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“It was tremendously stressful, not knowing how to make ends meet -- having to apply for welfare, living with relatives,” says Raji Rykert. “And just the struggle of not knowing how our income was going to come together.”

The early years of marriage were not easy for Raji and Mattias Rykert. Mattias was a struggling musician, and although they were Christians who tithed faithfully, their monthly finances never seem to even out. The Rykerts say they soon realized their mistake. They were building their marriage on a mountain of credit card debt.

“At the time when we were living with the credit card consumer debt, God showed us there is a better way,” says Mattias.

Their first order of business? Cut up the credit cards.

“It was a real step of faith,” explains Raji. “[Credit cards] had been our lifeline, our safety net. But we made that decision and cut up the credit cards. [Afterwards] we found other ways to be resourceful, and the Lord met our needs.”

Almost immediately Mattias got a job teaching, which finally pulled a steady salary and benefits for his family. But God had something bigger in store for the Rykerts. Mattias says he learned it through Pat Robertson’s book, The Secret Kingdom.

“In that book, there were different principals that I was going to apply to my life,” he says. “I started with principals like perseverance. That was where I first heard of The 700 Club, through that book.”

Although money was tight, the Rykerts felt God wanted them to give over and above their tithe. So they joined The 700 Club.

“God was so faithful to us,” says Raji. “And whether we gave $1 or $10, He saw our gifts. He knew our intent was to GIVE!”

With their giving on the rise and their debt under control, the Rykerts decided to launch into a real estate venture. God sent people into their lives who helped them make wise purchases. Soon they owned several lovely Southern California homes, while they lived in a refurbished garage, waiting for their rental business to turn a profit. It did!

“There is risk in all good things. We were willing to take that risk,” says Mattias.

“I remember Pat teaching debt relating to business,” says Raji, “[about] debt not being sin if you are using that as seed money to generate the bigger picture. Not consumer debt, we need to make that distinction. This was leveraging ourselves for the sake of business.”

Mattias remembers the parable about the talents. “At the beginning, it seemed we only had half a talent. But as we’ve been faithful with the money (talent) God was giving us, it seems, at each step, God was revealing more and more, so we could do something more with the money we were to have.”

Instead of the garage, the Rykerts now live in one of their beautiful properties. They continue to rely on prayer to make wise real estate purchases and to give their tithes and offerings as their profits increase. Raji has a message for anyone too nervous to step out on faith and get serious about getting out of debt.

“I would encourage them to go to the Lord in prayer,” she says. “Be honest with God and tell him your fears. Then, take that first baby step. And if they can get to that, God will meet them beyond their wildest expectations.”

God cares about you and your daily needs, just as He cares about Raji and Mattias. The Rykerts discovered the truth of God’s Law of Reciprocity: as we pour our tithes and offerings into God’s work, He gives back to us abundantly! God wants to bless you too.

One way you can give to the Lord’s work is by giving to CBN. Your gifts will reach around the world with a message of hope and a tangible expression of God’s love, bringing food, clothing, medical aid, and so much more to those in need. Please join with us today.