HEALING OF A MAN BORN BLIND Poem Devotional

May 5
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HEALING OF A MAN BORN BLIND
A poem by ILMA
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth
His disciple asked Jesus if the parents’ caused this man’s blindness
Jesus told them that it was to show the power of God through him
He reminded them that while he’s in the world, he will be the light.
Then Jesus spit on the ground, made mud with his saliva
He spread the mud over the man’s eyes and asked him to wash it
He sent him to go to the pool of Siloam which means “sent”
So, the man followed and went, washed and came back seeing.
Those who knew the blind beggar couldn’t believe he was the same man
The beggar kept on saying that he was actually that beggar they knew
When the Pharisees heard what Jesus have done for this blind person
They went to the man’s parents to ask if he was born blind.
The Pharisees kept on telling him not give Jesus the glory but only to God
They kept on convincing that Jesus was a sinner and they knew God more
But the man said how come they don’t know where Jesus came from
If Jesus was not from God, how could he have healed the blind.
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MEMORY VERSE
If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it. – John 9:33
Read: John 9
It is amazing how many times God has done a miracle in a person’s life and yet people who have witnessed it do not seem to believe what they have actually seen. They start to analyze, justify and question the validity of it, instead of declaring what had been done and praising the Lord for the miracle.
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REFLECTION
• Why is unbelief rampant both in believers and unbelievers alike?
• What hinders us from actually being amazed at little or big miracles we have seen?
• What is behind the lack of faith in the human heart?

ALL HAVE SINNED Poem Devotional

June 30
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Who can say “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin?”
– Proverbs 20:9(NLT)
ALL HAVE SINNED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Who can say that they have not sinned?
Since man’s fall, humans are not totally free
Only in Christ will we be cleansed
Without him, we will have no defense.
Whenever we deny our sins and don’t repent
We open doors for the enemy to torment
All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory
Let us run to Jesus so we can have victory.
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1 John 3:4 defines sin as lawlessness. Being lawless is synonymous to being a rebel or someone who is disobedient. The story of the fall of man in Genesis reminds us of the first rebels on earth, Adam and Eve. Because of their disobedience, the whole mankind suffered and we inherited “sin.” It made us all prone to lawlessness. It imprinted us all to have the tendency to disobey rather than to submit.
Despite our natural tendency to sin, God showed us how much he loves us by giving his only Son to pay the debt for our transgressions. Although all have sinned, God gave us a way out through the sacrifice of his Son. He only wants us to confess and repent of our sins and he is ready to forgive anyone who asks for his forgiveness.
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PRAYER
Lord, help us to have the humility to come back to you and ask for forgiveness whenever we sin.
REFLECTION
How can one protect himself from lawlessness?
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

REQUISITES FOR A LONG, GOOD LIFE Poem Devotional

June 14________________________________________
My child, listen to me, do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. -Proverbs 4:10(NLT)
REQUISITES FOR A LONG, GOOD LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When someone commits to the Lord Jesus Christ
They become a new person and receives his light
God created all things on this earth and in the heavens
He knows every detail and intricacies of his creation.
He wants us to listen to all him and do as he says
It is a requisite for a long good life; follow his ways
If you seek him first and his word, you will prosper
Those who are faithful to follow him will be victors.
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Do you want to have a long good life? The bible says that there is only one way to get it. If you listen to what the Lord says and do it, then you are in for the long haul. Without the guidance of Scriptures and God’s truth, we are going to live a life that is only focused on the “self”. That selfish life will only lead to a lot of troubles and heartaches. I can attest to this because I lived that kind of life for over four decades. It was excruciatingly painful to suffer the consequences of wrong choices and decisions I made.
A life without consulting the Lord through his word is a live not worth living.
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me to always consult you in everything.
REFLECTION
What do you need to change in order to live a long good 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

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE Poem Devotional

February 6
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Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? – Amos 3:3(NLT)
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When two people are beside each other
They can easily agree and consider
When two people walk together
They become united and stronger.
Two is better than one
Care for another human
You were made for another
Be with others and don’t be a loner.
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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states the benefits of being with someone. It says that two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing along can be attacked and defeated, but tow can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. God wants us to fellowship or be with others and not isolate ourselves. Proverbs 18:1 cautions us about isolation because it doesn’t make us make sound judgments. Isolation also opens the door for the enemy to throw lies to you and tempt you to sin since you don’t have to be accountable for anyone.
In the book of Amos, we see that two people cannot walk together unless they agree which direction to go.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for creating us for others and not just for ourselves.
REFLECTION
Have you ever isolated yourself from people? What was the result of such hibernation?
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

