Tag Archives: ilmaarts.com

GOD EXAMINES THE HEART Poem Devotional

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April 19________________________________________
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. – Psalm 139:1(NLT)
GOD EXAMINES THE HEART
A poem and essay by ILMA
O Lord, please examine my heart
Look closely and help me never to brag
Your love for me is unconditional and true
Help my heart to be cleansed and renewed.
Convict me when I am inclined to do wrong
Show me how to be patient and endure long
Help me never to allow my heart to harden
Heal me when it gets corrupted or broken.

Heart surgery is done to correct problems with the heart. The most common type of heart surgery for adults is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from the body is connected, or grafted, to a blocked coronary (heart) artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses (that is, goes around) the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This creates a new path for oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart muscle. CABG can relieve chest pain and may lower the risk of having a heart attack. Traditional heart surgery, often called open-heart surgery, is done by opening the chest wall to operate on the heart. This allows the surgeon to operate on a heart that isn’t beating and that doesn’t have blood flowing through it.
Spiritual heart surgery happens when God examines our hearts and rebukes us if it’s been corrupted by sin. He revives us through his word.
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PRAYER
Lord, always examine and cleanse my heart.
REFLECTION
Why do we need to allow hearts to be examined by God?
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

CARRY YOUR OWN CROSS Poem Devotional

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April 18________________________________________
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
-Luke 14:27(NLT)
CARRY YOUR OWN CROSS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you constantly complain about your sufferings?
As a Christian, you ought to hope and keep on believing
You cannot be Christ’s disciple if you can’t endure
It grows your faith when you quietly suffer.
Like Jesus, we are encouraged to carry our burdens
It makes us know him and brings us closer to heaven
Why do you continue to complain about your predicament?
Embrace it and do it for Jesus and you won’t lament.________________________________________
Did you watch the movie “The Passion of Christ?” It was one of the most powerful movies I have seen in my life. It was about how Jesus Christ carried the cross which bore all our sins and how he was abused, rejected, spitted on and nailed on the cross. To be crucified in the time of Jesus was the death penalty for someone who committed a grave crime. Yet, the bible says that he was innocent. Mel Gibson directed this movie in order to give the viewers a chance to get into the shoes of Christ. It was probably the closest film that really depicted the way he suffered in order to free us from the penalty of sin. The bible says that if we want to be his disciple, we must carry our own cross.
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PRAYER
Lord, give me strength to carry on all the trials and sufferings.
REFLECTION
Why do you think God allows humans to suffer?
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

GIVE UP ALL FOR JESUS Poem Devotional

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April 16________________________________________
So you cannot be my disciple without giving up everything you own. – Luke 14:33(NLT)
GIVE UP ALL FOR JESUS
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you decide to be Jesus’ disciple
You are required to follow him and give up all
You can’t serve other gods but only your creator
You must give up the world and all other idols.
Surrender everything you own when you follow Christ
Nothing else should take your focus on him in this life
Relinquish all things that might take his place
This way, you can guard your heart all of your life’s days.
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When you get married, you give up your single life and embrace a life with your spouse. You are no longer two separate individuals, but you are now two in one. In other words, you are two-in-one. You cannot be removed from each other’s presence unless one of you goes astray and decides that they now want to go back to their former single life.
Just like changing your status from single to married, being a disciple of Christ also means that there are things that you need to give up in order to make the union thrive. The bible tells us that there are some pre-requisites to being a disciple. Jesus Christ must be the center of your life and that you must give up anything that will compete with your attention to focus only on him.
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PRAYER
Lord, let me learn to surrender everything for you.
REFLECTION
How is relinquishing all to Jesus essential for spiritual maturity?
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

WORK OUT ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN Poem Devotional

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April 14________________________________________
He chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
-Ephesians 1:11(NLT)
WORK OUT ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN
A poem and essay by ILMA
When things are not working according to your expectation
Don’t worry! God makes it all good according to his vision
He chose you in advance to ensure that everything works out
Don’t lose hope, his love, blessings and mercy abounds.
He is faithful and he is after your heart and your obedience
Follow his lead and he will grant you patience and endurance
He has prepared a place for us to join him in heaven
Grow your faith for his promises are many for his brethren.
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Have you ever made a blueprint? A blueprint is a guide for making something — it’s a design or pattern that can be followed. A plan is important so that what you are intending to do is clear and so you can execute it with higher success rate. Without a vision and a plan, you are more prone to fail. In Habakkuk 2:2, we are instructed to write down your vision. It is essential to see in advance the details of what you hope for to happen.
The bible also said in Mark 11:24 that you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. God also chose us in advance and he works everything according to his plan.
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PRAYER
Lord, grant me discernment to hear your plan for my life.
REFLECTION
Why do you think planning leads to success?
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

WATCH YOU DON’T DESTROY OTHERS Poem Devotional

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April 12________________________________________
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. -Galatians 5:15(NLT)
WATCH YOU DON’T DESTROY OTHERS
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you believed in Jesus Christ
You must live in his light
He commands you to love all
Walk in love and you’ll never fall.
Watch you don’t fight and destroy others
Beware that you don’t jeer at one another
The enemy wants to steal your joy and peace
Guard your heart and you will win over sin.
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Have you ever been in an environment where every person there is always watching each other for a booboo or a weakness? The one who is found to make a mistake or have a weakness is grilled, criticized or ridiculed. I have worked with people like these when I was in my twenties. I worked in a performance oriented setting and each one has to prove that they are competent in their work. There is no room for error or weakness. No one forgives a blunder or a mistake. I learned to survive this job by focusing on perfecting my skills to live up to the high expectations.
The bible warns us to be watchful that we don’t destroy others. We have to stop biting and devouring one another. Instead, we need to let the Holy Spirit correct us and guide us when we relate to others.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me never to engage in any form of conflict.
REFLECTION
How may we unconsciously be destroying someone we are in relationship with?
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

