SP True Stories: Crazy cool surprise for first-time home buyers

A few months ago, we became aware of a house that was for sale by owner in our neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac.  Our son John and wife Cheryl, have been looking for a house for several years, but had hit some ‘roadblocks’ to that desire.  John called the owner, an 83 year old widow, who was asking $95K for the house.  Upon our walk-through, to our surprise, the owner informed us that she had reduced the price to $87K.  It was getting more interesting all the time!  We realized we could do the necessary upgrades in this house for a reasonable amount of money and some elbow grease, making this a very attractive purchase for a first time home owner.

John and Cheryl didn’t have money to work with, but miraculously God orchestrated  a completely unexpected $20,700 gift to them that very day.  The contributors quickly agreed that gift should be used to pay off all student loans… and then asked if they could finance John and Cheryl for the full amount of the purchase (plus $5K to make immediate repairs) at an interest rate of 1 point below the prevailing market rates.

This sudden development all happened within 23 hours.  There are actually more crazy cool details, but the fact is; John, Cheryl and family now live in their ‘new’ home… just one block from our residence.

— MLH

SP True Stories: The case of the gold coins

A good friend gave me a couple $1 US gold colored coins many years ago.  They became to me, a significant tangible installment of a position of faith, not unlike Peter’s gold coin in the fish’s mouth.

Over the years I’ve purchased and given away 100s of ‘gold’ coins as a means of imparting faith in people’s hearts to believe for God’s full provision.  Earlier this year, someone gave me $1000 specifically to purchase 1000 more coins to give away to 1000 more people.  Think of it, God gives us more so that we can give more away.  Is that cool or what?!  He really loves to ‘dance’ with us.

Then a few months ago I gave 5 ‘gold’ coins to a friend and his family who were on a very intentional faith journey with God.  We prayed for them and prophesied over them and sent the on their way.  In the next few months God blessed them in many different ways, much more than they could have ever imagined.  In fact, at one point someone gave them 39 real gold coins.  Just recently, that friend sent me four of those real gold coins, valued about $250 US each.

What a deal!  You start out with God giving you two little coins… you catch the ‘vision’… then start giving away hundreds of these $1 gold colored coins… God blesses you with greater means to give away more… then He ups the stakes by giving you real gold!

He’s definitely better than we ever thought!!!

— MLH

SP True Stories: Worst times of my life yield unexpected inheritance

From a friend:

Earlier this year I was at a conference when the speaker read Deut 15:1-3 from the Message Translation.  That passage ends with, “All debt is cancelled, GOD SAID SO!” 

Upon hearing this, I had an awesome feeling wash over me and I just started thanking God.  Tears rolled out of my eyes. I knew that verse was for me.

Three weeks later, I received an unexpected letter from an attorney stating that I had received an inheritance of $22K from a foster dad that I had when I was 9 years old.  I had no contact with those foster parents until recent years, when the man contacted me a few times… then when he passed away, I attended his funeral.

When I heard the news, I heard God say, “I was thinking about you from before the foundations of the earth.”  This impacted me so deeply that I just sat there and cried.

This was the period of my life when I was so angry and bitter that I made life miserable for many people.  These were the worst moments of my life.  I was in five foster homes and a group home and an all girls school by my senior year.  All my brothers and sisters had been taken away from me… so I rebelled.  This couple only had me in their home for 6-9 months… and I was horrible the whole time.

The stunning news is that without my knowledge, they had put me in their will.  I was so moved that they were just foster parents and had NO obligation to leave me anything… hard to believe.  I am not sure I would have left me anything.  Yet God put it on their hearts to keep loving me.  During my worst days, God was beginning a debt-cancelling inheritance.  What a picture of Papa God’s love!

DF/MN