“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)
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)
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