Have you lived long enough to know some people well?

Have you learned some things about them that you know are true, no matter what anyone else says?

I suppose you might have some true stories to share. good stories, I hope.

My grandfather showed me the shrapnel that was cut from his arm during The Great War.

Some people are still alive who can tell us about their experiences during World War II. They gave us a legacy of victory.

Many people alive can and will tell you what they were doing the day that New York City’s Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001.

When you look at the Bible in terms of relationships, the reality of legacy comes home. Even the genealogies of Genesis can tell us some things about people, relationships, choices, and consequences. Using numbers can be messy, but even if calculations are off for some reason or another, they can give you a fair estimate of the relationships.

Enoch, who “walked with God and was not, for God took him”, lived for 308 years of Adam’s life. Maybe they shared some life experiences. “Walked with God” is a pretty good legacy. Did he learn that from Adam?

Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather, son of Enoch, was born when Adam was 687 years old. He lived 243 years of Adam’s life. I wonder if Adam ever had his extended-great-grandchildren over for dinner? Did they ever have a family reunion? Noah’s father, Lamech, was 56 when Adam died. I wonder if that was a big event? What kind of moral legacy did Adam leave to them?

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. That’s a good legacy. Being the only family saved from a worldwide flood because Noah believed God when no one else did; that’s a pretty good legacy.

Noah was born 126 years after Adam died. While Noah did not meet Adam, Noah lived for 600 years of his grandfather Methuselah’s life. Maybe they had some time to tell stories?

Noah was still alive when the Tower of Babel was built. God relocated Noah’s descendants throughout the earth and reassigned their languages. I wonder what language Noah was speaking when he died?

Abraham was born 290 years after the flood and possibly 92 years after the languages were confused. Maybe his grandfather Nahor shared a few stories during their 39 years together. Shem, Noah’s son, lived longer than Abraham and died 50 years after Jacob/Israel was born. There is no indication that they knew each other, but a living witness to historic events such as the worldwide flood would have influenced world culture and knowledge either directly or indirectly.

My point is that these were real people whose lives intersected. They did not know what was coming around the corner. They each had choices to make based on the information available to them and the testimony of eyewitnesses to what God is doing in the world.

Millenia later, we have the written record of what happened in the past, of what God has done and is doing in the world. Because of this record, The Holy Bible, we have a glimpse into the legacy of many people in history.

Most of the people who have lived in the past have unknown legacies. I don’t know the details but, somehow, between the resurrection of Christ and my early childhood, there was a consecutive chain of people who believed that the story about Jesus was important enough to pass on all the way up to me. My faith is part of their legacy.

We have eyewitnesses giving testimony of God’s work in the world today. We have the same choices that all of these people had: to believe God and align our hearts with what He is doing in the world, or to go our own way, disregarding the consequences.

Should the return of Christ not come immediately, each of us will leave a legacy and a testimony of God’s work in our lives. Our choices will impact the lives of those who follow. Our words will ring in their ears when we are not here. Our actions will have a direct impact on their lives for good or for evil.

What we do now matters.

What we choose to believe matters.

What we share with others for them to believe matters.

Like those who have gone before us, we were created for a specific time and place in history to bring glory to God, to proclaim Him to others, and establish a legacy for others to follow.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Is it fair to say that we are Eternal Investment Brokers?

We help people invest their lives in good things that God promised to reward.

Faith: Believing God’s written word and acting on it.

Good works prompted by God’s love.

Teaching people to observe all that Christ commanded us.

Preaching God’s written word to people who are yet untold; even to the ends of the earth.

When we invite people to join us at Wayumi, or to visit Ethnos360 Bible Institute, or go on a missions trip, we are not just promoting our brand of Christianity. Yes, we do need people to engage with us in what we are doing. More than that, we want people to see what God is doing, the good deeds He has prepared in advance for us to do in the world, and practical ways to engage in the big picture from where we are now.

What will be our legacy of lives?

How are we living the legacy?

“But without faith [believing God] it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 KJV

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 KJV

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” Hebrews 10:24 KJV

[Updated 20210407. Corrected some numbers and added clarification.]

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