Summary of lessons learned from my story

1.When you are vulnerable and emotional, this is not the time to be seeking help from people you don't know, just because they state that they are a minister. Ask God to show you who to approach for help with a particular spiritual problem.

2. The gospel and its ministry is FREE. Yes, it costs money to run a ministry, but there shouldn't be a fee or a charge. Tithes and freewill offerings are what God uses to fund His Kingdom work, if His people would simply be cheerful and generous.

3.Don’t receive spiritual abuse, control and intimidation. If God was displeased with me for possibly being stingy or tightfisted, He wouldn't have needed to threaten me, He would have simply corrected me because i’m one of His children. Remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit so you can discern if you are being spiritually strong-armed. If you are indeed in error it is another (mature) believer’s responsibility to restore you in a spirit of meekness, not abuse (Galatians 6:1).

4.Co-signing for others very likely means that they have already ruined their own credit and cannot qualify to even finance a pack of bubble gum. I was chastended by the credit counselor who stated that co-signing is UNSCRIPTURAL (Proverbs 6)!

5. Sending personal information on that application that someone else can use to open credit over the phone or through the internet. The better thing to do would have been to complete it and mail it myself to the company. Also a fraud alert prevents credit from being opened in your name without additional security procedures, making virtually impossible for others to apply for cards without your knowledge.

6. Not challenging the lack of a signature line for a co-signer, meant i was sole signatory and responsible party. Good common sense is needed here to ask, “if this is a co-sign, where is YOUR signature supposed to go?”

7. Allowing a company to strong-arm you into making a payment when you are disputing charges. Doing so is an admission of responsibility.

8. Use your God-given discernment and heed God’s warnings (something I wished I’d done).
Ask God to heal you of the hurt and betrayal, etc of whoever committed fraud against you, and the merciless creditors who hound you day and night. Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you (Matthew 5:44 kjv, the other Bible versions don’t go into as much detail).