Category: Christian

Posted on

The Potential Millionaire On Savings

By Felix A. Montelara

1 Corinthians 16:2 ESV / 18 helpful votes

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV / 13 helpful votes

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

In the last episode of Potential Millionaire, I not only discussed the importance of saving money, but also exactly how much money to save and where to save it.  Let’s be certain to understand that we save money not to hoard it or lord it over others, but actually to act as good stewards and thankful recipients of God’s bounty.  There are a number of Biblical Scripture passages that support my point.  First, let’s take 1 Corinthians 16:2, which states that “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”  1 Corinthians is advocating exactly what I discussed last week- that we must diligently set aside money to save each and every time we have income.  No matter the size of the amount saved- it is the action of  retaining that piece of our income before we do our spending that really allows us to accumulate wealth.  The Bible instructs us to live by conserving what we have, not only in times of distress, but every day.  When we save daily and weekly, we grow our savings so that in our times of need we can rely on ourselves.  We can help ourselves because we have an emergency fund, and we can enjoy life to a fuller extent because we can save for our goals and attain them.  Would you like to go on vacation? Buy a new car?  A television?  These are things that can be saved for too- so that when the day comes that we have enough, we can proudly purchase these items using God’s bounty- and not the credit of a lender.

2 Corinthians has more to instruct us with about saving.  2 Corinthians 9:6 states, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Iphone 040813 308  The Bible is telling us that we must make a conscious effort to care for, save, and then yes, use, God’s bountiful gifts.  But only those who put in the time and effort will see the fruit of their labors.  There is no get rich quick scheme that is sustaining- there is no magic pill for success.  Friends, what I am advocating is nothing more than good, honest work both outside and inside your household.  It takes work to make a budget and follow it.  It takes work to work to save money.  It takes effort and discipline to do these things.  Yes, everyone has millionaire potential, and the Bible provides us with the directions on how to achieve it:  Carefully saving, diligently working, and gratefully watching over our households and money.  These are the keys for unlocking our millionaire potential.

 

Related articles
Posted on

Commit to Your New Year’s Resolutions. Are You Up to Them?

By Felix A. Montelara

Author & Host of The Potential Millionaire

2 Corinthians 13:5

New International Version (NIV)

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

Isaiah 50:7

But the sovereign Lord helps me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame.

In the last episode, I talked about the topic of new years resolutions, and we discussed how important it is to include your finances in your resolutions.  However, most people break their resolutions within a few weeks, and often resolutions are forgotten quickly.  It is very important to make resolutions that are realistic, manageable, and that you are committed to.  I have a number of golden rules that I talk about, and that you will find in my book, Potencial Millonario.  These would make wonderful resolutions for the New Year.  For example,  I recommend that you make a family budget, and know exactly how much money you make and spend.  I recommend that you have an emergency fund, so that you are prepared for life’s unexpected disasters.  I recommend that you save money, and that you pay yourself first.  I recommend that you are honest with your family about money, and that you approach money matters together as a team.  But what good are all these resolutions, if you are not totally committed to making them happen?  What good are they, if you aren’t willing to make the sacrifices required to succeed?  We all have millionaire potential, but do we all have the courage and discipline to be millionaires?

I really believe that each of us has millionaire potential, and that each of has the same opportunity to follow these golden rules and succeed at becoming financially free.  Will it be easy?  No.  Will it happen overnight? No.  Will it be worth it?  Absolutely.

Let’s take some inspiring words from the Bible to help us have the courage to make good financial decisions in this New Year, and to have the resolve to keep our resolutions and to remain on the road to financial freedom.  2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Iphone 040813 006 Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”  Friends, these plans that we make about the New Year are tests.  They are tests of our discipline, our resolve, our courage.  We must look inward, we must look at ourselves and decide if we can pass the test.  When you are tempted to spend money you don’t have, when you are tempted to argue about money, when you are tempted to despair- think about whether or not you are in the faith- and find strength in the fact that we can take strength from Jesus.  Lean on Him- rest on Him- and keep strong in your resolutions.  Make them last the whole year, make good habits for yourselves about your money.  Recognize that millionaire potential that is within you, and be willing to commit to it.

