Month: September 2021

Standing for Righteousness

Standing for Righteousness

“The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

Psalm 12:8 NIV -1985 Edition

We have reached a point  in our culture  when almost  nothing is considered to be immoral or indecent. Every form of filth and degrading deviancy is not only embraced but is now promoted and openly flaunted without guilt or  shame!    Things that once were considered as “sin” are now promoted as “normal” and should be (we are told) accepted by everyone.  And if you have the audacity to disagree, then you are considered as being unsophisticated, bigoted, hateful, unloving  and unkind.

How did we get to this point?  How did we come to the place where now some in the higher echelons of education and government  are openly stating that even pedophilia should NOT  be considered a crime?*   We came to this point when many pastors,  churches and whole denominations,  beginning in the early 20th century,  completely abandoned the Word of God!  Now as a result of “sowing to the wind” we are reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).   And professing ourselves to be wise, we have became fools!   (Romans 1:22). 

What we see is another confirmation of the reality and the truth of God’s Word!  Galatians 6:7 declares: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  That is true for individuals, families, churches, communities and nations.  No one is exempt.  When that which is vile is embraced, the wicked strut about in pride and arrogance!  There is no longer any restraint!  

The remedy is a return to God!  The Remedy is a return to His Word! The remedy is a transforming revival!   The remedy is for the redeemed of God to stand in the face of the darkness and declare and live out the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ! 


Rev. James Black


*California’s New Law  October 12, 2020 article by Rosa Elias.  

A Faith Based Upon Reason

A Faith Based Upon Reason

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15 KJV).

Often Christians are accused of putting their faith in something that may be hopeful but is not logical or rational. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our faith is based upon fact not fiction! Our faith in Christ is rooted in logic and reason. It is based upon reliable, verifiable, and historical facts. In other words, it is indeed a logical and rational faith.

The fact that Jesus lived is supported not only by the Bible but also by other historical, non-Christian writers during the same period (Cornelius Tactitus – A Roman Historian; Flavia’s Josephus – A Jewish Historian, And a Letter in the British Museum written about 73 AD by a Syrian named Mara Bar-Serapion who mentions the death of Christ are only a few among many).*

The Resurrection of Jesus is also a reliable, verifiable, and historical fact that is recorded not only in the Bible but outside of it as well! The fact that the enemies of Jesus sought to bribe and suppress the message of His Resurrection (Matthew 28: 11-15) in reality actually supports the Resurrection! If the Resurrection was not true, all they had to do was to present the body! They did not need to bribe anyone. And the transformation of Saul of Tarsus, an enemy of Christ (Acts 9), who became one of the greatest defenders of Christ is further evidence of the Power of Christ and His Resurrection. Thus our faith is rooted and grounded in truth, not fiction.

As we grow in our walk with the Lord we can, with confidence, be ready at any time to give a logical explanation to anyone as to why we believe in and follow Jesus. The greatest evidence we can give is to share how Jesus has transformed our life. For no one can argue with a changed life. The evidence should be irrefutable.

Rev. James Black

Living In Fearful Times

Living In Fearful Times

“But whosoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.”
(Proverbs 1:33 NKJV).

As we witness the unfolding events around us both here and around the world, we see the continuing rise of evil. It is insidious, pervasive, and is everywhere. When we try to comprehend it, it becomes overwhelming. For it is not just one issue or one area. It is a multitude of issues all cascading upon one another. All of these things together can cause fear to rise up within us.

But if we stop and think about it, the world has always been an unstable place.

The evil of every kind has always been present in every generation because evil is resident in the human heart (Jer. 17:9) and that evil ultimately expresses itself. It always has. Evil first expressed itself in humanity in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and has been doing so ever since. And down through the history of humanity, the only restraint against evil has been the Spirit of God.

It was the Spirit of God Who gave us the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16). And the power of that Word was revealed once and for all in and through the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1; 14)! Jesus is God’s final answer to the evil of this world (Heb. 1: 1-3). The cross destroyed the power of evil (1 Cor. 15: 54-57). And the resurrection forever sealed its ultimate destiny (Rev. 1:18)! The day will come when all evil will be put under the feet of Jesus at His return (1 Cor. 15: 19-28) and every evil act will be ultimately judged and all evil will be ultimately destroyed (Rev. 20: 11-15).

Therefore, no matter what may be happening all around us, we have nothing to fear! Thus, It is vitally important for us to listen to the Lord. And it is vitally important for us to listen to His Word. If we focus our hearts and our minds upon Him, then we will not have to be in fear of the evil of this world! We will find our safety and our security in Him! And that is the absolute safest place we could possibly be (John 10: 27-29).

Rev. James Black