Sunday, July 12, 2020

Reflection - Spiritual Journey - Strengthening Convictions

Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART I: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, Chapter 7, "Strengthening Convictions", Question 2, Page 44.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


Why and how do people lose their convictions when they grow old?
PHOTO: Why and how do people lose their convictions when they grow old?
This brings us to an important point. True Christian convictions must be rooted in our knowledge of God and His Word. The more we know God, the more we will be convinced that God loves us and is sovereign over our lives. The more we know His Word, the more we will be convinced that God will keep all His promises and will bring us safely to heaven, no matter what difficulties we currently face.

But why is it that some Christians lose their Christian convictions? It could be that suffering and pain, while drawing some people closer to God, may tempt others to move away from Him. They could have wrongly believed that the Christian life promises nothing but comfort and prosperity, and when things become difficult, they grow disappointed and drift away from God.

Others may suffer from weak convictions because they never really studied God's Word and built their lives on biblical convictions in the first place. They just drifted along in worldliness, peppered with weekly doses of dutiful churchgoing. Worsening health and a sense of approaching death may also make some people question their long-held Christian convictions.

Growing maturity means that some of our beliefs will become stronger and others may be held more lightly. Godly wisdom will enable us to know the difference. Those convictions that are derived from knowing God and His Word must remain firm and grow stronger. These have to do with who God is, our salvation in Christ, His eternal kingdom where we will be blessed with eternal life, our call to become Christlike through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and our labour in the Lord not being in vain.

But there are also some convictions that we may hold, drawn from our misreading of Scripture or from popular Christian beliefs (that we will be rewarded in heaven with mansions, for example), that can be laid aside as we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word. As we grow older, we must know the difference between non-negotiable beliefs (e.g., that Christ is fully God and fully human) and those that are really nothing more than opinion.

Stubbornly holding on to our opinions and giving up on those biblical beliefs which must be firmly held in our hearts and minds is dangerous. A former UN secretary general, Dag Hammarskjöld, recorded in his remarkable personal journal, "God does not die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason."


How would you help someone in this situation?
It is not easy, living in a postmodern world where everything is seen as relative, and any claim to absolute truth is laughed at. For the ageing Christian, the end of life on earth should make us even bolder in our biblical beliefs and faith. With increasing age, we need to discover our vocation. That vocation, says David Maitland, is to learn "to become part of a counterculture". In resisting the rush of contemporary society and practising countercultural biblical reflection on their lives and experience, seniors will increasingly sense that they are in the world but not of it.

As Scripture exhorts us, we must "hold firmly to the faith we profess" (Hebrews 4:14) because our hope in Christ is "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). We need not drift, but can stand firmly on the biblical foundations of our faith.
Picture posted by morethansparrows on 09 April 2017 - Be Still ("Relax. Surrender it all to Him. He has everything under control.")
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-IFAXSjQbNDgKHj58Q1nd-G_3oP6Ckz6F0ppFJRrYqHzAUqoFiCIPp0QxKHAas8sbczhKdCX4ur7H8NBcDqPqgsbIrmNUFzzXlhY52id2Feujjp67uIFDUjXR76W-zs8lQlEN3HtLas/s1600/be_still_by_morethansparrows_db56icr-fullview.jpg
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/eda73ed1-41e4-4198-800d-d716a6e543be/db56icr-74b87dca-8f1b-4363-bca6-717218f35c73.png/v1/fill/w_1024,h_728,q_80,strp/be_still_by_morethansparrows_db56icr-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD03MjgiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC9lZGE3M2VkMS00MWU0LTQxOTgtODAwZC1kNzE2YTZlNTQzYmVcL2RiNTZpY3ItNzRiODdkY2EtOGYxYi00MzYzLWJjYTYtNzE3MjE4ZjM1YzczLnBuZyIsIndpZHRoIjoiPD0xMDI0In1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.2hSHQrQcww-dMPyvNDv_jLljh_U8qveTLAr2FOKron0
https://www.deviantart.com/morethansparrows/art/Be-Still-673829739


A Father whose son suffered a medical condition involving the brain came to me for counsel. The son had undergone surgery to relieve pressure on the brain and was missing part of his skull as a result. Sometime later, consideration was given to performing another surgery to close up the gap. Different doctors gave different advice, and the father was confused. He narrowed down his choice of surgeon to two doctors: the one who had done the first surgery and another doctor who had been consulted for a second opinion.

The second doctor seemed very confident - a bit too confident. The first doctor was a quieter man, but he seemed to know what he was doing. The rest of the family preferred the first doctor, but the man was drawn to the second. However, he later discovered certain information that the second doctor had withheld from him, and decided to go with the first.

