This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Learn to properly manage what God has already given you in order to get the most out of it and to be found faithful to receive more to manage on His behalf. Instead of doing everything humanly possible to get more money, fame, or power, pursue your passion to serve the Lord and use the gifts He’s given and skills you’ve developed in the marketplace to be the best manager you can be.
Such contentment will allow you to seek and be led by the Holy Spirit. A prayerful intimacy and action will move Him to supernaturally promote you to worthwhile positions and endeavors that immensely prosper you to achieve your life’s purpose on earth as a result of your natural and humble work ethic. The truth of the scriptures show that a person who is faithful over little will be faithful over much and the Father loves to reward such faith-filled stewards.
Living by such faith is better than seeking the world’s ideals of success and using its pathways based solely on human endeavor. Worldly methods are usually greed or poverty inspired temptations that seek to move you outside of God’s will to pursue things you feel are necessary to satisfy your fleshly longings or mindset instead of listening for the Holy Spirit to direct you to the things that please Him in order to fulfill your spiritual longings, true needs, and the needs of other people.
Such discontentment always leads to greater heartaches and headaches because your desire to be fulfilled can never be satisfied by worldly status, material things, or a poverty mindset. When the worldly, humanistic path is chosen the power of God will not work to give you spiritual, eternal victory over troubles and obstacles that you will inevitably face. So, allow God according to His plan for your life, create supernatural fulfillment and great success through contentment.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Luke 3:14, Philippians 4:11-13, 1Timothy 6:6-10, Hebrews 13:5
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
MoneyWalk 459: Working unto the Lord is most profitable
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Sometimes, a job or business venture is the means by which satan and his demonic forces try to draw you away from the fundamentals of Christianity and the natural and eternal blessings that extend from it. He will try to convince you in your mind and through other people that you should not mix business with the pleasure of witnessing to or discipling people in your workplace or entrepreneurial endeavor. Not even remotely does He want you to be an example of a believer or ever speak about your trust in the Lord and how He’s making you and your life better by guiding you to the purpose for which He created you.
Rightfully, your supervisors should expect that you will spend your working time making the widgets or providing the service that you have been hired to do. It is a command of the Lord to work as unto Him as you go about serving under the delegated authorities in your workplace. He desires that you do the best you can to make widgets and provide service that will please your employer and help make its enterprise profitable.
So, the problem isn’t that your managers don’t want you witnessing on company time. They have a right to expect you to perform your duties. And, the problem is not generally with what the employer asks or orders you to do. Most often the problem is with you because you don’t recognize that simply living a life committed to Jesus Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your life and efforts, including work, will be a great witness and discipleship tool to others in your workplace.
Also, you often don’t realize that there are opportunities God provides during some lunch and break times that can be used to communicate the gospel with those who may ask about your life or share circumstances in their lives where your experiences may be helpful to them. In addition, a portion of the income God provides you from widget making should be used to help the church spread the gospel in and out of the marketplace so that people can come into the knowledge of God’s plan that leads to salvation and eternal life.
Being a Christian does not mean that you’ll do everything right, be perfect, or be liked by everyone or by your supervisors and other delegated authorities. In fact, there will be times when you may not be well-liked by certain people and they won’t agree with your lifestyle or won’t like your work. Jesus Christ is your perfection and you should seek His wisdom and be teachable in relationship with your supervisor and other associates so you can learn if it’s because you have a character flaw or work defect that you can correct.
If you or your work habits are disliked and there is nothing that you can change within moral boundaries to please your supervisors, then just continue to work as unto the Lord while believing and praying that God will help them see that you are doing your best and that your methods are profitable for the organization. If you do this God will have your back, He will move the heart of your supervisor and others as necessary to fulfill the purpose He has for you, and if necessary He will judge your supervisor and delegated authorities and bring about the consequence in their lives that is best served to meet His will.
You won’t be perfect and you may make mistakes, sometimes glaring ones, but even the toughest critics will be able to see your growth as shown by your elevated respect for your supervisors, leaders, co-workers, and workplace. They will see the increasing honesty, integrity, and faithfulness to complete your work well. They will also see that you take accountability and repent for misdeeds and correct your actions in order to be profitable to God and the employer He allows you to work for. This lifestyle of working as unto the Lord by respecting your supervisors and delegated authorities, building bridges to other associates, not compromising your morals, and doing what is necessary to be teachable so you can grow in Christ-likeness will help other people see their need for Jesus Christ and be drawn to Him.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Romans 13:1-8, Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-25, 4:1, 1Peter 2:12-20
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sometimes, a job or business venture is the means by which satan and his demonic forces try to draw you away from the fundamentals of Christianity and the natural and eternal blessings that extend from it. He will try to convince you in your mind and through other people that you should not mix business with the pleasure of witnessing to or discipling people in your workplace or entrepreneurial endeavor. Not even remotely does He want you to be an example of a believer or ever speak about your trust in the Lord and how He’s making you and your life better by guiding you to the purpose for which He created you.
Rightfully, your supervisors should expect that you will spend your working time making the widgets or providing the service that you have been hired to do. It is a command of the Lord to work as unto Him as you go about serving under the delegated authorities in your workplace. He desires that you do the best you can to make widgets and provide service that will please your employer and help make its enterprise profitable.
So, the problem isn’t that your managers don’t want you witnessing on company time. They have a right to expect you to perform your duties. And, the problem is not generally with what the employer asks or orders you to do. Most often the problem is with you because you don’t recognize that simply living a life committed to Jesus Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your life and efforts, including work, will be a great witness and discipleship tool to others in your workplace.
