salvation Archives - Page 2 of 2

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

How Can You Tell If You Love Jesus?

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

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)

It is very easy for someone to say: “I love Jesus.” But how can you tell if that really is true? Jesus made it simple and clear. He said in essence, “If you love me, you will do what I ask you to do.” Genuine obedience to the Lord is born out of love for Him! If we love Him, obedience is not hard because we know that whatever He asks us to do is because of His great love for us! He always has our best interest in mind.

Therefore, we seek to honor Him, not out of duty or coercion but because of our love for Him. We love Him because of what He has done for us (1 John 4:19). Jesus has redeemed us by His own blood (Col. 1:14). He has forgiven us and made us sons and daughters of His royal family (Gal. 4:6-7). He came to us when were totally bankrupted by sin and gave us the wealth of His mercy, forgiveness, grace and love! He gave us His very own righteousness (Rom. 3: 21-22). And if that were not enough, He gave us eternal life (John 11: 25-26). The power of sin and death was broken by His resurrection and no longer has a claim upon us (Col. 2: 13-15). It is absolutely amazing! And He did all of this out of His great love for us. He did that for us before we even knew Who He was (Rom. 5:8). How could anyone truly know that not love Him?

Therefore if we truly love Jesus , we will want to honor Him! We will not want to do anything to bring a reproach upon His Name. We will not want to live in a way that would cause others to question whether or not we are a follower of Christ (1 Thess. 5:22). If we love Him, there will be a consistency in our life that reflects Christ. The key word is consistency, not perfection! No follower of Christ lives perfectly. But there will be, in spite of our failures at times, the willingness and the ability to get back up and keep following Him. When we love Him, He always empowers us to do that and whatever else He wants us to do.

James W. Black

Knowing God’s Will For My Life

November 13, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“He hath showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you , but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

As a child of God have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life? In other words, the Lord has redeemed you. He has given you new life in Christ. Now, what does He want you to do? Every child of God has asked that question. It is not new. But we often struggle in trying to find the answer. We tend to complicate the matter. In knowing God’s will, we must understand two things.

First there is the general will of God. The general will of God is what is required of all God’s children throughout all ages. It never changes. (1). We are to do justly.
That is we are to simply do what is right according to what God has clearly revealed in scripture. They’re is an abundance of scripture that clearly tells us how we should live. The 10 Commandments is a good place to start. [Ex. 20]. (2). We are to love mercy. As we have been the recipients of God’s abundant mercy, we should also be generous in extending mercy to others. (3). We are to walk in humility before God and men. If we are walking in humility before God, we will also walk in humility before others. We will not be proud, arrogant or boastful. As we seek to do these things, relying upon the Power of the Holy Spirit, Who resides within us, we will be doing God’s will and will be a light to those who are in darkness all around us.

Then there is the specific will of God. The specific will of God flows out of our walking in the general will of God. What that means is that if we are not doing what is already clearly revealed in scripture, then why should we expect the Lord speak to us about anything else? It is through doing what we already know to do that the Lord will speak to us about other things. The Lord will make His will abundantly clear to us. He will also confirm it by His Word, by His Spirit and through other people and circumstances.

So, rest in the Lord. Do what you already know to do as a Child of God. Enjoy the Lord each day. And He will speak to you specifically if there is ever anything else He wants you to do. You will always be the first to know! So, until then, just relax!

James W. Black

The Price of Freedom

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

“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

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

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

May 22, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

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

May 9, 2021 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“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

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

Tag: salvation

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!