Build A Better Garden- Taking Steps of Faith, Pt.4

I have learned to trust God as my provider and as protector of what he has given. As provider He lets us know what we need or what we don't need. Sometimes He asks others to help. I make it a practice to not "advertise" our challenging situations as to see how God will work things out. Often our efforts tend to mess things up or delay them. God doesn't need our help as much as we think. He prefers our patience and trust more. In every situation we have tried to be content. When concerns or fears came in, I took them to the Lord in prayer and waited for his answers. How else do we learn to build faith regarding provision unless we stop doing what others normally do? (i.e. borrowing, getting an extra job)

After my wife and I had lost our house, God wanted me to trust him to provide an income for us, and I was to do whatever He chose despite the type of work or the amount of pay (if any). My first job was a landscape laborer at $6.50 per hour compared to $50.00 as an artist. Next, I was a commercial painter for $12.50, painting the walls at a new Microsoft building in the Seattle area. Eventually I was laid off because of lack of work. The next job my wife and I were asked to do was child care at a large church that we attended. We each made $7 per hour, 3 nights a week, three hours a night, for over a year. And God provided us a house to live in, rent and utilities paid. This was another miracle.

One day when mowing the lawn at that house, I told God the way we're living seems crazy. He told me to trust Him so I did. All this time God was dealing with areas of pride in me. I had told myself, certain things I would never do, such as unemployment benefits and food stamps. Well I swallowed my pride, but before they ran out God told me to cancel the food stamps and give my last unemployment check to Him. I did, even though I still didn't have a job and I was on my last tank of gas. A few days later a pastor from a church called. He commissioned me to do a painting of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and gave me a deposit. God wants all of His children to depend on Him, and not the welfare system. He is always faithful when we place our trust in Him. Less than a year later God provided the means to build our house.

If we are supposed to have something that God desires us to have, and if we agree with him, there is nothing that can stop it from coming. I personally know that as fact. I don't need to keep up with the Joneses. I have Jesus Christ living inside me. He's my everything. And whatever he gives me belongs to him, including any money I earn. I make it a practice to give when, where, and how much, or whatever it may be. You can't out give God!

I've tried not to get to personally attached to anything, including money. Ten percent was just the starting point for me. In my last job I was giving up to 30%. My desire is to increase my faith to where I'm living on 10% and the rest will help the lost and needy. I have found it best to sow when you have little, not after you've won the Lottery Sweepstakes or "when your ship comes in." Technically everything we have belongs to God anyway (Psalms 50:4), and that's why sometimes He takes things away. I also believe we should give more things away instead of selling them in garage sales. We should not let circumstances control how we give or live.

We should not let circumstances control how we give or live.

In 1988 I lost my dream house because of borrowing. Since then, we have paid cash and trusted him to pay our bills. We do so by faith and by whatever means he provides; we use faith principles and not religious principles. (I have also learned that we shouldn't make living without credit a law; it could potentially be a means he allows.) Sometimes we had to sell things and get rid of things we didn't need or couldn't afford or should not of had in the first place—health insurance was at the top of the list. Other times I have burned certain things if they were accursed items. This is an area many Christian are naive about. Cleansing one's house is important as to see God's blessings of prosperity, and sometimes to correct health issues.

One time we went without transportation for two months in winter until God provided the money to get our truck repaired. Three times we were faced with having to move, not knowing where we would live in less than two weeks. None of those times did we have a job or the means, and yet God provided a way. I could write a book alone on some of those experiences, the excitement we felt as we saw God's faithfulness to my obedience and trust, and my wife's willingness to follow. Our faith has continued to grow with what seemed to be impossible challenges. God says, "Prove Me, and know that I am God." The most resent challenge came two years ago when God asked me if I would be willing to leave everything, including hopes and dreams, and follow Him. A few month later I quit my job and left everything and moved to Vancouver, Washington. Five months later my wife followed me, leaving an empty house and most of our possessions behind. Three months later our daughter's family needed a place to live, so they moved into our house. God has a way of providing for everyone.

