October 24
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GENESIS 3
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” – Genesis 3:8-13
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GENESIS 3 SHAME IS THE AFTERMATH OF SIN
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s prohibition of the tree
They quickly knew they were naked and felt shame by what they did
Their once pure minds became corrupted with selfish ambition
They began to crave for more than what was already given.
When we open our hearts and minds to give in to cravings
We begin to experience guilt and shame creeping in
We hide and make sure no one knows what we did
Then we protect ourselves from anyone who exposes it.
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Shame is prevalent in our world. In this following account, we see the birth of shame in mankind. Oftentimes we do not easily recognize our sins because it is in our nature. When our first parents caved in to the serpent’s temptation, we inherited such tendencies to sin. We are inherently bent towards our desires and pleasures which lead us to sin. There is a sure way to recognize sin. Shame is the aftermath of sin. Since God created us in his image, we also can be pure and holy like him, but sin corrupted that holiness. Shame makes us lose our moral compass and leads us further away from being loyal to God. Thus, we ought to expose shame so we can confess the sin and repent and renew our hearts.
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REFLECTION
• How can we get rid of shame in our lives as we serve the Lord our God?
Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO
GENESIS 3 THE BIRTH OF SIN
October 23
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GENESIS 3
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. – Genesis 3:1-7
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GENESIS 3 THE BIRTH OF SIN
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
God created the man and woman without blemish, just like him
But the appearance of a sly serpent came into the Garden of Eden
His cunning ways brought forth a desire in the woman to be tempted
She knew that they can consume fruits from all trees except the forbidden tree.
The manipulative tactics of the serpent using appetizing visual stimulation
Worked its way into the heart of the woman who began to eat what’s forbidden
The lure to have knowledge of what God has worked its way into her heart
Thus, the birth of sin came about in this paradise and shame got them.
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In these verses, we witness the cunning ways of Satan. Because he was kicked out of heaven, he had to do everything in his power to get as much people to feel the shame that was the aftermath of his self-love and pride. Sin is born when we entertain a desire to have more than what we already were given.
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REFLECTION
• How did James 1:14-15 explain the birth of sin and its consequences to our lives?
GENESIS 2 A HELPER MADE FOR MAN
October 22
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GENESIS 2
18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. – Genesis 2:18-25
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GENESIS 2 A HELPER MADE FOR MAN
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After creating Adam out of the dust, he made him rule all creatures
But the Lord God saw that Adam needed someone who could help him
He let Adam fall into a deep sleep and while he was sleeping,
God took a rib from Adam and made a similar being for helping him.
When Adam woke, he was overjoyed with much delight to see Eve
A helper finally fit to be with him to tend the Garden of Eden
So, the Lord God put them together in a place where they can be one
They will no longer be separated and become one flesh till the end of time.
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When God made Eve out of the rib of Adam, his desire was to bring him a helper fit for him. God instituted marriage when he declared for them to become one flesh and that there will be no one to break that unity between them. This is why a man will leave his parents to become one with his wife.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it not good if a husband clings to his parents and not to his wife?
GENESIS 2 GOD’S PROVISION & PROHIBITION
October 21
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GENESIS 2
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:10-17
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GENESIS 2 GOD’S PROVISION & PROHIBITION
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
There were four rivers flowing in the Garden of Eden
They were Pishon where it flowed in Havilah
It had gold in this river including bdellium and onyx
There was also the river that flowed around Cush named Gihon
While the third river Tigris flowed around east of Assyria
The fourth river is called Euphrates which provided waters to the garden.
In the Garden of Eden, God decided to place the man on it
Since he had given all the provisions for him to flourish
The Lord God gave Adam stewardship of the whole garden
He was provided everything he needed but was also given prohibition
Adam can eat from the fruits of every other three around him
Except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he will die.
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In the following verses, we get a glimpse of how beautiful the Garden of Eden was and how he provided these four rivers where the vegetation can be nourished and where Adam can tend over the provision. Since God is a God of Order, he gave Adam the responsibility to care for this garden and can enjoy every fruit of the tree except one tree. We see also a God of boundaries in these passages.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God prohibited Adam to eat from the tree of good and evil?
GENESIS 2 THE MAKING OF MAN AND HIS HABITATION
October 20
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GENESIS 2
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. – Genesis 2:4-9
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GENESIS 2 THE MAKING OF MAN AND HIS HABITATION
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
In the days that the Lord God made all things from day one to day six
He had a plan in mind and a sequence of doing each of these things
But when the making of man came about, we see a slight difference
The creation of man was a sum total of God’s word and his own breath.
God also prepared for the man’s life by creating his environment
He planted a garden in the east where he placed the man he had made
And from the ground, God also sprung up every tree that is beautiful
He placed the tree of life and also the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
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In the Genesis account of creation, we distinctly have a glimpse of how God made almost everything in preparation for the man. He created man in the last day. If you look at the sequence of the details of God’s creation, just like in a drama that you watch on television, everything was leading up to the drum roll moment: the making of the man. He made man in the last day after everything else was prepared for him. He was prepared to be the holy bride for his own Son Jesus Christ. He made man in his image so that we can all choose be holy and pure for the head and husband of the church, who is Christ his son.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God breath his own breath on man and not on other creatures?
GENESIS 2 THE SEVENTH DAY MADE HOLY
October 19
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GENESIS 2
Thus, the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. – Genesis 2:1-3
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GENESIS 2 THE SEVENTH DAY MADE HOLY
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The Lord God made the whole creation in six days
He invented the pattern of separating one thing from another
Just as the Lord Almighty separated the light from the dark
He also placed a sky between the heaven and the earth
He created a separate light for the day and one also for the night
Just as he made distinctions from each creature of each kind.
