NCC-Admin-1, Author at NCCRevised

The Power of the New Covenant

November 4, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance —now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Heb. 9:15 NIV 1984 Edition).

The Old Covenant which gave us the Law of God (revealed in the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20) was weak in that it could not make anyone righteous in the sight of God (Heb. 7:19). It is not that the Law is bad. No, it is very good. The Law reveals the Holy, just, and righteous nature of God. The problem was the weakness of our humanity. Because of our sinful nature, we were unable to keep the Law consistently and continually. In other words, the Law was unable to deliver us from the power of sin. No matter how hard one tries, everyone inevitably fails in their effort to keep the Law. (Rom. 3:23). Thus, the weakness of the Old Covenant was not in the Law itself but in us.

In Christ, God gave us a “better covenant”. In this Covenant, the Law was not done away with, but was fully kept by Christ (Heb. 10:10). He was sinless in every possible way. When He became our substitute on the cross, our sin was vicariously placed upon Him! At that moment He became our substitute and was subject unto death because death is the result of sin (Rom. 6:23). It is not that He sinned, but the fact that He took our sin upon Himself. And there God the Father judged Him just as if He were judging us! (Col. 2:13).

After His resurrection, His blood that was offered once and for all for our sin was placed upon the Mercy Seat before the Throne of God (Heb. 10: 16-18). And now all who put their trust in that Blood and personally accept the sacrifice that He made by surrendering their life to Jesus are made absolutely holy and righteous in the sight of God (2 Cor. 5:21)! It is no longer the keeping of the Law that makes one acceptable in the sight of God. It is the surrender to the finished work of Christ and receiving from Him what was impossible for us to do ourselves! (Rom. 6:23, Eph. 2:8-9).

Our life afterward is simply a daily acknowledgment and surrendering to the Power of the cross (Gal. 2:20). What follows is a heart full of gratitude and love which motivates us to follow Him. Our service for Him is now born out of love and gratitude rather than obligation! And the best part of this New Covenant is that He gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us Who empowers us to do what we could never do on our own (John 14:20, 25; John 15:26; John 16:13)! This New Covenant is truly better than the old!

James W. Black

There Is No Substitute for Obedience

October 29, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Romans 5: 19 KJV

There is no substitute for obedience. The Apostle Paul reminds us that it was because of the disobedience of one man, Adam, that sin entered into the world. Our world has been broken and corrupted by sin ever since. We can see the impact of sin all around us every day. Homes, marriages and individual lives are marred by the influence of sin.
Institutions are impacted by sin as well because they are managed by sinful people. The message is clear, disobedience has serious consequences.

But just as disobedience has consequences, so does obedience. The good news of the Gospel is that One Man, Jesus, totally and completely obeyed the will of the Heavenly Father in every way. As a result, all who are redeemed by His Precious Blood are the recipients and beneficiaries of His obedience.

Obedience is not always easy. It is easier in some situations than others. But in all situations it requires us submitting our fleshly desires to the cross and simply doing what the Lord would have us to do. God always makes it clear to us what we need to do. Just as He made His wishes known to Adam, He makes His wishes known to us. He does not leave us in the dark. He has given us clear instructions through His Word and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And the Lord always helps us to obey if we will yield to Him!

It was not easy for Jesus to obey. The torture of the cross was not easy. The very idea of being separated from His Heavenly Father when our sin was placed upon Him was not easy (Matthew 27:46). But Jesus understood the importance of obedience. There could be no substitute. The entire fate of the human race hung in the balance. Would He choose the Father’s will or His own? (Luke 22: 40-44).

Thankfully, Jesus chose the path of obedience. And all of us who are redeemed have received the blessing and the benefit of that obedience. So the next time you are tempted not to obey the Lord, just remember that your obedience can have an impact that is far greater than you can imagine. The obedience of Jesus was not just about Himself. It was about all of us! To Him, pleasing the Father was more important than pleasing Himself. I shudder to think of where we would be if He had not obeyed the Father!

James W. Black

Living Peaceably

October 22, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
Rom. 12:18 KJV

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 12:18 KJV).

One of the great promises of Jesus is the promise of peace. In John 14:27 Jesus promised to give all those who follow Him, His peace! In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called The Prince of Peace. Peace is one of the blessings and benefits of living in the Kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17). And, as God’s people, we are called to follow after those things that bring about peace (Rom. 14:19).

The peace that the Lord promises begins with having peace with God (Rom. 5:1). Until we have been reconciled to God through the shed Blood of Jesus, and our sin forgiven , it is impossible to have this peace. But once His peace is received, it lays the foundation for living and walking in peace. This peace is beyond our human understanding (Phil. 4:7) because it comes from God Himself! Once we are at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves. And because we are at peace with ourselves, we can be at peace with others. We than are called to do everything that we can to live in peace with others, because that is a reflection of the life of Christ within us. In fact, it is only the Gospel of Christ that commands us to “love our enemies” (Matth. 5:44). This peace is real, powerful and profound! There is nothing anywhere that compares to it.

