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Month: March 2021

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The Call to Follow

The Call to Follow

March 26, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in

In Matthew 4:19 Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow Him. We know from the Word of God that they answered that call. As a result, their lives would never be the same again. All throughout the gospels, Jesus invited people of every station in life to follow Him. The invitation to follow Christ is still going out today to everyone who hears the gospel.

To follow Him is costly. It requires us to forsake where we are in order to be where He is! We cannot follow Him without being with Him. Our human reasoning and our human wisdom and understanding will often balk at that prospect. We often want the benefits of following Jesus without forsaking the things He calls us to leave behind. Our fleshy nature normally rebels against surrendering to Christ. That can be overcome only if we have the revelation of Who He truly is and what His Kingdom is all about. For what is gained is far greater than what is left behind (Matthew 19: 28-29). Once we see the value of Christ Himself, the cost that is paid is nothing in comparison to what is gained (Matthew 13:45).

To truly be a Christian means that we seek to follow Him with our total being. Following Him is costly, but it is well worth the price!

James W. Black

The Value God Places Upon His Word

The Value God Places Upon His Word

March 21, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in

In Psalm 138:2 the Bible says: “thou has magnified thy word above all thy name.”

The scripture makes it abundantly clear over and over again that the Lord’s Name is Holy (Exodus 20:7). His Name (in all of its varied forms) is to be honored and revered. It is not to be taken lightly. But as much as the Lord considers His Name to be Holy and Sacred, He honors His Word even more! He has exalted His Word even above His Name!

If the Holy One places such value upon His Word, how much more should we? We are so blessed in America with such an abundance of the Word available to us. There are multiple translations available (some better than others) that enable us to clearly read and understand His Word. In America no one is without excuse for having access to the Word of God. Most of us in the church have multiple Bibles.

But the question is, do we truly TREASURE the Word of God? Do we place a high value upon it? The greatest expression of value is to not only read it but to apply its truth to our lives and walk in it day by day. To not do so as Followers of Christ is to dishonor His Word.

James W. Black

Living a Life of Praise

Living a Life of Praise

March 14, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in

In Psalm 34:1 David said: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” David understood the importance of praising the Lord on a continuing basis. Praise is a form of worship and can be carried out in our daily life. Praise is acknowledging the Lord for who He is! Praise is recognizing the Lord for what He has done for us!

A life of praise must be cultivated. It is an act of the will. We choose to praise the Lord. Praise is not a feeling. It can and should involve our feelings, but even when we do not “feel” like praising the Lord, we can still praise Him!

The Word of God is filled with passages that declare and demonstrate genuine praise to the Lord. If you cannot think of anything to say, just pick one of the many passages of scripture (particularly in the Psalms) and make that your own expression of praise to the Lord. Pick any number of verses in the Psalms and speak them back to the Lord in praise. Make the words of scripture your own words! You will find that in doing this your heart will be filled with joy!

Praise invites the Presence of God (Psalm 22:3) to dwell in the midst of where we are! The Lord will always respond to a heart that genuinely praises Him!

James W. Black

The Divine Law of Sowing and Reaping

The Divine Law of Sowing and Reaping

March 7, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:7-9 KJV).

There is a divine law that God has established in the earth. And it is a law that is just as real as the law of gravity. It is the Law of Sowing & Reaping. We will always reap whatever we sow. It is impossible to sow corn and expect to reap wheat. What is true in nature is also true in human life. Whenever we sow anger, hatred, bitterness and resentment we will reap the same in return. But if we sow love, kindness, mercy and grace we will reap the same again.

The problem of the human heart is that it is filled with all kinds of evil (Matthew 15: 18-20). If one is prodded hard enough and deep enough those things will come out. Our prisons are filled with people who have exhibited and expressed such things. And one does not need to be in prison to realize that such things reside in the heart of each of us! (Jer. 17:9).

But when the seed of Christ is sown into our hearts and we allow it to grow, that seed changes our nature. We are transformed (2 Cor. 5:17)! We are then filled with the love, joy, and peace of Christ that flows from the Spirit of Christ who now dwells within us. We now have the privilege and ability to begin sowing those same seeds of the Spirit into the lives of others. That is what each of us as God’s people are called to do. And if we continue to sow, we will also reap if we will be persistent and patient in sowing. Let us cultivate the fruit of the Spirit that has been sown into our lives by Christ and become faithful and persistent in our sowing. The Lord has promised that if we do so, we shall indeed reap a harvest of what has been sown. And the Kingdom of God will continue to advance!

James W. Black