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Greetings all who wrestle for the Kingdom, Bologna, Pickles, & Ketchup Have you ever gone back to someplace you knew as a child and wondered how it could be so different? I went to Camp Barakel in Northern MI to speak a few years ago and had not seen it since my days as a 9 year old camper. I was stunned at how small the dining hall was and how short the walk was between the cabins and the showers. Things were not as I envisioned them as a child.
Sometimes in the course of our walk with God, becoming who He intends us to be, we have to go back to emotional places we have not been in a while. Lamenting old wounds and hurts but now seen through adult eyes. Old places now looked at through eyes and heard through ears breathed with truth by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, some of those things that seemed huge and overwhelming in our youth are really not as big and insurmountable when seen through God’s lenses.
In the process of God revealing Himself and healing old wounds He had me buy some Liverwurst. My Dad loved Liverwurst sandwiches and I ate them on a regular basis as a child. I ate them in part because I wanted affirmation from my Dad. Even if the connection and affirmation was only related to a sandwich. I made a sandwich with the yellow mustard I always used as a kid and ate it. Judged by my adult taste buds, the sandwich was not particularly good. I actually wondered what in the world I ever saw in that combination. But my Dad loved them.
A couple of days later God had me buy some Bologna and dill pickles to make another sandwich of my childhood, this one of my own design. A Bologna and pickle sandwich with a large smear of ketchup. I do not remember what prompted me to make this culinary delight. It could have been that I was raised in a home with six children, five of them boys, it was the only provisions in the fridge that particular day. Regardless, I really liked it and so from that day on I enjoyed BPK’s with regularity.
Yesterday I made a BPK and again really enjoyed the taste. I even remembered the crunch of the pickles and it brought back good memories.
One sandwich birthed out of a desire to be affirmed by my Dad and another sandwich birthed out of my own creative heart. I'm happy to say I still like the BPK.
My point? We all have Liverwurst in our past that needs to be dealt with. God knows how to get to our heart and if we pay attention He will show the way in and the way out.
Also, God wants our creative hearts to be operating at full steam and delivering the outstanding Kingdom purpose He created us to deliver. Sometimes we need to go back to see in proper perspective what happened and how it can be redeemed and restored by a loving God who knows us well. We need to eat the Liverwurst but with new taste buds and new eyes.
God wants to bring healing to every area of our lives and from that platform of health, minister His truth to a world that desperately needs the same healing.
May we all go deeper into Him so this can become true in every area of our lives. (Isaiah’s response to this Update was "Not only does God want to deliver us, he wants to de-liverwurst us." ….. all I can say is acorns and trees)
Thank God with us for these reports of this delivering love demonstrated in tangible, creative ways …
REPORTS:
• A woman had pain in her legs which caused difficulty sleeping. She was prayed for at the “W” and has slept every night for two weeks pain free. Yes and amen.
• A man had severe back pain due to an injury at work. He requested prayer at church and nothing happened. The Lord later revealed an issue where he needed to forgive someone. After he repented the pain left immediately and he returned to work in full strength. Thank You revealing Lord for your kindness to Your children.
• A woman suffered panic attacks and asked her husband to “pray like they do at the ‘W’.” He did and her heart was filled with joy. She slept through the night without incident. Father, Your name is peace and we thank You for showing us how to pray.
• The young boy we told you about last month who had his burned skin healed instantly on a Wed. night via the “box” reported back that he has new hair growing in and he has had joy every day since being healed. Lord, You touch us inside and out and we thank You. We also thank You for the fuzzy tufts on the head of a twelve year old boy who sees You in a new light.
• A man had marital issues and came to the “W” because he heard about the meeting from someone who experienced healing. He took a copy of Stark Raving Obedience home that night but felt no change after the prayer time. A few days later he could not sleep and the Holy Spirit kept saying to him “go and get the book”: He finally went and got SRO from his truck and began to read it (he had never read a book through to the end in his entire life until now). As he read the Holy Spirit did a work in his heart and transformed his anger into joy. He came back a week later rejoicing that God could change him so completely and so quickly. We bless you Healing Lord.
• An intercessor who is part of the WWT was driving his old truck to a job site and heard engine sounds that indicated oil loss and engine problems. He prayed for God to supernaturally lubricate the engine (which was now bucking and losing power). He drove a couple of miles and bought oil. He put it in and there is no damage to his truck and it is running great. Father, You care about the smallest details of our lives and we thank You for supernatural provision of lubercation.
• An intercessor sat in a business meeting with some men he had never met before and he was compelled to pray for healing of a Sty in the eye of one of the men. He prayed and saw no difference. Later in the meeting the intercessor asked if it still bothered him and the man said yes. The intercessor prayed again and the meeting ended. A few weeks later a man called for prayer because his friend had been instantly healed of an eye problem and he needed prayer too. Yes, it was the business guy and the intercessor did not even know he had been healed. Thank You Father that healing is Your business. Also, that You own the results. Help us to obey even when we do not see or know the results. You are trustworthy.
• A woman suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis was prayed for in proxy at the “W". She reported back that the next day all the pain left. Thank You Father for bringing healing over time and space in response to the prayers of Your children.
• A man had read the Update testimony where a man had laid hands on himself and a gash was healed. He thought, if that guy can do it than I am going to lay hands on myself for this migraine. He did and within a few minutes the pain was gone. He also asked God for opportunities to pray and see God move. Within three days he had opportunities to pray for three people and all three were healed. This was after coming to the “W” for only two weeks. Thank You God that You work strong on behalf of those who love You and You act now.
