The 700 Club - August 22, 2011

From wars and rumors of wars to nation rising against nation. All of that is changing right now. There will be famines and earthquakes, and that is only the beginning of the end. Possibly sooner than most of us realize. Learn more about the signs of the times. This week on The 700 Club. Couldn't that come true in our lifetime, also? Welcome to The 700 Club. We are living in a time that may be unlike any other in human history. Our world is in chaos. The economy is in tatters. Wars have torn countries apart. Natural disasters seem to have splintered what is left. Well, the question on the minds of many Christians is: “Is this the end of the age?” Well, throughout this week, we're going to study the signs of the times. We'll analyze the prophecies from the Bible, and see if those words are coming true today. But first in the news, I’ve been telling you, folks. I've been telling you. If you have been listening to me for months, you would have made a lot of money. Gold has set another record high today. It is almost up to 1,900 dollars an ounce. And the dollar has lost more than 30 percent of its value since 1970. Now some political leaders say it is time to make the dollar as good as gold again, by going back on a gold standard. John Jessup has that story from Washington. Ask any investor, and they’ll probably tell you cash is king, especially during volatile times like these. But more and more people are looking to gold as both a safe haven and an investment. The flight to gold, as many people understand, is a vote of no confidence in paper money, particularly in the dollar. Jeff Bell directs a Washington-based group trying to persuade policymakers to return to the gold standard, tying the value of the dollar to the value of gold. But it was 40 years ago this month, in the middle of the Vietnam War and fighting inflation, that President Richard Nixon cut the dollar's link to gold. It may have helped Nixon in the short run by enabling the economy to be very liquid, but in the long run it led to enormously greater problems than Nixon started off with. Those who support switching the standard believe America will never rein in its out-of-control spending, the Fed’s massive record-setting dollar printing, or escape repeated financial bubbles without a monetary foundation based on gold. But not everyone agrees. Tara Sinclair (Professor, George Washington University): I think it's exactly wrong-headed. I think the whole idea of the economic situation we're in right now suggests even more than normal we need to have monetary policy in the hands of capable policymakers rather than just simply based on the supply of gold. Sinclair, a professor of economics and international public policy, says it's times like these that prove it's best for the government to control the money supply, so it can put more money into the economy to strengthen it during difficult times. The most similar situation that we were in before like today was the Great Depression. And that's exactly when we saw that countries who went off the gold standard did better. But Bell argues as the global reserve currency, since the rest of the world relies on dollars for their own purchases, Washington hasn't been able to resist the temptation of running up deficits and printing more and more money with less purchasing power. His group is working with the grassroots targeting influential primary states to build their case. Everybody at the grassroots knew about this. And that's why we're focused on our group, Gold Standard 2012 Project, is focused on going to the early states, like Iowa and South Carolina, convincing the grassroots that this needs to happen. But given the current economic situation, that's unlikely to happen any time soon. John Jessup, CBN News, Washington. A gold standard is very appealing, but how do you do it? We don't have enough gold available to redeem every dollar. That's why Nixon closed the window. We were running out of gold. We didn't have enough gold, maybe 10,000 ounces or something like that. It was just ridiculous. We were down to virtually nothing, because people were exchanging their dollars for gold. And we were doing it at a ridiculously low 35 dollars an ounce or something. So how do you do it? If you have a gold standard, what is the mechanism? And that's what we have to work out. What mechanism do you have? It sounds good to tag paper money to some fixed rate of exchange. But we've only mined a few hundred or a few thousand tons of gold. What’s left around the world; you can’t tie a currency to what the mines of South Africa turn out, for example. So, what do you do? It's a conundrum. But what we’ve got now is runaway Keynesian economics, where they just keep flooding the currency into the marketplace. And when that happens, the value of the currency gets less and less and less. And that’s why people are going, they are jumping into the Swiss franc. The Swiss are going to have to revalue their currency, because it’s so expensive they won’t be able to sell anything. America, interestingly enough, we're still the save haven, despite Standard and Poor's downgrade of our AAA rating. People have ignored that, and they will want to buy United States government securities. But at this point, some banks are actually charging people to park their money in their bank, anything big numbers, like over 50 million dollars. And the same thing in a sense is true with the federal interest rate. You lose money buying federal paper. It just doesn't pay to hold it. So what are you going to do? Well, I have told people, get into the SLV. That's the exchange-traded fund, ETF, for silver. The other is GLD, for gold. And those two have performed much better, I might add, than gold-mining stocks. Well, so much for that. But anyhow, it’s crazy and the price has gone up. And they say if it will hit parity with where it was in the 1980s, it would have to be 2,300 dollars an ounce, then it would go up beyond that. Lee Webb has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Newsroom. Lee. Pat, business economists have clear ideas on how to cut the huge federal deficit. According to a survey of 250 members of the National Association for Business Economists, 56 percent say Washington should cut spending and rein in the cost of Medicare and Medicaid. Thirty-seven percent favor equal parts spending cuts and tax increases. Nearly a quarter recommend overhauling the tax system and simplifying tax rates and exemptions. The Social Security disability fund faces insolvency. Applications for disability are up nearly 50 percent over a decade ago. That’s because more people with disabilities are losing their jobs and can't find new ones. Many of the applicants are waiting two years or more before their cases are resolved. The disability fund is in worse shape than Social Security's retirement fund. The disability fund has been in the red for years, and new congressional estimates say it will run out of money by 2017. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season is expected to hit south Florida by Thursday and could clip Georgia and the Carolinas. Irene reached hurricane strength this morning with winds at 75 miles an hour. It’s hammering Puerto Rico with torrential rain and wind. Over the weekend, it pounded the US Virgin Islands, downing trees and knocking out power. Many attempted to leave Puerto Rico, and those with boats and yachts tried to get them ashore. Pat. I’m a little weird, but I love to go out in the middle of a hurricane. I just love to do that. You love to go out in the middle of a hurricane? Well, I like to go look for them, when the eye of the storm comes. It’s fun. You're a hurricane hunter. Well, sort of. But you can get hurt, so stay indoors if possible. But those of us . . . . But if you're out there, you'll probably find Pat somewhere. Adventurous spirit. It gives you a little something. The dog days of summer are kind of boring. But speaking of something that’s exciting, the activity over in Libya, some years ago, a coup threw out King Isdris, who was the monarch of Libya and installed Moammar Gadhafi. He’s ruled as an absolute dictator for a number of years, but it seems like his end is near. Lee. Pat, the battle for Libya appears to be coming to an end. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces in Tripoli have surrendered. Rebel forces have entered the capitol city. And it appears only a matter of time before Gadhafi’s reign is over. Efrem Graham has that story. Libyan rebel forces faced little resistance as they marched into the capitol city of Tripoli Sunday. Within hours much of the city was occupied. Small clashes continued to break out today as Gadhafi's last remaining supporters fight back. The Gadhafi regime is clearly crumbling. The sooner Gadhafi realizes that he cannot win the battle against his own people, the better, so that the Libyan people can be spared further bloodshed and suffering. Most of the fighting is centered around Gadhafi's compound. Tanks operated by his remaining forces opened fire on the rebels. But celebrations have already broken out in Green Square, once seen as the symbolic heart of Gadhafi's regime. Gadhafi insists he's still in control. He issued an audio message over state television asking his supporters to keep fighting. “I am with you in Tripoli,” he said. “Don't allow the occupier to put their foot in our land. I am with you in this battle as I always promised you. We will never surrender.” But surrender may be the dictator's only option. It's unclear where Gadhafi is hiding, but two of his sons are reportedly in the custody of the rebel government. Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Now is the time to create a new Libya: a state based on freedom, not fear; democracy, not dictatorship; the will of the many, not the whims of a few. President Obama issued a statement from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard. He says the future of Libya is now in the hands of its people. Efrem Graham, CBN news. Analysts believe Libya could begin exporting oil again within a few months. Pat, the question that I have is can democracy work in a nation that’s never known it? They can have democracy. The question is, will the Muslim Brotherhood move in and establish an Islamic regime? The thing about some of these dictators, you think, well, they’re hateful dictators, but the thing that’s interesting is they have ruled as secularists. Gadhafi and the Assad people, and even Saddam Hussein, they tended more towards secularism. They wanted power, they wanted money, but they weren't so much religious fanatics. But if you get the Muslim Brotherhood in there and impose Sharia and strict Islam, then the people are going to be worse off than they have been. But anyhow, it’s interesting what’s happening. The refineries may be open to European—the Brent crude price has dropped, because they think the Libyans will now begin exporting crude oil. And we’ll see what happens. But I guess for those who love freedom, you wonder what Gadhafi is going to do. If I were Gadhafi, I would get into an airplane that is loaded with some kind of currency and take off for a Caribbean island, where he could be safe. But if he hangs around, he’s going to be like Saddam Hussein. He told a friend of mine, who is a senior member of the United States Congress formally, that when he saw Saddam in that rabbit hole when we pulled him out in Iraq, he said he was determined at that point to be nice to the United States. And he gave up his nuclear ambitions. That scared him. So he knows what happens to dictators, and I suspect, well, maybe he wants to be courageous and get sent to prison and killed. It’s also very possible he is gone already. He may well have gone. You don't know what goes through their minds. But the smart thing would be, he's got plenty of jets, and he's got some money, and he stashes the money and goes off some place in Africa, Uganda, someplace like that. They would probably give him sanctuary. He might have taken his sons with him. I don’t know. No, no, well, the sons are captured. I know. That’s what I’m saying. Yes. That’s too bad. Okay. All right, what’s next? Lee. Two American hikers have been sentenced to eight years in prison for spying in Iran. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were arrested two years ago. They, along with a female companion, were hiking in Iraq near the Iranian border. They say they didn’t know they crossed the border until Iranian officials arrested them. The two men were sentenced for illegal entry and spying. The woman, Sarah Shroud, was released on bail earlier this year because of health problems. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she’s deeply disappointed with the sentence. The pair’s lawyer will appeal. Several more rockets hit southern Israel today, that despite a declared ceasefire by Hamas on Sunday night. It is the latest in a series of incidents that began with a deadly terror attack against Israeli civilians last Thursday. Here is Chris Mitchell from the Israeli town of Ofakim. More than 100 rockets slammed into towns throughout southern Israel over the weekend. It forced Israelis into bomb shelters when they heard the warning siren called Color Red. Two or three days, not easy days. We lost one man in Beer Sheva. We have injuries, bad injuries. It's not easy days. Lieutenant Colonel Shlomo Boimeister of the Negev Home Front Command, showed CBN News the damage done to this home. Here we have to be very careful. The son of the family was inside there. One of the rockets hit this home in the Israeli town of Ofakim. It’s just one example of what could happen to the more than one million Israelis living within rocket range. I suggest they will understand and try to feel what we feel here, whether they are in Boston, whether they are in New York, or whether they are in other cities. That's the reason that it's impossible that the country will live with it. That's the reason we have to attack. That's the reason we have to stop it. Israeli planes hit targets in Gaza from where the rockets were fired from. Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system stopped others. But Israel still faces Hamas and other enemies sworn to its destruction. It's one reason why more than 3,000 gathered Sunday night to show support for Israel in the ancient ruins of Caesarea. The event was the opening night of Glenn Beck's Restoring Courage visit to Israel. We bring peace, we bring support, we bring comfort. Let our actions this week, and from here on out, let the Jewish people know no matter what our governments may say, we are not our governments! We stand with you! Speakers like Pastor John Hagee brought a message of solidarity. People of Israel, we have come from America and the nations of the world as people of faith to say that God is with you, 50 million evangelicals in America are with you. This time in history, you are not alone. Actor John Voight attended the event after visiting the wounded in the rocket attacks. All day long I've been looking at the Israeli courage in living day to day and being deeply moved by it. The Beck visit will climax with an event in Jerusalem on Wednesday, while a wary Israel wonders if its uneasy truce will hold. Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Caesarea, Israel. Pat, back to you. Well, we're going to be talking about prophecy, and I have for you the major prophecy that we can look forward to in the days to come. Terry. Well, still ahead, a seismic shift in the middle east, thousands of years in the making. If you watch the trajectory of events geopolitically here, events are lining up more and more in favor of Ezekiel 38 and 39 coming true, possibly sooner than most of us realize. We'll tell you the biblical significance of today's headlines and how it affects tomorrow’s. That's next. Plus, our chat room is open for a special addition of Bring It Online. We’ll be taking your questions about the end times, so don't go away. We'll be back in a moment. Coming up later, kidnapped . . . . They took me out of the car, beating me. . . . . and thrown in an Iranian prison. All of my feet was burning. One dissident awaits his fate . . . . They don’t care if you are killed. . . . . as the noose tightens around his neck. Your torture is done. You're going to be executed. Hi there neighbor, Pat Boone here for my good friends at Swiss America, the company that makes retirement dreams come true with gold. A lot of folks are shifting a portion of their retirement funds into a new precious metals IRA with Swiss America. And since 2004 these IRA’s are up in value over 150%. I've been a very satisfied client of Swiss America for many years now, because they believe in honesty, fair prices, and superior service. It's time to put your financial future on a gold standard right now. I own gold, because it's a hedge of protection for my family. Even my grandkids can see that our paper money is becoming less valuable every day. So call or visit Swiss America now. Ask for the Pat Boone free DVD and gold IRA kit. Get the best education you can on gold, the best asset to own during these uncertain times. Call or visit online now. The nation of Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza after the terrorist group Hamas took over. Last year a flotilla of ships tried to break that blockade, but Israel stopped them. Many nations condemned Israel’s action, but some Jews saw the pages of scripture come alive through the crisis. Chris Mitchell has that story from Jerusalem. When Israeli commandos stormed this Turkish ship leading the flotilla, things quickly turned deadly. Demonstrators attacked the soldiers, who then defended themselves. Nine demonstrators died in the melee. Israel acted to keep weapons out of Hamas-controlled Gaza, but that didn’t stop an international rush to judgment. The UN Security Council condemned Israel and called for an investigation. Sweden, Ireland, and other nations planned boycotts against the Jewish state. The incident also revealed Turkey as a major player in the Middle East, with Prime Minister Erdo?an shifting his allegiance from Israel to Iran, Syria, and their axis of power. Turkey was a friend of Israel for much of the last six decades. It's a democracy, it's a moderate Muslim country, it's a NATO ally, a friend of the United States, a tourist destination spot for tens of thousands of Israelis, and yet all of that is