Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Stg,
in an attempt to re-center this discussion, can you tell us how to have assurance that Bill Freeman and Patsy Freeman weren't two sides of the same coin? How can we be sure that Bill Freeman teaching "Christ in you as everything" and Patsy Freeman's relationship manipulation and meddling weren't just two aspects of the manifestation of one same spirit?
(I didn't know either but am summarising what I've read from various persons who reported knowing them)
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Did you think we were getting a little off topic?
Well thanks for trying to recenter this discussion!
You ask a good question, and one I've wondered if someone on here might inquire of. Bill is actually a little bit of an enigma to me, and to others in Scottsdale I've talked with. I was surprised when one brother recently told me he felt really "betrayed" by Bill, choosing to leave with his wife, Patsy. Another brother surprised me when he said he still couldn't read most of Bill's writings, since his marriage was busted-up via Patsy. Lots of negative emotions from all that, obviously. But I also know several here, including me, who still enjoy Bill's writings. And many that were close to him have benefited immensely from Bill's skillful, academic methods for studying scripture (aka here as "laboring in the word"). I profit greatly from these ones, who've learned those skills directly from Bill.
Personally speaking, I have no experience with either Bill or Patsy, as the Lord brought me here immediately after the "big blow-up" in November 1998. I do know that the Anointing still tells me often that I am in the right place (yes, tis He: "My sheep know My voice"), and this is actually confirmed to me in various other ways, including what I see in scripture. I now see my whole life, especially after coming to the Lord in 1974, as being focused on Him eventually bringing me to this gathering. As I've said several times, I learned many things in the LC in the 70s & 80s, but it wasn't until coming to this gathering in Scottsdale, that He showed me how foundational His love was for everything (His motivation & purpose, the key to understanding scripture, etc.).
And this seeing of His love, is what really began to seriously expose many of the teachings of WL and practices of the LC as being off the mark (fear based, elitism, central control, etc.) Praise God He brought me here -
I am most thankful to Him daily!
So back to Bill being a mystery - from all I've gathered from those who knew him, Bill had one major failing, and that was Patsy. It's easy to "Monday morning quarterback" and say he shouldn't have let his wife do what she did, and then to decide to leave everything (i.e., the Scottsdale gathering) to go with her. But this is what Adam did, and I'm afraid it's just in our genes - "It was that women you gave me!" If you're a man, you probably understand the weakness for the fairer sex. That doesn't excuse either Bill or Adam for the subsequent messes created, but there it is . . .
I don't agree with everything Bill has written. Just this week there was something in his daily devotional, "The Supplied Life," that I was a little bothered by. But then again, I get a little bothered by something almost any Christian writes or says at some point. If you presented me a list of Christian sources, there are likely things I'm a little bothered by with every one of them (including - gasp - Billy Graham). That doesn't mean I throw all of them out. Why? Warts, my friend, warts - we all gots 'em. Of course, some have much bigger warts than others. This is one reason I almost never read anything by WL anymore - too many big warts. But Bill's writings - not so many warts. That is, I haven't seen him go beyond what I consider good, scriptural foundation for his teaching . . . at least in my most humble opinion. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
So bottom-line in answer to your question: Were Bill and Patsy of "one same spirit?" Only God knows for sure, but I don't think so (and I think most around me in Scottsdale would agree, as outlined above). Might I be deceived? Sure, that's the nature of deception, but I don't believe so.