 Different doctors gave different advice, and the father was confused.
PHOTO: Different doctors gave different advice, and the father was confused. The first doctor was a quieter man, but he seemed to know what he was doing. The second doctor seemed very confident - a bit too confident. The rest of the family preferred the first doctor, but the man was drawn to the second.
Picture posted by gograph.com
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YTnv_VTrNiFXRl83bnvY14RFO1zpKv1ZLTqSmNSQ_D-6WLjQI67rkbBVrpwJZgWGKCbW1OU7VXcLIREJiWpnLnnjFFcTXCx5M7un2D8iJPd6tgX62XukqGK1kCqQ-Lo90OdtD9Q4F2w/s1600/76060016_2.png
https://comps.gograph.com/ggb/76060016
https://www.gograph.com/clipart/doctor-cartoon-illustration-gg76060016.html


How do we assess someone who shows confidence in their belief or opinions? Is it possible for one's strong convictions to be misplaced? When we Christians held onto our convictions, how do we ensure we are not blindly or stubbornly making a mistake?


 How do we assess someone who shows confidence in their belief or opinions?
PHOTO: How do we assess someone who shows confidence in their belief or opinions? Is it possible for one's strong convictions to be misplaced? When we Christians held onto our convictions, how do we ensure we are not blindly or stubbornly making a mistake?
© Ingram Pinn/Financial Times
Picture posted by Philip Stephens on 02 April 2020
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-eaL1FBhQDpsmz_xRW8-dVX_YnX6SxmEvspl5q0XjdXQHP1LArwA183P2qfZL5wKBCWt7BqtKMbY2wBpYN5uSPgHXxl8fUiExQzhUCau8eKN0j2QWSkduljIpDGyD10bfsQj6KQSdWQ/s1600/5fb6c07a27f2.png
https://www.ft.com/content/a60dc10e-7408-11ea-ad98-044200cb277f


When God promised Abraham in his old age that he would have a son, it is said that Abraham was "fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:21, emphasis added), though he was close to a hundred years old. It was this faith in God that was credited as righteousness in Abraham's life.


 God promised Abraham in his old age that he would have a son
PHOTO: When God promised Abraham in his old age that he would have a son, it is said that Abraham was "fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:21, emphasis added), though he was close to a hundred years old. It was this faith in God that was credited as righteousness in Abraham's life.
Picture saved by Gloria Tyler to Abraham
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXs8go-FXRPm2IL-nLO2TT4Pjt9XjZO_WMuMRkdxvGN9D5HVpi-Ov0KH35zd0XrgAYoGVi25SG5leVGAgSooX2GGWrqV3H0Fi0Rs55IkIJEJk2uFBhagF5dwtJYZJCD1vUooTV-AUFZNQ/s1600/2f1acbe74d7d9a04dd2a63cdd1445204.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2f/1a/cb/2f1acbe74d7d9a04dd2a63cdd1445204.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172825704433873136/


Paul too, was a man who lived according to his convictions. In discussing our present suffering and future glory, Paul wrote how he was fully convinced nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39). Paul did not lose this conviction even when facing execution for preaching about Christ. At the end of his life, he wrote with undiminished confidence, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:18). His faith in God and His promises never wavered even in the most difficult of circumstances.


 Paul wrote how he was fully convinced nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).
PHOTO: Paul wrote how he was fully convinced nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39). Paul did not lose this conviction even when facing execution for preaching about Christ. His faith in God and His promises never wavered even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Picture posted by RWL@Ricardo_Wijaya
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgfhEMTpBfOeJqcyvzSnAijaOi9LyzfParLyVPJvZcGjMk8-iLJrgY4cigPFjRst195Ua09i5C4_1-5F_9Fr3XR7lW0Dp2gNimJhBLKTd1FKumDuHpQnA-107_T6r5oejGGpRiVIbBW0/s1600/C_ZS2eLUIAE61Wc.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_ZS2eLUIAE61Wc.jpg
https://twitter.com/ricardo_wijaya/status/861967487251894272?lang=bn


Why and how do people lose their convictions when they grow old? How would you help someone in this situation?

Why and how do people lose their convictions when they grow old?
This brings us to an important point. True Christian convictions must be rooted in our knowledge of God and His Word. The more we know God, the more we will be convinced that God loves us and is sovereign over our lives. The more we know His Word, the more we will be convinced that God will keep all His promises and will bring us safely to heaven, no matter what difficulties we currently face.


