MoneyWalk 423 Overspending Leads To Bondage

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Overspending is a very big problem in the world today, especially with the decades long increases in loan credit availability. Most people are in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt via credit cards, charge cards, car loans, student loans, mortgages, and cosigning for other people’s debts. Over the past five decades savings has declined from approximately 15% of income to not much more than 1% today. Immigrants who come to our shores soon begin to go after loans like those they see around them, so they can immediately purchase all the things they think they missed out on in their former land. It’s a pity we’re leading them on this path at the risk of financial ruin, divorces, and severing of family relationships.

Many people are purchasing much larger homes with very expensive amenities and furnishings than ever before, more expensive cars, and generally more expensive clothing and other merchandise to impress people around them. This makes them feel like they’re successful in everyone’s eyes including their own. They often feel this will make their names great to onlookers, but it often ends in financial and personal tragedy when such purchases are the basis of one’s security and reputation. Sad to say there is a notable increase in general unhappiness with life, divorce rates, depression rates, suicide rates, and many other indicators that seem to have followed the trajectory of our poor financial stewardship and increased movement away from biblical financial principles.

Not long ago, some people felt they didn’t have to save and invest in a diversified manner because the equity in their mortgaged house provided all the wealth they needed for their future and the material things they wanted to get now. They signed massive home equity loans to finance remodels and other lavish purchases (cars, boats, RV’s, jewelry, you name it). A good number even signed for mortgages that allowed them to use credit amounts greater than the amount of equity they had. Thus, stripping most if not all equity out of their properties mostly for the sake of immediately getting material things they really could not afford and that would not help them build wealth to ensure that they and their families would have secure futures.

One thing I need to make unequivocally clear, I am not against people earning large sums of money, purchasing expensive items, or being comfortable in life. I am not the values police waiting to check your every purchase to make sure it’s in line with my beliefs or even scriptural principles. However, I recognize that many will suffer unnecessarily in the area of finances and its connection to so many other areas of life unless they learn, understand, and act on the wisdom of God laid out in the bible. The Holy Spirit indwells believers for the purpose of guiding them so we can become more Christ-like the longer we live upon the earth. He instructs and encourages us to live out biblical principles including those that affect the financial areas of our life. Therefore, I must share the negative consequences that ultimately come upon those that become slaves to lenders, fools who spend all that they earn, cosigners for others, and spiritually blind wealth impersonators who fail to pay attention to ensuring their earnings far exceed their expenses.

No one can continually spend more than he/she earns without running into financial turmoil and future lack. Some big money grips who thought they could, ran into earnings, foreclosure, repossession, bankruptcy, poverty, and even homelessness problems later in life that showed the error of their thinking. We must utilize biblical principles to ensure that we progressively put ourselves in a situation where God, man, and human financial systems work to our benefit so we can properly care for ourselves, our families, our Churches, and others that God leads us to help. In fact, God usually brings an abundance above and beyond what our mere actions could bring when we commit to doing things His way for His glory. This does not mean that you are without problems and suffering or that you receive everything you ever wanted. It means that God is sure to care for your eternal soul and earthly livelihood by providing all your need according to His riches in glory. For many, this can mean great monetary wealth to be used in the context of giving the LORD ever increasing worship via funding evangelistic and disciple-making ministry and where a great portion of it could also be used for greater creature comforts.

