Spread The Word by STW Magazine

to the Ant you sluggard consider its ways and be G owise! It has no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its

provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverb 6 v 6-8

Are you looking after your money? This may sound like a silly question but the reality is that most people are not taking any interest in their money at all, apart from spending it that is! They are simply living from pay check to pay check and hoping the rest will take care of itself! The recent credit crunch has served to highlight the lack of personal money management in the United Kingdom today, and in particular (i) the reliance on credit and (ii) how unprepared most people for any kind of financial emergency. Two recent reports give a worrying snapshot of the attitude of most people in the United Kingdom to money management today DEBT A recent report from the Serious Personal Debt Working Group (SPDWG) report paints a chilling picture of the level of personal debt in the UK, which now stands at £1.38 trillion, the equivalent to an average debt per household of £54,452, twice the level of Continental Europe. This is triple the level of 30 years ago. A staggering 7-9 million people in Britain confess to having had a serious debt problem. The report goes on to say: Britain's "buy now, pay later" consumer culture has led to unprecedented levels of personal debt. The average Briton now has more than twice as much unsecured borrowing - including overdrafts, personal loans and credit card debt - as the typical European. SAVINGS A 2009 study by Yorkshire Building Society has shown that if the average Briton lost their job, they would only

be able to survive on their savings for 52 days. But more worryingly, the results suggest that over a third (36 per cent) only have access to £500 worth of savings, which translates to just 11 days' survival. So what has all this to do with the Ant I hear you ask? Well the economy of the Ant is based on industry, organisation, and a vision for the future. Here are four principles we can learn from the Ant: 1. It prepares for winter while it is summer - Do not wait until the next credit crunch, economic downturn, or financial crisis to get your finances in shape; sort them out now. The nature economic cycles means that sooner or later the economic outlook will brighten and you need to be in a position to take advantage of this when it happens, but you also need to be prepared for the next downturn as well. 2. Its eyes are on the future – You can’t change your financial past but you can and must take steps to deal

with your financial future. You can change your situation but only if you are willing to make the sacrifices and difficult decisions in the short term for your long term financial future. 3. It has the ability to delay gratification – If you don’t have the patience to wait and curb your expenditure while you are developing your money management strategy you will mess up your financial future. The Ant takes the resources it collects in the summer and moves it towards winter. Will somebody else show up to do it for the Ant? No! Are there predators looking for an opportunity to steal what the Ant has got? Yes, but it’s so focussed on what it’s doing it doesn’t have time to worry about that. 4. It has a cause bigger than itself – The Ant regularly takes on and tries to move food which is considerably larger than itself; it is not just providing for itself but also for members of its colony. The financial decisions you make are often not only for you but also your spouse, members of your family or your business. When you make your decisions always keep in mind the bigger picture; it’s not always about you. Proverbs 13 v22 says” a wise man leaves an inheritance for his children and his children’s children”. In short: Ants don’t do credit • Ants don’t borrow • Ants organize hunt and store in the good times so they are ready for the bad • Ants never run out of resources Ants always have enough.

This is the mindset you need for a successful money management strategy. So how are you doing on the money management front? Well here is a quick pop test for you: • Do you know how much you are worth? In other words do know the value of your assets less your liabilities? • Do you have a budget to help you manage your income and expenditure on a daily, monthly and annual basis? • Do you have a fund to help you cope with emergencies, ranging from a broken washing machine to replacing your car? • Do you have enough funds to enable you meet your financial commitments for at least 6 months should you lose your job suddenly, or are unable to work for any other reason? • Have you made arrangements to provide for your loved ones in the event of your death, i.e. a will, and life insurance? • Do you know your total exposure to credit in respect of any loans or credit cards you currently have; not just the amount you pay in interest and capital on a monthly basis but the full annual percentage rate? If you answered no to 2 or more of the above questions you need a financial check up. Its time you made an appointment to Go to the Ant!! Isaac Carter is the author of “Go to the Ant” a simple but effective guide to money management.

