Visible & Invisible

Visible & Invisible

          "Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)

          As is written in these words from Jesus, there are actions we can take that are visible and invisible to move us forward. In seeking to be free of debt, let's begin with what is visible.

Know where you are:

- List all of your monthly bills along with their required minimum monthly payments.

- For one month, track all of your spending. This is a vital step for you to know exactly where your money is going. Most people - including myself, were stunned to see where it went. It is like an X-Ray showing what we lost track of as it was spent.

- Begin by paying only the minimum monthly payment to each debt, and applying what is left over to the debt which has the smallest total balance.

- Once that smallest debt is retired, go onto the next debt that now has the smallest total balance, and so on. You will be encouraged as you see the number of debts reduced and be strengthened to continue the effort.

Maximize what you have:

- Bring coffee, lunch or drinks with you instead of purchasing from vending machines, convenience stores and restaurants.

- For groceries, read the sales ads and coupons, try generic brands and buying in bulk, shop with a list and stick to it, leave the kids at home during shopping.

- Use dining coupons, Groupons and Entertainment books along with signing up on restaurant websites and loyalty clubs. View it as they are paying you to eat at their place.

- Check out Craigslist and other sites for enormous savings on pre-owned items.

- Research raising insurance deductibles for auto, home and medical coverage.

          Let's look at some of what we can do that is invisible:

- Think and meditate on His Word. In doing so we will find ourselves more molded to His image, receiving strength and being inflexible to temptation to overspend.

- Ask God for wisdom. In James 1:5 it says if we are deficient in wisdom to ask of the giving God, who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly... and it will be given to him.

- Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when faced with a sizable purchase decision. We'll be led forth by peace and also know when to pause and wait for direction.

- In prayer, casting our cares on Him is written in 1 Peter 5:7. While in Ephesians 3:20 it declares He is able to carry out superabundantly above all that we can ask or think.

          Now, compare what is visible versus what is invisible. We'll see that item in the store or on our screen - it's visible. We have to believe in something - our desire for that "thing", even if it overextends us... or to believe in what is the wise thing to do in light of our goals to be free of debt and obedient to God. 

          What's invisible is what's going to change our course, to overcome. Lastly, project yourself making wise choices about over spending on things - which are all temporary, by recalling this verse:

        

          "Consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are brief and fleeting, but the things that are invisible are everlasting." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

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

Paul

Just One Thing

Just One Thing

          "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead."  These words from Paul in Philippians 3:13 are among the most timeless, practical and universally beneficial ever placed together in history. If followed it can be valuable to anyone, from overcoming a destructive relationship or a serious health challenge to being a professional athlete.

          What too often keeps us from advancing? Is it not because we think back on how we've done things previously and let that dictate us into inaction and continuing the same path even though it has not been working?

          Whether it is something we'd classify as spiritual - like time for prayer, reading God's Word or tithing to the Lord - or something else like paying down debt, exercising or quality time with loved ones... it comes down to two things: 1) forgetting what you've done before  2) extending to what is ahead of you. How does this look for our finances?

Forgetting what is behind

           It is in the clutching onto our past that keeps us from getting out of debt. High-cost phone/streaming plans, cable TV, frequent coffee trips, eating out for lunch every day, costly automobiles and overpriced fashions are some - you may know of others you can cut back on to make a difference.

          The mentality of charging on credit cards and keeping a balance needs to be forgotten. Consider that if you cannot confine your spending to what you make each month, how will you continue to keep up by paying that additional 14 to 20% interest onto those purchases?

          For tithing as an example, you may need to forget the mindset of "I'll tithe when I have enough money"... because you won't have enough money when you're making your choice that way, and instead focus on loving the Lord - who reached out to you and loved you first, and make room for Him first. 

Extending to what is ahead

          God wisely communicated it in Deuteronomy 14:22 to "set aside the tithe..."  If we first set it aside, there is not the possibility of that money going elsewhere. Think about the successful use of payroll deductions for 401K savings... it's simply the same action of setting aside the funds first.