Also, you often don’t realize that there are opportunities God provides during some lunch and break times that can be used to communicate the gospel with those who may ask about your life or share circumstances in their lives where your experiences may be helpful to them. In addition, a portion of the income God provides you from widget making should be used to help the church spread the gospel in and out of the marketplace so that people can come into the knowledge of God’s plan that leads to salvation and eternal life.
Being a Christian does not mean that you’ll do everything right, be perfect, or be liked by everyone or by your supervisors and other delegated authorities. In fact, there will be times when you may not be well-liked by certain people and they won’t agree with your lifestyle or won’t like your work. Jesus Christ is your perfection and you should seek His wisdom and be teachable in relationship with your supervisor and other associates so you can learn if it’s because you have a character flaw or work defect that you can correct.
If you or your work habits are disliked and there is nothing that you can change within moral boundaries to please your supervisors, then just continue to work as unto the Lord while believing and praying that God will help them see that you are doing your best and that your methods are profitable for the organization. If you do this God will have your back, He will move the heart of your supervisor and others as necessary to fulfill the purpose He has for you, and if necessary He will judge your supervisor and delegated authorities and bring about the consequence in their lives that is best served to meet His will.
You won’t be perfect and you may make mistakes, sometimes glaring ones, but even the toughest critics will be able to see your growth as shown by your elevated respect for your supervisors, leaders, co-workers, and workplace. They will see the increasing honesty, integrity, and faithfulness to complete your work well. They will also see that you take accountability and repent for misdeeds and correct your actions in order to be profitable to God and the employer He allows you to work for. This lifestyle of working as unto the Lord by respecting your supervisors and delegated authorities, building bridges to other associates, not compromising your morals, and doing what is necessary to be teachable so you can grow in Christ-likeness will help other people see their need for Jesus Christ and be drawn to Him.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Romans 13:1-8, Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-25, 4:1, 1Peter 2:12-20
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
MoneyWalk 61: Be Content
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Being content is an attitude of heart and mind that will help you be a good steward of the resources and money that God entrusts to you throughout the stages of your life.
It is necessary in order for you to truly understand and act upon the belief that God owns everything and that you’re just a steward of what He owns who should be committed to managing it in the way that pleases Him.
Contentment is necessary for you to recognize that tithing and giving offerings should be the first and foremost financial commitment that you budget (include in your spending plan) because God commands His people to worship and serve Him in this manner. Contentment is necessary in order for you to not try to buy everything that your eyes, flesh, and pride desire and for you not to take out loans to get even more.
It is an attitude of heart and mind, developed by the Holy Spirit, that does not leave you lacking. Rather, it leads you to the Rock that is higher than you, what you have, and what you can do. It helps you see the importance of developing an intimate relationship with Him that will help you engage any of the activities you need to undertake to fulfill His purpose for you in His great plan for His people. This direct pursuit of Jesus Christ leads indirectly to the prosperity He designed for your life and family.
By delighting yourself in God, you draw closer to Him in fellowship and bypass the natural and eternal destruction brought about by succumbing to satanic temptation to gravitate to ungodly things that seem to glitter. As your fellowship with God increases, the work you’re ultimately called to on earth becomes more evident. You'll be motivated to use talents, spiritual gifts, and learned skills to bring about Christ’s rule in the hearts of men.
You’ll have a firm resolve to bypass the great amounts of money, fame, and power that you might possibly obtain by going down a path opposed to God’s will, because you understand that all your future needs and desires He has for you will be met as you pursue your calling to glorify Jesus Christ, evangelize unbelievers, and equip believers.
As you find contentment in what’s important to God instead of what’s important to you or other people, He will allow your career and ministry to others to take on much greater proportions than you thought possible. This humble and contrite attitude of heart and mind helps you properly manage money and resources and creates enormous future opportunities for you.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Luke 3:14, Philippians 4:11-13, 1Timothy 6:6-10, Hebrews 13:5-6
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Being content is an attitude of heart and mind that will help you be a good steward of the resources and money that God entrusts to you throughout the stages of your life.
It is necessary in order for you to truly understand and act upon the belief that God owns everything and that you’re just a steward of what He owns who should be committed to managing it in the way that pleases Him.
Contentment is necessary for you to recognize that tithing and giving offerings should be the first and foremost financial commitment that you budget (include in your spending plan) because God commands His people to worship and serve Him in this manner. Contentment is necessary in order for you to not try to buy everything that your eyes, flesh, and pride desire and for you not to take out loans to get even more.
It is an attitude of heart and mind, developed by the Holy Spirit, that does not leave you lacking. Rather, it leads you to the Rock that is higher than you, what you have, and what you can do. It helps you see the importance of developing an intimate relationship with Him that will help you engage any of the activities you need to undertake to fulfill His purpose for you in His great plan for His people. This direct pursuit of Jesus Christ leads indirectly to the prosperity He designed for your life and family.
By delighting yourself in God, you draw closer to Him in fellowship and bypass the natural and eternal destruction brought about by succumbing to satanic temptation to gravitate to ungodly things that seem to glitter. As your fellowship with God increases, the work you’re ultimately called to on earth becomes more evident. You'll be motivated to use talents, spiritual gifts, and learned skills to bring about Christ’s rule in the hearts of men.
You’ll have a firm resolve to bypass the great amounts of money, fame, and power that you might possibly obtain by going down a path opposed to God’s will, because you understand that all your future needs and desires He has for you will be met as you pursue your calling to glorify Jesus Christ, evangelize unbelievers, and equip believers.
