nc/sd February 2012 — Good News, etc. — 17 business


in regards to finances, is often confusing and debatable. The uniqueness of one’s financial situation along with the count- less books, classes, friendly opinions, and professional approaches don’t allow for defined paths. Each month in this column, my goal is


T


to help you establish a foundation through trustworthy principles in the pursuit of true prosperity. As a financial planner, I absolutely am not


here to say that everyone needs a financial professional in every situation. Counsel is often more appropriately received through books, classes, trusted friends or family members, and certainly and above all, from God Himself. I do also know that professionals, in many cases, can share ex- perience, time, dedicated expertise, and an objective view of one’s unique situation. Based on everything said above, I’m


not going to try to recommend how you should receive counsel. Hopefully, here, I can provide you a starting point for clari- fication and a few resources that I think generally agree with the principles of this column in helping you sort through the uniqueness of your situation to obtain appropriate counsel. Shortly after my wife and I got married,


we participated in a Crown Financial Ministries small group study organized through our church. It was one of the best things we did for our marriage for three primary reasons: 1. We established goals and a plan. 2. We established a scriptural foundation


that guides our every question, hurdle, and disagreement. 3. We went through it together, ad-


dressing differences, and setting a course of unity. Many churches in San Diego County offer financial education from Crown to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace to proprietary courses such as The Rock Church’s Rock Financial Life. Because these ministries are generally offered in classes or small groups, they can help to establish that foundation if you’re committed to the work and open to doing it God’s way. Books such as Ron Blue’s Master Your


Money and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover also are good foundation-setters. As you move toward targeted subjects (and possibly new ideas), a strong foundation can help decipher direction — but also separate the helpful from the harmful. Remember, news and media and even books and classes provide information, not advice. Your personal filter of applicability and truth must be in tune. The same applies with people. The world


is not short on assertive people with stead- fast opinions. Separate information from advice that pertains to you. Advice from trusted family or friends can be invaluable (as well as inexpensive). A trusted coun- selor in this manner should not be afraid to say the truth even if it’s not what you want to hear, nor should you shy away from hearing it. Both parties also should recog- nize limitations in terms of knowledge or experience on certain topics. Be careful not to lump financial profes- sionals into one bag because, like a trusted


he wise seek counsel. It’s scriptural truth that is difficult to argue. How to obtain counsel, however, specifically


“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 (NIV) Navigating the maze of financial counsel Is the economy the biggest issue?


PROSPERITY ANTHONY SAFFER


friend, no person can know everything. An adviser who recognizes his or her role and is open to collaboration is a plus. Certain professionals are transactional and others focus on an ongoing advisory relationship. As an example, the difference might be seen in someone who solely prepares taxes vs. a tax adviser to whom you could turn for tax-related advice any time of the year. Neither is wrong, but it’s important to know what you have and what you want if you’re searching. Certain fields, like real estate and mortgage professionals, tend generally to be more transactional. In other cases, like tax or investment professionals, the scope of the relationship could depend on the specific professional and the agreed upon objectives. Advisory relationships tend to be appro-


priate for people who have an established foundation and need ongoing personal counsel and collaboration. On the other hand, many people of various means and objectives call on professional counsel to buy and sell houses, take out loans, and complete tax returns. Kingdom Advisors (www.kingdo- madvisors.org) is a solid resource to find in-depth biblically-trained professional advisors of various financial disciplines. For a developing list of church-offered financial classes, check out the San Diego Community section of the Kingdom Advi- sors website: (www.kingdomadvisors.org/ branch_sponsors.asp?branchid=SAN). The wise seek counsel, so set out to estab- lish the path that is right for you…and that


is just one more Principle of Prosperity! o


Anthony Saffer, CFP of Coleman & Johnson


Financial Advisors, Inc., coordinates prin- cipled financial solutions for families. He can be reached at (619) 282-3288. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Financial Network Investment Corporation.


meetings


Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International www.Godbiz.com


Dinner meetings first Monday of month


Business Prayer - www.northcoastcalvary.org First Monday of month 6:30 p.m.


www.ChristianExecutiveOfficers.com e-mail: president@christianexecutiveofficers.com. Breakfasts on second Friday of month