          For our discretionary spending to set aside what our true available funds are for that month first - and stop when it is depleted. To plan ahead for small purchases - like using apps for the best pricing from gas to groceries and avoiding vending machines and convenience stores. And to plan ahead for bigger purchases by saving for them and escape paying interest charges.

          In the effort of reducing debt, if you dwell upon missing out on some of the "things" you used to spend money on, you will not last long. Looking to what lies ahead includes visualizing your future without balances on credit cards, having that peace without the stress and worry of being over-extended and to have more capacity to give. 

          Lastly take this encouraging thought with you of how Jesus set the ultimate example in extending to what is ahead. In Hebrews 12:2 it is written He endured the cross "for the joy set before Him". Much of that joy was in knowing the multitudes over the thousands of years to come that would be saved by His sacrifice.

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

Paul

          

          

Paid In Full

Paid In Full

          There is a debt we all were born with, that every single person... past, present and future owes. There is no amount of wealth that can pay it off, nor any amount of good deeds or works performed will retire or reduce it.

          The Bible states in Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God".  It matters not that one person may have tried to be good from their youth, while another has rebelled and lived a life full of destruction - both of their eternal outcomes will be the same... unless they receive the atonement, the payment for their sins that is the centerpiece in all of God's Word provided by His Son Jesus Christ.

          Those who believe that doing good works will get them to Heaven lack the understanding of what God says in His own Word that our righteousness and best deeds and justice are as "filthy rags" in Isaiah 64.

          Thinking that being good or performing works qualifies is like a person owing a debt to the banker and arriving at the bank with Confederate or Monopoly money.  It doesn't matter how much they brought, the banker will not accept it as payment for the debt.  That is because God declared in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death.

          However, the remainder of that verse contains our hope..."but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  He was the one who paid our debt, by the shedding of His blood for our sins - paying our penalty, and God credits that to the account of those who believe and declares them righteous because of what Jesus did in His awesome love for humanity.

          Consider that if there were a way for man to pay for his own sins... that would mean Jesus left Heaven, came to earth and suffered an excruciating death for no reason. What if you had given a gift to someone, and they instead regarded it as something they earned from you? How would you feel? Salvation is a free gift extended to us.

          If you have accepted Jesus, as we approach this time of remembering and celebrating His crucifixion and resurrection over death, let us regard that we owed a debt which we could not pay... and He paid that debt for which He did not owe.

          If you have not yet accepted the free gift of salvation, given by the blood Jesus shed on the cross for your sins, there is no better time than right now to answer the call God has placed on your heart, and be reconciled to Him forever.

          You can ask God right now to save you, to accept Jesus as your Savior. In Romans 10:9 it is written "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  And you can know that your debt has been paid in full.

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

Paul

          

In My Name

          "And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." Taken from Colossians 3:17, these words cover all of our actions, and also especially enlighten and encourage us in the way to reach out to others in need - in submission to Jesus Christ.

          For several years it has been noticeable the number of businesses proclaiming how they will donate a percentage of their profits to what they consider "good causes". In many cases what the recipient organization carrying out the work usually lacks, is not addressing what created the need - a yet to be experienced personal relationship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

          There is a searching for solutions, with over 1.6 million charitable organizations in the U.S. alone... and we are directed to give - "Don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." (Hebrews 13:16). However, in almost any problem that exists, there is a "Jesus sized" hole that only He can fill. That is why it is essential to give to the work of those carrying out their efforts in the name of Jesus.

          Those organizations and ministries helping others in the name of Jesus are doing more than fulfilling a need, they are pointing the way to our God of compassion, graciousness, mercy and eternal salvation. The beautiful lyrics that sing "Glorify Thy Name in all the Earth" are lived out as we speak, help, give and contribute to others doing so... expressing that it is done in the name of Jesus.

          Jesus stated He came to glorify the Father. Concluding about His own allotted time in John 17:4, He said "I have glorified You down here on earth by completing the work that You gave me to do". At the end of the chapter, Jesus said "I have revealed Your character and Your very Self."

