TESTIMONY
How We Came To The
LORD JESUS CHRIST
"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." ~ Acts 2:37-40
* We were drawn to the Lord Jesus by the power of His Spirit (the Holy Ghost), convincing us of our sin and our need to be born again (of the water and the Spirit - John 3:3-8) by being odedient to and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
* In a time of prayer, sorrowful tears and reflection, we acknowledged our need for Jesus Christ, the Savior and His salvation. We then repented of each and every one of our sins and then asked for forgiveness from the Lord Jesus.
* In obedience to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, we were baptized in water (fully immersed) as the man of God who baptized us called on the only saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins were remitted, forgiven and washed away just as the scriptures declare, "...be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
* Realizing our need to have the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of Jesus Christ) in our lives in order to live a holy life and be filled with Holy Ghost power to give witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to defeat spiritual wickedness in this world, we found a place of prayer and began to praise the Lord Jesus. We asked Him to fill us with His Spirit. After a time of prayer and praise, we were filled with the Holy Ghost and fire just like the 120, who were in the Upper Room over 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born. We began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave the utterance (the ability to speak).
* As the scriptures declare we obeyed and honor the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives in this manner.....
* Through REPENTANCE...
we relate to Jesus' death.
* Through BAPTISM IN JESUS' NAME...
we relate to Jesus' burial.
* Through receiving the
GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST...
we relate to Jesus' resurrection.
* We were drawn to the Lord Jesus by the power of His Spirit (the Holy Ghost), convincing us of our sin and our need to be born again (of the water and the Spirit - John 3:3-8) by being odedient to and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
* In a time of prayer, sorrowful tears and reflection, we acknowledged our need for Jesus Christ, the Savior and His salvation. We then repented of each and every one of our sins and then asked for forgiveness from the Lord Jesus.
* In obedience to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, we were baptized in water (fully immersed) as the man of God who baptized us called on the only saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins were remitted, forgiven and washed away just as the scriptures declare, "...be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
* Realizing our need to have the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of Jesus Christ) in our lives in order to live a holy life and be filled with Holy Ghost power to give witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to defeat spiritual wickedness in this world, we found a place of prayer and began to praise the Lord Jesus. We asked Him to fill us with His Spirit. After a time of prayer and praise, we were filled with the Holy Ghost and fire just like the 120, who were in the Upper Room over 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born. We began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave the utterance (the ability to speak).
* As the scriptures declare we obeyed and honor the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives in this manner.....
* Through REPENTANCE...
we relate to Jesus' death.
* Through BAPTISM IN JESUS' NAME...
we relate to Jesus' burial.
* Through receiving the
GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST...
we relate to Jesus' resurrection.
We are eternally grateful
to the Lord Jesus Christ
for the power of His Gospel
in our lives.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
~ John 8:36
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony..."
~ Revelation 12:11
Freddie's Testimony of Healing and Deliverance
Freddie's testimony of healing and deliverance is not something that can fully be explained through a website nor in a short testimony in a church service. Jesus Christ has delivered Freddie through much sickness and through many trials. The miraculous, healing and delivering power of God is quite evident in his life.
To begin, Freddie has always struggled with obesity. As a young child he was always "the fat kid." He began his first serious weight loss plan in the fourth grade when he began attending Weight Watchers. He had some success but it wasn't long lasting. He always tried to dodge bullying with kindness and humor. He figured out early in his life that if he was kind and made people laugh, they just might overlook his "abnormality." He always felt like he was under a microscope to "not eat" and "push away from the table."
As a child he had seizures (not associated with epilepsy). His seizures were episodes of passing out and becoming unconscious. Because of this he was gripped by fear. The seizures occurred up until 1992, when after having been on medication for the seizures, he was anointed with oil as the elders of the church laid hands on him to receive his healing from the Lord Jesus Christ ("Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." ~ James 5:14) He was healed from that very moment and has never suffered from another seizure.
Freddie's weight increased throughout his childhood. On his seventeenth birthday, he began a diet that was somewhat successful. That day, he weighed on the scales at the loading dock of the local butcher. There were no scales at the hospital or doctors offices that would accommodate his size. Ashamed by humiliation, he faced the sobering truth that he weighed 411 pounds. That birthday, there was no birthday cake, and no candles. He was placed on a 300 calorie per day diet by his doctor, being told, "Now this will get that weight off of you." Freddie was hungry as a bear for about five months. He counted every single calorie. He lost about 75 pounds, and felt invigorated and hopeful that his fight with obesity would soon be coming to an end.
He graduated from high school and went to college in the fall. He maintained his weight, for the most part, while in college. After graduating he moved out on his own and began working in full time ministry. He was very active. Being a bachelor, his food choices were not wise. He ate fast food, pizza and things that were quick and convenient. It wasn't long until he began gaining weight. His weight gain wasn't so rapid that it caused extreme alarm. It was sneaky and gradual.
