The 700 Club - August 29, 2011

It was essentially the storm of the century. Two amazing survival stories. The current just kept getting stronger and kept rising. First, a family is stranded after a freak flood. I had to tell her one last time that I loved her if we didn't make it. And then, a tornado sucks an eight-year-old boy right out of his bedroom. I see RJ moving and walls go right behind him. Their fight against the elements. That's the point I thought, "I'm going to die." On today's 700 Club. Well, welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this edition of The 700 Club. I'm sure I'll make people mad, but the hurricane was boring. Yes, it was boring unless your house was one of the houses that was hit. The makeup lady . . . . I know. Do you know what happened to her? I do. She got her cars away from pine trees. She didn't know that this huge oak at the end of her property was going to fall. Was about to go, yes. It fell upon the house. It fell upon her car. Well, here in our area, we had a little boy in bed with his mom, inches away from each other. The tree fell on the corner of their house, killed him, and she walked away with a scratch on her leg. Unbelievable. Well, anyhow . . . . So it wasn't as powerful. I know what you're saying. When Isabelle came through, much more damage, it seemed anyway. It's kind of fun when things are shaking and you . . . . And you feel the power of creation. Yes. It's kind of fun. It's not fun when you look at the damage. It's not fun when it's damage. Right. About a billion dollars on this one, for those in New York and New Jersey, particularly. It really was a sad time, because the flood has been horrible. It really has been. We can thank God that it wasn't any worse than it was. Absolutely. And now people are dealing with the aftermath of what we're talking about. Irene includes the loss of power for millions, heavy flooding for many, many others. Paul Strand has the story. A cruel end to Irene. The worst part actually came after the hurricane was gone. Its heavy rains filled waterways too full to contain anymore moisture, and flooding roared out of the riverbanks in various parts of the East Coast. I've never, never seen anything like it. And it's far from over. In fact, in the already saturated Northeast, people are going to have to be worrying about rising floodwaters for days. That has authorities warning weary citizens to not let their guard down yet. Many wanted to after it turned out Hurricane Irene's immediate punch wasn't near as bad in most places as expected. North Carolina was pounded with rain, but its Outer Banks did not suffer serious destruction. The Norfolk/Virginia Beach area of Virginia did see some neighborhoods flooded and homes destroyed, but blessedly few. It was a harder hit for Maryland, and especially Delaware, deluged with some 16 inches of rain and some of its homes torn apart by tornadoes. But the big story is the flooding now. Some did come from the ocean, like here in Connecticut. Our stairs are floating. Cement stairs are floating in the water. You could see waves crashing into people's windows and their curtains coming out. Most, though, is coming from rains falling inside states, turning their creeks, streams, and rivers into rushing torrents. It has flooded towns and communities all over the Northeast. I think it's one of the craziest things I've seen for living in Greenfield for my whole life. It has put many people in danger, leading to dramatic rescues. We didn't realize the current was as strong as it was. Basically as we were coming up, we realized, wow, it's getting really strong. Hours after the eye of Irene passed by, bridges like this one on the Chesapeake Bay were still closed, in this case because of high winds. But most of the dangers from a hurricane actually occur after it's gone: floodwaters, surges, downed power lines that are still active, trees that still come down. In fact, most of the deaths that occur because of a hurricane happen after its gone. So the unfortunate truth is deadly Irene, though now gone, may still claim more lives even after it has passed by. Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington. Amazing. There are about 700,000 people in the Virginia area that are still without power. I don't how many it is further up in New York. Well, Vermont right now is under siege, I understand, as far as flooding is concerned. Some of the worst in its history. Ladies and gentlemen, the word is don't grab hold of a branch that's near a power line. Don't take hold of anything that's hanging off a telephone pole or a power line. They can be very deadly, and they can kill you. So it's very important that you exercise caution. I have a generator, and what a blessing it is to have a generator! If you can afford it, I would certainly recommend people get a generator at your house, because the power company hasn't got enough lines to keep things going if the trees are falling on them. If you have a generator, it can keep your perishables cold and your lights on and things like that to make life a little bit livable. But it's an extremely good investment. I don't think dollar for dollar there's a better bargain than a good generator. They don't cost that much, and it's an important thing to have. So I thank God. We still, at least back where I live—are we on a generator here in the studio? Yes, we're on generator as we speak, actually. Yes, the studio is on generator with all these pretty lights and everything, because we don't have power here at CBN. Something blew. Some transformer blew. So, anyhow, generators. Hallelujah! Lee Webb. Well, Pat, people along the middle Atlantic coast and the upper east coast have begun the clean up after Hurricane Irene. The storm made landfall on the North Carolina Outer Banks, as Paul mentioned earlier, Saturday. Then it moved along up to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area. We