Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Reflection - Thinking of Heaven - Leaving a Legacy

Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Part V: THINKING OF HEAVEN, Chapter 35, "Leaving a Legacy", Question 1, Page 235.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


Reflect on the legacy that Jesus left behind.
PHOTO: Reflect on the legacy that Jesus left behind.
In short, His teachings and His church. Jesus declared, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He also said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).

The Lord encountered crowds, which were a common feature of His relatively short ministry on earth. Among these, He left behind many who were touched by His ministry - the blind, lame, dumb, and even those who had died and were raised by Him. More importantly, Jesus left behind disciples. There were 120 believers in the Upper Room (Acts 1:15) who waited for Pentecost. Of these, Jesus particularly trained the Twelve, and spent considerable time with them. The apostles spread the gospel around the world, wrote or were instrumental in the writing of the Scriptures, and died as martyrs. They were not the best of men, but Jesus did His miracle of transforming them, correcting their blindness and slowness of spirit. Jesus gave His disciples three realities.

First, He gave them His Holy Spirit. The Spirit is connected to Jesus. He promised them the filling of the Spirit (which was achieved at Pentecost, and this filling transformed the apostles). The Spirit would produce holiness in them (the character of Christ) and enable them to carry on the ministry of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is His lasting legacy because the Holy Spirit will be with us forever (John 14:16).

While we are not Jesus, and we do not impart the Holy Spirit like Jesus did, nevertheless, the lesson for us is that we can leave behind the spirit that characterised our lives - the legacy we leave behind represents our character, attitudes, ministry, and so on - it is a living legacy.

Second, Jesus gave His disciples His teachings. Jesus taught with authority, like no other (Mark 1:22). He left behind a certain worldview, a certain way of looking at the Old Testament, and a certain way of faith and life. All this is concretely captured in the New Testament. Jesus left behind His Word. The implication for us is that we too can leave behind what shaped our lives - our beliefs, values, principles, and precepts for living.

Third, Jesus left behind His peace to His disciples. The risen Jesus greeted His disciples with "Peace be with you" (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26). Jesus did not promise a stress-free life; there will be troubles. In John 16:33, He says that "in this world you will have trouble" but also that "in me you may have peace". This is the legacy that Jesus has left behind that has inspired so many and has been demonstrated in the lives of so many down the centuries.


What personal lessons are there for you?
Jesus left behind a people and His Word that He gave to them. He also gave them His Spirit and His peace. If these are the emphases (significance) of Jesus, should they not be reflected in our own legacies - in how we invest our lives and spend our days and energies?

Eugene Bianchi suggests, "Perhaps the most beautiful legacy that ageing parents can leave their children is a personally lived lesson about facing old age and death with courage and grace." We can think of both biological and spiritual children here.


What do your reflections tell you about how you should live and what you should focus on?
Adam Clarke wrote of believers in Christ, you "are immortal till your work is done." This statement was deeply encouraging to me when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012. My doctors were ready to perform surgery, but I sought a second opinion overseas on the biopsy results. Three weeks later, the second opinion came back, saying it was not likely to be cancer. The surgery was thankfully cancelled.

The experience led me to reflect on why God keeps us alive. I realised that our work is really the result of God's work. Every new day, we should ask ourselves, why has God kept me alive today? I have learned two answers to that question. First, God's work in me is not over - this has to do with my becoming Christlike. Second, God's work through me is not over - this has to do with my ministry for Christ. On the day God take me home, I will know that His work in me and through me is finished - to His glory.

What a splendid truth! Because God is working in us and through us, as we cooperate with God and let Him reproduce Christ's character and ministry in our lives, we will leave behind a living legacy shaped by His grace and power.
 
 
How will we be remembered after we leave? Eulogies at funerals usually contain nice words about the deceased, much of which are easily forgotten with the passage of time. After all, how many of us remember ancestors beyond our own grandparents or great-grandparents? Social memory does fade over time. Tombstones become neglected. So, why think about leaving a legacy behind?


