Its is another year

My prayer is that we all have a better year in 2021.

Still, no matter how positive you’re feeling at this moment,
experts suggest that the negative feelings and experiences associated with
prolonged isolation will come for us all.

Humans being social creatures—Especially us Christians,

keeping away from each other, is difficult at best, and highly traumatizing:
Even if we put on that Brave Mask..

While the corona virus pandemic is an extreme, largely unprecedented moment,
the kind of seclusion that’s been eating at people over the last few months
is not as uncommon an experience as you might imagine.

The impacts of social isolation on our bodies and minds have been traditionally:

Felt and studied in a variety of different groups, from astronauts to incarcerated people,
to immune-compromised children, to Antarctic researchers to the elderly.

John Vincent, A clinical psychologist at the University of Houston says:

“People start getting lethargic when they don’t have positive inputs into their small worlds,”

Isolation of this type is sure to bring the two kissing cousins:

Depression and Anxiety a running...

The Christian Response

“I hear many whispering,
‘Terror on every side!’” (Psalm 31:13).

In times of crisis we often find it easier to identify with the psalmist.
We, too, keep hearing of the “terror on every side,”
the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) now officially accepted as a pandemic.
The millions of viruses scattered by coughs and sneezes are enemies
“who pursue us,” stealing into our homes and lungs and making those they infect
“objects of dread” to our closest friends: “Those who see us on the street flee from us.”
But the psalmist would have us move past terror to say, “I trust in you, Lord …
My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies.”

One passage of Scripture to consider is Psalm 91,
which teaches how God takes care of His own.
Take time to read all 16 verses of this precious passage.
To summarize the psalm,
we are told that those who belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ dwell in
the inner sanctum of the presence of God, who protects them as
a mother hen cares for her young under her wings.

The promise is that no evil shall befall them because God will keep them in all of their ways.

Through God’s grace, love and mercy,
He will “set them on high” and show them his salvation that involves
the deliverance through whatever may come their way.

This applies to COVID-19 and all other trials of life.

Martin Luther’s response ... Sorry! My Daddy was a Lutheran.

Vivian Nutton, the esteemed historian of medicine, writes that:
From the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries,

“A town would experience an epidemic of plague approximately every decade,

and a serious devastation once in every generation.”

Disease outbreaks were part of the rhythm of life.

Those outbreaks caused by bubonic plague were particularly dreadful,

boasting a fatality rate of 60–90 percent (for COVID-19, it is “only” 1–3 percent).

Martin Luther himself was no stranger to suffering.

He endured the death of many of his family and friends,

including some of his own children, and a plethora of personal ailments.

Indeed, Hess had to write twice entreating Luther for his thoughts,

because Luther was too ill to reply to the first letter.

Martin Luther’s letter to his friend and fellow pastor Johann Hess,

in response to Hess’s question,

“Whether it is proper for a Christian to run away from a deadly plague.”

Luther himself was no stranger to suffering.

He endured the death of many of his family and friends, including some of his own children,

and a plethora of personal ailments.

Indeed, Hess had to write twice entreating Luther for his thoughts,

because Luther was too ill to reply to the first letter.

In 1527, plague struck Wittenberg — the university town where Luther lived

— prompting classes to be moved to an unaffected town.

Yet Luther refused to leave.

He chose instead to venture his life on caring for the sick and dying and transformed

his home into a makeshift hospital.

So when Luther gave advice, he knew the consequences and the fear attending them.

For Luther, our loving God hiddenly but surely works for our good

even in the places we do not expect, including amid the evil of deadly epidemics.

The fear of bodily illness and death should drive us to pray and to care for our souls,

remembering that this world is not our lasting home.

An epidemic is one of many evils that beset us, and we have to take that seriously;

but the greater evil is the evil within (Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:4).

Therefore, responding to an epidemic or any other crisis must involve turning from our sins

— chief of which is the selfish love that gives thought first to self, and only secondly,

if we can assure our own health and safety, to others.

Luther regarded the epidemic as a temptation that tests and proves our faith and love:

“our faith in that we may see and experience how we should act toward God;

our love in that we may recognize how we should act toward our neighbor.”

