How to Have Your Debt Paid in Full

The current national debt of the Untied States is an amount so staggering, few can grasp it. It’s one of the big reasons why national help with health care is so hotly debated, and people worry so much about Social Security.

There is an even bigger debt, though, than the tens of thousands of dollars owed by each man, woman, and child in the United States. And, it, too, is a debt each person owes.

What is that debt? When we see someone do something wrong, we all like to think “They’ll get what’s coming to them.” That faith helps us overcome the incredible evil that is all around us. It is a debt that wrongdoers owe. In fact, people released from prison are sometimes said to have “paid their debt to society.”

The problem is, we all commit wrongs, called sins. We all have a debt – and the combined total of that debt is great far greater than the U.S. National Debt. Think about all the lies that have been told. With so many people in the world, there are far more lies per second than the amount the National Debt increases per second. That’s not even counting the number of times people steal, hurt others, act mean, and so on. This sin debt grows higher and higher every day.

We can pay off credit cards bit by bit. Sometimes, we can agree to pay a certain amount, and a case will be closed. But, in order to do this, you have to not charge any more, right? You can’t pay a minimum balance of $100 on a credit card and then spent $150 per month on that card. It wouldn’t make sense. The debt would never be paid. And, this doesn’t even take into account the interest on that debt. More must be going to pay the debt than the amount added to the debt, in order to spend it down.

In order to get out of debt, we have to work to manage things so we are spending less than we take in. that includes interest. And, we need to manage thigns so we aren’t racking up so much interest we can’t repay.

Think about that debt that we owe because of our human nature, then. Each of us owes a debt because of those things we say, think, or do that are wrong. They’re usually not like the “debt to society” that is paid for with prison. Most of them are things that need a simple apology, or something else. But, even that is not enough to pay off the debt of sin.

It’s important to apologize sincerely, of course. It helps a lot when we do. But, the problem is, by the time we apologize for a particular sin, things have been added to that sin, like interest. For instance, let’s say we have told a lie, and later apologize and change our heart attitude, so we don’t tell that same lie anymore. In the meantime, someone found out that we lied. An amount of trust will have vanished, that had been there before. It will take more effort to build that trust back up. That trust is like an interest payment for the debt that we took on when we sinned. In a way, then, that lie indirectly causes something to be stolen, as well. And, it isn’t even the only thing that can be lost. Someone may act on that lie, and wind up losing money, losing a relationship, or something else based on it, when that thing should never have been lost.

As much as we try, we can’t be perfect. Even if a person sins 3 times a day – and even if you believe you’re a “good person,” I’m sure you’ll accept that there are 3 times a day – that’s over 1,000 sins a year.

Think about it. We get cut off in traffic, and we curse the person even though they could have a sick relative they’re rushing to visit in the hospital. We say something to hurt or tear others down instead of building them up. We rush to selfishly do something instead of thinking of others first. We commit adultery in our heart through how we look at another. As we can see, then, the debt of sin is huge.

It’s one we can’t repay. We can’t even repay the sin debt on each individual sin. But, to make matters worse, we add to that debt every day. We add to it through mean-spirited things, gossip, selfish thinking, and many other things that not only hurt people, they hurt God. What an enormous debt we owe!

Our debt to society isn’t paid with prison, though. The wages of sin is death. It’s separation from God’s perfect love and goodness forever., in a horrible place filled with sin. God, in His justice, must keep sin from His perfect Heaven, because in His love, He provides a perfect place once this life is over. It’s a place filled with goodness, where there’s no pain, no suffering, and no tears.

But wait, you ask: If the wages of sin is death, if we have all this sin, how can we reach that place? How can that debt be paid?

Thankfully, the story doesn’t stop there. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s a free gift.

See, that debt was so huge, that no person could pay it. No person could pay it, because each person would have to pay his or her own sin debt. So, god came to this world, in form of a man. Jesus Christ was 100% man and 100% God while here on Earth. He paid all your sin debt when He died on the cross for you, and rose from the dead.

Think about it. It wouldn’t do to be 51% good and 49% bad, because that sin debt would still be there. Yes, we should try to be good. But, you can’t repay a debt just by promising to not go any further into debt. The debt will still be there. But, that’s what people do when they trust in being good. They try to ignore those little debts and just focus on not having any more debt. But, that debt still has to be paid. No amount of good work can cause that debt to be paid. Thankfully, the sin debt has been paid in full. Jesus Christ is God in flesh. He, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, all His disciples (though they were tortured and killed for it), Jesus’ miracles, and the Old Testament all testify that He is the sinless one, who became sin for us.

