Shane Grady Branson Realtor / Broker

Shane Grady Branson Realtor / Broker Helping clients buy, sell and understand the Branson area Real Estate market.

Taken from Psalm 63. My Bible says, “A Psalm of David, regarding the time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.” G...
09/19/2024

Taken from Psalm 63. My Bible says, “A Psalm of David, regarding the time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.” Google defines “wilderness” as, “an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.” Another definition is “an empty or pathless area or region.” Here’s another one, “a bewildering situation.” Hmm, if you are a student of Psalms, all of those would apply to some of the stuff David has written. Yeah, David knew about wildernesses, didn’t he?

Transparency Time. Over my lifetime I have had several wilderness experiences, most as a result of a stupid decision I made. Yep, walked right into that wilderness and then tried to blame GOD or the devil for putting me there. David also experienced the wilderness more than once, some instances he was innocent and fleeing for his life from a jealous king, but other times, well, you can’t take another man’s wife, have her husband killed, and not expect to spend some time in the wilderness, right? Newsflash. Rebellion from GOD’S WORD will almost always result in you plunging headfirst into the wilderness, because it separates us from a Loving Creator. So, we have self-inflicted and devil-inflicted wilderness experiences, and both can make us feel we are a million miles away from GOD and all alone. Yep, been there and done that. So, let’s see how David handles the wilderness.
Psalm 63:1. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” WOW, can you feel “the desperation in David’s words? And, right out of the gate, he declares, “You are my GOD.” So, who is he declaring that to? GOD already knows that because GOD knows and sees everything, right? David is encouraging his own spirit man that despite his surroundings (wilderness), despite people trying to destroy him, GOD is still GOD, GOD is still on the Heavenly Throne, and there isn’t anything on earth or in heaven that can change the fact that David’s GOD is the Sovereign Creator of ALL and HE isn’t up there on His Throne wringing His hands about anything, period!! It’s called, “encouraging our inner spirits,” despite our circumstances, and despite how we feel emotionally, which usually borders on despair and depression. David declares, “He is EARNESTLY searching for GOD.” There is a desperation in his writing, and he isn’t putting it on Facebook, or whining about it to his buddies. Nope, he’s cutting out the middlemen and going directly to the source, his GOD and he is doing it with a desperation.
He then declares, “my soul thirsts for You (GOD).” Call it, “Spiritual dehydration.” And, if we are honest with ourselves, that is usually a result of separating ourselves from GOD. Yep, we dipped our toes into something we knew deep down we shouldn’t be doing and the next thing you know, we aren’t reading our Bibles like we should and well, talking to GOD (praying), is a little uncomfortable right now because we just don’t feel as close to GOD as we used too, right? And, one thing leads to another, and boom, we are in the wilderness parched from a lack of the “Water of the Word of GOD.” Yeah, that definition of “bewilderment” fits this spiritual scenario, doesn’t it? Boy Holy Spirit, you are hitting awful close to home this morning and I realize I might be on the fringes of the wilderness. OK David, how do we get out of this mess?

Verse 2. “I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.” Oh Yeah, I remember those awesome “sanctuary experiences” where I was so close to GOD and His majestic power and glory. I call it “focus shift.” Don’t look at the wilderness but turn our eyes and spirits back to the Creator. Verse 3. “Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!” Can you feel the shift in David’s words? He reminds his spirit that GOD’S love is unfailing, despite what we have done, and David is shifting into “praise mode” despite his circumstances. Verse 4. “I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” I love this, because no matter what, I am lifting my hands and surrendering myself and my situation to You and You only GOD. Verse 5. “You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.” Hey, David knew a thing or two about “feasts” because he had been at the King’s table a lot, but yet he proclaims, “only GOD can satisfy that inner hunger.” Verse 7. “Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.” Over and over again David declares, “he sings, he praises, he worships.” There is a consistency in David’s methods which all hinge around praise and worship and that dynamic hasn’t changed over the centuries since David. It is the key to unlocking spiritual treasures and deliverance. Oh, and can you possibly imagine how big a protective shadow GOD’S wings cast? Verse 8. “I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” Have you had a child cling to you when they are scared? That’s what David is comparing that to. When we are clinging to a Loving GOD, He will securely hold us in His “strong right Hand.” Be Encouraged.

Take from Psalm 6. If you have children, you most likely have seen this scenario play out. As toddlers they are usuall...
07/08/2024

