Archive for the ‘Finances’ Category

Understanding Money

Friday, January 21st, 2011

This is a good practical understanding of steps to take to start being a “Good Steward”

“What you see happening to believers in this economy, is the consequence of years spent mainly serving the spirit of mammon. Although you have not even realized it, the effects are highly evident. It is a pattern experienced by so many people, but you cannot help them until you are truly walking in the other direction yourself.

You have to bring money into servitude. It has to be a ‘tool’, a means to an end over which you have total control. For that to be the case any money that literally leaves your hand has to be your money or money that is placed in your control.

If you use money before you have the ‘legal’ right to use it, (consumer credit), you will be placing yourself in the hands of the spirit of mammon. Money not backed by an asset is debt and debt puts you under the control of the spirit of mammon. It does not matter ‘who’ the person is, if they have consumer debt they are in the clutches of the spirit of mammon and must be set free. There is a simple logic to this. Do not have store cards and other types of credit cards just because they are available. Only buy things that you already have the money for. Buy them only when you have the money in your hands. Not when it is ‘on the way’ or when the deal is ‘nearly through’ or because someone said they will ‘definitely be sending you the money’

Create a reservoir of funds which is equal to 6 months of living expenses. Place 3 months of this into a money market account so that it is working for you. The other 3 months is the money from which you must manage your quarterly family budget. As each month passes you should use only that which has been allocated for that month. All income that arrives will be divided. That which is Mine is immediately set to one side says the Lord, that which is for investment likewise- the portion for the next quarters budget goes to replenish the account. Once you have maintained the level in the budget account for 3 consecutive months, you should reduce the amount held in this account to one month and put the rest of the money to work for you.

Only people with correct asset based thinking can escape the service of mammon or people that understand that they have to be part of the ‘flow’ of money. They use their talents to generate money- use some for their own needs, some to help create more flow and let the rest flow to others in greater need.

People with incorrect asset based thinking see the asset itself as the end. This is a great error says God as it promotes fear of loss.This in turn places that person back into the service of mammon.

Developing a high level of skill in using money as a servant and acquiring significant assets will keep a person free from consumer debt and provide enough overflow to sow into the lives of others.

From this height the fall is the greatest. The adoration of the world, combined with their perception of the significance of riches can cause the achiever to start considering the magnitude of his own accomplishments. This will inevitably lead to pride and we all know where that leads says God. The watchword here is humility says the Lord.

The lack of it has rendered so many potentially great leaders totally ineffective.

Prayerful obedience, added to diligent financial stewardship can unlock the gates to a consistent flow of abundant grace and blessings says the Lord. However, humility is the valve that controls the flow. Without it, the gates will either be slammed shut and the flow cut off, or they will be thrust open and the ensuing tidal wave just crushes everything in its path.

You have witnessed people that have risen and fallen like shooting stars. It is often the lack of humility that caused their demise.”Share This Post

How to make the right choice every time….

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

“ One who seeks the council and approval of men will always find himself in a dry place . The path of the righteous can only be ordained by Me says the Lord. Of course there are many paths to choose from, but only one leads to righteousness and to sanctification. Have you let yourselves be blown around like a leaf in the wind?  As you let one perceived ‘source’ dwindle you started to scurry about like a squirrel with no store for the winter crying ‘is this my source?’ Maybe it’s here, maybe it is this thing or maybe it is that. ‘Perhaps I should do 4 things at once?’ and then one of them is bound to turn out to be the source.

Oh foolish man, surely if you have learned nothing else over these years you would at least  have a rock solid understanding of the fact that I am your only source. All other things that manifest as a source or supply may meet your needs for a season, but they will then disappear as suddenly as they arrived leaving you bewildered, disorientated and confused.

The enemy invites you to wear the crown of disobedience. It is usually cleverly disguised as some other type of crown that fits well and feels really good. It could be the crown of self importance, or independence or self-righteousness, or superiority and there are many others. Unbeknown to the wearer, these crowns have a more sinister power that is not immediately evident. They have the ability to dull the senses, consequently the wearers find it more and more difficult to hear My voice or to see My face or to read My Word and they are gradually sucked into an abyss of wrong thinking and lies from which many sheep can never escape. It is time to make sure that your head is bare says the Lord. Cast off any false crowns and turn your attention fully to Me in humility and love and you will once again hear My voice without effort. Clarity will be restored to your thinking and you can continue making progress on the right path.

