Dear Friends,

Recently I was at a retreat with some friends. It was one of those times when we could pull away, relax, have some fun, and allow the masks we wear to slip a bit. Men, it seems, by nature are very competitive and in many ways just little boys in men’s bodies. We had a significant amount of free time and I noticed that most of the men were busy doing something active during that time. Basketball, bike riding, golfing, fishing and paintball warfare were the sports of the day. A few would slip off for a walk, take a nap or visit with friends.

As we gathered for our evening sessions there was much laughter, shouting, singing, and praising God. We sat rapt with attention as our speakers spoke about being a godly man, pulling off the masks that we all wear and the dangers of envy and comparison. As we came to the close of each session, God began to dig a little deeper and touch those parts of us that we hide away. Those parts that we don’t allow others to know about, that bring us shame, embarrassment and often leave us feeling defeated. It seems we are always looking for something to medicate our pain or satiate our passions. As men opened themselves up to the healing touch of Jesus, they found that He was enough, that only Jesus can bring lasting victory and peace, and that we can’t pull ourselves up by our own spiritual bootstraps when faced with the utter inadequacy of our willpower and the insufficiency of the self-made man.

When we discover that all we are, all we have, all we do must be centered in Jesus Christ we will understand that Jesus is all we need. When the Christians faced Rome, they only had Jesus. When Stephen was stoned, he only had Jesus. When Paul was whipped, ridiculed, and imprisoned, he only had Jesus.

I read this in Brennan Manning’s book, “The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus,”

“Living out of the center enables us to blend for a moment into a greater background than our own fears, to merely be still and to know that God is God. It means that I don’t figure out, I don’t analyze. I simply lose myself in the experience of just being alive, of being in a community of believers, simply knowing that it’s good to be there, even if I don’t know where “there” is or why it’s good.”

I have discovered in over 40 years of ministry in dealing with men that when Jesus becomes the “center” of all we do, He is all we will need.

Early in my ministry journey this flyer was given to me by a friend and when I read it the impact on my life was significant. I read it often as it clearly lays out how we are to live as we walk this journey with God. I was especially moved by what was written at the bottom of the flyer which begins with, “Let me show you what your life could have been like if only…”

Thank you for your prayers and support.

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

Before You Get Here, 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 many Christians today.

Chapters include: The Importance of Forgiveness, The Traps of Unforgiveness, A Look in the Mirror, I Will Never, Harmful Words and Harmful Connections, Let Yourself Be Loved By God, The Recovery of Intimacy, and more.

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.

Check out our whole catalog at THIS LINK.

Dear Friends,

There’s a story by Morton Kelsey about a man who came to the edge of an abyss. “As he stood there wondering what to do next, he was amazed to discover a tightrope stretched across the abyss. And slowly, surely, across the rope came an acrobat pushing before him a wheelbarrow with another performer in it. When they finally reached the safety of solid ground, the acrobat smiled at the man’s amazement. ‘Don’t you think I can do it again?’ he asked. And the man replied, ‘Why yes, I certainly believe you can.’ The acrobat put his question again, and when the answer was the same, he pointed to the wheelbarrow and said, ‘Good! Then get in and I will take you across.”

What struck me about this story is what we must ask ourselves about Jesus Christ. We say we believe in him, we depend upon him, we trust him, and we want him to be Lord of our life. We say that we want to spend time with him and do the things that he did, yet many of us are afraid to get into the wheelbarrow. Our faith is demonstrated not by our rhetoric, but by our actions. If we are not willing to step out and take leaps of faith we may be saying, “I don’t trust you.” Or, perhaps we are just admitting that we are weak, fearful human beings. Sometimes we are ready to leap into the wheelbarrow and sometimes we wouldn’t dare go near it. Is this wrong, no, this is human. Is it disappointing to God, no, because He knows we are going to fail, before we know we are going to fail. God could easily be saying, “I expect more failure from you than you expect from yourself.”

I believe the Gospel of the Good News of Jesus Christ is very simple. He demonstrated it by proclaiming the Kingdom of God and by healing the sick. He said and demonstrated numerous times that we were to, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things (our needs) would be provided for.” He said, “Call to me and I will answer you.” He said, “Believe and you will receive.” He said, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers.” All this is wheelbarrow stuff ! We have to trust that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.

When Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I believe he meant now! That we can expect God’s kingdom to move into this kingdom on earth now. If we believe God still heals and provides today, that He can do again, over and over what He has done for thousands of years than we should have no problem trusting Him. Do you trust Him enough to get into the wheelbarrow?

Wholeness Ministries Birthday 41 Years Coming up!
Next month Wholeness Ministries will have been in existence 41 years. In 1984 after my exposure to the healing ministry of John Wimber at the Vineyard in Anaheim, CA I returned to First Baptist Church in Bakersfield, CA and began to pray for the sick. It was during this time that I asked our Pastor Dr. John Lavender if we could name this ministry Wholeness Ministries. He not only said yes but was an enthusiastic supporter. I will always be grateful for his encouragement and support.