Many times there are reasons why we lose our jobs or houses, so that we will learn to trust God. That was kind of the process God took me through. I have learned to live with very little and I have been blessed with very much. Over the past nine years, we have purchased with cash two almost new cars, an older truck, and a van. We drove them off the car lots with no collision insurance on them, and we have had no accidents. If there were any 'accident," I know it would be his ultimate will to bless me through their negligence or mine. The outcome is for my good either way. This applies for any type of "accident" or situation. Neither do I have any health issues because God said, "By his stripes, ye are healed,"(Is.53); and that settles it for me. Any demonic attacks whether physical or spiritual, I cast off in Jesus name. Then I stand on His Word. In regards to any other need I may need, I believe that I have received and it shall be yours. (Mark 11:24) Again, I refuse to live by "what ifs." I have chosen to live by Jesus' faith in His protective power. And He continues to be my provider, and He blesses and restores all that appears to have been lost. I have all I will ever need—Jesus himself. I also believe I am wealthy, because I have sown and He says so. However, money is not important to me, but knowing and trusting Jesus Christ is. He has blessed me more by calling me His friend.

I thank God for His awesome love and assurance. I trust God with everything, including my wife, family and my future, because they are what he has given me. God and I are in a covenant relationship. He promises to love, provide and protect. And I will love, trust and serve him. He has provided everything, and what I don't need I will gladly leave, despite how my flesh or others' flesh may feel. Some people may think I'm a fool. I am a fool for Christ sake. God desires all his sons and daughters to live by Jesus' Faith, and to love and trust Him with all their hearts. Then people will see our garden, benefit from the fruit and give glory to Almighty God.

Many people have become so dependent on other gods (the world systems), but its never to late to start trusting God, building your faith. First start with repentance, and then take small step into Jesus' waiting arms. I encourage you, if you haven't taken steps of faith, to ask God to show you where and how you should begin. Regardless of what your financial situation or health challenges are, God can do miracles for you. Then you can begin to see his wondrous love and faithfulness by letting that seed of faith grow in your garden (your Heart). Then others can take shelter in your faith, and within His love for them. Don't let fears control your life; cast them out. I'm no one special, and what Jesus has accomplished in me he can do for you. Amen. Believe it!

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34: 8) Then you will be able to say,"Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell you what the Lord has done for me." (Psalm 66:16). I'm not boasting, I'm bragging about an awesome and powerful God. Jesus Christ is Lord.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him [focus on Jesus] and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3-5-6 PAR)

Build A Better Garden — Steps Of Faith, Pt. 3

"Why didn't you say something sooner," I replied to God; but no response. The next voice said, this is crazy and what will your wife say? Needless to say, I turned around and drove back, feeling the peace of God on me the further I drove. When I finally arrived back at Sheldon's, he was surprised by my offer but also knew it was God's will. He drove me back home in the car God wanted him to have and I was happy to give it. A few years later Sheldon gave me a white GM Safari van that someone had given him after he fixed it up. I drove it for a few years until I gave it to someone else who needed it more.

Speak faith-filled words. We are to live by faith and not by what we see or feel or think. We must stand on God's word. I read books on faith and many scriptures on faith. Remember you are building your faith; don't force others to join you unless they want to. Sure you may suffer some, even being uncomfortable or miserable for a while, but God will honor your faith. How do you expect to build your faith if you don't make the effort to lead the way, or it's not tested and/or seen by others? If everything went easy or smooth all the time, very little would be accomplished. A weightlifter gets stronger by adding more weights over the years of training. As they say, "No pain, no gain." And so it is with faith, but most of the pain comes from our emotions, from battling our fears or other people's fears, as seen when they sometimes accuse you of being foolish. As humans we try to avoid pain. We often think or say, I can do it if it doesn't hurt too much. (However, think of childbirth, and then the joy. Think of the Crucifixion and our salvation.) There are usually great rewards after pains of faith and trust.