Eulogies at funerals usually contain nice words about the deceased, much of which are easily forgotten with the passage of time.
PHOTO: Eulogies at funerals usually contain nice words about the deceased, much of which are easily forgotten with the passage of time. Tombstones become neglected. So, why think about leaving a legacy behind?
Picture posted by Bethan Bell, BBC News on 07 May 2017
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5eADRSZZ-5ntcq2QRyFEoI9NuDSFlKzoeiB1l4HNyXqNP5CX6cWdtUuKiyTFgigDiTfbYO_BYg-KSnk6jB77A1K03S3MJ0pE0OF972GU4lFzEkEk5a7WNafJOEJxB4fuvwzgreVcOKk/s976/_95476471_gettyimages-488265889.jpg
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/443B/production/_95476471_gettyimages-488265889.jpg
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-39480595


The strange thing is that if we focus on leaving behind a legacy, our efforts will be no more than acts of self-praise that dissipate with time. But if we focus on loving and obeying Christ, then we will leave behind something significant and lasting. To reflect more on this, let us look at the example of Christ himself.


The strange thing is that if we focus on leaving behind a legacy, our efforts will be no more than acts of self-praise that dissipate with time.
PHOTO: The strange thing is that if we focus on leaving behind a legacy, our efforts will be no more than acts of self-praise that dissipate with time. But if we focus on loving and obeying Christ, then we will leave behind something significant and lasting.
Picture posted by Brian Boone on 03 November 2012
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl9lHxHJppgmHk_vealXnUQWaimn4QptknVQB-C83gcVXE9rylQ8cJQu35jgJPOKlQJ4e0xLiL_hOxAt93BQ-p8vvPHi4wYy4b6ny3tAp6FxzFtB-4pyCfdseEAbCbDr6L511v8U6Zhs/s643/baptism-jesus.jpg
https://brianboonewadotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/baptism-jesus.jpg
https://brianboone.org/2012/11/03/why-was-jesus-baptized/


We may begin by asking the question, "What did Jesus leave behind?" Jesus did not leave behind a family (wife and children), house, property, bank account, business, monument, portrait, book, physical remnant, or gravestone. Dr James Allen Francis' poem, One Solitary Life, describes how Jesus did not have the kind of things that people usually associate with a legacy.


What did Jesus leave behind?
PHOTO: "What did Jesus leave behind?" Jesus did not leave behind a family (wife and children), house, property, bank account, business, monument, portrait, book, physical remnant, or gravestone. Jesus did not have the kind of things that people usually associate with a legacy.
Picture posted by Independent on Monday, 25 February 2019 at 09:49
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MJhNe2ybq6yX2vCcGVp9uEKS7rgz1iwBaq6afgrdK_pEDoS3_QzJ7el1_BEmAhRg0FcucHqUiMkzUEENVjrCvJCG9QjEGkYNkbgH58YLKq8R6l4EcgQXL0wKzHlviyjzb5PtwIgR5v0/s1862/pg-18-passion-of-christ-ap.jpeg
https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2014/04/28/08/pg-18-passion-of-christ-ap.jpeg
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/passion-christ-15-years-mel-gibson-jim-cavieziel-movie-reaction-christianity-a8788381.html


He, was born in an obscure (unknown) village, the child of a peasant (poorer countries) woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant (wandering) preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or a home. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials (certificate) but Himself.


Jesus was born in an obscure (unknown) village, the child of a peasant (poorer countries) woman.
PHOTO: Jesus was born in an obscure (unknown) village, the child of a peasant (poorer countries) woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
Picture from Rest in the Arms of Angels by an Artist who Chooses to remain Unknown
Picture posted by Purple Rays on 09 April 2017
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uUIhlqFS9qFMz_YhwPNRXW8xYFVR2LqGNnmn7clVPJT_1xbjDMMQahl7paHwTC8-CibfdzGytpCv8VopmtbTuu3chEezpxcS8J2SN6kc7O2ToZLFj8Z2isPmjAtvX0DjalNneERkwkU/s775/17499089_1374063039335703_3484427647764766006_n.jpg
https://purplerays.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/17499089_1374063039335703_3484427647764766006_n.jpg
https://purplerays.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/i-believe-in-a-jewish-carpenter-who-teaches-love/


For three years Jesus was an itinerant (wandering) preacher.
PHOTO: For three years Jesus was an itinerant (wandering) preacher.
Artwork by Greg Olsen
Picture posted by ISABELICA NEIGHBORHOOD
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnP35hLqIBnVG4oELeOrDUN-X2TaYNLzXhpGFRsyNISLJ7MM0oqlk4XXVVG64U5R0cF0-NPorLs6f3011Y2De6X8VaYP4RVMAE9KSfqSyet7mcMnelpc2Hckc0X0dvVO-yr1jQ6PKNTw/s1100/lostnomorea.jpg
https://barrioisabelicasud.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/lostnomorea.jpg
https://barrioisabelicasud.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/greg-olsen-un-pintor-inspirado-en-la-vida-del-senor/


He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.