have two reports from CBN News, beginning now with George Thomas. And he tells us the people of the Outer Banks are responding to Irene with hard work and faith. Morning on the Outer Banks. The waves are calm, the wind a gentle breeze. Christians give thanks for God's mercy and protection. I was reminded of that song that how much God loves. It said He loves like a hurricane. I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His love and mercy. Now members of this church are ready to show God's kindness to those in need. We're going to knock on all our neighbors' doors. It's just the right thing to do. Twenty-four hours after the storm, some communities here still need help. We're going to find ways to get meals down to Hatteras Island, because they've been cut off by the waters and so forth. Meanwhile, the rush to restore power to everyone on the island continues. (Interviewing): Give me an assessment of the kind of damage that you've seen so far. Just broken cross arms, broken poles. Inland flooding caused the greatest damage around here. It was no more than 15 minutes. It was up here all up the road. Irene's hurricane winds and massive waves punished the region for hours, the slow-moving storm taking more than a day to pass over the Outer Banks. And this is it. After 15 hours of near constant rain and howling winds, the height of Hurricane Irene reaches the shores of Kittyhawk. While Irene did a lot of damage, it was not as bad as forecasters predicted. And that's good news for Dave Karvala and countless Outer Bankers who are cleaning up and saying a prayer of gratitude. At the end of the day we know that God's in control when it was a category three and they were saying, "Oh, it could strengthen," we were still going, "You know what, God, please watch over us." George Thomas, CBN News, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This is Heather Sells reporting in Virginia Beach. Irene took the lives of four people in this state, including eleven year old boy killed when a tree crashed into his home. Hundreds of thousands are still without power, all thanks to Irene's incredible wind and water. (Virginia Beach): Right now, it's close to the brunt of the storm in Virginia Beach. The waves are coming in close to the famous Virginia Beach boardwalk, and the winds are roughly 40 to 50 miles an hour. The winds eventually topped 60 miles an hour, making the Atlantic Ocean look like a boiling cauldron and snapping trees both young and old. The strong gusts also took the downtown Virginia Beach Ferris wheel for a ride. But with the sunrise on Sunday came peace, relief from both winds and rain, an answer to prayer for many like Pastor Ken Gerry, who had prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. God intervened with this. We were just praying that the storm would disorganize, dissipate. Authorities in southeastern Virginia did order some neighborhoods to evacuate, like this one here in Norfolk. But Irene has brought only minimal flooding to these areas and minor damage. Operation Blessing spent part of the morning removing the tree that fell on this car. Across the region, more downed trees and storm debris. But despite this, relief on the part of many who had prepared for extensive damage. With Operation Blessing, what we do is we pray and we believe and we hope for the best, but we plan for the worst. So for us, it's prayers answered. For Virginia Beach tourists, it's now back to business. Their fun in the sand and surf is already making it hard to believe that Irene was just here. Reporting in Virginia Beach, Heather Sells, CBN News. Thanks, Heather. And, by the way, Operation Blessing is hard at work. We have mobile feeding kitchens that go out when people don't have electricity for cooking. We've been setting up feeding stations, helping people get debris off their houses and so forth. So if you to help: Disaster Relief Fund for CBN Center. That's the way you write it. For Operation Blessing Disaster Relief Fund. And this won't be the last one. They called me and they said a tornado was on the way. So we had, in the middle of that thing, was a potential tornado. It didn't hit, thank goodness. Well, they're saying, some of houses down at Sand Bridge, which a beach area not too far from here, there was some kind of tornado there that absolutely decimated one house. I came down to Florida, the Homestead area, right after Andrew, Hurricane Andrew. Winds exceeded 210 miles an hour. And inside the hurricane were tornadoes with this hideous—the roof of a church was taken off. It was just block after block after block of devastation. You haven't seen anything like it. So we can thank God that this one was so much more benign than the other. But I was in Hugo in Charleston, and, of course, Katrina, we spent a lot of time and effort. But Operation Blessing is there to help people as best as we're able with food, with water, with shelter, with all the things that are needed in that time of emergency. Well, let's switch to finances and the happy people over in Asia. That's right, Pat. The high price of gold isn't stopping people in China from buying more. Reuters found that sales in Shanghai stores are still solid, and August is usually a slow month for Chinese jewelers. One store manager says the recent surge in prices has sparked another gold buying craze, and she says some gold bars are, quote, "selling like hotcakes." Chinese consumers are expected to overtake people in India as the top buyers of gold in the world. And China's middle class is growing rapidly. That could signal higher gold prices in the years ahead, Pat. Well, Lee, the Chinese have always honored gold. I remember being in Singapore some years ago, and they were then selling 24 karat gold chains, and they had a bulletin board with the prices. They would weigh the gold out. You could get a ladies chain or something and pay almost nothing for the