Why He Came

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written." (John 21:25)

As God cannot be contained or completely explained, what Jesus did on this earth cannot be adequately covered. It could be summarized by: revealing, teaching, healing, atoning and rising again. Every action by Jesus had the same loving intention as the Father... towards restoring us.

Jesus spent His allotted time showing us about the Father - "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way." (John 5:19)

Jesus went throughout the all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. (Matthew 9:35)

In other accounts Jesus stopped a violent storm, caused a catch of an enormous amount of fish, turned water into wine, fed the 5,000 He was teaching, raised several from the dead, restored the ear of one who came to capture Him, asked forgiveness towards those who were crucifying Him, and brought eternal salvation to the dying man hanging next to Him.

In John 10:10 Jesus stated clearly the difference between the enemy and Himself - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."

Knowing all of this evidence about the loving, redeeming character of our Lord shown towards every aspect of our lives, is there any doubt that He wants to bring restoration to your finances as well?

You may ask, "How do I receive this restoration?" Our first step is to acknowledge Him as Lord by giving back to Him in tithes and offerings. Last month's post titled "It Takes Money" has much encouragement for being obedient in this area.

We next need to examine our level of contentment, as it will be reflected in how much we've spent (or overspent) on things. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul wrote that having food and clothing, we shall therefore be content. Recognizing our needs versus our wants is key here.

Get close with the Lord, share with Him your shortcomings and ask Him for power in overcoming temptation to overspend, and to bless your efforts to become free of debt. Be receptive to the Holy Spirit prompting you to be generous towards others or ministries.

Establish a plan to reduce and eliminate debt. We offer a free 3-hour class at Broomfield Assembly, providing a step-by-step debt elimination plan, the practical steps you can take, and a multitude of motivating scriptures.

And even after having left this earth, Jesus extended this invitation to help in restoring us... "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

It Takes Money

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" In these deep words from Christ to His disciples in Matthew 16:26, He was illuminating to them the temporary nature of this life on earth, and to not to allow the affection for it to rule over their love for God.

Earlier in Matthew 6:24, Jesus said "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

So why is this post titled "It Takes Money"? Because in the proper handling of our money, we are able to express our faith unto God, that His Word is true and that we trust Him. The first way we are able to do so is in tithes and offerings.

In Proverbs 3:9 it is written "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." We can say that we honor the Lord, but it is by obedience in giving according to His Word that we are proving so. It takes money to do that, brought about by our faith and love in Him. If you are not tithing, it does not take more money to do so - as we may be deceiving ourselves, it takes putting things in the correct order.

Simply put, we place the Lord first by allotting to Him our tithes and offerings first - before we write out checks or make payments to other things. You may think those other payments are important, but none of those other recipients of our funds will do for us what is promised by the Lord for those who are faithful in tithing in Malachi 3:

"I will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing there will not be room enough to store it"

"I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field"

Regarding His promises above for being faithful in tithes, God speaks in a rare way... He says "Test me in this". The Hebrew word is bachan, which means to prove. The Lord is emphasizing His ability and willingness to respond to our faith in this area, even going to the degree of challenging us to test him.

We can be a blessing by giving our time to other persons or ministries. In your giving of money to others and ministries, it is a good and obedient act to do in itself, and be encouraged that we are also promised this - "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) It takes money to do our part in that promise.

If you feel there is too little money in your wallet for tithes, giving to others and ministries, you have two choices (1) find a way to bring more money in (2) examine your heart and your spending, considering these words from Jesus:

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34)

If there is an imbalance, we can come to God and confess that we have missed the mark. We can ask as David asked in Psalm 51:10, to "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me." The Lord will respond to that prayer, and show you the areas of spending that can be adjusted, allowing you to tithe and give in obedience.

After you've responded in faith and love, and then sensed the peace from God that comes from obedience while seeing Him faithful in keeping His promises to you for doing so there is simply no turning back. You've added another pillar of strength that reinforces how real God is, the truth of His Word and how He loves you and only desires the best for you as His child.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

It Takes Control

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Looking at those three words of the title for this post and its relation to our finances, think first about what it means to emphasize the last word - It Takes Control. It does take control to put down what our flesh so eagerly wants, which is always beyond what we can afford. Our flesh will want more than we need, of a higher caliber than our budget allows, and sooner than we have the funds to pay for it.

A solid strategy for defeating this is by practicing patience. In Proverbs 16:32 it is written, "Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." Delaying a sizeable purchase and using patience, you will have time to calculate how much you have available and what it will really cost you, a chance to research if it is a good value, the opportunity to pray to the Lord and to sense His will for it, and the time to see if you really want it as time passes.