changing right now. This represented a major realignment in the Middle East. Turkey, once a close ally of Israel and the West, now openly courting the likes of Iranian President Ahmadinejad, Syrian President al-Assad, and ultimately Russia's Vladmir Putin. So what does this shift of power and increasing isolation of Israel mean? Some in Israel and around the world believe it reflects biblical prophecy. Given the fact that Ezekiel 36 and 37 have largely come true, the rebirth of Israel, Jews pouring into the Holy Land after centuries in exile, rebuilding the ancient ruins, isn't it remotely possible that Ezekiel 38 and 39, the war of Gog and Magog, couldn't that come true in our lifetime also, and possibly soon? Following the flotilla incident, the Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria issued a statement saying the aftermath seemed to, “Place us at the beginning of the Gog and Magog process, where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption.” Gog and Magog is a biblical reference found in chapters 38 and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel when a coalition of nations attacks the land of Israel. Whether or not this will happen soon, many believe war in the Middle East is looming. As you watch the trajectory of events geopolitically here in the epicenter, the events are living up more and more in favor of Ezekiel 38 and 39 coming true, possibly sooner than most of us realize. Hezbollah in Lebanon now has more than 50,000 rockets for a future conflict with Israel. Hamas continues to arm itself, and Iran's nuclear and missile programs stand poised to fulfill the mullahs' dream of destroying the Jewish state. Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem. Now, what does the Bible have to say? I want to point you to a little known prophet named Zechariah, who wrote during the time of way before Jesus. And Zechariah said in the 14th chapter of his prophecy. . . . “I will gather all of the nations to Jerusalem to fight against the city. We’ll be captured. Houses will be ransacked, women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.” Now, look at this, “Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And on that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two, from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley for it will extend into Azel. You will flee, as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah, then the Lord my God will come and the Holy ones with Him.” Now, ladies and gentlemen, that's what the Bible says. God is going to gather the nations of the earth against Jerusalem. It is going to come, and it is going to happen in the latter days. And when it does, the Lord Himself is going to show, and the Holy ones will be with Him. Now, that's the end of things. Before that happens, the prophet Ezekiel said this, and I think it is very important. This is what was being referred to earlier, “The word of the Lord came to me. Son of man sent your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshach and Tubal.” Gog and Magog. “And prophesy against him, and say, this is what the sovereign Lord says, ‘I am against you, oh, Gog, chief prince of Meshach and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out with your whole army, your horses, your horsemen, fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.’” Now, here is what I want you to look at: Persia, Cush, and Put will be with them. Now, what is Persia? That’s Iran. What is Cush? That is probably Sudan. What is Put? That could be Libya. It could be another Arab country, but we think that’s it. They'll be with them with shields and helmets. Also, Gomer. What is Gomer? I think that is Turkey with all of its troops. And Beth Togarmah, from the far north with all its troops, and many nations with you. And then God says to this horde, “Get ready. Be prepared, you and all of the hordes gathered with you, and take command of them.” Now, look at this, “After many days,” that’s in the latter days, “you will be called to arms. In future years, you will invade a land that has been recovered from war.” That is Israel. Will invade a land that has been recovered from war whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They have been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops, and the many nations with you, will go up, and advancing like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land.” This is what the sovereign Lord says on that day. Thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme. Now, that's what we're looking at. And then He goes on to say, “Therefore son of man prophecy and say to Gog, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In that day, when My people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, riding on horses, a great horde, and a might army. You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud that covers the land, and I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know that when I show Myself holy through them before their eyes.’” Now, that is going to happen when Israel is regathered from the nations, living on the mountains of Israel, living in peace, living in safety, and here is the way it sets up. This, we're not sure, Cush is Sudan. Here is Put, somewhere in Libya. Here is Beth Togarmah and Gomer. That’s the Caucasian area. These are all of the Caucasian areas of Russia, are all Muslims. And this is, well, Meshach and Tubal, probably up here, the Russian Federation. Magog, Tubal, and Rosh. Russia, and Magog, and Persia, of course, as Iran. And Cush is down here. So this is a confederation that is surrounding Israel, and is going to come against her in the latter days. Now, you see, in all these -stans, Uzbekistan, Kurdistan, Tajikistan, all these –stans, they're primarily Arab, Muslim. They may be joined in this Magog confederation. And the Bible says that God is going to destroy them when they come against Israel. But that's what's happening. The prophet says, “In the latter days, I’m going to bring all people against Jerusalem.” Ezekiel has said this confederation, led apparently by Russia and the Caucasian people and Iran and Turkey and