CityView Magazine

Discover CityViewNC.com's fresh updated look! | 15 them into exile. A highway would be prepared. Nothing would stop His purposes. He would rescue His people from slavery in exile and return them to His presence and care. All this happened in the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist prepared a highway for Jesus. He proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He called Israel to prepare for someone much greater, whose shoes John was unworthy to touch. Just as we can say one line from a movie ("Luke, I am your father...") and evoke a whole familiar world of meaning, John the Baptist, by quoting Isaiah 40:3, does the same. Jesus came to deliver us from exile, not only in Babylon or Rome, but also our exile into sin and physical death away from the presence of God. Deliverance from exile isn't the end of the story. Israel didn't think she had arrived in the promised land aer she crossed the sea out of slavery in Egypt and neither should we. We need to learn new ways of living as a free person in Christ, to follow and listen to God's voice on a long journey into the new land of Christ, to sustain ourselves with "spiritual food and spiritual drink" (1 Corinthians 10:3- 4) along the journey, and to live in unity, holiness and love with our new spiritual family (the body of Christ – the church) whom God has made our fellow-travelers through a common baptism into Christ. is new year, quit getting whupped by the devil. Don't let Jesus' victory go to waste and don't think you've arrived just because you're baptized. In Jesus, all heaven has broken loose. Now learn how to fight and apply the fruit of Jesus' victory. Elijah Lovejoy is the pastor of Resurrection Church in Hope Mills McFadyen & Sumner, CPAs PA Certied Public Accountants 572 Executive Place, Fayetteville • 910.323.3100 www.mscpas.com • facebook.com/mcfadyensumner Tax Friendly Ways to Pay for Health Expenses There are various tax-advantageous ways to pay for health care expenses. The following helps explain the difference. Health Savings Account (HSA): If you're covered by a qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you can contribute pretax income to an employer-sponsored HSA or make deductible contri- butions to an HSA you set up yourself. (2018 contribution limits are $3,450/single, $6,900/family, plus $1,000 more if you're 55 or older.) HSAs can bear interest or be invested, and earnings are tax-deferred. Withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax- free, and you can carry over a balance from year to year. Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA): With or without an HDHP, you can contribute pretax income to an employer-sponsored FSA, up to the employer-set limit (cannot exceed $2,650 in 2018). FSA funds can be used for qualified medical expenses. What you don't use by the plan year's end, you generally lose. (Your plan might allow you to roll over up to $500 to the next year – or give you 2½ months to incur expenses that use the previous year's contribution.) If you also have an HSA, your FSA can only fund certain "permitted" expenses. Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): An HRA is an employer-sponsored arrangement that only your employer can contribute to, and it reimburses you for medical expenses. No HDHP is required, any unused portion typically can be carried forward to the next year, and there's no government-set limit on contributions. Keep in mind that these plans could be affected by new health care or tax legislation. Contact McFadyen & Sumner, and we'll be happy to discuss these plans. We can also help with other tax and financial matters. As a leading edge CPA firm, McFadyen & Sumner offers a full range of accounting and financial services to help you get the most from your business for your family.

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