2016 Daily Blackboards

The Lord Is Your Defence

Posted on October 5, 2016 by admin

Psalm 94:22

But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Imagine being a poor widow, a stranger in the land and holding one of the lowliest jobs in society. That was Ruth’s situation, so it would have been easy for her to feel vulnerable and defenseless. But because she trusted the Lord (Ruth 1:16), He placed her under Boaz’s protection. Boaz was the owner of the field she worked in, and he commanded his young men saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.” (Ruth 2:15) What he was saying to his men was this: “She might be a gleaner, but because I care for her, treat her with respect and make sure she is not put to shame.”

Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus. If you are feeling vulnerable and defenseless right now, imagine Jesus commanding His angels, “Watch over this one who belongs to Me. Make sure he is treated with respect and not put to shame because he is someone I love and someone whom I died for.” God’s Word tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) No one who has set himself against us can prevail because when God is for us, His protection is upon us.

Jesus is my defense. And if He does not defend me, it means that there are things in my life that are not to be defended, and I would be glad to find out about them now rather than later. On the other hand, because I take the Lord as my defense, and He defends me, what can those who are against me do to me? When you defend yourself, you have only your two hands and your own human resources. But when you let Jesus take up your defense, He defends you with His nail-pierced hands and His legions of angels! The results will be amazing.

The Lord is your defense and refuge. Trust Him to defend and protect you!

Your Good To Go

Posted on October 4, 2016 by admin

1 Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

All over the world, Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah usually occurs in the month of September, this feast is celebrated with the blowing of trumpets – the shofar or ram’s horn. That is why it is also called the Feast of Trumpets.

The Jews observe seven feasts: The Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled literally by Jesus. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), the bread of life (John 6:35) and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20) And when Pentecost had fully come after His ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) So the next feast that we are waiting for Jesus to fulfill literally is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is this feast significant to us? Because when Jesus fulfills it, it means that we are going up to meet Him in the clouds! I am talking about the rapture of the church. When the trumpet sounds, “in the twinkling of an eye”, we who are alive will be changed. We will put on new bodies that will be like Jesus’! Those who are dead in Christ will rise and also receive new bodies. They will go up first followed by us who are alive, and we will all meet the Lord in the air. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55)

This means that there is a possibility that you might not see death! The Bible says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) It is one thing to happen to be alive, but quite another to remain alive.

I believe that there is a generation of Christians who know the resurrection power of the Lord. They know how to walk in their inheritance and put off sickness and death until the coming of the Lord. May you be counted as one of them as you take the Lord Jesus and His finished work as your victory over sickness and death!

Building An Alter To The Lord

Posted on October 3, 2016 by admin

Genesis 12:7

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him

I don’t know why anyone would be satisfied with just knowing that they are made righteous by faith. I would think they would want to get to know the One who made them righteous. I would think they would want to have an intimate relationship with my Savior!

Abraham was such a man. He was righteous by faith, but he also had a close walk with God and was blessed by God in all things. (Genesis 24:1) His nephew Lot, on the other hand, although righteous too (2 Peter 2:7-8), had no heart for God. He ended up losing a lot when Sodom, the city he lived in, was destroyed along with Gomorrah. He was saved by the skin of his teeth! Do you want to be a Christian like Lot, righteous but always finding yourself in trouble, or do you want to be a righteous-and-blessed Christian like Abraham? Wherever Abraham went he would build an altar to the Lord. And in between altars, he grew very rich! (Genesis 13:2) There is no biblical record, however, of Lot ever building an altar to the Lord.

What is an “altar” in today’s context? It is a place where you know that you have a close relationship with God. As you are driving down the road and the spirit hits you to pray about something, that is an alter. Another alter would be when you go into your room in order to pray, that is an alter. When you read your Bible and respond to a verse with a praise, thank you or prayer, that is also an alter.

When we have have this kind of relationship with God, one full of “altars” that remind us of His love, goodness and faithfulness. Let’s not live the Christian life like Lot, saved by the skin of our teeth. Let’s walk closely with God as Abraham did, and be richly blessed in every area of our lives!

