Where did last year go – it just flew by! Now we face another year. If we rely on God to lead and advise us, we can rest in these promises.

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your limited understanding. Prayerfully seek His will in everything: including every strategy that you plan to do, every road you plan to take with every business and personal association you will conjoin. He will direct your focus on refining your life plans.¹ (Proverbs 3:5-6  ESV)
• I will guide, advise and watch over you along the best path for your life. ¹ (Psalm 32:8 ESV)

You may think your plans generally go in the right direction. Yet it is vital to know that God’s purposes will prevail for your life as he seeks to draw you closer to His will. Thus prayerful, thoughtful planning and, yes, replanning help you to stay on the right course and navigate your life. After our day-planning year by year is said and done: “…the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21). He already knows what time has in store for you, including your best direction and potential destiny. Asking God for His guidance and ongoing supervision, you move forward with more self-worth enlivened by calm confidence, knowing that His purposes and work will prevail.

Everyone will be forgotten, nothing we do will make any difference, and all good endeavours, even the best, will come to naught. Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavour, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever. ²

It is important to understand that the priority in your planning must be to adhere to the gospel call to obey the Lord as one adopted into his family, keep his teachings, and live a godly principled life. (see also Colossians 3:17, 23, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 1:6)

^{1 Glen Jackman’s bible version}

^{2 Tim Keller on Why Calling Matters}

The Savior . . . has been born tonight in Bethlehem . . . and this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth! Luke 2:11-12

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

God often accomplishes his purposes in unexpected ways. God used the census of a heathen emperor to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Maybe that is also why he chose to have Jesus born in a stable rather than a palace, why he chose Bethlehem rather than Jerusalem, and why the news of Jesus’ birth went first to shepherds rather than to kings. God may have done all this to show that life’s greatest treasure—salvation through Jesus—is available to all. And it may also show that the lowly and humble might have a better chance of receiving that message. ¹

God’s Promise God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. MATTHEW 5:5 

^{1 Beers, Gilbert; Beers, Ron. The One Year Mini for Men (p. 357). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.}

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” — Jude 24, 25 ESV

The author of Jude concludes this New Testament letter with a note of praise and acknowledgement to God for saving each of us from sin.

This passage is like a very detailed picture in an art museum, full of details and very mentally stimulating.

The writer reminds us of God’s capacity to keep us from stumbling. Most of us have experienced stepping awkwardly and nearly falling.  God alone can keep us from the more dangerous spiritual fall.

God is also able to present us as persons without blame.  And in the presence of everyone:  God, friends, angels, EVERYONE.  But notice the connection between these two “acts of God.”  He prevents our injury (through actions that would otherwise damage us) and He shows us as clean, unaltered by life in a world that needs redemption!

Jesus comes into the narrative as the central player, the instrument of our ‘being made right.’

There’s another piece here worth noticing.  Two phrases: ‘presence of his glory’ and ‘with great joy.’  There’s a lot to think about in those words.

God, eternity are definitions of what glory truly is.  Here the awkward one (you, me) is made comfortable in the glorious presence of God.  Our natural tendency is forgotten.  Never comes up again in this passage or in Eternity.

Now notice the next part.  ‘With great joy!’  Ever been around someone who got the task done but with a boatload of protest?  Like, ‘do I HAVE to mow the lawn?’  Not this one, salvation, is done with joy.

That’s how God is.  How about you and me?  Are we joyful about others?  ^{1
 
1 The above is used with permission. Worship encouragement from my friend Pastor Mark Johnson, President SDA Church in Canada}
 

Waiting for things patiently is a quality that must be developed in us (see Romans 5:3–4; James 1:3–4; 5:11; Revelation 13:10; 14:12). Patience is one of the Spirit’s fruit borne in our lives. It includes fortitude, endurance, and the ability to bear up under pressure in order to attain the desired goal.

In the same way that our “hope” gives us fortitude, the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. At times, our weakness is so intense that we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. At those times, the Spirit voices our requests for us. He intercedes by appealing to the only one who can help us, God himself. We may not know the right words to say, but the Holy Spirit does. His groanings to God become effective intercession on our behalf. (Romans 8:26)

The companionship of the Spirit in prayer is one of the themes of this chapter. Here, the Spirit literally “joins in to help” us, expressing for us what we can’t fully express for ourselves. How should we pray?

