Blackboards – Page 50

Grace Is A Gift From God

Posted on September 8, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Galatians 5:4

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

What is the grace of God? Simply put, the grace of God is God blessing, healing and delivering you because of Jesus. The grace of God is His unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor toward you simply because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross. Because God’s grace is based on Jesus’ work and not yours, the only way you fall from this grace is by believing that you can earn, merit and deserve it through your obedience and good works. When you think that it is by your efforts and obedience that you receive God’s blessings, you become like the Pharisees. They believed that their law-keeping justified them and ensured that God would bless them. But the truth is that when you believe like them, “you have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”. This means that you are cut off from Christ, who is your salvation, Redeemer, healer and provider. Christ has become of no effect to you!

Surely you would want Christ to be of effect to you. People to whom Christ is of effect receive from Him the miracle they need. When He is of effect to them, He is their healer and they get healed. He is their wisdom and they are wise before man. He is their good success and they experience good success in all that they do. For Christ to always be of effect to you and to never nullify the grace of God operating in your life, just remember and believe that it is because of Christ and His finished work – His blood, His stripes, His death, His obedience – that you are justified, healed and blessed!

God Will Do Everything He Promises

Posted on September 4, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Job 5:19

He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.

God will deliver you from all your troubles. (Psalm 34:19, 2 Timothy 4:18) But deliverance is actually not the best that God has for you because it implies that you are in trouble. God’s best for you is the place where no trouble or evil can touch you. And with His help, you will come to that place because the Bible says, “He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.” This does not mean that God will only deliver you six times. It just means that as you keep believing God’s promises of protection, after some time, you will come to a place where no evil will touch you!

So when trouble comes, God does not want you to be discouraged. He wants you to know that it is only the devil trying to steal His Word from your heart. The devil is afraid of leaving God’s Word in your heart for even one second because he knows that it will lead you to a place where no evil will touch you. That is why he comes immediately to steal God’s Word from your heart. You must continue to stand on God’s promises.

Even if in the next moment you happen to stub your toe against something hard, don’t be discouraged and wonder why God did not protect your toe. The devil had meant to cause greater harm to you, but thank God that he could not because God is watching over you. And keep standing on His promises until you come to the place where no evil will touch you!

A Heavy Burden Is Never From God

Posted on September 3, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Matthew 11:28

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Isn’t it great to know that Jesus sees the cares we carry in our hearts. He knows the worries you have for your family and for the future. He feels the heaviness in your heart as you struggle with the sickness in your body. He says to you, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants to give you rest. And He says that the way you receive rest is to be yoked with Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:29–30)

What does it mean to be yoked with Jesus? Imagine a pair of oxen yoked together. The younger ox sees what the lead ox does and follows. If the lead ox turns left, the younger ox turns left. If the lead ox stops, the younger ox stops. When the lead ox starts moving again, the younger ox follows. Likewise, Jesus wants us to follow His leading and flow with Him. It is not hard to flow with Jesus because He will not lay anything heavy on you – “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) When you are yoked with Him and you flow with Him, you will find that there is nothing heavy-hearted, ill-fitting or burdensome from the Lord. When you flow with the Lord, you will find that things fall into place. You will not be weighed down, anxious or distressed.

If the burden is heavy, it is not from God because Jesus said that His burden is light. The devil has probably given you the heavy burden! Jesus did say that His burden is light and His yoke easy. So a life yoked with Him is anxiety and worry free. Follow His leading and flow with Him, and you will find rest for your soul!

Power In The Name Of Jesus

Posted on September 2, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Leviticus 2:1

“When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it”

The grain offering in the Old Testament speaks of Jesus’ sacrifice, and oil in the Bible speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So the grain offering of fine flour, which had oil poured on it, speaks of Jesus’ humanity being anointed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is fully God. But when He came to earth, He literally emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:7) That is why He needed to be anointed of the Holy Spirit before He could begin His ministry. (John 1:33) Though fully God, He did things by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was anointed to bring the blessings of God into the lives of people. He first spoke of His anointing when He was preaching in His hometown – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor…” (Luke 4:18)

Today, Jesus’ anointing has come upon you. (1 John 2:20) The Bible says that “the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you”. (1 John 2:27) But how is this anointing in you released? It is released when you call upon Jesus’ name. In Song of Solomon 1:3, the virgins, representing the church, love His name, which is like ointment poured forth when spoken. When they called upon His Name, His fragrance was released and the anointing was poured forth. So when you call upon the name of Jesus, you are releasing His anointing. Call upon His name when you are feeling down and His anointing will lift your spirit up. If you are feeling dry and empty, just say, “Jesus, Jesus.” Before you know it, a river of refreshing will gush forth as His anointing flows. Call upon His name when you need a breakthrough and His anointing will release it to you.