But sadly, we live in a fallen world. Sin still resides in the human heart. And even though we desire to be at peace with others, there are those who refuse to be at peace with us. And, as we have seen recently with the war in Israel, there are those who do not want peace no matter what is done. That is why the scripture tells us to live in peace as much as it is possible. Regrettably, there are times when it is no longer possible. Then we must do everything that we can to protect our loved ones from those who would seek to destroy them. There comes a time when we must fight. We must do everything that we can to live peaceably. But when that is no longer possible there is a time for war (Ecc. 3:8). Because this world will never be at peace until Jesus Comes!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

James W. Black

Keeping the Right Perspective

October 7, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is more with us than with them. With him is an army of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles…”
2 Chronicles 32: 7-8 KJV

The nation of Judah was facing an impossible situation. The mighty Assyrian army was marching against them. The odds against them were enormous. Thus far, every nation in the path of the Assyrians had fallen. What could the tiny nation of Judah possibly do? Fortunately, at this time, Judah had a good king who knew exactly what to do. Instead of focusing on the Assyrians, the king, focused upon God! And he encouraged his people to do the same.

Hezekiah did not deny the reality of the situation. In the natural, the situation was dire! But his faith and confidence were not in his ability nor the ability of his people. His faith and confidence was in the Living God! The God who had created Israel and made a covenant with them would be their shield and their protection (Deut. 28: 7). Therefore, because Hezekiah knew the Lord and sought to serve and follow the Lord, he saw things from God’s perspective. He knew that they could trust the Lord to work on their behalf. He knew that the God they served was greater than all the powers arrayed against them. And because Hezekiah kept the right perspective and sought the face of the Lord, the Lord did fight on their behalf and their enemies were destroyed (2 Kings 19: 32-37 & 2 Chron. 32: 20-22).

Everyone faces difficult things in life from time to time. It is the result of living in a fallen, sin-cursed, and broken world. But the good news is that in all situations, because of Jesus, we have hope! Our confidence is in the Only One who has conquered death, hell, and the grave (Rev. 1:18). When we put our trust in the Lord and rivet our attention upon Him, we can then see things from God’s perspective. We can then remember that our life is in His hands. Our present is in His hands. Our future is in His hands. He is for us (Rom 8:31). He is with us (Matt 28:20). He will guide us (John 16:13). He will watch over us. And He will take care of us (1 Pet. 5:6-7). No matter what comes our way! He is the Great I Am (Ex. 3:14, John 8:58). And He is greater than anything that the powers of darkness can ever bring against us (1 John 4:4).

Rev. James W. Black

Obeying God in the Little Things

September 30, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself.”
Dan. 1:8 AMPC

It took great courage for Daniel, a young teenager at the time and a captive in Babylon, to take a stand by determining that he would still honor the Lord in spite of his circumstances. For him it was simply a matter of seeking to honor the Lord by adhering to the dietary laws laid down for Israel in the Word of God (Lev. 11). It would have been easy for him to simply partake of the rich food provided for him by the king.
But in the situation he was in, God was all that he had left and he was unwilling to do anything that would hinder that relationship. In fact, he wanted to do everything he could to still cultivate that relationship.

He could have looked at the circumstances and reasoned, that it was such a small thing that it really didn’t matter. But it did matter. It mattered because it was one of the things God had commanded Israel that set them apart as the people of God (Lev. 11:44)! And Daniel, though he was a captive in Babylon, still wanted to be identified as one who belonged to God! So, he made the decision and the Lord honored him in that decision. It was this decision that set the precedent for the rest of his life. Daniel would face far greater challenges in the future. But because he had determined to obey God in the little things, he had laid the foundation for being able to trust and obey God in far greater situations later.

If we desire to be a people who genuinely reflect Christ in a dark culture, it is important that we begin right where we are by obeying God in the little things (Luke 12:26). Love one another (John 13:35). Care for one another. Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32). Be considerate of one another. Encourage one another (Heb. 10:24). Help one another. Let us be mindful of our tongue and how we speak to one another (1 Pet. 3:10). Let us be known as a people who build up one another instead of tearing one another down (1 Thes. 5:11). Let us be the people who seek to do what is right regardless of the cost (Psalm 15:4). Let us be the people who seek to honor the Lord in all things (Matth. 6:33). If we do these things, we (like Daniel) will lay the foundation for being able to obey God in the greater challenges that will inevitably come our way.
James W. Black

The Goodness of God

September 23, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalm 100:6 KJV

The Word of God declares that the Lord is good! Being good, He always desires the best for us! And He works to accomplish the greatest good for us. The goodness of God is not only determined by what He does but is revealed to us in Who He is! His goodness is the expression of His Person! It is a reflection of His character and nature. When Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, he did so not only by twisting the truth of God’s Word but also by questioning the goodness of God. (Gen. 3:4-5).

