| May 2008 |
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Greetings all who wrestle for the Kingdom.
Be Alert!
I was having breakfast with a friend this AM and we were discussing some of the attacks against the church in West Michigan and the USA. He mentioned a mutual acquaintance that ministers to people coming out of Wicca and the church of Satan. He once stated that the witches and warlocks pray and fast for the spiritual destruction of our local churches and ministries. They pray the four D’s; despair, doubt, discouragement and delusion into our congregations and leaders. One person who ministers in prisons was contending with a prison Chaplin who was a proclaimed Wicca priestess. One day he was to go and preach in the prison and his back was tied up in enormous pain. He and his wife discerned that it was an attack from the Wicca Chaplin and so he prayed that the spirit that was sent to harass him would be loosed instead on the priestess and that her curses would be reversed and sent back on her. His back pain left and he went to the prison to minister. When he arrived he realized that the Chaplin was not there and asked of her whereabouts. He was told that she went home with sudden and severe back pain.
It reminded me once again that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but also that we are in a very real war and we need to diligently pray for each other and for spiritual discernment to know how to pray effectively. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world but we still have to appropriate the authority that we have in Christ and pray as directed by the Holy Spirit so our prayers line up with God’s heart and His will, so our prayers will be powerful and effective.
I pray God gives us all an increased measure of spiritual insight and discernment to see the enemy’s plans and to be able to thwart them through effective prayer.
Here are some results from prayer activity in the past month …
REPORTS: • A woman came to the “W” with severe Fibro Myalgia and MS. As she was prayed for the pain disappeared and she was able to stand without falling over (not possible when she came in). Thank you Father. • A man with 4th stage Prostate Cancer and Bone Cancer (metastasized, fourth stage) had heard about the “W” from a friend who had been freed from a Cocaine addiction via prayer at our little service. He was determined to come and be prayed for. His car broke down at the corner of Wilson and Chicago Drive and would not restart. He got out and pushed it into a parking lot but as he pushed he heard a pop and his arm began to hurt. He and his wife walked the mile to Dunkin Donuts (close to Mars but a mile from the breakdown). He was in such pain that he could not go on. A man getting an ice cream cone had just dropped off his kids at Mars and offered to take them to the “W”. As the man got into the car he heard another pop and his hip started to hurt as well. He got out of the car at the entrance to Mars but could not walk any further. We took the whole service out to the parking lot and swarmed him in prayer. We offered to take him to emergency but he was determined to be with us in worship and prayer so we got a wheel chair and rolled him in. The pain had diminished as we prayed but he was still uncomfortable. After the “W” he finally let us take him to the hospital where he was admitted and had surgery soon thereafter. He had a broken arm from pushing the car and a broken femur from getting into the other car. With all of that going on he still had a tenacious desire to be in God’s presence and to be prayed for at the “W”. He is home now (released early) and looking forward to coming again. God, bless the tenacious faith of Your son who pushed through the crowd to touch the edge of Your garment. Bless him indeed. • While we were re-starting the “W” one of the intercessors was prompted to go with this man’s wife back to the car to see if he could help with the mechanical issue. When they got to the car he said “in the name of Jesus, start” and it fired right up. The phrase “Speak to the mountain … “ comes to mind. • A man from Finlay Ohio heard about the “W” through some teaching tapes his pastor heard. He checked out our trustworthiness with a man who is the Executive Pastor of one of the largest churches in West MI who also serves on the Ohio man’s non-profit board. He got an affirmation so drove up with his wife and 16 year-old daughter for prayer. His daughter has 4th stage metastases cancer and has had 9 chemo treatments in the last three years and they were losing hope. One of the people who came to the “W” that night had been healed of Parkinson’s and only been there one other time in the last year. He sat right next to this family. The man from Ohio leaned over and asked “Are you on Chuck Roost’s board?” Our guy said “Yes, how did you know”. The same Exec Pastor that he had called to verify our ministry has his own non-profit organization apart from the church and the Ohio guy had seen this gentleman at a meeting where they were all in attendance. We swarmed his daughter and then they drove home. While at the “W” we did the box. This is where our ministry time consists of everyone writing out requests, all are put in a box and we anoint and swarm the box in prayer. This family from Ohio had written a note for the box that read “God, if you