2024 - Page 2 of 5 - NCC Cartersville

The Greatness of God

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

“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.”
Psalm 96:4 KJV

There have been times in our history when we have honored and praised great men and women who accomplished great things. Books have been written about them and monuments have been erected in their honor so that future generations might remember them. That is a good, right, and noble thing to do. Those who have accomplished great things should be remembered so that we can appreciate what they have done and learn from them. Most of us have benefited in some way from their accomplishments. They should be remembered.

But if we can honor the great accomplishments of men and women, how much more should we honor the greatness of God?! No one can compare to the greatness of God! The monuments to His greatness are displayed everywhere!

We witness His greatness in the wonder and majesty of His creation; from the vast expanse of the universe (Psalm 19:1) to the smallest flower growing in the field (Math. 6:28-29). The multitude of life forms staggers the mind. Each form is unique in design. Everything God has created is detailed, intricate, precise, and amazingly complex.

The expression of His greatness is demonstrated in the complexity of the human body.
The Psalmist recognized this when he said that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14).

But His greatness is revealed not only in His physical creation but also by His personal involvement in each of our lives. He provides for us things that are far beyond that which is tangible. In the midst of our great lostness, He provides us with great salvation! In the face of great tragedy, He gives us great hope! In the face of great loss, He provides us with great sufficiency. In the face of great darkness, He provides us great light. In the face of great sorrow, He provides us with great comfort. In the face of opposition, He provides us with great strength and victory. In essence, the greatness of God surpasses all that we can possibly imagine (Eph. 3:20). Why would we not want to praise Him? There is no one greater than Him!

Rev. James W. Black

The Faithfulness of God

October 5, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” Deut. 7:9 KJV

One of the great blessings of being a part of God’s family and Kingdom is the faithfulness of God. Faithfulness is a part of the character and nature of God. In this passage, the Lord was reminding His people that they could rely upon Him! They could trust Him. He would watch over them and take care of them! They were His people!

However, the key to receiving those blessings was obedience. Not obedience born out of coercion or obligation, but obedience born out of love and gratitude. The Lord desired for His people to love Him because He had already demonstrated His love and faithfulness to them in amazing and remarkable ways. The Lord is always the first to express His love toward us (1 John 4:19).

The promises of God are rock solid. They are unchanging (Malachi 3:6). But they are also conditional. It means that if we do what He has asked us to do, as revealed in His Word, then He will be faithful in keeping His promises; especially when that obedience is born out of love and gratitude toward Him!

In the dark world in which we live (and it seems to be getting darker), it is comforting to know that we can rely complexly upon Him because He is faithful from generation to generation! His love and faithfulness toward us is constant! It is unchanging. It is unwavering! It will never end! It is eternal! What an awesome God we serve! Blessed be His Holy Name!

Rev. James Black

Standing Against The Evil Of Our Time

September 28, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Uncategorized

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil…”.

Proverbs 8:13 KJV

As the people of God, there are some things that we should hate! Such a statement sounds strange to some. It seems totally contradictory to the message of the Gospel! After all, the scripture clearly declares that “God is love!” (1 John 4:8). And as followers of Christ, we are called to love one another with the Love of Christ. (John 13:35). Such love, which the Lord provides, identifies us as God’s people! It separates us from the world! But if we truly love the Lord and seek to honor Him and follow Him, there will be some things that we hate!

As God’s people we will hate the things that God hates. And yes, there are some things that God hates. There is an impressive list in Prov. 6: 17-19. In looking at that list we can quickly see that God hates every form of evil! He hates sin which is the root of all evil expression. The Evangelist Paul Washer said it well: “Don’t tell me about your new relationship with Jesus! Tell me about your new relationship with sin! As a follower of Christ, do we hate the things that God hates? And do we love the things that God loves?” The Lord loves all people, but He hates the sin that enslaves and wrecks their lives! He hates every form and every expression of evil! So should we!

