The 700 Club - July 19, 2011

I don't want anybody to get hurt. One rebel's tale. I had to rob another drug warehouse. He ran from the long arm of the law, but one thing he couldn't escape. I knew that it was going to come to a bad end. Well, welcome to The 700 Club. The beat goes on. They squabbled in Washington. Are they ever going to reach an agreement? Probably so. But on a different note, some radical Muslims in the United Kingdom want to take over three towns and then turn them into states ruled by Sharia law. But Christians, and check this out, even some Muslims, are actually against the idea. Gary Lane has the story. Muslim Against the Crusades is the controversial group proposing that two towns in Yorkshire and one in East London be turned into states ruled solely by Islamic law. Even a Muslim imam says, “Plans to enforce Sharia law in the UK are ridiculous.” The idea of bringing Sharia is here is just total non-starter. It is nothing but a publicity stunt. Most Muslims, the vast part of law abiding, productive citizens in this country, do not wish to have Sharia law here. If we wanted Sharia law, we would to go a country that practices Sharia law. Bradford is one of the towns affected by the proposal. The dean of Bradford Cathedral told CBN News: What worries me is that it frightens people in the country, because although it is a very small group, a very extreme group, they try and get as much publicity for their cause as that they can. And it worries people, the idea that somehow that we're all going to be subject to Sharia law, even though it’s never going to happen. Terry Quinn is working to relaunch Smith Wigglesworth’s Bowland Street Mission in this Islamic area of Bradford. Well, I am concerned with any extremist group, because at the Wigglesworth Center, it goes against everything we are doing building fantastic relationships with the Muslim people. Our landlord is a Muslim, and many, many Muslims in this area are welcoming everything we’re doing in this Wigglesworth Center. So the extremist group and their opinions don't represent what the Muslims in Bradford really believe. Christians are concerned about the increasing influence of Islam and Sharia in the UK. They say Islamic law isn't compatible with Britain’s Christian heritage and values. Last month Baroness Caroline Cox introduced a bill into the House of Lords to protect Muslim women from abuses under Sharia law. In Britain, we have a country where many people have died to protect the democratic freedoms enshrined in our laws and in our culture. We now have allowed an alternative quasi legal system to develop in our land, which is fundamentally incompatible with those democratic freedoms, and where many citizens, especially women, are suffering as a result. The Christian Institute supports the legislation. Mike Judge says it is important to stand up now. There are some British Muslims who want to impose Sharia law on their communities. And that’s precisely why we’re backing Lady Cox’s bill in the House of Lords. Her bill will stop Sharia law taking root as a parallel legal system, and it is going to ensure that there is equality before the law, particularly for vulnerable Muslim women. And keeping Islamic law from creeping into the mainstream of British society. Gary Lane, CBN News. Thanks, Gary. I think more attention in the UK is now being paid to the Rupert Murdoch scandal than it is to a few imams talking about Sharia. I think News Corp has got itself in some serious trouble. But the thing is, all the tabloids in Britain have scandalous journalism, scandalous. And they pay for stories. They have people peeping over the transoms. They have all kinds of crazy stuff to put sensationalism in the tabloids, and the fact that News Corp paid for some stories and all of the rest, so big yawn. But it is a big, big deal over there, and I hope it doesn't spread. But the enemies of conservatives are legion, and he’s sure got his enemies. And by the way, speaking of Islam, our expert, CBN expert—we had a meeting of our board of directors last week, and he was giving us a report about what we're doing overseas in relation to Muslim outrage. He says that foundations of Islam are cracking, that the people having got access to the Internet, got access to the TV we sent out, got access to other things, are beginning to question, seriously, the radical tenants that they've been adhered to. And that whole religion, instead of being a monolith, is starting to crack apart. So keep your eyes open. And don't get too scared, because God is still on the throne. Well, Lee Webb has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Newsroom. Lee. Pat, the US House of Representatives is set to vote today on the Tea Party's so-called “Cut, Cap, and Balance” plan. It requires spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment. President Obama says he would veto the plan even in the unlikely event it makes it through the Democrat controlled Senate. Meanwhile, Senator Tom Coburn is offering a proposal that includes nine trillion dollars in budget cuts. That’s nearly 20 percent of government spending. This plan offers the American people nine trillion reasons to stop making excuses and start solving the problems in Washington. Despite tense negotiations and political posturing, both sides still say they want the biggest deal possible. The deadline to raise the debt ceiling is August 2nd. Pat, as you know, Senator Coburn is a medical doctor. Do you think he has the right cure for this problem? He really does. It’s a brilliant move. I think what he is saying is true. When he is talking about nine trillion, he is getting closer to it. But what he says is some of the things they’re talking about saving two trillion. He said that’s just the interest on the debt for a few years. And I think that it’s time they get real. Of every dollar we spend, 60 percent is money we earn from taxes. The other 40 percent is borrowed. If you were living 40 percent of your income borrowed on everything you spend, you’d start cutting back in a hurry, because you would be broke in a heartbeat, and people would pull your credit, and you wouldn’t be able to borrow anymore. That’s what this debt ceiling thing is all about. But I think that’s just a stalking horse for a much bigger problem. But they're playing games up there in Washington. They're playing games. What Coburn said is the way to go. We need major cuts, major cuts, in the Education Department, major cuts in the Energy Department, major cuts in a number of these other things, and major changes in entitlements which are going bankrupt. We’ve got to face reality. And you just pray, “Oh, Lord, let those people in Washington stop playing politics, and may the electorate begin to see what’s going on.” Well, I mentioned our friend, Rupert Murdoch, and here is Lee Webb with a story about what’s going on in his beleaguered empire. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch faces tough questions from members of Britain’s Parliament today. They’re trying to get to the bottom of a scandal that has rocked Murdoch’s media empire. Reporters for his London-based newspaper allegedly hacked into the phones of a number of people, from murder victims to celebrities. At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the scandal, and two top Scotland Yard policemen have quit. Both deny any wrongdoing. I have no knowledge of the extent of this disgraceful practice, or indeed to the extent of it. London police say they have asked a watchdog group to investigate the head of Scotland Yard Public Affairs over the phone hacking scandal. Pat. Well, I tell you, better him than me. I’m telling you, that's a tough, tough deal. But everybody is looking for a scoop. And in America, newspapers pay big money for scoops, for exclusives. And the paparazzi are out chasing celebrities all of the time. Well, in Britain it is 10 times worse than what happens here in America. Unbelievably, a lack of journalistic integrity. And so The News of the World was doing some of it. So are others. It was all bad, but, nevertheless, it’s time, if they're all going to point fingers, it’s time some of them say mea culpa. Lee. Pat, the brutal heat is being blamed for a dozen deaths across this country in the past week. Twenty states now from Texas to Minnesota are under a heat watch, warning, or advisory. The heat index went above 100 in many places, but the hottest was Newton, Iowa, where the combined heat and humidity made it feel like 126 degrees. Almost three-quarters of Texas is locked an exceptional drought. In neighboring Oklahoma authorities are considering water restrictions. Tulsa set a record for water use on Saturday, more than 200 million gallons. In Minnesota, the extreme heat buckled a major interstate, as you can see here, stranding thousands of travelers. Incredible, Pat. And Kristi has got the answer to staying cool. What is it? Staying inside and not moving. Not moving. Cranking up the air conditioner. Well, do you know where I was at seven this morning? Where were you, Pat? I was riding the horse. I was out with Eufano. At least I was getting him at a few minutes after seven. Really. Well, listen, if that’s the time to do anything; early in the morning is the time. It was cool and pleasant. Beautiful. Yes, it will get to be 95 or so. It was 90 yesterday. But early in the morning is not too bad. Okay, I have a question for you, and I really don't know the answer. Do horses sweat? Yes, they sweat. Do they sweat? Oh, like crazy. Oh, well, I didn’t know. Now, dogs don't sweat. Dogs . . . . They pant. They pant, and that's how they get cool. I knew that. But horses sweat like pigs, all over. And so you give them a shower. You spray the hose on them. Good to know. But they were running horses a few years ago in the Lexington, in the combined training trials, and it was hideously hot. And I think one or more horses died. But what they were doing, they would take ice and put it inside the back hindquarters of the horse's legs where the veins are to try to cool them down. They’d literally ice them down, because the horses were just in desperate conditions. Well, actually, you raise a really good point, Pat. We’re talking about the heat index and how it’s rising and how we really need to take care of ourselves, but we also need to watch out for all you animal lovers out there. You’ve got to be careful with the elderly, the babies, as well as your pets. Dogs need to come in. They’ve got fur coats, and they can die in this thing. So the righteous man cares for the life of his animal. That’s true. Okay, Lee, what’s next? Baby boomers are more obese than any other generation. That’s according to a new Associated Press poll. Health experts warn that that will lead to high Medicare costs as that generation starts hitting their 60s. Only about a quarter of the boomers polled get the average amount of aerobic activity needed to stay fit. And 37 percent never do any kind of strength training, which is needed to fight muscle loss as you age. Sixty percent of those polled say they’re dieting to try and lose weight, but health experts say that it takes more than healthy eating. Physical activity is also needed to stay in shape. There is little debate these days about the dangers of texting while driving. More than 1,000 people die each year in this country because of it. As Efrem Graham reports, the Department of Transportation has teamed with local police to crack down on distracted drivers. People know texting while driving is dangerous. They've heard the statistics. You are 23 times more likely to get into an accident if you're texting and driving. They've seen tragic stories. I sent one stupid, meaningless text, “LOL,” and killed a man. This simulation, put on for college students in Texas, shows texting while driving can be compared to driving while drunk. But drivers still feel like they can text safely. Police in New York and Connecticut decided to step up anti-texting enforcement programs and see if they got results. We ended up