As you find contentment in what’s important to God instead of what’s important to you or other people, He will allow your career and ministry to others to take on much greater proportions than you thought possible. This humble and contrite attitude of heart and mind helps you properly manage money and resources and creates enormous future opportunities for you.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Luke 3:14, Philippians 4:11-13, 1Timothy 6:6-10, Hebrews 13:5-6
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
MoneyWalk 60: Get Someone Else To Do It
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
There's nothing wrong with recognizing when someone else can perform a task better than you. Hiring him/her to complete a task for you may be God's perfect timing for you to be a financial blessing to him/her. Besides, through friendly conversation you might win him/her to Jesus Christ or plant a gospel seed for an eventual harvest. Also, generous discounts and very friendly service will likely accompany your patronage down the road.
When you are in a tough financial position where goods and services don’t seem affordable and even when you are not, God is able to make all grace to abound to you so that you have all sufficiency in all things in order that you may give to every good work. He will help you find someone to do the job you need for a price you can pay.
When searching for someone to do the work get references from friends whose opinions you respect, obtain cost estimates from at least three different providers, and call appropriate agencies (state regulators, better business bureau, state attorney general complaint division, etc.) to ensure that the person/firm you are thinking of choosing is appropriately licensed and does not have an unreasonable history of unresolved complaints.
If person/firm has an unreliable or negative history move to the next choice on your list and so on until you find one that is reputable and seems to understand what it is you really need or want. Choose the person/firm with the best combination of quality and customer satisfaction that fits within your budget. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in research and determining who can best meet your need. The alternative is for you to do less than appealing work that becomes a greater expense to fix in the long run. That is certainly not profitable for you.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 31:1-11, 1Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 4:7-11, James 3:1
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
There's nothing wrong with recognizing when someone else can perform a task better than you. Hiring him/her to complete a task for you may be God's perfect timing for you to be a financial blessing to him/her. Besides, through friendly conversation you might win him/her to Jesus Christ or plant a gospel seed for an eventual harvest. Also, generous discounts and very friendly service will likely accompany your patronage down the road.
When you are in a tough financial position where goods and services don’t seem affordable and even when you are not, God is able to make all grace to abound to you so that you have all sufficiency in all things in order that you may give to every good work. He will help you find someone to do the job you need for a price you can pay.
When searching for someone to do the work get references from friends whose opinions you respect, obtain cost estimates from at least three different providers, and call appropriate agencies (state regulators, better business bureau, state attorney general complaint division, etc.) to ensure that the person/firm you are thinking of choosing is appropriately licensed and does not have an unreasonable history of unresolved complaints.
If person/firm has an unreliable or negative history move to the next choice on your list and so on until you find one that is reputable and seems to understand what it is you really need or want. Choose the person/firm with the best combination of quality and customer satisfaction that fits within your budget. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in research and determining who can best meet your need. The alternative is for you to do less than appealing work that becomes a greater expense to fix in the long run. That is certainly not profitable for you.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 31:1-11, 1Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 4:7-11, James 3:1
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
MoneyWalk 458: Decreeing then acting prospers you
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
You have heard the phrases “Name it and claim it” and “Blab it and grab it.” These phrases are usually spoken of in an irreverent way against preachers who seem to espouse that believers can declare the ultimate possession of something and shortly receive it.
Throughout much of life, many people’s experiences seem to them to indicate that resources they ultimately obtain didn’t come to them through the above process. So they ridicule these preachers and claim they are focusing people on satan’s kingdom, leading people straight to Hell, taking advantage of people’s emotions in order to steal their money, etc. I’m sure you can think of many more things you’ve heard people say about such preachers.
In some cases this belief is true. Wheat and tare (weeds that some might mistake for wheat) grow together in the world and in the church. Thus, you are going to have some who confess the name of Jesus Christ whose hearts are actually aligned with the enemy and intent on taking advantage of others. Anyone can call himself a Christian and we may not immediately know that he is not, yet that does not make the truth of God’s word null and void. The Lord let us know that when the time for harvesting His people from the earth comes, He will command the reapers to separate the wheat from the tare and cast the tare into the fire.
There is truth in “Name it and claim it” as shown by the whole counsel of God in scripture. The key to obtaining it in the name of God and the thing being as valuable as you think is determined by whether or not you moved in faith upon what God by His Word identified as being available to you and whether or not you really intend to utilize your life, gifts, time, skills, money, and resources overall to benefit the spread of the gospel message in your family, community, and the world.
Mere mortals, who are not believers, name, claim, and obtain things that in many instances have much greater earthly value than things that believers name, claim, or obtain, such as businesses, inventions, jobs, houses, cars, jewelry, etc. So, obtaining things is not really the sign that you have sought God’s will, done His will, or received His blessing.
In order for it to surely be part of a sign of God’s will and blessing it would be accompanied by a lifestyle of steps ordered by God, His Word, and Holy Spirit that show up over time in a fruitful display of actions devoted to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping others share it more and more as the time of His return nears.
It is not always true that men will recognize your fruit. Many believers will, but those who don’t believe may see your words and actions as intolerant or a violation of their doctrine of separation of church and state, not scientifically proven, or nonsense. In this regard, we should not compare the value of what we obtain with that of other people or the world nor boast of it to the church or to men. Rather, we make our boast in the Lord and thank Him continually for using us and giving us much bounty that we can use to better serve Him, pursue our calling, take care of every responsibility He made us for, and serve others.