It is time to ‘take control’ says God, but you have to realize that the only effective way to take control is to give it up. Let My Holy Spirit be in control says the Lord and your steps will be well ordered. To attempt to keep the control for yourself is pointless because the enemy will ultimately wrestle it away from you. The only thing worse than being out of control is being controlled by someone else that has your eternal suffering as his goal.

Did  I not tell you that transformation comes through the renewing of your mind? Well to re-new something literally means to ‘make it like new again’ This can only be accomplished by completely eradicating the old mind. If this is not done, that little piece of old thinking will ultimately have a negative impact on the new mind and hinder its proper focus.

In your position now, everything is a spiritual matter that requires Godly council and spiritual consideration. You cannot interject worldly thinking into these matters as that is like trying to mix water with oil.

See how easily the heaviness lifts with the clarity of understanding that comes from a yielded heart and a spirit directed soul? The more you fill your spaces with My things the less likely it is that the things of the world can interfere with your progress.

‘Follow through’ is a practice that should be more important in your life. An unfinished task or project need not have been started in the first place. There is more to obedience than just beginning something, it has to be pursued to completion, you must follow through. If I give a man the mantle of obedience, focus and follow through, he should be sure to wear them every moment of every day. Be warned though; they are only effective if worn under the mantle of humility, without this they look like pride, arrogance and self gratification or greed, so always make sure that the mantle of humility is in place.

Remember that many hands make light work. If you overload yourself with things to do, you will not do any of them in an excellent manner.

I again point you towards excellence says the Lord. Look around you and discern if your environment and habits reflect excellence, back to the renewing of the mind again.

The life of a righteous man is simple, but it will never be easy. Those that delight in the challenge, will always find more joy than those that struggle against it. Those that choose not to walk in obedience have at the same time chosen to be disobedient and cast themselves into the camp of the enemy. There is no middle ground here. Your choices will define whose camp you are spending your time in, so choose wisely. Choices are best made in an atmosphere of spiritual deliberation as choices made in the flesh will always be wrong, however correct they appear at the time.

The flesh is incapable of making a choice that leads to righteousness as it is unrighteous by its very nature and is at enmity with the Holy Spirit within you. This then is a major key. Never make choices in the absence of the Holy Spirit says the Lord, and every choice you make will be right and proper”Share This Post

The Wealth Trap

Friday, December 10th, 2010

The Lord Yahuah gave us a powerful message about wealth. Remember, there is nothing wrong with being rich. It is NOT the money that promotes evil, it is the dependancy and LOVE of money.

“The wealth of this world blinds the eyes to the reality of eternity says the Lord. It is a wise and rare person who understands that everything gained now is of NO value in the time to come. Making money is not the issue. The issue is whether or not the pursuit of success is causing a person to build upon their platform with wood , hay & stubble or with gold, sliver and precious stones. That is ALL that matters.

Nothing else matters and to believe otherwise is a lie and a deception. To pursue anything without understanding the eternal impact and consequence is a road to disaster. This one thing will cause much weeping and gnashing of teeth says the Lord. Do not be concerned with the standards of this world. Be concerned only with the standards of righteousness.

Do not look at business as a source of money. Look at it as a source of opportunity to bless others and lead them towards a greater appreciation of the truth. If no such opportunity exists, do not put your hands to such a thing.

By focusing your attention on the challenges and issue of others, your own diminish and vanish. The brightness of My Glory overshadows any darkness, therefore be sure not to keep the glory for yourself or you will end up walking in that same darkness.”Share This Post

Who is pulling your strings?