Now, think about emphasizing the first word - It Takes Control. This is where we can find ourselves when we let having that "thing" have rule over us. We give into that it has to be bought now - removing any chance to applying the wisdom we could have used in the past paragraph... knowing if we can or cannot afford it, if the price is right, knowing God's will, and sifting if our desire for it continues or not.

A graphic example is in Proverbs 25:28 - "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." Those who repeatedly give in to impulse buying have their "walls" broken through, usually resulting in heavy credit card debt, a multitude of things they do not need, along with the constant burden and stress of how they will pay for it all.

In all of civilization, it has never been easier to do these two things - First, it's never been easier to get into debt and get in rapidly over your head. The ease of obtaining credit cards (at high interest) and their acceptance everywhere - from fast-food places to our government, and even vending machines creates more opportunities to pay interest on almost any purchase. At your computer or device you can buy anything from around the world 24/7 and have it shipped to your home - even next day if you're willing to pay enough.

Second, by leveraging the internet, it's never been easier to obtain information so you can make wise purchase decisions. Starting with the basics, like finding and loading digital coupons for groceries and using an app like Gas Buddy to locate the best gas prices nearby, up to getting reliability/consumer ratings on appliances, electronics, cars and service companies, and then shopping online to quickly locate the best deals. Many restaurant websites offer free and discounted meals, sent right to your e-mailbox, just for signing up with them.

For certain purchases, buying a high quality item is the right choice in the long run, but if your budget does not have room and a long time is required to save enough, consider buying used. For example, you can get a quality 4-year old car up to 40% off from the new price, while benefiting from the updated technology/safety features and improved longevity. You can also shop easily for many used items on CraigsList and other sites, with large savings versus buying brand new.

We all will make mistakes at times with our finances, but if we aim to be patient, humble ourselves and look to the Lord for wisdom and strength we are guaranteed to succeed by Him who empowers us - wrapped up in this verse that contains a promise, from Lamentations 3:25-26:

"The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

The Five P's

"And the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]." (Proverbs 1:5)

With the numerous traps out there and our own fleshly nature to overcome, acquiring skill to steer our course rightly with our finances requires a determined effort on our part. To make it easy to remember, I've named five keys to help which all begin with the letter P; Proverbs, Psalms, Prayer, Planning and Put (into action).

The book of Proverbs is credited to Solomon, who in 1 Kings 3 was asked by God what He could give him.  Solomon asked for and received a wise and discerning mind, which pleased the Lord and it was granted to him.  This book is filled with truths and descriptions by way of comparison, it provides a powerful way to receive great instruction - even in small portions of reading.

One example is in 22:7 - "The rich rule over the poor and borrower is servant to the lender." In one verse a clear picture is drawn and we are cautioned to avoid borrowing. Other verses show the distinct contrast between acting wise and foolishly... "There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it." (21:20)

The Psalms have many categories, however frequently we find praise unto God, describing His attributes and beautiful loving illustrations of who we are in relation to Him, both of which provide great encouragement to us.

In 147:5 it proclaims "Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexaustible and boundless." Knowing this combined with verse 118:6 imparts great confidence to our faith - "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" 

I personally rotate and read through both books nearly every morning, and can assure you it will put you in the right frame of mind to begin your day.

In addition to our normal times of Prayer, we need to speak and listen to the Lord about our finances - and not merely in the way of "Lord, I need this ______".  Being transparent before God about our financial shortcomings will help us to view the issue for what it is, and will enable the Lord to instruct us how to overcome. Psalms 25:9 says "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

Our prayers should include asking for wisdom in substantial financial matters. He knows all and He knows what is right for you, we just need to come to Him seeking to know His will. It can even be in the marketplace or at the computer... take a pause and ask the Holy Spirit to give you direction about making/not making that purchase, you will not regret doing so.

It is essential to establish a Plan for our finances - specifically a plan to eliminate debt. If you click on the Archives section of this page to December 2016, the post titled "Looking Forward" contains more detail in setting up a solid plan you can begin today to eliminate all debt in your household, generally paying it off in 5-7 years including your mortgage. You can also learn completely about this debt-elimination plan in a free 3-hour class available at Broomfield Assembly, contact the church or myself to learn more. 

