Greetings all who wrestle for the Kingdom.

“Hey boy  …  it worked!!!”

A member of the Wider Wrestling Team (WWT, anyone who is a part of us but not a part of Mars Hill) was going work at a home and as he came to the door the woman who was hiring him said she had to hurry because she was going to the hospital.  She had just talked to her Doctor and he said she was having a stroke.  Our WWT member asked if he could pray for her and she agreed.  The next day he came to work and she came out of the house and yelled “Hey boy  …  it worked!”  When she got to the hospital it was determined that the stroke had stopped and there was no damage at all.  How awesome it is to serve a God who heals.

The other side to this story is expectation.  On the positive side the absolute belief on the part of the intercessor that she would be healed as he prayed.  This is relatively new for him in his Christian walk.  A few years ago he never would have offered to pray for her and certainly would not have expected anything to happen.  Bless God we are all growing to be more like Jesus.

On the negative side we live in a culture that does not expect anything to happen when Christians pray.  This woman was shocked and delighted that she had been healed but it was not anticipated when she was prayed for.  We live in a time now where Christianity is seen as impotent and a crutch for weak minds.  It is not seen as a life filled with power and light but rather a set of rules and restrictions followed by people who are afraid of real living.

Dear God, show us the way to bring glory to the name of Jesus by the simple obedience You ask us to walk in.  Show us Your ways we ask in the name of Jesus.

Speaking of “working” … thank God with us for these additional reports …

REPORTS:

• A young man who is part of the WWT in another state reported a miracle that resulted from prayer in his small group.  A new person in the group had a friend who is a student in Florida who was so ill that she was unable to move and the doctors could find no physical reason for her illness.  The group prayed for her and the next day the ill girl got out of bed and the doctors checked her out and she was completely well.  They sent her home and the school gave her a boat-load of homework to catch up on that had transpired while she was ill.  We bless You healing Lord.

• A woman with asthma and bleeding spots in her lung stopped by the “W” to say thanks.  The spots healed and the Asthma got better after we prayed for her.  We bless You again healing Lord.

• A man who was just out of prison was healed of addictions and alcoholism and had his marriage restored via prayer at the “W” along with the prayers of his family and others, reported back that he completed his associates degree in business and they just bought a house. God, You are gracious indeed.

• A woman who came up from Chicago to visit the “W” wrote us an email;

Hi, Ted,
I was so happy to read the latest update and find out that your surgery went well on your eyes.  I love the way you and the group hold your hands open to God and resist the need/tendency to control the outcome and receive the outcome in grace.  Me and my friend, Carla, visited you and your group the day before you were to go to surgery last summer (we are working with our own healing prayer group here in our home church in <the Chicago area>). I rejoice with you for your new sight (all kinds :). 
You joined our small group the night I was there and specifically prayed for me and told me a little about the sin of self hatred being at work when there are indications of autoimmune disorders...this is a thought I've carried for quite a while and your wisdom affirmed my thoughts.  I'm still pondering that in my life...not sure that I have a lot of clarity, but continue to ask God to make me aware of those kinds of thoughts/behaviors when they creep in.
This fall my little 7 year old grandson was undergoing a battery of blood tests. He has a growth disorder called Russell Silver Syndrome and will need to begin growth hormone therapy. In the process of preparing him for the shots, they needed to check the health of his liver and found over the past 6 months or so that his enzymes were on the rise and were concerning the doctors.  On the 20th of August he had a follow-up test which came back higher than the one before and we were directed to a hepatologist on the 8th of September.  She told us that there was significant concern for hepatitis, malnutrition, or at the worst, cancer.  She ordered another blood test that day as well as an ultrasound and prepared us that a biopsy would be inevitable.  Since we almost lost him once before when he was anesthetized for a procedure, it was something we wanted to avoid at all costs. Needless to say the word "inevitable" didn't go over with us!  So as we waited (4 hours to be exact) for the ultrasound, I remembered hearing you speak of God creating new things out of old and I began to pray that Jesus would create new cells or even a new liver and asked Him to heal the liver.  One week later when we got the results, the blood work had become normal and the liver ultrasound showed a normal liver, a change that had to have taken place sometime within a 2 1/2 week time frame...impossible!  As I dropped to my knees to thank God at news of this, I found that I couldn't find the words.  I was pacing around making noises that were a mix of weeping and laughing.  The joy in my heart was overwhelming me and I was in AWE of the God that loved my little grandson so much to do this.  In the midst of my pacing, I am convinced that I heard God say to me, "I have done this thing." I am so grateful to Him and anxious to share this with our healing prayer group, but I know that God wants glory in as many places that are willing to acknowledge it, so I thank you for the teaching and the encouragement to believe that God wills these things out of His extreme love and mercy for us, and hope that this will encourage someone there at the W.

Well, thanks for the note and may it encourage all of us with God’s desire to bring change to difficult situations.

• A family was in fear over a potential problem with a pregnancy and reported back that all is well and the new baby is healthy and well.  Thank You Father for overcoming fear with truth.

