#137 12/30-31/2023

Seminar: Armor: Shoes
Q&A: Debt and Borrowing
Clark Howard: Consumer Tip–buy in bulk
Minute with Maxwell: “Laugh”

(UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT)

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Financial Freedom God’s Way, where you are continuing to learn, apply, and pass on, Bible-based financial principles and applications so that you and your family will not only just survive, but thrive during these very uncertain times.

Hi, welcome, and Happy New Year. This is Bob Louder from Christian Financial Ministries, and it is an absolute honor to have you with us again—it really is. What is on the schedule for our 30-minute time together today?

• Today,
  • First of all, let me ask you a question: Do you know what the third piece of God’s Spiritual Armor happens to be, why it was important to the Roman soldier, AND how it ties directly to your personal finances? You will discover all three answers today during our Radio Seminar time together.
  • Then, during our Q&A time together today we will continue to dig deep into the questions that surround debt and borrowing.
  • You will discover a couple of great consumer tips from consumer advocate Clark Howard.
  • And finally, you are going to love to hear what John Maxwell has to say about the word LAUGH. Laugh, really, yep, we’ll hear what John has to say about the word laugh during our minute with Maxwell.

So stay tuned, won’t you. It is going to be a great time together with the Lord, so join me as we open with a word of prayer.. Father, thank You for meeting with us again today. Please give us ears to hear all that it is you have planned for us, to Your glory, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

BODY

Radio Seminar

First just a bit of Radio Seminar review

• First, recall that the Bible says you don’t have, nor have you ever had, a single financial problem?
  • Why is that? Because the Bible tells us is that finances are never a problem, they are simply symptoms of a spiritual problem. Now, the good news is that all spiritual problems have spiritual solutions. Right? And that’s one of the reasons God gives you all of His spiritual armor—so you can meet and defeat the enemy who wages spiritual warfare against you and your finances.
  • Recall that according to the Bible, the devil’s entrance into your life, including his entrance into your financial and material life, is allowed primarily through your negligence. He slips in through an undisciplined, unorganized and an uncommitted mind and then begins to wage warfare against your mind and your flesh and your finances.
  • Rather than trying to hide from the devil, you must learn what God has to say about him and how to put on and use God’s spiritual armor.
• We have already seen that the first piece of armor that He gives us to put on is the loin belt, or often called the belt of truth. The Belt of Truth is the logos, the written Word of God. You see, when you put on the loin belt of the Word and determine to make it a priority in your life you are well on the way to winning the battles that come against your
  • Body
  • Your mind,
  • Your family,
  • Your friends,
  • Your ministry, AND
  • Your finances.
• Then during our last time together we discovered the second piece is what Paul calls the breastplate of righteousness.
  • And we discovered that the more you wear your breastplate of righteousness, the more you walk through life fully conscious of your righteousness in Christ, and the more brightly you will shine as a light in a dark world of sin.
  • And as you walk with your breastplate firmly in place, you will learn that your righteousness is not only a defensive weapon to protect you from the blows of the enemy, but it is also an offensive weapon to help you as you assault the enemy and take back lost territory including lost financial territory

Now, when you put on our belt of truth, and your righteousness, well, then you begin to know what it is like to enjoy His peace—that “peace that surpasses all understanding.” As the matter of fact, peace has quite a lot to do with our spiritual armor and our Roman soldier friend. Let’s see how God uses His peace. Let’s consider the next piece of God’s spiritual armor—the shoes of peace. And here I think you are going to have a couple of surprises.

