Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

JAMES 1 DOERS OF THE WORD RESISTS WRATH

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April 7

PROVERBS 29

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:19-25

JAMES 1 DOERS OF THE WORD RESISTS WRATH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who love the Lord with all their hearts, souls and minds

Follow the law and the truth that comes from God that makes them new

By doing this, they are able to put away all filthiness and wickedness

Instead, they don’t just hear the word of God but obey it as well

Angry people do not follow the royal law of liberty which is love

They don’t want to work at growing and be accountable for follow God

They continue to look away even though God’s Spirit convicts them

They are so consumed by their wrath that they don’t see them as sin.

I love James’ blunt honesty as he presents the source of human anger in this account. He says that it comes from being quick to speak and to react instead of being quick to listen. He also points out that their disobedience to the royal law of love is another reason why they continue not to be accountable for their wicked ways. In other words, anger was a result of childishness and stubborn spirits. They are making excuses not to grow up and to be responsible for the consequences of their actions. It is easy for them not to do anything or not to change and stay as infants screaming and using anger and manipulation to get what they want. If only these rebellious and stubborn infant-heads would learn to be still and listen, they could spare themselves the trouble and the drama they create. But of course, they love the theatrics of showing big negative emotions because they can manipulate others to give in to their tantrum fit. In Ephesians 4:26, Paul explains the emotion of anger. It is not bad to get angry, but it is bad to sin as you get your anger out. But most of the time, those who have a self-centered existence only use anger to get the supply of attention and to be given what they want.

James explains that one of the root causes of anger is the immaturity and inability to want to develop responsibility and faith. In verse 21, he instructs them to get rid of all the filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive the word of God humbly which is able to save their souls. If they obey God’s law of liberty, they won’t have to continue to be spoiled brats, but responsible children of God.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think doing the word of God is James’ antidote to anger?

PSALM 37 BE STILL BEFORE GOD TO FLEE FROM ANGER

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April 6

PSALM 37

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one

who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

                                                                                   – Psalm 37:1-9

PSALM 37 BE STILL BEFORE GOD TO FLEE FROM ANGER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Without the fear of the Lord, you’ll be prone to anger

The absence of God will make you unstable and anxious

The world is full of evil; guard your heart and flee from it

Do not envy evildoers and their comfort, riches and benefits

Be still before the Lord and commit your way to him

Trust in him and you will not be lured and be tempted to sin

Self-indulgence and self-centeredness lead to self-gratification

It leads you to all kinds of wrath, clamor and self-glorification.

King David points out the brevity of riches on earth because they are all fleeting and not everlasting. He describes that short-lived characteristic of physical wealth in verse 2 when he says that they fade like grass and withers like the green herb. We know how short their lifespan is. David emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord and delighting in his word. By doing so, we are befriending faithfulness. We become shielded from all forms of spiritual adultery such as idolatry and all forms of evil. In verse 5, he values the importance of bringing all plans to God. God-dependence keeps us from independence and self-sufficiency.  We are protected from making wrong choices and doing what will lead to sin. He ensures we walk in the paths of righteousness and justice.

David uncovers the antidote to anger in verse 7 which is to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He also advises us to refrain from envy over others’ progress. We clearly see here that the main source of anger is not recognizing who is in control and not valuing what are eternal riches. James 3:14-4:4 concisely presents to us the origins of anger. He described bitter jealousy and selfish ambition as the sources of anger which are brought to us by demons.  Warring passions inside each of us also lead to wants and lusts that become desires which we obsess to gratify, thus leading us to sin.

REFLECTION

·       How are envy and jealousy the beginnings of anger according to the book of James?

PROVERBS 15 WHAT STIRS UP ANGER

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April 5

PROVERBS 15

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentletongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

 but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. – Proverbs 15:1-7

PROVERBS 15 WHAT STIRS UP ANGER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone desires to impose power over another person

They can either covertly or overtly go about their domination

In a fool’s mouth are all kinds of twisting, extortion and manipulation

In a humble person’s tongue comes only words of life and compassion

The lips of the wise bring about the truth and knowledge from God himself

While fools constantly spew out criticisms, judgments and gratification of self

A soft answer softens the heart of the hearer while harsh ones stir up anger

The Lord’s eyes are on the fools and the wise and keeps watch on them both.

In this proverb, the writer focuses on “harshness” as the source of anger. When people hear a harsh statement, they automatically react in anger. Without the knowledge of God and the fear of the Lord, a person cannot react in kindness when they are thrown a harsh or unkind word. The sinful nature of humans tends to give back what they have received.

