************************************ OPPORTUNITY ZONE JESUS ************************************ The abundant life! Every circumstance of your existence made profitable and of great purpose. The good, the bad, the ugly or indifferent. Where the Peace that surpasses all understand presides over every anxiety and the Joy of the Lord is your strength! All found in none other than Jesus the Christ! Good morning, Friends, If you call yourself a “CHRISTIAN” and your life has not been radically transformed, you most likely have relabeled the old mess in the name of a powerless “jesus” of your own disbelief. Allow me to clarify “radically transformed” in a few more words. - Having received a desire and the power to escape the corruption of this world and to have been set on a new course that guides you heaven bound. - Having your pitch and attitude readjusted to onward and upward. - Now looking only ahead and not behind. No longer LOST in a recycled drunken mess and useless self-management programs, but are daily being made more sober and of a sound mind - Living out a daily relationship with your Heavenly Father by spending time in His very own word “Jesus” daily - Confessing and repenting of failures at every point of impact - Expressing gratitude for every blessing - Sharing your new life with the world around you and inviting others to come do the same - Seeking opportunity to do what is right and good in His name - Sharing time with the family of God often You can find a definition of a “drunken mess” in the the word of God that follows. We are indeed living in the last days and you can pick your poison/poisons from the list here below… II Timothy 3:1-7 NKJV “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And… ‭‭II Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”” If you believe this may be the case in your life. If you are living the “It’s just a matter of time” cycle with sin as scripture describes it above. If you are always hopeful but never obtaining, I encourage you to go back to the cross. Go back to the cross and re-evaluate what actually occurred there. ************************************ ZONING IN ON THE CROSS ************************************ At the cross, they crucified the Lord of Glory! Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”” At the cross, they crucified the Just One! ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” At the cross, they crucified the only One who knew NO sin! ‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” At the cross, they beat the Son of God beyond recognition!‭‭ ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—” ‭‭At the cross, they brutally struck the Prince of Peace! Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” At the cross, they pierced the King of Kings and His blood and water flowed mingled down! John‬ ‭19‬:‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” At the cross, they set aside justice and humiliated the Perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”” At the cross, they spat upon the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep! Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.” At the cross, they forced a crown of thorns onto the head of the King of creation! Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” At the cross, they struck the Holy One of Israel and arrogantly taunted Him to tell who done it! ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭66‬-‭68‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”” At the cross, they plucked out the beard of the Great I Am! ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭50‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” At the cross, they traded the Holy One of Israel for a murderer. Setting the murderer free and crucifying the Christ! Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”” At the cross, they vehemently hated, brutalized and forsook the only Friend that sticks closer than a brother! ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭22‬:‭11‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” ALL THIS AND MORE, HE SUFFERED ONCE FOR ALL!! ************************************ OZJ OPPORTUNITY ALERT ************************************ So now what? Well dear friend, let’s see what the Apostle Peter suggests for us in view of all these utterly sinful and treacherous events… ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭41‬ ‭ESV ““Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Friends, may we all lay low our pride and arrogance against the Christ of God and repent. Let us all lay hold of what He has acquired for us in His suffering, death on the cross, burial and all victorious resurrection. It is a deadly proposition to tread on the Son of the living God… and bring insult upon the spirit of Grace! ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” There is power in the precious blood of Jesus. There is victory over sin and death awaiting. Jesus is calling us to a right/sober mind and to salvation in His name. He loves us and has endured all things to purchase for us, a future and a hope that does not disappoint. To thumb our noses at the only Golden Opportunity of a lifetime is nothing short of grossly criminal and fully deserving of eternal torment of hell fire. The choice has been made ours. There is only one empty tomb and now the world has to deal with it. One way or the other… We’re either saved or we’re not. We’re either a saint or we aint. God Almighty knows the difference. Do we?? 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ************************************* Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: ************************************* for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” So, whatever you do… Choose Wisely Choose Bravely Choose Life Choose JESUS!