You do well to name and claim that which God has truly shown you to be your calling or the resources to fulfill it, when He shows you that it is time to declare it for His glory. You do better to put your faith in action and bring forth good works using the bulk of your resources to glorify His name as every believer in Christ is pre-ordained to do. Then, His light will truly shine upon your ways.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Job 22:28, Matthew 7:7-11, Romans 4:17, James 2:20-24, 4:1-4, 1John 1:1-3
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You have heard the phrases “Name it and claim it” and “Blab it and grab it.” These phrases are usually spoken of in an irreverent way against preachers who seem to espouse that believers can declare the ultimate possession of something and shortly receive it.
Throughout much of life, many people’s experiences seem to them to indicate that resources they ultimately obtain didn’t come to them through the above process. So they ridicule these preachers and claim they are focusing people on satan’s kingdom, leading people straight to Hell, taking advantage of people’s emotions in order to steal their money, etc. I’m sure you can think of many more things you’ve heard people say about such preachers.
In some cases this belief is true. Wheat and tare (weeds that some might mistake for wheat) grow together in the world and in the church. Thus, you are going to have some who confess the name of Jesus Christ whose hearts are actually aligned with the enemy and intent on taking advantage of others. Anyone can call himself a Christian and we may not immediately know that he is not, yet that does not make the truth of God’s word null and void. The Lord let us know that when the time for harvesting His people from the earth comes, He will command the reapers to separate the wheat from the tare and cast the tare into the fire.
There is truth in “Name it and claim it” as shown by the whole counsel of God in scripture. The key to obtaining it in the name of God and the thing being as valuable as you think is determined by whether or not you moved in faith upon what God by His Word identified as being available to you and whether or not you really intend to utilize your life, gifts, time, skills, money, and resources overall to benefit the spread of the gospel message in your family, community, and the world.
Mere mortals, who are not believers, name, claim, and obtain things that in many instances have much greater earthly value than things that believers name, claim, or obtain, such as businesses, inventions, jobs, houses, cars, jewelry, etc. So, obtaining things is not really the sign that you have sought God’s will, done His will, or received His blessing.
In order for it to surely be part of a sign of God’s will and blessing it would be accompanied by a lifestyle of steps ordered by God, His Word, and Holy Spirit that show up over time in a fruitful display of actions devoted to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping others share it more and more as the time of His return nears.
It is not always true that men will recognize your fruit. Many believers will, but those who don’t believe may see your words and actions as intolerant or a violation of their doctrine of separation of church and state, not scientifically proven, or nonsense. In this regard, we should not compare the value of what we obtain with that of other people or the world nor boast of it to the church or to men. Rather, we make our boast in the Lord and thank Him continually for using us and giving us much bounty that we can use to better serve Him, pursue our calling, take care of every responsibility He made us for, and serve others.
You do well to name and claim that which God has truly shown you to be your calling or the resources to fulfill it, when He shows you that it is time to declare it for His glory. You do better to put your faith in action and bring forth good works using the bulk of your resources to glorify His name as every believer in Christ is pre-ordained to do. Then, His light will truly shine upon your ways.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Job 22:28, Matthew 7:7-11, Romans 4:17, James 2:20-24, 4:1-4, 1John 1:1-3
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
MoneyWalk 59: Other People Can Help You Greatly
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
You probably have friends who know how to find quality merchandise and service that is normally expensive for rock bottom prices or who know how to do things well that you need and will do it at a price that fits within your budget and doesn’t put you in debt. While other people pay top dollar just because they’ve believed commercial hype, these bargain shoppers know when paying a higher price really makes a valuable difference in product performance, style, or service.
You will do well to take note of people with such skill and consult them frequently prior to purchasing expensive products and services. I've noted people with such money saving skills in areas like home renovations, purchasing cars, decorating, cooking, cleaning, financial planning, etc.
Good counsel and service from these individuals will require you to get off any high horses of belief that thinks products and services are worthwhile only when you pay someone top dollar for them. While that is sometimes true, it is not always the case. Many times there are low cost and high cost options and sometimes the difference in quality, durability, comfort, styling, etc. is not worth paying the higher price.
In the end, these bargain shoppers and bargain providers will have you walking down the road to financial freedom by allowing you to pay off current debts with money you used to spend buying high-priced merchandise and services. Peter, Paul, David, Moses, Abraham, and other great leaders allowed other people's skills, spiritual gifts, and prophetic insights to direct them to success in their lives. So, instead of hanging out with people who encourage and help you spend money you don’t have, allow those friends who represent Jesus, John Mark, Nathan, Eliezer, Bezalel, and Oholiab in your life to help you reach another level spiritually and financially by squeezing out unnecessary fat from your spending.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 36:1-2, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 5:4-7, 19:12-13, 2Timothy 4:11
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You probably have friends who know how to find quality merchandise and service that is normally expensive for rock bottom prices or who know how to do things well that you need and will do it at a price that fits within your budget and doesn’t put you in debt. While other people pay top dollar just because they’ve believed commercial hype, these bargain shoppers know when paying a higher price really makes a valuable difference in product performance, style, or service.
You will do well to take note of people with such skill and consult them frequently prior to purchasing expensive products and services. I've noted people with such money saving skills in areas like home renovations, purchasing cars, decorating, cooking, cleaning, financial planning, etc.
Good counsel and service from these individuals will require you to get off any high horses of belief that thinks products and services are worthwhile only when you pay someone top dollar for them. While that is sometimes true, it is not always the case. Many times there are low cost and high cost options and sometimes the difference in quality, durability, comfort, styling, etc. is not worth paying the higher price.