Jesus was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him.
PHOTO: Jesus was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
Picture posted by Dominic, Catholic Viral on 20 March 2015
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpXsd3GLNkZZX9Exas1fA135VnFUDz8KBgbma8lcjZPKaSZRmGPWZYTCZiE1Lddj5wPxq_eAWPXhzT2vajDcNFZNnwjsabX-kYGR0EZnxxiDnZPbDibmRMYrHYqDflpkv4xV_LMooDbs/s1400/Crownin-with-Thorns-Champ-947x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Crownin-with-Thorns-Champ-947x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/54-paintings-of-the-passion-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/


While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.


Jesus was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
PHOTO: Jesus was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
Picture posted by Biblical Israel
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsvAqsIF_Go5ymWsM4FRynhYVq3i0J4uq2NU4_psumg_iKVRkz8sKYZEcGfWl1VT6fZV7IM4imD3j7s2-_rEsyGoU6XpNENcD8ChmcGGILsvE_vfdsrAhOvHOQ3Wx-GPHw4R5OxsQp44/s1728/432318707_1.jpg
http://myisrael.at.ua/_ph/12/432318707.jpg
http://myisrael.at.ua/photo/12


While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not effected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life. [119]


Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.
PHOTO: Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not effected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.
Picture posted by Dominic, Catholic Viral on 20 March 2015
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQPwh5xcUweQnTNaGo69RykmbJei9dmS3QovRNqePHC8ET0bUMGdpGCzJQFy6UAxKYP_mvGPql8pEmrIrlDiBvR3IiCKwXpLRofVj-RrvaJyi-LHBfRF_r1_ItDevP7n1brjHvqetwo8/s1400/Resurrection-972x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Resurrection-972x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/54-paintings-of-the-passion-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/

 
So what did Jesus leave behind?


Reflect on the legacy that Jesus left behind. What personal lessons are there for you? What do your reflections tell you about how you should live and what you should focus on?

Reflect on the legacy that Jesus left behind. [1]
In short, His teachings and His church. Jesus declared, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He also said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).


The legacy that Jesus left behind is His teachings and His church.
PHOTO: The legacy that Jesus left behind is His teachings and His church. Jesus declared, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He also said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).
Picture posted by Dominic, Catholic Viral on 20 March 2015
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDH0MtcEnUA5sKr75lU25XdaSbCcFyp2ENRI4yP0VhUOvWtHOI22lDLFDz__cDDS9Fu2E53swL6zmIQOAsQ0IKBKZxVvnhyhIhUjvkQ3lpkL6bcE1Q_PD16NWLgsucN9cNWOYJtS5NWes/s1400/Christ-on-the-Cross-Champ-917x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Christ-on-the-Cross-Champ-917x1400.jpg
https://catholicviral.com/54-paintings-of-the-passion-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/


The Lord encountered crowds, which were a common feature of His relatively short ministry on earth. Among these, He left behind many who were touched by His ministry - the blind, lame, dumb, and even those who had died and were raised by Him. More importantly, Jesus left behind disciples. There were 120 believers in the Upper Room (Acts 1:15) who waited for Pentecost. Of these, Jesus particularly trained the Twelve, and spent considerable time with them. The apostles spread the gospel around the world, wrote or were instrumental in the writing of the Scriptures, and died as martyrs. They were not the best of men, but Jesus did His miracle of transforming them, correcting their blindness and slowness of spirit. Jesus gave His disciples three realities.


Jesus left behind disciples.
PHOTO: Jesus left behind disciples. There were 120 believers in the Upper Room (Acts 1:15) who waited for Pentecost. Of these, Jesus particularly trained the Twelve, and spent considerable time with them. The apostles spread the gospel around the world, wrote or were instrumental in the writing of the Scriptures, and died as martyrs.
Picture posted by Biblical Israel
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTf6pcH7M4u31Uu0QrUMdEanQwCqIwNLv2xTxSz2_Ip7WF_HCcWvuwzCU2IEbZ7YNFWyAm5AXYCZ1OiKwxBLCkTyP5pp2g3DZ9O171PG8P774PVL4KDWpd0dov0mHGj4apIpDx3cF9no/s1681/846747180_1.jpg
http://myisrael.at.ua/_ph/12/846747180.jpg
http://myisrael.at.ua/photo/12


First, He gave them His Holy Spirit. The Spirit is connected to Jesus. He promised them the filling of the Spirit (which was achieved at Pentecost, and this filling transformed the apostles). The Spirit would produce holiness in them (the character of Christ) and enable them to carry on the ministry of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is His lasting legacy because the Holy Spirit will be with us forever (John 14:16).


