Compiled by Daniel

This first example comes from 1973. Because we have no rational explanation for what actually happened, we have included several attesting witnesses to the account. Here is the original account as told by Steve Miller:

 A PHONE CALL

(written by Steve Miller)

I believe it was the summer of 1973 when we had the Knoxville, Tenn. Conference. The Kansas saints divided up into four teams all going to Michigan, but to four separate college campuses in four separate cities. Neal Graber and I led a team to Kalamazoo, and after wandering around in this strange town for several days were able to rent houses for the team to stay in for the summer.

We had just got our phone hooked up and Neal and I were sitting on the floor of the unfurnished house pondering on what to do next. It was very hot and humid and I decided to see if the phone worked by calling time and temperature. I'm not sure if I got the number from the operator or the phone book, but when I dialed the "local time and temperature" number, I heard a real live voice answer on the other end. After the voice said "hello" I said "I'm sorry but I must have dialed the wrong number." The voice on the other end asked whom I was calling, because he had just got his phone hooked up. I said that we had also just got ours hooked up and that I had decided to call time and temperature to see if the phone worked. The voice on the other end said " I'm sorry, this is not time and temperature, but before you hang up, I want you know that Jesus loves you and wants you to spend eternity with HIM." This was even more shocking to hear. I replied "Wait a minute! Who is this?" The voice on the other end said, "Why this is Bill Woods. Who is this?" I told him this was Steve Miller in Kalamazoo. There was a pause on the other end, and Neal was asking "Who are you talking to?" Then I hear the Bill Woods giggle on the other end talking to Paul (I think), and telling him who was on the other end. We had a four-way going for awhile as best you can with two single line phones with no speaker phone mechanism. After a lot of laughing, and sharing back and forth, we said good bye.

How I called his number had to be a miracle, as Bill was in Ypsilanti, MI. and both of us had just received our numbers and neither number had even been listed in information yet. Only the Lord can take a seven digit local number (at that time you didn't have to dial the area code for a local number) and connect you with another team member across the state just after both had their phones connected. We made sure we had each other's house address and phone numbers before we hung up. That proved to be a real blessing, as we were able to plan together with them and get each other's thoughts as we attempted to reach out in a strange land we had never been in before.

(NOTE: In a personal conversation, Steve told me (Rita Bergen) how much this phone call had encouraged them. Steve and Neal had been a little discouraged, wondering what to do next for leading their team in the work in Kalamazoo. But because of this amazing phone call they not only received some good counsel from Bill and Paul, but they also got the feeling that God was really with them and had not forgotten about them. It was a very encouraging phone call!)

The above is a scan of the attestation. The handwritten text and signatures are as follows…..

Left Margin:  

This is how I remember it too.  Paul Abbott

Top Margin:  

Actually - this is pretty much how I remember it too. 

Quite a story!   Sorry - I have been unfaithful to get this back to you for a long time. Neal

Bottom Margin:

On November 18, 2002 Steve Miller emailed me this report of his phone call. I edited two details (Bill Wood's location and the name of Bill's co- leader) and wrote the additional note before submitting it to others for verification. Neal Graber changed one detail (the humber of houses rented) and then signed it. Then Paul Abbott read it and signed it as it stood. Rita Bergen Dec. 22, 2009

Even though this was not a case of knowing and consciously choosing to live by a specific promise, this could be an example of God fulfilling Isaiah 65:23-24 in the lives of believers who stepped out in faith to serve Him.

“They will not labor in vain, Or give birth to children for disaster; For they are the descendants of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen.” 

Isaiah 65:23-24

The following three pages are screenshots of Rita Bergen documenting this miraclous phone call in a daily devotional of our churches, called Daylights …..

This story could be seen as just a quirk occurrence which just happened to encourage some believers through an inexplicable chance connection.

Most of the other stories of faith and fulfilled promises are cases where there was more intentional dependence of God’s promises. Keep reading!