Romans 10:13 says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. So call on Jesus’ name and watch His anointing release your deliverance, healing, protection and provision, and make you whole!

The Right To Call God “Abba” Father

Posted on September 1, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Galatians 4:6-7

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Perhaps you have asked yourself questions like: “If You are a Christian, why are you sick? If your heavenly Father is so wonderful, why do you have so many problems? Doesn’t your God help you, His child?” And if you have been tempted to ask, “God, I am Your child. Why is this happening to me?” know that Jesus knows exactly how you feel, because 2,000 years ago, the devil played the same trick on Him – “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3) You see, the devil’s intention was to make Jesus doubt His Sonship, and the devil wants to do the same thing to you today. He wants to destroy the Spirit of sonship in you and in the body of believers. He knows that once you really believe that you are a son of God, something happens – you begin to live life as “an heir of God through Christ”. And as a son and an heir of God, you inherit all the blessings of God which Jesus died to give you, including salvation, healing, provision, wholeness, favor, intimacy with God and answered prayers. And Jesus rose from the dead to make sure that what He died to give you, you get. He is alive today to enforce this rich, blood-bought inheritance in your life!

You are an heir of God through Christ. This means that you are joint heirs with Jesus. (Romans 8:17) So His inheritance is your inheritance too! What is provision when you are an heir of God? He owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10) All the diamonds and gold came from Him. What is healing when you are an heir of God? He is your Creator and the very breath of your life. Enjoy every bit of your inheritance in Christ, not because you deserve it, but because it was paid for by Jesus’ blood!

Putting Your Trust In Redemption

Posted on August 31, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Hebrews 5:9-10

“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.”

When Jesus died and rose again, He became our High Priest. But notice that Jesus’ priesthood is “according to the order of Melchizedek”. Why the Melchizedek priesthood? The Melchizedek priesthood gives to man (whereas the Aaronic priesthood takes from man). We see this when Melchizedek gave bread and wine to refresh a tired Abraham after his battle with the enemy kings. (Genesis 14:14-20) So if Jesus’ priesthood is according to the Melchizedek order, then it is one in which we can come boldly into His presence to receive from Him! (Hebrews 4:16)

Moreover, the first word from Melchizedek’s mouth was “Blessed” – “Blessed be Abram…” (Genesis 14:19) The Melchizedek order is just that – blessings. In other words, Jesus’ priesthood is one which blesses and never curses us! So are we conscious of Jesus our High Priest giving to us every day? Are we alert to all His blessings coming from heaven toward us on earth?

Now, it is easy for us to believe God for His blessings in creation. For example, we have no difficulty believing that the sun will rise every morning. But while we have no problems believing the work of creation, we have problems believing the work of redemption. We sometimes find it hard to believe God for healing, provision, favor, protection or restoration – blessings that Jesus died to give us. We don’t really believe that every day, the Lord will take care of us, keep our bodies healthy and provide for all our needs. Yet, creation is fallen. It can be a blessing as well as a curse. Sometimes, a storm comes, and powerful winds and rains destroy thousands of homes and lives. Sometimes, dark clouds hide the sun and make the whole day gloomy.

We can’t put our trust in creation, but we can certainly put our trust in redemption. And unlike creation, the blessings of redemption are all good! The work of Jesus is not subject to the weather or anything else. The work of redemption is as sure as Jesus Himself. He died and rose again to be our High Priest who daily showers us with blessings!

God Wants You Well

Posted on August 28, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Jeremiah 32:17

Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Our minds tend to see our problems as big or small. Even when we pray for the sick, we say things like, “You have a headache? No problem. Let’s pray for your healing.” But when it is cancer, we say, “Let’s get the senior pastor. It would be better if he prayed for you.” We think of headaches as small problems and cancers as big ones. But that is not the way God thinks. There is nothing too hard for Him who made the heavens and the earth! With God, there is no such thing as a “big” problem. In fact, the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him! In the feeding of the 5,000, it took only five loaves to feed the multitude. (Matthew 14:15-21) But in the feeding of the smaller multitude of 4,000, it took seven loaves. (Matthew 15:32-38)

In man’s scheme of things, it should take more loaves to feed more people. But this is not so with God. It took fewer loaves to feed more people. This is God’s way of telling us that the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him. I am not saying that small problems are hard for God. But it is so encouraging to think that it is “easier” for God to heal cancers than headaches!

