2023 - Page 4 of 5 - NCC Cartersville

God Thinks About Us

May 14, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand…” (Psalm 139:17-18 KJV).

It is amazing to consider the fact that the Holy One thinks about us! He not only thinks about us collectively (as the church, the redeemed of God) but He also thinks about us individually! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that his thoughts toward us are “thoughts of peace and not of evil.” (KJV). The NIV translates this as “plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” Both are true. The point is that the Lord’s thoughts about us are good!

The Lord always desires the best for us. He is always thinking about us how to bring out the best in us and the best through us. He created us to be a reflection of Himself (Gen. 1:17). And when we reflect Him, we bring Him great pleasure. It is much like a parent or grandparent who delights in watching their small children learn, grow and discover their world. It brings us great joy and delight to observe them, to guide them, and to help them in their discovery. What good parent or grandparent would not want the very best for their children or grandchildren? If we are that way toward our own, how much more does the Heavenly Father think about us and delight in us! (Luke 11:13). How much more does He want the absolute best for us in all things?

So let us take great joy and comfort in knowing that the Living God is always in thinking about us! And those thoughts are good! And He finds pleasure in us!

James W. Black

The Attentive Ear of God

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

“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”
(Psalm 145:18 KJV).

Have you ever struggled with having confidence that when you pray the Lord actually hears you? Or that He really cares about you and the issues you are facing in your life? Have you ever thought that somehow you are not good enough or that you are not spiritual enough? Have you ever felt like you just don’t seem to have the right words or that somehow your words just do not seem adequate? Have you ever felt awkward when you pray, thinking that you look foolish speaking to someone you can’t even see? Have you ever had the thought cross your mind that said: “What difference does it really make?”

Every child of God has experienced these thoughts and feelings when it comes to prayer. The reason we have such thoughts is because we are all keenly aware of the weakness of our flesh. And all of us are bombarded by the thoughts the evil one and his demons seek to plant in our minds. This is true not only for new believers but for seasoned believers as well. All of these thoughts and feelings are designed to discourage us from praying. The goal is too intimidate and discourage us in order to keep us from praying. The evil one knows the power of prayer far better than we do. He and his demons are fearful of people who pray and churches that pray.

But the great promise of God is that He always hears the heart cry of those who belong to Him. He reminds us that “He is near”. What that means is that He is close to all who truly belong to Him. But also notice that He hears those that “call upon Him in truth.” That means to call upon Him with genuine authenticity. The Lord knows if we are serious about Him or not. We cannot fool God. He knows the motive and intention of our heart. If our heart is right, and our motive is right, the Lord always hears His people! Thus we can always pray with absolute confidence when we call upon Him!

James W. Black

The Blessing of Fellowship

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

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Prov. 27:17 NKJV).

The Body of Christ is made up of people. And when the Lord redeems us, it is His intention that we be connected and joined with other fellow believers. The purpose is help us grow and reach our fullest potential in Christ. It is designed by the Lord to deepen our faith and to enrich our walk with Him. It is in the relationship of fellowship that we contribute and invest in each other’s life.

Every child of God has infinite value and worth. The Father demonstrated this by sending Jesus to die for us and pay the full price for our sin so that He could fellowship with us. Fellowship is important to the Holy One! The Trinity is the fullest expression of fellowship. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in perfect fellowship together. Jesus longs to share the wonder and richness of that fellowship with us! He longs for us to be a part of that and to experience that (John 17: 21-23).

In the Body of Christ everyone has things they have learned in their walk with the Lord. Each person’s insight can be an encouragement to another brother or sister in Christ. It is one thing to read and understand the written Word of God. It is another thing to experience the power and the reality of that Word in our life! What we have learned by walking in Truth amplifies the reality of that Truth when shared with others. Likewise what others have learned can enrich us and encourage us as well.

When a tool is sharpened it works more efficiently and effectively. Anyone who has tried to cut something with a dull knife knows this very well. Dullness requires more effort. It is in the relationship of fellowship that we sharpen one another in the Body of Christ. Sharpening one another enables the Body of Christ to be more effective and useful for the King!