That’s how he took on our debt. He marked it “Paid in full” when He shed His perfect blood, as the sacrifice for our sin. All the lambs that were sacrificed from the very beginning were a sign of what Jesus Christ would do someday. He was the sinless Lamb of God. He laid down His life so we could be saved from our sin debt. And then, He rose from the dead the third day.

Archaeology confirms so much of the Bible. The testimony of people like John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” who have been radically changed, proves that it’s possible, and it happens. Most importantly, His Holy Spirit moves in peoples’ hearts to tell them how much God loves them.

See, God is just, but He is also a God of mercy and forgiveness. God wants to forgive your sin debt. He hung on that cross, suffering agony for hours as He endured the wrath of God the Father, as the sinless substitute for each of us. Then, as He died, He cried out, “tetelestai,” which means “It is finished!” The entire debt had been paid!And, he rose again the third day; He had defeated death, so all who believe can rise with Him.

That repayment must be accepted, though. If you knew it was free, you wouldn’t refuse a person’s offer to pay off all your credit cards and other debts, right? And yet, until that person paid them off, you would still have debt, because you wouldn’t have accepted it.

In the same way, Jesus paid all your sin debt for you. And, He just needs you to accept that He did, and receive it by simple faith. God is love. He wants to pay your sin debt. You just need to:

Accept you’re a sinner, that your sin debt keeps you from His perfect Heaven, that no amount of good work can get you there;

Believe that He is God in flesh, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead for you, personally, to take all your sin debt away;

Choose to turn away from your sins, and trust Him to save you from your sin and forgive you, and to come live in you through His Holy Spirit.

That’s all it takes. It’s a free gift. I know it can be hard for some, but that’s okay; He understands. He knows You, and loves You. He’ll help you have faith if you just trust Him to; before trusting Him to forgive your sin debt, just call in your heart, “ Lord, I’m not sure if you’re out there, but I’m giving this a try, and I trust that if You are real, You will hear and answer.”

Of course, once we receive Him as our Savior, and He comes to live in us, we still sin. We have a human nature that causes us to sin. But, we have Jesus Christ living in us so we can turn to Him and get help, so we don’t sin. And, whatever happens, He will forgive and cleanse us, if we just confess our sin to Him.

The Holy Spirit living is us is His guarantee that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He will keep working in us to get us to be good. He might have to work pretty hard to get some peoples’ attention if they wander far away in sin. But, He will always lovingly guide us back, and watch over us, and help us. Because, God is love. And, He loves you. He wants you to be totally free from the burden of sin.

Psalm 34:1

I will bless the lord at all times.  His praise shall be continually in my mouth.

Wow, his name shall be continually in my mouth.  All the daylong I need to bless the name of the Lord.  Have I gotten this wrong?  Have we as a Christian people gotten this wrong?  Devotions.  There is nowhere in the Bible that talks about devotions.  We get so caught up in making sure we do our “quiet time” with God, make sure we have our “Bible time”.

We sit down, and we do it, and we open our Bible, and we read it, and we pray and then we get up and continue on with our day.

That is not the way it was meant to be.  It was not meant to be something we do but something we live.

Not just 10 minutes, not just for 30 minutes, not just for 2 hours a day just sitting down.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth — all the day long.

There are so many ways to do that.  Praising, worshipping, talking.  There are so many songs based specifically on the Psalms.  So many old time hymns, so many new songs.  Yes, a lot of the music is just screaming, trying to replicate what is popular in the culture and appeal to them.  Yet, there is so much good stuff out there that sings the praises of God.

Why can’t we be like my three year old who makes up songs and sing praises to the Lord?  Just make up words and a tune – whether it sounds good or not.

How can his praise be continually on my mouth when I am arguing with my spouse or trying to figure out the next best way to just make money?   Yes, with my financial coaching, I am in the business of helping people concentrate on honoring God with their money.  But it goes way beyond that.

No, I need a paradigm shift in my thinking, in my actions, and in my attitude.

And it is more than just singing.  I look out at my green grass and the dawn rising early this morning.  And I praise his name for what I see.  I can close my eyes or I can lift my head up and hold up my hands and praise him out loud.

