July 5
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1 PETER 2
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. – 1 Peter 2:9-12
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1 PETER 2 INTO GOD’S MARVELOUS LIGHT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When the Lord chose you to be his own
You became a royal priesthood and a holy nation
You are therefore called to step into his marvelous light
Let go of all the darkness that you once were so delighted in.
The Lord God pulled you out of the mire and gave you new life
This is how much his steadfast love is and he wants you to stay in the light
In the past, you were savages who only followed your own desires
He redeemed you and gave you abilities when you believed in Christ.
Keep your life free from the passions of your flesh so you can be cleansed
Instead, offer your entire life to Jesus and he will purify and make you fresh
Make your life glow amidst the darkness of the systems of this world
Be faithful to be holy and obedient to Christ and his holy word.
Your desires and passions wage war inside your soul
Let the Lord Jesus Christ be the one in control
Live your life unstained from the corruption of the world
Keep your eyes on Jesus and seek constantly his word.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to take into heart that we stay in his marvelous light?
• What makes us go back to darkness so easily?
Tag Archives: Christian devotonal
1 JOHN 1 IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT
June 1
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1 JOHN 1
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:5-10
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1 JOHN 1 IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
God is light and darkness is exposed by him
The world is dark, full of corruption and sin
If we serve the Lord our God, we will have his light
If we walk in his light, we will surely have life.
To walk in God’s light is to walk in love
Without loving others, we cannot say we love God
If we say we love God but hate a brother
We are lying because we are still in darkness.
To walk in the light is to confess one’s own sinfulness
To deny that you never sin is just outright foolishness
When we lie to ourselves, we do not have the truth in us
If we confess and repent of our sins, we’ll be freed from darkness.
If we walk in the light, we do not conform with the world
If we really love the Lord, we will meditate and be guided by his word
To walk in the light means to please God by following his laws
To rebel and disobey his precepts means we are still in the dark.
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REFLECTION
• What hinders a Christian from walking in the light?
• Why is it a lie to say you love God and hate another person?
JAMES 1 PURE AND UNSTAINDED RELIGION ACCORDING TO GOD
May 10
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JAMES 1
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. – James 1:26-27
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JAMES 1 PURE AND UNSTAINDED RELIGION ACCORDING TO GOD
A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Many religions have their own gods and their ways to reach a certain place
Some think that they can reach that place through works or following a path
Some beliefs even say that they go through many lives to reach perfection
Others think that if they can do a lot of good, they maintain their reputation
Another religion has a points system where they get merits or demerits
Some groups of people think that they have to seclude themselves from the rest
So many different kinds of beliefs have plagued mankind for many years
They have no understanding of what is pure and unstained according to God.
Religion that is pure and unstained according to God is to visit the afflicted
He also commands his elect to keep themselves from being corrupted
When we commit to loving God, we are also charged to love one another
Pure religion is a path where we show compassion to our sisters and brothers
Jesus Christ died for us not for a religion but for us to depend on his kingship
The Lord requires his people to stay holy for he himself is holy and majestic.
We believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; three in one God
Those who are in the communion of saints ought to be united in a bond
The chosen people of God are expected to live in unison with the Trinity
Just as the Father, Son and Spirit are all united in love and harmony
Pure religion according to God involves relationship in love
It is not a bunch of rules and rituals, but the body of Christ all in one.
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REFLECTION
• What is the biggest difference in the concept of religion as to how the world view it and how God sees it?
• Why do you think compassion and purity is the biggest requirement in God’s perspective of pure religion?
ADULTERY TOWARD GOD ILMA’S VLOG
May 12
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ADULTERY TOWARD GOD
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God – James 4:1-4
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In this letter, we hear James with very strong language again. He raises the question about the source of quarrels and conflicts among the believers. In verse 1, he identifies the origin of the war happening inwardly and outwardly of a person’s heart. He claims that pleasures, lust or cravings are the sources of fights among our brothers and sisters. In verse 2, he brings a clear premise as to why lust is very dangerous. It can lead us to be envious and dissatisfied with ourselves and our status, so we scheme to commit murder. The murder he is talking about here isn’t just a physical assassination, it could also be killing someone else’s reputation or slandering someone so one can be gratified to achieve something that they have been pining for.
