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!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
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!!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
MoneyWalk 55: Don't Borrow Unnecessarily
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
This process starts by saying no to any loan for items that depreciate in value when you cannot immediately pay cash for them and when accepting the credit won't immediately benefit you by allowing your savings to accumulate at a higher interest rate than the interest rate you would pay the creditor on the loan balance.
It’s impossible to meet these requirements with most types of borrowing, including revolving credit card and store charge card accounts, because most institutions that offer such credit charge you very high interest rates. For example, the interest rate for most store charge cards is usually greater than 20%. While the interest rate for some credit cards can be lower, by accepting them you’re generally allowing the credit card issuer to raise interest rates sometime down the road if it believes you then represent greater risk of not paying or not paying on time, etc.
For the most part the rates on these cards hover in the teens and are much too high to presume that you can invest and monthly, annually, or over the long haul generate more investment growth than you’ll pay out in interest. This inability to generate greater growth does not even encompass the various penalties you will pay if you are not able to meet the card issuer’s payment requirements down the road.
There is a very small percentage of people who have played the hedging odds and seem to have beaten the system; people who have financed their business ventures using credit cards and yet experienced such a surge in customers that it seems their revenue has overcome the interest they paid on the credit cards. The small group that seems to have been successful probably represents less than one percent of business owners who have used this method. Don’t let what seem right now to be their success fool you into thinking that this is a prudent strategy for financing a business. Most of those who have tried this method have gone belly up.
Biblical instruction strongly guides you to pursue your financial life, personal and business, from a debt-free mindset; asking God and seeking a number of godly counselors who can help you find prudent ways to start and invest in business endeavors and purchase personal merchandise that is desirable to you. The vast majority of people I’ve met who did not follow this method have found themselves in financial turmoil at some point in their lives and the turmoil for many continues today because they still refuse to utilize biblical money management instruction to guide their financial affairs.
If you have a history of undisciplined use of credit cards, then you should immediately discipline yourself to stop using them, build at least three months of income in an emergency reserve account, and even eventually cut up the ones you have and throw them away because they will continue to bring torment into your life.
If you are a disciplined spender who stays well within established budget boundaries, a low interest revolving credit card will generally not hurt you because you will only use it for convenience and record-keeping purposes where you will only make purchases already accounted for in your budget and you never charge more on these cards than the amount of cash you have available in the bank minus your monthly bills, saving, investing, tithing, and giving.
Though scripture does not absolutely say that you cannot take on any debt, it strongly advises you to live debt-free and that God desires debt-freedom for you. The compounding interest nature of most debt will wreck your ability to build wealth for the future. The enemy knows this and tempts you to satisfy the cravings of your flesh using debt instruments. However, when you commit to God’s plan of living debt-free He will provide your every need without you having to borrow to supply it. When you refuse to take on debt, you enable the LORD to supernaturally provide by moving others to provide needs and desires at no cost when you're unable to purchase them.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Deuteronomy 28:12, Psalms 37:21, Proverbs 22:7, 27:23-24, Romans 13:8
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
This process starts by saying no to any loan for items that depreciate in value when you cannot immediately pay cash for them and when accepting the credit won't immediately benefit you by allowing your savings to accumulate at a higher interest rate than the interest rate you would pay the creditor on the loan balance.
It’s impossible to meet these requirements with most types of borrowing, including revolving credit card and store charge card accounts, because most institutions that offer such credit charge you very high interest rates. For example, the interest rate for most store charge cards is usually greater than 20%. While the interest rate for some credit cards can be lower, by accepting them you’re generally allowing the credit card issuer to raise interest rates sometime down the road if it believes you then represent greater risk of not paying or not paying on time, etc.
For the most part the rates on these cards hover in the teens and are much too high to presume that you can invest and monthly, annually, or over the long haul generate more investment growth than you’ll pay out in interest. This inability to generate greater growth does not even encompass the various penalties you will pay if you are not able to meet the card issuer’s payment requirements down the road.