Take from Psalm 6. If you have children, you most likely have seen this scenario play out. As toddlers they are usually into everything. Yep, on a mission of exploration because the world out there is full of fun stuff to do, and they want to experience it all. Parents say, “don’t touch that you will get burned or fingers smashed, or something will deal some pain out, and many times serious injury. But yet they forge ahead and pay the price. Disobedience comes with a cost and our Bible Character David knew that very well after taking one of his loyal soldier’s wives and then having him murdered to cover up the adultery and resulting pregnancy.
So now we find David writing Psalm 6:1-3. “O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” WOW. First of all this is David. Yep, “the friend of GOD, the man after GOD’S own heart, the giant slayer, the mighty king.” But yet here he is, separated in spirit from GOD and miserable. That my friends, is what sin does, isolates and separates us from our Creator and we should all use this story to realize that like David, we are all vulnerable to temptation and sin.
Verse 4. “Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.” David recognizes his separation and is pulling all the stops out reminding GOD of GOD’S “unfailing love.” Verse 5. “For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave?” I love this about David because he is saying, “Hey GOD, if I die who will praise YOU, who will write those Psalms of praise?” I know, a little arrogant, but yet David is pouring his heart out to his Creator and reminding GOD in the same way Moses interceded for the people of Israel when GOD was going to wipe them out for sinning.
Verses 6-7. “I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.” There my friends, is evidence of a repentant heart. David had walked in harmony with GOD and sin had shattered that relationship and plunged David into that dark hole of separation from GOD. Yep, a little tiny preview of what hell might be like. Verses 8-9. “Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.” There is a battle going on here my friends and like David, we might find ourselves in the same situation. Even though David is wracked with grief, he recognizes his slide down the slippery slope of sin and condemnation and that warrior spirit starts to rise deep inside his him as he declares, “BUT MY GOD HAS HEARD AND MY GOD WILL ANSWER.”
You see, GOD is about “restoration.” Restoring that closeness with Him that HE alone created in our hearts. That’s why GOD sent His ONE, His Only, His beloved SON, JESUS to go to Earth, be born to a nobody Carpenter, walk this Earth for over 30 years without committing a single sin. Stop there and think about that one because that’s impossible, unless you’re JESUS.
Then, He (JESUS) was falsely accused, beaten to the point of death, and then crucified between 2 common criminals. Why? So that you, me, everyone, could be restored into a right relationship with our Creator. There had to be an atonement or sacrifice for all our sins and JESUS became that sacrifice once and for all. GOD defined “true love” by giving us His (GOD’S) most precious gift (JESUS). And here’s some more “Good News.” JESUS didn’t stay in that grave my friends. There was a supernatural shaking going on and that stone covering the tomb was rolled away and JESUS CHRIST arose victorious over the devil, sin, and death. My Bible says that through JESUS and the blood HE shed, we can now come boldly to the Throne Room of GOD’S Mercy and Grace. I call it the (3) R’s. Recognize we have sinned, Repent to JESUS, (confess your sins and ask for forgiveness), and then Restoration. Isn’t that awesome? What are you waiting for? Be Encouraged. Be Sure and join us for our weekly interactive Be Encouraged TV Broadcast every Saturday.

Taken from Psalm 56. I write a lot of columns from the Book of Psalms, especially those Psalms written by David. What ...
03/13/2024

Taken from Psalm 56. I write a lot of columns from the Book of Psalms, especially those Psalms written by David. What a “rags to riches” story that has even made it to Hollywood’s big screen many times. David, along with Peter, may be two of my favorite Bible Characters, not because GOD used them powerfully, which HE did, but because they screwed up, big time.
Peter, the only disciple to obey JESUS, jump out of the boat and walk on water but yet, he (Peter), also rebuked JESUS and denied Him 3 different times. And then David, the bare hand killer of lions and bears, the giant slayer, and King of Israel, was an adulterer, and then had the woman’s husband murdered to cover it up. Now these two characters knew a thing or two about GOD’S Mercy and Grace, didn’t they?
Yep, self-inflicted stupidity followed by a season of crying out to GOD for mercy and grace. Hmm, kind of sounds like my life. Maybe that’s why I like these two characters so much because it hits too close to home, more than once. And, truthfully, isn’t most sin self-inflicted, including spiritual pride where you are reading this trying to figure out what my sins were and declaring in your spirit, “bless GOD I’m glad I’m not like that?”
OK, that was really a side bar that I feel the Holy Spirit wanted to take us. Back to Psalm 56. Fear, that four letter word that if we could check the devil’s arsenal of weapons, would be his primary choice. The enemy has been using it for centuries because it is the gateway that allows him to pe*****te our spirits and wreak havoc with our emotions. It (fear) has several companions that usually follow. Despair and depression. Hmm, they start with the letter “D” just like “demonic.”
Let’s read what David wrote. Psalm 56:3. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” David doesn’t write, “if I am afraid,” but “when I am afraid.” Big difference, and if you are a student of the Psalms, you know David wrote a lot about his fears, his despair, and yes David had depression. “Well, Christians shouldn’t be depressed,” you self-righteously declare. Be careful about putting those judgmental glasses on my precious friends because you may be one breath away from being hit with an all-out demonic onslaught that will leave your shield of faith beaten to a pulp and full of so many flaming darts you don’t have the strength to hold it up.
So maybe, instead of being so judgmental, and I have been in the past, we might study the WORD and see how David overcame those dark moments. As we just read, David declared, “when he was afraid, he put his trust in GOD.” Yep, that “trust GOD” statement has become a spiritual cliché that we holy rollers casually drop, right? How many times have you told someone in the heat of the battle, “you just have to trust GOD?” Well, it is true, and David even said it in Psalm 56 but when your back is against the wall and the enemy is squeezing the life out of you, and fear has you paralyzed, that trust part can fade away. Just being real here my friends. Yeah, call it an auto biography.
Verse 4. “In God, whose word I praise.” OK, David puts some meat on the spiritual sandwich now. Yes, He trusts in GOD but now he is declaring it’s GOD’S Word I trust, and I will declare it with a voice of praise. There’s that word “praise” again and David was a “Praiser” wasn’t he? From the early times as a shepherd boy, just him and GOD, David’s lifestyle was highlighted with praise and the Bible describes David as, “a man after GOD’S own heart.”
As I read verse 4 it occurred to me that I wasn’t praising GOD with GOD’S Word enough and because of that, I wasn’t utilizing the full power of GOD’S Word by verbally declaring it and releasing its power to change things in my life. Remember, even JESUS at His weakest moment in the wilderness busted satan upside the head with the declaration, “satan it is written.” I declare, “GOD your Word says, that You didn’t give me a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind and GOD I praise You for that today.” Boom fear, GOD’S very own Words declare our victory over you (fear).
Verse 4. “In God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” I love this “what can mere mortals do?” David is declaring first to his own spirit man, “hey I serve the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Present Creator of the Universe, and everything else is in the “mere” category and already defeated by the Blood of JESUS CHRIST. Whoo Hoo, those are shouting words friends and when we start declaring our victory, even when we aren’t feeling it, it releases a supernatural mother of all spiritual bombs, into the battle and the enemy knows he no longer is dealing with little oh you alone, but JESUS, who resides in you. Be Encouraged. If you need personal prayer, you can instant message me on Facebook.

