I was a born again, Spirit filled, faith-believing, on-fire Christian. I tithed and gave offerings. I had been pastor of two churches, traveled on the missions field, and I had a genuine experience with God. Yet at the same time, I was in debt up above my eyebrows. All because of lack of wisdom.

The Bible says that the borrower is a slave to the lender. Even though I was doing certain things, right, my use of credit was keeping me bound and defeated.

On this video, I share how God got me out of debt over a period of years. There were many blessings and miracles along the way that helped to bring me out of debt, but godly wisdom was the key to making those blessings count towards the goal of becoming financially free.

So often we think that we need a miracle from God to get us out of our mess. God does do miracles! But sometimes what we need most is wisdom from the Lord. This applies to financial difficulties or any other problem in life. Enjoy this video! Don't be condemned! Just realize that the Lord loves you and has a good plan for your life. Follow that plan and you'll be blessed!


Notes: HOW GOD GOT ME OUT OF DEBT
Reading: 1 Kings 3:3-15

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. (1Kings 3:9-13, AV).

MT Jesus will give you wisdom to be successful in life!

Sometimes we think what we need is a miracle, or a breakthrough. But often what we most need is wisdom. Then when the miracle comes we will know how to handle it.

Lottery winners often go broke after a few years.

WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPAL THING Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. (Proverbs 4:7-8, AV).

WISDOM WILL CAUSE YOU TO INHERIT SUBSTANCE I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. (Proverbs 8:12-21, AV).

We are not talking about being greedy here, but God wants you blessed, and He blesses through wisdom.

-Wisdom is a person.

-Wisdom comes through prayer. James if any lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1Corinthians 1:30, AV).

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (2Corinthians 2:14, AV).
What a powerful Word of God!!! God ALWAYS causes us to triumph!

Not sometime. Half the time. Once in a while. ALWAYS!

Think of it. Total victory. All the time. That is God's plan for your life.

No, He's not promising you a trouble free life. But through every trial, He gives victory.

In this message, I share about the trial of my faith when I was in the hospital three times in October, November. and December of last year. It was a very difficult time, but God is bringing us through to victory! Rejoice! He always causes us to triumph in Christ!


NOTES: God ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (2Corinthians 2:14, AV).
MT: No matter what the circumstance, God is always giving victory to the people of God.

Paul did not live a trouble free life:
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (2Corinthians 11:24-27, AV).
And yet he proclaimed that God ALWAYS causes us to triumph.

Is this just putting your head in the sand and ignoring problems, or is it something different?

Tom’s testimony. 

For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37, AV).

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27, AV).

Maybe you have an impossible situation. 

* A loved one who is away from God, away from you.
* A sickness or disease that man says in incurable. 
* A deep emotional distress with seemingly no way out.
* A financial ditch that you cannot climb out of.

Remember, God always, always, always causes us to triumph.

Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice!

Absolutely nothing can defeat the child of God. 

Even death cannot defeat us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39, AV).
We have friends and partners who have lost spouses. It hurts. It causes grief. It can seem like total defeat. But for the Christian, death is not a defeat, it is a promotion. In Christ there is a resurrection. Nothing is lost!!!
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1Corinthians 15:55-58, AV).

 

We think of the grace of God as God's unmerited favor through which we have the forgiveness of sins. It is, but it is also God's ability working in us to make us different. Grace helps us to live right, and you can appropriate that grace through prayer whenever you need it!
Podcast

Notes: GRACE HELPS US TO LIVE RIGHT
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14, AV).

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:1-4, AV).

MT Some think that the message of grace is a license to sin (or a get out of jail free card), but on the contrary, grace provides God’s supernatural ability for us to live right before God.

Grace (charis) God’s unmerited favor Greek Lexicon: 1. good will, loving-kindness, favor 2. of the merciful kindness by which God exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. (nurtue and admonition)

GRACE TEACHES US TO LIVE RIGHT

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. (Titus 2:11-15, AV).

GOD IS WORKING ON YOU!

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10, AV).

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13, AV).

NOT BY OUR STRENGTH, BUT BY GRACE

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1Corinthians 15:10, AV).

APPROPRIATING GRACE THROUGH PRAYER

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, AV).

CONCLUSION: By confessing our sin and receiving God’s mercy, we can then find grace to help in time of need. We NEED help! Help Lord! Help!!!