There is a very small percentage of people who have played the hedging odds and seem to have beaten the system; people who have financed their business ventures using credit cards and yet experienced such a surge in customers that it seems their revenue has overcome the interest they paid on the credit cards. The small group that seems to have been successful probably represents less than one percent of business owners who have used this method. Don’t let what seem right now to be their success fool you into thinking that this is a prudent strategy for financing a business. Most of those who have tried this method have gone belly up.
Biblical instruction strongly guides you to pursue your financial life, personal and business, from a debt-free mindset; asking God and seeking a number of godly counselors who can help you find prudent ways to start and invest in business endeavors and purchase personal merchandise that is desirable to you. The vast majority of people I’ve met who did not follow this method have found themselves in financial turmoil at some point in their lives and the turmoil for many continues today because they still refuse to utilize biblical money management instruction to guide their financial affairs.
If you have a history of undisciplined use of credit cards, then you should immediately discipline yourself to stop using them, build at least three months of income in an emergency reserve account, and even eventually cut up the ones you have and throw them away because they will continue to bring torment into your life.
If you are a disciplined spender who stays well within established budget boundaries, a low interest revolving credit card will generally not hurt you because you will only use it for convenience and record-keeping purposes where you will only make purchases already accounted for in your budget and you never charge more on these cards than the amount of cash you have available in the bank minus your monthly bills, saving, investing, tithing, and giving.
Though scripture does not absolutely say that you cannot take on any debt, it strongly advises you to live debt-free and that God desires debt-freedom for you. The compounding interest nature of most debt will wreck your ability to build wealth for the future. The enemy knows this and tempts you to satisfy the cravings of your flesh using debt instruments. However, when you commit to God’s plan of living debt-free He will provide your every need without you having to borrow to supply it. When you refuse to take on debt, you enable the LORD to supernaturally provide by moving others to provide needs and desires at no cost when you're unable to purchase them.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Deuteronomy 28:12, Psalms 37:21, Proverbs 22:7, 27:23-24, Romans 13:8
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
MoneyWalk 54: Giving Blesses You!
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
God recognizes that you honor Him first when your heart is conditioned to budget your income so that your plan is always to first make sure He will receive (thru His church – the local representation of Jesus Christ on earth) the portion of your income that scripture instructs.
Actually giving the amount to Him first may be possible if you’re an entrepreneur who makes the decision how all disbursements from your gross business revenue will be given out. However, it is impossible for most people who work for employers that are obligated by Uncle Sam to automatically take income and payroll tax from your gross pay and forward it federal, state, and local governments.
The fact that you cannot actually give to God first is not dishonoring to Him in this situation because you cannot exert control over this government mandated process. The Lord is more interested in you not giving Him blemished, spotted, wrinkled, and crippled sacrifices with regard to the after tax income that is in your control. Spending first on all your desires and even things you feel you need when you have not set aside the tithe and an offering for Him and His kingdom use is dishonoring God because it shows that you do not trust Him to care for all your need while you follow His instructions.
That house, car, kid’s camp, private school tuition, food, clothing, etc. is not more important than following His commands and instructions. We must let our heart be transformed in the area of managing income and giving so that we can say like the psalmist, “Obeying your every word is my necessary food!” When you follow scriptural instructions God will take care of all your need and many times way beyond that even though the picture looks grim right now.
The scriptures about Abraham, Jacob, faithful Israelites as well as Jesus instructions in Matthew 23:23 and the example in Hebrews 7:8 show that the tithe given to Jesus’ under-shepherd’s on earth (church leaders) and received by Him in Heaven is the starting point for determining our faithfulness managing our income to glorify God. Beyond that He desires that we willingly give an offering because we love Him and other people and desire to see them reached with the gospel and saved from destruction.
The organism and mechanism He built for carrying out that mission is His organized church lead by elders such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who equip believers and administer all the physical aspects needed to make it happen (meeting places, tools, classes, volunteers, paid staff, instruction to deacons, etc.).