• A man who was fearful at work and would try to avoid his boss was prayed for and now he is so confident of his work he is seeking out others to show what God is doing. When you know that you know, you know confidence replaces fear. Thank You Father for Your very nature replaces fear with confidence.
• A woman who is 30 with a bit of a past was prompted to apply to Kuyper College as a pre-seminary student. Though she put all the dark side of her past life in the essay she was accepted. Classes begin this fall. With excitement she is now trusting God for the provision during her school years. God, You change us and make us new and then You direct our paths. You are a wonder.
• A Pastor had an accident and experienced multiple physical issues which included memory loss. Revealing early stages of Alzheimer's with cognitive disjunctions that the doctors said was incurable; not correctable. He was prayed for in proxy by some intercessors from the “W” and the next day went to the doctors who now say there is no sign of any memory or cognitive issues. Everything is treatable and curable. What a mighty God we serve.
• A pregnant woman had a test showing holes in her baby's heart. It would have required surgery and was possibly life threatening. Some intercessors from the “W” prayed for her. The next time the baby was checked the holes were gone! A normal baby! Oh yeah!!!
• A woman prayed for her sister’s alcoholic husband. She felt prompted to pray “Lord, make the stuff horrible to the taste and let it make him sick to drink it”. Every time he took a drink for the next five days the beer or drink tasted horrible and he could not drink it. He asked his wife if she was praying. She answered yes and mentioned her sister’s prayers. We bless you Lord for showing this man You are strong and respond to the prayers of Your children.
• A woman was pictured in the GR Press praying in a group. This is what she posted in Facebook a few days later “We were praying for God to provide my sons’ dad with a job. He had a job in 4 days! Never stop praying...He answers”.. Father, indeed You answer.
• A man who is part of the WWT (and occasional member of the OMWB) wrote this on Facebook;
We had a fantastic "Furnace" (very similar to "The W") Saturday night at a park overlooking Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey. Saw healings take place and had great praise and worship. One lady took braces off of both knees and was walking around with no pain. She came to our church Sunday morning with no braces. Praise God!!!
Praise God indeed.
• A man with Cushings Syndrome reported back that it is now in full remission. We say yes and amen. Let it remain remised forever.
• A woman asked for prayer for a friend and her husband (an artist) that needed to sell some of his work and cover the bills. A few days later he sold a piece that will cover all of the family expenses for months. God, Thank you for providing and answering prayer.
• A man reported that he was reconciled to his Father after prayer at the “W”. Later his Dad fell in the tub at home and doctors diagnosed permanent memory loss along with other ailments. This man thought, “No, God brought us back together and this is a theft” so he prayed against it. Later he put his prayer in the “box” at the “W”. The doctors now report, “we cannot explain it but his memory is completely functional and recovering from all other ailments." Now that is an awesome God.
• A man had a hunched-back for four years. After prayer his back straightened up and all pain left. Yes.
• A baby was tested in utero and they found all kinds of severe complications and issues. We prayed over the child in proxy and now all of the tests are normal. Yes, again and again.
• A the baby with the Esophagus attached to the lungs who was healed while in the womb is now born and 100% normal. Oh yeah.
• A woman was prompted to pray for a friend in the hospital. Later she heard that other friends were at the hospital praying for him at the same time. God invites His children to participate in the chorus even when they do not fully understand what is happening.
• A young woman with fear attacks now sleeps through the night without suffering any more attacks. God, You have not given us a spirit of fear and we thank You.
Here are some additional things to be aware of as WT members;
OPPORTUNITIES:
o Please continue to pray for the staff and workers at your church.
o An article was recently in the GR Press regarding the conference and the “W”. Please pray that the fruit God intended from this exposure will find rich soil and prosper.
o Please continue to pray for Ted and Claudia and the OMWB as they speak and minister;
o August 21-22 (last weekend) we had a regional Church Prayer Leaders Network conference in Grand Rapids. This conference was in support of the publication of our book Stark Raving Obedience. Thank you all for praying for us, it was a great time and many people thought it was useful.
o Sept 23-24 Clarion, PA to speak at a church and a fund raising banquet for the start of a Healing Rooms ministry in that town. (tentative)
o Dallas Area CPLN Regional Oct. 9-10 in McKinney TX. To register go to http://prayerleader.com/content/view/1016/5/.
o We are also planning on additional conferences in Nashville, Ann Arbor and the Chicago area.
The August team leaders for the Sunday Wrestling Team activities will continue to be Steve and Ruth Zwierzinski and Joe Martino. They will be “on the ground” before and during the services to assist with any questions or prayer needs that might come up.
You are appreciated and prayed for often.
Ted and Claudia Kallman Ted and Claudia Kallman Wrestling Coaches “It is clear that we are usually surrounded by so much outer noise that it is hard to truly hear our God when He is speaking to us. We have often become deaf, unable to know when God calls us and unable to understand in which direction He calls us. Thus we find our lives have become absurd. In the word absurd we find the Latin word surdus, which means “deaf.” A spiritual life requires discipline because we need to learn to listen to God, who constantly speaks but whom we seldom hear. When, however, we learn to listen, our lives become obedient lives. The word obedient comes from the Latin word audire, which means ‘listening.’ Jesus’ life was a life of obedience. He was always listening to the Father, always attentive to His voice, always alert for His directions. Jesus was “all ear”. That is true prayer: being all ear for God. The core of all prayer is indeed listening, obediently standing in the presence of God.” Henri Nouwen (as quoted in God Encounters by Jim and Michael Ann Goll) "As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life." Richard Foster
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