God was setting a pattern of time for us to follow
We are to work six days and keep the seventh day holy
The order that God initiated is purposeful and intentional
He made the whole creation for his grandiose plan of redemption
Let us then keep following the pattern of having a rest from work
Let this day of rest be a holy day to give all the praise to our Creator.
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When we closely look at how God made every part of creation with much intentionality, we will begin to see the patterns that he is setting for us to follow. From dark and void and lifeless heaven and earth, he commanded light in existence, which began the existence of time from the distinction between the two. He called the light day and the darkness night. Thus, time came into being. It was God’s marker to let us see that he is a God of order and that he has everything under his control. The patterns of boundaries from day one to day 6 were so clearly illustrated in this account of creation. The seventh day, which he made holy is a day of rest and is separated from the six days of work. He wants us to keep it holy so that we won’t fall into sin. He wants to be connected to us on that day of rest so we won’t forget these patterns of separations and boundaries.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God made the 7th day holy?
GENESIS 1 MANDATE TO BE FRUITFUL & MULTIPLY
October 18
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GENESIS 1
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. – Genesis 1:28-31
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GENESIS 1 MANDATE TO BE FRUITFUL & MULTIPLY
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When God created man and all living beings, he mandated us to produce
The Lord wanted his creation and creatures to fill the earth and bear fruits
He is a God of bounty and productivity; he invented and generated life
He didn’t create the world to be without fruits, extinct or dead.
As humans, we were given the privilege to rule over other breathing beings
Let us be responsible to follow this mandate so we can enjoy living
Let us multiply every gift that we receive from God in order to praise him
Let us not be fruitless and constantly feed on his word so we can avoid sin.
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Humans were given the dominion over all the other living creatures. We were mandated to bear fruits and multiply. This does not only mean to make more humans, but would also mean that we grow whatever it is that we have received from the Lord like gifts and talents and resources. It is sad to watch many believers who do not follow this mandate to be fruitful and produce. In John 15:8 Jesus says “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
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REFLECTION
• In John 15:6 Jesus says: “If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” Is this verse a consequence of the mandate to be fruitful and multiply? Why or why not? How come many don’t take this directive very seriously?
GENESIS 1 THE MAKING OF MAN IN GOD’S IMAGE
October 17
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GENESIS 1
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:24-27
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GENESIS 1 THE MAKING OF MAN IN GOD’S IMAGE
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
On the sixth day, God brough forth livestock, beasts and creeping things on earth
He made the beasts and livestock and creeping creatures according to their kinds
And he was pleased that he made all these creatures to fill the land
Then God finally brought forth the making of man in his own image.
“Let us make man in our image after our own likeness” was his very words
Together with his Son and his Spirit, he created man and the whole world
Both make and female, God gave his own traits, abilities and character
Man is the ultimate being that he made for he created them like him.
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If you grew up in the Christian faith, you have heard these verses many times. If you are new to the faith, these verses will solidify your belief in the Creator of all things. If you are an unbeliever, you will probably question the validity of these verses. It is interesting to observe that these verses have been taken lightly and for granted even by Christians themselves. I think verse 26 is the directive to mankind. Man’s role is to be the mirror reflecting God himself and he is to oversee and steward the other creatures that was created before him. What a great honor for man to be made in God’s own image. Are we reflecting God by the way we live, behave and honor our mandate to steward the earth?
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REFLECTION
• How are we to take the honor given to us when God made us into his own image?
GENESIS 1 CREATION OF SEA CREATURES AND BIRDS
October 16
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GENESIS 1
20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. – Genesis 1:20-23
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GENESIS 1 CREATION OF SEA CREATURES AND BIRDS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After the creation of the great lights follows the making of creatures
The waters were swarmed with living creatures that moved in it
They were various of them but God made them according to each kind
Once again, the Lord decorated the water and the skies with much life.
When God makes something, he blesses them to be fruitful and multiply
What a sight it must have been to watch the waters and skies come alive!
All living creatures that God made were designed to propagate
That is why we still see these creatures continue their kinds on earth.
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If you are an animal lover, this may be your favorite day of God’s creation. God commanded the waters to produce all kinds of living creatures. It seemed like even the birds came out from the waters, but if you look at Genesis 2:19, it also indicated that they came from the earth. I am speculating that these birds coming from the sea must have been larger since in verse 21, great sea creatures were mentioned. It must have been like those flying reptiles like the pterosaurs that these verses were referring to. What an awesome sight it must have been to see the various kinds of animals, beasts, mammals, insects and birds all over the place all at one time. When I watched Jurrasic Park with my son when he was a kid, it brought out that inner child in me, excited to visualize how God made every living creature.
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REFLECTION
• What is your favorite living creature that God made? Why is it your favorite?
October 15
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GENESIS 1
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. – Genesis 1:14-19
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GENESIS 1 THE SUN, THE MOON & THE STARS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After the creation of the seas, land and the foliage
God continued to design the expanse of the heavens
He made the sun, the greater light to distinguish the day
He added the lesser lights, the moon and stars for the night.
What a remarkable design to set boundaries of time
These lights make us know the time when to do things
With the creation of the greater light, we can work
And with the addition of the lesser lights, we can have rest.
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Could you imagine if there was no sun, moon and stars? We wouldn’t be able to distinguish day from night. We wouldn’t have an inkling when we will work and when we will stop working. These greater and lesser lights help us to have order and not chaos. God designed it so that everything has a designated time. With these lights, we know when it is time to work, to play, and to rest. With these lights, we also get to recognize the different seasons that go with God’s design: winter, spring, summer and fall. All these seasons have their own distinct features that shows God’s amazing creativity and provision.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God was so clear with which light rules which time?
• How has man’s invention of lightbulb changed God’s intent for these lights?