• Utilize all the forms prayer takes: adoration, confession, petition, thanksgiving, and meditation. As we pray, we should trust the Spirit to make perfect what is imperfect.

• Listen during prayer. We should ask the Spirit to search our hearts and minds, and then we should be silent.

• Practice prayer as a habit.

• Combine prayer with other regular spiritual disciplines (see Philippians 4:4–8).

• Confess sins that the Spirit points out.

The Father knows all hearts and he knows what the Spirit is saying (see Romans 8:26-27). God can look deep, past our inarticulate groanings, to understand the need we face, our hidden feelings. Even when we don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for us, always in harmony with God’s own will. With God helping us pray, we don’t need to be afraid to come before him.

Because the Spirit’s efforts on our behalf are carried out in full agreement with God’s will, everything that happens to us in this life is directed toward that goal. What happens may not itself be “good,” but God will cause everything to work together for the ultimate good of his children, to meet his ultimate purpose for their maturity. The point is, God works all things for good, not “all things work out.” (Romans 8:28) Suffering will still bring pain, loss, and sorrow, and sin will bring shame. But under God’s control, the eventual outcome will be for our good.

God works behind the scenes, ensuring that even in the middle of mistakes and tragedies, good will result for those who love him. At times this will happen quickly, often enough to help us trust the principle. But there will also be events whose results for good we will not know until eternity. Our ultimate destiny is to be like Christ. God’s design is more than just an invitation; God summons us with a purpose in mind: we are to be like Christ and share his glory.

^{1Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary} 

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13 ESV)

It is noteworthy that Jesus referred to Himself as the embodied character of absolute truth and honesty as noted in these verses: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He would often say in the gospel of John regarding the truthfulness of His words: “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” (John 8:45 ESV); and “If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” (John 8:46 ESV); and “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth…” (John 16:7 ESV)

And if it wasn’t true he’d tell you: “if it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:6; 14:2 ESV).

Before He ascended to the Father, He told His disciples that “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13 ESV). All truth is not half-truths. Half-truths are lies. The apostle Paul wrote: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14 ESV)

When you accept Jesus, you are then sharing the glory of His absolute Truth, his Holy Spirit’s Light on the subject, His Love towards your understanding, and His Moral Laws that you can know the wiles of the devil, and thus His Divine attributes as One in the trinity -divine unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You realize that to believe everything He says and lovingly represented as an incarnate man, you’ve now bound yourself to this convincing logical insight – and thereby have let the Spirit of Christ guide you to honesty within your own heart.

When Adam sinned, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse; that is, to futility, change, and decay. Creation also is cursed because it is unable to attain the purposes for which it was made – to bless mankind made in His image.¹ For example: when the people of Israel began worshipping idols God put the whole land under an agricultural curse, often challenged by radical weather changes and drought. Moses had warned of punishment for rebellion.

You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it. You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off. (Deuteronomy 28:38-40)

A word on climate change  The scriptures teach that we are also stewards of the earth and all nature. In fact, God told Adam to take dominion over the entire earth. (Genesis 1:26-28) Soon the perfect order in the world was marred by sin; therefore, fallen people had to live in a fallen world and have demonstrated over many years that they have not been caring stewards – quite the contrary. Our perfect world continues to be harmed by a world population concomitantly marred by continuing sin as it continues to deny the Creator’s guidance. Yet all nature’s creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Revelation 22 describes the future removal of the curse from the earth when the earth will be renewed. (Romans 8:20–21)

Adam and Eve were the first polluters of the environment when they sinned. Their act of rebellion affected the entire world. It has taken many centuries to realize the interrelatedness of this global village, but the Bible begins with that assumption. Having the same Creator links us with the rest of the created order. But as much as we do personally and corporately to clean up and care for the environment, we must realize that creation will require the same kind of transformation that we require in our hearts in order to be set straight again.

