Thursday, June 12, 2008

Pride will hold you back!!!

A quick blurb on Pride...
IF YOU WANT TO GET CLOSE TO GOD.. IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ABIDE IN HIS SPIRIT AND HAVE HIS SPIRIT ABIDE IN YOU.. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP YOU FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS TO PROVE YOUR LOVE FOR HIM (JOHN 14), IF YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE EVERYTHING GOD HAS PURPOSED IN YOUR LIFE, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING (PHIL 4:7).... THEN HUMBLE YOURSELF TO GOD AND SEEK HIM OUT... IT SEEMS TRIVIAL AND SIMPLE BUT GOD SAYS... JAMES 4:3-10... "... GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD, BUT GIVETH GRACE UNTO THE HUMBLE.. SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW NIGH TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU. CLEANSE... PURIFY... 10: HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP." UNDERSTAND THAT PRIDE IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF EVERYTHING EVIL... I JOHN 2: 15-16 ( FOR ALL THAT IS IN THIS WORLD- THE LUST OF THE FLESH AND EYES, BUT IT IS THE PRIDE OF LIFE THAT PUTS THEM BOTH INTO ACTION!!) PRIDE IS WHAT MAKES US NOT FOLLOW GOD BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO DO OUR WILL INSTEAD OF HIS... PRIDE ALLOWS US TO SEEK OUT OUR LUST (OF THE FLESH AND EYES). PRIDE IS THE ANTI-LOVE; FOR EVERYTHING THAT LOVE IS IN I CORIN 13 PRIDE IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE... THINK OF WHY LUCIFER BECAME THE DEVIL AND WAS KICKED OUT OF HEAVEN... it was Pride.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

The Wealth Conversation...

The Wealth Conversation!
THIS SECTION IS ON HOW TO BECOME WEALTHY....
created March 2006...

I want to offer some encouragement/perspective on being wealthy!!!!!!! It is one of my passions to spread financial wisdom.

WEALTH...Do you want it? Is it for you... if so read on...... men/women... its yours just increase your knowledge...*** We all need to grow in our financial education at all ages. I am committed to that goal and you will understand why after you read this page... knowledge is priceless! But only if you use it!!!

The mentality of being wealthy!
- acquire assets not liabilities (asset = anything that will generate income for you. example: rental property, businesses, stocks/bonds/mutual funds; etc. liabilities = anything that doesn?t generate income for you and loses value the minute you purchase it; examples: cars, cloths, jewelry, etc We really need to get hold of this difference because we are quick to purchase some cloths, cars, etc. but those "things" are not building wealth.. yes we should treat ourselves sometimes but we should first have a plan to acquire assets!!.. Let me ask you this.... Do you want to work for the rest of your life? Do you want to be free to do whatever you want or better yet.. Do you want to leave a legacy for your kids?... more on this later

How can you define wealth?
Many may think it is defined as the "things" that we can afford to purchase or how much money we have in the bank, but I would like to submit to you this definition.... Wealth is defined in terms of how many days I can live the life I want to live without having to "work" for that money. Ok.. really its not a riddle.. lol. What I?m saying is this: how many days in the future can you survive off the money you have generated or currently generating without having to get up and go to work again?????

How UNwealthy most of us are today.
There are three categories you can fit into: Safe/secure; comfortable; Rich/Wealthy. Now to be considered to be safe&secure one qualification is to have six.. thats right 6 months of cash saved up (preferably in a Money Market Account so u can get a lil interest and still have access to it).. but saved up as an emergency fund to cover all your expenses should something happen to you like, lose your job, get injured, etc. Here is the irony of this situation..... Safe and Secure is really the beginning/bottom of the "true" middle class lifestyle!!!!! So I ask you this.... How many people do you know that are anywhere close to being rich/wealthy?????? They may 'front' with some things?.. but really..?? See, we confuse the ability to "make" money with wealth, but in reality if you pay attention to demographics, you would know that even most of the people that "make" over a $100,000 a year are flat out broke!!!!! Living pay check to pay check!!!!! That's broke in my book!!! Buying liabilities first is middle class and poor thinking.

