NCC-Admin-1, Author at NCC Cartersville

The Price of Redemption

May 1, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“…thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9 KJV).

The value of an item is determined by its cost. And the cost is ultimately determined by what an individual is willing to pay. The cost of our redemption was far greater than we can possibly imagine. And yet the Father’s love for us was so great that He was willing to pay the price!

We often do not think of what it cost the Father to redeem us. The shedding of the blood of Jesus was one of the most horrific events in all of human history. The One who is totally innocent took the full punishment of all of us who are totally guilty! The Father’s holiness required Him to pour out the fullness of His wrath upon His Son. The Father was required to judge Him (Jesus) just as if He was judging us! He could hold nothing back! (Isaiah 53: 10-11). The horror and the wonder of that is beyond our comprehension. The finite human mind struggles to grasp the depth and the magnitude of that. Only in the infinite mind of God can it be fully understood.

But what we can understand is this. The Father’s infinite love for us moved Him to do whatever was necessary to bring us into complete fellowship with Him! For the Father and the Son, it was worth the price! Only the precious blood of Jesus redeems us in the sight of God! That blood is on the Mercy Seat before the Throne of God! That blood is applied to our hearts the instant we believe and receive Jesus as our Savior. That blood makes us righteous in His sight! And that blood is available to all people of all nations for all time! That blood is pure! That blood is precious! That blood is holy! That blood is priceless! May we ever treasure this great salvation. May we never take it for granted.

James W. Black

Do You Love Jesus?

April 25, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

Many people say that they love Jesus. But how can you really tell;? What is the evidence of that love? How can it be seen or measured? In John 14:15, Jesus gives the criteria by which an individual can measure whether or not he truly loves Jesus. Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (ESV). Let me paraphrase that for you in simple terms: “If you love me, then you will do what I say.”

Jesus himself only gave two commandments. Love God completely and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22: 37-40). In John 14:15 Jesus affirms that the measure of love is “obedience”. Obedience means that we endeavor to live a life that honors Him in every way. It means that we do not willfully engage in ungodly activities that dishonor Christ. If a person habitually engages in ungodly actions (regardless of what kind they may be) and there is no grief, brokenness, or repentance over the sin and there is no change in the character or actions, then the scripture says that he doesn’t really love Jesus (1 John 2:4). In fact, he really does not know Jesus at all!

Let us resolve to walk in obedience before the Lord as an expression of our love for Him. Our expression of love through obedience will bring pleasure to Him and will also attract others to Him as well!

James W. Black

We Have Access To The Father

April 16, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In Ephesians 2:18 Paul declares: “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” (KJV). Because of the sacrificial Blood of Christ and because of His mighty resurrection, we have been given “access” directly to God the Father!

What a blessing and a joy to know that all of the redeemed can go directly into the Presence of the Heavenly Father! We do not need a priest or anyone else because Jesus Himself is our High Priest (Hebrews 9: 11-12). We come before the Father through Him (John 14:6).

It is the Holy Spirit who makes this a reality to us. Note, we have “access” by one Spirit”. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the revelation of the Father’s love for us. And it is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us that we belong to the Father (Rom. 8:16).

That is the joy and the privilege of the redeemed. The unredeemed do not have this access! Therefore let us treasure it and avail ourselves of it continually.

James W. Black

Personal Faith

April 11, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In John 20: 24-29, Thomas was unwilling to believe the reports from his fellow disciples that Jesus was truly resurrected from the dead. Because of his skepticism and doubt, he has been labeled by the church down through history as “doubting Thomas”. But in reality that is an unfair label. The fact is that NONE of the disciples believed that Jesus was raised from the dead until they saw Him for themselves (Luke 24:11). Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them. After what he had just experienced and witnessed it is doubtful that any of us would have reacted any differently under the same circumstances.

When Jesus appeared unto the disciples the second time (eight days after the first appearance, John 20:26), Thomas DID BELIEVE and confessed Jesus as Lord (v. 28)! The point here is that Thomas needed to know for himself! In reality that is essential for all of us.

We cannot base our faith upon the testimony of someone else, regardless of how credible that testimony may be. In reality, we must encounter Christ for ourselves. Our faith must become our own. We cannot experience new life or walk in new life apart from our own faith in the risen Christ. If our faith is our own, it will last. If it is not, it will soon fail.

James W. Black

The Lord is Risen Indeed!

April 4, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

When Jesus revealed himself to the two men in Emmaus during the breaking of the bread, they immediately rushed back to Jerusalem with the wonderful news that “the Lord is Risen indeed…” (Luke 24;34). What joy and wonder they must have felt. What excitement they must have exhibited when they told the other disciples that truly the Lord was risen from the dead!

The message of the resurrection is the most wonderful news that mankind has ever heard. The cross was terrible. The torture and death He experienced on that cross was beyond our comprehension. The burial of Christ’s body was solemn and agonizing for all who followed Him. But the resurrection changed everything! For without the resurrection, the cross means nothing. The Apostle Paul emphasized this when he said: “…if Christ be not raised your faith is vain.” (1 Cor. 15:17). In other words it is hopeless and useless!

But Jesus is alive! The Lord is risen indeed!

Our sin has been paid in full and death has been conquered! And because He lives, we shall live also! Each time we gather as a Body of Believers, we gather to celebrate the fact that “the Lord is risen indeed!” And this day, of all days, Easter Sunday, is a day in which we should rejoice with abandon!

