Legacy

Many people want to leave a legacy to their children. A legacy could be many things, wisdom, reputation, inheritance. We see in the Bible where some people had a long legacy to live up to and some created their own legacy. But in truth, when we hand our lives over to God, our life becomes a living testimony and if God honors it will be legacy no doubt! Perhaps you know someone in your life who you consider a godly person. Do you think they were always that godly? In our minds we’d probably say “yes” but if you ask that person, they’d probably shake their heads and say, “No”. With age and experience and just growing in the Lord (no matter the age) a legacy can be born out of trusting God with what He has given us. I have the pleasure of having some things passed down to me that I cherish. One is a bible that was given to me when I was 6 years old by my grandmother. It’s not worth anything but to me it’s what started my journey. 3 years later, I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior and my dad presented me with a Bible, larger print (because I needed it) and wrote an inscription that inspires me. You never know who you will inspire to do things. You are a vessel that God wants to use, and I thank God for the people who helped me grow in the Lord, some have gone on to be with the Lord, some are still living and leaving behind the same legacy I cherished so much. But what about you and I? You may not know these people, you may not know me, but that’s okay! We’ve all got a story to tell, or a testimony, a story through testing and trials that we can look back now and say, “God got me through the valley and here I am on the mountain!” Sometimes we’re still climbing that mountain, but we’ve seen the valley and know where God has got us out from…that’s something to tell!
    
Jesus gives us an example about a legacy, “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.” I’m sure this saddened the father to have his youngest son already wanting what was going to him. The father obliged and gave the son what was his share. Let’s see if the boy made a good decision. “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” Sadly, a lot of people when they come into money whether it be inheritance, income, or even winning the lottery within a year or so it is gone. Money that could’ve been used to enrich their lives and the lives of others down the drain in the hopes of having a good time and for attention. It happens to well-intentioned people as well, not just those that we think are ‘less than’ but happens to almost everyone. And eventually the money will run out and then what happens? The investment is gone, there is nothing left to invest in. As he found out. “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.” Talk about his standards changing quick. He was partying it up with his friends one day and a few days later he was out looking for food and shelter. We see it all the time, people mismanaging what they have because of poor decisions. We’ve been there and hopefully learned our lesson, but may we pass our mistakes on as a LEGACY as well so that others won’t do it. His father was hoping he’d be wise with it but deep down, I think the father probably knew what would’ve happened but love his son. So, the son is in a faraway country with no money, no way to ask dad for more, no cell phones or cars, just him, and whoever he happens to come across. He found a farmer who sent him out to feed swine, it’s not a desirable job to have. The young man was hungry, tired, and embarrassed. “And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him…” Can you imagine being that hungry? That’s starving right there! But after that lowest of lows, he realized something, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” He was like, ‘Wait a minute, I’m starving with no money while m father’s servants have bread with leftovers!’ I know what I gotta do. So he formulated a plan,  “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.” He knew not to come back yelling he was out of money, but to come back humbly. He was so ashamed he didn’t even want to be called that man’s son! Sometimes life does that, we make decisions in life we aren’t proud of and don’t want others to pass down whether it be our own kids, our family members, or friends. We don’t want them to make that same mistake we did and so we hopefully learn from our transgressions and ask forgiveness. That’s what this son did, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” No stern lectures, no judgment, no condemnation, just compassion. It’s hard having compassion on someone we’ve warned not to do things over again and again, it’s easy to pass judgment and condemn them but what imprint are we leaving in their memory of us? This man chose the humble route as well and showed the son compassion, more than that he listened. “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” What a legacy this man had for his son who learned a lesson after running in the world and finding it empty and wanting found love and forgiveness in the arms of his father. And boy, did have a testimony to tell! God’s word tells us, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (Before we are saved, we are blowing our talents and our time away with the pig slop of the world. It can offer us nothing, it will leave us always feeling hungry and miserable. But when we trust in God as our Heavenly Father? Oh, what things He has in store for us! “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:3-7.”  The boy wanted to become a servant but was still that man’s child. When we are saved, we become the children of God and an heir of God through Jesus. Through trusting in the legacy of Jesus’ and His death and resurrection we can find a defeat over the sins that so easily trip us up. This young man did and found compassion at the arms of his father, and you too can find compassion at the arms of the Heavenly Father. The Bible gives us this hope, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:12-18.” We will suffer. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We will suffer but when we have Christ, we know we are not suffering alone and that this suffering is but for a moment. Our lives aren’t all filled with good moments. I pray we remember the good more than that bad, but the hard moments shape us, and remind us that God still loves us. Many of our loved ones or people we know we’d classify as “saints” as we said before weren’t always “saintly”. They have a past; they have a story to tell. Just like so many in the Bible, none were faultless, all were sinners loved by God the Father and listened.

