Ahava Love Letter - "Heritage USA & A Prophetic Drive"

Ahava Love Letter

“Heritage USA & A Prophetic Drive”

“Then I arose in the night...and went out by night…” (Nehemiah 2:12-13)

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

Dear family of friends,

On Oct. 21, 2003, I felt the Lord had me leave my home (a weekday night) in southern Pineville, NC, and head into town.  He has had me go on these trips before, where I have the sense to get in my vehicle and “go”, and then trust the Holy Spirit to guide me.  Sometimes it is early morning. Sometimes late at night.  Normally I go to bed at 9 pm, so for me to be up at 11:00 p.m. was not the norm.

After I had headed up Lancaster Hwy. (old Hwy. 521), I made the turn onto Hwy. 51, and headed west.  By this time I had the sense that I was being directed to go to the former Heritage USA (PTL) property, which I had done so many times before. It is literally three miles from our house, as the crow flies. (Or the eagle, if you like real good prophetic symbols!)

As I approached the entrance onto the former land, now known as Regent Park, I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have, and actually passed the main entrance.  When I became aware of missing it, I continued onto the All Nations Church property, which was about two miles or so further east.  I drove to its entrance. As I sat in my truck, praying in tongues, I felt the Lord say the building they were wanting to construct over the past three years (since 2001) hadn’t progressed because they were trying to put it in the wrong location on that former Heritage USA Fort Hope land.  I made a call to the ANC office and left a message on the current administrator’s phone, sharing my belief.  (He later confirmed that a month earlier the decision had been made by them that the building was to go in the area I had specified in my call.)

I then returned to the other Heritage USA entrance, on Hwy. 160, arriving at 11:58 p.m.  After I crossed the railroad tracks onto the main part of the former Christian retreat center, I sensed that I was to drive around the perimeter road. I knew that was permissible. Again interceding in my prayer language, I knew I was imploring the Lord for the land to be put back in the hands of His believers.  I had expected to make only one trip around, even as Nehemiah had done when he approached ancient Jerusalem, and saw the walls in ruin.

At 12:00 a.m. I had driven to the back side of the property, near what was then called The Studio. I believe it still is. I knew this property well, even in the dark. Because I had invested $3000 in lifetime memberships in 1985 (two for my family and one for a family in Fort Lauderdale, who now actually live in the Charlotte area) I had often “scouted out my land.” (I even still have a big, 20 pound granite rock that I had “picked up” in 2004, that now sits on the floor in our new “worship room” in our house. (Formerly this room was called my “NASCAR man cave”. You can read further on that in two previous Ahava Love Letters, entitled “Move In To Move Out” (Parts I and II.)

Also while on staff at All Nations Church/Mahesh Chavda Ministries, as the administrator, we held several conferences on this property. In fact, little did we know at the time, we held the very last conference on the former PTL grounds before it completely shut down – that being in November, 1997, in “The Barn”.  The entire place finally closed down at the end of that month.  The property had been in disuse since, apart from the Kingsway (Narroway) Christian outdoor plays in the amphitheatre and their dinner theatre in The Studio.

While I sat in my ’99 Chevy S-10 “pick-em-up” truck, praying and interceding, I was instructed by the Lord to proclaim “Return seven times what was stolen!” Maybe even as Nehemiah himself may have spoken as he sat on his horse, looking at the walls under the moonlit sky, seeking the Lord’s command and purpose for Jerusalem.  The enemies of the Lord had destroyed that city prior to his days. Now these grounds had also been vacant and falling further into destruction, for over six years now (when I originally wrote this in 2003.). Fallen apart, as if left for dead. Even as Rick Joyner had prophesized in that small blue book he wrote,

At 12:05 a.m. I completed the first circular lap of the road that I could drive on.  I had weaved past The Barn, with its roof caved in and the interior having been flooded many time by indoor and outdoor waters; past the Upper Room, also left as it was on its last day, back in 1997. Then it was used for crying out to the Lord for His revival and intervention, but left alone in utter quietness over these many desolate years. I drove past the stark and empty amphitheatre and through the former campground. (Sidebar: My dad, Louis Martin, in 1998-1999, helped re-wire this outdoor, half-moon facility of the former home of the Passion Play. My son Ben has now set up a great memorabilia display off Main Street in the Grand Hotel of Heritage International Ministries. Go check it out! Jim Bakker did, and loves it!)

I then made a left turn at the stop sign posted at the edge of the campgrounds, and drove past the only burnt evergreen tree stump, located just under the walkway overpass, on the right side of the road. 

Back in 1997, I had conducted a Martin family reunion here on these grounds near Charlotte, over the 4^th of July weekend. An errant bottle rocket, lit and fired by this writer, didn’t quite perform the projection that I had anticipated and hoped for, landing the fire piece instead in the top of the evergreen tree. It quickly made a Roman candle out of that once living creation! (I have my entire Martin family as witnesses too!)  With ineffective efforts on our part to put it out, with very little time to do otherwise, it didn’t keep the tree from burning rapidly to within one foot of the ground. Now only the charred stump remains, as a testimony to my unskilled method of shooting off bottle fire rockets. (Sidebar: And as of the last time I checked, it still stands as another memorial, to this very day!)

