The Trial of Your Faith (Pt. 6)

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Teaching | Tags:

I share these very intense times of the trials of my faith with you so that you will know you’re not alone in your trial, whatever it may be.  Our circumstances may be different, but I know that human suffering has a common element – and it’s in that commonality that I want to connect with you who suffer today and let you know that you can make it.  God will never leave you or forsake you and He will work all things for your good – even those things that appear to have no redemptive purpose like this event in 1990 while I was in Rochester Prison:

The Tega Cay house was more than a piece of property; it was a haven, a place of respite in our frenetic lives.  It was a place where we could relax, let our hair down, and just be a family rather than television personalities.  But the best thing about the house is that it was where Jamie Charles and Tammy Sue grew up.

More than anything, the Tega Cay house established some semblance of stability in the life of our family.

The news commentator’s detached voice brought me back to my present reality in prison.  I had made my way to one of the television rooms at the end of the hall where some of the older inmates gathered to watch the news.  Most of the televisions in prison are tuned in to “escape from reality” type of shows, but there is usually one set that is kept on a news channel throughout the day.  Because I rarely went near the TV room during my first months in prison, I had to search to find the room where the news was on.  In the TV room closest to my cell, the inmates had on CNN’s Headline News.  I didn’t have to wait long.

The newscaster described the details of how sometime around 2:00 a.m. on Friday, March 9, the house had caught fire.  I watched in horror as the screen filled with flaming images of our former home.  The house was a virtual inferno, with flames twenty to thirty feet high.

I cried out loud, “Oh, my God, no!”  Some of the guys who were standing around in the room stopped and stared at me.  I didn’t care.  Our family home was engulfed in flames and burning to ashes.  The reporter went on to say that the fire seemed to have a suspicious origin, and investigators were already on the scene.

I later learned that it had taken fifty firefighters nearly two hours to extinguish the blaze.  The house was completely gutted; the entire rear of the home collapsed, leaving on y the entryway, part of the garage, and part of a chimney still standing.  An agent with the South Carolina Arson Investigation unit commented wryly, “We’re looking at all possibilities and talking with everyone who knows anything.  But one thing’s for sure – Bakker’s alibi is solid.”

Sitting in that prison TV room watching my former home crumble in flames was one of the most traumatic times of my life.  The house was a part of me.  It was a tangible expression of my love for my family.  Now it was gone.  It was the end of an era.  Although it was impractical and improbable, I had always dreamed that someday we could go back there.  Now there was nothing left to go back to.  Prison or no prison, I could not hold back the tears.

The inmates watched in respectful silence as I got up and walked back to my cell.  I climbed into my bunk and shut my eyes.  “Oh, God!” I thought.  “Why did You allow this to happen?  What are You doing to me?  I have already  lost everything I owned.  My ministry is gone.  My reputation is gone.  I am locked up, facing a forty-five-year sentence, and I can’t get out, and I sit here in prison and watch my family home burn down!  God, is this some sort of cruel trick?  God, where are You?  What are You doing to me?”

20 thoughts on “The Trial of Your Faith (Pt. 6)”

  2. we have a hospital here in kingston ny. that would make a great dream center would you like to pray about helping the HOLY SPIRIT make it a realty now amen the great awakening burns on we are revivalists not survivalists pray that JESUS will baptize you in the HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE now when you feel the power in your hands ask the HOLY SPIRIT who to release it to they will experience healing and receive the fire as well to give it away shalom now love now joy now

  3. ONE DAY,AS AN EMPLOY AT THE HERITAGE VILLAGE CHURCH,I WAS SENT TO PAINT THE STAIRWAY AT YOUR HOUSE AT TEGA CAY.I WAS USING TUNG OIL,IT WAS IMPORTED MOHOGANY.I KEPT SOME SCRAP PIECES THAT WAS THROWN AWAY.I MADE A CROSS FOR MY MOTHER.SHE CHERISHED THE CROSS UNTIL SHE PASSED AWAY THIS PAST MOTHERS DAY…MY BROTHER HAS IT IN STORAGE NOW,WITH THE REST OF HER THINGS…WHEN THE HOUSE BURNED,I LOOKED AT THAT CROSS AND THOUGHT…IT LIVED ON,PAST EVERYTHING ELSE.THAT IS WHAT JESUS DOES FOR US…HE GIVES US LIFE BEYOND THE THINGS DESTROYED,BY THE DESTROYER…HE GIVES US LIFE AND MORE ABUNTALY THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE….ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD ARE WE ALIVE TODAY TO SHARE HIS TESTIMONY OF LIFE AND LOVE…SATAN WANTS ALL CHRISTIANS DEAD OR DIEING…..HE HURTS US BY THOSE WE LOVE MOST AND THINGS WE TREASURE…THERE IS NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED EXCEPT GOD HIMSELF…..THE EARTH HAS REPLACED EVERY HUMAN THROUGHOUT TIME…WE WILL ALL BE CHANGED FOR SOMEONE ELSE ONE DAY…UNTIL THE END.SIN IS TO BLAME FOR ALL SORROWS..SIN IS TO KNOW GOOD AND DO IT NOT….WE REAP WHAT WE SOW..GOD JUST SITS BACK AND LETS US LEARN WHAT HE TRIED TO TEACH US…JUST LIKE WE DO TO OUR CHILDREN..HARD HEADS MAKE SOFT REARS….GOD DOES NOT DO IT TO US,WE DO IT TO OURSELVES..THE WORST PUNISHMENT I EVER GOT WAS THE SELF INFLICTED ONES….MOTHER NEVER WHIPPED ME LIKE I WHIPPED MYSELF….WERE IT NOT FOR REPENTING,GETTING FORGIVENESS AND CHANGING DIRECTIONS IN LIFE..MY SINS WOULD HAVE KILLED ME LONG AGO…THE WAGES OF SIN???DEATH……OUR SOULS HAVE A BODY,THEY LIVE FOREVER AFTER THE BODY IS GONE…IT WAS THE BREATH OF GOD THAT GAVE US OUR SOUL,AT THAT TIME OUR BODIES CAME TO LIFE,IN OUR MOTHERS WOMB….THE SOUL DIES NOT,NEITHER DOES GOD DIE……EVERY DAY IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO OUR SOUL THAT WE LIVE……GOD ALLOWS OUR FREE WILL TO GOVERN US…WE SOW,,WE REAP.EITHER TO THE SPIRIT OR THE FLESH…THIS LIFE IS THE GARDEN OF EDEN,ONLY NOW WE ARE TESTED FOR HEAVEN OR HELL….

