December 22
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SIN NO MORE
A poem by ILMA
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but the next day he was back at the Temple
A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law brought a woman
Since she had been caught in the act of adultery, she was put in front of a crowd
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery
The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” trying to trap Jesus
Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger
They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again
So, Jesus said, “But let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one
Beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers?
Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more”
And the woman walked and repented and was freed.
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MEMORY VERSE
All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” – John 8:7
Read: John 8:1-11
In this story, we see how much compassion and mercy the Lord Jesus had for this woman caught in adultery. We also saw how these religious leaders wanted to punish her and stone her to death as that was the verdict on such sin. They were trying to trick Jesus if he was going to follow the law of Moses. In this scene, we witness that love is stronger than the law. When he challenged them to throw the stone if anyone is sinless, they all went away and left. There were many theories as to what Jesus was writing in the dust, probably their own sins.
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REFLECTION
• Why is compassion and forgiveness powerful for repentance to happen?
Tag Archives: sin
LIVING IN THE SPIRIT Poem Devotional
July 22
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LIVING IN THE SPIRIT
A poem by ILMA
There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus
Because you belong to him, you were freed by his life-giving Spirit
The power of sin that leads to death has lost its control over you
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of our sinful nature.
God did what the law could not do by sending his own Son among us
In that body God declared an end to the power of sin and the law
We can no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things.
Those who live by the Holy Spirit think about pleasing the Spirit
Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death and decay
But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace
For the sinful nature is always hostile to God and never obeys.
As believers of Christ, you have no obligation to do what your nature says
For if you live by its dictates, you will suffer and struggle and will die
But if through the Spirit’s power, you put to death the deeds of your nature
You will live, for all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
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MEMORY VERSE
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. – Romans 8:9
Read: Romans 8
How do you know if someone is really an authentic believer? In this chapter, Paul explains what it means to be living a Spirit led life. When one becomes a follower of Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord lives in their hearts. They no longer follow the dictates of their sinful nature. They choose to be led by what the Spirit says.
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REFLECTION
• Do you live under the leading of the Spirit or do you follow all the dictates of your flesh?
STRUGGLING WITH SIN Poem Devotional
July 20
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STRUGGLING WITH SIN
A poem by ILMA
The trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good
The problem is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right
Yet I don’t do what’s right but I do what I hate.
But if I know that what I am doing is wrong
This shows that I agree that the law is good
So, I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.
I want to do what is right, but I can’t
I want to do what is good, but I don’t
I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway
But if I do what I don’t want to do I am not really the one doing wrong.
When I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong
I love God’s law with all my heart but there is another power within me
It is at war with my mind which makes me a a slave to sin
All this struggle is still so alive within me and I am bound to it.
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MEMORY VERSE
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. – Romans 7:15
Read: Romans 7:14-28
Do you ever struggle with sin? Don’t we all go through this at some point of our lives if not always? Paul was explaining to the Romans that we all struggle with sin, but God is always there to win over this battle.
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REFLECTION
• What do you do each time you get into a conflict inside you, to do what is right instead of doing what is wrong?
• How can the battle between right and wrong be resolved for believers?
ALL PEOPLE ARE SINNERS Poem Devotional
July 17
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ALL PEOPLE ARE SINNERS
A poem by ILMA
Can anyone claim that they have never committed a sin?
If someone did, then they are not honest and is lying
Scripture says that no one is righteous, not even one
No one is truly wise and no one is seeking God.
All have turned away and we all have become useless
No one does good, not a single one for we are all sinners
One moment we speak praise, then we also speak evil things
We are by nature selfish and want to please our desires.
But now God has shown us a way to be right with him
He gave us his only begotten Son so we can be saved from sin
We only need to place our faith in Jesus and he cleanses us
We all fall short of the glory of God, yet he declares us righteous.
Can we boast that we have done anything to be accepted by God?