Sudan, they're all coming against Israel in the latter days. And God says, “I am going to destroy you on the mountains of Israel. I will then glorify Myself in the midst of the nations.” Now, is this going to happen soon? I think so. This is the next big thing. Is this the end of the world? No, it is not. This is not the second coming of Jesus. This is what’s going to happen. It’s one of the preliminaries to the end of the world. So what can you expect? You can expect great persecution against Israel. You can expect the nations of the earth, in the next few days, probably, the United Nations General Assembly is going to vote to partition the West Bank territory, or Palestine, and make a second state. So there will be a Palestinian state alongside Israel, which will be a disaster. And the nations are going to come, and they’re going to demand east Jerusalem as the capital of that new nation. And the Jews are going to say, “No, you can't have Jerusalem,” and according to Zechariah, the fight is going to be over Jerusalem. And I want to say again, the Bible does not say there’s a battle of Armageddon. Arhar is a mountain. Megiddo. It’s the Mount of Megiddo. It is not a battle of Armageddon, but the forces will gather at Armageddon, then they'll go up to Jerusalem. So what’s next? It's going to be tough for Israel. It is going to be tough for Israel, but God says, “I am going to stand with My people. And I will show Myself strong among the nations of the earth when I destroy the armada that has come against Israel.” We're going to be talking more about prophetic things all this week. We’ll tell you about what Jesus had to say about His coming. His disciples said, “What are the signs of the times? How will we know when the end of the age takes place?” And Jesus gave a specific word as to what it is all about. And we'll be sharing that with you in the next several editions of The 700 Club. Back to Terry. Well, still ahead, we'll take you to Iran where a college student was thrown in jail and sentenced to die. After some time, then you don't care if you're going to stay there forever, if they want to kill you, or if you want to get released. Find out how he got away. That's next. Got a question for Pat? Send us yours now on CBN.com. We’ll Bring It Online with your questions from our live chat room, later on today’s 700 Club. 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Our non toxic, biodegradable, all-purpose cleaner works great for cleaning and . . . . . . . . thank you. Non toxic, biodegradable Simple Green. Tomorrow . . . . . . . . through airport pat-downs and real ID chips, America is turning into one nation under surveillance . . . . A lot of these programs are pushed to fight the boogeyman, but they ensnarl all American citizens. . . . . and you’re being watched, whether you like it or not. We're talking Little Brother now, and we're talking Big Brother down the road. These are just some of the signs of the times. Learn more tomorrow on The 700 Club. Evan Prison is the largest and most notorious jail inside Iran. Inmates are often thrown into a tiny cell, beaten, tortured, and sometimes executed. For many political prisoners, Evan is the end of the line. And for 54 long days in the summer of 2004, Evan Prison is what Daniel Raha called home. Iranian college student Daniel Raha refused to sit quietly and let his people suffer. During the political unrest in the 1990’s. They started to arrest journalists so actually I stopped writing, but I don’t know how it happened, how they found out about me and suddenly they came to our car, and they took me out of the car, beating me, and pushing me in their car. Religious police kidnapped Daniel and took him underground. Prison is different than what they see here in this country. I couldn’t lay down properly. I had to bend my knees to fit in that cell, and smelling like death, like maybe you are in the grave. Daniel immediately realized how bad the situation was. Horrible sanitary conditions, minimal food, and the torture got worse when he didn't have answers to their questions. I think the worst torture in that situation is not really physical torturing. Not the water, that was terrible. I was thinking that I'm losing this part of my head. Beating me without any mercy or whatever, was difficult, was hard, but I believe what they're trying to do in the prisons is to break your personality. Daniel remained blindfolded. The punishment for seeing a guard’s face was death. They beat you as their enemy. They don't care if you are killed. Too weak to survive another beating, the religious police tried torture tactics. All my feet were burning. I mean, really burning like walking say, on the oven. Very hot. They were pushing me to walk. I didn't have hope, and I'm telling you, after some time then you don't care if you're going to stay there for ever, if they want to kill you, or if you want to get released. On the morning of Daniel's 54th day, his cell door opened. Your torture is done. You're going to be executed. And I heard that two other people were executed. You can hear the noise that they're hanging, and you can hear when they're doing their last moment of their life. Moving maybe, so hard, you can hear it. And then you wait for your turn but it doesn't happen. Finally the Colonel came back for Daniel. They told me if somebody knows what happened here, this is what happened to you too. Lawyers on the outside have been fighting for Daniel's release. Once freed, Daniel remained on the run for two years. He eventually found asylum in the United States. While Daniel looked for a job, a Christian woman began talking to him about Christ. Because I was coming from a country where I was tortured by religious people, so I just didn't like any kind of religion. I wanted to be free. Daniel accepted an invitation to attend church solely for the sake of practicing his English, but God began to touch his heart. She started to read for me some of that magic book, for me at that time, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh.” It was all this process starting from that day that for the first time I heard the Word of God. And thank God, I