Speaking of listening, there is a part of this story that Jesus told that we like to leave out. We usually just talk about the son returning, many call him a prodigal. But if we look there were two sons. One took his inheritance and blew threw it living wild in the world and not caring about what he was doing. We fondly say they are “sowing their wild oats” but the Bible says, “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. (Hosea 10:12-13.” However, this young man felt cheated and left out. His brother had gone out and done something terrible with his inheritance. He blew it all on a good time while this son had done all the father had asked. Why was his brother getting this special treatment? “Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.” This brother was throwing a pity party. Maybe we can understand, we’ve done the right things, been at beck and call to our parents, to our jobs, to God but we see everyone fawning over someone else. It just doesn’t seem fair! The father wanted him to come in and join in the celebration but the son had something to say, “And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.” He made some valid points. He was a good son. He was dutiful, even out working in the field when his brother came up broke and rejected by the world. He didn’t understand all the hoopla around his brother. Where was his reward? When was it his time? The father said, “And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Luke 15:25-32.” Maybe you feel jealous over someone in your family who has turned their life around, maybe you’re like the older brother. You’ve said all the right things, you’ve done everything right. Maybe you were saved at a young age and lived a good life, but no one really takes you seriously or calls you a ‘goody too shoe’ or makes fun of you because you tried to live a good, honest life. Don’t despair! There are rewards for you too! We should be happy when someone is saved, when someone is pulled out of the flames of hell they are destined for into the family of God. When someone rededicates their lives to the Lord we should rejoice! Not wonder how long it’s going to last. John says, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”  Sin is a slippery slope. Pride is a slippery slope. We may think we’re doing all the right things, but it is it godly? Is it something God would be proud of? Is it something we’d want to leave as a legacy? We won’t always be liked, no matter what we do, the passage continues, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” The oldest brother was holding back his compassion. He was holding back his love that his father showed him day after day. When we are shown love, we aren’t supposed to just keep it for ourselves and say, “MINE!” We’re supposed to share it. I know sharing is hard, especially with children and we are all children of God, so we do find it difficult sometimes to rejoice and find it easier to admonish (but sometimes reprimanding still needs to be done but in love and care).  We should follow God’s word that says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 1 John 3:11-21.” How is your heart today? Are you serving God with all of it, some of it, a piece of it? When it’s convenient? Are you a convenient Christian, when it suits you and when times get tough do you reach for the Bible or attend church service? Perhaps you need to come home to God and be like the prodigal and ask God to restore you. Restore that love you and God once had. I know the world jades us and puts stuff in our way to distract us. It doesn’t have to be neon signs, a certain aisle, or a certain vice. It can be the smallest things that we find ourselves making excuses for and we certainly don’t want to be remembered as someone who “was a nice person when they weren’t on their phone,” or “Was helpful when asked but never went out of their way,” or “loved to come to church as long as their favorite sport wasn’t on”, I know I have things to work on too! Our legacy is important, it’s part of our testimony and what we’ll leave behind. Remember in Hebrews 11 those heroes of faith didn’t become heroes by one day, but it took time, a lot of dedication, a lot of prayer and listening to God. Just because you listen to instructions once doesn’t mean you can assemble something perfect. You may do it one time but there will be times you will need repeat instructions and we are all a work in progress all have things we need to learn, that is why we need to come to church if we can. There are times we can’t, soak yourself in the word, sing a hymn, read a passage of scripture, meditate for that time on that scripture, write it out, put down what God is putting on your heart and pray over it again. That could be your church service right there! God respects us when we put in effort, not just words. Notice John said, “Let us not love in word or in tongue” our mouths sure can boast a lot of things. They can come up with some doozies, but God knows our heart! HE KNOWS EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY! Jesus told the people who served God in word and tongue who were religious on the outside but far from it on the inside. He said, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money). And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Luke 16:13-17.”  People didn’t like Jesus’ honesty and his words. Jesus told them, you are justifying yourselves before men. You look great. You sound great. But your heart is way off in left field. Instead of getting right, they got rage! It’s easy to be angry at people. It’s harder to forgive. We’d rather hold a boulder of bitterness than to clasp onto compassion. The Bible clearly tells us, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”  We all like to point fingers but remember, you got four pointing back at you when you point! Be careful who you judge and who you allow to burden you down. Don’t let the sin of bitterness against another person or even yourself fester any longer. The longer you let it fester the more it will hurt and grow into something you never saw coming — hate. Hate will drive a wedge between you and the will of God. That is why we are called, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” That doesn’t mean we need to help every single person (although we can) not by what they are asking for but by prayer. We can’t pay everyone’s electric bill; we can’t pay everyone’s habit or fulfill everyone’s wishes even though we trust in Christ. But we can witness. We can help by calling the right people, we can help by finding resources to help them from making the same mistake twice. This is a Christian thing to do. Don’t ever think we are too proud to help. “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” Just like the prodigal son was responsible for his own transgressions, we are responsible for our own, not our parents, not our siblings, not our kids, but our own. We can forgive others, but each person has to decide to let God forgive them of their sins. You can’t ask for someone else and someone else can’t ask for you. The passage continues, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Talk about some verses there! Now I know when I read that I think, well so and so hasn’t reaped their wild oats, or so-and so hasn’t had justice for this. Who am I? I am not God. I do not know what is going on with these people, even if they are my family and friends. I don’t’ know what they live with day in and day out. I know what I see. That’s all we can do is go off of what we see, and we are seeing what legacy people are leaving behind. Pray that people leave behind not just a good legacy but a godly legacy. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:1-10.” Which son does your legacy most resemble? The first or second? Or are you a child of God? First you got to be a child of God to receive the adoption and go to Heaven. That is one of the hardest steps you’ll ever take because it’s not a physical step, it’s a spiritual one, stepping aside and letting God lead your life, being everything, a Father should be. The apostle Paul who fell into the category of the youngest, wild son received Jesus as His Savior and even said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.”  Just because you’ve had something bad happen in your life doesn’t mean you’re out of reach of God’s love. God loves you. God loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for your sins, yeah that one, and that one and even those we’ve forgotten about! I pray you find yourself no matter you age, background or past as a Child of God. I’d love to meet you in Heaven one day.
    
