************************************* OPPORTUNITY ZONE JESUS ************************************* The abundant life… the good, the bad, the ugly or indifferent!! If you’re living for yourself, life is but a broken record. Vanity of vanities, nothing new under the sun, very predictable, boring and never satisfying. When you belong to Jesus, every circumstance is of unlimited potential, fresh, new and eternally profitable. Good morning, all. As we anticipate, ever, getting back to "normal", I wanted to share the following perspective. Though I am quite sure that "normal" never looks at all like it used to. May it be a help and a Living Hope in Jesus name... Amen Even under the current distress, sickness, economy, war, drought, famine, pestilence, fire, shootings and calling things what they are not. I find that I am very thankful. Thankful that for some reason unknown to me, and undeserved, I would be living in this particular era of time. Jesus having already come in the flesh, lived a sinless life, and paid OUR SIN DEBT in full upon the cross. He, having also ascended back into heaven, being seated at the right hand of the Father, and in doing so has made available the gift and seal of the Holy Ghost for salvation, all wise discernment, comfort, council, relationship and the greatest teacher of all scripture dwelling within. This and so much more is now made available by belief in Jesus as Lord and Messiah, upon repentance and returning God. While we now, anxiously anticipate His return at any moment... Even this era of available Grace through faith in His name. This era of the birth and growth of the Church of Jesus the Christ. I am thankful that the day is fast approaching when Jesus will take His church up. I am also thankful beyond measure for the Living Word of God that conveys this Living Hope! The Holy Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word. He is the Living Word. The will of God revealed to mankind. He is the express image of the invisible God. The incarnate deity. Fully God and fully man! The Bible says... In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1‭-‬2 NKJV The Bible also says... He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:15‭-‬16 NKJV When SIN entered the world, it brought with it the CURSE and DEATH. God explained this to Adam at the time he fell... The Bible says... Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground FOR YOUR SAKE; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17‭-‬19 NKJV This fallen nature has been passed on to all successive generations. Our natural inheritance so to speak. We are destined for eternal Hell Fire and destruction unless there is an... INTERVENTION!! The Bible says in the Old Testament... All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 NKJV And in the New Testament... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 NKJV And the results... For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NKJV Our current toil with the real matters of life, death, destruction and insanity in this fallen state, is simply the product of OUR SIN gone out into the world. The curse of OUR SIN will continue to get worse. The Holy Bible conveys that it will get exponentially worse. Many places in scripture, Old Testament and new alike, equates the impending doom as that of the labor pains during childbirth. First being fairly subtle and ever growing to become more frequent and severe. The scriptures say... For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. I Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV We as a people tend to get swept up in the moment of events like these only to panic, hide or put our heads in the sand as though they do not exist and this opposed to giving necessary thought to our true condition. However, there are some who will take this time to ponder in their hearts some serious questions concerning the true meaning of life. PRAISE JESUS, HALLEUJIA! My hope is to meet YOU there!! Many of these events will likely pass and many folks will slip into the better times between contractions only to find themselves facing the next catastrophic, severe and painful event. Pain is a natural motivator for humankind. Without controversy, we all know this. The curse is getting worse. There are more severe circumstances in the pipeline, undoubtedly. One of the most powerful motivators for humankind is starvation. Again, we all know it. This is coming as well, and spiritually speaking, now is. What will we do individually and as a whole? ************************************* OZJ OPPORTUNITY ALERT ************************************* I praise God Almighty for motivating us to come and reason while we can. I believe these times have been allowed by our Loving God to prompt us to reach out to Him. He is indeed a saving God. It is His passion to Rescue and to Save!! Consider this true LOVE of God Almighty for a moment. Some would ask, "If He is a Loving God then why cursing and death? And how could He allow evil to flourish?" Let's think about the situation with Adam and Eve in the garden when they fell headlong into SIN, with those questions in mind. Some would say, "How unforgiving and unloving for God to cast them out of the garden and allow them to die for a mistake!!" But I say, thank God Almighty, He did not allow them to live for eternity in corruption and in a fallen state in which they could have NO communion with our Holy, Just and all Loving Creator. For He is indeed Holy. Instead, by His great mercy, He separated Himself from sinful man while He had a perfect plan to rescue and to save... This is the only reason we still have our next breath. At the center of this plan is the death, burial and all victorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus, His Son. The just for the unjust. We must be reborn in the spirit, die to "self", follow Jesus in this life and then through the grave and into eternal life! This is the purpose of these times, and the future catastrophic events will undoubtedly get worse as the day of Christ Jesus' return for His church approaches! ... Scripture: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:20‭-‬22 NKJV And... Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. Psalms 119:67 NKJV As well as... “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord , “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:18‭-‬20 NKJV Here is a New Testament / biblical example of some real reasoning from the gospel of John... 🤔🤔🤔 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3‭-‬8 NKJV Are you saved? Have you been reborn in the Spirit? Will your name remain written in the Lamb's book of Life, or will it be blotted out???? Are you concerned about this??? Are you concerned about your eternal destination and the eternal destination of your precious loved ones?? God Almighty loves you and His personal desire is that you would not perish but to REPENT and BE SAVED. God has made provision and signified it by raising Jesus from the dead. How deadly it is to trample the Son of God under foot. If you are concerned, or more so, desiring to have a living relationship with your creator both in this life and the life to come, simply reach out to Him and tell Him. He will hear you! Do not delay... you will meet the Lord sooner now than yesterday. Whether by natural death or His return for His church. You must be ready... YOU SIMPLY MUST BE READY... Whatever you do… Choose Wisely Choose Bravely Choose LIFE! Choose JESUS!! 🫵😁