Greetings all who wrestle for the Kingdom,

3 degrees. 

Not 6 degrees of freedom (where you can get to anyone in the world within 6 relationships that already exist).  No, three degrees was a prayer request received from the Offringa's as they left for Tanzania on Monday August 7^th.  The Offringa's have been a part of the "W" for the past year and are now in Africa on a missions project.  As they were trying to leave Bob called an intercessor on the Wrestling Team from the airport with a request for prayer.  It seems that everything was loaded and ready to go except their dog and the airline would not allow the crate with their dog in it to be loaded because the temperature was too high.  Metro Airport in Detroit was 88 degrees and they have a rule that animals cannot be loaded for flights unless it is 85 degrees or lower.  3 degrees too hot and 30 minutes until they plane was buttoned up and heading out.  Bob's request?  3 degrees, of course.  He asked that the intercessor would pray for the ambient temperature at Metro to decrease by 3 degrees so they could be on the plane for Africa without complication.  They prayed and the intercessor spoke to the temperature at the airport in the name of Jesus, calling it to reduce by 3 degrees.  Bob called back 30 minutes later  ...  from the plane  ...  with the dog loaded.  It is a world created by God so we believe that He "can" alter the temperature if He chooses but thank God there were people who also believed that He not only could but also "would" change the temperature if they prayed believing.   Bless God for His most excellent send off of the Offringa family.

This is just another example of the difference in how people approach prayer for the circumstances and situations in their life.  Most anyone will agree that God "can" intervene and alter situations or bodies or the physical world but very few people who claim the name of Jesus actually believe that He will respond to their prayers  ... now.

"I know He can but will He" seems to be one of the deep questions of our time in the church.  I am certain that, even though we are seeing God do marvelous things and miraculous healings every week, we have only begun to uncover the smallest corner of what we already have in Jesus Christ.  Father, open our eyes to see what is ours in Jesus in the spiritual realm and what we will see, if we believe, in the physical realm.

Another example is God waking up a Pastor from another church to intensely intercede for one of our Elders.  This Pastor had a dream that was vivid and he woke up weeping for our Elder.  This has only happened four other times in this Pastors life and each time it was critical, sometimes life and death, situations that he was called into prayer for.  That morning this Elder was meeting with a person and it was potentially a very volatile situation.  The Pastor was released from praying at 1:30PM that day  ...  after the meeting had ended.  The report back from the meeting is that it was "supernaturally peaceful and resolved well".  I heard of at least two other people who were called to prayer during that time frame from the Wrestling Team.  God, we thank You for calling in support for our leaders when they need it.  We grant You permission, Father, to interrupt us with a call to prayer at any time.

We were blessed recently to have Harry Wilson back at the "W".  He shared some of what God is doing with the widows and orphans in Guatemala.  In the course of his talk he exhorted us with a passage of scripture regarding the anointing that each one of us have in Christ.  Isaiah 61.  Yep, the same passage that we have been focusing on every Sunday this summer is the text that God laid on his heart to share with us.  Oh, and we never talked about the focus that Mars is placing on that passage this summer.  It is almost like God Himself wants to have this focus.  Thank you Father for another confirmation that as a community we are on track in the pursuit of your heart.

A few more examples of our God at work  .......

REPORTS:

* We got a call from a woman who asked for prayer for a friend.  The friend had gone into the hospital for Gall Bladder surgery and in the recovery room had a heart attack and in the regular room had a stroke.  The effects from the stroke were massive and the entire left side of her body was paralyzed and she could not talk and the prognosis was not good.  The WT member prayed for the friend calling for a creative miracle of restoration.  That was about two weeks ago and the friend was sent home two days after being prayed for with no health issues.  The doctors were amazed and so are we but that is the God we serve.  The prayers of righteous people are effective and accomplish much.

* A woman gave a report at the "W" praising God for her healing.  She had a tumor in her Pituitary Gland and during an operation for its removal the doctors took out the wrong half of the gland.  She has had many issues and challenges since the botched operation and has had many people form Mars and the Wrestling Team praying with her and for her over the past few months.  Well, the report from the doctors last week was "we cannot explain this but all of your numbers are normal and it is as if the tumor is gone and you're Pituitary is functioning normally.  She will be going to Ann Arbor shortly for another opinion but she is pain free and stable emotionally and doing well on all fronts.  God you are gracious and we look to you for a good final report.

* An intercessor was at a gathering of people in healing ministry and one of the women at the dinner was experiencing severe pain and dryness in her eyes.  Our intercessor asked her if she wanted prayer for it.  Everyone chuckled as they realized that even in a group of people involved deeply in healing ministry we still need to remind each other that we should seek God first.  The intercessor prayed for her and by the time her husband returned with some saline solution the pain and dryness had disappeared.  Thank you God for reminding us to pray for each other and for answering our prayers.

