The Death Pledge

 

The Death Pledge

          

          Jesus called the devil a murderer from the beginning and He also stated "I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance."

          Why is this post titled The Death Pledge? Do you know what the origin of the word mortgage is? It comes from the Latin word "mortuus" (dead) and the French word "gage" (pledge).

          If you have entered into one for some time, it may feel like a pledge to the death, but the good news is it does not have to be that way - we'll cover that aspect a little later.

          First, let's focus on the Amortization Table. Many have never seen one or realize that it shows exactly how much of your payment in a given month goes to Principal, how much to Interest, and the Balance remaining. In this example below we are using a $519,000 home with a 3% interest rate at a 30-year term.

          See how nearly $1,300 of the payment is going to Interest, and just under $900 to the Principal? When viewed this way, it feels like you are paying 59% interest and not the 3%. It's really just 3% if you pay it off in one year. This is factoring a historically low interest rate, when traditional rates are applied the table tilts much greater towards the Interest paid.

          At this low interest rate, it takes about 7 years for Principal paid to even equal the Interest paid, and by that time you will have made over $183,000 in payments, but only paid down about $83,000 from the Principal, still owing over $435,000. See the results in black-and-white below.

          For our first mortgage at 6.65%, it was to have taken 20 years for the Principal paid to be greater than the Interest paid.

          

          Now for the good news - you don't have to plod along this traditional way, working hard in "servitude" for 30 years. You can break free and gain your freedom!

          Regarding the methodology in the Debt-Freedom Class my wife Karen and I teach (and steps also found throughout this blog), the first debt to be paid down is that with the smallest monthly payment, and you progress to where your mortgage is the last remaining debt - so here we are covering only the mortgage segment.

          By making an additional payment amount beyond the mandatory monthly amount, that money is applied directly to the Principal - reducing it dollar-for-dollar that is paid. By taking this step you are gaining substantial additional equity every month, will have even more Principal reduced by your normal monthly payments, and rapidly move towards retiring the mortgage. Most households who follow the plan (first paying down other debts) then pay off their mortgage in 3-4 years.

          Remembering that Amortization Table, imagine you are the Mortgage Company... would you ever want a lender to pay down that amount early, or to just send you a check every month? Of course you would say "just send me a check every month."

          If you are considering a refinance option, reflect back on that Amortization Table and realize that they may say they're shaving off a percentage point or two in interest rate, but what they are doing with another 30-year note is plugging you back into the top of the table where you've just seen you're paying the most towards Interest and the least towards Principal.

          If you refinance, request to see what the payments look like at a 20 or 15-year mortgage instead of settling for 30 years. Some lenders allow you to set exactly the number of years you want - so you don't have to go back into that top of the table again.

          Jesus said in 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 topic was the commitment in following Him, and thus He used a parable all could understand.

          Remember you are not bound to paying a mortgage the traditional way. The Lord will help your cause in this - in our household God blessed us both with unexpected raises shortly after our commitment, which brought us to freedom even sooner, and we have heard testimonies of others who have had similar blessings occur. 

          That mortgage was not scheduled to be paid off until July 2023... had we not decided to go a different way.

          "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome". (Jeremiah 29:11)

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

Paul

          

          

           

Unless A Seed...

 

Unless A Seed...

          John 12:24 tells us "Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will only be a seed. If it dies, it will give much grain". Jesus spoke here concerning both His future sacrifice and to us in how to view advancing His kingdom and grow ourselves.

          So why is this familiar picture above from The Wizard Of Oz shown? Remember how the three characters Dorothy encountered all sought something they felt lacking - a brain, a heart, and courage?

          Now also recall how when they left their places, had compassion for Dorothy, and journeyed towards the Wizard Of Oz that in the end it was not the Wizard who gave them what they sought - as they had previously believed. It was as a result of moving forward and especially when they risked their lives in rescuing Dorothy from the castle that the qualities they already unknowingly possessed came out and made a difference.