• First, from the Roman soldier’s perspective,
  • His shoes were vitally important. Think about it, they had no Jeeps, no helicopters. The terrain was vicious—jagged rocks and blazing sand—and they had to walk everyplace they went and fight on their feet when they got there. The point is this: The Roman soldier would be useless if he could not walk to the fight and fight on his feet.
  • What were his shoes like?
    • First, you have the greaves, which were tube-like from knee to the top of the foot made of brass or bronze. The greaves protected the soldier’s legs from briars and brambles as he marched and attacked through the thickets; this part of his shoes protected him from rocks, and crags as he climbed hills and fortified embankments, and from the slashing blows of the enemy.
    • So first, you have the greaves. Then you have the actual shoes:
      • What we find is that the top and bottom of the Roman soldier’s shoe were covered with protective pieces of brass.
      • Then the bottom of his shoes were rows and rows of sharp spikes 1-3 inches long—this gave the soldier fantastic traction to either advance and trample his enemies or stand his ground.
      • Plus, the toes and heals often had hob-nailed spikes.
    • The Roman soldier’s shoes were awesome weapons—both defensive and offensive.
  • And it’s the same with you and your shoes of peace. Paul is telling you that God’s peace not only protects you, but it also provides you with a brutal weapon to wield against the enemy when he attacks you and your finances.
    • By the way, in the Bible there are actually two kinds of peace
      • First you can have Peace with God–
        • This peace comes at the exact time you pray to ask Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior—it’s when you become a child of God rather than a child of the devil.
        • Is a spiritual condition that belongs to all believers
      • And then there is the Peace of God which is the word that Paul uses here to paint a picture of both a defensive and an offensive weapon.
        • Peace of God is first of all a fantastic a defensive weapon—His peace is protective
          • It is the peace of God’s that guards you against the “thorns” and the “rocks” of a difficult financial situation, a bad marriage, a sick body, or a challenge against your ministry.
          • It is the peace of God that pulls the plug on the devil’s effectiveness. If he cannot disturb your peace, he can’t disturb you.
          • Philippians 4:7, And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds… …keep…” The picture of a guard standing watch over something that needs protection…
          • Isaiah 26:3 says, Thou wilt keep him (will garrison you like a soldier, protecting, guarding, and defending you) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee…
          • Plus, those “spikes” are what help hold you footing in place. Regardless of what you see or what you hear, you don’t have to move. It won’t make any difference and you won’t care how hard it becomes, the peace of God keeps you, immovable until the work of God in this area of my your is finished. Only the peace OF God will keep you in that place of confidence.
        • So, your shoes of peace are defensive, but they are also awesome offensive weapons.
          • Romans 16:20: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
          • The word “crush” is the Greek word that describes the act of smashing and utterly crushing grapes into wine. The act of snapping, breaking, and crushing bones
          • Paul is telling you that the devil’s only rightful position is to be crushed under your feet, completely subdued.
          • Don’t forget that yours is a joint partnership with God. And remember that Jesus completely destroyed Satan’s power over you through His death and resurrection. Your God-given mission is to reinforce the victory already won and to demonstrate just how miserably defeated Satan already is.
        • My friend, it is time to do some walking.
          • Joshua 1:3 says I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. They would walk and fight and win because God was on their side.
          • It’s time for you to do some walking and possessing. No more bad habits and excesses (eating, TV, etc). Just like the Israelites of old, you now know that financial freedom is yours. Now you must go in and possess the land.
          • As you leave our time together,
            • Hold your my head up high
            • Dig your heels down as deep as you can, and
            • Don’t listen to the devil’s hellish accusations and threats
            • When the devil tries to stand in front of you and tries to oppose you as you work through all the Holy Spirit is giving you
              • Do not stop and ask him to move.
              • Just keep on marching.
              • God and you will trample the devil
            • What is the first step to take when you recognize that you are under siege and that chaos is attempting to override peace in your life? Live (act) in the fact that you have the Peace OF God. Plant your heels deep, keeping the devil under your foot and do not give an inch. Then step out in faith, do some walking into the realm of financial freedom.
          • It is not how long you live; it is what you stand for while you live. Jesus Christ stood for something. He only lived 33 years, but he shook the world because he stood for principle. Paul stood for something; Nero stood for nothing. We name our sons Paul and our dogs Nero. The path of least resistance makes men and rivers crooked. No one ever drifted to victory.
          • Put on your shoes of peace. Take a stand. Start speaking to yourself rather than listening to yourself. Say to yourself, “I will make a stand right here. I will not surrender. I cannot and will not be defeated and I will not quit. Jesus is with me and the victory is mine.” First, take a stand then advance in victory.
          • So, you now know a bit about your belt of truth which is the Bible—it is always the very first piece of armor to pick up and put on. Then comes your breastplate of righteousness that drives dark situations in your life in the other direction. And now you know to pick up and put on God’s shoes of peace, this is the peace OF God which is both a marvelous defensife and offensive weapon.
          • Next time, well during our next radio seminar we’ll talk a good hard look at the next piece of God’s spiritual armor which is the shield of faith…boy are we going to have some fun with this one. Next time.

Q&As

During our Q&A time together today, let’s continue to talk about borrowing and debt.

