March 31, 2021

The Journey to Easter: “What is Truth?” and Jesus

It was before 9am that “Good Friday” morning when Jesus was brought to Pontius Pilate. Pilate’s wife knew Jesus was innocent.

“‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release the king of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘No, not him! Give us Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.” –John 18:38-40 NIV

Pilate’s three-word question of “What is truth?” is a question I find myself asking over and over. As we experience the different issues in our country, much of the outcomes are based on opinion versus Truth.  We are living today what Jesus did then. And Jesus is “the way, the Truth, and the Life.” John 14:6.

Pilate thought Jesus would go free. Guess what Barabbas means in Aramaic? “Son of Abba.” Barabbas means “Son of the Father.”

Friend, each of us is a son (or daughter) of the Father. That means all of us. We are Barabbas. Like Barabbas, Jesus was our substitute. He died for you. He died for me.

Sadly, some of the same people who waved palms of the crowd singing “Hosanna!” were the same peer pressured crowd who cried “Crucify!” on Good Friday morning, resulting in the pierced palms of Jesus’ hands. May we not be as fickle in how we treat people.

Pilate then handed the badly beaten and scourged Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus began the agonizing climb to Calvary or Golgotha, the Place of the Skull.

“Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: ‘JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS…’ (John 19:18-19 NIV).

The criminal on one side of Jesus threw insults at Him asking if He were Christ, why didn’t He save Himself and them? The other criminal feared God and rebuked the other criminal, saying Jesus had not done anything wrong. The criminal humbly said,

“Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.’ Jesus answered  him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise. ‘ “ (Luke 23:42-43 NIV).

As the excellent Leader Jesus is with profound discernment, He appreciated the thief’s humility and extended amazing, matchless grace and love to the thief. He gave Him the gift of eternal life, moments before they both breathed their last breaths on this earth.

Like the two thieves, one on each side of Jesus, we are given a choice. Perhaps that’s why there were two criminals being crucified beside Him– not one, not five, but two–because of THE choice.

To accept Jesus as our King of King and Lord of Lords or not.

To ask Jesus to remember you in His Kingdom or not.

To hurl insults at Jesus or honor Jesus with humble praises.

Have you humbly asked for Jesus to remember you as His and to join Him in the paradise of eternal life? Friend, if not, there’s a simple prayer at the bottom to pray and make the most important decision of your life.

“…Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit.” –John 30b NIV

The Greek word “Tetelestai” means “It is finished.” During New Testament times the word “Tetelestai” would have been stamped or written on business documents or receipts to indicate that a bill had been “Paid in Full.” The connection between this common business transaction stamp and the Ultimate Transaction Jesus accomplished on the cross was conveyed crystal clear in the Gospel of John with Jesus’ words.

Sweet friend, you are so loved. Jesus extended tremendous grace and love to us all. He paid a sin debt He did not owe because we owed a sin debt we could not pay.

Friday’s here, but Sunday’s comin’! Happy Resurrection Day!

Recharge:

If you would like to welcome Jesus as the King of your life, pray with me this simple prayer:

Dear God, I need You. I am humbly calling out to You. I’m tired of doing things my own way.

Help me to start doing things Your way. I invite You into my life to be my Lord and my Savior.

Fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole.

Lord, help me to trust You. Help me to love You.

Help me to live for You. Help me to understand Your grace, mercy and peace.

Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. 

Congratulations! Send me an email to danya.jordan777@gmail.com, and I’ll send you a free devotional book to encourage you in your new faith journey! 🙂

Reflect:

–What influence does a crowd make on decisions? Is the majority always right?

–Ask the question “What is truth?” daily. Remember that Jesus is the Truth and His Word is Truth.

–How are we like Barabbas?

–Which crucified criminal beside Jesus do you relate to?

–How have you received Jesus’ amazing grace and love recently?

Renew:

–Please read Psalm 22 and compare it to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John story of Jesus death and resurrection.

–“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations…They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn–for He has done it.” –Psalm 22: 27, 28, 31  (written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection).

–“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” –Isaiah 53:5-6 (written 700+ years before Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection).

