Dear Friends,

This verse from Ephesians 2:10 says that: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us do!” The implications for us are that when God created us, we are the “Crown of His Creation.” Of everything He created only we are created in His image. Only we are able to come into His presence and fellowship with Him. Only we are created with a will and the ability to accept, or reject His invitation for intimate relationship with Him.

In addition to all of this it also says that: “…we are created to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Before we were even born He had laid out the “good works” that we were to do.

Keeping this in mind, who would try to stop us in our pursuit of what God has planned in advance for us to do? Our enemy Satan! Remember he hates us because of who we are and the position we have with our Father God.

This past weekend I taught on Shame/Rejection and Abandonment. During the preparation of this presentation I thought about the times in my life when Satan tried to discourage me or stop me from experiencing those good works God had prepared for me long before I was even born.

The earliest one I remember was the death of my Father. I was 18 years old when my father was killed as a result of being beaten to death by a group of four men who were never brought to account for what they did. I had a good relationship with my father so this trauma left me feeling angry and abandoned. This could have easily turned me away from the path God had me on. Fortunately when I was in my early thirties God helped me deal with this and the shame, anger and abandonment I felt were completely healed.

Shame may come as a result of things done to us but also things that we do to ourselves. “One story I remember was when a young man came up to us on Friday for prayer for his right ear. He had injured it swimming and could barely hear. When we prayed Friday night there was some improvement. He came back Saturday afternoon and we prayed once more and again on Saturday evening. Each time there was a little improvement. At first we were just praying for the physical healing but during the last session the Lord revealed to us that part of the problem had to do with an inner healing issue.

I asked him about this and he said that he liked to jog early in the morning. On one of his runs he was hot and sweaty so he jumped into an icy cold river to cool off. When he got out of the river he noticed that he was nearly deaf in his right ear. He said that he felt ashamed and embarrassed and that he was to blame and he had a hard time forgiving himself. As I prayed with him he was able to forgive himself and immediately God healed his ear.

When he came back Sunday morning he had this radiant smile on his face and told me this story. “Each Sunday when I walk to church I wear my iPod cranked all the way up so I can hear it. This morning as I was walking to church, I had to turn it way down because it was hurting my ears. I can hear perfectly now!” That’s how he knew he was healed.

When we allow God access to those areas of pain the shame and rejection begins to erode and be healed in our lives. This is the work of the Holy Spirit; God comes to us and shows us unconditional love. He transforms us and shows us our worth in Him. He will show you the truth that you are a very valuable part of the body of Christ.

Remember, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us do!” Ephesians 2:10

God bless,

Mike

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD!

I’ve received some very encouraging feedback on my new book. It is filled with over 150 testimonies of miraculous healings I have personally witnessed. Give it a read. You will be encouraged to see how God is still moving powerfully today.

You can order directly from our store at THIS LINK – Riding Shotgun With God

“Learning To Do What Jesus Did” is available on YouTube.

In addition to the 9 DVD series being available through Wholeness Ministries you can now watch the entire series on YouTube. The book, an excellent training manual, has been taught around the world and is available in English and Spanish. You can buy the Book, CD’s or DVD’s at the Wholeness Shop.

Learning To Do What Jesus Did (9 parts)
Available on Youtube

Dear Friends,

In last months newsletter I wrote about an upcoming seminar I was offering two Saturdays in August and two Saturdays in September. The seminar was to be training from my book Learning To Do What Jesus Did. The seminar is being offered at Manna located in downtown Bakersfield at 1520 19th St. The turnout was tremendous. We had a packed house and everyone there was excited and ready to learn. We expected God to show up and He did!

When I did the model on how to pray for healing a gentleman come up with a painful, swollen hand. After I prayed for him he reported that the pain was completely gone and the swelling seemed to be reduced. When I do this exercise I emphasize that before we begin praying it is important to ask God how He wants us to pray and then spend some time being quiet and listen. It amazes people when they do this that often God will reveal to them exactly what He wants them to pray.

After this I then do a teaching on hearing from God. After I did the teaching on how to hear from God I asked everyone to get in a group with two people they did not know. I then asked these groups of three to stand and spread out around the room. I told them that I wanted them to be quiet and listen as I was going to pray that God would speak to someone in each of the groups and reveal to them something He wanted them to know about one of the people in their group.