It is not the ten percent tithe and an offering that keep people from having their needs met or living an abundant life. It is their lack of planning and budgeting to honor God with the first fruits of their income when they receive it that causes them to dwell in the land of broke, disgusted, and can’t be trusted. Ninety percent of your income less an offering and required taxes is more than enough to live on when you have the Living God supporting you.
They simply don’t trust the truth of His word that if they obey He will:
1) Open the windows of Heaven over them and pour them out a blessing they don’t have room enough to receive.
2) Rebuke the devourer for their sakes so that they are abundantly fruitful.
3) Add all the other things to them.
4) Inspire people to give into their lives full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
5) Cause all grace to abound to them so that they have all sufficiency in all things and more than enough for every good work they are supposed to do and help with.
6) Provide all their need according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ.
Being a faithful giver may require you to sacrifice some pleasures and reduce the amount you're currently paying some of your creditors in order to tithe and give offerings to God. However, in due time, He will supernaturally bless your finances by getting the devil off your case. This allows you to eventually obtain money you need to pay all creditors what you owe them, stay out of debt, and live in abundance well into the future. Let’s wholly put our trust in Him and not in what we think is best based on our limited view of the situation, surroundings, and future.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Genesis 14:20-24, Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
God recognizes that you honor Him first when your heart is conditioned to budget your income so that your plan is always to first make sure He will receive (thru His church – the local representation of Jesus Christ on earth) the portion of your income that scripture instructs.
Actually giving the amount to Him first may be possible if you’re an entrepreneur who makes the decision how all disbursements from your gross business revenue will be given out. However, it is impossible for most people who work for employers that are obligated by Uncle Sam to automatically take income and payroll tax from your gross pay and forward it federal, state, and local governments.
The fact that you cannot actually give to God first is not dishonoring to Him in this situation because you cannot exert control over this government mandated process. The Lord is more interested in you not giving Him blemished, spotted, wrinkled, and crippled sacrifices with regard to the after tax income that is in your control. Spending first on all your desires and even things you feel you need when you have not set aside the tithe and an offering for Him and His kingdom use is dishonoring God because it shows that you do not trust Him to care for all your need while you follow His instructions.
That house, car, kid’s camp, private school tuition, food, clothing, etc. is not more important than following His commands and instructions. We must let our heart be transformed in the area of managing income and giving so that we can say like the psalmist, “Obeying your every word is my necessary food!” When you follow scriptural instructions God will take care of all your need and many times way beyond that even though the picture looks grim right now.
The scriptures about Abraham, Jacob, faithful Israelites as well as Jesus instructions in Matthew 23:23 and the example in Hebrews 7:8 show that the tithe given to Jesus’ under-shepherd’s on earth (church leaders) and received by Him in Heaven is the starting point for determining our faithfulness managing our income to glorify God. Beyond that He desires that we willingly give an offering because we love Him and other people and desire to see them reached with the gospel and saved from destruction.
The organism and mechanism He built for carrying out that mission is His organized church lead by elders such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who equip believers and administer all the physical aspects needed to make it happen (meeting places, tools, classes, volunteers, paid staff, instruction to deacons, etc.).
It is not the ten percent tithe and an offering that keep people from having their needs met or living an abundant life. It is their lack of planning and budgeting to honor God with the first fruits of their income when they receive it that causes them to dwell in the land of broke, disgusted, and can’t be trusted. Ninety percent of your income less an offering and required taxes is more than enough to live on when you have the Living God supporting you.
They simply don’t trust the truth of His word that if they obey He will:
1) Open the windows of Heaven over them and pour them out a blessing they don’t have room enough to receive.
2) Rebuke the devourer for their sakes so that they are abundantly fruitful.
3) Add all the other things to them.
4) Inspire people to give into their lives full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
5) Cause all grace to abound to them so that they have all sufficiency in all things and more than enough for every good work they are supposed to do and help with.
