Who Wants to be a Millionaire? ~ Dave Ramsay, Christian Financial Planner

Jeff and Dee of Atlanta have a net worth of $2.8 million. But they didn’t win the lottery. They became wealthy after decades of smart saving and sensible spending.

"I think the majority of millionaires are just like us—people who’ve worked and saved all their lives," Jeff says.

When he began working as a computer technician decades ago, Jeff’s salary was just $13,000. So when the opportunity came to work extra hours, he jumped at it. His workweek went from 40 hours to 80 hours—and his income doubled in the process.

"I started spending on the 80-hour level, not the 40," he says. "Then the hours went back. But the habits I’d gotten were pretty bad."

Translation: He ran up his credit cards. It was his first real taste of debt, and he hated every minute of it. Once he paid everything off, he told himself never again.

A few years later, Jeff and Dee met and married. This time, it was Dee who caught the credit card bug. She opened secret accounts and started charging without Jeff’s knowledge. Once her financial infidelity came to light, the couple went through what Dee recalls as "a very tense, emotional couple of years."

But they worked through it and came out the other side stronger and smarter.

"If you don’t agree on something, you really need to speak up on it," Dee says. "If it leads to an argument, so be it. If you don’t sit down and talk about it, you’re never going to be on the same page."

That was a major turning point in their marriage: learning how to communicate openly and honestly about money.

Jeff and Dee are millionaires from Atlanta, GA. In this Millionaire video, they share how 

they became Millionaires and give us an inside look into their current life style. 

"Once we got on the same page, we were able to do more," Jeff says. "And every raise that came in, a good portion of that went into retirement. So that’s where we started building [our retirement savings] percentage from a small number to a big number."

These days, the couple saves upwards of 25-30% of their household income for retirement. How? They don’t hoard money, but they also don’t waste it. They still shop at Walmart and buy $20 shoes. They’re just normal folks.

"It’s probably been five or six years since we’ve been millionaires" Jeff says. "But again, it didn’t change our lifestyle or what we did or how we did it."

To them, being a millionaire isn’t about hoarding your money. It’s about securing your future. It’s about leaving a legacy for your kids and giving generously. And it’s about enjoying the rest of your life without worry.

Being a millionaire isn’t about hoarding your money. It’s about securing your future.

"Being a millionaire means knowing I’ll be comfortable when he quits working," Dee says. "Knowing that I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from or where I’m going to live—that’s basically what being a millionaire means to me."

Israeli Leaders Urge Jews To Read Through Entire Bible ~ Joel Rosenburg

Israeli leaders are urging Jews to read through the entire Bible, verse by verse, chapter by chapter? Amazing, but true. Here’s the latest.  by joelcrosenberg (Central Israel) -- You probably haven't heard this in the mainstream media, but Israel's most senior leaders are urging the Jewish people to read through the Bible, the whole Bible, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Can you imagine President Obama or any other U.S. leader calling on American people to read through the Bible? Neither can I. Given the general trend here in Israel towards secularization, this is quite a surprising yet thoroughly encouraging development. I'm sure many of you are skeptical, but it really is true. Here's the latest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kicked off the new school year here by encouraging children to rediscover the Word of God and Biblical roots of their Jewish heritage. "First of all, the study of the Bible,” he said in August. "Knowledge is a critical word. We want to give it [knowledge of the Scriptures] to every child in Israel, Jews and non-Jews as one, religious and secular. This is the basis of the new world, and the basis of Israel as a strong nation in the world.” Last week, the prime minister and his wife, Sara, hosted another in a series of occasional Bible study groups at their official residence. They discussed -- among other things -- the Biblical connection Jews have to the Temple Mount, despite a recent U.N. vote denying Jews have any such connection. The Netanyahus organized their first home Bible study group in December 2011, as I reported at the time. In so doing, they carried on a tradition first begun by David Ben Gurion and later by Menachem Begin but rarely repeated by other Israeli premiers. Their stated goal was to set an example for the nation and to "perpetuate a love of the Bible." [See here and here for coverage of other Bible studies they have held.] Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and several government official have launched something they call the "929 Initiative." This is a wonderful and worthy effort to encourage all Israelis -- even the most secular and non-religious among us -- to read one chapter of the Jewish Scriptures a day, every day, until they have read all 929 chapters. Rivlin and his colleagues kicked off the $12 million initiative in December 2014. Since then, they have been encouraging Israelis to continue reading verse by verse, chapter by chapter through the full Hebrew Bible or "Tanakh" until everyone finishes together in the summer of 2018 for the 70th anniversary of the prophetic rebirth of the Jewish State. There is a pretty impressive and sophisticated website dedicated to the project, with Israelis of all kinds, from a wide variety of backgrounds, writing articles on what they think about the Bible verses they are reading. There is also an app that helps Israelis remember what chapter they're supposed to read each day and help them mark their progress. Here are several article about the initiative. I commend them to your attention. ·         National Bible project launched -- "New program aims to make Book of Books accessible to wide parts of Israeli society through daily reading of biblical versus in country's different communities and sectors." (Ynet News, December 28, 2014) ·         Crack open your Bible: 929 day study project begins in Jerusalem (Jerusalem Post, December 18, 2014) ·         Left and Right, Secular and Religious, Brought Together by Bible Study -- "Israelis from across the political and religious spectrum join a national conversation about the Tanakh, on the website 929" (Tablet Magazine, January 9, 2015) I especially wanted to bring this all to your attention as we celebrate Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles (aka, "Feast of Booths"). Why? Because in the Torah, Moses commanded the people to read through all the Scriptures in their entirety every seven years. Sadly, this is a commandment many if not most of my fellow Jews have forgotten, or never were aware of in the first place. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and [a]the alien who is in your [b]town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 31:10-12) Some of my favorite stories in the Bible are when King Josiah called the nation of Judah together to hear the Word of the Lord read to them in its entirety, and when Ezra and the priests read the entire Bible to the nation of Israel after their return to the Land from Babylonian and Persian captivity. Several years ago, we organized an Epicenter conference with the theme, "The Power of The Word." Several of the speakers taught on this largely forgotten history of Jewish leaders calling the nation back to the Scriptures -- if you're interested in watching the videos of those and other messages, please click here. I'm grateful to Netanyahu and Rivlin and to the other Israeli leaders who are calling our people back to reading the Bible cover to cover. Will you join me in praying that more Jews (and Gentiles) heed their call? Thanks so much, and Chag Same'ach -- happy holidays from Israel!