Sometimes it can be something that may seem kind of foolish or it could be something very serious. After I prayed I asked them to be quiet and listen. No praying, just listening. At the end of 90 seconds I asked how many think you heard from God? Almost 95% of them felt that they heard something. I then asked them to share it with the members of their group for confirmation and almost all of them were words that were right on! It is always an exciting exercise and often surprises people on how quickly God speaks if we will be quiet and listen.

The teaching seminar will continue for two Saturdays in September. They are the 14th & 21st. I will be covering Deliverance, Spiritual Warfare, Generational Healing, plus some material on topics related to Breaking Curses/Inner Vows/ Soul Ties.

To Register text 661-431-9869. Then go to Wholeness.org Donate. The cost is $25 per person. The book “Learning To Do What Jesus Did” will be the instruction manual and will be provided.

SHORTFALL! $$$
Our donations for the summer were down significantly making it difficult to meet our obligations and pay our bills. If you can help us catch up it would be greatly appreciated.

**WHOLENESS MINISTRIES PHONE NUMBER CHANGE**
We have a new phone number. In switching the Wholeness Ministry line over to a cell phone we needed to change the number. The old number is no longer valid. You can now reach us at 661-431-9869

We are doing well this summer. I have not been doing much traveling but have been meeting with individuals for some Inner Healing Prayer.

Thank you for your prayers and support of Wholeness Ministries.

God bless,

Mike

Dear Friends,

There are so many exciting things to tell you about but let me start with this: We are going to be holding a training event from my book Learning To Do What Jesus Did, Beginning August 24, 2024.

The event will be held two Saturdays in August and two Saturdays in September. This will take place here in Bakersfield at “Manna House” located 1520 19th Street. Greg Devahl asked if I would be open to doing some training and graciously offered their location to host the event. The event flyer is below. It lists the times and all the subjects that will be covered.

If you have not been through this training or wish to take a refresher, or if you know some one who would benefit from this training, YOU MUST REGISTER BY TEXTING US AT 661-431-9869 AS SEATING IS LIMITED! THE EVENT FLYER IS BELOW.

**WHOLENESS MINISTRIES PHONE NUMBER CHANGE**
We have a new phone number. In switching the Wholeness Ministry line over to a cell phone we needed to change the number. The old number is no longer valid. You can now reach us at 661-431-9869

We are doing well this summer. I have not been doing much traveling but have been meeting with individuals for some Inner Healing Prayer.

Thank you for your prayers and support of Wholeness Ministries.

God bless,

Mike

Dear Friends,

I was reading this morning in Ephesians 2:1-10 when I came across this word, “workmanship” which jumped out at me. Ephesians 2:9.10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advanced for us to do.” I immediately wanted to know exactly what that meant and how it would affect me. The definition I found was; “The art or skill of a workman; also the quality imparted to a thing in the process of making it.” Following this definition then we know first of all that the skill of the workman, God, is as good as it gets.

Furthermore, in the process of creating us he imparted to us through the Holy Spirit his very presence as it says in 1 Cor.3-16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you?” And 1 Cor. 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” And also in 2 Cor. 6:16 “For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”

These scriptures are clear that we are created by God and unique among all of creation. Created for an intimate relationship and “Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I trust that this helps remind you as it did me that we are unique and special to God. And we should never take that for granted. It is so easy as we function daily with whatever life throws at us to slip into feeling as if there is nothing unique about us.

Some time back I came across a piece written by a Catholic priest named George Maloney. It helped remind me how special I am. I trust as you read it that it will do the same for you.

The Gift of Yourself by George Maloney

“We do tend to take ourselves for granted. Reflect: There was a time when you did not exist, but there will never be another time when you will not exist. Yet in the mind of God, in His love for you, you always existed, for He had an idea in His mind that was you from all eternity. There was never a time when God was not thinking of you. He cannot love you more tomorrow than He loves you today and has loved you yesterday. Of all the billions of creatures possible that never saw the light of existence; you were chosen by God to be, to exist. And when in time He brought you forth, when on that certain day you became a human being, when this divine thought of God became incarnated in you, you were destined by God to go on living with His own eternity. You are never to cease to exist. What gratitude should there be for the gift of existence that makes your life so uniquely full of meaning, God-meaning, compared to other creatures destined by God only to be an aid for you to attain eternal life? Ponder prayerfully all the gifts of God wrapped up in your creation: your faculties of intellect, will, imagination, memory; your senses, so marvelous, so intricate and mysterious. You are made in God’s image and likeness through your ability to think, know and love.” George Maloney, Alone With The Alone, Pg.194

Thank you for your prayers and faithful support of Wholeness Ministries. You are much appreciated. I pray for you daily in my time with the Lord.