Sherrill Mahlum has gone home to be with her Lord. Sherrill was not only my sister-in-law but a dear friend of this ministry. Her gifts were obvious as she helped me with assorted administrative tasks as a volunteer for over 20 years! Administrative detail work is not my favorite thing to do. Sherrill handled the bookkeeping, shipping of our products and all those details that keeps things running smoothly. Her dedication and sense of humor will be greatly missed.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

God bless,

Mike

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD

Filled With Healing Testimonies to Encourage You!

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD: A JOURNEY WITH GOD ON THE ROAD OF HEALING AND MIRACLES

This newest book is filled with stories of over 150 healing miracles that I have witnessed in my travels. I believe God prompted me to write this to encourage His people that He is still healing and restoring today.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

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

Dear Friends,

This last Sunday I was invited to speak at Renaissance Church in Bakersfield, CA. I had an opportunity to train and equip them on how to pray for the sick. During the teaching I began to share testimonies of the incredible healings I had witnessed over the last 40+years of ministry. As I was sharing these stories it occurred to me how amazing that He has allowed me to be a part of what He is doing in healing people. He obviously doesn’t need me as He can do this just as well without me. I remember hearing John Wimber say when referring to our call to pray for the sick, “We all get to play.” I didn’t totally understand that when I first heard it but after experiencing it these last 40+ years I now understand. What could be more fun than praying for the sick and watch as they are instantly healed as you pray for them!

I shudder to think back to 1984 when Dr. John Lavender wanted me to accompany him to a week long healing conference with John Wimber at the Vineyard in Anaheim,CA. I did not want to go to anything having to do with healing and told him so as we were standing by the car to leave. The reason being that I had a bad experience in my exposure to healing as a young boy. I was raised in a conservative Southern Baptist Church. We sang hymns on Sunday morning, we had no raising hands, no hysterical laughing or crying, nobody running around the room shouting, and for sure no people falling over “resting in the spirit.” We did everything in order because we knew that’s the way God expected it to be done. He is, after all a God of order. Right!

Well, when I was about 13 years old my grandmother took me to this Oral Roberts healing tent revival at the fairgrounds, and they were doing all these crazy things I just described, and it freaked me out. If this was healing, I wanted nothing to do with it! After I told Dr. John I did not want to go, He lovingly looked at me and said, “Michael, get in car, we are going!” So off we went.

As we were on our way down to Anaheim I was praying, “Lord you know I don’t like this stuff, and I don’t want to be here, but if there is anything you want to show me or teach me, I will be open to it.” I soon learned if you pray a prayer like that God will take you at your word. After we arrived we walked into this large warehouse filled with about 2,000 people singing worship songs like I had never heard before. I felt my spirit immediately react by jumping up and shouting, “Yes!” It was as if he had been waiting for this a long time and we were finally there.

I didn’t know what John Wimber looked like but he turned out to be this dude dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and white pants with flip flops on his feet. Very unlike what I was used to seeing in church. When he started teaching on healing his style was so laid back and easy that I thought, I can learn something from this man. After his teaching he immediately had us praying for the sick using the model that he had just demonstrated by praying for someone.

That week-long conference profoundly impacted my life. It turned me around 180 degrees regarding healing. I felt as if I had found what God called me out to do with my life. After the conference as Dr. John and I were in the car headed back to Bakersfield, he looked over at me and said, “Well, Michael, I guess it’s back to the same old thing.” I looked back at him and said, “John, I will never go back to the same old thing!” I think he was surprised but at the same time looked pleased. I came back to the church and started praying for the sick. Before long, I was recruiting others and teaching them what I had learned from John Wimber. After this initial exposure I went to every healing conference they held over the years.

Earlier in this letter when I said I shudder to think back when this started what I meant was this; what if Dr. John said, “Okay Michael you don’t have to go.” How different my life and ministry may well have been. I might have completely missed what God had planned for me and would not have experienced what I have over these last 40+ years.

Thank you for your continued faithful support over these many years. Your giving has allowed us to take this ministry all over the world. The impact Wholeness Ministries has had and will continue to have will never be fully known this side of heaven. But I have no doubt that God is well pleased with what we are doing and your generous giving has allowed this to happen.

God bless,

Mike

“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,

This last month I had an opportunity to train and equip about 60 people for the payer team ministry at New Life Church here in Bakersfield. It was great fun to watch as God showed up time after time. As a part of my training, I always have some hands-on time where I want them to do just what I have taught on. I had just finished a teaching on hearing Words of Knowledge.

The first exercise I had them participate in was learning how to listen to God when you are praying for someone. I broke them down into groups of three, preferably with someone they didn’t know. I asked them to be quiet for 90 seconds and then I prayed that God would show something to someone in their small group that they didn’t know about. Something about one of the other people in their group. After a time of waiting, I then asked them to share what they think they might have heard to see if it would be confirmed. When I asked, “How many of you heard something that you did not know and when you shared it with the other people in your group someone confirmed that it was right on?”

