Keys to Success

 30 Days for Success

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30 Days for Success is a 30 Day Devotional to help you achieve the level of success God has and wants for you. God has put everything in place for you to succeed. He has given you incredible favor.

God’s Has Designed You for Success

Think about it —

•  God made you more than a conqueror through Christ (Rom. 8:37)
•  He always leads you in triumph in Christ (2 Cor.2:14)
•  The Lord has given you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3)
•  He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3)
•  The Holy Spirit helps you in your weakness (Rom. 8:26)
•  His strength is perfected in your weakness (2Cor. 12:9)
•  God forgives and cleanses you from every sin (1John 1:9)
•  He endues you with power from on high (Acts1:8)
•  God works every thing for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28)

God’s Will is for You to Succeed

Does this sound like a God who wants you to fail? The basis of that success is found in the Word of God. The 30 Days to Success devotional has 30 different thoughts and scriptures related to success from a Biblical perspective. It is designed to help you transform your thinking and step into God’s destiny for your life and experience true success. God’s will is for you to succeed!

The World verses the Word

God defines success differently than how the world defines it. The world sees success only as reaching a goal or a certain level of achievement usually simply measured by money or fame. Success in the world is something that is useful only in life on earth. God sees success as reaching a goal or level of achievement that has eternal value in this life and in the life to come. That is a huge difference!  The 30 Days for Success devotional will help you see and understand true success.

Discovering How the Bible Defines Success

The Bible is where find how God defines success.  Real success begins with receiving the gift of eternal life.  (John 3:16-17)  You will find success only in Jesus, not money or fame or power.  (Proverbs 3:6)  Biblical success takes work and obedience.  (Dt. 2:7).   Achieving true success takes time, it is a process that you have to walk out.

You can download 30 Days for Success – just CLICK HERE and BE BLESSED!

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The post 30 Days for Success – download free mini-book (click to read more) appeared first on Breakthrough with Pastor Bruce Edwards.

Generating true wealth is a subject that creates a lot of debate and often leads to greed and bizarre “get rich schemes”. In fact the Bible gives several warning about the potential dangers of wealth. If we are going to avoid the pain that worldly wealth brings we need to take heed to those warnings. However, God is not against riches and wealth in fact wealth is part of the blessings of God. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.“. (NIV)

The secret to true wealth is found in the Bible. If you really want to generate TRUE wealth you will need to follow the Biblical process of getting wealth. The Bible is a treasure house of instruction and insight on building true wealth. The Word of God is filled with principles for every area of life, including creating wealth.

True Wealth Defined

The first thing we need to understand if we want to enjoy riches and true wealth is the Biblical definition of wealth. The Bible defines Wealth as the ability to experience and enjoy God’s blessings. Wealth from God’s standpoint is not just about money, but it includes every aspect of life. There are tens of thousands of people with lots of money, but they are not wealthy. Their bank accounts may be overflowing but their souls are impoverished. The poor individual who knows God as Savior has indescribable wealth compared to the those rich in money only and rejects Christ. Having financial wealth along with friendship, godly wisdom, and a happy home equal true wealth.

If you are follower of Christ you are BLESSED and you’ve been created to enjoy all the blessings that God has provided for you. It is time for you to generate true wealth and walk in the abundance God has provided for you.

3 Biblical Principles for True Wealth

There are “Three Simple Biblical Principles to Generating True Wealth”. These three principles are simple, but not always easy to follow. Here they are;

PRINCIPLE ONE – Make God Your Source

This is the biblical foundation for true wealth. God is the source of all gain. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ( NKJV) Notice it is God who gives us the ability to get wealth and the reason for that wealth is to establish His covenant in the earth.

God is the source, not your job, the government, your inheritance, or anything or anybody else. All these are “resources”. God will use these and other vehicles to get His source to you. 1 Chronicles 29:19 puts it this way, “Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all”

God owns everything. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,..” (Psalms 24:1) ” He owns all the gold and silver (Haggai 2:8) and all the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalms 50:10) There is no shortage with God. He is El Shaddai the God who is MORE than enough.

MAKE GOD YOUR SOURCE it is a Biblical principle for generating true wealth.

PRINCIPLE TWO – Be a Good Steward.

While God owns everything He has delegated that ownership to us. It is called stewardship . As Christians we do not own anything outright, even our lives belong to Him (1Corinthians 6:19-20), but we are stewards. We are stewards of the time, talent, and treasure God has blessed us with. God is looking for and expecting us to be good stewards. He expects us to manage all that we have properly and to make wise investments, so we will bear fruit and grow – generating real wealth.