In the end, these bargain shoppers and bargain providers will have you walking down the road to financial freedom by allowing you to pay off current debts with money you used to spend buying high-priced merchandise and services. Peter, Paul, David, Moses, Abraham, and other great leaders allowed other people's skills, spiritual gifts, and prophetic insights to direct them to success in their lives. So, instead of hanging out with people who encourage and help you spend money you don’t have, allow those friends who represent Jesus, John Mark, Nathan, Eliezer, Bezalel, and Oholiab in your life to help you reach another level spiritually and financially by squeezing out unnecessary fat from your spending.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 36:1-2, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 5:4-7, 19:12-13, 2Timothy 4:11
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
MoneyWalk 58: Bargain Shopping Helps You
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
I worked in a meat packing plant and saw that many different brands of meat with essentially the same ingredients were packaged by that plant using the same machinery. It might add different ingredients for some of the different brands, but basically it produced much the same types of meats for each brand.
This process works the same way for many different types of merchandise. Thus, what you’ve been buying may not be any better quality that what’s sold by others at a cheaper price. In order to be a better steward of your money you should research purchasing items from reputable discount retailers whenever possible. And when you use other retailers, you should consider whether or not items on sale or on clearance actually fit the quality and design that you are looking for. You might just find that what you were getting ready to pay full price for is also on a clearance rack at a sharply reduced price.
For most of your wardrobe and things often used, you should purchase conservative apparel and other belongings that maintain their utility and remain in style for long periods of time instead of choosing faddish things that will quickly be out of style and unusable. Finally, negotiate discounts or simply find out what discounts are available on homes, cars, furniture, appliances, other products, and services because most sellers provide them if you ask.
When used with the strategy of eliminating unnecessary spending, these methods can save you thousands of dollars per year that you would otherwise pay out by purchasing items at higher prices because you didn’t research less expensive alternatives that met the same style and quality standards. If you follow this strategy in tough times, you'll build habits that will pull you out of the pit of financial despair and put you in a future position to comfortably splurge on merchandise that you desire without bills eating you up and unpaid creditors constantly calling you up.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 12:35-36, Nehemiah 2:4-8, Proverbs 8:19-21, Matthew 21:1-3, Mark 14:13-16
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
I worked in a meat packing plant and saw that many different brands of meat with essentially the same ingredients were packaged by that plant using the same machinery. It might add different ingredients for some of the different brands, but basically it produced much the same types of meats for each brand.
This process works the same way for many different types of merchandise. Thus, what you’ve been buying may not be any better quality that what’s sold by others at a cheaper price. In order to be a better steward of your money you should research purchasing items from reputable discount retailers whenever possible. And when you use other retailers, you should consider whether or not items on sale or on clearance actually fit the quality and design that you are looking for. You might just find that what you were getting ready to pay full price for is also on a clearance rack at a sharply reduced price.
For most of your wardrobe and things often used, you should purchase conservative apparel and other belongings that maintain their utility and remain in style for long periods of time instead of choosing faddish things that will quickly be out of style and unusable. Finally, negotiate discounts or simply find out what discounts are available on homes, cars, furniture, appliances, other products, and services because most sellers provide them if you ask.
When used with the strategy of eliminating unnecessary spending, these methods can save you thousands of dollars per year that you would otherwise pay out by purchasing items at higher prices because you didn’t research less expensive alternatives that met the same style and quality standards. If you follow this strategy in tough times, you'll build habits that will pull you out of the pit of financial despair and put you in a future position to comfortably splurge on merchandise that you desire without bills eating you up and unpaid creditors constantly calling you up.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 12:35-36, Nehemiah 2:4-8, Proverbs 8:19-21, Matthew 21:1-3, Mark 14:13-16
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
MoneyWalk 57: We're born again to be givers
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Prior to accepting Jesus as Savior, I thought I was financially savvy. However, I was so ignorant of the truth that I mired my family in debt while thing I was smart enough to know how to manage money without anyone’s help. When I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, I finally recognized the truth of my incompetence. It was then that I asked the Holy Spirit to show me how to manage the money He entrusts to me so that I could do His will and be successful in sharing His Word with other people.
He showed me financial principles in my bible reading times that I could employ like honoring God through my lifestyle, fellowship, and giving. These activities borne of a heart for Him keeps His blessing flowing down on us. We were challenged by the Lord to begin tithing at a time when we did not see that we had enough money to give to God and pay all our bills. At the same time, the satan tempted me with the thought of giving only small offerings in church until all our bills were paid off. However, I didn't succumb to this temptation and the result is that we've been immensely blessed to see our debts totally eliminated, giving increasing, and assets accumulating for the greater part of the past decade.
I encourage you to faithfully tithe and give offerings to your local church along with budgeting, saving, and investing as the foundation for getting out of debt in order to prosper in life and be in a position to do God’s will to the degree He desires. Before long, you'll receive income increases, promotions, bargains, and gifts that allow you to retain greater amounts of income to pay off your bills and accumulate wealth much faster that you can imagine. Your results will totally confound the many that follow the world’s financial principles and never prosper.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 11:24-25, 19:17, Malachi 3:8-12, Luke 6:38, 2Corinthians 9:7-9
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Prior to accepting Jesus as Savior, I thought I was financially savvy. However, I was so ignorant of the truth that I mired my family in debt while thing I was smart enough to know how to manage money without anyone’s help. When I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, I finally recognized the truth of my incompetence. It was then that I asked the Holy Spirit to show me how to manage the money He entrusts to me so that I could do His will and be successful in sharing His Word with other people.
