Why Would Anyone NOT Do This?
All in all, I consider it a positive, helpful encounter with the Lord. I noticed several outward physical manifestations that resulted from the ministry I received. I had a small lump under my right arm for years, and I noticed sometime after my Freedom Encounter that it had disappeared. The mole in front of my right ear in the temple area is mostly gone. There was a rash on the ring finger of my right hand between the first and second joints that had been present for at least several weeks prior the my Freedom Encounter. It was revealed to us during the ministry session that the rash was a direct result of demonic activity in my body. After the Freedom Encounter ministry I noticed that it had mostly disappeared. A couple of days later it started to return. Knowing where it came from, I took authority over it, commanding the demonic presence that brought it to leave. I did this several times daily for a few days. It has completely disappeared and hasn’t come back since. Also, the ministry revealed that “my” asthma, breathing problems, and allergies, are partly demonically inspired. When I have trouble breathing I come against the demonic “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the flesh.” Although my breathing doesn’t completely return to normal all of the time, the prayer usually lessens the attack.
Ken and Sylvia (Freedom Encounters) warned us that after our ministry session, there would be a time of trial (which would vary in time and intensity from person to person) and that we should be ready to fight back. They were right. Things seemed worse at times than before the ministry. For a period of several weeks, the enemy came against my wife (who also had a Freedom Encounter at the same time I did) and me in every way imaginable. Because we both had received the ministry, we had the advantage of being able to agree together in prayer and encourage each other. Because we knew what was happening, we were able to pray in faith and persevere. Overall, I feel a heightened sense of the spirit world around me, and am able to fight and win battles that before I wouldn’t even have been aware enough to fight because I would have attributed the circumstances to “natural causes”. Thought patterns that have hindered me for as long as I can remember, have been largely broken because of an awareness I have now, that I didn’t use to have.
In my opinion, a “Freedom Encounter” would help every Christian who would receive one, but it also should be pointed out that maybe not every Christian is ready to receive one. Just like salvation, being filled with the Holy Spirit, healing, and everything else the Lord offers us, it needs to be accepted by faith. Unfortunately, the enemy plants lies, fear, doubt, etc., whenever he can to hinder what God is doing.
I feel to a degree, a heightened sense of spiritual authority in Christ. An interesting thing happened a couple of months ago. I was present during a meeting at a church in town where a man God uses in the prophetic gifting was ministering. Towards the end of the service, he began to give prophetic words over several of us that had received a Freedom Encounter. I was close enough to hear most of what was being said. In a nutshell, phrases like “more authority, more power, more faith, etc., walking in a new awareness”, were common. Coincidentally, some of those who were speaking out against the ministry also got prophetic words. Those prophetic words were generally of a different flavor with phrases like “you are under a generational curse, bondages need to be broken, I see fear,” etc. Most of those words are on tape I think. Pastor Jerry M. may have a copy or know how to get one.
My step-daughter, Laurel, has had some very positive changes because of the Freedom Encounter my wife Amy had.
Our marriage has benefited because, as a couple, though we still go through difficulties and have disagreements from time to time, we are both more aware of who our real enemy is, and how to defeat him on the field of battle.
As sad as it is to see people leave the church because they choose not to accept what the Lord is doing through Freedom Encounters, those of us who have received this ministry know that they are not our enemies, Satan is. We will continue to pray and intercede for them out of a loving heart. The Lord knows them that belong to Him and He is well able to take care of them.
Carey, South Dakota, T154