The New Covenant Was God’s Idea

Posted on September 27, 2016 by admin

Isaiah 61:6-7

And you will be called priests of the Lord…You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion…they will inherit a double portion in their land…

You are called “priests of the Lord” because Jesus has cleansed you with His blood and made you kings and priests to God. (Revelation 1:5-6) That is if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and are “Born Again”. And as priests of the Lord, God says to you, “You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.” And you will “inherit a double portion in their land”. Under the old covenant, God ordained the priests of Israel to stand between Him and His people. They brought God’s word to the people and the people’s needs and sins to God. Under the new covenant, all believers (Born again Christians) are priests of the Lord, reading God’s word and seeking to understand it, confessing their sins directly to God, and ministering to others.

Believe God when He says that His people will receive a double portion. This double portion includes blessings of favor, fruitfulness, success and health. In fact, the people around you will look at you and your descendants, and acknowledge that you are a people that the Lord has blessed!

Fear Not

Posted on September 22, 2016 by admin

Joshua 1:5-6

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. Be strong and courageous.

Joshua’s new job consisted of leading more than two million people into a strange new land and conquering it. What a challenge this would be even for a man of high caliber. Without God it can be frightening. With God it can be an adventure. God was with Joshua as He is with us when we face new challenges. Although we may not conquer nations, we still may face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations. God promises that He will never abandon us of fail to help us. By asking God to direct us we can conquer many of life’s challenges.

God also goes on to tell Joshua that he will be prosperous and successful if He follows God’s guidance and directions. (Joshua 1:8) Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said to succeed Joshua must (1) be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy, (2) obey God’s law, and (3) constantly read and study the Book of the Law – God’s Word.

To be successful, follow God’s words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will succeed in God’s eyes – and His opinion lasts forever.

You Are Forgiven

Posted on September 21, 2016 by admin

Philippians 3:14-15

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Are you living a life of regrets thinking, “If only…”? “If only I had that college education…If only I had married the right person…If only I had taken up the other job…If only I had not made that stupid mistake…”

If your past robbing you of the joy of today? Then forget your past!

Consider Paul. If the devil had anything to bring against Paul, it would be reminders of how he had persecuted the early church and caused the deaths of many, including Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Paul had done horrendous things that were hard for him to forget. But he had such a revelation of God’s awesome forgiveness that he could say, “forgetting those things which are behind…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.

God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has completely forgiven you and declared, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17) Like Paul, you can forget your past, the wrongs you have done and the hurts you have caused others or been through yourself. God can take the tears of yesterday and transform them into the miracles of tomorrow. He can restore to you in all abundance what you have lost. He can cause all things, even the painful events of your past, to work together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

God’s Word says, “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8) His glory will cover your past. Wherever you go, His glory covers your past. It is no longer the same past that you know of because His glory has descended on it. Your past is past. It has been wiped out. It is gone! So don’t let your past rob you of today’s joy any longer!

God’s Wisdom Is Available Through Jesus

Posted on September 20, 2016 by admin

1 Corinthians 1:30

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…

It is believed that there has never been a wealthier king than King Solomon. God gave him wisdom that not only made him wise in matters of justice, but also brought him gold and silver. (1 Kings 3:12-13) According to a report by the Illinois Society of Architects in 1925, the cost of Solomon’s temple in terms of existing values would have been about $87 billion! The priests wore garments costing more than $10 million! These amounts are only what Solomon spent on the temple and did not include his personal assets.