James W. Black

Too Late to Pray

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

“Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine , and by the pestilence.” (Jer. 14: 11-12 KJV).

This is one of the most sobering passages in the Bible, along with (Jeremiah 15:1). Here the Lord instructed Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation of Judah! Is it possible that God, who is full of love, mercy, grace and is exceedingly patient could reach a point that He will no longer hear the prayers of His people? Is it possible that God, Who’s patience far exceeds ours can reach a point to where He says: That is enough? Absolutely!

The Southern Kingdom of Judah had witnessed God’s judgement and destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. God had sent them prophets to warn them and to implore them to repent and return to Him, but they refused to listen. Now the Southern Kingdom of Judah is doing the same. For over 130 years, the Lord had sent prophet after prophet to warn the nation of God’s impending judgment if they did not repent and return unto Him. But just like the Northern Kingdom, Judah refused to listen. They had short spurts of revival, but they did not last. Those revivals did not impact the nation long term. Judah, like Israel, continued to reject God. Now, God had come to the place where He said: That is enough! My judgment will now fall upon this nation!

God, in His love and mercy gives every individual and every nation the opportunity to repent and return unto Him! It is called a “space for repentance.” But if that person or that nation continues on in total rebellion and they continue to harden their heart toward God after He has called them again and again; then the Lord will bring His judgment upon them.

The message is clear. God is loving, merciful, full of grace and patient. But He is also Holy. And His Holiness demands that unrighteousness and wickedness be judged; especially when those He has called again and again refuse to listen! Although America may not have yet reached that point, I fear that she is very close. Let us fervently pray for this nation. Let us fervently pray for a Great Awakening while God will still hear!

James W. Black

The Purity of God’s Word

April 16, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”
(Prov. 30:5 KJV).

Hundreds of years ago, Agur, the son of Jakeh declared that God’s Word its pure.
The word pure means tried, tested and flawless. It is without blemish. It is perfect. It is complete. Nothing else can or needs to be added. It means that God’s Word has been put to the test. God’s Word has been tried and found to be completely reliable and dependable. To those who put their trust in Him! God’s Word has never failed. It cannot fail because His Word is backed up by God Himself, and God has never failed!
(Deut. 7:9).

Whatever God speaks and whatever God has spoken will come to pass. If God has spoken it, we can trust what He has said with absolute confidence. We cannot always say that about people. And sadly that is true with some who call themselves Christian. But what a joy it is to know that God and His Word can be trusted with absolute confidence.

The difficulty we have sometimes is putting our trust in what God has spoken when we have not yet seen the manifestation of it. We have not yet realized it! Sometimes things happen immediately when we put our trust in God’s Word (like salvation which is instantaneous (Rom. 10:9-10). Sometimes things happen after waiting and standing upon God’s Word over a long period of time (Habakkuk 2:3). But rest assured God will honor and manifest His Word at just the right time (Gal. 4:4-5).

When we learn to trust Him even for that which we have not yet seen (but we know that He has spoken it) our faith is strengthened and deepened. And the Lord will honor us and defend us as we stand upon His Word (Daniel 3: 16-18). The Lord declares in Prov. 30:5 that “he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” The Lord will defend us against the doubt and unbelief of others. We can live and stand upon God’s Word with absolute confidence! His Word has been tried and tested and found to be absolutely pure! What an awesome God we we serve!

James W. Black

Not Guilty

April 9, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins (1 Cor.15:17 NLT).

The essence of our faith rests completely upon the resurrection. If the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not true, then our faith is useless. If the resurrection is not a reality then our faith in Christ is meaningless. The unbelieving world knows this and that is why the resurrection is the one thing that is constantly denied and assaulted. It was from the very beginning (Mathew 28:11-15). It will continue until He returns.

But Christ is risen from the dead! He is alive! The resurrection of Jesus is the most historically authenticated event in all of ancient history. Through His death and His resurrection Christ conquered the power of sin and death and has stripped our adversary, Satan, of all his authority and power over our lives. All the demons of hell tremble at the Name of Jesus (James 2:19). They, more than anyone else, understand the power and the authority of that Name! The only power the adversary has now is what we give him (Rom. 6: 7-14).

