FINANCIAL FREEDOM

5 GOOD PLANNING and HARD WORK lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
6 WEALTH created by a LYING TONGUE is a VANISHING MIST and a DEADLY TRAP."
Proverbs 21:5,6 (NLT)

• Some of the Signs of financial freedom in a believer's life are:
(i) Relief from worry and tension about overdue bills (Philippian 4:6).
(ii) A clear conscience before God and others (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3).
(iii) Absolute assurance of faith that God is in control: "THE Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says, “IF YOU COME BACK TO ME YOU WILL BE SAVED. ONLY by remaining CALM and TRUSTING in ME can you be STRONG.” BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT" (Isaiah 30:15 Easy-to-Read Version).

• Financial freedom does not mean that a Christian life would be totally void of any financial difficulty. It however does mean, whatever the circumstance, God promises peace! (John 16:34).
• When God manages your finances, you need not worry. He is the Master of the Universe: "SINCE HE did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, WON'T HE ALSO GIVE US EVERYTHING ELSE?" (Romans 8:32 NLT).
• Albeit, being Humans, we are still subject to mistakes. Even when we understand God's principles, it is possible to step out of His Will.
• Non-Christians or unbelievers cannot find a true financial freedom from worry, anxiety, tension, harassment, or bitterness (Matthew 6:31-32).
• Once you experience and live in financial freedom, you stand out as beacon light at Sea:
  10 FOR all who have ENTERED INTO GOD'S REST HAVE RESTED FROM THEIR LABOURS, just as God did after creating the world. 11 SO LET US DO OUR BEST TO ENTER THAT REST. But if we DISOBEY God, as the people of Israel did, we will FALL" (Hebrews 4:10,11 NLT).

• Steps to financial freedoms
I. Transfer ownership.
a. A Believer must transfer the ownership of every possession of his or her to God.
b. It does mean; money, time, family, material possession, even the earning potentials for the future, must all be transfered to God.
c. This is essential to experience a Spirit-filled life in the area finances.
d. If you did believe that you are the owner of a single possession, then whatever event that affected the possession would definitely affect your attitude.
e. God will not force His Will on you, but you must surrender your Will to Him as a Believer in Christ Jesus.
f. A Believer may experience some difficulties in consistently seeking God's Will in the area of material things, that is, in how to manage the money allowed to pass through his or her hands. The facts being that we, humans, are accustomed to self management and control.
g. Financial freedom comes from the knowing in your heart that God is in control.

II. Freedom from Debts.

• A Believer should get out of debts. Debts exist when any of the following
  conditions are true:
  a. Payment is past due. When you ought to have paid money you are owing, or for goods, services, that are owed to other people.
  b. Anxiety is produced over financial responsibility and the family basic needs are not being met because of past or present careless or excessive spending and debt had set in.
  c. If you had to spend at any time without plannings, there could be a negative balance on your account and a debt would be the result.

III. Get and stay current. The steps to take:
(i) Written plans:
a. A believer who is in financial bondage would need to consider a written plan as a necessity.
b. You use a witten plan for all expenditure and their order of importance.
c. This would help to differentiate between needs, wants, and desires.

(ii) Living essentials.
a. A believer in need should stop any expenditure that is not absolute essential for living (Proverbs 21:17).
b. Cut down some of the non-essential expenditures.
c. Look for services around the home that could be done without outside costs.
d. Learn to substitute expensive items for the items that are more durable but not expensive.
d. Learn to conserve. Eliminate all the expenditures that are not essentials.

(iii) Think before buying (Proverbs 24:3). And every purchase should be evaluated as follows:
a. Is it a necessity? That is, Have I assessed whether it is a need, a want, or a desire?
b. Does the purchase reflect my Christian ethicality?
c. Is this the best purchase I can get, or I am purchasing only because I have a credit opportunity?
d. Is it an item that get spoiled in no time?
e. Does the item requires costly upkeeps? In other words, Is the cost of maintenances of the item, high or not?

(iv) Practice saving.
a. A Believer should practice savings of money on a regular basis (Proverbs 21:20).
b. Joseph suggested that one-fifth, twenty percent, of the produce of the Land of Egypt be kept as a reserve for the years of famine (Genesis 41:34-36).

(v) Establish Giving.
a. Every Believer should establish the Giving of the tithes and offerings.
b. Offerings to: the missions (Luke 8:1-3; 3 John 5-8), God commanded projects in their local Churches (Exodus 35:4-9,20-29), the Ministers of God (1 Corinthians 9:11-14; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:14-19), the Needy in the household of faith (Galatians 6:10), And to be sensitive to whatever may be instructed to do per time with the money God has blessed him or her with (Acts 4:36,37). These should be done as the testimony to God's Ownership.
c. If you are faithful in Giving, being the principle commanded by God in His Word; you cannot but experience miraculous freedom from debts or financial bondages (2 Corinthians 9:6-10).

• Giving is a means of deliverance! Financial freedom mainly comes through the principle of Giving.

IV. Accept God's provision.

• God uses provisions to direct the Believers' lives. He uses His provision to control and lead the Believers, who absolutely summited to Him—in the way to go: "THIS is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO TEACHES YOU TO PROFIT (benefit), WHO LEADS YOU IN THE WAY THAT YOU SHOULD GO" (Isaiah 48:17 AMP).
• God may withdraw the financial support needed by you, If He does not agree or subscribe to what you wanted to do.

• Many are in financial bondages, because they do not allow God to have total control of their lives and resources.

• The financial freedom is a by-product of following the leadings of God through the Holy Spirit.
• If you cultivated the habit of asking God for directions; wanting to know His mind on whatever to do, and how to go by it, you will not spend wrongly or fall into the ditch in this area.
• A lot of wastefulness would be avoided in your spendings!

8 THE LORD says, “I WILL GUIDE YOU ALONG THE BEST PATHWAY FOR YOUR LIFE. I WILL ADVISE YOU AND WATCH OVER YOU.
9 DO NOT be like a senseless HORSE or MULE that NEEDS a BIT AND BRIDLE to keep it under control.”
Psalm 32:8,9 (NLT)
READ: Psalm 81:13-16; Isaiah 48:17-19

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
• Whatever is not planted by God in your body, such is uprooted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!