Your Independence Day

This month marks our nation’s Independence Day, a time to remember and be thankful for the vision of a free country, the struggles overcome and lives given in battle by our founders so that we could enjoy the liberty and freedom of becoming an independent nation.

You are living in a free country, but how much freedom do you have in your finances? Is there a tyranny of debt looming over you this day? The Word of God provides a description of this oppression in Proverbs 22:7 - “the borrower is servant to the lender”. We know this to be true in that it can feel like a slave to work all week and have so many bills left to address.

The good news is we can regain our freedom.

Just like our forefathers acquired independence one resolution, one action, and one battle at a time – we can move forward towards debt-freedom taking individual steps that when combined will add up and enable us to take significant strides.

Here is a list of some rapid-fire techniques and areas to look at changing that can create the room needed to reduce your debt load:

Caulk & insulate	Eat at home
Use coupons when dining out	Buy in bulk
Shop with a grocery list and stick with it	Buy the store brands
Never buy a new car or lease one	Reduce premium TV, internet, phone plans
Bring your lunch to work some days	Use your library (movies, books, magazines, CD’s)
Buy an Entertainment Book	Raise insurance deductibles
Host a garage sale	Set reasonable limits for gifts

The list does not cover everything, but it should get you started and have you thinking about what areas could be changed. What you have to ask is “how much do I want to get ahead and have freedom back in my finances, do I want it more than I want to possess these things”? You need to answer that yourself.

The fact is that when you make a few changes and have the new found money available to apply to debts (take your smallest balance bill first – pay it down and then move to the next smallest) and then see the result and the empowerment you feel, you will find more areas to change and freedom to take back in your life. By staying the course you will progress towards your Independence Day.

We sometimes think that doing without or reducing spending in areas will feel too confining. Yet, it is the monthly onslaught of bills and overspending that actually is confining us, and that is why we need to break free.

Matthew 6 brings things into perspective when in verse 25 it asks “Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing”? The answer is yes and the chapter later shares about the proper mindset – “But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides”.

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

Paul

As It Is In Heaven

Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… (Matthew 6:9-10)

These verses begin a guide to prayer that Jesus provided. Now reflect upon what He said about “on earth as it is in heaven”.

Can you imagine there being any debt or lack in Heaven? Of course not… there will be only abundance and giving, as that is consistent with the loving character of our Lord. Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. In agreement to the promises in God’s Word and what exists in heaven, we can pray for those same things - healing, provision, deliverance, forgiveness -- and to be free of debts.

The book of 2 Peter speaks about the divine nature that He desires we become partakers of, it is described as coming through the full personal knowledge of Him Who called us. God desires for our lives to be fulfilled in Him, partaking in the divine nature in every way – joy, love, freedom from fears and sin are just a few.

I encourage you to get on your knees before God. Count your blessings and thank Him with a grateful heart for all He has done for you. Be honest before Him and ask for forgiveness if errors have been made with finances and ask for wisdom from Him for the future. In James 1:5 He promises to aid us - “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly…”

God desires that each of us have freedom from debt. It may take a significant amount of time to fully achieve, but we can move forward taking steps each day that will lead towards reducing debts one by one. One of those steps is to recognize that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor (read John 14:26). Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when you are considering a purchase decision, He will lead you forth correctly by peace for that decision and peace with the results afterward.

Be comforted in knowing that God has a promise related to heaven for you to experience now – in response to our faith by first giving to Him in tithes and offerings… “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” (Malachi 3:10).

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

Paul

Prepare The Way

At the start of the Gospel of Mark, he declares “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)!” Mark was seeking to capture the attention of those to what would become the most important event of their day – the arrival and ministry of Jesus Christ on the Earth.

We basically know that in following the Lord, there are two requirements. First, to remove the obstacles in the way, which in most circumstances is our flesh. Second, to embrace lovingly and put into action in faith that which is written so we will see God’s Word performed. Let’s apply this towards the area of eliminating our debts and advancing towards a more prosperous future financially.

We need to recognize the fact that our flesh (fallen human nature) will always attempt to steer us away from God. Galatians 5:17 tells us “For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature).” Money and indebtedness is just another area the flesh seeks to bring about our ruin. It is our flesh that whines to us that we will not be happy without buying this thing. The flesh has no concern for what that thing will do to our budget.

Like any area the flesh tries to dictate to us, it will not be satisfied until it overtakes us. The loose supply of credit and acceptance of credit cards everywhere has allowed many households to get in over their heads in a short period of time. So how do we remove this obstacle of the flesh that is in the way? By reading, absorbing and taking to heart God’s Word.

As you read God’s Word regularly, meditate afterwards on what you’ve read, seek His face and goodness in times of prayer and communion with Him, you will notice a lowered desire for the things the flesh. Galatians 5:16 says – “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”

Second, reflecting on our love for the Lord and as a result increasing our desire to put into action what is written. A profound verse is Proverbs 30:25 - The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer. The instruction here is to consider this tiny insect of God’s creation, and how they do not consume all that they have gained, but lay aside provision for the seasons to come. We can learn wisdom from this.