Part of good stewardship is being generous with our wealth. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” We are to use the principle of sowing and reaping. “Be not deceived, for God is not mocked, for what soever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”

Part of good stewardship is using the wisdom of God. Proverbs 21:20, puts it this way,” In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. In other words – wise people have plenty left over because they don’t spend all they make. However, fools spend all they get (and maybe even more). To put is simply – “SPEND LESS THAN YOU MAKE”. Don’t go into debt!

Whether you are an entrepreneur, internet marketer, business owner, inventor, professional, or tradesman it is because of the wisdom of God that you’ll discover witty inventions and creative ideas that will exponentially multiply what you do. Those who find wisdom through good stewardship find the favor of God. God blesses you so you can be a blessing!

BE A GOOD STEWARD – it is a Biblical principle for generating real wealth.

PRINCIPLE THREE – Work and Invest Wisely.

Generating true wealth is not a reward God gives to those who are lazy. Proverbs 12:11 says, “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment“ Proverbs 14:23 puts it this way “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty“. Creating wealth requires hard work. God blesses what we “put are hand to”. (Dt. 28:8)

Not only do we need to work hard, we need to keep working hard. No retiring – no quitting – no giving up. You must keep going and never lose your endurance. Rest is important, but be careful that it doesn’t turn into laziness. Get up and use what God blessed you with – your skills, strength, and knowledge – to get the job done.

Your work will generate income. You need income that is greater than what it takes to pay for your living expenses; home, grocery, utilities, insurance, car, etc. You need to save. Develop a proactive and disciplined savings plan. Then you invest wisely. In the parable of the talents Jesus made it clear those who learn and put this principle into practice will be “given more”. Those who don’t what they have will be “taken away” (Matthew 25:14-30)

Work – it is a Biblical principle for creating true wealth.

GO FOR IT

Follow these three Biblical principles and you will be on the path to true wealth. Life is too short to settle for anything less. God has given you the power (ability) to get wealth. He wants you to be wealthy so you can be a greater blessing and help build the kingdom of God.

Generating true wealth takes time so, be weary of short cuts and be careful not to forget the Lord – He gets all the glory. To get started today put these three principles into practice in your life;

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

The post True Wealth – 3 principals that generate true wealth appeared first on Breakthrough with Pastor Bruce Edwards.

Defeat the Giant of Debt

Defeat the Giant of Debt

Recently CNBC did a news report in which they said, “8 out of 10 Americans our in debt”, that is 80% of Americans!  The average family has over $15,000 of credit card debt and over 50% are struggling to make the payments.  I don’t know if you’re one of the 8 out of 10 in debt and struggling with your debt, but I do know debt can be like facing a giant.  If can seem overwhelming and look like there is no way out. So, the question is, how can you get out of debt?   The following is a very simple strategic process to eliminate debt.  While it is simple it is not easy.  The giant of debt has be faced head on and defeated.  It can be done.  It requires commitment and discipline to adhere to the plan that will defeat debt.  The issue is, how bad do you want to get out of debt?  If you want it bad enough you will do what it takes to get the victory over the giant of debt.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22:7, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”  When you are a debtor you are a slave to the lender. Deut. 28:12 tells us we, “… shall lend to many, but you shall not borrow” We are to be the head and not the tail.  It is time to live a life free from the slavery of debt.  It is important to learn how to get out of debt.

I encourage you to begin to apply the following three simple steps of how to get out of debt and begin to experience victory in your finances. I pray for God to give you wisdom and grace to begin to overcome the giant of debt in your life!  There is a “Breakthrough For You” in your finances.

How to get out of debt – in 3 simple steps

The following steps are for those who have over time gotten into debt through poor decisions, over spending, short term job loss, and other poor financial decisions.  If you have suffered some sort of catastrophic loss because of long term disability, disaster, or other severe loss, you may need professional credit counceling or legal advice.  Many communities have help available for those in this kind of situation.  Even you are in this situation the following steps can help defeat the giant of debt.  I have seen many situations that in the natural looked impossible, but when they began putting this steps into action God showed up with favor and breakthroughs.  Go for it!

1.  Create a Budget
Before you can get out of debt you have to stop getting in debt.  That means you need to create a budget in which your expenses are less than your income.