One doesn't usually say, "Today, I'm going to build more faith" or, "tomorrow, I will start." Sure you can speak the words by faith or make certain mental preparations (which is good and necessary), but the real test or steps of faith come with each challenge we face in life. And over the years I have experienced greater challenges as different situations have arisen. The Bible says that God will not give us more than we can bear (I try to keep this truth in mind), but many of us give up way before that point, mostly because of fear rather than pain. If I'm experiencing pain (either physical or emotional), then I believe God can help me get through it—His way. We often forget how much God loves us, and that his desire is to see us healed—body, soul, and spirit. He also desires to see us grow to full maturity, and not just to save us from our sins.

I've experienced numerous "accidents" in building our house, plus a chainsaw accident, plus rusty metal and horses. But, I would not get a tetanus shot for protection. Another time, I experienced a cat bite on the back of my left hand. The infected wound turned to blood-poisoning, making my left hand swell up like a catcher's glove. I couldn't even bend my fingers, and the pus came out of the wound for over two weeks. I had to sleep with a plastic bag over my hand at night and I wore a long sleeve shirt during the day so that my wife wouldn't see the blue streaks that had gone up my arm to my shoulder. She had warn me to tell her if there were any signs. (I had blood-poisoning once before and went to a doctor, but now I was trusting Jesus.) She had also told me at that time of someone who recently had a cat bite infection that spread and the doctor had to remove his arm in order to save his life. Now there's a thought before taking a step of faith! But, just the day before I had read something and the words, "My Word" jumped off the page and into my mind. So I told God, " I will stand on your word, for you are my healer." I called my friend Sheldon David, telling him that God was going to heal me or he would have to come and raise the dead.

In every situation I have gone through God has been faithful. In our tests, sometimes the symptoms may last for days, weeks, or years, but God will always be faithful if we don't change our confession or we don't look for carnal remedies. Sometimes healing requires obedience and/or forgiveness before you see results. Whatever the situation, it's important to listen to and obey God. Sometimes people don't hear God speak because His Word has already said what needs to be said. It's dumb to ask God if it's His will to heal you, when the Bible already outlines his will on this subject. He wants to heal us more that we want to be healed.

If you slip up because of human weakness or fears, repent and keep on trusting. I remember one time that I even spit out and dumped some antibiotics down the toilet that I had just bought for an abscessed tooth. God is always faithful when I obeyed and trusted his ways and not my preferences or fears. I have been healed from other health issues and difficulties, because God's Word says I'm healed. That settles it for me. We need to persevere regardless of how long it takes. I would rather die trusting and obeying God, than to do otherwise. Heaven is not a place I'm trying to avoid. I have heard some people say, "But, I have family that depends on me." Do you think that's news to God?

I also rarely prayed for the physical pain to go away, instead I would pray until I could bear the pain or it went away. Remember, Jesus even refused a pain killer (hyssop) when he hung on the cross. He chose to suffer for our sake and also set an example for all of us. Faith, obedience and the cross can be very painful at times, but there is also a cloud of witnesses in heaven cheering us on. (I don't believe it is a sin to take an aspirin, but we shouldn't depend on them either.)

God is my shield and the rock of my salvation. That's what His word says, so why do we resort to other forms of protection? Again, this is what the maturing of our faith is all about. Therefore, I have learned and chosen to close "back doors" and "escape plans," precaution measures that people make because of fears. I've heard stories of others having major health problems or car accidents with big medical bills, also of fires and flooding. We should always make sure we're living where God wants us, doing what he expects of us, as to avoid such problems. God said he is our shield; and God doesn't lie. I didn't quit buying insurance to to save money but because I trusted God.

One by one I eliminated all forms of insurance protections. We can't boast about how powerful and all-knowing God is if we don't let Him prove Himself. Therefore, I chose not to live by "what ifs" or what might happen, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Jesus, to live by His faith. That is why I don't have health, house or car collision insurance, but only minimum liability because of a state laws. Nor do I have any other kind of insurance—such as AAA, travel insurance, or extended warranties. Even back when Costco had tire warranty for a dollar I quit purchasing it, which didn't make my wife too happy, but she learned. I wasn't being foolhardy; I just took bigger steps of faith knowing that God is big enough to handle any and every situation.

