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Preparing for Battle

July 8, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands.” (1 Sam. 17:47 KJV).

Because we live in a broken world, conflict is a normal part of life. We don’t like it and we certainly do not desire it. But it happens. And being a child of God does not exempt us from conflict. The key issue is: How do we handle conflict when it comes? The answer is to be prepared before the battle comes. For the child of God, the Lord has given us vast resources to assist us in the face of the enemy.

He has given to us The Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11). He has given to us The Word of God (Heb. 4:12). And He has given to us powerful weapons that can be utilized whenever conflict arises (Eph. 6: 10-18). Our responsibility is to be prepared whenever the battle comes!

Those in the military train continually with their weapons. They learn about their weapons. They know what they can do. And most importantly they learn how to use them with absolute confidence. The training is done so that when the battle comes they will instinctively know what to do. A soldier cannot wait until the battle comes to prepare. The soldier must be well prepared before the battle comes. If he is prepared, then he is in a position to experience victory!

Ultimately our confidence in battle does not come from us, but from the One who has redeemed us and called us, the Lord Jesus Christ! When David faced Goliath, he was not prideful or cocky. Rather he was confident in the God that he knew and served. David was not intimidated or fearful of the enemy because he knew that the outcome of the battle rested in the Lord, not in himself. David had spent much time alone with the Lord on the hillside with sheep. His intimate relationship with the Lord had prepared him for the battle long before it ever came. Thus when it did come, David knew instinctively what to do.

Let us prepare ourselves for battle by seeking to know and walk closely with the Lord. As we do, whenever the enemy comes against us, we will be prepared to use the weapons of our warfare against him. And we can expect to be victorious. Like David, we can Run to the Battle with confidence, not fear.

Rev. James W. Black

Standing Firm in Liberty

July 1, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1 KJV).

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Followers of Christ in Galatia to “stand firm” in the liberty that Christ had achieved for them. Some of the Galatian Christians were being tempted and drawn back into the bondage of religious legalism. Paul warned them to “wake up” and not allow themselves to be drawn back into the very thing that Christ had delivered them from!

The Power of Christ delivers us not only from the bondage of sin but also from the bondage of religious legalism. The resulting liberty that Christ provides impacts every area of our Iives. It impacts the culture as well.

It was the liberty of the Gospel that fueled the desire for freedom from the tyranny of England in the American Colonies in 1776. The American culture in the late 1700s was profoundly influenced by the Gospel. Christian principles were embraced by the culture at large whether they were Christian or not. They were embraced because of their profound and positive impact on the culture.

It was not atheism that fueled the fires of freedom in America. It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was not atheism that motivated men to lay down their lives for freedom in the war with England. It was the influence of the Gospel of Christ. It was not atheism or agnosticism that blessed our nation throughout its history. It was the Gospel of Christ. We are deeply indebted to those who have gone before us and who have modeled for us what it means to be a Follower of Christ in the arena of everyday life.

Let us resolve as Followers of Christ to continue to “stand firm” In our liberty in Christ.
Failure to do so may cause us to lose the liberties that we now enjoy in this nation.

James W. Black

The Blessing of Contentment

June 24, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out of it.”
1 Tim. 6:6 NKJ

One of the great blessings the Lord gives to the redeemed is “contentment”. In a materialistic culture that defines happiness as the accumulation of stuff or having the approval of others, the Word of God brings everything into perspective. Contentment is not found in things or in others. It is found in Christ alone! (Col. 1:27).

The Word of God affirms that it is not how much we possess that brings joy, but rather Who possesses us! It is Jesus Christ living and incarnate in us Who brings contentment and joy. (Rom. 8: 9-11). The Word declares that it is “in him that we live, move and have our being…”. (Acts 17:28). Our life originates in Him for He alone is the giver of life. Our life is sustained by Him for He alone is the preserver of life. Our life finds its true meaning and purpose in Him, for He alone reveals the purpose of our life. Our life finds its ultimate destiny in Him, for He alone reveals our destiny! (Rev. 5:9). Only when we know the reality of these things, which can only be found in Him, can we then come to the place where we cease our striving and learn to rest in Him! (Heb. 4: 9-11).