6) Provide all their need according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ.
Being a faithful giver may require you to sacrifice some pleasures and reduce the amount you're currently paying some of your creditors in order to tithe and give offerings to God. However, in due time, He will supernaturally bless your finances by getting the devil off your case. This allows you to eventually obtain money you need to pay all creditors what you owe them, stay out of debt, and live in abundance well into the future. Let’s wholly put our trust in Him and not in what we think is best based on our limited view of the situation, surroundings, and future.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Genesis 14:20-24, Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
MoneyWalk 53: How Much Is Enough?
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
The bible warns everyone not to trust in money no matter what assets or income they hold in life because it will fail you. Just when you think you’ve obtained enough you’ll experience a problem too big or too relationship-based for money to take care of.
In contrast, scripture tells everyone to trust in Jesus Christ because what you do for Him will last. Through this relationship God is helping you build an eternal habitation in heaven and a portal on earth for other men to find Him and experience the depth of love that you’ve come to know in Him.
God provides lifestyle principles and material things for the faithful (rich and poor) that they don't have to pay for; allowing them to tithe and give more of their income in offerings to their local church and other ministries in order for the gospel to be spread worldwide and be a blessing to many others.
The biblical model of money management recognizes that more money and more things will not make you happier or better, rather fulfilling His purpose for your life will bring fulfillment. Thus, the lifestyle that helps draw into your life the kind of people, resources, money, etc. that God will use to help you fulfill His plan for your life is the kind that meets your true needs and builds wealth that lasts throughout many generations and into eternity.
No matter the size of your income you can, in an abundant way, deliver the gospel of Christ to other people. The parable of the talents and minas in the books of Matthew and Luke show that God expects you to properly manage your talent, mind, income, and assets according to His commands. You can expect great blessings when you follow His instructions.
The opposite form of lifestyle and money management thinks the winner is the one with the most money, stuff, position, power, and earthly influence. It brings eternal if not earthly destruction and fails to provide you and other loved ones with the principles, fortitude, and activities necessary to be truly successful in God’s eyes.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 3:9-18, 27:23-27, Matthew 25:14-31, Luke 19:12-27
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
The bible warns everyone not to trust in money no matter what assets or income they hold in life because it will fail you. Just when you think you’ve obtained enough you’ll experience a problem too big or too relationship-based for money to take care of.
In contrast, scripture tells everyone to trust in Jesus Christ because what you do for Him will last. Through this relationship God is helping you build an eternal habitation in heaven and a portal on earth for other men to find Him and experience the depth of love that you’ve come to know in Him.
God provides lifestyle principles and material things for the faithful (rich and poor) that they don't have to pay for; allowing them to tithe and give more of their income in offerings to their local church and other ministries in order for the gospel to be spread worldwide and be a blessing to many others.
The biblical model of money management recognizes that more money and more things will not make you happier or better, rather fulfilling His purpose for your life will bring fulfillment. Thus, the lifestyle that helps draw into your life the kind of people, resources, money, etc. that God will use to help you fulfill His plan for your life is the kind that meets your true needs and builds wealth that lasts throughout many generations and into eternity.
No matter the size of your income you can, in an abundant way, deliver the gospel of Christ to other people. The parable of the talents and minas in the books of Matthew and Luke show that God expects you to properly manage your talent, mind, income, and assets according to His commands. You can expect great blessings when you follow His instructions.
The opposite form of lifestyle and money management thinks the winner is the one with the most money, stuff, position, power, and earthly influence. It brings eternal if not earthly destruction and fails to provide you and other loved ones with the principles, fortitude, and activities necessary to be truly successful in God’s eyes.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 3:9-18, 27:23-27, Matthew 25:14-31, Luke 19:12-27
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
MoneyWalk 52: The Diligent Person Is Made Rich
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Start working to please the Lord instead of man. This heart attitude positively changes the environment in which you work and moves the LORD to provide more opportunities for your upward mobility. If you become a diligent worker who doesn't complain, your present situation will become a link to the next higher step in God's spiritual and financial development for you. He'll show you how to stretch your current income and He'll increase it at various points in the future through promotions and new opportunities that may be in fields and places other than your current employment.
