Many people are reluctant to ask for help until problems have reached crisis proportions. This is especially true with financial troubles. As with a physical illness, however, a cure is easier when you ask for help at the first sign of trouble. If you’re starting to have trouble paying your bills, if you’re a month or more behind on any bill, or if you’re using one credit card to pay another, see one of the Deacons right away. A little counsel or financial assistance, given early, can go a long way toward preventing bankruptcy, eviction, mortgage foreclosure, or other serious financial consequences.
While the Deacons and Deaconesses at New Life have a special calling to oversee and coordinate the care of the needy within and around our congregation, all of us, as believers, are called both to “word” and “deed” ministry. The two are inseparable parts of the Gospel message. Imagine if Jesus had proclaimed the good news of salvation, but touched no one in his or her point of need. As James writes, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). “To look after,” here, means to lift from oppression. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what he calls each of us to do.
Are you one of the many people whose employer does not provide health insurance? Is private health insurance so expensive for you that your children are uninsured? If so, the Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) may be for you. Under current CHIP guidelines, a family of four can earn up to $47,000 a year and qualify for a comprehensive health insurance package for their children. Under the new Cover All Kids initiative in the works, families at even higher income levels will become eligible. For more information, visit http://www.chipcoverspakids.com or call 1-800-986-KIDS.
When we think of God’s judgment on Sodom, we often think of rampant sexual sin. Without a doubt, that was part of what the Lord had in view. But in Ezekiel 16, the prophet says, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me.” We’re quick to condemn the “detestable things,” as we should, but are we as quick to repent of our arrogance, gluttony, haughtiness, and unconcern for the poor and needy?
It’s often the case that our motivation to do deeds of mercy is gratitude for God’s mercy to us. And that’s a good thing. But there’s more. Psalm 41:1-3 says “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” In short, if we care for the weak among us, God will bless us!
In the previous installment of Deacons Corner, we revealed America’s best-kept shopping secret: the local thrift store, where shoppers can find high-quality clothing at incredibly low prices. Here are some local Christian-operated thrift stores you might want to investigate:
Under the New Covenant, God’s people are not required to bring particular offerings or sacrifices. The sacrifice of Jesus was once and for all! However, the Biblical principle of tithing – giving one-tenth of our income to God – is still Biblical. In fact, it’s a starting point under the New Covenant – not an ending point. However, rather than view tithing as a law, consider it an investment. Ask other believers who have made a habit of tithing year after year. You will hear countless stories of God’s blessing, stories of needs miraculously met, with no rational explanation other than God’s intervention. If you don’t believe other saints, read Malachi 3:10 and following. Go ahead – test God in this!
With plans under way for “Wireless Philadelphia,” much has been said about a “digital divide” – a gap between those who can afford computers and those who can’t. Today, however, the “digital divide” is about as wide as a cell phone or TV cable. Today you can buy an Internet-ready computer for $400 or less, and dial-up Internet is available for free. Compare that with a basic cell-phone plan at about $480 per year, or basic cable at $635 per year. So before you commit to a cell phone or cable TV plan, consider saving that money for a tool that can get you access to jobs, scholarships, and more!
These days, cell phones are getting to be more than a convenience, but they’re still not up there in importance with mortgage/rent, food, and utility bills. Before you sign your name to a 2-year agreement with a $200 early termination fee, make sure you really need a cell phone. If you do, consider a prepaid phone plan. With a prepaid cell phone, you can deposit as little as $10 to your account. If you deposit $25, the minutes are good for 90 days, and you’ll need to refill only 4 times a year. That’s $8.33 a month! Prepaid plans are available from Cingular, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, and TracPhone, and you can pick up the phone at stores like Wal-Mart or Target.
Every family needs a checking account. If you don’t have one, you’ll lose a lot of money on money order and check cashing fees. Once you have a checking account, remember that a checking account is not a credit card; you can spend only what you put into the account. Overspending from a checking account is known as “bouncing” checks or writing “bad checks.” Bouncing checks is extremely expensive. For example, Wachovia currently charges $31.00 per bad check. If you write several checks at once, the bank will pay the largest one first, so that you’ll bounce all the checks that follow. In addition, the business to which you wrote the bad check will also charge you “insufficient funds” fees. If you need getting your checking account under control, please see any Deacon.
Whenever you hear the phrase “just a dollar a day” or “just pennies a day,” someone is trying to make something sound cheaper than it is. The latest culprit? “Unlimited ‘chirp’ for just a dollar a day.” “Chirp,” in case you haven’t heard, refers to walkie-talkie service on a particular brand of cell phone. A dollar a day sounds pretty cheap doesn’t it? Well, a dollar a day adds up to $31 month, or $372 a year, and $372 could feed a family of four for a month! So next time someone tries to sell you something for “just a dollar a day,” take that as a reminder to take that dollar a day to the bank.
Renting furniture or appliances is almost always a luxury you can’t afford. If you can’t afford to buy a piece of furniture, you can’t afford to rent one. Consider a 27” TV from a national rental company. At $45/month for a 6-month rental, you’ll pay $270 for that TV. Keep it 2 years and the total will be $1080. How much is that same TV if you buy it outright? $269.99 from the local appliance store. That’s right, if you had saved your money instead of signing that rental agreement, you could have bought that same TV in 6 months. Even worse are some installment-payment furniture purchases. You may eventually own that plush sofa, but you’ll have paid for it several times over by the end or your purchase agreement. Bottom line: If you really need that piece of furniture and don’t have the money, save that $45 per month until you can afford it.
Heating bills are expected to rise by as much as 50% this year over last winter. Now is the time to plan for those high heating bills. Here are some tips:
Wednesday, May 21st at 7 pm
Saturday, June 21st—11 am to 6 pm Save the date! This year’s picnic…
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