18 — Good News, etc. — April 2010 nc/sd

Key decisions to true fi nancial freedom

By RON BLUE

Scripture teaches that “the truth will

set you free” (John 8:32), and I fi rmly believe that walking further and further into the truth of God owning it all, and allowing the implications of that truth to permeate my life, will provide ultimate fi nancial freedom for me. I believe that it can do the same for you. I’d like to share my own stories with

you at these fi ve decision points and allow you to see how, over time, they have created greater fi nancial freedom in my own life.

GUEST COMMENTARY

This month is the “salvation story.”

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a young adult. I had been pursuing signifi cance and meaning in my work and was the successful owner of my own CPA fi rm in Indianapolis. My pursuit of success was primary in my heart, and the American Dream drove me. By the time I was 32 years old, I had a house, three children, my own business, and a golf club membership. I had “arrived,” but was very restless in my heart. My wife had come into a relationship with Jesus a few years earlier, and I reluctantly attended a Sunday school class with her.

After a couple of years of watching

Judy’s faith and listening to the teaching at church, I began to investigate Christianity more by reading Josh

McDowell’s book Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

God did a work in my heart and softened it to the reality that Jesus was the Son of God and that His words in Scripture were truth. One morning, as I headed out the door to go play golf, I saw a booklet called “The Four Spiritual Laws” on my dresser. I took it with me in the car and distractedly read while I drove. The “four laws” are: 1. God loves you and offers a wonderful

plan for your life. (John 3:16 and John 10:10) 2. All of us sin, and our sin has separated us from God. (Romans 3:23

Continued from page 1

“considerable disparity in nations’ growth rates,” but she expects to “see at least modest gains in most countries.” Various counterbalancing factors will likely leave the dollar ending the year fl at. In California, Reaser sees technology, entertainment, trade, and housing as likely to provide some positives for the economy, but state and local government debt, commercial real estate, and the demand for water will continue to hamper a full recovery. Reaser’s outlook for San Diego is

considerably sunnier. She expects housing, having bottomed out at last, to make a modest gain of about 4 percent. Strong military construction spending should also bolster the region. Commercial real estate and office vacancies will continue to be problems in 2010, she said. Despite her generally positive

predictions, Reaser did caution the audience that a number of “potential pitfalls” could derail recovery. Among

and Romans 6:23) 3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision

for our sin. Through Him, we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life. (Romans 5:8, I Corinthians 15:3- 6, John 14:6) 4. We must individually receive Jesus

Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, Revelation 3:20) By this point in my journey, I knew that

I believed the fi rst three points, based on what I had read, heard, and seen over the prior few years. It was clear to me that the remaining step was that I needed to personally receive Jesus’ payment for my sin and receive His forgiveness and gift of eternal life. I bowed that day in the car prior to my game of golf and I asked Christ to come into my life as my Savior and Redeemer and Lord. You may wonder, “how does this relate

to money?” I will leave you on the golf course in 1974 this week and meet you back here next month for the next story in the journey. May God’s peace encourage you as you

pursue fi nancial wisdom and depend on His truth.

❏

This month we begin a series by Ron Blue

called the “Five Decisions to True Financial Freedom.” This fi rst month the focus is called “The Salvation Decision.” With more than 40 years of experience in the fi nancial services industry and having authored more than 15 books on personal fi nance from a biblical perspective, Blue writes with experience, integrity and perspective, grounded in biblical wisdom. More information, including a video series to complement these articles, are available at www.masteryourmoney.com.

THE ECONOMY

‘

A Cris r O r nit

ppotu

Economic forecast . . .

the most serious is the federal defi cit. Other risks threaten the recovery as

well, including the possibility of a major terrorist attack, a surge in oil prices, signifi cant declines in commercial real estate, economic problems in China, or default by a major nation. She left the audience with practical

action steps she recommended in light of her analysis. If businesses want to thrive in the next fi ve years, Reaser said they need to focus on growth and investing in the key aspects of their business. She also advised them to “reward key employees,” “promise and deliver great service,” “develop strategic alliances and networks,” and “invest in human capital.” For both businesses and individuals, Reaser suggested preparing for higher interest rates. The forum was held at the San

Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina and was co-presented by the FBEI at Point Loma Nazarene University and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. Bank of America Merrill Lynch was the title sponsor.