My admonition to you at all times, including holiday seasons and special occasions, is to check your spending at the door by recognizing that living within your means today provides a greater opportunity to display trust in the Almighty, to build wealth for the future, to give abundantly to the Church for Kingdom ministry, and to have more creature comforts in your latter years when you will need them the most. A lifestyle of good financial stewardship relieves the stresses, pressures, and worries upon individuals and families that poor stewardship created and worsened. Remember, you are made to be a conqueror not a victim, a winner not a loser, a lender not a borrower, wealthy not in poverty, a Christian not a slave to the devil and his bondage strategies. So, take control of your life by putting a stop to overspending. Cut up those credit cards that have been taking you deeper and deeper into the pit of financial despair. Get a second job temporarily or earn extra income via an entrepreneurial endeavor to help pay off the loan bondage and start a savings and investment fund. By doing so, you will increasingly eliminate worry and anxiety, breathe easier, better care for your responsibilities, and create a more intimate relationship with the LORD.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Deuteronomy 8:18, 28:12, Proverbs 22:7, 27:23-27, Romans 13:8, Luke 12:16-21, James 5:1-8

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 422 You Can Clean Up Your Mess

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Many people were caught up in the economic downturn, credit, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, and financial bondage mess that occurred from 2007 through 2009. Many have been unable to continue making monthly payments on their home, vacation, rental properties, and other loans due to reduced income, layoffs, lack of emergency funds and other savings, etc. Quite a number had financial institutions foreclose on their properties, filed bankruptcy, or had property repossessed. Others are simply pressed to their wits end even now trying to figure out how they’re going to stay afloat financially.

No doubt some catastrophes occurred, the type of which, some people could not possibly have foreseen at the time they signed for mortgages and other loans. However, everyone is able to foresee danger ahead at least in the sense that everyone knows problems will occur every so often in life and they will need financial resources to help resolve them to relieve stress, be able to continue to pay bills, and avoid financial destitution and other bondages that will negatively affect them as a result of emergencies. The only way to appropriately and adequately handle such situations is by planning that helps you live a prudent lifestyle based on your income as well as employing consistent, reasonable, long-term saving and investment practices. This godly pattern allows you to avoid financial bondage that would otherwise be the result of such situations.

Unfortunately, many people chose not to follow biblical principles in managing their lives and money. Thus, they gave place to the devil, who goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Of course, he wasn’t going to tell them (1) the market would crash, or (2) they were going to lose their job or be laid off, or (3) they were putting themselves and family in bondage by signing for loans, or (4) they didn’t have the education and skill to profitably navigate investment situations that required leverage, speculating they would always be able to bring in enough revenue as a landlord to cover principle and other costs of loans they signed for).

The devil continues to whisper his word into their ears and yours; get everything you deserve and do not worry about your financial situation or tomorrow. This sounds very much like words spoken by Jesus, yet it is absent of instruction contained in the whole counsel of God (the bible), Just like what he said to Jesus when he was fasting in the wilderness, he looks to tempt all of us to do things not in our best interest by using similar incomplete, misconstrued instructions. However, studying the whole counsel of God tells us (a) to build a house only after counting the cost, (b) that wise people live within their current means and do not take out loans to finance things that do not normally appreciate in monetary value, (c) to set aside adequate savings and investments, and (d) to leave an inheritance to our children’s children.

You must understand, the devil wants to bring a mindset upon you that causes you to forsake the principles of God, or better yet, never regard them in the first place. Once he has influenced your mind to live according to the principles of worldly people around you and consider them sages worthy of your utmost attention, he knows you will bring destruction into your life and finances that will ruin your ability to use the highest potential the LORD planted in you. He wants you to look good on the outside but be rotten on the inside and to tell others of the highfalutin material things and worldly positions you’ve attained via debt so you can lead them into the same desires, activities, and bondage he led you into. For many, this process continues for quite some time while everything seems to be working out quite well. Then, suddenly out of nowhere destruction rears its head. This is the type of situation that led to the mess with unaffordable mortgages, car loans, overspending, foreclosures, repossessions, and bankruptcies many people experienced and that others will inevitably experience in the future unless they start listening to and following godly instruction.

Of course, many finance companies, developers, and real estate professionals were greedily feeding you the worldly method, so their coffers could get fat and bulge while you were gorging yourself on enormous amounts of mortgage and other debt. These are some of the many culprits beside you and your past failure to properly manage money and one is not more at fault than another. Some of these entities are now in financial trouble just like you and some have been liquidated and no longer exist.