Jesus gave His disciples three realities. Jesus gave His disciples three realities.PHOTO: Jesus gave His disciples three realities. First, He gave them His Holy Spirit. The Spirit is connected to Jesus. He promised them the filling of the Spirit (which was achieved at Pentecost, and this filling transformed the apostles). The Spirit would produce holiness in them (the character of Christ) and enable them to carry on the ministry of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is His lasting legacy because the Holy Spirit will be with us forever (John 14:16).
Picture posted by dreamstime
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/AVvXsEhtlmZ4EwPgRqsH5mvOdx2Fss4OGCOLBsXEyYibnwieC3HlNEwzzr6hDzUYuzBCzILJrq1snCNzJ6ssVPs3F5lZHDkdt6XLkQ7Vw-2WI5_yOSK8FunXLOb_gFDW1zjdBY2q8YSGMP4ygrY/s1689/177009445_1.png
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https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/cross-sky-light-rays-pigeon-pigeon-over-cross-cloudy-sky-background-light-rays-177009445.jpg
https://www.dreamstime.com/cross-sky-light-rays-pigeon-pigeon-over-cross-cloudy-sky-background-light-rays-image177009445
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/01/reflection-health-and-frailties-fear-of.html


While we are not Jesus, and we do not impart the Holy Spirit like Jesus did, nevertheless, the lesson for us is that we can leave behind the spirit that characterised our lives - the legacy we leave behind represents our character, attitudes, ministry, and so on - it is a living legacy.


While we are not Jesus, and we do not impart the Holy Spirit like Jesus did, nevertheless, the lesson for us is that we can leave behind the spirit that characterised our lives - the legacy we leave behind represents our character, attitudes, ministry, and so on - it is a living legacy.
PHOTO: While we are not Jesus, and we do not impart the Holy Spirit like Jesus did, nevertheless, the lesson for us is that we can leave behind the spirit that characterised our lives - the legacy we leave behind represents our character, attitudes, ministry, and so on - it is a living legacy.
Picture posted by He whispered his bed on Saturday, 30 January 2021 at 10:07 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjw8WMRiytBKRMMA1Cr9l1KjBXJiVXq7us57zDjqoQx-4KrhRXqRhNJBBVCEHpDEY0oBhTkrMRvig729htBx6Yv166jjlOhtDLAYRFHmmOnF9Z9MeEixlDzvMe_NOLVa42MVxYlRTEtg/s583/144279353_3784286158294185_1449903507107653047_n_11.png
https://scontent.fsin9-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/144279353_3784286158294185_1449903507107653047_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=PQ9av3QmzHIAX_9FzwM&_nc_ht=scontent.fsin9-2.fna&oh=5f014ab8fca368fa51b5bb61148189a1&oe=6099519E
https://www.facebook.com/hamstfarasha/photos/a.1939477866108366/3784286151627519/?type=3&theater


Second, Jesus gave His disciples His teachings. Jesus taught with authority, like no other (Mark 1:22). He left behind a certain worldview, a certain way of looking at the Old Testament, and a certain way of faith and life. All this is concretely captured in the New Testament. Jesus left behind His Word. The implication for us is that we too can leave behind what shaped our lives - our beliefs, values, principles, and precepts for living.


Jesus gave His disciples three realities.
PHOTO: Jesus gave His disciples three realities. Second, Jesus gave His disciples His teachings. Jesus left behind His Word. The implication for us is that we too can leave behind what shaped our lives - our beliefs, values, principles, and precepts for living.
Picture posted by The Church Of Jesus Christ
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-Vnug1DcrB5IHQnEVoBb5iKncLuBnNAlB6pmcP4qdP-gRwzHN2Tdhn7nxYT4KMhoBNH6J3Qm5t69RVGzEr5rgfSeRZlTnZKgiba0a2102ryLrIyXVuFXVSnPsr3YW-LMonDE9-etFME/s1280/savior_teaching_kunz.jpeg
https://assets.ldscdn.org/9d/39/9d39b251980b0ec0e603af8ee31c27d91f17db94/savior_teaching_kunz.jpeg
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/becoming-like-jesus/attributes-of-christ


Third, Jesus left behind His peace to His disciples. The risen Jesus greeted His disciples with "Peace be with you" (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26). Jesus did not promise a stress-free life; there will be troubles. In John 16:33, He says that "in this world you will have trouble" but also that "in me you may have peace". This is the legacy that Jesus has left behind that has inspired so many and has been demonstrated in the lives of so many down the centuries.