God is my protector in every area of life. Just like Daniel in the den of lions or the three Hebrew children in the fire. Those Bible examples were given to us for a reason. Yet, today many Christians, because of fears, follow the examples of the world and other Christians—including ministers—by going to medical doctors, getting insurance and borrowing money. Some choose certain jobs because of medical benefits; I chose to decline them when they were offered on my last job. Christians believe their sins are forgiven and they're going to heaven when they die. Of which neither are provable. Yet they often refuse to believe or trust God in the areas that are provable. We really need to get our eyes off the world and learn to trust and obey His Spirit leading, plus to rid our garden of every form of fear and lie, so that our faith can grow full and free.

...to be continued.

Build A Better Garden (Taking Steps of Faith, Pt 2)

Learning to build faith in our garden requires us to do something we don't usually like to do—trust God. For example His Word tells us, "By His stripes we are healed." (Is. 53:5) That was accomplished 2000 years ago. Or was God telling a lie? Do we really believe God is our Healer, or do we only hope so? or is he a Healer just for certain individuals? Why do so many Christians continue to go to doctors? Part of the reason is because that's where most of us started life, and we have continued to put our trust in man's hand. Many people have not built their faith apart from doctors, or built their faith on the ability of God to do as he promised. Many believe if God doesn't heal them immediately, like the examples in the Bible, then other alternative must be their next choice. But Jesus prefers to correct the spiritual problem which is usually manifested in the physical so we will take the proper steps to correct it. However, most don't want to take the time, effort or consider the possibility that there is a spiritual problem. Jesus healed a lot of people, but many still rejected his message. (Obedience is better than just being good in your own eyes.)

I'm not saying one should never go to a doctor. God uses doctors and nurses to minister to people all over the world. They help deal with all forms of accidents, disasters and health issues, to those who don't know the power of God. He hopes someday those same people will eventually trust in Him, like I did. Women had babies long before there were doctors. (If you want to read about the power of God to deliver healthy babies read the book, Born in Zion, by Carol Balizet; she was a nurse who helped start the home birth movement.) God can guide a surgeon's hand just as easily as healing your physical or emotional problems. We need to listen to and obey God. However, for those who believe in doctors and in hospitals, in 2008 over 48,000 people died in the USA alone from an illness they contracted from those medical facilities. Maybe hospitals and clinics should post a sign at the door, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.

So how do we build our faith? We can start now with the simple things. First of all, I asked God to forgive me for my lack of faith in Him; repentance is always a good starting point. Many people have depended on the medical system from birth, and many of our parents continued to take us whenever we got sick. It has been considered a normal way for almost a hundred years for most people in the western world. But as Christians, we have another alternative: Jesus Christ the Great Physician. He was the intended healer and source of health for all God's children. And one of the best parts is, His services are free as long as we obey Him.

When I started reading Bible scriptures on Faith and healing, I found them saying, Jesus healed them all. I read other books too, like Healing The Sick by T.L. Osbourn. Then I took some simple steps by changing some habits. Whenever I had a headache, muscle pain, or an injury, I wouldn't take an aspirin; instead I just spent some time with God and thanked Him for my healing—even before the ache or pain was gone or even when I was throwing up. If the problem continues ask God to show you the reason. It's best when we ask first.

I also started to eat healthier foods and eliminate sugar-laced products from my diet. Processed sugars and other man-made foods are harmful to our bodies, bodies which are described in the New Testament as God's temple. Again, I repented because I allowed my taste-buds and stomach to rule what I ate. I also started to fast because I wanted God more than food. Denying the flesh is a part of building faith. (Our bodies are His temple and we can't keep putting junk in it without consequences.) Don't be surprised if you start to feel sick when you decide to trust God in the area of health; satan's little buddies don't want you to trust God for your health, and sometimes they attack with all kinds of symptoms, such as a cold or flu. And what do most people usually say, "Oh no, I'm getting sick." Watch what you say; sow words of faith. Sure I felt miserable for a few days, but now I was choosing to trust God for my health. I didn't stop trusting just because the symptoms didn't go away as quickly as I had hoped; and this is where the real test of trust begins. (Yes, the symptoms and pain are real, but reality and truth are two different issues. I chose to live by truth.) The cold was over in less than a week. I thanked God. Then I said to satan, "Was that your best shot?" The next day the symptom were back again. It's not smart to taunt satan. I continued to trust God.

