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Thursday, January 05, 2006
Jim Bakker Returns to Heritage USA to Preach
This from the Fort Mill Times:
FORT MILL TOWNSHIP -- A very different - and repetitive - Jim Bakker returned to his former religious empire last weekend to preach about restoration, and he was greeted by thousands of people.
Bakker spoke at MorningStar Ministries' New Year's Conference Friday and Saturday nights at the former Heritage Grand Hotel, which cost Bakker $60 million to build and was the centerpiece of Heritage USA, a religious theme park and headquarters for his multi-million-dollar evangelical television ministry, PTL.
The grounds, which fell into decline following Bakker's downfall in the late 1980s, have been bought by MorningStar Ministries, which is developing a church and Christian school on the site.
His sermon marked the first time Bakker returned to the theme park he helped develop, and exactly 21 years to the month that he dedicated the Grand Hotel.
"I don't understand our God, but he runs us in cycles," Bakker said. "Most of you are so young, you don't even know who I am."
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Bakker resigned from his ministry, which included the Sunday morning television staple "The PTL Club" produced in his Fort Mill studio, in March 1987 after an extramarital affair with church secretary Jessica Hahn was disclosed. If that scandal wasn't enough to shake Bakker's empire, a grand jury found evidence that Bakker skimmed millions of dollars in donations from his followers. He was indicted in December 1988 and convicted of tax evasion, racketeering and fraud, and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. The sentence was later commuted and Bakker was released from jail in 1993.
Three years ago, Bakker and his second wife, Lori Graham Bakker, began broadcasting the "Jim Bakker Show" from Branson, Mo.
During his New Year's sermon, Bakker told the audience of about 1,000 how "something went wrong" during his time at Heritage USA.
Bakker spoke about restoration and preached from different parts of the Bible, including Jeremiah 18, Judges 16:20, Luke 10:30 and Luke 22.
"After you spend five years in prison, you have to understand, you are always a prisoner," he said. "Some of you should be in jail and you didn't get caught. Give grace. Give restoration."
While in jail, Bakker took up pottery and he compares himself to "a big lump of clay" until God restored him and put him through a trial by fire - just as one would fire pottery in a kiln.
"Prison was God's love for Jim Bakker," he said. "God doesn't throw the clay away. If you are going to be a vessel, you have to empty yourself out. I got too full of myself. If God didn't want me to go to jail, He could have stopped them all."
Bakker also said God restored the former Heritage USA grounds through MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner.
"When I walked in, it was like my son had come back alive, who was dead," Bakker said. "When we preachers screw up they don't say we 'sinned,' they say we 'fell.' Baloney. We fell a long time ago. The problem is they just found out."
Bakker said his return to the former Heritage USA site was one of the most important sermons he has ever preached.
"When you are restored, you start restoring other people," Bakker said. "If you have been restored, you want to restore everybody. The vessel is not finished until it goes through the fire. I was bigger than my denomination I was in. My sin brought me down. I sinned and my sin opened the door of destruction.
"God wants you to go through the fire, so you can come out more precious than gold. Let Him mold you into what He wants you to be.
"I blew it so royally, the whole world watched it. It was the daily soap opera. Nobody is too bad for God. This place died because God wasn't being used for what He intended it to. I lost everything, but God is still God. It's not how you start, it's how you end."
Also during his New Year's sermon, Bakker promised to reveal some of the 31 prophecies he said God passed to him in 2000. Those events, which he said would occur during the "last days," would only be shared last Saturday night if the media wasn't in attendance. Bakker's Friday night appearance drew a crowd of print and broadcast journalists. Bakker told attendees of the conference Friday that two of the prophecies God revealed to him were the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, which flooded New Orleans and other Gulf Coast cities last summer.