If you find yourself as a Christian and maybe you’ve been tempted by the world. You find yourself like the prodigal too. You wandered far away from God, now it’s time to come home son or daughter. It’s time to find peace and love in the arms that were spread at the cross for you.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:9-10.” We’re all filthy sinners in need of cleansing. Ask God to forgive you. Use your words, your voice, your heart and be honest with God, after all He already knows. He’s just waiting on you. What are you waiting for?
    
And finally, you who fall into the category of the older son. Maybe you are doing all the right things, you’re trying very hard to please God. But are you doing what God asks for what you think God wants? Are you truly trusting in God or just doing what you think is right? Witnessing is more than a t-shirt. Church is more than just a meet and greet. Dig deeper into what God has to offer. He isn’t one dimensional. He wants us to grow and mature as Christians no matter how long you’ve been saved, there is more for you to know and room for you to grow! Peter, yes, the same one who walked on water and denied Jesus wrote a few books in the Bible. He wrote, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:15-18.” Get in your Bible. Find something to study, there are many things out there in this age for us to look at but nothing like your Bible. I can read a fictional book or a commentary or a motivational Christian book all day long which makes me feel good but it’s nothing like God’s word. God’s word is special because it shows us, wounds us, heals us, and tells us to keep going! God’s word is powerful…. sharp…and deep. It can penetrate the deepest wound and heal the deepest hurt. Let it. Open up His word, pray for the Lord to show you something you need to learn. Never be too proud to learn from God’s word. You’ve read it cover to cover? Read it again! The author is alive, not dead and wants us to keep on learning and leaning on Him.
    
So, we’ve seen two sons and their mistakes, neither were perfect but both had a loving father who accepted them and gave them what they wanted and more so, what they needed. God can do that too, and we can serve Him by giving Him our life and leaving a legacy that would show the love of God. May we heed these words forever and always and may you enter Heaven as a Child of God with a legacy and a testimony that would make God smile! “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:17-21.” This life is just temporary, don’t count on tomorrow, what you can do today! Leave a legacy not just a life. Blessings and love to all.