The dictionary defines the word “harsh’ as “unpleasant, severe, unkind or cruel”. Harshness may not always sound loud or angry, but it can also be hidden in sarcasms or judgments and snide remarks. It doesn’t matter how it is delivered, if the motive is to destroy or to exercise power over another, it is going to elicit anger from others. There are cultures in the world that hide criticism under the guise of political correctness, politeness or niceties. No matter how one hides harshness, it is still cruel and unkind and is a sin against the Lord. It will stir up anger. Another form of harshness is comparing and preferring certain people or things from another. This is the sin of partiality as the book of James refers to. We become harsh and discriminatory of those whom we don’t prefer or like, so we will always treat them disrespectfully.

The writer differentiates the wise from the fool in these verses. The wise say only what builds up and encourages others while the fool always aims to have power over another. The wise stirs love and compassion while the fool stirs conflicts, divisions and anger

REFLECTION

·       What can a believer do when they are constantly berated and undermined by someone?

PROVERBS 29 MANIFESTATIONS OF ANGER

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April 4

PROVERBS 29

22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.
23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

                                                                                        – Proverbs 29:22-27

PROVERBS 29 MANIFESTATIONS OF ANGER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A man prone to anger stirs up strife and divisions

They cause much unrest, disturbances and disruptions

Their pride causes them to indulge in their grandiosity

Which leads them to all sorts of conflicts and animosity

An angry person holds on to resentment and bitterness

They constantly demand attention, adoration and praise

They compare themselves to others and mistrust anyone

They mistrust those who don’t give them much attention.

In this saying, we are given the manifestations of anger, its causes and its many forms. You will easily spot them with these signs, but sometimes they can be very manipulative to hide it in passive aggression and manipulation. It is easy to spot those who are explosive but the implosive anger may take a while to recognize. I grew up with both kinds of anger. I’d say that the implosive ones are more treacherous and much more insidious. It took me many years and decades to decode those angry people who hide it and avoid conflicts. They don’t even know that they are actually causing the conflict and trying to hide an overt expression of it, but inside, they are boiling.

Watch out for those who draw attention to themselves either covertly or overtly. They are entitled people who think the whole world owes them something. You must be wondering how I became an expert on spotting these mad people. I was one of them for so many decades until the Lord Jesus Christ showed me the generational sin of pride and the trauma of abuse and neglect and not being loved. I truly feel sorry for these angry people holding onto resentments, traumas and offenses. It grew deep to the bitter roots of being unloved and abandoned. Because we were made in the image of God, who is the essence and embodiment of love, we were all made for love. We get angry just like God would, if there is injustice done to us or when our identities are attacked by the enemy. This was what happened in the garden. They were made to believe that they can have more wisdom than they have already been given. Anger is an offshoot of that clamor for more, the lust and greed for what is already given to them.

REFLECTION

·       Give insights to how the root of anger is injustice and not being loved.

MARK 3 THE RIGHTEOUS ANGER OF THE LORD

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April 3

MARK 3

Again, he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. – Mark 3:1-6

MARK 3 THE RIGHTEOUS ANGER OF THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Witchcraft is an act of willful disobedience and rebelliousness

When one instigates a revolt, it is a manifestation of unruliness

Those who don’t submit to the appointed authorities given them

They are actually showing their insolence against the Lord himself

The righteous anger of the Lord is what they will surely receive

For the Lord does not put up with any form of defiance or insurgency.

Mark addresses what angers the Lord in this account. This event marks the beginning of the hour of God’s plan for his Son Jesus to fulfill the salvation of mankind. The Pharisees have longed to put Jesus out of the way because the respect and honor they used to receive from people are now threatened by Jesus’ wisdom and miracles. They could not believe that someone could be better than them since they have worked hard to get knowledge and standing for the purpose of being looked up to by society. Despite all the signs and miracles that Jesus manifested, they weren’t able to believe that he is the Son of God. So, they had to use their laws to put Jesus to the test if he was going to follow it. The irony of it all is that Jesus himself is above the law and they were putting him to be under the law since they didn’t see that he was the Messiah himself. They had to prove to everyone that they are better than Jesus. They were dying of envy and insecurity, so they had to plot to put him away for good. In 1 Samuel 15:23, it says “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Why did Jesus respond in anger in this story? Was it because they didn’t see him as the Messiah? Was it because they plotted to kill him? None of these suppositions are correct. Verse 5 says it is because he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts. Remember when we were kids and how our parents tell us to obey something so we won’t get hurt but yet we insist on pursuing things that endangers our minds, bodies and spirits. It is because they were using “following the law” to hinder the healing of one man. They used the law to plot to kill Jesus (which of course the Lord already knew beforehand). Jesus marvelled at their unbelief and evil deeds, not because he can change it, but because the Lord knew that if they continued to harden their hearts, they would not receive the promise of salvation.

