Caution!!! Debt is Looming Ahead...

God's perfect plan for His people is to be debt-free. As we are serving a jealous God, He only wants His people to serve nothing else except Him only. For how can one serve only Him if one is in shackle of indebtedness.

When a Christian confess with their mouth, and believing in their heart Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, it is tantamount to accepting God's offer of our redemption from the slavery to sin. In effect, the ownership of a Christian's life has changed hands from the prince of darkness and sin to God. As a new master, the slave is ought to serve Him alone.

Jesus even warned us sternly when He says that we can not serve both God and mammon. For how can you spiritually worship the master and sovereign God if you are financially in trouble with indebtedness.

Nevertheless, God is not short of giving us reminders of the dangers of debts. He provided us a number of practical principles and guides, through the Bible on how and why indebtedness is dangerous.

In this article, I am herewith giving three, as I call it the 3S. Here the are:

1. Speculates the future (Prov. 27:1)
2. Synthetic Decision (Prov. 21:5)
3. Stops God's will (wisdom and power) to work (2 Chron 16:9)

When one entered into a loan agreement, one commits himself to payments over a period of time, hence presuming that nothing untoward will happen such as loss employment and other unexpected expenses. Prov. 27:1 sternly warns us not to boast of the future for no one knows what tomorrow may bring.

A lot of expatriates in the UAE having hundreds of Dirhams of indebtedness got into trouble with banks and financial institutions because of termination from employment.

Secondly, synthetic rather than real life decisions are being made because of borrowing. This applies to installment purchases of an item. Because borrowing, one may decide to purchase based on whether he could afford the monthly installment rather than the total cost of such an item. Entering into a debt transaction makes it easy to say yes to low monthly installment s while ignoring the real cost of the item.

And lastly, debt could stop wisdom and power of God working in us. One may earnestly pray for some material blessing, but could not wait God to answer the prayers. Does not God taught us that patience is one of the virtues a Christian must posses? Resorting to debt in acquiring the item prayed for is like taking in advance the answer to your prayer, when you are not sure as yet as to how God will answer your prayer.

Presented herein are only 3 of those numerous teachings of the Bible in regards handling our finances and the dangers of debt. Read your Bible, take heed of its teachings, be obedient. For He who is obedient will not borrow, but will lend. He will be the head and not the tail, as the God promised.

Of Pyramids and Debt Note

A pyramid is a famous structure. When you think of pyramids you think of Egypt.

Nevertheless, the pyramid that will be spoken of here will not be the physical structure, rather a concept that is also commonly known as the Ponzi scheme.

Ponzi, an Italian collects money from one person with an assurance of returning the same plus a profit or interest. But before it matures, he will collect from another person or persons for the same agreement. And as the previous batch or investment that was first collected matures, the new collections will be used to pay for this maturing investment. The same scheme goes on and on until the scheme will be uncovered as a scam.

This scheme is famously known as a pyramiding scheme.

Same thing is true with indebtedness. Have you known someone who borrows to pay off maturing obligations? And this same activity will be repeated month after month, week after week, day after day, until that person will come to realize that he is now in serious trouble. This is loan pyramiding.

When you know of somebody, hope it is not you, you are like signing your name to a "Debt Note."

A "Debt Note" that is derived from one Japanese anime movie I come to know a few years back entitled "Death Note." This death note, according to the movie is a book of the god of death that was lost and landed on the hand of a mortal. This mortal later on discovered that you whoever you write on the book and the form of death that person has to die, it will happen. If the mode of death is left blank, the name of that person written on the death note will die a heart attack.

If you one is not careful about their finances. If one spends more than he earns. If one is borrowing indiscriminately, without any regard of his capacity to repay, which later on lead to loan pyramiding. This person is likened to the mortal holding that book called the death note (this time it is aptly called the "Debt Note") writing his own name in it. The mode of death written is suffocation of debts.

Be wise with your finances. Be content. Be prayerful. Keep your self afloat by keeping yourself under the care of one true living God, Jesus Christ, our ultimate lifeguard.

God bless.

Of Pyramids and Debt Note

A pyramid is a famous structure. When you think of pyramids you think of Egypt.

Nevertheless, the pyramid that will be spoken of here will not be the physical structure, rather a concept that is also commonly known as the Ponzi scheme.

Ponzi, an Italian collects money from one person with an assurance of returning the same plus a profit or interest. But before it matures, he will collect from another person or persons for the same agreement. And as the previous batch or investment that was first collected matures, the new collections will be used to pay for this maturing investment. The same scheme goes on and on until the scheme will be uncovered as a scam.

This scheme is famously known as a pyramiding scheme.

Same thing is true with indebtedness. Have you known someone who borrows to pay off maturing obligations? And this same activity will be repeated month after month, week after week, day after day, until that person will come to realize that he is now in serious trouble. This is loan pyramiding.

When you know of somebody, hope it is not you, you are like signing your name to a "Debt Note."

A "Debt Note" that is derived from one Japanese anime movie I come to know a few years back entitled "Death Note." This death note, according to the movie is a book of the god of death that was lost and landed on the hand of a mortal. This mortal later on discovered that you whoever you write on the book and the form of death that person has to die, it will happen. If the mode of death is left blank, the name of that person written on the death note will die a heart attack.

If you one is not careful about their finances. If one spends more than he earns. If one is borrowing indiscriminately, without any regard of his capacity to repay, which later on lead to loan pyramiding. This person is likened to the mortal holding that book called the death note (this time it is aptly called the "Debt Note") writing his own name in it. The mode of death written is suffocation of debts.

Be wise with your finances. Be content. Be prayerful. Keep your self afloat by keeping yourself under the care of one true living God, Jesus Christ, our ultimate lifeguard.

God bless.

The Word Over the World

"I can't get no, satisfaction..." goes the famous line of one of those songs popularized by the Rolling Stones. A man's natural self, that is in contact closest to this materialistic world of consumerism is in reality singing this tune every now and then.

This materialistic world is in fact playing this tune anytime of day, anywhere you may go. Television, radio, newspaper, streets, public transport or even the public toilets are being used to sell products, mostly consumer products. Every type of advertisements and promotions are audible and visible anywhere and anytime 24/7.

Consumerism is what the world is promoting. "Feel good" over the utility of a product or service is being emphasized. That is why one may wonder why a sexy model is standing beside a vehicle being advertised. Have you noticed that vehicles are being marketed based on the latest features, which may not be that important, rather than the durability, build, and economical consumption of fuel.

Having said all those aforementioned facts, everyone should be warned of this trap. The web of consumerism can trap anyone into indebtedness as a result of overspending. Buying things beyond their capacity, where not having these things he or she could still live life happily and contented.

Overcome these natural craving by heeding the Word of God, instead of what the world has to say. The Bible is full of practical principles applicable to how you manage your finances. Take heed of God's word and you will never go wrong.

The world is full of deception, but the Word is truth. Do not be deceived by reading by saturating yourself with the Word of God.