          Just as the characters from the movie, you already have all the supreme qualities God desires to come out inside of you, placed there by His Holy Spirit. As believers in Christ, we have sown into our hearts God's Word, which centers around love, compassion and giving. As you continue to read and meditate on God's Word, you learn more about how this love is expressed by yielding to the Holy Spirit. 

          Our flesh will resist dying in areas and reaching out in faith to help others, but it is when this reaching out and dying occurs that the "much grain" which was proclaimed by Jesus will appear. I feel the Amplified Bible brings it out best in Ephesians 3:19 to say "That you may really come to know practically, through experience for yourselves the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience". It is by experiencing, practicing, walking towards others that we will come know the love of Christ.

          So how can we "die" in the area of finances? One way is to consider where our treasures are (see Matthew 6:19-21). If we are consumed with spending on ourselves and ignore the needs of others and the Lord's work it will show in our spending. Even beginning with the tithe, as through our church people are reached and ministered to both locally and around the globe through missionary support, affecting their eternal destiny.

          If tithing and giving offerings is a struggle, the first place to look is at your discretionary spending. Consider what is the end result of those "things" that were purchased... they turn to dust. Now consider what Matthew 6:20 says - to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, which lasts forever. If we "die" to inflated discretionary spending habits, we will then have sufficient means to tithe, give offerings and give to others, which will yield "much grain".

          Certainly, there are many areas we can apply the "dying" that Jesus spoke of and see a harvest. Lastly, be encouraged by what is written in Galatians 6:9:

"And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart."

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

Paul

          

Like A Thief

Like A Thief 

          "If the owner of a house had known when the robber was coming, he would have watched. He would not have allowed his house to have been broken into."

          In this portion of Matthew 24, Jesus is speaking in a parable about the suddenness of when He will come again, and to be ready. Let's draw from this concept about being prepared in our finances.

          The definition of thief states, "a person who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence."

          How do we allow "stealing" to occur in our finances? One way is by giving into our flesh. James 1:14 says "each person is tempted when he is dragged away and enticed by his own desire". 

          

          When we do not check ourselves in the marketplace or in front of the computer, and let our desire for things run rampant, the result is that many purchases later show to be for things which were not needed, frivolous or extravagant. If you peek into your closet, garage or basement, you probably can identify several items that fit this description.

          To improve in this area, seek The Helper that Jesus sent for us - His Holy Spirit. The Word says the Spirit will guide us into all truth and will provide us with peace. If you sense that uneasiness inside considering a purchase, wait and seek God's will and timing before moving forward. 

          Additional "stealing" happens when we fail to plan. From small matters, like having to stop at an expensive convenience store or vending machine, to the estimated 40% of household food that is wasted. Planning ahead and bringing lunch or coffee to work on occasion can reduce some of this theft in our finances.

          Then onto larger areas, the cost of our not having prepared for a known future purchase - by saving the money for it, results in either borrowing or charging on credit cards, which currently average over a 14% interest rate.

          The Living Bible version speaks it well of how Proverbs 21:20 encourages us to make provision for what is ahead - "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets." 

  

          Look at your subscriptions, memberships and monthly automated charges to your credit card, if you are not using them or receiving the value for them you should, break off that theft and you will see the positive result repeat each month.

          To help precisely locate the thief in your finances, I strongly encourage you to write down every expense for the next month or two. Most people are stunned when they realize exactly the real amounts they're spending in areas versus their perception. It is like an X-Ray at work, showing what is beneath the surface. 

          We also must make sure WE are not a thief. In Malachi 3:8, God declares "Will a man rob God? Surely not!  And yet you have robbed me. "What do you mean? When did we ever rob you?'  "You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due me."

          The Lord goes on to state there is a curse for committing this robbery, but also promises His provincial blessing for being faithful in this area - including opening up the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing so great it cannot be contained, and He will rebuke the devourer for our sakes.

