Restoration Ministries Healing
House
THE ENCOURAGER - UPDATE
Summer 2008 |
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Dear Friends,
It is with great joy and gladness that we are
writing to you, happy to be able to feel connected with you once again. |
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It is hard to believe that 2008 is half over! For some time we
have recognized that “the cloud” was moving and we were to relocate
ourselves and Restoration Ministries. By God’s leading we have recently
moved to Ft. Mill (Charlotte), SC. We are sorry for waiting so long to
write but this move just recently came together. |
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Over the past couple of years we have experienced a rich personal
and ministry relationship with Chuck & Susan Mervin and the youth
ministry The Cause, through God’s ministering healing and
restoration to the youth leadership there. Throughout this time the
Mervins have asked us to pray about becoming a part of The Cause.
We have given this priority in our prayer and thinking and there are
several events that led us to the decision to move to the location of
The Cause on the old PTL property, now Rick Joiner’s Heritage
Village and MorningStar Ministries in Ft. Mill, SC. |
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These are several events that have led up to God’s clear call to
work with youth. First, years ago I (John) received a prophetic Word
from Larry Lambert’s daughter, Becky that we would be working with and
influencing thousands of youth in our lifetime. This seemed absurd at
the time, at our age, but we held on to this Word. Shortly after this we
and our RMI staff wrote an Issue Focused Activation book for youth that
has traveled around the world. |
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Next, while attending the Christian International Annual Meeting
in Santa Rosa Beach, FL last year, Bishop Bill Hamon called me (John) to
the front and gave me a powerful Word regarding ministry to youth. That
clinched it for us. God was clearly directing us to minister to youth in
some way. |
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Recently a documentary on CNN entitled, God’s Warriors,
featured youth from The Call/TheCause in a stand-off in
California between Satanists and The Call/The Cause. What
transpired next greatly moved our hearts. Satanists cried out “you’re
ruining our culture”, while the Christian youth (19-35 years of age)
called back with tears running down their cheeks, “If you only knew our
Jesus you wouldn’t say that.” These youth went on to say, “we are tired
of the youth of USA being identified as druggies, immoral, lawless and
drop-outs and we want to change that image for the sake of Jesus Christ!
The climax came when the commentator said, “These Youth are changing the
culture of the United States of America.”
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A token of these youth right now are in training at Ft. Mill,
worshipping and interceding 8-10 hours a day. They live in simple wood
cabins beside a lake. They do not have televisions. As end-time
harvesters, their God-given task is cultivating other youth to confront
the American culture with Jesus Christ. As God leads, they travel in
groups to cities where they pray and worship for days breaking
strongholds and releasing God’s purposes in each place. |
| Barbara
and I have ministered to these Youth and their leaders several times.
Here are some of their comments for His Glory and Praise: |
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“Lots of love-talk
Group prayer from the front was powerful
Love to watch you minister together
I love my parents so much more
Not over-spiritual, focused on “dignity”
Presence of God was so strong, I dropped my stuff and yelled
“freedom”!
An awesome connection with us as a family, not distant like
leaders |
Tandem speakers with no gaps
Great words of knowledge and prophesy
Learned I have authority
You know what you are “talking” about |
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| We have responded to
‘His call” and moved Restoration Ministries to Ft. Mill, for spiritual
counseling and “Mom & Pop” influence for the Youth. We will also
continue Restoring The Foundations ministry. |
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We want to catch you up with what has been happening in
Restoration Ministries through Father’s love and leading. During the
past months 55 individuals from 11 states and 7 foreign countries
experienced healing and deliverance through RTF. We have witnessed a
huge acceleration in areas of Words of Knowledge and the Prophetic as a
result of RMI Intercessor’s prayers. Thank you, as we do our part and
you pray, God moves!!! |
| Issue-Focused Activations were held in Charleston,
SC and Burnsville, NC. Through your prayers there are some amazing
reports of fruit still going on. We have recently had the privilege of
officially becoming the covering for Women of Action, the
sponsoring group in Charleston, led by Rev. Gloria Tomkins. |
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One of the most eventful, inspiring and culturally changing
missions ministries was in Lima, Peru with leaders of a 5,000 member
church, plus leaders from three other ministry organizations, including
three secular psychiatrists! We were both humbled and blessed. |
| Twice
last year we held Healing and Deliverance Seminars at
The Cause and one Issue-Focused Activation.
