August 24
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ORDER TO THE RESURRECTION
A poem by ILMA
Why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?
For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised
And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching and your faith is useless
We’ll all be lying about God—it can’t be true if there’s no resurrection of the dead.
If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised
And if Christ has not been raised, then you are still guilty of your sins
In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!
And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are to be pitied.
Christ has been risen and he’s the first of a great harvest of all who have died
Just as death came into the world through the man Adam
Now the resurrection from the dead has begun through God’s Son
Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
There’s an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest Then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back
After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over his Father,
Having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.
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MEMORY VERSE
But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. – 1 Corinthians 15:23
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:12-24
Those who are believers need to be reminded of the order to the resurrection. When Christ was risen from the dead, he was the first one to be the first of the harvest. His promise to those who love him and are faithful will also experience the resurrection.
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REFLECTION
• Do you believe that you will be resurrected like Christ was? What do you do to keep this promise of Christ possible for you as a believer?
• What does the resurrection power do to all who believe in Jesus?
Tag Archives: Christian poem
PAUL’S REMINDER OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION Poem Devotional
August 23
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PAUL’S REMINDER OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION
A poem by ILMA
Let me now remind you of the Good News I preached to you before
You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm and trust the Lord
It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message
I passed on to you what’s been passed on to me and what’s most important.
Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures spoke about
He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day
He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve apostles
After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers.
Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles
Lastly, as though I’d been born at the wrong time, I also saw him
For I am the least of all those who followed him and called
I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after I persecuted God’s church.
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his favor on me
And not without results, for I have worked harder than any of the others
Yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace
So, it makes no difference who preaches, the message is the same.
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MEMORY VERSE
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me.
– 1 Corinthians 15:10
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
It is easy to forget the importance of focusing on the resurrection of Jesus. It was what saved us all and reminds us of the undeserved favor He gave us all. Whenever we go through stages of spiritual dying in our lives, we must focus on the Risen Christ who can raise us from whatever circumstances we go through.
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REFLECTION
• How can you remind yourself constantly of what the resurrection means?
CALL TO ORDERLY WORSHIP Poem Devotional
August 22
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CALL TO ORDERLY WORSHIP
A poem by ILMA
When you meet together to worship, some will sing or teach
Others will say some revelation from God or speak in tongues
One might interpret what’s said but it must strengthen all of you
No more than two or three should speak in tongues and speak one at a time Someone must interpret what they say but if no one interprets, be silent.
Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said
But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from God
In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other
Remember that people who prophesy are in the Spirit’s control to take turns
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of the church.
Do you think God’s word originated with you Corinthians?
Are you the only ones to whom it was given?
If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that But if you do not recognize this, you yourself will not be recognized.
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MEMORY VERSE
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
– 1 Corinthians 14:33
Read: 1 Corinthians 14:26-39
In this chapter, Paul talks about the order when we come to worship. He stresses here how the Lord is a God of order and not of chaos. Though we have many different gifts, the gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy was emphasized here and Paul tells the Corinthians that these two gifts are very important in the body of Christ. He clearly gives detailed instructions as to how it must be orderly done in the church. Where there is disorder, the Lord is not in that situation or place.
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REFLECTION
• Have you ever spoken in tongues or prophesied in your church?
• Why is it important to have order in worshiping the Lord?
ONE BODY WITH MANY PARTS Poem Devotional
August 19
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ONE BODY WITH MANY PARTS
A poem by ILMA
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body
So it is with the body of Christ; some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles
Some are slaves, and some are free; but we’ve all been baptized into one body
by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit though it has different parts.
If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,”
That does not make it any less a part of the body but contributes to the whole
And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,”
Would it diminish its role make it any less a part of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear?
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants
How strange a body would be if it had only one part!
The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.
Some parts of the body that seem weakest are actually the most necessary
The parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care
God placed the body so we care more for those parts that have less dignity
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
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MEMORY VERSE
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27
Read: Corinthians 12:12-27
This illustration of the body of Christ in this message of Paul to the Corinthians is a good reminder how all those who committed to Christ is part of one big church, which is the body of Christ. Some Christians isolate themselves from the other parts of the body when in fact, we are all members of this one body and we all need to live in harmony and not comparing each one of us from the rest. We all have a role to play.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to know role and purpose you are made to function in his body?
• Why should we not isolate ourselves from the other parts of the body?
HOLY SPIRIT DECIDES WHAT GIFTS TO GIVE Poem Devotional
August 17
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HOLY SPIRIT DECIDES WHAT GIFTS TO GIVE
A poem by ILMA
Brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities
You know that when you were still pagans, you were astray worshiping idols
I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus
And no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it comes from the same Spirit
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord
God works in different ways, but it’s the same God who works in us all
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice
To another, the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge
The same Spirit gives great faith to another and to another, healing gifts
He gives someone power to perform miracles and another the ability to prophesy.
He gives someone else the ability to discern God’s spirit or another kind
Some are given ability to speak in tongues while another interprets
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts
He alone decides which gift each one of us must have.
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MEMORY VERSE
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. – 1 Corinthians 12:12
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-12
There are many gifts of the Holy Spirit to believers, but no one can choose which one to have because only God’s Spirit decides on that. Sadly, some Christians think that they could work at a gift. It is freely given to us.