–“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect.” –1 Peter 1:18-19

 

March 17, 2021

Treasure Talk 3:  How To Buy/Build Your Vacation Home or Investment Property 

 

Hi Friends! It’s been a minute (over a month) since I wrote the last message and Treasure Talk. With the start to Lent last month, I haven’t written as much.  I hope this last Treasure Talk blesses and encourages you before I send some Easter messages over the next few weeks.

I still can’t believe it. It’s been 12 years since Mount Sinai Cabin was built on a little less than an acre of land in Boone, NC. It’s been such a blessing. A friend of mine asked me to tell this story of how Mount Sinai Cabin came to be. I’ve never written this story down until now. 

Until 2020, my whole career I’ve lived on a non-profit salary. I learned to squeeze a dollar until it squeaked. My financial advisor Jody asked me the first time we met about 20 years ago, “What are your dreams?” I remember telling him about wanting a cash reserve, paying for my child (children’s) college, and also to buy or build a vacation home in Boone, NC  when I’m married and close to retirement. I almost flinched saying those words out loud, but he didn’t. He took copious notes and said “Good.” 

Every six months we met to review my small  investments and go over the progress toward those dreams. Friends, I hope two words encourage you as you invest–COMPOUND INTEREST. I would invest a small amount each month, but over time it adds up. 

During one of our review sessions in 2005, we got to the dream about “building a vacation home on Boone, NC when I’m married and close to retirement.” Jody looked at me and surprised me. He said “Why don’t you buy a piece of land now and build on it later?” I was shocked. The thought had never crossed my mind. I only thought it was possible AFTER I was married and close to retirement. 

“How much can I even offer to buy land?” He did some calculations and gave me a price range. I had no clue it that would even buy enough land to build a vacation investment home on. 

My friend in Boone provided a realtor’s name–Greg. I remember calling Greg and saying “I’m a single female, and I’d like to buy land.” So dorky. Anyway, when he asked the price range, I remember cringing when I told him the amount, thinking he may laugh. He didn’t. He said he’d pull some land listings up and email them to me. 

Two weeks later I was in Boone meeting with the realtor on a July 2005 Friday, and we looked at different land sites. The third one we looked at seemed right. It was slightly less than an acre, fully wooded and with a beautiful view of rolling hills and cows. I quietly prayed, “Lord, I have no idea what I’m doing. If this is Your will, make it peaceful and guide me each step or shut the door of opportunity.” 

I knew i was supposed to make an offer on the land. Greg contacted the other realtor to make an offer. A few hours later I received a call from Greg that the owners of the land wanted to meet me to hear my intentions of the land. It was such a sweet, peaceful meeting with them. We went back to Greg’s realty office on Main Street, Blowing Rock and drew up the offer letter. 

I headed back home down the mountain to Charleston. Greg called and they didn’t even counter my offer! Only God!

The closing was a smooth, peaceful process. The Lord guided each step. It is a miracle that this 34-year-old single lady on a non-profit salary could purchase land in another state that would one day hold a sanctuary called Mount Sinai Cabin. Some of you may know how much I love Moses as a leader in the Bible, which is where the name Mount Sinai comes from. I’ll tell you in the next Treasure Talk more about how much meaning it has for m.

I also love the story of the 12 spies in the Old Testament who Moses sent out to explore new territory of the Promised Land. Of the 12 spies, only Joshua and Caleb came back with positive reports. The other 10 spies focused on the giants of the land versus how amazing the land is.

“But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” –Numbers 13:30 ESV

 I love the courage of Caleb and Joshua, and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they were the only ones out of more than two million Israelites who were able to enter the Promised Land because of their faithfulness. Friend, we will always have giants in our lives, no matter what our “Promised Land” is. Keep going, friend. Have courage and keep going. 

In our next installment of  Treasure Talk after Easter, I’ll talk about the story and practical steps for how the Lord and I built Mount Sinai Cabin as a retreat sanctuary. It was built in the middle of the recession and has been rented out as an investment property for 11 years through VRBO and Airbnb. More to come, friend. 

