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?
Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO
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?
GENESIS 1 CREATION OF PLANTS, FOLIAGE & TREES
October 14
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GENESIS 1
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
– Genesis 1:11-13
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GENESIS 1 CREATION OF PLANTS, FOLIAGE & TREES
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
On the third day, the Lord God painted the earth with foliage
All kinds of plants and trees decorated the land which he made
Why would he add the foliage to the dry land?
Was there a purpose for him to place them on earth?
God made the sprouting vegetation in preparation for man
It was to provide for their sustenance as they live on the land
What an ingenious plan to have some trees to bear fruit to be eaten
It was something that will give nourishment and delight to mankind.
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On the third day, we see Moses’ account of the creation of the seas and the skies and vegetation and fruit bearing trees. He must have been thinking of mankind when he made plants, foliage and trees. We now know that foliage, plants and trees all have a function in our lives. Without foliage, we will have less oxygen and no shade or shelter. The trees help protect us from the harsh weather conditions as well so we don’t get flooding. They provide much fruits that we can also have nourishment. These trees can also provide for making shelter where we can be protected from the weather. A lot of times, we forget that these essentials are there as God’s way of providing for our needs.
Just reflect on what happens when you walk through the woods or the garden. You can get refreshed and be re-energized. Even your mind gets reset and feel rested and fresh again. A walk amidst plants, flowers and trees makes a difference in the busy lives we live.
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REFLECTION
• What benefits do you get from the third day of creation that you can be thankful for? Why should we have a regular time to surround ourselves with foliage?
GENESIS 1 THE CREATION OF THE SKY AND SEAS
October 13
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GENESIS 1
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
– Genesis 1:6-10
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GENESIS 1 THE CREATION OF THE SKY AND SEAS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The Lord God saw that the light and day was good when separated
So, he decided to follow that rhythm and created the firmament
God called the one above the expanse as “Sky”
Then the one below the firmament, he called “Seas.”
Because the Lord is a God of order, he wanted things in place
So, he gathered all the waters under the sky to form the seas
And then he added the dry land to appear and he was pleased
He watched the contrasting beauty between the land and the seas.
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We see God at work continuing his design from the first day towards the second day. Notice that he began a pattern in the first day of separating the light from the darkness. On the second day, he began to separate the waters from the waters and created an expanse which he called “sky” or “heaven” in some other bible translations.
It is in the sky that we see all the other lights he placed on it. It is where he also displays the beautiful colors of the sunrise and sunsets. We see all the cloud formations in it as well and I can’t stop but be in awe each time I see a platoon of clouds or cloud formations that almost forms a human face. God used the sky to paint pictures and have a show of colors for us to remember his great design that he made for us.
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REFLECTION
• What are your thoughts on God’s love for setting boundaries and separations?
GENESIS 1 GOD’S FIRST DAY AT WORK
October 12
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GENESIS 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
– Genesis 1:1-5
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GENESIS 1 GOD’S FIRST DAY AT WORK
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
God authored creation when he saw that the earth was formless
There was darkness all over as his Spirit hovered over the waters
Just as he watches over us during our darkest moments in life
He is there to exercise his sovereignty and authority over our lives
When darkness looms, never forget that he is still watching
He will never leave or forsake his people during trials and suffering.
The Lord God begins his work with the words “Let there be light”
And at once, light illumined the darkness and what was empty
He saw that it was good, so he created a separation from the two
He deemed it wasn’t good to put them together, so he set aside the light
He called the light day and the darkness night so they can be distinct
Thus, the first day came into being and God created time difference.
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What a great account Moses gave us of how everything began! Could you imagine how it was when God was watching the emptiness and darkness? Picture an artist looking over a blank canvas and allowing himself to visualize what can become of this empty canvas. Then God figured out that light was needed to cover the darkness. Just like our world was dead in the dark, he gave light to give us life. No wonder we can’t survive without light. We cannot thrive without God’s grace too. God is always at work, completing us.
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REFLECTION
• How do these verses show God as the greatest artist and problem-solver?
PHILEMON 1 ON FORGIVENESS AND EQUALITY
October 11
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PHILEMON 1
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. – Philemon 1:17-25
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PHILEMON 1 ON FORGIVENESS AND EQUALITY
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When you have been hurt by someone you trusted
It may be hard to forgive and forget what happened
The Lord taught us to forgive and to pray for those who wronged us
Humanly, it isn’t possible to grant forgiveness but with God, we can give grace
The mercy he bestows on us is enough for us to give it to others as well
Let us remember how we were forgiven so we can also give it easily.
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are expected to show no partiality
To give preference to others and treat some with biases is ungodly
No matter the status of someone, we ought to give respect to everyone
Just as the Lord treated others with kindness, we also have to be compassionate
When we show partiality, we have made distinctions and become judges
Let us all love one another especially those who are in the household of God.
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REFLECTION
• Why would Paul go out of his way to ask forgiveness to Philemon for the sake of Onesimus? What does he manifest by doing this?
• Do you think that Paul began the breaking down of slavery in this short letter to Philemon? Why or why not?
PHILEMON 1 AN APPEAL FOR RECONCILIATION
October 10
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PHILEMON 1
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. – Philemon 1:8-16
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PHILEMON 1 AN APPEAL FOR RECONCILIATION
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
To all those who have been given the faith in Christ Jesus
Remember how the Lord gave up his life for all of us
We are no longer consumed by this world or slaves to sins
Our desires no longer tempt us to sin, we are now slaves to Christ.
I appeal to all those who are still infants in their faith
Please consider growing the seeds that has been sown
Do not continue with your old ways before you heard the gospel
Be reconciled with your brothers and sisters in order to follow Jesus.
Do not allow the enemy to encroach at your heart’s door
Forgive other believers who have stumbled and hurt you
When you hold on to offense, forgiveness may be hard to grant
So, be quick to forgive and give others grace and let love prevail.
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REFLECTION
• What was the situation in this letter of Paul to Philemon?
• Why was Paul asking Philemon to be reconciled with Onesimus? What was their relationship?