Of the large number of groups we had present easily 95% of the people confirmed they had heard something specific from God! That amazed many of them as that was the first time they had experienced anything like that. In the past every time I do this exercise that’s what happens!

The second exercise I do is right after I teach a model on how to pray for healing. I always have someone come up for prayer with a physical pain. I do this so that when we pray it’s easy to know if the pain left or if it’s still there. Interestingly enough I have found over the many years I have done this that the people who volunteer to be part of the demonstration on how to pray are almost always healed. Both people I did the model with were healed. One from pain she had dealt with for 34 years. I then have them team up with someone who needs prayer and after their time of prayer ask people to share what happened with them.

We had one man testify that his hearing was restored plus many others gave testimonies of what God had done. One humorous story I want to share. I was telling the group about one time when I was up in Toronto during one of our large healing services. The Lord had impressed upon me that he was going to heal those that were deaf that evening. I thought that was great but then after I had all the people stand who wanted prayer for their hearing the Lord said, “I want you to walk over to the microphone and clap loud one time.” So I did and a large number of people were healed. But when I was re-telling the story to a group on Saturday and clapped my hands one lady said when I clapped my hands her ear popped open also! To me that’s hilarious. Anyway it is always a great time and I look forward to doing some more training in the near future.

Thank you for you continued support.

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

Before You Get Here, 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 many Christians today.

Chapters include: The Importance of Forgiveness, The Traps of Unforgiveness, A Look in the Mirror, I Will Never, Harmful Words and Harmful Connections, Let Yourself Be Loved By God, The Recovery of Intimacy, and more.

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.

Check out our whole catalog at THIS LINK.

Dear Friends,

At one point in his earthly ministry Jesus said, “For even I, The Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for others.”(NLT) One of the definitions I found for servant was: “A person serving as an agent for another to attend to the wants and needs of others.”

In our culture we don’t have a good understanding of servants because few of us have ever had any exposure to those employed as servants. We have some understanding from films or books they have been portrayed in but it is not common in our culture to be exposed to servants. Over and over throughout the Gospels Jesus shows us what God is like by serving. God wants to be known through servant-hood. Thus, when Jesus describes His return in glory at the end of the world, He says, “Happy are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them.” (Lk.12:37 NASB)

So we see in the Gospels this image of Jesus as a servant. This model doesn’t fit well with what our world values nor what most of us strive to become. When you ask a child what do you want to be when you grow up? How many say, “Oh I want to be a servant!” Would that sit well with you as a parent? How many classes do you think they have at your University on servant hood?

Obviously I am writing a little tongue-in-cheek because we all must be employed at some task to provide for ourselves and to utilize the gifts and education we have received. But servant hood, as stated above, has nothing to do with how we feel but rather what we do.

In his book “Abba’s Child,” Brennan Manning writes, “What a scandalous and unprecedented reversal of the world’s values! To prefer to be the servant rather than the lord of the household is the path of downward mobility in an upwardly mobile culture. To taunt the idols of prestige, honor, and recognition, to refuse to take oneself seriously or to take seriously others who take themselves seriously, to dance to the tune of a different drummer, and to freely embrace the servant lifestyle-these are the attitudes that bear the stamp of authentic discipleship.” Then he ends this by saying, “Servanthood is not an emotion or mood or feeling; it is a decision to live like Jesus. It has nothing to do with what we feel; it has everything to do with what we do – humble service.”

In my mind when I think about Jesus and how he went about in the ordinariness of his day I picture him interacting with people much like we do. He wasn’t always healing the sick, preaching, raising the dead or floating around with his head in the clouds. Come on, he was human, much like us. And we are called to be like him. Well, how do we do that?

For me, this is how it works. I try to live my day understanding that I am loved and I am called to love others. Sometimes I do well at this, other times I don’t. But I am learning that to be like Jesus is to try to respond everyday as he would respond. Here’s a testimony of me praying with a friend while waiting to be seated at a restaurant.

“Skip Honeyman, one of our members who is involved in the prayer team ministry testified to a miraculous healing in his hip after Mike Evans prayed for him outside the White River Fish Market where several had gone to eat during the weekend. Skip decided to ask for prayer as they waited in line outside the restaurant. Mike prayed for him right there rather than wait for the healing service. Skip has suffered from pain in this hip for three years after an injury using a ditch witch. His physical exercise habits have been curtailed all of this time due to the pain. He experienced instant healing.”

If you haven’t read it yet, you can grab a copy of my book, “Riding Shotgun With God” at the link below where you’ll find Skip’s story along with many others.

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
One of the things I don’t often talk about is money. I want to encourage you that have faithfully supported Wholeness Ministries over these many years. We have had all of our needs met each month because of your faithfulness. We continue to be blessed by your giving and are very grateful.

God bless,

Mike

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD

Filled With Healing Testimonies to Encourage You!

RIDING SHOTGUN WITH GOD: A JOURNEY WITH GOD ON THE ROAD OF HEALING AND MIRACLES

This newest book is filled with stories of over 150 healing miracles that I have witnessed in my travels. I believe God prompted me to write this to encourage His people that He is still healing and restoring today.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

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