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Comments
In my early days, I was a supporter of Jim. I liked how they casually talked about the faith on TV (I wasn't used to that, as a Catholic). Jim deserved to get busted, and he did. I read his book "I was wrong," and it's good to see him get reformed and straightened out. However, with this talk about the prophecies of 9/11 & Katrina, it looks like he's headed for the deep-end again.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247/
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 5, 2006 4:51:36 PM
Hey Bernie,
I'm with you. I read "I Was Wrong" and felt that he really did a pretty good job at repentance in more (but not necessarily all) areas. I gained a new respect for him. And I was with him in the article above until the prophecy part.
Todd
Posted by: Todd Rhoades | Jan 5, 2006 4:56:12 PM
I was NOT a Bakker fan when everything went down, but have a lot more respect for him now.
I read the book and loved it. Also saw him on Larry King a few years ago, and was really thrilled at how he handled himself, especially when seated next to Tammye Faye and the guy she left Bakker for (his former best friend...).
I'm hoping for the best for him, but I have to admit, this prophecy part scares me.
Brian
Posted by: Brian La Croix | Jan 5, 2006 5:04:10 PM
It would have been nice if he could have shared the 9/11 prophecy when he got it in 2000.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 5, 2006 5:23:20 PM
Funny, Chris... I thought the same thing!
Todd
Posted by: Todd Rhoades | Jan 5, 2006 5:25:08 PM
Personally, I think Jim got a bum rap when he was convicted for over-selling timeshare units. However, he should have got busted for his extravagent salary. He never did, because the law has never defined as to what a "reasonable" salary is. That's why we have the same money scandals of greed going on TODAY... the root cause was never fixed.
Other abusers aren't as stupid as Jim Bakker... they have smart lawyers working for them keeping them in the letter of the law (Benny Hinn, TD Jakes, John Hagee, etc.). Do that, and you can really rake the money in... millions from the faithful. Worst yet, many Christians seem to don't care and refuse to make these "Christian" leaders accountable for their actions... don't judge, they say.
Look at the previous blog article about Schueller's son wanting to get a million worldwide members... and not disclosing ANY detailed financial info to their members... unlike other non-church 501c3 ministries are required to do. We desperately need reformation in our tax code for these kind of "churches," but the government is hesitant because of the seperation of church-state. Ironically, if these abusers get audited, they cry "persecution!"
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 5, 2006 6:07:07 PM
Yeah...I think the whole prophecy thing showed a real lack of sound judgement on Jim's part. First of all...any Tom, Dick, and Jim can say they had a prophecy about something AFTER it happened. I suppose that's one way to make sure it comes true. And secondly, if he knew that would happen, I think he's an _____ for not saying something then. It would be interesting to see what the courts would do with that information should those who lost loved ones in either of those events choose to sue the pants of the guy for not sharing information.
Posted by: matt furr | Jan 5, 2006 11:30:57 PM
Yeah, I hope somebody close to him tells him to shut up about prophesying events that already happened. I am really rooting for him since "I Was Wrong" (although I never was a supporter) but this does indeed look like a whole cycle starting again.
Posted by: Peter Hamm | Jan 6, 2006 9:03:10 AM
Matt writes, "It would be interesting to see what the courts would do with that information should those who lost loved ones in either of those events [9/11 or Katrina] choose to sue the pants of [sic] the guy for not sharing information."
That definitely would be an interesting turn of events. It would have a presumably God-averse prosecution team arguing that God spoke through prophecy. And what kind of defense do you mount? Do they argue that Bakker never received the prophecies (i.e., plead insanity)? Or that the prophecies weren't real (i.e., a false god or a false prophet)? Any way you look at it, Bakker would lose and God would be mocked.
Reminds me of a (true?) account I read many years ago in one of Bill Bright's devotional books. Seems the church folks in a small town were upset about plans for a new pub (i.e., a bar) in the town, so they started praying about it. One night the pub burned down, and the owner sued the church...which of course defended itself.
In his ruling, the judge found the church guilty, but poignantly noted that the pub owner apparently believed more strongly in the power of prayer than the church folks.