Isaiah 50:7 states, “But the sovereign LORD helps me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame.”  As you commit yourselves to your budget, your savings, your emergency fund, your good spending habits, know that you are not alone.  Know that if you persevere, you will not be humiliated, but instead you will be uplifted.  I know that for some of you, the road to financial freedom will be a tough one- but you must believe that you can do this.  No matter what difficulties you have been through, no matter what troubles you will go through, if you persevere and have courage and discipline, you will triumph in the end.

Related articles
Posted on

Let Your Financial Freedom be guided by a Shining Star in 2014

English: Adoration of the Wise Men by Murillo
English: Adoration of the Wise Men by Murillo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Felix A. Montelara

Author & Radio Host of :

Potencialmillonario.com

 

Last week’s episode was a special one, as we prepared to celebrate Christmas Day.  I hope that all my listeners and readers had a wonderful Christmas with their families.  In the last episode, I discussed the real reason to celebrate at Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus.  I also talked about the origin of the Christmas tradition of gift giving, which probably started in the fourth century with the generosity of Saint Nicholas.  I also talked about carefully choosing gifts- to find gifts that are truly meaningful, to give at Christmas.  Remember, as we think about these things, we must always keep in mind that God and family are the most important things in our lives.  I encouraged you to take time with your families to start new Christmas traditions- to get away from the ‘normal’ commercialized spending spree that Christmas has become, and to focus on meaningful, lasting gifts.  Sometimes these gifts are hand-made, or sometimes they are acts of love, or giving of one’s time to another.  Imagine the good that spending 30 extra minutes playing with your kids each day could do in their lives- what a lasting effect that would have- far outlasting the brief joy that a toy or game would bring.  Its hard to have the courage to try these new ideas- just like its hard to make and keep a budget, or hard to save for an emergency when we have expenses today.  But friends, whoever said that doing the right thing would be easy?

This week marks another important Christian holiday.  The twelve days after Christmas are a time called Christmastide.  Christmastide ends with the Epiphany, which many call Three Kings Day.  Epiphany is a Greek word that means ‘to show, or to reveal’.  The Epiphany was first celebrated in the fourth century, and originally was a celebration of four important events: the baptism of Jesus, the first miracle of Jesus, (which was changing water to wine at the wedding at Cana), the Nativity of Christ, and the visitation of the three wise men.  These four events were celebrated together, because they were each a time when Jesus was revealed to the world.  Over time, the events began to be celebrated separately, and now we think of the Epiphany as a remembrance of the long journey of the three Magi, as they followed the star to Bethlehem and worshipped Jesus.  In many cultures, gifts are given on the Epiphany, to commemorate the gifts that the three wise men brought to Jesus.

As we continue to celebrate Christmas and look forward to the Epiphany, let’s remember that this is a time when we should focus on what we need to show others or reveal in our lives.  In terms of your personal finances, this would be a great time to discuss where you are at with your family, so that you can begin the New Year together with a plan to improve your situation.  It may be a difficult conversation, but revealing the truth will in the end allow you and your family to make progress.  It is also a time to be honest with yourself, to show yourself that you have the courage to take control of your financial situation.  Reveal to yourself how you are spending your money, find your weaknesses, and be determined to get control of your finances.  Create a budget, stop wasting money, begin a savings account, and pay off your debts.  These are steps that I can help you with, with this radio program, my book, and my website potencialmillonario.com.  Let yourself have a personal finance epiphany- and begin your journey to financial freedom.  Allow this season of joy and celebration encourage you to have the courage to do the tough things- knowing that they are the right things to do.  Let the promise of financial freedom, the relief of having no more debt, the security of having savings, the freedom of having your own money to spend- let these things be your guiding star that lights your way throughout the New Year.  Friends, just like the journey of the Three Kings was difficult, your journey may be difficult as well.  But the Three Kings persisted, they carried on, and they accomplished their mission of revealing baby Jesus to the world.  And they didn’t do this alone- they had the guidance of the Christmas star sent by God.  You too, have guidance, and you too, have God.  I hope you will take this opportunity to set off on a journey to reveal your millionaire potential.