If the description above fits you, just let it be a learning experience and put it behind you. Know, by the word of God, that you can move forward, be fruitful, and prosper when you’re willing to learn and apply biblical principles throughout the remainder of your life. Other people and institutions cannot and will not do it for you. The steps to getting your financial house in order are:

(1) Let God be involved in your finances through tithing and abundant offering. He honors those who honor Him!

(2) Budget your income. Prior to each month, write a monthly plan that describes how you’re going to spend income you reasonably expect to receive. You must estimate and subtract all known expense categories, so you know if you will have a surplus or deficit. Estimate your income versus expenses for each of the next six months in order to have a longer-term view of where you would be if you keep doing what you’ve been doing up to now. Then revise your budget based on the changes you need to make to truly be fruitful, profitable, and prosperous. This will reveal the great condition you can soon be in when you impose financial discipline on your life.

(3) You must save a starter emergency fund of $1,000 or so (with the intensity and focus of the lion that runs down the antelope). This money should be put in money market accounts at a local credit union or bank because it needs to be secure in short-term periods. It serves as financial self- insurance to meet emergency needs and help you avoid turning to loans to try and get yourself out of future jams.

(4) You must eliminate debt and stop cosigning (with the intensity and focus of the deer who outruns the cheetah). Cosigning is simply taking on someone else’s debt. You cannot afford your own and you certainly will not prosper taking on someone else’s debt. You also will not build wealth if you continue to hold onto the psychology that it is acceptable to continually take on more debt. When your budget shows a deficit, you must work extra jobs or create entrepreneurial endeavors that produce greater income to help cover necessities and more quickly eliminate debts.

The absolute first thing you have power to control is getting rid of things too expensive for your current situation (high value cars, motorcycles, boats, campers, and sometimes homes), so you can move forward in getting out of bondage and setting yourself up to build substantial wealth. You may be able to lessen some of your mortgage and debt obligations by having an honest discussion with lenders about your financial situation and requesting forbearance, mortgage modification, short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure, or whatever other financial help it can offer to help you get out of the mess. The less you have to pay a lender is the more that you can put toward debt elimination and wealth building. Remember, you usually do not have the help you really need because you do not ask for it!

(5) Thereafter you must build an emergency fund of at least $10,000 and then invest at least 10% of your gross income for the long-term and plan to remain debt-free for life and every year increase your annual investment deposits by a percent or two. Over time, put the investment money into a diversified array of seven to eight holdings such as no load low expense total stock market index mutual funds with different brokerage houses, 401k, 403b, and Roth IRA plans. You need exposure to equity investments in order for the money to compound and exponentially grow from your younger age period to your older age period for purposes of greater proportional giving to spread the gospel and live comfortably in retirement while engaging reasonable desires like travel and senior entrepreneurial endeavors. Over long-term periods of 10, 20, and 30 years, such equity investments have historically delivered far higher average annual growth that you can get from bonds, CDs, and annuities, etc.

These steps and disciplines bring supernatural power to you for engaging debt freedom, greater blessing, and reward that gives you more income to invest each year, which catapults you much quicker out of financial bondage and into the wealthy place.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Proverbs 11:24-25, 12:15, 14:8, 16, 21:20, 22:7, 17, 27:23-24

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and LinkedIn

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 421 Scriptural Principles Never Change But Methods Do

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Methods are many, principles are few, methods often change, but principles never do. Many people mistake methods for principles and attempt to tell others that if they do not give a certain offering at a certain time or in a particular manner their lives will not be fruitful. This could not be farther from the truth. It is off-base to say a person will not be blessed when he/she does not give a specific amount of offering or according to a specific request (Passover, café, art, etc.) or in a specific way (heave offering, wave offering, everyone walk to the front, in an envelope, by electronic funds transfer, etc.) when the person otherwise follows scriptural principles of tithing and free-will offering. These are clearly defined in scripture as pleasing to the LORD whereas having to walk to the front or give by electronic funds transfer are methods that can vary from time to time or be based on Church or personal preference.