No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law but by faith
We are made right with God only by faith, whether we are Jews or Gentiles
Only when we believe in Christ and have faith can we truly fulfill the law.
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MEMORY VERSE
Only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. – Romans 3:31
Read: Romans 3:9-31
In the world we live in, accountability and repentance have become a novelty. We justify our sins and call it mistakes, faults, weaknesses. We have lived lives of compromise. We live busy lives in this world that makes us follow the dictates of society and the world system. Following God has lost its priority in our lives. We become corrupted by this world’s standards and forget to grow our faith which leads us to a life of integrity.
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REFLECTION
• How can we grow our faith so that we can sin less?
• Why do you think some people deny the fact that they have sinned?
GOD’S JUDGMENT OF SIN Poem Devotional
July 15
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GOD’S JUDGMENT OF SIN
A poem by ILMA
You may think you can condemn and punish those who do unrighteous things
If you do, you are condemning yourself, for when you judged you’ll also be judged
It is only God who can judge; in his justice, he punishes those who do evil
For you cannot escape God’s judgment when you judge others who do wickedness.
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient God is with you?
Can’t you see that God’s kindness is intended to make you be renewed?
When you are stubborn and refuse to turn from sin, you accumulate punishment
God will judge everyone according to what they have continually done.
He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good and giving God glory
But he will pour out his anger on those who live for themselves and disobey
There will be trouble and calamity for those who continue to do wicked things
Whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, you will be judged for God has no favoritism.
When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed though they never had God’s laws
And the Jews who have God’s law will be judged by what law they disobey
Merely listening to the law and not doing it doesn’t make us right with God
The day is coming when God, through Christ will judge everyone’s secret life.
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MEMORY VERSE
They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. – Romans 2:15
Read: Romans 2:1-16
We humans have a tendency to judge. We set expectations to ourselves and others that sometimes make us fail to see that it is only God who can really judge our actions and motives. Because only God can see our hearts, he is the only one who can judge our actions based on our intentions.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it hard to fight our tendencies to judge others by what we see?
• Who is the ultimate judge? Why shouldn’t we get in the habit of judging others?
GOD’S ANGER AT SIN Poem Devotional
July 14
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GOD’S ANGER AT SIN
A poem by ILMA
God displays his anger from heaven against all wickedness
He doesn’t put up with any form of unrighteousness
Even though they knew God’s existence, they supress the truth
Despite the creations God made, they deny that it is all true.
God has manifested himself in everything he created on earth
There is no excuse to say God doesn’t exist yet they deny him
These people knew God, but they wouldn’t worship and give thanks
They began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
As a result of this denial, their minds became dark and confused
Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools
Instead of thanking and worshiping the glorious, ever-living God
They worshiped idols made to look like mere humans, birds and animals.
So, God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things they desired
As a consequence, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies
They traded the truth about God for a lie and worshiped God’s creations
God abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let do evil actions.
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MEMORY VERSE
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up of foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. – Romans 1:21
Read: Romans 1:18-32
Many people do not acknowledge “sin.” They try to call it weakness, mistakes, errors. There is no accountability to acknowledge their rebellion and foolish ways. This leads to more confusion and chaos. People have forgotten how God abhors sin.
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REFLECTION
• How can God separate the person from the sin and still love each human being?
• Can you be able to love a person who continues to sin? How is that possible
END TO SIN’S CONTROL Poem Devotional
January 26
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The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3(NLT)
END TO SIN’S CONTROL
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you submit yourself to Christ
You will find victory in this life
The law wasn’t able to save us
Instead it kept us bonded to lust.
God sent his only son as a sacrifice
He did this so we can have eternal life
He brought an end to the control of sin
Let’s exercise dominion over it so we can win.
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The bible tells us that we are all sinners and only the act of Christ’s dying on the cross gave us control over sin. When we commit our lives to Jesus, everything is turned over. We begin to experience power that comes from knowing God’s word. We get be convicted by the Holy Spirit and shown a way to win over temptations. In the Old Testament, the law was the only thing that mattered but when Jesus came to the world, everything changed. We are no longer bound by the law but by love and grace that comes from God’s unfailing love.