Allowing a root of bitterness to take hold because you believe God or men owe you something more than your current income provides causes depression. In addition, such an ungrateful attitude is normally accompanied by unfaithfulness to assigned tasks. This causes you to suffer emotionally, financially, and spiritually because it does not allow your diligence to be seen by those around you and thus does not provide an avenue for elevation by the mighty hand of God. In fact, the rotten fruit produced by it will ultimately result in your being abased in life and in eternity, when un-repented it causes you to forsake relationship with Christ.
Be diligent and aspire to lead your life in quietness and peacefulness while producing good work. When you see your job as a blessing instead of a burden you oil the godly networking machine so it can positively change your financial future. Many opportunities will come your way as a result of a diligent attitude and actions. This will bring promotions and increases that lead to elimination of debt and business ventures that were not possible when you were discontent and full of negativity.
Another benefit that accrues through diligence in living out biblical principles including those related to your finances is that you will overcome the destruction caused by engaging in worldly financial behaviors. For example, people who decided and acted to eliminate debt and live debt-free and stuck with that plan found that they are not negatively affected by ways in which many institutions and employers use credit histories to determine prices, interest, and penalties you pay now and in the future for merchandise and services.
These folks use debt sparingly and responsibly, if at all, and only on business endeavors or assets that have a long-term history of appreciating in value. Thus, they did not experience negative outcomes with regard to the review and scoring of their credit histories. Living in God’s principles produces responsible and prudent people and served as a guard against the financial collapse that many others suffered.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Psalm 75:6-7, Proverbs 6:6-11, 19:15, 2Thessalonians 3:10-12, James 2:21-26
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Start working to please the Lord instead of man. This heart attitude positively changes the environment in which you work and moves the LORD to provide more opportunities for your upward mobility. If you become a diligent worker who doesn't complain, your present situation will become a link to the next higher step in God's spiritual and financial development for you. He'll show you how to stretch your current income and He'll increase it at various points in the future through promotions and new opportunities that may be in fields and places other than your current employment.
Allowing a root of bitterness to take hold because you believe God or men owe you something more than your current income provides causes depression. In addition, such an ungrateful attitude is normally accompanied by unfaithfulness to assigned tasks. This causes you to suffer emotionally, financially, and spiritually because it does not allow your diligence to be seen by those around you and thus does not provide an avenue for elevation by the mighty hand of God. In fact, the rotten fruit produced by it will ultimately result in your being abased in life and in eternity, when un-repented it causes you to forsake relationship with Christ.
Be diligent and aspire to lead your life in quietness and peacefulness while producing good work. When you see your job as a blessing instead of a burden you oil the godly networking machine so it can positively change your financial future. Many opportunities will come your way as a result of a diligent attitude and actions. This will bring promotions and increases that lead to elimination of debt and business ventures that were not possible when you were discontent and full of negativity.
Another benefit that accrues through diligence in living out biblical principles including those related to your finances is that you will overcome the destruction caused by engaging in worldly financial behaviors. For example, people who decided and acted to eliminate debt and live debt-free and stuck with that plan found that they are not negatively affected by ways in which many institutions and employers use credit histories to determine prices, interest, and penalties you pay now and in the future for merchandise and services.
These folks use debt sparingly and responsibly, if at all, and only on business endeavors or assets that have a long-term history of appreciating in value. Thus, they did not experience negative outcomes with regard to the review and scoring of their credit histories. Living in God’s principles produces responsible and prudent people and served as a guard against the financial collapse that many others suffered.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Psalm 75:6-7, Proverbs 6:6-11, 19:15, 2Thessalonians 3:10-12, James 2:21-26
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
MoneyWalk 51: Patience Is Required
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
In order to truly prosper on earth and throughout eternity, you must sow seed by doing the things that God told believers to do. You will have a mind to follow His commands only when you diligently seek Him in praise, worship, and prayer. Such intimacy will cause you to by faith honor God in doing good works, tithing, and offering.