Some methods can provide a great boost to your giving and allow you to support ministry efforts greater than what you can do by yourself. It is possible that heaving or waiving your offering before giving it may enhance your worship experience but they are not principles such that everyone who does not heave or waive offerings will not receive a return from the LORD. A particular method will not necessarily produce any more blessing or reward. Neither does one scriptural principle cancel out another. For example, heaving and waving each offering without consistent tithing, budgeting, debt elimination, investing, and/or entrepreneurial endeavors is not likely to break the shackles of your financial bondage and take you to the wealthy place.

It may produce a momentary emotional high and a belief that what the offering requester said would happen is going to come to pass, but for those already in financial bondage it likely will be followed by more of the same old bondage in their lives when not accompanied by the other financial stewardship principles. Failure to let the Holy Spirit guide you in following each scriptural principle as you learn and understand them will likely hinder the material blessing and reward that could flow into your life no matter how many heaves and waves you perform while giving.

The above has been spoken for the purpose of helping you see it is of utmost importance to continually seek the LORD and intimacy with Him, so you will follow the greatest principle of all: “do whatever the LORD tells you to do.” His instruction will always be in line with scripture and if you truly hear him ask you to do an unusual thing from time to time such as give in a certain way or a certain amount, please do it. Joining with the congregation in a certain way of giving may be invigorating and unifying for the local fellowship and thus you should be open to the LORD leading you in this way. Just realize you are not damned if you do not give according to someone’s method even though you may have to take heat from Pharisees and unbelievers.

Stay away from any method that is not clearly in-line with a scriptural principle such as those that are not based on loving the LORD and people or that are based on greed. Following scripture by using methods aligned with its principles will produce the fruitfulness and prosperity the LORD desires for your life.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Psalm 37:21-24, Proverbs 2:6-8, Matthew 23:23, 1Corinthians 12:14-26, Ephesians 4:11-16

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 420 Being A Witness

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Being a Christian witness is telling others about Jesus Christ and how intimacy with Him provides salvation and eternal life for you and them. It is much like your response as a witness in court when you’re asked questions about the person or circumstance in question and you’re expected to give honest answers about what you know. However, a Christian witness does not always wait until someone asks him/her questions about Jesus Christ and the gospel. He seeks opportunities to share.

We do not wait until a situation has become so bad (criminal or civil violation of the law) that we feel like we must come forward as a witness. Instead, we understand the LORD put each one in various situations among family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances so we can positively enhance many different lives and lead them to Christ by sharing the gospel and our personal testimony. In fact, He uses many people to touch the lives of many other people they do not know and who may be on the other side of the globe through websites, internet articles, etc. You too become a greater witness to the world when you provide such ministries with financial help, direct other people to their websites, and forward ministry articles.

Some Christians say we need to witness without beating people over their heads with the bible. I sometimes wonder if we pick up this mentality from what unbelievers have said, or from feelings of embarrassment, or from our carnal nature that wants everyone to like us. No matter how gently you approach some people, they will immediately take the position that you are a bible thumper who beats people with the word. There is not much you can do about such opinions except to know that the Word you speak is godly seed and that the other person has the ability to one day let it take root in his/her life. Not being ignorant of satan’s tactics should lead us to know that he wants to say and do everything he can to convince us to quit speaking the Word to other people.

The gospels contain many examples of Jesus speaking words that some people did not want to hear. If you were a religious leader or an unbeliever even after you heard the Word and saw the miracles He performed certainly you too would have mistaken Him calling priests snakes, vipers, and whitewashed tombs as not supporting the good news He spoke of. Think of how much more you probably would have said Jesus should be a better example after you saw Him whip the moneychangers out of the temple and when he appeared to be taking advantage of women by having them give into His treasury while he abandoned the natural money earning work (carpentry) He had been trained to do (carpentry). Not to mention, you might have thought it despicable for Him to call many of the twelve disciples away from providing for their families and put them in a position of being jailed and beaten because they believed the Word He spoke.