With all the chaos and wrinkles that can come up, also having smaller plans will keep you on the path.  Whether it is having a list (and sticking to it) at the grocery store, setting limits for gifts and certain discretionary spending, to doing research prior to making large purchases-(Proverbs 15:22 says "Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.") All will assist you to stay to staying in bounds of what you can afford.

Most importantly, there is Put into action. Because all of the knowledge you gain means zero if you do not step forward with it. If you're carrying balances on credit cards and have interest-bearing loans in place, that interest is multiplying and counting against you everyday that you delay taking action to reduce and eliminate those debts.

When you accepted Christ as your Savior, the words of scripture were transformed from being on a page to something real in your life that you experienced, because you believed it in your heart and acted upon it.  It is the same with what you've read here about becoming debt-free - thousands of people have turned around their financial futures, showing it to be true by putting it into action.

Lastly, be encouraged from what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13 that the Lord is with you, working in you and will see you through - "[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight." 

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Our Source

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

Taken from Isaiah 58, these words remind us of just how much our loving God is committed to us and promises to be our source.

When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we received from Him a brand new life... one that we didn't have before... the life of God living in us, loving us, bringing us life and life more abundantly. That is why He declares we are born again in Him.

He delights in being our source, in proving Himself to be true to His Word, in making a way for us where there seems to be no way, in assuring us inside that He is always there and loves us. As we turn from our former ways, yielding to Him and allowing Him to be our source and strength we will increasingly see that the Lord is good and what God has prepared for us.

How does this relate to our finances? First, as you know, it takes strength to go out each day and do a good job to earn a living. The Lord promises to provide us with strength. In Isaiah 40 it says "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength."

In our work we need wisdom. I frequently ask the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom to perform well, to learn new ways of doing tasks, to be efficient - and He has responded. Deuteronomy 8:18 squarely states "But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth." An inspiring group of verses is found in Ephesians 6, calling us to work as unto the Lord and not unto man, and that we will receive our reward from the Lord for doing so. If we carry ourselves this way it will be a positive witness to our coworkers and make us valuable to our employers.

Now that we've earned our pay, the first way we acknowledge God as our source is to honor Him in tithes and offerings. In Leviticus 27, God calls the tithe as His and is holy to Him. And in response for obeying in Malachi 3 He promises to open the floodgates of heaven, pouring out so much blessing there will not be room enough to store it. Our God, who by speaking created all that you see, will certainly be faithful and keep His promise written to you.

If you lack wisdom in handling finances (or any matter), our source is beautifully promised in James 1:5 - "Ask of the giving God, Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproach or faultfinding, and it will be given him." All wisdom comes from God, and He desires to share it with those who humble themselves to ask Him.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be inside us as our Helper and Counselor. He is available 24/7 and can be our source for wisdom when facing a purchase decision in the marketplace, in front of our computer or anywhere. God knows what path and what timing is perfect for you, and will share it if you are sensitive to listen for Him.

Paul wrote about Christ being his source of contentment. In 1 Timothy 6 he speaks of godliness accompanied with contentment is great gain, and that with food and clothing we shall be content. In Philippians 4 he revealed that his inward strength comes from Christ, enabling him to live under all circumstances. Contentment will also enable us to turn away from spending money we do not have on optional things.

He is our source to remove our burdens. If there are pressures, come and share them with the Lord, be open about your fears and concerns. The more transparent you are with Him, the more He will assure you that He will carry your burden. Psalm 34:4 says "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." And Psalm 138:7 promises "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them... Your power will save me."

Lastly, considering God as our source be encouraged by what is written in 2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

The Last Time

"Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." These words from Ecclesiastes 11:4 remind us that if we wait for all conditions to be favorable, we won't act.

This topic will challenge you - but only if you go beyond reading the words and actually think about and answer these questions... honestly.

When was the last time you...

Honored the Lord with your tithes and offerings?

Gave to someone that had a financial need?

Asked the Holy Spirit to provide direction for a purchase decision or your finances?

If your answers to the above is never, then your finances have not "lived". There is a life to our finances that God intended for them. Following God's Word financially is another way we experience participating in the divine nature He has for us that is spoken of in 2 Peter.

Conversely, when was the last time you...

Made a purchase and regretted it shortly afterwards?

Had a zero balance on your credit cards?

Gave into buying something even though you knew it was going in over your head?

Felt like you weren't making enough money?

Why can it be difficult to be doing the first group of questions above, and easy to have recently done the things in the second group? It is because of the world's customs and our flesh.

The Lord knew this to be a challenge for us and provided the answer in Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We renew our mind by regularly reading and meditating on God's Word.