How to become wealthy and pay for liabilities:
What we should do is purchase an asset that will pay for our liabilities!! Now that's wealthy thinking. example... u saved up or someone died a left you $15,000. U really want to buy a new car. Car cost $30,000 with down pay of $2000 lets just say payments of $600. Instead of going and buying that car why don't u purchase a 4-unit rental that cost $100,000 down pay of 10% = $10,000 with rents of $600 each = $2,400 income a month. with loan payment of $650 plus insurance and taxes = $900 a month and add $100month for maintenance fee = $1000 a month total cost. Stay with me.... so after you purchase the rental unit you now have an asset worth $100,000 and income every month of $2,400 - $1,000 building expenses. Therefore, you have $1,400 left over of income. Now go get your car you wanted for $600 a month. You still had $5,000 left over from the initial amount of money. Put your down payment of $2,000 and your rental property income can pay for it. When its all said and done.. your rental income pays for the building ($1,000), pays for your car ($600), AND STILL provides $800 in income to your pockets!!!!! NOW that?s how u think like a rich/wealthy person!!!!! The rich buy assets that will pay for their liabilities!!!!!!!!! Just think about it.......

Different forms of income:
Earned, Passive, Portfolio. Now if you really going to play the "wealth game" right, you have to understand how the money should come in!!!... if you have earned income meaning you exchange your time/talents for money, you are only working for half your money. The gov..t is taking out their money before you ever see the check and on top of that the more you "earn" the more they take. We all know this game... just look at your pay stub every month- you lose 35%-50% of your money before it ever hits your pockets. If you really want to be rich you must have Portfolio and Passive income. Portfolio income is income from investments such as stocks/bonds/mutual funds,etc. At least this form of income is only taxed at about 20%. But you really need to be educated in this before you blindly go out and lose everything you have in the market.

Now the BEST INCOME is Passive... for several reasons.
Passive income is from Real Estate and Businesses. This income is taxed at the lowest rate of around 15% and furthermore you have the ability to determine how you get taxed. In real estate your have 3 to 4 streams of "income"... 1. rental/lease payments 2. appreciation 3. depreciation 4. lowering your tax base (interest from loan is deductible, etc.) We can talk more about this later. Now about business ownership... the best of the best... real quick- one of the best money savings strategies is to "own" a business 1. it should provide income for you 2. there are numerous expenses that are business expenses.. and the key here is that a business pays for its expenses FIRST and then gets taxed on what is left. so here is the example... your earn $50K on your job. get taxed $15k upfront so then you pay for your "expenses" with what is left. so $35k-$20K expenses= $15K left over. Now look at...You get paid through your business and the business a good portion of your "expenses" are business expenses that you pay before taxes so $50K-$20K expenses = $30K left over then pay yourself and get taxed on $30k instead of $50K. See how that works????.... its easy math and logical!!! So the point is get passive income, build some sort of business and then invest in portofolio income, etc. .. but now that you know how to make it... you need to know how to spend it!!!! later on this.
PASSIVE INCOME GETS YOU OUT OF THE RAT RACE AND GIVES YOU FREEDOM!!! PASSIVE INCOME IS WHERE YOUR MONEY IS WORKING HARD FOR YOU, NOT YOU WORKING HARD FOR YOUR MONEY!!! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DIVERSIFY YOUR INCOME!! HAVE MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME!!!

There is a great game you should play. Its kind of like monopoly but a real life version that teaches you how to get out of the "rat race" of life and how to make decisions to become rich!!! There are groups across the nation that gather and play this game every week for free. - http://www.richdad.com/Club/CashflowClub.aspx
I believe Kiyosaki and his team have done a great job of making information understandable. I believe you should pick up free versions of his books/cd/etc at your library and go play the CashFlow 101 game as often as possible. It will change your perspective!

We have to switch our perspective on money and wealth.... we have to understand "the game" of wealth in America. Our problem is we are rarely exposed to the proper information. Its not a question of intelligence, it is a question of Financial I.Q. !!! In the interest of time, I have to stop for now... I will add more info later.
I encourage you to change your life and the lives of everyone around you FOREVER!!!!