To start, create a budget based on your current life style and circumstances. First, make a list of all the sources of income you have.  Second, make a list of all the expenses you have.  Make sure to include everything.  I have included a link below for an automated worksheet.

CLICK HERE – for automated worksheet

Now begin to eliminated all unnecessary expenses.  This takes discipline and self control but is absolutely necessary to accelerate eliminating debt. This is to generate as much surplus as possible.  For some of you this will be necessary just to get to a place your expenses are less than your total income for others it will increase the amount of your discretionary income.  This means sitting down with your spouse and reviewing what your spending.  Depending on your current financial situation this may mean eliminating some things that have been luxuries – going out to eat, cell phones, cable,  and other discretionary expenditures.  The goal here is to create the largest amount of surplus that can be used to reduce the balance on your debts.

If after going through this process your expenses are still greater than your income you will need to make some of the following decisions:
1) getting second jobs for a season
2) changing current life style – smaller less expensive place to live.
3) down sizing your transportation – this may mean driving a less expensive car, getting one with better gas mileage, etc.
4) review other expenses that could be reduced by downsizing.

This first step is the foundation of how to get out of debt!

2. Make a List of Your Debts
This can be a major shock for some.  Many have avoided compiling a comprehensive list of credit cards and other debts because they just have not wanted to face the problem. However, you have to know where you are and what your total debt is. Begin writing down the name of each creditor, the interest rate and the outstanding balance.   Arrange the list according to the outstanding balance with the lowest balance first.

3.  Start Paying Off Your Debt
First- you want to try and reduce the interest rate on any or all of your accounts.  This often can be accomplished simply by calling the creditor and asking them to reduce the interest rate.  Second- start paying more than the minimum amount on each debt even if it is $10 more. If you are addicted to minimum payment traps then you will never be out of debt for your whole life. Banks have arranged minimum debt traps in such a way that a loan could take many years to be paid off if you pay minimum amounts. Always pay more than the minimum. These small extra payments will save you literally thousand of dollars. Third- take the total amount of additional discretionary income you have generated by reducing expenses and/or increasing you income (from step 1) and apply it toward the debt with the lowest balance.  Once that account is paid off take the amount you have been paying on that debt and add it to what you have been paying on the second creditor.  When the second creditor is paid off take all you have been applying to that account and add it to what you have been paying on the third creditor and continue until all your debts are paid off.

Are you ready to get out of debt?   Begin putting these simple steps into action – today!  You can do it.

The post How to Get Out of Debt – in 3 simple steps appeared first on Breakthrough with Pastor Bruce Edwards.

Prosperity and Wealth

God’s will for His people are for them to prosper and have success. Joshua 1:8 tells us, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  Just like a natural father wants his children to prosper and be successful in life so does the Father God want His children to prosper.    Biblical prosperity has a purpose.  Biblical prosperity is needed to build the kingdom of God.

If you’re a follower of Christ He wants you to have success in life. Jesus said, “I have come to give you life and life more abundantly” (John 10:10).  God has given us the principles of prosperity in His Word. It is part of our inheritance as a believer. That being said, I realize many pervert and abuse the truth of God’s Word about His provision. However, we should not allow that to hinder us from walking in the light and truth of His Word.

I know many of you are reading this because of the title “Biblical Prosperity” or you just read its Gods will to prosper you and you’re thinking, “that means I’m going to have a lot of money“. Biblical “prosperity” is not just about money or financial achievement. Prosperity is a blessing from the Lord, it’s an all encompassing idea, that does include financial well being, but it also includes physical well being and spiritual well being. It includes having every aspect of your life – your family, your career, your health, and other relationships blessed so you can enjoy the blessings of God, have a life that is fulfilling and be able to bless others. Biblical Prosperity is not to be self focused but to be servant focused. “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

Prosperity – isn’t just money

God’s Will is For You to Prosper

The Bible is filled with instruction, counsel, correction and direction about prosperity, wealth, money and finances. There over 2000 Scriptures related to prosperity and finances! Here are just a few verses that speak of God’s will for prosperity in your life:

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall
prosper.”

3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

Psalms 35:27 tells us the Lord takes, “…pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

John 10:10 says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

It is clear from the Word, that God wants His children to prosper. I don’t see how anyone can deny that. However, not everyone will experience the fullness of God’s prosperity. Just as it is God’s will for all to be saved, yet not everyone will receive Christ as their savior. Just because someone does not experience God’s will in their life, that does not change God’s will. God’s will is not established by someones experience. To receive the benefit of God’s provision you have to receive it by faith. Faith is believing, speaking and acting on His Word.  You need to know for sure that God wants you to prosper otherwise there is no way you can have faith to prosper.  The focus of this short teaching is to help inspire your faith.

Biblical Prosperity – 5 Principles

We need to realize there is a responsibility that comes with God’s blessings. Prosperity should not be the end in itself. It is a tool to help us in our life. God has put each of us on this earth for a purpose and all that He has provided for us is to help us fulfill that purpose. The following are 5 foundational principles of Biblical prosperity. These are to help you establish a solid foundation and help you experience “financial breakthrough” in your life.

Principle One –  Know God Owns it All

Until you realize God owns everything you will not experience true prosperity in your life. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalms 50:10) The gold and silver belong to Him. (Haggai 2:8) The Psalmist puts it best “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalms 24;1) God owns it all. You will never be in financial trouble if you remember those four words. They are the foundation for true financial prosperity. When we understand everything belongs to Him we can let go, trust Him and focus on our true responsibility and task , that is of being a steward. God owns it all!

Principle Two- Realize We Are Stewards

John Wesley founder of Methodism put it this way, “When the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being, and placed you in this world, he placed you here not as a proprietor, but a steward.”  Stewardship is managing God’s treasures in God’s way, for God’s purposes, and always for God’s glory. We begin life with our hands wide open and nothing in them. As we mature, by the grace of God, He allows certain things to be placed into our possession, none of them under our ownership. Remember, He owns everything in heaven and earth. It’s all His. We are stewards for a season. In the parable of the good steward found in Luke 16 Jesus explains the principles of stewardship. The essence of His instruction is for us to be faithful with what we are entrusted with. God is the source of what we have and He expects us to be good stewards.

Principle Three – Understand God is Our Source

If you are looking to your job, education, government, someone else or even the church as your source you have limited your supply. God has more than enough supply for every need you have, He is El Shaddai the God who is more than enough. It is in Him we live move and have our being. Hebrews 12:2 says, “fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

If you want to experience Biblical Prosperity in your life make God your source. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.” (Philippians 4:19) Make God your source and you will never be without. You are more valuable than any bird and Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

God is your source the issue is do you have your priorities right? Don’t put other things ahead of God. God is Our Source!.

Principle Four- Having Right Priorities

Jesus gives us this instruction in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This simply means we are to seek the things of God as a priority over the things of the world. It means we are to give our relationship with Jesus and the things in the kingdom of God priority because they are of greater value than all the world’s riches.

This does mean we are to neglect the responsibilities we have in our communities, schools, businesses, and daily life. We just need to continue to keep things in the right order of priority. Notice when we keep the things of God first He then adds to us the things we need for life.

When it comes to understanding God’s plan for success and prosperity the issue is this – “Love God not Money”. Jesus explained this way, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

The Apostle Paul in 1Timothy 6:6-10 gives us this admonition, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

John Calvin said, “Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority.” And if God loses authority over your heart, there will be a God-shaped hole in your heart that can’t be filled by anything or anyone other than God. It is unfulfilling.

Satan is the Lord of Materialism. He will try to use money and possessions to lead us down a dark path of greed and destruction. In Luke 4, we see that Satan says the following to Jesus: “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them-because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me.” Satan is the devil because of his desire to be worshiped and he wants nothing more than for you to worship him.

Principle Five-  Understanding Prosperity Has a Purpose

The primary purpose of prosperity is not so you can heap riches upon yourself. There is nothing wrong with having an abundant life style if you have the other four principles operating in your life and they are producing the fruit of true prosperity in your life. “Prosperity with a Purpose” is not a phrase to be used to justify ones selfishness, greed and desire for more wealth. There really is a God based purpose for prosperity. God prospers your life for the following reasons:

1) so you can be a blessing

2) so you can help establish His covenant in the earth

3) so your life has greater influence in the “world”

4) so your life is blessed

Be encouraged by what has been shared and be challenged to believe God for His will to be done in your life.  His will is to prosper you. Biblical prosperity is for a purpose, so begin to walk out His will.  Take the steps He directs.    May the Lord prosper you in all things and bless you with good health as your soul prospers.

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Don’t Forget His Benefits

Don’t forget His benefits because His benefits are awesome and they belong to you. When it comes to our jobs we are keenly aware of every “benefit” that we have as an employee; health insurance, retirement options, life insurance, disability insurance, how many vacation days & holidays we get, etc. We monitor and track these benefits closely. We never forget them and we make sure to use them all.

Do you pay the same attention to the benefits you’ve been given from the Lord? Are you fully aware of all the benefits that belong to you? You see, the benefits you don’t know about or the ones you forget are benefits you won’t receive and enjoy. God has given you many benefits. The Word of God is filled with promises for you. They are yours as a member of the family of God. But the only way to take advantage of those benefits is to find out what God’s Word has to say about them and then believe to receive them. You must continually remember them and remember to act on those promises in your everyday life. Don’t forget His benefits!

6 Benefits for You

Psalms 103:1-5 reminds us of this very thing, “… Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Not only are we reminded not to forget ALL His benefits, but we are reminded of 6 specific incredible benefits, I call them “MY DIVINE BENEFIT PACKAGE”. They include-

1. Forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of your benefits. Notice He forgives ALL your sins, not just some of them. To enjoy this benefit you have to receive it and not forget it.
2. Healing. You were healed by the stripes of Jesus over 2000 years ago. (1Peter 2:24) Healing is a benefit that belongs to you. Notice it says ALL of your diseases. Receive your healing now and don’t forget it.
3. Protection. God’s divine protection is one of His benefits. He will deliver you from destruction. He is your refuge and fortress. (Psalms 91:2) It is important not to forget His protection for you and to stay under His might shadow.
4. Favor. God will crown you with His favor. He surrounds you with favor like a shield. (Psalms 5:12) Don’t forget you have favor with God and man every day.
5. Provision. God is Jehovah Jireh your provider. (Genesis 22:14) He will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) Remember to keep God first and to trust Him for your provision. Always remember God will provide!
6. Long life. One of His benefits is to satisfy you with long life. (Psalms 91:16) He will renew your strength daily and lift you up. (Isaiah 40:310) Never forget He is the source of life!

These are all precious gifts from the Lord to you, and it brings Him great joy when He sees you enjoying His benefits and succeeding in life. I encourage you to remember YOUR DIVINE BENEFIT PACKAGE and all the benefits that belong to you and make sure to use them. Don’t forget His benefits!

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10 Bible Promises of God’s Blessings

GET READY – You’re going to need a bigger boat…

God is an overly generous God. He is not stingy, selfish, or cheap. God wants to bless you and provide for you! He is Jehovah Jireh – the Lord that provides. (Genesis 22:14) The Bible is filled with many wonderful promises of God blessings. In this post I have included 10 of my favorite Bible verses that declare God’s promise of provision and blessing. When you make God your source, and you stay humble, and you live right, and you seek the Kingdom of God first, and you’re a generous giver – get ready … because your “Boat of Life” will overflow with God’s blessings! Believe and trust the Lord, declare these promises over your life and watch God’s word come alive for you…

1. Deuteronomy 28:2

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

2. 2 Corinthians 2:6

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

3. Malachi 3:10b

Says the Lord of hosts,“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

4. Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

5. Deuteronomy 28:11-13

And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

6. Psalms 84:11 NKJV

“the Lord God…No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

7. Psalms 37:25

I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

8. Psalms 115:14

May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children.

9. Deuteronomy 8:18

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

10. 3John 3

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

BONUS SCRIPTURE

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

May the Lord’s blessings shine upon you! Numbers 6:25

Pastor Bruce Edwards

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5 Biblical Truths about Money

Money isn’t everything in life. However, it is a very significant part of God’s purpose and should not be treated lightly. Some Christians think it’s unspiritual to talk about money, but the truth is we need money to live, to provide for our families, and to finance the gospel.

The Bible has a lot to say about money. In fact, there are over 2000 verses in the Bible on money, that compares to about 500 verses on faith, 500 on prayer , and 500 on love. If God gave this much attention to money, we probably should give our attention to what He has to say about money. For example did you know the Bible doesn’t promise you an abundance of money just because you’re a Christian? Did you know money is not simply the result of having the favor of God? Did you know the Bible doesn’t teach you’re more holy simply because you don’t have much money? Did you know the Bible doesn’t teach money is evil? Many people including Christians believe these things about money. So, what does the Bible say about money?