The Consequences of Your Belief System ~ Patrick Morley

Secular Humanist, JW, Mormon, Agnostic, Atheiest???

Acts 17:16-34; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, 2:14, 9:19-23

Are you frustrated with the beliefs and actions of those around you? When Paul arrived in Athens, he found a city full of disparate belief systems and worldviews. Some mocked him as a "babbler," while others listened intensely. Paul displayed a knowledge of their belief systems so that he could talk to them in ways they would understand. We are called today to the same approach. Knowing what someone believes helps us understand the motivations for their actions -- and even predict them. When we understand another's worldview, we can use the kernels of truth that exist to lead them towards the gospel. ~ from Patrick Morley

Congrats to Tony!

Congratulations to my friend Tony on recently graduating with Honors from his Paralegal program at Sheridan College.  All that studying & long hours of homework pays off!  God bless you Tony!

The Messiah ~ The Bible Project

Why does the Bible refer to Jesus as the Messiah?

For many of us who did not grow up with an understanding of the Old Testament from a traditional Jewish perspective, we don’t always understand what it means that Jesus is the Messiah. This short video explains the meaning behind the term and how Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophets who spoke about him throughout the Old Testament.

Whether you know Jesus personally or not, this video will change the way you think of who he was, what he did, and who he still is today.

Rev. Lorrie Gibbons, WOD District Supt. ~ I Have a Testimony!

It was Good Friday 1973. I was sitting in Massey Hall in the city of Toronto. I thought I was there only because of the pretty girl sitting beside me … a rebellious daughter of a pastor. What I came to realize was that this was a pivotal God ordained moment in my journey of life.

The pretty girl had invited me to go with her to attend a concert where Andre Crouch was performing … his first Canadian concert. I had never heard of him but agreed to attend the concert, even though I was hell bent on running as far away from God as I could get. Looking back, having ministered in the Greater Toronto Area for these past 11 years, I can get a sense of the bigger picture that God saw for my life that night. Little did I think then, that I would ever be a pastor or minister in the city where God reached my heart. We sweat about the small stuff so often but really,

He does have our lives in control and orders our steps if we are willing to obey.

Remember that in 1973 it was unusual to hear Andre’s style of music described as gospel music. I was touched by the music and humoured by the 400 or so ‘Christians’ who came to hear but left early because they were clearly offended by Andre’s rock and roll. From the opening stanza
of  "I Don't Know Why Jesus Loved Me"  through "Can't Anybody Do Me Like Jesus" and beyond God began to speak to my heart. I had grown up in the church but had made a clear decision to go another way. I knew the way I was living was wrong. Without going into the details just let me say I was far from where I knew I should be and I felt the burden of sin. In spite of that heaviness I was determined to live my own way. Once Andre began to minister I could feel the Holy Spirit moving in my spirit … and my heart began to melt. Much to the chagrin of the pretty girl who issued the invitation, I began to weep. That’s what happens when the fire of the Holy Spirit hits the icy coldness of a wayward heart. By the end of the concert Andre looked up into the crowd and said “Someone here tonight is running from God and needs to come back home.” I knew that someone was me. So, even though I knew it would cost me a lot, I made a decision to ask God to forgive me and told Him I would serve Him to the best of my ability. I became a Christ follower. I knew I would never be the same again and the reason I knew that was because the changes were immediate. For starters, the pretty girl I had brought with me to the concert decided I was having some kind of breakdown and she wanted no part of it, so she found another way home. I drove home alone and stopped at a park bench in Mount Forest around 2 in the morning. Sitting under the stars I told God that I would do whatever He wanted, but I could only be me. If God could use me how He made me, then I was willing to serve. I felt the Lord tell me that was okay with Him. Me and Jesus, we were on our way. What a moment … a Good Friday night that changed my life … forever.

