Winter 2004
Dearly Beloved of Our Lord:
May His wonderful mercy, grace, and peace be multiplied into your life throughout this Holiday Season – Christmas time and throughout the coming New Year. And may all that you do and everywhere you go bring you into greater and greater fruitfulness as you experience His Presence moving in you and loving the one in front of you. It is such a wonderful blessing to be a part of His ministry of salvation, healing, and deliverance.
Greetings from Pioneer Courthouse Square
We are sitting by the MAX stop. The tree on the Square is lit for the season and a thermometer says 35°F. It is cold and a breeze is up so there is an added wind chill. But God’s love for us is so great and so powerful. He saves us from sin and death and brings us into His Kingdom. And then He will live with us forever in the new heaven and new earth. He will make all things new and even wipe away every tear from our eye. There is always the River of the Water of Life and whoever is thirsty may drink. We are handing out tracts and calendar cards and we are making ourselves available to pray for people. One sign says, “TRUST JESUS” and the other says “Jesus Forgives and Heals. Do You Know Him?” Even though it was cold several people stopped by to talk with us, and a few asked for and received prayer.
But there is also a warning that those who continue in wickedness will perish in a lake of fire. We are sent to proclaim the Good News and also warn of the consequences of sin and rebellion. It is His Love working in and through us that brings us to the downtown gates of our city, to Portland’s Living Room, to Pioneer Courthouse Square. We live with the understanding that every person we see, we meet, and we talk with will be in the new heaven and new earth or will be in the lake of fire. This is a very sobering fact. (See Revelation 21:1-8) Please remember us in prayer this fall and winter, especially when it is cold.
Portland ~ awakening in our city
As we look back over the past year we have seen many signs that we are in the beginning of an awakening in the church and throughout our city. More and more people we meet are thirsty for a drink from the River of the Water of Life. Some have even come to us asking how to get free from sin and put their lives in the hands of God. A couple of people were shocked to see how low they could go into immoral sex and drug use (usually methamphetamine). This caused them to seek us out for prayer and counsel. Some have become very physically sick and others have become so mentally ill and confused that they are filled with fear and terror. Some are seeking the Lord from a background where they did not know God and others are prodigals who have become sick and weary of the pigs’ food of this world system. Many come to Jesus to follow Him but a few others have hardened their hearts.
One middle-aged African American woman came to Karen during early summer, saw her sign offering healing prayer, and asked for some prayer for her female problems and the extreme cramps they were causing. She was sort of putting God to the test as she waited for her MAX train at the Square. She received prayer and left on her train. In early autumn she was passing by again and came up to tell us how she was healed that day and the pain never returned. God had healed her. But there was a problem. She just wasn’t ready to believe and follow Jesus. In fact she was so stirred up and polarized by the election that she was filled with anger against the President and measure 36. But she was healed and gave us thanks, thinking that it was some special power Karen had.
Karen’s Testimony ~ We have a card that says, “His Presence – loving the one in front of us.” God has a tremendous passion for the soul in front of us. He suffered on the cross so that soul in front of us could be set free of sin, the judgments of sin, pain, physical and demonic oppression. We were trained to listen to the person and listen to the Holy Spirit with our often-used prayer, “Help!” Most of the people we pray for have some confession of Christ but they are oppressed. They come to us down cast and when the Lord ministers to them they become filled with joy and the love of the Father. Many are in the captivity of lies. We give out many pamphlets entitled “Who you are in Christ.” It is a pamphlet full of scriptures, which state the truth as to how God sees you and how you should see yourself. We encourage people to confess these truths in front of a mirror out loud. The Bible says that which you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth you shall have. It is the truth that sets you free.
Sometimes we are our worst enemy. We focus on our sins, shortcomings, and we do not like ourselves. We are under the circumstances and not seated in heavenly places above the circumstances. We prayed for a mother, who had a problem with anger, which she felt was caused by perfectionism. When things did not come out perfect she would get angry and explode at her husband and children. She thought it was because she had a very controlling and verbally abusive mother and she was doing the same thing. We led her through repentance of her anger and forgiveness of her mother and herself. Ron prayed and the Holy Spirit led him to break the power of self-hatred. The Lord broke the stronghold and she exploded with uncontrollable weeping that washed it out of her soul. In every area of her life that was cleansed we prayed for the infilling of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. She wanted more self-control. The Bible says that whatever you yield yourself to you become servants to obey. If you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit then you will have self-control. Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit.
Sometimes we have to give out warnings. The Lord has me speaking to many homosexuals. We prayed for a man who had contracted HIV after getting involved in homosexual activities. He also came down with lymphoma. He wanted healing and wisdom. Ron asked if he was celibate and he said that he was not. We talked about breaking soul ties and prayed for healing and an impartation of wisdom. He broke out in weeping and was deeply touched by the Holy Spirit. I told him that you have encountered God and you know that you know He is real. We have gifts of miracles and healing but I had to warn him. I gave the story of the man by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus healed the man but He warned him not to sin any more least a worst thing would come upon him. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Thank you for your prayers and support
We have the privilege of being one of a very few couples ministering in the streets of downtown Portland several times a week. And this has been a very intense and exciting year for us. And you have been a part of it through your prayers and your financial support. We appreciate every gift and every note of encouragement. And we are especially thankful for your prayers and intercession. If you would like to support us financially you may give to us personally, Ron or Karen Rohman. Or you may give through church @ 24/7, which is a tax-deductible ministry and receipts are sent out each month. Again, thank you for your support and may you have a most blessed Christmastime and New Year.
-- Ron & Karen Rohman
E-mail: awakening1s@comcast.net
Home Page: awakening1s.net
church @ 24/7
Ron & Karen Rohman
PO Box 14292
PORTLAND OR 97293