was saved that night after two years, the first night that I turn off the light and I slept on the bed, not afraid of anything. Not scared of anything. Something was very peaceful in my heart. Today as a speaker and writer, Daniel shares his story of finding true freedom in Christ. I'm nothing without God. Actually, if I didn't know the truth I would think life is dark, everything was black for me. The colors are black, no beauty in the world. Darkness, everywhere darkness. After I have God in my life, everything is beautiful. He is the light that came into the darkness. That’s who Jesus said He was, the light who came into the darkness to show us the way. Daniel had gone through so much, so much, and a lot of it with religious strappings. You can understand his confusion. You can understand his desire to be free, can’t you? Maybe today there are some of you who are in confusion. Maybe there is darkness in your life, and you desire to be set free as well. Jesus says that when we know the truth, it is the truth that will set us free. And this is what He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus isn't just the light of the world. He's the truth that sets you and I free. He's the one that we were created to have relationship with, the one who loved us enough that while we were still sinners, He became flesh. He became flesh and died for us, died for us, because we were sinners in need of a Savior. That's you and me. And there is nobody who gets off the hook from that. The Bible says that all men fall short of the glory of God, that every one of us is a sinner in need of a Savior. Maybe that's a message you have not heard before. Maybe you've heard some general Gospel presented to you. But Jesus is at the core of it all. And the question is, what are you going to do with Him? When you find out who He said He was, when you discover that the Word is filled with promises from Him, with wisdom, with truth, what are you going to do about it? It was the Word of God that began to rise up in Daniel and then grow and teach and set free. You can have that, too. It's not just for a few people. It’s for anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. Daniel was in a very real prison, but many of us are in prisons of our own making. Maybe you have addictions you're having a hard time climbing out of, getting a leg up on. Maybe you're somebody who is just in a relationship that’s so dead you don't think it could ever be resurrected. Maybe there are just destructive thoughts in your own heart and mind. Maybe you just feel alone, alone and without purpose or meaning in your life. You were not meant to live that way. You were created by the God who created the universe, who had you in mind when He did all of that, who desired to walk with you, to talk with you, to be in relationship with you. If you're not experiencing that, it's as simple as asking for it. But He waits for us to say, “God, I want you in my life. I want to be a part of your life.” Say yes today. It's that simple. Will you stop what you're doing and pray with me? Let's pray together. “Father, I want to know you. I want to know Jesus. I want to know forgiveness. I want purpose and meaning in my life. I want the kind of freedom that Daniel found in you. I want to be set free, so that I can live a life that matters, so that I can walk with you, talk with you, know you. I'm coming to you humbly today, and I am saying I am a sinner. And I have never really asked for your forgiveness. I have never really acknowledged that you are the Savior on my soul, Jesus. But today I am. I'm asking you to forgive my sins. But I want more than that. I want to know you, and I want to be known by you. I'm asking you, Jesus, to come into the center of my being, my heart, to sit on the throne of my life, to be the Lord of who I am. Teach me your ways. When I open up the Bible, the book you've given me, and I read it, open up the ears of my understanding. Give me the ability to hear you speak to me through the Word and in my quiet time with you. I want to know you. I’m seeking you, Lord. Reveal yourself to me. Save me today, and fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I have the power to live differently. Teach me how to live for you, how to walk in your ways. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. I say yes to it all today, God. I want everything you have to give. And I’m giving you, in return, everything that I am, and all that I have. Take my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.” If you’ve just prayed that prayer, what do you do now? How do you grow in Christ? We've put together a little packet for you. This is a brand new day, a brand new beginning for you. And it's called “A New Day.” This contains information from the Word of God, but it also talks about what do you do to grow and walk forward in your new relationship. This is absolutely free. So is the phone call to get it. The number is 1-800-759-0700. Just say, “I just prayed that prayer, and I’d like the ‘New Day’ packet.” We'll get this out to you right away. Pat. Thanks, Terry. Well, still to come, your questions about the signs of the times. Janet says, “I hear people talking about the world coming to an end in 2012. Is there any legitimacy in this?” Well, we’ll Bring It Online with that question and more on today’s 700 Club. Stay with us. I didn’t understand what love was. I didn't have a good example. I knew of God, and I would often think to myself, “God if you’re real help me in this situation.” I told the Lord, I said, “God, I don't have anything to offer you. It's just me and my little baby, and I don't have anything together. I had peace, it was so refreshing. He loves you so much that he died for you, and if he could do all of this in my life, He can do it for you. My name is Roger Stump, and I’m a cancer survivor. The surgeon said it's inoperable. “It's already in your liver.” My wife, Brenda, sat there and cried; and I'm thinking, “I can't die right now. I'm only 52 years old.” I was so distraught. I've heard Cancer Treatment Centers of America have experience with pancreatic cancers. It was like night and day. The hospital just breeds an environment of hope. You get a CT scan, and the next morning the results were read to you. We’d go up there; I just knew it was going to be a good result. You could just see the joy on Dr. Granik’s face. Call now and we’ll show you how the most compassionate people anywhere put you at the center of everything we do. Together, we'll explore real treatment options you may not even know exist. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It is such a different place, because they give you hope. I would strongly urge you to call them and get a second opinion. Please call today. Welcome back to The 700 Club. More than 5,000 people packed an Orlando church to pay final respects to Pastor Zachery Tims Saturday. Bishop TD Jakes gave the eulogy for the pastor of New Destiny Christian Center. Jakes told the crowd, “I thought I was the only one who know how unhappy Zach was, how broken he was, how afraid he was. If anybody was to see any flaw in him, he tried hard to heal himself, to fix himself.” The 42-year-old pastor and father of four was found dead at a New York City hotel last Friday. A CBN online ministry in India is reaching a record audience. TipriTV.com reaches more than 25 million Indians living outside of the country. The online program uses a live chat room for conversations with viewers. The names and identities of the visitors are kept anonymous, so they're able to talk openly. They share confessions and stories of salvation. New believers are sent discipleship material and encouraged to join a church. And you can find out more about what CBN is doing internationally by logging on to CBN.com/WorldReach. Pat and Terry will be right back. John Mapes is 42. Mortgage, married, two great kids. He wants to protect his family with a 500,000-dollar term life insurance policy. What do you think it will cost him? A hundred dollars a month? Sixty? Forty? Actually, none of the above. John can get a 500,000-dollar policy from a highly rated insurer for under 25 dollars a month. His secret? SelectQuote. SelectQuote is impartial. They’ll search the pick of insurers like these to give you a choice of your best prices. SelectQuote has great savings on term life for women, too. John’s wife, Carrie, can get a 500,000-dollar policy for under 16 dollars a month. SelectQuote has helped make term life insurance affordable for hundreds of thousands of people since 1985. How about you? Just call this number or visit selectquote.com. If you have diabetes and love food, pay attention to this free offer. Hi, I’m Nicole Johnson, I’ve had diabetes for years, and I love food. To me there’s nothing tastier than rich chocolate cake, except maybe crispy oven fried chicken or cheesy potato skins. Get these recipes and many more free in these amazing diabetes cookbooks. If you have diabetes and are on Medicare, you qualify for these five, free cookbooks. call 1-800-951-8092. Enjoy dozens of yummy recipes for deserts, main dishes, snacks, and more. Plus get this free guide to planning delicious diabetes friendly meals. So call now and get cooking. For your five free cookbooks and free meal planning guide, call 1-800-951-8092, that’s 1-800-951-8092. Tomorrow . . . . . . . . through airport pat-downs and real ID chips, America is turning into one nation under surveillance . . . . A lot of these programs are pushed to fight the boogeyman, but they ensnarl all American citizens. . . . . and you’re being watched, whether you like it or not. We're talking Little Brother now and we're talking Big Brother down the road. These are just some of the signs of the times. Learn more tomorrow on The 700 Club. To see this week's most viewed stories, go to CBN.com. Well, Pat has been teaching about end time prophecy, signs of the times, and many of you submitted some questions that you have regarding that time in history. This is Janet, who says, “I hear people keep talking about the world coming to an end in 2012. Is there any legitimacy to this belief?” I mentioned that to my granddaughter, and she said, “Well, the Bible says very clearly nobody will know the time. And so it can’t be.” I said, “Okay, honey.” The deal on the 2012 thing is that the Mayans had a very advanced system of astronomy. Not astrology, but astronomy. And they could forecast the movements of the stars. How they did it, I don't know, but they did it. And so what they're saying is that in 2012 the galaxy, which we're in, the Milky Way galaxy, is going to line up with the stars in our solar system, and we will line with the heart of the galaxy all the way through. All of our stars, everything lined up, and they will exert a tremendous pressure on this earth. And what they're thinking is this is going to be the end of their calendar cycle. It won't necessarily be the end of the world, but it will be the beginning of something else. Now, we could have some very serious solar problems. If we have solar flares or solar radiation or if there is an extraordinary gravitational pull because of the alignment of those planets, it could be very serious. It doesn't necessarily mean the end of the world, but it does mean something. Something could happen. And we don't know nor sure that is correct, but I think astronomers pretty much validate what these Mayans said. All right. What else? This is Marty, who says, “You said the prophecy of Gog and Magog are coming true before our eyes, but Ezekiel 28 also refers to a time when Israel is, quote, ‘living in safety.’ Everything I read suggests that Israel is not living in safety. Doesn't that suggest we are a ways away from the prophecy of Gog and Magog coming true?” No, I don’t think so. I think basically Israel is not at war, although on the fringes there are problems with Hezbollah and Hamas and so forth. But nevertheless, the nation of Israel, they go ahead with their normal work. The nation is living in safety. But the safety obviously is being disturbed very radically. And so the beginning of Gog and Magog, we might see what the Iranians are trying to do. But prior to that, Israel was living in safety. All right. Jeff says, “It doesn’t seem as if the United States is a part of the end times. What will happen to us?” When you see Ezekiel 38, there is one thing in there. And it talks about the young lions of Tarshish will stand by and say to Gog, “What are you doing?” And we—Tarshish was Cadiz in Spain. People from Tarshish went to Ireland and England. They, in turn, came over here to the United States. So you might say we're the young lions of Tarshish. That’s the only time, and that may be stretching a point, but that's the only time I know of the United States being mentioned in scripture. But some young lions are saying to Gog, “What are you doing?” And that may be us. All right. Okay, this is Almita, who wants to know, “Does the Bible say where the anti-Christ will come from?” It really doesn't. I think the anti-Christ is Islam. I really do. And I think it is a system . . . . A system more than a person? Well, it’s both. It’s centered on Muhammad, who defied Jesus. He said Jesus wasn't the Son of God. That's anti-Christ. And I think the system is the anti-Christ system, because they're trying to destroy the Jews. And there is a hatred, a virulent hatred, of Christians and Jews. So could that be it? I think. But there are also who some that think in Revelation, and they're talking about the Roman Empire, and that the anti-Christ was really something that came out of the Roman Empire, and that’s gone. Okay, this is Sharon, who says, “My pastor recently said he believes that some of the trumpets from the book of Revelation have already occurred. What are your thoughts?” I don't know. Revelation is a very difficult book to understand. And to draw too many conclusions from Revelation is a mistake. I like to teach, as you'll see in these next few days, I like to go specifically to words are clearly understood. And they say this, and if it says that, then I’ll say, “Okay, I believe that.” But in terms of types and shadows and trumpets and seals and vials and all this—I’ll tell you, I did a graph of Revelation when I was in seminary. I got an A plus on it, and I’ve studied and taught it three or four times, and I still don't understand all of it. Well, it’s pretty complicated. Yes, well, they say, well, these are the trumpets. I don’t know. All right. This is Don, who says, “I know there isn't marriage in Heaven, but what about during the millennium? Will we have to remarry our current partner or can we start over and find a new one?” I think you're looking for a way out. Give me a new wife. I think in the millennium people are going to be getting married. It’s like normal. But actually, if I read the Bible right, the saints are going to be with the Lord, in a new body. At that point, they'll be like the angels. So for the saints, there won't be any marriage and giving in marriage. So I’m sorry, I can't give you a new husband. All right, what else? This is Dan, who says, “What are your thoughts about the Bible code? Supposedly there are hidden messages within the Bible that prophesy end times. Could this be what Daniel 12:4 was referring to when he talked about the book being sealed until the end of time?” I think his prophecy was sealed until the end of time. But that Bible code is a lot of nonsense, if you want to know the truth about it. I had an expert on the Bible code with me, and I kept saying that the most important part of the Bible is talking about the Messiah. What about it? Nothing, absolutely nothing. They wouldn't talk about the Messiah. They wouldn’t talk about Jesus. Give me a break. They talked about Adolph Hitler. They talked about Jack Kennedy getting assassinated. They talked about Harvey Oswald, but nothing in there about the Messiah. Hogwash. Okay. I wouldn't buy that one minute. We leave you with these words from Matthew 24:14, “This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, then the end will come.” And that is the sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ, more than anything else. This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness. We'll see you tomorrow. Remember, for the next several days we’re going to be talking about prophecy. You don’t want to miss any of it. See you then. Bye. The material provided on this Program is for general informational and educational purposes only. No information on the Program is intended as investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security, or fund.  You alone are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, security or strategy, or any other product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. Seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment. Dr. Robertson; The Christian Broadcasting Network; Regent University and other persons appearing on this Program may hold an investment position in one or more of the stocks or commodities discussed on this Program. Tomorrow . . . . . . . . through airport pat-downs and real ID chips, America is turning into one nation under surveillance . . . . A lot of these programs are pushed to fight the boogeyman, but they ensnarl all American citizens. . . . . and you’re being watched, whether you like it or not. We're talking Little Brother now and we're talking Big Brother down the road. These are just some of the signs of the times. Learn more tomorrow on The 700 Club. It’s incredible to see what God’s faithfulness and your partnership has accomplished through CBN over the past five decades. What began as just a tiny signal that reached to the corner . . . . . . . . has grown into a broadcasting giant, reaching over 100 countries and more than 60 languages. That’s why we’re having a very special, 50 years of broadcasting celebration here in Virginia Beach, the weekend of October 1st, and we want you to be a part of it. The all-day festival includes live entertainment from Mercy Me, Diamond Rio, and the Annie Moses Band. There will be hot air balloon rides, a petting zoo, Irish dancers, an antique car show, hay rides and a whole lot more. You can go to CBN.com today to find out more about the event and register to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime jubilee. We look forward to having you here with us . . . . . . . . as we praise the Lord for all he’s done. God bless you.