 True Christian convictions must be rooted in our knowledge of God and His Word.
PHOTO: True Christian convictions must be rooted in our knowledge of God and His Word. The more we know God, the more we will be convinced that God loves us and is sovereign over our lives. The more we know His Word, the more we will be convinced that God will keep all His promises and will bring us safely to heaven, no matter what difficulties we currently face.
Picture saved by Deborah Scotka to Crosses
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVMbYIas9DEz6ctcixdfMuDoeqgWA7D1k3lj297uQaoxkniWtS7-WrQNGcmjkFG1Rq8i8K5-3hGrvPXM-_4He_SBVLAtq93BGrdBTvIaImYxVqliIusJJX2sliIKSE43coPWWQ_23rzA/s1600/9b6eefea8e6324cca9d2954f95f454ba_1.png
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9b/6e/ef/9b6eefea8e6324cca9d2954f95f454ba.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410460953516739953/


But why is it that some Christians lose their Christian convictions? It could be that suffering and pain, while drawing some people closer to God, may tempt others to move away from Him. They could have wrongly believed that the Christian life promises nothing but comfort and prosperity, and when things become difficult, they grow disappointed and drift away from God.


Some Christians lose their Christian convictions because of suffering and pain.
PHOTO: Some Christians lose their Christian convictions because of suffering and pain. They could have wrongly believed that the Christian life promises nothing but comfort and prosperity, and when things become difficult, they grow disappointed and drift away from God.
Picture posted by shehuibiger.com
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oFDadsHL8CrD4LgAxb6zmjqRRw38IMNqS3L2a9rI_UwpcM0SL7oE9J61b9csi8Bq0H0VuZlIdrih5eM95UMpIAOMVhPuGCVI_ep1Los0m9mM_Yu9ZkmHskRcZ8ac2Cx2AoZ7sEp2SCI/s1600/10960158_ml.jpg
http://www.msmoney.com.tw/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/10960158_ml.jpg
http://shehuibiger.com/0721/50105891


Others may suffer from weak convictions because they never really studied God's Word and built their lives on biblical convictions in the first place. They just drifted along in worldliness, peppered with weekly doses of dutiful churchgoing. Worsening health and a sense of approaching death may also make some people question their long-held Christian convictions.


Other Christians may suffer from weak convictions because they never really studied God's Word and built their lives on biblical convictions.
PHOTO: Other Christians may suffer from weak convictions because they never really studied God's Word and built their lives on biblical convictions. They just drifted along in worldliness. Worsening health and a sense of approaching death may also make some people question their long-held Christian convictions.
Picture posted by Linda K Allen on 22 July 2019
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5XTVgmQn73sfRehN99Kb_oL16eteH9TspQ3XxMOMWA1qhAIA5peM8H2Fcl2Kpq2ntMq6TtWRc4LGLH7v-KKwV8gt-hLwrVQ0ABtCb68HddLU24d7coab2pDoh_BFTV7eyLpACKi7kjY/s1600/1+aLEzwUDjHp9eZLyrmkKNCw%25402x.jpeg
https://miro.medium.com/max/2484/1*aLEzwUDjHp9eZLyrmkKNCw@2x.jpeg
https://medium.com/@Asianpersusian/at-birth-you-learn-to-take-your-first-breath-until-death-taking-a-last-breath-20d822a03449


Growing maturity means that some of our beliefs will become stronger and others may be held more lightly. Godly wisdom will enable us to know the difference. Those convictions that are derived from knowing God and His Word must remain firm and grow stronger. These have to do with who God is, our salvation in Christ, His eternal kingdom where we will be blessed with eternal life, our call to become Christlike through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and our labour in the Lord not being in vain.


Growing maturity means that some of our beliefs will become stronger and others may be held more lightly.
PHOTO: Growing maturity means that some of our beliefs will become stronger and others may be held more lightly. Godly wisdom will enable us to know the difference. Those convictions that are derived from knowing God and His Word must remain firm and grow stronger.
Picture posted by Dreamstime
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GANQCAr9eAzQiWWDIIHuFMxJuAsQajavzyQ_mZE5nvCniJdYG1nM43Lfo-b0B-NO6s_9UAy7FavzW-tq1jhfkfP0UypnjqEKbzgthJ7BJ_ikxiU0z95Rd1qV_Dxc95qDWyNwt_j2wfI/s1600/elderly-man-praying-background-sky-cross-symbol-faith-41941547.jpg
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/elderly-man-praying-background-sky-cross-symbol-faith-41941547.jpg
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-god-bless-my-family-background-sign-text-illustration-hand-praying-image68350233


But there are also some convictions that we may hold, drawn from our misreading of Scripture or from popular Christian beliefs (that we will be rewarded in heaven with mansions, for example), that can be laid aside as we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word. As we grow older, we must know the difference between non-negotiable beliefs (e.g., that Christ is fully God and fully human) and those that are really nothing more than opinion.


