Interesting Green: Reflection - Called to Journey

Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 5, "The Dangers of Success", Page 33.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

PHOTO: There is a deep hunger in human beings to succeed. The hunger inside and the marketplace outside work together to determine the way we live and spend our days. And yet many people who "succeed" and are the envy of others find that their deep hunger remains.

Why is this so? Perhaps it is because we have a very limited view of what success is. Our culture takes our need to succeed and gives it a narrow vision of success. Singaporeans, for instance, talk about cash, car, career, condominium, and cultural proficiency gained through travelling. This idea is a grossly limited and materialistic notion of success. The thirst for fame and fortune distracts us from the real thirst that lies deep within our human hearts. We need God. We need to relate to God, and to experience this relation by being reconciled to Him. We need to discover that God is love and order our lives on that basis. We need to discover our true worth and dignity, and our authentic (genuine) identity and calling. We need to discover others as fellow human beings and treat them as such.

Perhaps we all know this instinctively, as our thirst for authentic living emerges once in a while, in unguarded and lonely moments. But the influence of the world is too strong. We take the easy way out and march to the tune of the marketplace (which cares not for us), instead of listening to the depths of our hearts, where God often speaks and leads us on His path. We become distracted by what Christian thinker Brian Mahan calls "the social scripts of mere success" [1a], and fail to find true success here on earth.

Children are trained from a young age to be ambitious, to be thirsty for success. And this ambition is defined in very materialistic terms - houses, cars, luxurious living, wealth, and the like. Education then becomes a servant of this ambition. People use education to seek fame and fortune. The phenomenon of the proliferation (growth) of people seeking doctorates (however they are obtained) is a sign of this distorted vision of success. People continue to seek this form of success even when their hearts quietly warn them of their folly. Even in old age, people persist in this futile trip to transient success. What can one do with the wealth he has spent a lifetime to gather?

Christians must be careful not to be distracted by such limited and distorted notions of success. It is easy for Christians to defer (carry over) to ambitions imbibed (absorbed) from the world and fail to nurture their true vocation of discipleship and obeying Christ, which they receive at their baptism (Matthew 28:19-20).

The apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy towards the end of his life. Imprisoned and facing an uncertain future, he declared: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). One who pursues a worldly form of success must be challenged by these words. Remember the rich young man who came to Jesus and asked Him about eternal life? Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then come follow Him (Matthew 19:16-24). The young man was too steeped (filled with) in the social scripts of his world to be willing to give up the signs of his "success". When approaching death in his old age, he would not have been able to echo Paul's glorious words. He would have been a stranger to the real fight, the real race, and the real faith, and so much the poorer for it.

Perhaps we might say that we are different. But Christians who are active in church and try their best to live pious (God-fearing) lives may also have to be challenged by Paul's words, simply because the world's notions of success are deeply ingrained in us and can easily be dressed in Christian costume. Take, for instance, how a pastor's ambition to grow his church may merely disguise entrepreneurial ambitions originally rooted in the corporate world. Or how numerous Christians link God's blessing and favour with earthly wealth and fame. For these Christians, earthly success is identified with spiritual vigour and vitality. They want to be successful on earth and have heaven bless them with fortune and renown (famous).

But God may have other plans. In his poem entitled "Prayer answered by crosses", the 18-century Anglican hymnwriter John Newton expressed this so well. [2] The poet complains to God that his prayers for happiness and well-being were not being answered. Instead, he suffers and struggles intensely. God answers that His plans are different. Instead, He intends to:

. . . break thy schemes of earthly joy
that thou mayst seek thy all in me.