Through faith in God and out of love for neighbor,

Christians must think first how to contribute to the physical and spiritual care of those

who are vulnerable, self-isolated, sick, or dying.

Only then did Luther permit Christians to make private decisions about whether to flee.

In an era without widespread institutionalized healthcare,

Luther wrote that Christians are under a divine obligation to fill the gap:

“We must give hospital care and be nurses for one another in any extremity

or risk the loss of salvation and the grace of God.”

With lives at risk, Luther encourages Christians to find solace in the promises of God.

The devil tempts us to “horror and repugnance in the presence of a sick person.”

But striking a “blow against the devil is God’s mighty promise by which he encourages

those who minister to the needy.

He says in Psalm 41, ‘Blessed is he who considers the poor.

The Lord will deliver him in the day of trouble’.”

Therefore, “whoever serves the sick for the sake of God’s gracious promise …

has the great assurance that he shall in turn be cared for.

God himself shall be his attendant and his physician, too.

What an attendant he is! What a physician!”

COVID-19 reminds us that lasting contentment, security and happiness is not to be found in

the present world but in the world to come.

As Augustine put it:

As ‘we are saved by hope’, so we are made happy by hope.
Neither our salvation nor our beatitude is here present, but ‘we wait for it’ in the future,
and we wait ‘with patience’, precisely because we are surrounded by evils which patience
must endure until we come to where all good things are sources of inexpressible happiness
and where there will be no longer anything to endure.
Such is to be our salvation in the hereafter, such our final blessedness.

Can God Use the Corona-virus for Good?

God can use the corona-virus for good because God is good.
Contrary to what some are saying, the corona-virus is not
The judgment of God for the sin of the world. Because of God’s great love for us,
Jesus bore not only the judgment of God for sin but also our sickness and disease.

Contrary to what some are saying;
The corona-virus is not the judgment of God for the sin of the world.

Because of God’s great love for us,
Jesus bore not only the judgment of God for sin but also our sickness and disease.

Bad things happen.
Jesus reminded us of that with his words:
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.
In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage
— I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

Jesus knew trouble and suffering were already taking place.
Sickness and violence were part of humanity’s history.
But Jesus knew it was going to get worse and humanity had a choice to make.

Power of Choice

We see evil in the world because people make bad choices.
We see good when people make good choices. God uses both.

Joseph’s brothers made a bad choice by selling their brother into slavery.
Joseph chose to believe God was with him and leaned into his faith.
God took the awful thing his brothers did and not only saved the nation of Israel
but also many other nations as well. Joseph spoke about how God used the bad for good.

“You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”
(Genesis 50:20)

Faith Over Fear

First, as Christ-followers, we need to remember that our God is a
“refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble” (Palm. 46:1).
God has not given us a spirit of fear. We should not panic.
Our Heavenly Father is still the all-knowing, ever-present, omnipotent God.

Second, we need to pray for all those who have been infected, those who will be,
and for their families.
We need to pray for God to deliver the world from this menace to human health and well-being. We need to pray for wisdom, Guidance, and protection for our national, state and local leaders;
as they seek to fulfill their oaths of office in protecting the citizenry.

Third, we need to take necessary precautions. Listen to the medical experts.
Be informed, sensitive, and wise in the way we approach this pandemic.

In fact, not to do so would be to commit the sin of presumption
(assuming the Holy Spirit will protect you when you disregard prudence and think
since you are doing the Lord’s work, you can be exempt from sound medical advice).

For example, if the authorities recommend no meetings of more than a hundred people,
is it presumption for churches to go ahead and have their services in person

rather than streaming? No That is disobedience to the Authorities and Ultimately to God.

Our Church has live streaming, if your Church does not, feel free to join us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cornerstonechurchjohannesburg

Podcast: https://cornerstonechurch.co.za/

We'll be online at 8 am on these Sundays! [GMT+2]

Fourth, don’t do anything knowingly that would put anyone else at risk.

Seek to help those who need help coping with the aftermath of having the virus or

having been exposed to it. And during this whole process, as Christ-followers,

we must always remember and have in our consciousness the Lord Jesus’ command to

“love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and

“to do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31).

Let’s all pray that when we look back on this crisis,

That our fellow Christians will see this episode of our history as one that reflects:

credit on the Lord we serve as they see His work in us as we serve them.

