January 21
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MAKE YOUR FACE SHINE UPON US
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
2 That your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity
And guide the nations upon earth. 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
Let all the peoples praise you!6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.7 God shall bless us;
Let all the ends of the earth fear him! – Psalm 67:1-7
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ESV Study bible notes that this psalm is a prayer that God will bless Israel with a fruitful harvest (v.6) so that the rest of the world may come to know the true God. Singing this helps Israel to keep its own calling in view; their blessing is not simply for themselves but for the Gentiles to see.
It is interesting to know that the Israelites asks the Lord to bless them so that they can reflect to the Gentiles the face of God.
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ADORATION: May your face shine upon us, glorious God! Praise be to you, who is the only source of Light and Life. We adore and glorify you. You are the God of all creation, the All-Seeing and All-powerful God.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I forget to shine your light on others, especially when I am not able to bless others with the bounty you have given me. Forgive me when I fail to do the right thing and follow my natural inclination.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for the many things you have given me, the natural and spiritual gifts that you generously endowed upon me. Thank you for choosing me to be one of your people who can shine your light on others.
SUPPLICATION: Let me not forget to remember to bless others with the blessings I receive from you. May all believers watch their hearts so that they can be light for Jesus.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for us to share the blessings that we have received from the Lord to others?
• What happens when we don’t reflect Jesus’ light in our lives?
Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDO
MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM Poem Devotional
November 12
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MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM
A poem by ILMA
This is the message to the Pergamum church
It came from the one with the two-edged sword
“I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne
And yet, you have remained loyal to me, your Lord
You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my witness was killed
He was martyred among you there in Satan’s city but you stayed faithful.
“But I have a few complaints against you in your church
You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam,
You were taught how to trip up the people of Israel
You were told to eat food offered to idols and to commit sexual sin
You you have among you who follow those evil teachings.
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit, repent of your sins.
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MEMORY VERSE
“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.
– Revelation 2:14
Read: Revelation 2:12-17
Jesus had a complaint against the church in Pergamum. This message speaks of the strength of this church, which is loyalty. They were loyal to the Lord in the midst of someone being killed because of his faith in Jesus. The Lord does not tolerate hypocrisy and sins either, so this church was confronted with wrong things they listen to and their sins. He does not tolerate false teachings and defiling the Lord’s commands. Even though they were faithful, they were allowing these false teachings and sins to thrive.
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REFLECTION
• Why are we challenged to confront false teachings and sin?
• What happens when we don’t recognize wrong teachings in our church?
• Why can’t we cover up sins with some of our strengths?
TRUE REST poem devotional
December 3________________________________________
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. –Matthew 11:28,30(NLT)
TRUE REST
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you feel burdened by life’s challenges?
Don’t lose hope, God can always make changes
He wants you to come to him and experience true rest
He will bring you a way out and give you what’s best.
Come to him all those who carry heavy burdens and are weary
He ensures that you feel peace while he brings you victory
His yoke is easy to bear and the burden is light to carry
He will bring restoration and refresh your mind, spirit and body.
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Have you ever felt so exhausted from so much stressful events and activities that you encounter? The daily demands of this world is so much that a lot of times we really don’t realize how much we need rest. Now that I am in the prime of my life, I really need much rest. After living a very stressful life from age seven up to my late forties, I make it a point to rest enough so I can have peace and enjoy life. True rest comes from knowing that God is there for us and he is willing to carry our burdens for us if we come to him.
PRAYER
Lord, remind me to run to you when I feel exhausted.
REFLECTION
How has God refreshed you when you were exhausted from life’s demands?
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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.ARTSTUDIO@gmail.com