If God has made provision for our every need, why do we hang on to our pain? Why do we limp around all the while trying to “manage” our lives rather than step into God’s best for us? Managing may be a great word if you’re a supervisor, but loses its luster when applied to the wounds of the heart.

Some of us have been broken for so long that we’ve grown accustomed to that familiar ache. There are no surprises- we usually get what we expect out of life: disappointment, betrayal and disillusionment. It almost seems easier to live with our brokenness than do the work necessary to cross over into our inheritance of freedom. So, we continue to manage our pain and manipulate our circumstances in order to survive another day.

The Israelites had 400 years of practice at being slaves. They also learned to survive. They adapted to their captivity so well that even after God breaks them out of Egypt, they want to go back to what is familiar when things get hard. You’d certainly think a people who had witnessed the supernatural intervention and provision of God would be grateful. It says in Ex. 14:31, “the Israelites SAW the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him…” And yet, even after God parts the Red Sea so they can escape their pursuers, their voices rise up in a symphony of complaining only 45 days into the journey. “Oh, if we had only died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt, for there we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted!” And again in the next chapter, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children from thirst?”

Let me give you one more example. Moses reads God’s commands to the people. They quickly respond saying they will do everything the Lord told them to do! Moses then is called up to the mountain of the Lord so that he could receive the tablets of stone. There on the mountain in the burning presence of God’s glory, he also receives the blueprints for the Tabernacle and instructions for worship. This was a 40 day period. Meanwhile down below, the children were growing restless and fear causes them to revert back to their “bondage behavior.” You know the story well. Ex. 32:1-”Come let us make a god that shall go before us…” And after they made a golden god, they said, “This is your god O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Oh my…don’t you see? They were finally free from slavery, but there was never any transformation. They still carried a victim language in their hearts and a bondage mentality in their minds. They “settled” for the wilderness when God wanted to give them the Promised Land!

You have to understand it wasn’t just about breaking out of Egypt! It was also about the journey that would lead them into their inheritance. That journey through the wilderness was the process that would enable them to walk into their destiny as God’s chosen people.

The issue wasn’t that the Israelites saw the miraculous hand of God and returned to idol worship, which was the behavior they learned in Egypt. Instead, after they saw and experienced the miraculous, it never led them into an intimate encounter with God Himself. This is the issue for relationship has always been God’s intention. In Ex. 19:10-11, God tells them to consecrate themselves because He will come down from Mt Sinai in the sight of all the people. But, they were afraid to hear God speak, so they lived their relationship with God through Moses.

What about us? What are we settling for? Sometimes we have the mindset that it’s just too hard to get healed and stay free; it takes too long and it costs us too much time and energy! So we continue to just survive day after day, locked in our bondage behavior with crisis and pain as our task masters. You see, managing isn’t walking in victory- it isn’t overcoming. It is simply tolerating our circumstances and the present condition of our heart. It is settling for less than our “Promised Land” by accepting the very thing we should be fighting against!

God told the Israelites He would make all their enemies turn and run! He said not to make a covenant with them–do not cut any deal or form an agreement with them. Basically He says, “Don’t align yourself with those things I oppose.” Don’t we, in a subtle way, form an alliance with our pain, even our sicknesses when we manage them? In a sense, we give our pain permission to remain by aligning ourselves with it.

God was very specific with the Israelites. He knew the pagan influences they would encounter. He knew the temptations they would face. He looked ahead and saw the traps that could trip them up. Knowing all this, He instructed them to not intermarry or make covenants, treaties or alliances of any kind with the people of the land. His way was total destruction of their enemies so they wouldn’t become a snare later on. Likewise, when we allow those unresolved areas to remain in our hearts, we are in grave danger of those areas rising up to stake a claim in our lives! Left in place, they will influence and manipulate our thinking, our actions, as well as our responses to those around us.