God bless,

Mike

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD!

I’ve received some very encouraging feedback on my new book. It is filled with over 150 testimonies of miraculous healings I have personally witnessed. Give it a read. You will be encouraged to see how God is still moving powerfully today.

You can order directly from our store at THIS LINK – Riding Shotgun With God

“Learning To Do What Jesus Did” is available on YouTube.

In addition to the 9 DVD series being available through Wholeness Ministries you can now watch the entire series on YouTube. The book, an excellent training manual, has been taught around the world and is available in English and Spanish. You can buy the Book, CD’s or DVD’s at the Wholeness Shop.

Learning To Do What Jesus Did (9 parts)
Available on Youtube

Dear Friends,

As I write this letter I want to continue with the theme we have been looking at more closely this year and that is the Second coming of Christ and the Rapture of the church. Though we don’t know the day nor the hour we do know it is going to happen. I believe the two big questions we need to consider are; “Are you living in anticipation of that day when Christ returns?” and “Are you ready?”

I strongly believe we are living near the end of recorded history as we know it, and that we quite possibly will see Christ return during our lifetime, I believe we are living in one of the most challenging times in the history of the world, and that we need to be looking to the future as a time filled with exciting possibilities. People today are looking for something real in their lives. They have tried alcohol, drugs, sex, power, money, possessions, and religion, finding all of them ultimately unable to fill the void which only God can fill. While we are seeing in our country an overall rapid decline in morals, an increase in crime and violence, the deterioration of trust in the political leadership of our nation, the breakdown of families and many of the values that have made this country so great, we are also seeing a fascinating change taking place within the church body.

The world we live in is troubled and hurting but I am seeing throughout our nation people gathering together for the express purpose of interceding in prayer for our Pastors, Churches, Cities, States, and our Country. They are humbly on their faces before God, repenting and asking Him what He would have us do. I am seeing here in Bakersfield, across the country, and in other parts of the world, Pastors and Priests, Elders, Deacons, and the laity, coming together to pray and build relationships with each other, regardless of denominational affiliation. I am seeing the walls we have built around our churches to protect our “flock” begin to crumble, bringing with it the exposure of jealousy, envy, and competition which has so often kept us divided. I am seeing the hand of God shake the church as He moves among us in ways we don’t understand.

I believe God is calling us to a new level of commitment and intimacy, where He will no longer allow us to “play” church, we must be The Church of Jesus Christ in all its fullness. His hand is moving over the church in the United States, and around the world. As He does this, we are coming face to face with the reality of how complacent and bankrupt we have become both individually and corporately.

God in his mercy and grace is waking us up from our slumber, equipping us for warfare, and calling us back to intimacy in relationship with Him, which releases power and authority in our lives. I hear, read, and observe among the young people of this generation, a hunger for God as they gather by the thousands to seek Him. As they gather He touches them and uses them in powerful ways to bring their generation into the Kingdom of God.

How are we to live if indeed that Great Day is upon us? It is to live with a sense of urgency that the time of His return is imminent. In Romans13: 11-4, Paul wrote, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

So, do we sit back and wait, or do we take up our marching orders to share God’s love to the ends of the earth while there is still time? W are living on borrowed time, so if you aren’t ready, get ready. There are any number of passages that encourage us how to do this and they can best be summed up like this; Be Patient, Stand firm, Meet together, Encourage one another, Be consistent, Be merciful, Do what is right, Stay in God’s love and share His love with the world you.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Wholeness Ministries.

God bless,

Mike

BEFORE YOU GET HERE

Deal With The Garbage That Oppresses You Now!

BEFORE YOU GET HERE: BAGGAGE TO DROP ON YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN

Why wait until heaven to be freed of the invisible burdens that oppress and defeat you? God wants you to face those burdens now, on this planet, and through the power of specific prayer be freed from them. My book, subtitled Baggage To Drop On Your Way To Heaven, is a guide to assist in discovering freedom from the invisible burdens that oppress and defeat you.

You can order directly from our store at THIS LINK – Before You Get Here

If you have a copy don’t forget that they make great gifts. Consider giving one to a friend.

“Learning To Do What Jesus Did” is available on YouTube.

In addition to the 9 DVD series being available through Wholeness Ministries you can now watch the entire series on YouTube. The book, an excellent training manual, has been taught around the world and is available in English and Spanish. You can buy the Book, CD’s or DVD’s at the Wholeness Shop.

Learning To Do What Jesus Did (9 parts)
Available on Youtube