REFLECTION

  • Can humans have righteous anger like the Lord? Why or why not?

PROVERBS 14 A QUICK TEMPER IS PROOF OF A FOOL

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April 2

PROVERBS 14

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 One who is wise is cautiousand turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

                                                                               – Proverbs 14:11-18

PROVERBS 14 A QUICK TEMPER IS PROOF OF A FOOL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

There are only two kinds of people in this life: the fool & the wise

The wise watch and give thought to his steps but the fool is careless

The fool thinks he is wise in his own eyes but cannot see what is right

The wise is cautious and turns away from evil so that he can flourish

The fool is quick to be angry and easily makes a fool of himself in public

The wise is humble and knows his place before a holy and true God

If you are a man of God, stay away from quick-tempered fools

You may learn their ways and destructive schemes which lead to death.

I marvel at how Solomon gives us examples of the fruits of darkness and the works of the Spirit in these following verses. If you have lived your life long enough, you will be a testament to these two kingdoms that are so clearly shown in our lives: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. In 1 John 1:15, we get the revelation that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If you will go back to creation in Genesis 1:3, his first creation is “light”. Prior to light, there was darkness all over.  Through John’s book, we are given this revelation that when God’s presence is there, darkness has no way that it will exist. We know from the bible that darkness is associated with evil. Proverbs 4:19 refers to this when Solomon said “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

I’d like to highlight one of the fruits of darkness in this account: a quick temper. A fruit is a proof of the kind of tree that bore it. So, let’s take the tree of evil which bears fruits of darkness. One of these fruits is “anger” or “quick-temper”. Psychology names many other anger manifestations such as: irritation/annoyance, frustration/displeasure, fury/rage, wrath/blind rage, fear-based anger, paranoid/manipulative anger, retaliatory/vengeful anger, overwhelmed anger, avoidant/passive-aggressive anger, self-abusive/internalized anger, moral/judgment anger.  Don’t give in to any of these different forms of anger. The root of all anger is pride and rebellion against God. Don’t be a fool.

REFLECTION

·       Which among the types of anger mentioned here is hard to see? How must a believer deal with it?

PROVERBS 22 OBEY GOD’S WORD & AVOID THE ANGRY

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April 1

PROVERBS 22

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
    and apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.

24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
    nor go with a wrathful man,25 lest you learn his ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare. – Proverbs 22:17-18,24-25

PROVERBS 22 OBEY GOD’S WORD & AVOID THE ANGRY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you serve your Lord Jesus Christ, you will hear his voice

His followers will listen to the truth that comes from his word

All who belong to him will be faithful to draw near him

They will make no friendship with those who habitually sins

Don’t associate with the angry or you’ll learn their habits

They will keep you trapped in the cycle of iniquities.

The writer of the book of Proverbs gives us an antidote for anger in verse 17. He says that if we listen to the word of God and follow what it says, we will become wise. Even before the enemy attacks us, we already have a weapon because it is the sword of our spirits as Ephesian 6 says. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are given the importance of Scripture because it says that it is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness so the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. In Joshua 1:8, we are also commanded to meditate on the word of God, day and night. In Psalm 1, the blessed man who loves the word of God and takes delight in the law of the Lord is likened to a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruits in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he prospers.

Now that we know the remedy for anger, we are also advised to keep away from those who are prone to wrath. In Psalm 1, we are cautioned not to have anything to do with the wicked and evil one and in the book of James we are instructed to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger because the wrath of man does not produce God’s righteousness. James also reminds us to be doers of the word and not hearers only and to have a humble posture when we receive the word of God because it has the ability to save our souls. Does this mean that anger is bad? No, God has a purpose for anger. Righteous anger is God’s response to sin. We are told to be angry but not sin in Ephesians 4 and not let the sun go down while we are still angry. In other words, God gave us this powerful emotion “anger” for a purpose. It is to expose injustice and sin and to do something about helping and being the voice to those who don’t have a voice or those who are oppressed by such misuse of wrath. It is not to be used to control others or to oppress someone, especially those who are weaker than them.

REFLECTION

·       Share insights on how anger can be easily learned by anyone, especially children.

PROVERBS 11 HUMILITY & WISDOM ARE INSEPARABLE

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March 31

PROVERBS 11

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,

but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
7 When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,

 but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. – Proverbs 11:2-9

PROVERBS 11 HUMILITY & WISDOM ARE INSEPARABLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

When one has reverence for God, they will be humble

They won’t have grand ideas about their identities

The meek looks outside himself and bows to his Creator

He is content at the way God has made him into His likeness

The proud distorts the purpose of God’s imprint on his image

He thinks he can change the plan and will of God by whining

His mouth is full of lies, mockery, rebellion and constant lying.

