NCC-Admin-1, Author at NCCRevised

Having Confidence Before the Lord

April 27, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 KJV

The great privilege of the redeemed is that the Holy One, the God of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, invites us into His Presence! This privilege is not just for a select few. No! It is an invitation for all who have accepted His gift of salvation! Because of His Blood that was shed for us, we have been given direct access to His Presence! He invites us to come before Him! Doing so brings Him great pleasure!

The evil one seeks to discourage us and prevent us from entering into the Lord’s Presence. He challenges us by reminding us of our past, declaring that we are not worthy. He assaults us by reminding us of our weakness and just how little we measure up to God’s standard of Holiness! He attacks us with guilt, shame, and condemnation. He constantly reminds us of our failures and openly accuses us before God. And if none of those things work, he then distracts us with busyness. That should tell us just how fearful the adversary is of our entering into the Presence of God!

But the Lord encourages us to come into His Presence with confidence! The reason we can have confidence is because He also lived in human flesh just like us! (Heb. 4:15). He knows what it means to be human. (Psalm 103:14). He was tempted in the flesh in every possible way just as we are! But unlike us, He never gave in to the temptation! He demonstrated to us how to rely upon the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit to face and overcome those temptations.

The Lord knows that it is in His Presence that we find mercy, grace, and the forgiveness of our sins! It is in His Presence that we find hope! It is in His Presence that we find comfort. It is in His Presence that we experience the richness of His love. It is His Presence that we find joy. It is in His Presence that we find peace! It is in His Presence that we find provision for whatever we may need! It is in His Presence that we find direction. It is in His Presence that we find our identity and purpose. And it is in His Presence that we discover the wonder, mystery, and majesty of His Person! No wonder the adversary does everything he can to keep us away from Him!

Rev. James W. Black

The Lord is Our Shield and our Great Reward

April 20, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“…the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying, ‘Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.”
Gen. 15:1 KJV

Abraham’s encounter with God changed everything in his life. As a result, he left everything to follow God! (Gen. 12: 1-4). It was a decision that he never regretted. Abraham continued to follow God for the rest of his life! He did not walk perfectly, but he did walk faithfully. There were times when he made some bad decisions. Such decisions were made when he relied upon himself rather than seeking God (Gen. 16). And he suffered the consequence of those decisions (Gen. 21:12-21). But he never quit. The course of his life was set! For Abraham, there was no going back!

In Genesis 15 God gave a profound revelation and promise to Abraham. Abraham would never need to fear those who would oppose him or come against him, for God Himself would be his shield. God Himself would be his protector. God Himself would also be his provider. God Himself would be his greatest reward!

No one can genuinely follow Jesus without experiencing opposition (John 15:20). That opposition can be subtle or it can be open and direct. Open and direct opposition is becoming more common and intense in our culture as our nation continues to abandon God. But like Abraham, we have nothing to fear! The Lord told us that such things would happen (Luke 21:17). But like Abraham, we can take great comfort in the fact that “the Lord is our shield and our great reward!” The promise that God made to Abraham also belongs to us, because we are the spiritual children of Abraham. (Gal. 3:29).

Therefore in an increasingly hostile culture, we do not need to fear. We are still His light and His witness in a dark world. He will be “our shield and our great reward!” He will help us, direct us, and guide us. He will take care of us no matter what! And Christ Himself is our greatest reward!

James W. Black

The Lord is Our Refuge

April 13, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.”
Psalm 91:2

We live in a broken and fallen world. We are constantly reminded of that when we see the daily news. Each day is filled with the reporting of devastating natural disasters. On top of that is the endless display of the actions of wicked and sinful people who have no knowledge of God nor any regard for God.

