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?
Tag Archives: ILMA’s poem
PHILEMON 1 THANKFUL FOR GOD’S LIGHT
October 9
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PHILEMON 1
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
–Philemon 1:1-7
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PHILEMON 1 THANKFUL FOR GOD’S LIGHT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
O Lord, before I knew you, I concerned myself with the world
It was a life of darkness until you touched my heart with your word
Your word was light amidst that darkness that enveloped my life
The light coming from you was so intense and covered all the dark
After your overpowering light, there was no way my life was the same
Thank you for exposing all the lies that was so ingrained in me in the past
You transformed every inch of me and inclined my heart to hunger for you
I am thankful each time I have an opportunity to proclaim your good news.
In my dark past, I used all the resources I have for my own desires
But now, you made me realize that they are for your kingdom purpose
Thank you for using me as a vessel to spread the word that is so powerful
You called me by name to show your grace and your love so unconditional
You gave me your promises so that I can have hope in the midst of trials
Your assurance has kept me going and helped me to persist in loving others
Lord, let me never forget what you have done to save a sinner like me
Let me always count my blessings; deliver me from all kinds of grumbling.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think Paul wrote to Philemon and began in a thankful tone in his letter? What was his purpose in writing him?
GOD PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE Poem Devotional
February 18
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The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones. -Zechariah 9: 15(NLT)
GOD PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you struggling to overcome temptations?
Run to the Lord so you can get wise instructions
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people
He will defeat anyone who will treat them so cruel.
God is faithful and just to deliver us from harm
Seek and abide in him who is the Son of God
Your obedience and faith will be your shield against evil
If you walk in love, you will keep away the devil.
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Insurance is defined as something providing protection against a possible eventuality. We often insure something of value to us, either our lives and material properties. We want to make sure that in the even of a calamity, theft, or accident, we can be guaranteed some form of compensation for our loss.
How can we insure our spiritual life? Who will cover and protect us when we are being attacked by the enemy either with an illness, disease, a broken relationship, a job loss, the death of someone we love, divorce, or a debilitating fear?
The bible tells us that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people. He will literally bring down the enemy and hurl back at him all that he uses to harm God’s children.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for shielding me from all the tactics of the enemy.
REFLECTION
How can we cooperate with God in destroying all of the attacks of Satan?
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
GIVING MORE THAN WHAT YOU CAN Poem Devotional
May 11
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For I can testify, they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. – 2 Corinthians 8:3(NLT)
GIVING MORE THAN WHAT YOU CAN
A poem and essay by ILMA
God is pleased with those who give generously
He wants you to prioritize him faithfully
Those who give far more than they can afford
They will have blessings and have an overflow.
The Lord wants someone who gives cheerfully
For it shows that you love him dearly
When you give beyond what you have
It will multiply many times when you get it back.
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There was a movie a long time ago entitled “Pay it Forward.” The boy decided to give back what he got to two or three more kids and asked them to pay it forward to three others. The network grew so big and eventually the act of one kid who gave beyond what he had became a chain of love for all those who participated in that giving circle.
2 Corinthians 9:7 says that we shouldn’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure for God loves a person who gives cheerfully. The next verse gives us the blessings and bounty we can reap from such generous giving. Paul stressed and gave credit to those who gave far more that what they could afford. He was astounded that they gave from their own free will.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to remember that I’m giving to you when I give to others.
REFLECTION
What do you feel whenever you give beyond what you have?
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