LOVE AS YOU WANT TO BE LOVED Poem Devotional

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April 11________________________________________
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command; “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14(NLT)
LOVE AS YOU WANT TO BE LOVED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Love the Lord your God as he commanded
Walk in his ways, so you will be guided
The Lord God summed up the law in one
He wants you to follow his one and only Son.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself
Do not delay any occasion to give help
If you love others, you show love to God
When you walk in love, you are giving him laud.
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When the apostles asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-39, he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Why do you think he said that the first and greatest is the same as the second one? It both involved “love.” Remember that in 1 John 4:8 it said that anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Since He is love and we are made in his image (Genesis 1:27), therefore our default setting is love. When we engage in unloving things, we do not follow the creator’s owner’s manual. The whole law is summed up in “love.”
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PRAYER
Thanks for your loving ways and for creating us in your image, Lord.
REFLECTION
How can love conquer all?
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

WHEN YOU SHOW MERCY Poem Devotional

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April 10________________________________________
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. -James 2:13 (NLT)
WHEN YOU SHOW MERCY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you give mercy to others quickly
The Lord will forgive you easily
There’ll be no mercy to those who are merciless
You will be judged when you don’t grant forgiveness.
When you show mercy, you are loving
When you deny it, you are sinning
Granting forgiveness when others ask it
Is the key to living a life led by Spirit.
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The Lord’s Prayer specifically states that we are to forgive others first before we can ask him for forgiveness. We cannot ask something that we have not given to others. How can we expect to receive something that we have deprived others of? God is a very merciful, faithful and loving God. According to Lamentations, he gives us mercy afresh each morning. We need to live in his grace and when we do, he also expects us to give what we have been given.
James warns us of the judgment we will get when we don’t grant others the mercy that God has generously given us. He also reminds us how he will lavish us with mercy when we do forgive others.
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PRAYER
Lord, remind me to always be quick to forgive and to ask for forgiveness for my own sins.
REFLECTION
Why do you think it is hard for many people to be merciful to others?
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

THE SIN OF PREJUDICE Poem Devotional

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April 9________________________________________
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. – James 2:9(NLT)
THE SIN OF PREJUDICE
A poem and essay by ILMA
God created all men differently but equal
He is patient with us and he is always loyal
He doesn’t prefer someone else over another
He wants us to love all of our sisters and brothers.
If you have a prejudice over the weak or the poor
You are guilty of breaking the law, you are a fool
When you favor someone else over another
You are sinning against God and your neighbors.
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When I came to Canada, I never thought I would experience prejudice just because I came from Asia. Moving to a small town with thirty thousand people and with a majority of Caucasians, posed a challenge for me during the first eight years of my move here. In 2004, I would say that there might have been only a handful of Asians or Black people here, probably not even a hundred out of that population. I wasn’t even aware of it at the beginning, but then as months passed by, I encountered hostile looks, being treated like you are stupid and can’t understand them. Some did silent mockery by minimizing your capacity and skills or not giving you an opportunity to get the good job positions. The bible says that it is a sin to have prejudice over others.
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PRAYER
Lord, please help me never to mistreat anyone or be biased or judged someone different from me.
REFLECTION
Why does God hate prejudice?
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

WORD GIVES LIFE Poem Devotional

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April 7________________________________________
He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. -James 1:18(NLT)
WORD GIVES LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When God created the world
He breathed on it and spoke the word
The word brings life when it is uttered
It shines God’s light so bright and alive.
When you seek his true word, you give birth
Things multiply and continue to get big
The truth also brings about joy and freedom
It brings us closer and closer to God’s kingdom.
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Before I became born again, I had no idea how powerful the word of God was. I didn’t know that it could set me free. I didn’t even realize that it will bring healing to me in all aspects of my life. I underwent so much traumas and it manifested in my body, mind and spirit. I was sick physically, emotionally and mentally. When I became born again and recommitted my life to Jesus, the first instruction I got was to feed on his word. I didn’t understand it at first. How can it heal me bodily, mentally and emotionally? I thought that it was only something spiritual that it deals with. When I finally obeyed God’s word, it literally exposed the lies that I believed for many years. I became aware of all the sins and the darkness I lived in. After seeking the truth, I was released from darkness.
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PRAYER
Thank you for your precious word.
REFLECTION
How has the word of God given birth to you?
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

GET UP AND WALK! Poem Devotional

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April 6________________________________________
But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, get up and walk!” -Acts 3:6(NLT)
GET UP AND WALK!
poem and essay by ILMA
When you fail and everything seems dreary
Get up and walk towards Christ; don’t get weary.
He will do the impossible if you will only believe
So why not step up in faith, and openly receive.
When you are given the gift of healing
Share it to free others from all kinds of illness
Jesus is the greatest of all healers
Go to him, get up and accept your miracle.
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I grew up with many illnesses. I had constant headaches, tonsillitis, tuberculosis before I reached ten years old. When I was in my twenties, I had ulcers, terrible migraines and kidney stones. By the time I was in my thirties, I had hepatitis A, anemia, hypokalemia, mild scoliosis and the migraines were so severe that I would be hospitalized for several days. By the time I turned forty, I was diagnosed with asthma and emphysema, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis. In my fifties, I had post traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, vertigo, high blood pressure was borderline diabetic and heel pains.
When I became born again, I began to ask the Lord to heal all these diseases with his blood and he reminded me to get up and receive healing.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your healing powers.
REFLECTION
What has the Lord recently healed you with?¬¬
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