Jesus talked about and taught more about money than any other single topic. Nearly half of the parables Jesus told were about money. Why? He knew “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NIV) In other words, money is an indicator of a persons true character. Knowing and understanding what the Bible truly teaches about money is extremely important for us as Christians. To help you get a good start here are 5 Biblical Truths about Money –

1. Money is to be Used as a Tool.

Money in and of its self is neither good nor bad. Money is simply a tool to be used for the necessities of life, to help achieve God’s purpose for our life, and to help build the kingdom of God. Money is a means not an end. It has no real value until someone spends it. It just sits in a bank account or someones pocket until they use it. How we choose to use money will ultimately determine its real value.

You either learn to master money or money will master you. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13) Money like any tool can be misused, abused, or even not used. Like a chain saw, when used properly can be a great blessing and help, but misuse it or abuse it and it can destroy property or hurt someone. If you fail to use it you miss out on the benefit it provides. Lets learn to use money properly and enjoy all the blessings it is meant to provide. Money is a Tool – it’s a Biblical Truth!

2. Money can be dangerous!

Ecclesiastes 5:10 tell us. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. ” In other words don’t let money become an “idol” it will leave you disappointed and wanting. The Bible gives us many warnings about the potential dangers of money. 1 Timothy 6:9 warns us, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” Jesus warned us to, “not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal… for you cannot serve both God and money” (Mt. 9:19) He told us to. “Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

1 Timothy 6:10 warns us that, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,”. Notice it didn’t say money is evil, but the “love” of money is. Greed, covetousness, or wanting more than we have, is idolatry. The principle to remember here is to, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Money Can be Dangerous – its a Biblical truth! Don’t pursue money pursue God.

3. God Wants You to Have Money

Yes, God does want you to have money. He has nothing against you having money. He just doesn’t want you to have it before you’re ready for it. There are Biblical principles tied to having and getting money. There a dangers associated with wealth and money. (see #2) However, God does not rain money down out of the sky, in fact He doesn’t give money to anyone. Instead God gives wisdom, ideas, favor, direction, and abilities, so we can earn and aquire money. God does not promise to make anyone rich, wealthy, or prosperous, however He does provide the opportunity for anyone to prosper. It is His will and desire for His children to prosper! “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3John2) “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant”. (Psalms 35:27)

Our goal and purpose should not be acquiring a lot of money. Proverbs 23:4-5 says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

But, that doesn’t mean we are to avoid money and prosperity. Our goal should be Jesus. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mt. 6:33) When our priorities our right money and all other things are ADDED to us. God Wants You to Have Money – it is a Biblical Truth!

4. Money requires proper stewardship

God owns everything! “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, (Psalms 24:1) We are simply stewards (managers) of the things God entrusts us with including “money”. Everything we have – our life, our gifts and talents, relationships, blessings, possessions, etc. comes from the Lord even riches and wealth. “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth,”. (Dt. 8:18) Our responsibility is to be “faithful stewards” of all that we have. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2 We will be held accountable for our stewardship. Luke 16:2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, We not ours. Gratefulness should overflow from our hearts for His merciful provision for our daily needs being met. It is a good practice to have the attitude of a learner as we grow in our maturity as money managers.

5. Money Has a Mission.

God does everything with purpose. Whatever He creates has a mission and divine destiny attached to it. Money and prosperity are no different. Money is more than just dollars and cents. Money supersedes what we accumulate in our bank account or investment portfolio. Money has a God ordained mission. The primary purpose of the money God allows us to obtain is to bring glory to Him by using it to establish His covenant in the earth. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant.. “. (Dt. 8:18) When God fulfills His covenant through us, it brings Him tremendous glory.

The mission of money also includes having all we need and then some (2 Cor. 9:8) and the mission of money is for us to be able to help others in need. The apostle Paul put it this way in Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

I encourage you to make this your goal financially. Jesus said that where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be as well. (Matt. 6:26) The question where is your treasure? Two different people can each have a million dollars and one uses it all for themselves, while another will use it for the Kingdom of God and to bless others. It is all about the heart motive. It’s all about the heart and our stewardship. May God prosper your life for a purpose – so you can be a channel of His blessings to others. We are blessed to blessing. Money has a Mission – it is a Biblical Truth!

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7 Strategies for Financial Freedom

1. Make God your source.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
God owns everything and is the source of all things. Everything else is a “resource”. God uses others to “RE -source” His provision. So, your source is not your job, the government, the company, or anyone else. God uses them as vehicles to bring provision to you. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us, “remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth,” It is God gives us the ability to get wealth. God does not give us the wealth He gives us the ability to position our self where He can get it to us. To gain financial freedom the first thing you need to do is make God your source!