In fact, in Romans 8:22–23, Paul pictures the fallen creation as groaning as in the pains of childbirth. Consider earthquakes, floods, fire, drought, famine, plagues—these are surely not what creation was meant to be, but sin and evil now rule. Just as the pains of childbirth end at the birth of the child, so the groaning and pain of the creation will end at the birth of the new earth. Creation groans and longs for its release and transformation into the new heaven and new earth. We Christians also groan to be released from pain and suffering, longing for our own release from the cycle of sin, effects of aging on health and eventual physical death (Romans 8:23).

We long for redemption when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. In this process we are not alone, for the Holy Spirit groans with us, expressing our unutterable longing to God and giving us a foretaste of future glory. But until the time of our release and redemption, we must groan, wait, and hope.

When we put our faith in Christ as Savior, we are saved and we can eagerly look forward to the freedom we will have at Christ’s return. (Romans 8:24–25) We already have the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is unseen, but we must eagerly wait for our new bodies, which are also unseen. Our full redemption has not yet happened; it will happen when Christ returns. That is why it is still a hope for believers.

Our salvation is both present and future. It is present because the moment we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior we are saved (Romans 3:21–26; 5:1–11; 6:1–11, 22–23); our new life (eternal life) begins. But at the same time, we have not fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ’s new Kingdom is completely established. While we can be confident of our salvation, we still look forward with hope and trust toward that complete change of body and personality that lies beyond this life.

^{1Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary} 

The world today is not unlike the world of Elijah when many of the Israelites were worshiping pagan gods. He built an altar to demonstrate that Yahweh, the God of creation exists and still actively governs even his wayward children led astray by pagan secular religions. In the ten commandments, God made it clear that:  You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. (Exodus 20:23-24 NAS)

Elijah built an altar according to the commandment. He wanted to reveal to the people and King Ahab that he was the prophetic spokesperson, not the false prophets who led the people astray to worship idols.

Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven. 1 Kings 18:36-38 When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!” (1 Kings 18:39 NLT)

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you may be taking too large a perspective. Let God worry about all the injustice in the world; you just need to find one small injustice and start there. The world is filled with evil, and you are here to be a light in the darkness. Even a small candle can lighten a dark room. As you minister, you may find that others gain the courage to join you, and you can begin to broaden your perspective. God’s Promise ¹

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 NLT)

^{1 Beers, Gilbert; Beers, Ron. The One Year Mini for Men (p. 309). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.}

Jesus noted a man at the pool of Bethesda, a man laying there, an invalid for 38 years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him,“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ^9 rAnd at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. – John 5:6–9

Further, Jesus was being harassed by the Jewish leaders for breaking Sabbath rules. (John 5:16–17) But Jesus told these leaders, “My Father never stops working, so why should I?” With this statement, Jesus challenged the notion that God himself was somehow literally subject to the Sabbath rules. As we look at this consider the following: ¹

If God stopped every kind of work on the Sabbath, nature would fall into chaos and sin would overrun the world. Genesis 2:2 says that God rested on the seventh day; he rested from the work of creation but began the work of sustaining the creation.

While it is true that God rested on that first seventh day from all His creative work, He has never rested from His governmental work, His providential work, supplying the needs of His creatures. The sun rises and sets, the tides ebb and flow, the rain falls, the wind blows, the grass grows on the weekly Rest Day as well as on any other. What we may term works of necessity and works of mercy—that is upholding and sustaining the whole realm of creation and the daily recurring needs of His creatures—God never rests from. ²

God has been at work and continues to work; so does his Son, Jesus. With this claim, Jesus affirmed his equality with God. Furthermore, Jesus was teaching that when the opportunity to do good presents itself, it should not be ignored, even on the Sabbath.

The Jews realized that Jesus’ words revealed his very personal relationship with God. In saying, “my Father,” he was clearly claiming to be God’s Son, thus equal with God. For a human to claim equality with God was blasphemy; and blasphemy was a sin carrying the death penalty (Leviticus 24:15–16). People regularly misunderstood Jesus, and he was constantly correcting them. Jesus never attempted to correct the understanding that he was claiming to be God, for that was exactly what he meant. Thus the Jewish leaders tried all the more to kill him.

In verses John 5:19–20 Jesus did not say that he would not do anything independent from the Father, but that he cannot: “The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing.” The Son performs the tasks the Father wants to be done because they are of one spirit. The Father and the Son know and love each other completely. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise”.