~lorrie gibbons district superintendent

Pride

I Need Just A Little More Jesus ~ Canton Junction

Explaining

North Korea Crushed Christians Under Steamroller, Hung Them on Crosses Above Fire, New Report Says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance to the Kosan Combined Fruit Farm in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang. (KCNA via REUTERS)

North Korea has crushed Christians under a steam roller, hung them on crosses above raging fires, herded them off bridges and other devastating forms of torture, according to a report.  

Christian Solidarity Worldwide issued the report earlier this month to call action against the Communist state, which is the top persecutor of Christians worldwide, according to Open Doors.  

The horrifying report reads: 

Christians usually practice their faith in secret. If discovered, they are subject to detention and then likely taken to political prison camps (kwanliso); crimes against them in these camps include extra-judicial killing, extermination, enslavement/forced labor, forcible transfer of population, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, persecution, enforced disappearance, rape and sexual violence and other inhumane acts. Documented incidents against Christians include being hung on a cross over a fire, crushed under a steamroller, herded off bridges and trampled underfoot. A policy of guilt by association applies, meaning that the relatives of Christians are also detained regardless of whether they share the Christian belief. Even North Koreans who have escaped to China, and who are or become Christians, are often repatriated and subsequently imprisoned in a political prison camp. 

Open Doors reports 50,000-70,000 Christians are in North Korean labor camps that hearken back to the Holocaust.  

To halt the abuse and torture, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, who released the report, asks the world to step up.  

Specifically, they are calling on the United Nations to intervene:

• Hold regular briefings on the human rights situation in the DPRK with the participation of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant experts
• Ensure that human rights are central in any dialogue or negotiations, whether bilateral or multilateral, between the DPRK and any Member State 
• Call for the adoption of a Security Council resolution addressing human rights and impunity in the DPRK 
• Support the referral of the human rights situation in the DPRK to the ICC, based on the United Nations Commission of Inquiry's finding that crimes against humanity are being perpetrated 
• Investigate the possibility of creating an ad hoc tribunal of international lawyers and judges, past or present, to assess the evidence given to them and to maintain accountability regarding the crimes against humanity that are occurring in the DPRK
• Support the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in their mandate, look to expand their capacity and ensure their continued independence, sufficient resources and security are maintained
• Establish a human rights contact group on North Korea

Iran Threatens to “Turn Tel Aviv to Dust” ~ Ilse Posselt

Islamic Republic of Iran army soldiers and pilots

26 September 2016 |
The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been shy about its intentions towards Israel. In September of last year, Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to Twitter to vow that the Jewish state will not survive to see 2040. Less than a year earlier, Khamenei raged on social media that there was “no cure” for the “barbaric” Jewish state “but to be annihilated.” And less than six months ago, an Iranian senior military commander alleged that the Iranian army could “raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes.”

The latest boast came last week. On Wednesday, the Islamic Republic hosted a military parade through Tehran on the 36th anniversary of the country’s September 1980 invasion of Iraq. Yet apart from showing off its military prowess and parading its latest ships and missiles through town, Iran also used the procession as an opportunity to threaten to obliterate Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa and to warn America to stay out of the region or “suffer the consequences.”

The threat to the Jewish state came painted on the side of a military truck carrying a new long-range Iranian ballistic missile called the Zolfaqar. “If the leaders of the Zionist regime make a mistake,” it read, “then the Islamic Republic will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust.” Another sign written on a missile in Hebrew said “Israel should be wiped off the earth,”Breaking Israel News reports.

The painted signs were, however, not the day’s only reference to the Jewish state. In a formal address during the parade, Iran’s military chief of staff, General Mohammad Hossein Begheri, told his audience that the American $38 billion, 10-year military aid package to Israel increases the Islamic Republic’s resolve to build up its armed forces.

“The criminal move [by the United States] to sign an agreement to present a supportive military package to the Zionist regime is a desperate attempt to protect the security vacuum of the regime and makes us more determined to increase our military power,” the Fars news agency reported Baqeri as saying.

The parade, which was shown on state television, also featured other military hardware, including state-of-the-art weapons systems, such as the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system, long-range missiles and tanks. For its part, the navy showed off 500 vessels and sea-based weapon systems in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

According to The Washington Times, the display of military strength comes in the wake of an uptick in Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian Civil War. Bolstered by an influx of Russian arms, Iran’s terror proxy on Israel’s northern border may turn its attentions to the Jewish state “once the war in Syria runs its course,” the paper speculates.

Source: (Bridges for Peace, 26 September 2016)

Photo Credit: Hosein Velayati/ Wikipedia

Photo License: Wikipedia

Prayer Focus
Remind the Lord of His covenant with Israel and proclaim that none will be able to annihilate the apple of His eye. Pray that Israel and all her leaders will put their hope and trust in the Lord in the face of numerous threats of power and weaponry arrayed against them.

Scripture

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people, and made arrogant threats against their borders.

- Zephaniah 2:8