By doing so you will sense a greater love towards the Lord, along with an aspiration to obey Him, and a lessening to fulfill the desires of the flesh. You will also feel strengthened to step out of your comfort zone - doing what you had not done before.

I'll share an example of God being so generous in response to giving. I felt led to give into the church offering money I had for an oil change. Within the next week I received a job offer I sought - a better position, one that paid more, had better benefits and was closer to home. I gave a 2-week notice to my current employer, which resulted in them terminating me that day because I was going to a competitor, but with all my future pay.

I decided to start one week earlier at the new place (and thus got two paychecks that week) and was invited to the company picnic that weekend. There, my parents won a drawing for luggage and I won the grand prize of a stereo system - and I had not even started working there yet! I stayed there more than 25 years and was literally blessed beyond belief. God is faithful.

Lastly, be encouraged by these words I have known to be the truth, spoken in Hebrews 12:11. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Outnumbered, But Not Alone

Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, even in this will I be confident. The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalms 27)

To be victorious in our finances, or in any battle, it is important to know who and where your enemy is. The reality is there's a host of enemies working to divert your finances away from you to what you know is best - to tithe, to pay down debts and become debt-free.

To start, many of our parents showed an example of using (or abusing) credit cards, always carrying a car loan and a mortgage. In our youth our classmates and friends wore certain labels of clothing, had expensive gadgets, ate out frequently and took in entertainment that brought pressure to go along and fit in. As we get older, we can feel that same pressure to buy and do the things that our neighbors, coworkers and friends do.

The onslaught of advertisements from television, radio, billboards, mail, computers and phones has one goal - to excite you into spending your money on what they're selling... whether you have the money or not. I've said a funny definition about shopping centers, "A series of distractions intended to extract more dollars from the consumer than he/she originally intended to spend."

Even "financial experts" can be trying to sell you their stocks, bonds and mutual funds to gain a commission while also advising to not pay off your mortgage. (In our Debt-Freedom Class we cover this topic in detail)

Our closest opponent is our flesh, which tells us we will not be happy unless we buy that item, service or experience. The flesh has no concern for what it will do to our budget. Galatians 5:17 says the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh. Satan will try to tempt us through our flesh, which is why it must be put down.

Yes, we are outnumbered, but we are not alone.

Who is on our side? The servants of God usually are, teachers and Pastors - like Pastor Aaron, will share from God's Word, which has both practical knowledge for finances and instructs and encourages us how to overcome the desires of the flesh. Online searches for biblical financial guidance are available, beyond the basics from what is found on this page.

I am on your side. Each month this page will provide encouragement, scriptures to reinforce God's will for our finances, and practical steps you can take. At Broomfield Assembly you can always ask me for help and prayer about finances and debt. There is a free 3-hour Debt-Free Class available covering the action plan that can be started immediately, with plenty of information, scriptures and encouragement to get you on your way.

God sent us the Holy Spirit as our Counselor (read John 14), He is always with us 24/7. If we are sensitive to Him, the Holy Spirit will lead us to make wise decisions with our finances. It can be in an instant when in the marketplace, in quiet meditation before the Lord, and in bringing to our remembrance what we have learned. God says we'll be led forth with peace by Him, which is a good test to use when facing a purchase decision.

God Himself promises to always be there for us, on our behalf when in His will... "For the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." (Deuteronomy 20:4). He further encourages us in Isaiah 41:10 - "I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Lastly, know that you are not alone because the Lord your God - who said that His words shall never pass away, said this... "I will be with you. I will not abandon you. I will not leave you." (Joshua 1:5)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

All In

Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

In the example above the player believes he is holding the best hand, and is willing to to risk all he has against the others, known as going "all in". In following God's Word for our finances, we are holding the best hand. God has proven it to be true for thousands of years and will continue to do so forevermore... that is why we can go "all in" with Him.

Consider how you already trust the Lord to be true to His Word regarding your salvation, spiritually you are "all in". Here, we are talking merely about trusting our finances to the One who created us, loves us, keeps us and promises to always be there for us.

Let's first go over what is not being "all in", which is saying to yourself that...

I will tithe once I have more money or get a raise

I'm not waiting until I have the money, I want it now

I deserve this regardless of what the cost is

I have to have this or what will my friends think?

God's Word has shown us the "champions of faith", and the main characteristic of them is they went "all in" with what God said. The book of Kings has two accounts of widows who gave the last of what they had, Noah built an ark on land that had never seen rain, David came against a giant with five stones, Esther risked her life and approached the king unannounced to save her people.

