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BUT NOT DESTROYED
ONE WOMAN’S STORY OF OVERCOMING ABUSE
SAMANTHA M. PHILLIPS
Cast Down But Not Destroyed: One Women’s Story of Overcoming Abuse
by Samantha Phillips
foreword by Dr. Myles Munroe
Copyright © 2011 Samantha Phillips. All rights reserved.
Published by Kingdom Life Publishing House,
PO Box 450097,
Kissimmee, Florida 34745
Published in eBook format by Kingdom Life Int'l Church Inc. dba KLIC Publishing
Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-9347-4610-3
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from the New International Version of the Bible.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my wonderful husband, my hero, Dr Michael A. Phillips.
So many years ago, when God delivered me from abuse, you stepped in and became my Boaz. You proved that real men don’t abuse, are faithful and are great fathers. God has used you to heal me, bless me and love me. Over the years, you’ve always pushed me forward and encouraged me to shine where lesser men would suppress and diminish. For that, I am excessively grateful. I love you!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to acknowledge my mentor, Dr Myles Munroe for giving me the charge to press on and get my books completed right away. Thank you for showing me the importance of managing my time well and the priority of my Kingdom assignment. Dr Michael and I are forever grateful for your tutelage.
I’d also like to acknowledge Bishop I.V. & Pastor Bridget Hilliard for teaching and modeling faith like no one else could. Your consistent example of faithfulness and commitment to your marriage and the lifestyle of faith has been a life saving example for me.
I would like to acknowledge both the Orlando Union Rescue Mission and the Soldiers to Scholars Program. God used you as a major part of transforming my life in the beginning of my walk with God. Thank you for your labor of love to serve the underprivileged of our community.
Finally, the staff and leadership team of Kingdom Life International Team Church with special mention to Associate Pastors Erik & Jennifer Enders and Elder Melissa Phillips. Because you all rise to the occasion and put your hands to the plow, we are free to fulfill every part of the mission God has given us. If you weren’t doing your jobs, I may not have been able to complete this book.
FOREWORD
By Dr Myles Munroe
This erudite, eloquent, and immensely thought-provoking work gets to the heart of the deepest passions and aspirations of the human heart - to be free from the weights of the past that hinder the manifestation of our divine future. This book is indispensable reading for anyone who wants to overcome the scars of past hurts and live life above the norm. This is a profound authoritative work which expresses the wisdom of the ages and yet breaks new ground in its approach in tackling this sensitive subject and will possibly become a classic in this and the next generation. This exceptional work by Samantha Phillips is one of the most profound, practical, principle-centered approaches to this highly sensitive subject I have read in a long time. The author’s approach to this timely issue touches the heart, stirs the emotions and brings a fresh breath of air that captivates the imagination, engages the mind and inspires the spirit of the reader.
The author’s ability to leap over complicated theological and metaphysical jargon and reduce complex theories to simple practical principles that the least among us can understand is amazing. This work will challenge the intellectual while embracing the laymen as it dismantles the mysterious of a soul torn by abuse and hurt and yet delivers solutions that are profound and yet simple. Samantha's approach awakens in the reader the untapped inhibiters that retard our personal development.
The author's personal antidotes and experiences openly exposed in the work empower us to rise above these self-defeating, self-limiting factors to a life of exploits in spiritual and mental advancement. The author also integrates into each chapter the time-tested precepts giving each principle a practical application to life making the entire process people-friendly.
Every sentence of this book is pregnant with wisdom and I enjoyed the mind-expanding experience of this exciting book. I admonish you to plunge into this ocean of knowledge and watch your life change for the better.
Dr. Myles Munroe
BFM International
ITWLA
Nassau Bahamas
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing my debut book, Cast Down But Not Destroyed: One Woman’s Story of Overcoming Abuse. This book contains the beginning of my testimony that started over a decade ago, in my early twenties. I was not raised in a Christian home and had never been to a Spirit-filled church as a child. I had been to church very few times, only when I went with another family. My mother never went to church not once in my childhood. I know it’s difficult for many Christian believers to imagine that there are people out there that have absolutely no church background, but there are many of us out there.
Contrary to popular belief, not all of us are closed or cold to the Gospel of the Kingdom either. Many of us, your neighbors, co-workers and classmates have just never been introduced or given an appealing opportunity to come to know Jesus Christ. I thank God for the lady whose name I don’t remember who obeyed God to witness to me over and over, no matter how many times I didn’t respond. She would invite me to church and I would smile and thank her for the invite but never show up, but she just didn’t give up. When I finally woke up and realized she was an answer to my prayers for escape from my troubled life, I ran her down to ask her where I could go to church. Her persistence paid off. While I may not know her name, God has me on her record book and all the people that I’ve lead to Christ. All the people I encourage each week to live lives of faith are also on her record in heaven! Praise God for her faithfulness to be a light!
I pray that as you read the detailed stories of my early life, that God will touch your heart and increase your faith in Him. I also hope that it will give you a fresh view of newcomers to the faith and a new passion to share this real Good News with those who are around you. You never know who you might be leading to Jesus….
