Lamp-Lighter/Legacies #161

We buried my brother today. Technically not "buried", as his earthly body was cremated, but we said our good-byes.
I am reminded of the 19th century lamp-lighters, who lit the street lamps on their routes one by one.
Getting to the end of their routes, they could look behind and see the results of their work.
We are all meant to be "lamp-lighters...the lamps are those whom we have a chance to ouch and illuminate. Our legacies are found in relationships and the measure of a person is found through love, not wealth or stuff.
What is your legacy...how are the "lamps" on your "route" doing?

May all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
- Steve Green, Find Us Faithful

Redemption 178

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:1, 2, 9, 12, 15, 16 NKJV)

My brother, Alvin Joel Nemets, Jr., died of a massive stroke on December 20, 2013, at the young age of 57. He was my only brother. He was 15 months older than me,  and bore our father's namesake.
We weren't very close between the years between of 20 and 50 years old. Each of us had gone our own ways. We exchanged occasional phone calls, and I brought Jesus as Lord and Savior up repeatedly over the course of the last couple years, especially after a tremendous awakening I had  followed by my suffering through health trials and nearly dying-passing over-myself.
He was a kind and gentle man, but he was plagued by decades of substance abuse.
Along with that were many relationships that were broken: relatives, friends, wives, and children.
I never knew for sure if he was really listening to me, whether he had really received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, or whether he really understood the gravity, importance, or urgency of this decision.
One day he told me that he had believed, confessed, and been baptized at the church where he and his wife had begun attending!
When he was found by a neighbor the morning of  December 21, he had died on his knees as if he had been praying when he passed into eternity.
Redeemed.
Jesus said that "the last shall be first". Redemption and salvation, a place in our Father's "big big house", is gladly extended by our Redeemer -Yeshua Himself.
It is a most comforting thought to know with certainty that I will see him-as well as so many
others who have passed before him-again.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3 NKJV)

True Identity 231

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"(Romans 8:14-16 NKJV)

If you are asked who you are how would you respond? Often times the response is: " I'm a... (whatever that person's career/profession is).  We live in a world where identities are often mistaken. People confuse their professions, status and memberships, other attachments to temporal things as who they are, instead of the prospect of  identity given through the spirit of adoption by God the Father and sonship. If identity is related to profession, finances, what is left when there are shakings and these things are stripped away? The apostle Paul was of high birth and status, had a great job as a Gamaliel-schooled rabbi/Torah giant, and  highly respected ...he clearly had been one who identified himself through these things, and yet read what he wrote when he "got it": "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8 NIV). I have written this post not as an indictment against anyone, but because I am traveling down this road  and even now have not gotten to the end of it.  Our identities are meant to be wrapped up in knowing Jesus. My goal is singular: To know and be apprehended by Jesus, to remain focused on Knowing Him alone. I am focusing on the great truth that His worth surpasses everything else, but it's not always that easy. Nonetheless, my hope, my peace, my joy and content-my everything-can only be found in Him alone.  The demolition and transformation that life as a followers of Jesus brings will continue until last moment on earth. Ruth Bell Graham's gravestone reads:"End of construction...thank you for your patience!"

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:12, 13 NIV)

Blue

"The people living in darkness have seen a great light, and on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16

The holidays are again upon us, and although we are admonished to be filled with "Christmas cheer" there are many who have the holiday blues, living in the darkness brought on by depression, anxiety, worry, sickness, lack, and more. Caught in this web of darkness, they ...we...me can lose sight of the truth-the revelation that the Light dawned over 2000 years ago. The advent of God, Yeshua, coming down so that we could come up, Im-anu-el, God-with-us... God sending His only Son, forsaking heaven to bring the greatest gift to the race of men.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:9, 10 NIV
Good news...great joy...abounding mercy, grace, furious love, deliverance, protection, provision ...He is worthy of all adoration, worship, and our trust.
So beloved, not just in this season, but always, let us turn our eyes upward, not inward.