Charisma News

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Charisma magazine in June 2007. In the article Pastor Zachery Tims, who died on Aug. 12 in a New York City hotel room, exhorted Christians to pursue God’s destiny for their lives. The article is characteristic of Tims’ charismatic teaching that helped him build a megachurch with 8,000 members in Orlando, Fla.

Where you’re going in life is more important than where you’ve been.

When you’re driving a car, do you ever pay attention to how big the windshield is compared to the rearview mirror? Why do you think the rearview mirror is smaller? It’s because where you’re going is more important than where you’ve been.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, fervently believes the signs of Jesus’ return are being fulfilled and He will return during this generation.

In her book Expecting to See Jesus: A Wake-Up Call for God’s People, released in August, Lotz details the signs of Jesus’ return and the implications that He could return at any moment. She wants America to realize that Sept. 11 was a wake-up call from God, that as a country we have pushed him out of our government and schools, and it’s time to repent and invite him back.

“The signs that Jesus gave and the headlines in the news are coming together in a dramatically sobering way,” says Lotz, president and CEO of AnGeL Ministries, a nonprofit organization that undergirds her efforts to draw people into a  life-changing relationship with God through his Word. “I have held the conviction with intense focus since I was in my early 20s that if I live out my natural lifetime, I will live to see the physical return of Jesus to earth!”

The story of 9/11 survivors will be welcome in New York City after all.

The New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has agreed to grant a request from the Christian Action Network to permit the showing of a film made about 9/11 survivors in a number of city parks leading up to the 10th anniversary of the tragic attacks of 9/11.

The decision came just two weeks after the American Center for Law and Justice sent a demand letter urgingc ity officials to permit the film to be shown or face a possible lawsuit.

The following article was originally published in Charisma magazine in September 2006.

Marijuana and cocaine defined his young life.

He started by selling to addicts in a high crime area. Before long he sold drugs to classmates at the Roman Catholic high school he attended, to women willing to barter their bodies for crack cocaine, and later to supervisors wanting to get high on the job. Trafficking turned him on—until, like some of his customers, he got addicted to his product.

But all that changed for Zachery Tims one early morning in March 1989. It was close to 3 a.m., and the blackness of the night sky paled in comparison to the spiritual darkness that had blanketed Tims while he slept. Demons swarmed around him in his dream, trying to pull him into hell. It was the third straight night the hideous creatures seeking his life had invaded his sleep.

This time, Tims bolted from his bed and rushed for the door.

When rumors first emerged that megachurch Pastor Zachery Tims Jr. had passed away, believers took to Twitter and Facebook looking for the truth. Now, Tims’ followers are broadcasting video tributes on YouTube.

The 42-year-old Tims was found Friday at 6 p.m. in a W Hotel room in New York City. Despite rumors in the media world, the official cause of death is not yet known.

Tims pastored New Destiny Christian Center in the Orlando, Fla., area since 1996. The church has grown to more than 8,000 members, many of whom gathered together at the church on Monday night to pay their respects.

As the church world waits for the mystery of Tims’ death to be resolved, some Christians are honoring the man who they will remember for building youth centers and helping people fight the good fight of faith. Here are a few of those videos:

Zachery Tims’ congregation united on Monday night to mourn their senior pastor as a family. Tims was found dead on … Read More

Riva Tims, the ex-wife of the late Pastor Zachery Tims Jr., addressed more than 2,000 people gathered at New Destiny Christian Center in Orlando, Fla., Monday night. The 42-year-old Zachery Tims was found Friday at 6 p.m. in a W Hotel room in New York City. The official cause of death is not yet known.

Riva Tims, who left the church in 2008 during a scandal and eventual divorce in which Zachery Tims admitted to an “indiscretion,” told the congregation that she, her ex-husband and their four children traveled together to Puerto Rico the week prior to his death.

“God saw it fit that we would have an opportunity to spend a few days together with him,” she said to the crowd who never took their seats while she spoke. “He was able to fellowship with his sons and his daughters. He was able to take pictures with them.”

What do a pastor, a young pro-surfer, and a 94-year-old former Olympian and WW II vet have in common? This past weekend, each one of them—Greg Laurie, Bethany Hamilton, and Louis Zamperini—spoke to crowds gathered at Angel Stadium for the 2011 Anaheim Harvest about their shared faith in Jesus Christ.

Hosted by more than 215 churches, from Riverside to Irvine to Temecula, the Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie marked its 22nd year of evangelistic outreach in Orange County, Calif. with a three-night event, Friday through Sunday (Aug. 12–14).

The 2011 Anaheim Harvest drew a diverse crowd of 115,000 people from 34 states and 11 countries, all of whom gathered to listen to top Christian music from artists like Kutless, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, Red and Phil Wickham, and to hear the faith stories of Hamilton and Zamperini. But most important was the message of salvation presented by Riverside, Calif. pastor and evangelist Laurie each evening.