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God’s gifts and his call and promises can never be withdrawn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?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
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?
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?
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?
LIVE UNDER THE FREEDOM OF GRACE Poem Devotional
July 19
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LIVE UNDER THE FREEDOM OF GRACE
A poem by ILMA
Since we have died to sin, we can’t continue to live in it
When we joined Christ in baptism, we united with him in his death
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism
Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the heavenly father
Now we also may live new lives and will also be raised like him
We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ
Sin lost its power in our lives so we’re no longer slaves
For when we died with Christ, we were set free from its power.
When Jesus died on the cross, it is to break sin’s power
Now that he lives, he does it for the glory of God
Do not let sin control the way you live or give in to sinful desires
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument to serve sin
Give yourselves completely to God for now you have new life
Use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right
Sin is no longer your master and no longer live under law
Instead, do your best to live under the freedom of God’s grace.
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MEMORY VERSE
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. – Romans 6:14
Read: Romans 6:1-14
When we become born again, we are not bound by the law or sin. It was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that enables all believers to be able to live under the grace of God. This makes Christians have the ability to live under the undeserved favor from our heavenly father.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some Christians stay legalistic instead of remembering what God did when he gave his only begotten Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us to be free?
• What challenges do you face that makes you see God’s favor on your life?
• Why is sin no longer your master when you became born again?
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?
ADAM AND CHRIST Poem Devotional
July 17
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ADAM AND CHRIST
A poem by ILMA
When Adam disobeyed, sin entered the world; Adam’s sin brought death
Death spread to everyone and all people sinned before the law was given
But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
And yet everyone died from the time of Adam to the time of Moses.
Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift
For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many of us human
Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift makes us right with God.
Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone
Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God
Because Adam disobeyed God, many became sinners
But because Christ obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful we humans are
But as people sinned more and more, God’s grace became more abundant
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death
God gives us right standing with God resulting in eternal life.
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MEMORY VERSE
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. – Romans 5:18
Read: Romans 5:12-21
Because of Adam’s disobedience, the whole humankind inherited sin. Because of what he did, we are all bent and have the tendency to be selfish. But God loved us so much that he gave us his son Jesus to break the power of sin over us all. Obedience to God’s will was what brought us back to become re-united with our heavenly Father.
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REFLECTION
• How can obedience matter so much to overcome selfishness?
JESUS’ BLOOD MADE US FRIENDS WITH GOD Poem Devotional
July 16
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JESUS’ BLOOD MADE US FRIENDS WITH GOD
A poem by ILMA
We have been made right in God’s sight by faith and we have peace
Because of what Jesus our lord has done for us, we are reconciled
Christ gave us the undeserved privilege when he died for us on the cross
We now stand and confidently share this sacrifice with much joy.
We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials
For we know that they help us develop endurance
Endurance progresses strength of character
Character strengthen our confident hope of salvation.
We know how much God loves us for he gave us his Spirit
When we were utterly helpless, Christ died for us sinners
God showed us his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us
Since we have been made right by his blood, we are free from condemnation.
Since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son
Even though we were still enemies, we will be saved through Christ’s life
So, we can rejoice now in our new relationship with God
Jesus made us friends of God by his death and blood on the cross.
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MEMORY VERSE
So we can now rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. – Romans 5:11
Read: Romans 5:1-11
Isn’t it such a privilege to know that because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has done for us, we don’t get the punishment that we really deserve? In the Old Testament, they didn’t have the Holy Spirit living in them. They had to go through someone like Abraham or Moses to speak to God. Now, we are considered friends of God because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
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REFLECTION
• Do you treasure the fact that Jesus died for you so you can be God’s friend?
• Why do you think faith is important for us to have joy in life?
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?