Dear Friends,

For much of my life, I thought I understood how much God loved me. My relationship with God was comfortable and safe. I called on Him when I needed something, He didn’t put too many demands on me and I did those things I felt were required to stay on His good side. My relationship with God had become as comfortable as the place that many of our relationships end up when we take each other for granted and fall into our comfortable and familiar patterns of behavior. The most obvious that comes to mind is how dangerous it is for those of us who are married. Somewhere along the way the passion and fire of our “first love” is reduced to a pile of barely smoldering embers. We are lulled into such a place of comfort that we don’t even realize what has happened. We are so comfortable with our spouse that we take what we have for granted and fail to realize how special that person is in our life! What I have come to understand better is that as I continue in my walk with the Lord it is crucial and significant that I not get too comfortable and take this relationship with Him for granted.

For instance, it was life-changing for me to discover what it means to live by grace and not performance. I understood that He loved me because I was doing things for Him. But I did not understand that He also loved me when I was not doing anything for Him. When I was hiding my sin, running from Him, and playing the impostor. I had it all together on the outside but was a mess on the inside. To simply come to the place of living in His grace, (defined as a state of being protected by God), helped me to see that there was much more about Him that I did not know. I heard Jack Taylor say, “If you claim to know what you don’t know, you will never know what you do know.”

If you had asked me, do you know God? I would have answered, “Of course, I know God. I’ve been a believer since I was twelve years old!” As I later discovered I was claiming something I really didn’t know and it was keeping me from fully knowing how little of God I did know. If I had stayed in that place of comfort claiming that I did know God, I would never have come to the place of wanting to know Him more. When I began to understand how infinite His love for me is I began to grasp the verses in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s incredible!

You might ask, how did this happen, that you came to a place that you wanted to know God better? It came when I made a conscious decision to spend more time in His presence. Brennan Manning wrote in his book, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, “The longer you spend in the presence of Jesus the more accustomed you grow to his face, the less adulation you will need because you will have discovered for yourself that He is enough. And in the Presence, you will delight in the discovery of what it means to live by grace and not by performance.”

What incredible freedom this brought to me. Not only did my life not need to revolve around the acceptance and approval of others, but also if my Father God was pleased with me, everything else was of little consequence. At first reading this statement may sound a bit arrogant but think about this. If I am living a life that is pleasing to Him, I will be living out His love for others and treating them with the same love and grace that is being extended to me by God.

If you were to ask me today, do you know God? I would say, “Yes and no.” Yes, I know Him as much as I can at this point in my life, but no I do not know Him as well as I will in the years to come. My quest is now to know what I don’t know which will help me to better understand what I do know. My question for you is, do you know how much God loves you, and how valued you are? Do you understand that He wants to have a passionate, fully alive relationship with you, much like that fire that burns in you when you first fall totally in love with someone? Or are you comfortable where you are?

WHY NOT WASTE TIME WITH GOD

It’s About Relationship!

WHY NOT WASTE TIME WITH GOD: MOVING BEYOND A SUPERFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO LIVE IN INTIMACY WITH HIM

“This book frames spiritual growth with God’s heart, given in his Son and validated by His Spirit. This book demolishes our excuses and defenses against divine intimacy. This book is for those willing to have a fresh self-encounter and a fresh God-encounter,” Dr. Don Williams

God wants to hang out with you. We so often feel as if we must be doing something even when we are with God that it’s difficult for us to grasp that He wants to be our friend. In order for deep friendship to develop there are times when we must spend time together doing absolutely nothing but being together.

This book will help you understand that, but only if you apply it will it help you live it. Everything in this world fights against time alone with God. Everything in God longs for time alone with us. Why would you possibly choose to be influenced by the former?

You can order directly from our store at THIS LINK – Why Not Waste Time With God or call 661-833-2920.

Thank you for your prayers and support for Wholeness Ministries. You are vital in our continuing work.

God bless,

Mike

Dear Friends,

I just returned from a Prayer Conference at Community Covenant Church in Eagle River, Alaska. Judith MacNutt and I were the two presenters. I brought along with me Stephen Brown who is a dear friend, a confidant, and a man who boldly prays expecting results. This was one of the most anointed meetings I have attended. From the moment we arrived, it was evident that they had been preparing for months with lots of Intercessory prayer.

Pastor Todd Michero was 100% supportive of this conference and was assisted by Pastor Heather Smith who also put in a tremendous amount of time and energy to pull this off. There was an active Intercessory prayer team ministry going on before we arrived and during the conference. In addition, they had well-trained prayer teams available during the conference. In regards to the praise and worship, to say that the worship was good does not do it justice. There were two anointed worship leaders that shared the three-day conference that led us into the presence of God immediately. It was a powerful time!