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

Paul

          

          

My Prayer, Your Prayer

 

My Prayer, Your Prayer

          "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

          This month I would like to share with you an example of a prayer of mine for our families and members of our church body regarding finances, and for you to consider these areas in your prayers to the Lord.

          Thank you Lord, for this is the day that you have made. We, your people, will rejoice and be glad in it.  I ask that you provide us with strength, wisdom, efficiency and accuracy to do a good work this day - that we would work unto You. That our communications, conversations and cooperation would be beneficial and encouraging to our coworkers, and would bring glory to Your Name.

          That potential customers would favor the companies we work for in their hearts and minds, and that they would be pleased with their purchases. Give us direction regarding new work opportunities - encouragement to pursue doors that you have opened, and acceptance of doors that you have kept closed to us.

          Once we received our wages, that we would be mindful to first set aside the tithe unto You, and offerings as well. That we would give from a heart of honoring and loving You, and not a feeling of compulsion. That we would be sensitive to the needs of others inside and outside our church body, and give towards those needs.

          That we would be diligent to know that state of our finances, so we would not be surprised as bills arrive and be prepared to pay them. That we would be mindful to follow your Word and spend less than we make. That You would guide us to use prudence and patience in our financial commitments, obtaining all the facts while seeking your will first and waiting for your direction before acting. 

          Lead us towards finding, relishing and being content in You, and not seeking contentment in the things of this world. When we are in the marketplace and at our computers, give us wisdom and promptings from your Holy Spirit that we would purchase only what is needed. 

          In Jesus name... Amen.

          Certainly there will be very specific and personal matters to you, I hope this may help illuminate some areas to include, or spark some others in your prayers to God. If you would like me to agree with you in prayer, please feel free to seek me out and we can agree together.

          Lastly, be encouraged by what is written in Psalms 145:18 - "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth".

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

Paul

          

          

   

          

It's Already Happened

It's Already Happened

          "Remember the former things, which I did of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose." (Isaiah 46:10)

          There simply is no one else who can make that statement than the Lord God Almighty. As in our church body currently, Pastor Aaron has been teaching us in the book of Revelation, and we can see the alignment of things - which overwhelmed the comprehension of those from the past, all pointing towards what has been written for so long.

          With His omniscience, just as He'd seen all of these future events coming, He also knows exactly what will be your future as you obey Him.

          God declares in Malachi 3 that we "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground."

          This promise is tremendous, but the Lord also spoke in a rare way here - He said "Test me in this". The Hebrew word used 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.

          If tithing has been an area you've yet to yield to the Lord, I invite you to set aside those funds to do so with your next paycheck - even if you have to do without something or pay a bill short. Give the Lord the opportunity to show Himself faithful to you, I know it is His personal pleasure to do so, to make Himself be more real to you and strengthen your faith in Him.

          The same God who wrote these words of what is to come on Earth and all of His creation, is the One who will personally fulfill His promise to you in scripture.

          Likewise, in the area of giving to others and being generous, it is written in Proverbs 19:17 "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him." And in Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over..."

          God can confidently state here what will follow the believer who obeys, because He is the One who will see to it those events occur that cause that person who gives to be enriched - with the premise that believer will then be all the more generous in seeing the Lord continue the cycle of sowing and reaping.

          I'll share something very personal to you... after my wife Karen and I became debt-free, during a time of prayer I heard the Holy Spirit in a clear voice say regarding getting free of debt that "it was done for you in Heaven because it was settled in your heart and mind." And we did experience unexpected and generous blessings overtaking us as we progressed (see the October 2014 post "The Wind In Our Sails").

          What we read about on these pages of scripture are spiritual truths, spiritually these are already realities. These all become actual truths to us here on Earth as we step out in faith and obedience, because the One who wrote them all will see to it - as to the Lord, who sees from the beginning to the end, it's already happened.

          Lastly, let your faith be encouraged in these words spoken by Jesus in Luke 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

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

Paul

Your Independence

Your Independence

          In the 61st chapter of Isaiah, he said this - "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound."          