Are there incredible business opportunities for 2021 and beyond?

The news of job loss and lay off are becoming common.
Top economists are predicting the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Here are some fields that may hold potential:

360 Degree in Photography & Videography

360 Degree in Photography & Videography is an upcoming business.

It is an unexplored area with a lot of potentials.

360 Degree Photograph is video is taken by a special camera with multiple lenses

or with multiple cameras. also possible using special software

360 Degree photos and videos are very useful
as it gives a complete view of place along with all object details.

It has many applications in the business.
You can use it for:

event planning,
real estate,
landscape designing,
gaming,
entertainment.
Blender Projects

I use it in Blender as HDR Images

Examples of business under this area would be –

Selling of specialized camera and video equipment.
360-degree photography and videography
Repair and maintenance of cameras and equipment
Digital image mixing and video making

Cyber Security

Cyber Security is the evergreen field.
Cyber Security is also known as information security.
It is the practice of securing
computers, servers, networks, and personal devices from hacking and malicious viruses.
The malicious attacks are growing
established process and security infrastructure is required to withstand growing attacks.
Some business ideas in the cyber-security field are –

Information security consultant
Security Infrastructure deployment and maintenance
IT Security Solutions design and sell

Home Solar Energy Setup

Solar Energy is a clean energy source.
The solar power generation technology is advancing and getting better.
Solar energy is becoming a choice for everyone due to tax break and saving of money.
Once the solar panel setup is done you need not worry about the electricity bill.

Sell and install solar panels to the individuals home.
Once the setup is completed you can provide maintenance

Online Gaming (Juelz Wants us to look into this)

Online Gaming is most promising and among best future business ideas.
People are crazy about online gaming.
As per estimate online gaming industry is growing @22% every year.
There are more than 35% online gamer across world
With the count of online games, growing every day.

Online gaming business is one of the lucrative business option.
You can make lot of money via online gaming.
You can make your own games.
Alternatively, you can make sell games online as well as work as affiliate marketer also.

More Ideas

Many of the best small business ideas for 2021 involve an online business model.

Choose a business idea that you are knowledgeable and passionate about.

Before starting a business, determine if there is a demand for what you want to provide.

Consultant

If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (business, social media, marketing, human resources, leadership, communication, etc.), starting a consultant business can be a lucrative option. You can start your consulting business on your own, then grow your business and hire other consultants over time.

Online Clothes Reseller

Those passionate about clothing and/or sales may want to consider starting an online reseller business. Although it takes a lot of time and dedication – and an eye for fashion – this is a great idea that you can start as a side hustle and turn into a full-time resale business.

Online teaching (Been advised by Sebastian to look into this)

The demand for online education has opened up a wide possibility for entrepreneurs to start their own ventures. Since this is an online business idea, you can choose any subject you are knowledgeable about and teach a course regardless of your location. If you don't have advanced knowledge in any particular subject, you can always consider teaching English as a foreign language online to students overseas.

Cleaning service (Clinton is doing this)

If you like to clean, you can easily turn it into a business. With a few staff members, a host of cleaning supplies and transportation, you can offer cleaning services to homeowners, apartment complexes and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge between $25 and $50 per hour. Cleaning services are straightforward businesses that require relatively little overhead; you simply need planning, dedication and marketing to get your business noticed.

If you're looking to differentiate yourself from other cleaning services, consider adding premium options like floor waxing or exterior power washing for an additional fee. These services could be the deciding factor between your new cleaning service and seasoned companies that maintain too large a client list to provide that level of cleaning.

Freelance copywriter (One of my Interests)

If you're a natural wordsmith with a bit of marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter. Whether you write blogs, web content or press releases, plenty of companies will pay for your services. You can increase your value by bringing SEO knowledge to the table to help your clients craft a strategy to attack specific keywords that their target audience is already using in their online searches. Most freelance copywriters charge $40 to $50 per hour, but those with expertise in a given vertical could charge even more.

Freelance copy-writing is a great business to run, because as long as you have an internet connection, you can work. It's a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home, or even from the road if you travel. If you establish a large enough network and gain referrals from satisfied clients, you could even make freelance writing your full-time job.