John's Testimony

                   Testimony

In 1979, at the age of 30, I suffered the first of 7 nervous breakdowns. This was 8 years after returning from serving in 101st airborne division as a medic in Vietnam. Even though the initial episode seemed sudden, in retrospect, there had been many signs over those 8 years that I was not well. Little by little my ability to handle stress was diminishing. In an instant I could switch from appearing laid back, happy and in control to rage and potential violence when I perceived I was being threatened. The increasing anger, anxiety, depression and mood swings led me down a dangerous road of self-medication with excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs. I was diagnosed with bipolar, manic depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms of the breakdowns required hospitalization as the doctors were administering large doses of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, anti-seizure medications, and sedatives. As hard as they tried, they couldn’t find a combination that provided a quality of life. I continued to self-medicate on top of the medicines that I was prescribed, and became totally incapable of working in sales and marketing, which I had been very successful at during the 8 years before my illnesses fully manifested. In 1984, 5 years after the first breakdown, I gave my life to Christ. Prior to my conversion, I had tried to find healing in the scientific community, at one point taking over 20 pills per day - many forms of psychotherapies and finally received 11 shock treatments, but the quality of my life still was very poor. I also spent a number of years in the alternative community employing every diet, cleanse, detox, superfoods and modalities like acupuncture, colonics, iridology, and reflexology again without much benefit. I am truly grateful to everyone who has tried to help me. Becoming a Christian saved my life as my addictions were absolutely life threatening. As a Christian, I went to a 30 day in-house treatment facility, which ultimately helped me stop alcohol, illegal drug use, prescription medication abuse, and other addictions.  
Little by little God began to deliver me and to bring healing into my life. It was a long road spanning many years. I began to read everything I could find on healing, deliverance, spiritual warfare, the new blood covenant, and went to many, many healing ministries and conferences. In 2000, I was given a book now called Be In Health – A More Excellent Way by Dr. Pastor Henry Wright. I went to Dr. Wright’s 6 day conference in August of 2000 in Mesquite, Texas. In 2001, I stayed for a week of ministry at Pleasant Valley Church in Thomaston, Georgia. I had spent years studying God’s Word, going to healing ministries and conferences, and immersed myself in alternatives, but was still not having ‘life and having it more abundantly’. This changed dramatically during the week of intense teaching, counseling and deliverance. I learned things about the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge”. I learned all that Jesus did for me on the cross. I learned about generational iniquities, curses, and strongholds needing to be bound, broken, and cast out of my life. I learned that I needed to know that salvation meant healing, deliverance, restoration, and safety, and saving from God’s wrath. I learned that I needed to appropriate my redemption in the spirit, soul, body, the work of my hands, and covenant relations. God said clearly in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 that Jesus died so we would receive the blessings of Abraham and become free from the curse of the law.
Son Rise Church was birthed in June of 2002, and we have seen hundreds and hundreds of marriages restored, children born to those experiencing barrenness and miscarriages. The list of diseases we have seen God heal is extensive in those suffering from depression, other mental diseases, and addictions as well. The bottom line is that I found out I had to have the whole Gospel preached to the whole person. I had to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted me well. We are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body, but we also have a spiritual heart that so often needs to be healed. Luke 4:18 says this is what Jesus came to do and He gave us the assignment as well. We are not just a deliverance ministry, although we do a considerable amount of deliverance and counseling, but we are a Church that preaches and teaches the pure, unaltered Word of God. Our first goal, which has to happen for one to be well, is to help our brothers and sisters love the Lord, have the fervent desire to be in God’s presence, and to feel loved by God, to walk in our eternal identity and inheritance. It is also critical to learn to love others and receive their love, and perhaps the most difficult is to love ourselves as God loves us. ”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. Matthew 22:37-40 ”. 

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