Troubled Boy to Church Elder By Sheron Ndhlovu Edmond was a troubled child in Mzuzu, Malawi. He refused to obey his parents, teachers, or any other adult. At school, he hit the other boys and even the teachers. He gained such a fearful reputation that children and adults alike were scared of him. One day, … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: The three-step process of debt elimination is actually found on one page of Ellen G. White’s writings. Emphasis has been added to highlight the points. “Be determined never to incur another debt. Deny yourself a thousand things rather than run in debt. This has been the curse of your life, getting into debt. Avoid … Continue reading –>
Read Deuteronomy 15:1-5. What did the Lord require of His people as revealed in these verses? In harmony with other seven-year statutes (Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:3-4), not only the slaves or servants and the land were regulated, but also the lenders. Because the lenders did not want to forgive any debts, the longest anyone could be in debt … Continue reading –>
The Bible is very clear that God does not want His children to become responsible for the debt obligations of others. In the book of Proverbs, the Lord has warned us against surety — that is, cosigning or being guarantor for another person. Read Proverbs 6:1-5, Proverbs 17:18, and Proverbs 22:26. What is the message here? Surety usually … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 22:7. In what sense are we under bondage to the lender? What can be done to escape from this unfortunate phenomenon? If you are in debt, the following outline will help you begin a debt-elimination process. The plan is simple. It has a premise and three steps. The premise is a commitment to God to be … Continue reading –>
We are material beings, and we live in a material world, a world that, at times, can be very alluring. You’d have to be made out of steel and synthetic oil, not flesh and blood, not to feel, at times, the lure of material possessions and the desire for wealth. At one time or another, … Continue reading –>
Read Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Deuteronomy 28:12. What is God’s ideal for His children regarding debt? How can they attain this ideal? And though this context is very different from ours, what principles can we take away from this context and apply to our own now? Studies show that there are three primary reasons that people get into … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Deuteronomy 28:12; Matthew 6:24; 1 John 2:15; Proverbs 22:7; Proverbs 6:1-5; Deuteronomy 15:1-5. Memory Text: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, NKJV). One definition of debt is “living today on what you expect to earn in the future.” Today debt seems to be a … Continue reading –>
Aspiring Artist’s Gift By Sachiko Obara My 14-year-old son, Eichiro, had a special plan for his summer vacation in Japan. He loved to draw, and he decided to save money to purchase a professional tablet and software that he could use to create his art. Eichiro did careful preliminary online research to find out which … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: The heavenly record book of remembrance also notes the financial faithfulness of God’s family members. “The recording angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed. The eye of God takes cognizance of every farthing … Continue reading –>
