And day after day the Lord kept adding to them those who were being saved. Acts 2:47
Note it says “those being saved, not they were saved on the spot because of a sinners prayers. Earlier Peter also told the men who wanted to know God like they knew God and receive the Holy Spirit, what to do. And his words were “Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away — as many as Adonai our God may call!” Verses 38-39.
The words “turn from your sin” is a far cry from what is preached these days. Peter also said clearly “we are to be Holy as he is Holy.”
I know what it takes to turn from your sin and turn to God. I do it daily by dying onto myself daily. It is funny, because I spend a lot of time alone, watching the ocean, the sunset… I also spend a lot of time cleaning up the house, mostly the kitchen after we eat, which seems like we just get done eating and the kids are eating something again. It is actually happening as I write this.
I get called a lazy one because of spending so much time alone, like I am not interested in my family. But the truth is the opposite. I am very interested in them and their salvation and pray for them dearly. I also am the example, the same as Mary when Martha complained about Mary not helping to feed the people, and the Lord said Mary chose the better.
And I watch them watching TV or their phones, many times when I am doing dishes or cleaning up after them. I have become a servant to them all, and at the same time I am hoping they make the decision to do as I do, spend time alone with God and be a servant to all.
It is also interesting because the few things they blame me for or say I do, are the things they do!?!?! Which is what Yeshua said, “you will be judged as you judge.”
The funny thing about it is I am actually spending my time in the best way, alone with God. Because even when I am doing things like the dishes, I am in communication and listening to the Lord. And when I listen he gives me wisdom, and with that wisdom I know how to make money from our money, positioning it in ways to profit and protect it.
Basically my work has changed, it is not about managing the money the Lord gave us, not making a lot of new money. It is work to listen to people smarter than me tell me what they see going on, and then go to God and hear what he is telling me, and then do as I know he wants me to do.
Even though all this looks like being lazy, it is a different kind of work or activity to make money. To keep the family fed. But mostly it is working out what God is working in me, and dying unto myself daily so I remain in him, one with him. I do not want to lose my salvation. Salvation and a righteous relationship is the most important thing to me.
This does not mean I do nothing else, I take the kids to school, and pick them up, we took them to swimming lessons tonight and we went shopping for food. I help get them ready in the morning by cooking breakfast, helping with lunch, or doing it all myself at times. We go to the beach or other places and travel a lot together, which is my favorite thing to do as we normally do not have the TV and other things to take their attention.
But I do not watch tv, or spend time foolishly on my phone. Or if I do very little time. I might watch some old videos of Michael Jordan playing basketball or something. But mostly I sit in silence so I can hear the small still voice of God whispering in my ear.
On the contrary most families spend their time on the phone these days, pushing school and a good education and maybe sports, trying to make their kid a sports star. I did that in my days before knowing the Lord, even coaching my kids.
But now not so much, it is not all bad, it is needed. But to make it the focus, to get good grades, to get a good job and make a lot of money, and be successful so your parents can say my son is a doctor or lawyer or… I ran that race and it was a rat race, never enough and never getting anywhere.
But now I do not run that race, I run a different race and I run it in such a way as to win the prize. And in doing so, it is also showing others how to run this race, and get out of the rat race you can never win. This race uses most of the same discipline and knowledge, but it is with a different doctrine so you run it differently. The world does not understand the race you are running, it can’t, it has never run the race like that before and it makes no sense to them. For example how to live without any concern for your well being and how to make money?
In the flesh we live to make money and are controlled by it to an extent. We also put family above God. And basically everything before God. But God expects us to sacrifice it all and put him first and then let the cookie crumble how it will. God knows what we need before we even ask, so why ask? I do not ask for anything anymore except “your kingdom come and your will be done.” And the funny thing is my life is much more successful and full than when I focused on doing that and gave God a sloppy seconds.
The life of faith in God, and doing things his way is crazy, even to me as a man who hears and obeys these days. It makes no sense, but it works better than anything else, with an amazing peace. Even as the people of this world work to take that peace, and sometimes do short term.
This is the part of being saved, not you are saved because of an event like a sinners prayer. But being saved. The people pushing the doctrine of salvation without works, still live in the world and do not understand this because they never hear God and obey him and live it. They never died unto themselves even once more or less daily.