James drives another point in lacking something. He says that we don’t have something because we fail to ask God for it or when we ask, we do not have the right motives. A lot of people have commercialized God by thinking he is a Santa Claus who can grant us any wish we want provided are good and nice. By nature, humans are selfish, so if we are not walking in the Spirit, our requests would likely be carnal and self-serving.
In verse 4, he reprimands us about committing adultery toward God. Adulteresses! That is a female unfaithful person. Why not adulterer? Remember that believers are the bride of Christ? If you turn your back on your Master and Husband and serve the world’s system, aren’t you an adulteress? When we do not submit to Jesus’ authority as our head, we are considered unfaithful. Each time we gratify our flesh, we are turning our backs to God and being unfaithful to His steadfast love. Each time we entertain lies instead of bringing truth in our lives, we are committing adultery against the Master that we have promised to commit and follow.
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REFLECTION
• Why are there some Christians who do not see friendship with the world as an act of unfaithfulness to God or adultery?
WATCH OUT THAT YOU DON’T FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH
April 5
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WATCH OUT THAT YOU DON’T FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. – 1 Timothy 4:1-5
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In this letter to Timothy, Paul cautions the believers to be prepared as some of them may be caught in the trap of the evil one causing them to fall away from their faith. He explains that this happens when believers begin to pay attention to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons. In verse 2 Paul identifies how these demonic teachings are cunningly introduced in subtle lies that gets into a person’s heart or conscience.
Before being saved and born again, I used to love religion and philosophy. I pursued with passion this love for knowledge. In hind sight, this obsession with was actually the reason why my salvation was delayed for many decades. I was made to believe that intelligence and wise sayings of the philosophers were truth. These lies got ingrained in my heart and believed these false teachings for many years. What a twisted way at looking at truth! Human words and beliefs are not absolute truths. God’s word is the absolute truth. The seemingly attractive play of words captured me in the trap of philosophical beliefs that are futile. It only led me to deeper darkness, confusion and sin. The rules of religion enslaved me to think that I can do something to contribute to what has already been done by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. When someone departs from the faith, they have actually believed lies that are contrary to the truth of the truth. They begin to live compromised lives that are mixed with the world beliefs. Guzik comments about speaking lies in hypocrisy: “This certainly points to the ones who willingly embrace falsehood to justify their sin or pride; but it also refers to those who claim to teach the Bible, while just using it to support their own ideas or agendas.” In verse 4, Paul reminds the Gentile believers that everything good is created by God and there’s no need to follow rules and regulations how to consume certain foods or not. In verse 5, he admonishes them to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the provision God has given them.
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REFLECTION
• What should every believer be warned about regarding these passages?
GET UP AND GO! Poem Devotional
December 10
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GET UP AND GO!
A poem by ILMA
The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai
“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh
Tell them how I have seen how wicked its people are”
Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction instead,to avoid the LORD.
He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship leaving for Tarshish
He bought a ticket to escape from the LORD by sailing at the opposite direction
But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm
It threatened to break the ship apart and everyone in it feared for their lives.
The sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard
All this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold
“How can you sleep at a time like this?” the captain told him
“Get up and pray to your god and maybe spare our lives.”
Jonah told them he was Hebrew, and serves the God of heaven
The sailors were scared and asked him how they can be spared from death
“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again”
I know that this storm is all my fault, so release me so you’ll be spared.”
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MEMORY VERSE
“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” – Jonah 1:2
Read: Jonah 1-12
Get up and go is a usual command God gives those people He chose to participate in his plan for mankind. He said this to Abraham, to Moses and to other key characters in the bible. Notice that faith is an decision to get into action.
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REFLECTION
• Why does “inaction” debilitate us from God’s blessings and favor?