Praise him continuously.

As I walk in my kitchen I can praise him for who I am and what I have.  Yes, I can do this.  His praise can continually be in my mouth.

So, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.  Join me in the new paradigm shift in thinking and in actions.  Let us bless the Lord at all times and may his praise be continually in my mouth — and in yours.

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice — to worship you.  Oh, my soul rejoice.  Take joy, my King.  In what you hear.  May it be a sweet, sweet, sound.  In your ear.

Baseball great Yogi Berra’s “déjà vu all over again” quote will likely appear often, as Brett Favre threw another interception at the end of a conference championship game, just like in January of 2008. Will he retire, or not? And, if he retires, will he stay retired? Between him and Conan O’Brien, who list the battle with Jay Leno over the 11:30 time slot, future employment will be in celebrity news for weeks or even months.

Interesting that, in each case, they likely want to do something. It’s doubtful O’Brien will give up comedy, though he could with his severance package. As for Favre, pro athletes are so used to competition and cheering, it would be hard to imagine him spending his whole life golfing and fishing, even if we think we would with his millions.

The reason it’s hard to imagine is, we are born with a desire to do something. Even the first man, Adam, didn’t just sit around doing nothing. His job was to till the garden in Eden, to dress it and keep it nice. This was a much easier job before the Fall, of course.

When Adam and Even sinned, things changed. To use our present examples, a Brett Favre can’t play quarterback without 300-pound guys clobbering him. The old adage is that football is not just a contact sport, it’s a collision sport. Because sin came into the world, these collisions cause Favre to get banged up, and to age to the point where someday, he’ll realize his body can’t take it. Similarly, Conan O’Brien is in a job where jokes fall flat sometimes. Sometimes, communication fails, and there can easily be someone better who can take that job.

These are the “thorns and thistles” of their jobs, the problems of working that have existed since sin entered the world. Tilling the garden would have been easy for Adam. But, because sin was brought into the world, with his job came problems. And, the ground would produce thorns and thistles. (Genesis 3:18)

Every difficulty we encounter, no matter what our work, can be traced back to these thorns and thistles. Every task that seems fruitless, every attempt to get something done that fails, comes because of this. Favre’s interceptions, his many bruises and aches, come because this world is not the perfect place it was created to be. Conan’s struggles with his employer, as well as times when any comedian is “just dying out there,” are the consequences of sin having been brought into the world back at the dawn of time.

Of course, work has success, too. God promises that success will come in that verse, when He tells Adam he shall eat the herb of the field. What he is saying, though, is that that herb is going to be hard to come by, much harder than if sin were not present. And, in the same way, Favre and O’Brien have each tasted great success in their jobs. Favre is a surefire Hall of Famer who increased his prestige with an incredible season. Conan O’Brien is seen by many as a great comedian, even with his problems.

Some jobs bring more difficulties than others, of course. In some, it’s the location – a house in a poor market might not sell for months, even with the best seller. Ratings are dependent on the competition and “lead in” viewers. A quarterback can struggle mightily with no supporting cast. At times, it’s the nature of the job. Favre’s successor, Aaron Rodgers, saw an incredible playoff game go to waste because of defensive struggles. And, the best doctor can’t save every patient. Even in a field where that doctor would rarely ever see something bad, there will always be that one case that turns out to be an untreatable cancer. Thorns and thistles come up in every field.

And yet, when all is said and done, that agent can find someone to buy, if the price is low enough. The surgeon in the busiest emergency room, with the worst accidents, will be able to save some. A truly great quarterback can still get noticed by the Hall of Fame eventually, and a great comedian can get laughs from someone. The herb of the field will come. It will just be with a lot of effort, a lot of toil, and a lot of sweat.

That toil and sweat of the brow comes at us just as it came at Adam, and just as it comes for Favre and O’Brien – whatever they choose to do. However, the next verse, Genesis 3:19, points to what Favre and O’Brien must both consider. Eternal rewards are the only ones that will last, and they must start to earn these, instead of only Earthly ones. To get those, we must receive Christ’s forgiveness.

Consider Adam’s situation. He learns that he will have to work much harder to get any yield from the land. He will do this in sorrow his whole life, realizing what once was. Yes, he would be able to get the herb of the field eventually. But, even when he did, it would seem so fruitless at times. The toil and sweat of his brow would make labor so tiring. And, after all that labor, what would he get? A physical body that would grow old, decay, and die. Just as Brett Favre and Conan O’Brien – and all of us – have.