He showed me financial principles in my bible reading times that I could employ like honoring God through my lifestyle, fellowship, and giving. These activities borne of a heart for Him keeps His blessing flowing down on us. We were challenged by the Lord to begin tithing at a time when we did not see that we had enough money to give to God and pay all our bills. At the same time, the satan tempted me with the thought of giving only small offerings in church until all our bills were paid off. However, I didn't succumb to this temptation and the result is that we've been immensely blessed to see our debts totally eliminated, giving increasing, and assets accumulating for the greater part of the past decade.
I encourage you to faithfully tithe and give offerings to your local church along with budgeting, saving, and investing as the foundation for getting out of debt in order to prosper in life and be in a position to do God’s will to the degree He desires. Before long, you'll receive income increases, promotions, bargains, and gifts that allow you to retain greater amounts of income to pay off your bills and accumulate wealth much faster that you can imagine. Your results will totally confound the many that follow the world’s financial principles and never prosper.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 11:24-25, 19:17, Malachi 3:8-12, Luke 6:38, 2Corinthians 9:7-9
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
MoneyWalk 457: Focused Steps to Good Stewardship
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Do not live with your eye on this world, rather live with your eye on the world to come. If you hope to become the good steward God instructs you to be and intends for you to be, then you are going to have to develop a deeper fellowship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit that motivates you to follow the pathway the bible lays out for your life and financial health, wealth, and well-being.
Just like Jesus focused all His energies on obtaining the goal of the Father’s will for all mankind to have hope of salvation and a heavenly home, you too must focus and take the steps necessary to achieve the Father’s goal for you. Your focus should be on these steps through which you climb the ladder of spiritual financial success one step at a time. Do not attempt to move to the next step until you are firmly established in accomplishing the task on the step you are on.
1) Understand it is all God’s. Through daily worship, praise, prayer, and bible reading / studying tell God that all the income and assets you have and will ever have access to are His and that as His steward you are now willing to following His instructions and do what He directs with His money and resources.
2) Show contentment. Continue or start tithing to your local church or a worthwhile ministry each time you receive income. Choose delayed gratification instead of instant gratification. Do not buy that bigger house, more expensive car, new furniture, new jewelry, etc. until you have reached the priority goal of being a faithful tithing member of a local church and totally debt-free. Stuff to buy will still be there at prices you can afford to pay after you reach your goal.
3) Tell your income what to do. Draft a 3 to 6 month plan that shows:
a) Your after tax income each pay period
b) The tithe and offering to be subtracted from take home pay
c) Each minimum bill payment that must be paid from that pay period’s income (mortgage, rent, credit cards, car note, etc.)
d) Other miscellaneous amounts that must be taken from the income (groceries, personal money, gas for car, monthly amount of annual property tax payment, monthly amount of annual home and car insurance premium, monthly amount of annual life insurance payment, 2 or 3 low cost weekend vacations each year, low cost monthly entertainment, etc.), and
e) Any amount left over. If there is nothing left over then you will need to work with your spouse and a close friend who is good at managing his or her money or a budget counselor to determine ways in which you can cut current expenses, determine which bills receive priority for payment at the current time, or find other jobs that can help increase your income for awhile to get you out of the rut you are in.
4) Build a one-month emergency fund. Use any amount left over and other assets to build or establish, in a government guaranteed savings or money management account (MMA), an emergency fund equal to one month of all your expenses identified in items 3.c. and 3.d. above. This will help you stop turning to credit cards and loans to take care of problems and emergencies. You will get on the right path to using cash instead of burdening your future with debt.
5) Pay off all non-mortgage loans that charge interest. Chances are that these credit cards, car loans, personal loans, etc charge interest that is well above what you can earn in savings or MMAs. Thus, after you have built the one-month emergency fund, you should use the amount left over during each pay period to pay off your smallest debt. Then, move to the next smallest debt and so on until you have finally paid off all your debts. The only time you break this cycle is if you have an emergency that needs immediate attention and you must use money in your one-month emergency reserve. Then, you would take the amount left over each pay period to build it back up and afterward resume paying down your debt with it.
6) Build a six-month emergency fund. After all non-housing loans are paid off use the amount left over each pay period (which now should be much larger) to build your emergency fund to six-months of all your expenses identified in items 3.c. and 3.d. above.
7) Start funding retirement vehicles that match the amount you invest. If your employer offers a 401k, 457, 403b, etc. that matches your investment up to a certain amount start investing the amount necessary to get the maximum matching investment from your employer. Put the money in a safe and sound investment (like a stable value account, guaranteed investment contract, etc.) until you study and understand the history, nature, risk, and investment costs / fees of other types of investments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, etc.
8) Pay off your home loans. Use the amount left over each month toward principal pay off of your mortgage until it is fully paid off. Commit to not purchasing another house until at least 5 to 7 years after you have paid off your current mortgage(s). If you have a desire to purchase another home, set the purchase as a faith goal to pursue on a debt-free basis using the equity in your current home and savings that you are able to build each month after your current home mortgage is paid off. Remember contentment and deferred gratification pay off more in the end than encumbering yourself further in debt.
9) Increase your giving and investments. At this point, the amount left over should be huge because it includes the amount you used to pay on your mortgage. Consider increasing your free-will offering as thanks to God for helping you reach the goal of total debt freedom and ability to fund kingdom building to a much greater degree, help those in need, and build wealth to maintain these priorities and care for yourself and family.
Some will ask why funding college for kids is not a top priority. The answer is that your financial plan must operate similar to emergency landing safety instructions given on airplanes. Make sure you are safe and secure first before attempting (outside of your means) to help your children or other people be safe and secure. It is very difficult to truly help others until you have made sure that you are on solid footing, otherwise you risk harming yourself and not saving anyone else.
