What I think happened at Faith Assembly and Dr. Freeman
I saw a problem at Faith Assembly was that the teachers or members were not rebuffing enough from the pulpit or as a "word of advice" to give a balance of earthly life vs spiritual life. In doing so pride was allowed to fester and grow - "I can live without medicine or dentists better than you can" etc. I don't know if you saw that, but I did and if I may say - where is FA now?
I remember hearing Bro Freeman and other ministers there say about how other ministries will fall, and how Oral Roberts U is going to become nothing, same with Hagen and Copeland how their ministry won't continue, etc, etc, etc. Seems the same judgment he passed on came onto his. Do I believe in JDS? Absolutely not! The Holy Spirit revealed the heresy to me via Bro Freeman so I am indebted to his ministry, but at the same time I don't worship it.
Again, don't get me wrong, I am deeply grateful for the Word taught there and yearn for the "glory days" back in the 80's, and wish we could do it again with a more balanced and realistic approach to faith and grace this time.
I know, I myself was caught up in some areas as trying to be faithful to God, but also trying to be balanced in this walk - I didn't see doctors or dentists, and I did brush my teeth. In the midst of my excruciating pain please explain to me where do wisdom teeth fit into the faith picture and why they need to be pulled out? Did God make a mistake in our design? Was it sin to see the dentist, or should I have fought it in “faith”?
See, the reasoning is if God heals by faith, then why do we need such things as doctors or dentists? Or does one "pray first, then see a doctor", or "pray that the doctor knows what he's doing" or "pray that God directs the doctors hands"? Or just pray the tooth, gall bladder just gets healed. And when it doesn’t, then what?
What "advantage" is there to the believer, than the world, by praying before going to a doctor? Same diagnosis, same medication, same results. So why pray? We pray because we want God to intervene or make sure everything goes right of course, but I miss the point of faith here.
It is quite a wake up call to see a dear Christian friend pass away because of cancer even after everyone prayed like crazy, had all night prayer meetings, and so on. God is still faithful, but it sure shakes one down to the core.
Sure we can say she didn't have the faith, which then proves my point. Spiritual arrogance and not admitting we don't have all the answers.
No one more than me wanted to see God bless and heal other people (and myself), but what did I see down there? Christians going to the bargain basement stores and driving old rusty cars around proclaiming they have faith and healing. Matter of fact I still see it.
When Christians break down on the highway because of their old cars or leave lousy tips at restaurants, or even when they do have a Caddy or BMW, that they are in the way truth and life because of their arrogance they have it and you don’t. No sadly, I think God did a good thing in disbanding FA.
Oh yes, don’t work on Sunday, it is sin because it is the “Lord’s” day. We look down on other people who have to work on Sunday, so after church where do we go? To the restaurant. Hmm.
Hey what about stopping by the gas station to fill up on gas so we can even get to church. Forgot milk for the kids on Monday - stop by the grocery or corner store on the way back from church.
This is where I think the pulpit failed in giving a proper balance of faith of living under grace and allowing people to grow at their own speed. In the rush to perform spiritually a void was created and the legalism and spiritual pride crept in not only from the pulpit but by various members in the Body.
God in His grace had to disband Faith Assembly and "scatter the sheep" so to speak, in order to preserve His children from spiritual bondage. The results were sad to see, like those who wouldn't brush their teeth, to those who looked down on people wearing glasses and so on so He had to do something.
I remember Bro Freeman saying celebrating Thanksgiving was heathen and more or less we should abandon it along with Christmas and Easter. I did, then stopped and thought:
…wait, so what if the Puritans ate with heathen Indians...Jesus ate with the sinners. What a good way to put aside a day and remember to be thankful of what we have in this country; a time for family to get together and have a great big turkey that other countries can only dream of. We can even call it something else, like the Harvest moon holiday, or the Occult Equinox Day if we wanted to. I’d rather have it as a time to gather the family from all over together and thank the Lord for what blessings we have.
Heck I don't even have a problem now with Christmas - another time for family to get together and in some little way remember Jesus. Yes yes, I know Xmas has nothing to do with Jesus, but what the heck, I think there are better things to fight the faith on than "observing days". I don't observe it, I just enjoy it. Hey I don't put up a tree, but allow the wife to, it's her way of trying to heal things between her and her family when they come over. Rather than offend them in our self righteous ways, we use it as an opportunity to witness. Am I lost, or deceived? I’ve left the faith? By the old standards it seems so.
But because of this “loosening”, we are more humble now, our families even call us, and they are starting to ask questions, and go to church. Ahhh, I’ve compromised! Compromised what? Jesus raised a boy from the dead in a funeral procession. Was the boy saved? Did his mother pray to Jesus for it? No, meaning, we can’t work for our holiness, it still all boils down to God’s grace. Because I know so much, do I sin now because I choose not to force it over others who don’t have this light? No I think it is a freedom. Paul ate meat offered to idols. So I can eat turkey offered, oh never mind :-)
But to say we can't judge or disagree with what came out of Faith Assembly or Bro Freeman is elevating the man to a "catholic" sainthood, which God never intended. He was a vessel, like you and me. Just more in tune sometimes eh.
Hey Paul said to leave Timothy behind and Barnabus said no way, he's a good worker. Did Paul miss God? Paul also said it was better to not marry, so why do we marry then? Sure to procreate, but Paul said you'd server the Lord better as a single person. I fought with that text for a long time, because I wanted to serve the Lord and hence I didn't marry till I was 39 and lost a lot of great years - my youth so to speak - and chance for a family. Sad eh. Not bitter, but just sad. Was it legalism or just trying my best to serve God?
So, maybe I’m one of those deceived ones we were taught to avoid...but God is still faithful.
Cheers
Tom