God’s goodness does not mean that He always does what we want or gives us everything that we ask for. A good parent does not do that for their children and our Heavenly Father does not do that for His children either. There are times when, for our own good, He says “no”! In those times when we do not understand why the Lord says “no”, we must learn to trust His goodness! We must choose to trust His character and nature. We must choose to trust the fact that when He says “no” it is because of His deep love for us! Like any child, we may not understand it or like it at the moment. But over time, as we grow and mature, we can look back and see that the Lord knew what was best for us all along.

The goodness of God is expressed in His everlasting mercy. His mercy is deep. His mercy is eternal! He never withholds His mercy from those who truly desire Him and seek Him! All that He requires is a heart that is genuinely surrendered unto Him! (Jer. 29:13).

The goodness of God is revealed in His eternal Truth! Unlike the world, His Truth never changes! What was true for Abraham, Moses, and David as well as the Early Church, is still true for us today. They trusted the goodness of God, the mercy of God, and the Truth of God that was revealed unto them by His Word! They staked their lives and their eternal destiny upon it. And they reaped the blessings and rewards of walking in the Truth of God. As a result, they experienced the goodness of God. And they left for us a legacy, showing us what it means to follow the Lord (Heb. 11: 1-40). Therefore we can also walk in absolute confidence knowing that God is good. He is merciful. His Truth is eternal and the revelation of ultimate reality. He did not fail those who have gone before us. Neither will He fail us! He is faithful! And He is good!

Rev. James W. Black

Being God’s Friend

September 10, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“…Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2: 23 KJV).

One of the most profound statements in scripture concerning Abraham is that he is called “the Friend of God.” (Isaiah 41:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7). In Gen. 12:1, God revealed Himself to Abraham, a former worshipper of idols, and his life and destiny was radically transformed. He would never be the same again (2 Cor. 5:17). From that point on, In the midst of a totally pagan culture, he chose to follow God. That does not mean that he followed God perfectly. He didn’t. He stumbled a few times along the way (Gen. 12: 10-13). But he never stopped following. Whenever he failed, he would get back up and continue to follow. He never quit.

The scripture tells us that he became God’s Friend when he chose to believe God! He didn’t just believe in God. Many people do that and are not changed. No. He chose to actually believe that God was exactly Who He said He was and as a result, Abraham totally committed himself into God’s hands! In following God, Abraham became a worshipper of God. Everywhere he settled, he built an altar unto the Lord and worshipped God (Gen. 12:7.).

To be God’s Friend is simple. When God reveals Himself to us, (as He does in and through His Word) we must choose to follow. Believing is more than merely acknowledging God or acknowledging truth. It is committing our heart to Him and trusting Him with all that we are and all that we have. To be God’s Friend means that we value and treasure the relationship. We do not take it for granted. To be God’s friend means that we take time to be with Him. Being with Him is vitally important to us. It is a priority to us. To be God’s Friend means that we listen when He speaks. We value what He says. And to be God’s Friend means that we are willing to actually do what He asks us to do. Why? Because we are God’s Friend! The overall key to Abraham’s friendship with God was that he believed God. He listened to God He adjusted his life to God. And he followed God. The key to the entire relationship was that in all things and in all circumstances, Abraham trusted God (Gen. 22: 1-14). What was true for Abraham is still true for us if we desire to truly be God’s Friend and not just an acquaintance.

Rev. James W. Black

The Labor That Produces Rest

September 2, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. (11) Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest…”
Heb. 4: 9-11 KJV

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. (11) Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest…” (Heb. 4: 9-11 KJV).

Some of the best rest is when we have worked hard all day and are completely exhausted but feel good about the day because of the work that was accomplished. As soon as our head hits the pillow we are asleep but we awake refreshed for the coming day.

The Word of God tells us that there is also a “rest for the people of God.” This rest also comes at the end of labor. But it is a different kind of labor than our physical labor. It is an inner labor that comes from striving to try and please God and yet feeling as if we have not done enough and therefore somehow are not fully accepted by God. But it is a labor that must be entered into before we can ultimately find the “rest” that the Lord wants us to have.

We have to “labor” through our pride. We have to “labor” through our self-sufficiency.
We have to “labor” through having confidence in ourselves; in our ability to please God with our own efforts. We have to “labor” through our failures and our disappointments with ourselves and with others. We have to “labor” through our feelings of inadequacy. We have to “labor” through our hurts and our pain. We have to “labor” until we can come to the place of completely surrendering everything that we were, everything that are, everything that we have, and everything we hope to be totally to the Lord.

It is the place of total surrender to the finished work of Christ and His completed work on our behalf on the cross! Our sense of worth and meaning is no longer found in our ability to achieve or in our ability to serve and please others; even as Christ Followers. No. Our worth meaning and purpose are found in Christ alone! He is the culmination of all that we are and all that we ever hope to be. It is all found in Him! (Phil. 3: 7–9).

And when we finally arrive at that place through the “labor” of full relinquishment and surrender of all things to Him, we find this joyful place of His rest! We can finally “rest” in the fact that we are full and complete in Him! And we are totally and completely loved and accepted by Him! It is amazing how refreshing and renewing that truly is!

Rev. James W. Black

Our Powerful Union With Christ

August 13, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“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

August 6, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“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

Author: NCC-Admin-1