July 3
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PAUL’S ARREST
A poem by ILMA
The whole city was rocked by the accusations to Paul and a riot ensued
Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple and gates closed
As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander
The Roman commander of the regimen heard of the uproar.
He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran the crowd
When the mob saw the commander and the troops, they stopped beating Paul
Then the commander arrested Paul and ordered him bound in chains
He asked the crowd who he was and what he has done.
Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar the confusion
He ordered Paul to be taken to the fortress but the mob was so violent
The soldiers had to lift him to their soldiers to protect him
The crowd followed behind, shouting “Kill him, kill him!”
As Paul was about to be taken inside, he asked to commander for a word with him
The commander asked if he was the Egyptian who led a rebellion
Paul replied “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia
He asked the commander to talk to the people and he agreed.
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MEMORY VERSE
As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. – Acts21:35
Read: Acts 21:30-38
The reaction of the crowd to Paul was so unthinkable. For someone who has done nothing wrong but to follow the Holy Spirit, it is evident how corrupt Jerusalem has become. They needed someone to blame and condemn and just like they did to Jesus, they are actually repeating it on Paul
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the crowd was so violently and vehemently adamant to kill and persecute Paul? What ticked them off?
Tag Archives: Poem devotional
YOU ARE NOT ALONE Poem Devotional
May 5________________________________________
Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. -1 Peter 5:4(NLT)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you are being pressed with so much suffering
Run to Jesus, he will give you strength to keep you enduring
Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith
Remember that you are not alone in your walk.
There are your family of believers all over the world
They are going through the same things, you’re not alone
The Lord will never forsake or abandon you
He has covered you, so run to his truth.
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One of the ways that the evil one attack us is being isolating us from others. He wants us to think that we don’t need anyone, especially God. He makes us believe that our case is the worst and that there is no way out. He will discourage us with many lies so that we cannot move forward to the next assignment God is planning for us.
The bible tells us that God never leaves us or forsakes us. He also wants us to be among other believers. When we fellowship with others, we learn that we are not alone in whatever we are going through. This is what the devil doesn’t want us to know.
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PRAYER
Thank you Lord for not leaving us alone.
REFLECTION
What happens when we isolate ourselves from 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
EMBRACE WISDOM & INSIGHT
March 27________________________________________
Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.
-Proverbs 7:4(NLT)
EMBRACE WISDOM & INSIGHT
A poem and essay by ILMA
When you embrace wisdom in your life
You’ll thrive over struggles and never lose sight
When you have an insight to God’s goodness
He will lead you to walk in his righteousness.
Embrace insight and love wisdom like a sister
When you invite them, they will make your life better
Have a dose of wisdom and understanding from Jesus
Be intimate with him and he’ll show you how to be righteous.
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Family is an integral part of a person’s life. A family can make or break a person. You may choose to leave your family if they are toxic but you can never change the fact that you are part of them. Our family is our root or foundation. If the family is not anchored on Jesus, they will not be firmly standing through all the trials and adversities in life. On the other hand, if your family is fixed on living a life for Christ, you will be blessed with favors and gifts from the Lord himself.
The bible tells us to embrace wisdom and insight like a beloved member of our family. By doing so, we will be guided accordingly when we encounter difficulties and challenging circumstances in our lives. The absence of it makes us an easy prey to the enemy.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your wisdom and giving us insight how to live our lives.
REFLECTION
How is wisdom a main ingredient in a victorious Christian life?
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 FEELING ABANDONED Poem Devotional
April 29
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My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? -Psalm 22:1(NLT)
WHEN FEELING ABANDONED
A poem and essay by ILMA
Whenever you feel that God is far away
Don’t despair, instead, go to him and pray
God knows exactly what you are experiencing
Do not allow the enemy to control your feelings.
When you feel alone and forsaken
Remember all those who are broken
He died for all the oppressed and rejected
So do not allow yourself to feel dejected.
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I used to always feel lonely and sad when I get triggered with memories of being neglected or abandoned. It is not a very pleasant feeling. The enemy twisted my perspective about being forsaken. He made me believe so many lies about my true identity in Christ. He whispered words to me such as “I don’t deserve to be loved.” It drove me to a point of desperation for about two decades of my life, but I thank God that he has delivered me from this bondage and set me free. I don’t feel despair anymore but he replaced my discouragement with courage and boldness to use all my traumatic experiences to share the gospel.
The psalmist in this verse actually felt abandoned. Our feelings are not always necessarily true. God never leaves us. He only allows us to experience pain so we can grow and be strong.
PRAYER
Lord, give me courage whenever I feel dejected.
REFLECTION
How can you overcome feelings of abandonment?
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
WARNING ABOUT END OF DAYS Poem Devotional
November 18 The Power of God’s Word
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. – 2 Timothy 3: 2, 3 (NLT)
WARNING ABOUT END OF DAYS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Look around you and carefully hear the warning
Are you constantly in pursuit of owning or possessing?
Are you keeping a record of wrongs that people did to you?
Are you participating in evil and surrounded with people who are cruel?
God has warned us about the end of days
People will love themselves and follow their own ways
They will be unruly, unloving and unforgiving
They will slander and rely on human reasoning.
