The 700 Club: August 31, 2009

________________________________________ The 700 Club Daily Broadcast Monday, August 31, 2009 GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to The 700 Club. The California wildfires have covered the LA skyline with smoke and debris. The fires are now threatening thousands of homes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: The disaster also claimed the lives of two firefighters Sunday. Here is reporter Paul Strand. FIRES PAUL STRAND: When Jack Kenny pulled up to his house, this is what he saw. Jack Kenny: Oh, God. PAUL STRAND: The charred remains of what used to be his home burned completely to the ground. Jack Kenny (On phone): Our house is gone. Woman (On phone): Are you serious? Jack Kenny (On the phone): I'm standing right there, honey. Woman (On the phone): Are you looking at it? Jack Kenny (On the phone): I'm right at the corner house. The whole block is been leveled, our block. PAUL STRAND: The fire has rolled through more than 71 square miles of Los Angeles County, threatening some 12,000 homes. Man: This has been our backyard. We haven’t slept for like 48 hours. And they keep saying “lock you out?” and we’re like no. We’re like right in our backyard. And it’s not like unincorporated Los Angeles forest. This is like, people live here. Woman: Very close. We saw smoke up really high, and we were just praying that that’s all it was, so for several hours, from probably about noon until about three o’clock. PAUL STRAND: Firefighters are having a tough time trying to contain the fire near Mount Wilson which doubled in size on Sunday. They were hit again when the fire fight claimed two of their own. Mike Bryant (Los Angeles County Fire Department): Two of our firefighters were in a vehicle and went over the side. Both of them suffered fatality, life-ending injuries. PAUL STRAND: Close to 3,000 fire personnel from around the state are working the station fire, with the help of a dozen helicopters and eight air tankers. Their work is cut out for them since it's like a guessing game trying to figure out where the flames might turn next. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ([R] California): These fires are still totally out of control. Woman: The scary thing is that they’re just circling everything, and like we live in a forest. PAUL STRAND: Many areas are under mandatory evacuation. Man: We’re ready to go. Most of our stuff is already down the hill. Parker Cowgill: All the cars are loaded, pointed out, prepared to leave at a moment's notice. PAUL STRAND: But some residents are waiting it out until the last minute. Rhonda Newborg: We just basically wanted to stay at home and just be here until the very end or be able to water down the house or, again, help our neighbors, if we can. PAUL STRAND: Firefighters are hoping to catch a break with the weather, but it doesn't look like that’s happening today. The forecast calls for dry, hot conditions until at least Tuesday. Paul Strand, CBN News. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, let’s all pray for rain there. The tragedy here is just unimaginable. And as you heard in that piece, this is not in some remote forest. This is where people are living. This is where homes are, and it’s threatening many, many lives, many homes. And our hearts certainly go out to the families of the firefighters that lost their lives. Lee Webb has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Newsroom. Lee. 57% REPLACE CONGRESS LEE WEBB: Gordon, if you don’t like the job Congress is doing, you’re not alone. Fifty-seven percent of Americans would vote to replace the entire Congress and start all over again. The new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that only 25 percent of voters say they would keep the current Congress. And 18 percent say they aren’t sure how they would vote. Voters turned against Congress last fall when federal bailout programs began, and the approval numbers have stayed low ever since. The health care reform plan isn’t helping Capitol Hill either. Only 22 percent think members of Congress have a good understanding of the issue, and 74 percent trust their own economic judgment more than lawmakers. BLUE CROSS V OBAMACARE LEE WEBB: One health insurance company is coming out swinging against the Democrats' health care reform plans. Politico.com reports that Anthem Blue Cross has sent an e-mail to its customers and employees. The company warns the plan could cause millions of people to lose their private coverage, increase premiums and limit customer’s choice of medications. Blue Cross says the Democrats’ plan “does not meet our definition of responsible and sustainable reform.” HOW MANY FLU SHOTS? LEE WEBB: You may need more than one shot when the swine flu vaccine becomes available. That’s because experts don’t know how many shots it will take to prevent it. Researchers start blood tests this week in hopes of determining that. But people could, we emphasize “could,” get up to three shots: two doses three weeks apart for the swine flu, plus the regular vaccine. And children under the age of nine could get an additional shot if they have never been vaccinated. ALZHEIMER’S LEE WEBB: Scientists believe they have found a way to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s something anyone can do. Efrem Graham has that story. EFREM GRAHAM: The two ingredients to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's are eating a Mediterranean diet and staying active. Both have been linked to lowering the risk of the brain disorder in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD (Columbia University): Alzheimer's disease is a reason for dementia, a type of dementia, the most common one. EFREM GRAHAM: Dr. Scarmeas led the Columbia University Medical Center study of nearly 2,000 diverse elderly residents of New York City. It measured whether exercise and a Mediterranean diet affected the risk of Alzheimer's. Nikolaos Scarmeas: We visit them at their homes and we inquire them about their physical activity and about their dietary habit. And then we follow them prospectively over the course of approximately five and a half years. EFREM GRAHAM: And in that five and half years, those subjects who were considered very physically active reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 33 percent to 48 percent. Those shown to strongly adhere to a Mediterranean diet had a 32 percent to 40 percent reduced risk. And those who did both had a 61 percent to 67 percent reduced risk. Researchers now hope doctors will consider steering patients toward adopting these lifestyle behaviors. Seth Katz (Active New Yorker): More salads. Good cheese. Good fish. Sounds good to me. EFREM GRAHAM: Genetics still play a part in determining a person's risk for the illness. But another study found a similar result when it came to eating a Mediterranean diet and reducing the risk. Efrem Graham, CBN News. LEE WEBB: And now let’s go back to Gordon. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, many of you have been asking, “Where is your father?” And he has been off now for almost two months. He took the month of July off. He had board meetings both for CBN and Regent University. And then about 11 days ago he had a procedure done on his heart. He has been suffering from what we call afib. It’s an irregular heartbeat. And he went to a wonderful hospital in Pinehurst, North Carolina, First Health Moore Regional Hospital, and there was under the care of Dr. Kaiser and Dr. Landers. And they performed a new technique to solve the afib problem. It’s called a convergent procedure. And he is right now home, and he is recuperating. And Lord willing, he’ll be back on air in just a few more weeks. But please be in prayer for him. Pray for a quick and complete recovery. The surgery lasted longer than we all anticipated. They had to take an appendage off his heart. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but that’s what they had to do, and that was what was causing the irregular heartbeat. But he’s back on his feet. He’s at home resting, recuperating. And we encourage you to pray for him and pray for his speedy recovery. If you want more information about it, all you have to do is to go CBN.com. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM There is a full press release right there on the homepage if you want to know all the details of the procedure and his return. We’ll be back with more of The 700 Club, right after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 1: CANCER CENTER Laura Brokow: The doctor came in. I was still waking up from anesthesia. He leaned over my bed and he said, “Laura, you have cancer,” and he walked out of the room. The first thought is, “What’s going to happen to my children?” I knew I was ready to fight this, and I just wanted this cancer out of me. I wanted to take care of it and move on. Then my mom called me. She had seen an ad on TV for Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It was just a tremendous experience from the minute that I walked in the door. Their bedside manner, you just can’t even describe it. It takes a very special person to do what they’re doing. Announcer: Hope is alive at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Call us now to have a real conversation about you and your treatment options. We’ll send you this free DVD that shows you how this very special group of people put you at the center of everything they do. Laura Brokow: I wanted to live to see my kids grow up. That’s what gave me the drive to fight cancer. They supported that in me. They gave me choices. They made me realize that every life is worth saving. You can’t fight cancer if you don’t have hope. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT DAY PROMO GRAPHIC: SEEING HEAVEN GORDON ROBERTSON: Tomorrow. Six weeks in a coma . . . . Man: I did not think she’d ever wake up. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . with no hope of recovery. Man: She should have died. GORDON ROBERTSON: One woman describes her visit to Heaven. Woman: It was so vast. It was just perfect peace. * * * GRAPHIC: A PERFECT MATCH GORDON ROBERTSON: Plus, their marriage got off to a rocky start. Woman: People at our wedding were placing bets as to how long it would last. GORDON ROBERTSON: See what kept them together, tomorrow on The 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: During this economic crisis, we’ve heard terms like “credit crunch” and “credit reform.” But what about someone’s credit score? As Carolyn Castleberry reports, what you don’t know will cost you. FOCUS: UNDERSTANDING CREDIT CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Sanyika Calloway Boyce may walk with confidence now, but years ago she admits she fell into a trap many Americans know well: out of control debt. You know, those bills you'll take care of later, right? Sanyika Calloway Boyce (Financial Fitness Coach): The challenge with taking care of it a little bit later was that later kept getting later and later and later. And finally, I was at the point where it was almost to the point where I had to consider filing bankruptcy. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Fifteen thousand dollars in the hole, instead she entered into a different transaction: exchanging denial for responsibility. Sanyika Calloway Boyce: Making those payment arrangements, having candid conversations with the credit card companies, and moving beyond that place of fear and not opening my bills and not dealing with the situation as it was. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Okay, most of us understand that debt is scary and costly. It keeps us awake at night. But for Sanyika, the beginning of freedom was education, understanding how the credit game works and why it even matters. It starts with something called your FICO score that can influence everything from how much you pay for a loan—the lower your score the higher your interest rate—to how fast you can get out of debt. The higher your interest rate, the higher your monthly bills. It can even affect whether or not you get your next job. Kim Pate (VP Mortgage Towne Bank): We care because it is your reputation on how you are repaying your debt. We care because if you are going to be hired by an employer, they're going to check your credit. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: That's why mortgage lender Kim Pate tries to make it easy. Kim Pate (To Client): This just gives you a little bit of information on the credit scoring process. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Think of it as a math problem that can save you thousands of dollars. And this equation starts with something simple: paying your bills on time. Kim Pate: Thirty-five percent of your score is payment history. We want to make sure that you have the ability and the responsibility to repay the debt that you've taken on. So we're going to make sure that you're paying your automobiles on time. We’re going to make sure that you’re paying your revolving debt on time. We’re going to make sure you’re paying your student loans on time. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Kim says the next part of the puzzle hurts people the most. It's the amount you owe on that revolving debt, like credit cards. That adds up to 30 percent of your score. Kim Pate: When you're looking at someone that pays their bills on time, but the credit score isn't as high as you believe it should be, it's typically because they have one card, maybe that they use each and every month. It has a high credit limit of 10,000 dollars, and it could have an 8,000 dollar balance on it. Well, you're at 80 percent of that high credit limit, and you really should be at 30 percent. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Go above that 30 percent limit, and your score will go down. It's a sign that you may start maxing out your cards, so here's a new strategy for tackling your debt. Now, this is different, something you've probably never heard before. Kim Pate: Don't just start paying off the little creditors that maybe have a high credit limit, because that's really not going to do it for you. You really need to just pay down each creditor that you have revolving into that 30 percent range or less, then start tackling paying them off. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Got that? Bring all of your balances down, then tackle them one by one. If not, your score will stay low and your interest rates will stay high, costing you money. Next, another lesson Sanyika learned: these bureaus also look at your credit mix, ten percent of your score, because all credit is not the same. Sanyika Calloway Boyce: Having a car loan is different than having a credit card. So when your credit score is considered and it’s ultimately calculated, all of those things come into play. So credit is important to understand the credit mix that you have and having a good manageable mix. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: For example, that car payment is considered installment debt, because there is an end in sight, as opposed to credit cards, known as revolving debt that may never go away. Kim Pate: And they want to get rid of the revolving debt first. Forget the fixed debt. That’s going to go away eventually. But the revolving debt is what you want to tackle first. CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Rounding out your score: pursuit of new credit. In other words, think twice before opening new department store accounts, no matter what kind of discount they’re offering. And finally, your length of credit history is important in the final equation. Kim Pate: How long have you had that creditor and how well have you paid them? CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: Sanyika learned to play this credit game well. She paid off that 15,000 dollars in debt and formed a company to help the younger generation do the same, getting educated about the responsible use of credit. Sanyika Calloway Boyce: A lot of times we get overwhelmed and we think, “This is impossible, so I'm not even going to try.” Kim Pate: Time is the biggest factor. Your credit did not get to that place overnight. Sanyika Calloway Boyce: So step back. Look at how much you owe, 5000, 10,000, 15,000 dollars, and start to decide, “Where do I have to make some adjustments in other areas of spending, so that I can start paying down on this debt?” CAROLYN CASTLEBERRY: It's a math game, and learning the rules will save you money. Carolyn Castleberry, CBN News. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: One thing that piece didn’t get into is that you can change it. That’s sort of the unstated thing. You can change it. And realize that if you’ve made mistakes, that if you were late on a payment, it’s just a matter of time. Make sure you are current and you make your payments on time from this point forward, and that score will change, because they also weight it to the near credit history. The system is sort of built in to forgive. And if there are mistakes, there are ways that you can have those mistakes taken off your credit. So if somebody has gotten something wrong, you have to write the credit agencies and write the banks involved or the lenders involved. And you can make a change. And it’s important. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Sometimes calling and talking to someone is very, very beneficial. Having a name and a person on the other end to whom you can explain what’s happened really helps. GORDON ROBERTSON: And the sooner you can get that score above 700, the better. And you get a lower interest rate. You get sort of preferential treatment now, because you’re now a much better credit risk, and therefore—it’s all based on risk. The interest they charge you is based on, “Are you going to be a risky credit and can we depend on you to pay on time?” TERRY MEEUWSEN: Good job, Carolyn. Good encouragement for all of us, right? Well, up next, when Larry Pfohl’s football career ended, he needed a new job. Lex Luger: At the time, everybody said, “Man, what are you doing playing football? You should be in the movies or on TV or a pro wrestler.” I ended up walking into a championship wrestling Florida office. About three or four months later I was in a wrestling ring. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Former heavyweight champ Lex Luger shares his story. That’s next. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2A: CURVES Announcer: So you finally decided that it’s the right time for you to lose weight. That’s great. And maybe you’re considering going to Weight Watchers. Woman: Weight Watchers? Woman: Oh, no, girl. Woman: You’re going to try something new. Woman: I am? Woman: We’re clear. Go, go, go, go, go. Announcer: Introducing the new Curves 30-day diet plan. It’s clinically proven and a brand new way to lose weight and keep it off, without counting points forever. There are diet classes every month, which are free to everyone. No membership required. Curves’ exclusive 30-day diet is designed to help you retrain and sustain your metabolism. That way you can reach your goal weight and stay there. Want to get started? Woman: Let’s try something else. Announcer: Learn a whole new way to take off the weight. Call your local Curves club about the 30-day diet plan and find out when you can try a class near you, free. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2B: SWISS AMERICA Pat Boone: The best investment of the new millennium: gold. Waves of change can destroy financial castles built on sand. But true wealth is built on a solid foundation of gold. Today’s economic crises have caused many to look to government for financial solutions, but experts warn that borrowing trillions will result in higher inflation and less money in your pocket. Gold offers protection, liquidity and growth. Rebuild your financial peace of mind starting with a golden foundation. Swiss America has provided millions of Americans with the best educational resources in print, online and now on television. Take a moment to request a free rare opportunity booklet, CD and DVD. Call the number below or visit online. Until next time, this is Pat Boone for Swiss America saying don’t wait to buy gold. Buy gold and wait. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: These days, Lex Luger walks with a cane. He’s lost some 60 pounds from his once chiseled physique. But it’s just as well, because these days Lex is just thankful that God has kept him alive. LEX LUGER WILL DAWSON: Wrestling fans know him as “The Total Package,” Lex Luger. Announcer: Lex Luger is the heavyweight champion of the world! WILL DAWSON: This wrestling superstar spent 15 years in the ring. In that time, he won the World Heavyweight Championship belt three times. His real name is Larry Pfohl. Before body slamming opponents, Larry dreamed of tackling quarterbacks in the NFL. Lex Luger: I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and was a big Bills fan. So I wanted to maybe even play for the Buffalo Bills some day. So yes, that was my aspiration, was to be a football player, no doubt. I thought I could be a pro. WILL DAWSON: Larry accepted a scholarship to the University of Miami but quit after his sophomore season to play in the Canadian Football League. Over the next seven years, he played in three different leagues, including a two-year stop in the NFL as a member of the Green Bay Packers. But success as a football player wasn’t enough. Lex Luger: I was kind of on a chase for fame, fortune and glamour. In my own mind I justified it that I was solid. My intentions were pure. I had gotten married. I had already had my first child. I thought the world was dog-eat-dog, the end justifies the means, whatever you’ve got to do to make it. And if it wasn’t football, it was going to be something else. I had such an outstanding physique at the time that everybody said, “Man, what are you doing playing football? You should be in the movies or on TV or a pro wrestler.” I ended up walking into championship wrestling in Florida office, and about three or four months later I was in a wrestling ring. WILL DAWSON (Interviewing): When you first started wrestling, you had success immediately. You were thrown right into the spotlight. Lex Luger: The rise was like Fourth of July fireworks. I got into it in a time when wrestling was in a big transition, going global really with Vince McMahon, WWE. He was looking for a certain type of wrestler from the way they looked in the past to a new kind of prototype, almost like a live action comic book hero. WILL DAWSON: And you had the perfect comic book name, too. Lex Luger: No doubt. Well, I got my first name from the Superman comic books, Lex Luthor. I was such a big fan of the Superman comic books. WILL DAWSON (Reporting): Lex Luger became one of the premier names in pro wrestling. Announcer: Lex Luger has one the WCW World’s Heavyweight Championship! WILL DAWSON: And with that quick rise to the top came a lifestyle to match. ‘ Lex Luger: The notoriety and the fame and how fast the money grew even compared to professional football. It happened all so fast. So there was almost literally a party every night if you wanted to. I would take my boots off at the end of the match, and everyone would go, “Where are we going tonight?” I almost felt a duty and obligation to lead the pack. WILL DAWSON: On the road sometimes 300 days a year, Lex led a double life. He managed to keep his party life hidden from his wife and children, but he had trouble separating the man from the image. Lex Luger: In a way I wanted to go home and just be Larry, or Lawrence Pfohl, with my family. And then I would go back out and put my costume on and get on the airplane and go out and be Lex Luger. And all of a sudden there was almost like two different people. WILL DAWSON: It wasn’t just the party life, the drugs and the alcohol, that Lex was hiding. He was sharing an apartment across town with another woman, a secret he was almost certain he could keep from his wife. But that changed on May 1, 2003, when his girlfriend overdosed on drugs and Lex called 911. Lex Luger (911 Call): I’m trying. I’ve been trying to help her. 911 Operator: Lean down and check and see if she’s breathing. Look at her chest. See if it’s rising. Lex Luger (911 Call): It doesn’t look like it is. I’m scared to death. Lex Luger (Interviewing): Tragically she didn’t make it, and a person I was friends with and had spent so much time with had just died in my arms, basically. The police were in the house, and they searched the house. That whole lifestyle I had on the road that I had brought back to Atlanta now unbeknownst to my family, it was just lurking. The other side of town was all at once exposed. It was a huge story. It had all that the secular world loves: betrayal and sex and drugs and arrests and death. And it had every component they look for, so it was a frenzy. WILL DAWSON: Lex was charged with 13 counts of drug possession and sentenced to five years probation. His wrestling career was over. His wife divorced him, and Lex sank even further. Lex Luger: I was getting high every day, all day long. The grief and the loss and the pain and the blame I was placing on others for why this was all happening. I was even, the God I never acknowledged my whole life or gave credit for anything, now I acknowledged Him enough to be angry at Him. I was basically cursing God. WILL DAWSON: In 2005, Lex violated his parole and was sent to jail for nine weeks. While in jail a pastor asked to speak with him. Lex Luger: I’m like, “Man, what would a pastor want to talk with me about?” I’d always wave him off. But after a few months in there with the solitude and not really anything to do in there, I was so bored. I said, “I’m going to see what this crazy pastor wants.” WILL DAWSON: The pastor shared the Gospel with Lex, and the two developed a friendship. After Lex was released from jail, he came to the pastor with a question. Lex Luger: And I said, “What about the sinner’s prayer?” “Well, that’s where we repent and turn it all over to Him.” Because I could tell you that was always my problem, because I had that pride left. And I said, “Well, what do we have to do?” He goes, “Let’s get down on our knees and say the prayer.” And man, when I started saying the sinner’s prayer, I get emotional about it, and I share with you now, these are tears of joy. But when I said the sinner’s prayer, all that hate and guilt and grief and depression and everything I was going through in my life, it felt like it got lifted off me. And I felt like, man, when Jesus gave me that supernatural Holy Spirit inside of me, I thought I was going to explode. WILL DAWSON: Lex even made a comeback to the ring in 2006. But just one year later, an injury caused his spinal cord to swell and he was paralyzed temporarily. Lex Luger: People look at it at that time as this tragic thing that happened to Lex. “My gosh! He becomes a Christian believer, and now he’s paralyzed from the neck down.” And here I am now able to, I’m walking again, and God’s continuing to restore things in my body. I am so thankful. WILL DAWSON: Lex’s body once brought him fame and fortune. Now he walks with a cane. Despite that, nothing is keeping Lex Luger from sharing what God has done in his life. Lex Luger: Even though I’ve lost 50 pounds or 60 pounds of muscle from my spinal cord injury, God is rebuilding me from the inside out and showing me that our true strength through this injury comes from the inside out, through Him. God is always faithful, and even to someone like me who ran from Him and hid from Him and cursed Him and cursed Christians and basically led a life of sin. And He loved us all so much that because we were separated from God, that He brought His very own Son in the flesh to die and make accountability for all our sins, so we’re not separated from Him anymore and gives us each that opportunity. I just want people to know out there no matter what they’ve done, God doesn’t judge us on how many sins. God is there for us. He loves us. He wants us to turn it over to Him. No matter what we face, the obstacle we face in life, man, just put our total faith in God, and in time, not our time, but His time, He’ll bring us through. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON MINISTERS GORDON ROBERTSON: In His time He will bring you through it. He will bring you through even a spinal cord injury. He can bring you through anything. Anything. Anything. Nothing is too hard for Him. Maybe you’re like Lex. Maybe you’ve cursed God. Maybe you’ve cursed Christians. Maybe you’ve ridiculed them. Maybe you’ve thought, “Boy, if anybody believes that stuff.” Jesus is still reaching out to you. He is still loving you. He still acknowledges you as one of His children. He hasn’t left you. And He will never reject you. Never. A broken and contrite heart He will not despise. What does God resist? He resists the proud, the hones that think they can do it on their own, the ones that think they don’t need God. They’ve got everything under control. That’s who He resists. But if you humble yourself, if you bow your head and pray and ask Him to come in, then He will. What’s it going to take for you to humble yourself? Are you going to have to go through what Lex went through? Are you going to have to end up in the newspapers? End up in jail? It doesn’t have to take that. It doesn’t have to take that. It can take you right now just saying, “I need God. I need Him in my life. I need to know if He’s real, can He help me, can He change me, can He forgive me.” Now, some of you think, “I’ve gone too far. I’ve lived my life against what I knew was right. I went too far.” Well, God has good news for you. You can’t go too far. Even you make your bed in hell, behold, He is there. He is there. And He is able to redeem you, to take you back, to forgive you. Now, if this is for you, if this is what you want, just bow your head with me. Pray a very simple prayer. And at the end of that prayer, you’ll know that your Creator, your Father, is with you. And He’s been watching out for you all these many years. He’s been watching and waiting for you to come home. So if this is for you, do it. Bow your head. Pray the prayer. Let God take over. Pray with me. “Lord Jesus.” That’s right. Say it out loud. “Lord Jesus, I come to you. And I ask that you come into my heart. And I ask that you would show me the way, the truth and the life. And Jesus, I want you to show yourself real to me, that you would forgive me, that you would set me free, that you would put me on a new path, a path of righteousness, that you would order my steps. Jesus, come in. Forgive me. Make me new. Cleanse me, for I ask it in your name.” Father, for those who just prayed, I pray a baptism in your love. Let the prodigals know that you’re receiving them now with open arms and that you’re willing to change them, make them new, set them free. Do it now, Lord. Reveal yourself to them now, for I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. If you prayed with me, the Bible says that if you will confess Him before men, He’ll confess you before God. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM So what I want you to do is make a toll free telephone call: 1-800-759-0700. Just say, “I want to confess. I want to say that Jesus is now Lord of my life. I want to say I prayed that prayer.” When you call, we’ve got a free packet for you. It’s called “A Higher Calling.” In there is a CD teaching on how to live the Christian life. GRAPHIC: OUR GIFT TO YOU 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We encourage you to get a copy of the Bible. Start with the Gospel of John. We also encourage you to join a church. And it’s in the fellowship of other believers that you grow in Christ. We also encourage you to every day pray. Ask Jesus to show Himself to you. It’s in that fellowship, it’s in that intimacy of relationship. You haven’t found a new philosophy. What you’ve found is a person, a person that wants to talk to you and be with you. And all you have to do to have that, you can have it every day, is to ask Him and to pray to Him. So do it. Start with that phone call: 1-800-759-0700. Terry, over to you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, still ahead, her shoulder was so bad, doctors wouldn’t do surgery. Woman: He said, “I looked over your MRI, and Lydia, I’m not going to operate, because the shoulder, it’s torn so badly that if I do it would not help.” TERRY MEEUWSEN: See where she turned for help, later on today’s show. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3: 7 DAYS ABLAZE TERRY MEEUWSEN: During the autumn each year, the entire staff of CBN sets aside a special week of prayer. Each day we pray for you and your family. We care about you and the things you need in your life right now. Whether it’s large or small, we want to pray with you. We believe in a miracle-working God who answers prayer, and we want to see the Lord accomplish miracles in your life. Please mail your prayer request today. It’s our privilege to pray for you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OLMERT INDICTED LEE WEBB: And welcome back to The 700 Club. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been indicted on corruption charges. It is the first time in Israel’s history that criminal charges have been brought against anyone holding that office. Olmert is accused of illegally accepting funds from an American backer, double billing for official trips abroad and pocketing the difference, concealing funds from a government watchdog group, and cronyism. All of the alleged crimes took place before Olmert was elected prime minister in 2006. Olmert maintains his innocence, but if convicted he could face years in prison. SCHIAVO FATHER DIES LEE WEBB: The father of Terri Schiavo has died of heart failure. Robert Schindler was a key figure in the battle over whether his brain injured Terry should be kept alive. Schiavo’s family became the center of the national debate over the so-called “right to die.” It pitted her father against her husband who wanted to have her feeding tube removed. The courts decided to remove it and let Schiavo die in 2005. Schindler’s son released this statement over the weekend: “I am heartbroken over the loss of my father, and yet I know at this moment he is rejoicing with my sister, Terri.” Funeral services for Schindler will be held Friday in Pennsylvania. 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 after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4A: FREE SCORE 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4B: CURVES Announcer: So you finally decided that it’s the right time for you to lose weight. That’s great. And maybe you’re considering going to Weight Watchers. Woman: Weight Watchers? Woman: Oh, no, girl. Woman: You’re going to try something new. Woman: I am? Woman: We’re clear. Go, go, go, go, go! Announcer: Introducing the new Curves 30-day diet plan. It’s clinically proven and a brand new way to lose weight and keep it off, without counting points forever. There are diet classes every month, which are free to everyone. No membership required. Curves’ exclusive 30-day diet is designed to help you retrain and sustain your metabolism. That way you can reach your goal weight and stay there. Want to get started? Woman: Let’s try something else. Announcer: Learn a whole new way to take off the weight. Call your local Curves club about the 30-day diet plan and find out when you can try a class near you, free. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: When Lydia Prytyskacz hurt her shoulder, doctors didn’t just give her bad news. They told her she was beyond help. Lydia was devastated, until she realized she didn’t need a doctor to be healed. LYDIA PRYTYSKACZ Lydia Prytyskacz: I woke up one morning, and I couldn’t move my right shoulder. I was in gruesome pain. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Lydia Prytyskacz went straight to her doctor’s office. Lydia Prytyskacz: He said we have to do an MRI. That’s the only way he could find out what was wrong. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Two weeks before Christmas, the doctor called her with the results. Lydia Prytyskacz: He told me that I had a torn rotor cuff, and he had to operate on my shoulder. RENELLE RICHARDSON: After the holidays, Lydia went back to the doctor to schedule her surgery. Lydia Prytyskacz: He said, “I looked over your MRI, and Lydia, I’m not going to operate.” I said, “Why not?” He said, “Because the shoulder is torn so badly that if I do, it would not help.” All I could think of that I wouldn’t be able to do the things I’m doing today. RENELLE RICHARDSON: One night as she was watching television, The 700 Club came on. Lydia Prytyskacz: Gordon prayed that there’s someone in the audience that has a very bad torn rotor cuff. GORDON ROBERTSON: A rotator cuff injury in the right shoulder. God is healing that. He’s reattaching ligaments and muscles together again in Jesus’ name. You’re facing surgery, but God is saying, “No, I am healing you right now.” Lydia Prytyskacz: At that moment, I realized it’s me. I jumped out of bed. I lifted my arm. I said, “That’s me. I claim it.” RENELLE RICHARDSON: Since that night, Lydia has lived pain free. Lydia Prytyskacz: Praise the Lord. Up to today, I’m healed. I can use my arm, and I don’t have to worry about the pain. And my earnest prayer every day is that I can be a blessing to others, because I know He has done wonders for me. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOSTS PRAY FOR NEEDS TERRY MEEUWSEN: I don’t know if you know anybody who has had that injury, but it is incredibly painful, and it is very debilitating. You don’t realize how much you lift your arm up above your shoulder to do things in life. But it’s very difficult. So to be told that you can’t have anything done for it would be devastating. Well, praise God. He had a different report for her. It’s wonderful. Well, here’s another report to build your faith. This is Blanche, who lives in Hopewell, Pennsylvania. At 15, she hurt her neck in a swimming pool accident. The neck injury affected her right shoulder and arm. It even caused her hand to go numb sometimes. That pain lasted for more than 15 years. The condition would worsen when she was under a lot of stress. Well, one day, Blanche was watching this program. Gordon, you received a word of knowledge about someone with neck pain that went into the right shoulder. And you said, “God is healing you. Just turn your neck and release that pain. It will not come back.” Blanche said she felt a warmth move down her arm. The pain left, and it has never returned. GORDON ROBERTSON: Praise God. Here is Elizabeth from right nearby, Newport News, Virginia. She had extensive lower back pain. It made it difficult to stand, bend and lift. As a teenager, she had been thrown off her horse during a jump and was diagnose with collapsed vertebrae of the lower spine. For many years, she managed. It was just over the counter back pain medicine. She was watching The 700 Club one day. Terry, you had a word of knowledge: “You have chronic pain in your lower back. God is healing that for you.” Well, Elizabeth jumped up and said, “That’s me!” Just like Lydia in that story. “That’s me!” She went outside, began to do something she hadn’t been able to do: mow her lawn. People do strange things right after they get—she had no pain. She hasn’t had any pain since that day. That is a miracle and that can happen to you. It can happen to you. You can say, “That’s me. That’s me.” Jesus came not just to forgive our sins. He came to heal all our diseases, to take away all the curse from the Garden of Eden, to take it all away. God had a great dream. His dream was that we would be His people, and He would be our God. He would be our comforter, our helper, our very present help in time of need. He wants to do that. He wants to provide for His children. He hasn’t given up on His dream. And don’t you give up on it for even a moment. If you’ve had chronic pain, we’ve now had three reports, chronic pain, some from childhood injuries, if you’ve had that, just lay your hand on that area of the body that needs healing and just believe. It’s for you. It’s for you. Jesus is for you. For you. Whosoever, whosoever believes. Whosoever. Are you a whosoever? Let’s pray. “Lord God, we just lift the needs of the audience to you right now. And as people are laying hands on that area of the body that needs healing, we just come into agreement with them right now, and we together say out loud, be healed and be made whole.” There is someone, you’ve got your left hand on the left side of your neck. And you had a chronic pain, a neck injury from years ago. And God has just healed you. And it went up into the back part of your ear and down into your left shoulder. And you just sort of like had a circle, a semicircle of pain. Right now, just turn your neck. Turn it to the left, then turn it to the right, and realize it’s gone. And it’s never going to come back again. You have just been healed. Someone else, you’ve had an injury to your forefinger on your left hand from football. And you’re saying it’s a small thing, but with God it’s not a small thing, because with you it’s made it really hard for you to grip anything with that hand. And so God is saying, “Just be healed now. Be healed. Be made whole.” And just receive that right into that knuckle and begin to move it and realize you can move it now. In Jesus’ name, be healed. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And the same thing is being said to many of you who have digestive and intestinal problems, especially Crohn’s disease and IBS. God is just touching your body right now. You’ve had years of pain, years of problem. You’ve lost a tremendous amount of weight. God is touching and healing you completely. Just receive that. GORDON ROBERTSON: There is a man, you said football injury to the hand. And you got disappointed when I said left hand, because you’ve got it in this finger on the right hand. And you broke it, and it never really knit well back. And you’ve got pain in it right now. And Jesus is saying to you, “I’m healing that. I’m taking away that pain, that throbbing right now.” In Jesus’ name, be healed. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Someone else, you have a strange, like an aberration in the way that the base of your brain stem and your spinal cord come together. And it has caused all kinds of problems for you. God is healing and recreating that whole area for you. You’ll not have a problem any longer. GORDON ROBERTSON: Someone with a right hip problem, and it’s like the whole pelvic girdle is tilted. And you walk with a limp, and you’re worried about arthritis in that hip and in that joint. In Jesus’ name, that entire thing is being healed now. Nothing is too hard for God. He is able to realign. He is able to heal. He is able to restore. He’s doing it for you right now. There is someone else, you’ve got Crohn’s disease. And God is taking that away and healing that for you right now. You don’t have to be afraid of what you eat anymore. And your body has stopped the attack against itself. You are healed now. Lord, we thank and praise you, for you all the healer. When we receive you, we receive salvation. We receive healing. We receive restoration. But most importantly, we receive you. And we are now in restored relationship with you. Thank you. Thank you for what you’ve done, in Jesus’ name. Amen. If you’ve been touched by God, we want to share in your good report, so give us a call: 1-800-759-0700. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We always rejoice in what God is doing in the world today. And if you have a specific prayer need, you want someone to agree with you in prayer, we’re here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We never get tired of praying for people. We consider it an honor. So if you want someone to pray and agree with you for something right now, call us: 1-800-759-0700. We’ll be back with more of The 700 Club right after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5: ALERT USA Dr. Joyce Brothers: Hi, I’m Dr. Joyce Brothers. Those of us who are independent and live alone shouldn’t do so without having emergency protection. And for reliability and peace of mind, I recommend Alert USA. 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: After 30 years with the same company, John Koetter should have been headed for retirement. Instead, he found himself unemployed and down to his last 300 dollars. But even at their worst, John and his wife still paid all their bills on time. JOHN AND CATHY KOETTER John Koetter: Out of the clear, blue sky, they say, “Well, you don’t have a job anymore.” DAVID KITHCART: John Koetter worked for the same company for almost 30 years. When the business closed, he was adrift in an unstable job market. He found work, but after only three years, that company closed as well. He and his wife Cathy made a big decision. John Koetter: I asked my wife, I said, “Well, honey, would you like to start a business, or should I get a job working for somebody else and starting at the bottom?” We prayed about it, and we decided to start the business ourselves. DAVID KITHCART: But starting a motor repair business turned out to be more of a challenge than John and Cathy had realized. Cathy Koetter: Well, we ended up using most of our bank account towards setting up the business, and what little remained, we actually had to live on. We weren’t receiving any money from the business as of yet, and it got down to our last 300 dollars in the bank. All of our business bills were due. All of our personal bills were due. So we were owing thousands of dollars at that point. DAVID KITHCART: But even in the midst of hardship, John and Cathy kept tithing and giving to The 700 Club. Cathy Koetter: All during that time, I spoke and declared God’s faithfulness and His provision. And I quoted scriptures like, “God shall supply all of our needs, according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” DAVID KITHCART: Several days went by, and then something amazing happened. Cathy Koetter: All of a sudden, the checks came in. And we were never late on one bill. We were able to pay all of our bills just in the nick of time. John Koetter: Well, they didn’t only come in; they came in early. Cathy Koetter: Yes, yes. John Koetter: The normal thing is three months. You’ll go out and do the work, and three months later, you’ll receive the check. Right in the beginning they said, “Well, we know you’re starting your business. Here. Here’s the money early.” And it was just flabbergasting me. DAVID KITHCART: Today the Koetters’ business is growing and so is their giving. John Koetter: Those that are faithful, He’s going to sit there and allow more prosperity in their lives, because He’s trusting in them. And He says, “Here. You’ve done well. And I’ll give you more so you can do more.” And He’s done that with us. Cathy Koetter: We’ve seen the faithfulness of God through all of this, and I will never fear lack again. We could be down to our last dollar, and I know the Lord will continue to provide for us. We do our part; He does his. And that’s the awesome God we serve. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: We do our part. He does His. In these tough economic times, now more than ever we need to acknowledge God. And one of the best ways to acknowledge Him is with our tithes and offerings. Don’t for a minute think that He’s forgotten you. He is faithful. He cannot deny Himself. And what He has promised to do, He will do for you. So if you want to start an adventure in giving, if you’re saying, “Can all this be real? Can He really provide? Can He really give me new ideas? Can He really do all these things?” the answer is yes. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM And it’s very simple. He wants to be our God. And we show our trust in Him through tithes and offerings. So if you want to start an adventure in giving, call us: 1-800-759-0700. What we’re asking you to do is become a member of The 700 Club. How much is that? It’s just 20 dollars a month, 65 cents a day. Some of you say, “I can give more than that. I can give at 700 Club Gold.” That’s 40 dollars a month. There is also 1000 Club. That’s 1,000 dollars a year, and that equals 84 dollars a month. At whatever level God is speaking to you to give, do it right now: 1-800-759-0700. Or you can log on to CBN.com. When you give through the Internet, you automatically sign up for Pledge Express. GRAPHIC: FREE WITH PLEDGE EXPRESS 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM It’s electronic monthly giving. And we save so much on the processing we’re able to give as our gift back to you “Power for Life” monthly teaching CDs. So if you want it, log on to CBN.com. Or you can ask for it when you call: 1-800-759-0700. Well, I spent the last two days in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the murder capital of Tulsa, Oklahoma, doing an outreach with Operation Blessing and with some CBN partners. What we did was we gathered donors from CBN in Tulsa and said, “Let’s go out and reach out to the community, more than your gifts. How about your time, your energy?” And there was a teaching on how to pray for people, how to get a word of knowledge. And then we put all that into action on Saturday morning. So here is how you helped a community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * YOU WERE THERE TULSA OUTREACH THANK YOU (Singing): “You were there when the water flowed, and the children danced for joy.” ANNOUNCER: CBN partners, you