Many people who have acquired great wealth, fame, and the acclamation of others do not have joy and contentment in their life. Just look at the lives of the elite in Hollywood, business, and politics. Many of them live shallow, hollow, and empty lives.

But the people of God, the redeemed, who are growing in their intimacy with Christ, are joyful and content regardless of how little or how much they have. The reality is that when we have Him and He has us, He provides everything we truly need, including contentment. If we are not content in our Christian life we need to refocus our attention upon the very One who gives us life! When our heart is fixed upon Him, we will discover that He provides everything that we truly need! And He enables us to value and enjoy what we already have!

Rev. James W. Black

Unable to Discern Right from Wrong

August 7, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

In Isaiah 5:20-21 The Holy One gave the Word through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel: “Woe to them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight.” (KJV). Because Israel had abandoned both the Truth of God (The Word of God) and the God of Truth they were no longer able to discern between what was good and what was evil. They had lost their moral compass and everyone did what was right in his own eyes!

Sadly we are witnessing the same thing in our culture today. As a culture we have abandoned the Truth of God (the Word of God) and the God of Truth (John 14:6). And professing ourselves to be wise we have become fools (Romans 1:22).

Today, every form of evil is celebrated by the culture at large. Homosexuality, fornication, adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, public profanity, and every form of perversion and evil are celebrated by the culture at large. Today such things are called good! To disapprove or disagree with such things is considered hateful, bigoted, and intolerant. To protest such things is considered unenlightened and out of touch.

As a result, we are reaping and will continue to reap, the consequences of such evil choices. Our families will continue to disintegrate. Our children will continue to be abused (the greatest abuse is abortion), abandoned, and sexually exploited by a culture in which now many of the so-called “elite” think that pedophilia should be legalized. The envelope is being pushed further and further. Now even cannibalism is being promoted in movies and books. One “enlightened” commentator on the arts noted recently that “cannibalism is a subject whose time has come.”

As a Holy God brought judgment upon his own people for their wickedness, He will surely bring judgment upon us for our light has been much greater! But regardless of the darkness, we are called to be the light to this generation in darkness. We are called to live and walk in the Truth of Christ and His Word! We have the compass! And because of that, we can discern the difference between right and wrong; good and evil. Let us resolve to continue to be that light!

Rev. James W. Black

The Language of Tears

July 30, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Uncategorized

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126: 6 KJV).

When it comes to advancing the Kingdom of God, the salvation of lost loved ones, the return of our prodigals, the outpouring of revival, and the turning of our nation, one of the most important languages to which God responds to is the language of our tears. Nothing touches the heart of God more than our tears! Just as a mother or a father is immediately drawn to the tears of their child, the heart of God is quickly drawn to the tears of His children!

We are not speaking of mere emotionalism but rather the deep, genuine, heartfelt brokenness and desperation over an impossible and hopeless situation.
A situation in which there is no solution apart from God’s sovereign intervention. When genuine tears are shed, they are shed because the heart is broken. They are shed because there is the recognition that there is no hope outside of God. They are shed out of desperation! There is absolutely nothing else that can possibly be done! Our mind, our heart, and our full attention are riveted on God in brokenness and humility. And it is in this position of the heart that the Lord hears and responds.

We see this exemplified again and again all through scripture from the cry of the Israelites slaves in Egypt (Ex. 3:7), the cry of Israel when they had been overcome by their enemies because of their sin (Judges 3:9), to Hannah (1 Samuel 1:10) who wept before the Lord for a child. In all of these situations, the Lord responded to the language of tears.

When the South Koreans came to the US in May of this year, one of the most amazing things they did when they prayed for this nation was that they cried out to the Lord with tears. I must confess that although I have been deeply grieved and burdened over the dreadful, sinful condition of our nation, I have not yet wept over our nation! Could that be one of the reasons we have not yet seen revival? Could it be that in spite of all the prayer taking place among many of God’s people in America, we have not yet come to the place of brokenness and weeping over the condition of our nation? Could that be one of the reasons that revival has been delayed?