When Christ said:  “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing”, does this mean that His ability was limited? Or that His power was restricted? Do His words signify that when Jesus “made himself of no reputation (R. V. emptied himself) and took upon him the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7)” that He was reduced to all the limitations of human nature? No. Instead of pointing to an imperfection, either in His person or power, they, rightly understood, only serve to bring out His peerless excellency while he glorified both his father and himself in humility as an incarnated man – scornfully misunderstood and vilified by the Jewish leadership. But here as everywhere else, the scriptures must be interpreted by scripture, and once we heed this rule, difficulties disappear like the mists before the sun (John 5:39). ³

When our Lord came to earth as man, He submitted Himself to the Father in everything. “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9). He veiled His glory and laid aside the independent exercise of His divine attributes. In the wilderness, Satan tempted Him to use His divine powers for Himself, but He refused to act independently. He was totally dependent on the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit of God. 4

Jesus acted equally to the Father in immediacy whilst mirroring his Sovereign will. Jesus as a man, potentiating the father’s mind in his earthly ministries, acting likewise, revealed his own equality with God – his own divinity! Similarly, the unity of our mind, when in Christ’s Spirit, reveals our abiding relationship by responding in obedience to scripture, acting as royal priests in the will and favour of the triune God, advocating his will, empowered by his imparted strength. By so living, each soul represents those sealed by God, in accord with the Spirit’s promissory guarantee, unto eternal life. (1 Pet 2:9, Rom 8:14, 2 Tim 2:19, Eph 1:3, 4:30, 2 Cor 1:22) ⁵

Lenski brings out an important point, with regard to the judgements weighed against Jesus: It is absolutely impossible that Jesus should ever break the law, including that of the Sabbath. This is impossible because he is the Son, from eternity, one with the Father and now the incarnate Son, come to earth to carry out absolutely nothing but the Father’s will. If the Son, then, be charged by the Jews with breaking the Sabbath law, the charge would strike the Father himself. He is, indeed, “the Son,” this Jesus who stands before the Jews in human flesh. The Jews were perfectly right when in John 5:18 they understood that Jesus made himself “equal with God.” This very relation of the Son to the Father makes it simply impossible that Jesus should do, now or ever anything “of himself,” so that the thing would emanate from him alone and be done by him alone, separate and apart from the Father and thus deviating from and contradictory to the Father’s will—even as the Jews charged that Jesus was breaking God’s Sabbath law. Such a thing is possible for men; even Moses thus did a thing “of himself” (Num. 20:11, 12): but in the case of the Son, since he is the Son, this is absolutely excluded. ⁶

Because of their transparent relationship, the Son always knows what the Father is doing and works in harmony with him to see it accomplished. Because of his unity with God, Jesus lived as God wanted him to live as he worked to redeem mankind during his life right up to the time he was arrested and killed (Matt 26:39). Jesus promised to do far greater things. According to the following verses, this refers to the Son’s ability to give life to the dead and to execute judgment, beyond remarkably forgiving sinners and raising the invalid to vigour.  (Matt. 9:6, 7; Mark 2:9, 11, 12; Luke 5:24, 25)

This statement would have shocked Jesus’ audience because it ascribes to the Son—Jesus himself—what was seen as exclusively the activity of God the Father. (John 5:21) God alone can raise from the dead anyone he wants to. That God gave that power to the Son is demonstrated in Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41–44).

The certainty of our salvation is in the hands of the Son because God entrusted him with judicial and executive authority to judge. (John 5:22–23) Thus, he has equal dignity and honour with the Father—“everyone will honour the Son, just as they honour the Father.” The flip side is that those who refuse to honour the Son are not honouring the Father who sent him. Here Jesus was referring to that time when everyone will recognize his lordship. The tragedy will be that many will then recognize Jesus’ true nature but will have lost the opportunity to receive his saving help. Those unwilling to honour Christ now will discover that they have not been honouring the Father either. People should not say they believe in God while ignoring the power and authority of his Son.

In John John 8:17–18, we learn that The religious leaders did not understand that the Father and Son lived in each other and were with each other (see John 10:38; 14:9–11; 17:21). Therefore, even though the Son came from the Father (John 8:14) and was sent by the Father (John 8:16, 18), he was not separate from the Father—for the Father who sent the Son came with him and provided testimony for him. His confirming witness was God himself. Jesus and the Father made two witnesses, the number required by the law.