We had a number of indigenous people who came from the villages up in the Arctic Circle. A special surprise for me was that one of them who attended the conference that we did in 2008 told me that they had been using my book, “Learning To Do What Jesus Did,” along with the teaching CDs for the last 15 years. Their passion was to teach and use the material in their village and then to go out into the surrounding villages to teach and minister. Again I was reminded that you never know where your books will be utilized. For those of you who support this ministry, without your help, this could not happen. Thank you!

Where to begin with all the miraculous moves of God! First, let me say that I believe I saw more healing at this conference than at any conference I’ve attended in the last few years. Judith and I offered healing prayer Thursday night and Saturday night where we had everyone who wanted prayer come forward. They were standing along the front and down the side aisles of the church. There were only a few left sitting as I think almost everyone attending came forward for prayer.

The first person I prayed for was healed. She had on thick glasses and told me her eyesight was cloudy. I had her remove the glasses and I placed my hands on her eyes and prayed. When I removed my hands she looked around and with excitement and laughter told me that her eyes were completely clear!

Mike and Hunter

At one point I had him pray with me for people. His prayers were so simple, for example, he would say, “Jesus, heal their ankle, amen.” And sometimes healing would happen instantly. It was great fun to watch him and have him along.

Donna, the lady who shared with me that they had been using my material up in the villages in the Arctic also came for prayer and was instantly healed of a shoulder issue she had for years.

There are many other stories I will share in next month’s issue but for now, I want to thank you for your continued support for Wholeness Ministries. Both your financial support and prayer support are much needed and appreciated.

God bless,

Mike

Dear Friends,

I am excited to return to Community Covenant Church in Eagle River, Alaska to participate in a conference April 20-22 with one of my dear friends, Judith MacNutt. This is my second visit to this church and I remember some of the exciting miracles of healing we witnessed. In addition, I had the opportunity to meet the Eskimos that came to this conference from their villages up at the North Pole. It was fascinating to talk with them about their history and daily life living in such extreme conditions. They offered me some of their food, which I tried with the exception of the blubber. I graciously declined because I knew if I put that in my mouth the result would not be pretty!

I am taking two friends with me, Steven Brown and David Anderson. David has traveled with me on numerous trips and is a gifted speaker and prayer warrior.

Steven likewise is a gifted man of prayer. He is a dear friend, a confidant, a man who boldly prays expecting results.

Steven has partnered with me in praying for healing for others and I am excited to have him with me on this trip.

Keep us in your prayers as we head for Alaska on April 19th. Pray there will be no delays that will keep us from arriving on time. Whenever I head off for one of these trips the spiritual warfare increases, as the enemy hates these healing conferences and will try anything to prevent us from doing them. Also, pray for those in Alaska who are working hard to make this happen. They have spent hundreds of hours putting this together.

IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET!

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

$ $ $ $ $

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. When I resigned from the church and Jane and I stepped out relying totally on faith for God to provide for us almost 29 years ago, we have had all of our needs met each month because of your faithfulness. Sometimes it would seem as if God would test us to see how far we were willing to go. But each time that happened it helped us increase our faith and dependence on Him.

Thank you for your generous and faithful support of our worldwide ministry.

God bless,

Mike

BOOK AN IN-PERSON MINISTRY SESSION
We have found these ministry sessions with people to be invaluable in healing them from wounds from their past. In some cases after two or three sessions, they experience freedom! If you need deep-level healing prayer or know someone who could benefit from this, here is how to start the process. Send an email to mevans@wholeness.org or call 661-833-2920 to schedule an appointment. On our website, simply follow the instructions under Personal Ministry.

Dear Friends,

On one of my trips to Romania, I was invited to go speak to the kids in an orphanage. These were mostly boys up through eighteen years of age. I was sharing the story of Jesus and the life we can have with Him and what it meant to be a child of God and see him as father. When I finished I took some time to talk with them and listen to their stories. Some of the stories I heard broke my heart. Many of them were dropped off at the orphanage by their parents whom they never saw again. Others were dropped off and their mom or dad said, “We’ll be back to see you soon.” But they never came back. One little guy said his mom dropped him off three years earlier and he was still waiting for her to come back. To look in their eyes and see the hurt and pain was tough and I vacillated between anger at what had been done to them and wanting to pick them up, hug them, and bring them home with me.

I remember clearly one little guy about 6-7 years old who walked up to me and looking up at me with these eyes full of hope said, “Will you be my father?” I almost lost it. I wanted to pick him up and take him out of there but obviously, I couldn’t. It was one of those experiences you never forget.