Imagine God breaking our schemes of earthly success! A man who thinks that earthly success and heavenly vocation are one and the same will have great difficulty understanding this. God's ultimate aim is to redeem us completely for himself. His plan to succeed is often pitted against our plans to succeed. If He wins, we win. If we win, we lose. Didn't the Lord say: "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25)? George MacDonald, the 19th-century Scottish novelist, poet, and Congregationalist pastor, told the same truth in another way: "In whatever man does without God, he must either fail miserably, or succeed more miserably." [3]

The greatest danger is when someone imposes the template of earthly success on his religion. He would be greatly deceived into thinking that all is well, that he was fighting the right battle, running the right race, holding to the true faith. Paul was such a person in his youthful days, until the risen Christ encountered him on the road to Damascus. His religious passion had been mixed with personal pride. After his conversion, he gave up the signs of his earthly success for something far superior. We should do well to consider this carefully. The relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, even in church, must be challenged by God's truth. That is to say, the pursuit of earthly fame and fortune should not be the primary concern of our lives. Even if fame and fortune fall on our laps, we should hold them loosely. We must remember that they have no value in heaven and that true success is often clothed in suffering, deprivation, simplicity, and love. True success is measured not by how much we own but by how much of us God owns. And may we all be blessed as we discover this more deeply in our lives.
Picture posted by Spencer Sherman on 04 March 2021

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFZdp6P97gp_mLX-tkybeMMWc6rdHcygMX8191wOA1kqc1HW9PSsG8BNf6ArdjtZeSrNSGENCdhyphenhyphencVzUfv4iRoY8GrytJjRbP4KBEsBc0CcqHgovAmvM3JkMdi-o25xtY0FCyss0D6ZCIPsRDoXuJUvVseqav6a8B5fIZsUNMONQrhyg8CUh0IBjt7Jw/s1536/AdobeStock_241595913-1536x973.jpeg
https://www.mindful.org/content/uploads/AdobeStock_241595913-1536x973.jpeg
https://www.mindful.org/a-10-minute-practice-for-engaging-money-issues/

There is a deep hunger in human beings to succeed. The hunger inside and the marketplace outside work together to determine the way we live and spend our days. And yet many people who "succeed" and are the envy of others find that their deep hunger remains.

PHOTO: There is a deep hunger in human beings to succeed. The hunger inside and the marketplace outside work together to determine the way we live and spend our days. And yet many people who "succeed" and are the envy of others find that their deep hunger remains.
Picture posted by حكاية من ورق
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7te4V_3dYOYgpQX0Hflm-FlaFXFl-SkTti_Pq89LvvH14u4-R7EY_Fr1T8HK_7vqAwf3oyVwxda8ojIqYOWXPBGeKqLbtTeXjC8qtkQycK9psbPkoq40-mNESwBYwMMyQlFZp6tKjq4btm9CoMWMjEC0qe3xMy5rnW2GhJviUoG8mlcv0Q7fw_6T1as/s919/a93f2c84bb4054c8453dbf95dd7c7bc8_1.png
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a9/3f/2c/a93f2c84bb4054c8453dbf95dd7c7bc8.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/169236898491318728/

Why is this so? Perhaps it is because we have a very limited view of what success is. Our culture takes our need to succeed and gives it a narrow vision of success. Singaporeans, for instance, talk about cash, car, career, condominium, and cultural proficiency gained through travelling. This idea is a grossly limited and materialistic notion of success. The thirst for fame and fortune distracts us from the real thirst that lies deep within our human hearts. We need God. We need to relate to God, and to experience this relation by being reconciled to Him. We need to discover that God is love and order our lives on that basis. We need to discover our true worth and dignity, and our authentic (genuine) identity and calling. We need to discover others as fellow human beings and treat them as such.

PHOTO: The thirst for fame and fortune distracts us from the real thirst that lies deep within our human hearts. We need God. We need to relate to God, and to experience this relation by being reconciled to Him. We need to discover that God is love and order our lives on that basis. We need to discover our true worth and dignity, and our authentic (genuine) identity and calling. We need to discover others as fellow human beings and treat them as such.
Picture posted in Pinterest
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx8jrnlDzm-aLXXUSfXJUXhwZ6K3dL9qJA7o3H2xWjX8SP7NH3Tl_kW-NyMytJrglG2wLO7ezbpyh_5d4f2XLg5DVromIswVejQxQO4-uq_moWW6_-mgiw53ioeniCVNAsTZIxLtvlGpn4t0znekAKoiisLRTKRt3rDkvXkDEb38qhmrnaraxC0U1nwI/s1288/0a011cba6c6ab5bbdfbe75a5085c9794.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/01/1c/0a011cba6c6ab5bbdfbe75a5085c9794.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/797066834075283079/

