A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break
A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. Isaiah 42:3
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16
The following testimony was found posted on December 13, 2003 on Bible Place Message Board about a super church and its pastor. Not to cause trouble, we have changed the name of the church, pastor and city:
I was wondering if I could share my story. When I was 23 years old, I had this REALLY defeated life. I had absolutely nothing going for me at ALL. I had gone to a medical trade school, but didn't finish or pursue what I studied because I had such a low self esteem. I had a very hard job, I lived at home and my parents and I fought constantly. (They constantly berated me). I had been through a failed engagement. At church, all we ever seemed to learn about was this God who didn't want the same things for us that we wanted- it seemed like the main teaching at church was that the more we suffered, the happier God was.
There was a time in my life when the only thing I had to look forward to was to turn on the TV and watch pastor D.G.. One day when things were really bad, I thought, you know what. I should BE there. I shouldn't be here, where I have nothing going for me, no future. I should be a member of that church. So being extremely young and stupid, I quit that job I hated, I left my parents a note and I got in my car and I drove 1200 miles to St. Louis and I thought, if I DIE here, I am never going back. I had a lot of money saved, so I was okay. I stayed in a motel until I found a job and then an apartment.
Step by step, my life became increasingly better. St. Louis in my opinion is the most beautiful city. It is moth urban and rural, very green and forestry, very ethnically diverse, and has a lot of culture. I felt so lucky to be here, and I thank God that he brought me here. I started going to school again and I got my old medical certification back, this time, KNOWING I could do it and not being afraid. I feel like I thrived.
I attended Great Wood church for a little over a year. During that time, I made priceless friendships and learned a great deal about God and even myself. The services are a lot of fun in person. I learned to take D.G.'s sermons and apply them to my own life. I never in a million years told people I moved there because of Great Wood, though- I gave every other excuse in the book from "I'm going to school here" (which was true) to "I have family here" (A distant cousin in Bridge View who still doesn't know I'm here.) Being away caused my relationship with my parents to heal and my mom and I are more like sisters now. My father and I are exceedingly close as well. For all the right reasons, moving here was the best thing I could have done. I also met my husband here. Never would have met him otherwise.
However, things at Great Wood started to go downhill. I don't know where to start- over there, they teach the principle of tithing first of all. I was tithing my income, however, something didn't seem right about it. I started to catch on that they actually taught that God was literally unable to bless you unless you gave them, the church, 10% of your income. Anything above the tithe was an offering, and God was only able to bless you according to the measure of your offering. In other words, if you want to be blessed big time, give a big offering. I saw a lot of people go without necessities like medication for their children, light bills, etc, to give to the church because they were "sowing seeds of faith". People were giving offerings of literally thousands of dollars. This is a good thing to do if you can afford it- however, there were often people in tears of guilt after church because they could not afford to do so.
Also at Great Wood, I tended to see ushers ask common people to leave the church simply because they did not like the way they looked. One of my friends, who is a young mother, was often asked to sit somewhere else because people knew she was an unwed mother. A lot of the prayer partners and ushers had this thing called the "gift of discernment" in other words, they had the gift of being able to tell if you were a good enough Christian or not. A couple of them had apparently had words from God that I was not good enough of a Christian, that I was possessed, etc, and I had never done or said anything to make them think this. They didn't even know me, however, would come up to me with all these revelation from God about me, that I was living in sin, that I was a witch, that I had five husbands, etc. None of it was true. One lady even said God told her I was a lesbian. This was an extremely scary experience because she was trying to cast this "Demon of homosexuality" out of me and trying to push me to the ground. I was trying to explain to her that I was not gay, I wasn't, but she kept shouting at me STOP IT SATAN. After that, I was getting emails which were anti homosexual in nature and very hateful and scary.
I do not go to church anymore, as a matter of fact it's been quite a few months since I have been back. I am a newlywed now, and I have moved on and accepted that I should not be going to Great Wood for various reasons. A teeny weenie part of me has been tempted to regret moving to St. Louis. But then I can't help stopping myself and thinking, why should I feel guilty? For me to take the initiative to move here was the first step in a thousand mile journey to get my life back together. This is a very beautiful place, and I am so grateful to be here. I am grateful for my job, my husband, my education, my home and my friends- none of which would have happened if I had not pulled out of that driveway at 2 am about two years ago.