Posted by: Randy Ehle | Jan 6, 2006 12:37:54 PM
I was a quasi-fan of the Bakkers in the late 1970s. PTL blest a lot of people in those days...and I was one of them. As a teenager, I remember sitting on the floor in our living room, and crying my eyes out during one show (early in the morning before I left for school) when Jim started speaking about depression, and what it can do to a person. I was severely depressed, and didn't even realize it--but God knew.
Regarding the prophecies:
I'm not convinced that when God reveals something to us that He wants us to tell the whole world...or even another person.
Sometimes, yes, He does. Sometimes, He says wait. And then there are those times when God wants us to "ponder these things" in our hearts.
May God use Jim Bakker to bring Glory to His Son Jesus Christ!
Posted by: Phil Hoover-Chicago | Jan 6, 2006 1:23:54 PM
I have a prophecy... that Jim Bakker is going to get into some kind of new mess with his talk about prophecies.
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 6, 2006 8:47:32 PM
I personally took a real beating in my community for defending JB during the height of his scandal. I was not defending him for his actions nor suggesting he was not in sin and need of repentance, but felt as a brother in the Lord he did not deserve to be publicly bashed before the world by his own.
Then when he wrote his book (which I read) and came out of prison, got remarried and displayed this major sense of repentance and brokenness, I wanted to be an encourager for his hopeful restoration.
I went to Branson to see Jim with a real desire to build him up and affirm the contrite spirit he seemed to be displaying. He acknowledged my presence for about 5 seconds and asked me to give him $100 to have my wife and me in a picture with him and his wife.
Since then we have received no less than 50 letters from his ministry pleading for $$ so they won't have to go under. It is the same old tactics under a new banner of displayed humility.
Folks this is one man who is in desperate need of dying to his relentless ambition to be great in the Kingdom of God. Of course he is going to speak now about having important prophecies because he went back to Heritage which is owned now by Morningstar, and if he wants to be great hanging out with prophetic ministries, he's smart enough to know how to play it.
But JB's sin, foolishness, manipulations or whatever you want to call it, says nothing at all about prophets or prophetic words! To link them together as if to suggest the authenticity of the prophetic in the Church today can be invalidated by this man's poor judgment and spiritual immaturity, is not only stupid and foolish, but as far off base as the stuff Jim has done himself.
I say this not as an accusation to anyone but rather as a caveat for the direction this post could easily start to move.
The story of JB's life is not yet over and i have to agree strongly with Phil Hoover who said..."May God use Jim Bakker to bring Glory to His Son Jesus Christ!"
Posted by: Jim Eaton | Jan 7, 2006 1:48:45 AM
Jim wrote:
"Since then we have received no less than 50 letters from his ministry pleading for $$ so they won't have to go under. It is the same old tactics under a new banner of displayed humility."
Sounds like the prophecy I gave is coming true...
...Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 7, 2006 3:16:02 AM
Beware.... Beware....BEWARE OF DOGS....Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters. We call evil good and good evil... There is not righteousness in these that you speak of... There are no modern day prophets. Is there a gift of Prophecy yes there is. This gift is a special gift from the Holy Spirit, but people use it very loosely today.
There is trouble on the horizion. Look up, be watchfu, for our redemption is drawing near. Keep your eye on Israel for it will not be long until they will begin to inflitrate in... Gods judgement is up the leaders there and he is not pleased with them.
Take my message for what it is worth. But the way to note a true prophet is this... His words and actions will be rejected, but the false propehts are many and their words and actions are always praised. It is true. 2001 was the year that God shook America is his wrath and judgement not upon us as a nation, because of our witchcraft, murder, and sexual imortality.
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS "BEWARE". BEWARE of this man and his motives. Beware of the things that are ahead of us this year. Be watchful... There is trouble...
Posted by: Clairvoyant 1 | Jan 7, 2006 1:46:18 PM
The office of prophet is to tell the things of God to mankind. Prophecy may be a part, but it could also be a small part. Modern-day prophets, like those of old, can bring the matter of sin to the attention to the modern man, and plead for restoration... just like Jonah before Ninevah... and the other prophets of the Old Testament constantly asking the people to repent. They didn't, and so got carried off into captivity...