During this time, in our hotel room, we had two visitations from Jesus
Christ. We experienced more anointing and glory while ministering and
being with these youth than ever at any ministry prior to this. |
| At the Advanced
Training Seminar in Hendersonville, NC in January we brought a
teaching on Cross-Cultural Training. It was a lot of fun and we all
learned from the mistakes we made while overseas!! |
| Kingdom Finance in
Ft. Mill requested us to minister to the attendees at the end of their
conference. We were so grateful to God for the amazing words of
knowledge He gave for each person. |
| Last December, the
Healing House Network partnered with the Elijah House Ministries to
sponsor a Wounded Pastor’s Conference free of charge in
which we donated our time ministering to a Leadership couple from
Poland. |
| We continue to receive
meaningful reports from Steve and Ania Hylan who are ministering RTF in
many places in Poland. They say: “Your prayers and support really
matter.” |
| Thank you again for your
continued prayer and support as we move to South Carolina. We deeply
appreciate each of you who contribute with your prayers and financial
support, phone calls and notes, and want you all to know we need you!
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| In the Father’s love, |
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John & Barbara Briggs
Restoration Ministries Healing House
711 Chelton Lane
Fort Mill, SC 29715
Phone: 828-508-2122 |
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Recommended Reading: (from a Pastor’s wife)
Full Service, Siang-yang Ton. (Moving from self-service to
Christianity to total servanthood)
Revolution, George Barna (category five hurricane that will
consume America’s spiritual landscape over the next years) |
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| MISSIONS |
| "One of the most eventful, inspiring and culturally
changing overseas missions ministries was in Lima, Peru, with leaders of
a 5,000 member church, plus leaders from three other ministry
organizations, including three secular psychiatrists! We were both
humbled and blessed as they all responded to the ministry training, and
as they ministered to one another there was weeping, exuberant praise,
new freedom and transformation as they were set free from ancestral
curses, ungodly beliefs, woundedness and demonic oppression. Our God is
truly faithful!" |
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| Extending Our Lifeline |
| We feel close to each of
you, and thank you for being a part of this ministry, for your love and
communication with us. Restoration Ministries includes all of you, our
dear friends around the world. What a blessing to take this message to other nations and train nationals to expand the work. Thank you for standing with us. Your reward is on the way. |
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With love, John & Barbara Briggs |
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| Pour Out Your Miracle |
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There was “a certain woman”. She was a ministry woman. She was the wife of one of the sons of the prophets. This woman had a desperate need. Her husband was dead and her creditors had come to take her two children to be slaves. |
| In her growing hopelessness she became a blame-shifter. “Your servant, my husband, is dead”, cried the widow woman to Elisha. In her pain, the woman shifted the responsibility to Elisha for not being a more responsible leader. Even God was implicated, as the woman continued, “…and you know that your servant feared the Lord.” Where was Elisha’s God? He could have prevented this tragedy. |
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Elisha’s response was, “What shall I do for you?” This word “do” or “asah” carried a sense of ethical obligation to the Jews. Literally it means to create. Elisha seemed to say, “Widow-woman, you are right, a creative miracle is the only option.” |
| Elisha then asked, “What do you have in your house?” The prophet knew that she had something that needed to be tapped into, even if it was only a need. A creative miracle usually starts with something we already have, rather than something we do not have. |
| She responded, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Her identity had changed from “a certain woman” to “your maidservant”. The widow woman’s identity needed to be in God, not in her circumstance or even her need, in order to receive her miracle. |
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The order came forth from the Servant of God: “Go borrow empty vessels for yourself from all your neighbors. This was something she was to do “for herself”, not for her sons, not for the prophet. “Get a lot” he told her, “then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into the vessels and set aside the full vessels”. |
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Obedience was paramount for the widow woman to receive her miracle. The Scripture states that she went from the man of God and shut the door behind her. Unknowingly, she closed the door to her pain, poverty and victimization. When the door was shut, the broken, depressed woman began to pour out her miracle. When the vessels were all full, the oil stopped. When God’s work was complete, the anointing stopped. He didn’t intend for her to make a business out of collecting empty jars. |
| When her task was complete, she opened the door, went out and told the prophet Elisha, not realizing that re-opening the door would bring the beginning of the rest of her life. The prophet said, “Now go and sell the oil, pay your debt and you and your sons can live on the rest.” |
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The following flowed out of this passage in II Kings 4:1-7.
