He Knows You Can

“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)

Because God knows all things… past, present and future – He knows what exactly wonderful blessings are awaiting you if you are obedient to Him. God will only call you to do what you are capable of, and He knows you are capable of being a good steward of your finances.

That ability to overcome – “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), comes as you abide in Him. Take some time to consider on the awesome power available to you by yielding to the Holy Spirit which God placed inside of you. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). In the area of finances, self-discipline is the key to breaking through.

God says “Yes you can”

Take that step in faith in giving tithes and offerings to the Lord

Cut back on impulse and unnecessary spending, allowing you to pay down your debts

You can be encouraged and inspired that He knows you can succeed because He sees you as a new creation in Him. “You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)

And if you have a setback, it is God’s Word there once again ready to restore you - “For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again” (Proverbs 24:16). God knows you are not perfect, what He is saying here is that those who follow after Him rise up each time after they fall, it is He who gives you the power and support to do so.

Finally, be strengthened in thinking on this verse of the rewards that are promised in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him”

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

Paul

Called Into His Light

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

This light of His shows itself among believers in Christ in many ways – our love for one another, a desire to give, to see the lost saved and pursuing righteousness are a few. To be called into His light as a special people includes managing our finances.

Take a look at the contrasts below of the world’s viewpoint and what is written in God’s Word:

The world’s mentality is to work as little as possible to get by… God’s Word urges us that “Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men.” It continues on to say we will receive an inheritance of a real reward from the Lord. (Colossians 3)

Most people believe to get all you can for yourself… but God says to first honor Him with tithes and offerings, in Proverbs 3:9 it is written to “Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income”. Then we also give gifts unto others (Luke 6:38), and in return gifts will be given back unto us.

The mindset of many is to live and spend for today… however the Bible instructs us to consider well the state of our finances (Proverbs 27:23-24), and that we should spend less than we make – 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.”

And finally, the world feels the need to use all of your credit available… instead the Word has enlightened us to “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another” (Romans 13:8).

If you find it a struggle to follow God’s Word for your finances, consider how you trust the Lord to be true to His Word regarding your salvation. Now realize that all of this wisdom came from one source – the Word spoken from God who created the universe and has always existed. He is able to see everything as it truly is and sheds His light on it to us.

Psalms 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

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

Paul

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