Through the resurrection, Jesus single handedly defeated all the host of darkness and defeated them completely (Col. 2:15)! Satan and his demons were totally conquered once and for all! No one anywhere can rightfully or successfully challenge the Power and the Authority of Jesus!

Because of the resurrection our sin debt has been paid in full. And we are declared before the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25) to be “Not Guilty!” In order for that to become a reality we must fully repent of our sin, surrender to Him and accept by faith what He has accomplished for us (Acts 2:38). Christ Himself declares that we have been made righteous in His sight (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore because of His resurrection, no one can stand against us (Rom. 8:31). Because of the resurrection we have been made more than conquerors in Christ (Rom. 8:37). And because of the resurrection, no matter how dark our sin has been, we (the redeemed) have been declared Not Guilty!
Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name!

James W. Black

The Way Into The Presence of God Has Been Opened

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

“‘Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…”
(Matthew 27:51 NKJV)

Everything about Jesus was supernatural. His birth. His life. His death. And especially His mighty resurrection! His death on the cross was marked by a number of supernatural events. One of the most significant was the rending of veil in the Temple in Jerusalem! This veil was massive. It was 60 ft high, 30 ft wide and 4 inches thick (Source: Josephus). It was designed to separate the Holy Place (where a priest went in to minister daily ) from the Holy of Holies (where only the High Priest could go once a year). The design of the Tabernacle (upon which the Temple was based) was given to Israel by God Himself [Ex. 25: 8-22, Ex. 26: 31-35]. The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant. On top of the ark was the Mercy Seat where the High Priest would place the blood of the sacrificial lamb once a year to atone for the sin of the people (Ex. 30:10, Heb. 9:7). In the Holy of Holies was the manifest Presence of God. What is important to remember is that not everyone had access into this sacred place. Only the High Priest!

When Jesus cried “It is finished” and surrendered Himself to death (John 19:30), at that very moment the veil was torn in the Temple. It is significant to note that the veil was torn from “top to bottom”. This clearly was a supernatural act of God! Can you imagine the shock of the priests, who who were ministering in the Temple that day, when the veil began to be ripped apart by unseen hands? That torn veil reveals to us a number of things.

First, this was an act of God and not man. Man had nothing to do with it! Second, the way into the Holiest Place (the very Presence of God Himself) was now open for everyone! It was no longer just for the High Priest. Third, God’s Presence was now released and available to everyone. The finished work of Christ had fulfilled the demands of the Law. It had satisfied the demands of Gods judgment of sin. It made righteousness available to anyone who would genuinely receive it. And it opened the way for God to have fellowship with anyone who would genuinely yield their heart to Him! The torn veil means that we now have direct access to God! Jesus has opened the way for us! Let us never take this access for granted. And may we engage in reaping the full benefits of it!

James W. Black

The Key to Transformation

March 26, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Thus saithe the Lord of hosts, turn to me and I will turn unto you, saithe the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 1:3 KJV).

Israel had experienced great devastation and distress because they had abandoned God. Because they had turned away from the Lord, He had given them into the hand of their enemies (Deut. 28: 63-65). Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians and the nation had gone into captivity and exile some 70 years before. Now, the Lord appealed to them to turn (or return) to Him once again and He would bless them.

The key to their blessing and well being was rooted in their turning unto the Lord. The same is true for us as well. The Lord wants to bless His people. The Lord wants to demonstrate His love and favor upon His people. But He will bless His people only when they turn to Him in sincerity, humility, and repentance (Jer. 29:13-14). The Lord promises that whenever His people turn unto Him, that He will also turn unto His people. Once again, He will become their shield and their defender (Psalm 33: 18-21). He will be their provider (Gen. 22:14). He will bless their work and their efforts in every possible way. (Deut. 28:1-14). There will be sufficiency and abundance in all things.