These charismatic prophets today get carried away with trying to impress people of their prophetic fortune-telling ability, and forget about the whole "warning of sin" part.
...Bernie
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 7, 2006 5:36:34 PM
It would have been fitting of a true Christian prophet if JB would have shared these "prophesies" he received in prison with the rest of us who have lost so much due to the 9/11 and Katrina events. (Maybe someone would have been foolish enough to believe him and prepare for the worst.) Prophecy is given to a person for the benefit of the hearers. What benefit is it for JB to say he knew about these things and then not tell anyone? That is only hurtful to the ones who may believe JB. Oh well, he is a scandalous fellow isn't he.
Posted by: lynne | Jan 9, 2006 7:50:24 PM
Christ Is Coming Again.....We are commanded to go into All the World and "Preach" the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are WE...Are are we captivated with Prolific speakers.....those that can move the "emotions" of People.
What ever happened to Deut.28...All of It?
I say we should follow and obey the Scripture..."Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God....It's almost Midnight.
Posted by: atoheaven | Jan 9, 2006 8:41:01 PM
I was never a Jim Bakker fan. I do belive in prophesies. I must know the speaker first. You don't know me so you may not beleive me. We have had 3 hurricanes, 2 parts of the country flooded, and a big part burning from fire.
Isreal's leader may be laying on his death bed. These are 2 nation involed in giving up God's land to a group of bad God hater. There may be some bad earthquakes comeing to.
People need to start praying for our leader to make good use of the power that has been given to them. We will soon enter Daniel's 70th week. In fact it may have alreadty started. The Mark is being talked about as a national ID.
You may want to go to endtime.org web site. Learn more about the coming age.
Posted by: David | Jan 11, 2006 8:43:41 AM
MY WIFE AND I WENT TO BRANSON ESPECIALLY TO GO TO SEE AND HEAR JIM BAKER S SHOW WE WERE THERE A WEEK AND DIDNT FIND IT UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE WE HAD TO FLY BACK HOME I WENT TO ONE SERVICE AND ENJOYED IT MORE THAN ANYTHING WE DONE THERE I AM PLANNING ON GOING BACK REAL SOON AND ATTEND EVERY SERVICE POSSIBLE I LISTEN TO HIS SHOW EVERY MORNING ABOUT PROPHECY AND LOVE IT AND KNOWING ALL THE BAD NEWS SINCE IT HAPPENED I WAS ONE THAT SENT HIM MONEY THAT SENT HIM TO PRISON AND NOW I CANT WAIT TO GO TO HEAR HIM AGAIN
LIKE MYSELF HES NOT PERFECT BUT IS PREACHING THE END TIME MESSAGES THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO
Posted by: MELVIN MCCLENNEY | Jan 19, 2006 11:17:53 PM
I AGREE WITH MELVIN MCCLENNEY.
I OWNED THREE MEMBERSHIPS OF HERITAGE USA AND WAS SOOOOO BLESSED WHEN I STAYED MY
DESIGNATED TIMES EACH YEAR.
I WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR THOSE MEMORIES.
SURE JIM SINNED, BUT WE ALL HAVE.
AS FOR THE PROPHECIES HE WROTE THEM ALL DOWN WHEN GOD GAVE THEM TO HIM. WOULD THE WORLD HAVE BELIEVED HIM IF HE DECLARED WHAT
WAS TO HAPPEN? I THINK NOT. DID NOAH HAVE A BELIEVING AUDIENCE? NOPE.
LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE TAKES FAITH NOT JUDGMENT OF SOMEONE WHO IS REPENTANT.
OF COURSE THIS OPINION OF MINE WILL NOT BE
UNDERSTOOD BY MOST BUT I WANTED TO SPEAK MY PIECE.