Posted on

Christ the King , Christmas & Saint Nicholas

Isaiah 9:6-

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

In one of the  latest episodes of Potencial Millonario, I discussed the taboo that surrounds money and prevents people from making good decisions because they are afraid to talk about their problems or ask advice until it is too late.  I advised listeners to let go of this fear about money, and to instead embrace an attitude of stewardship- where we understand our money and it works for us.  I firmly believe that being responsible with money, following a budget, saving for emergencies, preparing for the future, spending less than what we earn, paying off debts, not creating new debts- these are ways that we control our money and make it serve us.  This is what I call financial freedom- and it isn’t easy.  But it does free us from the worry and stress that money problems cause, and allows us to use our gifts and talents to serve God.

 

This week I am mindful that Christmas is just a few days away.  It has become a very commercialized holiday, but let’s not forget the true reason for the celebration: the birth of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 9:6 states, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  We celebrate the birth of the most influential human in history, and the son of God.  This is the reason for the Christmas season- not the lights, glitter, shopping sprees, and food.  We should remember the humble beginnings of the King of Kings, born in a stable, laid in a manger, housed among animals.  But make no mistake, all the angels in heaven were singing to him, and the stars of the universe burned brighter for him.  I wanted to take these few minutes and remember the birth of the Prince of Peace, and I hope that all people can take time each day to think about the true focus of the coming week.

 

You may ask yourself, “If Jesus is the source of Christmas, why do we give gifts?”  This is really the story of Christmas traditions- not the story of Christmas.  Where do our traditions come from- like the Christmas tree and gift giving?  There are many sources for the traditions that every culture has, but let’s look back on one person who became very influential on the tradition of Christmas.  Many Christmas legends and traditions go back to the Catholic Saint Nicholas, who lived in the fourth century.  Very few hard facts have survived about Saint Nicholas, but it is known that he was a bishop in a place called Myra in Asia Minor.  During the time of Saint Nicholas, a father had to pay a dowry in order for his daughters to be married.  If a father was too poor to pay to have his daughters married, he may have had to resort to selling his daughters into slavery.  A wonderful legend persists about Saint Nicholas, in which Saint Nicholas dropped bags of gold into a poor man’s window, to provide him money so that his three daughters would be saved.  This began the tradition of gift giving on December 6, which is the feast day of Saint Nicholas.  Later, the date was moved to December 25 as other denominations wanted to get away from the Catholic celebration of Saints- but the tradition of gift-giving remained.

As we think about where the tradition of gift giving originated, let’s concentrate on a few important points in this legend.  First, Saint Nicholas used his own money to do a charitable act towards a stranger.  If you’ve been listening to my previous episodes, you know that I think money should work for you, and that once you have money you should use it to help others.  That is exactly what Saint Nicholas was doing.  He used his money to make a real change happen for three young girls and their family.  This wasn’t the type of change that an iphone or an Xbox brings- it is a change that was life-altering for that family.  Let’s think about our lives now:  we use our money at this time of year to often give gifts in excess or give gifts to people to who need nothing.  Often, we might even go into debt to offer these gifts that after a few days or weeks are forgotten.  The legend of Saint Nicholas should remind us that we should try to find truly meaningful gifts, and these are often not gifts that require money at all.

As Christmas day approaches, talk to your family about the real meaning of the celebration, Jesus Christ, and try telling them the story of Saint Nicholas and how gift giving in December began.  Try to help them appreciate that it is not the cost of the gift that matters, but the thought that the gift-giver put into it. Iphone 040813 261  If you have children, encourage them to make gifts, or to give gifts like doing chores, or giving a backrub to Mom.  Help them think about what each person in the family would really benefit from.  Talk to your spouse about this- can you both really afford gifts this year?  Or would you rather spend some time together, go for a walk, or watch their favorite movie?  Let this quality time be your new Christmas tradition. These lessons that you teach your family now will help them grow into the future- and will help them avoid the consumer-traps that are out there during the holiday season.