A step you can take today is to go over your monthly fixed bills, then your credit card statement – looking for fixed monthly payments… then evaluate if you are really benefitting from these repeated charges. If you are spending more than you make finding a bill or two to reduce or remove here can have a good impact, because the savings will be repeated each month. We just reduced one bill (cable & internet) and removed another (Netflix) in our household from doing this simple step.

Lastly, if you have cares regarding your finances, be encouraged by this promise from God - Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalms 55:22)

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

Paul

Knowing What It’s Worth

“For He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].” (Matthew 5:45). A couple weeks ago our corporate office informed us they were terminating the employment of our team of 18 persons, effective at the end of that week. Just over 10 years ago I had also received a sudden termination notice due to a corporate restructuring.

My wife Karen and I have been assisting and encouraging people and congregations to become debt-free for over 15 years, but I can tell you that when I had been given word of the sudden loss of employment… it was at that time I then realized how much it was worth to have followed God’s Word as it speaks to finances, debt and giving. This is not much different than the life preserver illustration shown above – you may not understand it’s full value until you need it.

How long could you go if you lost your income tomorrow and couldn’t find another job? From relying so much on credit, many households are only “renting” their lifestyle. They really do not own their house, car or anything else bought with credit. Unfortunately, many are a few paychecks away from being “evicted” from their lifestyle. It’s important to be obedient and take the steps now to not be renting our lifestyle.

1 Timothy 5:8 cautions us that “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” That is a strong charge, however the word “provide” in the Greek (pronoeo) means to consider in advance and look out beforehand. Isn’t eliminating debt an important step in being able to fulfill this scripture?

If you view the prior posts on the Financial Fitness page there are several with detailed steps you can take towards eliminating debt. So much of this effort revolves around two key scriptures.

First, to achieve the breakthrough we need is to choose contentment. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us “I have learned how to be content in whatever state I am. I know how to live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance.” He received his contentment from Christ. It is in this reliance that will provide patience, enabling us to turn away from choices of spending money we do not have that plunge us into debts.

Second, Proverbs 21:20 enlightens us that “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.” God’s Word is simply telling us to spend less money than we make. The wise one had provision in their household, but not the foolish one because he spent all his income as soon as he made it. If we allow our hearts to soften towards God and choose contentment rather than overspending, it will create the opportunity to manage our resources to where we will spend less than we make.

I want to strongly encourage you to cast off the excuses that have kept you from moving forward. We do not know what the next day will hold. There are storms that will come, but the believer in Christ who makes the wise choices with their finances will be better prepared to weather that storm.

Lastly, consider what the author of Psalms 119 wrote to share how much God’s Word was worth – “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”

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

Paul

Admirer or Follower

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it (James 1:22).  This scripture is easy to understand and straightforward enough for us to know if we are practicing it.  We should ask ourselves “am I an admirer of Jesus or a follower of Him?” 

Besides becoming the atonement for our sins, the reason Christ came to this Earth was to show us how the Father is.  In John 5:19 Jesus said that He is “able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way.”

Ephesians 3:19 encourages us, “[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience].”  I feel this is really a deep verse worth digging into.  God’s Word is telling us that in order to know Christ’s love that we must do it through experience.

Think about this in light of your finances.  

To see (experience) your faith in God rewarded for tithing—he promises to open the windows of heaven for you, it requires you to take the first step of giving.

The same goes for giving unto others, He says to “give and it will be given unto you”.  In order to experience this blessing, what must precede is the act of giving.

For overcoming debts, we have to take the action initially to trust God’s wisdom to “spend less than we make” (Proverbs 21:20) so that we can then pay down our bills.

In order to succeed it is vital that we not stop at only admiring God’s Word or His wisdom in these areas and think to ourselves “it would be good to tithe, give, or pay off debts”.  It is a given that we cannot see God, but we can see Him manifest in our situations as we obey His Word.  It is when you see your needs being meet as a result of tithing, experiencing blessings overtaking you after giving to another, and view your bills getting smaller as you progress being a good steward that the impact of God’s manifested power becomes more real to you than ever before.

Remember the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, with the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Lion?  Each of them sensed that they lacked in an important area (brain, heart, courage).  The beauty of the plot and writing was how they all acquired in the end what they sought as they helped Dorothy to get home—this would not have been accomplished had they stayed put.  Much like the scripture above in Ephesians talked about “experiencing for yourselves the love of Christ”, they could not have experienced their gains without doing something.

The chapter in Ephesians concludes by reminding us just who it is that makes such gracious promises to us,

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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

Paul

Keeping His Word

Can you think back to when you gave a promise recently to someone, and then because of time constraints or some other obstacle you really had to press in order to keep it? Remember how you were motivated to move faster or find a way to make it happen so you could keep your word? Consider then how our loving God, who is able to literally move Heaven and Earth, and will do so in order to keep His promises to us.