Ask yourself this question: Has God really created me to be depressed, lonely and bitter? Is this who I am in Christ? I’m not saying it’s as simple as choosing not to allow our pain and past to have any control over our life. I know the hard work involved! Making a choice is just the first step. We come to Jesus, we give Him our hurts, we give Him our past experiences and yes, we even relinquish our current hang ups. We allow Him to enter into those places through a great exchange: His life for ours. Then after that, it’s imperative to establish the healing God imparts, so we can occupy our new found freedom. Recently God taught me a valuable lesson around physical healing that can easily be applied to matters of the heart.

I had been sick and went to my church to be prayed for. My sinuses were so plugged I couldn’t even breathe through my nose. While being prayed for, I suddenly began to breathe. I had a sense that the “back” of this illness was broken, and I would begin to recover. However, when I went back home, instead of establishing the healing God was doing in my body, I gave in to how I felt. I lived underneath the circumstances all week by resigning myself to feeling tired, sick and run down. As I sought the Lord around this, He spoke into my heart these words, “Debbie, I provided the breakthough you needed to recover and then entrusted you with the process of establishing what I promised you.”

Well there you have it! You see, breakthough is not just about knocking something down, but also building something else up. Breakthrough is meant to bring enlargement; it is a door to the next place God intends for us to occupy. If we fail to occupy this place by establishing what God has done, we take a chance of forfeiting our place of dominion in this area.

For example, when our military troops break through enemy lines, they don’t just lay down their weapons and live a peaceful life. First, they have to “clear out” the enemy and then establish their presence in the land. In the same way, if we don’t establish what God has done for us, the enemy will re-establish what we have broken out of. He does this through our feelings and the mindsets that have not yet been transformed by deceiving us into believing that nothing happened! It is not any different than a garden. If you clear a field of weeds and do not plant something, those weeds will come back and take over!

God has placed before us a radical choice. Will you choose life? Will you allow God to pry open your clenched fist so He can remove the handicap of your heart?

In December’s issue I will write more on what that establishment looks like and the necessity for stamina and endurance so we can finish strong!

Project Restoration Vision

A funny thing happened in planning a little golf tournament fundraiser…it morphed into an annual networking event! Even though we absolutely need funds to continue the work God has called us to, we always find a way to look at the bigger picture and try to accomplish something God sized! Oh the possibilities if we could all just come together as a body.

Golf Tournament
The Annual Pastors Challenge Golf Tournament is designed to reunite church leadership and the church body in a fun and restorative manner while bridging Christian denominational boundaries. Our intention is to provide an opportunity for each congregation to say thank you to their Pastors through sponsoring a foursome in a friendly competition and enjoy relating to them in an entirely new setting.

Music Festival
Restoration Celebration is an offering of hope as we unite in love for the purpose of healing and restoring lives. Together we become the sweet fragrance of worship to Christ and the heartbeat of life to a community.

Project Restoration 2009

There was a strong sense of God’s pleasure as people from different churches and denominational backgrounds came together in community for the purpose of healing and restoration. The Annual Pastor’s Challenge was competitive and a lot of fun! Every golf cart had leader boards that enabled each foursome to stay informed of their opponent’s scores. Unfortunately, no one was able to win the car at the 17th hole, but Julie McCready who “manned” the hole had great fun turning down all the offers to fudge a little!  The “Cleric Cup” award went to Kevin Barosso’s team.

Restoration Celebration lived up to its name. We had many ministries represented at Clement Park; each providing information on how their ministry was making an impact for Christ.

• Joel Ryan, Regional Director for Prison Fellowship shared the significance of healing and restoration from a prison system perspective.
• David Mporampora, Executive Director of ChristAid, talked about our partnership in Uganda and the role of the church in global unity. ChristAid and Compassion International, both present that day, are ministries that help break the cycle of poverty in third world countries by getting sponsorship for orphan children.
• There were several ministries that focus on healing and freedom like The Healing Place from Activation Ministry Center and Pathway to Full Freedom.
• Lost and Found and Colorado Christian Services who offer family counseling and child placement were there, along with the Teen Challenge Men’s Center who deal with addictions.
• Streets Hope specializes in rescuing women caught up in the nightmare of the sex trade and selling industry.

