January: With live music and a few Branson celebrities, Jim Bakker went back on TV at the Studio City Cafe. Given free air time for the first six months by CTN (Christian Television Network), his miracle of returning to television began exactly 16 years to the day, January 2, 1987, of his last broadcast from PTL. The New Jim Bakker Show reached into 160 countries; more places than he had ever gone before. He and Lori and their five adopted children were all part of the show.
Jim also started teaching a weekly class on the Book of Revelation. He began with making one-hour videos that eventually added up to 28 hours of teachings in all. People could purchase the videos on a monthly basis for a small donation. He continued to preach about the last days, days that he believed we were already in.
May: The Upper Room at Heritage USA was in the process of being restored. Two couples who received permission for the project from the Malaysians, had been working on the restoration since September of 2002. Rick and I met them in May and immediately got involved. Ruth and Marty Landis, from Pennsylvania, along with Jim and Edith Garvich, from Georgia, believed they were called to restore the decaying building.
During the summer, there was a fire inside the Heritage House (Girls’ Home) located in a secluded area near the entrance to Heritage USA. It wasn’t repaired and during the year it was torn down.
The New Jim Bakker Show was going well. Raising money was something Jim Bakker never wanted to do again, but it became a necessity after his six month grace period ended. He continued to passionately say, “We are truly the Revelation Generation, and God allowed me to go to prison in order to study the Book of Revelation.”
Excerpts from Jim Bakker’s August newsletter: “In the last few days I have spent over twenty-five hours studying the Book of Revelation. For years I have been studying this book and now, each week, I am studying and asking God to show me His word for the last days in this awesome book. This is the most intense work of my lifetime and I want to share it with you.
Every time you write and send your support please ask for the next lesson in the Book of Revelation. As we study together it will take the fear out of the last days and show you that these things must come to pass for Christ to come for you and me. We are living in Revelation days.
Jesus said: ‘Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein…’ How can we keep those things if we do not know what they are? You need to know the difference between the Tribulation and God’s wrath! I will show you where the rapture takes place and things the Bible says are about to happen….
God spoke to me in prison that if church people did not get back to God and fall in love with Jesus, when the world started falling apart church people would jump out of windows and blow their brains out just as many in the world will do….
It is so important that we study the whole Word of God. That is why I am taking people through an “every word” study of the book of Revelation. Please join me for every lesson. You can go as slow or fast as you wish. Just order the next lesson by number when you write to me and be sure and say if you want VHS video, CD audio or Audiocassette.
If you can come to our Bible class in Branson at Studio City Cafe on Tuesday evenings at
7 p.m, please do so. Our television show is produced at twelve noon, Monday through Friday, and there is no charge for either event. If you plan to stay at the Studio City Inn, tell them when you call that you are a partner with Jim Bakker and they will give you a discount on your room.
Our ministry is going around the world and the only way we can stay on the air is with the support of God’s people. We need to hear from you today. Thank you for your faithful friendship. Be sure to include your prayer requests when you write. You are loved.
Love, Jim Bakker”
September: Tammy Faye learned about the project at the Upper Room and sent us a $200 check to help purchase a pressure washer so the mold and grime from the driveways and walkways could be removed. We sent her pictures and updates of our progress with a big “thank you!”
October: Jim Bakker continued to teach on the Book of Revelation, saying that many more things were about to happen on the earth.
On the 29th, Tammy Faye and Tammy Sue were guests on Benny Hinn’s show This is Your Day. This was Tammy Faye’s first appearance on Christian TV in 16 years. She had just written a book titled, I will survive and you will too. Benny Hinn said that the Lord told him to reach out to Tammy Faye saying, “It’s time for the church to restore its own… We just cannot make like this family doesn’t exist… The world has reached out to Tammy Faye more than the church and that isn’t right… We should remember all the good that Jim and Tammy did in starting Christian television. Let’s focus on the positive and not on the negative.”
Benny Hinn asked her many questions including, “There are questions about some of the things you have said publicly that I would like to ask you about, because we are friends. I want to ask you about your stand on Gays for example. It is something people have questioned. Why are you like that? What happened?”
Tammy Faye answered: “Well, I believe that Jesus loves everyone and I believe the way you win people to Jesus is with love; not through criticism and not through judging them. And we have agreed, the Gays and I, to disagree. They know my stand. I preach the Gospel of Jesus…I have one woman shows all over the country and I preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere I go. Everywhere I go.”
Benny Hinn: “And their response?”
Tammy: “Their response is, ‘Thank you for allowing God to be a part of our lives.’ That is their exact words. They say, ‘The church won’t allow God to be part of our life.’ And no one can be delivered by the power of God unless God is a part of their life.”
Benny Hinn: “Have you seen any deliverance?”
Tammy: “I have not.”
Benny Hinn: “Well I pray you will!”
Tammy: “I leave it up to God. You know God spoke to me Benny, He said to me there is no way in the world you can save anyone no matter how much you want to. That is the job of my Holy Spirit. So, you go forward in the name of Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the work…and I trust the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Ghost can reach out to their hearts and lives. There is nothing we can do. If we are not anointed by the Holy Ghost we are nothing!”
Near the end of the interview Benny Hinn told Tammy that her heart had not been fully healed since losing PTL. He then prayed for the whole Bakker family ending with these words, “…Lord restore this family…restore this family completely. Amen.”
December: Heritage USA remained for sale.