work, and the rest of it was strictly the world price of gold. But the Chinese have always thought of gold as a store of value, because they've had so many revolutions, so many warlords, so many opportunities or times when they had to flee their homes or their villages, and they can always take that gold with them. So that mentality still exists, and they're going to be big buyers, because they've got a lot of money over there now. Lee. Pat, more than 3,000 children in Indiana are changing schools thanks to Indiana's new voucher program. The vouchers give middle and lower class families the option to use public school funds to help pay for a private school education. Now thousands of students are transferring and bringing new life to many small Catholic schools that were on the brink of closing their doors. Opponents say the new law violates the separation of church and state. But supporters say this is the way our education system ought to work, parents deciding where their tax dollars are spent rather than the government. Pat. Competition is the American way. Competition is the American way. Monopoly should not be the American way. We have anti-monopoly laws about business, and yet we have an educational monopoly that has locked people in some hideous inner city schools, like in Washington, Chicago, and so forth. I think well over 50 percent of the primary teachers in Chicago would not send their own children to the public schools, because they know what's going on. And so why shouldn't we give parents an opportunity to decide? Absolutely. That's freedom. And with competition, if the public schools aren't providing a service, then let them go out of business, just like regular business. If you can't meet the competition, that's tough luck. That's free enterprise. And the ones that are providing the best service will have the most customers. Tell that to McDonald's. Tell it to Burger King. Tell it to these other companies. Right. Right. Tell it to Wal-Mart. But why not? But the teacher's union is screaming, "Oh, we're draining money from the public school system." Not really. Not really at all, actually. It gets excellence. Well, it's excellence. And if the school system will then say, "Okay, we've got to compete. Let's raise the standards," hey, good for them. Well, Lee, something dear to my heart you're going to tell us about, and then I have a little show and tell. All right, Pat. Can eating chocolate prevent heart disease? There is more evidence that says yes. Researchers have found that eating chocolate can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by one-third and may even help prevent a stroke, scientists saying the darker the chocolate the better. Chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa has the most benefits. But they say this is not an excuse to gorge on chocolate. Moderation is the key. And, Pat, I think I've heard you say you think that something over 70 percent in cocoa is better, right? Lee, I've got it right here in my hand. You can get it to 85 percent, but it gets kind of rank. There's an endorsement. Yes. But this 72 percent, I'm going to give you a little hunk of it. I buy it by the case. This is so good. Are you serious? Yes. It brings your blood pressure down. It helps your heart. It keeps your—I'm going for 100 now. I've got only 19 more years to go. And this is not bitter? I'm going to give you some right now, darling. And you're going to taste it, and you're going to be nice. And I will be honest, can I just tell you, Hershey lovers. And Sandy is over there. But I buy these things by the case. You eat a few squares of it, and just a little hunk like that. And here's a little hunk for you. Now, be truthful. Sandy, come over. Here you go. Here's our producer, and she's going to have some, too. Be honest. Sandy: I'll be honest. You'll be honest. All right. Delicious. It's not bad. Delicious. It's not bad. Not bad. For those of you who like dark chocolate, it's really . . . . Not whether you like dark chocolate. This is good for you. No, it's excellent, really. It's not milk chocolate, let me just say that. Well, milk chocolate doesn't cut it. The milk chocolate . . . . Well, now, wait a minute, I just want to say this copy said . . . . It's wrong. Wait a minute. Whatever it is, it's . . . . The dark chocolate is better. It doesn't mean it's the only option, but it's better. No, it's the only option, because the other doesn't have enough—it's got a lot of sugar and milk in it. You can get this stuff up to 85 percent. It gets more and more bitter. That has mint in it. It's actually very good. Yes, it's got mint. And you get it with little fruit nibs and things in it. But I get it at the Vitamin Shoppe, and by the case. By the case. Who knew? My blood pressure is just fantastic. Good. That's excellent. So, that's the endorsement. And the Vitamin Shoppe will suddenly have people trooping to it to buy cases of chocolate. All right. What's next? Well, up next, a class in Jihad 101. I'm a Jew. The head of Hezbollah has said that he hopes that we will gather in Israel, so he doesn't have to hunt us down globally. For or against it? For it. See why colleges have become a recruiting hotbed for terrorists. That's next. Coming up later . . . . It was essentially the storm of the century. A freak flood . . . . The current just kept getting stronger and kept rising. . . . . and a stranded family. I knew I had to tell her one last time that I loved her if we didn't make it. Their fight against the elements. He disappeared right before my very eyes. And the battle to save their lives. That's the point I thought, "I'm going to die." Tomorrow . . . . . . . . back from the battlefield, America's vets embark on their next challenge. Show them that they have abilities to live life and not look at the disability. To the summit of a mountain and the adventure of their lives. Plus . . . . . . . . she was a college