Yes To The Truth: June 2018

Exhortation to get out of debt (a message for who has ears to hear it).
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If you can afford to make minimum payments to your creditors, take no pride in that. While you may think you are "taking care of business" because you have a job and can make your payments, your creditors whom you may call "business partners" are not your friends. Most don't think that they have given you "help" by letting you borrow from them. Debt is not "good" and they don't want you out of debt. So, some don't hesitate to send you "pre-qualified" offers to tempt you are the "right" time. They do bet on your failure as a borrower, even if they do not see it happen often enough. It hurts their business to see you come out of debt. How can they be your friends?

They say you know who are your friends in tough times. Well, that is also true for lenders who are happy to "have your business" in your good times. You may even think they've "got your back" in this life, but you would be thinking wrong. It's what it is. And trouble comes to those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 55:20). Creditors are not pets to feed for the rest of your life.

Therefore, have it in your mind to get out of debt. That's a matter you need to go before God with. And proceed God's way. If you've surrendered your life to God, your finances also immediately become his business. Let Him be involved. If you have gotten yourself into debt for foolish reasons (because many traps are laid out in the world to that end precisely), or because you were in a situation where you didn't see any other option, know that it's not God's will that you remain in debt as his servant. It's not God's will, being in a relationship with Him, that you are spending much time crunching numbers when you could be spending time meditating on his word, being in fellowship with Him and getting to know Him always more intimately. Maybe your "it's complicated" relationships with creditors is not the life God has for you at all. Even if He may have you stay in such a place for a time and for his purposes, learn your lesson and grow. It's not your destination because his word does not say so.

Psalm 91:3

Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

By all means, seek freedom from debt. But don't google your options. Walk with God in the way of his servants. Be praying and dare to not run to what everybody does or rely on your "plan" without having heard from God. Seek God and wait for his clear direction, wherever it may take you. Trust in Him for all.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Know that God knows everything about your finances, down to every cent that comes your way or that you spend. Let go of any pride you may have in this area and let God be in control. All that you have, you have it because God has allowed you to, and you are accountable to Him for what you do with it. That includes your money and also your job (what allows you to work and have an income). Even your physical strength, intellectual abilities and talents belong to God. How is He more pleased to have you use those things? This is the time to ask Him, if you never had. It's time to trust Him for who He is, Yahweh Jireh, your provider. What do you or can you trust Him to provide for you? It's time to exercise your faith and see results that will glorify God. See what comes out of your prayer life!

It's worthless to get comfortable in being the minimum payment man or woman of God for the rest of your life. You can surely get an excellent credit score in this world that way, all the while you're lacking in storing up treasures in heaven because maybe you are spending all your life as a slave to lenders and ignorant of what God can do in your life, including your finances. You can maintain good credit by making your minimum payments, but that credit score you are working for has more to do with your credit spending and payment behavior than to being an indicator of your character when it comes to money (e.g. whether lenders can actually trust you to pay them back). Whether you are honest to pay back what you borrow cannot be set in stone in a credit report, and no creditor will care once you miss or are late for one payment. Your good credit bubble will burst in no time and God alone will remain who knows your heart on whether you do care to pay back what you have borrowed or not. People will quickly assume the worst of you, so God'd better be the one you have your trust in at all times. Likewise, whether the love of money is in your heart won't be the concern of who wants to get money into your hands quickly as a loan (for whatever purpose), but even a good credit score will not get you right with God. So, seek what God's will is and work with Him to bring it to pass in every area of your life.

Proverbs 22:7

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

While you think you are "financially stable" or able to "get by" somehow while carrying debt, make it a priority to seek your way out of debt. What is financial stability, anyways? Can God teach you something that is not from the books written by people who do not know God? How much do you want to be on the same page with God about your finances or everything else for that matter?

For sure God is not in the money lending business Himself. If anything, God will be the borrower from those who give in obedience to his will. Consider this word:

Proverbs 19:17

He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again.

So, God is eager to get his people out of debt when they seek his ways.

And while God owns the silver and the gold, He wants to be Himself the treasure of his children and does not promise material wealth to his servants. He does bless whom He wills with earthly riches according to his plans and purposes but his promise is to attend to the needs of his children, whatever they may be in his plan for their lives. He does not promise to make them rich with what is perishing. False teachings about that abound, so know God's word and do not be led astray. Storing up treasures in heaven is what God wants to see his children have in their minds to do. He does not want their minds to be on the passing things of this earth.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

How is your eye concerning these matters? Are you seeing as God sees?

Matthew 6:22-24

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be sound, your whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Mark 8:36-37

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own life? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?

1 John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.

Luke 12:15

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

Psalm 139:23-24

23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

The more entangled a child of God is in the things of this world, the less freedom his or her heart has to serve God and speak his truth and shine his light! So, it's important to not be weighed down with the cares of this life, including the financial debts one may carry.

This message does not make the assertion that borrowing is a sin, however, whether it's money or containers (cf. 2 Kings 4:3, comp. Matthew 5:42, Romans 13:8). But it may quite well be sin if that borrowing is not done in faith (Romans 14:23). A child of God must be led by the Spirit of God concerning all things (Romans 8:14). Therefore, this message is not addressing the question as to whether one should borrow or not borrow, but assumes borrowing has occurred already and makes the case to be so minded as to clear all debts. Whether a debt was contracted before or after one had become a child of God, he or she must be led according to God's will and wisdom concerning money and debt and everything else. Finally, this message is also not in itself a program to get out of debt but a call to get with God's program about one's finances.

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Ephesians 5:11-17

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever does make manifest is light. 14 Therefore he says, Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. 15 See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Psalms 40

1 [To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. 3 And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that makes the LORD his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are your wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us: they cannot be recounted in order unto you: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears have you opened: burnt offering and sin offering have you not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do your will, O my God: yea, your law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not restrained my lips, O LORD, you know. 10 I have not hid your righteousness within my heart; I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation: I have not concealed your lovingkindness and your truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not your tender mercies from me, O LORD: let your lovingkindness and your truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me: my iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart fails me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate as a reward for their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you: let such as love your salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me: you are my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

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Yes To The Truth

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Christians, Get Out of Debt!