Related articles
Posted on

The Potential Millionaire Golden Rule # 5 Save 10 to 15 %

From: The Potental Millionaire By Felix A. Montelara Author of Potencial Millonario

In episode 4 of my radio program, Potencial Millonario, I discussed the various types of debt and the importance of budgeting.  Budgeting means that you know exactly how much money comes into your household, how much you spend, where you spend it, and how much you waste.  In other words, creating a budget means you track every cent you make and spend, so you can discover all the money leaks in your household.  Once the money leaks are discovered, they can be stopped.   When we stop wasting money, we start saving money.  This money can then be applied to outstanding debts, or saved in an emergency fund.  The key idea is: stop spending what you don’t have, stop creating new debt, know where your money is, and use every penny you have to pay off old debts.  Only then can you begin on the path to financial freedom.

Proverbs 27:23-27 describes what I have been discussing in the last few episodes of Potencial Millonario: “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds, for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.”  This passage from Scripture encourages us to watch over and really know our ‘flocks,’ which in today’s  society might be interpreted as households.  How can we hope to be financially free if we don’t know where each dollar comes from and where each one goes?  The Bible instructs us to pay attention; to be good stewards of what God provides us with.  This passage also comes with a warning for those who will not take care of their gifts:  “riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.”  This warning lets us know that life is fleeting, and we must try to be prepared for what lies ahead.  However, we don’t always know what is ahead of us.  It is only through a careful stewardship of our households that we can hope to weather these storms.

In Biblical times wealth was measured in livestock.  In these modern times, we define our wealth with money.  Knowing our modern “flocks and herds” means having a working budget and a real understanding of how we spend and save our money.  Once we truly understand how we spend our money, we can undertake the difficult task of making changes to our bad spending habits.  These spending habits are what make us poor, and we must correct them in order to become financially free.  We can replace bad spending habits with good savings habits- then we begin to accumulate wealth and notice the difference that having money, rather than wasting money, can have in our lives.

Amonzon Book cover

Posted on

The Rich Rules Over The Poor And The Borrower Is Servant To The Lender

From: The Potential Millionaire By Felix A. Montelara, Author Potencial Millonario

In episode 3 of my radio program, Potencial Millonario, I began a discussion on debt.  Debt is a very big topic, and deserves more time than just one episode.  In episode 3 I talked about how a person cannot become financially free until they get out of debt, and a person cannot get out of debt until they stop creating debt.  This means that a person must stop spending money they do not really have.  The cycle of spending and borrowing must be stopped.  I discussed credit card use with several emails from fans, and explained that I don’t like credit cards because they encourage us to spend money we don’t have.  When we continue to spend what we don’t have, we get buried in debt.  I recommend using debit cards, as they only allow us to spend what we have.  If we don’t have it, we shouldn’t spend it.

What does the Bible tell us about debt?  Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”  This verse very accurately describes what I discussed in episode 3.  First, let’s be clear that most true millionaires do not have personal debt.  Before a person can become rich, they have to become debt-free.  Once a person is debt-free, their savings begins to grow and they become financially free.  The poor generally carry numerous debts, and so can never gain financial freedom because they are held back by their debts.

Proverbs 22:7 states, “the borrower is servant to the lender,” and I couldn’t agree more.  Credit cards are a harsh master, and any mistake that we make, such as a late payment, results in stiff penalties like fees and interest rate hikes.  Have you read your credit card statement carefully?  By paying the minimum payment you will remain in debt for years, and this is just another form of servitude.  When the fees and interest are compounded on credit cards and other debts, the result is that the consumer pays several times what they actually borrowed.  This goes for most loans, from student loans, to mortgages, to car loans.  Therefore, debt is a way of committing yourself to years of service paying someone else.  Why not cut up those credit cards, stop spending, and start paying yourself?