• Why is obedience and saying “yes” to God important in our walk as believers?
• How can we learn to literally act on what we believe regularly?
POWER OF MORE THAN ONE Poem Devotional
September 10
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POWER OF MORE THAN ONE
A poem by ILMA
Another example of something meaningless under the sun is being all alone
He is without a child or a brother but works hard to be as rich as he can
He asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why do I give up pleasures?
It doesn’t make sense; It is all so meaningless and depressing.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed
If one person falls, someone is there to help the other
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble, they can’t get help
They end up suffering more since there is no one to support them.
Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm
But how can one be warm alone? They will find it hard to stay heated
A person standing alone can be defeated but two can stand back-to-back
Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
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MEMORY VERSE
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
– Ecclesiastes 4:9
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
In these following verses, we see another futile and meaningless thing to do. Being alone and isolated is worthless. There is nothing more pathetic than to be all alone and not connect or be able to reach out and be with others. Isolation is the tool of the enemy to keep us away from others so that we will become more self-focused and self-absorbed and indulgent. God didn’t design us to be alone. When we do this, we are destroying the image that he created us to be.
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REFLECTION
• How do you know if you are isolating yourself from others? What might be the reason behind such decision to keep yourself away from others?
• Why do you think many mental and psychological illnesses associated with isolation?
• What are the effects of being with others as opposed to being isolated?
JOB’S SECOND TEST Poem Devotional
June 4
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JOB’S SECOND TEST
A poem by ILMA
One day, the heavenly court came again to present themselves to the Lord
The accuser, Satan came with them and the Lord asked where he had been
He said he was patrolling the earth and watching everything that’s going on
Again, the Lord boasts to Satan about how blameless Job his servant was.
God shows Satan how Job fears God and stays away from evil despite the harm
Satan said that if his health is taken away from him, he will surely curse God
So, the Lord allowed him to test Job but ensure that Job’s life is spared
Satan left the Lord’s presence and struck Jo with boils from head to foot.
Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among ashes
His wife said “Are you still trying to keep your integrity? Curse God and die”
Job rebuked her and said that she talked like a foolish woman
He said that we should accept all things good or bad and never cursed God.
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MEMORY VERSE
Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. – Job 2:10
Read: Job 2
The second test of Job is a great insight as to how this man have learned to accept not only the good things God gives him, but the bad as well. How many of us can have this integrity and not blame God for all the challenges and adversities we go through? Can we be able to thank the Lord for the tests that we go through that are in the form of sufferings and losses? The wife of Job shows how we most humans are. We try to point our fingers on someone or something so we can dwell on the self-pity and then we get into the pit. We try to put blame on something so we can justify our lack of accountability.
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REFLECTION
• What kept Job being hopeful and positive despite losing his wealth, children and suffering physical discomfort and pain?
• Can we continue to focus on God’s goodness and wisdom when we are faced with pain and suffering?
SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT BODY’S WEAK Poem Devotional
December 27________________________________________
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! – Matthew 26:41 (NLT)
SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT BODY’S WEAK
A poem and essay by ILMA
When we want to overcome evil
The more we will be tempted by the devil
Watch out and constantly pray
That is the greatest and only way.
The spirit may be wanting and willing
The body is easily tempted and feeble.
Pray long and hard and focus on Jesus Christ
Give him praise for he brings peace, joy and life.
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How many times do people make a new year’s resolution and end up unsuccessful even in less than two months? The spirit is willing, but our nature is very weak. We easily succumb to our cravings and desires. We do things out of our own effort and expect to be blessed by the Lord.
I used to rely on my strength in so many ways. I read a lot of self-help books when I wasn’t born again. I patted myself on the back or rewarded my own efforts. What an ungodly thing to do. It was boasting and an exercise of pride. But I didn’t know that when I was doing all these works of the flesh. One day the Lord revealed to me that the only thing we can boast is how much we love and how much we pray.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to never boast about what I can do.
REFLECTION
How can one overcome a weak body and mind and strengthen one’s 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