IN summary.... we all can become wealthy!! You just have to change your mind/perspective and have the courage to go do what others won't do!! If you want what most won't have... you must do what most won't do.... and that is TAKE ACTION!!!
The biggest obstacle is FEAR and DOUBT!!! It does not matter what stage of life you are in, you can achieve your dreams if you overcome your fears! THink about this...fear in everyway is nothing but a thought!! Not even real... so why let a thought hold you back???? Why not replace it with another thought??? You must have a plan because a plan will give you direction and help

Next Dimension of Faith©™

I have attached a Study on the Next Dimension of Faith. It is my Duty to pass along the info God gives me. You are about to learn something very significant about me.... who I am, how I think, what's apart of my basic structure, and why I have the expectations, plans, and abilities that I have. Randomly I get these type of revelatory msgs/studies out of nowhere, and I'll end up spending hours just writing whatever comes to me.

***NOTE: this is a first draft, and has not been edited for grammer!! You have the opportunity to view it in its raw, as given form. Edits will be applied later.

The purpose in me sharing this with you is:
1. to encourage you in whatever plans you have or situations you may be going through
2. to let you understand where I'm at in my life and what God has done in me as well given me to give to others
3. To let you know that the Lord is finally releasing me to implement all the plans He has given me through the years, which accumulate in " Kingdom Wealth Creation©™ ".


Next Dimension of Faith (NDF)©™
Time is now and we must capitalize!! I’ve come to understand a little about Next Dimension of Faith – it's beyond having faith that you know/think you can do all things in which you can remain somewhat weak by waiting with a little doubt. In this 'place' you think about how you ‘can’, instead of moving, with prayer and supplication, boldly to the thrown of grace; knowing God will do what He said. This is not a question of being saved, it’s beyond that- you are saved!! Now what??? It’s a question of completing the Will of God in your life!!

First, how do you receive the Word of God? Who are you in Matthew 13 – The Parable of the Sower? Good Ground: you understand and therefore bear fruit and bring forth fruit; this is where NDF resides.

Surveying Matthew Chapters 13-17
I see why the Lord accomplished “works” for and in people according to their belief or doubt.

Matt 13:53-58 … He did NOT many mighty works because of their unbelief

Matt 14:28-31 Peter walked on water
When he believed he walked and when doubt came the “work” ceased. The only question from the Lord was -why did you doubt? – the answer was “little faith”.

Matt 15: 21-28- the Cananite woman
She whole heartedly believed, 23- even after being ignored, even after being given pressure to leave; 25- she worshipped Jesus and supplicated; 26- even after being rejected she still besought Him for her blessing; believing Jesus was the way; 28- Jesus- great is thy faith, be it unto you what you sought!!!!!!!! The lesson: Believe, stay focused, and don’t doubt or give up not matter what happens to you!!

Matt 17: 14-22 Healing the boy with a demon.
The disciples believed they could heal the boy or they wouldn’t have tried , but there was some doubt as to IF it would happen and therefore it didn’t!! Faith allows someone to approach a “mountain”; to consider if it can be removed. But NDF, meaning NO DOUBT, mixed with prayer and fasting; asking and seeking (prayer and supplication), God allows the “mountain” to be removed.

So what is “the message” / “the theme”??
Luke 10 – go beyond faith and accomplish your duty!!
Build relationship with God, understand God and yourself, believe, obey, and move without doubt.

Your Duty is to serve God and take of His body. The #1 and #2 commandments – Love God and to love thy neighbor.
Duty – what you speak from the heart; Matt 12:34-37 … for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. … for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Words establish what you truly believe in your heart, but must be real belief established within you, so that action is taken because Proverbs 14:23.

The Formula to accomplishing Your Duty on earth:
Relationship (Word, prayer, supplication); leads to Faith (belief in God); leads to Actions (move in His will); leads to Words (reaffirm from the heart what you believe and took action on); therefore to bring you to the Next Dimension Faith to accomplish your Duty!!!

NDF –move without Doubt:
A common theme in God’s people is that we move in faith but with doubt. He is limited by our doubt and disobedience.

The difference between the Old and New Testament’s faith and belief, is they didn’t have the Kingdom of Heaven within them. So, they had to believe on what they saw. Had to believe on things done for them – the power resided outside of them, typically in another man God brought to them (Moses, David, prophets, etc.) But now, since Jesus came and established God’s Kingdom on Earth, which is inside of you (His people); the power of God resides IN you.

