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Standing for Righteousness

Standing for Righteousness

“The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

Psalm 12:8 NIV -1985 Edition

We have reached a point  in our culture  when almost  nothing is considered to be immoral or indecent. Every form of filth and degrading deviancy is not only embraced but is now promoted and openly flaunted without guilt or  shame!    Things that once were considered as “sin” are now promoted as “normal” and should be (we are told) accepted by everyone.  And if you have the audacity to disagree, then you are considered as being unsophisticated, bigoted, hateful, unloving  and unkind.

How did we get to this point?  How did we come to the place where now some in the higher echelons of education and government  are openly stating that even pedophilia should NOT  be considered a crime?*   We came to this point when many pastors,  churches and whole denominations,  beginning in the early 20th century,  completely abandoned the Word of God!  Now as a result of “sowing to the wind” we are reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).   And professing ourselves to be wise, we have became fools!   (Romans 1:22). 

What we see is another confirmation of the reality and the truth of God’s Word!  Galatians 6:7 declares: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  That is true for individuals, families, churches, communities and nations.  No one is exempt.  When that which is vile is embraced, the wicked strut about in pride and arrogance!  There is no longer any restraint!  

The remedy is a return to God!  The Remedy is a return to His Word! The remedy is a transforming revival!   The remedy is for the redeemed of God to stand in the face of the darkness and declare and live out the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ! 


Rev. James Black


*California’s New Law  October 12, 2020 article by Rosa Elias.  

A Faith Based Upon Reason

A Faith Based Upon Reason

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15 KJV).

Often Christians are accused of putting their faith in something that may be hopeful but is not logical or rational. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our faith is based upon fact not fiction! Our faith in Christ is rooted in logic and reason. It is based upon reliable, verifiable, and historical facts. In other words, it is indeed a logical and rational faith.

The fact that Jesus lived is supported not only by the Bible but also by other historical, non-Christian writers during the same period (Cornelius Tactitus – A Roman Historian; Flavia’s Josephus – A Jewish Historian, And a Letter in the British Museum written about 73 AD by a Syrian named Mara Bar-Serapion who mentions the death of Christ are only a few among many).*

The Resurrection of Jesus is also a reliable, verifiable, and historical fact that is recorded not only in the Bible but outside of it as well! The fact that the enemies of Jesus sought to bribe and suppress the message of His Resurrection (Matthew 28: 11-15) in reality actually supports the Resurrection! If the Resurrection was not true, all they had to do was to present the body! They did not need to bribe anyone. And the transformation of Saul of Tarsus, an enemy of Christ (Acts 9), who became one of the greatest defenders of Christ is further evidence of the Power of Christ and His Resurrection. Thus our faith is rooted and grounded in truth, not fiction.

As we grow in our walk with the Lord we can, with confidence, be ready at any time to give a logical explanation to anyone as to why we believe in and follow Jesus. The greatest evidence we can give is to share how Jesus has transformed our life. For no one can argue with a changed life. The evidence should be irrefutable.

Rev. James Black

Living In Fearful Times

Living In Fearful Times

“But whosoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.”
(Proverbs 1:33 NKJV).

As we witness the unfolding events around us both here and around the world, we see the continuing rise of evil. It is insidious, pervasive, and is everywhere. When we try to comprehend it, it becomes overwhelming. For it is not just one issue or one area. It is a multitude of issues all cascading upon one another. All of these things together can cause fear to rise up within us.

But if we stop and think about it, the world has always been an unstable place.

The evil of every kind has always been present in every generation because evil is resident in the human heart (Jer. 17:9) and that evil ultimately expresses itself. It always has. Evil first expressed itself in humanity in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and has been doing so ever since. And down through the history of humanity, the only restraint against evil has been the Spirit of God.

It was the Spirit of God Who gave us the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16). And the power of that Word was revealed once and for all in and through the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1; 14)! Jesus is God’s final answer to the evil of this world (Heb. 1: 1-3). The cross destroyed the power of evil (1 Cor. 15: 54-57). And the resurrection forever sealed its ultimate destiny (Rev. 1:18)! The day will come when all evil will be put under the feet of Jesus at His return (1 Cor. 15: 19-28) and every evil act will be ultimately judged and all evil will be ultimately destroyed (Rev. 20: 11-15).

Therefore, no matter what may be happening all around us, we have nothing to fear! Thus, It is vitally important for us to listen to the Lord. And it is vitally important for us to listen to His Word. If we focus our hearts and our minds upon Him, then we will not have to be in fear of the evil of this world! We will find our safety and our security in Him! And that is the absolute safest place we could possibly be (John 10: 27-29).