WHAT HOPE IS Poem Devotional

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August 27
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We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. – Romans 8:24-25(NLT)
WHAT HOPE IS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Hope is a confident expectation of what is unknown
It is an assurance that we will experience what we long for
We were given this hope when we were saved by Christ
We are hoping for something we don’t yet have in life.
When we are looking forward to something we are expecting
We have to be patient, confident and joyfully waiting
Hope is not wishful thinking; it is believing you’ve received it
Believe in the power of God and you will experience his Spirit.
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The dictionary defines “hope” as a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen. Many people think that hope is just wishful thinking. The bible tells us a very different meaning of hope. The hope we know as Christians have certain components in it. It has faith and believes in the saving power of Christ. It is confident, patient and eagerly expectant. It is not dependent on feeling but in the truth of God’s promises. We hope for something that God has already promised. We know God never lies, so we believe that his promises will be fulfilled even though we can’t see it.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your assurance when you gave us Jesus to save us.
REFLECTION
How can we develop a hopeful attitude?
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

WHAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD Poem Devotional

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August 15
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This includes you, who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. – Colossians 1:21(NLT)
WHAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you choose to do wrong
You won’t have peace for very long
Your evil thoughts and actions
Will lead to bad decisions.
Whenever you focus on your “self”
It will hinder you to making progress
Evil thoughts lead to wicked way
It prevents you from giving God praise.
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God always longs for our friendship, loyalty and love. It is hard for him to watch us veering away from him which becomes an obstacle for us to fulfill his plans for our lives. I used to be attracted to people who abuse me. I grew up in an environment where love does not thrive. I was used to being mistreated and minimized. It was something I was comfortable with because I already knew what to expect because it became part of me. I related with people who were evil and you can predict the outcome of my life just from the wrong choices I made. I didn’t realize that when I chose evil ways, I separated myself from God automatically. I became his enemy without even being aware of it. When God changed me after I became born again, I learned to choose the right way even though it wasn’t comfortable for me.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to never entertain evil thoughts and actions.
REFLECTION
How can one avoid falling into pessimism and wrong decisions?
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.co
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WEALTH CAN’T BRING TRUE HAPPINESS Poem Devotional

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April 1________________________________________
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think wealth brings true happiness. -Ecclesiastes 5:10(NLT)
WEALTH CAN’T BRING TRUE HAPPINESS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Many people envy the wealthy
They think they live lives happily
Those who have much possessions
They become enslaved by their obsessions.
Those who love money will never have enough
They will always find something they lack
Store up treasures in heaven, not on earth
Commit to Jesus and always make him first
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Our society dazzles us with materialism. The world’s standard of beauty is based on external looks not the inside. The rich get more powerful and they are looked up to for their luxurious lifestyles. Some wealthy people become richer because of their love for money. Yet, the bible says that those who love money are never satisfied. They want more. Money in itself is not bad, but to obsess about it is what will lead you to greed and selfishness. There is no point in thinking that wealth can bring about happiness. On the contrary, there are very many wealthy people who are the loneliest. They do not have that priority for others because they are protecting their treasures all the time. Since money is their idol, they probably don’ have time for God either. We are reminded in Scriptures that it is meaningless to think that wealth can bring happiness.
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PRAYER
Lord, don’t let me be dazzled by material wealth.
REFLECTION
How can you protect yourself from the love of money?
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

Little things can grow big Poem Devotional

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June 11
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It is like the yeast, a woman used in making bread, even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough. -Luke 13:21(NLT)
LITTLE THINGS CAN GROW BIG
A poem and essay by ILMA
Just like a baby can grow into a big man or woman
Small tiny steps toward faith can save humans
Making one decision to move towards Christ
Will go a long way to improve your life.
Like a yeast that makes the dough grow
We can make a difference to change tomorrow
Little things done consistently according to God’s will
It will reap a big harvest of fruit and make us healed.
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When my son was born, I was a single parent who had no idea how I will be able to survive raising a family on my own. I used to worry a lot about what’s going to happen, it made me sick literally because I wanted to take care of my future very much and it robbed me of joy and peace. The bible says tomorrow will take care of itself in Matthew 6:34. Little steps we make is likened to a dough used for making bread. Only a little yeast is needed and it goes a long way to permeate every part of the dough, which makes the bread grow in size. We can do little things which will eventually grow.
PRAYER
Lord, don’t let me underestimate the importance of little steps of faith.
REFLECTION
When did you make little steps that led to a breakthrough in your 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

KEEP WATCH! Poem Devotional

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May 29________________________________________
You too must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return – in the evening, at midnight, before dawn or at daybreak. –Mark 13:35 (NLT)
KEEP WATCH
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you always long for the truth and seek God?
Do you do everything to protect yourself from fraud?
Are you pursuing peace and walking in love?
Keep watch, to have a place in his kingdom up above.
We can’t predict when the Lord is coming again
We can prepare, remain in him and always abide
He may come in the evening, at midnight or daybreak
Keep watch and be ready for your own sake.
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I had a Canadian friend come over Manila, the capital city of my country of origin shortly before I migrated to Canada. He was amazed at how much security guards (holding guns or rifles) were in almost all the places I brought him in such as banks, restaurants, malls, schools, offices and even homes of those who are rich. It showed how people try to guard their wealth and even the safety of children who becomes target for kidnapping. Peace and safety was a novelty in that part of the world
The bible talks about the importance of being ready and watching always in order to be ready when Christ comes back because we don’t know when that would be. It can be anytime.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me ready for your coming.
REFLECTION
What have you done to ready yourself for Christ’s second coming?
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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