You are sadly mistaken if you think most people are going to start asking you about Jesus and how to be saved because your life is such a shining example of goodness. This is not to say that you and I cannot be more and more Christ-like as we continue to love, trust, and obey Him throughout our days on this earth. However, witnesses overwhelmingly speak the Word to other people because this focuses people off the witness and onto the perfection of Jesus and what He did for them. Focusing first and foremost upon living a good life in front of people instills a sense of self-righteousness that causes you to believe people come to Christ due to your righteousness. Inevitably, people will see flaws in you and as quickly as you thought they came to Jesus they would be turned off to Him if salvation is based on your lifestyle and deeds.

It must forever remain etched in your heart that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world but lose his soul and that to live is Christ and to die is gain. So much so that you will always choose to go through the embarrassment, taunts, and ridicule that men will throw at you for speaking the Word to them and by supporting it by some actions unbelievers and present-day Pharisees will call crazy and ungodly. When it comes to witnessing remember, the Word of God (not your deeds) is more powerful than a two-edged sword. As it is continually spoken, it will help the Holy Spirit continually lead you to deeds that are more pleasing to God, but not necessarily to all men, and will help you exhibit the power of God that is necessary to lead others to Christ and disciple them.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1:8, 22:13-15, Ephesians 6:19-20

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ

MoneyWalk 419 Expect Blessings & Rewards

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

If you’re like me, your mind must be continually renewed to expect by faith the hope that is in your heart for the present and future. The LORD has blessed me enormously, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and economically, even though I have not always perfectly walked out my faith. But hold off on your judgment because God is not through with me yet. And, I’m sure He’s not through with you either.

God is in the blessing & rewards business for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Even for many people who are currently unbelievers, He abundantly gives what they need to turn to Him as well as abundant resources to help them care for themselves and their families in this life. He has prepared much better for those who turn to Him by accepting Christ as Savior. Salvation and the inheritance of eternal life are received by grace through faith and not of works so no one can earn them. However, earthly and some spiritual blessings and rewards have conditions attached to them that require obedience to His commands. He desires that you obtain and appropriate them on earth in a way that is wholesome and that helps you be a great blessing to others around you.

Some blessings & rewards that God wants you to have are above and beyond what you currently have and may only be obtained when you ask His will for particular situations and by faith believe and initiate action to bring these currently unseen things into the realm of the seen. Sometimes this requires constant and persistent petition and action until they are received. Satan and his demonic cohorts stand in opposition to your blessings & rewards and try to block them because of the damaging effect these weapons have on his dark kingdom. Through the funding, preaching, and serving of the gospel many people are saved and the dark kingdom is driven out of their life and heart. Because I want the LORD’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, I will forever remind myself to have a heart that loves the LORD and other people and put on the mind of Christ to be renewed in my thinking.

I will walk in the Spirit to destroy the unfruitful works of the flesh. I have the power in me to expect the specific things He wants for me, so I will pray, call forth, and wait when necessary until they come. Then, I will move forward in prayer to find out new blessings & rewards He desires for me. I will let the Holy Spirit constantly inventory my heart to ensure my motives are right, yet I understand the motive behind my prayer requests is not dishonorable even though some things he wants for me and my family are higher cost than I have ever had. The LORD simply knows how to give good gifts and sometimes desires that you and I have things beyond our current financial ability to obtain. When blessings and rewards are properly obtained, appreciated, and managed they allow you to initiate greater acts of faith, be more useful in Kingdom service, meet family needs, and offer a testimony of His goodness to others, etc.

Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:9-13, Psalm 2:8, James 4:1-2

Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!

You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com

You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.

You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and LinkedIn

You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