Perhaps we all know this instinctively, as our thirst for authentic living emerges once in a while, in unguarded and lonely moments. But the influence of the world is too strong. We take the easy way out and march to the tune of the marketplace (which cares not for us), instead of listening to the depths of our hearts, where God often speaks and leads us on His path. We become distracted by what Christian thinker Brian Mahan calls "the social scripts of mere success" [1a], and fail to find true success here on earth.

We take the easy way out and march to the tune of the marketplace (which cares not for us), instead of listening to the depths of our hearts, where God often speaks and leads us on His path.

PHOTO: We take the easy way out and march to the tune of the marketplace (which cares not for us), instead of listening to the depths of our hearts, where God often speaks and leads us on His path.
Picture posted by Vicky Sehgal 🌹🌹

Picture is enlarged by AI-powered image upscaler from depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/upscaler.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=button2&utm_campaign=ntf_upscaler&utm_content=en&iterable_campaign=2704095&iterable_template=3704971

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOlRWX1mfm8qyw88PHOBQUo0n1wl1txBnnNxGl27WRJkAatBjbqYB0v0J2oqHiJ108Cb4VAyArvfmAecjlu_bvCmWmcuS6RQI1GJ7BNUIlJcL5hb22orMuk46g7mLhOAezuowTzaOXxDBxPXg8kvE8T02b4ZNzJhiI1okkrUc2wyE0DKc6WrV2RHa0_A/s1512/d572277cb01b05dae3c9c4fef25288df-1020x1512.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d5/72/27/d572277cb01b05dae3c9c4fef25288df.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/17944098508804007/

Children are trained from a young age to be ambitious, to be thirsty for success. And this ambition is defined in very materialistic terms - houses, cars, luxurious living, wealth, and the like. Education then becomes a servant of this ambition. People use education to seek fame and fortune. The phenomenon of the proliferation (growth) of people seeking doctorates (however they are obtained) is a sign of this distorted vision of success. People continue to seek this form of success even when their hearts quietly warn them of their folly. Even in old age, people persist in this futile trip to transient success. What can one do with the wealth he has spent a lifetime to gather?

Christians must be careful not to be distracted by such limited and distorted notions of success. It is easy for Christians to defer (carry over) to ambitions imbibed (absorbed) from the world and fail to nurture their true vocation of discipleship and obeying Christ, which they receive at their baptism (Matthew 28:19-20).

PHOTO: People use education to seek fame and fortune. The phenomenon of the proliferation (growth) of people seeking doctorates (however they are obtained) is a sign of this distorted vision of success. People continue to seek this form of success even when their hearts quietly warn them of their folly.
Picture posted by Matthew Bandyk on 06 June 2008 at 11:27 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CS2gCDIFs7UA9US_qgCSwMxm03LeTPRBXsgp6J5MZGl_OQHmvokMM4cm0pcVTG-I_5mnVvSXA__4qpjkff1x90APLe0aEeLadyxxX__K2i4hYiqmJDDwv0du4hMQ_wVZWHFmr8P6pOS_n20A77Ke8PeQSLN4xqoa6FZtNlzOLNmZQZDIh5itWz22B6E/s970/5251FE_PR_080606smallbiz_edu.jpg
https://www.usnews.com/object/image/00000142-923e-d33c-abc6-ff3f31fc0003/5251FE_PR_080606smallbiz_edu.jpg?update-time=&size=responsive970
https://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/06/06/3-ways-to-make-college-pay-for-young-entrepreneurs

The apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy towards the end of his life. Imprisoned and facing an uncertain future, he declared: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). One who pursues a worldly form of success must be challenged by these words. Remember the rich young man who came to Jesus and asked Him about eternal life? Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then come follow Him (Matthew 19:16-24). The young man was too steeped (filled with) in the social scripts of his world to be willing to give up the signs of his "success". When approaching death in his old age, he would not have been able to echo Paul's glorious words. He would have been a stranger to the real fight, the real race, and the real faith, and so much the poorer for it.

