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Gospel Hope In A Hurting World

09.17.2010 by Matt Jabs //

What follows is an email I wrote to my brother in response to his message which highlighted the hardness of this life and the tenebrous world to come.  Please read with an open mind and a heart bent toward Christ, His Word, and His message of hope in the gospel.

“If the world didn’t suck so much, we’d all fall off.”  – Unknown  🙂

There’s no doubt that, “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” – Ephesians 6:12.  Though many find this topic foolish, it would be most beneficial for each of us to meditate deeply on these considerations at regular intervals.

On topic, last night I watched the documentary, “America: Freedom to Fascism.”  The film chronicles the worldly view of what the bible previously prophesied regarding the coming doom of world government, united digital monetary systems, and implantable microchips; all as a system of global control and domination.  Check it out next time you have 2 hours to spare – better yet, make time for it.  The film will not serve as an agent to bring you out of depression (sorry ’bout that,) but it is well worth watching.  When viewed from a view point of biblical prophesy, you may likely be brought low with Godly repentance… in well-placed fear of God.  It is humanly amazing how world events are aligning with biblical prophesy, and how 99% of our world population seems fantastically duped… egotistically discounting the reality as a string of dismissible conspiracy theories.

Continuing on the positive note of God in control… it is required that we place our lives in His hands – as Stephen did in Acts chapters 6-7.  Stephen embodied the courage and faith of this verse, “…I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”  – Luke 12:4-5.  Spiritually, it is imperative we keep this powerful statement close at heart, striving to fully grasp its truth and depth, which cannot come to us of our own accord, but from God alone.  We cannot simply conjure Godly repentance… rather we must petition the Lord with tears of reverence and humility in hopes that he may grant us eyes to see and ears to hear.

I think it is of much value for us to consider our end as if it were to come upon us tomorrow… what would we do?  What would be the focus of our efforts in our last 24 hours?  Would we sleep?  Would we work through our budgets?  Would we go to work?  Or would we swiftly dash about our domain begging those within reach to repent and fear the God of the bible?  I have a mind to believe I would do the latter… so what holds me back from doing it today?  What is holding you back?  Undoubtedly, that is a question each of us need answer for ourselves.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”  – II Timothy 1:7-13

Praise the Lord for His patience and longsuffering that far exceed anything our human minds can begin to comprehend.  Now let us go out and serve God, according to his purpose for our lives.

Categories // Spirituality Tags // christ, fear, gospel, hope, new world order, spiritual, Spirituality

Debt Management Scares Me! SivieAnn Answered

01.31.2010 by Matt Jabs //

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Why am I scared about my debt management program?

DFA reader SivieAnn asked:

I have fallen behind in all of my bills and being called daily by bill collectors. I have signed up for debt management and will start that next month. I feel terrible because of all of my debt and afraid. I work everyday, but can’t seem to get caught up. I do manage to make my mortgage payment on time and my second mortgage within the time parameters before they tack on a late fee.

I feel scared entering into the debt management program, but feel it is the right thing to do. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Debt management programs are scary

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  II Timothy 1:7

Fear is usually closely related to two things:

  1. Feelings of helplessness
  2. Things unknown

The helpless reality of indebtedness

I will assume that feelings of helpless related to your income/debt situation caused you to seek the aid of a debt management company.  I will also assume that you do not yet completely trust the company that you entered into an agreement with.

This raises two questions in my mind:

  1. Did you try to settle your accounts before giving that responsibility to the debt management company?
  2. Did you adequately research the company you entered into the agreement with?

I am guessing your answer to both of these questions will be… “I think so”, “not entirely”, “I’m not sure”, or maybe even a flat out “no”.

When I say, “did you try to settle…” I mean did you really try?  Trying does not constitute a one time phone call to ask for a lower rate, but rather repeated research and communication in relation to you and the companies holding your debt accounts.  When I say, “adequately research…” I mean did you spend days and even weeks looking into the ability, philosophy, and track record of the company you chose?  A five minute visit to their website to read their marketing material does not constitute research.

SivieAnn, I am not being hard on you I am just trying to help you understand why you feel fearful so we can work together to find the best way to take you from a place of fear to a place of understanding and confidence.

Ways to gain confidence and understanding

How can SivieAnn shed her fear of the debt management company and move into a place of confidence and peace with the situation?

  1. Prepare and follow a written budget. SivieAnn, have you ever actually written out a budget and lived according to it?  If not… then you should definitely do so.  Living a financial life of intention leaves little room for fear because you are telling your money where to go instead of wondering where your money is going.
  2. Institute and use cash envelopes. Sure, there are a small percentage of people disciplined enough to realize the benefits of a rewards credit card for all purchases, but the rest of us need something more controlled.  If you have never instituted cash envelopes for spending then do not knock them – my wife and I were amazed by the extraordinary power this system had over our spending decisions.  Do not try to use cash for all spending categories… just the few where they are most appropriate – for my wife and I that is:  groceries, miscellaneous, clothing, dining out, and entertainment.
  3. Study debt management. By this I mean learning how to manage our own debt AND learning what debt management companies are all about.  Figure out how to negotiate settlements with your creditors.  Study debt management companies and learn what they do so you can better understand the situation and alleviate any fear you may have surrounding the subject.  Can you do what they do yourself?  If not… why?  If using one of these companies turns out to be your best bet, figure out which company is best for you and why.  For me the best decision was to simply secure a debt consolidation loan through Lending Club.
  4. Rescind agreement and seek self solutions. If possible, use the education you gained from your research in step four to terminate your relationship with the debt consolidation company you settle with and see if you can take over the process manually with your new found knowledge.
  5. Utilize increased cash flow. I guarantee you that preparing the written budget and instituting the cash envelopes will increase your cash flow.  This increased cash flow, as a direct result of your own responsible behavior, will decrease your fear and helplessness.
  6. Learn to seek God. Shine a light on your fear by seeking Christ.  Pursuing God before money may not make sense to some, but as a man who has lived on both sides of the equation I can tell you that seeking God first is the one true answer that will make everything else fall into place.  You may not understand it if you are standing outside this point of view… but I challenge you to try it before you dismiss it.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  🙂

What do you think?

What are some tips I may have missed that SivieAnn should use to eliminate fear and build confidence and security?

photo by barekim
If you need personal finance advice… ask Matt Jabs.

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We accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage of any kind arising out of the use of all or any part of this material. Our comments are an expression of opinion. While we believe our statements to be true, they always depend on the reliability of our own credible sources. Any advice taken from this site does not in any way establish a client/adviser relationship.  We always recommend that you consult with a licensed, qualified professional before making any financial or investment decisions.

Categories // Debt Tags // Advice, consolidate, Debt, fear

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Disclaimer

Content on Debt Free Adventure is for entertainment purposes only. Rates & offers from advertisers shown on this website may change without notice: please visit referenced sites for current information. Per FTC guidelines, this website may be compensated by companies mentioned through advertising, affiliate programs or otherwise. We respect your privacy. Privacy policy.

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