girl by day and a stripper by night. The very first night I danced, I made about 1,500 dollars. Tomorrow on The 700 Club. Anwar al-Awlaki is head of the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda. He is grooming for possibly the number two or three spot in that organization. Where did he get his start? He was head of one of the college branches of what's called the Muslim Student's Association, and it's one of the largest Islamic organizations in America. It has chapters on hundreds of college campuses. Its alumni include doctors, lawyers, engineers. And as Erick Stakelbeck reports, the gentleman I was just talking about: Many Muslim and liberal groups complained about congressional hearings on homegrown Islamic radicalism, yet American-born Muslims are behind a growing number of terror plots, a trend Attorney General Eric Holder has said keeps him up at night. Many of these homegrown jihadists once belonged to the Muslim Students Association, a group with thousands of members on college campuses throughout the US and Canada. The MSA bills itself as a resource and support group, a place where Muslim students can network and help grow the association. Terrorism expert Patrick Poole, however, says his investigation of the MSA shows it's being used for another purpose. The Muslim Students Association has been a virtual terror factory. Time after time after time again, we see these terrorists, and not just fringe members. These are MSA leaders, MSA presidents, MSA national presidents, who have been implicated, charged, and convicted in terrorism plots. The roll call includes Anwar al-Awlaki, the al Qaeda cleric linked to terror plots from Fort Hood to Times Square and beyond. Awlaki, now a target for assassination by the US government, was president of the MSA at Colorado State University in the mid-1990s. Then there is Ramy Zamzam. Before his conviction in Pakistan last year for attempting to join the Taliban and kill American troops, Zamzam was president of the MSA's Washington, DC council. Omar Hammami, a leader of the al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia, is another MSA alum. He was once president of the group's chapter at the University of South Alabama. And the list goes on. Abdurahman Alamoudi was national president back in the '80s, was al Qaeda's top fundraiser in America and is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence. The MSA has long been present on college campuses from coast to coast, places like George Washington University here in the nation's capital. So how does this supposedly mainstream organization get labeled by the NYPD has an incubator for Islamic radicalism? One former FBI Special Agent told us it can be traced back to the MSA's roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, a global jihadist movement that seeks to establish Islamic Sharia law in America and around the world. The MSA serves as a recruitment tool to bring Muslims into the Brotherhood, which was its original purpose. John Guandolo worked on several major terrorism cases for the FBI. He calls the MSA the focal point for the Muslim Brotherhood in America. Their goal, both from their senior leaders, presidents of MSA's around the country, national leadership, is to implement Islamic government here in the United States. And they say that. Founded in 1963 at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, the MSA quickly spread to other campuses in the Midwest. There were really three leaders, three Iraqi guys: Jamal Barzinji, Ahmed Totonji, and Hisam Altalib, who really set it up, who are known, identified Muslim Brotherhood leaders. And from there, MSA became kind of the mother ship of all the Muslim Brotherhood front groups. In 2004, the FBI uncovered an internal Muslim Brotherhood document in which a leader identified the MSA as one of, quote, "our organizations and the organizations of our friends." Part of the MSA's on-campus strategy is to aggressively confront pro-Israel speakers. The Muslim Students Union at the University of California-Irvine, an MSA affiliate, was suspended by the school after members repeatedly heckled Israel's ambassador to the US during a speech last year. Another MSA member endorsed genocide against Jews during an exchange with conservative commentator David Horowitz. I am a Jew. The head of Hezbollah has said that he hopes that we will gather in Israel, so he doesn't have to hunt us down globally. For it or against it? For it. Thank you. Thank you for coming and showing everybody what's here. The MSA's national body did not respond to CBN 's request for comment on this story and the organization has not officially addressed the pattern of terrorism arrests involving its former members. Erick Stakelbeck, CBN News, Washington. The idealism of young people at that age, they want a cause. They're excited about being able to give themselves to what they consider a noble cause. It's so easy to recruit them and then train them in this hideous ideology of destruction and death and suicide. To think that it's happening, and it's as strong as you see; and then the fruit of it are people like Anwar al-Awlaki and others who are leaders now in the global jihad, killing our troops, killing our people, and preparing, if need be, to destroy the government and the freedoms upon which we depend. It's serious. So we're not just being alarmists. This is serious; and it's not just, quote, "anti-religious bigotry." This is an overt operation set up to recruit people to be terrorists. Terry. Well, up next, the tornado that sucked an eight-year-old boy right out of his bedroom. As he reached for RJ, the wind came and just took—the whole house blew. In an instant, I see RJ move, and the walls go right behind him. Hear how he walked out of the storm, after this. 2011 has been called the year of the tornado. More than 1,000 tornadoes have killed more than 500 people. Eight-year-old RJ Eppes should have been one of them, after he was sucked out of his bedroom. I could see my 8-year-old getting up from the top bunk and right when he's getting up and I'm getting ready to grab him, the shearing comes in so quick, and so in an instant I see R.J. move and the walls go right behind him. On Aril 27, 2011, a fierce tornado sucked 8-year-old Reginald Eppes, Jr., out of his bedroom. His parents Reginald Sr. and Danielle remember the desperate prayers they prayed as their lives unraveled in the furious winds. That storm was part of a violent tornado outbreak across the South that left some 350 people dead and entire communities in ruins. In the town of Cottondale, Alabama, the Eppes' quiet neighborhood was caught off guard just after 5a.m. I noticed that the wind was kind of strong but I didn't think much about it. She says 'Baby, do you want get the boys up?' I said, 'Uh…' Before I could finish that statement, the lights went out, the winds started going, the windows blew. So I went to grab Joel my younger son. Reginald grabbed James Peter and went to grab R.J. As he reached for R.J., the wind came and the whole house blew. The violent tornado ripped through the neighborhood, shredding houses in its path. It completely tore the Eppes' home off its foundation right here, taking little R.J. with it. I didn't have time to be fearful, my concern was: my 8-year-old is gone and ok, what do I have? I have my 6-year-old. I just remember I was praying over him and I just said, "Daddy's got you, don't worry. I'm not going to let you go, buddy." We were just kneeling there calling out to God for Him to protect us. I had to absolutely rely on God and trust that He was going to protect my son. The winds died down….and within seconds, Reginald and Danielle say they witnessed a miracle. When it was all over, I called for RJ twice. "R.J.! R.J.!" The lightning struck and I could see his silhouette that he was walking back to us. R.J. had only minor cuts, and a few bumps and bruises. I did have a sense of relief when I saw RJ walking back to me because I knew because he was walking, that he was fine. There's no words can tell you how I felt, because I was just happy. I saw a log float past me so I actually knew that I was in the air. I woke up when I was about to float down. I'm not sure how far the wind carried him but I know that he walked back to me. Very few of my possessions are still whole, and yet my 52-pound son is completely fine except for a couple of scrapes that were on his back. Reginald Sr. was treated for three broken ribs and a collapsed lung, injuries he sustained when he was hit by a flying appliance during the tornado. That's pretty astounding because if you look at it, there was too much debris. It was just too much devastation only to have such minor injuries. Reginald has since returned to work as a firefighter. Even now amid the debris and splintered memories, the Eppes have hope for their family's future. Soon you'll be rebuilding your dream house. Building our dream house that's right. I see those smiles! Yes. Will it be bigger? Yes! I'm standing on these grounds and we get to start over. We get to open the book, flip the page and start stroking the pen on a new life. For Reginald and Danielle, the miraculous survival of their son R.J. and their entire family has only strengthened their faith in Jesus. Our faith that we have as a family, you know that's what sustains us through our whole ordeal. I think that's what allowed us to see that when you lose everything you lose nothing at all, because He's the one that sustains us and keeps us together. You can buy a house, you can buy clothes and cars. But you can't buy your children and your wife—the things that actually mean something. Jesus carried us all. It's a miracle that all our lives were spared and we were all safe. It's an absolute miracle! I think it illustrates His love for us, His divine protection and His care. Instead of getting thrown to the other side of my neighbors' house I was right beside my parents. It's a miracle that I was alive. Boy, that is a miraculous story, Only Jesus can take a storm and give you a new beginning out of it. What a story. That's right. That's amazing. Well, last summer, a major storm tore through the city of Nashville, Tennessee leaving a billion dollars of damage in its wake. For the Coury family, that storm cost them their car and almost their lives. This is their incredible story of survival. On May 1st, 2010 the citizens of Nashville, Tennessee, brace themselves for historic flooding. It was essentially the storm of the century. Joe and Colleen checked their pantry and realized they had very little food and were prepared for the storm. They thought they could outrun the storm so they rushed to a nearby grocery store with their son Clay. Went shopping. Took about a half an hour, and on the way back we encountered about 10 to 15 inches of water. The water surrounding their car surged from 10 inches to almost 3 feet in a matter of seconds. The road still hadn't been closed as we were crossing in our Chevy Trailblazer; it was an immediate surge of water. At that point I rolled the window down and I told my wife and my son to get out, and get on the hood. I pulled them out and I got on the hood myself. I knew I had time to use my cell phone one time, and to make one call. I am my mother's only child, and I knew I had to tell her one last time that I loved her, if we didn't make it. So my mother said when she got the call from me, that she immediately called people in our church. They started a prayer chain. Our minister. And she said, "All I thought of was the power of prayer. A second surge of water slammed the vehicle. That second surge through me against the vehicle. I looked at my wife, and my son, and I said, "I love you. Stay with the vehicle." I watched that water literally sucked him underwater, and he disappeared right before