Jesus gave His disciples three realities.
PHOTO: Jesus gave His disciples three realities. Third, Jesus left behind His peace to His disciples. The risen Jesus greeted His disciples with "Peace be with you" (Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26). Jesus did not promise a stress-free life; there will be troubles. In John 16:33, He says that "in this world you will have trouble" but also that "in me you may have peace".
Picture posted by David Brakke, PhD, The Ohio State University on 05 July 2017
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqvkND-8-pyoQsW31ALdm0jcbeO1OiB2kvqRVQ5Unjvrg_PMVCEltENkGmnXJBKyH_Ils9wICiUChxqFNGJu5nEaF5F-f8ddYBFm4VPZS16_ZCUjX55Q70r4lyagtxJL0yEwkYg1qDAQ/s1200/header.jpg
https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/header.jpg
https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/apochrypha-wisdom-of-jesus/


What personal lessons are there for you? [1]
Jesus left behind a people and His Word that He gave to them. He also gave them His Spirit and His peace. If these are the emphases (significance) of Jesus, should they not be reflected in our own legacies - in how we invest our lives and spend our days and energies?


Jesus left behind a people and His Word that He gave to them.
PHOTO: Jesus left behind a people and His Word that He gave to them. He also gave them His Spirit and His peace. If these are the emphases (significance) of Jesus, should they not be reflected in our own legacies - in how we invest our lives and spend our days and energies?
Picture posted by Cornerstoneart
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMxymFDtxjuxsLfzLbTLCAxfnHa5LySI8sIo7znWB1bGoqFotETz2Gv-7t14gzVERRg5rE3GL0RmKf3gGU_v7uzeXt6NOaZ5I_P4vE8XQW3DWCDJ1TXQNgUh0qZsVLtLE4dgfux54bFg/s960/Robert_T_Barrett_Christ_the_Creator_bhpudu.jpg
https://images.discerningassets.com/image/upload/c_fit,h_1000,w_1000/c_fit,fl_relative,h_1.0,o_100,w_1.0/ar_5125:7250,c_fill/c_crop,h_0.9655172413793104,w_0.975609756097561,x_0,y_0.017241379310344827/v1491497104/Robert_T_Barrett_Christ_the_Creator_bhpudu.jpg
https://www.cornerstoneart.com/lds-artist-gallery/art_print_products/christ-the-creator


Eugene Bianchi suggests, "Perhaps the most beautiful legacy that ageing parents can leave their children is a personally lived lesson about facing old age and death with courage and grace." [120] We can think of both biological and spiritual children here.


Perhaps the most beautiful legacy that ageing parents can leave their children is a personally lived lesson about facing old age and death with courage and grace.
PHOTO: "Perhaps the most beautiful legacy that ageing parents can leave their children is a personally lived lesson about facing old age and death with courage and grace." We can think of both biological and spiritual children here.
Picture from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvg9GCNSkRMfoMKUHy7J7po59a4nq1cfuT3OSkFxv2XzOwrghi1UHsXmtqTs_uBbJILv7sJFqfqgjZI2r9-CMeSr7sHLulrMyFuzYBMiEGAohqt-Co_D0lR2FH53YrWCgkkTtATtU59GU/s2636/Pentecost%25C3%25A9s_%2528El_Greco%252C_1597%2529.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Pentecost%C3%A9s_%28El_Greco%2C_1597%29.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pentecost%C3%A9s_(El_Greco,_1597).jpg


What do your reflections tell you about how you should live and what you should focus on? [1]
Adam Clarke wrote of believers in Christ, you "are immortal till your work is done." [121] This statement was deeply encouraging to me when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012. My doctors were ready to perform surgery, but I sought a second opinion overseas on the biopsy results. Three weeks later, the second opinion came back, saying it was not likely to be cancer. The surgery was thankfully cancelled.


Adam Clarke wrote of believers in Christ, you 'are immortal till your work is done.'
PHOTO: Adam Clarke wrote of believers in Christ, you "are immortal till your work is done."
Picture posted by ChristabelleLAmort on 18 November 2013 - My Immortal
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https://www.deviantart.com/christabellelamort/art/My-Immortal-414272568


The experience led me to reflect on why God keeps us alive. I realised that our work is really the result of God's work. Every new day, we should ask ourselves, why has God kept me alive today? I have learned two answers to that question. First, God's work in me is not over - this has to do with my becoming Christlike. Second, God's work through me is not over - this has to do with my ministry for Christ. On the day God take me home, I will know that His work in me and through me is finished - to His glory.


