Dear Friends,

In last month’s newsletter I wrote an article outlining why I believe we were created by God. While many of us labor under the false assumption that God created us mainly to do good works I believe we were created first of all simply to be loved by God.

Perhaps you have heard someone say, “God loves you as you are and not as you should be!” I know we can easily accept this in our head without accepting it in our heart. We are so aware of our humanness that we find it difficult if not impossible to believe that God loves us unreservedly. We might even say His love is unreasonable.

We are so aware of our flaws, sins and frailties that it is difficult for us to come running and dancing into the presence of our Father who loves us as we are, where we are. We are comfortable with the idea of earning love by our works, or forgiveness by penance and passion, but not at ease with a love that is based on nothing we do, say, think, feel or imagine.

This whole idea of the unearned love of God can be very disturbing. Why struggle to do good? Won’t the awareness that God loves us no matter what lead to spiritual laziness and moral looseness? I mean if God is going to love me anyway, why try so hard to earn it? Why be a good guy, attend church, tithe, volunteer to pass out food to the homeless? Why not go have some fun? Party on dude, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. These appear to be sensible, valid questions.

In reality, quite the opposite is true. For example, I know that my wife loves me as I am and not as I should be. This is not an invitation to infidelity, indifference an “anything goes” attitude. Quite the opposite. I travel a fair amount and often find myself in other states and countries far from home. This means I could do any number of things I wanted and no one would ever know, except me (and God). But my love for Jane keeps me from doing those things that would hurt her if she were to find out about them. Further, my love for others that would be devastated by my moral laxity, and my love for God keep me from doing anything that would hurt Him. Her love calls forth love in me as God’s love calls forth love in me. The more rooted we are in the love of God the more generously we love our faith and practice it.

It is that kind of love that allows us to love ourselves without excuses and without questioning. We love ourselves as we are because we have been convinced that God does so. Some would say that loving ourselves is a form of pride. I believe that loving ourselves is a grateful dependence on God and a realistic appraisal of both our strengths and weaknesses.

When we discover that we are compatible and comfortable with a wide spectrum of people we will have come to terms with our own belovedness and humanness and will understand that Jesus sees us as flawed but good, wounded healers, children of the Father. We can then begin to pray as Thomas Merton did, “I thank God that I am like the rest of men.”
We are special, created in His image, children of the Father, and we are human. We have flaws, warts, wrinkles and we sin. But we must understand we are loved and “His love is based on nothing.’ Were it based on anything we do. And that “anything” were to collapse, then God’s love would crumble as well. That’s not going to happen!

Please forgive the lateness of this newsletter. I was recently in the hospital 3 days with pneumonia. I am now home and recovering. I am improving each days thanks to the prayers of many of you.

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,

We often get the impression that the reason we have been created is to work for God. Either for specific things he wants us to do or to be acceptable to him. This is a subtle lie right out of the pit of hell. We were created to be loved and to love. I came across this piece that I think profoundly expresses why we were created. I do not know the author nor to whom it was written but I think when you read it you will better understand what I am trying to say.

“I love you simply because you are my child. I enjoy you for the same reason. I didn’t create you so you could run around doing my bidding. I created you because I want to share my love with you. I desired you and held you in my heart before you were formed in your mother’s womb.

I didn’t create you so you could do something for me. I simply want to pour my love into you without reservation. It’s a love so deep; it’s hard to put into words.

This is how I feel about you. You weren’t born with a to-do list from me. I didn’t create you on a mass production line. I started pouring love into you when you were in your mother’s womb. I took my time and weaved every detail of your being. I love you simply because I love you.”

This spoke so profoundly to me that I glued it in my Bible so I could read it daily. To me it is a beautiful reminder of why we were created and how much we are loved. I know that not everyone feels this way. Because I recently made the statement that we were not created to work. One friend took exception to that statement and pointed out from scripture: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

That’s a clear statement of why we were created. There are numerous examples throughout scripture that we are to clearly demonstrate our faith by how we live it out. Both by our words and our actions. “So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:17. And in 2Thessalonians 3:10 “…If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

I have no problem with that. It is clear that God created us to work. What I believe is that above that his reason for creating us was to love us and have relationship with us.

For example, I have three children. As they grow into young adults I expect them to learn how to work as a normal part of their life. It may start with working for their allowance and progress from there into work which they do to live, raise a family, pay the bills, etc. But my original intention in having children was not so they could work. Jane and I had children so we could pour our love into them. I remember telling one of my children after he had done something that I could have used to reject him, ‘Son, you can never do anything that will keep me from loving you. No matter what you do I will always love you.’

I think it’s important to remember, “I didn’t create you so you could do something for me. I created you because I want to share my love with you!”

The Months to Come – “We will be providing you with more details about our planned expansion of Wholeness Ministries in the months to come. We believe you will be as excited about this as we are! Stay tuned!”

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,

Thinking back on Thanksgiving and how it’s a time of celebration, family get togethers, and having guests at our homes. I recently heard the story of a grandmother who sent a text out inviting the family over for Thanksgiving dinner. She accidentally sent it to a single young man not in her family. He responded, “Who is this, you’re not my grandmother but is that plate still available for Thanksgiving dinner?” She responded, “Yes, it is,” and that was the beginning of a long relationship. He has been coming to her house for over ten years for Thanksgiving dinner. Over the years as he eventually married and had children, he would bring his family.