God knew this. He didn’t want any of us to be surprised. The fact that Adam would have to toil and sweat was an implied part of that warning back in Gen. 2:17 that he would surely die. This phrase, literally translated, says, “dying, you will die.” In other words, the process of death would begin right away, and would continue until, at long last, Adam returned to dust. Gen. 3:19, then, is telling Adam just how that would happen. Just as we will turn to dust someday and so will celebrities like Favre and O’Brien.

Of course, some work is more joyful than others. When Paul Harvey, the great radio commentator, passed away, there was a clip of him stating something to the effect that he’d never “worked” a day in his life. It was always so much fun. Just as Favre, when he looks at it, keeps coming back to the thrill of the game. (And, thus, keeps coming out of retirement.) And, just as O’Brien keeps looking at the thrill of doing stand-up comedy. Sure, it takes a lot of toil and sweat, as it did for Mr. Harvey. But, if you ask them, they’d probably echo his sentiments.

This is an element of God’s grace. It shows that God, in His perfect love, has created each of us with interests that, if we hone them, will grow into lifelong work that we’ll love. We’ll love it because God has matched us to that work. Paul Harvey still worked, of course. But, he had found that one specific thing which he could do that brought him pleasure. Just as Favre and O’Brien no doubt have.

This is not a sign of salvation per se; plenty of saved people toil in unhappy situations, and plenty of unsaved love their jobs. What it means is that God loves us, and it’s one of the ways He shows that love to us. There is always that reminder – through how we age – that our bodies are but dust. However, he provides us with grace, so we can have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

However, Adam was still mortal, as we all are. He would return to the ground. Even if someone is the greatest ever at what they do, all the things they do in this life build treasures on earth. Ones that moth and rust can corrupt, and thieves can break forth and steal. (Matt. 6:19) That frail, physical body simply returns to the dust.

Yet, Adam could receive God’s forgiveness for his sin – that means forgiveness for falling short of God’s perfect glory. And, so can anyone. We must each accept that we’re sinners, in need of a Savior. Simply receive, by simple faith, God’s forgiveness, through what Jesus Christ, God in flesh, did on the cross. He was sinless, yet He became sin for us. He was the substitute, he took the punishment for our sins, when He died on the cross, and then he rose from the dead, just as we who receive Him will be raised someday. To as many as received Him, gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. (John 1:12) This means trusting Him by simple faith to forgive us for our sins.

Once a person trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are assured of a home in God’s perfect Heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, no heartache. One can only get to heaven by receiving that forgiveness, because when we do, God makes us a new creature on the inside; He comes to live in us and guide us to becoming more like Him.

When a person has received Christ as their Savior, they can earn rewards in Heaven, by serving the Lord. A person can serve the Lord in a secular job, of course – you don’t have to be a missionary to serve Him. But, to build treasure in Heaven, a Christian must live with an eye toward doing things that glorify and honor Him and draw others to Him.

It is vital that we lay up treasures in Heaven, where they can’t decay, grow old, or be stolen. (Matt. 6:20) This applies just as much to us as it did to Adam. We, too, have physical bodies that will return to the ground. However, we also have that promised Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He longs for us to turn to Him. He longs for us to be born again, through what He did for us on the cross, dying and rising from the dead. And, then, He longs for us to build those treasures in heaven, so we don’t have to be empty-handed when we approach the throne of God. We can have crowns to lay at His feet. We can have wonderful, eternal blessings that go beyond this world, into eternal rewards.

These rewards are what Favre and O’Brien should seek. Favre can’t play quarterback as long as O’Brien can do comedy. Both must realize that – while God has been gracious in giving each something that fills them with joy, no matter what they do, if they seek only Earthly gain, it will all be wasted. They can’t last forever. But, if they receive Christ, they can live forever, and they can serve the Lord in whatever He provides for them, that will glorify and honor Him.

Avatar is a blockbuster movie about a fabulous utopia. One might wonder, is it possible that there could be an even better place?

Not only is there a wonderful place of perfect peace, with no suffering, but you can have your ticket punched to go there someday.

The Bible promises that in Heaven, there will be no pain, no suffering, no tears, no heartache, no sorrow. Imagine, a world where you won’t have to suffer anymore.