The question is asked, “How bad will it have to be before we get to that point?” I don’t know. But I do know this, I (and we) have not yet reached that point. Thus, revival still tarries. We must humbly ask the Lord to break our heart for what breaks His!

The Blessings of Obedience

July 21, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Uncategorized

“And these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt harken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.” (Deut. 28:2 KJV).

In this passage of scripture, the Holy One was about to bring a new generation of His people into the land He had promised them. The previous generation, their fathers, had died wandering in the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience and rebellion against God. They had refused to believe God in spite of witnessing a multitude of incredible and powerful miracles in addition to His continual daily provision in a dry and barren land. Their disobedience and rebellion were NOT just a one-time event. It was the FINAL STRAW in a habitual and continual pattern of their unbelief and their unwillingness to trust the Lord (Numbers 14).

This new generation was on the threshold of realizing the fulfillment of what God had promised their fathers. As they are about to enter in, He gave them both a promise and a warning concerning the next step they are about to take.

The promise was that IF THEY OBEYED HIM they would experience the blessing of God in EVERY AREA of their life (Deut. 28:1-14). They would be blessed (happy many times over) in their family, their crops, and their finances and they would be victorious over their enemies. The warning was that IF THEY WALKED IN DISOBEDIENCE, then they would experience difficulty and hardship in every area of their life.

The ultimate message was that they would experience joy and satisfaction in life if they obeyed the Lord. Jesus emphasized this when He said: “…I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV).

If we recognize that the Lord is our source for all that we need and we honor Him, trust Him, and obey Him then He has promised that we will have sufficiency in all things. This is NOT a prosperity gospel. Rather it is merely the EXTRA benefit that the Lord pours out upon those who have received His great salvation and who genuinely value that gift by walking in love and obedience with Him. Knowing this, why would we want to do anything less?

The Lord Does Not Fret Over The Wicked

May 7, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“The wicked plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. (Psalm 37: 12-13 NKJV).

When we hear and observe the things that are happening in our culture and the world, if we are not careful, we can allow ourselves to get caught up in them. We can allow ourselves to become so disturbed and angered by them that we are robbed of our joy! This is a tool of the adversary. That is why it is vitally important that we keep the right perspective.

It is important to remember that although it may appear, at least for the present, that those who engage in evil and wicked acts often seem to get away with what they do, the truth is that no one who does such things will escape the judgment and the wrath of a Holy God (John 3:36). Nothing is hidden from Him! He sees everything (Psalm 139: 11-12). The wicked in their arrogance and pride wrongly interpret God’s perceived delay as God’s indifference. Even worse, they interpret God’s delay as impotence! They believe that He either doesn’t care or is unable to intervene in what they do. But God does see! God does care! And God does know all the evil plans of the wicked and He laughs!

The Sovereign God knows the end of the wicked. He knows how many days they have left. (Psalm 139:16). They do not know that their very next heartbeat is in the Lord’s hands! In their arrogance and pride, they think that they are in control of their ultimate destiny. But the day will come when all of the wicked will stand before a Holy God and on that day they will tremble in His Presence (Rev. 20: 12-15). The Judge of all the earth will one day hold court and the judgment He renders will be final! For the unredeemed, it will be a fearful and dreadful day! The Word of God declares that it is a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31).

So while it is important to be aware of what is going on in our world, there is no need to fret. God doesn’t. He knows the ultimate outcome! He is coming! And the kingdoms of this world will surrender to the Kingdom of Our God! (Rev. 11:15). Until then, let us rest in Him, trust in Him, and continue to be His light in this world. (Matthew 5:14-16).

James W. Black

The Greatness of God

May 1, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him as less than nothing and vanity.” (Isaiah 40:17 KJV).

