Paid in Full
As I was getting ready to pay an auto mechanic for his services a few years ago, he handed me a receipt. The words PAID IN FULL had been stamped in red in the middle of it. I was shocked! How could this be possible? Stunned, I asked the mechanic who had paid for my car repairs, for it wasn’t a small amount. He simply said that the benefactor wanted to remain anonymous, and I was free to take my keys and drive away.
Forgiven Debt
John Oliver, the host of HBO’s popular TV show Last Week Tonight, made the news when he forgave fifteen million dollars in debt. He did this to show the unsavory nature of buying debt and collecting on it. He purchased the massive debt at the price of just $.004 for every dollar. Because he owned the debt, Oliver had the legal right to collect it. Instead, he generously abolished it.
June 30, 2014
What has God helped you learn about finances and how to honor Him with them?
in the light of God
Pastor G. Campbell Morgan was quoted as saying: “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties.” When people face any kind of crisis, they tend to look through the lens of fear and anxiety.
released
Eric Smallridge calls Renee Napier “an angel.” He says this because Renee forgave him for killing her daughter Meagan in a drunk-driving accident. Although Renee’s forgiveness took a long time, Eric says he “found his eternal salvation as a result.” What’s more, Renee’s pardon encouraged her family to follow suit. Together, they petitioned the courts to have Eric released from prison after serving only 11 years of his 22-year sentence. The fruit of Renee’s forgiving heart has given Eric a “second chance at life.”
if My people
I was speaking with three friends about the lamentable condition of our country. They mentioned the continued practice of abortion, the rise of homosexual marriage, and the debt crisis. One friend cited 2 Chronicles 7:14, and said that our nation’s problems will only be solved when our country turns to God. I said that would be difficult to pull off, as our nation believes in the separation of church and state. We cannot compel Muslims, Buddhists, or atheists to worship Yahweh. Nor would we want to. Life goes badly—both for those inside and outside the church—whenever Christianity becomes the religion of the state.
high price of forgiveness
In 2004, Iranian Ameneh Bahrami rejected Majid Movahedi’s marriage proposal. Days later, Movahedi attacked her, throwing acid in her face. Disfigured and blinded, she will always carry the scars of the crime.
A court ruled that the penalty for the brutal attack would be an “eye-for-an-eye retribution.” This meant that Movahedi was to be subdued, anesthetized, and then five drops…
the frugalista
What could make a woman pass on a pedicure, refuse hair appointments, and choose at-home eating over dining out? For Natalie P. McNeal, the answer was $20,000 of debt. She became “The Frugalista” when she declared a personal “no-buy month,” and saved hundreds of dollars, which she applied to her balance due. By continuing this practice, she soon paid off…
what's in your wallet?
Recently, I read that nearly 70 percent of all lottery winners end up burning through their winnings and going bankrupt in just a few years. Whoa! Apparently, winning a bunch of money is not what it's cracked up to be.
Most who hit the jackpot stop using their brain and begin to impulsively spend, spend, spend. They buy toys they…
giving to grasshoppers
Aesop's fable tells the story of a busy ant that slaved all summer to store up food for winter while a fun-loving grasshopper played in the sun. When winter came, the panicked grasshopper came to borrow food from the ant, but the ant replied that if the grasshopper wanted to eat now, he should have worked hard then.
I remember…