Here D.A. Carson adds the bias of the Jewish leaders’ persistency: Jesus’ opponents instantly grasp the implications of his remark, including the fact that he was calling God his own Father. Perceived infractions against Sabbath laws were serious, and might provoke murderous intent; but a man making himself equal with God was challenging the fundamental distinction between the holy, infinite God and finite, fallen human beings. For this reason, the Jews (John 1:19; 5:10) tried all the harder to kill him. ⁷

The Jews were meticulous keepers of the Mosaic laws found in the old testament. What they miss is paramount to their problem of not perceiving the Son of God. The Jews did not focus on compassion and love, as Moses had made paramount the royal law found repeated in the new testament. (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12: 28-34; James 2:8; Romans 13:8, 10; Galatians 5:14) If they truly loved the Father, they would indeed love his Son if they fully understood the dynamics of filial love.

To love God, as our Father,  is to concomitantly love and follow his Son. The first precedes loving others. To be obedient in our love for God the Father we see the Divinity of Christ, and both the Father and Son in a combinate mission to redeem humanity. The work of Christ when healing the lame man on the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda is a perfect demonstration of loving compassion to a disabled man. ⁸

Examine other texts in John 5, confirming the absolute equality of the Son with the Father. ⁹

• In his Ministering Service to mankind: John 5:16–18
• In his Conjoined Focused Will: John 5:19
• In his Mutual Love and Compassionate Co-working: John 5:20
• In his Sovereign Rights of Healing and Imparting Life to the dead: John 5:21
• In his Divine Judicial Honors: John 5:22–23
• In Imparting Eternal Life at the Final Resurrection: John 5:24–26
• In Judicial Power and Authority to Judge both the righteous and those who have done evil and not repented: John 5:27–30.

Arthur Pink offers an interesting insight into how God’s power will bring the atomically disintegrated bodies in the grave to rise from the grave for the Final Judgement of Christ:  In connection with the Deity of Christ in these last verses,  the fact that “all that are in the graves shall hear” the voice of Christ and shall “come forth unto judgement, proves that He is far more than the most exalted human. Who but God is able to regather all the scattered elements which have gone to corruption? Who but God is capable of acting as Judge of all humanity who died in history past? None but God can read the heart, and none but He possesses the necessary wisdom for such a stupendous task as determining the sentence due to each one of that vast assemblage which will stand before the great white throne. Thus we see that from start to finish this wonderful passage sets forth the Godhood of the Savior. Let us then honour Him even as we honour the Father, and prostrate ourselves before Him in adoring worship. ¹⁰

John McArthur sums up the fact that Jesus is indeed God: There is no question more important than, “Who is Jesus Christ?” Its implications are profound and its significance unparalleled. Simply posing it immediately evokes a vast array of emotions—from outright hostility to fervent adoration. Merely contemplating it is not enough—it is a question that must be answered. And answering it incorrectly no matter what the excuse, ultimately leads to eternal devastation. Throughout history, that very question has sparked much confusion and debate. Such was even true in Jesus’ time. When He asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13), the disciples listed several popular possibilities: “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets” (Matt. 16:14). There is, however, only one correct answer to Jesus’ question, and Peter gave it when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). ¹¹ 

Scripture abundantly reaffirms Peter’s assessment of Christ’s true identity. He is called “God” (John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20), “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1), the “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6), the “I AM” (John 8:58; cf. Ex. 3:14), the “first and the last” (Rev. 1:17; 22:13; cf. Isa. 44:6; 48:12), the “Lord of lords” (Rev. 17:14; cf. Deut. 10:17), and the “Alpha and the Omega” (Rev. 22:13; cf. Rev. 1:8). He is one in essence with the Father (John 10:30); He exists in the form of God (Phil. 2:6) and is the “exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3); He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:3; cf. Gen. 1:1; Isa. 40:28); He is the Lord of the 7th-day Sabbath (Ex. 20:11; Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5); and “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). He is the One who forgives sins (Mark 2:7, 10; cf. Isa. 43:25; Dan. 9:9), raises the dead (John 5:21; 11:25), and receives the worship reserved for God alone (Phil. 2:10 [cf. Isa. 45:23]; Matt. 14:33; cf. Matt. 4:10). Clearly, the biblical evidence leads to only one possible conclusion: Jesus Christ is God. ¹²