were there in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Your love touched over 747 families, providing food and supplies in their time of need. Through your faithful generosity, Operation Blessing is able to partner with over 5,200 ministries and churches across America, providing food to over three million fellow Americans each month. Each day, you help people like Cindy Romine, a school attendant who teaches ten months out of the year and has two months with no income. Because of your gift, she found help through Operation Blessing, enabling her to make it through the tough times before school begins again. You were there for people like Johnny Alexander, a Vietnam vet who lost his legs. He now runs his own food bank for disabled veterans and other people in need in his community. Johnny relies on Operation Blessing for the food to stock his food bank shelves, enabling him to serve others. And you were there for a young family like Mike and Carrie, who in the present economy were devastated when they lost their job of 15 years in the car industry, a family who never pictured themselves in a food line. Yet, when hard times came, you helped put food on their table. CBN partners, there are countless stories just like these of people who every day have something to eat and feed their children, because you cared enough to give. (Singing): “You were there to speak the truth, send the Gospel near and far. You were there to change their lives right from where you are. When hurting hearts reach out and cry, 'Does anybody care?,' you were the one who brought the gift. Thank God that you were there.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: That was Ron I was praying for. She had taken in one of her cousins. And in that area, it was gangs and drugs and jail had robbed children of their parents. And here Ron is a dedicated Christian. And she said, “I can’t let that boy go into the system. I can’t let him go into foster care. I’ve got to take him in.” And from her lack, she was providing his need. And to come alongside her was absolutely incredible, to say, “Hey, we can help you, Ron. We can help you.” And we want to do that for more. Right now, Operation Blessing is helping three million people in America every single month with food. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM And if you want to be a part of it, all you’ve got to do is call us: 1-800-759-0700. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Boy, that’s where the rubber meets the road, huh? GORDON ROBERTSON: Yes. TERRY MEEUWSEN: God bless her. GORDON ROBERTSON: You walk those lines, and you talk with people. You pray for people. It was amazing to me the stories of faith in the midst of incredible circumstances. And people were just believing God. We’re going to reach out. We’re going to help you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Which is exactly what He asks us to do. It’s when He shows up and shows off. GORDON ROBERTSON: And He showed up. We had somebody healed of a back and neck condition in line. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s awesome. GORDON ROBERTSON: I was having trouble lifting—we had given him so much, he was having trouble lifting it. And his back went, and I said, “Let’s pray.” And God showed up. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Praise the Lord. That’s awesome. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BRING IT ON TERRY MEEUWSEN: We’ve got a few minutes left. Do you want to answer a couple of questions? GORDON ROBERTSON: Sure. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Okay, this is from Brendan, who says, “Without our knowing it, my ex-wife was somehow able to open a number of credit cards in my daughter’s name, and it’s caused some problems. Recently my daughter was rejected for a new car due to some marks against her on her credit report, marks caused by my ex-wife, not my daughter. How can we fix this, and what can we do now to repair my daughter’s credit rating?” GORDON ROBERTSON: You need to get a copy of her credit report, and then communicate with the banks that these were unauthorized charges. And you can walk through that system. And you need to get all those cards canceled and get rid of them. And I would also encourage you to sit down with your ex-wife and talk to her. And there is a reason she is doing this, and it’s because she’s got some economic difficulty of her own. And it’s the old adage, “If you want to get poor, get divorced.” And that’s coming home to her. So there are ways to fix the credit reports. You’ve got to stop that, and you then have to put an alert anytime anyone uses your daughter’s social security to let you know. I think we’ve got time for one more. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Okay, Dick says, “I’ve heard that economic downturns like the one we’re in now can actually be expected to happen every couple of decades. Can a downturn in the economy be accurately and absolutely predicted?” GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, Dick, if it can, you can become a billionaire. And that’s the problem. You can’t. But watch out for bubbles. We’ve had a lot of bubbles recently. There was the Internet bubble about nine years ago. And then there was this incredible energy bubble in the last year. We had a mortgage bubble, a real estate bubble. Right now, we’re having a government debt bubble. And whatever goes up will come down. And the old adage, “Buy low, sell high.” And so if you can see the bubble coming, you may not know the top. You may not be able to predict when it turns, but you know enough to get out. Well, we leave you with these words from Romans 8:28, . . . . GRAPHIC: Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NKJV) . . . . “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” If you want everything to work together for good, love God and do it today. Just tell Him how much you love Him. That’s the purpose of worship. That’s the purpose of praise, to let God know how much you love Him. God bless you. We’ll see you again tomorrow. 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: SUPERBOOK Announcer: CBN presents Superbook for a new generation. Now, re-imagined from the classic CBN cartoon, a new series featuring amazing Bible stories brought to life using state of the art animation. Character: That’s pretty cool. Announcer: Your kids will love being entertained while they learn biblical values, like courage, loyalty, humility and faith. As they join Chris, Joy and Gizmo in their travels through time. In the first episode, A Giant Adventure, Chris and friends land in ancient Israel, where they meet David and witness his fierce battle against the giant Goliath. Character: You come to me with sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts! Announcer: Your gift of 25 dollars or more will help create future Superbook episodes. As our thank you, you’ll receive a special edition DVD of the first episode and our brand new Superbook trading cards. Give your child the advantage of learning God’s Word. Superbook. Super power to change your life.