Rev. James Black

Trusting God When Nothing Makes Sense

Trusting God When Nothing Makes Sense

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 KJV).

Habakkuk, a Prophet in Judah near the end of the 7th Century BC, was overwhelmed by the wickedness in his nation. Corruption and sin was rampant everywhere. He was one of many prophets that the Lord has sent to call the nation to repentance, but they had refused to listen. Now the Lord had let him know that judgment would soon come upon the nation of Judah because of her sin and her unwillingness to return to the Lord.

The Lord had revealed to Habakkuk that some hard and difficult times would come upon the nation. The impact would be devastating. Crops would fail because of drought. Herds would be decimated because of the lack of food. Hunger and deprivation would be common place all throughout the land. And on top of that, the Lord would deliver Judah into the hand of her enemies, the Babylonians, and they would be carried off into captivity. To Habakkuk, this made no sense to him. Why?
Because the Babylonians were more wicked than the nation of Judah!

Habakkuk was faced with a choice. Would he trust God, even when he did not understand? That is a situation that each of us will face at one time or another as the people of God. There will be times, when nothing around us makes any sense at all! In spite of our prayers, our loved one is not healed. In spite of our faithfulness, we still experience the loss of a job or a business, or even our health. In spite of standing and confessing the Truth of His Word, the situation does not change. And all the while, the enemy is at the gate of our mind, taunting us and telling us that it is useless to keep trusting God.

Habakkuk helps us to understand what to do in those situations! We can choose to trust God, even when nothing makes sense! We can choose to trust Him no matter what we may be going on at the moment. We can choose to trust Him with whatever may come in the future. Why? Because the Sovereign Lord, is on the Throne! He knows the beginning and the end of all things! And no matter what we may being going through, if we will cling to Him and trust Him, the Lord will eventually bring us out of where we are to the place where He wants us to be! We can trust Him because He is faithful! He will not abandon us no matter where we are or what we are going through! We can choose to be like Habakkuk, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Yes, we can still trust God, even when nothing makes sense!

Rev. James Black

Our Refuge

Our Refuge

In Proverbs 18:10 the Word of God says: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” (NKV). The great power of our God is revealed even in His name! The world at large does not mind talking about God, but it despises the name of Jesus. One of the reasons is because of the mighty power of that name. There is no other name like the name of Jesus. At the name of Jesus, demons tremble! At the name of Jesus love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness are experienced by those who trust in Him. Only the redeemed have the privilege of calling upon that name. And when we do, the power of that name is released on our behalf (Luke 10:17).

Jesus is our Refuge: Then and Now

During World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her family hid Jews from the German Gestapo in Holland. They were eventually betrayed. When the Gestapo burst into their home, they crashed through the door of Corrie’s bedroom, pulled her out of bed, and began slapping her across the face demanding to know where the Jews were hidden. As the officer continued to slap her, Corrie cried out in desperation: “Lord Jesus, help me!” Suddenly it seemed as if an invisible hand grabbed the officer’s hand and stopped it in mid-air. With an angry snarl the officer said: “If you speak that name again, I will kill you!”

Mercifully, the officer stopped beating Corrie and arrested her along with the rest of her family. They suffered horribly in the German concentration camps. Corrie was the lone survivor. But Corrie learned that day the power that is in the name of Jesus.

What a joy and blessing it is to be able to call upon the name of the Lord! His name is a refuge and strength for us. Let us with reverence, adoration, and love call upon that name. That name is Precious! And it is the inheritance of the redeemed!

Rev. James Black

Asking In His Name

Asking In His Name

In John 14: 13-14, Jesus makes a powerful statement: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”

What a statement! What a promise! We literally stagger at the magnitude of it! Look at those words: “whatsoever”, “anything” and “I will do it!” The prospects are limitless! Can we believe it? Is it really true? The answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

But how does this actually happen? The key is understanding what has transpired before. We must “believe” (that is have absolute trust and confidence) that Jesus is who He says He is (John 14:11). That is more than mere mental assent. It is KNOWING in the very core of our being (our spirit) the reality of Christ and being completely submitted to His will and purpose in our life.

It is understanding that we now have the great privilege of praying as Jesus prayed.
In fact, it is now the Holy Spirit Who actually prays through us (Romans 8:26-27).
Therefore, the praying that has access to such an astounding promise is praying like Jesus prayed.

Jesus never prayed for anything that was not in the Father’s will. Jesus never prayed for anything that would not bring honor and glory to the Father. The only time that Jesus ever prayed for Himself was when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and even then Jesus was completely surrendered to the will of the Father. His prayers were always concerned with the Father’s plans and purposes. Not His own!

