March 26
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PSALM 145 GREAT IS THE LORD
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. – Psalm 145:1-7
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GLORY TO OUR MAJESTIC GOD by ILMA
Glory be to the King of kings and Lord of lords
His greatness is incomprehensible and incomparable
He is the beginning, the end and is eternal
No other gods can compare to his splendor
All you people of God, declare his greatness
Sing out hymns and speak of his righteousness
Pass on to your children and their children his deeds
They shall receive his promises and receive much blessings
Always worship the Lord your God who gave you life
Keep in awe of him and constantly stay in his light
You owe the Lord all that is good; he pours out his grace
Speak of his steadfast love and his acts of kindness
Shout out loud all he has done especially his miracles
Pour out your praise to keep him glorified
Only bow down to his magnificence and majesty.
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REFLECTION
• How can you develop a love for worshipping God just like David did?
Tag Archives: ILMA BARAYUGA=DOHERTY
OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT
May 28
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OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT
9 But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
– 1 Peter 2:9-10
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In this letter, Peter reminds us of our stand in the kingdom of God. He speaks of the honor that was given to the chosen people. They come from a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s own possession. Although the Old Testament talks about the Levitical/Aaronic priesthood that were given to the tribe of the Levi, the coming of Jesus and dying on the cross changed that. All who come to serve the Lord Jesus Christ becomes royalty in God’s kingdom, they are considered holy and part of the priesthood who will be mediated by the Christ himself to his heavenly Father in heaven. In the Old Testament, they were mediated by the priesthood of the tribe of Levi. When Jesus died, he became the direct link to the Father and if we believe in Him, he elevates us to the royal priesthood and gives us the ability to be a holy nation. What an honor to be chosen by the Lord God himself!
Peter explains in this letter the responsibility that we have as royal priests and holy nation. In verse 9, the position of honor and royalty comes with an obligation. We are to proclaim the excellencies of God who has called us out of the darkness into His marvelous light. Just like a king or queen has a big responsibility to take the concerns of the nation and his/her subjects as priority, we have similar position as royalty. It means that we are not free to do our own will because we need to think of our priorities. We cannot be selfish and be concerned with personal matters and self-gratification. We are expected to be accountable to our Heavenly Father. Everything we do needs to be focused on the kingdom. If you have watched or read biographies of kings and queens, you will probably be thinking how lonely and stuck they are in their positions because they are not free to be doing what they want. They have to take into consideration everything that they have dominion over. It is an honor to be royalty, but it is also a big responsibility. As people of God, we cannot behave like those living in darkness anymore. We have now received the marvelous light of Jesus. No more excuse to live our old lives when we weren’t his priests.
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REFLECTION
• How can you ensure that you don’t live in darkness after Jesus brought you light?
BE PREPARED FOR THE LORD’S RETURN Poem Devotional
October 3
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BE PREPARED FOR THE LORD’S RETURN
A poem by ILMA
The day of the Lord’s coming will be unexpected, like a thief in the night
It may come when people think everything is peaceful, secure and quiet
Disaster will suddenly fall on them as a pregnant woman’s labor pain begins
Then there will be nowhere to go, all those who don’t belong to him will see.
But all believers need not worry because you aren’t in the dark about these things
You will not be surprised when the Lord comes in the middle of the night like a thief
For you are all children of the light and of the day, you don’t belong to darkness
So, be on your guard, be mindful, stay alert and not asleep like the others.
Be vigilant and clearheaded; night is the time when people sleep and some are drunk
Let us all who live in the light be lucid, protected by the armor of faith and love
Wear the full armor of God and have the confidence that comes from being saved
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
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MEMORY VERSE
So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:5
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
It is interesting how many people react to the second coming of the Lord in various ways. Humans are very visual that we don’t to get ready for the Lord’s coming in a physical way. We cannot fathom how and when all these things are actually happening. There are some people preparing how to survive such disasters in the end times and yet neglect the real preparation that is actually expected of us. The preparation is to be holy and pure so that when the Lord comes like a thief in the night, we are prepared because we are obeying all his commands. Sadly, we, humans are very literal and limited in our understanding about it. What we need to be concerned is how to stay pure and right in God’s eyes.