Avatar sounds like a cool movie, but it’s over after a while. Heaven, however, is forever! And, it’s the most beautiful and fabulous place you can imagine! Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. He wants you to be ther esomeday.

In this world, we have problems, though. Life is short, and full of trouble. Why? Because of sin.

God made this world perfect, but He gave people free will. People chose to sin. Becuase of that sin, death was brought into the world. Things are so corrupt here. they decay, they grow old, they get ruined. Pople, animals, even the planet itself has problems.

The problem is, we all have sin in us, too. but, God made a way for us to get rid of the sin. he came to this world to suffer and die on the cross for your sin, for mine, for everyone’s. Then, He rose fromt he dead.

he rescues us from 3 potent p’s when we receive Him by simple faith, believing that He took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and then he rose from the dead, conquering that great spiritual death that haunts us. What are those 3 potent p’s He saves us from when we receive Him?:

1. He saves us from the penalty of sin. Because of our sin, we can’t get to heaven. Heaven would cease being perfect if *any* sin were allowed in it. Just thikn – if anyone could be mean to someone, or hurt them, or anything bad, it would stop being perfect. Remember, Pandora had problems because of the threat. But, Heaven will have no problems.

The penalty for sin is separation from god’s love and goodness forever, in a place of outer darkness, with wailing and gnashing of teeth. it’s full of all the people who rejected God’s perfect love over the years, and all those who received his perfect justice becuase of their sins.

You don’t have to go there, though. You can be saved from the penalty of sin by trusting in Jesus Christ to forgive you right now.

2. He rescues us fromt he power of sin. We all have sin natures. But, when Jesus saves you, he comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit. then, He can guide you to do what’s right, to live a Godly life where you keep away from sin.

You won’t always succeed, becuase of that fleshly nature. that’s why this world still isn’t perfect. We should be making it better. Christians should be known by their love. However, we are not here to save the world from sinners. We are here to save sinners from a lost and dying world.

And, the benefit is that you will still be in this world, so you can make this world better while you are here. But, you will be doing it to glorify God. And, if you mess up and you do sin, then we have the promise that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That’s Jesus saving us from the power of sin – the closer we stay to Him through prayer, Bible reading, etc., the further we’ll be from sinning. We will be as protected from the power of sin as we want to be on this world, until we go to the next. There is where…

3. We will be rescued from the presence of sin.

that is the promsie of Heaven. That one day, we will be rescued fromt he very presence of sin! No more suffering, no more pain, no more heartach,e no more death, no more of any of that bad stuff. You will have eternal life, that will never end! That is so amazing!

Pandora is a wonderful, fictional world. But, it’s nothing compared to the wonders that await us in heaven. Are you going? If you have ever chosen to let Jesus Christ forigve you for your sins, you can receive Him right now, by simple faith.

And, one day, you can go to that real life Heaven, which is more incredible and amazing than the most imaginative person could invent!

How to succeed in tough economic times – the right kind of treasure

Are we in a recession? A depression? Have you or someone you know faced hard times? You can still succeed, no matter what the economy does.

Let’s look at your worldview.  How do you see the world? I’m not talking about being a Pollyanna, ignoring every possible problem. But, I am talking about figuring out what things are important.

See, we live in a society where there is so much advertising, we tend to look at it and say, “Oh, if I have this latest gadget I’ll feel better.” Or, we think that, “I need a bigger home, bigger car, bigger everything.”  In other words, our worldview is partly shaped by that desire for the newest and best of everything.

But, who told you that newest was best?  Who told you that biggest was best?  Chances are, it was probably a combination of advertising and your friends, many of whom have a lot of that stuff. Or, had it, till the recession, depression, or whatever this is.

The way to succeed in these times is to change worldviews.

It’s really a sweet decision.  All those advertisers have been telling you that you have to have the latest gadget, and that only the newest things are the best, and so on.  You can tell them to forget about their things, which don’t last, which can be broken, lost, or stolen,and which grow old.  And, you can gain rewards that will never grow old, never wear out, never get stolen, and never lose value.

I’m not talking about gold, silver, or anything else here on earth, either.  I’m talking about building Heavenly rewards.  Because, only there can we really have satisfaction.

How do we get these rewards that are free from crashes, free from aging and inflation?  You might have even heard Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” But, you wonder how to do that.  Here are several basic principles, to help you build those treasures.