PHOTO: The apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy towards the end of his life. Imprisoned and facing an uncertain future, he declared: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). One who pursues a worldly form of success must be challenged by these words.
Picture posted by Intellectual Reserve, Inc - Soldiers escort Paul to his execution
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https://www.lds.org/bc/content/bible-videos/videos/I-Have-Kept-the-Faith/soldiers-escort-paul.jpg
https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/i-have-kept-the-faith?lang=eng
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2017/07/reflection-pauls-feeling-and-temptation.html

Perhaps we might say that we are different. But Christians who are active in church and try their best to live pious (God-fearing) lives may also have to be challenged by Paul's words, simply because the world's notions of success are deeply ingrained in us and can easily be dressed in Christian costume. Take, for instance, how a pastor's ambition to grow his church may merely disguise entrepreneurial ambitions originally rooted in the corporate world. Or how numerous Christians link God's blessing and favour with earthly wealth and fame. For these Christians, earthly success is identified with spiritual vigour and vitality. They want to be successful on earth and have heaven bless them with fortune and renown (famous).

PHOTO: Numerous Christians link God's blessing and favour with earthly wealth and fame. For these Christians, earthly success is identified with spiritual vigour and vitality. They want to be successful on earth and have heaven bless them with fortune and renown (famous).
Photo from Tigerhall - The New 5Cs
Picture posted by Melissa Goh, Asiaone on 07 August 20 at 19 5:55 pm
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fIVH-dABJ91k1WZ0kGxutgZNE8Mz4wR8mg_B_J_YXLwH488w8pny_9s_Xt0C4j7FZ-LzcivVaMujPkMsbVb2Oti8IJqGUrSQ__6UYNriaqvajcMTLZBBjt74Sjqu8DJd3fIiOOJWCDleqaUo1-YBl96VrRUHyIzH2A-MjXtgwadOZbV2r7u2hyphenhyphencGG9s/s1200/060919_new5cs.jpg
https://media.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/060919_new5cs.jpg
https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/no-condos-and-country-clubs-here-are-new-5cs-defined-singaporeans

But God may have other plans. In his poem entitled "Prayer answered by crosses", the 18-century Anglican hymnwriter John Newton expressed this so well. [2] The poet complains to God that his prayers for happiness and well-being were not being answered. Instead, he suffers and struggles intensely. God answers that His plans are different. Instead, He intends to:

. . . break thy schemes of earthly joy
that thou mayst seek thy all in me.

Imagine God breaking our schemes of earthly success! A man who thinks that earthly success and heavenly vocation are one and the same will have great difficulty understanding this. God's ultimate aim is to redeem us completely for himself. His plan to succeed is often pitted against our plans to succeed. If He wins, we win. If we win, we lose. Didn't the Lord say: "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25)? George MacDonald, the 19th-century Scottish novelist, poet, and Congregationalist pastor, told the same truth in another way: "In whatever man does without God, he must either fail miserably, or succeed more miserably." [3]

PHOTO: God's ultimate aim is to redeem us completely for himself. His plan to succeed is often pitted against our plans to succeed. If He wins, we win. If we win, we lose. Didn't the Lord say: "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25)?
Picture posted by greenbeedrill888 on 14 August 2023
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9JSG64XG11yuoEIy-W57F3NjT4vipB2xYWcymAwim4NQko8SR8XWj90JgaL1Ou10lFmwM8zb3XTvQtRV8rhDWQBpLAgRThyphenhyphenHWfJ8aTvxtgbGVuOMCA4ugHtOsksYgumvg1gdJPxnGosY264ujpsPFApjnYwP60QBeA7Y840TtGO8fZwxjVQZct10qIQ/s1024/dg5nr64-d1d5cb7f-d8e4-4e90-923f-5f8fa2fac14f.jpg
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https://www.deviantart.com/greenbeedrill888/art/JOHN-12-25-976965196