So remember, with God, nothing is never a problem because there is nothing too hard for Him!

Holy Communion

Posted on August 27, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Acts 2:46

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

Back then in the early church, Christians would meet each other every day, either corporately in the temple or from house to house in smaller groups. And when they met in their homes, the Bible tells us that they would break bread. That’s the Holy Communion, and they took it every day!

Now, I am not saying that you must take the Holy Communion every day. But if you feel led to and you want to, go ahead! The thing about taking the Holy Communion daily is this: If you are sick, you can be made well on a gradual basis. This means that you get healthier and stronger from day to day – first thirty-fold, then sixty-fold, then a hundredfold!

You see, while you can receive healing through the prayer of faith (Mark 11:24), it sometimes puts pressure on you because it requires you to believe that you receive it all – complete healing – the moment you pray. There is nothing wrong with the prayer of faith, but you may find yourself saying, “I must believe I receive it all, now! I must believe I have it all, now!”

But the Holy Communion allows you to receive a measure of healing every time you partake in faith, so that you get better and better. The more you take it, the better you become. There is no pressure to believe that you receive it all at once. Isn’t God good? He meets you at your level of faith!

Now, there are cases I know of where the manifestation of healing is immediate and complete. If it happens that way, praise God! But if not, don’t worry. The more you partake, the better you will become.

I have heard of people who take the Holy Communion three times a day, just like they would medicine! Why not? If you are very sick and you are diligently taking your medication three times a day, why not give the Lord’s Supper the same amount of attention? Why not boost your recovery rate? And the next time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you may just find your disease totally gone!

Blessings Are On The Righteous

Posted on August 25, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Psalm 5:12

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

What do you believe and say to your loved ones every day? For orthodox Jews, on Friday evenings in their homes, the father lays his hands on his children and pronounces God’s blessings over them. No wonder Jewish children grow up to be winners in the fight of life! They become some of the world’s greatest inventors, bankers, musicians and entertainers. Although a minority race, the Jews have produced the most number of Nobel Prize winners. I believe that it is because they bless their children in the same way the patriarchs of the Old Testament did. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob released God’s blessings upon their children by laying hands on them and speaking forth the blessings. (Genesis 27:27-29, 38-40; 48:14-16)

In the New Testament, the apostles pronounced blessings over the churches they were preaching to. To the church in Philippi, Paul declared, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) John released a powerful blessing upon Gaius when he said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2)

Even Jesus pronounced a blessing of deliverance on the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman – “go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter”. (Mark 7:29) This was a blessing of deliverance by proxy. The woman took it by faith and found that her daughter was well when she reached home. (Mark 7:30) Likewise, the centurion took the blessing by faith and healing came upon his servant back home. (Matthew 8:8-13)

Bless your loved ones. Declare over them, “The Lord blesses you and surrounds you w

Nothing Is Impossible For God

Posted on August 24, 2015July 18, 2016 by admin

Luke 1:37

“For with God nothing will be impossible.”

You may have heard from friends or seen in Christian books the popular question, “What would Jesus do?” It is a question Christians are taught to ask themselves when faced with a problem. But when you ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” in any situation, it is subject to your own interpretation and theology. For example, if you are from a church that doesn’t believe that Jesus heals today, you may think that this is how Jesus would pray for the sick, “O Father, give him patience to endure his sufferings,” and proceed to pray that way for a sick person. So when you try to think of what Jesus would do, you are going back to your flesh!

Maybe we should be saying, “Watch what Jesus does”. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He never changes. When we see Jesus in the Bible we always come across situations where He healed the sick, drove out demons, and guided and directed all that He spoke to. So when we come across a situation today we should not be asking, “What would Jesus do,” but “Watch what Jesus does”.

So when you are led to talk to someone, say, “watch what Jesus does”. When you pray for your child, say, “watch what Jesus does”. When you confess God’s Word into your situation, say, “watch what Jesus does”! Keep your eyes on Jesus, with whom nothing is impossible!