In addition to that is the challenge of daily life. Ordinary working people struggle to provide the basic necessities for their families. That struggle is made even harder by a government that intentionally creates inflation through its unsound monetary policies. Inflation robs people of their labor and their wealth. It forces people to work harder and longer. But their labor purchases less. Then there is the challenge of taking care of aging parents, handicapped children or seriously sick loved ones. The bottom line is that life is hard! Often we would like to find a place of escape; a place of refuge that provides safety and gives us a break from the daily grind of life.

The Good News is that the Lord Jesus has provided us with such a place! That Place is found in Him! That place is found in His Presence! And the Lord invites us into that place! There is peace there. There is safety and security there. There is comfort there.

In that place, He speaks to us through His Word. In that place, He strengthens us. In that place, He encourages us. In that place, He guides us and directs us. In that place we find rest. In that place we find encouragement. In that place we find joy! And in that place we find hope! In that place, we see everything in light of the eternal. In that place, we are reminded that everything we are currently facing is only temporary! We are reminded that life is short and that life in Him and with Him, even now, is eternal. Let us rejoice and be thankful that the Lord has provided such a place for us! He is our refuge! That is the blessing and the reality of the redeemed!

The Word of God is Offensive

April 6, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them. They find no pleasure in it.”
Jeremiah 6:10 NIV 1995 Edition

The people of Israel, in Jeremiah’s day, were so caught up in their sinful and rebellious lifestyle that their hearts had become hardened and they completely closed their ears to the Truth of God’s Word! God had sent His prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, to give them warning after warning of God’s grief over their sin and His impending judgment if they did not repent and turn back to Him. These warnings went on for several years. But despite the Word of God being spoken to them again and again and God’s personal dealings with them in sending the remedial judgments of drought, crop failures, pestilence, locusts and defeats at the hands of their enemies, they still refused to hear the Word of the Lord and turn to Him! They found the Word of the Lord offensive! The reason? The Word of the Lord exposed their sin! And they did not want to hear it.

Just a few weeks ago, a Bible-believing Pastor, Jack Hibbs, of Calvary Chapel in Chino, CA was asked to lead a prayer before the House of Representatives in Washington DC. According to the House Rules, obviously formulated by the liberals and atheists in Congress, you cannot mention, God as Father or mention the Name of Jesus Christ in your prayer. The pastor went off script and prayed a prayer that acknowledged God, our Heavenly Father, Jesus as the only Redeemer, Savior, and Lord and asked for forgiveness for the sins of the nation and reminded those who were making decisions for this nation that one day they would stand before the Judge of all the earth and give an account unto Him for the decisions they make. The liberals in Congress and the media went ballistic! They were highly offended by the Truth! (You can look this up on YouTube).

The gospel is offensive to those whose hearts have become hardened toward Christ. It always has been. It always will be. But just because people will not hear does not mean that we stop speaking the Truth of Christ! God still warned Israel, even though they refused to hear. He did that so that there would be no excuses when the people stood before a Holy God! So, keep telling the Truth! It still matters!

Rev. James W. Black

The Lord is Risen Indeed!

March 30, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed…”
Luke 24: 33-34 KJV

What a day it had been! There was the shock and horror of the brutal crucifixion and death of Jesus just three days before. Then the burial and the sealing of the tomb. And now, on this day, just three days after all of these events there were reports that Jesus was alive! That He had risen from the dead!

Most who heard these reports were skeptical. Why wouldn’t they be? No one who had ever been crucified and buried had ever risen from the dead! Everyone knew that when a man was dead that was the end! There was no coming back from that! After all, the only man who had ever, in their lifetime, raised anyone from the dead was now dead himself!

But as these two men journeyed home from Jerusalem to Emmaus (a small village 7 1/2 miles from Jerusalem) they were joined by a stranger. They had been discussing the confusing events of the past few days and were amazed to hear this stranger’s thoughts about those events (Luke 24: 25-27). They were so intrigued by his insight they insisted he stay overnight in their home.