Following the above plan will help you get to the point in debt-freedom and wealth building where you will have disposable income and assets that you could use to help your children and possibly others with educational expenses and other worthwhile goals that can brighten their future.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Revelation 4:11, 1Timothy 6:9-17, Matthew 23:23, Hebrews 7:8, Habakkuk 2:2-4, Proverbs 21:20, Luke 6:38, 14:28-30
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Do not live with your eye on this world, rather live with your eye on the world to come. If you hope to become the good steward God instructs you to be and intends for you to be, then you are going to have to develop a deeper fellowship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit that motivates you to follow the pathway the bible lays out for your life and financial health, wealth, and well-being.
Just like Jesus focused all His energies on obtaining the goal of the Father’s will for all mankind to have hope of salvation and a heavenly home, you too must focus and take the steps necessary to achieve the Father’s goal for you. Your focus should be on these steps through which you climb the ladder of spiritual financial success one step at a time. Do not attempt to move to the next step until you are firmly established in accomplishing the task on the step you are on.
1) Understand it is all God’s. Through daily worship, praise, prayer, and bible reading / studying tell God that all the income and assets you have and will ever have access to are His and that as His steward you are now willing to following His instructions and do what He directs with His money and resources.
2) Show contentment. Continue or start tithing to your local church or a worthwhile ministry each time you receive income. Choose delayed gratification instead of instant gratification. Do not buy that bigger house, more expensive car, new furniture, new jewelry, etc. until you have reached the priority goal of being a faithful tithing member of a local church and totally debt-free. Stuff to buy will still be there at prices you can afford to pay after you reach your goal.
3) Tell your income what to do. Draft a 3 to 6 month plan that shows:
a) Your after tax income each pay period
b) The tithe and offering to be subtracted from take home pay
c) Each minimum bill payment that must be paid from that pay period’s income (mortgage, rent, credit cards, car note, etc.)
d) Other miscellaneous amounts that must be taken from the income (groceries, personal money, gas for car, monthly amount of annual property tax payment, monthly amount of annual home and car insurance premium, monthly amount of annual life insurance payment, 2 or 3 low cost weekend vacations each year, low cost monthly entertainment, etc.), and
e) Any amount left over. If there is nothing left over then you will need to work with your spouse and a close friend who is good at managing his or her money or a budget counselor to determine ways in which you can cut current expenses, determine which bills receive priority for payment at the current time, or find other jobs that can help increase your income for awhile to get you out of the rut you are in.
4) Build a one-month emergency fund. Use any amount left over and other assets to build or establish, in a government guaranteed savings or money management account (MMA), an emergency fund equal to one month of all your expenses identified in items 3.c. and 3.d. above. This will help you stop turning to credit cards and loans to take care of problems and emergencies. You will get on the right path to using cash instead of burdening your future with debt.
5) Pay off all non-mortgage loans that charge interest. Chances are that these credit cards, car loans, personal loans, etc charge interest that is well above what you can earn in savings or MMAs. Thus, after you have built the one-month emergency fund, you should use the amount left over during each pay period to pay off your smallest debt. Then, move to the next smallest debt and so on until you have finally paid off all your debts. The only time you break this cycle is if you have an emergency that needs immediate attention and you must use money in your one-month emergency reserve. Then, you would take the amount left over each pay period to build it back up and afterward resume paying down your debt with it.
6) Build a six-month emergency fund. After all non-housing loans are paid off use the amount left over each pay period (which now should be much larger) to build your emergency fund to six-months of all your expenses identified in items 3.c. and 3.d. above.
7) Start funding retirement vehicles that match the amount you invest. If your employer offers a 401k, 457, 403b, etc. that matches your investment up to a certain amount start investing the amount necessary to get the maximum matching investment from your employer. Put the money in a safe and sound investment (like a stable value account, guaranteed investment contract, etc.) until you study and understand the history, nature, risk, and investment costs / fees of other types of investments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, etc.
8) Pay off your home loans. Use the amount left over each month toward principal pay off of your mortgage until it is fully paid off. Commit to not purchasing another house until at least 5 to 7 years after you have paid off your current mortgage(s). If you have a desire to purchase another home, set the purchase as a faith goal to pursue on a debt-free basis using the equity in your current home and savings that you are able to build each month after your current home mortgage is paid off. Remember contentment and deferred gratification pay off more in the end than encumbering yourself further in debt.
9) Increase your giving and investments. At this point, the amount left over should be huge because it includes the amount you used to pay on your mortgage. Consider increasing your free-will offering as thanks to God for helping you reach the goal of total debt freedom and ability to fund kingdom building to a much greater degree, help those in need, and build wealth to maintain these priorities and care for yourself and family.
Some will ask why funding college for kids is not a top priority. The answer is that your financial plan must operate similar to emergency landing safety instructions given on airplanes. Make sure you are safe and secure first before attempting (outside of your means) to help your children or other people be safe and secure. It is very difficult to truly help others until you have made sure that you are on solid footing, otherwise you risk harming yourself and not saving anyone else.
Following the above plan will help you get to the point in debt-freedom and wealth building where you will have disposable income and assets that you could use to help your children and possibly others with educational expenses and other worthwhile goals that can brighten their future.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Revelation 4:11, 1Timothy 6:9-17, Matthew 23:23, Hebrews 7:8, Habakkuk 2:2-4, Proverbs 21:20, Luke 6:38, 14:28-30
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
MoneyWalk 56: Don't Cosign
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Once you have refused a person's request to cosign, you must encourage him to use biblical money management principles. You have a responsibility to help those truly in need according to your ability. However, you must discern the devil's strategy to have you waste money God entrusted to you on people who mismanage their money and responsibilities, will continue to do so, will not regard God or His Word, and will have you squander money on funding their desires (cars, houses, boats, etc.) that could be spent leading people to Christ.