Why has God kept me alive today?
PHOTO:  Why has God kept me alive today?
First, God's work in me is not over - this has to do with my becoming Christlike. Second, God's work through me is not over - this has to do with my ministry for Christ. On the day God take me home, I will know that His work in me and through me is finished - to His glory.
Picture posted by EnchantedWhispersArt on 04 September 2013
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https://www.deviantart.com/enchantedwhispersart/art/Dance-in-Heaven-397926459


What a splendid truth! Because God is working in us and through us, as we cooperate with God and let Him reproduce Christ's character and ministry in our lives, we will leave behind a living legacy shaped by His grace and power.


What a splendid truth! Because God is working in us and through us, as we cooperate with God and let Him reproduce Christ's character and ministry in our lives, we will leave behind a living legacy shaped by His grace and power.
PHOTO: What a splendid truth! Because God is working in us and through us, as we cooperate with God and let Him reproduce Christ's character and ministry in our lives, we will leave behind a living legacy shaped by His grace and power.
Picture posted by line.17qq.com
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https://line.17qq.com/articles/dbhfofz.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/09/reflection-spiritual-habits_16.html

 
Dear Lord
Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that Jesus did not have the kind of things that people usually associate with a legacy. He did not leave behind a family (wife and children), house, property, bank account, business, monument, portrait, book, physical remnant, or gravestone.

He, was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or a home. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not effected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

The legacy that Jesus left behind are His teachings, His church, and His disciples. He left behind many who were touched by His ministry - the blind, lame, dumb, and even those who had died and were raised by Him. The apostles spread the gospel around the world, wrote or were instrumental in the writing of the Scriptures, and died as martyrs. They were not the best of men, but Jesus did His miracle of transforming them, correcting their blindness and slowness of spirit. Jesus gave His disciples three realities.

First, He gave them His Holy Spirit. The Spirit would produce holiness in them (the character of Christ) and enable them to carry on the ministry of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is His lasting legacy because the Holy Spirit will be with us forever.

Lord, while we are not Jesus, and we do not impart the Holy Spirit like Jesus did, nevertheless help us to leave behind the spirit that characterised our lives - the legacy we leave behind represents our character, attitudes, ministry, and so on - it is a living legacy.

Second, Jesus gave His disciples His teachings. Jesus left behind His Word. Lord, we pray that we too can leave behind what shaped our lives - our beliefs, values, principles, and precepts for living.

Third, Jesus left behind His peace to His disciples. Jesus did not promise a stress-free life; there will be troubles. He says that ‘in this world you will have trouble’ but also that ‘in me you may have peace’.

This is the legacy that Jesus has left behind that has inspired so many and has been demonstrated in the lives of so many down the centuries. Jesus left behind a people and His Word that He gave to them. He also gave them His Spirit and His peace. Lord, we pray that these emphases of Jesus be reflected in our own legacies - in how we invest our lives and spend our days and energies. Perhaps the most beautiful legacy that ageing parents can leave their children is a personally lived lesson about facing old age and death with courage and grace.

Lord, let our reflections tell us about how we should live and what we should focus on. Help us to reflect on why God keeps us alive. Help us to realise that our work is really the result of God's work. May we ask ourselves, why God kept us alive every new day?

We learned that there are two answers to that question. First, God's work in us is not over - this has to do with our becoming Christlike. Second, God's work through us is not over - this has to do with our ministry for Christ. On the day God take us home, we will know that His work in us and through us is finished - to His glory.

Lord, help us to cooperate with God and let Him reproduce Christ's character and ministry in our lives. May we leave behind a living legacy shaped by His grace and power.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture saved by Barbara Arnett to Angels that are Heavenly
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/306174474658854775/

Reflection - Thinking of Heaven - Leaving a Legacy
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART IV: HEALTH AND FRAILTIES, Chapter 35, "Leaving a Legacy", Question 1, Page 235.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


Other Books

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 V: THINKING OF HEAVEN, Chapter 35, "Leaving a Legacy", Page 229-234.

[119] James Allen Francis, Our Solitary Life (1963), 1-7. The original text was published as a pamphlet, and was published with some modifications in The Irish Echo, 27 December 1969.

[120] Bianchi, Ageing as a Spiritual Journey, 169.

[121] Clarke, "Mark 9:49", https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/mark-9.html.


Links


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