Wednesday 27 June 2012

STAY CLEAR OF DEBT!

I was at the bank this morning, trying to stop the 'standing instruction' i'd set up a while ago. As usual, i chatted up the customer relations officer who first tried to 'sell me' a loan and when i told him that i wanted to stay clear of loans, he related an interesting story to me. Apparently, an Indian working for the government, earning a salary of 35,000 dirhams, had recently taken a huge loan to avail of the 'exchange rate' opportunity due to the fall in the rupee against the dollar. The day, the loan was granted to him, he also lost his job!
There was an interesting article i read on this very topic. I have 'gleaned' some important points from that articel for our enlightenment. Satan's goal has always been to create so much debt that it is impossible for the individual to pay it back. Debt creates a relationship of servitude and slavery to the one who offered the 'apple of death'. Satan does not care what kind of debt one adopts: money, promises, material things, food, time, tithe, favors, or sins. In the Old Testament times, loaning money to fellow Jewish brothers was only under the condition of charitable giving. It was absolutely forbidden (still is) to charge interest to a brother of the race. The children of God were not to borrow, or loan, to people outside their race. If they did, they were accused of forming partnerships with the "unequally yoked." The early Jews knew the interest charged would create long-term bondage. Under Hebraic law, if a person loaned money to a brother and he refused (or couldn't) pay it back, the loan was then considered "charitable giving." This was not determined until the end of the seventh year. If the borrower was caught a second time "stiffing" a fellow brother for a loan, he was to be treated as a foreigner. This included no financial dealings, which would force him to leave the community.  
Nowadays, when an individual cannot pay a debt, he considers ideas such as bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is not a biblical solution, nor does God support these kinds of resolutions. Bankruptcy laws are changing to make it easier for individuals and corporations to go this route. It used to be when a person went bankrupt, his assets were turned into legal tender and the money would be used to pay down the debt. As the years have passed, bankruptcy has become a way of escaping from the responsibility of paying debt.
 God tells us to "be in debt to no man" and to pay up all of our debts, unless we are forgiven of that debt.

Thursday 14 June 2012

A Christian's "SECRET WEAPON"

Deep down in my heart i know that the key to transforming myself from an ordinary Christian to a Spirit-Filled Christian is through scripture memorization and meditation. Not only will this build my relationship with God but also with other people. The benefits would be many, such as:
  • Inspiring my friends to memorize scripture by instantly reciting scripture confidently, without faltering.
  • Teach my kids to do it ! (Great for 'bonding' too!)
  • I would always be equipped with scriptures locked in my memory to be recalled when teaching God’s word in a Bible study group
  • I would be able to defend my faith when someone questions my faith in Christ simply by quoting powerful verses in the Bible.
  • I would be able to powerfully defend my faith in Christ by flawlessly quoting powerful Bible anytime someone questions my faith
  • I would be able to hear His voice more clearly and know His divine will for me
  • I would have a consistent daily prayer and Bible reading, without even needing a Bible!
  • I would be closer to God more than ever before
Here's what great men of God have said about memorizing scripture:

"I am convinced that one of the greatest things we can do is to memorize Scripture."- Billy Graham

"I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture...No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified." - Chuck Swindoll
"Scripture memory is a habit that most Christians have never even tried, but getting your members to hide God's word in their hearts brings personal revival and renewal" - Rick Warren

"I had then already read and taught the sacred Scriptures most diligently privately and publicly for seven years, so that I knew them nearly all by memory" - Martin Luther King Jr.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ ... would you like to start with me?

Wednesday 6 June 2012

ONLY 5 MINUTES PLEASE !

To attain happiness in another world we need only to believe something, while to secure it in this world, we must do something.--Charlotte Perkins Gilman

When the angel of death came to Joe Smith, to accompany him to his real home, Joe dismissively responded   “I am not ready to die as I have so much left to do. Do you mind coming back later?”
The Angel replied, sorry your time is up and we must leave now. Joe enquired, “don’t you know who I am? I am Joe Smith, one of the richest men in the world.
The Angel nodded “I know all about you as I do everyone else;  now hurry along, Let’s go.”   Joe pleaded; “if I were to give you 10% of my fortune, which  is over a billion dollars, will you turn a blind eye and return a year later?”
The Angel shook his head and replied, “you don’t seem to  understand Joe. It is time to go”
For the next few moments, Joe tried his best to negotiate with the angel giving away more of his fortune for lesser time. He finally succumbed and offered “if I were to give you all my fortune, which is 10 billion dollars, will you give me 5 minutes so that I can call my wife and children and tell them that I love them? I have never told them this and it  is very important to me that they know how I feel about   them. I also need to seek forgiveness from 2 people that I  have hurt the most. All I ask is 5 minutes!”  
 
The Angel paused and looked at Joe curiously and asked, “how  long did it take you to make your 10 billion dollars?”   Joe replied, “30 years my friend – it took me a whole 30 years   – it’s a great deal in exchange for 5 minutes, take it – you will never have to work another day in your life."
The Angel shook his head and said “I really do not understand you human beings! If you are willing to give  up 30 years of your lives’ work for 5 minutes, then why did you not make the most of every minute while you had it? How did you value your time? Where were your priorities? Why did you not say or do the things that really mattered?”   

The lights went off a second later, Joe was gone. 
His 10 billion dollars could not buy him time to do what really mattered.

(I recently read this article from an email that may be going around!)