For the past week I have been trying to really watch what comes out of my mouth because of the power that our words have...
03/12/2024

For the past week I have been trying to really watch what comes out of my mouth because of the power that our words have in our lives. Just read the very first part of the Bible, Genesis 1. God said, “let there be light.” God spoke all of this we see and experience, into creation by using words. Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Transparency Time: I’m in a battle, a serious battle. I made a commitment to the Lord to become an audacious giver and since then, there has been an all-out assault on my finances. Many times, it’s hard to sleep as the “what if’s” start rolling through my mind. So yeah, I am watching my words because I need God to show up, BIG TIME and I can’t afford to have a self-pronounced curse working against me.

Recently, we looked at how the 12 leaders had returned from the Promise Land and 10 had negative reports that had sent the people spiraling into fear and whining again. Numbers 14:2. “And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!”
(Verse 10). They got whipped into such a negative frenzy that they wanted to stone Moses and Aaron.

As we read the rest of Chapter 14, we see God’s anger as He tells Moses He (GOD) is going to wipe them all out and start over. We see Moses (the one they wanted to stone), intercede for mercy with God on their behalf.

But then we come to verses 28 & 29. “Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. You will all drop dead in this wilderness!” WHOA….So do you think there is power in the words that come out of our mouths? Remember when the 10 were fearfully declaring doom and destruction, Caleb boldly declared “we can take this land, let’s go do it.” And God honored that by empowering Caleb to receive what he declared. Sadly, the other 10 got what they declared as well.
Over the years, there has been a lot of negative talk about the “Name it and Claim it” doctrine and like anything, it can be taken to an extreme, but we just clearly read God saying, “I will do to you the very things I heard you say.”

So, God tells us He’s listening and if God is listening why can’t we be like Caleb and declare “with God’s help, I can defeat those giants of sickness and affliction. With God’s help I will conquer my financial issues, and I will enter and possess my Promise Land.” “No virus will not come near me or my family,” “I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me. BOOM….If it works in the negative, it can be awesome in the positive.

If that’s “name it and claim it” then you can count me in because I’m tired of pronouncing struggles over my life in the name of “telling it like it is.” That kind of whining did not work back then, and it will still get you the same results now.

“I am a new creation, BEHOLD all those dead things have passed away because I belong to Jesus Christ, and He is the “First and the Last.” He (Jesus), is the “Beginning and the End.” He is “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords” and He will fight my battles and He will supply. Be Encouraged because we are WELL ABLE to take the land. If you need prayer, you can instant message me Shane Grady on Facebook.

I love spring in Branson.
03/08/2024

I love spring in Branson.

Hey Facebook friends, most of you follow my daily Be Encouraged column and maybe don't know that I am a licensed real es...
12/08/2023

Hey Facebook friends, most of you follow my daily Be Encouraged column and maybe don't know that I am a licensed real estate broker in the Branson Lakes Area. I will be holding an open house on this amazing Table Rock Lakeview property tomorrow (Saturday 12/8) between 10-2pm. Would love to see you stop by.

I love Branson
06/29/2023

I love Branson

This amazing 4 bedroom 3 bath home is only minutes from Branson's Entertainment District and features solar power instal...
06/26/2023

This amazing 4 bedroom 3 bath home is only minutes from Branson's Entertainment District and features solar power installed in 2022. Tired of high utility bills? How does an all electric home bill of in the $30 range sound? Lots of extras on this one and it has just been reduced to $369,900.

I will be holding an open house tomorrow (Saturday) between 10-2 at this amazing solar powered home. Hope to see you the...
06/16/2023

I will be holding an open house tomorrow (Saturday) between 10-2 at this amazing solar powered home. Hope to see you there.

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