At that time, knowing that control of this land was heading into a direction that many desired it wouldn’t go, including myself, I spoke under my breath, after all of this extra 4^th of July added excitement had leveled off. “Well, if we (believers) can’t have this land, no one will!”

I then turned my six cylinder around and drove back to the original intersection of the starting point (now known as Regent Blvd. and Starlight), where I stopped momentarily.

Again I proclaimed, “Restore the land to Your people!” seven times.  I then called the Derek Prince Ministries office at 12:08 a.m. on my cell phone and left a message on my desk phone, just to have confirmation that I was actually doing this.  (My personal assistant would check my messages the next day.)

Then the Lord gave me further instructions. “Drive around the perimeter six more times, for a total of seven times.” And so I heard and obeyed.

At 12:12 a.m. I completed the 2^nd encircling of the land, and spoke out to “Restore the widow’s mite!”

As I drove the 3^rd time, I continually prayed in tongues, as I had throughout the first two laps. I completed this round at 12:17 a.m., noting that each trip was 2.2 miles in length on my odometer. I also noted, as I wrote on the purple 3” x 6” paper sheets I had available to scribble on, that the Lord spoke again to “Speed up” when I took the next lap.  He said He was “Speeding up His timetable.”

The narrow roadway reminded me of a NASCAR road course, and it was no easy task to drive the dark, broken blacktop at 35 - 40 mph.  (No speed limit signs were posted! I felt like I could have taken on #24 Jeff Gordon at that time!)  J

At 12:23 a.m. I finished the 4^th round.

At 12:24 a.m. I started the 5^th lap, and completed it at 12:28 a.m.

At 12:29 a.m. I started the 6^th lap, and finished it at 12:33 a.m.  Each time I grew bolder in my driving. (Yes, I would have beaten Jeff Gordon in this race! But kids, don’t always do what your father does!)

At 12:34 a.m. I started the 7^th and final lap, completing the course at 12:38 a.m.  I had driven my 4 x 4 at a speed of up to 50 mph on the “straightaway”, which was rather short on the back stretch, which crossed the parking lot, just before passing The Studio on the right.

The total mileage traveled for the seven laps was 15.4 miles on my odometer.

At 12:40 a.m. I again called my office and left a message for my personal assistant, recording what I had just done. (Remember that, M.M.?)

Upon completion of this divinely assigned task, on my way out of this 2000 acre property, I headed towards the other entrance. That would take me by the former World Outreach Center, or commonly known as “The Pyramid”, back in the day.  All Nations Church/Mahesh Chavda Ministries had seriously considered leasing this building in 1998, for a church, conference and office facility. I had spoken of this possible commitment to the five Malaysian owners’ administrator of Regent. But to no avail.

(Sidebar: And for the record, I saw Jim Bakker’s famous, so-called “golden bathroom faucets”, on the very top floor of the building. From my observation, they were simply better hardware, which could have been found in Lowes, or anywhere else. Why the big issue made at that time in 1987? Just more lies printed and spoken in the media, as usual.)

At 12:42 a.m. I pulled up in front of the pyramid. I then felt led to run my Chevy truck around the flag pole that was located in front of what was then a Laura Ashley administration office, doing this encirclement seven times. (Remember, I originally wrote this act back in 2003. Being it is now Dec. 2010 that I am sharing this publicly, that makes it just over seven years ago.)  I finished at 12:43 a.m., quite dizzy, having driven my good ‘ole girl as fast as I could for those very tight laps.

I arrived back home at1:04 a.m., knowing that 5:00 a.m. came early. The alarm clocks of Laurie and I had, as usual, been set for that scheduled normal “wake-up” time.

And now back to the future, here in 2010, as history has again shown, the Lord had preserved this land for His purposes. What the enemy had indeed stolen was returned to His people! And I give special heartfelt thanks to Rick Joyner, the past and current Morningstar Fellowship staff, and to so many others who have given of themselves, with long persevering efforts in the natural and spiritual realms, to bring restoration “to these walls.”  (Sidebar: Even just last week the Upper Room was sold, and plans move forward for its restoration too, for prayer and worship times for many.)

May the same restoration be brought forth in Jerusalem, and in the rightful owners of that entire Promised Land of Israel - the Jewish people.

Ahava, my family of friends,

Steve

P.S. On January 7, 2011 (my Mom’s 76^th birthday!), Laurie and I will lead the new Beit Tikvah (House of Hope in Hebrew) Friday night meetings at Antioch International Church (pastors Peter Wyns and Jesse Enns), located within a stone’s throw of the former King’s Castle. That facility is another former Heritage USA building that will be restored. Still standing after 25 years, restoration will come. And so it will to The Tower!!! I know two people in Black Mountain who are moving in!)

This special anointed land, with the new Heritage International Ministries and several others on it, is further fulfillment of many prophetic words spoken over these past 24 years. Having been undergirded by the prayers of countless aged saints (and some not so fine wined), His promises continue to be fulfilled. The Lord is faithful!

©2010 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 470035   Charlotte, NC 28247-0035

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