Struggles and difficult financial situations will arise because giving to support ministry allows the gospel to spread throughout the Earth thereby positively changing the lives of men. Satan and his demonic forces don't want your money used for this purpose because they hate humans and want us destroyed.
Never fear, walk by faith and not by sight believing God's word that He will work all situations for good for those who love Him. So, faithfully serve, tithe, and give offerings to Christian ministries to meet the needs of other people at home and abroad. Then exhibit patience by waiting for the fruit of God's economic plan to ripen so that you may harvest them for the benefit of others and yourself.
Patiently seeking the Lord, waiting on Him to provide when the time is right, using biblical principles to order your life and your finances throughout your life will ensure that the windows of Heaven remain open to you with blessings poured upon you. You will not have room enough to contain them and thus you will get to pour much of it out upon other people. You are blessed to be a blessing.
Remember Jesus did not come to earth to be crucified until 4,000 years of life on earth had passed. Once here, He could not begin His earthly ministry at 12 years old instead He had to be patient and wait until He was 30 years old. He couldn’t bypass the ridicule, persecution, and suffering but had to endure 3.5 years until He was hung on and nailed to a cross. Then, he could not immediately come down but in agony suffered for awhile. Finally, He died and had to wait 3 days for His resurrection to be made evident.
In this same manner, you will suffer persecution, ridicule, embarrassment and some other distasteful acts and rules against you when you serve Christ to the world. While doing all you can to be His witness and find ways to spread His Word and share His Life with others, you must exhibit patience and let it produce its perfect work. God will continue to give you ultimate victory over satan, demons, and wicked people in eternity and in this life and you will lack nothing that is needed.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 20:21, Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 5:3, Galatians 6:9, James 1:2-8
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
In order to truly prosper on earth and throughout eternity, you must sow seed by doing the things that God told believers to do. You will have a mind to follow His commands only when you diligently seek Him in praise, worship, and prayer. Such intimacy will cause you to by faith honor God in doing good works, tithing, and offering.
Struggles and difficult financial situations will arise because giving to support ministry allows the gospel to spread throughout the Earth thereby positively changing the lives of men. Satan and his demonic forces don't want your money used for this purpose because they hate humans and want us destroyed.
Never fear, walk by faith and not by sight believing God's word that He will work all situations for good for those who love Him. So, faithfully serve, tithe, and give offerings to Christian ministries to meet the needs of other people at home and abroad. Then exhibit patience by waiting for the fruit of God's economic plan to ripen so that you may harvest them for the benefit of others and yourself.
Patiently seeking the Lord, waiting on Him to provide when the time is right, using biblical principles to order your life and your finances throughout your life will ensure that the windows of Heaven remain open to you with blessings poured upon you. You will not have room enough to contain them and thus you will get to pour much of it out upon other people. You are blessed to be a blessing.
Remember Jesus did not come to earth to be crucified until 4,000 years of life on earth had passed. Once here, He could not begin His earthly ministry at 12 years old instead He had to be patient and wait until He was 30 years old. He couldn’t bypass the ridicule, persecution, and suffering but had to endure 3.5 years until He was hung on and nailed to a cross. Then, he could not immediately come down but in agony suffered for awhile. Finally, He died and had to wait 3 days for His resurrection to be made evident.
In this same manner, you will suffer persecution, ridicule, embarrassment and some other distasteful acts and rules against you when you serve Christ to the world. While doing all you can to be His witness and find ways to spread His Word and share His Life with others, you must exhibit patience and let it produce its perfect work. God will continue to give you ultimate victory over satan, demons, and wicked people in eternity and in this life and you will lack nothing that is needed.
Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Proverbs 20:21, Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 5:3, Galatians 6:9, James 1:2-8
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
