Tag Archives: ILMA BARAYUGA-DOHERTY

CHOICES Poem Devotional

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September 8________________________________________
Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. -3 John 11 (NLT)
CHOICES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do your actions prove you belong to God’s camp?
Is your life shining of goodness like a lamp?
Follow only what is good and righteous
If you are his child, you will follow Jesus.
Remember that those who do good will have life
Those who do otherwise are in bondage and blind
Will you take the right path to salvation?
Will you continue to take the road to damnation?
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Choice is defined as an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. Most people who live peaceful and happier lives have made choices that brought them to where they are. There are some people who never make choices. Their lives are full of confusion, conflicts and irresponsible behavior. They procrastinate as a result of not wanting to make a decision. It is very unhealthy not to make choices because our lives are defined by the choices we make.
I am still suffering consequences of many wrong choices I made when I was not aligning my life to God’s will. The bible warns us to make a choice to be righteous or do evil. Our actions result from the choices we make or we don’t make.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me in your will always.
REFLECTION
What consequence have you suffered as a result of a wrong choice?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

ON LOVING OTHERS Poem Devotional

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September 7________________________________________
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8(NLT)
ON LOVING OTHERS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Anyone who is a child of God never ceases to love
But anyone who doesn’t love is not of God’s
Love dissolves doubts, fear and conflicts
It brings contentment, harmony and peace
It doesn’t reject or discriminate someone
Love forgives and brings about joy and fun
God’s children choose to love always
Loving is the final path and the only way.
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How can you know a real Christian? A believer is usually known by how much they love. One cannot say that they love God if they do not love anyone else apart from themselves. What is love? It is not just a gooey feeling you get when you are attracted to someone. It is deeper than that. Love is a commitment and a decision. It is a choice to give and serve someone in order to assure them that they are important and that they matter.
The bible describes children of God as loving people. Anyone who loves is a child of God. God is love, so those who believe him are expected to be following him. Those who find it hard to love are not children of God.
PRAYER
Thank you for being a loving God.
REFLECTION
How can you show love to unloving people?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

DISCERNING THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH Poem Devotional

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September 6________________________________________
But we belong to God and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. – 1 John 4:6 (NLT)
DISCERNING THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
How do you know if someone is real or counterfeit?
There is no condemnation in the Holy Spirit
There is no darkness where God’s light shines
Evil will not be able to stand the brilliance of his light.
You can only discern the of truth if you know Christ
Dwell on his word and he will give you wisdom and insight
The Holy Spirit will live in your heart if you believe
He will guide you to discern which is real or counterfeit.
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There are many counterfeits these days. The enemy is frantic because the army of God is actually spreading all over the ends of the earth. How do we protect ourselves from false teachers and teachings? There is only one way to do it. Have a relationship with Christ and stay in the word of God. Feed on it daily and seek to pursue knowing Jesus no matter what. The only way we can stop the deception is to have a deep intimacy with Christ and seek his truth. If we know the truth, we can easily detect a lie.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me hungry for your word.
REFLECTION
Have you ever dealt with anti-Christs or counterfeits?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

WHO KNOWS CHRIST Poem Devotional

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September 5________________________________________
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. -1 John 3:6 (NLT)
WHO KNOWS CHRIST?
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do all Christians know Christ?
Are they able to follow his life?
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin
Those who keep on sinning do not really know him.
To know Jesus is to follow the example he sets
Those who have intimacy with him never frets
If you really know Christ, you’ll seek him first
You won’t live in worldly standard but in his light.
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There are believers who don’t really know Christ. They continually live in worldly standards. There were almost a decade of my life that I went to various bible studies and I got discouraged meeting a few Christians who do not act like believers. I have quite a few traumatic experiences with some elders in one church because they are forming cliques that excludes others. They discriminated others especially new believers.
God doesn’t wants us to behave opposite of what he created us to be. When we do unloving things, we really cannot claim that we know God well.
There is a gauge to know someone who is intimate with Christ. Their lives are examples of a life of humility, service and praise for God.
PRAYER
Lord, let me never stop following you.
REFLECTION
How intimate are you with Christ? Would you say that you follow Jesus’ example?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST Poem Devotional

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September 4________________________________________
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. –Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you believed in Christ as your Savior
You are actually free from condemnation
Because you belong to him, his Spirit lives in you
He makes your heart and mind renewed
The Spirit of the Lord living in you makes you free
It cleanses your sin and power is released
You need not listen to any lies from the enemy
He wants you to feel condemned and not see.
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Whenever there is guilt inside you, remember that it is not from the Lord. God is love and condemnation is not a manifestation of love. It comes from Satan. He wants you to feel bad or judged about something and later be paralyzed to do something about it. John 12:47 says that Jesus did not come to judge but to save the world.
Conviction on the other hand comes from God. It is godly sorrow that leads us to repent and confess our sins and to make a decision to avoid sinning again. Conviction is the way the Holy Spirit corrects us and teaches us the way out. The bible says that those who belong to Christ does not feel condemned.
PRAYER
Thank you for convicting me of my sins Lord.
REFLECTION
What have you been convicted of lately by the Spirit of God?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