want us to verify this healing via a new PET scan then have the doctor call us so we know it is of You.” The next day the doctor, from her home, called and said she wanted the girl to have another PET scan and it is scheduled now to happen. I talked to the Father last week and he said his daughter has not smiled this much in three years and she has felt so good that she has not missed a single day of school since we prayed for her. God, You are gracious in confirming Your work and blessed Your children with answers that are immediate and powerful and could only come from You. Thank You again. • A man needed peace and wisdom in a very difficult family situation. God washed him over with peace. Father, Your name is peace and we thank You for operating according to the character of Your name. Shalom. • A woman needed to see a doctor regarding adjustment of her medications relating to a release from a local Psychological Hospital. She did not have insurance and everywhere she called turned her down. As she was driving down Leonard Ave the Holy Spirit said “turn in here”. She did and it was a clinic. The person at the desk said “you don’t have insurance do you?” and our gal said no. She said “Good, that is the only clients we serve. Our 4 O’clock just canceled, can you see the doctor now?” and she went right in. The doctor reduced her med’s because she is doing so well and she was rejoicing the God had shown her the way when there was no way. • A woman was having trouble sleeping. After prayer she has slept through the night ever since. We bless you Healing Lord. • A story came in where a cousin with a cancerous tumor was prayed for via “the box” and a week later reported that the tumor was gone, as well as the cancer and the doctor cannot explain why. We can. Father, Your children pray and You answer still today. • An intercessor that is a part of the WT was led to talk to a person in line at a resort down south. It resulted in sharing a meal. When the people found out that they were a part of Mars Hill they rejoiced because their son had seen some Nooma’s by Rob Bell and that was the catalyst that brought him back into relationship with God. Father, You take us far and wide to encourage Your flock and to be encouraged by them. • A young boy was prayed for at the “W” for panic attacks. They stopped. Bless God. • A WT member sent this testimony regarding prayer for a beautiful day for a wedding; Hi guys, Want to hear something cool? Remember how I had been praying all week long that any rain on the day of the wedding would just go around Grand Rapids, etc. Then we had such great weather? Well in talking to my sister - in -law today she mentioned that at her daughters' house in Byron Center there were puddles in the driveway from the rain that had come that day. We also thought it looked like it had rained while coming home from the reception, but we weren't sure. Anyway - praise God again and again and again !!! Thank You Father for this answered prayer. • We get comments from the Wider Wrestling Team from time to time about how God is working in unique ways in other towns. We got an email that was titled “We got one!” A pastor and a group of intercessors in Ohio have been praying for healing for the last 9 months and this past few weeks they saw a man healed via their prayers. Father, expand this ministry and Your Kingdom we ask in the name of Jesus.
Father, thank you for breathing Your life into our simple words and prayers. •A man in his 40’s was suddenly struck down with Encephalomyelitis and went quickly into a coma last month. Many teams of intercessors from many churches prayed for him and he is recovering well. The most recent note said “Walker for sale … slightly used” since he only needed it for a week in therapy. Thank You God for the work You do … the work that only You can do. • A former missionary couple who are now a part of Mars Hill had asked for prayer regarding a situation with one of their children. The intercessor mentioned four things that rose in his spirit, one of the thoughts was “when you two are in unity in prayer the solution to the problem will become evident”. They went home and began to talk and pray about areas in their lives where they were not in unity. Those discussions changed their marriage and the wisdom they needed rose soon after. Thank you Adonai that we serve a God of unity who blesses unity in His children. • A regular at the “W” asked for prayer for her nephew and “inexplicably overnight” his illness went away. God, You are inexplicable. • A person who had never been to the “W” put his Mom’s name in the box and she began feeling overwhelmingly better the next day. What an un-boxed God we serve. • A woman came to the “W” for prayer because her camera had been stolen. She is trying to start a photography business out of her home and that tool was a key to making it work. The circle that prayed for her that night prayed specifically that “that camera would be returned”. A few days later a girl in the neighborhood returned the camera with an apology. Thank You God for stirring the heart of the girl who stole it to return it. • Another nephew was prayed for; he was in the hospital in ICU with little hope of recovery. We prayed and he was home within two days. The doctors could not explain what happened or why, he just got better. Yes and Amen.
