December 3
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LOVE IN ACTION
A poem by ILMA
If we love our brothers and sisters, it proves we have life
But a person who has no love for anyone has no life and is dead
Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart
And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us
So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters
If someone has no concern for those in who are in need
They have no compassion so, how can God’s love be in them?
Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let’s show truth by our actions
Our actions will demonstrate that we belong to the truth and have confidence
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything
We will receive from God whatever we ask because we obeyed and followed him.
This is God’s command: “We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ”
He also wants us to love one another and whoever obeys will remain in him
So, seek to please the Lord and have fellowship with him so you can have life
When you do this, the Holy Spirit will dwell in you and you will stay in his light.
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MEMORY VERSE
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters – 1 John 3:16
Read: 1 John 3:11-24
The world has bombarded humans with a wrong notion of love. We live in a world that caters to self-seeking pleasures. There are few true lovers who would sacrificially give up their lives for others.
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REFLECTION
• What does “giving up” your life for others really means?
• Why did John say that someone who has no love in them is a dead person?
• Why is love not just a feeling but an action word? How can we grow acting it out?
Tag Archives: ILMA’s Poem Devotional
THOSE WHO BELONG TO GOD Poem DEvotional
December 2
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THOSE WHO BELONG TO GOD
A poem by ILMA
See how very much our Father loves us; he calls us his children
Those who belong to this world don’t recognize us; they don’t know the Father
But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to God’s commands
Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin
But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know who God is.
When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous,
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil
The Son of God came to destroy the works of the enemy
We will only have victory if we believe in the one who can really save us.
Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning
God’s life is in them that is why they cannot continue to do wrong
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil
Anyone who do evil and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
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MEMORY VERSE
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
– 1 John 3:10
Read: 1 John 3:1-10
How can we tell the difference between those who are God’s people and those who don’t belong to him? This chapter in the book of 1 John tells us that we can know the difference between them when they do not choose to stay in sin. Making a habit of sinning is a sign that they belong to the devil.
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REFLECTION
• What gives God’s people the courage to avoid sinning?
• How is not loving other believers a sign that they are children of the devil?
OBEDIENCE: SIGN THAT WE KNOW GOD Poem Devotional
November 30
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OBEDIENCE: SIGN THAT WE KNOW GOD
A poem by ILMA
I am writing this to you so that you will not sin, but you have a Helper
We have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father
He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous
He himself is the sacrifice that atones for the sins of the whole world.
We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments
If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t follow what he says
That person is a liar and is not living in the truth
Those who obey God truly show how completely they love him.
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did
We are commanded to love one another as has been told to us before
If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer
That person is still in the dark and has been blinded by the darkness.
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MEMORY VERSE
If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. – 1 John 2:4-5
Read: 1 John 2:1-11
There is a big discrepancy between saying we know God and claiming we are believers and yet fail to obey God’s commands. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot actually walk in truth and obedience. It is only the Spirit of the Lord that can convict us when we do wrong and show us a way out, or we get stuck in the sin. Those who say that they know God and yet don’t put into action the truth, they are only lying to themselves and are still living in darkness and does not live in the light.
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REFLECTION
• Why is obedience to God’s commands one of the hardest things to do in this world?
• Why is action an important part of being a Christian?
• What happens when we don’t do what we hear in the word of God?
• Why are we lying when we claim we are Christians and hate a fellow believer?
LIVE IN THE LIGHT Poem Devotional
November 29
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LIVE IN THE LIGHT
A poem by ILMA
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning
We ourselves have heard and seen Him with our own eyes
We touched him with our own hands; He is the Word of life
This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him.
Now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life
He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us
We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard
This way you may have fellowship with us, with the Father and with the Son.
We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you
We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God
When we live in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship others
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
If we claim we haven’t sinned, we call God a liar shows no place for him in our hearts.
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MEMORY VERSE
So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. – 1 John 1:6
Read: 1 John 1
Many believers have no idea how to live in the light. In this verse, John explains to us how to practically apply this concept in our lives. In verse 6, it is shown by how we relate to God and how we have fellowship with the body of Christ as well.
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REFLECTION
• How can we live in the light when we are isolating ourselves from God and others?
• Why is light and darkness not compatible?
• What happens when we continue to live in the dark and yet we say we believe?
CAUTION TO THE RICH Poem Devotional
November 28
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CAUTION TO THE RICH
A poem by ILMA
Listen carefully, all you who are rich: weep with anguish for what’s coming at you
There will be terrible troubles and suffering ahead of all those who are rich and famous
Your wealth will not last long, they will rot away and your clothes are like rags
Your gold and silver are corroded and that wealth will eat away your flesh like fire.
Those of you who are hoarders will face the day of judgment
Hoarding is clinging on to material possessions which you can’t bring anyway
You are born in this world without anything but naked
You will also return to the place you belong in the same way.
Hear the cries of those whom you have cheated so you can gain more
You have spent your years here on earth in luxury and convenience
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter
You have fully satisfied yourselves instead of looking after other.
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MEMORY VERSE
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you – James 5:1
Read: James 5:1-6
This letter of James gives a very harsh warning to the rich people. Like the man in the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, we see how greedy that man was storing up so much riches for himself instead of gaining riches in heaven. He had no idea that one day, all these things he stored up for himself will be gone for he doesn’t know when his life will be taken away from him.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the rich are cautioned vehemently here by James?
• Do you think that all rich people are not going to enter God’s kingdom?
• How can you be wealthy and yet enter the kingdom of God?
• Why is it very hard for the rich to really be true disciples? What stops them from being a true follower of God?
