I Have Lost My Job!! Now What?? (5 Economic Survival Tips)

More and more people are losing their jobs lately. This includes folks that have been secure with their company for many years. This suffering economy has affected a lot of people. No one is safe from it! You could be next!

 

If you, by chance, happen to be part of the millions that have currently found yourself unemployed, there is hope! I know that sounds like a strange thing to say considering your world has been turned upside down. Hope? What is that? Right?

 

Understand something for a moment. We have been depending on money and its security for a very long time. We rely on it and work hard to have it with hopes of paving a golden road to a prosperous future. But, folks it ain’t happening. As we can already see.

 

How are you going to survive?

 

If you believe in God’s Word, you will see where God warned us about money and how we should never put it as our number one priority in life.

 

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. – Matthew 6: 24

 

God has to be Number One. If you’re a Christian today, this means making sure you are serving Him. This could be making some lifestyle changes that puts God first. This could mean reading your Bible again, praying again, going to church again, walking the walk that you started in the beginning when you first got saved, and maybe a combination of all of these.

 

Now, if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will have to be saved first. If you have never prayed to Jesus and asked for forgiveness of your sins and asked Him to come into your life, now would be a great time to do so. You want to survive, don’t you? Do it today so that these survival tips will make sense to you.

 

 

You will need to know what God promises us as His children when it comes to His provision for us. That’s right! He promises that He will provide for our needs.

 

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4: 19

 

Regardless of what you think is going on in your life or how bad things may look, He says that He will provide for you and protect you. I am not going to list for you all of His promises. I am going to leave it up to you to find them. This will help you to seek Him and discover the things He wants to share with you.

 

 

Survival Tip #2

Praying every day is the way of talking with God about your financial problem. He is your Father in Heaven and is waiting to hear from you. He is also a great Accountant. Let Him know the financials – give Him the report. The same God that fed the thousands with a few fish and some bread can do wonders with your financial status. Give it to Him. The key is talking to Him about it.

 

 

Survival Tip #3

God hears your prayers and will answer them. Believe that He will and expect changes to begin taking place. Be aware that He may not answer the way you anticipate. He may decide to restructure your finances. This could mean getting rid of things that you don’t need. To survive could mean a change in your lifestyle. Allow Him to do His perfect work. Just know He’s listening.

 

Survival Tip #4

Learn to be happy with what you have. Being unemployed, you are going to be given some time to look around and appreciate things. Learn to do it because God may delay His blessings on you until you become satisfied with what you have already. You may discover some new blessings that went unnoticed.

 

Survival Tip #5

Learn to be patient and try not to complain. God does things in His timing – not ours. In the beginning, He may answer prayers quickly. Later, He may decide to take a little while longer. This will build your faith in Him. He will be using this opportunity to let you know who He really is. Complaining will make matters worse, so don’t even go there.

 

These are just some of the tips that I could come up with. I have been going through the financial survival game, too. I can testify to the fact that God supplies our needs and that He is faithful in keeping His promises. I have discovered a peace and happiness that I probably wouldn’t have found any other way. God is in control, folks, and loves us. He won’t let us down.

 

Our books are available in print, as e-books on Kindle and coming soon to audiobooks for iTunes and Audible. Visit our website to find out where to get them: www.ARGstuff.com. A Redneck’s Guide Series… the simple way to share God’s Word.

Deuteronomy: Debt Cancellation

At the end of [every] seven years thou shalt make a release. And this [is] the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth [ought] unto his neighbour shall release [it]; he shall not exact [it] of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [it again]: but [that] which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. – Deuteronomy 15:1 – 11

Deuteronomy, which is part of the Jewish Torah, is a book that lists laws that God gave to Israel. God loved Israel and wanted what was best for them and knew what it would take for it to prosper as a nation. These verses mentioned above opened up a new idea in economics. From what I read, it appears that creditors were to cancel the debts owed to them every seven years from the people in their land that owed them money. To put that into today’s language, it would be like every financial institution, such as banks, would consider any credit card debt, loans, mortgages, completely paid off at the end of seven years. Complete debt relief! Now that sounds crazy! This goes totally against how our country and other countries play the money game. Doesn’t it?

In today’s world, our government, banks, and people make loans for people. It usually involves collateral and interest is charged on these loans. We, as the borrower, work our jobs, make our payments to repay the loans with hopes of getting the loan paid off. As long as we are able to make our payments, they make their money from the interest. If something should happen to where we can’t make our payments, they can take the collateral, now called an asset. In turn, they can sell it and make even more money. I believe the reason we have long term loans is so that it increases the chances of us not being able to pay the loan back and they get richer. This is the money game and we have been playing it for years.

Another twist in this exciting game that‘s happening today, is the lure of us wanting more stuff and living beyond our means. Thus, creating more debt on ourselves. Eventually we are flooded with so much debt that we can’t make the payments. Everything we were paying on becomes the property of these financial institutions. Since everybody is now broke and unable to buy anything, these institutions are forced to hold onto these assets that they can no longer sell. Now they are forced to close their business because they are not generating an income or they can no longer loan money because they have too many assets accumulated from bad debts. Does this sound familiar? It should. This is the world we live in today. Welcome to our economic recession.

God loves us and our nation and wants us to be a nation under Him. We should be living for Him as a country. Remember this old saying: “One nation under God…”? What has happened? He will bless our country if we will return to Him. It may be time to look at the Ten Commandments again.

Let’s talk about God’s Seven Year Plan and the solution to our World Economic Recession:

God and Money
First and foremost, God has to be number one in our life, in our country, and in the world. Everyone should surrender to Him and follow Him. We should remove money as our top priority and put God on top where He belongs.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.- Matthew 6:24

Where Blessings Come From
I know this will be a pride buster for some, but blessings come from God. He is in the blessing business as long as we follow what He commands of us. Here again, this is a worldwide message to everybody. Put God first before anything else, including money, and watch for the blessings.

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. – Deuteronomy 11:26-28

A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. – Proverbs 28:20

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: – Genesis 12:2

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; – 1 Timothy 6:17

The Seven Year Plan: How It Works
I know this plan will sound a little far-fetched and it may seem that the creditor gets shafted in the end, but if we apply these Biblical principles, I think the plan just might work. I mean, it was God’s idea in the beginning and He doesn’t make mistakes. Right? Let’s look at it:

For the creditor:

Old Method: According to our present worldly methods of gaining wealth, we loan money to others and receive a profit from the interest they pay back. We reap the benefits of their loss, if they can’t repay the loan, by taking their collateral. It becomes our property for us to resale. It’s an awesome business as long as we can find another buyer, right?

The New Plan:
1) God has blessed you financially. It belongs to Him, but you have the responsibility of being a good steward with it.

The earth [is] the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. – Psalm 24:1

2) Give freely. I know this will be hard to do for some people, but the Lord commands it and offers a blessing for doing so.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. – Matthew 5:42

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it. – Deuteronomy 23:19-20

Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. – Deuteronomy 15:10-11

3) On the seventh year, cancel the debt owed to you. It may sound like a losing situation, but keep in mind, your profit doesn’t come from the person borrowing the money. It comes from receiving God’s blessings. Have you heard the saying, “You can’t out give God!”? That rule would apply here and it’s backed by scriptures throughout the Bible.

For the borrower:

Old Method: For most of us, we try to live beyond our means. We want more than our money allows, so we borrow. This, in turn, makes us work more and harder than we really have to. We put ourselves in debts that we know we can’t afford to pay back. In the end, we lose everything we have worked for and put into paying the loan back. The creditors gets richer and we get broker. It’s a vicious cycle and we get nowhere. Know what I mean?

The New Plan:
1) Be content with what you currently have. Let go of the world and quit trying to keep up with the Jones’. Just be happy with where you are at. Keep God first in everything because He’s ultimately the one in charge anyway. If He wants us to have more, He’ll give it to us.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10

2) We should also be a good steward with what God has given us. This includes taking care of what we have and using our money wisely and not getting into unnecessary debt.

3) Work and pay your bills. We should be willing to get up, get a job, and support our family. Some people need to quit looking for a free hand-out. I apologize for sounding rude, but it’s true.

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. – 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

4) If you are wealthy, share your wealth with others. This is basic Christian principles. Jesus came here to serve others, and by His example, we should do the same. If God has given you an over abundance, it is for you to share with others.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; – 1 Timothy 6:17-18

5) If you are poor, ask for help from someone that has an over abundance. God never intended for anyone to be poor. It’s because of the way this world is run that makes us this way. To break this cycle is for the poor to get help from the rich until the solution is solved.

The Seven Year Plan: Putting It Into Action

1) All financial institutions will provide loans to anyone that asks with payment plans that extend no longer than 72 months (6 years). The loans will not be charged any interests for people living in the same country. The purpose is not to make money off of the borrower but to receive the blessings from God.

2) The borrower will be willing to work and pay their bills. They will not borrow unless they really have to for no more than 72 months. They will not live beyond their means financially.

3) With a plan like this in place, it should drive the prices down on goods and services. Thus, everything we buy should be cheaper and affordable. This includes homes, vehicles, food, etc.

4) For an average family of four, the only loans we should have would be for a moderately sized home that fits the size of our family and an appropriately sized vehicle that is practical. These loans should not extend 72 months.

5) Let’s do the math for our loan at no interest (keep in mind, because of this new plan, we should be getting more for our money). It is important that everyone pays their bills on time and that companies charge accordingly to their actual costs plus labor for their products:

Home – $100,000 / 72 months = $1400/month
Vehicle – $15,000 / 72 months = $200/month
Average family income – $48,000/year = $4000/month

Summing it all up: $4000 – $1600 = $2400 (this balance will be used for our other monthly expenses, savings, and giving to those in need)

I know these numbers will fluctuate depending on individual families. These numbers are to be a basic guideline for demonstration purposes only.

How Do We Fix What Has Been Broken?
First, it would involve putting God back into our country and in the world. The next step would be for all financial institutions to bite the bullet and cancel all debts and start over with this new plan. Our country has been accumulating a lot of debt over the years and it continues to grow. It will only get worse. It is better to just stop right now.

I believe the answer is in God’s Seven Year Plan, not the Chapter 7 bankruptcy plan. The answer won’t be found in ‘stimulus’ checks either. We, as a nation, should really look into this.

In Summary
I believe this Seven Year Plan would work for us as a nation. Over time, we wouldn’t need any government assistance and there wouldn’t be as many financial problems in the world today. The main point is putting God into our lives and applying the standards He has already given us. He had it figured out long time ago. Why did we choose to go our own way?

Our books are available in print and on Kindle. Visit our website to find out where to get them: www.ARGstuff.com. A Redneck’s Guide Series… the simple way to share God’s Word.

Kindle E-Books – A Paperless Generation

When we started publishing our guides last year, we made them available on Amazon in print only. A person could simply get on the Internet, type in the Amazon website, search for our books, buy them and a printed copy would be delivered to their home in a couple of weeks. We thought this was cool because this totally by-passed the traditional way of doing things.

 

The old way was to have your book placed in retail stores. Well, that is, as long as they wanted them in there. The sad thing is that there are so many books already in stores and the chance of getting noticed was slim. This would involve thousands in marketing dollars – advertisements, promotions, etc.

 

The times have definitely changed for self-published authors. Anyone can now publish their own book and put it out there right beside the big-named authors. A majority of the people that want to buy a book these days usually buy them from Amazon. This is sad for book stores with a building and monthly rent, but it’s a breakthrough for authors wanting the chance to get their books read by the general public. Another great thing about this is that, not only are your books available in the USA, they are also available all over the world. The door is wide open.

 

I have seen another improvement these past few years. It seems that many people aren’t buying printed copies of books anymore. It has now become paperless. How is this possible? Well, there’s a cool invention called the e-reader. We’ve heard of it and now many of us own one. Books are now downloaded onto these little hand-held gadgets and can hold several copies books. They’re convenient, easy to use and you don’t have to worry about carrying the weight of paper. Pretty cool, huh?

 

One of the major brands of e-readers these days is called the Kindle. It’s supported by Amazon and also has apps that can be used on just about any modern techno device out there such as i-Pads and smart phones for downloading books. For the self-published author, this is great news because it opens the door for more potential readers. Actually, because a lot people now own one, people that wouldn’t normally read a book are now finding it a great pass time activity.

 

We tested the waters last month (December 2012) by making our books available for Kindle to see if there would be an interest. Anyone in the world could download them. We were amazed at the results – 4000 downloads for the month of December! That’s pretty good for an unknown author. Our book, A Redneck’s Guide To Stayin’ Married was downloaded 1500 times in just 5 days in the USA alone. That’s pretty exciting!

 

Our suggestion for new authors wanting to get noticed out there in this big world is to make your book available for e-readers (such as Kindle). This is a new generation and it seems that ‘going paperless’ is the ‘new way’ of doing things.

 

A Redneck’s Guide Series

Available on Kindle

www.ARGstuff.com

Praying Is Not An Art – It’s From The Heart

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. – Matthew 6: 7
Praying is one of those things you do to keep that spiritual connection flowing with our Heavenly Father. It’s a vital part of our Christian walk with Jesus. To put it bluntly…it’s important. But, if you’re like me, you either neglect it or you’re not really sure how to do it properly. For some of us, we push praying off to the end of the day right before bedtime when we are really too tired. It shouldn’t be this way.

As a kid, I prayed. I was taught the famous ‘Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep’ prayer. I really didn’t understand what I was saying and thought it was a way getting protection while I slept. I knew at the end to list as many names as I could for God to bless. You know, bless Mama, bless Daddy, etc. As I got older, I quit praying like that. I realized it was just a meaningless poem.

Growing up in church, I have heard other people praying. Some of those folks had it going on. They could come up with some great poetic phrases and big words and their prayers would go on for several minutes as if they were reading them from a novel. Unfortunately, mine weren’t like that. This made me question my own way of praying.

Even though around the home I am a man with a lot to say, my prayers seem to be quite short. Normally I can ramble on about anything and everything even if the people around me doesn’t want to hear me. Just ask my wife. She will tell you how annoying I can be. But when it comes to praying, my words come out to the point and I keep it brief.

I have been asked to pray for family dinners when all of our redneck family members get together. It’s an honor and privilege to do this, but I feel I may let some of them down. I feel they expect some great poetic words to flow from my mouth, but what they get is, “Thank you Lord for this food and for all of Your blessings. Amen.” It takes a whole three seconds, but that’s what comes out.

I am not a perfect person and I am still learning in the area of praying. But, what I have learned is this:

1) It’s Spirit-led. This means, as Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us and speaks for us. When you pray, thoughts and words will begin to flow.

2) It should be done with all sincerity from the heart. Reciting prayer poems is NOT where it’s at. They’re meaningless.

3) It should be done with priority in your life. Place it on your ‘To Do’ list right up there with ‘breathing’.

4) Saying just a few words is OK. Actually it’s scriptural (Matthew 6: 7)

5) Pray alone – just you and God. Matthew 6: 6:

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

6) Pray as though you were speaking to a friend or family member – He is your Father in Heaven.

7) The way you pray shouldn’t be like the story Aladdin And The Lamp. You know, making three wishes and expecting God to jump to your every request. We have to pray according to His will for our lives and know that WE serve Him. He DOES NOT serve us. It’s also cool to let Him know what you need and even what you want in life. He hears you.

8) It should begin with recognizing how holy God is, being thankful for all that He has done for us, and asking forgiveness for all the junk we do on a daily basis.

9) It should be done daily. Have you ever went a day without speaking to your spouse, family member, or friend? You have to keep that connection alive and never lose touch.

10) It shouldn’t always be self-centered – ALL ABOUT YOU!! Pray for others. Lift them up in prayer. They need it. If you can’t think of other people to pray for, pray for me.

Just know that praying is not an art. It should always be done from the heart.

Check out our music, brand of clothing and our series of Christian books, A Redneck’s Guide, from our website: www.ARGstuff.com

The Heart Matters

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29: 11-13

This Great Recession going on in the world today has created, not only financial issues in families, but it has caused many emotional issues, too. As I look around; reading and listening to the news, and even noticing in my own life, it has gotten pretty depressing. It is a stressful situation.

It has taken its toll on many families. People are losing their jobs, their savings, their homes, and their future. I have noticed husbands and wives getting angry at each other with threats of divorce. I have been reading about people committing suicide over all of this stress. For what? What is the root cause? Is it money? I think it’s deeper than that.

This world has been chasing the love of material things for so many years. We have dedicated a lot of our time in trying to gain more ‘stuff’. It’s bad when we can’t just be happy with what we already have. We want more and we will do whatever it takes to get it. With this type of time and dedication, it becomes more of a ‘heart’ problem and this Great Recession is a great ‘heart attack‘.

No Heart

Our hearts are not where they are supposed to be. Our love and time should be given to the Lord. He should be our Number One. He gives us hope and a future, not material things. We need to seek Him first in our life. And when we do, everything else in our life will fall in place. It’s amazing how it all works.

Jesus has the answers. If you don’t know Him as your Lord and Savior, I would pray and ask Him to come into your life. Repent of the junk that you’ve done and start a new life with Him leading the way. Get a heart transplant!

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26

A Half Heart

Another important thing I have learned is that we can’t serve the Lord half-heartedly. As Christians, we can’t just serve the Lord on specially designated days that we decide. We need to go all out and serve Him every day in everything we do.

We can’t just be a Christian at church, we need be and act like Christians wherever we are. And we can’t do our Christian duties out of obligation, but out of our love for God that is whole heartedly sincere. He deserves more than that!

We also can’t serve and use the Lord just when we need something, and then when He answers our prayers, we begin living the old life again. That is so wrong in so many ways. Think about it. Give Him your all in all circumstances.

A Whole Heart

This is what we need right here – a heart that is completely sold out to Jesus. We should live our life as though we are thankful that He died for us. Are you thankful that you don’t have to die and go to Hell? Are you thankful that you have the gift of eternal life because Jesus died on the cross for your sins? Well, are you showing it? Your heart should reflect it.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. – Matthew 22:37

The world’s heart seeks money to receive material things to make their future prosperous and plentiful. But, like in this Great Recession, it falls apart and people get hurt in the end. It just doesn’t work. The Lord’s answer to prosperity and a future is simple. He says, “Seek Him with ALL OF OUR HEART”. Let’s try it!

The heart matters.

Visit our website: www.ARGstuff.com for more inspirational words, books, and cool stuff. A Redneck’s Guide… the simple way to share God’s Word.

 

A Redneck Theology Lesson: The Race

On the road of life, we are all very similar to the cars that you see on the road today. We must drive on it every day. We will have ‘good’ trips and we will have ‘bad’ trips. The most important thing is where you are going when you reach the end of your journey. If you are saved and have given your life to Jesus, you are guaranteed eternal life with Him in Heaven. If you are lost today, you won’t receive this gift of eternal life, but it’s not too late ‘to get your car fixed’.

On the Christian road of life, we are in a race and we are the cars or trucks. Our goal is to get to the finish line to receive our prize. First thing we need to do ‘as cars or trucks’, is figure out what kind of vehicle we are. This is determined by what we think of ourselves, our personality, strength, our looks, etc.

Task 1: Pick a car or truck that best describes you.

1. If you are full of pride, you will probably pick something better than what you really are.

2. If you have low self esteem, you will pick something ‘less’.

3. In God’s eyes, we are all the same.

4. To God, it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.

Note: Create a visual in your mind of what kind of vehicle you are (the color, make, model, etc.). Just think about it for moment.

Task 2: Let’s discuss the parts that make up your car or truck.

1. Your motor – This is your heart. As Christians, we must keep our hearts pure and clean. Impurities in our heart will make our motor run sluggish.

2. The transmission – This is the part of you that puts you into motion and it’s controlled by how you think. It’s your ‘drive’. Your transmission has about 5 different gears:
・ Park – This is when you sit. Your car has everything it needs to run, but you choose to sit. Turn the key on; put it in Drive, and go!
・ Reverse – This is when you go backwards. The finish line is ahead of you – not behind you! If you’re constantly going back to sin, you’ll have a hard time running the race! When you ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins, they are forgiven. Leave them alone and go forward.
・ Neutral – Your motor is running but you’re not going anywhere! It’s like going to church, hearing the Word, and not applying it to your life. Stop sitting! Get up and go!
・ Drive – The best gear to be in. You are going forward to finish the race. It won’t be easy and watch out for sinful temptations. Satan wants to steer you off course. There will be mountains and hills to overcome in the race. These are obstacles that the Lord gives us and they will make us stronger. That’s why we have…
・ Four Wheel Drive – You rednecks will understand this. This gear is for climbing mountains. Using this gear is when you apply the Word of God and you use your faith in Him to overcome obstacles. You can use it to get out of ditches and valleys you may get into.

3. Starter – The starter sends the ‘spark’ that starts your car. This is the Holy Spirit living within us. You receive the Holy Spirit when you become saved.

4. Alternator – Represents a person reading the Bible and going to church. It restores and builds energy into the battery.

5. Battery – This is the life source of the car. When a person becomes saved, Jesus gives them a new battery. He replaces your old one with a new one that never dies. This battery symbolizes your salvation (eternal life). Have you ever heard of a Die Hard battery? Your new one is called a Die Never battery. I made that up.

6. Radiator – Represents the ‘living water’ that Jesus gives. It keeps our heart running smoothly.

7. Oil – Represents the blood of Christ. It keeps our motor (heart) running. It’s the new life as Christians and it will never need changing!

8. Key – This is the power and control of your life and of you. In a car, it’s what makes it happen. It all starts with the key. For a Christian, our key is Jesus.

Task 3: Here are some additional parts that make up your car. These relate to your body’s senses:

1. Tires – These are your hands and feet. As you are running down the road, the devil will throw nails in your path. These nails represent temptation. You have two choices. Recognize that the temptation is there and steer around it or roll over it and flatten your tires. This becomes sin and you have to park your car. You will then have to pray for forgiveness and Jesus will fix your flat tire. Road side service!

2. Gas Tank – This is your mouth, ears, and nose. If you allow ‘bad’ gas to enter your car, it goes straight to your heart (motor) and it won’t run right. You’ll start backfiring out of your tail pipe and start running sluggish. If you allow ‘good’ gas to enter, just like high octane fuel, you’ll run a lot better and smoother.

3. Windshield and Glass Windows – These represent your eyes. If your windshield is dirty, you can’t see where you are going. You’ll end up in a ditch and wreck your car. Be careful of what you look at and keep your windshield clean.

Task 4: What is the objective? What’s the race all about?

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” – Hebrews 12:1

To put it simpler:

1) We are in a race – prepare for it!
・ As Christians, we are in a race. This race is our Christian walk and how we live our lives. In NASCAR, when they prepare for a race, they work hard to build endurance and strength into their car. We do this by praying, having Christian fellowship, and by going to church. This strengthens us as believers.
・ The NASCAR folks remove any excess weight that slows their car down. In a Christian life, we must remove anything that keeps us from living for Jesus; the friends we choose, the activities we’re involved in, and the junk we allow into our minds and bodies.

2) The goal is reaching the finish line and receiving the prize.
・ This is our heavenly reward. I Corinthians 9: 24 says, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

3) The prize is the crown of eternal life.
・ I Corinthians 9: 25 says, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

Note (summary): We are in a race to reach the finish line. When we reach the end, we will receive the crown of life that Jesus has promised us. But, be aware of the enemy.

4) The enemy
・ Our enemy is Satan. He is there on race day. He is there to make you stumble. He puts temptations in your way to cause you to sin. He doesn’t want you in the race at all! He throws the nails, oil slicks, clouds the windshield with dirt, and will give you ‘bad’ gas. If he can’t take you out of the race, he’ll try slowing you down or cause you to run off the road.
・ For the cars on the side line (the people that don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior), he clouds their eyes with sin and keeps them from entering the race. We, as Christians, need to be careful of how we run the race. We are being watched and we need to be ready and willing to ‘jump start’ the cars on the side line. Use what the Lord has given you to ‘jump start’ the lost folks around you and get them into the race.

5) The purpose, the plan, and the prize (Repeat)
・ The purpose – Drive straight on the path of life to the finish line and receive the prize.
・ The plan – Build your car for endurance and strength by focusing on Jesus, reading the Bible, and going to church. Start hanging out with Christian friends.
・ The prize – When your race is over, you will receive a crown of eternal life.

Task 5: Race Day – Are You In It?

If you are saved, your race has already begun. Keep your cars running strong so that you can endure the race.

1. Don’t allow your eyes (windshield) to become dirty with sin. The devil wants to steer you off the road and crash.

2. Don’t use bad gas! Use only ‘high octane’ that the Lord gives. Stay in church, read the Bible and stay away from junk.

3. Keep your tires checked! Where are your hands and feet going? Look out for the nails (the temptation) that the devil throws in front of you. Drive around it or your tires will become flat. Praise God for road side service! Your sins will be forgiven.

If you are lost and don’t know Jesus, you are basically a car on the side lines. You may be running, but you’re not in the race! You are constantly searching for parts to keep yourself going. Eventually your car will die and it will be sent to the crusher. Come to Jesus and receive a Die Never battery. Allow Jesus to work in your life and make you into the car He wants you to be.

Visit our website: www.argstuff.com for more inspirational words, books, and cool stuff. A Redneck’s Guide… the simple way to share God’s Word.

Having a ‘BEE’ Attitude

(The Beatitudes of Jesus – Matthew 5: 3 – 10)

Somewhere between the 1960’s and 1970’s, there was a famous boxer. His name was Mohammed Ali. He had a catchphrase that was popular and many people caught on to it. In interviews on TV, he would say, “I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee…” It’s kind of silly, but you older folks probably remember it. I was just a little baby during those years and for some reason it popped into my head. After I thought of it for awhile, a new topic sprung up…the bee.

The bee is one of God’s unique little creatures that deserve a little looking into. I believe God places creatures and animals here for us to learn from. We can study their behaviors and discover or rediscover how we are supposed to live.

When you look at a bee, you’ll notice they live in colonies (or families) and they work together to support their queen. This is very similar to how we, as Christians, should be by supporting our church. We should all work together and grow the colony, which is the church.

Have you ever heard the saying “busy as a bee”? If you’ve ever noticed a colony of bees, you’ll see that bees are constantly moving. They are not sitting still. They are either buzzing around getting nectar and pollen or they are feeding the queen and the younger bees. Part of our jobs as Christians should be helping the youth, the congregation, the pastor, and the church. Just keep moving!

One of the important roles of a bee is that they distribute pollen. Pollination is necessary for the reproduction of seed plants. To put it simpler, they help plants to grow. From a Christian standpoint, pollen is like the Word of God. If we share the Gospel with others, people will get saved and a new life will begin to grow.

Now that I have you thinking like a bee, let’s get ‘bee’ attitudes. If you have your Bibles, let’s read:

Matthew 5:3-10

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

As you have already guessed, we just read the Sermon on the Mount. The verses are known as The Beatitudes. I’m sure you’ve read them before, but let’s talk about them and learn how they relate to our Christian life.

Based on what I’ve studied, the Sermon on the Mount was the first sermon Jesus gave to his disciples and the people that gathered. It is only found in the book of Matthew. However, there is a similar sermon found in the 6^th chapter of Luke. It’s called the Sermon on the Plain.

To me, what makes this sermon so unique is that Jesus preaches on how a Christian should be. He could’ve spoken about sin and the consequences of sin. He could’ve spoken about Hell, fire and damnation, or on how bad the world is, but His first sermon and His first main concern was about His people.

It’s like He wanted to make sure His people were living right and had the right ‘attitude’ in their Christian walk.

Let’s take a look:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

His first point didn’t mean that in order to go to Heaven you had to be financially broke. It doesn’t mean that wealthy people can’t go to Heaven. When a Christian is poor in spirit, it means that they are to be humble. When a person is humble, they realize that all of their gifts and blessings come from God. When you’re poor in spirit, you will become completely empty and open to the Word of God. Being humble brings you inner peace and allows you to do the will of God. Being humble allows you to help others – no matter who they are.

The opposite of being humble is to be full of pride. Pride is a bad thing to have. Having pride makes you miserable. Pride is when you put yourself before others – it’s all about you. Jesus wasn’t like that. He always thought of others. Pride also brings anger and seeks revenge when you get offended.

The Lord can remove pride from your heart and make you humble. This can be a painful process, especially when He removes things from your life that causes the pride. This can be material things such as your house, car, money, etc.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The act of mourning is usually related to grieving when a loved one dies. The Lord can provide comfort during those times of loss. I believe this verse means more than that. If we are humble and we appreciate the fact that all of our gifts and blessings come from God, we will grow in love and gratitude for Jesus Christ our Savior. This will produce mourning and regret over our own sins and the sins of this world. We will know that we have hurt the One who has been so good to us – and that’s Jesus Christ.

Mourning in this verse would be a blessing because mourning over sin creates in us a desire to improve ourselves and to do what is right! It will also make us think of others that are lost and the need of Jesus in their life. It will make us reach out to them.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The word meek means to be gentle and kind. This relates to how we treat others. This word is similar to being humble and deals with our relationship with people and how we serve our Lord. We shouldn’t be angry, but instead we should be happy and always try to build up one another by encouraging each other and showing love. We should also be obedient to the Lord. If you have a calling in your life, you should do it without hesitation. One of the ways we are blessed by being meek is from the peace that we will have by doing so.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

As Christians, we should hunger and thirst for righteousness. Being righteous to me means living a life that is pleasing to God. We should live our life by The Book, the Word of God. Our desire should be to live like Jesus and to be like Him. In every situation of life, we should ask, “What would Jesus do?”

We should go to church, read our Bibles, pray daily, and commit ourselves to living the life that Jesus intended for us to live. We all know that we aren’t perfect, but we should desire to be perfect, just like Jesus.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

To be merciful means we should show mercy. Mercy to our neighbors, people we don’t know, our family members, our church family, our friends, and even our enemies. We should show love, compassion, and forgiveness towards everyone because it will bring peace into our relationships.

In the Lord’s Prayer we say:

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

As we are merciful to others, so our Heavenly Father will be merciful with us!

Here are some ways to be merciful to your neighbor:

1) Help The Needy

If you know someone that’s hungry, thirsty, and homeless, we should help.

2) Visit The Sick

If you know people that are sick, especially people you are close to or even people that haven’t been in church for a while. Call them up or give them a visit. Find out how they are doing and see how you can help.

3) Be A Witness

If you know people that are lost, give them direction. I mean this in a spiritual sense. People need to know about Jesus. Invite them to church and tell them about our Lord and Savior.

If you know of Christian people that aren’t living right, help them find their way back. Talk to them and be a spiritual adviser.

4) Forgive People

Don’t go around holding grudges against people. Forgive them because God says so in the Bible. It tells me that if I don’t show forgiveness, He won’t forgive me of my sins.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

To be pure of heart means to be free of all selfish intentions and self-seeking desires. Has anyone ever done something for someone without expecting anything in return? This is an act of pure love. That’s what this verse is talking about. This is how we should be.

When you use the gifts the Lord has given you for others, don’t use them to make yourself look good or to get appreciation. Use them as though you were using them for the Lord. That’s being pure in heart.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Peacemakers not only live peaceful lives, but they also try to bring peace to others. You cannot give peace until you have peace within yourself.

The devil tries so hard to ‘break the peace’. He causes turmoil in the family, the church, and in the country. He fills our life with so much ‘junk’ and things we don’t need that we are overwhelmed and can’t seem to rest. The Lord wants us to have peace and He wants us to live a simple life. The world wants us to ‘get more stuff’ that never really satisfies us. The only thing we really need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s true peace. When we are finally at peace within ourselves, we will be able to share this peace with others.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus said many times that those who follow Him will be persecuted.

John 15:20 – 21 says, “If they persecute me, they will persecute you.”

The disciples (Stephen, Peter and Paul), nearly all of the Apostles, and many Christians in the Roman era suffered for Christ’s sake. We may not suffer as greatly as they did, but we are or have been persecuted to some degree.

Christian teenagers may have it bad, too. There are a lot of pressures that kids face these days and they have to make a choice. Do I follow the Lord or give in to the pressure? Many times they will be made fun of or they will be ‘pushed out the pack’ for following the will of the Lord. To me, that’s a form of persecution. But the Lord promised those that suffer for his sake will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven! And that’s good enough for me.

If you’re a Christian, and have not been living your life based on Matthew 5: 3 – 10, you just received an attitude adjustment: a bee attitude. Follow the principles that Jesus gave us in His Sermon on the Mount and apply it to your life. If you follow them, you will be blessed. With our new attitude, we should be ‘busy as bees’ because there’s a lot of work to do. We should be reaching out to others, spreading the Gospel, and growing the church just like bees growing their colonies.

And one more thing ……….’bee’ blessed!

Visit our website: www.argstuff.com for more inspirational words, books, and cool stuff. A Redneck’s Guide… the simple way to share God’s Word.

A Living Sacrifice?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12: 1

In the Old Testament, you read of people making sacrifices to God. It was a requirement according to the Old Covenant for the forgiveness of people’s sins and was a way for them to show their gratitude and reverence to God. Basically, a person would bring their approved animal and sacrifice it to Him and be forgiven. I think over time it became just a thing for them to do and wasn’t done with complete sincerity from their heart. I am thankful today that we no longer have to make animal sacrifices like they did in the old days. How about you? When God sent His Son to die for us, it covered it all. Amen?

When you read the verse above from the book of Romans, it tells us to present ourselves (our bodies) as a living sacrifice to God; to be holy and acceptable. The purpose is not to obtain forgiveness of our sins, because Jesus took care of that already, but as an act of reasonable service as a way of worship and reverence to Him. How do we do that? We may be able to learn a little something from our ancestors.

Give Him Your Best
The old guys from long ago had to offer their best animals to sacrifice. No blemishes. No diseased. No cripples. They had to select their best from the best to offer to God.

We should be willing to do the same. Any time we step up to do anything for God, we should offer our best. We shouldn’t do it as if it were a burden, but we should do it from the heart. We should want to please God because of who He is and do it because we love Him.

Those talents you’ve been holding onto were given to you by God for His glory, so why aren’t you using them? Why do you pass up opportunities to be used by God by sitting still? And if you are in a ministry, why has it become a burden to you to the point that you dread doing it? I believe we have lost the real focus.

God wants our best and wants us to use what we have to glorify Him.

Live According To His Word

When the ancients made their sacrifices, they did it by the book. They followed the steps and guidelines required to make their sacrifice acceptable to God.

We have guidelines to go by, too. The Bible gives us ways to improve our lives and to help us become more righteous in God’s eyes. Yes, it can be a struggle at times. God knows we aren’t perfect, but He at least wants us to try. He has given us His Word as a tool to use in achieving His purpose in our life. Why aren’t we using it?

I think people see the Bible as a rule book to make our lives miserable. They look at the Bible as some kind of boring outdated history book that gets used to make some cool Christmas and Easter movies. But, if we could just move past that wrong way of thinking, we would see how much He loves us by giving us the help we need that can only be found in His Word. The key here is using it and living by it.

Leave It At The Altar
After their sacrifices were made, the ancients left it at the alter to be consumed by fire.

People today have a lot of pride. Some more than others. Even though we take the steps of sacrificing ourselves to God, we tend to put a little self into it. Yes, we may be doing the ‘Jesus’ thing, but we expect the ‘pat on the back’ when we are done. And if no one is there to see us do it or doesn’t respond the way we expect them to, we get discouraged and eventually stop doing what we are supposed to do. Our motive would be created by selfish ambition.

As in the days of old, making a sacrifice at the altar required leaving it there. We are not supposed to look back and check on it. That thing we do for God should totally be for Him. When and if He is pleased with it, He’ll consume it with fire and the lives around the flame just might get a little warmth. Know what I’m saying?

As simple as it all may sound, I believe that is what God expects from us. He wants us to be a living sacrifice with a ‘souled out’ heart for Him; to use our bodies to glorify Him in everything we do and say and to use what He has already given us to do it.

Meet you at the altar? Let’s go.

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Nobody Wants To Be A Prune

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about [his] naked [body]; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. – Mark 14: 51, 52

I read this last night and it hit me as very strange. It’s from the scriptures from the Book of Mark that tells about Jesus being betrayed by Judas and His arrest in Gethsemane. We all know it, right? The same scene and details are also recorded in Matthew, Luke, and John. The difference in Mark’s version is this quick two-verse information about this young man being captured and how he escapes. The young joker worms his way out of his clothes and takes off running. Naked! Isn’t that weird? I’ll admit. I laughed when I read this part.

The question I have is, “Why was this even in there? Why is this even important to know?” It doesn’t seem to have any spiritual significance and it’s the only time it’s even mentioned. So, what’s up with that? It reminded me of an old song from the 70’s called The Streak by Ray Stevens. And then it hit me. It made me laugh.

According to Science, we have roughly eight primary emotions. Some studies show more than eight, but I like keeping it simple. Here‘s what I found:

Joy > Sadness
Trust > Disgust
Fear > Anger
Surprise > Anticipation

The ones on the left are positive emotions with it’s opposite emotion on the right. Laughing would fall under the ‘joy’ category. God gave us these emotions and would like for us to use them in a positive way. Keep in mind, ‘Fear > Anger’ is one of those tricky emotions and can be used in a healthy positive way when it comes to reverence to God and hating sin.

I believe ‘joy’ is a very important emotion that God wants us to use every day. It mentions in the Bible that there should be joy in our salvation. Basically, we should be happy; laughing, smiling, and having a good ol’ time. I also believe that God puts verses in the Bible to give us a quick laugh. That sounds odd, doesn’t it? But, I believe He does. Many of us are afraid to laugh sometimes because of fear of mocking God’s Word. We may think we have to be serious all the time. But I have learned that laughing in church is OK. Preachers telling jokes during sermons is actually cool. I believe God is all about that. I understand there is a time to be serious, but it doesn’t have to be serious all the time. We need to lighten up a little. If we’re not laughing, we begin looking like dried up prunes. From what I’ve learned from eating prunes is that it works your bowels and keeps you ‘sitting‘. That’s a bathroom joke in case you didn’t know. Since we are to be a light in the world, what would God want them to see in us?

I found some more verses from the Bible that sparked a smile. Check this out:

[As] a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, [so is] a fair woman which is without discretion. – Proverbs 11: 22

Imagine that! Try comparing your wife to a pig with a nose ring. You might get slapped or body-slammed. Or how about this one?:

And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as [a man] wipeth a dish, wiping [it], and turning [it] upside down. – 2 Kings 21: 13

A man washing dishes? Some ladies might get a kick out of reading this, especially knowing that their husband has never offered to wash dishes before. Listen to this one:

Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. – Zechariah 5: 1

Flying biscuits? Couldn’t God have picked something else to be flying around? Why a biscuit? Now that’s funny!
What could be learned from all of this? It could be the simple fact that it’s OK to laugh and have a good time in the Lord. He’s cool with that! If people were to see us laugh sometimes, maybe someone would want that joy in their life, too. Laughter is good medicine – spiritually, too. Maybe we should practice it and look for the humor that God shares with us.

Nobody wants to be a prune. Right?

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Raisin’ Kids – Straight Off The Vine

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22: 6

Being a parent has been a tough job for me, but it has also been very rewarding. I love my kids, no doubt! I consider them to be blessings to me straight from God above, even though sometimes they get on my nerves. I also give them credit for most of my hair loss through the years. They have done some stupid stuff that left me thinking, “Where did they learn this junk from?” But, on a positive note, they have done some great things that has made me very proud of them and of my role as their Dad.

Parenting is one of those things you just jump into and learn through trial and error. You will make some mistakes, but you will also create some positive results. You could read all the self-help parenting books in the world, but you will soon realize that these kids that you helped give birth to have minds of their own. You just never know the results of your parenting until after they are all grown up and on their own. Right?

As a Christian parent, you want to teach them Biblical values. I mean, you make it a point to take them to church, pray with them, and share with them some knowledge from God’s Word on various topics that relate to their life. I can only assume that I did the right thing because my kids are saved because they prayed for forgiveness of their sins and asked Jesus to come into their life. That’s good! But, I have realized that just because they are Christians, they may not necessarily act like it sometimes. Am I to blame? Not hardly!

Here’s the deal. As teenagers, they are old enough to make their own decisions in life. Even though I share Biblical knowledge with them, it doesn’t mean they will apply it. And even though I try to lead them by being an example of Jesus in my walk, it doesn’t mean that they will take the same route. They have a choice. Now, as long as they are living in my house, they will follow my rules that God has given us as a family and I will enforce it with discipline. But, how they act beyond that is really up to them. I would only hope that they would make wise decisions.

I guess that’s the problem we have as parents living for the Lord. Yes, we can train them in the way they should go, but the choice is left up to the young adult to stay in it. The verse from Proverbs above mentions that ‘when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ Why old? Maybe God knows that kids will make bad choices and take the wrong roads in life. They may have a straight path of living right before them, but maybe God knows that some will take the rough road and go around it.

I am thankful that God assures us that they will one day get back on track and it may be when they get older. There will come a time when our rebellious kids will realize that they got off the path that we, as parents, shared with them many years ago. One day they will wake up and remember what we taught them and begin following Jesus again.
Now that I look back on my own personal life, I can see that this is true. I wasn’t always a Jesus Freak like I am today, even though I knew better. I just decided to take the longer route to get there. I am just thankful for God’s protection on me while I was detached from the Vine.

This is a hope message for you Christian parents out there. Yes, it may look like your kids are doing totally the opposite of how you raised them. Just know that God has His eyes on them. Continue to pray for them and leave the rest to Him. They will get back on the right path eventually.

God’s Word tells us so.

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