Godly Finance Ministries

11/12/2020

SHOULD CHRISTIANS EVER DISOBEY THE LAW?

This is a tough subject, and most pastors deliberately stay away from it. The Bible clearly states that we are to respect and obey those who have been placed in authority. See Romans 13:1-2. At the same time, the Bible shows precedent for disobeying in certain situations. In Daniel, Chapter 3, we read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, who were being forced by the King to bow down and worship an idol of gold, created in his image. This mandate was the law of the land, and those who disobeyed it were to be thrown in a fiery furnace. You know the rest of the story...they disobeyed because the law defied their faith, and they were thrown into the furnace, but God's protection kept them safe. I have prayerfully considered this situation, and I have realized three situations in which Christians have a right to disobey an unjust law.

1. When the law directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures. Today, we see several states that have mandated that churches cannot meet in person because of the risk of Covid spread. Hebrews 10:25 clearly teaches that we are NOT to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. So, what should the church do? The church should disobey the law, and they should hold services. For the sick and elderly, the services can be televised, but healthy people should attend in person. Should the congregants stay socially distant and wear masks? In my opinion, that is acceptable. I do not believe that these mandates defy the Word, because the church can still meet for worship, teaching and edification, while obeying them.

2. When local and state laws defy the U.S. Constitution. In this country, the US Constitution is the overriding rule when it comes to writing and enforcing law. State and local laws cannot and must not be written in defiance of it. If a local or state law is in contradiction to the US Constitution, Christians have a right and obligation to disobey it. Pastors are free to teach the Word without restrictions, because of the 1st amendment, which states that governments cannot violate a persons right to free speech. When governments try to tell a pastor what they can and cannot teach, that is a direct violation of it.

3. When the law allows for the exploitation and/or murder of the innocent and defenseless. Abortion, especially late-term abortion, should be viewed as murder and the shedding of innocent blood, to anyone who professes the name of Christ. As Christians, we have the right and obligation to oppose this evil, just as we should oppose pe******ia, because the victims have no strength or ability to speak out or stand up against it themselves.

06/26/2019

I would Title the article, "7 Big Purchases You Should NEVER Make....Especially With DEBT!"

Sometimes a big-ticket purchase is nothing more than a big waste of money.

11/03/2018

This video has some pretty good advice. I have a bit of an issue with #2 but the rest of it is excellent.

In today's video we explore 10 things poor people do that rich people don't, and what really separates rich and poor people. What's the biggest difference? I...

07/30/2018

I have posted numerous articles about the government employee pension DISASTER that is going to hit millions of U.S. workers. Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal that details the problem:

Many retirement funds could face insolvency unless governments increase taxes, divert funds or persuade workers to relinquish money they are owed. The problem, once a hypothetical, would hit retirees for whom it’s too late to engineer a Plan B.

11/29/2017

One of the biggest differences between rich people and poor people is not how much money they make, but what they do with the money once they have made it. I always taught that one of the WORST things you could do for your financial health, was to buy a cash-draining, depreciating asset with debt. That would include things like cars, boats, RV's, Jet-skis, Snowmobiles, etc., etc. The problem is that you really NEED a car in order to work and take care of a family. So, what do you do? You buy a good quality, functional car, without all the bells and whistles, and you drive it AS LONG AS YOU CAN. You DO NOT lease it.

I saw an article by Suze Orman that says the EXACT same thing. Here is a link:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/22/why-suze-orman-says-you-should-keep-your-car-as-long-as-possible.html

God Bless you!

- Greg

This driving-related decision is key.

11/21/2017

Regarding Bitcoin......

People have asked me if this is something in which they should invest. Please read this quotation from Dennis Gartman who is a nationally renowned commodity trader, publisher and investment manager. Here's what he wrote in his news letter today:
Turning to Bitcoin for a moment if we might, there was yet another “hack” into that strange and exotic “currency.” The Tether Treasury “wallet” was hacked and another $31 million was stolen from the owners. Combine this with the $280 million “hack”… and loss… two weeks ago and we do indeed wonder why/how anyone trades this market. We wonder even more how the futures on the CME can actually be properly margined; but those are questions for another time. However, having traded as high as $8300 yesterday, overnight for a few brief moments it traded down to $7750…a “mere” 6.6% decline in a matter of minutes before stabilizing once again and trading back above $8000! This is madness!

08/02/2017

Money Problems have been cited as the number one cause of divorce in America. The Spirit of Mammon is working harder than ever to wreak havoc on Christian families. But Christ gave us power over principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness!

Here is an interesting article that shows that nearly half of American couples argue over money.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/02/nearly-half-all-couples-say-argue-over-money-survey-finds.html

Nearly half of Americans (48%) who are either married or living with a partner admit they get into scuffles over money, with a vast majority saying it has to do with their partner’s spending habits, a new survey finds.

06/01/2017

Keep a View to Eternity!

Last week, we witnessed another horrific terrorist attack in England. This time, a radical Islamist set off a su***de bomb at a concert where many young children and teens were gathered. Following the incident, people around the world once again began questioning and looking for answers as to why this happened.

As Christians, we should see everything through the eyes of faith, and we should be quick to recognize God's grace in all things. The best way that I have found to do that is to keep my focus on eternity, and not allow my own limited paradigms to cloud the truth of God's love.

Paul demonstrated exactly how we should keep our view toward eternity in Philippians 1:21, where he stated that "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know." Paul knew that death in this life meant that he could go on to spend eternity with Christ in Heaven, which is a much greater existence. And yet, if he remained alive into old age, he would still be walking with Christ on this earth while doing His work. It was a win/win situation.

Keeping a view to our own eternity means that we LIVE our lives as though we will leave this earth today, but we PLAN our lives as though we will be here for many years. Remember: this life is just a flash when compared to eternity. What you do today is important. So we should keep our view to eternity, and:
1. Live for Christ.
2. Work hard and use God's provision to impact others.
3. Leave provision for our families.
4. View death as the gateway that brings us into God's wonderful presence forever.

Until next time.....Be Blessed!

- Greg

06/01/2017

Keep a View to Eternity!

Last week, we witnessed another horrific terrorist attack in England. This time, a radical Islamist set off a su***de bomb at a concert where many young children and teens were gathered. Following the incident, people around the world once again began questioning and looking for answers as to why this happened.

As Christians, we should see everything through the eyes of faith, and we should be quick to recognize God's grace in all things. The best way that I have found to do that is to keep my focus on eternity, and not allow my own limited paradigms to cloud the truth of God's love.

Paul demonstrated exactly how we should keep our view toward eternity in Philippians 1:21, where he stated that "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know." Paul knew that death in this life meant that he could go on to spend eternity with Christ in Heaven, which is a much greater existence. And yet, if he remained alive into old age, he would still be walking with Christ on this earth while doing His work. It was a win/win situation.

Keeping a view to our own eternity means that we LIVE our lives as though we will leave this earth today, but we PLAN our lives as though we will be here for many years. Remember: this life is just a flash when compared to eternity. What you do today is important. So we should keep our view to eternity, and:
1. Live for Christ.
2. Work hard and use God's provision to impact others.
3. Leave provision for our families.
4. View death as the gateway that brings us into God's wonderful presence forever.

Until next time.....Be Blessed!

- Greg

12/27/2016

Happy New Year from Whitney and I. We are praying God's blessing and prosperity on you and your family this year. Let 2017 be the year that you receive your financial miracle from God! Where do you start? By reading and obeying His word! Learn how to give and tithe with a thankful heart, not grudgingly or with any strings attached. Remember: God loves a cheerful and thankful giver!
- Greg

08/24/2016

Check out my latest blog from Godly Finance Ministries. Feel free to comment or post questions.

08/17/2016

Live Blessed! Die Broke?

In the 2004 blockbuster movie “Oceans 12,” the elderly character Saul Bloom (played by legendary actor Carl Reiner), said, “I want the last check that I ever write to bounce.” It was a light-hearted, humorous comment he gave while discussing his old age and mortality. I have even jokingly quoted this to my own children when chatting about their inheritance (and I’ll bet some of you have done the same). The deeper meaning, however, is that we should all live our lives to the fullest and enjoy the money that we worked so hard for a lifetime to earn. This certainly sounds reasonable, especially to a baby-boomer such as myself, because we were raised to believe that hard work should be rewarded, and laziness should not. In the Bible, Ecclesiastes 5:19 even says that, “Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.” Sounds good to me. So why do I find Saul Bloom’s statement to seem selfish and self-centered?

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus made a statement that seems to actually agree with this sentiment. He said, “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.” But notice here that Jesus does not use the words money or wealth, but instead uses the word treasure. Treasure is a word that can be used as either a noun, where it means “a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects”, or as a verb, where it means to “keep carefully, cherish, hold dear, prize or value greatly.” In other words, Jesus was saying that we should keep carefully, cherish, hold dear, prize and value greatly heavenly things which will not pass away, and not earthly things which will pass away.

In Proverbs 13:22, the Word says that “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Contrary to what some people have taught, this scripture is clearly speaking of wealth and money. So, if we die broke, how can we do this? The answer is that we can’t. We should use our money, which is a gift from God, to show forth His love, grow His kingdom, and provide for the needs of our families when we are gone. If we do this, then our heavenly treasure will grow, uncorrupted and safe. Live blessed and die broke? No…. We should live blessed, bless others, and build treasure for ourselves in Heaven!

Until next time – Be Blessed!

Greg