          A person can help another in need, and the recipient may feel love from doing so. But when it's been expressed that the origin of it came from the One described by John... "God is love", it has the capacity to reshape that person's view of God and that they are loved by Him as well as the giver.

        

          Beyond your tithes and considering your giving of offerings or volunteering, I encourage you to side with those organizations pointing the way to the Father. Online resources are available to find those that do so - guidestar.org contains nearly all organizations and can be filtered to those that are Christian-based. Ministry Voice underwent a rigorous search for the best Christian Non-Profits, found at www.ministryvoice.com/most-trusted-nonprofits/.

          "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

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

Paul

          

Love The Lord

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". Jesus said in Matthew 22 this was the most important commandment. So with such a priority placed on following this, how does it look in relation to our finances?

First, considering our work we're instructed to strive to do our best in Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men". Many of us can grow weary at times, but if we recall this verse and loving the Lord it will strengthen us to see the bigger picture, which includes God being honored in our work and a shining witness in the workplace.

With our income we express our love for the Lord by giving in tithes and offerings. We do this by putting the Lord first - in settling in our heart that we will give, and next in our mind that we will write out the tithe check or give online before we address any other matter. In Proverbs 3:9 it is described as "honoring" the Lord with first part of our income. If we love Him, we will be pleased to honor Him.

We also express our love for the Lord in giving our time or money to others... and God regards it lovingly and very personally in Matthew 25 where the Lord recalls of being fed, given water, welcomed, clothed and visited in prison directly when it was done unto the least of any person - it was done unto Him.

In our purchases we love the Lord by regarding Him above our temptation to spend or overspend on something that is fruitless - especially on items that would involve using credit or borrowing. We love by regarding His Word first, to "owe no man anything except to love one another". Waiting for the timing to be right, when we can afford it is another way we place God first and love Him.

So whether our expressions of love towards the Lord are in working heartily and diligently, setting aside tithes and offerings for Him before other things, giving of our time and money to meet the needs of others, or giving into God's timing and avoiding overspending and exercising patience, it all points back to the heart of our Lord...

"For God so loved that He gave..." (John 3:16)

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

Paul

2019 & The Holy Spirit

As you take the first steps into a new year--a year to reduce debt and move closer to being debt-free, would it be beneficial if there was someone to accompany you everywhere 24/7 and provide guidance whenever you need it most? God specifically made that provision for you, by His Holy Spirit.

Jesus said "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever" (John 14:16). There are many accounts of God's people overcoming famines, making wise choices and prospering when they listened to His voice and obeyed the specific direction given.

You could call me and ask "should I buy/not buy this?", or "how should I handle my finances in this area?" But God's Holy Spirit can provide His divine direction for you in a moment's notice in the marketplace, in front of your computer, and in meditation before Him. He knows exactly what timing is right for YOU personally, and all of the factors--including what cannot be seen.

Our flesh will always attempt to steer us away from God. Galatians 5:17 says "For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh." Indebtedness is another area the flesh seeks to bring about our ruin. Our flesh whines that we will not be happy without buying this "thing"... the flesh has no concern for what that "thing" will do to our finances... but the Holy Spirit does.

I can tell you from personal experience that Galatians 5:16 has always proven true - "Walk and live 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."

You may ask "what if I don't understand His voice?", or say "I hear different voices at times." If your cell phone has a poor signal, you try to get outside or up higher, right? That's to get closer to the transmitter's signal... it's exactly same action here. As we read and absorb God's Word on a regular basis, our ability to recognize God's voice will increase because what He says to you will always line up with what is written in His Word.

Psalm 119:105 tells us "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path".

The God who created the whole universe and knows all in the past, present and future, and loves you wants to light your way in each and every path of your life--with finances included in those paths.

The Word tells us we will be led forth with peace. The Holy Spirit will provide the peace that you are making the right decision, and just as importantly will continue to give you peace afterwards. Then, as you've seen the fruit of following His voice your confidence grows to trust Him more and more.

Lastly, be encouraged from these words spoken by Jesus in John 10:27-28... "The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life."

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

Paul

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