SHUT THE DOOR |
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The Widow had a need – her cupboards were empty.
She felt alone – with nothing left to give.
Then God sent His Servant and her welcome brought him in.
“I have nothing to serve. I have spent it all, but you are welcome to step in.”
“Are there vessels with oil in this humble house?” asked the Servant of God.
“Only but one,” was her answer. “Then, go and fetch other empty vessels”, he replied.
Not understanding why, unable to see the future, she did what was asked.
Upon returning with just a few clean vessels, the Servant of
God said these words, “Before you pour out your miracle, you
must first shut the door behind you.”
And as she did, He did, and thus began the beginning of new life.
Your miracle awaits you. You, who are bankrupt, abandoned,
rejected and humiliated. Welcome the Son of Man and begin to
search for vessels for He will pour out YOUR miracle – but
always remember it will happen only after you shut the door
behind you – leave the old ways of responding to life, count on
your miracle being poured out, not the old lost vessels of
yesteryear.
It happened with Elisha and the Widow woman – it can happen
with you, IF you do not forget to shut the door behind you.
Barbara
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TESTIMONIES OF GOD’S GRACE |
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A beautiful Black girl writes, “I truly believe that today is a new beginning for me. For the first time in my life I can see my destiny unfold. I have not known who I am or what I was to do, only the things I was good at doing. My identity had been lost by my good intentions to be good. I turned my back on my origin because I saw no good there. I wanted God so badly that the only option I had was to leave what I thought was a hindrance. I walked away from myself and who I was, from my confidence, my hope, and my future. It was a very interesting thing to see a fragmented soul restored, my heart and being restored! I know there are so many lost, wounded, broken and bruised souls I am to reach. I’ve wanted to help others but I could not see through my own pain, but now I believe my family can be free too. I do not know God’s timing, but my origin, my race, and nations will be free! |
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To sum it up, I lost my identity when I disconnected myself from my origin, but today I have been reconnected. I have to forgive and be forgiven. I can now live the life God intended for me to live and be who He wants me to be, and that includes my origin, and my family. Today is a new beginning for me. My view, my opinions, my desires have changed. I feel different. I have hope. I don’t know how easy or difficult this transition will be, but I welcome it.” |
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A wife who received God’s physical healing writes, “Do you remember praying for my mitral valve condition? I can usually only drink one cup of coffee and then there is heaviness in my chest and the chest pains follow. This has been the case for years! Well, last night we were with some friends and I drank a cup of very strong coffee about 9:30 p.m. About one hour later, I had to ask if it was decaf coffee because I had absolutely no resulting chest pains, heaviness, etc. Last night absolutely confirms to me that the mitral valve condition is healed. I usually experience great fatigue, chest pain and heaviness whenever I would have any caffeine – in chocolate, tea, etc., but especially with fully caffeinated coffee! God’s presence was so strong in that sacred room; I will never forget that week with you.” |
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A Messianic Jew writes, “This has been so amazing and truly God’s rich blessings and healing have exceeded my expectations, just as the prayer on your welcome card said. I never imagined I could have made it through a week or day with the news I got this week. But that was before I knew the woman of God that He has created me to be. My husband shared with me the most trying, painful experience of my life, while at the same time, the most empowering of seeing how the L-rd brought me to the place of not being shaken. My victory of this week will be seen daily in my life!” |
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| MISSIONS |
| "One of the most eventful, inspiring and culturally
changing overseas missions ministries was in Lima, Peru, with leaders of
a 5,000 member church, plus leaders from three other ministry
organizations, including three secular psychiatrists! We were both
humbled and blessed as they all responded to the ministry training, and
as they ministered to one another there was weeping, exuberant praise,
new freedom and transformation as they were set free from ancestral
curses, ungodly beliefs, woundedness and demonic oppression. Our God is
truly faithful!" |
|
| Extending Our Lifeline |
| We feel close to each of
you, and thank you for being a part of this ministry, for your love and
communication with us. Restoration Ministries includes all of you, our
dear friends around the world. What a blessing to take this message to other nations and train nationals to expand the work. Thank you for standing with us. Your reward is on the way. |
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With love, John & Barbara Briggs
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