Pastor D.G. teaches some powerful positive things. I encourage all of you to keep striving for that positivism in life- always speak positive words, think positive thoughts, take initiative, weed out the bad and unfruitful, and God will Give you what you petition Him for. ALWAYS believe that God is good- if you don't believe God is good, and then what have you got to live for? Just don't believe that you have to give exorbitant amounts of money in order for God to bless you. Don't think that you have to look a certain way, or that you have to appear a certain way to who may be considered "strong" Christians. Be true to yourself and God, and I will pray that all of YOUR drams come true.
Signed DSP
Just because a Christian receives a special anointing or gift from God doesn’t make him or her into a super Christian or infallible or gives them the right to judge and hurt others. God’s command never changes that love is the golden rule and love does no harm to a neighbor (Romans 13:7-10). People, even Christians, are disposed to inflict or cause pain or suffering but not Jesus. He is the kindness, gentlest person in the universe who a bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench. Rather than afflicting or causing pain or suffering Jesus brings healing, deliverance and comfort. He heals a person and makes Him whole body, soul and spirit. Bishop Thomas D. Jakes, Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith, community advocate, humanitarian, author, songwriter, playwright, conference speaker and broadcaster, stated on one of his television broadcasts that he wasn’t afraid of dealing and interacting with prisoners because he had dealt with church members who were more cruel, cold, sinister and evil than many of those in prison. Yes, many Christians character assassinate with harsh and cruel words those whom they don’t like or are afraid off. God’s word warns us:
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:6-17
It’s a fact that it was Joseph’s own family, his envious brothers, who tried to kill him and failing to do so sold him as a slave into Egypt. Yes, there is bitter envy and self-seeking and a wisdom that is earthly, sensual, demonic amongst those who call themselves Christians and who are devoid of the wisdom that is from above that is peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. We don’t have to living long in life to experience and attest to the cruelty, viciousness and even poison from many Christians, be they pastors, board members or laymen! Some of the greatest battles in life are fought with so called church members or leaders who are one of the greatest stumbling blocks to the gospel of Christ.
Unlike Jesus Christ and his apostles, many Christian leaders and pastors use their positions to carry out their hidden personal ambitions and desires rather than to bless the masses. Many are nobodies try to be a somebody but destroying with words those who stand in their way, rather than seeking the best interests of others including their total healing, deliverance and blessing. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed." Isaiah 61:6-9
A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. Isaiah 42:3
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16
The following testimony was found posted on December 13, 2003 on Bible Place Message Board about a super church and its pastor. Not to cause trouble, we have changed the name of the church, pastor and city:
I was wondering if I could share my story. When I was 23 years old, I had this REALLY defeated life. I had absolutely nothing going for me at ALL. I had gone to a medical trade school, but didn't finish or pursue what I studied because I had such a low self esteem. I had a very hard job, I lived at home and my parents and I fought constantly. (They constantly berated me). I had been through a failed engagement. At church, all we ever seemed to learn about was this God who didn't want the same things for us that we wanted- it seemed like the main teaching at church was that the more we suffered, the happier God was.
There was a time in my life when the only thing I had to look forward to was to turn on the TV and watch pastor D.G.. One day when things were really bad, I thought, you know what. I should BE there. I shouldn't be here, where I have nothing going for me, no future. I should be a member of that church. So being extremely young and stupid, I quit that job I hated, I left my parents a note and I got in my car and I drove 1200 miles to St. Louis and I thought, if I DIE here, I am never going back. I had a lot of money saved, so I was okay. I stayed in a motel until I found a job and then an apartment.
Step by step, my life became increasingly better. St. Louis in my opinion is the most beautiful city. It is moth urban and rural, very green and forestry, very ethnically diverse, and has a lot of culture. I felt so lucky to be here, and I thank God that he brought me here. I started going to school again and I got my old medical certification back, this time, KNOWING I could do it and not being afraid. I feel like I thrived.
I attended Great Wood church for a little over a year. During that time, I made priceless friendships and learned a great deal about God and even myself. The services are a lot of fun in person. I learned to take D.G.'s sermons and apply them to my own life. I never in a million years told people I moved there because of Great Wood, though- I gave every other excuse in the book from "I'm going to school here" (which was true) to "I have family here" (A distant cousin in Bridge View who still doesn't know I'm here.) Being away caused my relationship with my parents to heal and my mom and I are more like sisters now. My father and I are exceedingly close as well. For all the right reasons, moving here was the best thing I could have done. I also met my husband here. Never would have met him otherwise.