Posted by: JACKIE BROWN | Jan 20, 2006 4:55:57 PM
I totally agree with Melvin & Jackie. I belive Jim Bakker has trully repented & been restored by a loving God that loves him. God says whatever mercy we show someone else is what mercy we will be shown.God knows what it takes for each of us to become what He has planned for us. Jim Bakker sinned,& was put in prison to pay his due & He did. But,God knew that he needed to be shut away to get him to be alone with him where He could talk to him & teach him, so he could get him to his final destiny.Any of us are not up to high that we can't fall. Sin is sin, no big sin & no little sin. We need to ask ourselves have we sinned? God sees sin as sin. Jim Bakker has repented & not just repented he has turned from his sins. God is using Jim Bakker in the end times, we can like it or not, He is. People don't want to hear anything bad, because the Bible says they have itchy ears, just want to hear good stuff. But, I want pure truth. Jackie, I know exactly what you mean. I am sure people won't like what I have said either. But, Praise the Lord any how!!!
Posted by: Mary Ann | Jan 24, 2006 5:11:40 PM
I was a PTL partner all those years ago, and to this day never felt cheated out of money by Jim Bakker. I watch his new show daily, and find it the best one on the air. Jim is real, and he is humble and really dedicated to preaching the restoration message. He sinned, he repented, and God forgave him. That is afterall the reason Christ went to the cross. I heard Jim say New Orleans would be covered by water several weeks before it happened. He truly hears from God and I am so thankful he is on the air again. Much better than the money grubbers that take up most of Christian TV these days.
Posted by: CL | Feb 24, 2006 7:16:10 PM
well, I have read all that everyone has to say. First of all let me say that I am not speaking from what I feel about Jim, I speak from what I know! I know Jim and Lori, I have worked beside them, and I know Jims heart. I am 29 and dont remember much about jims past,(thank God) but I do know a man who was broken and then put back together. Jim wants the prosperity message that he helped to build to DIE. He always tells us that the money and things in the world will pass away, and we know it will, BUt he strongly urges a Love relationship with Jesus and not the world or the money of the world. Jim absolutly HATES to ask for money, and for the first yr of the new show he refused to do so, But people, I will say it like this Jim is preaching an end time message that the church needs to hear, IF it will wake up and see whats REALLY going on inside its walls. The church now a days is teaching its members to fall in love with money and the things of the world,and cloaking it with the Bible.
READ Matt 24, all the way through and see what Jesus said would be happening in the last days, and you will see what Jim is teaching now, and the religous people of the world are comming up aginst it with all force, NOT hearing sound doctrine but giving themselves to suductive spirits who make them feel good.
as for the money thing, If your on tv you got bills you have to pay. TBN has a beg-a-thon 2 times a yr and I dont see anyone saying anything about that.
Posted by: chad bowlin | Mar 9, 2006 3:48:17 PM
JUDGE AND YOU SHALL ALSO BE JUDGED.MOST OF US MISS GOD. FOR HIS WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS.
THE THING IS HOW CLOSE IS OUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? EXAMINE OURSELVES BEFORE WE NAIL SOMEONE ELSE.I HAVE BEEN IN MINISTRY FOR 20 YEARS,GONE THROUGH MANY HARDSHIPS,ENOUGH TO WRITE A BOOK, BUT IT HAS ONLY MADE ME STRONGER IN THE LORD.FOR WITHOUT GOD, WE ARE NOTHING.ANUONE CAN BECOME TOTALLY DELIVERED IF THEY SEEK GOD.
REMEMBER,POINT ONE FINGER OUT AND THREE COME BACK AT YOU. GOD HAS ALL THINGS IN CONTROL AND FOR MY SELF, I AM LEAVING IT AT THAT. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR IN THE LORD!
Posted by: apostle Benson | Mar 23, 2006 11:41:25 PM
I don't care I think Jim and Tammy were excellent I have her autograph in my room, and if I could I would get his. I disagree with some of his past ways but Jesus forgave us we can forgive him. I personally would love Heritage USA to come back to it's glory.
Posted by: Lotus | Jul 13, 2006 1:43:27 PM