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A special 2-month feature

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What is God doing in our midst?

God isn’t limited to man’s economy

By CHRIS CLARK

A major insurance company in New

York fails when it was found that the company’s capital had been embezzled. The American stock market loses 66% of its value. A major world economic power begins

to withdraw money from American banks.

GUEST COMMENTARY

Another country begins to undersell American industry on the open market. Americans begin to buy fewer

goods, creating massive surpluses of manufactured goods, which result in massive layoffs. Creative and risky real estate investments collapse across the nation when the money needed to fund those investments dried up. World events cause the dollar to drop

in value, triggering a series of reactions that thrust the banks in America into a fi ght for survival.

When did this happen? 2008? Try 1857. On August 24, 1857, the New York

branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company announced that due to widespread embezzlement within its company, they were broke. That, combined with a series of world events that created additional pressure upon the American economy, created the Panic of 1857, one of the greatest economic crises in American history. The fear and anxiety continued to

grow through the remainder of 1857. As more jobs were lost and more fortunes vanished, a greater sense of angst gripped the country. Yet, in the midst of such

By JIM REED

Sometimes it’s popular to make efforts

to discern the move of God in current affairs: “What is God doing?” Another way to consider this topic is to allow God to ask the same question of us: “What are they doing?”

GUEST COMMENTARY

Let’s look at our economic troubles from

a different perspective. We could try to discern what God is doing in these times. Or we can heed his Word, which already plainly tells us what he wants from us. Jesus gave us a lot to think about in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourselves

treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21) People have spent time and money to

go to success seminars. We gladly throw our efforts toward whatever happens to be the next economic fad. People pay the fee, go home, and what happens? Nothing changes. The next success seminar comes along and we repeat the cycle. If these success gurus were really so successful, they should be willing to pay us for attending their lectures.

uncertain times, God was busy laying the groundwork for a major spiritual breakthrough. In September 1857, a middle-aged

tradesman named Jeremiah Lanphier was chosen to lead a Dutch Reformed mission start in Lower Manhattan, on the corner of Fulton and William Streets. Noticing the effects of the economic news upon the local residents, Lanphier developed a strong burden for them, and began to pray for direction on what to do. Lanphier began to circulate thousands

of fl yers throughout the city, inviting businessmen to join him at noon on Sept. 23 to pray. Lanphier was joined by only fi ve other businessmen. Yet, the seed was planted; in the coming weeks excesses of 50,000 people throughout New York City were pausing to pray during the noon hour. The Fulton Street Revival had begun. The revival was not confi ned to New

York City; this mighty movement of the Spirit of God spread throughout the nation over the next 18 months. As a result, one million people came to faith in Jesus Christ. It is precisely during times when

people have nowhere else to turn, no one else in whom to put their trust, that people become open and receptive to the message of hope and life that is found only in Christ. We need to remember that our God is not

limited by man’s economy. It may be the collapse of man’s economy that opens the eyes of others to God’s economy. So let’s keep praying for that spiritual awakening,

and preparing for its coming!

❏

Chris Clark is pastor of East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church.

There’s buried treasure in the human heart

The most successful man who ever walked the planet was Jesus Christ. He has already given us a seminar. And it is free. In fact, He paid the fee for us. There is a catch. While entrance to

His kingdom is free, it still will cost us everything. God wants the deepest part of us. God wants our hearts. Once God arrives in that central place in our lives He will begin a heavenly remodeling project. He will change the human heart so that we will put Him fi rst in all things – including our fi nances. Jesus told the parable of the rich fool. I

like to call it “The Parable of the Successful Failure.” The man in the parable had no thought toward God, but only what would serve his selfi sh interests. Jesus ended the parable with an exhortation for us to be rich toward God. In other words, the man was successful in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of God he was a failure. He had little of the treasure of God in his heart. We may struggle with the uncertainties

of the economy. It would do us all well to reconsider our priorities. There is buried treasure in the human heart. Let it be of God.

John Wesley put it this way: “Earn all

you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.”

❏

Jim Reed is pastor of Lake Murray Church, an Assemblies of God in La Mesa. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24