We should also hate the lies of our culture. The lie that says that you can choose your gender. The lie that says a baby is not a human and it is OK to kill the baby as long as there is a small portion of its foot still in the birth canal. The lie that says that it is OK to permanently mutilate young children’s bodies when they are too immature to make such life-altering decisions. The lie that says the state knows how to raise children better than parents do. The lie that says that government is more efficient than private enterprise. The lie that says you can tax a nation into prosperity. The lie that says you can permanently spend more than you make without any negative consequences. The lie that says that everyone is entitled and everyone is a victim. The lie that says no one is responsible for their actions. And we could go on and on!

Such lies degrade, enslave, and destroy people’s lives. They can also destroy communities. And as God’s people, we should hate those things! We should stand against those things. And do all that we can as God’s people to fight with our voices and our vote against those who proclaim and promote such lies!

Rev. James W. Black.

Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

September 13, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Uncategorized

“…Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith…”.

1 Tim. 6:11-12 ESV

When we surrender our life to Christ, we quickly become aware that we are in a conflict. It is a conflict between the Light of Christ who now resides within us and the powers of darkness that surround us. Before we knew Christ, we may have recognized certain aspects of the darkness but we were not in conflict with it because we were also a part it. We were blinded and enslaved by that darkness and did not even know it. Once Christ set us free, our eyes were opened for the first time and we could see what before was hidden from us. Then, to our surprise, we discovered ourselves in direct conflict with the very darkness we once enslaved us!

The Apostle Paul was well aware of this. With that in mind, he encouraged Timothy to pursue godliness. And in doing so he challenged him to “fight the good fight of faith.” It is notable that Paul called it a fight. But in reality it is! We soon discover that there are three different adversaries that we must stand and fight against.

The first one is our own sinful, fleshly nature that resists and sometimes rebels at the idea of submitting to Christ in a particular area. (Rom. 7:21). The second one is the lies of the adversary that attack us in our mind. Those lies question the love of God, the goodness of God, the grace of God, and the faithfulness of God. (Gen.3:1). The third one is the culture at large that has no knowledge of God and is totally opposed to the ways of God. (1 John 2:16). All three areas rise-up to fight against us when we embrace, lift up. and carry the banner of Christ.

The best news about this fight is that it has already been won for us in Christ. All we are required to do is to stand and obey. (Eph. 6:10-13). He has already provided everything that is needed to enforce and experience the victory. (2 Pet. 1:3). Therefore, let us resolve to “fight the good fight of faith” with absolute confidence. We have nothing to fear!

James W. Black

The Promise Of Rest For The Soul

September 7, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Matthew 11: 28-29 KJV

There are times when life is burdensome. Life can be challenging. Life can be painful. Life can be difficult. Life can be disappointing. Life can be lonely. Life can be overwhelming. Not only do our bodies get weary, but so do our souls! Sometimes the weight on our souls can be greater than the weight on our bodies! Jesus fully understands the burdens of life. After all, He lived a genuine human life just like us. The scripture declares that Jesus fully experienced every burden and difficulty of life that we experience. He fully identifies with our humanity! (Heb.4:15). And at the cross Jesus also experienced the full weight of our sin! (Isaiah 11:6). So, when He offers us rest for our soul, it is not an empty promise! He knows the need! And He has the solution!

First note that the invitation is to “Come”! It is open to anyone! There are no exclusions! Second, the invitation is to become joined together, or yoked together, with Him! Third, we are to “learn” of Him! We are to learn just how much He truly loves us! We are to learn that He is faithful in all things just like He promised! His promises never fail. His Word never fails! His Word is true! It is everlasting. It is relevant to every generation. We have to be joined with Him and walk with Him in order to learn that. It is in that place that our soul will find the promised rest.

It is in that place that our soul will find peace! It is in that place that we will find contentment. It is in that place that we will find hope. It is in that place that we will find joy. It is in that place that we experience the richness and fullness of His love. It is in that place that we experience His joy! It is in that place that we experience His overflowing life as we learn to simply “rest” in Him! It is in that place that we discover that He is the One who orders our steps. It is in that place that we discover that we can trust Him in all things! It is in that place that we realize we can trust Him for whatever we face today and we can trust Him for whatever we may face tomorrow. It is in that place that we discover the meaning and purpose of our life. It is in that place that we get a glimpse of His glory. And it is in that place that we get a small peek behind the veil of this life into what awaits us in eternity! There is no one anywhere who can offer us such rest! Let us put aside whatever is necessary to enter into that rest! For it is a rest that far greater than anything we can possibly imagine!