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me to exercise the authority you have given me to win over sin.
REFLECTION
Why do some believers live fearful lives in this world?
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
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN Poem Devotional
October 19
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When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. – Ezekiel 18:26(NLT)
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When a believer decides to continue sinning
He will be blinded and crave for evil things
They will grieve God’s Spirit living inside them
It will open the door for Satan to easily tempt.
The consequence of sin is death to your spirit
If you ask for forgiveness, you will be freed
When you choose to sin, you choose death
When you run to him, you will find rest.
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If you have been living a life of denial, you open up yourself to dangerous living. Those who have never known the Lord will not know the consequences of their sinful living. It is just normal for them. I lived many years in denial that I was angry and that I had so many losses. I hid in performance and wanted people to approve me. I didn’t have self-worth. I was a very insecure person and felt empty because I didn’t feel like I belong to a family. I lived following what the world taught me: to seek pleasure and satisfy myself so I can cover up the pain of losing so many things in my life. I was spiritually dead for five decades, but God resurrected my spirit in Christ.
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PRAYER
Lord, never let me compromise my love for you with worldly desires.
REFLECTION
Why is it important to know the truth in order to make good choices?
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
WHEN YOU KEEP ON SINNING Poem Devotional
June 26
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Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. – 1 John 3:6(NLT)
WHEN YOU KEEP ON SINNING
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you keep on sinning, you are damaging
It keeps you from the truth and is very enslaving
When you keep on sinning, you are being lawless
It means that you don’t understand who God is.
Anyone who continues to live for the Lord will not sin
They worship and love him, so they will revere him
When you love the Lord, you will obey his commands
When you love the world, you will give in to its demands.
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Many people justify sins. They call it many names such as mistakes, weaknesses, natural tendencies, and many more. They don’t acknowledge it as sin because they don’t want to be judged. What they don’t realize is that denying a sin is actually admitting that you don’t want to stop the sin. When you justify, you are actually excusing yourself and not taking responsibility for the act. This constant denial and minimization of the gravity of sin leads to spiritual stagnation or even death. If you believe in God, you will have a hunger to seek to know him and follow his word. The moment you commit to him, he lived in you and he cannot live in anyone who continues to sin.
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PRAYER
Lord, let my heart and mind please only you.
REFLECTION
What happens if we constantly minimize sin?
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
SIN AND INDIFFERENCE Poem Devotional
May 16________________________________________
Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
– Matthew 24:12(NLT)
SIN AND INDIFFERENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
The second coming of the Lord is near
War, conflicts and violence will be here
There will be earthquakes and many disasters
Much deception and lies will happen thereafter.
People will experience all kinds of tribulation
Many will grow cold and love isolation
Sin and indifference will be rampant everywhere
It will be a trap to keep people from going nowhere.
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Indifference in Hebrew is “adish” meaning “couldn’t care less. Some synonym to this words are: emotionless, apathy, passivity, negligence, carelessness, inattention, unconcern, unimportance. A lot of people think that the opposite of love is hate. It is actually indifference on the other side of love. Many of mental illnesses and crimes are usually a product of people who were victims of an indifferent parent or caregiver. This is why “negligence” is also as harmful as abuse. Being indifferent shows that you also don’t care for the Lord. It signifies selfishness.
Hebrew has words for “sin.” The word “pasha”, or “trespass”, means a sin done out of rebelliousness. The word “aveira” means “transgression”. And the word “avone”, or “iniquity”, means a sin done out of moral failing. My own definition of sin is to live out of God’s truth and to live for the “self.” Prevalence of sin and indifference are signs of end times.
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PRAYER
Lord, guard my heart from indifference and sin.
REFLECTION
What do we need to do to protect ourselves from being indifferent and sinful?
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