my very eyes, and as Clay, my 12 year old son and I were sitting on top of that Chevy Trailblazer, I remember in my mind thinking, "Oh my goodness, I've just become a widow at the age of 41." I didn't think there was any way Joe could survive that. My son was praying. He said the Lord's Prayer over, and over again. And the strength in his voice was unbelievable. I said a prayer on the hood of the car, and I kept on praying the whole time, because I knew if I prayed we have a better chance of getting out. At that point it was maybe a minute later that I heard my husband screaming our names. I turned to the right, and I saw just chose head, just above, in this brown awful swirling water. Joe had grabbed a tree and could see that the water would soon overtake the Trailblazer. The current just kept getting stronger, and kept rising. Looking at Joe's face, and seeing the fear in his face, but he kept looking at me and he kept saying, "You're going to be okay." He said, "I know that Clay and you aren't going to be able to hold on much longer." It was just like a suction pulled that vehicle, and it disappeared, and again that was a matter of maybe 2 seconds, and it was gone. Colleen and Clay jumped off the car. He had one chance to get me, to rescue me. He pulled me out of that water with one arm, and literally flew me, through me on this branch above his head, and that that split second I turned my head to check and see where my son was, and my son had disappeared. Clay was gone. All I could think of was that he was under that water. That's the point I thought, "I'm going to die." And then I looked out, and I saw him. His face was under the water, just under the surface of the water, and his hand was up, and I reached out, and I grabbed him, and threw him above me. After fighting the water for over an hour, the Coury family finally saw three EMS workers braving the water, and coming towards them in a rowboat. The water that day was rougher than any water I've ever seen. I've grown up on the water, and never have I seen water this rough. I just remember thinking, "Lord, please give them the strength and the abilities to get to us in this water." I remember Lt. Sam Clark told us, he said, "Look, we have one chance to make this work. We have seconds." He said, "This boat isn't going to last much longer." Joe, Colleen, and Clay, all caught their life jackets, and we're pulled into the boat with a dragline. After the rescue, 18 men on shore heaved the rowboat back in with a rope. I relive my son's voice saying the Lord's Prayer, over, and over again, as he was clinging onto those vines, and finding that water. Prayer is powerful, and whatever you're going through, doesn't matter what it is, God can help you go through it, as long as you ask for His help. God's hand was there. It was there with us that entire time. It's just an incredible feeling to experience that kind of love. Without a shadow of a doubt, God is there. Without a shadow of a doubt, he cares about his children. It was divine intervention at all points in time; and I can tell you, that day in that water, those prayers were answered. Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. And they were praying over and over and over again. Unbelievable. We want to pray for you. What story. We have another, an answer to prayer. Well, this will build your faith. Last July, Sue, who lives in Northwood, New Hampshire, felt a lump in her breast. She saw the doctor, was then scheduled for an ultrasound and mammogram. But the day before the test, she was home listening to this program, busy doing some other tasks around her house. She was about to turn off the television, and she heard you, Pat, give a word of knowledge: "There's a woman with a cyst on her breast, and God, at this moment, is taking that cyst, and it's going to be vanished completely, in the name of Jesus." She claimed the word for herself. The next day when the hospital ran the tests, they found absolutely nothing wrong with Sue. Folks, we don't know whether you're facing a flood, whether a flood of finances, a flood of grief, a flood of illness, or whether something is coming down the road. We're having an unusual group of emergencies. They keep saying 100 year floods and 100 year tornadoes, and 100 year this, that, and the other of freaky weather. But whatever comes, God Almighty is greater. So we want to pray. We want the pray for your protection. We want to pray for you to be delivered from whatever the problem is now. So Terry and I are going to join hands. We're going to believe God. "Father, Lord, we thank you for these answers to prayer. Thank you for that family in the flood, how you rescued them. Thank you for this woman who had seen that cyst taken away from her breast. Lord, thank you, God, for the many people who have been healed. Thank you, Jesus." There is somebody who has got vertigo, and it's been there with you for a few years. And God right now has said, "Enough. I am going to touch you, and your inner ear is completely healed. And you are going to be absolutely free from vertigo, in Jesus' name." Terry. Someone else, you have been injured by some shards of broken glass and you have actually severed some significant artery and muscle in your body. And God is healing that for you right now, completely. A ripped neck muscle. I think you're in a brace right now. And just reach up and touch that neck, in the name of Jesus. Healing is taking place in your life. Somebody else with scoliosis. God is just straightening that out in your spine right now. It's almost going to feel painful at first, but it's actually straightening. Right now, at the end of August, you're desperate for 5,000 dollars. And God says, "I have heard your prayer. I will supply. Just give Me praise." Now, Lord, all over this audience, whatever they're facing, whatever damage, whatever danger, whatever tragedy, Lord, let