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REFLECTION
• Do you have apprehensions about the second coming of Christ? If so, why do you think you have such concerns?
• What are the ways you have been preparing for the Lord’s return?
THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES Poem Devotional
May 20
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THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES
A poem by ILMA
On the day of Pentecost, all believers were together in one place
Suddenly, there was a sound that is like a mighty windstorm
It filled everyone who was in the house; right where’ they’re all sitting
Then what looked like flames of tongues of fire settled on each of them.
Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking
Each of them was given the ability to speak in other languages
The Jews were bewildered to hear many languages spoken
All were from Galilee, yet they spoke another language not native to them.
They were bewildered to hear these Galileans to speak in another language
Each of them, spoke of Jesus’ teachings and the wonderful things God has done
They stood there amazed and perplexed and ask each other what it meant
But the others in the crowd ridiculed them and accused them of being drunk.
Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd
“Listen carefully all of you, these people are not drunk as some of you assumed.”
He reminded them of the prophet Joel’s prophecy that God will pour his Spirit
All believers will prophesy, have visions and dreams and the Spirit will be poured out.
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MEMORY VERSE
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. – Acts 2:4
Read: Acts 2
The coming of the Holy Spirit was a fulfilled promise of Jesus. He said that when he dies on the cross, they will be filled with his Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord will affect other people’s lives.
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REFLECTION
• What did the coming of the Holy Spirit did to us as new born again babies.
• What is the significance of the coming of the Holy Spirit into our hearts?
• What are the ways we can grieve the Holy Spirit?
A STRONG REFUGE Poem Devotional
February 23
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust him. – Nahum 1:7 (NLT)
A STRONG REFUGE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you feel overwhelmed with challenges and afflictions?
Run to the Lord, he is good and a strong refuge to lean on
He will never let you down when you call on him
He is close to those who are faithful and trusting.
The Lord is our rock and our salvation
In him, you will find rest and restoration
Seek the Lord and he will protect you from evil
He is always there to guard you from the lures of the devil.
In the Philippines, all banks have security guards. Even schools and many establishments would hire a guard to ensure safety in their business places. When a Canadian friend visited Manila, Philippines’ capital, he was shocked to see so many security guards almost everywhere we went. Because of the high crime rate in a very populated place, it was almost a necessity to have protection.
The bible shows us the ultimate guard and protection. The Lord is our strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust him. I had an experience when I was ostracized in a community I worked for. I wouldn’t know how to cope with all the attacks and discrimination if I hadn’t ran to God for protection.
PRAYER
Thank you for protecting me, my Lord.
REFLECTION
Share a time when God showed his protection to you.
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
A PLEA FOR ANSWERS Poem Devotional
June 2 The Power of God’s Word
Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me for your mercy is plentiful– Psalm 69:16 (NLT)
A poem and essay by ILMA
Lord, where are you when I am in need?
How long will my heart bleed?
I am surrounded by people who don’t show affection
How long will you heal them from their deep affliction?
Oh, how I long to be heard and be seen
Why do unbelievers reject love and chose sin?
Please renew my mind and cease my exhaustion?
Will you show me mercy in all my tribulations?
Have you ever prayed for a long time for someone or something to happen and yet see no answers to your incessant requests? The hardest thing to visually see is the change of heart of people. Only God can see someone’s heart and intentions. We will never be able to know or sense if someone’s heart and mind is being renewed by God. Their actions or circumstances may give us a clue as to what God has done to them. We can never really see or know what is in their hearts.
The bible tells us that God’s love is unfailing and that he takes care of us because he is full of mercy. He lavishes us with mercy and grace always.
PRAYER
Lord, give me wisdom to know when you have answered my prayers.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to never lose hope?