Author Archives: ilmaarts

DESPISED AND REJECTED Poem Devotional

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August 25________________________________________
He was despised and rejected-a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised and we did not care.
–Isaiah 53:3 (NLT)
DESPISED AND REJECTED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you ever experienced being turned down by someone?
It is not pleasant to be around an abusive loved one
When you are despised and rejected by a person
There is no need to justify or find any reason
Look at Jesus who totally understands you
He wants you to follow him so you will be renewed
He died so you can be healed and have the wisdom to see
Why don’t you give up offense and let yourself be free?
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I remembered so many sad and painful experiences as a very young girl. I carried these traumatic experiences with me for over five decades until I finally accepted Christ in my heart and relinquished all power and control to him. For many years, my life’s theme was rejection. I saw everything in the filter of abuse and rejection. Each time I get triggered, I would get offended and felt as if I was despised and rejected. It enslaved me for many years. I believed the lie that the enemy put in my heart and head.
The bible tells us that Jesus himself was despised and rejected and we actually turned our backs on him and looked the other way when we choose sin.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for saving me.
REFLECTION
How do you think Jesus feels when you reject him?
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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

LIKE STRAY SHEEP Poem Devotional

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August 24________________________________________
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)
LIKE STRAY SHEEP
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you don’t abide and go your own way
You are like a sheep who has strayed
Some believers do not follow God’s will
No wonder they cannot be still.
When we leave the path of righteousness
We open ourselves to covetousness
Like stray sheep, we need a shepherd
God gave his only Son so we can be herded.
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Have you ever seen how sheep behave when they get lost? It was funny to watch the family movie “Babe.” The hero of the movie was a pig who acted like a dog and was trained to shepherd the sheep. When a sheep is lost, it looks so vulnerable and confused. It reminded me how we people behave when we do not have someone to lead us and care for us.
The bible tells us how believers are like stray sheep. We are so vulnerable to the dangers around us in this world, just like the sheep are to the wolves and other predators. When we leave the path that God wants us to take and go on our own, we become susceptible to get lost and fall into danger. I God is faithful to save all the lost sheep through Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, never let me stray.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you strayed from God and its consequences.________________________________________
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

UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY Poem Devotional

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August 23________________________________________
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.
Acts 4:13 (NLT)
UPSIDE OF BEING ORDINARY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you wish you were not like anyone at all?
There are people who are special and yet fall
Some persons are simple and ordinary
Yet the Lord used them for proclaiming his glory.
God works through ordinary people to fulfill his promises
He chose the regular and weak to be his witnesses
The upside of being ordinary is that God uses them
Be thankful if you are simple for it is
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I grew up thinking that I was a very ordinary girl. When I was seven, my teacher discovered that I could sing well. Even my aunts thought I was really good at it and had me join singing contests. As I turned high school, I realized that I don’t want to be ordinary. I want to be good at what I do. I became a cadet officer, a volleyball and basketball team captain, a jazz dancer and wrote songs and poems. I also had a very close relationship with God during this trying stage of my life. Later on, all my ordinariness turned into special gifts that God used so I can witness for his kingdom.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for using me for your glory.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God chooses ordinary people for his kingdom business?
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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

A FAITHFUL GOD! Poem Devotional

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August 22________________________________________
The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am! To a nation that did not call on my name.” –Isaiah 65:1 (NLT)
A FAITHFUL GOD!
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you hear the Lord calling your name each day?
Do you ignore him and continue going your own way?
When was the last time you ask God’s help?
Do you seek him for wisdom or rely on yourself?
The Lord is faithful to respond to your requests
Do you humble yourself to God or do you inquest?
The Lord is waiting for you to call on his name
Why do you keep making God wait in vain?
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Have you ever been pursued by someone? If it is a person that you totally like, wouldn’t you be so happy to know that he or she is after you? On the other hand, if it is someone you are not interested in, you probably wouldn’t like the idea of him or her following you around. It would probably seem like stalking to you.
When you became a born again Christian, didn’t you vow to love the Lord your God? Why is it that a lot of believers are not even in love with God? The book of Isaiah clearly illustrate how God waits on us faithfully.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your patience with me.
REFLECTION
How have you repaid God’s faithfulness?
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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

RESULT OF ENABLING Poem Devotional

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August 21________________________________________
Hot tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. –Proverbs 19:19 (NLT)
RESULT OF ENABLING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you have someone who never stops asking for help?
They run to you always and never rely on their own selves
When a person continually rescues another
They end up being constantly bothered.
If you continue to enable someone who isn’t responsible
You will be headed for futility and your life will crumble
Do not interrupt the law of responsibility
It is an insult and defiance to God the Almighty.
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I was an enabler to my only child for almost 26 years. I came from a culture where families are closely knit and there is not much room for setting boundaries. Children depend on their parents when they are young, but where I come from, even adult children in their twenties or even older, still stay with their parents. I have a brother in his 50’s who still live with my parents. Sometimes the parents even expect their adult children to care for them even if these children have their own families to take care of. It was such a culture of enmeshment where boundaries where never clear and spoken. As a result, we lived very chaotic lives.
The bible clearly warns us not to tamper with the law of responsibility. When we do, we are interrupting God’s plan.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to give up and let go.
REFLECTION
What do you think are the consequences of enabling someone irresponsible?
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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

