come to our rescue and beat the devil.
Let us not forget that we are vessels of the Spirit of the Lord
We ought to declare the message of the gospel to the world
Praise and honor him and give him all the adoration and glory
By doing so, we get our minds renewed and our strength stronger.
Do not cave in to the wiles of the devil and keep your eyes on Jesus
The word of the Lord is true and is there to make you discern
Feed on his word and you will have strength in the midst of trials
The Lord Almighty is faithful to save you from what you are going through.
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REFLECTION
• How has the Lord manifest his faithfulness during hard and trying times in your life? What happens if we rely on our own strength and understanding?
2 TIMOTHY 4 WHEN EVERYONE HAS ABANDONED YOU
August 27
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2 TIMOTHY 4
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! – 2 Timothy 4:9-16
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2 TIMOTHY 4 WHEN EVERYONE HAS ABANDONED YOU
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
As a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, be prepared to be forgotten
Let us remember that Christ himself was deserted even by his disciples
Because we live in this world that is corrupted by selfishness
It can become so lonely when you follow the road to selflessness.
There will be times when people won’t understand your devotion
Many people will be absorbed with their own struggles in their situations
To prioritize Christ in your life will mean that you will also be mistreated
The Lord himself went through emotional, physical and spiritual maltreatment.
As a faithful believer, we must be able to give up all worldly pleasures and desires
Making God first in your life will present many trials and all kinds of strife
The enemy will not make it easy for you to live a holy and peaceful life
He will always ensure that your faith will be hampered and compromised.
Do not be discouraged when everyone else has abandoned you
You are assured that the Lord will never leave or forsake you
When you experience abandonment from those whom you love
Be assured that God will never leave you and will always be there for you.
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REFLECTION
• What should a Christian’s attitude be when he/she has been forsaken by loved ones? Why should we not be discouraged when we are lonely?
2 TIMOTHY 4 CHARGE TO CHRISTIANS
August 25
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2 TIMOTHY 4
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
– 2 Timothy 4:1-5
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2 TIMOTHY 4 CHARGE TO CHRISTIANS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
As a firm believer of Christ Jesus, you are charged with a task to do
A Christian is one who faithfully serves Christ and our Lord God
Our heavenly Master requires you to fulfill your duties as his servant
You cannot be a servant and do nothing; your part must be carried out
You were given an anointing by his Spirit and equipped to do the work
You have to trust his prodding so you can do what gives glory to God
Preach the word of God at all times and on every occasion, it is your duty
Reproach when others are falling and urge one another to be faithful.
When admonishing each other, make sure you are gentle and patient
If you do not watch what you do or say, you can easily stumble
Make it a habit to study Scripture regularly and memorize truth
This way, you are ready to be Christ’s soldier to ward off myths.
Always be in control of your thoughts and align it with truth
Watch out and test the spirits for many false teachers have come
Be patient to endure trials and suffering so your faith can grow
Do the work of an evangelist, spreading the gospel throughout.
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REFLECTION
• According to these verses Christians are called to preach the word, evangelize, rebuke and exhort one another, how come many believers do not do so?
2 TIMOTHY 3 WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES
August 24
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2 TIMOTHY 3
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:10-17
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2 TIMOTHY 3 WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The word of God is not like any other; it is alive and true
It does many things for us all and without it, we will be lost
Those who believe in God will understand it’s benefit
But those who do not believe in him will not profit from it.
Scripture is a gift to humankind but not all people think it is useful
The word of God is truth and it comes from the breath of his own mouth
God’s word is useful and its purpose is to help us navigate in this world
It tells us to conduct our lives in line with the will of the Lord.
Scripture shows us what we do wrong and corrects our actions
It teaches us to stay in the right path and avoid temptations
It is through the word of God that we can train for holiness
Without it, we will continue to be living in our sinfulness.
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REFLECTION
• How has Scripture changed and transformed you into the new nature that is in Christ Jesus?
• How is the word of God different from any ordinary word?
2 TIMOTHY 3 THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE LAST DAYS
August 22
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2 TIMOTHY 2
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
– 2 Timothy 2:22-26
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2 TIMOTHY 2 IN PURSUIT OF HOLINESS & FAITHFULNESS TO GOD
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
As a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, let us turn away from youthful passions
The cravings of our youth can lead to open doors to much temptations
When we are young, we can easily take for granted wisdom
We can be so busy exploring and enjoying our wrong sense of freedom.
If you are chosen by God, you are to let go of these desires
It leads to sin and when sin has grown, it can result to our demise
Let us then pursue holiness, faith, love, peace and a heart that is unspoiled
This is the only way we can cleanse ourselves from this tainted world.
Let go of foolish talk and chatters for they only generate discords
Do not engage in human debates to prove your own worth
Obey the word of the Lord and you will be able to resist evil
Stay faithful to please the One true God and Satan will flee.
A servant of the Lord is faithful and loyal to only one Master
He must not be quarrelsome but patient to declare the gospel
He must be able to endure and suffer for this leads to growth
Loving others and confronting kindly is a must for the saints.
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REFLECTION
• What are some examples of youthful passions that you can think of that the world is going through in our lives today?