“God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). We are talking about the Creator of the Universe. Is not the One who spoke all that we can see into existence also able to perform every promise that He has spoken as well? There is no one more equipped to keep their promises to you than God Almighty. Because He existed before you came into being, because he is all powerful and because He loves you with an everlasting love – even before the foundations of the world (John 17:24).

Knowing that there is no “guarantee” that can be counted on in this world to be fulfilled like one that the Lord issues, now look at a promise from God where He issues a test onto Himself.

“Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) 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.” (Malachi 3:10) The word “prove” used above is translated from bâchan in the Hebrew as to mean “test”.

As one author wrote, this is an opportunity for God and not for us. It is an opportunity for God to show His glory to us in fulfilling His Word and to reinforce that He alone is completely trustworthy. Think about how you already trust Jesus with something as priceless as your eternal destiny… what we are talking about here is merely trusting Him with the first tenth of your earnings.

In return, He not only promises to overtake you with blessings that cannot be contained, He will even “rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground”. God can be trusted to not only bless us but to defend us against the enemy.

In needing to remember His Word, in Proverbs 7 we are encouraged to “Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” God has no such trouble in remembering what He has said to do for us – “He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind].” (Psalms 111:5) And He also will be on time… “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises” (2 Peter 3:9)

Lastly, if you find yourself beaten down by finances, be encouraged to accept this invitation from Christ Jesus:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

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

Paul

Planting Seeds

The Bible plainly states that the whole kingdom of God is based on sowing and reaping. In Mark 4, Jesus said “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases—he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.”

We have arrived to a new year… 2016, and there may be things you want to achieve. With your finances you probably want to be in a better place at this year’s end than you currently are. You know it cannot happen at once but requires steps to take combined with time to see it come to fruition. Today, we’ll look at practical steps we can take – seeds we can plant than can make this happen.

The first area to address is spending – especially our optional and impulse spending. What can you do this first week to plant a seed that will help reduce your debt load? Are trips to the coffee shop and eating out for lunch a regular part of your work week? If this is true, decide to make your own coffee or lunch for a part of this week. You don’t necessarily have to cut things entirely out, but by just cutting back it can have a sizeable effect on your spending when it is in an area repeated regularly.

If having dinners out is part of your routine, besides cutting back occasionally you can utilize coupons and offers from many resources. Dining coupons not only come in your mail but are available directly from many restaurants by signing up on their websites. Groupon and similar offers abound online and the Entertainment books are a tremendous value with one price bringing you discounts at hundreds of places with many BOGO offers. I can tell you our household has used this book for decades, saving thousands of dollars. The way I view it is they are paying me to dine at their restaurant instead of a competitor.

Now what can you do this month to plant a seed? Pull out your credit card statement and look at all of the entries. How many of them were optional or impulse purchases that looking back now you would like to have done differently? Keeping regular tabs on your credit card spending is one of the most important things you can do, because it is where most of your impulse buys were tracked in black and white.

Take a close look at your regular monthly bills. Could you reduce the repeated expenses of the cable, phone, insurance and other monthly bills by changing to a more modest plan? That step can be very beneficial because your savings is repeated month after month by you making that one-time choice.

What can we do spiritually to sow seeds for 2016 that will help us? Reading Galatians 6:8 provides an answer. “For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” If we give lots of time and thought towards things we want to buy (especially what we cannot afford) that is likely what we will reap when given the chance at the marketplace and in front of our computer.

For success in this area it is important to sow His Word into our thoughts. “I will meditate on Your precepts and have respect to Your ways” (Psalms 119:15). God’s Holy Spirit will help us live the life He desires for us as we sow good seed into ourselves. His Spirit will be there speaking to us when faced with a purchase decision we should not make, so we need to listen for Him.

Proverbs 19:20 guides us to a vital step we can submit to for success. “Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.” This month the best seed you can plant is to attend the Debt-Freedom Class being held at Broomfield Assembly on Saturday, January 23rd. This 3-hour teaching is packed with what you need to achieve your financial goals for 2016 and beyond.

You will learn with your own numbers that you enter on your own private worksheet where you really are in respect to your debts. We will show you a step-by-step plan for systematically reducing and paying off your debts with an estimated timeframe to be debt-free. In most households this can be achieved in 7 years – including your mortgage, with the money you already make. We’ll show you practical ways to save money that can immediately go towards your debt reduction plan.

Most importantly we will encourage you with God’s Word, speaking from a treasure of scriptures related specifically to all of the covered teaching on debt, finances, spending, contentment, giving and more. You will have all of these scriptures to take home, keeping you inspired and encouraged through the process. You will leave the class with a renewed hope for the future, by knowing the path you can take right now and from hearing of testimonies from those who have been blessed and succeeded.

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. Galatians 6:9

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

Paul