 As we grow older, we must know the difference between non-negotiable beliefs (e.g., that Christ is fully God and fully human) and those that are really nothing more than opinion.
PHOTO: As we grow older, we must know the difference between non-negotiable beliefs (e.g., that Christ is fully God and fully human) and those that are really nothing more than opinion.
Picture posted by Deborah Ann on 28 May 2019
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWf5BWZlBCKoPLAB0xmL8zFHkd8FarMB8FSyHfDVovmvDwq6mN3NPLStVPj7FmzvtxXPtzicgDalSwxOqQsSnvgF2KxvGj7xrSnV63KaRzUFFRmpr1ldPKBlg9b66KC09auRZmmC4FLA/s1600/as-is-christian-poetry-by-deborah-ann-belka-free-to-use-.jpg
https://poetrybydeborahann.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/as-is-christian-poetry-by-deborah-ann-belka-free-to-use-.jpg
https://poetrybydeborahann.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/just-as-is/


Stubbornly holding on to our opinions and giving up on those biblical beliefs which must be firmly held in our hearts and minds is dangerous. A former UN secretary general, Dag Hammarskjöld, recorded in his remarkable personal journal, "God does not die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason." [28]


Stubbornly holding on to our opinions and giving up on those biblical beliefs which must be firmly held in our hearts and minds is dangerous.
PHOTO: Stubbornly holding on to our opinions and giving up on those biblical beliefs which must be firmly held in our hearts and minds is dangerous. A former UN secretary general, Dag Hammarskjöld, recorded in his remarkable personal journal, "God does not die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason."
Picture posted by Mona haghighi63@MonaHaghighi63
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfiNddv7-TyvZq9swYZMRnwaWdCduC9REpoMrFCjxUjXzg23MO0H_tPAch-A2qEfm7kwwqtx5ooqWVwpGFxi7xluXNyl2K_0ffC_W3R3cMwqjxL6OQcLG5yywjM0ZFMsY9SUCbM9ZWBY/s1600/DcQ9g8aWsAEJUBy.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DcQ9g8aWsAEJUBy.jpg
https://www.twaku.com/MonaHaghighi63


How would you help someone in this situation?
It is not easy, living in a postmodern world where everything is seen as relative, and any claim to absolute truth is laughed at. For the ageing Christian, the end of life on earth should make us even bolder in our biblical beliefs and faith. With increasing age, we need to discover our vocation. That vocation, says David Maitland, is to learn "to become part of a counterculture". [29] In resisting the rush of contemporary society and practising countercultural biblical reflection on their lives and experience, seniors will increasingly sense that they are in the world but not of it. [30]


With increasing age, we need to discover our vocation.
PHOTO: With increasing age, we need to discover our vocation. That vocation, says David Maitland, is to learn "to become part of a counterculture". In resisting the rush of contemporary society and practising countercultural biblical reflection on their lives and experience, seniors will increasingly sense that they are in the world but not of it.
Picture saved by Kathy Collins to Bible
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4EqKIGfsU_Hfbr0LAWtmlz1u3ZcA-LzgxtDxjfl4jOY2Zkgrt4oItuhTw0jykW4aJuzpyKhk2X2_W79X5SW_S8NyhzemCQiCSXFVUdWIT5WPFeAAvJVNbekSOvpCi_Q-xxUKhEWEe28/s1600/941d62036f78a44bf8e6d757d7bccc26.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/1d/62/941d62036f78a44bf8e6d757d7bccc26.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/183310647313485147/


As Scripture exhorts us, we must "hold firmly to the faith we profess" (Hebrews 4:14) because our hope in Christ is "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). We need not drift, but can stand firmly on the biblical foundations of our faith.