Men With A Purpose - (619) 222-3688 Lunch meetings, third Thursday of month


Professional Women’s Fellowship www.pwfsd.org


Breakfast/lunch alternating, fourth Thursday of month


CBMC – Connecting Business Men to Christ www.sdcbmc.com


Four locations in San Diego Business Men’s Fellowship


www.BMFSanDiego.com or (760) 644-7210 Chapter breakfast meetings, various days & locations


PRINCIPLES OF


By ROBERT ALAN WARD It seems that the consensus of opinion


among many conservative political pundits is that we should emphasize the economy in trying to win the 2012 election in order to attract moderates. Those of us who hold to a biblical worldview are advised to keep quiet, putting “less important” moral issues on the back burner. Perhaps that might be the best strategy


for winning an election, but is the premise that the moral issues are less important correct? Those of us who read our Bibles know that God judges nations as well as individuals.


GUEST COMMENTARY “The wicked will return to Sheol, even


all the nations who forget God.” (Psalms 91:17) But here I want to make an argument


that even those who don’t read God’s Word might understand. Succinctly, I am going to argue that there is a direct correlation between moral issues, such as abortion, and our economy, which is being undermined by our runaway national debt. How so? Those of us who follow Christ under-


stand that this world is not our home. In this world we have tribulation as we strive against sin and death. Along with Abraham, we are “looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:10) We seek “the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1) Such a “next world” focus has a pro-


found effect on the way we live our lives on this earth. We understand that in God’s order of things “the bitter comes before the sweet.” We work before we play. We save and then buy instead of borrowing. We wait for marriage before we have sexual relations. We work at marriage instead of bailing out when the relationship becomes difficult. At least, that’s the way we’re sup- posed to be living. Such a lifestyle makes us disciplined, solid, wholesome, creative, and powerful. I would argue that the reason we have


an astronomical national debt is because as a nation we have turned away from that “next world” focus in favor of a “pleasure now” lifestyle. Therefore we can’t live within our budgets, either as individu- als or as a nation. We’re too used to easy,


instant pleasure, without thinking of the consequences down the road. Abortion comes out of that same “plea-


sure first” thinking. We can’t wait for mar- riage, so suddenly there’s an unwanted pregnancy. A baby would inhibit our indulgent lifestyle, so we follow the path of least resistance. Now here’s the crux of the question.


Is it possible for us as individuals or as a nation to become fiscally disciplined without also practicing moral discipline? Can we genuinely get a handle on our financial problems and still go our merry way in the moral areas? Can an indulgent people withstand the pain of prolonged fiscal discipline? Most thinking Americans understand


that there must come a “day of judgment” for our country if we cannot get our fiscal house in order. Is it not consistent that there must also come a day of judgment for nations and for individuals who turn away from God’s moral laws? The outstanding characteristic of our


present day culture is the lack of the fear of God. That is why we have rampant in- debtedness, abortion, divorce, homosexu- ality, crime, deteriorating schools, riots, and general disrespect in our treatment of other people. We who follow Christ must take the lead in reversing the trend. We are charged with walking “the narrow path that leads to life” ourselves and then calling our nation back to sanity in all areas of life, including the fiscal and the moral. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” (Psalms 33:12a) Ultimately, we cannot rightly blame our


leaders for the mess in which we have gotten ourselves. Indulgent people elect indulgent leaders. As for myself, I cannot in good conscience vote for any candidate for any office who espouses fiscal conser- vatism, but who thinks that moral laxity is fine, even if the alternative is someone who has liberal views in both areas. To suppose that we can right our financial ship without repenting of our immorality is akin to thinking that polishing the brass will save the Titanic.


o Robert Alan Ward is a playwright with 13


published titles to his credit. He is married, with four children and 11 grandchildren. He lives in Escondido where he is a member of Escondido Calvary Chapel.


PLNU ranks third in state in CPA exam pass rate Point Loma Nazarene University had the third highest pass rate in California on the


2010 certified public accountant (CPA) exam, according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). PLNU was No. 1 among private and Christian universities. PLNU graduates also had the highest average score on the exam. The University of California, Berkeley, ranked No. 1 with a 60.2 percent pass rate and


UCLA took the second spot with 58.6 percent. PLNU was just a tenth of a point behind UCLA with 58.5 percent. USC was fourth and Chapman University was fifth.


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