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

“Man cannot serve God & Mammon”

We all know how religious types are in the habit of pulling one scripture out of the Bible, usually completely out of context, and then using it to support a position or a claim that they want to uphold, right? Well today’s topic may seem like me doing the same thing – but I would argue that in this case it is both applicable and effective. I truly believe that the majority of the people in the so called civilized world could completely change their lives by understanding the meaning of this and choosing to follow God instead of Mammon.

So who or what is Mammon?

That’s a great question and one that could be debated or analyzed to a degree far outside the scope of this article. Let’s just agree on something that is universally accepted. First of all, it is in someway connected to the pursuit of money and material things. Secondly – the scripture itself suggests that choosing Mammon over God would be a choice that takes you away from the place God wants you to be in. If you want to really get into the meat of what mammon is really all about, I highly recommend that you do some studying and let the Lord enlighten you. I suggest the book “Living on the Third River” by Craig Hill, this should be a huge eye opener for you. It can be found at http://www.faithandworkresources.com/store_items_view.asp?itemid=18431

(I am not connected to this site by the way)

Today, I have asked the Lord to give me some wisdom to share with you on the subject.

How often do you think about money? When you make decisions about what to do or have, are they governed by how much things cost? Are your future plans and goals based on how much money you will be able to acquire in the future?

For most people, the answer to these questions is a big Yes! Most people live their lives worrying and stressing about money and planning ways to get more of it so that their lives can be better. Sadly, most never get what they are striving for and those that do, find that life is not necessarily better – it is just different.

You can read traditional old “religious” literature that will tell you that God wants you to be poor. The writers suggest that having nothing somehow makes it easier for you to get closer to the Lord and that He prefers you that way. On the other side of the coin, you have all of the self-help gurus and the so called “prosperity movement” who will all tell you in their books, TV shows, and seminars that God wants you to be rich! So, who is correct? Well, in a way they are both right and they also are wrong.

What the Lord has clearly shown me is that he doesn’t care about how much money you have or don’t have. He is not interested in what things you have or wish that you had. He is only interested in your heart. He is only interested in having a personal, intimate relationship with you.

He wants to spend time with you, to hear your questions, to listen to your fears, to hear your prayers. He takes delight in any time that he gets to spend with you and only you. He would love to sit for hours and hear what’s on your heart, to learn about your desires and dreams and to help you to see that the easy way to live a life that is fulfilling and without stress is to become as much like Him as you possibly can.

He cannot teach you his ways if you are spending all of your time watching TV, playing golf, playing video games, going to the mall, etc etc, or working extra hours to get more money to buy more things.

Now, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the old religious crowd could be right and this means that you are not supposed to have anything nice. This is completely untrue. God wants you to have the desires of your heart and he is delighted to see you achieve them. The thing that you will notice though, is that the more time you spend talking to him one on one, the more you get to understand how highly he regards you and you will find that the desires of your heart will start to change.

You will start thinking of different things that you can do with your money, you will look to do more things that you know that He would want you to do. This is where you start to make the transition away from serving Mammon towards serving God. You see, if you are not serving one, then by default, you are serving the other.

Most people are serving Mammon without even knowing they are doing it, and in doing so they are blocking themselves from joy and peace and bringing untold levels of stress into their lives. The three biggest ‘killers’ in the world as we know it today are; heart attack, stroke and cancer. It is a documented fact that these conditions are exacerbated or in some cases, caused by stress.

Escaping the service of Mammon is better than any drug.  It is a preventative treatment rather than an attempt at a cure. “So it’s that easy then” I hear you ask. Well it is that simple but by no means is it easy. In fact, for most of us it is the single most difficult thing we could ever attempt. We live in a world surrounded by manipulation and temptation.

On a daily basis you are systematically bombarded with ads on the radio, TV, Internet, magazines, newspapers, and on and on. Everything is designed to get you to want to buy something, to acquire something bigger, better newer or tastier than what you already have. It is incredibly powerful and works mightily.

Often, we get so determined to have something that we get it even when we don’t actually don’t have the money for it, using consumer credit cards and then worrying how to pay for it later. That decision immediately enslaves you as a servant of Mammon. You are locked in because now you can’t think about having time to spend with God because you have to pay back the credit cards or the bank loan.