As they began to share the evening meal together, this stranger took the bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and passed it unto them. Suddenly, at that moment, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him! It was Jesus! Jesus was seated with them at their table! And as soon as they recognized Him, He vanished from their sight!
They were startled! They were amazed! They were filled with awe and wonder! Their heart overflowed with excitement and joy! Jesus was alive! They immediately forgot their meal and rushed back to Jerusalem, at 2-hour journey on foot. They burst into the room where the disciples and others were still gathered and joyfully declared: The Lord is risen indeed!

The realization that Jesus is alive, that He is risen from the dead, changes everything! It changed everything for them. And it changes everything for us. The truth that Jesus is alive comes by revelation. That revelation may come to us in different ways, but the outcome is the same. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! That changes everything! And we are never be the same again!

Rev. James W. Black

The Glory of Man

March 22, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.”
Psalm 8: 4-5 KJV

Have you ever thought about the glory that God gave to man? It is first mentioned in Gen. 1:26. The glory of man is that he is made in the image of God! Think of that! Man was created to be the highest expression of God in the earth! It was God’s intention, from the very beginning, that the character and nature of God would be expressed in the earth through the life of man! Therefore, man’s glory would be a reflection of God’s glory being manifested in and through him!

When man sinned against God through willful disobedience, the Light of God’s glory which flowed from within the spirit of man was extinguished. Instead of being guided by the Light of God, man would now be living and walking in the darkness of sin. Instead of man being a reflection of God’s glory, man would now reflect the nature of the evil one! (John 8:44).

But through the power of the cross and the mighty resurrection of Jesus, that glory has been restored! (Col. 1:27). Through the New Birth (John 3:16), the Light of God’s glory now illuminates our once darkened spirit and we are able to see and walk in His Light! We can once again express the image of God in the earth!

While we may not always express it perfectly (because we have not yet been perfected), we have been re-commissioned to be the expression of God in the earth once again. Just as Jesus came to make the Father visible (Col.1:15), we are now called to make Jesus visible! What a calling! What a mystery! What a glorious thing this is! May we continually yield to Him and seek to be the fullest expression of Him we can be!

Rev. James W. Black

Being Conscious of God’s Goodness

March 9, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
Psalm 107:8-9 KJV

The goodness of God is poured out upon all of humanity. The scripture reminds us that the Lord provides sunshine and rain for everyone; both the redeemed and the unredeemed. (Matthew 5:45). In a farming economy, the proper amounts of sun and rain are essential to having a good harvest. In other words, both the redeemed and the unredeemed experience the goodness of God. But only the redeemed have the ability to recognize it.

To the unredeemed, good things are considered as luck, chance, or happenstance. But to the redeemed, good things are recognized as the favor and blessing of God! The redeemed recognize that the source of all blessings comes from God! The unredeemed, because of the darkness of their mind, are blinded to the source of all blessings. The scripture reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).

Because of our relationship with God the Father, through the finished work of Christ, and the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us, our eyes have been opened to the reality of God’s continuous blessing in our lives. We are able to recognize the goodness of God! As a result, we are (or should be) moved with a desire to give honor, glory, and praise to the One who has blessed us so abundantly!

However, even the redeemed can get so busy with the daily demands of life that we can take the blessings of God for granted. It is important, therefore, for us to take some time each day to reflect on the faithfulness of God and the goodness of God in our lives. When we do, our hearts will be filled with a greater consciousness of God and His goodness! Which will cause our hearts to overflow with gratitude and praise toward Him!

Rev. James Black

The Bread of Life

March 2, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35 NKJV

To me, there is nothing better than freshly baked bread! In the abundance of our culture, we often take bread for granted. But to those in the 1st Century, especially to the common everyday people, bread was essential for life. For many, it was a struggle each day just to provide enough bread for their family. When Jesus declared that He was the Bread of Life it was a term that got everyone’s attention. There was a reason that Jesus compared Himself to bread!

Bread is good! Bread feeds us. Bread sustains us. Bread nourishes us. Bread strengthens us. And bread satisfies us! Jesus is the revelation and the embodiment of all these things.