1. Have a home up in Heaven.

Think about it.  If you wanted to invest in the stock market, what would you do?  Pick out the right stocks?  Plan your investment strategy?  No, of course not.  You’d open an account.

In the same way, you need to open an account in heaven.  To do that, you need to receive His forgiveness for our sins.

Think of Heaven as a delicious human food, and sins as dog food.  Most people would never eat dog food if they had a choice, especially if it was between that and a delicious meal of whatever your favorite food is.  You’ve got that food all ready to be served, but there’s a problem.  Someone threw dog food into it.  You couldn’t touch that yucky stuff, right?  You’d throw it out in a hurry.

In the same way, anything we bring to the table in Heaven needs to be cleansed.  We need our lives cleansed from sin.  The only way to do that is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.  You need to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:30) It was “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  So, you can’t do anything to get those sins cleansed yourself. You need to let Jesus do it for you.  And, you can’t add anything to it, because Jesus Christ saved you by dying on the cross, and rising from the dead, before you ever knew Him.  He had you on His mind when He went to the cross.

So, you need to receive what He did, by simple faith, as taking the whole punishment for your sins.  He shed His blood once, for all; the just for the unjust.  That’s how you have your sins cleansed. Once you’ve received Him as your Savior, you can start earning those rewards in heaven.  Because, you have an account up there.

And, that account can never be taken away.  You are sealed unto the day of redemption, with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:30, 1:14).  That seal can’t be broken.  Nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)

2. Put Jesus Christ first in your life, and serve Him.

Remember that dog food example, where we compared sin to it?  Your account is secure in Heaven.  That means you can build treasures there, like a chef makes a great meal.  However, sometimes, the “great meal” you build in Heaven have a little “dog food” in it yet.  Obviously, it’s no good then.  How does this happen? It happens when we don’t build in the right way; when we put something else ahead of Jesus.

The things we build here on earth won’t matter in Heaven.  There’s a famous joke that a very rich man, who had trusted Christ as his Savior, asked to bring something with him when he got to heaven.  He was told he could bring one bag, and so when he died, he had that bag stuffed, ready to take it with him.  When he got to the Pearly Gates, St. Peter checked the records, and said, “Okay, I see you were allowed to bring one bag, but I have to check inside.” He opened it, and said, in a shocked voice, “Of all the things you could bring, why would you bring pavement?!” the rich man had brought gold, but gold is useless as pavement up there; it’s what they pave the streets with in heaven!

First Corinthians 3:11-15 tells us the things we do will be tested, to see if they were really for Jesus, or for ourselves.  If you want to gain rewards that will last forever, your goal in life must be to be Christlike, and to glorify God in all you do.  That doesn’t mean that you totally ignore wealth.  If God has gifted you with the ability to make money as a good, honest businessman, you should.  But, what it means is that you use whatever wealth, talent, or time you have to help others, instead of always trying to please yourself.  And, that in helping others, your eye should not be on making yourself look good by doing so.  It should be on showing the love of Christ in helping others.

The beautiful thing is, these are treasures we can earn at any time.  Some people do better with little than they would with a lot.  You are where you are in life, because God has placed you there, or God has allowed you to be there through your choices, so that you can show Godly love, goodness, and so on to others.

These are things we can do no matter what the economy does.  The poorest person on earth could have untold riches in Heaven; but, so could a very rich person. The key is simple. Build your treasures in Heaven. This requires you to put them on the foundation of Jesus Christ, first of all, and to seek, in your heart, to glorify Him by showing others Who He is. Because, we are not here to save the world, though we should try to make the world better where we can.  We are here to save sinners from a lost and dying world.  This world of things will one day vanish. But, the rewards we build in Heaven will last forever.

Why should you pay a credit counselor or loan consolidation service for their help when you could be negotiating your own credit card debt yourself?  It will not pardon what you owe, but could go a long way to eliminate unsecured credit card debt.

First, you must have all of your ducks in a row.  You are going to be speaking one-on-one with a representative who can help reduce your payments, so it is imperative that you be prepared.  Know exactly your total credit card debt.  Be certain to have the exact amount of your minimum monthly payment requirements at hand.  Have a detailed personal budget in front of you so you can informatively discuss what your monthly earnings and expenses are and suggest what sort of payment you can afford.