However, things at Great Wood started to go downhill. I don't know where to start- over there, they teach the principle of tithing first of all. I was tithing my income, however, something didn't seem right about it. I started to catch on that they actually taught that God was literally unable to bless you unless you gave them, the church, 10% of your income. Anything above the tithe was an offering, and God was only able to bless you according to the measure of your offering. In other words, if you want to be blessed big time, give a big offering. I saw a lot of people go without necessities like medication for their children, light bills, etc, to give to the church because they were "sowing seeds of faith". People were giving offerings of literally thousands of dollars. This is a good thing to do if you can afford it- however, there were often people in tears of guilt after church because they could not afford to do so.
Also at Great Wood, I tended to see ushers ask common people to leave the church simply because they did not like the way they looked. One of my friends, who is a young mother, was often asked to sit somewhere else because people knew she was an unwed mother. A lot of the prayer partners and ushers had this thing called the "gift of discernment" in other words, they had the gift of being able to tell if you were a good enough Christian or not. A couple of them had apparently had words from God that I was not good enough of a Christian, that I was possessed, etc, and I had never done or said anything to make them think this. They didn't even know me, however, would come up to me with all these revelation from God about me, that I was living in sin, that I was a witch, that I had five husbands, etc. None of it was true. One lady even said God told her I was a lesbian. This was an extremely scary experience because she was trying to cast this "Demon of homosexuality" out of me and trying to push me to the ground. I was trying to explain to her that I was not gay, I wasn't, but she kept shouting at me STOP IT SATAN. After that, I was getting emails which were anti homosexual in nature and very hateful and scary.
I do not go to church anymore, as a matter of fact it's been quite a few months since I have been back. I am a newlywed now, and I have moved on and accepted that I should not be going to Great Wood for various reasons. A teeny weenie part of me has been tempted to regret moving to St. Louis. But then I can't help stopping myself and thinking, why should I feel guilty? For me to take the initiative to move here was the first step in a thousand mile journey to get my life back together. This is a very beautiful place, and I am so grateful to be here. I am grateful for my job, my husband, my education, my home and my friends- none of which would have happened if I had not pulled out of that driveway at 2 am about two years ago.
Pastor D.G. teaches some powerful positive things. I encourage all of you to keep striving for that positivism in life- always speak positive words, think positive thoughts, take initiative, weed out the bad and unfruitful, and God will Give you what you petition Him for. ALWAYS believe that God is good- if you don't believe God is good, and then what have you got to live for? Just don't believe that you have to give exorbitant amounts of money in order for God to bless you. Don't think that you have to look a certain way, or that you have to appear a certain way to who may be considered "strong" Christians. Be true to yourself and God, and I will pray that all of YOUR drams come true.
Signed DSP
Just because a Christian receives a special anointing or gift from God doesn’t make him or her into a super Christian or infallible or gives them the right to judge and hurt others. God’s command never changes that love is the golden rule and love does no harm to a neighbor (Romans 13:7-10). People, even Christians, are disposed to inflict or cause pain or suffering but not Jesus. He is the kindness, gentlest person in the universe who a bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench. Rather than afflicting or causing pain or suffering Jesus brings healing, deliverance and comfort. He heals a person and makes Him whole body, soul and spirit. Bishop Thomas D. Jakes, Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith, community advocate, humanitarian, author, songwriter, playwright, conference speaker and broadcaster, stated on one of his television broadcasts that he wasn’t afraid of dealing and interacting with prisoners because he had dealt with church members who were more cruel, cold, sinister and evil than many of those in prison. Yes, many Christians character assassinate with harsh and cruel words those whom they don’t like or are afraid off. God’s word warns us:
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:6-17
It’s a fact that it was Joseph’s own family, his envious brothers, who tried to kill him and failing to do so sold him as a slave into Egypt. Yes, there is bitter envy and self-seeking and a wisdom that is earthly, sensual, demonic amongst those who call themselves Christians and who are devoid of the wisdom that is from above that is peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. We don’t have to living long in life to experience and attest to the cruelty, viciousness and even poison from many Christians, be they pastors, board members or laymen! Some of the greatest battles in life are fought with so called church members or leaders who are one of the greatest stumbling blocks to the gospel of Christ.
Unlike Jesus Christ and his apostles, many Christian leaders and pastors use their positions to carry out their hidden personal ambitions and desires rather than to bless the masses. Many are nobodies try to be a somebody but destroying with words those who stand in their way, rather than seeking the best interests of others including their total healing, deliverance and blessing. Yet God’s word is unchanging:
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed." Isaiah 61:6-9
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