The character and nature of Jesus is good. The Psalmist declared: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). Jesus is the revelation of all of the goodness of God! In order to discover this reality, we must receive Him and take Him into our lives. It is Jesus who feeds the longing of our soul to find value, meaning, and purpose in life. It is Jesus who sustains us daily, moment by moment. Our very next heartbeat is dependent upon Him! It is Jesus who strengthens us in our weakness and enables us to do what we could never do on our own. (John 15:5). It is Jesus who satisfies us and brings contentment in life. It is Jesus who reveals to us just how valuable we are to Him by sacrificing His very own life for us! And It is Jesus who sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us, teach us, guide us, and enable us to hear and understand the Word of God.

Unlike the natural bread which must be received again and again, Jesus continually, constantly, and forever satisfies us once and for all! We never have to be spiritually empty or hungry again!

Rev. James Black

A Prayer for Revival

February 24, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Oh that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence.”
Isaiah 64:1 NKJV

Isaiah was heartbroken over the condition of his people. The nation of Judah had ignored the many warnings of God to return unto Him, but in their pride and arrogance, they refused to listen! Therefore, God had withdrawn His hedge of protection and brought judgment upon them. Their country was decimated by their enemies. The city of Jerusalem was sacked and their beloved Temple, which to them represented the very Presence of God, was in ruins. Everything that God had warned them would happen had happened. Isaiah 63:19 vividly describes their condition: “We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, those who were never called by Your name.” (NKJV).

Isaiah understood that the only thing that would change the heart of that generation was a mighty visitation of God! In other words, a genuine revival! In desperation, he cried out for the Lord to: “rend the heavens and come down”. Only the undeniable, Holy, and Sovereign manifestation of God’s Presence in their midst could change their hearts and restore the nation!

As we witness the decline of our nation and its headlong abandonment of the only true and living God; the One who has preserved us and blessed us from the very beginning as a nation; we must realize that our only hope for salvation, preservation and restoration as a nation is God! Therefore let us genuinely humble ourselves in brokenness and repentance before the Lord and desperately cry out to Him as Isaiah did! Let us ask the Lord to have mercy upon us one more time! Our only hope lies in God and God alone!

Rev. James Black

God’s View of His Word

February 17, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
Psalm 138:2 KJV

We know that the Name of the Lord is Holy. His Name is to be honored and revered. It is not to be taken, lightly, casually, or flippantly. It is not to be degraded or profaned in any way. His name is to be exalted and magnified. (Exodus 20:7). God’s Name is the revelation of His character and His nature. His Name is the expression of Who He is!

If God’s Name is to be so honored and revered, then what does God think of His Word? The scripture declares that God has magnified His Word even above His Name! Just as God is Holy and His Name Holy, His Word is also Holy! God’s Word is the expression of His will and purpose. Through the Word He reveals Himself. Through the Word, He reveals His love for us. Through the Word, He declares and affirms His mighty power both in creation and in His dealing with mankind. Through the Word, He reveals his great salvation!

It is through the Word that we come to know Him. And it is through the Word that we learn to live and walk with Him. It is through the Word that we discover our identity. It is through the Word that we discover our purpose and destiny. It is through the Word that we know of the reality of our future.

God’s Word has never failed. Whatever He has said has and will come to pass. If God ever said anything that failed to come to pass, then God would cease to be God! God and His Word are inseparable. That is why the evil one continually attacks the Word of God. That is why he seeks to cause people to doubt the Word of God. He knows far better than we do the power, the reliability, the integrity, and the veracity of the Word of God!

If God has such a high view of His Word, should we not also value it, treasure it, read it, apply it, and follow it? Let us resolve to have the same honor and reverence for God’s Word as He does! If we do, we will be continually conformed to His image! For it is His Word, both living and written that changes us!

Rev. James Black

Author: NCC-Admin-1