We can go on talking about the riches of King Solomon, but the Bible tells us that there is one greater than Solomon. (Matthew 12:42) His name is Jesus, and He is the most prosperous Man who ever lived and who will ever live. If there was a need to feed the hungry, He simply multiplied whatever food was placed in His hands. On one occasion, He multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men, not counting the women and children. And incredibly, there were 12 baskets full of leftovers. (Matthew 14:15-21) If any of His own faced lack, it was not long before abundant provision flowed to them. Once, when His disciples caught nothing after a whole night of fishing, He merely spoke a word of command and schools of fish obeyed, swimming toward His disciples’ boat so that they received a net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fish. (Luke 5:1-7) In another incident, He provided the money for the temple tax, even if it took a fish to bring it to them! (Matthew 17:24-27)

This same Jesus has become for you wisdom from God. If you are a businessman, with Christ in you, you have wisdom that is greater than the wisdom of all the world’s business gurus put together. And if you are a student, Christ in you will manifest wisdom that is greater than all the wisdom of the brilliant minds in the academic world.

Because of Jesus, God’s wisdom is in you, so there is no reason you cannot prosper today, and astound the world in the same way Solomon did!

You Are Who God Says You Are

Posted on September 19, 2016 by admin

Romans 8:16

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Everything produces after its own kind. Dogs give birth to puppies, cats give birth to kittens and horses give birth to horses. In the same manner, when you are born again, you are born of God. You are a child of the Most High God. He is your Father and He doesn’t see you in the flesh. He sees you in the Spirit. And His Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are His child.

So when the devil comes to you and says, “Your father died of cancer, his father died of cancer and you are going to die of cancer too, just like your father,” just know in your heart that you are like your Father – your Father in heaven! Declare, “I am a child of the Most High God. He doesn’t have cancer, so neither do I!”

When you are born of God, you are born to win. Because your Daddy God is a winner, you are one too! When you wake up in the morning, say, “I am a winner because God is a winner!”

When you say that you cannot afford to buy something that you need, you have forgotten which family you now belong to. You have been born again into a very rich family – your Father owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills! (Psalm 50:10) You have a Daddy God in heaven who is well able to supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) Even if there are areas of lack in your life now, don’t worry. Just ask God for the supply because your heavenly Father loves you and wants to supply all your needs. When someone talks to you about a problem and asks, “What are we going to do about it?” you should say, “Don’t worry. Let’s talk to Father God about it. It is not a problem for Him, so it will not be a problem for us.”

Even when all around you is going under, your Father God is still the same heavenly Father who kept Noah’s world afloat, his loved ones safe and sound, and his possessions intact. Your world will never go under because you are God’s beloved child!

Sow Into Areas Of Need

Posted on September 14, 2016 by admin

Genesis 26:12

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

If you sow apple seeds, you get apples. If you sow seeds of friendship, you get friends. If in the natural, you receive in the area in which you sow, how much more will you receive in the supernatural when God blesses you! The Bible tells us that when Isaac sowed in the land, he reaped a hundredfold even though there was a famine in that land. (Genesis 26:1) The reason was that “the Lord blessed him”.

So if you are believing God for a breakthrough in a particular area, sow in that area and watch as God, “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”. (Ephesians 3:20) Whatever money or time you give to the Lord, He will multiply it back to you. For example, in a 24 hour day the Lord can make your day very fruitful. And even after doing all that needs to be done, you will find that you still have time left to rest. Even if you have nothing to give but prayers, your prayers will not return to you void. God can answer them exceedingly above what you have asked. When Job lost everything that he possessed, he prayed for his friends, and the Lord not only restored his losses, but He also “gave Job twice as much as he had before”. (Job 42:10)

So start sowing seeds in the area that you are believing God for, and know that before long, you will be reaping your harvest!

What Are You Thanking God For?

Posted on September 13, 2016 by admin

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

God doesn’t want you to be fearful, fretful or anxious. Instead, He wants you to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. So when you have a care or worry, straightaway, turn that care or worry into prayer. That is supplication. And when you are troubled by a care or worry that you don’t know how to pray for, pray in the Spirit or tongues. And in the midst of that prayer, thank God that He is already your healing, provision, good success and victory. That, my friend, is thanksgiving.

So how long should you pray in the Spirit? Keep on praying in the Spirit until the worry lifts or dissipates, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:7)

We would all worry a lot less and enjoy our lives a lot more if only we realized this truth: Our Abba Father is so strong that there is nothing He cannot do, and He is so loving that there is nothing He will not do for us!