When a true need exists, it's best to give a person whatever cash or resources you have on hand that you do not need to take care of your priority items like family, mortgage, rent, and bills that you owe. Instead of cosigning a loan thinking you’re going to help him or her by doing so, you inevitably enable the person to continue his or her irresponsibility toward family and good stewardship and help him or her forsake the issues that really should be a priority for his or her family, time, money, and resources. In addition, you enable the person to forsake good stewardship habits that come only from the knowledge of God’s will, trials, errors, sacrifice, contentment, delayed gratification, and complete trust in Him.
Unless you see someone beaten up on the road who needs assistance right now or someone who is hungry and needs food, or who has some other emergency need problem that the person did not bring upon him or herself and will not continue to perpetuate by his or her continued mindset and activities, then you should really, really know the person to know whether or not he or she is truly in need but is normally responsible or is really ready to become responsible. This helps you be prudent in providing the type of help that will truly help him or her take care of the abnormal situation or get out of the irresponsible activities that led to the situation.
Of course, there are times where you extend help to people in the community or in another part of the world, simply because you’ve identified an emergency need. Sometimes, we don’t know entirely the situation at hand and whether or not the person is irresponsible and it led to the sad situation. So, whenever the Holy Spirit directs you to help a person or give to a need, you must obey Him for your best to come to pass, for Him to bring what is important to the attention of the person being helped, and for it to be an example to others of completely trusting the Lord’s guidance.
However, consider that He never asks you to do anything in a way that violates scriptural commands or principles found in the bible. This should be a basis for how you measure the person’s situation and the help that you should give or sometimes will not give. The bible never encourages people to take on monetary debt either through borrowing or cosigning. So, just don’t cosign for anyone unless you already have the money saved in a safe and sound place and are truly prepared to pay off the entire loan when they default on it.
If you have cosigned a note for someone, the bible tells you to quickly go to the lender and attempt to remove your name off the debt. It also tells you that your belongings are subject to be taken if you are not released from the debt, because in most instances the person you cosigned for will fail to pay the debt off. Please don't fall out with a friend because you failed to make the right decision by refusing to cosign for his debt because your failure might be one of the reasons the person has not become responsible in his or her financial dealings. Continue to love the person, pray for financial wisdom, stay away from co-signing in the future, and guide them to complete trust in and obedience to God’s spoken will in the area of finances. This takes the pressure and stress off of you trying to be your friend’s savior and puts the concern squarely upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 11:15, 17:18, 20:16, Romans 13:8, Ephesians 5:15-17
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Once you have refused a person's request to cosign, you must encourage him to use biblical money management principles. You have a responsibility to help those truly in need according to your ability. However, you must discern the devil's strategy to have you waste money God entrusted to you on people who mismanage their money and responsibilities, will continue to do so, will not regard God or His Word, and will have you squander money on funding their desires (cars, houses, boats, etc.) that could be spent leading people to Christ.
When a true need exists, it's best to give a person whatever cash or resources you have on hand that you do not need to take care of your priority items like family, mortgage, rent, and bills that you owe. Instead of cosigning a loan thinking you’re going to help him or her by doing so, you inevitably enable the person to continue his or her irresponsibility toward family and good stewardship and help him or her forsake the issues that really should be a priority for his or her family, time, money, and resources. In addition, you enable the person to forsake good stewardship habits that come only from the knowledge of God’s will, trials, errors, sacrifice, contentment, delayed gratification, and complete trust in Him.
Unless you see someone beaten up on the road who needs assistance right now or someone who is hungry and needs food, or who has some other emergency need problem that the person did not bring upon him or herself and will not continue to perpetuate by his or her continued mindset and activities, then you should really, really know the person to know whether or not he or she is truly in need but is normally responsible or is really ready to become responsible. This helps you be prudent in providing the type of help that will truly help him or her take care of the abnormal situation or get out of the irresponsible activities that led to the situation.
Of course, there are times where you extend help to people in the community or in another part of the world, simply because you’ve identified an emergency need. Sometimes, we don’t know entirely the situation at hand and whether or not the person is irresponsible and it led to the sad situation. So, whenever the Holy Spirit directs you to help a person or give to a need, you must obey Him for your best to come to pass, for Him to bring what is important to the attention of the person being helped, and for it to be an example to others of completely trusting the Lord’s guidance.
However, consider that He never asks you to do anything in a way that violates scriptural commands or principles found in the bible. This should be a basis for how you measure the person’s situation and the help that you should give or sometimes will not give. The bible never encourages people to take on monetary debt either through borrowing or cosigning. So, just don’t cosign for anyone unless you already have the money saved in a safe and sound place and are truly prepared to pay off the entire loan when they default on it.
If you have cosigned a note for someone, the bible tells you to quickly go to the lender and attempt to remove your name off the debt. It also tells you that your belongings are subject to be taken if you are not released from the debt, because in most instances the person you cosigned for will fail to pay the debt off. Please don't fall out with a friend because you failed to make the right decision by refusing to cosign for his debt because your failure might be one of the reasons the person has not become responsible in his or her financial dealings. Continue to love the person, pray for financial wisdom, stay away from co-signing in the future, and guide them to complete trust in and obedience to God’s spoken will in the area of finances. This takes the pressure and stress off of you trying to be your friend’s savior and puts the concern squarely upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 11:15, 17:18, 20:16, Romans 13:8, Ephesians 5:15-17
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
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