1990 Rochester Prison
Shortly after Tega Cay, a friend sent me a beautiful little card with a picture of the ocean on the front. The artist had painted the scene so it appeared as though the tide was beginning to go out. Printed across the inside of the greeting card were these words: “A friend is one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”
As I looked at the picture on the front of the card, the ebbing tide became a mental picture of people walking away from me by the thousands. Some could not get away too quickly. I didn’t hold it against them; I understood that the tide was going out. Yet awful, almost palpable loneliness enveloped me as I stood on that shore, looking out after the fleeing masses, the words sticking in my throat, “Come back! Please, come back. It’s me. I’m still the same person.”
A friend who surfaced quickly when the tide was rolling out was Bob G., a popular pastor and evangelist. With his quick wit and charming Irish brogue, Bob endeared himself to our PTL television audiences and appeared on numerous programs over the years. Early in my prison experience, Bob wrote me a powerful letter. In it he said:
….you are going to come out of there a new man, with a message you have never had before, to touch people you could never identify with. Those people are not a tiny stream, but rather a raging river of human need, disillusionment, emptiness, and bondage.
Bob went on to remind me of his own experience. For five years, Bob and his wife had traveled the evangelistic circuit. After that, they settled in Bangor, Maine, with a desperate need for identity, self-worth, and success. He found it by building the biggest church in northern New England. But it wasn’t enough. His letter continued:
My self-worth was based on the acceptance I got from a crowd. That meant they were my jailer. Since they gave me self-worth, if I disappointed them, they would take that self-worth away from me. They would also take away my living, my financial security, my future. I had to hide …whatever my issues were, they could never be known! I almost bled to death in secret. I marvel in retrospect at the things God brought me through.
Jim, even though you may not be able to believe what I’m going to say – all of your hurting emotions will move against the words I’m going to speak; even your surroundings will mock the truth of them – I want to tell you: not only are you going to come out of prison, but God’s going to restore you to a ministry that will touch multitudes …but not at the performance level. Out of your own pain will come lessons that you will never forget. Knowledge is forged in the fires of affliction, and from it you will pour healing oil into the wounds of people that the church has passed by.
Waiting time will not be wasted time! I am praying out of the love I have for you, that God during these hours of darkness, pain and pressure, will help you to turn to Him with all your heart and find in Him new insights, new understanding, new truth, that will first change your own life, then the lives of others.
I will always love you and be grateful to God for the blessings you brought into my life. For that reason, I will always be your friend, and I will always be there for you.
Friends because of Him,
Bob
As the fire of affliction heats up the circumstances of life in the Last Days, the faith of Christians everywhere will be tested. What will happen if you look around and find yourself alone in your darkest hour? What will happen if the ebb tide carries away most of your ‘friends’ you thought you could count on?
Even Peter, who had walked with the Lord, gave his true friend up when his own life was in danger. He tossed away his faith in favor of his life. When the fire gets hot enough, who knows what people will do? Do you know what you would do if your livelihood or your life or your reputation was threatened?
In the Last Days, we need to get our minds made up that we will not give up on God – even if the tide goes out and we find ourselves alone. He promised that He will never, never, never leave us or forsake us – and that is what we need to hang on to!
Pastor Jim, why do churches lie? I read Gods word and it is nothing like the church is preaching. The word says noting about Christ coming to get his elect before tribulation! Where is the truth in that?
Hebrews 5:8-9
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Few understand this verse until they have experienced it!
I do not have any close friends now since we are on two different pathway in life BUT I know the LORD will bring Christian people into my life someday with the same belief’s; so the only friend I have is the LORD…
I want to thank you for showing me how to get ready for any type of emergency, I just wish I show your show about 10 years ago when I was still employed, my family think I am NUTS/CRAZY getting ready for whatever may happen but times are so different from when I was a child and they are just getting worse…
Thank you for helping me understand the book of Revelations too that has been so helpful and I wish you had your own TV station were you could run programs 24/7 to get the message out to people or show things live at your location too!
I only wish that I came across your program about 10 years ago were I could have gotten stocked up when I was working to get a head start instead of now BUT I did not know much of anything until I came across your TV program and doomsday prepares.
Plus I am the only one spiritual in my family who is trying to live for Jesus and do what the Bible says and I go through warefare daily basis in my household, I can not do anything RIGHT or say anything RIGHT!! please pray for my family my husband, 3 kids and my parents who now live with us since my Dad lost his job recently.
You and your family are so blessed keep telling the world so people can get ready for whatever may happen in our lives….
May GOD Bless you and your family and Lori’s House too ….
I am actually in the midst of that situation right now and I believe it is the Lords doing! I am a songwriter and recently I’ve gotten some recognition for my music, but the Lord keeps saying, “make your circle (of friends) smaller. Its almost an admonition to be careful who I am trusting (when I want to trust everyone!) I am down to 3 really dear friends who have and will be with me through thick and thin. Its a little lonesome, but it will all work out and I can surely tell its given from His hand.
AMEN JIM…PRAISE THE LORD,BETTER TO HAVE LOST A BATTLE, THAN LOSE THE WAR..GOD BREATHED LIFE INTO US AT BIRTH,AT DEATH OUR SOULS LIVE ON…THE NEW BIRTH IS OUR SECOND CHANCE TO LIVE FOREVER.GOD HAS RAISED YOU FROM THE ASHES OF PTL TO DO GREATER THINGS FOR HIM…HE RESTORED YOUR SOUL,ALONG WITH THE REST…HE SPARED YOU FOR A REASON…TO DO HIS WILL..ONLY YOU AND GOD KNOW WHAT IT IS.THERE IS NO LIMIT WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR US,WHEN WE RETURN TO HIM,, AFTER THE TESTS HAVE MEASURED OUR FAITH…JUDGEMENT BEGINS WITH HOUSE OF GOD,THEN TO THE NATIONS…INDIVIDUAL JUDGEMENT IS TO THOSE THAT ARE SAVED OR REJECT JESUS,AT DEATH WE GO UP OR DOWN….WE ARE SAVED OR WE ARE NOT,THE DECISION IS OURS ALONE…A CHILD CAN COMPREHEND THAT….WE JUDGE OURSELVES…OUR JUST REWARDS ARE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN…IF WE PLANT CORN WE REAP CORN..IF WE GIVE,IT IS GIVEN BACK TO US..GOD IS THE ONE WHO MULTIPLIES IT BACK TO US.OUR JOB IS TO BLESS OUR SEED,JUST LIKE WE WANT GOD’S BLESSING ON US..GOD HAS PLEASURE SEEING OUR FAITH GROW—-NO TRUE CHRISTIAN EVER HAS TO BEG BREAD OR IS EVER FORSAKEN BY GOD…GOD’S WORD WILL CONFIRM THAT…