One last report that is from our family and Isaiah’s continuing saga in Nashville. Isaiah came home last month to work on the final details of the final edition and printing of our book Stark Raving Obedience. While here his car was parked in the street out front when a young man hit and totaled it. Claudia immediately said “This is going to be interesting, God must have another car for Isaiah”. We asked Isaiah what the perfect car would be. He said “a VW wagon that is a 5 speed and a diesel” Claudia added “with less than 100,000 miles on it”. We prayed and looked for almost a week, there was nothing out there. Nothing. One morning Isaiah got up and heard “look on the internet”. We spent the better part of a day looking and finally I had the thought to check the Craig’s List. There was one car that fit the bill; 1983 VW Quantum diesel wagon, a 5 speed with 84,000 original miles in Zeeland a few miles from our house. When Isaiah called the owner said it was being held until 11AM the next day for a fellow to look at it. Prayers continued. The next day Isaiah called at 11:20 and the fellow had been delayed so we went out to look at the car. It was owned by a man for all but two years of its life who pulled the car behind his motor home storing it when he was not traveling. It was in near mint condition. We got it for a few hundred dollars more than the insurance settlement.
Now that is what I call a blessing!
Oh, and by the way …. We have a few hundred copies of the rewrite of Stark Raving Obedience. You can order them at www.hearinggod.org or see me at the “W”.
Here are some additional things to be aware of as WT members;
OPPORTUNITIES: · Dorchester House Prayer Walk May 8th @ 7PM - We have been asked by the folks at DH and United in Christ Ministries to do a prayer walk around the Black Hills neighborhood they live in. This will be a joint effort between UIC Ministries/Dorchester House, the Mars Hill Wrestling Team, the Bridge Street Prayer House and the Stockbridge Boiler Room (West Mich. Prayer Center has been contacted via Lincoln Pupoh but we have not heard if they will be participating too). We will meet at UIC Ministries at 1035 Godfrey, Grand Rapids, MI A link to a story about this neighborhood is at http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/01/grand_rapids_cop_family_answer.html and the address is in the article as well. This is being coordinated and led by Michelle from the Dorchester House and should be a great time. · Pray for the staff and workers @ Mars to hear with spiritual ears as they do their work. · Pray for the Annual Business Meeting in June. New Elders will be affirmed and continuing Elders re-affirmed at that gathering. · We still need people for the WT Sunday time periods …. Names anyone? We are down to one person in the prayer room in a couple of slots; please make this a matter of prayer. o Still … · The National Day of Prayer is on May 1st and the OMWB will be leading worship for the community gathering in Lake Odessa MI that night. · The Global Day of Prayer is May 11th. There will be a ten day period of fasting and prayer leading up to it. Materials and information are available at www.gdopusa.com . · For those interested in IHOP style prayer & worship Lou Engle is coming to Michigan this summer; o The Call's Nazirite Uprising Conference o For more info go to www.TransformMi.com · Please continue to pray for our ministry opportunities outside the walls of Mars Hill as well; o May 4th Ted will be speaking @ Westend CRC in GR at 11AM o June 12-13 Ted will be doing four workshops on Healing Prayer at the Empowerment Conference in Columbia, SC. This is put on by the Church Prayer Leaders Network and is co-sponsored by Pray! Magazine. For information or registration go to http://prayerleader.com/content/blogsection/2/5/ o August 15-16 Ted will be the Keynote speaker for a Regional Conference of the CPLN in Terre Haute, IN. This will be sessions on Healing Prayer and registration will be found at the site above. o There will be a three week worship and teaching series at First Reformed in Byron Center with the OMWB and Ted in Oct/Nov. Dates to follow.
You are appreciated and prayed for often.
Ted and Claudia Kallman Wrestling Coaches
“Mack gingerly and took the poisonous twig. “If you had not told me this was safe to touch would it have poisoned me?” “Of course! But if I direct you to touch, that is different. For any created being, autonomy is lunacy. Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love. So, if you are not hearing my voice, it would be wise to take to time to understand the nature of the plant.” A conversation between Mack and God in The Shack by William Young.
As Claudia said after reading it “this book describes how we live”. Amen.
“Great vision without good people is irrelevant.” Jim Collins in Good to Great |