If we know the Father’s will and we only desire that He be glorified, we can then pray His will and have absolute confidence that the prayer will be answered. Where we all struggle is in coming to the place where we truly discern the Father’s will and all that we truly want is what He wants. We want His will to be done; not ours! And when we get to that place “whatsoever” we ask for will most certainly be answered!

Rev. James Black

The Price of Freedom

The Price of Freedom

“If the Son, therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV).

As Americans we have the privilege of enjoying more freedom than any nation in history. We have the freedom to get an education. We have the freedom to live where we want, to travel where we want, to work at whatever occupation we want and achieve whatever we want. Most importantly, we have the freedom to Worship God as our conscious dictates. America provides us with more opportunities than any nation anywhere. These freedoms are guaranteed by our Constitution. But as the Educator Thomas Sowell once said: “We are guaranteed equal opportunities. We are not guaranteed equal outcomes.”

Our freedoms were purchased at great cost! It cost the lives of men and women in the founding of our nation. Those freedoms have been preserved at great cost through our present day. The lesson each generation must learn is that Freedom is not free!
Someone must pay the price for it.

However, if we only have the freedom as an American citizen, we are still not free!

For the ultimate freedom, the freedom from sin and death, can only be found in Christ!

This freedom was purchased at great cost! It cost the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ! But through His death and His Mighty resurrection, the power of sin was broken! And all who receive Him as their Redeemer are set free from the power and the penalty of sin (Romans 6: 6-7)! And although the gift is free (Eph. 2:8-9) the price of that gift was costly! And like our freedom as American citizens, let us also cherish the freedom we have in Christ. May we never take it for granted!

Rev. James Black

What Forgiveness Does

What Forgiveness Does

Forgiveness is the one thing that all of the redeemed have experienced. The most powerful word that we can hear from the Holy One is the word: FORGIVEN! All of us needed it! And all who have accepted Christ as their Savior have received it! That is the good news of the gospel.

But in Matthew 6: 14-15 Jesus reveals what forgiveness does. Forgiveness brings us into right standing with God (Colossians 1: 13-14). But forgiveness also brings us into right standing with others. All human relationships (including Christian relationships) requires forgiveness. All of us have been wounded at one time or another. And if we are honest, there have been times that we have wounded others.

In order to grow and mature as followers of Christ, we must actively engage in forgiveness. We cannot afford to harbor offenses in our lives. If not dealt with quickly, they will take root and produce resentment, anger and bitterness in our soul. And the joy of Christ in our life will be diminished.

What is even more important to realize is that if we do not freely and willingly forgive others, it can hinder God’s forgiveness toward us. It is one thing to not be right with others. It i another thing to not be right with God. We have a tendency to compartmentalize forgiveness. God does not. The Lord says that if we have not forgiven others, if we have not made things right with others, we are not right with Him. And that is serious stuff!

Rev. James Black

The Lord Defends His People

The Lord Defends His People

In Isaiah 54:17, the Lord makes a promise to Israel and to all who serve Him and honor Him. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…”. That is a powerful promise. The evil one will always seek to come against the people of God. He will fashion all kinds of weapons of lies and deceit to frustrate, discourage, intimidate and destroy the advancement of God’s Kingdom. But regardless of what the evil one attempts to do, the Lord’s people and His Kingdom will continue to advance until everything is fully and completely consummated in Him. (Colossians 1: 16-18).

Just like when Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, there will be battles to fight. Those battles will require faithfulness and perseverance. But be assured of this one thing, a victorious outcome is certain. (Revelation 1:18).

So let us, the Redeemed of God, rise up, stand up, speak up and live up to our calling in this darkened world; empowered and equipped by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The evil one will come against us, but he will not be successful! Because if God is for us (and He is) then who can stand against us! (Romans 8:31).

Rev. James Black

The Lord Watches Over His Own

The Lord Watches Over His Own

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” (Psalm 33:18 KJV).

What a comforting thought to realize that the Holy One is constantly watching over those who belong to Him. The Lord sees and knows everything about everyone, including the unbeliever. But He especially watches over those who have surrendered their lives unto Him and have become a part of His eternal family.

The Lord knows where you are right now. He sees what you are going through. He understands exactly what you need. Nothing has escaped Him. And not only does He see you, He also cares deeply for you. You re His own! You belong to Him! Your are valuable and precious to Him! And He will not allow the circumstances of life or the onslaught of the evil one to overcome you.

He will use everything, even the hard and difficult things, to strengthen you and deepen your faith in Him. Therefore, continue to walk with Him and trust Him, even when you do not see Him. For it is not as important that we see Him as it is that He sees us! And we have the absolute assurance of His Word that He does!

James W. Black