James W. Black

Waiting On The Lord

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

“The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
Lamentations 3:25 KJV

The Word of God speaks a great deal about waiting. The Lord promises that those who “wait” upon Him shall “renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31). And those who wait upon the Lord shall “inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:9 KJV). Even though the things we are waiting for have not come as quickly as we had hoped, we are told to continue waiting “because it will surely come…”. (Habakkuk 2:3). I must add that these things we are waiting for are the things He has clearly revealed as His will! And they have been confirmed by His Word!

Waiting is difficult for us because of our nature. We all have a tendency to want things “now”. But learning to wait upon the Lord teaches us about the faithfulness of God. It builds our faith and strengthens our confidence in His Word. It teaches us patience and helps us to better appreciate the wonder, the mystery, and the awesomeness of God’s timing. Waiting reminds us that God sees everything from the eternal perspective. He already knows the beginning and the end of all things! From His perspective, there is never a crisis. And the Lord is never late!

The more we walk with the Lord, the more we learn to trust Him! There are times when the Lord causes us to wait just so that He can show His mighty power and glory in such a way that we humbly bow before Him in awe and wonder! Remember the parting of the Red Sea? (Exodus 14). God chose to bring Israel to that very place so that they could witness His power and glory on their behalf!

So, while waiting is not something we would choose, God chooses it for us so that His glory might be displayed and we might walk with greater confidence in Him. Therefore let us embrace God’s waiting times. He has something amazing to show us! He has designed them specifically for our good and for His glory! “Wait, I say on the Lord.”
(Psalm 27:14). It is worth the wait!

Rev. James W. Black

The Cross That Divides

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

“Think not that I am come to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10:34 KJV

This statement of Jesus is startling. One of His titles is “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
And He also promised to give His followers His peace (John 14:27). Bult He also warns His followers that if we follow Him, there will be no peace. That sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?

The reality is that while the followers of Jesus will truly experience His peace in their personal lives, the very peace we experience through the cross will produce conflict. The cross of Christ and the peace that He provides creates a divide between light and darkness. That divide will also produce hostility toward those who follow Christ.

Many times that hostility is initially experienced by family members who either do not understand or do not want us to become followers of Christ. But this hostility is also expressed from the culture at large. As America continues to abandon Biblical Truth that hostility will intensify.

But the good news of the Gospel is that in the midst of the conflict we still have His peace! And it is His peace and His cross that overcomes the darkness! Although the enemies of Christ may rage against us, Christ has already overcome them (Col.2: 13-15). And because we are in Christ (Gal,. 2:20), He has made us more than conquerors (Ro.8:37). All we have to do in the midst of conflict is to simply continue to “stand” in Him and for Him (Eph. 6:13). He provides the power and ability to do that (Phil.4:13). It is impossible for the darkness to overcome the Light (John 8:12). Therefore, we can stand and rest in His peace no matter what may come! For He is with us (Hebrews 13:5)!

Rev. James W. Black

How Should We Live In Dark Times

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

“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7 KJV

The Prophet Micah lived in dark times. The nation of Judah was in great apostasy. One of the nation’s most wicked kings, King Ahaz, sat on the throne. Ahaz reigned from 735 BC to 715 BC. Evil and wickedness were the norm in the culture. Every strata of society was infected with it.

But in the midst of it all, there was a voice and a remnant of people who still loved, served, and followed the Lord. Micah was one of those voices. Although he could see the judgment of God coming on the nation and the difficult times that would come as a result, he chose to focus his attention upon the Lord. He did not ignore the darkness. But his primary focus was upon the Light!

We live in dark times in America. We can see and feel the darkness enveloping our land. Like the days of Micah, there are those who seek to silence the voice of righteousness. But the Lord did not place us here during these times to be silent. He placed us here to be His voice and a reflection of His Light in the midst of the darkness.