the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon them. Set them free, and may your power touch them in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Wherever you are, folks, God answers prayer. Give Him thanks. Give Him praise. Give Him worship. Wherever you are, praise and thank the Lord. It's 1-800-759-0700, by the way. We'll be glad to pray for you if you need further prayer. But we're here. We're a program of prayer and praise. Terry. Well, still ahead, a little girl loses her home and all her belongs. When I'm out here, it makes me feel sad, because it's just like gone. See how this girl, her siblings, and her single dad find hope and a brand new home. Welcome back to The 700 Club. Texas Governor Rick Perry is backing a federal constitutional amendment against gay marriage. The Republican presidential candidate has signed a pledge by the National Organization for Marriage. The pledge says if elected, Perry will support an amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman and will send that amendment to the states for ratification. Republican candidates Michelle Bachmann and Mitt Romney have also signed the pledge. CBN programming is touching lives across Indonesia. A recent survey of six major Indonesian cities indicates that more than 42 million people watched a CBN program last year. More than four million people who made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. CBN Programs are in three different languages throughout Indonesia. Some of those programs include Solusi, which translated means "solutions." And for teens, OneCubed TV. You can find out more than what CBN is doing around the world by logging on to our website on CBN.com/international. Pat and Terry will be back right after this. Well, last May, Nathan Powell and his family lost their home and belongings when a tornado went through Joplin, Mississippi. Nathan and his children were unharmed, and now their story of survival has become a story of hope and restoration. When a massive tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, Nathan Powell and his four children rode out the storm by huddling underneath the stairs. Looking at the new view from their second story apartment, it's hard to believe anyone survived. When I'm out here, it makes me feel sad, because it's just like gone. Nathan has dealt with major lung and heart problems for years, so even though they lost practically everything they own, they know what's really important. It's only stuff. The kids are here. For the time being, this single dad and his four kids are staying in a very small apartment. So this is where all of you guys are staying? There can only be two people on the top of the bed, so I had to sleep down at the bottom. Yes. It's a little bit crowded, but it works. With sisters Kimber, Kyler, and Kelsey in one room, Nathan kind of has a room by himself off the living room. Kind of a temporary bedroom, if you will. Bradley has it worst of all. This is where I stay. Wow, this is where I you're staying? Yes. This is where I currently sleep. Geez. Brad, man, this isn't even the size of a walk-in closet. I bet you're looking forward to having your own room, some day. Yes. Someday, hopefully soon. Yes. That would be nice. After the tornado, Nathan got a really good deal on a damaged house he wants to rebuild. But he's got to be careful. Even with the heart and lung problems, he's put in a lot of work at the house. I've worked every day, every hour that was available with every volunteer that's been at that house until the last week. Operation Blessing's Jodie Gettys told Nathan and the kids to give them a week to do what they could to help them out. Teams from Operation Blessing and Home Depot have been out at the house ever since. They found out Nathan and Brad are really into fish tanks, so they're making dad a special project. Fish is just something that we got into ever since my dad's heart surgery. I had a lot of blood pressure issues, and they actually suggested to get fish and watch them, because it brings your blood pressure down. It's a little something we can do, and we enjoy that. The volunteers started with opening up the floor plan to give this family of five space to spread out. The house needs a lot of work both inside and out, from replacing 30 windows to wiring, flooring, landscaping, and masonry. They even have to replace a bunch of stone that the tornado blew away, and the clock is ticking. So we came out with Jodie to take a look at the progress on the house, and it is unbelievable at how much work there is left to be done. People are working in every corner of the house, and there are piles of tools and materials everywhere, but nothing is completely finished yet. The family is coming home tomorrow, and that means tonight is going to be crazy. The crew worked overnight by flashlight and headlight, but by morning, there was still a lot left to do. But all that hard work was about to pay off. Just seeing the outside of the house, they knew a lot more had been accomplished than they'd ever imagined. Then they walked inside. Oh, my God. Dad, look at it. It was quite an overwhelming moment. I think it's kind of comparable to when these guys were born. Seriously. It was kind of a moment like that. With all the volunteer labor and a ton of donated or discounted supplies and furnishings, their house was completely renovated. Kelsey and Kyler made a beeline to their new room. It is awesome! Everything is just perfect in the bedrooms. And now we get to have sleepovers a lot with our friends. Now, when I walk in my room, I feel like a celebrity. It's awesome in my room. Dad, I think we can move in already. Close by, big sister Kimber has a room of her own. Look at it, Dad. You've even got a closet, honey. Look at the closet. Well, it was amazing to me, because it was actually all of my favorite colors, blue, black and white, and it was fully furnished. And I actually have