I'll share what took place in our household once I got the revelation that God wanted us debt-free and was behind us 100%. We took out all of our savings down to the last $200 and put it towards our mortgage. My wife Karen said she felt more peace at that time than having the savings in the bank, because she had hope. I took second and third part-time jobs and Karen a second part-time job to help pay down our debts faster.

God responded to our being "all in". My manager called me into her office and seemed concerned if I was happy there (which I was), but after assigning me some minor duties I was given a 10% raise. Karen received out of the blue a reclassification of her job position with the county government and was given a 15% raise. God has and continues to show himself mightily on our behalf and others we have heard the testimonies of.

You may not choose to push as hard as we did, but you can still go "all in" towards handling your finances as God directs and becoming debt-free. If you get quiet before the Lord and seek His face, He will show you what to do. Here is a basic framework of what it should look like:

First, give to the Lord in tithes and offerings

Seek contentment and identify what your needs are versus your wants

If you cannot make ends meet, find a way to bring more money in, but do not borrow it

Pay down and pay off your smallest debt first, then move to the next one and so on

Be generous when you feel prompted to give

Lastly, take with you this "all in" verse that Pastor Aaron has been focusing on with us this past month - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Light The Way

In John 12:35, Jesus said "he who walks about in the dark does not know where he goes". You may desire to reduce and pay off your debts, but without clearly seeing where your money is spent, you do not know where you are going and you will likely fall off course.

I feel the #1 scripture to follow in becoming debt-free is found in Proverbs 21:20 - "There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it". How do we avoid wasting our finances? I feel that the #1 first step to take is recording and reviewing your spending.

It is only by knowing where your money is being spent that you can be aware of what specific areas are taking you off the path and being in the place of Proverbs 21:20, where the wise person was simply spending less money than they made.

When I had my first full-time job, I was frustrated at how little money I was ending up with. I wrote down my known expenses on a Post-It note, and then kept track of more. It was the most important step I took, because it was like an X-Ray showing what was going on, and how much of a bite certain categories were taking. It was only then that I could make some choices to get where I really wanted to be... and you can too.

Many options are available for tracking spending, from carrying a notebook, using cash and envelopes (for the problem categories like food and entertainment), logging a note in your phone as you make each purchase, to sophisticated free apps like Intuit Mint - and pay apps such as Clarity Money and You Need A Budget, which can easily pay for themselves.

If you will be logging your own purchases and you use a credit/debit card for most of them, you can go online and see your updated statement in real-time, not having to wait until the bill arrives.

Proverbs 27:23-24 instructs us, "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds; does a crown endure to all generations?" God is telling us to know the state of our finances and not be passive. The word diligent refers to continuous action, being persevering and careful to your work. After all, this is money you've labored hard for to earn in the first place, and knowing well how it's spent is important.

And lastly, God gives us one of the finest and clearest illustrations of what takes place - "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path". (Psalms 119:105)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Money Is Time

"Be very careful then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16).

A popular phrase goes "Time Is Money", and I feel that falls short of knowing what is really happening. Think about what your money represents... in most cases, it is an exchange for the hours you've worked. If you can relate to it that way, you'll better comprehend what it takes to make purchases and understand the finite amount you have available.

Every time you spend money, you are exchanging hours you've worked to acquire ________. Considering if __________ is worth the number of hours you've worked is a wise thought. Also know that when you pay interest, you're trading an additional number of hours worked just to have it sooner.

Usually we can equate this exchange to buying a house, we understand it is a 30-year commitment of a large portion of our take-home pay. But with the expanded use of credit cards, have we applied the same thought... especially considering how much our balance can fluctuate month-to-month?

Credit cards have high interest rates that average 14.95%, and the typical household has $7,400 in credit card debt. If that was paid sending in the minimum 2.5% each month, it will take 18 years to pay off with over $6,700 going to interest alone.

If you've been carrying a balance on your credit card for some time, calculate how many hours of your labor it will take to pay it off. You'll also have to account for taxes and tithes to the Lord before arriving at that figure. By doing so--and also knowing that the interest continues to count against you, you should want to reduce that balance now.

Proverbs 22:7 warns us that "a borrower is servant to the lender". When we borrow, we're promising from hours to years of our labor in wages that we haven't even earned yet... isn't that just like slavery? But unlike the regrettable slavery that took place long ago, we chose to be bound into this financial slavery today.