Except for a small microburst that scattered every piece of literature on our Healing Wings table, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect! The musicians were anointed, creating a wonderful environment of worship. Even though the attendance was not what we had hoped, those there were blessed under the open sky of God’s handiwork. As Project Restoration came to a close, worship was elevated to high praise against the back drop of a spectacular sunset across the lake.

We introduced the Koinonia offering for the first time. (Koinonia is a Greek word that was used to explain how the 1st century church lived. It literally means: ▪ fellowship ▪ sharing ▪ unity ▪ communion ▪ contributory help ▪ participation.) This offering was a way to model our unity as the Church. If you had money to give, then you were encouraged to give. If you needed money, then you were encouraged to receive and be blessed.

I imagined the smile upon the Father’s face as I looked out across the park to see people fellowshiping, praying for one another and simply enjoying themselves. I know these priceless moments will be cherished for a long time.

We are excited about Project Restoration 2010! We have decided to move the music festival to a Sunday afternoon and keep the Annual Pastors Challenge on Monday to honor pastors on their day off. The targeted dates are June 13-14th so save this date on your calendar! How’s that for planning in advance!

Thank you to all who helped make Project Restoration such a special event! We simply could not have done it without your prayers, support and help. Not only were we able to launch it with just 2 months of planning, but I believe through this inaugural event, a solid and sturdy foundation was poured that will enable subsequent events to be built upon.

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow’s the big day! Monday, August 3rd at Clement Park. It’s still not too late to participate in this great event.  Music starts at 1:00pm-8:30pm.
I will go on at 7pm with Kerry Conner and the band. We’ll close with a 30 min. worship set from 8:00pm-8:30pm.

Silent Auction starts at 4pm and closes at 5:30pm
All concert attendees can participate in the auction, even if you didn’t purchase a dinner ticket. We have some great items up for bid & we’ve added some items that will be raffled as well.

Here is a sneak preview of a few of the auction items:
Vacation trips like:

• Moon Palace Casino Golf & Spa Resort ~ 5 nights all inclusive package for two at the MoonPalace in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
• VallartaPalace ~ 4 nights all inclusive package for two at the VallartaPalace in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• 1-night in 1-Bedroom Suite at Brooks Tower, Free Parking, Dinner for 2 @ Hickory Prime Steakhouse & 2-Club Level Rockies Tickets for September 7 Game (Rockies vs. Reds)
• 5 Rockies Games – 2 Club Level Tickets and Parking Pass.  Choose from remaining dates on schedule.

Sports memorabilia items like:

• Tiki Barber signed NY Giants Jersey
• Ron Jaworski signed football
• Signed John Elway picture donated by John himself
  

www.seeuthere.com/projectrestoration

5 days to go until Project Restoration! For those of you still undecided about coming on Monday, August 3rd check out the days events!

Clement Park

7306 W Bowles Ave in Littleton, CO

Music from 1:00pm-8:30pm

SEE YOU THERE!!!

The GRiNZ  1:00pm

Brad Richardson 2:00pm

Dan Lillpop 3:00pm

Trevor Conner 4:00pm

Justin Bullis 5:00pm

Danny Oertli 6:00pm

Kerry Conner and Debbie Milligan 7:00pm

Restoration Celebration at Clement Park
in the Columbine community across the street from Raccoon Creek

Clement Park Amphitheater
7306 W. Bowles Avenue
Littleton, CO

General admission $15.00 at the park

Or call 303.996.6170 to register

www.seeuthere.com/projectrestoration

Only 9 days until Project Restoration! Get your tickets now!
Call 303.996.6170 or visit www.seeuthere.com/projectrestoration
General admission tickets $15.00 at Clement Park, Littleton

MONDAY, AUGUST 3rd PROJECT RESTORATION

The Annual Pastors Challenge Golf Tournament

This golf tournament is designed to reunite church leadership and the church body in a fun and restorative manner while bridging Christian interdenominational boundaries. Our intention is to provide an opportunity for the church body to say thank you to their Pastor(s) through sponsoring a foursome. The goal is for each foursome to have at least one Pastor representing their particular church accompanied by members of the church body who may want to play golf with their Pastor(s) and enjoy relating to them in an entirely new setting.