We are learning to walk in His divine health, not just being healthy. Jesus was never sick and he now wants us to live out His nature in every area in our life including health and wholeness. He also knows exactly what you are experiencing every moment. Also if you fall or get hurt somehow, pray and thank God for his protection despite how it may look or feel. Again, watch what you say; words can paint your future, so speak God's words and not words of fear. You may hear words of fear, but don't speak them. We can't stop the enemy or others from whispering fearful words in our ears, but we don't have to entertain them.

One time I tripped over a cross-brace that was in place while building a raised deck; I fell hitting my forehead on the concrete, splitting the skin 3/4" and making a knot in the middle of my forehead. In the fall I also hit my right forearm and it looked broken. I immediately prayed and thanked God for His protection, despite what I felt or saw. Shortly after, neither my arm or my head hurt much considering what happened or the way they looked. I thought I would take some time off work the next day so I went to visit Sheldon who lived 200 miles away. When I got to his place, I removed the bandage from my forehead and the injury was healed and my arm no longer hurt. I was where God wanted me for my next step of faith.

I always enjoyed my visits with Sheldon and the home-church in Longview, WA. We had spent several days talking about the Lord and what God had been doing in our lives. One evening I told him that I felt I was to get him a car, and told him that I had even tried to save some money to buy him one because he hadn't had a car for 5 years. I even said I would give him my car, (which I owned for only five months so as to have an economical vehicle that I could use to visit him), but, I wanted to give him something nicer than an old 4 door Honda that I had. The next morning I left Longview; I was halfway home when the Lord said to me, "You forgot something." I pulled off at the next off-ramp and asked what it was that I had forgotten. He said, "You forgot to give Sheldon your car."

...to be continued.

Better Than I

Build A Better Garden (Taking Steps of Faith, Pt 1)

Every Christian at the start is given a measure of faith. That faith is a seed, Jesus Christ, who is planted in us in order to grow within each of us, just like the parable of the Mustard Seed in the Gospels. However, what we do with that seed is sometimes the challenge. The scriptures tell us that when Jesus died on the cross He said, "It is finished!" That means His part on earth was done and everything he said and promised has been completed. He also has given us his spirit to help and guide us. Every move Jesus made was an example for his disciples to follow, including us. Now the seed is for our garden and care. What are we going to do with the seed is the question?

If we do nothing but carry the Seed around with us wherever we go, it will remain just a seed. If we put it on a shelf or in a drawer it will remain just a seed. We need to take the time to plant it within our hearts if we desire to see it grow. This is done by preparing the soil, removing visible rocks and weeds (sins, bad habits and lifestyles that might offend God); such things hinder the growth of the seed. Then we need to add nutrients: obedience with brokenness, humility along with lots of sunlight and fresh water—the light is the leading of the Holy Spirit and the fresh water is the daily Word. God will also prune (discipline) us so that we will bear more fruit. However, this will all take time and effort on our part. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:20)

We need to read the Bible (our instruction manual on How to Build a Better Garden); we are God's garden. When we follow his instructions, God will expect to get some results and fruit. But, we also need to remember that the outcome of our obedience may not always be what we expect. (Sometimes it can be very costly, but it will be worth it just the same at harvest time.) However, it will be what He had in mind for His Church and Bride, and not necessarily for you alone. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

As mentioned in a previous article, I have done some strange things, and living by faith is one of them. Some of you might have thought that was a bit strange coming from a Christian, but that all depends on your definition of faith. Faith is not only believing God's Word, but also acting on it. When I first became a Christian, I thought I had faith by going downtown Seattle and witnessing and telling people what I believed, and to some extent that was. But as the years went by—along with my four years of Bible College—I realized I didn't have any more faith, just a lot of religious knowledge and a lot of frustrations. And those frustrations continued along with a lot of selfish actions for almost 18 years until God spoke to me and gave me a choice.

