By Richard Chiero
One can hardly escape the news that appears by the minute on radio, TV, the internet, in print, and around the water cooler, that there are quite a few people in trouble with their mortgages today. The reasons for why they are in that position are for another time and place. What I would like to focus on today is what to do if you are facing that threat.
The story I am about to relate happened to me a little over ten years ago.
The morning began as any other except that I was at a corporate meeting in the southeast, spending the week with the executive team for the Fortune 500 division I was a National Sales Manager for. By the end of that night as I flew back to southern California I had to carry the heavy load of knowing that my position with its salary, bonus, insurance, and perks had come to an end. It was a six figure gig. I had a substantial mortgage on a beautiful piece of property down Hwy. 15 towards San Diego. Five bedrooms, an addition as an office, hardwood floors, fireplace, lots of glass, tile roof, full size gazebo with footings, a built in pool, plenty of patio, eighteen six foot tall glorious rose bushes, and eighteen thirty foot tall slender cypresses. A massive fan palm stood in the front of the combination stucco and wood siding house. You get the picture. It was our dream home.
My mind was swirling with the thoughts of how I would tell my wife who was at home with our three small kids. All I knew at the moment was that with God all things are possible, and I was not going to fear, but I was going to choose to trust in Him to help us. The plane landed in Ontario after the combined 2 leg eight hour flight, and in the car to home I went.
That night I went on to bed never telling my wife what had happened. The following morning, coffee cup in hand, I walked out to the gazebo as I usually did when at home, sat in the comfy chair, and looked out to the pool, the roses, the mountains in the distance, drinking in the eucalyptus trees and all the rest as I gazed outward. I began to think of the Lord, and I said "Good Morning" to Him as I usually did, and then sat there saying, "Lord, you know what happened yesterday. I come in the name of Jesus and ask for your help. I know you gave this home to us Lord. It was something I had asked you for in prayer. You led us to it, and enabled us to buy it. I don't believe you want us to lose it, so help me God to understand what you want me to do. In Jesus name."
I stayed there for a while longer, praying and speaking to God, enjoying the scenery, all before anyone else was awake. Then I went to get a refill of coffee, and returned to that comfy chair. As I sat there alone, again I reflected on the Lord and the miracle that had taken place to get the house in the first place. I then began to sense the presence of God. In an instant, He began to speak to me softly, yet clearly with my eyes open looking towards the house,
"Richard, all that you see before you will not lose."
Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I stayed there a while weeping and thanking God for what He had said, and slowly collected myself.
I now had an assurance from God himself that we would not lose our home in spite of the current circumstances. I interpreted that to mean that God would supply a new position quickly, and restore the income stream, or that if need be, He would supply the resources. And I let it go for the moment.
Little did I know at the time that it would take another 14 months until the issue was cleared up. Nor did I know that through it, my wife and I would be stretched and challenged as a couple like never before, and would experience the power of God working in our lives personally.
The very first thing I did is what anyone else would have done, I began to look for a new position and try to get some sort of settlement out of my former employer. Generous to a fault, they gave me three weeks of severance pay. I also went and filed unemployment, not that I wanted to, but we figured what the heck. Unfortunately, the economy was down at that point in time, so jobs were not plentiful. Plus, what I had done previously revolved around an airport, which enabled me to live in the 'hinterland' so to speak, away from the congestion of Orange County. The downside of that was obvious; similar positions would be over 60 miles away.
I landed a consulting arrangement at the outset which paid me $2000 a month for a small time investment, and that coupled with unemployment gave us some income, though not enough to sustain everything. I came close, finishing second in a couple of high profile positions I interviewed for, but as you no second is not good enough. Time started to get chewed up. Weeks turned into months, and before I knew it I was six months out from my separation, with no answer in sight.
Around this time we switched churches, as the 60 mile one way trip into Orange County a couple of times a week was too much to bear. We found out about a tiny little church meeting in our home town on a lark, and determined to check it out the following week. The Pastor was a mid sized good looking guy my age with a penetrating look, and a fire in his belly. Kevin Brown was a full time Sergeant with the Santa Ana Police SWAT team, and a former USMC Provost. A tough hombre to be sure, with an equally fervent zeal for the word of God, and firm resolution against the works of darkness. He preached a strong faith filled message each week, and prayed with expectancy. It seems that he was just the man I needed to be around as we walked through our unfolding trial. We made him aware of our situation, and Kevin and his fiancée stood with us as we walked it out. He expected as I did, a sudden miracle - an unexpected financial blessing, an offer for a new position, to arise any day.