The problems in our families and in our culture at large can be traced back to the fact that as a whole, we have abandoned God. We have become wise in our own eyes (Rom. 1:22-25) and rejected the truth that can only be found in God! The truth is found in His Person (John 14:6) and His Truth is found in His Word (Psalm 119:30 & 105).

They key to transformation personally, corporately and culturally is simply turning to the Lord. The Lord has promised that He will reveal Himself to those who truly want to know Him (Mat. 6:33). But it is important to note that if it is half hearted and not genuine, the Lord will will neither hear nor respond (Isaiah 1:14-15, Jer. 15:6). He knows the intent of our heart. We cannot fake it with God!

James W. Black

Does God Answer The Prayers of the Unredeemed?

March 19, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Pro. 15:29 NKJV)

Over the years, I have heard lost people say that they pray and that the Lord hears their prayers. While I do not doubt that sometimes the lost do find themselves in difficult situations and will on those occasions offer up a desperate cry to the Lord, it by no means implies that God has a relationship with them or that they have a relationship with God. They don’t! The only reason God will answer their prayer (and there are times when He does) is for the purpose of revealing Himself to them and to help draw them to Himself. He answers their prayer only out of mercy; not because of relationship. To think otherwise is to be deceived. It simply is not true (Isaiah 1:15, & 1 John 1:6).

The unredeemed do not have ready access to the Lord. They have no basis of such access. It is only the Blood of Jesus, applied to heart of the redeemed, that gives anyone access to the Throne of God (John 14:6)! For the wicked, the lost, the unredeemed, those who have no regard or interest in the Lord, the scripture is clear; the Lord is far from them. He does not hear their prayer.

But the inheritance and privilege of a Child of God and being a part of His Kingdom, is the reality of knowing that we always have access to Throne of God! Christ alone has made that possible for us (Eph. 2:13-16). Christ alone has brought us into a right relationship with God. Christ alone has made us righteous by His own blood (2 Cor. 5:21 & Rev. 5:9). And the scripture is clear that the Lord always hears the prayers of His redeemed! (Psalm 37:4, John 14: 13-14).

One of the differences between the lost and the saved is this. The unredeemed cannot pray with confidence. They have no basis by which they can. But the redeemed do! It is our relationship that gives us confidence (Heb. 4:16). Therefore let us be joyful in the relationship that Jesus has made possible for us. And let us pray often (1 Thess. 5:17) Our Heavenly Father always hears us!

James W. Black

Don’t Expect The World to Love You

March 12, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. …They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17: 14; 16 NKJV).

One of the things that happens to those who have fully received Christ as their Savior is the discovery that those who have not, often do not like us or accept us anymore. In fact there will be those who not only dislike us, but there will be those who will despise us and hate us! That can be somewhat shocking at first. The shock is the realization that they have rejected us when we have not rejected them. And some of the first ones who reject us is lost family members. That can be especially painful and difficult. Of course the reason for that is because Jesus, has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light! (Col. 1: 12-13).

And while this is difficult to understand at first it helps us to know that such rejection affirms the reality of Christ that they see in us! In essence, it is not just us they are rejecting, it is Christ Who is in us (Col. 1:27) that they are rejecting. And Jesus reminds us that if the world rejected Him, then the world will also reject us! (Math. 10: 24-25).

When Jesus came into this world He brought the Light of God into this world (John 8:12) for He was God clothed in human flesh (John 1:14). And although He was in this world, He was not of this world. His light exposed the darkness of our sin, not for the purpose of condemning us, (John 3:17) but for the purpose of redeeming us and delivering us from its bondage! (Rom. 6: 11-14).

And that is exactly why the world will hate us. Because the Light of Christ in us exposes the darkness of sin. Those in the world are not only uncomfortable with that but they become angry about that. They hate that (John 3:20). They were perfectly content until the Light of Christ exposed the darkness of their heart. When that happens they will either flee from us or will attack us to try to extinguish the Light. But the one thing they will not do is love us.

But it is not our responsibility to get them to love us. It is our responsibly to love them. And through that love, that Christ Himself gives, bring them to the same Light that transformed us! (Math. 5:44).

James W. Black

Year: 2023