  4. I remember when you did a Xmas show at tega cay that I was there and did it too with the staff. Will always remember that. Beautiful place. God does not like us holding on to things or love ones too hard. Went thru the tv training with your school then but now do connecting to the Internet for customers. I woke up about six years ago to what is happening. Glad god woke you up to and I am blessed that you did.. It’s soon. Get ready for the harvest. Remember any reproach to tyrants is obedience to god. We will need all the faith we can muster from god. it will not be easy.
    God bless
    Stephen

  6. I lost everything as a child in a fire, my father died in another fire. I went throught the flood of W.Vir as a child. Very frightening times. But your life Jim Baker gives others hope. God literally pulled you out of a pit. The pit of prison, the pit of despair. I believe that God had such a call on your life there could have been a conversation like when Job was tested. God had such confidence in Job and allowed him to be tested. God knew he would give him double for his trouble. A double blessing. God must have been bragging on you like he did Job. Have you seen my servant Jim. The devil got mad and said let me at him. Let me take everything he has. Watch what happens then. Look at the people you have touched. Suffering like Job, thrown into prison. Becoming a Joseph type and a watchman on the wall. God Bless you Jim Baker, you are much loved by many in the body of Christ

  7. How I love you, my brother, and it is so obvious that the devil hates you!! I praise God and thank him for you. Great were your trials and great is your reward. What an inspiration and what a witness you are to God’s goodness and power. May He always bless you for your faithfulness.

  8. Dear Pastor Jim and Mrs Lori,
    Thank you for your show each day and I love your show each night. I live in Apex, North Carolina and the time for your show is 12midnight. Just a little bit late for me but I would not mind. Thanks for your daily messages. I always feel such a relief every time I watch your show specially, your teaching about the book of Revelation. Amen!
    Pastor Jim – I know what you had been through for all your difficult time in past. God is on the throne and know you that you are a faithful servant. Yet! I believe that things have changed so much and hard to find a good faithful friends. People are likely cold and so pride themselves. I do not understand. Well, I am waiting for the big day coming that we will all see our Lord and Savior.

    May God bless you and your ministry
    Stephanie (Apex NC)

  9. Pastor, your blog fits what my wife and I have been going threw. We both have been tested threw and threw. Once in a while i feel like giving up, but when I see someone in need and lost the first thing I think of is how they need the Lord. He has never lied to me, nor left me. I love my father and the son, whom loved me first. Jesus is who he says he is, and I am a witness to it, as you are. Thank you pastor. Your story touched me, you are a great man, God bless you.

  10. DEAR JIM, I LOVE AND TRUST YOU . YOU WERE INOCENT. SOME OF THE MINISTERS RAILROADED YOU. YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THE LORD AND THE PEOPLE. GOD BLESS YOU AND LORI.

  12. Dear Jim,
    Thank you for sharing. I recently read Tammy Faye’s bio. I believe with all my heart you were completely innocent and railroaded by several people. I enjoy your show everyday. You are such a inspiration to me. I have been through alot of bad things also. I lost my sister best friend when I was 16 she was 22. My father had a very serious stroke and is very sick. We lost our house etc,, I feel very alone in the world and ask God Why many times he let bad things happen to me. I do believe God has a plan, no matter we go through here. I’m sad most of the time but I have my hope in God. I;m sending you and your family all my love and God Bless you all. I love Tammy Sue singing, that girl is great!!

  13. Pastor Jim learning about your life and what happened and your come back has been inspiring since no one is perfect; also your are teaching differently now and also how to survival due to these tuff times knowledge is key now a days, the more we know the better off we will be!!!

  14. I got saved watching PTL in 1881. Ordinary people were giving their testimony about the goodness and reality of God in their lives. Tears streaming down their face made me believe it was the truth. I said the sinners prayer. They were right.

    You could do it now with clips of testimony from people who pass through your audience or so forth. A few minutes of testimony and an invite to say the sinner prayer.

    God’s botom line is the cross of Jesus and to receive Him that no one should perish.

  15. How devastating and painful that would have been to endure. All I can say is that ‘The devil meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.’ If we are doing anything for the Lord, it will be difficult. The world is full of darkness and does not realize that Jesus is the Light! He will prevail.

  16. Jim I love reading about your life. You are the one that saved me when you was still at PTL. I am glad you didn’t have to stay in prison. I enjoy watching you daily. Maybe someday I will get to visit Morningside. Thanks again.

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