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REFLECTION
• Do you know what your spiritual gift is? Have you been using it for God’s glory?
• Why do you think it is hard for some believers to recognize such gifts from God’s Holy Spirit?
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER Poem Devotional
August 17
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER
A poem by ILMA
I heard that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church
When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper
For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with other
As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking?
Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor?
On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
He gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said
“This is my body, which is given for you; Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people
Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”
For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup,
You are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again
Examine yourself before partaking of the body and blood
Or you’ll have God’s judgement upon yourself.
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MEMORY VERSE
That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. – 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Paul instructs us the order of the Lord’s Supper. It is important for us to be able to examine ourselves before partaking of the body and blood of Christ or we will be judged by God himself.
REFLECTION
• Why is important for us to check our hearts before we remember partaking of the blood and body of Christ?
• Do you take communion seriously and examine yourself before you do?
PAUL GIVES UP RIGHTS FOR THE GOSPEL Poem Devotional
August 15
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PAUL GIVES UP RIGHTS FOR THE GOSPEL
A poem by ILMA
Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle?
Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes?
Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord?
Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you.
You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle
This is my answer to those who question my authority
Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals?
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?
What soldier has to pay his own expenses?
What farmer plants and doesn’t have the right to eat from his fruits?
What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and not allowed to drink their milk?
Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same?
“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.”
Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? Wasn’t he speaking to us?
Yes, it was written for us, so that the both who worked gets a share of the harvest
Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to its fruits?
But we have never used this right; We won’t let any obstacle to bring the gospel.
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MEMORY VERSE
But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. – 1 Corinthians 9:12
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:1-12
The world dictates that we fight for our rights. In this account of Paul to the Corinthians, he turns around this worldly system of fighting for one’s rights. He tells us that even thought he deserves to have the right to take part of the harvest from his work, he wouldn’t let this become an obstacle to bringing the Good News.
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REFLECTION
• What rights have you given up so that the Gospel will be preached?
AS YOU WERE WHEN GOD CALLED YOU Poem Devotional
August 13
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AS YOU WERE WHEN GOD CALLED YOU
A poem by ILMA
Those who are married, the Lord commands you these
A wife must not leave her husband but if she does
She must remain single or be reconciled to him
And the husband must not leave his wife likewise.
If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer
And she is willing to continue living with him, he mustn’t leave her
And if a believing woman has a husband who’s an unbeliever
If he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.
For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage,
And the believing husband brings holiness to his matrimony
Otherwise, your children wouldn’t be holy, but now they are holy
If the unbelieving spouse insist on leaving, let them go.
In such cases the believing spouse is no longer bound to the other
Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you?
And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
Each one should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed them.
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MEMORY VERSE
Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. – 1 Corinthians 7:17
Read: 1 Corinthians 7:10-17
Isn’t it amazing that the Lord gave us clear instructions about marriage in this account of Paul to the Corinthians? As believers, it is good for us to follow these instructions about marriage in order for us to be able to thrive in our marriages. The trouble with many of us is that we don’t follow these rules and so we end up having broken marriages.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God blesses the marriage even if they are unequally yoked?
• Why are unbelievers made holy by the believers?
BETTER TO STAY SINGLE Poem Devotional
August 12
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BETTER TO STAY SINGLE
A poem by ILMA
Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations with someone
But because there’s much immorality, each man must have a wife
Likewise, each woman should have her own husband as well
The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs regularly
The wife should satisfy her husband’s needs as much as possible
The wife gives to her husband authority over her own body
And the husband gives authority over his body only to his wife
Do not deprive each other of sexual relations or you will be tempted.
Unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time
Do it for the purpose of giving yourselves more completely to prayer
Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t succeed
I say this as a concession, not as a command, but I wish everyone were single
Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another
So, I say to those unmarried and widows—it’s better to stay unmarried
But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry
It’s better to marry than to burn with lust if you can’t control yourself.
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MEMORY VERSE
So, I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. – 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
Read: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
The world dictates us to be married. Many who are single long to be married so that someone will complete them. This is a very worldly reason to be committed for life. As believers, we are expected to make God our first. When we are married, are focus is divided to our spouse and our Maker.
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REFLECTION
• For those married, do you think that your spouse can distract you from time with God? For the single, do you have more time for God when you are solo?
ON SEXUAL SIN Poem Devotional
August 11
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ON SEXUAL SIN
A poem by ILMA
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you
“Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food”
Though “I’m allowed to do anything,” I mustn’t be enslaved by anything
You can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality
They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies
God will raise us from the dead by his power like His Son was risen.
Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ?
Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and sleep with a prostitute? Don’t you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, they’re united
He can’t separate himself from anyone whom he had been intertwined
Scriptures say that when a man and a woman joined in body, they are one
A person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him and his only Son
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does
Sexual immorality is a sin against your own body which is God’s temple
He lives in you and was given to you by God? You don’t belong to yourself
God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.
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MEMORY VERSE
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. – 1 Corinthians 6:18
Read: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
It’s amazing how many people don’t understand that our bodies are not ours but the Lord’s when we committed our lives to him. Just like a husband and wife, we can’t defile our bodies for it does belong to whom we have committed ourselves to.
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REFLECTION
• What lies have the world taught us that makes us justify that sexual sins is okay?
• Why do we need to honor and respect our own bodies?
• What would a compromised body do to a person?
• Why do you think God wants us to honor our bodies?