Freddie's testimony of healing and deliverance is not something that can be fully 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 to "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)
As hands were laid on him as according the scriptures, 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 nor doctors offices that would accommodate his size.
Ashamed and humiliated, 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 full time in the ministry.
Freddie 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 quite 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 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 in Illinois.
He stepped onto the scales under the cover of night, waited, and then quickly made his way back to the car where Kay (who had watched the scales) waited to give Freddie 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 a sabbatical 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 caused by weight gain coupled with the loss of support from very close 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.
Sickness was taking its toll on him.
No sooner than one bout 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 and his oxygen levels were very low.
Freddie was semi-conscious.
He was fighting for his life.
When Kay arrived at the emergency room (after a very fast trip from Tennessee to Alabama) 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 the dieting regimen that he had be doing every day in rehab.
Strangely he was swelling and experiencing trouble breathing again.
Within three months he had gained almost 300 pounds.
He was unable to walk and spent seven months in the bedroom unable even to 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 in order to help him.
On June 4, 2009 - Freddie's life nearly came to an end.
Minutes from death, Kay called 911 and when the responders arrived they found an extremely large man bound to his bedroom, non-responsive, turning black and blue, taking extremely shallow breaths.
They proceeded to cut the wall out of Freddie and Kay's bedroom in order to get him into the ambulance.
He was rushed to the local hospital in Morristown, Tennessee 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 times for 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 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 over 200 pounds.
To this date Freddie has lost over 500 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 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.
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Below are photos from the day Freddie almost lost his life.
June 4, 2009 was a crucial turning point for Freddie & Kay.
What would have been the end of a life, of a beautiful marriage and a ministry not fulfilled.
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