This inspired me to think of this time of year and those people all around us that have no place to go, no family, no one who cares or even notices them. And the question I asked myself was, “Are you open to having people you don’t know over for a meal? Is your home available to those who feel abandoned, rejected, or just have no family around to go to?” Occasionally over the years one of our kids or grandkids would bring someone over for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Many times, we did not know them, but we always wanted them to feel welcome. We would try to engage them in conversation and hopefully before long they were able to relax and enjoy the time with us.

As we head into this Christmas season the focus is often on what presents are we going to give and/or what do we want for Christmas. What if we began to think about what we can do to open our homes to someone who does not have anyone to celebrate this season with. To just have a place available at our family celebration for a stranger that we can reach out to and make them feel welcome as a part of our family gathering.

Christmas is about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins and bring us into a relationship with Him. His life was a model of living in this world as a light in the darkness, especially reaching out to those outcasts, disenfranchised, lonely, hurting people that no one seems to notice or care for. What if during this season you thought about having a plate available at your table for one of these.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you cared for me, in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The king will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt.25: 35-40)

As we wrap up this current year and begin a new one, we pray that you and your loved ones have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas season and a new year of experiencing God’s love and grace in your life.

God bless,

Mike & Jane

“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 this letter I want to address an issue that I and others have dealt with for years. There have been times during this journey when I have prayed for people dealing with long-term chronic pain and there has been no apparent change in their condition. The physical and emotional toll this takes on an individual is significant. I wrote the following article to help me understand and deal with the chronic pain I have lived with for many years and hopefully help others also on this journey.

“You have chronic physical pain that hurts every hour of every day seven days a week. Or you have a life-threatening disease like cancer that has been prayed for by countless friends, and it continues to slowly kill you. Or you have prayed for a friend with cancer or some other debilitating illness believing that they will be healed and yet they are not healed but continue to suffer or perhaps die from that sickness. If you are the one suffering, how do you deal with these situations? If you are the one praying for someone else, how do you answer those questions that always surface, the ones that typically begin with…”

To continue reading, click here, “What If The Pain Doesn’t Go Away!”

To download a PDF of “What If The Pain Doesn’t Go Away!” click here.

In last month’s newsletter I wrote about the future of Wholeness Ministries and the conversations I have been having with David Anderson and Derrick Steele regarding the continuation and expansion of the ministry specially targeting the younger generations with our message of healing and freedom and equipping those interested in “Learning to Do What Jesus Did.” I am excited as I think back over how God brought these two men into my life. We are full steam ahead in our discussions and planning and will be following up with you with much more detailed information on our plans in the upcoming months! Please continue to join us in prayer as we move into this next phase of Wholeness Ministries.

God bless,

Mike

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Dear Friends,

I am eighty-three years old and for some time I have been thinking more about the future and the continuation and expansion of Wholeness Ministries. Reaching the younger generations of men and women with the message of healing and freedom and encouraging them to actually do the things that Jesus did has long been a passion of mine throughout all my years of ministry.

Most ministries that are centered on one person end abruptly when that person finishes their time of ministry. Fortunately, I am still in good health and have no intention of retiring. But what if the work that you have partnered with me on could continue and be multiplied into the next generations? It is YOUR legacy as well as mine to see Wholeness impacting the next generations for many years to come!

Some of you are aware of my passion for training and mentoring young men. For those of you who are not, let me give you a picture of the importance this plays in my life. In the late 1980’s while at a Vineyard Conference in Anaheim, California I was given a prophetic word by a man I trust that I would be leading an army of young warriors into battle and that we would be involved in a life and death battle to take back what Satan has stolen. This warfare will help bring in the reign of the Kingdom of God. At the time this sounded far out there for me, so I put it on the back burner. However, over the last several years I have spiritually fathered and mentored young men that I’ve watched grow into mighty warriors for God. Also, in the ensuing years the original prophecy was confirmed by other prophetic words from people who knew nothing of the earlier prophetic word.

One of my long-time supporters and travel companions has been David Anderson, whom I met in 2006 at a healing retreat in Denver. After a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit and transformative healing from severe trauma and physical limitations, David immediately began volunteering with Wholeness which has continued to this day. David’s life-long friend Derrick Steele also had a powerful encounter with Wholeness in 2008. Both David and Derrick have traveled and taught with me extensively through the years.

Derrick and David have a ministry called The Warriors Path (thewarriorspath.org) whose mission is to raise up a new generation of young men who choose to live primarily in the Kingdom of God that Jesus ushered in and whose desire is to emulate Jesus in thought, word and action and to do the things that He did.

Though they both live in other states, David in Denver and Derrick with his wife and children in Michigan, they currently volunteer their time to help Wholeness Ministries. One idea we are talking about is to incorporate everything that Derrick and David have been doing with The Warriors Path into a new dimension of Wholeness Ministries, while still maintaining all the praying for healing, training, equipping, counseling and mentoring men and women that is the focus of our ministry. To that end, my hope for the upcoming years is to bring them both on board as full-time paid associates. We are praying that they will be able to raise their own support for this to happen. I believe that if Wholeness Ministries is to continue into the future David and Derrick can take this work to the next generations.

We are just in the talking stage regarding this so I would ask you to join me in prayer as we continue to talk and pray. We will of course be seeking God’s direction for Wholeness Ministries in the future. I am excited as I think back over how God brought these two young men into my life. They both caught the vision for Wholeness Ministries and along with me want to see it continue as we know this is a vital work in equipping those interested in, “Learning to Do What Jesus Did.”

Thank you for your prayers and support.

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