Have you found yourself in that position? Are you in that position today? Do you want to get out? Send me an email if you want help with a particular situation and would like us to pray for you. (In-Amen@gmail.com) Otherwise, just read this prayer and have faith that the Lord is just eagerly waiting to hear from you and is just waiting for the chance to be a part of your life and to help you feel better about everything.

Father God in Heaven, thank you that you care about me so much and that you are interested in hearing about my situation. Lord I have messed up with my finances. I have got myself into debt and made myself a servant of Mammon because I now have to strive to pay back all of this money I owe. Please show me how to think differently about money, teach me how to use money as a tool and not let it manipulate me and cause me to make bad choices.

Father, I will do my very best to talk to you about all the future financial decisions and I thank you in advance that your wisdom will guide me. Help me to find the ways and means to get myself out of this situation and teach me to follow you and not Mammon in the future. Thank you that you hear this prayer today, in the name of Jesus.

Now don’t think that everything is going to change tomorrow. But, do understand that it has already started to change. You are now fully aware of the situation you are in and the difficulty of the challenge ahead, but guess what? You have the Creator of the entire universe on you side! There is no way you can lose. You just have to choose to follow God and no one else. You see, you don’t ever have to worry about what not to do and who not to follow. All that stuff makes things unnecessarily complex and stressful. All you need to know is that if you follow what God wants for you, if you chat to Him, ask His advice, you won’t go far wrong. Simple? Yes! Easy? No but it fills each day with purpose and makes you feel a whole lot better. Give it a try!

Blessings to you.Share This Post

NAME EVERY MONEY SEED YOU PLANT

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

In this teaching, the Lord was talking to me about a discussion that we had regarding converting my office into a special sanctuary where I can spend time with Him. I know this is not an option for everyone but if it is possible for you to have such a place where you spend your private quiet time with the Father, I highly recommended it! This particular issue of finance, is one of the most abused in the religious world. Be warned here, God is not to be treated like an ATM machine. He will honor what you ask of Him in terms of multiplying the “seeds” you sow through your giving. Having said that, be cognizant of the importance of His suggestion that you “do not lay up treasure for yourself here on earth.” Make sure that you are building on the Platform of your salvation with “gold, silver and precious stones”. This can only be achieved when you put the needs of others above your own needs.

” You are still hovering around the edges of the anointing. There is so much more for you if you will just press through to the deeper levels says the Lord.

The building of your faith will bring total commitment, which is what is required. To be anything else requires you to remain in the world and this is unacceptable. You now need to choose to make the same level of commitment to your spiritual life.

If your former office is to be a sanctuary it must be kept the way a sanctuary should be. The anointing will be super evident in that place at all times. It should be a place of harmony of prayer, praise and worship. Pray before every action. Let the spirit take the lead. Get the flesh out of the way. You are no longer ‘self employed’, you are ‘God employed’. What manner of servant are you?

The choices are there for you! The reason for you to study again about sowing and reaping is to make sure you understand the importance of naming the seeds. It is clearly evident that all of the seeds that I have produced will produce only that for which they were intended. No other outcome is possible.

Through the advent of money I have given you the same power. You can sow this seed of money into lives, ministries and really anywhere the Spirit leads you. However, money carries no genetic code. It is purely an instrument of transaction. It is not the money itself that does anything. It is the FAITH behind the action that bears the fruit.

In order for faith to have effect, there has to be action with it. Naming the seed before sowing embeds the ‘code’ into that seed, so that the fruit that it will produce is pre-determined. You already know that nothing is left to chance. Every outcome is the result of a previous action.

Take today and stick with determination to the plan you presented last night . Do not waiver from it. Let nothing sway you. Achieve this for today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Consistent persistent application out of obedience is what is required of you.

Obedience is difficult, challenging and can be uncomfortable at first. Once it has transcended the flesh, all of those emotions are washed away in a flood of joy. The joy that can only be known through the total control of My Holy Spirit and walking each day with Me right there next to you.