A young man was prayed for regarding an addiction and was doing remarkably well.  Last week he slipped and is now considering an in house recovery facility to help him walk out of these issues.  We ask You God for healing of this broken heart.

• A woman was asking for prayer regarding a situation with a ‘friend’ home on leave from Iraq;

Thank you all for praying with me these past couple of weeks.  <My friend> finally called this morning!  We didn't get to talk very long, or get much into everything that's happened, but it was a miracle just to hear his voice after 10 long months.

We bless you Lord for answering prayer.

• A story came in from another church where WWT members prayed for a woman with colon cancer who was then sent home after being prepped for surgery because the cancer and tumors were gone.  She thanked the people last week for their prayers on her behalf.  Father, Your Word is powerful and true and we bless you for healing this woman.

• An intercessor that is a part of the WWT had issues with his big toes and they have healed.  Thank You Father.

• A woman went on a retreat with Mars Hill and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as savior the first night.  The next day each woman was instructed to get alone and listen to God for a period of time.  She did not hear a thing and so prayed “God, if this is real you need to show me in a remarkable way that this is real indeed”.  Later that day one of the other women needed prayer for healing of her knees.  They were in severe pain and out of alignment.  The leader had prayed and asked God if she should minister to the woman alone or with the whole group.  She sensed she should do it with the whole group.  As they prayed the woman was healed and her legs went back into alignment and the pain left.  The new Christian started crying and told the group what she had prayed and how God just showed her that He was indeed real and she could trust this new life.  Thank You Father for confirming Your truth and healing, and for a leader who was willing to listen and obey.

• A woman was prayed for at the “W” who was experiencing deep fear which dissolved as the group prayed for her.  Peace flooded her heart.  Your name is Shalom and we thank you God.

• A couple came with their house church for prayer regarding a severe financial hardship.  As we prayed the wife was healed of resentment toward God and joy filled her heart as we prayed.  Father, be provision now in the time of need.

• Another person in the same group requested prayer for a broken tooth that he could not afford to have repaired and was causing severe pain.  It just so happened that one of the people in the house church knew a Dentist who would at least look at it.  When the man came to the Dentist it was determined that he needed a root canal and the Dentist asked if he had a little time?  He did but said he had no money.  The Dentist proceeded to perform the root canal and then the man was told there would be no charge.  God, you bring provision in amazing ways and we say thanks.

• A woman was in the hospital for a quadruple bypass.  She was not healing well and was still in ICU after ten days.  We put her name in the “box” and by Sat. she was home and washing her hair and feeling great.  The surgeon said that her recovery was “astonishing”.  No, her recovery was God.

• A woman was applying for disability and had been told “nobody gets it first time through, you will need to hire and att’y and it will be a long process”.  She asked for prayer at the “W” and reported last week that she was approved first time through.  Thank You Father for opening doors and granting favor to Your daughter.

Here are some additional things to be aware of as WT members;

Joe Martino has agreed to take over managing the Sunday pre-service prayer portion of the Wrestling Team.  His contact info is in the Alpha list WT members get with each monthly email.

Claudia and I will still be doing Wrestling Team AdMin, the up-front ministry once a month (instead of every week) and running the “W” and writing the Update.  We will be a little less visible at Mars on Sunday mornings as a result.

One reason is that our Son-in-law, Archie Woods, along with our daughter Etta, his very excellent wife, is now leading worship at the Dexter United Methodist Church so we are going to be visiting occasionally to encourage and pray for them in their new ministry.

OPPORTUNITIES:

·         Please continue to pray for the staff and workers at Mars Hill.

·         Please pray for the team that is in the process of identifying and bringing in a new Teaching Pastor/Shepherd to work alongside Rob.  They need wisdom and the mind of Christ to see with spiritual eyes the person who is needed.

·         The teaching “Spiritual Cataracts” is now available at www.hearinggod.org along with the outline for the talk.  There have been some other updates to the site as well.

·         We are praying about an offer to publish “Stark Raving Obedience” that we received.

·         Please continue to pray for Ted and Claudia and the OMWB as they speak and minister;

o   OMWB is doing worship most Wed. nights at the “W”

o   Teaching on healing at Harvest CRC in Lake Odessa 10/26 @ 11AM

o   Last teaching/worship event at First Reformed in Byron Center;

§  November 9th – 7PM

Please take some time to pray that God will have mercy on our Nation in the elections Nov. 4th.  Pray that truth will rise and lies be exposed at all levels.

For those of you who pray for the peace of Jerusalem a great resource for information and prayer focus is Bridges for Peace.  They have an excellent email newsletter and can be seen at http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/.

You are appreciated and prayed for often.  

Ted and Claudia Kallman

Wrestling Coaches

“Noverium te, noverium me” (May I know You, may I know myself)

St. Augustine

“God works in us while we rest in Him.”

Peter of Celles

In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths.  Prov. 3:6