Scripture exhorts us
Scripture exhorts us
PHOTO: As Scripture exhorts us, we must "hold firmly to the faith we profess" (Hebrews 4:14) because our hope in Christ is "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). We need not drift, but can stand firmly on the biblical foundations of our faith.
Picture posted by Cave, WallpaperCave on November 2019
gif file generated by Animated Images Effects Generator at http://www.webestools.com/animated-images-effect-generator-effects-gif-images-picture-blog-gif-fx-images-animated-effect.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4c5jp_d3XZsYt5p1C8oX0dNHPmMcOaseUi1C4PdW-8FgHrtd3JgDI-IfkYps1N4iXPryePp9zr0zItbIwucz9ygIwxPGG7MHYCSt5BTg_mJCwBQQGV24MDWZO_k58e5ZI7hyphenhyphenGnHbtpQ/s1600/wp4813730.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbfpGNS9hzgKe-2uI-dAQVvOc7gdkLIU151g9r8Y58U3B4UXwxd57cmB08NxlkddwkSWzrmpRolVG_eUYiXI1L3KNsmzqaJEdRy9tRh-GXnZ0Egp7Bkvn8WkYWnG0fsOu1qwICNZbB0g/s1600/wp4813730.gif
https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp4813730.jpg
https://wallpapercave.com/w/wp4813730
https://wallpapercave.com/sad-lonely-lady-woman-wallpapers


Dear Lord
Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, Thank You for letting us learn that true Christian convictions must be rooted in our knowledge of God and His Word. The more we know God, the more we will be convinced that God loves us and is sovereign over our lives. The more we know His Word, the more we will be convinced that God will keep all His promises and will bring us safely to heaven, no matter what difficulties we currently face.

Some of us may lose our Christian convictions in the midst of suffering and pain. Please help us not to drift away but be drawn instead closer to God. We may have misunderstood that Christian life promises nothing but comfort and prosperity, and when things become difficult, we grow disappointed and drift away from Him.

Some of us may suffer from weak convictions because we never really studied God's Word and built our lives on biblical convictions in the first place. We just drifted along in worldliness, peppered with weekly doses of dutiful churchgoing. Worsening health and a sense of approaching death may also make some of us question our long-held Christian convictions.

Growing maturity means that some of our beliefs will become stronger and others may be held more lightly. Please help us to grow in our Godly wisdom which will enable us to know the difference. We want those convictions that are derived from knowing God and His Word must remain firm and grow stronger. These convictions have to do with who God is, our salvation in Christ, His eternal kingdom where we will be blessed with eternal life, our call to become Christlike through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and our labour in the Lord not being in vain.

Please prevent us not to have convictions drawn from our misreading of Scripture or from popular Christian beliefs. Help us to lay them aside as we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word. As we grow older, help us to know the difference between non-negotiable beliefs and those that are really nothing more than opinion.

We ask for help not to stubbornly holding on to our opinions and giving up on those biblical beliefs which must be firmly held in our hearts and minds. Help us, especially us ageing Christian, the end of life on earth should make us even bolder in our biblical beliefs and faith. With our increasing age, help us to resist the rush of contemporary society and practising countercultural biblical reflection on our lives and experience. Help us seniors to increasingly sense that we are in the world but not of it.

Just like Scripture exhorts us, help us to hold firmly to the faith we profess because our hope in Christ is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Enable us not to drift, but can stand firmly on the biblical foundations of our faith.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture posted by Cave, WallpaperCave on November 2019
gif file generated by Animated Images Effects Generator at http://www.webestools.com/animated-images-effect-generator-effects-gif-images-picture-blog-gif-fx-images-animated-effect.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLmp7oLwJnaDFxiHghnnv7UdsoqnDCiDmQnogB71cUIuvmNozESGMhdzgvCkFzE1irboH-uW5VZsOswDar08RkBQ1ouiL2xnIzQ9qdEypv9ry8E698ZSBMOiC6ZR7awNCA7pw-TjoNkk/s1600/wp4813742_1.png
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx8J8NY69oWHkWrJ7Je_Qzt_N8ZRw1HsQ03MLuzvM_yvScMrDaUkVrPo0FUNS26pW9gtqOSHMHer83invQD_IXG_AltiDyuZcrOtKXKZnAgnPu0NVkbpi1WIclkfnlAKUkWJzwqj27Qk/s1600/wp4813742_1.gif
https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp4813742.jpg
https://wallpapercave.com/w/wp4813742
https://wallpapercave.com/sad-lonely-lady-woman-wallpapers

Reflection - Spiritual Journey - Strengthening Convictions
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART I: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, Chapter 7, "Strengthening Convictions", Question 2, Page 44.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012







Also from the same author, Robert M. Solomon

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

'Faithful to the end', A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon<br>
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html


"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html 


"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html



Reference
[1] From "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Copyright © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-981-14-1836-5, PART I: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, Chapter 7, "Strengthening Convictions", Page 39-43.

[28] Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings, trans. Leif Sjoberg and W. H. Auden (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1964), 56.

[29] David J. Maitland, Aging as Counterculture: A Vocation for the Later Years (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1991), 14.

[30] Ibid., 137, 145.


New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
at