Summary: This is a strong message on becoming debt free. I credit John Avanzini and Mike Murdock for this material. This word has blessed my congregation.

Debt Free Living

 I am in a teaching mode today. - take notes.

 I will be moving fast through this.

 This message will change your future.

 Much of this material is from John Avanzini and Mike Murdock, who are excellent teachers on finance.

6 STEPS TO DEBT FREE LIVING

1) You have to know our God is a debt-canceling God

 It is not enough to know that He can cancel debt.

 If God has demonstrated something, He’ll do it again. (Heb 13:3 …the same yesterday, today and forever.)

 If God has done for someone else, He’ll do for you. (Acts 10:34 God shows no partiality…)

 2 King 4:1-7 (The widow and Elisha)

 Why do we turn to God for help in every area of our lives except when it comes to finances, and then we turn to the world?

 The world does not want you out of debt, it wants you in debt.

 She knew she needed supernatural help.

 My God is a debt-canceling God!

 The Mosaic Law granted debt cancellation for 1650 years. Established in Duet 15

 Every seven years was a year of release. (every debt was cancelled.) No thirty-year mortgages!

 In 1650 years of Mosaic Law that was 247 times that God cancelled His people’s debt.

 And every 7-year cycle of 7 years they had a “out-of-debt” party to celebrate.

 Literally, millions of debts were cancelled by God.

 My God is a debt-canceling God!

 Neh 5:1-5

 There was famine in the Land and there were high taxes to be paid to the king of Persia.

 People were mortgaging their houses and borrowing money from to pay these for food and for taxes.

 Nehemiah becomes angry about the debt.

 Nehemiah gets the people mad about the debt

 We must get angry about debt.

 They spoke to the debt and in one day (vs. 11) all the debt of the nation was cancelled in one day.

 My God is a debt canceling God!

 Matt 17:24 – Jesus had a debt (a tax debt)

 When the tax collectors came to collect, Jesus didn’t have Peter get the money from Judas.

 He sent him to the sea to go fishing.

 Jesus knew that there were going to be some of His people in 1999 that needed to know that our God is a supernatural-debt-canceling God!

 Philemon – Paul meets a slave named Onesimus.

 Onesimus is a runaway slave who was owned by a man named Philemon.

 Paul meets Onesimus while in chains and wins him to the Lord.

 Paul sends him home with a little postcard we know as the book of Philemon.

 To Onesimus it was a letter of debt-cancellation.

 Paul tells Philemon, if Onesimus owes you anything put it on my account (vs, 17)

 My God is a debt-canceling God!

 The Word says, “The truth will ….”, what?”

 The truth will not set you free, knowing the truth shall set you free.

 You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32

2) You must know that it is God’s will for you to be debt free.

 Just because everybody is doing it doesn’t mean God is in favor of it.

 Bowing to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue – Dan 3

 Worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness. – Exo 32

 Duet 28 – It is clearly identified as God’s will for us.

 First 14 chapters talk about those who walk in the will of God. – They will lend and not borrow. (vs. 12)

 Verses 15 – 68 talks about those who do not walk in the will of God. – will borrow and not lend (vs. 44)

 When I first got saved the Holy Spirit immediately convicted me about cussing.

 When you know it is God’s will for you to do something, there is a supernatural-energy that will enable you to do what God wants you to do.

3) You must speak as if you are getting out of debt.

 You have to get it in your heart that you are going to get out of debt.

 Matt 15:18 “The things that proceed out of the mouth comes from the heart.”

 Start declaring debt cancellation out of your mouth.

 Job 22:28 “You shall declare a thing and it will be established.”

 Lay your hands on your house and declare I will not take 30 years to pay off this house.

 Lay your hands on your car and declare this is the last car I will buy with a loan.

 Start talking about each debt and when it will be paid off.

 Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ’Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.”

 Put some notes on your refrigerator that will remind you that you are becoming debt free.

4) Work at getting out of debt.

 Faith without works is dead – Jas 2:26

 Habit breaking

 Folks need some plastic surgery (cut those cards!)

 They are a convenience if you pay them off each month but they are a concern when you don’t.

 Get away from layaway plans.

5) Cut the root of debt

 Nothing can attach to you in the natural realm unless it has a root in the spirit realm.

 God sees the church as a body not just as individuals.

 Josh 7 – The sin of Achan was held against the whole nation, they couldn’t get victory.

 God looks at His people as a family, a body.

 Mal 3:9 “You have robbed me, even this whole nation.”

 There is a corporate body.

 If you had cancer on your foot, then you have cancer.

 As a body grows people come in with all kinds of baggage and unless it is dealt with the rest of the body is affected.

 John Avanzinni says, “The biggest scandal in the body of Christ is not what they show on 60 Minutes but that only 18% of Christians tithe.”

 Mal 3 is not a lesson on tithing but rather one of the greatest releases of blessing for God’s people.

 Yet God’s people refuse to embrace it so only 18% lay hold of it and 82% of that blessing is withheld from the church.

 We can jump, shout, etc. but there will not be an open Heaven until people begin to walk in the full measure of the tithe.

 Don’t look for supernatural-debt cancellation unless the root of debt is cut.

 Lev 27:30-31 – There is claim, by God, laid on the tithe. Pure, strong claim.

 If you even touch it, He charges 20%

 If you read Lev 27 – Mal 3:10 – No where will you find that God releases anybody from the tithe or back-tithe.

 Mal 3 is written for the end-time church.

 You need an Open-Heaven operating in your life.

6) Create an out of debt flow in the spirit realm

 Eph 6:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

 If you want to be out of debt and be out of debt fast, find someone else who is really trying to get out of debt and help them. – Do it monthly!

 Not just a friend or relative who is not on an out-of-debt program they’re with everybody else on the stay-in-debt program.

 I don’t care if they make more or less than you.

 God, himself, will start doing the same for you.

Does this really work?

 It works if you believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

 It works if you believe that all of God’s promises are yes and amen.

 It works if you have faith the size of a mustard seed.

 It works if you believe the word of God is true and relevant to your life today.