Strive for the joy, for there is nothing that can compare. Those who I have equipped as leaders, should lead where it is appropriate, follow where it is prudent and be humble and loving at all times. As you grow in wisdom, remember that love, faith and wisdom are inseparable. If one is missing the other two will be diminished to the degree that they are no longer effective. “

Proverbs 9

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DISAPPOINTMENTS ARE OFTEN BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

” Disappointments are often blessings in disguise. There is a season for everything and everything has a season. When following a dream, make sure it is yours, following the dreams of another person could lead to a rude awakening.

Fiscally responsible prosperity will always glorify the Lord , so I do not prohibit it. Acquiring the wealth is never the issue , becoming a psalm 52 man is the problem. Stay in harmony with My plan for your life and with My Holy Spirit power and ensure that this fate does not befall you.

You have been presented with a golden opportunity to escape the hooks of the world to a greater degree, the decision is yours to make. If you want to be blessed, be in the habit of doing things that provoke My attention. Do you really think I am interested in who is winning the game or the latest episode of some television series? I am interested in the spirits and souls of the people I created, nothing else matters to Me.

They have been the sole focus of My attention since I created them. All the other things are mans creations which serve to in some way dilute the relationship. My concern is for the eternal world, not the temporal. One will soon replace the other and then, where will you be? What will you be doing?

In those answers lies the purpose that you are seeking . If you truly grasp the significance and the uncertainty of time, you will appreciate the folly of ‘options’. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”. Ensure that every project, every action is propelled by a soul saving motivation. Do not miss the fact that the greatest assurance for the salvation of your own souls lies in the saving of the spirits and souls of others through your example “


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MISTAKEN ABOUT THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUS WORKS

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

It is one thing to be mistaken about the meaning of righteous works and getting involved in church programs and law works. However it is a completely different thing to be fully aware of what correct righteous works are and yet not to be doing any. Opportunities abound all around you and they extend far beyond opportunities to sow financial seed.

Have eyes to see and you will surely discover situations were you can make a contribution. Righteous works will overflow from the conviction in your heart. You should not be waiting for certain conditions to be met, before you will be able to ‘do’ something. After all, My laws of giving and receiving dictate that many of the things after which you seek will be released as a consequence of your obedience. This obedience cannot only be related to things that you find comfort in- it must be complete and relate to all situations.

There are so many things for those who look. Many people think that running the race should be solely centered around their local church. This could not be further from the truth. You have the truth in your hands-now you must use it. This is the same situation as the financial seed , unless it is revealed into My universe, it has no value, there can be no harvest,it will not produce new seed , it is rendered useless.

So it is with the seeds of ‘possibility’- the seeds of things you could be doing in My name but you are not doing because you are waiting for certain circumstances to fall into place.

Pay heed to the parable of the talents- not using your seeds is really the same as burying it away. Would you want Me to return and find all of the seed still in your hands? You know the answer to that question. It is one things to see the straw , hay and stubble burn up before your eyes at the judgment seat. Perhaps you may think there is something more righteous in a platform with nothing on it in the first place. Be not deceived…they both end up with losses.

This is an important issue as time passes quickly and each passing day is a lost opportunity which cannot be reclaimed.

It is one things to ask Me to restore that which the locust has eaten, but this concerns that which you yourselves are destroying. Time waits for no man, so start moving. Each day being a celebration of your successes did not apply only to your business life, that is only the generation of financial seeds, which is necessary but not all encompassing. Take heart , you will find nothing more rewarding than this, it will bring joy to you, you will bring joy to others and I will take joy in your obedience says the Lord.”

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HOW TO KEEP YOUR MIND CLEAR

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Look how much clearer your mind becomes when you keep it clear from the nonsense of this world. It will require great effort and diligence to maintain and then build upon this platform, but the outcome will be well worth the effort.

You can increase your efforts in this direction one day at a time. Each day you will grow stronger and more confident that you are on the right path. As the mist and fog of this world clears from your spirit, your view of your intended purpose will become clearer and clearer.

