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Month: August 2023

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 The Promise of Fruitfulness

 The Promise of Fruitfulness

August 26, 2023 by James Black in

                     

 “…Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”

Psalm 92:13-15

In this passage of scripture, the Lord promises that if we are planted (established, rooted, grounded, actively involved) in a growing relationship with Him, and in His house (working to advance His purposes and His Kingdom), then we shall flourish and enjoy the Presence of God. The word “courts” here is a picture of being in His Presence.

There are many today who have given up and abandoned the house of the Lord altogether. Some have done so simply out of neglect; getting caught up in the busyness of life. Some have become disillusioned because of those in the Body of Christ who have failed at times and not lived up to their expectations; while ignoring their own weaknesses and failures. Their focus has been on others instead of Christ. Many see no purpose or value in church at all because they have never truly sought to cultivate an intimate relationship with the Lord. They have substituted “being in church” for a true relationship with the Lord. They have not yet discovered that church has little meaning or value unless one has experienced the reality of Christ in their persona life. Church is no substitute for the reality of a personal relationship with the Jesus. Church encourages it, enhances it and enriches it, but is never a substitute for it. Many put more value in cultivating relationships with others than they do with the Living God who longs to reveal Himself unto them.

But the Holy One has redeemed us for the purpose of bringing forth fruit (the fruit of the Spirit [Gal. 5: 22-23] and the reproduction of disciples (John 15:5}. And like it or not we cannot do that effectively apart from being connected to and engaged with the Body of Christ. We cannot reach our fullest potential in the Kingdom of God apart from our fellowship with Him and our fellowship with one another. The Body of Christ nurtures us and challenges us in our growth and walk with the Lord. If we continue to cultivate our fellowship with Him we will “flourish in the Presence of God” even in our old age. We can delight in and enjoy the Presence of God more and more in this life until He calls us home to be with Him! And then we will see the full revelation of His glory which for now, we can only imagine! (1 Cor. 2: 9-10 & Rev. 4 – 5).

Rev. James W. Black

Everything Needed to Live a Godly Life is Already Provided

Everything Needed to Live a Godly Life is Already Provided

August 19, 2023 by James Black in

                     

 “…His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”

2 Peter 1:3 KJV

Everything that we need to live a Godly life has already been provided for us through the Person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit Who now dwells within us (Col. 1:27).  All of that became ours, the very moment that we surrendered our heart to Him!  The reason that we often struggle is that we believe the lies of the adversary that somehow we are are inferior, inadequate, and insignificant and  that we need more than what we already have in order to walk with God and please Him!   

While it is true that as followers of Christ we must grow in our faith walk, it is equally true that all that we need to grow has already been provided for us.  We must simply learn to walk in what  we already possess.  We do not need more power or more strength or more wisdom.  We simply need to draw upon what we already have in Christ. 

There is no shortage of power, strength, wisdom, ability, love, grace, joy or peace in Jesus.  There is no lack of anything  in Him!   Therefore if Christ is in us (Rom. 8: 9-11), then we already have all that is needed to live for Him and to be whatever He wants us to be in this life.   Some will say, “Well, I don’t feel strong or wise or full of joy and peace!”  That is certainly true when we are focusing upon ourselves or our circumstances.  But we do not walk by our feelings.  When  we  rivet our attention on Him, focus upon Him, walk in Him and draw upon Him, He will provide for us everything that is needed when it is needed.  Our source for all that we need is in Him, not in ourselves.  Our walk with Christ is not determined by how we feel.  It is determined by the “knowledge of Him that has called us.”   

Thus the key to discovering all that we have in Christ is simply to be intentional in seeking to know Him more and more.  As as we learn to  know Him more, we discover that He is the God Who is more than enough for all things! 

Rev. James W. Black

Our Powerful Union With Christ

Our Powerful Union With Christ

August 13, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5 NKJV

The invitation of Jesus is for us to abide in Him! The Greek word translated “abide” is the word “meno”. It means to stay, to remain, to continue, or to permanently abide in one place.” (Sparkling gems from the Greek page 578). Jesus is the author and the giver of life, both natural and eternal (John 3:16, Col. 1:16). There is no life apart from Him! And when we receive His gift of salvation we are joined with Christ and become recipients of eternal life (John 10: 27-28).

Our adversary wants us to believe that somehow we must “do more” in order for that life to be maintained. The evil one wants us to think that we must read the Bible more, attend church more, give more, and serve more so that our life in Christ can be meaningful and fruitful. Now all of those things are good and are important for our growth in Christ. Those spiritual disciplines teach us, strengthen us, encourage us, and help us to learn and understand more of the reality and power of Christ. But they are not an end in themselves. Our life in Christ rests on the finished work of Christ Himself. It is only when we understand our “settled and fixed” union with Christ that these other disciplines become meaningful to us. The fruit is produced by His life flowing into us, through us, and out of us. The fruit is not produced by our own effort. The fruit is produced by simply “being” in Christ.

To abide in Him means that we are no longer striving. We are no longer struggling. We are resting. We are content with simply “being” in Christ. And it is through this understanding of “abiding” that we discover the joy and the richness of His life flowing in us and through us! It comes by simply being “joined” with Him! We never hear or see an apple tree struggling to produce apples. The branches of the apple tree produce apples because they are connected and joined to the life of the tree. The “fruit of the Spirit” or the life of Christ is produced simply by being joined to Christ, resting in Him, and living in Him. (Gal. 5:22-25). And that is truly amazing, powerful, and liberating!

Rev. James W. Black

                                       

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

August 6, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Rom. 1: 16 KJV

Paul had been one of the most religious men of his day!  He was a rising star among the religious elite, the Pharisees.  His religious credentials were impeccable (Phil. 3: 4-10).  He was a brilliant student of  the Word of God. He had a great zeal for God.  He was sincere in what he believed. But he did not truly know God!  He only had religion, not a relationship with God.  In his religious zeal he persecuted the Christians for their faith in Jesus Christ, who they claimed had been raised from the dead.  Paul did not believe it!  He considered them to be a threat to the God of Israel. He was the enemy of Christ! 

But Jesus, in His sovereign grace, powerfully revealed himself to Paul as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute the Christians who were there (Acts 9).  In his encounter with the risen Christ, Paul was radically transformed from the enemy of Christ to one of the greatest defenders of Christ!   Paul would never be the same again (2 Cor. 5:17).  And although it meant rejection by his family and the Jewish people he dearly loved, he was more than willing to pay the price!  He was not ashamed to be identified with Christ!  Paul knew that Jesus was alive!  Jesus had revealed Himself unto him, forgiven him, anointed him, and called him to be His vessel in the proclamation of the Gospel to his generation. 

As God’s people we are not to be rude, offensive or obnoxious in our culture. But neither are we to be ashamed to be identified with Christ!  We make no apologies for being followers of Jesus.  We will often be rejected, ridiculed, mocked and maligned by family and friends.  We will be misunderstood.  We will be falsely accused of things we did not say and do not believe.  We will have lies told about us.  But the fact that these things happen should encourage us.  For Jesus said that these things would happen (Matthew 5: 11-12). 

Even though the darkness is increasing in our culture, it is our calling to speak up and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we do, some will see and be drawn to Him.  And that is the greatest reason not to be ashamed.  After all, why would we ever be ashamed of embracing and living for the very One who paid for our redemption , forgave us and delivered us from the penalty of sin, death and hell?  Why would we ever be ashamed of that?   No one else has ever done for us what Jesus has done for us!  And no one ever will! 

Rev. James W. Black