ON TESTING GOD Poem Devotional

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August 20________________________________________
They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. They even spoke against God himself, saying “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.”
–Psalm 78: 18-19 (NLT)
ON TESTING GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you question God’s provisions?
Do you easily succumb to temptations?
God is powerful, mighty and all-knowing
Why do you demand what he has already given?
Do not test God or speak against him
Your unbelief will cause you to continually sin
His power and wisdom is unmatched
Be faithful to him who loves you so much.
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I was in my late twenties and just coming out of a very toxic relationship. I bargained with God that he can have me if he gives me a new start and grant me that job that I wanted so badly. It didn’t occur to me that I was testing him. I was wallowing in so much sin that time so I didn’t even realize that I was demanding God to give me what I want, the way I want it and right at that time. I even told him that I will leave this unhealthy relationship if he gave me that job I thought was really good for me. He denied me that job and I was so angry with God, but later on, he actually gave me a much better job. The Israelites demanded and tested God stubbornly.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to wait on you patiently.
REFLECTION
Why do you think people test God?
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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

THE SECRET TO PRODUCTIVITY Poem Devotional

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August 19________________________________________
Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. – Titus 3:14 (NLT)
THE SECRET TO PRODUCTIVITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you find yourself doing and yet not completing?
Are you trapped in tasks that you are not accomplishing?
Is your day full of yourself instead of your sisters and brothers?
Are you able to meet the urgent needs of others?
The secret to productivity is to serve one another
It reduces your selfishness when you care for others
When you cater to other’s needs, you sow fruits
It allows the Spirit to bring into fruition God’s truth.
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Have you ever find yourself into a whole day of activities and yet feel at the end of the day that you were fruitless? I have spent many days of unproductivity. I think we should be well aware that the enemy’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy us. One of the easiest thing to steal from us is our time. He does it very subtly by suggesting to do worthless things and to listen to all his lies so that we get wrapped up in the cycle of the mind. He delays and wants us not to make decisions when we are faced with challenges. He wants to paralyze us into being productive. The antidote to productivity is to meet the urgent needs of others according to the bible.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for my selfishness.
REFLECTION
What kind of activities keep us from doing God’s will?
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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

FOOLISH DISCUSSIONS Poem Devotional

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August 18________________________________________
Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.
–Titus 3:9 (NLT)
FOOLISH DISCUSSIONS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you try to argue and get into foolish discussions?
What good does it do to you and your relations?
Quarrels and unending discussions lead nowhere
They are useless and bring about strife somewhere.
Do not get involved in useless arguments and reasoning
They only open doors for the enemy to continue tempting
Arguing and reasoning endlessly deprives us of freedom
They distract people from seeking truth and wisdom.
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I used to love arguing and discussing different subject matter when I was high school and in college. I take so much delight in proving others wrong and showing them I am right. I could go on for many hours discussing a topic and get so much high out of it. I even taught debate to High School students. It was included in our English Curriculum. I love to motivate students to use their mind to explain and convince others to their belief. I didn’t realize that this was a product of my proud and foolish mind.
The bible warns us not to get caught up in this vicious cycle of the mind. This is why we are always commanded to guard our hearts and focus on God.
PRAYER
Lord, guard my heart and mind.
REFLECTION
How can human reasoning corrupt our hearts?
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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

ON SLANDER AND QUARRELING Poem Devotional

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August 17________________________________________
They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. –Titus 3:2 (NLT)
ON SLANDER AND QUARRELING
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you talk bad about others to anyone?
Do you get satisfaction from defaming someone?
You must not slander others or God will deal with you
Avoid quarreling with others and have your hearts renewed.
Be gentle and show true humility to everyone
Follow the example of God’s only Son
He never quarreled or slandered anyone
Instead, he sacrificed for all of mankind.
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To quarrel is to have an angry argument or disagreement with someone. Why did the apostle Paul emphasize slander and quarreling to his letter to Titus? He taught believers to avoid quarreling because it obviously defiles God’s commandment to love. James 4:2 explains why people quarrel. Because one cannot obtain what he desires, he craves for something or someone which ends up in an angry argument or disagreement. It is rooted in our human desires to get something.
Slander is defined as the act of making false and damaging statements about someone. God created us all in his image. If we speak ill of someone, we are actually questioning God’s creation, thereby defiling him as well. When we slander, we are actually talking ill of God too. He wants us to treat each other as we would treat him. He wants us to be gentle and humble.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me how to control my mouth.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God wants us to avoid slander?
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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

SIN OF IMPATIENCE Poem Devotional

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August 16________________________________________
But the people grew impatient with the long journey and they began to speak against God and Moses. –Numbers 21:4-5(NLT)
SIN OF IMPATIENCE
A poem and essay by ILMA
If you lose your cool when you don’t get things right away
There is a danger to grumble wanting things your way
When you think that you shouldn’t wait on anyone
The sin of impatience opens up the door to the evil one.
Each time you succumb to impatience
There are more sins to face, so be patient
When you react negatively to waiting
It will lead you to react and much grumbling.
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My father didn’t like waiting on anyone. The ironic thing is that my mother is not a very punctual person. Maybe God put them together to learn something from each other. I guess my impatience was handed down to me by my father but was reinforced in my life when I lived with a very impatient and angry man. I literally walked on eggshells when I lived with this person because he exploded each time someone kept him waiting. He is a punctual man and he expects no less from others. Each time someone desecrates his punctuality, he would go on a rage fit and as a result, lost many job offers and friends because of his explosions. The bible tells us clearly that impatience led the Israelites to grumble and speak against God and Moses.
PRAYER
Lord, deliver me from impatience.
REFLECTION
How can one develop the virtue of patience?
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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