CHAPTER ONE



GETTING THE GOOD KNOWLEDGE 101


{Biblical Financial Principle}
I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
Proverbs 4:11 (NLT)

Prayer for the 1st Day: Getting the Good Knowledge 101
My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 (NIV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
All-Knowing, All-Wise, All-Powerful Abba Father, Teacher, Preacher, Faithful Friend and Confidant! Our hearts are open for your love to begin. You love to share, you love to give, and you gave your only begotten Son to show us love so we can live. We love you God!
It has been said that, “knowledge is power”. It’s plain to see that the fear or reverence and total respect for you is just the beginning of our journey. When we move a little closer to you, we find that you are also the supplier of power. Please forgive our sins of omission in neglecting you and trying to make it by ourselves. We do not want to be alone. Real knowledge and power come only through you! You said no good gift will you withhold from us.
As we stretch our hands toward heaven we ask for you to fill us with the power of the Holy Ghost! Hallelujah! You said you will supply all of our needs. You never sleep or slumber. You’re an awesome wonder! So why should I keep on spinning my wheels, trying to get rich quick and wasting time on instant gratifications.
All I need is the love of my Savior, a real one-on-one relationship. You promised that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Given the infinite wisdom of God and the power of the Holy Ghost, we prefer not to be defeated, destroyed and left out in darkness for hell to swallow us up. We want to study and pass the tests on the Heavenly Team! Right now Lord, please bless the minds of those that are studying your word, and those that are teaching and preaching the gospel with a special anointing.
We give glory, honor and praise to our heavenly instructor who himself has never failed. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge and power to boast to the world how good you are and how you want us all deployed with knowledge and not destroyed and left behind.
It’s in the gracious, awesome, mighty name of Jesus Christ the Savior we pray, Amen!
• EXPECT YOUR MIRACLE TODAY
• PRAY FOR PEACE
• EXPECT TO BE TOTALLY DEBT FREE

The first step
GETTING THE GOOD KNOWLEDGE 101
The old adage of our parents in the 50’s and 60’s should have done us well: “If you can’t afford to pay cash for it…You don’t need it!” My father and my wife Leslie’s grandfather were men of these strong principles. I could easily tell because as I grew to my twenties and started to understand borrowing, I saw how they made sure if they borrowed, they paid it back, especially their homes. Yes, Willie Vines and James Samuel Madison (noticeably named after one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence and eventually a U.S. President) were definitely men of standard when it came to paying off a home mortgage.
As a child growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, I would watch the black-and-white television shows where families would have Mortgage Burning parties. Yes, these people were so excited and elated that they would celebrate by literally setting fire to this document that they sweated 10, 20 or 30 years to pay off. I didn’t understand what all the hoopla was about. I mean, it was just a piece of paper, but they gathered all their family and friends to make a big deal about it and have a party.
Well, I guess if I was more studious at the time, I could have done what my Momma and Daddy told me to do when I asked them what a word meant, “Go look it up!” But, as a young person, I wasn’t about to take the time to go off and look something up whenever I came across a word I didn’t understand, especially if I was only watching TV. Since I didn’t, so here we are. Maybe if I had looked up the word, my life would have been different. I possibly would not have learned by God’s discipline the experiences I’m about to share with you, nor would I have been able to write this book.

My Father’s Advice
My Dad cosigned for my first charge card. It was at our local department store called Montgomery Ward. I mostly paid the bill and never late because I had a part-time job, but I’d get an attitude when I saw that Daddy had opened the bill to look at the statement before me. I never said anything. I just thought that he had no right to do such a thing.
Now that I’m older and wiser, I understand that he had every right to do whatever he wanted with the bill. Legally, the cosigner is more responsible for a debt obligation than the signer. Without the co-signer there would be no extension of credit. I just wish he would have discussed it with me. Well, Daddy’s only advice on credit was given to me after Leslie and I had gotten married and we lived with my parents for about nine months.
When Daddy saw we got a J. C. Penney card, he said, “Why did you get that?” I made some sort of excuse because I really don’t remember why. Does that sound familiar to you? I mean I just got credit for no apparent reason. The last thing he said was, “Be careful!”