• Recall that we have already discovered that although the Bible clearly does not prohibit borrowing, it is clear that the Lord would have us adopt a debt-free mentality rather than the usual debt-first mentality that is so rampant today. Now, let’s build on this foundation by looking at a sad and all too common question.
• Here is the question: We have overspent for the last three or four years, and it has finally caught up with us. We’ve gone through bill consolidation loans, loans from our parents, and equity loans. Now we find ourselves unable to pay our bills again. We have overdue credit card bills, but we’re using credit cards just to live month by month. How can we get out of this mess?
• Sue and Jim, as we start, realize two things. First, as sad as your circumstances are, you are not alone. Secondly, you do not have to stay where you are any longer. You have hope. How so? Well, let me share with you three clear steps you tow can prayerfully take together starting right now..
  • First, make a commitment to the Lord and each other—no more debt. Perhaps you have heard the two simplest economic principles ever written. The first is, “If you don’t borrow money, you can’t get into debt.” The second simplest economic principle is, “If you don’t borrow any more money, you can’t get further into debt.” Therefore, the first thing you two much do is to prayerfully agree that you are not going to go into any more debt. This is really a matter of deciding, “Do I trust God, or do I just say that I trust God?” Listen, any couple in debt must begin reversing the process that got them there. If you find you are over spending month by month on your credit cards, destroy them, and mail them back in little pieces along with written instructions to cancel your credit card account. The first thing to do right now is to prayerfully stop going further into debt.
  • The second thing to do has to do with the dreaded “B” word. Step #2 is all about working together or getting some help to set into place a realistic budget that calls for you to repay all your creditors proportionally. Send that budget and repayment schedule to each of your creditors. If you are only able to pay half of what you originally promised, tell them the truth. I’ve negotiated with many creditors for counselees, and I can tell you that lenders don’t want somebody to go bankrupt. All the want is your money. I have never found a lender yet (other than some small loan companies) who would not work things out with a family as long as the family was honest and was running towards their creditors, and not avoiding them. Also write them a letter to let them know your commitment to stop borrowing, to repay all your debts in full, and express your desire to NOT declare bankruptcy. Then, well then it becomes God’s responsibility to help. The average family should be able to be debt-free in about two years (other than those with businesses, investment losses, or home mortgages.)
  • Step #1: decide, commit before the Lord and each other—no more borrowing. Step #2: Send your creditors a letter to honestly share your present condition and what you are going to do about it to include starting to live on a budget which you attach to the letter. Finally, Step #3: Make one more commitment. Prayerfully agree that when any additional money comes in, use at least half of it to pay on your debts. Work hardest to pay off your smallest debt first. Then take all the money you were paying on that bill and put it toward the next largest one. In this way you’ll see your debts begin to disappear. Anyone who ever got into deb t knows getting there is a lot of fun. It’s not nearly as much fun getting out.
• Jim and Sue, you can do this. You have hope. Act on it.

Consumer time from Clark Howard

According to our consumer advocate friend, Clark Howard, buying in bulk can be a great way to save money and stock up on items you use most often. Warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club offer a huge selection of items in large quantities. But not everything works well in bulk when you take into account expiration dates and storage space in your home. Here are Clark’s favorite things to buy in bulk, followed by several items that aren’t a good idea to stock up on.

What should we buy in bulk?

#1 Condiments such as catchup, mustard and hot sause.

#2—Paper and plastic storage Bags.

#3–Most canned goods have a long shelf life but remember to check the expiration dates.

#4 Dry pet food

#5 All kinds of pasta

#6, then, if you have all kinds of freezer space you can stock up on things like -Frozen fruits and vegetables, Meat, and all your bread products.

#7 Finally, Clark says it is always great to stock up on Cleaning Products and Health and Beauty Items—if you have the storage space.

REVIEW

What should you not buy in bulk due to short expiration dates?

Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and spices,

Batteries, Snacks, And all your dairy products.

And, Diapers—I don’t know about you, but my wife and I found that babies grow faster than our stock of diapers.

Here is a final though from Clark Howard: Buying in bulk can potentially save you money and also save trips to the grocery store (which can save on gas as well). Remember to spend within your budget based on the storage and freezer space you already have. Thanks Clark—great thoughts

Minute with Maxwell

Now, let’s start to wrap up our time together today with one of the highlights of all of our times together. Let’s spend a Minute with Maxwell and John Maxwell gives us his thoughts on the word “LAUGH.”

Wow, what a great teaching on something we really already know. For example, it makes sense that laughter is good for the soul. It makes good sense that laughter can heal inner wounds, brighten your day, lighten your heart – and it can be contagious. When you can laugh at yourself, John says you can free yourself – you can drown out the negativity and you welcome in joy. I love it–people are already laughing at us – so join them. Don’t be so serious all the time. Another great Minute with Maxwell.

CONCLUSION

Okkkkk, that just about wraps up our time together for today. Recall, .

• We started out by taking a look at the third piece of our financial spiritual armor which are His shoes of peace—we now have a better grip on what it is to enjoy the peace OF God.
• During our Q&A time we continued talking about borrowing and debt and discovered, there is always hope. If you have gotten yourself into debt, there are greats choices you can make right now to prayerfully work you way out of debt.
• Clark Howard share with you some great information on what to and not to buy in bulk..
• And finally, our Minute with Maxwell was all about the word laugh—how wonderful it is to laugh with others and at ourselves.

My friend, thank you for being with us today. Now it is time to close out in prayer. Father God, I thank you for bringing us together today and for each of the days to come to Your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a blesse d day, won’t you, and we’ll see you next time as we continue down your personal road to Financial Freedom God’s Way.