When we consider the greatness of empires both past and present and the impact they have had upon the world (Greece, Rome, England, and the US to name a few), we are awed by the fact that in spite of all their greatness, power, wealth and the influence they had in the world, they are as “nothing” in the Presence of the Living God. The very thought of that gives us a small glimpse of the magnificence and greatness of God!

Our God and His Kingdom are far greater than any nation that has ever been or ever will be. And He has redeemed us and called us to be a part of His Mighty Kingdom! Not only are we redeemed to be a part of His Kingdom, but we are also redeemed to be a part of His Family! As a part of His Family, we will be given authority and power to execute His will and purpose throughout His Kingdom for all eternity.

Although the Kingdom has not been fully manifested because Christ has not yet returned, the redeemed are already in the Kingdom and have been given power and authority to execute His will on the earth even now. At present, our current assignment is to hear His Word, listen to His voice, and obey what He asks us to do. We must remember that we are currently in training. Everything that we are going through right now is God’s way of training us and preparing us to rule and reign with Him in eternity. The day will come when His Kingdom will be fully revealed and we will see Him in all of His glory! At that moment everything else will fade away in comparison to Him! What an awesome and mighty God we serve! His greatness is beyond our comprehension!

James W Black

Following Jesus

April 24, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“…Jesus said unto his disciples, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 KJV).

Following Jesus is costly. Jesus made that abundantly clear from the very beginning. He told those who wanted to follow Him, to make sure that they first counted the cost (Luke 14:28-33). He wanted them to know that following Him not only required the “denying of ourselves” but it also required the “death of ourselves” (Romans 6:6). Our lives must be “nailed to the cross (Gal. 2:20). Only then can we be resurrected to a “new life” (Rom. 6:5). Jesus exemplified this with His own life (John 12: 24-26). It was only after His death on the cross that Jesus would be a resurrected! Many who express a desire to follow Jesus want the resurrection, (the new life), but they do not want the cross. But we cannot have one without the other.

But once that happens everything changes (2 Cor. 5:17). Our lives are transformed from being self centered to being Christ centered. We care more about what please Him than what pleases us. Our greatest pleasure in life is found in seeking Him, knowing Him and experiencing Him. Following Jesus is not centered upon us. It is centered upon Him. And yet though that we find the greatest joy and satisfaction in life!
It is there that we discover the joy of His Presence. It is there that we discover the wonder of His Grace and His love. It is there that we experience the Peace of His forgiveness! It is there that we finally discover the life that we always wanted. A life filled will meaning, purpose and hope! It is there that we discover our reason for living!
The English writer G. K. Chesterton said it well: “The Christian life has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” I would encourage you to follow Jesus! It is worth everything it costs!

James W. Black

The Power Of The Blood

April 17, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner / Uncategorized

“…ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by the tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ…(1 Peter 1: 18-19 KJV).

The value of the Blood of Christ cannot be fully comprehended by the human mind. To the unbelieving world it means nothing. To the unbelieving world it is foolishness. But its value is not determined by the world. Its value is determined by God the Father! And the Father places a very high value upon the Blood of His Son!

The Blood of Jesus Christ is the most powerful element in the universe. It is the Blood of Christ shed for us on Calvary that purchased our redemption (Rev. 5:9). The Blood of Christ is so powerful that it paid in full EVERY CLAIM that sin and the kingdom of darkness had (or ever will have) upon us (Col. 2: 13-15). It is the Blood of Christ that gives us access to the peace of God (Col. 1:20). It is the Blood of Christ that enables us to be declared righteous (Rom. 5: 8-9). It is the Blood of Christ that enables us to have fellowship with God the Father and enables us to become a part of His family (Eph. 2:13).

It is the Blood of Christ that causes the demons to flee (James 2:19). It is the Blood of Christ that brings healing (Isaiah 53:5). It is the Blood of Christ that destroys EVERY stronghold (2 Cor. 10:4). The Blood of Christ contains the very Life of God Himself (Lev. 17:11). And that Life is eternal! It is the Blood of Christ that give US eternal life (John 10: 28). May we be ever thankful to God for the Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ!

Rev. James W. Black

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