NCC-Admin-1, Author at NCC Cartersville

The Glory of Man

March 22, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.”
Psalm 8: 4-5 KJV

Have you ever thought about the glory that God gave to man? It is first mentioned in Gen. 1:26. The glory of man is that he is made in the image of God! Think of that! Man was created to be the highest expression of God in the earth! It was God’s intention, from the very beginning, that the character and nature of God would be expressed in the earth through the life of man! Therefore, man’s glory would be a reflection of God’s glory being manifested in and through him!

When man sinned against God through willful disobedience, the Light of God’s glory which flowed from within the spirit of man was extinguished. Instead of being guided by the Light of God, man would now be living and walking in the darkness of sin. Instead of man being a reflection of God’s glory, man would now reflect the nature of the evil one! (John 8:44).

But through the power of the cross and the mighty resurrection of Jesus, that glory has been restored! (Col. 1:27). Through the New Birth (John 3:16), the Light of God’s glory now illuminates our once darkened spirit and we are able to see and walk in His Light! We can once again express the image of God in the earth!

While we may not always express it perfectly (because we have not yet been perfected), we have been re-commissioned to be the expression of God in the earth once again. Just as Jesus came to make the Father visible (Col.1:15), we are now called to make Jesus visible! What a calling! What a mystery! What a glorious thing this is! May we continually yield to Him and seek to be the fullest expression of Him we can be!

Rev. James W. Black

Being Conscious of God’s Goodness

March 9, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
Psalm 107:8-9 KJV

The goodness of God is poured out upon all of humanity. The scripture reminds us that the Lord provides sunshine and rain for everyone; both the redeemed and the unredeemed. (Matthew 5:45). In a farming economy, the proper amounts of sun and rain are essential to having a good harvest. In other words, both the redeemed and the unredeemed experience the goodness of God. But only the redeemed have the ability to recognize it.

To the unredeemed, good things are considered as luck, chance, or happenstance. But to the redeemed, good things are recognized as the favor and blessing of God! The redeemed recognize that the source of all blessings comes from God! The unredeemed, because of the darkness of their mind, are blinded to the source of all blessings. The scripture reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).

Because of our relationship with God the Father, through the finished work of Christ, and the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us, our eyes have been opened to the reality of God’s continuous blessing in our lives. We are able to recognize the goodness of God! As a result, we are (or should be) moved with a desire to give honor, glory, and praise to the One who has blessed us so abundantly!

However, even the redeemed can get so busy with the daily demands of life that we can take the blessings of God for granted. It is important, therefore, for us to take some time each day to reflect on the faithfulness of God and the goodness of God in our lives. When we do, our hearts will be filled with a greater consciousness of God and His goodness! Which will cause our hearts to overflow with gratitude and praise toward Him!

Rev. James Black

The Bread of Life

March 2, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35 NKJV

To me, there is nothing better than freshly baked bread! In the abundance of our culture, we often take bread for granted. But to those in the 1st Century, especially to the common everyday people, bread was essential for life. For many, it was a struggle each day just to provide enough bread for their family. When Jesus declared that He was the Bread of Life it was a term that got everyone’s attention. There was a reason that Jesus compared Himself to bread!

Bread is good! Bread feeds us. Bread sustains us. Bread nourishes us. Bread strengthens us. And bread satisfies us! Jesus is the revelation and the embodiment of all these things.

The character and nature of Jesus is good. The Psalmist declared: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). Jesus is the revelation of all of the goodness of God! In order to discover this reality, we must receive Him and take Him into our lives. It is Jesus who feeds the longing of our soul to find value, meaning, and purpose in life. It is Jesus who sustains us daily, moment by moment. Our very next heartbeat is dependent upon Him! It is Jesus who strengthens us in our weakness and enables us to do what we could never do on our own. (John 15:5). It is Jesus who satisfies us and brings contentment in life. It is Jesus who reveals to us just how valuable we are to Him by sacrificing His very own life for us! And It is Jesus who sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us, teach us, guide us, and enable us to hear and understand the Word of God.

Unlike the natural bread which must be received again and again, Jesus continually, constantly, and forever satisfies us once and for all! We never have to be spiritually empty or hungry again!

Rev. James Black

A Prayer for Revival

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

“Oh that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence.”
Isaiah 64:1 NKJV

Isaiah was heartbroken over the condition of his people. The nation of Judah had ignored the many warnings of God to return unto Him, but in their pride and arrogance, they refused to listen! Therefore, God had withdrawn His hedge of protection and brought judgment upon them. Their country was decimated by their enemies. The city of Jerusalem was sacked and their beloved Temple, which to them represented the very Presence of God, was in ruins. Everything that God had warned them would happen had happened. Isaiah 63:19 vividly describes their condition: “We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, those who were never called by Your name.” (NKJV).

Isaiah understood that the only thing that would change the heart of that generation was a mighty visitation of God! In other words, a genuine revival! In desperation, he cried out for the Lord to: “rend the heavens and come down”. Only the undeniable, Holy, and Sovereign manifestation of God’s Presence in their midst could change their hearts and restore the nation!