It’s about Duty – Jesus came to fulfill His Duty – following the commandment of God to be the sacrifice John 14:31 ‘even as I do”, to serve the will of God is our Duty. Being saved is just the beginning. So, why are/were you saved? The answer is – To Serve God. He paid a dear price for you; your service to the King is required!!

That’s why we have to obey to fall within the “rules”. Why we can’t do any and everything. Come and remove yourself from all those things you know hold you back. God beyond faith and live without doubt. Put the weight (yoke) on Jesus. God gave you a purpose for being here – something to accomplish for the Kingdom within you, and for the body of Christ!!! This is why you never are at peace; you may have blessings, but still not at peace. You know something is calling on you to do more!!!

Faith allows you to hold on to what He told you, if your heart is right with God and you have relationship already. But, NDF allows you to accomplish your Duty – your service, because God can move for you.

This is not about prosperity. All that comes with doing your Duty/Service. If you’ve left all for Him, you get 30,60,100 fold. Luke 18: 28-30 If you leave it all for Him and focus on your Duty as the disciples did, you are promised to receive manifold (30-60-100 times) more in THIS PRESENT TIME and in the WORLD TO COME life everlasting.


You must produce the fruit God gave you!!
John 15:5 – abide in him and you will bring forth fruit; much fruit but without Him you can do nothing
John 15:7 – Abide in Him, Words abide in you (must have no doubt for something to “abide” in you). And then you ask- what you will and it shall be done.
John 15:8 The Father is gloried – when you bear much fruit à then you are His disciples
Fulfilling your role/place!! You are not whole until you operate in the function God gave you... you are a (foot, eye, etc.) in the body of Christ. We cannot be fully blessed without you fulfilling your position (office/ministry) and using your gifts.

You must get hold of and understand your relationship. Repent and move; that’s why He doesn’t judge on everything little thing you do – your purpose is greater than that, you will sin but If you repent and your heart is right (sincere) you will be forgiven. You are beyond being judged for every sin; don’t let the devil/flesh hold you there – that is a trick and low-level thinking without understanding. If you are held down beating yourself for every mistake you are not free to fulfill your Duty – your service, your position, your gifts won’t be used because you will doubt. Disobedience limited Old Testament “saints” because of the Law – they couldn’t fulfill it. But in New Testament it is your doubt that limits you, the “saint”. Nowhere will you find Jesus say because of your wrongs you are denied something – No, He said repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and He is the propitiation for our sins. So, don’t get caught in the trap of doubt. You have fruit to bear and much of it. Your fruit is your service; your duty to serve God and that service is shown in serving God’s people (Love your neighbor). Your whole purpose in life should revolve around loving God through the service of His people – that’s how you show your Love on earth.(in the here and now)

Jesus washed the disciples feet in John 13– in service, even as He was Lord and Master. We are not greater than He who sent us. John 13:13-17. Humble yourself – nothing great will be accomplished in you or through you without humbling because it produces selflessness, which produces service. God must take us all through the process of humbling – to produce within us the right spirit to bear fruit but we have to understand that process and believe and have faith in what He said would happen. Peter 1:6-7 – said understand the process is more precious than gold. Peter 5:5-10 Humble YOURSELF under God; resist the devil; knowing that others are going through the same things… and in the end He will make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle you. We cannot be stuck in doubt because of trials or our past lack of focus on our Duty! When we know our duty/service, we get through the trials by hanging on to faith, but we have to go beyond that and not doubt, so He can accomplish in us what He set out (sooner than later). Remember Christ is constrained by our doubt and/or disobedience. So, even if you are being obedient, your doubt will stop the hand of God from moving. Doubt keeps restarting the process or holds it in place until you decide it is for you to accomplish what God set in front of you. It is time to live the life God set before you. You are here to serve!!! To serve in His Kingdom… to serve His people.


The Kingdom, Duty, and Mammon

And if you get confused and serve mammon (i.e. Stuff) for yourself, you pierce yourself with many sorrows because you cannot serve God at the same time. 1Timothy 6: 6-10 If you would be rich, meaning that if that’s what you seek after, you fall into temptation and a snare. Matt 6:19-24 where your treasure is, there will your heart be also; no man can serve two masters… ye cannot serve God and mammon(money). And to finish the point, a double minded man is unstable in all his ways – James 1:5-8

Luke 16: 1-13
Jesus said the least is wealth/mammon/things, and if we are unfaithful in those things, how can we be trusted with real true riches….???

