Closer To Heaven
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Is this True or False? Deuteronomy 28:12 – “You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow”, is a promise to the nation, not to individuals. Join us as we discuss this in Lesson 5, Dealing With Debt.
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/dealing-with-debt-hit-the-mark-sabbath-school/
The Bible is very clear that God does not want His children to become responsible for the debt obligations of others. In the book of Proverbs, the Lord has warned us against surety — that is, cosigning or being guarantor for another person.
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Surety usually occurs when a person with poor credit seeks a loan from a lending institution and does not qualify for the loan. The loan officer will tell the unqualified person that if he or she will get a friend with good credit to cosign with him or her, then the bank will grant the loan and hold the cosigner responsible in the event of a default.
Sometimes a fellow church member will come to you and ask you to cosign. Your response should be: “The Bible says I should never do that.” Please understand that the Bible encourages us to be helpful to those in need, but we should not become responsible for their debts.
Parents are sometimes asked by teenagers to cosign for the purchase of their first car. Or older adult children will ask parents to cosign for a business loan. The same answer applies. It is appropriate to help others if there is a real need, but do not become surety for the debts of others. Studies show that 75 percent of those who cosigned end up making the payments!
Get-rich-quick schemes are another financial trap; they are almost guaranteed to lead to financial ruin for those who get caught up in them. When it sounds too good to be true, it surely is. Many people are hurt emotionally and financially. An additional tragedy with these devious plans is that, in many cases, individuals have had to borrow money to become involved in them in the first place. Many lives and families have been ruined by get-rich-quick schemes that end up enriching only the con artists who devise them, at the expense of those who fall into their trap. When a friend, or even a loved one, tries to pull you into one of these schemes, run. Not walk. Run — as fast as you can.
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/wednesday-surety-and-get-rich-quick-schemes/
What can be done to escape from this unfortunate phenomenon? If you are in debt, the following outline will help you begin a debt-elimination process. The plan is simple. It has a premise and three steps.
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The premise is a commitment to God to be faithful in returning His holy tithe to access His wisdom and blessing. He is eager to bless those who obey Him.
Step one is to declare a moratorium on additional debt: no more credit spending. If you don’t borrow money, you can’t get into debt. If you don’t borrow any more money, you can’t get further into debt.
Step two is to make a covenant with God that from this point on, as He blesses, you will pay off your debts as quickly as possible. When God blesses you financially, use the money to reduce debt — not to purchase more things. This step is probably the most crucial. When most folks receive unexpected money, they simply spend it. Don’t; instead, apply it to your debt-reduction plan.
Step three is the hands-on practical part. Make a list of all your debts, from the largest to the smallest, in descending order. For most families the home mortgage is at the top of the list, and a credit card or personal debt is at the bottom. Begin by making at least the minimum payment due on each of your debts on a monthly basis. Next, double up or increase your payments in any way you can on the debt on the bottom of the list. You’ll be happily surprised how quickly you can eliminate that smallest debt. Then use the money that you were paying on the bottom debt to add to the basic payment on the next debt as you work your way up the list. As you eliminate your smaller high-interest debts, you’ll free up a surprising amount of money to place on the next-higher debts.
God clearly doesn’t want us in debt. Once the covenant is made, many families find that God blesses them in unexpected ways, and the debt is reduced faster than they had anticipated. By following these three simple steps, many families have become debt-free. You can, too! By putting God first, you’ll receive His wisdom and blessing for managing what He has entrusted to you.
| “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV). How could applying these words greatly help people avoid getting into debt? |
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-how-to-get-out-of-debt/
“MANAGING FOR THE MASTER Till He Comes” will show us that
God Is Working His Purpose Out – Hymn 225 in all our we do and say. May we be encouraged by this hymn for this quarter and that
In Our Work And In Our Play – Hymn 591 we will work until Jesus comes. Hence, a choice of theme hymns for this quarter.
The monetary debts of this world can be very serious for each of us, but the sins of this world give us a mightier debt. Thankfully,
Jesus Paid It All – Hymn 184 for each of us who request this of our dear Saviour.
On “Following Godly Counsel” I pray
O Brother, Be Faithful – 602 because
Faith Is The Victory – Hymn 608. It is here, to our Gracious God, that
The Wise May Bring Their Learning – 638.
To get out of our debt, “the premise is a commitment to God”:
Hymn 634 – Come, All Christians, Be Committed, so then
Give Of Your Best To The Master – Hymn 572. This is something we each may do because we
Have a Diligent And Grateful Heart – Hymn 639.
We are reminded on Thursday “that the Lord cares” just as does
Hymn 99 – God Will Take Care Of You.
Today, and every day, we look forward to Jesus coming again. Oh, what a day that will be
When We All Get To Heaven – Hymn 633 because
That Glorious Day Is Coming – Hymn 209.
To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/
Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/5-dealing-with-debt-singing-with-inspiration/
We are material beings, and we live in a material world, a world that, at times, can be very alluring. You’d have to be made out of steel and synthetic oil, not flesh and blood, not to feel, at times, the lure of material possessions and the desire for wealth. At one time or another, who hasn’t fantasized about being rich or winning the lottery?
Though we all face it, and there is nothing wrong in and of itself in working hard to earn a good living or even being wealthy, none of us has to succumb to the trap of making idols out of money, wealth, and material possessions. We are promised divine power to stay faithful to what we know is right. This is important, because the temptation for wealth and material possessions has led to the ruin of many souls.
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
Unfortunately, the love of the world can be so strong that people will get into debt in order — as they hope — to satisfy that love. (It never works; see Eccles. 4:8)
And because debt is one of Satan’s nets that he sets for souls, it just makes sense that God would like to see His children debt-free. He has given us counsel through the Bible and the prophetic gift that will lead us to financial freedom.
We enter into our church membership with praise and thanksgiving to our God, who has created and redeemed us. In point 9 (of 13) in our baptismal vows, we were asked, “Do you believe in church organization? Is it your purpose to worship God and to support the church through your tithes and offerings and by your personal effort and influence?” As Seventh-day Adventists, we all said yes. So this text (Psalm 50:14-15) is a promise to those who offer thanksgiving to God and are faithfully paying their vows.
| What do your choices tell you about how well you deal with the lure of the world? Why is working hard to earn a good living not necessarily the same thing as making an idol of wealth or money? How can we learn the difference? |
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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-following-godly-counsel/
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