|
|
|
| Enjoy the blessings that come from the Law of Reciprocity. Give to CBN. |
| |
|
FAITH AND MONEY
'... And Every Bill Was Paid'
By Dory Nissen
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– It started as a simple knee and shoulder injury due to an accident on the job. But devoted husband and father Matt Feriani nearly died when anti-inflammatory drugs triggered bleeding in his stomach.
His wife Kellie says, “I just prayed to God this would not be what his outcome was, and He would not let something like that happen to our family -- not something that devastating.”
After months of blood transfusions, Matt pulled through. He began the long process of recovering with lots of time on his hands. Matt started thinking about his life.
“I believed in God. I knew I was saved but I was not leading my family the way I should have been,” says Matt.
Matt decided to live like the Christian he claimed to be. He prayed that God would show him how.
“He showed me that I need to step up and show my wife and children that we need to go to church. We need to be a family unit, and we need to turn everything over to God and let Him handle it.”
One thing Matt knew he needed to hand over to God was finances. Matt was now supporting his family on a short-term disability check, and doctors could not predict when he’d return to work.
But God was about to use The 700 Club to teach Matt an important lesson about money and faith.
“I was sitting on the couch, and I never watched TV, but I flipped through the channels and the first person I flipped to was Pat. They were talking about tithing.”
Pat read from Luke 6:38: “Give and it will be give.”
“Next thing I know I’m on the couch again, I flipped the channel, and I came to another show talking about tithing,” says Matt. “Now that’s what the Lord says and it’s true. I said, ‘OK, Lord, this is exactly what I need start doing.’”
Matt explained to Kellie what he had learned on The 700 Club. They sat down and made a strict budget, starting first with their tithe. On paper, they always came up short. But somehow each month they paid every bill!
“If you try to explain it to someone and put it on paper, it’s not going to work. You can’t look at that piece of paper,” says Matt.
Matt decided to test God’s promise and give over and above their tithe! The Ferianis joined The 700 Club, and still paid every bill!
But the family’s biggest challenge was yet to come. Eventually, Matt went on long-term disability, which meant an even smaller check. But Matt was confident the Lord wanted him to continue giving the same amount.
“It was scary to know that I was going to take another cut but I had a peace about it.”
Throughout Matt’s entire disability, the Ferianis never missed a bill! After two years, Matt returned to work. And did he have a story to tell his friends!
“It was an awesome thing to know I could go back to work and give my testimony even to people who had not received Christ. But they would listen because it was an ordeal that happened on the job. Hopefully I could use that testimony to bring more people to Christ.”
He also has a message for anyone facing money problems.
“I was scared. I didn’t know if it was going to work. But if you trust the Lord, pray about it, get on your knees with your wife and family, and give that problem over to God completely, you will have so much peace about what He wants you to do that you’ll do it on faith and not worry about it AT ALL!”
The Ferianis saw the rewards of applying the Law
of Reciprocity -- "Give and it shall be given to you"
-- by giving
to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your
dollars bring truth to hurting people, feed and clothe needy children,
keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines
operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provide medical care
to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become
a CBN partner today!
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
|