The greatest danger is when someone imposes the template of earthly success on his religion. He would be greatly deceived into thinking that all is well, that he was fighting the right battle, running the right race, holding to the true faith. Paul was such a person in his youthful days, until the risen Christ encountered him on the road to Damascus. His religious passion had been mixed with personal pride. After his conversion, he gave up the signs of his earthly success for something far superior. We should do well to consider this carefully. The relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, even in church, must be challenged by God's truth. That is to say, the pursuit of earthly fame and fortune should not be the primary concern of our lives. Even if fame and fortune fall on our laps, we should hold them loosely. We must remember that they have no value in heaven and that true success is often clothed in suffering, deprivation, simplicity, and love. True success is measured not by how much we own but by how much of us God owns. And may we all be blessed as we discover this more deeply in our lives.

PHOTO: The relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, even in church, must be challenged by God's truth. That is to say, the pursuit of earthly fame and fortune should not be the primary concern of our lives. We must remember that they have no value in heaven and that true success is often clothed in suffering, deprivation, simplicity, and love. True success is measured not by how much we own but by how much of us God owns. And may we all be blessed as we discover this more deeply in our lives.
Picture posted by LukaChighladze on 19 October 2023
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisadio8GhRds9ytH6Lt25spKjXuBzEN7zvLdJ6ngn5IUAvcihzQjyntn8WXKK9BqZRajvCX9kMocJegVnqG2A67F53GygnSfGQmKY8DaO3xsESR8RpUo8axRENBcSE3olbjl_xxoyYLhk5ZUPRDYHJE_ccgL7sF7efq4zzLOzZW3hFPq_0KIwBGatOSy4/s1024/dgcum7r-9cd6c3df-1e0b-4407-b1a2-01b9c78f5095.png
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https://www.deviantart.com/lukachighladze/art/Zeus-The-God-Of-Thunder-989042679

PHOTO: Dear Lord, make us realise that we may be like Paul in his youthful days, imposed the template of earthly success on his religion. He was greatly deceived into thinking that all is well, that he was fighting the right battle, running the right race, holding to the true faith, until the risen Christ encountered him on the road to Damascus.

May we too go through the conversion, and gave up the signs of our earthly success for something far superior. May our relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, even in church, be challenged by God's truth. May the pursuit of earthly fame and fortune are not be the primary concern of our lives.

May we remember that earthly fame and fortune have no value in heaven and that true success is often clothed in suffering, deprivation, simplicity, and love. True success is measured not by how much we own but by how much of us God owns. And may we all be blessed as we discover this more deeply in our lives.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Picture posted in Pinterest
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https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cd/80/fb/cd80fb7c37cdf39f7cdae000f84ede7b.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1337074886495293/

Reflection - Called to Journey - The Dangers of Success
Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 5, "The Dangers of Success", Page 33.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

Other Books (Links)

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

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)
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
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
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
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html

"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html

"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html

"He Walks with Me - Devotions for Your Caregiving Journey with God", © 2018 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Shelly Beach

Reflection - He Walks with Me (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 August 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html

"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 1 - 45 (Links), posted on 03 April 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/04/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-1-45.html

"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 46 - 90 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-46-90.html

Reference

[1] From "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon, Chapter 5, "The Dangers of Success", Page 33.

[1a] Brian J. Mahan, "The Ethics of Ambition: A Pedagogy of the Spirit." Teaching Theology and Religion, Vol. 1 (June 1998)m 87-98

[2] "Prayers Answered by Crosses," Hymnary.org, https://hymnary.org/text/i_asked_the_lord_that_i_might_grow.

[3] George MacDonald, quoted in Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1 (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2003), 634.

Links

Other Books (Links) - https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/10/reflection-books-links.html

2 Timothy 4:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+4%3A7&version=NIV

John 12:25 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+12%3A25&version=NIV

Matthew 19:16-24 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+19%3A16-24&version=NIV

Matthew 28:19-20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+28%3A19-20&version=NIV

Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV