September 23
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THE PRICELESS VALUE OF KNOWING CHRIST
A poem by ILMA
Whatever comes your way, never get tired of sharing your faith
Look out for people who do evil and tell you to follow laws to be saved
For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly praising him We rely on what Christ Jesus did and not put confidence in human effort.
I used to value many things but now I consider them worthless
Because of what Christ has done, everything else is useless
I know appreciate the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord
For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage.
I do this so I could gain Christ and become one with him
I no longer rely on my own righteousness through following the law
Rather, I become righteous by trusting and depending on him totally
For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
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MEMORY VERSE
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. – Philippians 3:8
Read: Philippians 3:1-7
When someone commits to Christ as his or her Lord and Savior, many things get transformed or changed. One of these changes is the way we value things. Those things that we used to think important becomes worthless now. This is a result of the work of the Spirit in our hearts because we become new creation in Christ. We begin to witness and tell everyone the precious value of knowing Jesus.
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REFLECTION
• What things do you use to value that are now worthless compared to knowing Christ?
• What is your opinion of Christians who still continue to put importance of things that are not of the Spirit but more of the physical realm?
Tag Archives: ILMA BARAYUGA-DOHERTY
JOY OF CHRIST’S MESSAGE PREACHED Poem Devotional
September 21
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JOY OF CHRIST’S MESSAGE PREACHED
A poem by ILMA
Everything that has happened to me here helped me to spread the gospel
Everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains
I was imprisoned because of Christ and most of the believers were happy
They have gained confidence and boldly spoke God’s message without fear.
It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry
But others preach about Christ with pure motives because they love me
For they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News
Others preach with selfish ambition, intending to make my chains more painful.
But that doesn’t matter whether their motives are false or genuine
The message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice
The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me and will lead to my deliverance
I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past.
I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better
I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow
And when I come back, you’ll see what Jesus is doing through me.
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MEMORY VERSE
For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. – Philippians 1:20
Read: Philippians 1:22-26
What an amazing joy we find in this letter of Paul to the Philippians! He can’t stop sharing the happiness he felt that that the message of Christ was being preached. He didn’t care whether the motives of those who are sharing it is for good or not, as long as it is being preached.
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REFLECTION
• Are you bold enough to spread the Good News to as much people as you can?
IRONIES OF LIFE Poem Devotional
September 19
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IRONIES OF LIFE
A poem by ILMA
When you dig a well, you probably might fall in
When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake
When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you
When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax
Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade
That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed
Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words
Fools use their assumptions, so their conclusions are wicked madness
No one knows what’s going to happen; no one can predict the future
Fools are so tired by a little work; they can’t even find their way home
Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
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MEMORY VERSE
Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. – Ecclesiastes 10:10
Read: Ecclesiastes 10:5-20
Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and reality. King Solomon presents some of these ironies in life that we face. Let us learn from these ironies and take it as a guide so we can do the wise thing instead of doing what fools might do.
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REFLECTION
• What ironies in life have you been faced with lately?
• Why do you think people go crazy when they can’t predict what’s going to happen?
• Why is important for us to search for the truth and live by it?
REMEMBER GOD WHILE YOU’RE YOUNG Poem Devotional
September 18
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REMEMBER GOD WHILE YOU’RE YOUNG
A poem by ILMA
Don’t let youth’s excitement cause you to forget your Creator
Honor him in your youth before getting old and thinking that life is bad
Remember him before all sources of light seems dim to your old eyes
Reminisce it before rain clouds continually darken your sky.
Remember him before your legs starts to tremble
Recall him before your shoulders starts to stoop
Remember him before your teeth fall or stop grinding
Do it before your eyes have trouble seeing already.
Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed
Don’t wait for wasted time when the sound of work fades
In youth, you are excited and you rise at the first chirping of the birds
As you grow older, all different kinds of sounds will grow faint.
Remember him before you’re near the grave, your everlasting home
Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young
For then the dust will return to the earth
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
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MEMORY VERSE
Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. – Ecclesiastes 12:1
Read: Ecclesiastes 12:1-6
Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in his old age. He was considered the wisest person in his time. Because he asked the Lord for wisdom instead of riches, he was granted all the wisest words of advice. In these verses, we are cautioned not to wait to be very old when we acknowledge God. He tells us to remember the creator while we are young since, we won’t have the chance to enjoy Him when we are already nearing our end.
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REFLECTION
• Why must people not forget to remember their creator while they are still young?
DEATH COMES TO ALL Poem Devotional
September 17
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DEATH COMES TO ALL
A poem by ILMA
Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands,
No one knows whether God will or will not show them favor
The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked
Good people receive the same treatment as sinners.
It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate
Twisted by evil, people choose their own mad choices and have no hope
There is nothing ahead but death and there’s hope only for the living
As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”
The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing
They have no further reward, nor are they remembered
Whatever they did in their lifetime—is all long gone
They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.
Whatever you do, do well, you only live once.
When you go to the grave, there’ll be no work or wisdom.
The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race
The strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle
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MEMORY VERSE
The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. – Ecclesiastes 9:5
Read: Ecclesiastes 9:1-12
Death is something that will inevitably come in our lives. Some people avoid this topic because they don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ who has overcome the grave and has resurrected. They think their existence ends in physical death. Jesus promises eternal life for those who believes him.
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REFLECTION
• What is the reason behind the “fear of physical death?”
• Why do people who don’t know Jesus lose hope when someone dies?
LIMITS OF HUMAN WISDOM Poem Devotional
September 15
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LIMITS OF HUMAN WISDOM
A poem by ILMA
Most things are meaningless including the death of good young persons
Another thing that’s pointless is the long life of wicked people
Don’t be too good or too wise! On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either
Why die before your time? Anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.
One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!
Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins
Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear others curse you
For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.
I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions
I said to myself, “I want to be wise.” But it’s always distant and difficult to find
I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and understand things
I was resolute to prove that wickedness is stupid and foolishness is madness.
Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for
Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!
But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous
But people have each turned to follow their own downward path.
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MEMORY VERSE
God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path. – Ecclesiastes 7:29
Read: Ecclesiastes 7:15-29
One of the things humans pursue in their lives is to understand things and be wise but the author of the book of Ecclesiastes discusses in this chapter how human wisdom is very limited. We try to find things to do that we think is meaningful, but we often miss out on what we were created for. God created us all to be righteous but we almost always follow our sinful human nature.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people want to understand and take control of meaningless things?
WISE WORDS TO LIVE BY Poem Devotional
September 14
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WISE WORDS TO LIVE BY
A poem by ILMA
A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume
The day you die is better than the day you are born
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties
After all, everyone die, so the living should take this to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us
The wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fools think only of good times Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool
A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire.
Extortion turns wise people into fools and bribes corrupt the heart.
Finishing is better than starting and patience is better than pride.
Control your temper for anger and don’t dwell on the good old days
When you manage your emotion, you will benefit in life.
Wisdom and money can get you anything but only wisdom can save you
Accept the way God does things for who can straighten what he’s made crooked?
Enjoy prosperity when while you still can but realize that both come from God
Remember that nothing is certain in this life; everything is in the Lord’s hand.
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MEMORY VERSE
Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.
-Ecclesiastes 7:12
Read: Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Most people live their lives carelessly without much thoughts on things that they should care about. They get all wrapped up in the world’s system and standards that God’s truth and his words are not important to them.
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REFLECTION
• What wise words touches you in this chapter of Ecclesiastes?
• Why is it important for us to be in touch with truth instead of focusing and believing the lies surrounding us?
• What do you believe is the key to a successful and joyful life?
ON DESIRING WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE Poem Devotional
September 13
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ON DESIRING WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE
A poem by ILMA
There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun
It weighs heavily on humanity; God gives some people great wealth
Then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things
They die, and someone else, ends up enjoying their wealth.
A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old
But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial
It would have been better for him to be born dead
His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness.
He wouldn’t even have had a name and he would never have seen the sun
Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man
He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment
Since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?
All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they don’t have enough
So are wise people really better off than fools?
Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have
Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
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MEMORY VERSE
Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind. – Ecclesiastes 6:9
Read: Ecclesiastes 6: 1-9
Ecclesiastes explains how life can be meaningless and how we humans can focus so much on what we don’t have instead of what we actually have. This constant desire to clamor for something that is unattainable is what drives many people to covet, steal or live a life of discontent.
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REFLECTION
• Why is desiring something you don’t have meaningless?
• Why should we enjoy what we have instead of focusing on what we lack?
THE INJUSTICES OF LIFE Poem Devotional
September 9
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THE INJUSTICES OF LIFE
A poem by ILMA
I noticed that under the sun there is evil and corruption in the courtroom “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”
I also thought about how God proves to people that they are like animals
For people and animals share the same fate, both breathe and both must die.
So, people have no real advantage over the animals; how meaningless
Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust
For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and animals goes down
So, I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work.
That is our lot in life; no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die
Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun
I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them
The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.
So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living
But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born
For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun
Then I saw most people want success because they envy others.
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MEMORY VERSE
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. – Ecclesiastes 4:4
Read: Ecclesiastes 3:16- 4:6
As long as we are alive, we will be witnesses to the many injustices in this world. This chapter of Ecclesiastes tells us how meaningless life can be and how chasing success is futile and worthless.
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REFLECTION
• Why do people chase success in this life?
• Why do you think God allows injustices to happen even in the lives of good people?
• What should be the focus of a believer’s life?
A TIME FOR EVERYTHING Poem Devotional
September 8
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A TIME FOR EVERYTHING
A poem by ILMA
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven
A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to harvest
A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up
A time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter and to gather stones; a time to embrace and turn away
A time to search and to quit searching; a time to keep and to throw away
A time to tear and a time to mend; a time to be quiet and a time to speak
A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
What do people really get for all their hard work?
God has made everything beautiful for its own time
He has planted eternity in the human heart
But people can’t see the scope of God’s work from start to end.
So I concluded there’s nothing better than to be happy and enjoy life
And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor
For these are gifts from God and his purpose is that people should fear him
What happens in the future has happened before for God makes the same things.
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MEMORY VERSE
And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. – Ecclesiastes 3:13
Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
Timing is essential in our lives. The book of Ecclesiastes stresses the importance of this. There’s a time for everything and so we need to be able to respect such boundaries. There is no reason to hold on to a season since God wants us to move back to the next season he has opened for us.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for us to be able to live in the timing that we are brought into?
• Why do some people hold on to a time in their life and get stuck?
• Why do we need to enjoy life and fear God as well?