Are you witnessing today all the signs that Paul gave us in his letter to Timothy? Take a look at the world we live in. Clamor for power, wealth and fame dominate our society. Many people are hard hearted, unloving, unforgiving and have no self-control. Some people thrive on cruelty, abuse, arrogance, idolatry and greed. All these signs that we were warned in the days of Jesus are so crystal clear today. The desires of the flesh compete with the longing to please God.
PRAYER
Lord, keep me focused on you at all times.
REFLECTION
Do you live your life in such a way that it warns others of the end days?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY Poem Devotional
October 31 The Power of God’s Word
God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
– 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT)
HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY
A poem and essay by ILMA
What do you put in and on your body?
Are they things that keep you healthy?
Are the clothes you put on maintaining your purity?
Are you distracting others by focusing on your outward beauty?
God bought you with a high price
Will you continue to listen to lies?
Honor God with what he gave you
His Son died so we can be renewed.
Do you respect the body that God has given you? Do you think that your body is entirely your property? It is sad to see that the world has corrupted people’s minds that we totally own our bodies and can do anything we want with it. This lie that the enemy has perpetuated in our worldly views has brought so much havoc in our lives. We cater to our own pleasures and ingest things that are not always good for our physical, emotional or spiritual well being.
The bible says that God bought us with a high price through the blood of his own Son, Jesus. He expects us to honor him with our bodies. It is like being stewards of a house that we are renting because it is not ours.
PRAYER
Lord, remind me constantly that you own everything.
REFLECTION
How can you honor God with your body?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH
October 30 The Power of God’s Word
The message is very close at hand. It is on your lips and in your heart. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:8,9 (NLT)
CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH
A poem and essay by ILMA
The message is very close at hand
It is on your lips; it need not be grand
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
You will be using the most powerful sword.
The word of God is a weapon against the enemy
If you use it regularly, you will have victory
Believe in your heart that God raise Christ from the dead
It will reap a harvest of peace and a life that is Spirit-led.
I was a believer for so long and yet I didn’t know the power of confessing with the mouth. Confession was a term in my former religion to go to a priest and tell him all about my sins. Until I studied the bible thoroughly, I got revelations from the Spirit that what I needed to confess was the truth from God’s word.
The bible says that the Message is close at hand. It is on our lips and in our hearts. It tells us the power of confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to memorize your words.
REFLECTION
Why is verse memory essential in a Christian’s life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
GOD HAS NO FAVORITES Poem Devotional
October 29 The Power of God’s Word
I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. – Acts 10:34-35 (NLT)
GOD HAS NO FAVORITES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you struggling with prejudice?
Is there anyone in your life who plays favorites?
Worry not! God has no biases
He treats us all with equality and fairness.
He made us unique and different from one another
There is no need to compare with each other
God loves those who do what is right and fear him
He waits for you patiently and faithfully to give up sin.
Favoritism is defined as the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. We live in a society where competition rules. People become enslave by the dictates of the culture. They long to be looked up to and shown favor or feel important. Many families have been destroyed by this preferential practice that clearly generates jealousy and conflicts.
The bible says that God has no favorites. He loves us all because he created us all like him. He doesn’t care what culture or race you come from. He wants us all to long for him and do what is right. He loves us all that is why he gave his only son to free us.
PRAYER
Will you heal me from insecurities?
REFLECTION
Why is favoritism dangerous to people?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
A GOD OF JUSTICE Poem Devotional
October 25 The Power of God’s Word
For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing, I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.– Isaiah 61:8 (NLT)
A GOD OF JUSTICE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you experiencing pain and anguish?
Worry not for the Lord wants you to flourish
He is a God of justice and understanding
He is faithful to reward his people for their suffering.
Seek the Lord who is just and fair
He is always after your welfare
Don’t lose hope or succumb to desperation
He loves you and brings you hope and consolation.
Do you feel defeated by troubles in your life? The bible tells us that God is a god of justice. He will never allow you to suffer more than you can bear. When we encounter problems and difficulties in our lives, we need to lift it up to God so he can do what he is good at doing: taking care of you and making everything work out for your good.
The Lord hates robbery and wrongdoing. He faithfully rewards his people for their suffering and makes an everlasting covenant with them. Be at peace when you encounter trials and tribulations. God promised provision and protection for his own people. If you are faithful to him, he will be faithful to you.
PRAYER
I thank you Lord, for giving me comfort and protection.
REFLECTION
When did God give you justice?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS Poem Devotional
October 23 The Power of God’s Word
And the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it and then the end will come.
– Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you spread the good news of God’s kingdom?
Are you an advocate of peace and freedom?
God loves us so much that He sacrificed his son to free us
He wants us to follow Christ’s example to avoid sin and lust.
All believers must preach the good news throughout the world
Christians must proclaim God’s truth and seek his word
Let all nations hear it so that everyone will be ready
He longs for his people to be free from slavery.
How have you been spreading the good news? We don’t all have to become spiritual leaders to be preachers of the good news. God has given us different ministries to be responsible for. Your ministry could be your own family, friends, co-workers, even strangers in the grocery store, your children, etc. With the rise of information technology, we can reach to more people around the world nowadays.
The bible says that all believers have the responsibility to spread the good news about the kingdom of God throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it and be ready when the end comes.
PRAYER
Lord, show me who to tell the good news to.
REFLECTION
Who have you shared the good news with?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com