ON JUDGING AND SELF-CONFIDENCE Poem Devotional
November 27
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ON JUDGING AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
A poem by ILMA
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters
If you criticize and judge others, you are judging God’s law
Your duty is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you
God alone has the power to save or to destroy; you can’t judge your neighbors?
When you plan on doing things today or tomorrow, don’t be so certain
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow; you don’t know the future
Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone
Instead, say “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
Don’t be over-confident and talk of being certain about the uncertainties of life
You are boasting about your own pretentious plans and that is pride
All such boasting is evil and it is sin, rely only on the truth and God’s will
When you know what you ought to do and then not do it, it is sin.
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MEMORY VERSE
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you– James 4:11
Read: James 4:11-17
Human nature tends to always look at the wrong things or the negative side of others. Only by God’s grace can we see others as beautiful creatures made my God himself. We are cautioned by James to refrain from judging others because it is God’s law you criticize when you do that. He also reminds us not to rely on ourselves and plan without consulting God for that is pride. The only thing we should boast is that God has given us so much grace and mercy.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God prohibits us from judging others?
• Why do we need to rely on God at all times? How does pride develops when we constantly are independent
VALLEY OF DRY BONES Poem Devotional
November 25
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VALLEY OF DRY BONES
A poem by ILMA
He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor
They were scattered all across the ground and were completely dried out
Then he asked me, “Can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones
So, I said, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!
The LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again
I will put flesh and muscles and cover you with skin and breathe life into you.
Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley
The bones of each body attached themselves as complete skeletons
Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones
Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the wind”
The Lord says “Come, I breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.”
So, I spoke the message as I was told and breath came into their bodies
They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
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MEMORY VERSE
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! – Ezekiel 37:5
Read: Ezekiel
This prophecy of the Valley of the Dry Bones was spoken to the Israelites by the Lord God himself through the prophet Ezekiel. It is a great promise of God to his own people to restore them from their spiritually dead state into full life again.
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REFLECTION
• How can believers hold on to the hope of the promise of God that he can restore even dry bones are have been dead for many years?
• How can we focus on God’s power to resurrect dead and dry bones into life again?
TRUE AND PURE WISDOM Poem Devotional
November 24
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TRUE AND PURE WISDOM
A poem by ILMA
There is only one source of knowledge and true wisdom, our Lord
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it in your life
Do honorable acts of kindness and good works with humility
For all these actions originate from God’s true knowledge.
Don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom
Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic
When there’s jealousy and selfish ambition you’ll find evil.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; it is also peace loving
It is gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others
It is full of mercy and good deeds and shows no favoritism
It is always sincere and pursues peace to reap a harvest of righteousness.
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MEMORY VERSE
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. – James 3:17
Read: James 3:13-18
There is only one source of true and pure wisdom, the Lord God Almighty. People chase human knowledge and pursue it without knowing that it is only the wisdom that comes from God that is pure, peace-loving, gentle and yielding to others. It is full of mercy and shows no favoritism.
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REFLECTION
• Why are humans always in pursuit of wisdom?
• What does jealousy and selfish ambition lead us to?
• How is the wisdom coming from the world very different from God’s knowledge?
• What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
DEAD FAITH Poem Devotional
November 22
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DEAD FAITH
A poem by ILMA
What’s the use of faith if you claim you have it but don’t show it by your actions?
Does that kind of faith save someone or even show a sincere act of love?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing
Would you ignore their need and say farewell and have a good day?
So you see, If you claim you have faith but doesn’t produce acts, it is useless
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.”
How can you show me your faith if you don’t act on doing acts of kindness?
We show our true faith by the good deeds and loving acts that we manifest.
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God
Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror
How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is dead?
Abraham was made right with God by his action to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
You see, Abraham’s faith and his actions worked together, it made his faith complete
He was even called the friend of God because he had a faith that wasn’t dead
Rahab was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid the spies
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
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MEMORY VERSE
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. – James 2:17
Read: James 2:14-26
Some people think that just by saying they believe in Christ and live in his grace is good enough to be shining for Jesus. We can’t say we have faith if it doesn’t manifest in our lives and in our actions. This is just like hearing the word and not doing it. Faith is dead without real acts of kindness and love.
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REFLECTION
• Why should actions accompany our faith? What happens when we don’t manifest the love and concern that is expected from those who claim they are believers?
ON FAVORING OTHERS Poem Devotional
November 21
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ON FAVORING OTHERS
A poem by ILMA
How can you claim to have faith in Jesus if you favor some people over others?
Suppose someone comes dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry
Then another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes
If you give special attention to the rich and give the poor discrimination.
Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?
They’re the ones who will get the Kingdom he vowed to those who love him?
But some dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who repress you and drag you to court Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
It is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures saying
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others
Then, you are committing a sin and is guilty of breaking the law
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the one who broke it.
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MEMORY VERSE
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. – James 2:8
Read: James 2:1-12
It is interesting how the book of James talks about how we must treat everyone equal and not favor someone over another. How many characters in the bible have been a victim of favoritism? Jacob favored his son Joseph which drove all his other sons to plot to kill him. Rachel favored Jacob and sinned by convincing her own son to steal his brother’s birthright. When we favor someone over another, we are inviting jealousy and other sins.
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REFLECTION
• Why is having favoritism or discrimination a very lethal practice in our world?
• Have you ever experienced to be a favorite? What did it do to the other people around you?
• Have you ever been discriminated or marginalized in your workplace, in your own family or another country you have moved to?
• What causes people to favor someone over others?