2. Gain knowledge and wisdom.

“Gods people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6) Ignorance is the enemy of financial freedom. Work at increasing your understanding through Godly wisdom and knowledge. Be a life time learner. Learn the principles of God’s Word and seek the wisdom to know how to apply them in your life. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) Do this one thing and you will position yourself for financial freedom.

3. Be a person of character.

“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9) “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (Proverbs 11:3) Be a person of honesty and integrity it is key to the blessing of the Lord and financial freedom.

4. Be a generous giver.

Financial prosperity has a purpose. God blesses us so we can be a blessing. Having a stingy heart and sticky fingers blocks financial freedom. Proverbs 11:24 puts it this way, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” The kingdom of God is a paradox – if you want to gain you must give. “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2Corinthians 9:7) If you want to achieve financial freedom be a generous giver!

5. Be patient and persistent

Success is the accumulation of productive days through problem solving, persistence and patience. So many miss the blessing God has for them because they give up. Success in life requires determination to overcome and pursue the destiny God has for you. It is through faith and patience that you obtain the promises of God. (Hebrews 6:12) Financial freedom is assured it you don’t grow weary in doing the right things. (Galatians 6:9)

6. Live below your means.

Notice I didn’t say with “in your means”, but BELOW. To obtain financial freedom you are going to need to generate a surplus in your budget. If you’re living ABOVE your means you will be operating with a financial deficit – DEBT. If you are living with in your means you may be able to stay out of debt, but you’ll never generate any surplus. To experience financial freedom you have to learn to live a disciplined life that creates a surplus financially. This means you need to create a budget and learn to live within that budget.  (For help with creating a budget and getting out of debt check Dave Ramsey’s website CLICK HERE)  The Bible calls it “stewardship”. You will never see financial freedom until you conqueror this strategy of living below your means. Start right now!

7.  Save and invest.

After you put the first six strategies to work in your life – God as your source, gaining knowledge and wisdom, doing things with integrity, using your life to be a blessing, staying with the plan, and living below your means; you will generate a surplus that you can now save and invest. This is the “storehouse principle”. God will command His blessing on your storehouse (if you have one). (Deuteronomy 28:8) You now are in a position to put the extraordinary power of compounding to work in your finances. The Word of God tells us we are to be the head and not the tail. (Deuteronomy 28:13), that means we are to be the lender and not the borrower. When you put this strategy to work in your life not only will you achieve financial freedom, but you will step into the a place of abundance.

If you are in financial bondage make the decision today to begin implementing these seven strategies. Don’t wait, start right now. Start with what you have and where you are. One of the mistakes people make is thinking what they have NOW is not enough or too little. What you have in your hand is more than enough with God. It’s time for a breakthrough in you finances start today!

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Biblical Keys to be Debt Free

Debt is a challenge for so many that I am including additional solutions and keys to Breakthrough Over Debt. I am including 5 more practical steps you can take to move toward your breakthrough over debt, then I have listed 8 Biblical keys to being debt free.

Practical Steps

1. First, if you are to be successful in eliminating debt and getting your breakthrough you must be determined and motivated.

2. Second, you must avoid any new debt – you can not get out of debt if you keep adding to your debt. If you are married talk with your spouse and get in agreement to only purchase what you need and purchase with cash.

3. Curb spending – no one likes to cut back on their life style but until you get out of debt you need to make some changes. The following are common areas I have found most people can save – cell phones, cable TV, less expensive car(s), reduce going out to eat, down size apartment or house.

4. Increase Your Income. Sometimes for a season you have to do some difficult things. This may mean taking a second job or coming up with a creative idea for home business – mowing yards, delivering papers, ironing, cleaning houses/offices, baby sitting, etc

5. Negotiate lower interest rates and lower balances. It is worth calling any of your credit card companies and simply ask for them to reduce their interest rate. Also, if you have a mortgage it maybe wise to refinance depending on the situation.

Biblical Principles to be debt free:

1. Believe that God wants you to get out of debt and make the decision to do so.

2. Ask God for instructions on how to get out of debt and do whatever He tells you to do.

3. Build your faith and confidence in God’s Word regarding debt cancellation by studying and meditating on His Word daily.

