August 2
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THE DANGER WITH CRITICISM
A poem by ILMA
Why do you condemn another believer or look down on some of them?
Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God; stop condemning others
Instead to live in such a way that you will not cause anyone to stumble.
On the authority of the Lord Jesus, no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat
But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person, it is
And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, it is not loving
Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink
It is living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God
So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and build each other up.
Don’t tear apart God’s work over what you eat; all foods are suitable
It is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble
You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing
If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
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MEMORY VERSE
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So, let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. – Romans 14:12-13
Read: Romans 14:10-23
It is automatic for us to criticize instead of affirm and encourage. The danger with criticism is that it will definitely destroy relationships. No one wants to be with someone who’ll constantly criticize them and make themselves feel inadequate. We don’t want to be judged so, we need to let judgment be God’s work, not ours.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think it is easy for us to criticize rather than encourage?
Category Archives: Poem devotionals
ON ACCEPTING EACH OTHER Poem Devotional
August 1
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ON ACCEPTING EACH OTHER
A poem by ILMA
Accept other believers who are weak in faith
Don’t argue with them about what they think is wrong or right
If one person believes it’s all right to eat anything and if one eats only vegetables
Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t.
Those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do
Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants and judge?
Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall
With the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.
Some think one day is more holy than another day
When other people think every day is alike
Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him
Those who eat any kind of food do so likewise.
We don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s also to respect him
Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord
Christ died and rose again to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
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MEMORY VERSE
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. – Psalm 14:1
Read: Psalm 14:1-9
Being accepted by others is one of a basic desire of most people. Rejection is an aftermath of either a criticism or minimization. Someone, we humans desire to be accepted in order for us to function well. Paul teaches the Romans that acceptance is essential in loving someone.
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REFLECTION
• Share an experience when you felt rejected when you were not accepted?
OWE NOTHING EXCEPT TO LOVE EACH OTHER Poem Devotional
July 31
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OWE NOTHING EXCEPT TO LOVE EACH OTHER
A poem by ILMA
Everyone must submit to authorities for all authority comes from God
Those in positions of authority have been placed there by the Lord
Anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against his creator
For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right.
Would you like to live without fear of the authorities?
Then do what is right, and they will honor you.
The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good
But if you are doing wrong, they have the power to punish you.
They are God’s servants, so you must submit to them
Don’t do it only to avoid punishment, but keep a clear conscience.
Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons, they ought to be paid as well
They are serving God in what they do and give to everyone what you owe them.
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another
If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law
Love your neighbor as yourself for love does no wrong to others
There is nothing impossible with love; love conquers all.
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MEMORY VERSE
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. – Romans 13:8
Read: Romans 13
The Lord doesn’t want us to owe anything from anyone. He commands us to submit to authorities and be responsible citizens. He placed all those in positions of authority to represent him, so he wants us to submit to them as to the Lord. He reminds us that the only debt we need to have is to love one another.
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REFLECTION
• Do you have trouble submitting to authorities?
• Why is it important to love one another?
WHAT IT MEANS TO REALLY LOVE Poem Devotional
July 30
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WHAT IT MEANS TO REALLY LOVE
A poem by ILMA
Don’t just pretend to love other, really love them
Hate what is wrong and hold tightly to what is righteous
Love each other with genuine affection and honor each other
Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Rejoice in the confident hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help all believers
Always be eager to practice hospitality and bless those who persecute you
Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them and be happy with them.
Weep with those who weep; live in harmony with each other
Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people
And don’t think you know it all or ponder you’re better than anyone
Never pay back evil with evil; do things in a way that’s honorable.
Do all that you can to live in peace with all people and don’t take revenge
Leave that to the righteous anger of God for he will do it for them
Instead feed even your enemies and by doing this you’ll be rewarded
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
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MEMORY VERSE
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. – Romans 12:9
Read: Romans 12:9-21
Love is one of the most abused word in this world. In God’s economy, the word “love” is very different from how the world views it. It is not focused on “self” but more on others. It is genuine affection and generous hospitality to others. It is being with others and empathizing with what people are going through, whether happy or sad. It is treating even your enemy with respect.
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REFLECTION
• How do you view love and what are your challenges seeing it like God does?
ACCEPTABLE LIFE TO GOD Poem Devotional
July 29
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ACCEPTABLE LIFE TO GOD
A poem by ILMA
Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice the kind he will find acceptable
This is truly the way to worship him and don’t copy the world’s behavior
Let God transform you into a new person by the renewing of your mind.
When your mind is renewed, you’ll know what is good, pleasing and perfect
Don’t think you are better than you really are; let’s honestly assess ourselves
Measure yourselves by the faith God has given you and not by other standards
Humble yourselves and do your best not to criticize but to encourage instead.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function
This is the same with Christ’s body; we are many parts of one body
God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well
No need to feel inadequate and compare yourselves with others.
If God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith has
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give kindly
If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously
And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
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MEMORY VERSE
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. – Romans 12:1
Read: Romans 12:1-8
When someone commits himself to Christ, one becomes part of Jesus’ body. Whether we like it or not, we cannot continue to live the old life we had before we became born again. Each one of us are given a certain function in the body of Christ. If we want to live a life pleasing to God, we need to have our minds renewed and live holy lives.
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REFLECTION
• What compromises do you need to give up in order to live a life acceptable to God?
GOD’S KINDNESS AND SEVERITY Poem Devotional
July 28
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GOD’S KINDNESS AND SEVERITY
A poem by ILMA
Notice how God is both kind and severe; he is severe to the lawless
He is kind all those who continue to trust and rely on his kindness
But if you stop trusting the Lord, you also will be cut off
And if the people turn from their unbelief, they will be joined in again.