I repented (did an about face) and followed him, the Master Gardener. I didn't really know him very well, so I started to read my Bible more, also certain spiritual books. By doing so He was also able to work on my heart by helping me remove some big, obvious rocks and weeds (lust and greed) that I had allowed in my garden. He was also able to break up the hard soil of pride and religious principles that were embedded in my heart. Plus, I needed to forgive others and myself. (All of this is an ongoing process as to obtain a better garden)

A few years later I had my first dream of Jesus—my first of many. In this dream, I was distracted by a beautiful and seductive woman that I was following on a path. I could see Jesus off to the side among some trees in another direction, but I continued following this woman until she eventually turned into a ugly monster. I turned and ran back to find Jesus who was still waiting by the trees for me. It was getting dark and I could see a glow around him and I felt guilty as I approached him. When I finally reached Jesus, I fell at His feet too ashamed to look up at Him. He then said to me, "I need to give you more faith." This was the end of the dream. I believed the woman represented organised religion, but I didn't realize it until years later. Yet, I did remember how Jesus had often said to his disciples that they had little faith. So how does one get more faith? I realized it was a process, sometimes it's a gift, but usually it has to be developed; either way it still comes from God.

The disciples were tested and often failed because of their fears and lack of understanding. As it turns out, our fears and our religious concepts are also the major obstacles to the growth of our faith. Understanding comes from listening to and reading God's word. When bad or unpleasant circumstances happen to us, we are often being tested to clarify what we really believe. It doesn't mean God causes the test, but that they are allowed to happen for various reasons.

I don't believe in accidents. Accidents are often due our disobedience or carelessness on our part, even though we may be ignorant of it at the time. However, God knows everything that will happen to us. He's waiting to see how we will respond to these "accidents," often caused by ours or others' mistakes and sometimes even attacks of satan. No matter what the cause (sin, carrying the cross, satan ), they usually happen in order to teach us important lessons. (This is seen in the story of Job. He learned the sovereignty of God, and so should we.)

However, we often react by saying or thinking things like, well that's just a part of life that we need to accept, things such as accidental deaths, sickness, diseases; such things happen to everyone. But, it doesn't have to be that way; we can learn from life's situations and be better prepared the next time around to help someone else. We need to listen to Jesus' voice and believe what He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. This means He can provide everything we need if we obey and trust his words. Sadly, most of our actions and behaviors are the result of what we have learned, seen or been taught by others—including some ministers and ministries' teachings.

Our faith can only be built or grow up if tested. Just like a child learning to ride a bicycle, if they fall down they don't stop, they get back up and try again until they succeed. But, unless they get on the bike they will never learn. A child may say, "I can ride one," but until they actually do it they will never know. Even sitting on the bike is not enough to say, "I can ride." Children do not usually hesitate or think about falling, only adults worry about such things. That's why Jesus said, "Unless, you come unto Him as a child, you will not see the Kingdom of God." We must have that childlike faith. Most of our fears of falling, failing and losing are acquired as we get older.

And just like a child, God desires to see our faith grow and come to full maturity in Christ. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Everything must be done through Jesus' faith. It is the only kind of faith acceptable to God. Even as adults, Jesus expects us to start with simple steps.We should exercise our faith in the simple steps, and as we develop and strengthen our faith we will be ready for bigger steps.

A few years ago, I heard a man say, "I will go to doctors and if they can't help me then I'll trust God." What the man didn't realize is that if he deferred his faith as stated he would probably be unable to start trusting God for healing, because he had not built his faith along the way. He would then need the help of others' faith to make it through a tough situation. In the next part I will share some of my personal simple steps to building faith.

...to be continued.

