April 7
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PERSEVERE IN GODLINESS
11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give your attention to the public reading, to exhortation, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
– 1 Timothy 4:11-16:
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In this letter, Paul focuses on the importance of perseverance in godliness in order to grow faith. He tells Paul to be confident in recommending and teaching the details of how to live righteous lives. In verse 12, he warns his beloved son in Christ Timothy, to make sure that he doesn’t get intimidated by older people questioning his speech, conduct, faith, love and purity. He wants him to lead the people of God to move forward with their hunger for the Lord and be witnesses to others who do not know God and be a role model for other believers to persevere to walk in the Spirit.
He reminds him to ensure that while he is away, the reading of Scriptures in public be done. This is important as it will encourage other believers. Ensuring that sound doctrine is taught to the Gentile believers is something that must not be forgotten.
In verse 14, Paul gives him a reminder to never neglect the prophetic gifts that he received from the elders. It is the highest of all the gifts given to the believers by the Holy Spirit. He wants to make sure that Timothy treasures and use those gifts for the equipping of the body of Christ. In verse 15, he commands Timothy to be ready to suffer and still press on the gifts given to him so that the believers will be exhorted to pursue righteousness as God would expect any believer to aim for.
In verse 16, Paul wants Timothy to examine himself so that he will press on to teaching, rebuking, exhorting and equipping the body of Christ. Paul spells out the reason why this is very important. It will not only save his soul, but also those who hear him prophecy and teach.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some Christians fail in persevering in godliness and using spiritual gifts?
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PUT ON LOVE AND COMPASSION ILMA’S VLOG
March 7
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PUT ON LOVE AND COMPASSION
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. 14 In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. – Colossians 3:12-14
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Paul specifically explains what a believer is in verse 12. He says that they are those who have been chosen by God and who are pure and loved so much by the Father. In the other half of the verse, Paul calls the Colossian believers to put on a compassionate heart that exhibits kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that “We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” Sadly, in our world today, most people get their value from what they do. It is frowned upon by society if you are not as productive and earning enough money as others. There is a constant compulsion to be doing something or else, they won’t be accepted by others. As Dietrich states in his quote, it is more important to focus on how much one has suffered rather than how much one has achieved. Why is that? Suffering is the gauge of the depth of a person. The more they have been pained, the more they learn to endure. In James 1:2-4, we are advised to count it joy when we have suffering because we learn endurance and eventually grow our faith. Compassion will make us see the heart of people. It brings us to another level of understanding someone else. As the law of love says, we must love one another as we love ourselves.
In verse 13, Paul commands us to bear with one another, in other words, we need to be encouraging and supporting each other especially in times of hardships and troubles. The other part of this verse is about forgiving one another as God has granted us forgiveness. It is a shame that many people don’t easily give forgiveness. It is the key to love. Without it, no relationships will thrive. Without forgiveness, one paves the way to bitterness and eventually leads to destruction.
In verse 14, Paul tells the Colossian believers to put on love, meaning, to wear and exercise it at all times because it bonds and unifies the people who puts it on. The love that we are asked to put on is the same love that the Lord has for us: unconditional.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it very important to put on love and compassion?
GUIDED BY A CLOUD Poem Devotional
June 6________________________________________
I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. – 1 Corinthians 10: 1-2(NLT)
GUIDED BY A CLOUD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Our ancestors were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them
It was a provision so they can go unharmed through the wilderness
All of them were baptized as followers of Moses
They all knew the promise of the coming of Jesus.
Remember that God is with his people always
Don’t turn your back on God’s faithfulness
Remember that you are being watched and protected
Look up to him and you will never be defeated.
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I was fascinated by clouds since I was a child. I see images when I look at it and can imagine many things as I observe deeper. The cloud formations make me feel closer to God. It’s as if he is just behind each of the various shapes I see at various weather conditions. My favorite is the storm clouds towering over us because it seems so powerful and gives us a foreboding of the coming storm. Remember that God is always there watching over us during storms in our lives.
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PRAYER
Thank you for always guiding us Lord, especially in the storms.
REFLECTION
How does the presence of clouds affect you?
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
PURSUED BY GOODNESS & UNFAILING LOVE Poem Devotional
May 21
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Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. –Psalm 23:6 (NLT)
PURSUED BY GOODNESS & UNFAILING LOVE
A poem and essay by ILMA
What would you do if someone chases you relentlessly?
How would you respond to unfailing love given freely?
Wouldn’t your heart leap for joy when you are wooed?
Won’t you eventually respond when you are pursued?
Jesus Christ hunts us unceasingly and faithfully
He will never stop loving us unconditionally
How do you respond to such passion and fervor?
Will you be able to resist such loving offer?
When someone wants to give you forever
Will you say no to a happily ever after?
When you are pursued by someone like Christ
How can you ever say no to a life full of light?
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Courtship is a very essential part of the relationship between a man and a woman. It is at this stage that they get to know each other and grow their closeness in preparation for a deeper commitment should their love for each other grow. Sadly, many people nowadays don’t put much value on this essential stage of a loving relationship.
The bible tells us how Jesus pursues us by his goodness and unfailing love. He doesn’t stop or give up on us. His unconditional love is amazing and incomparable to any human relationships.
PRAYER
Lord, I am thrilled that you pursue me unceasingly.
REFLECTION
How do you respond to Christ’s pursuit of your heart?
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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