David Crank - Godly finances and the Bible way to pay off your home

Special Dedication

To my Heavenly Father Who never lost faith in me when so many did.

To my mother, Maxine Crank, whom I love, but now a resident of that Celestial City.

To Harold and Karen Black whose middle name is "Faithful to Service. "

To my lovely wife, Sharon, "Joy of My Life."

To Jesus Who knows me and still loves me.

From The Author

Sharon and I knew people were hurting, but until we started broadcasting television on July 14, 1984, via satellite across the country, I didn't realize how many people were hurting. Letters began to pour into our ministry offices in St. Louis, Missouri, from the East Coast to the West Coast. We read each letter and literally wept because of the needs. We allowed the compassion to flow and to carry us over into intercession and groanings of the Spirit. We believe the direction came to share, by the miracle of the printed page, the truth of God's Word, because Jesus has paid the price for it.

Sharon and I have given our lives to come against one of the forces of hell... which is poverty, at all levels, spiritually, mentally, physically, and materially. A wise man once said, "It does no good to curse the darkness, but light a candle." We trust this work to be one of our candles and go from Glory to Glory with this Good News.

David Crank

FOREWORD

Thousands upon thousands of letters arrive each week at our ministry. Some contain the account of a glorious miracle that has taken place, and share how lives have been touched and transformed by God's healing power. A great portion of the mail also contains prayer requests for a variety of needs. Since this ministry is regarded as a healing ministry, I assumed that the majority of the prayer requests received would relate directly or indirectly to prayer for physical needs of healing and deliverance from bondage.

With such a large volume of mail arriving each week, I am not able to read every letter to determine what the people are saying and what needs are on their hearts. That is why I recently asked the individual who supervises our mail to provide a breakdown of the mail for me, outlining the three main types of prayer requests. I wanted to know if there was a common theme, and if so, I could address these areas on our daily television program, "This Is Your Day!"

I was rather surprised at the results of the inquiry. A much larger number of prayer requests than I expected were for financial needs. In addition, a significant amount of letters and telephone calls also requested prayer for family relations and for healing.

Gods Promises For Blessing

The Word of God has much to say about the blessings promised to those who love God and walk in His ways. The Bible is filled with many wonderful promises of blessing for God's children, and these promises pertain to every area of life.

The Bible says that "God is not a respecter of persons." Therefore, the promises contained in God's Word are available to you. You can experience God's blessings in every area of your life. But to experience God's blessings, you must know what His Word promises.

So many believers are missing out on the life of blessing that our loving heavenly Father longs to bestow upon His children. A recent poll in U. S. News & World Report reported on the relative happiness of Americans with various aspects of their lives. On a scale 1 through 10, with 1 being lowest and 10 being highest, Americans gave their happiness with their financial situation a score of 5.98. Any score lower than 7 was deemed to denote "relative unhappiness." This is not what God intended for you and me.

You can experience freedom from financial bondage, and know what it is to know "no lack". God's Word offers many promises which deal with "sufficiency in all things". "All things" includes your finances!

Godly Finances is a wonderful book which I discovered in the mid 1980s . From the first time I read this book, it was a blessing to me for its pages contain great wisdom along with truth from God's Word. Not only has this book been a source of blessing to me personally, but it has also proven to be a tremendous help whenever I have taught on this topic from my pulpit.

I am confident that God is more eager to bless us than we are to receive that blessing. So many scriptures in the Bible record the promises of God and His desire to bless us.

I have experienced the reality of God's blessings in the area of my finances. And it's glorious to be free from financial debt and bondage and begin to know what it is to have "no lack".

Godly Finances presents a very balanced message and practical principles which you can begin applying today... principles which will help to bring you out of financial bondage! This book also offers a first-hand perspective about finances because it represents the principles which the author, David Crank, has applied to his own life to bring about the financial freedom he now enjoys. He is a man of God whom I consider my friend, a man who loves God and walks in His ways.

I want you to know that same freedom and liberty regarding your personal finances. It is my prayer that the truths contained in this book will help you leave your "Egypt" of debt and bondage behind and walk into your "Canaan", a place overflowing with the blessings of God.

Benny Hinn August, 1996

Introduction

These few words of introduction, whether they be poetic or crude, will be from my heart. Unedited, unscreened by the stenographer or proofreaders . There is a burning desire on the inside of me to alleviate all the pain, hurt, and disappointment I can in the lives of everyone I can reach. I was raised in poverty and suffered under it in the alleys of a metropolitan jungle for many years. I was touched by what it did to me not only physically, but psychologically and emotionally through severe feelings of inferiority, timidity, and no self-worth. It left me a helpless, crippled orphan at the gate of a world, which for the most part cared very little, but the Good News came, Jesus with His lovely words,"... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (St. John 10:10). Please do not misunderstand me and what I am about to say as ego or pride. I was a drowning and God got me out of a garbage can and through these little chapters of my testimony. Reader, follow it like a road map. It has brought me self-worth and self-esteem.

I leave you to dive into this book with this one thought and scripture. I wanted out of poverty real bad. It has a special stench of its own. Use this book like a road map. It took me out. Do every word faithfully... it is the word of freedom. "I perceive God is not a respecter of persons." Hebrews 6:12 says, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Psalm 112:1-3

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly is his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

God Wants You Out of Debt

America today faces grave economic problems. According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1995, the Gross Federal Debt was estimated to be $4,961,529,000,000. Approximately 5 trillion dollars. In 1985, that same debt was recorded by statisticians to be $1,817,521,000,000 dollars, which was just under 2 trillion dollars. The interest accruing on the 1995 estimated 5 trillion dollars is approximately 15%, and the interest reported for that debt as of 1995 is growing at a rate of $2,054,790,000 (2 billion, 54 million, 7 hundred 90 thousand dollars) per day. The Gross Federal Debt per capita (per man, woman, and child) is now estimated to be approximately $18,000 ... up from the 1985 figure of $6,318.