^{1 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 394). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.}

^{2 Pink, A. W. (1923–1945). Exposition of the Gospel of John (p. 258). Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot.}

^{3 ibid}

^{4 Wiersbe, Warren W.. The BE Series Bundle: The Gospels: Be Loyal, Be Diligent, Be Compassionate, Be Courageous, Be Alive, and Be Transformed (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 735). David C Cook.} 

^{5 Glen Jackman, Theological Application}

^{6 Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The interpretation of St. John’s gospel (p. 379). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.}

^{7 Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 249). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.}

^{8 Glen Jackman, Theological Application}

^{9 Pink, A. W. (1923–1945). Exposition of the Gospel of John (p. 258). Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot.}

^{10 Ibid}

^{11 John MacArthur, New Testament Commentary}

^{12 Ibid}

There are periods in life when things seem pretty stressful. They come and go through life. You rely on your meditative discipline to stay calm. Yet, life seems to have a series of struggles we must learn to overcome in business, family life, and social interactions.

With the pandemic and its lockdowns, the leftist social and news media cross-examining everything on behalf of the elites, the polarization of society increases. A disallowance of debate affects business lockdowns, family solidarity, and social distancing. Sadly evident are the counter-punching divisive views whacking the truth about natural health immunity, fueling a narrative for a draconian civic duty to get vaccinated at all costs. The inability of the Christian church to find one authentic voice is not unified but somewhat divisive. Questions are posed: “Are we facing an apocalyptic plague”? “Are we in the final throes of the earth’s history”? Just how soon is Christ to return”? Others may be content to ask: “did you get your double jab”?

When many paradigms in life are shifting and seem to be going wrong, Christ says, trust Me, abide in Me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Him for reminding you of your need. Then allow Jesus to lead you by His Spirit to lift you above your circumstances.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing...If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15: 4-7)

If you do what comes naturally in the face of life’s trials, you may fall prey to fear. Fear breeds negativism already building in an angry collective consciousness pervading society with an increasingly closed-off mindset.

A few complaints can slide you down the slope of delusional despair. It will fog your ability to weigh all the facts before you find clarity. In times like this, ask the Lord who promises guidance, remain calm and wait. (Proverbs 3: 5-6, 4:11; Exodus 15:13; Psalm 23:2-3, 48:14, 139:9-10, 37:23-24; Isaiah 58:11)

To hear and sustain truth in your mind takes ongoing patience. The payoff is a fresh perspective and a mindset reliant on Christ. I find that I must write out everything I question and ask for guidance, tweaking out lies and deceptions. (Revelation 14:12)

We must turn away from following the ideals of the global elitists of the world, which is increasingly controlling society. Ask, “Will I want to surrender my reasoning powers to accept any mandate interfering with my right or anothers’ right to freedom”? Many now comply with societal surveillance employed by the conjoining governments of the entire world following one lock-step agenda. (Revelation 13:8 NIV)

We are vulnerable if we think: “my alternate opinion flowing from my mouth or pen won’t find an ear to hear or an eye to see what matters most right now”. Don’t fear censorship, either. Avoid that slippery dark descent of angst. Paul’s guidance is helpful:

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time, there is a remnant, chosen by grace.  (Romans 11:2-5)

The solution is to cry out to Christ for His Spirit to lead you! Affirm your trust in Him, regardless of how you feel. Thank Jesus Christ for everything; though this may seem unnatural—it’s not irrational. The Spirit of Christ honours trusting faith that aims to glorify Him. (Isaiah 30:21; Philippians 2:5)

Gradually you will begin to ascend, recovering your lost ground. When you are back on ground level, you can face your circumstances from a humble perspective. If you choose supernatural responses this time—trusting and thanking Christ—you will experience His unfathomable peace. (Psalm 13:5)

^{The concept applied to this period in life is inspired by portions of the ideas from Young, Sarah. Jesus Calling (Jesus Calling®) (p. 290). Thomas Nelson.}