Let the credit card company know that you do indeed intend to pay your account in full, but you are looking for some help in reducing interest rates and eliminating late fee charges.  Ask the representative what you have to do to get a zero percent APR for six to twelve months.  Negotiate from a position of strength.  After all, you owe them and they want to get their money.  In the event that they tell you a zero percent APR is not available, tell them that you are sorry to hear that, as you may have to consider transferring the balance to another card and closing this account with them.  Be polite and courteous, but firm, when negotiating your credit card debt yourself.

The Bible admonishes us to be good stewards of what God has allowed us to have.  Doing so involves honoring the vows we made to pay for the item not matter what it takes.  Our reputation before others is much more valuable than the cost of what is owed.

In this effort, never lose your cool or start to sound exasperated.  If you are transferred to another party, start over from scratch.  Never assume that the person you spoke to formerly has passed any information on to the next person with whom you speak.  It is quite possible that the first representative just passed you along to get you out of their hair.  When you are told that they cannot help you, politely ask to be passed along to someone who might be able to help.  This is referred to as escalating the call, moving along to a higher authority.

I know this can get tedious, but patience and persistence often pay off well emotionally and financially.

Remember that you are in the process of saving yourself a lot of money.  By negotiating credit card debt yourself, you are saving fees and interest rates that would come from credit counseling and debt consolidation options.  Once successful, you will also be saving yourself interest charges and late fees.  So, if you get passed along and find that you’re repeating yourself over and over again, stick with it. The end result will definitely be worthwhile.

There is more help with credit cards to help you save money, live debt free and enjoy the many blessings around you.  Also, be sure to sign up to receive a free report, tips on budgeting, and encouragement to make your money worries go away.

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We explore how a personal budget plan makes setting financial goals obtainable.  First, write down a paragraph or list of where you would like to see yourself five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years from now.   Make this list financial, spiritual, career wise, etc.  Pour your heart out and write your true desires and passions.

Next, clearly see where are you are right now; time for some honest introspection.  Do your finances support your goals?  Look at what your earnings are in comparison to your spending.  Similar to starting a business, you need to consider all of the variables.

These variables include things such as what you spend the most money on, what expenses you can easily cut back, and what expenses are unavoidable.  Take a look at your checkbook.  There you will be able to see what you have spent your money on over the last several months.  Go back as far as a year if you can.  Some of the things you are writing checks for might surprise you.  How many of them were actual necessities, and how many could you have easily done without?  Without realizing it, you have now begun making a budget.

A key to success is in the Proverbs 21:5 admonition that, The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Next, think over your cash expenditures.  We usually spend a lot of cash on the “little” things.  Write down the items you can clearly recall spending cash on recently.  Are these repetitive items?  Do you purchase them every day?  Every week?  Add them together over the course of a month.  How much of this money could you save, or use to pay down credit card debt, or apply against the principal of your mortgage?  Can you now start to see your personal budget plan coming together?

Saving money alone does not equal happiness.  How does a life free of worry about paying bills and making ends meet sound?  Peace of mind is priceless.  What about being able to be financially free to go where God has given you passion for?  If you are encumbered by debt, you will not be free to serve at full capacity.

Your personal budget plan will help you to spend less than you earn, creating positive cash flow for you to save and to apply to meeting financial obligations such as paying off a car or house faster than you thought possible.

The best part is that it will not take long.  As soon as you begin the initial phase of your personal budget plan, you will be spending less, saving more, and setting financial goals almost immediately.  The achievement process takes time, but you will experience it step by step.  You will have a clear idea as to how you are getting ahead, even before you fully reach your goals.

Get started creating a personal budget now as you are setting financial goals that will lead surely to advantage.

What do you think?  Leave me a reply.

When I became a Christian, just after I arrived here in the USA, I was taught the lesson of tithing and I never forgot it.  My wife, then my girlfriend said that I should give 10% of my income back to God.  I thought she was crazy. “10% ! I said.  Are you crazy? I only made $800 per month…that’s $80!   That’s a lot of money to me! I don’t even have enough to live on!”  It’s probably the same you would say.  After some convincing, I gave it a shot.  To my surprise, the next month I made $3,000, which is the most I ever made.

The question is, who is your provider? Is it you?  I realized, as a Christian, you give that job over to God. He becomes your provider.  By giving back 10% of your income you show that you trust God to be your provider.  If you’re a Christian and you don’t exercise that principle, you’re missing out on some great blessings from God.  I would not be surprised if you’re struggling financially because of that.  Give it a shot…you’ll be surprised as well!