LIKE A SWEET PERFUME Poem Devotional

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September 3________________________________________
But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. -2 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)
LIKE A SWEET PERFUME
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you declared Christ as your Lord and Savior
You became captives of the heavenly Father
He uses each believer like a sweet perfume
Just like fragrant flowers in full bloom.
Spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere!
Be ready to give testimony and share
Like a sweet perfume, let love and joy linger
Let it cover the stench of the world’s evil.
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The sense of smell is heightened for people who experienced trauma. When I went to trauma therapy, we had to work on a lingering smell in my memory which dated back to my very first physical trauma. It was a powerful experience to know how a certain smell can trigger me back to a past painful event. Without a good sense of smell, we miss out on our taste buds too. Some people who can’t smell also have a poor taste bud. I always associated perfumes with my mother because she always wore one daily.
The bible says that when we surrender our lives to Christ, we become captives to his love. We become crusaders for him and we cannot stop talking and telling people about him
PRAYER
Lord, motivate me to testify for you.
REFLECTION
Relate the last time you witnessed for Christ and told the world about the Good News.
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

SUFFERING FOR CHRIST Poem Devotional

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September 2________________________________________
For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. -2 Corinthians 1:5 (NLT)
SUFFERING FOR CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you marginalized because you are a believer?
Are you rejected when you talk about your Redeemer?
Have you been ridiculed for being a Christian?
Suffering for Christ should not feel like a prison.
The more we suffer for the sake of Christ
The more we will be comforted in our lives
When you suffer for him, you will be rewarded
A place in heaven awaits those who are persecuted.
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Suffering for the sake of someone is a choice we can make. Suffering as a consequence of a wrong choice is a violation of the law of sowing and reaping. I suffered a lot in my young life because of the sin of rebellion. I was a strong willed child. Corporal punishment was the norm those days. Because I wasn’t shown and told that I was loved, I became bitter and rebellious. I had many questions that were never answered by authority figures in my growing years. I became obsessed to get answers and prove them all wrong. I punished them for their lack of love and affection for me. As a result, I suffered.
The bible tells us that if we suffer for Christ, we will be comforted. If we suffer because of sin, we have a choice to confess and repent.
PRAYER
Lord, teach me to suffer for you.
REFLECTION
When have you ever suffered for Christ?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

TROUBLES BRING COMFORT Poem Devotional

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September 1________________________________________
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. –2 Corinthians1:4 (NLT)
TROUBLES BRING COMFORT
A poem and essay by ILMA
Is something bothering you these days?
Don’t worry, for your troubles will not last always
Whenever you are troubled, be joyful
God’s spirit will comfort so you can be fruitful.
He grants us comfort so we can serve one another
He gives us comfort so we can share it to others
When we receive comfort after our troubles
He expects us to give the same to our sisters and brothers.
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When we experience pain, suffering or traumas, it is impossible to be joyful. But the bible says that we should be happy when we have troubles because it brings us to a place of healing and builds our character and endurance (James 1:2). I experienced a lot of pain and traumas in my life as a very young child. I became a very bitter young adult because of all the effects of those painful events. I felt hurt in the nth degree that’s why I easily empathize with those in pain. Somehow deep inside me, I felt that the pain I feel with be lesser if I help comfort someone else’s pain. The bible summons us to be joyful when we have pain for God will comfort us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for comforting me always.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you comforted someone?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

RETURN HOME

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August 31________________________________________
“Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord. “for I am your master.” And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding. –Jeremiah 3:14, 15 (NLT)
RETURN HOME
A poem and essay by ILMA
When was the last time you talked to God?
Have you gone wayward and never bring him laud?
Don’t you realize that you can’t go far without him?
You need to return home so you can be redeemed.
When you choose a life outside of his will
You are opening up the door for Satan to steal
Without God, you will be lost and astray
Believe Christ, the Spirit can remain in you and stay.
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From age twelve to twenty eight, I went wayward. I served my own self and never really aligned my will with God’s. I satisfied my own desires and relied heavily on myself and what the world expected from me. What was the aftermath of sixteen years of rebellion? In a nutshell, it was chaos and bondage Because of all the wrong notions I had about life which was dumped on me by the world, my family of origin, human traditions and culture.
When I became a mother, God pulled me out of bondage to sin and confusion. It took many decades before I totally surrendered every aspect of my life to him.
The bible says that God summons us to go back to him so he can guide us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your love.
REFLECTION
What stops you from returning home to God?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com

ABANDONED & FORSAKEN GOD Poem Devotional

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August 30________________________________________
Does a young woman forget her jewelry? Does a bride hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me. – Jeremiah 2:32 (NLT)
ABANDONED & FORSAKEN GOD
A poem and essay by ILMA
Does your heart dwell only on temporary things?
Are you concerned only with shiny bling?
Like a young woman who can’t forget her jewelry
Believers must not take for granted the Almighty.
Do you always spend time with Jesus?
Are you keeping all your promises?
When you forsake the love and call of Christ
You are endangering and compromising your life.
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If there is someone who has experienced abandonment, it would be Jesus Christ and God. How many believers actually spend regular time studying God’s word or praying? How many Christians have believed lies from the enemy and stopped seeking the truth? A lot of us is so busy to even have a time to rest. We work unendingly because we want to satisfy our pleasures. We barely talk to God.
The bible talks about a God who is abandoned and forsaken by his own people. Jeremiah illustrates how God’s people have taken him for granted in so many occasions. They have created their own images and idols to satisfy their cravings. They live reckless and corrupt lives. He illustrated how a bride would never forget her wedding dress. We ought to treasure God this way too. He is our treasure.
PRAYER
I am sorry when I take you for granted Lord!
REFLECTION
How can you avoid abandoning God in this chaotic world?
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com