MZ Where are you from? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re from Springfield, Ohio. MZ How did Life Worship Band form, who is who, and how long have you been together? We formed the band in May 2003 while in college. Myself on lead vocals and guitar, Matt Goodloe on bass, Donnel Phillips on keys, Donnie Reis on guitar and violin, and Chriss Tripplett on drums. The band has been together for 6 1/2 years. MZ How would you describe your music? Our music is extremely universal

(it crosses denominational, culture, and age barriers, especially the kids) the message and lyrics are simple, catchy and easy to sing. MZ So, tell us about LWB’s projects to date? We did a CD in 2006 and our new live project "Champion" will be released at the end of 2009. MZ Who are your influences? We are influenced by many artist and bands including (Toto, Fred Hammond, Chris Tomlin, John Mayer, Coldplay, Israel Houghton and Tye Tribbett). MZ You were in the UK earlier this year at the Kingdom Worship Movement conference ‘Renewal’, tell us about that experience. It was so much fun here in the U.K. there is so much energy and you guys are passionate worshippers! This was one of the best experiences I've had in ministry. MZ What is your main goal as you all minister? Our main goal is to create

an environment where God can manifest His presence. MZ What do you want people to experience when they listen to your music? We want people to experience Freedom, Healing, and Victory when they listen to LWB. MZ What advice would you give to up coming worship leaders who are growing in their ministry and wanting to embark on similiar recording projects? Don't take yourself so serious, enjoy the process of learning, its going to take time but stay humble and keep at it. MZ So, what can we be expecting in the future from Amante Lacey and Life Worship Band? AL: LWB - U.K. tour we are so excited about meeting you all Pastors, churches, radio stations, etc. We are anxious to be in the U.K. in 2010, lets make it happen. Look for the new Life Worship Band website in the next month. MZ Thank you for taking the time out with Music zone to answer these questions, God bless you.

or our light affliction, which is but for a moment, F worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ 2 Corinthians 4:17 The Apostle Paul presents a seemingly laid back attitude towards affliction. As painful as the experience may be, Paul describes it as a ‘light’ affliction. We might be tempted to think that Paul could not relate to the challenges that we are going through. However we are not to forget that Paul suffered greatly in order to preach the gospel. He was beaten, stoned, whipped, shipwrecked, imprisoned, persecuted; endured long periods of hunger, thirst and destitution. How was it that Paul was able to carry out his mandate with unfettered determination, in the face of such hardship and pain? When we study the opening text carefully, we discover that our afflictions become lighter only as we become weightier. In other words, in the midst of affliction, a transformation or growth may take place, which gives us the strength of character to best handle it. A good analogy is someone working out in the gym with weights. To put it simply, the more resistance you work with the stronger you become. As you become stronger, weights that you struggled with in the past are comparatively lighter. You then become able to exercise with more challenging weights. It is astounding to hear of people who have been through the most traumatic of experiences like wrongful imprisonment, years of sexual abuse or even the murder of their child. Yet they have managed somehow to turn a horrific experience into something positive, and find peace. Although they fell apart at first, they managed to pick up the shattered pieces of their life and go on to do remarkable things. We may never understand why we go through the experiences we go through, but we do know that somehow it is all working out for our good.

However, going through bad experiences is not the key to bringing out the greatness within, just as lifting weights is not the key to becoming stronger! For every one person who has triumphed over adversity there are

dozens, even hundreds more that have fallen, never to rise again. So, what is the key determining factor between success and failure, victory and defeat? Paul gives us the answer in 2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen...” Notice Paul says “while” in other words affliction only works to develop our character while we are doing something in the meantime. That something centres on what you choose to focus on! Focus is the key determining factor between success and failure. Focus determines your direction in life. You cannot ride a bike straight ahead whilst looking to the left; you will inevitably begin to veer to the left. In like manner, your life will veer towards what your mind is focused on. As previously mentioned, lifting weights is not the key to becoming stronger. The key is keeping your focus on a set goal. It is focus that enables you to keep at it, even when you experience pain. It is focus that enables you to keep at it, even when you cannot see immediate

The Power of Vision

results. Focus cultivates the indispensable quality of self discipline, which Napoleon Hill describes as “The master key to riches.” When Paul spoke of what to look at, he spoke grammatically in the present participle, which means he refers to a continuous action. To look continually at something involves concentration. When you concentrate on a goal, never taking your eyes off it, you are guaranteed to reach that goal. Your enemy cannot steal your anointing [gift, talent or ability], but if he can break your focus, then your anointing will be of non-effect! Therefore the strategy of the enemy is to cause us to major on minors; in other words cause us to focus on things that in the scheme of things are unimportant and unhelpful. This simple strategy breaks up marriages, disarms churches, fuels gun violence and amongst many other things, aborts vision! “Your ability to divert your attention from activities of a lower value to activities of higher value is central to everything you accomplish in life” - Brian Tracy.