As we witness the decline of our nation and its headlong abandonment of the only true and living God; the One who has preserved us and blessed us from the very beginning as a nation; we must realize that our only hope for salvation, preservation and restoration as a nation is God! Therefore let us genuinely humble ourselves in brokenness and repentance before the Lord and desperately cry out to Him as Isaiah did! Let us ask the Lord to have mercy upon us one more time! Our only hope lies in God and God alone!

Rev. James Black

God’s View of His Word

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

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
Psalm 138:2 KJV

We know that the Name of the Lord is Holy. His Name is to be honored and revered. It is not to be taken, lightly, casually, or flippantly. It is not to be degraded or profaned in any way. His name is to be exalted and magnified. (Exodus 20:7). God’s Name is the revelation of His character and His nature. His Name is the expression of Who He is!

If God’s Name is to be so honored and revered, then what does God think of His Word? The scripture declares that God has magnified His Word even above His Name! Just as God is Holy and His Name Holy, His Word is also Holy! God’s Word is the expression of His will and purpose. Through the Word He reveals Himself. Through the Word, He reveals His love for us. Through the Word, He declares and affirms His mighty power both in creation and in His dealing with mankind. Through the Word, He reveals his great salvation!

It is through the Word that we come to know Him. And it is through the Word that we learn to live and walk with Him. It is through the Word that we discover our identity. It is through the Word that we discover our purpose and destiny. It is through the Word that we know of the reality of our future.

God’s Word has never failed. Whatever He has said has and will come to pass. If God ever said anything that failed to come to pass, then God would cease to be God! God and His Word are inseparable. That is why the evil one continually attacks the Word of God. That is why he seeks to cause people to doubt the Word of God. He knows far better than we do the power, the reliability, the integrity, and the veracity of the Word of God!

If God has such a high view of His Word, should we not also value it, treasure it, read it, apply it, and follow it? Let us resolve to have the same honor and reverence for God’s Word as He does! If we do, we will be continually conformed to His image! For it is His Word, both living and written that changes us!

Rev. James Black

A New Song

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

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”
Psalm 40:3 KJV

King David rejoiced in the fact that the Lord had delivered him from difficult circumstances. Because of that, his heart was overflowing with joy, praise, and thanksgiving unto the Lord! Throughout David’s life, he had experienced the faithfulness of God on numerous occasions. On many of those occasions, David would write a song unto the Lord as a means of expressing his gratitude. Many of those songs would later be sung in the Temple worship in Jerusalem. Many of them have become a part of The Word of God. Many of the Psalms (songs) in the Bible were written by David. The fact they wound up as scripture points to the Divine Inspiration of those songs!

Whenever we experience the Lord’s deliverance or provision in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances, it should motivate us to want to offer praise and adoration unto the Holy One for His goodness and His faithfulness in our lives. Joy and thanksgiving flow from the heart, the inner core of our being, and manifests itself outwardly. Sometimes that manifestation is a shout of joy. Sometimes it is a song sung with great passion. Sometimes it is simply kneeling before the Lord with uplifted hands. Sometimes it is prostrating ourselves before the Lord with tears of gratitude. Whatever expression that joy takes it produces light in our countenance and puts a smile on our face. Others can see this joy. And it encourages them to want to hear about what the Lord has done for us! It opens the door to conversation about the reality of God!

So let us sing our “new song” unto the Lord! The song is new because the Lord’s deliverance today is different from His deliverance previously. And we have a new opportunity to express our joy unto Him! So let us sing our new song and rejoice in our God for He is worthy of our praise!

Rev. James Black

Praying For One Another

January 27, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the Day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.”
Phil. 1: 9-11 KJV

Often when we ask for prayer or others ask us to pray for them, it is usually about a specific issue that we or they are facing or dealing with at the time. And we should pray for one another concerning such things. That is called “bearing one another’s burdens”. (Gal. 6:2).

But in the Body of Christ, it is equally important that we pray for those things that strengthen and deepen our understanding and walk with the Lord. In Philippians, Paul lists those vital things that we should continually pray for one another. These things will help us individually and will help us corporately as a Body.

Pray that we will grow in love for one another. Our love for one another should be genuine and continue to grow and deepen as we walk with Christ. Such love should permeate the entire Body. (John 13:35).
Pray that we will continue to grow in the knowledge and truth of the Lord Jesus. Our understanding and knowledge of Christ and Biblical Truth should continue to grow and increase. (John 1: 14, 17).
Pray that we will continually focus on those things that are excellent (those things that have real value and meaning). We should not allow ourselves to get distracted by non-essentials. Pray that in all things we will keep our focus on Jesus! (Heb. 12:2).
Pray that our hearts will be genuine and sincere in our walk with the Lord, doing our best to not bring a reproach to the Name of Christ or to be offensive toward one another. (1 John 1: 6-7).
Pray that the Fruit of Christ (the fruit of the Holy Spirit) might be manifested in us and through us individually and corporately as the Body of Christ. (Gal. 5: 22-25).