Raccoon Creek Golf Course
7301 W. Bowles Avenue
Littleton, CO

Restoration Celebration at Clement Park- in the Columbine community across the street from Raccoon Creek

Clement Park Amphitheater
7306 W. Bowles Avenue

This music festival is an offering of hope as we unite in love for the purpose of healing and restoring lives. Together we become the sweet fragrance of worship to Christ and the heart beat of life to a community. This musical celebration is from 1:00pm-8:00pm. Also during this time, there will be a children’s playtime activities, as well as a silent auction and dinner. We have a great line-up featuring:

• Debbie Milligan and Kerry Conner with Steve Bruns, Steve Holley and Mike Patton
• Danny Oertli
• Justin Bullis and band
• Trevor Conner
• Dan Lillpop and band
• The GRiNZ
• Brad Richardson

Registration Information

Below are the registration costs, etc. Upon registering, each registrant will receive a Compilation CD featuring songs from each musical artist. The Concert ticket is for seven hours of music plus a nice catered dinner. And remember your participation is for a worthy cause; supporting two ministries that reach out to those who need healing, restoration and freedom in their lives!

Registration Costs Golf Tournament registration includes: Continental breakfast, pre-tournament golf clinic, lunch with awards ceremony as well as admission to the Restoration Celebration concert activities and dinner.

Foursomes: …………………………………………………..$777

Restoration Celebration registration includes: Concert admission, park activities and dinner

Early Registration Discount extended through July 13, 2009

Adult Ticket: ………………………………………………………………………….$39

Children (6-12 years) Ticket: …………………………………………………….$19

Children 5 and under …………………………………………………………..…..free

After July 13, 2009

Adult Ticket: ……………………………………………………………..……….…..$50

Children (6-12 years) Ticket: ……………………………………………………..$25

Children 5 and under ……………………………………………………….……….free

Concert Ticket only…………………………………………………………….…..$15

Sponsorships and Donations If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, hosting a Pastor’s foursome, or sending a donation, please visit www.seeuthere.com/ProjectRestoration or call 303.996.6183

PROJECT RESTORATION

This is a Promotional Video for Project Restoration. The Annual Pastors Challenge Golf Tournament and Music Festival happening Monday, August 3rd in Clement Park and Raccoon Creek Golf Course- Littleton, CO.

All proceeds will benefit Healing Wings Ministries and UnbridledACTS

For Complete Details visit: www.seeuthere.com/ProjectRestoration

I was sitting in the dentist chair having my crown work done on my teeth. Feeling a little anxious because of past dental experiences, I began to contemplate the fact that Romans 8:37 says I am more than a conqueror. All of a sudden the lights of revelation came on like a beacon in the night and I began to relax.

To conquer the enemy is one thing, but to be more than a conqueror is another! If you think about it, it is quite a radical statement. You see, we don’t just defeat the enemy, but take his territory away from him. In doing so, we begin to rule and reign in those areas that previously were in his control.

We are more than a conqueror by breaking through enemy lines and rescuing others from his grip! It is in this way that we don’t just overcome, but become overcomers. In the same way, we don’t just get breakthrough, but we become bondage breakers as we breakthrough for others!

Jesus Christ overcame and disarmed the powers of darkness through His death on the cross and resurrection. He triumphed over Satan and made a public spectacle of him! (Col. 2:15) The only power the enemy has over us is when he convinces us that this isn’t true. His power is in the lie. If he can get us to bite into this lie, then we will wind up living out our life as if we have been overcome instead of being the overcomer!