In the midst of trying times there is a natural inclination to look at your immediate circumstances and feel sorry for yourself. This may lead to worry, anxiety or even depression. However Paul tells us not to look at things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. This may seem quite strange; how can you look at something not seen? However, Paul is guiding us to where our focus should be. Not on our visible situation but on something not seen, yet that clearly exists. There are multiple applications to employing this principle. Vision is one of them. Hebrews 11:1 states “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Vision is the picture of a compelling future; it is the things hoped for. Therefore faith is the substance of vision, and hence, key to its fulfilment. The bible states throughout the old and the New Testament that the just shall live by their faith. Therefore the just are people of vision; their lives and the choices they make are shaped and directed by vision. Vision is not just for leaders of churches, corporations and nations; God gives each of us a vision because He has a plan and purpose for us all. There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be and you keep and hold that picture long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking. That is why God brought Abraham outside of his tent and said “Look now towards the heavens and count the stars - if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5). I believe this mental picture was the unseen force that enabled him to become the father of faith. This vision of the stars enabled him to believe, in hope against hope, that he might become the father of many nations. It was vision that caused him not to ‘stagger at the promises of God’ or to consider his body impotent even though he was about one hundred years old. Even the barrenness of his wife’s womb was not considered an obstacle to giving birth to the promised seed (Romans 4:17-20). During times of crisis the best place to hang out is in your future! This is not escapism (in a negative sense), but the very means of bringing you through the situation. No matter how far fetched your vision seems, continue to entertain and embrace it. When you focus

The Power of Focus

on your positive future, you tap into the power of hope (Proverbs 13:12). Hope stimulates the mind, causing it to be more resourceful in the midst of a crisis. Hope brings peace of mind when all others are loosing theirs. Your actions, aspirations, plans and beliefs, all rest on the table of hope. With so much at stake, it is essential that table has strong legs. If they collapse, your whole life is lost! That is why Paul urges us not to focus on things seen, because they are only temporal whereas things unseen are eternal. In other words you cannot focus (or rely) on what you can see, because it remains only for a moment.

Key Principles Everything that can be seen is a manifestation of things unseen. Things seen are rooted in things unseen. Solutions are only found in things unseen. Things unseen are more real than things seen. These are some of the most important truths you can learn in life. Once you embrace these as a principle it will change the way you respond to any given situation. The application of this principle compliments Paul’s conclusion in Romans 8:5 “Those who are according to the [seen] flesh, set [focus] their minds on things which gratify the flesh; but those who are according to the [unseen] spirit, set [focus] their minds on those things which gratify the Spirit.”

The Law of Recognition

However, this principle is not confined to a comparison between the tangible and the intangible. Things seen and unseen also refers to things noticed or things unnoticed! One of the fundamental keys to achievement in any area of life comes from your ability to recognise opportunities! God planted Adam in the Garden of Eden, an environment filled with food, water, gold, bdellium, onyx and other natural resources. We too are planted in our own Garden of Eden, filled with precious resources waiting to be recognised and unearthed. By the principle of recognition you are able to see opportunities and solutions that nobody else around you can see. One person whilst walking in the woods may see a flower and walk pass it, because they perceive it to be just another

during times of crisis the best place to hang out is in your future! flower. Another person may come across the same flower, carefully unearth it and carry it to the horticultural authorities, having just discovered one of world’s rarest varieties of flower. Sadly, everyday many are overlooking the people, resources and opportunities that are there to help them. Your ability to recognise opportunities is enhanced when you are focused on a set goal. There is a saying “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”. When you make a firm decision to accomplish a goal, and ultimately your vision, things start to happen to aid you on your journey. Some people come into your life, some exit your life. Unexpected situations occur, some pleasant and some unpleasant. These things may seem confusing at first, but if you remain focused you will start recognise that all of these things are working together for your good (Romans 8:28). Further to this, when you take steps to upgrade your personal knowledge (and skills) pertaining to your goals, you are guaranteed to recognise hidden opportunities. Knowledge made the difference between the man who failed to recognise the flower and the one who did? What you know determines what you see! What you can see is essential to transforming your world (Matthew 5:8).

Final Thoughts... You are the product of the choices you make in your environment. Don’t abort your future by making rash decisions based on your present circumstances. Many people tend to make choices based on what is readily seen and not on their unseen future. They form conclusions based on behaviour, without seeking to understand motive. They make choices based on style and overlook substance. They sacrifice achievement for the sake of appearance! Image is a very powerful commodity. However without the qualities of excellence, integrity, discipline, honour and most importantly love; image is just an empty shell.

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