February 10, 2021

Treasure Talk #2: Six Financial Tips To Help You Fulfill Your Dreams Faster

Hi Friend,

Thank you for the outpouring of encouragement about the launch to our Blessings Brokers Treasure Talk series. These stories, tips and resources AND mistakes are taken from 25+ years of investing on my own with the Lord’s leading. I’m a living testimony of someone who has saved a little bit of money and shaved a little bit of expenses at a time and shaved. It does pay off. It works. 

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. –Proverbs 13:11 ESV 

Here are six initial tips I learned and still live by to help you invest more, buy your home(s), and make your financial dreams come true:

  1. Spend less than you make. This may seem simple, but it helps to save extra money to have a reserve to buy a car or put a down payment on a home. Divide your expenses in three categories: 1. Tithing/giving, 2. Spending, and 3.Savings. I like how Ron Blue states it in his book, Never Enough. He states four categories: 1. Live, 2. Give, 3. Owe (taxes and debt), and 4. Grow.   (Soon I’ll include an easy Budgeting Worksheet for you to use.) 
  2. Avoid Debt and Pay It Down as Soon as You Can. If you put any purchases on a credit card, try to pay it off each month. If you have accumulated debt on more than one credit card or many thousands of dollars, pay off the lowest amount first. Once one credit card is paid off, apply that same amount to the next highest debt amount. I don’t like to use the words “always” or “never” very often. In this case I will.  ALWAYS pay down as much as you can to pay it off quicker. NEVER only pay the minimum amount. That’s how credit card companies snag you. Beat them at their own game.
  3. Pay your bills days or weeks before they are due. Late fees can add on to your bills if companies don’t receive your payment on the due date.  Paying bills on time highly increases your good credit score or FICO. FICO is an abbreviation for the Fair Isaac Corporation, the first company to offer a credit-risk model with a score. FICO score is simply named after its founders, Bill Fair and Earl Isaac. As you are looking to buy a home, buy a car, or any large purchase, they will always look at your credit score. This score affects your qualification, interest rate, etc.  If you do get a late fee, which I do on occasion if I pay my bill too close to the due date, simply call their Customer Service phone number and speak with a live person. Most times they have taken off my late fee because they know I pay on time most times. Especially during these  COVID-19 times, companies have grace. 
  4. Shave your expenses. Please try to avoid going to Starbucks and other $5/day indulgences. One Starbucks avoided a day equals at least $100+ per month saved. Also, making your own lunches and dinners to avoid eating out also saves money AND is healthier. Even only water to drink each time you eat out saves at least $4 a person each meal AND Is better for your health. Occasional treats are fun. It’s the daily indulgences. Even getting my monthly spa pedicures and manicures I have curbed in an effort to shave expenses.  A $10 bottle of nail polish is much more affordable for me to paint my nails myself. 🙂 
  5. Give your tithe and be generous in giving. Even when you are budgeting, please continue to give at least 10% of your gross salary to the church and other non-profits. It’s your first fruit to God, not the crumbs left over after all our other expenses. It is FUN to give to God and to other non-profits. We can’t outgive God. He will continue to bless you and SURPRISE you. Also, when you itemize your taxes, tithes and donations to 501© 3 organizations are tax-deductible.  Another added bonus is that you can find good furniture bargains at Habit for Humanity ReStore and support other similar organizations.
  6. Find and keep a good financial advisor. I would never have had the courage and confidence to make the investments I have if not for my amazing Ameriprise Financial Advisor Jody Hyden. He is also a Kingdom Financial Advisor, which is an organization of Christian financial advisors who teach Biblical stewardship. I started with my Financial Advisor over 20 years ago before I bought my first home.  Here is the website to find one for yourself: https://kingdomadvisors.com/

I’d love to hear what Financial tips are you using. What are your financial dreams? How are you doing. Please leave comments and let us cheer you on. We at Blessings Brokers would be honored to work with you to have your God-sized dreams become a reality.

Please share with your friends and follow us at @blessingsbrokers and @danyamjordan.

With these Treasure Talk tips and others, remember it’s not how much you make, it’s what you do with it. I pray and believe you will continue to thrive and give back.

In our next Treasure Talk #3, I’ll give the story and tips for how I bought land and built my second home investment property before I was 40 years old. I can’t wait to hear your stories. We are in this journey together. 

« Previous Page
Next Page »