The key to maintaining our joy and hope in the midst of the darkness is to “look to the Lord.” He is our Light and our Hope! By riveting our focus upon Him we can see beyond the darkness! We can see the King and His Kingdom! We can see His Hand at work in the midst of everything else that is happening. One glimpse of Him puts everything else in perspective. Although the majority of the culture embraces the darkness, we can still rejoice as we embrace the Light! For there is absolutely nothing that the darkness can do to extinguish the Light! (John 1:5). Therefore, we can live with our eyes fixed on Jesus. And because of that, we can have absolute hope and confidence in the midst of everything for we know how the story ends!

Rev. James W. Black

The Offense of the Gospel

August 10, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
Matthew 11:6 KJV

We live in a world of paradox. On the one hand, people say they do not want to be offensive. They believe in tolerance and acceptance. Yet at the same time, many of those same people take great pleasure in offending the Followers of Christ. We saw this recently in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris when the Olympic Committee took great pleasure in mocking and defaming the Name of Christ. The Followers of Christ are ridiculed, vilified maligned, and marginalized with impunity by many different individuals, groups, and institutions. Such intolerance has become openly accepted and fully embraced by those who proclaim tolerance as one of their highest virtues. Their hypocrisy and double standard is blatantly obvious. But they do not realize that Christ will ultimately have the final word! (Psalm 37: 1-2).

Although such things offend us, we must remember that this is nothing new. The Followers of Christ have experienced this throughout history. It continues in our day. Currently, some 80 countries around the world persecute those who follow Christ. Jesus was hated in His day! And He promised that those who followed Him would also be hated as well. (John 15:18, 1 John 3:13). The reason for this hatred is that those who are enslaved by darkness are offended when the Light of Christ exposes their sin. No one likes for their sin to be exposed. It makes one uncomfortable. It can even make one angry.

They do not realize that the purpose of the Light of Christ is not to bring condemnation (John 3: 17-20) but instead to bring salvation and deliverance from the darkness that has enslaved them. His Light illuminates the path they are on. It helps them to see the path of destruction they are traveling and enables them to find the only way of escape. If we were driving down a road whose bridge had been washed out by a storm, we would want someone to warn us of the danger that lay ahead. That is exactly what Jesus does when He exposes our sin! He is warning us of the danger we are facing and is seeking to save us from certain destruction.

https://www.bible.com/bible/1/jhn.3.16His shining Light gives hope where there was none before. His Light points the way to a life that is full of meaning, purpose, and destiny! (John 10:10). It is a life that one can experience now and all throughout eternity. (John 3:16).

James W. Black

What To Do When You Have Been Wronged

August 3, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath…”
Rom. 12: 19 AMPC

We live in a fallen and broken world. Because of that, there are times when we will experience hurt and betrayal by others. Those who hurt us the most are the ones who are closest to us; family, friends, and other followers of Christ.

When those things happen, the natural tendency is to want revenge; to make them pay; to see justice done; and to have the wrong made right. If we are not careful we will find ourselves entertaining thoughts about how to get even. The evil one will readily provide an abundance of such thoughts. If we allow them to linger, a stronghold of anger, bitterness, or resentment will gain a foothold and begin to take root in our minds. We cannot afford to embrace such thinking.

The best thing to do is to release that individual or situation into the hands of the Lord and “leave the way open for God’s wrath”. Our fleshly nature would like to “assist the Lord” in bringing about His wrath. But we must take our hands off of it so that He can deal with the situation on our behalf. We must remember that the Lord gave a very strong warning to those who would “offend His little ones.” (Matthew 18:6). He will deal with those situations far better than we can.

We release them by forgiving them and then praying for them; not asking the Lord to “smite them” but to reveal Himself to them, to change their heart and allow them to fully realize what they have done. If they refuse to repent, the Lord will deal with them according to what needs to be done. We can rest assured that He will not allow the harm they have done to go unpunished (2 Tim. 4:14). Every wrong will be made right either in this life or in eternity! (Psalm 37:1-4). When we do that, then we are free of the burden and can then receive and experience the Lord’s peace and joy.

Rev. James W. Black

Year: 2024