What are true riches?
The Kingdom of God; your position; your spiritual gifts; the Spirit of God; all of which is given to accomplish Your Duty. If you will use mammon to benefit you or to serve it, which is still to serve you and your wants and desires THEN you will do the same with God’s true Riches. 12 – and if you haven’t been faithful in that (mammon), which wasn’t even yours, why would He give you your own?? It is a promise that we would give it to you if you just follow/serve HIM.

We are to busy trying to get things – houses, jobs, stuff, etc., that we become unfaithful and do not serve our purpose; we do not see our Duty to even focus on it; we do not allow the Kingdom on earth, which is IN us, to rule us or to even show in us, AND THEREFORE, we do not produce the fruit of God; Even though, The fruit of the Spirit, which helps us produce God’s Will (our Duty), is beneath everything and supports our efforts.

Ask and it shall be given:
All the scriptures that talk about asking and it will be done is tied to all of this – Relationship (including humbling), Faith, Actions, Words to Next Dimension Faith which is no doubt: you will be in the will of God if you are focused on your Duty/ your service.

We do not receive what we ask for because:
#1 what we ask for is for our own lust (not for our Duty) - James 4:3
We are not asking in the will of God, which would be tied to our Duty. His will is tied to our purpose and when we are trying to fulfill our Duty/purpose/service, ANYTHING we ask is in His will (John 14: 13-14 He will do - just ask in His name). This means that if you are operating in your Duty which is God’s will, the things you ask for will be to accomplish your Duty and therefore you receive it because you are not asking Amiss/wrongly to consume for your own pleasures.

1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hereth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. Now you don’t have to doubt!!! If you are operating in your Duty, you can know and have confidence that He will hear you and DO!!

All of this accumulates in John 15
9-10 – Keeping His commandments = abiding in His Love
12-17 – love on another; love as He loved – he put his life down to fulfill His Duty for the King and His people AND we are to do the same in our required Duty (Our required service in love of the body of Christ). And then we are considered friends because we know what the Lord is doing (we are in a relationship to hear and know); ordained to bring forth fruit and ‘our’ fruit shall remain; and what we ask – God gives us (according to His will which is our Duty).

Love one another!!
1 John 3:11-24

Luke 17 – Sin, Faith, Duty
Unworthy servant sent to do a job – MY Duty
Luke 17:7-10
10: “So like wise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

You get no extra praise, riches, or gifts for doing that which you are suppose to do in the first place. Serve the King, do your Duty and establish God’s Kingdom on earth, which are His people!!! If your eyes be singly focused then you become the light. You can not be hide any longer. Luke 11:33-36

James 1: 5-8
If you lack wisdom – ask God. But ask in Faith , nothing wavering – this is NDF because if you doubt, even a little bit – you will second guess what God is trying to accomplish in and through you (Your Duty). And you become like a wave of the sea. The end result is that God says – 7: “Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. And why not?? 8: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” !!!

Be singly focused on YOUR DUTY, don’t doubt and you will accomplish God’s will on earth in your life!!

Now ask yourself – what is life all about???
Now you know what you are here on earth for – why you exist!!!!!!!!
Now Go... DO.. subdue.. conquer.. accomplish.. MOVE... Don't Doubt


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below this line is personal info concerning me. I will share with you so you understand more about me.

What is My Duty?
1. To give to the people of God
a. Better understanding of relationship with Him
b. To move them to a place of blessing by understanding: Faith, Duty, Relationship, and more
c. Knowledge and understanding
2. To establish the ‘Programs’ of the Kingdom that will take care of and prosper God’s people


Take care- J.Bruce

June 1, 2008 It begins...

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!!



Today begins a new chapter in Kingdom Wealth Creation. June 1, 2008 is a special day in history. Life begins fresh and new and the level of achievement in God's people will accelerate from this day forward. The room for indecision exist no longer. It is time for everyone to move in a spirit of boldness to the thrown of God with the 'things' you are to accomplish.

Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession... 16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."



Don't doubt, be sure of who God is and who you are IN HIM. Also be sure of what He is doing with you and through you. Now is the time!! Now go and make "IT" happen....



Much Love,
J.Bruce
Kingdom Wealth Creation©™