The 700 Club: August 24, 2009

GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to The 700 Club. President Obama is vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, but he won’t get any rest from the debates over the health care bill. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And now a new controversy concerns a veteran’s administration booklet that critics say encourages people to, quote, “hurry up and die.” Here is our reporter Paul Strand. CARE PAUL STRAND: The Obama Administration today releases numbers that show the projected deficit over the next decade will be nine trillion dollars, not the seven trillion it had previously forecast. That makes passing an expensive health care overhaul all the more difficult. In fact, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman declared this weekend the administration should push for just a little bit of reform now, not a huge overhaul. Lieberman said on CNN, “I'm afraid we've got to think about putting a lot of that off until the economy is out of recession.” With dozens of senators like Lieberman balking at a massive overhaul, Senate leaders say they may use a tactic that lets them pass an overhaul with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than the 60 ordinarily needed. This at a time another controversy over health care involving a booklet Obama’s Veterans Administration has brought back after the Bush Administration suspended it. Jim Towey, President Bush's faith-based office chief, says this guide could push some veterans toward ending their own life. On Fox News Sunday, he talked about examples from pages like 21, where veterans in a wheelchair or who can’t get outdoors or who are a severe financial burden on their family are asked to contemplate whether their life is not worth living. GRAPHIC: FOX NEWS SUNDAY Jim Towey (Former Faith-Based Office Chief): And this is a slippery slope that, when you look at the document, it makes people feel like they're a burden and that they should do the decent thing and die. PAUL STRAND: Towey talked about the author of the booklet having pro-euthanasia leanings. Jim Towey: He's been an advocate for assisted suicide, both in a US Supreme Court case where he filed an amicus brief, but in other writings where he was a contributor to a book about physician-aided killings. PAUL STRAND: On the same news show, VA Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth, a wounded veteran herself, defended the VA and the many vets in its ranks. GRAPHIC: FOX NEWS SUNDAY Tammy Duckworth (VA Assistant Secretary): I don’t think that there is anybody that understands better the importance and value of life than those of us who have worn the uniform and faced combat. PAT ROBERTSON: Senator Arlen Specter then appeared and said he’ll call for Senate hearings about this issue immediately. GRAPHIC: FOX NEWS SUNDAY Sen. Arlen Specter: I think Mr. Towey is exactly right. There ought not to be suggestions to encourage people to make decisions to end life. PAUL STRAND: The controversy comes as the VA is facing an embarrassing problem. It hasn’t been able to get out disability payments to some veterans who were severely wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq. But it has managed over the last two years to give out 24 million dollars in bonuses to its own employees. Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington. GORDON ROBERTSON: And this is the same group that supposedly we want to trust with a public option. You just wonder what would have happened if this bill had been passed in the first week of August. And here at the last week, we’re wondering what’s in it. And now finally some voices are rising to say, “Wait a minute. Do we have the money? Number one, can we even afford to do it? And then what’s in this thing?” And if death counseling is part of the package, well, I don’t want to live in a culture that does that. John Jessup has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Washington Bureau. John. BARY JOHN JESSUP: Gordon, a Florida judge has ruled that Rifqa Bary can stay away from her family for now. Bary is the Ohio teenager who ran away from home after converting from Islam to Christianity. The judge says she will stay in protective custody, at least until another hearing can be held next month. Here is George Thomas. GEORGE THOMAS: Seventeen-year-old Rifqa Bary asked if she could make a statement before the court. Rifqa Bary: I've been a Christian for four years of my life. And I just wanted to say that I love my parents. I love them so much. I love my parents, and yet I am so in fear of my life because of the past abuse that I have encountered. The only cry from my heart is being able to worship without being killed. And I feel that will if I can stay in the state of Florida. GEORGE THOMAS: Sometime later, the Orlando judge ordered Rifqa Bary to stay in Florida. The judge also asked the state’s Department of Law Enforcement to investigate her family and the Muslim community in Ohio where she lives. And why is this important? In a petition filed with the court, Rifqa’s lawyer raised concerns about the mosque that her parents attend in Columbus, Ohio. The Noor Islamic Cultural Center has reported ties to terrorism. Patrick Poole is a terrorism expert who has written about the mosque and chronicled the rise of Islamic extremism in Columbus. He says there is reason for the judge to investigate. GRAPHIC: ON THE PHONE Patrick Poole (Terrorism Expert): Here in central Ohio, it is probably the premier source of Islamic extremism in the area. The former resident scholar for that mosque, a gentleman by the name of Salah Sultan, is now banned from the country. We have pictures and video of him with designated terrorists. GEORGE THOMAS: Rifqa fled her Ohio home a few months ago and claimed physical threats from her family because she left Islam. Rifqa Bary: They have to kill me. My blood is now halal, which means that because I am now a Christian, I'm from a Muslim background, it's an honor. If they love God more than me, they have to do this. GEORGE THOMAS: She took a bus to Florida, where she was taken in by the family of an evangelical pastor. But Rifqa’s parents claim she was brainwashed by them. A close friend of Rifqa’s says otherwise. Jamal Jivangee told CBN News that her fears are legitimate and that she expressed them to him more than a year ago. GRAPHIC: ON THE PHONE Jamal Jivangee (Friend of Rifqa Bary): I met with Rifqa a year ago, and she had no idea. She wasn’t even connected with the Global Revolution Church. And at that time, a year ago, Rifqa shared with me that she had been living in fear as a secret Christian in her own home for the last three years. So this is not something that has happened recently. GEORGE THOMAS: Rifqa has argued that, if she is forced to return to her family, she could be killed there in Ohio or sent back to her native Sri Lanka where she could possibly face abuse and death as an infidel. George Thomas, CBN News. JOHN JESSUP: Rifqa’s father has denied threatening to harm his daughter, and he says that his best friend is a Christian. LUTHERANS JOHN JESSUP: The evangelical Lutheran Church will now be able to appoint homosexuals who are in, quote, “committed relationships” to the clergy. The top was front and center for the liberal mainline denomination at its convention in Minnesota, and some church leaders are already warning of negative consequences. Carolyn Castleberry has that story. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Man: Let us see the results. The results are 559 yes, 451 no. The resolution is adopted. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: And with this vote, the debate ends, but not the controversy in America’s largest Lutheran denomination, surrounding an issue that threatens to divide churches across the country. Pastor David Witkop (Lutheran Bishop): Well, I think several congregations could end up leaving the LCA as a result of this, or finding another kind of fellowship together with similar beliefs and mission and vision. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: The debate raged on with impassioned speeches on both sides of the issue. Pastor Lee Miller II (Supports Gay Clergy): I am not saved because I'm heterosexual. I'm saved because of what God has done. And I want to say to those who are listening, they are not condemned because of their sexuality, but they are saved because of how God loves them. Pastor Catherine Ammlung (Opposes Gay Clergy): What had been the teaching of my church has now been reduced to personal opinion, or conscience as it’s framed. Many of us who are people of good will are left as ethical and theological freelancers. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Carolyn Castleberry, CBN News. JOHN JESSUP: The church already allowed for openly gay ministers if they were celibate. But the new measure will now allow those ministers to be in committed same-sex relationships. CASH FOR CLUNKERS ENDS JOHN JESSUP: The government’s Cash for Clunkers program ends tonight, and crowds of car buyers have been rushing to trade in their gas guzzlers. Marie Burton (Taking Advantage of Deals): I had been sort of thinking about it and putting it off, but when I heard about the Monday deadline, I decided to jump on this one. Dominick Delpozzo (Florida Car Buyer): I rushed over here. Look how I’m dressed tonight, in my work clothes. I just ran right over here to get the last minute deal. Dorel Suboni (Trading in Car): Every good thing comes to an end, so we just have to jump on it while it’s hot and hope for the best. JOHN JESSUP: Despite the appearance of success, many dealers are worried that the government may leave them holding the tab. Most of the money is still tied up in government IOUs. Meanwhile, a new government plan will soon introduce another Clunkers-type program called Cash for Appliances. No trade in is required. The government will simply give rebate checks to cover items like refrigerators, dishwashers, furnaces and air conditioners. SOCIAL INSECURITY JOHN JESSUP: Millions of older Americans may face shrinking Social Security payments next year. It’s the first time since automatic increases were adopted in 1975 that payments wouldn’t go up. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting no cost of living increase for the next two years, because inflation has been negative this year. But Medicare prescription drug premiums often deducted from those checks are expected to rise, so the actual payments from Social Security could shrink for many seniors. CONTROLLING THE NET JOHN JESSUP: Governments around the world are beginning to crack down on access to the Internet. New Scientist Magazine reports that various governments want to squash any opposition groups in their country that use the World Wide Web to send out information. For example, earlier this year, thousands of protestors took to the streets in Iran. They coordinated their efforts through various Internet sites, including Twitter, which the Iranian government tried to stop. Several countries have also clamped down on access to the social networking web site Facebook. Gordon, back to you. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, we’re into a brave, new world. And what was predicted in books like George Orwell’s 1984 is coming to pass, where literally the government is going to be able to know everything you’re doing and have access into that and then be able to select what portions of information you get, because you’re getting it from the Internet. The ability to censor the Internet and control that through filtering is absolutely staggering. But even more staggering is the ability for government now to know exactly what you’re reading, exactly what’s on your iPod, be able to track you through your cell phone. These are pretty incredible times. And when you start understanding why various terror networks say we need to go back a hundred years in our technology so that the government can’t find us. They literally give up phone service. They literally give up Internet service, so they are no longer traceable. And they don’t use credit cards. They use cash. And that’s how they escape detection. But literally, everything you’re doing now online is recordable, and then because it’s recordable, is searchable. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So fascinating. In a way, it’s our thirst for information like that and access to all that kind of information that is painted us right into a corner of the room. GORDON ROBERTSON: Yes. It’s opened up a huge library of things that we can have access to. I know for me I was really enjoying it over the weekend. I was able to read sermons from revivals 200 years ago. I found it a great resource. But then you start wondering, “What if I were a political protestor and now the government could find out what it was I was reading and then what it was I was writing? What are the implications of that?” TERRY MEEUWSEN: And then even block your ability to get that. Unbelievable. Wow. Well, coming up next, hope for those with hearing loss: a hearing aid that’s completely invisible. Man: You can sleep in them. You can shower in them. You can run in them. You can exercise in them. Every 120 days, if there is a manufacturer update, you can get that update almost instantly. TERRY MEEUWSEN: The latest in hearing aid technology, right after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: OVERDOSED GORDON ROBERTSON: Coming up later: Woman: It really was the thing I was looking for all my life, because it really did make it all go away. GORDON ROBERTSON: First, her boyfriend . . . . Woman: I looked over at him, and he was blue, and he had white foam all around his mouth. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . then her brother. Woman: I just kept screaming to him, “Breathe, Roger, I need you to breathe!” GORDON ROBERTSON: How this woman avoided the same fate, on today’s 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 1: SWISS AMERICA Pat Boone: Pat Boone here for my good friends at Swiss America, the company that has helped Americans to rediscover gold for over 25 years now. You may have noticed gold prices have more than doubled in the last five years, but do you ever wonder why? Economists say the top five reasons are: a falling dollar, which also creates number two, a rising cost of living. Third, increasing demand for gold worldwide. Fourth, political uncertainty. And fifth, new Wall Street gold funds. It all adds up to higher prices ahead. Gold offers safety first and then profit. A wise economist has said a portfolio without gold is like walking around naked in zero degree temperatures. So don’t get caught in the cold without gold. Call Swiss America now for a free educational kit. Ask about tax free gold IRAs. Seize this rare opportunity today. Call now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT DAY PROMO GRAPHIC: DEATH METAL GORDON ROBERTSON: This week. The birth of a rock star . . . . Man: There was this metal band in town, and they were looking for a bass player. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . and the death of a heavy metal band. Man: I lit up the kerosene heater, and it exploded. It set the guitar player on fire, and he fell over the drum set. * * * GRAPHIC: TEENAGE MEGELLAN GORDON ROBERTSON: Plus, around the world in 400 days. Meet the 17-year-old who sailed across the globe by himself. This week on The 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss, but now new technology is helping those people hear what they’ve been missing. Lorie Johnson has that story. FOCUS: HEARING AIDS/JIM RYUN LORIE JOHNSON: When Jim Ryun became the world’s fastest miler in the late ‘60s, everyone knew his name, but no one knew his secret. Jim Ryun (Hearing Impaired): At the age of five, I lost half my hearing as the result of the measles. I went through all of my education system sitting up close to the front of the classroom and looking over someone else's shoulder for notes and asking questions. LORIE JOHNSON: Although winning races was tough, Jim found TV interviews even tougher. He worried the world would discover he couldn't hear the questions well, especially when he couldn’t read lips. Announcer: Jim, put on this earpiece, so you can talk with Jim Beatty, who, of course, pioneered the breaking of the four-minute mark indoors. LORIE JOHNSON: Ryun went on to win an Olympic Silver Medal, graced magazine covers and eventually entered politics, winning a seat in the House of Representatives. He is quick to point out, however, that fame was unsatisfying, and he only found true happiness as a Christian. Jim Ryun is dedicated to helping people spiritually and physically, by operating Christian running camps and educating those who, like himself, suffer from hearing loss. Of the more than 30 million Americans with hearing loss, only six million wear hearing aids. Jim Ryun: One of the things through the years I have noticed though is that men are the most reluctant to go in, because they don't want someone to know they've got a hearing loss. Well, hey, man, this is no longer a problem. It’s invisible. LORIE JOHNSON: The newest type of hearing aid is water resistant. It's inserted deep into the ear canal and stays put for four months. Since it's closer to the eardrum than conventional hearing aids, the sound quality is better. Jim Ryun: You can sleep in them. You can shower in them. You can run in them. You can exercise in them. LORIE JOHNSON: Just like cell phone and computer technology, hearing aid technology advances rapidly. The new hearing aids have built-in measures to keep pace. Jim Ryun: Where every 120 days, if there's a manufacturer update, you can get that update almost instantly. So you'd be constantly moving along with the technology as it advances, and that's a big deal, because they're able to do some different things with the computer chip and battery life. LORIE JOHNSON: For Jim Ryun, hearing well allows him to fulfill his life's purpose. Jim Ryun: I'm able to, when I talk to people, share the Lord, or when I'm speaking in a large setting, and I'm interacting with people, hear what I wasn't able to hear before. Now I can participate at a level that I haven’t before. And so that really does help me in my Christian witness along the way, and I'm grateful for that. LORIE JOHNSON: Lorie Johnson, CBN News. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, it’s amazing what technology is allowing us to do. You look at these stories and just shake your head and go, “Wow.” TERRY MEEUWSEN: I never knew that about him, that he had hearing loss. GORDON ROBERTSON: I didn’t know either. Here, he’s the hero of track and field, and you didn’t know he was struggling with that kind of handicap in doing interviews. But it certainly didn’t slow him down. And he certainly went on to Congress. TERRY MEEUWSEN: In any capacity for years to come. That’s absolutely encouraging. That’s awesome. Well, up next, she was a hardcore addict who turned her brother onto drugs for the first time. Woman: I asked him if he wanted to try some, the coke. He said okay, and so I injected the cocaine into him, and he went into convulsions. TERRY MEEUWSEN: See what happened next and why it sent this woman to a mental ward. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2A: SYNVISC “ONE” Announcer: Introducing Synvisc One, a new way to treat osteoarthritis knee pain right at the source and help you get back to doing the things you love. Synvisc One is the only treatment that can give you up to six months of pain relief with just one injection. 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Announcer: With Alert USA, if you ever need assistance, just press your pendant to be connected to an operator who can summon help to your home 24 hours a day. Dr. Joyce Brothers: I’ve been giving advice for many years, and I believe Alert USA provides the best emergency support and value for your dollar. Call now for a free brochure. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Jacqui Strothoff is the mother of two children, and that’s a miracle in itself since doctors had told her that she could never children. But the greater miracle is that Jacqui is alive. JACQUI STROTHOFF Jacqui Strothoff: Life looked pretty dumb to me. It looked like all that people did was work and come home and eat and sleep. And even from the eyes of a ten- to 12-year-old kid, it looked pretty meaningless. RENELLE ROBERTS: When Jacqui Strothoff was eight years old, she was molested by a relative. She soon learned that she could numb her feelings by taking pills found in her parent’s medicine cabinet. Jacqui Strothoff: I immediately got a message that when you’re feeling rotten and really bad or you’re afraid or confused, you can ingest something. You can take something. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui was the oldest of six children and never quite felt like she fit in. She longed for intimate attention and found it at age 14 with her first boyfriend. Jacqui Strothoff: As soon as he found somebody else that he liked better, he dumped me, and it was such a profound sense of rejection. It really felt like he was validating all the things I had thought about myself all those years, that I wasn’t worth anything. RENELLE ROBERTS: So alone in her room, Jacqui slit her wrist. Her parents found her unconscious and took her to the hospital. She survived the ordeal and soon found another boyfriend. She got pregnant, and they married when Jacqui was just 16. Jacqui Strothoff: He started physically abusing me. It was really frightening to me, and I was trying to figure it out, like I was trying to figure out what I was doing that was causing him to be like this and treat me like this. RENELLE ROBERTS: When Jacqui was six months pregnant, her husband beat her so badly she went into premature labor. Her baby was stillborn. When she went home, she developed an infection. Jacqui Strothoff: By then the doctor said the infection had spread all through my uterus and everything and that I was left sterile, and that I would never be able to have children. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui ended her marriage and moved back home with her parents. She was just 17. She needed a fresh start, so she finished high school and went to college. But one summer, she met a group of kids who introduced her to the drug that dominated her life for the next ten years. Jacqui Strothoff: They shot me up the first time with heroin. And when I felt it, it really was the thing I was looking for my whole life, because it really did make it all go away. RENELLE ROBERTS: For the next several years, Jacqui did anything to get money for drugs. Jacqui Strothoff: I had to prostitute myself. I had to sell my body in order to be able to get heroin. I robbed people. I robbed stores. I went into stores and would get jobs and empty cash registers and run away at lunch time. RENELLE ROBERTS: She was arrested several times, but that just motivated her to think of more sophisticated ways to steal. Jacqui Strothoff: I thought, “Well, I’ll go to the library, and I’ll study the PDR, the Physician’s Desk Reference, and I’ll learn how to read and write prescriptions. And then I’ll go in the drug store, and I’ll tell them that I’m a pharmacist’s assistant. And by the way time they find out this is all bogus, I will have already emptied the narcotics cabinet and be out of there,” right. And so I did that. RENELLE ROBERTS: One night she, her boyfriend, Michael, and their friend, Larry, were getting high when Michael passed out. They thought nothing of it because that was normal. Jacqui Strothoff: I looked over at him, and he was blue. And he had white foam all around his mouth, and I realized that he was dead. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui and Larry panicked. They were afraid to call the police, so they needed a plan to get rid of Michael’s body. Jacqui Strothoff: It just so happened at the time that Larry was working building apartments on his construction site, and so he had the keys for the bulldozer. So we wrapped him up and rolled him up in a rug and got him out of the apartment. So we just pulled him down the stairs and put him on the back of the truck and buried him. RENELLE ROBERTS: When the police eventually found the body, Jacqui was charged with unlawful burial of a body and admitted to a mental hospital for the criminally insane. When she explained to the psychiatrist what she and Larry had done, he didn’t believe her story and simply called her delusional. She was released and moved into an apartment. That’s when Jacqui’s 19-year-old brother, Roger, paid her his last visit. Jacqui Strothoff: I asked him if he wanted to try some, the coke. He said okay, and so I injected the cocaine into him, and he went onto convulsions. And I just kept screaming to him, “Breathe, Roger! I need you to breathe!” RENELLE ROBERTS: Her brother died in her arms. Once again she was committed to a mental hospital and deemed a danger to herself and society. It was there that Frank, a friend of Jacqui’s father and a Christian, visited Jacqui in the isolation ward. He talked with her about receiving Christ as her Savior. Jacqui Strothoff: It really was the one thing that I had never tried before. I said, “Yes, all right.” And so I prayed the prayer with him. And I didn’t feel anything. Nothing felt different to me. I did ask Jesus into my heart. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins. I asked Him to change my life and all of that, but I didn’t feel any different than I did before he came into the room. RENELLE ROBERTS: Frank left a book with Jacqui about a woman who overcame drug addiction through a Bible-based drug rehab program called Teen Challenge. When Jacqui was released from the hospital, she called the Teen Challenge number on the back of the book. To her surprise, there was a welcoming voice on the line. Jacqui Strothoff: She was like, “Oh, we’re so glad you called! We’ve been waiting for you!” I was like, “Waiting for me? You don’t even know me!” But Frank had called her when my brother died, and he said, “You’ve got to start praying for this girl.” RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui went to the center, but after one night, she told the director she’d made a mistake and headed out. Jacqui Strothoff: She said, “Listen, if you’ll let us pray for you and you’ll agree to stay here for 24 hrs, I’ll drive you back to town and put you on the bus myself.” I said, “Oh, okay, I can do that.” I felt this fire that just exploded in my belly. And it just started racing through my whole body. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui had a life-changing encounter with God. She no longer craved drugs and remained in the program for a full year. Jacqui Strothoff: There was never a place that ever made me not want drugs and never made me not want to feel what it felt like to be high, or that was ever able to keep me from engaging in the kids of criminal behaviors and self-destructive behaviors that I had, or ever could make me think any differently about myself. Nothing ever did that except Jesus. RENELLE ROBERTS: When Jacqui graduated from teen challenge, she was invited to train to be a leader in the program. At training she met her husband who had also been through Teen Challenge. Jacqui Strothoff: My husband and I were just living with the understanding that we weren’t going to be able to have children. And on my first anniversary, I found out that I was pregnant with my son. It was like God’s anniversary gift to me. And then six years later, I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui is the executive director of a Teen Challenge home for women in Rhode Island. Daily, she helps girls just like she was to find the hope of Christ and remain drug free. Jacqui Strothoff: I wanted to publish that good news. I wanted to let people know there was somebody who loved them more than they could imagine, even in their sin and even in their filth. And all He wanted was to wash them up and clean them up and put them on a good path and give them a good life. RENELLE ROBERTS: Jacqui shares her personal story with the residents. She knows firsthand the power of God to change lives. Jacqui Strothoff: When God really changes something, it’s not like the makeovers we see on TV, because He doesn’t just makeover the superficial parts. He doesn’t just make something look better. He makes something be better. He makes something change on the inside. He’s like the ultimate makeover King. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON MINISTERS SALVATION GORDON ROBERTSON: And He can be the ultimate makeover King for you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you right where you are, in the middle of whatever it is you’re doing, whatever controls you, whatever you got involved with and you just didn’t understand, and you didn’t understand how deep it was going to get or how bad it was going to get. And the amazing thing is, God loves you in the middle of that, in the middle of however far down you’ve gone. And maybe you’re like Jacqui. Maybe you were abused sexually as a child. Maybe you were abused physically and you kept looking for ways to escape all that and leave all that behind and find a place where you could just be numb, you could forget. Maybe you were looking to get away from you. You weren’t even comfortable in your own skin. Maybe you always felt like you were a stranger in a strange land, and you just don’t understand all this stuff, and why would people live their lives that way? And you were looking for a way out. And then you found something, whatever that is. For some, it’s drugs. For some, it’s alcohol. For some, it’s sex. For some, it’s thrills. Whatever that thing is for you, you know it’s leading to destruction. You know it’s killing you. But still you go to it. And you’ve gotten to the point just like Jacqui, “There’s no way out. I’m in it deep, and there’s no way out.” Well, Jacqui has got good news for you. I’ve got good news for you. God has got good news for you. There is a way out. You can be made over. You can be regenerated. And you can fill up that emptiness. You can find that acceptance you’re looking for. You can find that comfort you’re looking for. You can find it in a person named Jesus Christ. And He’s not some far away God. He’ll come to you right where you are. And He’ll pick you up and clean you up and give you a hope and a future and a life, a life. You don’t have to live this living death anymore. You can have life. And just like Jacqui, you can find forgiveness. You can find healing. You can find restoration. And then you find that the hope that He wants to give you, the hope and the purpose, what you’ve been uniquely created to do—here’s what God says to you, “I know the plans that I have for you, to give you a hope and a future.” Now, if this is for you, if this is what you want, all you have to do is just what Jackie did. Bow your head. Ask Jesus to come in. There is nothing too hard for Him. He can break any habit. He can change you. He can set you free. So if you want this, bow your head. Pray a prayer. Let him come in. What seems impossible with you is always possible with God. So if you want it, let today be the day you change. Let today be the day that you ask Jesus in, that you say, “Okay, not my way anymore. I can’t figure this out. I can’t escape it. I can’t get away from it.” Let Him deliver you. And if you ask Him, He will do it. Pray with me. “Lord Jesus.” That’s right. Say it out loud. “Lord Jesus, I come to you today, and I ask that you come in, that you remake me. And Jesus, I ask that you take away the desire for the things that want to destroy me. And I don’t want them anymore. I ask that you take them away. And Jesus, I ask that you clean me and deliver me. And Jesus, if you’ll do this, I want to follow you all the days of my life. Hear my prayer. Come into my life. Give me a hope and a future and reveal to me the plans that you have for my life. Hear my prayer, for I pray it in Jesus’ name.” Father, for those who just prayed, I pray a deliverance. I pray that you set the captives free. And I just declare over them that who the Son sets free is free indeed. And now I ask that you would lead them into paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. We ask it now, in Jesus’ name. Amen. If you just prayed with me, the Bible says that if you’ll just declare it, if you’ll just speak it out loud, if you’ll just confess with your mouth, you shall be saved. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM So what I want you to do is make a toll free call: 1-800-759-0700. Don’t keep it a secret. Don’t be a secret follower of Christ, but declare Him openly. There is somebody on the other end of that phone line that’s willing to pray with you. But it requires you to confess with your mouth, so make the call: 1-800-759-0700. When you call, we’ve got a packet for you. In there is a CD teaching on how to live the Christian life. GRAPHIC: OUR GIFT TO YOU 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM But I would encourage you to get away from the friends, the so-called friends, that you have and get yourself into a protected environment. You can change any habit if you stay away from it for at least 30 days. And then after the 30 days, after you’ve essentially detoxed, then you’ve got to spend a longer time where you develop new friendships in new areas where you live, where you work, where you socialize. You’ve got to get away from those things that will trigger any kind of craving in you. You can do it. Jacqui did it. You can do it. All you have to do is take that first step. So make that call: 1-800-759-0700. Terry, over to you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, coming up later, how would you like to spend 45 dollars in order to save over 4,000 dollars? GRAPHIC: “CHA CHING” SAVINGS Big savings like this are ahead for you and your family when financial expert Ellie Kay joins us live on today’s 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3A: PRAYER COUNSELING CENTER Son: Daddy? Father: Yeah, buddy? Son: How many nickels are in a dollar? Father: There are 20 nickels in a dollar. Son: How do birds fly? Does milk really make my bones stronger? Father: Yeah. Yep. Son: Daddy, when we die, will we go to Heaven? Announcer: Do you have the answer to life’s biggest question? Call The 700 Club. We’ll help you find answers to the important questions life brings your way. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3B: LIBERTY MEDICAL Announcer: Important news for diabetics on Medicare. Spokesman: I’m a diabetic, and I want you to know over 230,000 US doctors have authorized their patients to receive their diabetic supplies through Liberty Medical. And that begins with the OneTouch Ultra 2 meter, easy to use, fast results, at no additional cost. Liberty helps keep you on track by delivering diabetic supplies to your door and filing your claim. Woman: I never feel I’m going to run out of anything. Woman: With Liberty, I always have someone to talk to, and now, they refill all my prescriptions. Announcer: Call now to receive a diabetic cookbook free. Spokesman: Call to receive the OneTouch Ultra 2 meter at no additional cost and find out why 230,000 US doctors and over a million people with diabetes trust Liberty Medical. Announcer: Liberty. We deliver better health. Call now. Announcer #2: Call Liberty Medical today at 1-800-333-4080. That’s 1-800-333-4080. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * RAMADAN MESSAGE JOHN JESSUP: Welcome back to The 700 Club. Just before leaving on vacation, President Obama recorded a special message for Muslims in honor of their celebration of Ramadan. President Barack Obama: Ramadan Karim. Ramadan is the month that Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad, beginning with a simple word, “icra.” JOHN JESSUP: The President went on to repeat his call for a new beginning in relations between the United States and Muslims around the world. SWEDEN HOME SCHOOLING JOHN JESSUP: Home-schooling could soon become illegal in Sweden. Life Site News reports the country’s parliament is considering a new law that home schooling families fear would impose severe restrictions on parents wishing to teach their children at home. The law would only permit home-schooling under, quote, “extraordinary circumstances.” Those few allowed to do it would be required to use a state-approved curriculum and permission would have to be renewed each year. Well, you can always get the latest from CBN News by going to our web site at CBN.com. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM Gordon and Terry will be back with more of The 700 Club, right after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4: INSURE Announcer: She’ll always be your little girl. You’d do anything in the world for her. But what would her world look like if something were to happen to you? Could she still go to college? Could your family stay in your home? Could she have the same future you’ve always dreamed about? With the uncertainty in today’s economy, there’s never been a more important time to insure your family’s future. Now, with the help of the experts at Insure.com, you can, easily and affordably. The good news is that life insurance prices are at all time lows. In fact, a healthy 40-year-old man can now apply for 500,000 dollars of term life insurance for less than 25 dollars a month. Even if you have an existing health condition, we can still get you competitive quotes. With one phone call, we’ll compare quotes from 25 of the highest rated life insurance companies, and we’ll back them up with our 500-dollar lowest price guarantee. Protect your most valuable investment: your family’s future. Call our experts now, and we’ll send you a free, no obligation price comparison report based on your specific needs. Call today. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT DAY PROMO GRAPHIC: DEATH METAL GORDON ROBERTSON: This week. The birth of a rock star . . . . Man: There was this metal band in town, and they were looking for a bass player. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . and the death of a heavy metal band. Man: I lit up the kerosene heater, and it exploded. It set the guitar player on fire, and he fell over the drum set. * * * GRAPHIC: TEENAGE MEGELLAN GORDON ROBERTSON: Plus, around the world in 400 days. Meet the 17-year-old who sailed across the globe by himself. This week on The 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, how would you like to save thousands of dollars this year just by spending smarter? You can. Just take a look. SET-UP PIECE RENELLE RICHARDSON: You might not know it, but there are thousands of dollars in surprise savings right at your fingertips. You can save 1,200 dollars each month on housing and utility bills, hundreds of dollars on food, and save up to 50 percent on everything you buy. Just by doing a few simple things like making a phone call and going online can amount to big savings and keep money in your pocket. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GUEST: ELLIE KAY TERRY MEEUWSEN: Will you please welcome to The 700 Club the lady known as America’s family financial expert, Ellie Kay.. Ellie Kay: Hi. Thanks. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Boy, we need you. You actually got that title initially by getting your family out of some financial trouble. Tell us about that. Ellie Kay: Yes, well, when I married my husband, I got a three-for-one deal. I got a wonderful husband, and I also inherited 40,000 dollars worth of debt and two stepdaughters. So we had a lot of financial issues going on at the time. And then we went on to have five children in seven years. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Good grief. Ellie Kay: Yes. And then my husband took a 15,000-dollar-a-year pay cut to go into the military. So when you start crunching all the numbers, we were really kind of living at poverty levels, and we had this astronomical amount of debt. And we decided that we would commit our finances to God’s way of doing things. And within two and a half years, we were completely debt free of consumer debt, and we’ve remained debt free ever since. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Unbelievable. Now, were you money savvy before you married? Ellie Kay: I was. I was a born saver. I like to say that I was due in January, but I was born six weeks early on December 28th, just in time to give my dad another income tax deduction. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well done. Well done. Ellie Kay: So really a born saver. Yes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You say that the sweetest dollar you ever make is the one that you give away. What do you mean by that? Ellie Kay: When I was seven years old, I had my first business. TERRY MEEUWSEN: At seven. What did you do? Ellie Kay: Yes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: I’m afraid to ask. Ellie Kay: I got a little buzzer out of a box of cereal that you would wind up and shake people’s hands. And I was the first one in my elementary school to have that. And so it was such a novelty that I charged my friends five cents to shake my hand. And I charged boys 15 cents, because I didn’t want to touch their hand. So I made ten dollars in the first two weeks. Now, that’s a lot of handshakes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Wow. Ellie Kay: And my mom told me that of that ten dollars, a dollar of that was the Lord’s tithe. And that’s the first time I’d ever really heard about that. So I remember, to this day I remember, going to my Sunday school class, taking that dollar, putting it in the offering plate and just feeling that incredible sense of obedience and joy in giving away that sweet dollar. TERRY MEEUWSEN: So did that understanding of tithing stay with you from the time you were very young, then all the way through to the time you married? Ellie Kay: Yes, it really has. I think of the scripture that says, “I am old, but I was young, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” And we’ve really claimed that. Even when we didn’t have enough money early in our marriage because of all that consumer debt to buy groceries, we still tithed. And we saw that God was faithful. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You say in your book that there is in all of our lives what could be called surprise money. What is that, and where do you find it? Ellie Kay: Well, yes. And what’s amazing about this is there are things you’re going to spend money on anyway, whether you’re going to buy things at the grocery store, things you need at the mall, or utilities or your car. All of these things, there is a cheaper way to get just about everything, to pay less and still get quality. And so that’s the kind of thing that I focus on to really help families just look at where they can cut back and not sacrifice an awful lot. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Are you a couponer? Ellie Kay: I have been, yes. Twenty-two years ago is when I started couponing, and I became a master of it. And ever since then, it’s been great, because I’ve saved our family over 8,000 dollars a year just by doing that. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Wow. Is that right? Well, I told our audience earlier that we could save as much as 4,000 dollars by spending 45. Tell us about that. Ellie Kay: There is a great resource called entertainment.com. And that’s a coupon booklet. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM So you go to the web site. You enter your zip code, and you can buy a coupon booklet from anywhere from 35 to 45 dollars. And in that booklet, it’s going to have everything from saving money on hotels and oil changes and dry cleaning, eating out, sporting events, practically everything in your area. And you can spend 45 dollars or so to buy that, and you can save thousands and thousands of dollars. Some of the books can save you 18,000. But even if you save just a portion of it by maximizing and using those coupons, it can help a lot. And furthermore, if you travel a lot, buy an entertainment book for where you travel. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, how do you use your entertainment book? I’m asking you this, because—and I’ll bet this has happened to some of you—I’ve bought those books, and then I just forget that I have it. How do you utilize it in a way that’s really effective and that causes you to be consistent? Ellie Kay: Well, one of the things that I do is when I go to plan my day or plan my week, and you put things in your palm pilot or whatever, if you just look through that coupon booklet, and you say, “Okay, I’m going to go to the dry cleaners. Oh, let me make a note here.” And I just keep it with me either in the car or in my purse. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Oh, that’s a good idea. Ellie Kay: And then I always have it on hand. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You say that you have three ten-minute tips that can save us 300 dollars. What is that about? Ellie Kay: Yes. And this is great. My son just did a lot of these tips, and he saved the money, too. So the first thing to do is . . . . TERRY MEEUWSEN: It runs in the family. Ellie Kay: Yes, it does. You can reevaluate your automobile insurance. And 25 percent of people never, ever even just consider checking their automobile insurance. And then only another 25 percent actually follow through and do it. The other 50 percent or so, they actually think about it, but they don’t actually do it. So it’s very important to follow through. So you can go to a place like progressive.com or some kind of a research site that will show you the prices for different policies that are out there and get the very best price. Then I recommend that you take that price back to your existing provider, and you say, “Can you match this price before I switch?” And a lot of times, that can save you around 300 to 350 dollars. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, you also talk about how we can save more at the grocery store, which is something everybody needs to do. Ellie Kay: Yes, it really adds up that you can save a lot of money. Now, you layer the savings at the grocery store. So, yes, you buy things on sale. That’s kind of the basic level. But you use a coupon, and people understand about using coupons as well. Now, there is a difference, however, between—this is a manufacturer’s coupon—between a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon. So when you’re using the manufacturer’s coupon like this, this is issued by the manufacturer, reimbursed by the manufacturer, whereas a store coupon is issued by the store and reimbursed by the store’s advertising department. So you can actually combine these two coupons. TERRY MEEUWSEN: You can combine them? Ellie Kay: Yes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Because sometimes they’ll say, “This coupon cannot be used with any other . . . .” Ellie Kay: Right. But it usually cannot be used in conjunction with any other manufacturer’s offer. TERRY MEEUWSEN: I see. Ellie Kay: Not the store coupon, because there are different funding sources. So, if you see, by combining these two coupons, I got that Dawn dishwashing soap for only 75 cents, because you’re combining and you’re layering the coupons by doing it that way. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Can I ask you to really fast tell us about improving credit scores, because everybody knows we need to do this. But you’ve got some simple steps that we can follow to do that. Ellie Kay: Yes. With the credit card reform act that has gone into place last week, the first parts of it, you really have to watch your credit, because your credit scores, your FICO scores are going to be impacted. So the number one thing that you can do is pay a day early rather than a day late. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That makes a difference? Ellie Kay: Yes, it makes a huge difference. So set it automatically. Go to all your credit cards online. Set it up automatically to where you’re always paying on time. Number two is that you pay more than the minimum. So let’s say you have a minimum payment for that card of 40 dollars, pay 45. Even just a little bit more will show up that you’re paying down that debt that will up your FICO score. And then the third thing is to pay attention to your proportionality. So what that basically means is let’s say you have a 5,000 dollar credit limit, you want to have no more than 2,500 dollars charged on that one card. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM TERRY MEEUWSEN: So about half of what’s available to you. Ellie Kay: Yes. And one of the real critical things that’s in the news right now is the fact that they’re reducing credit limits, because of the credit card reform act. And so if you find that your limit has been reduced from like 10,000 to 5,000, you need to call that credit card company right away. Tell them you’re a good customer, you’ve paid on time, all your rationale, and get them to put that credit limit back up where it was before, because that will really negatively impact your credit score. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Okay. So don’t be afraid to call and talk to them. I want to mention that Ellie’s latest book is called The Little Book of Big Savings. And it is. It’s available nationwide. If you’d like more information on any of the web sites Ellie mentioned today, you can log on to CBN.com and we’ll share that information with you. Thank you so much. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM Ellie Kay: Thank you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Timely advice that affects all of us. Great to have you with us. Well, still ahead, we’ve got your e-mail questions on money. Fiona says, “Do you think it’s a good idea to temporarily stop contributing to my 401K to pay off my car loan?” TERRY MEEUWSEN: We’ll answer Fiona’s question and more when we Bring It On. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5: FREESCORE.COM Ben Stein (Economist and Financial Writer): Think about it. If you’re buried up to your neck in debt, it can feel like creditors are trying to whack you on the head. Ouch. Whether you’re in a financial hole or just want to get a loan, a better interest rate or a new job, you’re at the mercy of your credit score. Look, you can’t fix errors on your credit report if you haven’t seen it. That’s why I went to freescore.com and found out my score for free. I’m practically giddy with excitement. Freescore.com gives me unlimited access to the three major credit reports and scores. Freescore.com even sends me an alert when there is any change to my credit report. Remember, knowing your credit score could be the difference between being down there and being up here. Get your credit score today at freescore.com. Squirrel: Life costs more without Free Score. Ben Stein: Freescore.com. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: As a retiree, Nettie Graves doesn’t earn much on her fixed income, but that hasn’t stopped her from helping people who have even less than she does. NETTIE GRAVES TIM BRANSON: A few years ago The 700 Club showed a story about children at an urban school who couldn’t afford athletic shoes. Operation Blessing offered to help. In Richmond, Virginia, Nettie Graves was watching, and her heart was touched. Nettie Graves: One morning I was watching The 700 Club, and I saw Terry. She had a bus getting ready to take some children to have their feet fitted for tennis shoes. TIM BRANSON: Ministries like CBN and Operation Blessing that reach out to children really touched Nettie’s heart. After all, she’s a mom, a grandmother and now a great-grandmother. Nettie Graves: When those kids put those shoes on, and oh, my goodness, I see they were running like my kids did when they were little, but these were teenage boys. And I was so proud to have been a part of it, to see what CBN used the money for. TIM BRANSON: Since that first call, Nettie has become a faithful CBN partner. And even though she lives on a fixed income, she has increased her financial support to CBN over the years. Nettie Graves: I started out supporting CBN with five or ten dollars. Well, I see certain things that made me want to be a partner to help more. A cup of coffee a day would be 20 dollars a month. I said, “Well, maybe I can swing that.” TIM BRANSON: Nettie loves praying with CBN prayer counselors for herself and for friends and family. Nettie Graves: Well, I’ve benefited from the prayer counseling just to know that it’s there for other people. They can call in and give a request that God will touch them. TIM BRANSON: Nettie urges others to pledge their support to CBN and help share the Gospel worldwide. Nettie Graves: That’s a wonderful program to support, because I believe in that ministry. CBN is concerned about how we feel, about us being saved, about us being healed. It’s wonderful to know that people care. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Yes. Thank you. If you’re a member of The 700 Club, thank you. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM Thank you for all that you do. A portion of every gift goes into the work of Operation Blessing. Another portion goes into the work of CBN WorldReach to preach the Gospel around the world. If you want to make a difference in your generation, join with us. You join with tens of thousands of other people that want to make a difference in the world today. If that’s you, call us. How much is it to be a member? Well, it’s just 20 dollars a month, 65 cents a day. When you call, we encourage you to join Pledge Express. GRAPHIC: FREE WITH PLEDGE EXPRESS 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM It’s automatic monthly giving. We save so much on the transaction costs we’re able to send as our gift back to you “Power for Life” monthly teaching CDs, so if you want that, call. Ask for Pledge Express: 1-800-759-0700. Or you can log on to CBN.com. You’ll find a way to join there. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BRING IT ON GORDON ROBERTSON: We’ve got time for some e-mail. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Money Monday e-mail. And this is from Fiona, who says, “Do you think it’s a good idea to temporarily stop contributing to my 401K, thereby losing my company’s matching funds, and instead use that money to pay off my car loan? Once the car loan is paid off, I would resume the 401K.” GORDON ROBERTSON: Fiona, always take the matching fund on a company 401K. If your company is still doing it—a lot of companies have stopped the practice as sort of an easy way to cut costs, but if your company is still doing it, it’s like an automatic bonus from your work. And it will accrue investment returns over time, assuming you allocate properly. And by the time you retire, you’re really going to enjoy the decision that you’ve made to take that money and put it in a 401K. Let your car get paid off in the normal course, but continue to take the matching fund. It is an automatic bonus. TERRY MEEUWSEN: This is from Dedra, who says, “I’m looking for a job, and I’m wondering if online networks are useful for finding a new job? Or do you think it’s better to get out there and meet people in person?” GORDON ROBERTSON: Dedra, do both. Online networks are really thriving these days for job placement. There are a bunch of them out there, whether it’s Monster or Linked In or any of that. I would advise you before you get into that, make sure your online persona is cleaned up. Don’t have whacky pictures on Facebook and all that kind of thing, because the employers are really looking through everything about perspective employees. And so you want everything in your online to look professional. But yes, do both. Certainly personal networks these days, the employment situation, use whatever is available. And most of all, pray and ask God to open the doors for you and to give you favor. He is an incredible source. And use Him. But use the others as well. TERRY MEEUWSEN: This is Byron, who says, “My wife and I are in the process of choosing life insurance. We’re researching whole life and term insurance. Whole is expensive, but seems to build cash value, while term is less expensive, but doesn’t have any value after the term expires. What would you suggest?” GORDON ROBERTSON: Byron, this a really easy one. Whole life is not the way to go. You’re not buying an investment. You’re buying insurance. And term is always cheaper for the insurance. And then take the difference between what the whole life would cost and the term, and invest that and put that way and let that accumulate. There is a reason the insurance companies offer the other product. They make more money on it. And so instead of letting the insurance company make the money, you make the money and put it away. And you’ll find that it will accumulate. You just have to be faithful, and that’s one of the things that we always have trouble with. If it’s not a bill, we’re not faithful. We don’t pay ourselves. Live by that 80-10-10 rule. Live on 80 percent. Give ten percent to the Lord. And pay yourself. Pay yourself ten percent. We leave you with these words from Acts 20, . . . . GRAPHIC: Acts 20:35 “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than receive.’” (NKJV) . . . . “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” God bless you. We’ll see you again. GRAPHIC: COPYRIGHT 2009 CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DISCLAIMER: MONEY MONDAY GRAPHIC: 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 invest- ment, security or strategy, or any other product or service, is appropri- ate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. Seek the advice of a qualified secure- ties professional before making any investment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END SPOT: PLEDGE EXPRESS Announcer: While Mary feeds her two young daughters, she also helps feed needy families around the world. While Bob hands a drink out to a co-worker, he helps give water to villages with new wells. And while Carl builds a house for his son’s new puppy, he helps rebuild homes in disaster areas. TERRY MEEUWSEN: These people all have something in common. They’re CBN partners who have joined Pledge Express. It’s easy to sign up. Just give us a call, log on to CBN.com or return the Pledge Express form you receive in the mail. Then each month, we’ll send you “Power for Life,” and you’ll receive this powerful CD called Overcoming Stress. So join us and change the world for someone today.