We can clearly see how the writer synonymously uses humility and wisdom interchangeably. One can’t go without the other. Since the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, it only goes to show that those who are in awe and in praise of God are humble enough to acknowledge and bow down to his Almighty, Merciful and All-powerful God.  This is something that the proud can never do. Because their view of God is very little compared to their grandiose view of themselves, they have no honesty to admit their littleness and insecurity. They are trying to be like God by hiding their weaknesses and failures because they believe they won’t be at par with the One true God. They have deceived themselves in thinking that they can be like him. Isn’t this what the deception of the serpent was in the garden? The devil sowed seeds of grandiosity and a plot to overthrow God by making them believe that they had powers greater than the Maker himself.

These following verses are reiterated in Psalm 1 when David distinguishes the wicked from the blessed. Here, we are given the distinction between the humble and the proud. We all know that the origin of sin is “pride.” It is pride that derails us from the path of righteousness and leads us to follow the path to wickedness. The proud dies and perishes like chaff but the humble are like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruits in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

REFLECTION

  • Explain what verse 6 meant when it says “the treacherous are taken captive by their lust?”

PROVERBS 22 THE PRIZE FOR HUMILITY

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March 30

PROVERBS 22

3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, 

   but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord 

   is riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

   whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go;

   even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The rich rules over the poor,
     and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
      and the rod of his fury will fail. – Proverbs 22:3-8

PROVERBS 22 THE PRIZE FOR HUMILITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Submit to the Lord and you will have the fear of the Lord

Then you will begin to have the wisdom to overcome the world

You will be awed by the grace that has been given to you

You will sow love and harvest peace and overflowing joy

The prize for humility is honor and an abundant life

It is more valuable than any material riches here on earth.

In this proverb, the writer warns us of the consequences of folly and pride. He cites examples of what the wise person would do as opposed to what fools normally do. In verse 3, he models the cautious guarding of their steps when they do something. They do not do anything rash without common sense or careful thought or without asking others for counsel. The fool on the other hand, does thoughtless things without weighing the consequences of their action. Verse 8 explains to us that if they sow recklessness, they will harvest calamity or ruin.

In verse 6, the writer gives us the formula for being wise. The children are trained while they are still young to go the right way so that they would grow up following the ways of the righteous. It is impossible to train old foolish and wicked people to do what is right. They are automated to do what is evil, as the saying goes “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Then the writer focuses on the prize of humility and the fear of the Lord in verse 4 which are riches, honor and life. I think that riches are not necessarily about material possession, but it could be spiritual riches such as love, peace, joy and all the gifts of the Spirit. Honor would be manifested in a life of honesty and integrity and good name. Life would mean the presence of God in their lives.

REFLECTION

  • If the humble are prized with riches, honor and life, what do fools reap instead?

JOHN 3 HUMBLE YOURSELF SO GOD CAN INCREASE

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March 29

JOHN 3

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. – John 3:25-31

JOHN 3 HUMBLE YOURSELF SO GOD CAN INCREASE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

For those who belong to God, Jesus modeled humility

He left his divinity and became human to save humanity

The world follows a system where pride dominates

Its focus is on the cravings and lust of the flesh

So, if you are a servant of Christ, you must decrease

Let all you do be about his glory so God can increase.

This account happened among the disciples of John the Baptist (precursor and cousin of Jesus). Prior to this account, John had been baptizing many people in the Jordan river together with his disciples. On this day, John’s disciple became envious of the following that Jesus was garnering. So, just like any of us who are entitled after doing something good, they expected John’s following not to dwindle since they have been popular already until this Jesus came in the picture. Isn’t this automatic with us humans? We work hard for something we want and believe in and when it grows, we forget the purpose of that calling. We become proud of what we have done and gloat over that achievement. We enjoy the position, the success, the expertise of the skill, the adulation we get from such work. We forget that the gift given to us by God is not for our increase but for God to be glorified. When John’s disciples felt threatened by Jesus’ group’s popularity and following, they came to him like childish kids reporting that threat to their group. Envy is a tactic of the devil to create divisions, doubts and confusion. John’s disciples showed so much insecurity and immaturity. But John was solid in his prophecies about the coming of Jesus and was given revelation that the coming of the Messiah was at hand. His perspective was so different from those whom he taught. He declares the sovereignty of God when he said verse 31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who comes from the heaven is above all.” What a glorious revelation! John didn’t listen to their insecurities but instead, he pointed them to the One and only glorious Son of God, Jesus. Because of his humility, Jesus later calls him the greatest of all prophets in Matthew 11:11 when he said “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

REFLECTION

·       Why can someone not truly worship and praise God when he lacks humility?