God has the power to graft all the rebels back into the tree
You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree
If God was willing to do something contrary to nature
He is able to graft the branches back into the tree where they belong.
Scriptures says “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem
He will turn Israel away from ungodliness and lawlessness
And this is my covenant with them; that I will take away their sins.”
Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News.
God’s gifts and his call and promises can never be withdrawn
Once, you Gentiles were lawless and disobedient to God
When the people of Israel rebelled and turn against him
God was merciful to you instead and you’re given chance to be saved
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MEMORY VERSE
Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. – Romans 11:22
Read: Romans 11:16-36
This chapter reminds us of how God’s kindness and severity were evident towards the Israelites and the Gentiles. It just shows how God hates lawlessness and sin. He gives us a way out of the harshness if we turn to him again and trust him.
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REFLECTION
• Why is trust and faith an expectation of God from his own people?
• How can one avoid the severity of God?
SALVATION EVEN TO THE GENTILES Poem Devotional
July 27
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SALVATION EVEN TO THE GENTILES
A poem by ILMA
Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of the Lord
A few have found favor—the ones God has selected
The hearts of the rest were hardened and God put them into sleep
To this day he has shut their eyes and ears, so they don’t see or hear.
David said in the Psalms, “Let their bountiful table become a snare,
They are trapped to think that all is well and let them stumble
For they get what they deserve and let their eyes go blind
This way they cannot see and let their backs be forever bent.”
God’s people were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles
But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves
If the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer Think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
God has appointed Paul the apostle to minister to the Gentiles
Since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world
The Gentile’s acceptance of the Good News will be even more wonderful
It will be life for those who were dead and freedom from knowing the gospel.
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MEMORY VERSE
For I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. – Romans 11:14
Read: Romans 11:1-15
What an awesome thing God did when his own people turned their backs on him. He spread his mercy to the Gentile, to those who don’t know him. He was after people’s heart, Gentile or Jew. He will not miss any opportunity to get someone saved.
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REFLECTION
• What does it take to get God’s blessings and approval?
• Why do you think God made salvation available not only to the Jews but also the Gentiles?
MESSAGE ON SALVATION Poem Devotional
July 26
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MESSAGE ON SALVATION
A poem by ILMA
The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach
Declare that Jesus is Lord and believe his resurrection and you’ll be saved
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God.
As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will not be disgraced”
Jew and Gentile[ are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord
God generously lavishes all those who to all call on him
For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?
And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about Christ
And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?
How beautiful are the feet of messengers who brings the Good News!
But not everyone welcomes the Good News with open heart
Faith comes from hearing the Good News about Christ
God’s case to his people is that all day long he opened his arms
But his people were disobedient and continued to be rebellious.
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MEMORY VERSE
For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. – Romans 10:3
Read: Romans 10
In this letter of Paul to the Romans, he pleads them to heed the invitation of God for them to be saved by declaring that Jesus is Lord and by believing that he was resurrected from the dead. This letter reminds us of our responsibility to bring the Good News to everyone so that the message of salvation will spread all over the earth.
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REFLECTION
• Have you been telling about the message of salvation to all the ends of the earth?
GOD’S MERCY AND POWER Poem Devotional
July 25
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GOD’S MERCY AND POWER
A poem by ILMA
God shows mercy and compassion to anyone he chooses,
It is him who decides who to show mercy and we can’t elect it
He shows mercy to some, and to others, he makes their hearts hardened
His thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways.
Though God has the right to show his anger and his power
He is very patient with those on whom his anger falls
He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter
We are among those whom he selected from all his creation.
In Hosea’s prophecy, God declares even those Gentiles as his people
Those who were not his people, now belong to him as well
Those whom he didn’t use to love before, he loves them now
They will also now be called “children of the living God.”
Though the Israelites are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,
Only a remnant will be saved for the LORD will carry out his sentence
And if the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of our children,
All Israelites would have been wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah.
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MEMORY VERSE
For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So, it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. – Romans 9:15-16
Read: Romans 9
It is amazing to know how some Christians think that mercy can be earned. In this chapter, Paul clearly reminds us of Hosea’s prophecy of how it is at God’s discretion whom he chooses to be saved or wiped out.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think people assume that they can earn God’s mercy and compassion?
• How is God’s power displayed when he forgives us?
• Why do some believers think that they have control over their lives?
NOTHING SEPARATES US FROM GOD
July 24
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NOTHING SEPARATES US FROM GOD
A poem by ILMA
Isn’t it amazing to know that God gave up his own Son to save mankind?
He chose in advance all those who belong to him and gave them life
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own?
No one – for God himself gave us right standing through his Son.
Who then will condemn us? No one – for Christ died for us
He was raised to life for us and sitting at God’s right hand
If God’s spirit lives inside us, who can ever be against us?
Can anything ever separate us from the love of God?
I am convinced that nothing can ever part us from our Father
No power in the sky above or in the earth below
Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us him
He sent his Son to redeem us while we were all still in sin.
Not even the powers of hell can keep us apart from God’s love
He has promised faithfulness to all those who love him above all
He will never forsake or leave us especially when we have trials
He assures us of his unconditional and unfathomable love forever.
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MEMORY VERSE
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. – Romans 8:38
Read: Romans 8:31-39
Have you ever wondered who can surpass the love of God among all those people you love and who claim they love you? No one can outdo God in terms of love. Love is His make and he made us all into his own image. Let’s always choose love and give up fear.
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REFLECTION
• Share an experience when the love of God was so present and powerful in your life?