Jesus provides the insight to avoiding this from Luke 14:28, "For which of you wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see whether he has sufficient means to finish it". His context was in discipleship, but He used that analogy because those listening understood it fully.

Know that there are three ways to purchase something: 1) borrowing, 2) Using the funds you have today, 3) Using funds saved up for the purchase. By borrowing it requires additional hours of labor to pay the interest, by using today's funds it is equal, and using saved funds a gain can possibly come to us.

Try this going forward, in the context of trading your hours of labor for items - any purchase more than your hourly wage... think about it first. Any purchase higher than your daily wage... wait at least a day to see if you really need/want it. And any purchase beyond your paycheck amount... sit before the Lord and seek His wisdom about the purchase and its timing.

Lastly, be encouraged to know the Lord will always satisfy the needs of His children - "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Go Forth

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and yet it did not fall..." (Matthew 7:24-25)

Those words of encouragement from Jesus were said because He knew what the outcome would be for anyone - including you, who acts upon them. That is why God has seen to it that many of the scriptures illustrate what our future will be if we just go forth.

We are not necessarily going to know what will happen tomorrow... only God does, but if we go forth in faith to His Word, we can know and be assured that the Lord is alert and active, watching over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)

Think about how at your occupation your supervisor may direct you to do something. Now, at your level of knowledge you might not understand how that will work in the big picture, or even if you have the ability to accomplish what they've set out for you to do - but you go forth and take on the task.

Why? Because that supervisor is the one responsible for directing you to that effort. They have the knowledge of the higher mechanisms at work in the company, and how your assignment has its place in accomplishing the company's goals.

Translate that scenario to yourself and the Lord. You cannot always grasp why to be obedient or to step out in faith in an area, but God knows and He is the one responsible for rewarding you if that was promised, and for conforming you to the image of Christ. That is why our next step is to simply trust Him and go forth.

Over a year ago, I began employment with a new company, in a new occupation and a new industry. There was much assigned to me I did not understand, or if I could even handle it, but my supervisor was confident in my abilities to accomplish it. Now, I can see more of how my efforts fit into the overall objectives and by being successful I have greater trust in carrying out future plans.

God knows you... personally. He knows what you can do through Him. That is why His main command to us is to go forth and act upon His Word. So take Him at His Word, in the area of finances be obedient in tithing, by confining over spending in certain areas, in giving to a person or ministry in need - and see Him take care of performing His Word in your life.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them (John 13:17)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

2018 & Your Bible

"For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4)

As we begin a new year, I want to challenge you try something different - to create Your Bible. Think about what many of the books of the scriptures are... they are accounts of people who learned of God's ways, accepted and applied them by faith, sought the Lord in prayer and then saw Him intervene to bless them and to fulfill the promises that had been declared or what God had spoken to their hearts.

I'm encouraging you to try this for all areas spiritually, but today let's zero in on what it would look like in relation to finances and debt. You can begin with either a notebook or to create an electronic document, start either by copying special verses that speak to you. They can be ones that challenge because you know it's a place you're not yet obedient, like "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in My house" (Malachi 3:10) or "Owe no man anything but to love one another" (Romans 13:8).

There will be scriptures of encouragement, such as "Be strong, vigorous and very courageous... for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9), and "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Refer back to these, especially when you're tempted to turn away from continuing on the right path. Continue to add to these scriptures.

Next, write down the tangible steps you are taking, such as bringing your lunch to work some days of the week, giving faithfully in tithes, using an app like GasBuddy before filling up, giving to a special need for some one or a ministry, recording and watching your credit card charges in real-time during the month, reducing some area of spending that you know trips up your higher goals.

An important and faith-building portion is to record your prayers to the Lord. Be as detailed as you are in speaking and petitioning with Him. They can be for strength in avoiding overspending, receiving a promotion and increase at work, forgiveness or reduction of a financial debt, wisdom in making a larger purchase decision.

As you see answers to your recorded prayers, write them down next to the prayers in Your Bible. This black-and-white evidence will inspire you to pray more, increasing your faith for even greater things and works from the Lord, be a testimony to share with others and will magnify your love for Him.

The results of your efforts and the Lord's blessing are worthy of writing down also, such as eliminating one of the credit cards, retiring a particular bill that has lingered for a long time, paying off the car, being able to have a down payment for the house you're looking for.

Looking back on this effort, you'll realize what you're recording is no different than what is in the scriptures from 2,000+ years ago - it is what's been spoken and promised by God, what prayers and steps you took by faith in response, and the results that appeared for you. That is why this will truly be Your Bible.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul