September 4
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BOAST ONLY ABOUT THE LORD
A poem by ILMA
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down strongholds
We don’t engage in human reasoning but destroy false arguments
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.
We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ
Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ
I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord
But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down, so I’ll use my authority.
We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority
We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the God’s work
We don’t boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done
We hope your faith will grow so the boundaries or our work will be extended.
Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you
We hope to go where no one else is working
Then there will be no question of boasting done in someone else’s territory
As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”
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MEMORY VERSE
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Read: 2 Corinthians 10
Paul reminds us of the only thing we can boast about if we are believers. That is to boast only about the Lord. We are never to show off anything we do for him, but only about his glory and power.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to give up our rebellious thought and hold it captive to Christ?
Tag Archives: ILMA’s Poem Devotional
ON GIVING GENEROUSLY Poem Devotional
September 3
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ON GIVING GENEROUSLY
A poem by ILMA
A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop
But the one who plants generously will get a generous yield
You must each decide in your heart how much to give
Don’t give reluctantly or as if it is a burden
For God loves a person who gives cheerfully
And our Lord will generously provide all that you need
You will always have your essentials met
And still plenty left over to share with others.
As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor
Their good deeds will be remembered and He provides seed for the farmers
He gives them bread to eat and increase their resources
The Heavenly Father then produce a great harvest of generosity in you
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous
And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God
Two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express gratitude to God.
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MEMORY VERSE
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. – 2 Corinthians 9:6
Read: 2 Corinthians 9
In this chapter, Paul gives us the secret of generosity. Sadly some Christians do not follow this principle. The more we give, the more blessings are poured on us. The stingier we are with giving, the more we won’t have an abundance.
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REFLECTION
• Why does God want us to be stingy with our money and resources?
• Why do we need to be cheerful when we give?
LIGHT CAN’T LIVE WITH DARKNESS Poem Devotional
September 1
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LIGHT CAN’T LIVE WITH DARKNESS
A poem by ILMA
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers
How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?
How can light live with darkness?
What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?
How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?
And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?
For we are the temple of the living God
As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them.
He further said: “I will be their God, and they will be my people
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
And separate yourselves from them, says the LORD
Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters,
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves
We need to stay away from everything that can defile our body or spirit
And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
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MEMORY VERSE
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
– 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Read: 2 Corinthians 6: 14-7:1
Paul explains to the Corinthians how light and dark can never live together. We are asked to work toward complete holiness if we are believers. Never compromise purity.
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REFLECTION
• Why are we discouraged to live with unbelievers if we are true believers?
• What happens if we associate with those who are living in darkness?
GOD’S PARTNER Poem Devotional
August 31
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GOD’S PARTNER
A poem by ILMA
As God’s partners, we beg you not to ignore this gift of God’s kindness
God says, “At just the right time, On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us.
In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God
We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind
We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs,
We worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.
We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, By the Holy Spirit and by our sincere love, we faithfully preach the truth
God’s power is working in us; we use the weapons of righteousness
We serve God whether people honor us or despise us.
We are honest, but they call us impostors
We are ignored, even though we are well known
We live close to death, but we are still alive
We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.
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MEMORY VERSE
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. – 2 Corinthians 6:1
Read: 2 Corinthians 6: 1-9
In this account of Paul, we are summoned to be God’s partner. We are asked to prove ourselves by our purity, understanding, patience and kindness. It is through the Holy Spirit power that we can live a life of holiness and righteous living.
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REFLECTION
• What have you done to prove that you are God’s partner in life?
• Why is it important to let the Holy Spirit be alive in you all the time?
• What are the things we do that we can lose God’s Spirit in us?
WONDERFUL MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION Poem Devotional
August 30
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WONDERFUL MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION
A poem by ILMA
Because we understand our responsibility to the Lord, we persuade others
If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God for Christ’s love controls us
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we died to the old life
He died for all who receive his new life and those who don’t live for themselves.
Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them
So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view
At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human perspective
This means all those who have committed to Jesus are new persons.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God who reconciles people to himself
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself
He no longer counting people’s sins against them.
And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us
We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin.
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MEMORY VERSE
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. – 2 Corinthians 5:18
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
This letter of Paul to the Corinthians addresses how God wants us all to reconcile everyone to himself. This is the only purpose we have in life. All those who believe Christ are called to bring back others to God.
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REFLECTION
• Have you brought the message of reconciliation to someone?
• What happens when we give up our comfort zone to bring Christ to someone?
• Have you died to the old life when you committed yourself to Christ?
LIKE FRAGILE CLAY JARS Poem Devotional
August 28
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LIKE FRAGILE CLAY JARS
A poem by ILMA
Since God in his mercy has given us a new way, we never give up
We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods
We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God
We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
Satan, the god of this world, has blinded unbeliever’s minds
God’s truth is hidden only from people who are perishing
They’re unable to see the glorious light of the Good News
They don’t understand the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
God said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” and allowed believers’ to see
They know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ
We now have this light in our hearts, but we’re like fragile clay jars
We have this great treasure inside us and feel God’s power in us.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed
We are perplexed, but not driven to anguish
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
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MEMORY VERSE
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:7
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-9
The Greek word for clay is ostrakinos, from which the archaeological term “ostraca”—pottery sherds—is derived. He argued that the references to light in verses 4 and 6 strongly suggest that clay lamps were the ceramic objects in Paul’s mind when he wrote this passage. So Paul developed his analogy about the fragility of the human body from the clay lamps used in antiquity to provide light. -extracted from biblical archeology.com
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REFLECTION
• Have you allowed God’s light to shine and praise his power inside your heart?
VEIL THAT KEEPS US FROM KNOWING Poem Devotional
August 26
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VEIL THAT KEEPS US FROM KNOWING
A poem by ILMA
Now that the Holy Spirit is giving us life
Aren’t we to expect greater glory under the new way?
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious
How much more it is with the new way, it makes us right with God.
In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the new way
So, if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious,
How much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
This new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
To this day whenever the old covenant is heard, the same veil covers their minds They cannot understand the truth. And this veil can only be taken away by Christ Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings.
Their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there’s freedom So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect God’s glory who is He makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
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MEMORY VERSE
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:16-17
Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
The veil that is being talked about in this part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians hampers us all to see the glorious presence of God. In this chapter, Paul stresses the importance of having that veil removed only by Christ. We just need to ensure that we haven’t turned our backs on God and this veil will be removed.
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REFLECTION
• How do we ensure that the veil is going to be removed from us?
• Why do you think some people carry on the veil that prevents them from knowing?
GOD COMFORTS US ALL
August 25
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GOD COMFORTS US ALL
A poem by ILMA
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort
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.
The more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort
It is for our benefit when we are weighed down with troubles
For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort others.
Then we can patiently endure the same things we suffer.
We are confident that as you share in our sufferings,
You will also share in the comfort God gives us
We think you ought to know about the trouble we went through
We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure.
We thought we would never live through it and we expected to die
But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and relied only on God
He did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again
He will continue to rescue us because God has graciously answered prayers.
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MEMORY VERSE
For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 1: 5
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
The world views suffering very differently as God would. Getting comforted from someone is something we all desire as human beings. When we don’t get it from people, we expect it from, we get frustrated and sometimes angry. It leads us to become needy. What we don’t realize is that God always gives us comfort, but we need to look at the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to understand this.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think comfort is something that we people can’t do without in this world?
ORDER TO THE RESURRECTION Poem Devotional
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?
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?