The consulting situation dried up, so I began to look for anything to bring in income. I sold cars, cleaned carpets, and tried unsuccessfully to sell various types of equipment on commission. Nothing seemed to fit and nothing brought in the amount of income we needed. Now ten months out from my separation, we were behind on our mortgage four months and the letters were starting to show up with their ominous messages. The pressure was on.
From day one, I had a daily routine which included praising the Lord, praying to God, and reading the bible. As the situation worsened, I increased that effort, and included fasting for various periods as I went. My wife was consistent with me in the 'stand for our home,' 'claiming the promises,' as we called it, while she managed to take care of all us on a meager budget. I studied passages on deliverance, prosperity, provision, supply, and all the rest, quoting them as I prayed. Each day I also 'broke the assignment of the enemy against us' in prayer, declaring victory in the name of Jesus over his works, and plans. Even though we essentially had no money, and could not pay major bills, our marriage was stellar, our children were happy and content, and out health was perfect. We just did not have enough money to turn back the tide against us.
Nonetheless, we pressed on, with me as husband and father carrying the larger portion of the prayer, fasting, and study of God's word by design, while working in various capacities for nominal pay. I still believed what God had spoke to me in the gazebo many months before, but there was no movement in our situation, or clarity as to where the answer would come from. Then, at a prayer meeting at my Pastor's house, I met Andre Cummins.
Andre Cummins was a big man in physical stature as well as a big man in the church circle he was apart of. Well known in the area, he was about my age, yet had pastored a church for over ten years. Gentle in nature, and quiet in speech, he was the antithesis of Kevin Brown.
We all joined and prayed for various things and people, each taking a turn while the others supported. He did not know me, nor did I tell him of my predicament. As we began to finish, he suggested praying for each of the men in attendance one by one. When it came my turn, the men prayed some then gave way as Andre moved closer to me. He began to pray then stopped, and said, "Brother Richard, the Lord has a message for you. The keys are in the house!" I popped my eyes open and looking right at him, said "Do you have any idea what that means?" Well, or course he did not, and I told him, "We are in foreclosure - they want to take back our house, and we have been standing on the word of God to deliver us!" He was amazed - he said he saw a house and the keys were inside, to his mind a clear picture that our home was our home and would remain that way. As I thought about it later on the way home, it occurred to me that it also might be a word which reinforces what we were doing in the house, that being the prayer, praise, and standing on the word of God. In other words, continue what you are doing. The keys to your success lie within the activities performed in that house.
Either way, I was emphatically encouraged and rushed home to tell my wife. We rejoiced together that God would speak to us personally about our situation through a complete stranger.
Still, a few more months went by with no resolution to our situation. I was working, but again not enough to stem the tide. Six months behind on the mortgage and the tone of the letters now drastic, it began to take a toll on both of us, While continuing the 'standing for our home' with all the fervency I could muster, I began to notice as my wife did, that the gleam in my eye was beginning to fade. I was becoming somewhat downcast, frustrated, and impatient. A friend of ours knew a Christian counselor and suggested I meet with him, which I did. Dave was an older man than I, with a big heart and an understanding presence about him. He was the kind of a guy you could talk to and feel comfortable with, to let your hair down with so to speak. In the church setting, there was an expectation that you would not waver in your faith, and frankly that was a good thing since you kept up the charge, but unfortunately you did not feel comfortable revealing your innermost fears. So seeing Dave was a good experience. He listened, expressed understanding and empathy, and reinforced the love of God to me. I needed that.
But then he did something unusual. Just as I was going to leave, he asked if he could pray for me, to which I said yes. As he prayed, he asked God to bless us and solve this situation we faced, all the while keeping our marriage and the kids safe. Then he paused and said, "Richard, I sense a call from God on your life. I believe God has a calling on your life for ministry." I was surprised at what he said, especially when you consider the source.
Dave was not one of the emotional types if you know what I mean, who often say they have a special word for you, which you have to be careful of. No, he was a solid, mature child of the King who had a track record of service. I told him that I had sensed that calling too, but was unsure as to what to do about it. He said "God will reveal His will for you in due time", and that was it. We shook hands and off I went. I told my wife about the meeting and what he had said which did not surprise her. But she did not understand what that calling might be either.
With six months in arrears piling up, and no reconciliation with the lender besides 'pay them', I continued to ask God for a way out. I then had this outrageous thought that what I should do is to appeal for help from the backer of the loan, the Veteran's Administration, since the house was purchased on the GI bill. So we composed a letter, went over our situation, and begged for help and sent it off. A short time later they contacted us saying, NO. We cannot help you, sorry. And that was that.
Still weeks later, I got an even crazier thought: I would write a letter to my congressman asking him if he could get any leverage with the VA in helping save our home. Two things happened quickly, 1), the letter from the congressman's office came back saying they contacted the VA on our behalf and were told they could not help us, and 2), the lender contacted us to say that we were now in official foreclosure, and posted a date by which we must vacate the house. This was early September, and we had to be out by November 11.
The phone began to ring, and mail began to show up from all types of firms offering to buy my house at a loss to save it, offering advice for hundreds of dollars, offering to buy it and then resell it to me, etc. We were amazed at the moxie and guile of some of these people. But clearly, we were in a jam, and now had a timeline attached to it. What did I do? I marched right back in to that prayer closet and fervently prayed to God for relief. I marched that length of that hardwood floor office hundreds of times, back and forth, back and forth, praying, thanking, and giving glory to God for his goodness, kindness, and power. You see my friend I loved that house. I guess a love or a passion is a prerequisite to achieve the reality of the verses from the bible in Mark 11:23 where Jesus says, "And whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them". I believed our house would be saved. I could not prove why except to point to the word of God. I had no natural proof. All I had were His promises, and a burning knowing in my belly that would not let go.
Onward we marched.
With time running out, we decided to compose another letter to our congressman, begging his office to look once more at our situation, and see if the VA might work with us. After we sent it off, all we could do was wait and pray. While in town one day I picked up the local newspaper as always, and turned over to the classifieds section, as was my pattern. Scanning the postings, I found nothing to get excited about and was about to put the paper away when I noticed a small box ad on the inside "About Town" section. It read, "Evangelist Coming to Town". Well, that caught my eye so I opened it up and read through the ad to find that an evangelist I had never heard of was coming to my little town in a few weeks and would be visiting for two nights. I looked it over again and whispered "Lord if you want me to go, prompt me" and forgot about it. I stuffed the paper in a file, just in case.
Two more weeks raced by with the deadline looming, now some 40 days away. On a Tuesday morning as I began to visit with the Lord in my office, I suddenly remembered the ad that the traveling evangelist had posted in the newspaper nearly a month ago. He was going to be in town on Thursday night, and I sensed that I should go, so I planned for it and asked my wife to join me. She could not make it, but I decided to attend anyways.
Thursday evening arrived and off I went to the service. The praise and worship was well done, and the moderate crowd that had gathered joined in for a wonderful time of praising the Lord together. Even though I did not know the evangelist, the songs they sang and the tempo of the service - the fervency of worship - was familiar and welcome. After an offering, the preacher himself took the microphone and began to preach a stirring message on the power of God to do the impossible. It was a good, solid, bible verse based word, with a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit. Then at the end, he paused and began to ask the Holy Spirit to speak through him in order to bless the people of God assembled. Then he began to point to people in the audience, and asked them to come forward. Each one that he did that to he had a specific word of God for. A word about healing, or about some struggle they were going through, a loved one in trouble, each time a specific, personal word. The content of what he said and how he said it was not fluff either. I have heard many a preacher generalize about people's lives, making you think it may be God breathed, but this man was clearly the real deal. He had spent time with the Lord, since it was apparent he operated in the spiritual gift of the 'word of knowledge.' Obviously, I waited with baited breath, hoping he would call me forward, but even though I waited until the very end, that call forward never came. Nonetheless, I was encouraged by the service and the word he spoke, and determined to return the following night.
Friday rolled around, and my wife and I decided to contact the office of our congressman to see if any progress had been made on our request. There was nothing new to report. The follow up to the initial inquiry had not been made by the office, but they assured us they would do so shortly. We prayed again for God's favor with them, and decided to call back next week.
The evening came, and after a little maneuvering, we were able to hire a sitter to watch the kids so my wife and I could go to the service. It began much like last night with wonderful praise and worship, and a very discernible anointing over it, and a sense of God's love and power. Once again, the preacher rose to speak the word and he did so with the same fervor as the previous night, extolling the greatness of God, pushing us towards higher levels of faith, and sharing stories of the power of God he has witnessed. As the preaching portion ended, once again he paused, and we joined him in asking for the spirit of Christ to come and bless His people. Calling people out by pointing to them, he spoke many words which seemed to really touch those to whom it was given, judging by their demeanor. As we rejoiced and cheered with those who had received instruction, healing, or some reassurance, I still hoped that we too would be called out. Just as I thought that the time was up, it was as if he scanned the room one more time to see if he had missed someone. Then he looked at me. Pointing at me he said, "You brother, Yes you. Come up here. Is that your wife? Have her come too." I was tingling all over as we moved to the front.