4. Tithe and act on the principle of sowing and reaping. Give and it will be given to you.

5. Act on the principle of confession. Speak what you want.

6. Get control of your finances. It is important to understand what you owe and who you owe.

7. Know and understand your financial situation. God is a God of order. Get ready for your deliverance.

8. Finally, give God praise and thanksgiving for your debt cancellation. Get that list of bills out and have communion with God. Thank Him for your covenant and let Him know that you appreciate Him and your deliverance from the bondage of debt. Then having done all, STAND.

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5 Tips for Financial Breakthrough

Are you struggling with your finances?  Do you have more month that money?  There are some practical things you can do to help turn your finances around.  Here are 5 practical Biblical tips that will help you get the breakthrough you need.

1.  Have a Budget.  You have to have a budget! It doesn’t matter if you’re living paycheck to paycheck or earning six-figures a year, you need to know where your money is going if you want to have a handle on your finances. Budgeting lies at the foundation of every financial plan. Proverbs 21:5 tells us, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.”  Budgeting is being diligent in our financial planning.

The way you create a personal budget, is  by listing all of your monthly expenses;  tithe, taxes, savings, house, food, utilities, insurance, auto, clothes, etc. and total them up and compare them to the total income you make each month.  Then begin to regulate your spending in line with your income and your future financial goals and needs.  The first time a family goes through this process they are often shocked by how much they are spending.  Many discover they are spending more than they are making .  If that is the case, your first step is to begin making changes in what you’re spending so that  you spend less than you make. If you don’t have a budget, do it now.  It is the first step to financial breakthrough.

2. Live below your means.  We live in a world and age of consumerism. There are influences and pressure coming at us from every direction to buy more and more and more – trying to  “Keep up with the Jones’s”  Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have,” and Proverbs 21:20 says, “[There is] treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up..  ” If you want to achieve financial stability you don’t want to just live within your means, you want  to take it a step further and live beneath your means.

Here’s what I mean by that, just because you can afford a certain lifestyle  doesn’t mean you have to live it.  Just because you can afford $1,500 a month on housing doesn’t mean you have to.  How about spending $1,100 or $1,200 a month? You could put what you save into a high-yield savings account, which puts you closer to your goals.  They way to get ahead financially is to “live below your means”!

3. Get out of debt.   “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”  (Romans 13:8)  Getting out of debt requires three steps:  1) Stop aquiring new debt.  Stop using credit. Don’t finance anything.  You may need to cut up your credit cards 2) Start to aggressively pay off every debt.  Put together a written plan to begin paying off your debts. 3) Start NOW.  Do not put it off.  Don’t make excuses, start today.  

To stop using credit takes self discipline, and getting rid of debt will require some sacrifices. Some people skip annual vacations to generate extra cash for debt repayment, others look for extra jobs or other ways to earn extra money. Getting out of debt will help you reach financial stability.

4.  Save and invest.  Deuteronomy 28:8 says, “The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses...” .  There is a biblical principle called the “storehouse”.   Part of our responsibility of stewardship includes prudent saving – building storehouses.

We should set aside part of our income into our storehouses.   To begin with you should accumulate an emergency fund of at least six months of living expense.   Creating an emergency fund is vital. Once you have your emergency fund, begin investing every month and building up your storehouses.   You should be saving a minimum of 10% of your income.  When you have “storehouses”, God will command the blessing on them!.

5. Give tithes and offerings.  I would have put this as number one, but if I did some of you would have  stopped reading.   Giving is such a huge part of God’s plan for financial stability and prosperity.  Giving is a principle in the kingdom of God that works when you apply it.   Proverbs 11:24 puts it this way, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”   It is a paradox.  You may feel like you can’t afford to give.  However,  you can’t afford not to give.  

Jesus said, “Where your treasurer is, there will your heart be“.  (Matthew 6:21)  Where you spend your money is evidence of what is really important to you.   God created us to be givers and when we do, it sets us up for increase.  It is called – giving and receiving, sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting.  When we give we are sowing a seed, and that seed will bring a harvest into our life.   For example, if you sow a smile, you will get a smile back.

Everyone can give.  It is not how much you give, it is giving what you have.  God never expects us to give something we don’t have.  However, He expects us to give what we do have. Get into the rhythm of giving and receiving and it will accelerate your financial stability.

You may be in a very difficult place financially.   Financial stability may seem impossible, or so far off that  you feel hopeless. However, if you just start taking one small step at a time  with an effective plan and the right amount of effort, you can reach all of your financial goals and more. 

Put these five tips to work in your financial plan and watch how God can help!

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