When I think of this I’m reminded of what a blessing it was for me to grow up in a home with a great father. We hunted and fished together, played catch, went to baseball games, and did what I thought were all the normal things fathers and sons did. When my father was taken from us I was an eighteen-year-old kid. Then I begin to look and see that a lot of other kids didn’t have a good father or in many cases, the father was not even in the home.

So where am I going with all of this? We know from Scripture that God is our Father. But what does that really mean? Because I grew up with a good father I had some idea of what that might look like. But trying to comprehend what it means to have God as Father was still difficult.

Although I shared this piece with you recently I felt it needed repeating when trying to understand what it was like to connect as a child with God as a Father.

PRAY FOR MY TRIP TO COVENANT COMMUNITY CHURCH IN EAGLE RIVER, ALASKA FOR A CONFERENCE ON APRIL 20-22. THIS WILL BE MY SECOND TRIP AND I WILL AGAIN JOIN MY DEAR FRIEND JUDITH MACNUTT.

Let yourself be loved by God

“I am your God, you are my child. How can you ever doubt that I will embrace you again, hold you against my breast, kiss you, and let my hands run through your hair? I am a God of mercy and compassion, of tenderness and care. I so much want you to be close to me. I know all your thoughts. I hear all your words. I see all of your actions. And I love you. Do not judge yourself. Do not condemn yourself. Do not reject yourself. Let my love touch the most hidden corners of your heart and reveal to you your beauty, a beauty that you have lost sight of. Come, let me wipe away your tears, and let my mouth come close to your ear and say to you, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.'” Fr. Henri Nouwen

God wants to hang out with you. In order for a deep friendship to develop, there are times when we must spend time together doing absolutely nothing but being together.

This book will help you understand that, but only if you apply it will it help you live it.

WHY NOT WASTE TIME WITH GOD

It’s About Relationship!

WHY NOT WASTE TIME WITH GOD: MOVING BEYOND A SUPERFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO LIVE IN INTIMACY WITH HIM

“This book frames spiritual growth with God’s heart, given in his Son and validated by His Spirit. This book demolishes our excuses and defenses against divine intimacy. This book is for those willing to have a fresh self-encounter and a fresh God-encounter,” Dr. Don Williams

God wants to hang out with you. We so often feel as if we must be doing something even when we are with God that it’s difficult for us to grasp that He wants to be our friend. In order for deep friendship to develop there are times when we must spend time together doing absolutely nothing but being together.

This book will help you understand that, but only if you apply it will it help you live it. Everything in this world fights against time alone with God. Everything in God longs for time alone with us. Why would you possibly choose to be influenced by the former?

You can order directly from our store at THIS LINK – Why Not Waste Time With God or call 661-833-2920.

Thank you for your prayers and support for Wholeness Ministries. You are vital in our continuing work.

God bless,

Mike

Dear Friends,

The other morning I had one of those moments as I was reading Psalms when I was struck by the words “steadfast and willing.” The passage reads, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from you presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalms 51:10-12. What struck me about this passage were the words, “renew a steadfast spirit within me”, and “grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” When I looked up “steadfast” in the dictionary it said, “unchanging, steady, loyal, constant.” When I looked up the word “willing” it said, “to decide on, to choose, to yearn for, desire.”

As I thought about this, I realized that in order to be steadfast and willing in my journey with God I was going to need God to show me how to do this because I could not be willing and steadfast in my own fleshly power. I turned over to Proverbs and just happened to be reading in chapter 3. As I was reading He began to answer my question, “God, how do I do this?” I’m going to take a little editorial license here but I think you will get the point. He begins in verse one with, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.” My response was okay, but why? He continues, “For they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.” This is good I can understand this. Then He says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” Again I’m thinking why, “Because you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” By this time I’m becoming very interested. As I continue to read He says; “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” Why? “Because this will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Health and nourishment, that’s good I like this, so I read on. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.” Okay, what’s the benefit? “Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Then He ends with “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke.” Why? “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

I’m thinking wow, this is great stuff! God shares with us His wisdom, and shows us exactly how it will affect us. If you heed His counsel, this is what will result. Doesn’t it make sense that if you don’t what you will reap will be the opposite of the good that God desires for you? What was exciting for me was when I fully began to realize that when we ask God to help us be steadfast and willing in our walk, He has already provided not only wise counsel but the benefits of relationship with Him as our loving Father.

MINISTRY FOR 2023
I have been invited to join Judith MacNutt at a healing conference in Alaska, April 19-22. Pray for us and all those who will be attending.

Thank you for your generous and faithful support of our worldwide ministry.

I’ve received some very encouraging feedback on my new book. Give it a read.

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

God bless,

Mike