When we got there, the praise band was playing softly, the crowd was quietly worshipping, swaying as they stood, and the preacher - well, he looked intense. A tall man, about 40 years old, with jet black hair, and a slight southern accent to his voice, he said, "God has something for you", and he said nothing further. We stood a few feet away from him for what seemed like an eternity, but was only a minute. Then he said, "I see you claiming things. A building. A piece of property. And I do not know what you have in the works, but God says to you this night, IT WILL WORK!" He repeated that last portion again with emphasis, "GOD SAYS, IT WILL WORK!" And that was it.
We were absolutely floored. This guy, a man of God, a complete stranger had nailed it. He called out exactly what we had been claiming, describing it in detail, and then said that what we had in the works (the VA/Congressman plea) would work! We both began to weep and praise the Lord, just weep and praise the Lord. We later told him what was going on, and I am sure he was pleased not only for us, but that God had used him in such a mighty, specific way to bless the lives of others.
Now think of it - The God who created the universe. The God who sent His son to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. The God who loves us so with the love of a father, who sent the Holy Spirit to be our counselor and guide, as well as spiritual gift giver - that God - spoke to my wife and myself in that room through His servant, that evangelist. We were thrilled beyond compare. It was hard to sleep that night, what with the adrenaline rush we both experienced previously.
Now we wondered, what would happen next, and how much longer would this go. God will often times take you to the very end of your limit to test your faith. But we were determined to walk on as far as we had to, since we both were now convinced of what God's plans were.
The following week came and went - no change. The week after came and went - no change. Finally, on the third week after the service, we received a phone call from our congressman's office. It seems the VA had reconsidered our loan, and was pleased to inform us that they were going to issue a new loan to us at a lower rate, for a lesser monthly amount. All of this would take place in a week or two. We were thrilled beyond belief to hear this news, and the office of the congressman was equally thrilled. They said that they had never heard of anything like this ever happening before, and were very happy for us. We hung up the phone crying, rejoicing, and shouting praises to God.
A new loan. The pressure was gone. We could start afresh. The now ten months of arrears was wiped away in an instant.
Since it was now the last week of October, and we had about 15 days to go, we hoped it would be soon to avoid any hassles.
I think God's sense of humor came through since on the 10th of November, a day before the scheduled foreclosure, the letter from the VA arrived with official notification of the new arrangement. It was finished.
And our incredible journey of faith came to an end successfully.
In closing I want you the reader to know that God is no respecter of persons, meaning He does not play favorites, though His hear is turned to the righteous, those who know His son Jesus and are washed in His blood. But let me make this clear -
If you are in foreclosure now, what God did for us He is willing to do for you. All you have to do is walk it out, and believe.
Our former Pastor, Kevin Brown, the SWAT Team commander, sent us a letter after this formal notice came. Here is an excerpt from his letter to us:
"Share what God has done. Not just in church. That's good when we share with the body what God has done and the path you both took to get the promise. But our testimonies are not just for the four walls of the local church. How many men and women will commit suicide today because of the pressure of losing their home when they don't have to. God is no respecter of persons. If He did it for one He will do it for all. Please brother and Sister in Christ, get out and share this with the nations. Don't be satisfied with a ten minute testimony within the four walls. God performed His word so it could be shared. Don't let one more husband put a gun in his mouth and "end it all". Don't let another woman empty her prescription bottle of meds into her stomach and sleep until death snatches her away from those who love her. Be a testimony for Jesus.
Only God could have done this and you both be still together."
It is in that spirit that we make this available to you. There is hope, regardless of circumstance. Just don't give up on God: Never, Never, Never, Never.
I don't care what you have done to get you here. Don't give up on God.
Three quick things:
1) If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, repent right now and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart. Get your heart right with God first. Find a bible believing church and start attending. If you need help finding one, let us know and we will help you.
2) If you have an ought against anyone in your life right now, a grievance, forgive them regardless now. Get rid of any variance, strife, or hard feelings.
3) Become a student of the word of God and allow it to change you, and work to develop into a person who seeks continuous intimacy with the Lord.
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