* We heard from a woman who was in severe pain that wanted to make a trip back to the Netherlands but could not because of the chronic pain.  She came and was prayed for three weeks in a row. After finishing her therapy the doctor did not go forward with the back surgery and cleared her for flight.  She is now home from her trip and pain free.  Thank you Father.  You care for us well.

* An intercessor was prompted to pray for a co-worker who had been diagnosed with Mononucleosis and a sever sore throat.  The person agreed to be prayed for and the next day was at work with full energy and no sore throat.  God, you open doors to glorify Your Son when we pay attention.  Help us see the opportunities and give us boldness to obey when you call.

* We heard back from a woman with skin problems that after a group prayed for her at the "W" that the condition left and her skin is normal.  Thank you Father, you are gracious and good.

* We prayed many times for a young boy with a severe scoliosis of the back with no apparent result.  We just heard that he underwent a major surgery in Minneapolis to correct the problem.  The family came back to thank the people who prayed since his recovery has been supernaturally fast and amazing.  Thank you for Doctors who are skilled and knowledgeable but above all of our skill you stand as our healer so we look to you and thank you for the speedy recovery of this young man.

* A young man who needed a job came back to say thanks.  He found a job within a week of being prayed for.  Thank you Father for provision.

*  A dog was bitten by a poisonous snake and was beginning to convulse and swell up.  He was prayed for and the swelling went down immediately and within a very short period of time he was back up and running around with no effect from the bite.  Thank you Father that Your Word is greater than snake venom.

This last report reminds me of the story in Numbers 21 where the people of Israel disobeyed God and were plagued by poisonous snakes.  <Side note: I am not saying this family did anything wrong that caused his bite, we live in a fallen world where stuff happens.>  Go look at the story.  God told Moses to make a fiery serpent and place it on a pole and lift it up in the camp (many Bible Scholars believe that this is a "symbol" of Christ who was lifted up to redeem us).  Every single person who looked at the symbol of Christ was healed.  First, this shows us that healing is in the cross and in the redemptive work that Jesus did there but also there is a physical situation going on that has a spiritual teaching for us.  A person who looked up at the serpent could no longer look at his circumstance.  He was still in it but the eyes can only look at one thing at a time.  You had to choose to look at the serpent and when you did you were healed.  This family did not look at the bite on their dog as the final word.  They spoke the truth over their pet and it was healed.

We find that this is true today in healing or obtaining help from God for in any situation.  If I focus on the facts of the situation or, for instance, the accuracy of the doctors report I am trusting in what is seen and I am not looking to Jesus.  We do not dismiss the facts as accurate and we thank God for doctors and medical tools to assist us in remaining healthy but we do not accept that report as final.  If we did our faith would decrease because we would be trusting the facts more than the Word.  If we are to be healed or redeemed we need to look to Jesus.  We need to hear what He says about the situation and state that as the truth.  If the Word says I am saved by faith than I need to believe it and look to Christ regardless of the facts.  If the Word says I am healed I need to believe it and look to Christ regardless of the facts.  If the Word says I am provided for I need to believe it and look to Christ regardless of the facts.  Seeing a pattern here?  There is no circumstance, pain or illness that is greater than God and His Word. 

None. 

We need to start believing it and speaking it and looking to Jesus Christ.  He is our healer.

May we pray as the disciples did "Lord, increase our faith."

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

OPPORTUNITIES:

·         Be praying about the 24/1 concept and what part, if any, you might play in that. 

·         Praise God for the safety provided to Rob and his family on his speaking tour.

·         "Thank you" to everyone who called a replacement for your prayer slot when you were going to be gone.  We all do this as volunteers so the small effort on your part is a large help in the overall scheme of things.

·         Would a few WT members be willing to go the Regional Celebrations and pray for covering and safety during those community gatherings?  If you feel called to do this please communicate your effort to the Regional Pastor who will be in charge that day.  I am sure they will appreciate the prayer.

You are appreciated and prayed for often.  

Shalom in the name of Jesus,

Ted and Claudia Kallman, Wrestling Coaches

"In the report of the Commission of spiritual healing appointed by the Episcopal Church, sponsored by Bishop Reese, who for many years has practiced the healing ministry, and who was Chairman of the Commission, is the following statement:  'the healing of the body is an essential element of the Gospel, and must be preached and practiced ... God wills our health, that the Church, the Body of Christ, has the same commission and the same power as "The Head," that we churchmen, with this true conception of God as Creative Love, must now give a sinning and suffering world this full Gospel of salvation from sin and its inevitable consequences.'"

From Christ the Healer by FF Bosworth (First Edition self published in 1934, later republished by Fleming H. Revel and is in its 31^st printing)

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits."  -- Albert Einstein