          Today marks our nation's Independence Day, a time to reflect and be thankful to God for the vision of a free country given to our forefathers, and how during the course of several trying years they courageously overcame nearly impossible odds and many gave their lives so we today could experience the liberty and freedom from being an independent nation.

          We are living a free country, but many are in bondage in their finances. This bondage of debt takes its toll on people physically and mentally over time. It has resulted in people of both high incomes and low losing homes and cars, strife in marriages and even divorce. 

          God plainly and accurately stated it in Proverbs 22:7 that "the borrower is servant to the lender". You know from your own experience for this verse to be true, in how you work day after day to satisfy the lenders you've borrowed from, and it can feel like an endless cycle of servitude.

          But God has shown us a better way - in Romans 13:8, "Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another". Of course this sounds desirable and positive, but how do we get there? God shares a basic approach 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." He is simply telling us to spend less than we make.

          If you click on the archives section under November 2019, the post titled "Seeds from A to Z" has a large group of areas where you can make changes immediately to free up money, allowing you pay down existing debts.

          Just as there is an almost limitless amount of things and places you can spend money on, we all have our own unique areas of spending that are different on where we can be tripped up. You know what areas of discretionary spending that you've indulged which have caused your debts to swell. If that is in question, write down every expense over the next month and it will show those areas.

          Where you want to be one month from now is having achieved an incremental level of independence over debt, even if it seems small. Perhaps by making a change in one area you freed up just $10 which helped lower your credit card bill... that is progress, that is applying your faith, that is demonstrating to you the positive result of what you did. God will certainly bless you for making that initial effort - we have seen it repeated many times where God brought financial blessings to people who began that effort.

          You will see your independence from the lenders evolve more and more, as balances are reduced, then credit cards and other bills are retired. The sense of freedom gained by removing debts is exhilarating, and I can tell you from experience of having lived free of debt for nearly 20 years that it is absolutely worth the effort and the only way to go.

          Lastly, believing that Jesus knows all - including the difference between serving Him and being in bondage to the enemy, keep with you and cling to these words: "Come to Me, all you labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest."

          

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

Paul

Your Hope and Expectation

Your Hope and Expectation

          "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is a latter end [future and reward] and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off."

           These few words from Proverbs 23:17-18 are powerful, in that they communicate three key areas we can focus on that will lead us and keep us on the path of obedience - including in our finances which we will concentrate on here, as well as provide confidence and encouragement.

          Let not your heart envy sinners - we're exposed to faulty ideals from TV, movies, performances, books and music, promoting extravagance and frequently taking evil or unscrupulous methods to obtain these things. This can promote a greed for a lifestyle that cannot be obtained.

          Beyond entertainment portrayals, people also get roped into trying to keep up with and impress those around them. What is unseen is the stress and hardship those others have trying to pay their bills... due to those persons trying to keep up with those around them. You may see nice things a person has and desire those items or their lifestyle, but you may not want to trade places with them if you could see their bills and their debt.

          Continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord - in April's post we covered the healthy fear of the Lord, which is to have reverence for Him above all other things and people. We are to fear the Lord more than fearing man over what he will think and trying to gain his approval.

          In doing so, we'll regard what God's Word says about honoring Him with our tithes and offerings, spending less than we make, keeping out of debt and being generous towards others above trying to emulate sinners that are on a self-destructing path.

Here is a simple picture of what that looks like:

          

          Your hope and expectation shall not be cut off - this is the inspired Word of God, delivering to you His answer personally and lovingly, that something as intimate and priceless as your precious hopes and expectations will be fulfilled.

          He assures you in this because it is conditional, knowing that you have guarded your heart to not envy the sinner and his way, and that you've drawn close to and reverenced Him with obedience. Therefore He knows that your hopes and expectations line up with His will and He will move all mountains and align all circumstances to make it so.

          Lastly, take with you this verse from Isaiah 40:31, sharing clearly where our hope is to be and what we shall receive from it - "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."

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

Paul