Pam Padgett, put her car up for sale. Her friend was interested in buying Pam's car. The friend borrowed the car and took it to her mechanic to examine the car. That seemed so strange to me for she knows Pam well and should know Pam would conceal nothing from her concerning the car. Further she knew Pam took good care of the car through the years and the car was priced at a low price for the quality of the car, $6,500. A new car of the same model and equipment would cost $55,000.
The people who bought my house in Texas wanted a sure thing so they hired a man to inspect the house. They seemed to need a guarantee from another human. The inspector found a few very minor things wrong at the house. (He was being paid to find things wrong, so of course he had to find things wrong to justify the amount he was being paid by the buyers.) The buyers could have fixed these things themselves but they wanted me to fix them.
So I just added $7,000 to the price of the house to allow me to fix these things. I didn't know how much it would cost, so I had to guess at the cost, and I raised the price of the house to cover the cost.
It ended up costing less than $3,000 to fix the items. The buyers could have saved $4,000 by just fixing these things themselves.
Being wise in your own eyes can cost you money. But this is the way people of this world live.
Also the people who bought my house wanted a "warranty" which cost $600. I added this to the cost of the house and these people ended up paying for that warranty themselves.
Recently I had some sound materials added to a car. They tried to charge me $700 for insurance on the speakers. I told them I did not want that insurance. The way I live is this: If I can afford to replace the item. I don't buy insurance. If I cannot afford to replace the item, then I will consider insurance, such as on a house or medical supplement. I had difficulty in getting the store manager to remove the insurance from the cost of the project. But I insisted and he removed the insurance.
We had exactly the same problem when we purchased the car. They wanted to add an extended warranty. We insisted that they remove this. They really fought us. But we did get it removed. The dealer must make a great deal by getting people to buy these "warranties".
Pam's neighbor, Jim, a retired Marine, bought warranty on his house but he could never get them to fix anything. When it broke, they just said, "The warranty does not cover that."
I manage to have money left over after purchasing something and I keep that money in my savings and pay for the item, if something goes wrong. I find it is less expensive for me to do it that way.
But I find the people of this world usually want this world to protect them. And often it ends up costing them more than it would have cost if they had just saved money to replace that item after the lifetime of the item.
Also when something goes wrong, the company issuing the "insurance" sometimes files bankruptcy if there are too many claims and they don't cover the warranty anyway.
It is better to trust in God than to put your trust in humans.
I like to be sure God is showing me to make "that" purchase. That is my peace. But this world has no peace in God. Their peace is in their plans. It is a very hard way of life.
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Proverbs 3
6 In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
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Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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II Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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Does God approve the purchase you are considering?
To me, this is the starting point. I ask God this question, "Should I buy this? or should I do this?
Examples:
* Fireplace: changing from gas to wood burning
* Defective TV: what God showed me to do
Examples:
* Fireplace: changing from gas to wood burning
* Defective TV: what God showed me to do
James 3
James 3
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
If we are trying to impress someone, we are already in trouble. My cleaning woman once came to me and said, "Don't you ever feel you have to keep up with the Joneses." I was shocked, and replied, "NO".
II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
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I do not buy anything unless I have the cash to pay in full for the item, and have cash left over after purchasing that item.
God told me this in 1975, when I was born again: "Get out of debt ... and stay out of debt."
I did that by 1976 and have never been in debt again since that time, not even for a house.
I believe this is the better way to live.
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II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
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God showed me incredible things to do which allowed me to accumulate money whereby I could afford to pay for things I never even thought of buying.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto HIM that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
The power that "worketh" in us is the Holy Spirit who brings ideas to our minds.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto HIM that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
The power that "worketh" in us is the Holy Spirit who brings ideas to our minds.
* Houses
* Sound equipment for car
* Home theater equipment
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Ephesians 1:12-14 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise,Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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John 14:26 But the Comforter, which
is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come.
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Psalm 23The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Ephesians 3
The power of God that works in us is the Holy Spirit. As we follow the Holy Spirit, one step at a time, everything falls in line for us in ways that later amaze us.
The people of this world strive and plan to get things of this world. We just follow God by HIS Spirit and things appear around us in our lives. It is amazing.
One scripture at a time ...
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