If we pray for one another concerning these things we will grow individually and corporately as a Body!

Rev. James W. Black

When Our Heart Condemns Us

January 20, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
1 John 3:20 KJV

Do you ever feel that your walk with the Lord Jesus, just does not measure up? That you are not good enough? That no matter what you do, you just don’t do enough? Do you ever feel like just giving up? Every follower of Christ has been assaulted by these feelings and these thoughts at one time or another. These thoughts and feelings describe what the Word God calls the condemnation of the heart.

These thoughts and feelings originate from two sources. First, they originate from the Adversary who seeks to heap guilt and condemnation upon us by attacking us with these thoughts and feelings. Secondly, they originate with us when we get caught up in focusing on ourselves instead of focusing on Christ.

When we focus on ourselves it is easy to see our shortcomings. Then we find ourselves comparing ourselves to someone else who “appears” to be more spiritual than we are and we begin to agree with those thoughts and feelings by affirming them. But the reality is that none of us measure up, are good enough, or can ever do enough to fully satisfy the requirements for being fully accepted by a Holy God! We must accept and believe (by faith) that Christ’s finished work is completely sufficient to satisfy the wrath of God (John 3:36). And that His Blood is completely sufficient and able to cleanse us of all our sins and make us righteous and fully acceptable in His sight (1 John 1: 9). All of which is based upon what Christ has already done, not on what we think we can or should do. If God says it is sufficient then surely we can believe that it is!

With that firm understanding, we can then realize that God is indeed greater than our heart! When we choose to take our attention off of ourselves and focus on Him and what He has accomplished for us, we will then find victory over those thoughts that would assault our hearts and minds. (Rom. 8:1, Phil.4:8).

Rev. James W. Black

How Faith Works

January 14, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
Galatians 5:6 KJV

Sometimes in the Body of Christ we struggle with the concept of faith. We struggle with knowing how to exercise our faith. And we struggle sometimes to know how faith operates. Sometimes we feel that our faith is weak. Sometimes we feel that we have no faith at all. Sometimes we struggle to produce faith and we feel that nothing is happening. The problem is that we try to measure our faith by our feelings.
Faith is not a feeling. It is simply trusting and putting our confidence in what we know to be true.

Faith is not something that is produced by us. Faith is a gift from God Himself (Eph. 2:8). Even the faith to be saved is a gift! It was the Holy Spirit working in our heart that revealed to us our lost condition. It was the Holy Spirit who revealed to us Who Jesus truly is. And it was the Holy Spirit who revealed to us that the only hope of salvation, (that is being cleansed from our sin and made right and acceptable in the sight of a Holy God) could be found in Him. The Word declares that every follower of Christ has been given a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3).

The Word declares that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17). Faith is built up and released within us when we “hear” and believe that God’s Word is true! Then we act on that Word by faith because we believe. In acting on the Word by faith (not feelings) the truth of the Word is affirmed to us. When the truth of the Word is affirmed to us it produces within us a deeper love for the Holy One and for the Word of God that He has been given to us.

Our faith then continues to grow and is motivated by an ever-deepening revelation of His love for us. Love is truly the factor that causes us to operate in faith. It is our ever-growing love for Him and His Word that deepens and strengthens our faith in Him! If we do not love Him and His Word we will have no foundation by which faith can be activated as released in our lives.

Rev. James W. Black

The Work of God

January 6, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Then said they unto him, ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’
Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’
John 6: 28-29 KJV

So often we think that it is in the doing of particular works that demonstrates the Work of God. While it is certainly true that the Lord Jesus has redeemed us “unto good works” (Eph. 2:10 KJV), and it is equally true that our faith is demonstrated by “good works” (James 2: 17-18), the work of God is far greater than that!

Jesus stated emphatically that the true work of God is believing in Him (totally and completely with all that we are and all that we have. Mark 12:30) . In other words, it is our complete faith and trust in Him that brings genuine and lasting transformation. The work must be done In Us before it can be done Through Us! Everything begins and ends therefore with our believing in Him!

It is our belief in Christ and what He has accomplished for us that brings about salvation. It is our belief in Christ that brings forgiveness. It is our belief in Christ that brings peace with God, with others, and with ourselves. It is our belief in Christ that unleashes the power of the Word of God in us. It is our belief in Christ that releases the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our fellowship. It is our belief in Christ that brings hope. It is our belief in Christ that brings joy. It is our belief in Christ that brings deliverance from the powers of darkness. It is our belief in Christ that brings healing to our bodies, to our lives, to broken relationships, and broken families. It is our belief in Christ that brings purpose and meaning in life. It is our belief in Christ that gives value and meaning to our work and all that we do (1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:23). It is our belief in Christ that motivates us to honor Him and serve Him!

Indeed, everything rests upon the fact that we truly believe in Him! This means that we believe that Jesus is Who He says that He is and that He does what He says He will do! Everything that flows into and out of the Christian life rests upon that foundation! (1 Cor. 3:11). This is truly the Work of God!

Rev. James W. Black

Author: NCC-Admin-1