James W. Black

The Call to Follow

March 26, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In Matthew 4:19 Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow Him. We know from the Word of God that they answered that call. As a result, their lives would never be the same again. All throughout the gospels, Jesus invited people of every station in life to follow Him. The invitation to follow Christ is still going out today to everyone who hears the gospel.

To follow Him is costly. It requires us to forsake where we are in order to be where He is! We cannot follow Him without being with Him. Our human reasoning and our human wisdom and understanding will often balk at that prospect. We often want the benefits of following Jesus without forsaking the things He calls us to leave behind. Our fleshy nature normally rebels against surrendering to Christ. That can be overcome only if we have the revelation of Who He truly is and what His Kingdom is all about. For what is gained is far greater than what is left behind (Matthew 19: 28-29). Once we see the value of Christ Himself, the cost that is paid is nothing in comparison to what is gained (Matthew 13:45).

To truly be a Christian means that we seek to follow Him with our total being. Following Him is costly, but it is well worth the price!

James W. Black

The Value God Places Upon His Word

March 21, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In Psalm 138:2 the Bible says: “thou has magnified thy word above all thy name.”

The scripture makes it abundantly clear over and over again that the Lord’s Name is Holy (Exodus 20:7). His Name (in all of its varied forms) is to be honored and revered. It is not to be taken lightly. But as much as the Lord considers His Name to be Holy and Sacred, He honors His Word even more! He has exalted His Word even above His Name!

If the Holy One places such value upon His Word, how much more should we? We are so blessed in America with such an abundance of the Word available to us. There are multiple translations available (some better than others) that enable us to clearly read and understand His Word. In America no one is without excuse for having access to the Word of God. Most of us in the church have multiple Bibles.

But the question is, do we truly TREASURE the Word of God? Do we place a high value upon it? The greatest expression of value is to not only read it but to apply its truth to our lives and walk in it day by day. To not do so as Followers of Christ is to dishonor His Word.

James W. Black

Living a Life of Praise

March 14, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In Psalm 34:1 David said: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” David understood the importance of praising the Lord on a continuing basis. Praise is a form of worship and can be carried out in our daily life. Praise is acknowledging the Lord for who He is! Praise is recognizing the Lord for what He has done for us!

A life of praise must be cultivated. It is an act of the will. We choose to praise the Lord. Praise is not a feeling. It can and should involve our feelings, but even when we do not “feel” like praising the Lord, we can still praise Him!

The Word of God is filled with passages that declare and demonstrate genuine praise to the Lord. If you cannot think of anything to say, just pick one of the many passages of scripture (particularly in the Psalms) and make that your own expression of praise to the Lord. Pick any number of verses in the Psalms and speak them back to the Lord in praise. Make the words of scripture your own words! You will find that in doing this your heart will be filled with joy!

Praise invites the Presence of God (Psalm 22:3) to dwell in the midst of where we are! The Lord will always respond to a heart that genuinely praises Him!

James W. Black

The Divine Law of Sowing and Reaping

March 7, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:7-9 KJV).

There is a divine law that God has established in the earth. And it is a law that is just as real as the law of gravity. It is the Law of Sowing & Reaping. We will always reap whatever we sow. It is impossible to sow corn and expect to reap wheat. What is true in nature is also true in human life. Whenever we sow anger, hatred, bitterness and resentment we will reap the same in return. But if we sow love, kindness, mercy and grace we will reap the same again.

The problem of the human heart is that it is filled with all kinds of evil (Matthew 15: 18-20). If one is prodded hard enough and deep enough those things will come out. Our prisons are filled with people who have exhibited and expressed such things. And one does not need to be in prison to realize that such things reside in the heart of each of us! (Jer. 17:9).

But when the seed of Christ is sown into our hearts and we allow it to grow, that seed changes our nature. We are transformed (2 Cor. 5:17)! We are then filled with the love, joy, and peace of Christ that flows from the Spirit of Christ who now dwells within us. We now have the privilege and ability to begin sowing those same seeds of the Spirit into the lives of others. That is what each of us as God’s people are called to do. And if we continue to sow, we will also reap if we will be persistent and patient in sowing. Let us cultivate the fruit of the Spirit that has been sown into our lives by Christ and become faithful and persistent in our sowing. The Lord has promised that if we do so, we shall indeed reap a harvest of what has been sown. And the Kingdom of God will continue to advance!

James W. Black

Wisdom and Understanding

February 28, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

In Proverbs 4:9 the Word of God gives us this powerful admonition: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Wisdom, which comes from the Lord (Prov. 2:6), is the basis of all understanding. Without the Lord’s wisdom, we truly have no understanding.

The difference between wisdom and understanding is this: Wisdom is the revelation knowledge of knowing WHAT needs to be done. Understanding is the comprehension of WHY it needs to be done!

The Lord can give us the revelation of Wisdom! But if we do not apply that wisdom to our lives or circumstances we will have no way of knowing or understanding its power and effectiveness in our lives. It is through the application of the Lord’s Wisdom that we gain understanding. It is then that we begin to see and understand the WHY! Wisdom and understanding must go together.

It is the Lord’s desire that we grow in both wisdom and understanding. As we do, we will treasure His Word even more and also have a greater and deeper understanding and appreciation for what Christ has actually accomplished for us!

James W. Black

Author: NCC-Admin-1

But Jesus is alive! The Lord is risen indeed!