a closet and a dresser now. They worked their way back and went through every inch of the house. I can't wait to eat breakfast here. Hey, Dad, look. Oh, wow, look at that. I think that one's the best. That was awesome. Yes, I was like, finally we got a big fish tank like we've always wanted. It was neat. It was just neat, because it was one of our dreams for the house, and it just happened, and that's really, really cool. After spending a few months sleeping in a closet, Bradley went down the hall and opened his door to his new bedroom. Dad, look at my room. Bradley also checked out his closet and was glad to see it wasn't a walk-in. I couldn't sleep in there, so I was so happy. So now actually, I have my clothes in there instead of a bed. Bradley's right across the hall from his dad, who finally might be able to get a little rest. And now he has an actually bedroom to hang out in and get some alone time from us. I don't know when it will sink in. It will probably be years before I can actually sit back and go, "Wow, look at what happened." When I'm sitting here in this home, I think to myself how many people it took that were all led by God to get to this point, because that is really refreshing in this world. It's so cool that God's still willing to teach us and show us that He provides. He provides. An amazing story of a wonderful family who found a home, and you made that happen. You helped make that happen. Taking the message of God's love and the ability we all have to trust Him and to know Him to the world is something that 700 Club members are a part of doing. We want to invite you to be a part of that. If you're not a 700 Club member, you can join with the rest of us today. It's just 65 cents a day, 20 dollars a month, and it makes you a world changer. So go to your phone. Call that toll free number. It's 1-800-759-0700. Just say, "I want to join the 700 Club." When you do, our way of saying thank you for caring about others is to send you this DVD. It's wonderful. Life Beyond the Grave. These are real life accounts of people like you and me who have had death experiences. Some experienced Heaven. Others experienced Hell. You want to hear what they have to say from their first-hand account, so call right now. Join the 700 Club, and when you do, we'll get Life Beyond the Grave right out to you. And we've got some questions for you. We've been teaching about prophesy and end times all last week. That's right. What have you got? Signs of the Times was the name of the series. And this is a viewer who says, Joseph, who says, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been a student of prophesy for over 30 years. I've been very dismayed, since it seemed like I was the only Christian who knew how to read. Pat, you thought that today's program would upset most people. To the contrary, I was thrilled by it. There was not one line or statement with which I could disagree." So we want people to know that whole teaching, Signs of the Times is going to be available in October. That's right. So we'll keep you posted on that. Yes. Well, I'm thrilled about that. It was exciting for me to do it, and I'm glad. Some people I may have upset their cherished beliefs, but it's line for line just what Jesus said. What you know to be true. Amen. All right. We've got some "Bring It Online" questions for you today. Okay, let's go. This is Alice, who said, "What about the scriptures that say that Christ will return as a thief in the night, that the dead in Christ will rise, and then the living saints. How does this tie in with what you said last week about the tribulation?" Well, my thought is that takes place at the end. That is the end. He's coming back again, but He's not coming back a second and third time. He's coming back again. And so the dead in Christ will arise. Those of us who are alive at the time will be instantly transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and we will be caught up to be with the Lord. That's what the Bible says, at the end of time. So if there's a tribulation, that will take place prior to all that. That's what He says clearly. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, this is going to happen. So read it. All right. This is Melanie, who says, "My seven-year-old grandson asked me where does God come from. I was dumbfounded on how to answer this question. His parents don't believe in God. Help!" Well, that's a smart little boy, and he's asked a question that a lot of people have asked. Medieval people used to play with what they called "a cause," and there was a cause for everything. And then suddenly you've got an uncaused cause. Well, that doesn't answer the problem, but they thought they'd come a solution. But there's no solution. The solution is from everlasting unto to everlasting, thou art God. God does not tell us where He came from. It's just not there. He tells us how we're supposed to find Him, how we're supposed to find salvation, how we're supposed to live our lives in this world. But there's certain speculations about His origins. He just says everlasting unto everlasting, thou art God. And He's been there from the beginning until the end. Before there was a beginning, He was there. Do you think sometimes it's even presumptuous to think that we should be able to understand all of that this side of Heaven? Well, He has given us a mind, and there's nothing wrong to inquire, but the truth is, that's something that we just don't know. And I'm sorry. I would like to give you a nice, pat answer, but I haven't got one, because the Bible doesn't give it to me. Well, tomorrow, bestselling author David Cook takes us behind the scenes of the new movie 7 Days Of Utopia. Well, our friend Bob Duvall. And today we leave you with these words from Philippians, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." See you tomorrow. Bye, bye. 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.