The Power of Money

Today's economy all over the world runs on money. It is either giving it away as incentive or taking it (borrowing and taxes). The US government is trillions of dollars in debt. The USA and most other people, have become "servants to the lender." Our want and desires have become greater than our output. Most of us have not been content with what we have; we often feel that more money by credit will solve most of our problems. Those solutions have become a dangerous trap, as we have seen in these past two years of recession, all due to over-spending. The recourse in most governments is to borrow more to get the economy going again. The real problem has nothing to do with the collapse of the housing market or the stock market dive, but instead a spiritual problem. As a nation we have made money and possessions our gods; we have taken our eyes off Jesus.

Within the church the same problem exists. Not that the church is in financial debt, even though many have had to cut their budget-spending because of less income from offerings, but there is a spiritual problem that exists. Many people have become complacent with their spiritual status and discontent with what they have. I hear it often in prayers, "Lord, I need more money to pay my bills." "I need a better paying job," and so forth. In essence money has become the answer to people's problems, and in a way a god too. Most believers have failed to take the proper steps and sacrifices along the way, and now many are forced to bow to someone.

After I had lost my dream house because of borrowing I was determined to never allow money and possessions to be my god. Even now after God has given us another house that we built with cash, money is not our means or our god; but faith is. However, being debt free doesn't necessarily eliminate the need or power that money holds on people. There can still be the fears of losing what a person has or the desire for more. It was my desire to be content and patient, but money still has a power of its own if we allow it. God meant money to be used as a tool, a tool that we can use to help others in need and sometimes to lead them to Christ. Money is not the answer to our problems; Jesus is. We all have to make that choice regularly.

One day about 15 years ago, my wife had gone back to Colorado Springs to see her dad who was is the hospital. The morning she left, she gave me $140 (two $50s and two $20s) to pay for tie-rods that a friend from the church would install for free on our truck. I put the money in my wallet along with some ones and maybe a five or ten, I already had. A few days later, I was listing to a cassette tape from a friend's home church meeting (he usually sent me recordings since I lived far away). I was working alone in a vacant store building where I had permission to display my paintings and try to make some money. As I was listening to this tape, he was talking about breaking the power of money. In his massage, he demonstrated this by tearing up some small bills he had in his wallet. Now that got people's attention and some reactions from the group. He asked them what they thought. Some thought it was against the law, others said he could have given it to the poor. As he dealt with those excuses others started to reach into their wallets or purses and pull out a dollar or two and tore them up as a sign to God of their desire to be free from money's power. The power of mammon is not broken by just tearing up paper currency alone, but by taking the step of faith to rip it from your heart, he then added.

After I had finished listening to the tape I felt God wanted me to do the same. However, I also felt that the Lord wanted me to tear up my largest bill. I thought sure why not, maybe a $5 or $10. I had forgotten about the money my wife had given me. When I opened my wallet, I remembered everything. Wow, what a dilemma! All of a sudden other voices and thoughts started screaming, "This is crazy." However, I rejected those other voices and told God that my trust is in Him and not in money. I then tore a $50 bill into pieces (I mailed one corner piece to my buddy as proof, and kept the rest as a reminder.) An hour later a young man came in the store to look at my paintings. We talked for a while and he told me he had no money or a place to live. Again I felt God wanted me to do something, so I reached in my wallet and gave him a $20 bill. (A couple days later I asked the young man to come and live with us. He stayed a couple of weeks until he found a place.)

Now I only had $70, half of what my wife gave me to pay for the truck parts that the man was going to install that night. When I arrived at his house, he started working on the truck, but when he went to install the new parts they wouldn't fit. So he had to reinstall the old ones. He told be to come back tomorrow and he would try again. (I had not shared my financial situation with him.) I came back the next night and he finished the job with the correct parts. Then I asked him what the cost was. He said $70. I was surprised, and he explained that the auto part store was apologetic for giving him the wrong size, causing him extra work and time. So they reduced the cost to half, then he passed the savings on to me even though he had to do the work twice. I gratefully thanked him and also thanked my awesome and faithful God, who promises to provide for his trusting servants.

"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you...'" (Heb.13:5)