In 1996, after getting married, his life changed drastically. He had gone from a position in ministry which was very active to one which was more sedentary. He also had help with chores around the house with his new bride now living in the home. New recipes, homemade desserts, the excitement of the newlyweds enjoying their very first home and its freedoms - it just felt right, except Freddie was getting bigger.
It became increasingly common for Freddie to become out of breath from walking only short distances. Constant back pain and swollen feet and ankles were nothing new. His life was deteriorating and he felt totally helpless to stop the inevitable.
Finally, late one night, after months of getting larger and after losing more mobility, he weighed on a set of scales at a grain bin. He stepped onto the scales under the cover of night, waited, and then quickly made his way back to the car where Kay waited for Kay to give hime the news. Breathing heavily he said, "What is it?" "580," she said. Silence. Fear. Freddie was only 20 pounds from being 600 pounds.
It was 1998 and he decided to take time off from full time ministry to have the gastric bypass. It wasn't meant to be. Freddie went back home and tried dieting on his own with short-lived success. Discouraged and heart broken, he felt utterly defeated. Depression from his weight gain coupled with the loss of support from certain family members, he spent much of his time in his home, alone in his bedroom. He and Kay drew great spiritual strength from the time they spent with their church family. Little did they know, the worst was yet to come. Soon Freddie was stricken with severe cellulitis. Raging fevers, blistered and infected skin and hallucinations took their toll on him. No sooner than one fight with cellulitis would end, another would begin with only a couple of days in between. Many were the days that Freddie had Kay pull the blinds and turn off the lights and leave him alone in their bedroom to cry out to God in despair. Many were the times that tears could no longer flow and fatigue and swollen eyes were all that was left after seasons of prayer. Still, the situation would get worse.
In 2006, Freddie entered into a bariatric rehabilitation center. Entering in at a weight of 835 pounds, Freddie was determined to win his lifelong battle with obesity. After 45 days in the rehab center, Freddie had lost 150 pounds. He came home with a renewed sense of hope. One year later he had gained the weight back and was on his way to another bariatric rehab facility. Upon his arrival he weighed and found that he had gained all of the 150 pounds he had lost. He again weighed 835 pounds. The first week was very hard. He suffered tremendously during the night, having hallucinations and very labored sleep. One Saturday morning, the CNA's could not wake Freddie from his sleep. He was rushed to the local hospital. He was not breathing properly. Freddie was semi-conscious. He was fighting for his life. When Kay arrived at the emergency room, she found him singing, praying, preaching and speaking in other tongues under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Within a few hours, he was healed and on his way back to rehab where he lost 165 pounds. He came home in December of 2008. He continued dieting just as he had done in rehab. Strangely he was swelling and experiencing trouble breathing again. Within three months he had gained a considerable amount of weight. He was unable to come out of the bedroom and spent seven months inside the bedroom unable to even go to the bathroom. He didn't see the light of day for almost seven months. Freddie could not sit up in bed by himself. It took every ounce of strength that Kay possessed to help him.
On June 4, 2009 - Freddie's life nearly came to an end. Minutes from death, Kay called 911 and when the team responded they found a extremely large man bound to his bedroom, non-responsive, turning black and blue, not breathing. They proceeded to cut the wall out of Freddie and Kay's bedroom in order to get Freddie into the ambulance. He was rushed to the local hospital where he was placed in the Critical Care Unit. Freddie weighed in at 920 pounds. The hospital had to send for an extra large bariatric bed to accommodate his size. It took between 8-10 people at one time, to turn him during his personal care. He was diagnosed with carbon dioxide poisoning. He was told by his pulmonologist that his lungs were extremely weak. His lungs were the size of a baby's lungs. In order for him to begin breathing again properly there would have to be serious improvement or he would have to have a tracheotomy. Freddie knew that was not the perfect will of God. Freddie began to touch Jesus for himself. As he had many times before, he spoke plainly with the Lord. This time, he felt the gift of faith settle down in the room. He knew from that moment that no matter what the doctors reports may have been, he was going to live and not die and declare the works of the Lord.
Within two weeks, Freddie had lost 200 pounds.
To this date Freddie has lost 525 pounds. Freddie has had to learn to walk again and is continuing to see the salvation and healing of the Lord Jesus in his life. He is still on his journey of healing and deliverance from obesity and is now concentrating on strengthening and conditioning his body.
This trial and fight has taken a toll upon Freddie, but he will win this war.
Freddie knows beyond the shadow of any doubt that his hope, healing, deliverance, life and strength lies securely in the hands of Jesus Christ. The world will see the One, True and Living God, Jesus Christ bring about deliverance and healing in the life of Freddie Combs. They will see. They will know. There will be no doubt. Jesus Christ is the Mighty Deliverer.