Posted on

Financial Freedom Prayer

By Felix A. Montelara

Author: Potential Millionaire

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
My Angel

Are you feeling financially broken?  Does a lack of money cause stress in your life and arguments between you and loved ones?  Do you find your mind wandering to thoughts of how you will make your utility payments, grocery bills, or other financial obligations when you should be focused on other tasks?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to really lift these worries up to God in prayer. Prayer? You would probably tell me that you pray about this all the time. But I challenge you to be truthful with yourself right now.  What are you really asking God for?  Are you asking for more money, less bills, miracles?  Are you asking because your’re at the end of your rope, or because you’re at the beginning of your climb? You see, it makes a difference.

How are you approaching God right now, in this moment?  Is it in desperation, or in communication?  Communication, my friends, is what we need right now with God- and that involves you asking, and then listening to His answer.   Allow me to suggest a new prayer for your financial life- one that asks for instructions.  Let’s go to God in communication, asking for direction and listening for the response.  In addition, it may be time to involve the other people in your life who are affected by your money stress: your spouse, children, or other family members.  Be open with them, begin the conversation about money stress with letting them join in this prayer time.  Let the topic end there- sleep on it and listen to God’s response in your life.
Let’s begin with a quiet reflection on the Bible in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”
Leader: Holy Father, we come to you as children, as students needing guidance.  We lift up the concerns in our hearts, and ask for your divine guidance.  We pray to the Lord,
All: Lord hear our prayer.
Leader: Holy Father, give us the courage to speak openly and honestly to each other about our money issues, and help us to be calm and caring in our conversation.  We pray to the Lord,
All: Lord hear our prayer.
Leader: Holy Father, humble our hearts and remind us that your son, Jesus Christ, came from the poorest of beginnings but was still the King of Kings.  Teach us to live within our means, to budget our funds, and to spend wisely on what we truly need. We pray to the Lord,
 
All: Lord hear out prayer.
Leader:  Holy Father, forgive us for our mistakes, and help us to forgive each other.  Release us from the burden of debt we have unwisely chained to ourselves.  Release us from our anxiety about money.  Release us from the tension that strangles our relationships.  We pray to the Lord,
All: Lord hear our prayer.
Leader:  Holy Father, make our minds and hearts still so that we can listen to your instructions.  Guide us to make good decisions, be with us when we choose, let us hear your council.  We pray to the Lord,
All: Lord hear our prayer.
Leader:  Thank you, Holy Father, for this time together.  Let this moment be a new beginning.  Let this moment cleanse us and heal us.  Let us breathe in your spirit and let us pick up our cross, knowing, Father, that you help us carry it.  In Jesus’ name we pray,
Financial Freedom Prayer
Posted on

Is it Christian to want to be a millionaire?

By Felix A. Montelara, Author: Potencial Millonario

This is a question that has come up in my email and phone conversations.  If a Christian wants to be rich, is he or she serving two masters?  We are all familiar with the Biblical texts (for example Luke 16:13) which council that we cannot serve two masters, and if we try we will end up taking sides: pitting one against the other in our hearts and actions.  With this strict advice and warning, we must be careful to examine just what we are doing when we strive to fulfill the Potential Millionaire in all of us.

Let me make it clear:  I do not want you to serve God and money.  I want you to serve God, and let your money serve you.  I firmly believe that God sets before all of us wonderful opportunities every day, and these opportunities can lead us to great wealth and well-being.  We must recognize them, choose them, and be thankful to God for them.  The personal finance strategies that I recommend and employ are really stewardship principles, in which I am helping you recognize, understand, and avail yourselves of the opportunities that God sets before you every day.  It is through this process that we all realize the Potential Millionaire status that God sets at our table- we must choose His blessings in order to manifest this lifestyle for ourselves.  By serving God, by making him number one in our lives, we become aware of his teachings, blessings, and actions in our lives.  That’s when doors start opening in our financial future.
Money is a gift from God, and we must make it serve us in a God-like way.  We must never become greedy, take what is not ours, or act at the expense of others.  Money is a powerful tool with which to serve others, help those less fortunate than us, and spread the Word of God.
Related articles
Translate »