One of the wiles of the enemy is to fill a persons mind with other ‘stuff’ that many of them had never even had a glimpse of their true purpose on this earth. All of the day their thoughts are filled with what they need to do to earn enough money to try and cope with the financial burden they have been placed under; house payments, credit card payments, car payments etc. etc. The world’s sickly system has them buried under these terrible burdens from which many never break free.

Then they pass on the acceptance of such a system to their offspring and so it perpetuates. They may never get to see the incredible possibilities that lay ahead for them if they cannot get the worlds clutter out of their heads. One can only help others once you have successfully completed the process yourself. You cannot be holding a cigarette whilst explaining to someone how to quit smoking- BEING AN EXAMPLE is a powerful testimony. Just as I was an example to the apostles and all of the people that witnessed what was carried out on the earth.

Be fruitful. The Word says more about what you are doing than words. Your fruit will stir up the faith of others and cause them to have hope. Your council will help them to put their faith into action and start to produce their own fruit. Their fruit will stir up the faith of still more believers. See how this leads towards ‘revival with purpose’?.

It all starts with the fruit and the fruit comes from the actions- the actions are generated by the faith and the faith comes by hearing and the hearing comes by the Word. I am the Word- stay in Me, around Me, feed your soul and your spirit with Me and in the abundance of your obedience will be the abundance of your success and your reward”

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WHOSE ASSIGNMENT ARE YOU ON?

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

I am refining you says the Lord,I want to complete in you a more perfect work for which you are not yet qualified. The test of abstinence was to show you the weakness of your flesh. If it fails to respond so easily due to the lack of earthly nourishment how much more will it fail for the lack of spiritual nourishment. You must partake of My spirit and My word more regularly than you partake of earthly food and your earthly body will come alive with My spirit and you will have wisdom and discernment and power will be in your hands.

The time is now for you to put into practice the things I have been instructing you on. Be strong and of good courage. Work diligently with wisdom on the tasks before you. Do not be afraid, do not shrink back at this hour, the breakthrough is close by and you must press in.

It is true that the worker is worth his wages, if your vision extends greater than wages then your work and effort must surpass that of the workers. Abundant harvest usually come from abundant seed sowing and lots of diligent effort, rushing to bring in the harvest, so that all will not spoil.

Constantly check the attitude of your heart and your diligence level. Do you recall what I said about working as though I am sitting right by your side, looking over your shoulder, evaluating your efforts? What do you say about the results so far? Would I be nodding My head with approval, would I be patting you on the back? Would I be happy with your production level? What answers does your mouth have for Me?, or is it too filled with stones to speak?

I have given an assignment to each of My sheep. Their first challenge is to recognize the assignment, the second challenge is to begin it, the third is to complete it.

To complete these steps you will need an abundance of these 3 qualities: Obedience, wisdom and love. Each one leads to the other in truly greater measure. Out of your obedience, work at your assignment more diligently than you would for an earthly master . How much more mindful should you be of your Heavenly master?  For he that honours Me, gets doubly rewarded. Here and now with comfort and joy in the earthly time, but so much more in the time to come. Keep putting aside all distractions and focus, focus, focus. The only failure for My people comes when they focus their eyes elsewhere other than the path that leads to Me.

Begin each day with new optimism and the knowledge that the Most High God is right there with you ordering your every thought and anointing your tongue and your mind “Share This Post

UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF THE SOWN SEED

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

If you understand the power of the sown seed, you will look to planting something every day. The more seeds that are planted, the more harvests you can reap. The more harvests you reap, the more you will have to set aside as seed.

The seeds are the core of your faith. Faith with no seeds is unproductive, stagnant. What are you having faith in? What are you waiting for?

The farmer that beholds the ground in which he has planted nothing, can gaze upon that ground until the passing of time. Nothing will spring forth because nothing begets nothing.

Just one seed, correctly used, planted in faith, harvested in love, with some of the crop set aside for more seed, can produce abundance as to the type of the seed. However, wheat will not produce apples nor silver will produce gold. Like for like is the principal, be wise in your choices.

Plant your seeds earnestly and sincerely and with clarity and I will grant you the favour that you have asked. There are people I am pouring out favour upon because they truly understand the principals of sowing and reaping. “

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