Jim Bakker Show

My readers often ask me how I do it – how I manage marriage, motherhood and ministry all at the same time.  The short answer is “I don’t” and the long answer is “He gives me grace”.  Though a book could be written on each aspect of my life and someday, probably will, today I want to start addressing these topics in little bites on my blog.  You’ve heard the expression “How do you eat an elephant” and most of us know that the only way you can do that is “one bite at a time”.  So, that’s how we’re going to start to cover these topics… a little at a time.

I will begin with a little background on where I came from and my thoughts about where I’m going.  I will always be completely open and transparent about everything because I believe that people are looking for other REAL people, not people wearing masks or personas.  The Lord knows we have enough of those kind of people!  When I’ve opened up like this in the past, some have said that it’s just TMI (too much information) and I need not tell every little detail of my life! 

But what I hear from my Heavenly Father is that my life is to be an open book because it is my testimony that will help many people to recover from lives that were train wrecks like mine, and to be restored to a place of right standing with God, and then to minister powerfully out of what He has done!  Rick Joyner has said that your anointing is in direct proportion to the degree of your suffering.  My decisions in my life before Jesus caused me much pain by my own rebellion.  But after you become a Christian, your life is supposed to be simple, wonderful and pain-free.  Well, isn’t it?

 In my early years of ministry, I worked very hard to overcome rejection and shame.  Even after you are born-again into the family of God, sometimes it’s hard for others to forgive and forget your past.  Oh, they say you are accepted, but some will never view you in any other way than defective.  It’s ok.  You are not limited by what others may think or say.  You are playing to an audience of ONE.  You are free in God to do and say what He says.  Words are powerful.  They have the power to either heal or hinder.  As for me, I will use my words to help others heal (Isaiah 61).

Today, I live to tell of His love, forgiveness, goodness, and restoration.  I live to know Him and to make Him known.  There were those who encouraged me in my testimony, and there were those who preferred I would just come to church, sit quietly and not cause any waves.  Let those who are qualified to minister, minister!  As I said in an earlier blog, God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

A religious spirit will always try to shut you up and sit you down or at the very least, minimize what you have to say.  This is my story, my testimony, and I will tell it to the world in the way God has instructed!  I am trusting that some of you need to hear it and will walk with me through this journey God has called Lori Beth Bakker’s life and testimony.

I will build with every new blog, so be sure to read my blogs regularly.  But if you miss one, they will be archived and readily available so you can go back to pick up prior ones. 

God Bless You!

Rick Joyner recently said that the Chinese word for “crisis” is the same word for “opportunity”.  How very appropriate for the times we live in. 

If you take Katrina as an example, the crisis certainly initiated emergencies of all types.  People needed to be rescued, relocated and restored extensively with everything from material things to healing of the traumas caused by the crisis.  Families were separated, loved ones were lost or missing – some injured and in hospitals, some injured and unable to get help, and some fatally wounded by the ferocious storm.

During this crisis, the government could not meet the needs of the people – not in the short term or the long term.   There was mass-confusion in trying to organize and deploy food, water and medical help.  The news media reported the deplorable and inadequate attempts of government to provide relief for the suffering.

I remember the pleas of those taken to the Superdome for water, diapers, baby formula, and food.  It was heartbreaking.

As the hours and days wore on, the churches stepped in and attempted to help with food, water, clothing and other basic necessities.  But it was clear from the beginning; neither the government nor the churches were prepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.

If we were to have a complete economic collapse, conditions in this country could become every bit as devastating as those we previewed in Katrina.  Experts have said that the inner cities would be out of food and water within ONE day.  This would not be a regional crisis, but a national and probably international crisis. 

Are we, as the church, going to be prepared to help ourselves and others?  An economic collapse will provide unprecedented opportunity for ministry.  Those who understand it and are prepared for it, will have the opportunity to be Jesus to others.  Biblical prophecy indicates that those prepared will be God’s people.  We must address this with clarity to be prepared and to offer help, hope and healing for the hurting. 

It’s time we all get ready.

Love,

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man, and skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man
To play for Him the noblest part,
When He yearns with all His heart
To build so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Then watch God’s methods, watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects;
How He hammers him and hurts him
And with mighty blows converts him,
Making shapes and forms which only
God Himself can understand,
Even while His man is crying,
Lifting a beseeching hand…
Yet God bends but never breaks
When man’s good He undertakes;
When He uses whom He chooses,
And with every purpose fuses
Man to act, and act to man,
As it was when He began,
When God tries His splendor out,
Man will know what He’s about!

-Dale Martin Stone

Those who are passionate for the Lord have often prayed the prayer of consecration which usually includes a petition to “do what you need to do in me, Lord, to be used of You”. When you are called of the Lord to His ministry, the calling will require you to submit to His processes. We are all called to be His disciples, and as disciples, we must be molded into His image.
The processes of God are never easy, but they are worth it all. Most of us have heard the phrase “die to self”. Dying is not easy for a living being – but what we speak of is a death to the things we desire in our own natural way, and then life to the things God desires in a spiritual way.
Then, an amazing thing happens. As you die to your own natural desires, you find that what He requires from you spiritually becomes what you desire. In other words, God changes you from the inside into His disciple – one who can walk worthy of the calling.

Early 90’s….

A lady in our church owned the shoeshine company at the Phoenix airport.  She often hired church members, especially women.  It was a smart business idea because it was unusual; I haven’t seen that anywhere else.  I worked as a team with another lady.

I never minded hard work.  I was a waitress for years, and that’s hard work too.  But some days I would be embarrassed about shining shoes and would hope I wouldn’t see anyone at the airport who I recognized.  Other days it didn’t bother me at all.  One thing about it – I always had the opportunity to share my faith because the first question out of a customer’s mouth would invariably be, ‘What’s a girl like you doing shining shoes?”

I would always say that it gave me the opportunity to earn some money so I could do the work of the ministry.  Some of them didn’t even know what I meant by that.  So I’d tell them I had started an organization to help women, and they would usually ask me what kind of help.  I didn’t offer too much information up front; that way they would keep asking questions, and it didn’t sound like I was preaching.

When they asked me what kind of ministry I had, I would say that I worked with women who had been through abortion, to help them deal with the scars it had caused.

During a five-minute shoe shine, I could give a complete testimony.

Shining shoes part-time represents a very un-glamorous job, but for me, it provided a way to be in full-time ministry and to witness at the same time.  When Jesus bent down to wash the disciples feet, his actions represented one who was a servant to others.  It was a menial job, but he taught important lessons through humility.  Unless we are willing to be a servant first, we will never be a leader.

My life today is a long ways away from the Phoenix airport.  I no longer shine shoes, but I give my testimony to a world-wide audience via television.  I often think of those days, however, and I can’t help but smile.  I wonder if I would be where I am today if I hadn’t been willing to be that shoe-shine girl at the Phoenix airport.

We are beginning a new school year this week at Morningside’s Media Master’s Commission.  We will be teaching the students how to run camera, direct, edit and produce television shows.

But first, we will teach them how to serve.

Love,