As an overcomer, we need to live in the fullness of the cross. Let me explain. All of us easily identify with the death of Christ and coming to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. But if we stop there, we will still miss the fullness of Calvary. We must also identify with the resurrection of Christ. That part of the cross is about our inheritance- being co-heirs with Christ, seated in Him at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places far above all rule and authority, power and dominion! This means living that ascended lifestyle right now, not waiting until we die to enjoy eternity. Here is a little clue, an inheritance starts when someone else dies, not when we die!

Nothing can separate us from God’s love and our inheritance that is in Christ Jesus! When we live in the fullness of Calvary, we stake a claim in the Promised Land of that inheritance by living above the circumstances that come our way- not underneath them. It means walking in victory day after day knowing we are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ!

All of us here at Healing Wings Ministries bless you with outrageous joy as you celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus! We pray for an intentionality of heart, soul and spirit as you walk in the fullness of Calvary.

Celebrating With You,

Debbie Milligan and Robin D’Haillecourt

I have been very blessed sharing this twenty one day fast with you all. It has been a great journey of denying self and calling out to Jesus for breakthrough. I am grateful to have taken this journey with so many across the country and other parts of the world. We are family!

The last thing I want to leave you with is there is power in corporate prayer and fasting! This is because there is agreement and unity as we harmonize in prayer.

“Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree [harmonize together make a symphony together] about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by my Father in heaven” Matt 18:19 AMP

God is calling His Warrior Bride to fall into ranks with Him and come together in agreement for His purposes. It is time for us to take our place among God’s end time army. The issues that we face need prayer like never before! Prayer is where everything begins and ends! Every prayer led by the Spirit will touch the heart of God!

“If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” 2 Chron. 7:14

Let us join hands as never before praying for our country and our president! That God would hear our prayers rising up in a great symphony to forgive our sin and heal our land!

From GOD TV on the day of the Inauguration:

Father, according to Timothy 2, Paul exhorted that “supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”. In obedience to Your Word, we join together this day, January 20 2009, with our GOD TV family all across the United States of America and join in one heart and one mind in prayer and intercession for our new incoming President Barack Obama. Father we ask this day that as Barack Obama is inaugurated here in Washington DC, that You would look down from Heaven and in Your great mercies upon America look down this day upon President Barack Obama and grant him exceeding wisdom in these crucial days ahead facing him and the new administration. Oh mighty Father we pray as a united body to You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that You may grant to Barack Obama the spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Yourself this day. That the eyes of President Obama’s understanding be enlightened that he may know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power toward us who believe and to himself, according to the working of Your mighty power which you wrought in Christ, when You raised Him from the dead.

Father we pray that the overshadowing fear of the Lord would start to rest upon this new administration. We pray for Your sovereign hand to guide the President and those in his cabinet. We release YOUR purposes, we release YOUR plan, we release YOUR strategies and YOUR wisdom, and we release YOUR governance. We pray for visitation in the President’s night hours and revelation in his waking hours, that as he enters the pressures and the challenges of office in 2009 that he would be driven to trust in You as his mighty fortress, that he would find refuge and wisdom under Your wings, that he would seek Your face before he seeks man’s wisdom and Father, that You would pour out word after word in season upon him from on high.

Father, grant President Barack Obama the courage to rule with justice and the wisdom to rule under God. And Father, as the body of Christ that we commit to You to lift him up faithfully and fervently. That we may consistently petition Heaven on Barack Obama’s behalf and petition President Barack Obama on YOUR behalf. Father, we also ask that You minister to him in the night hours regarding the issue of abortion that he may know Your heart and Your mind on these issues so important to Heaven. And finally we ask divine protection and blessing over his family and upon his physical life. Preserve his life from being cut off prematurely, Father preserve him from sinister schemes and the schemes of wicked men. Thank you that as President of the United States he will run the course that is laid out for him in this time and this season.