issuing over 9,000 citations for cell phone use by drivers. And we also found substantial change in behavior. Police in Syracuse, New York, noticed a 32-percent drop in the amount of drivers using hand-held cell phones or texting. And in Hartford, Connecticut, texting while driving plummeted 72 percent. Everybody thinks they can use their cell phone and drive, and drive safely, and you can't. The key is going to be consistent and focused, dedicated enforcement. Efrem Graham, CBN News. Nine states forbid the use of any hand-held cell phone while driving. Thirty states have banned young drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel. And 34 states have texting bans. Pat, I was on the way to work this morning, and I believe here in Virginia Beach it’s banned, texting while driving, yet I saw a young teenage girl, rush hour traffic, texting and driving. Yes. Well, you've got this huge machine that weighs 3,000 or 4,000 pounds, and it’s hurtling along at 60 miles an hour. And the chances of some serious accident are very real. Lee, the word is even though you don't have your hands occupied, some of the phones, I had a car some time ago where you just hit something on the steering wheel and you could be talking on the telephone. That's hands free. That's not too bad. But the truth is, even though you're looking, and your hands are free, your mind is still focused on what you're hearing on the telephone, and you're not totally alert. You need to focus 100 percent on driving, because cars are coming at you. Things are happening. And the consequences are just hideous. They really are. Yes. And the texting is a whole different ballgame, Pat, because you're writing sentences. It is like you're on a typewriter with a computer. And I’ve seen it so many times, that it really is scary. And I’ve wondered, I’ve actually been in the car with people that as they’re driving, you'll hear beep, and they'll pick up their cell phone, and they’ll start reading and texting. And I have said, “Either stop the car and let me out or put that daggone thing down. Please.” Tell them! That's all I have to say. I think passengers need to scream because this is, I mean, it's serious. Yeah, it really is. Well, speaking of serious, we have a very serious story up next. Why the war on drugs is actually being fought inside your very own medicine cabinet. One third of teens believe there's nothing wrong with using prescription drugs which are not meant for them, every once in a while. That's a problem. Hear how the feds are actually cracking down on prescription drug abuse, up next. Plus, we're going to be answering your questions from our live chat room. So, all we're asking you to do is to log on to CBN.com right now. Okay you guys, you know what I'm going to ask you? Wave, wave. Thank you. Some people think that Uncle Sam is getting too old and tired. They want to change America and the values that made this country great. They don't mind that almost half the population doesn't pay a dime in income taxes to Uncle Sam yet still feel entitled to all these wonderful government programs. And they hope you won't notice some big changes coming, that Uncle Sam won't be able to afford a military or that the US dollar won't be the world's currency. But there are some things that they don't want to change, things like increasing regulations, special interest group influence, spending much more than they earn, and greater entitlements. Right now Uncle Sam is losing $3.9 billion a day. It's time to stand up before it's too late, America. We're still the land of the free and the home of the brave. Call Congress and tell them to stop spending your future over a cliff. Tomorrow . . . . If I had been braver, maybe I would have just shot myself. . . . . he lived stuck between a rock and a hard place. My goal was to smoke a hit of crack every three minutes, 24/7. Home was an abandoned mine shaft. But he wasn’t digging for gold. I put all my money together, and I headed off to be the best crack head I could be. How the cops smoked him out. I realized it was a police helicopter’s spotlight. Tomorrow on The 700 Club. This next story will shock you. It's crazy. It's something you say couldn't have happened, but it did. Last month a robber walked into a Long Island drugstore, and he murdered four people. But the robber didn't take any money, but he did walk away with 10,000 painkiller pills. As Lorie Johnson tells us, this tragedy serves as a grim reminder of this nation's growing addiction to prescription drugs. There was no reason to shoot them. There was no reason. He took away four lives. He took away a young girl, he took away my daughter who has two girls, and she was just going to get married. She was happy. There was no reason for this. Police say suspect David Laffer and his wife were high on prescription drugs when arrested. Nationwide, drugstore robberies are up 81 percent in the last five years. That figure mirrors the growth in prescription drug abuse with painkillers like Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Valium, becoming the second most abused drugs behind marijuana. Many people become addicted to painkillers when they start taking them for legitimate reasons, like after surgery. They make you feel euphoric, but it quickly takes more of the drug to get that same feeling. And withdrawal can be very unpleasant. Pain relief is big business here, with Americans gobbling up most of the world's supply. The bigger problem? A whopping 70 percent of painkillers are taken by someone other than the person whose name is on the prescription. Congress is addressing this by considering legislation to increase regulations that would make it harder for people to get drugs from different doctors and pharmacies that don't communicate with each other, to reclassify some painkillers, making them more difficult to prescribe, and to impose stricter penalties for doctors who write illegal prescriptions and for people who steal the drugs. One third of teens believe there's nothing wrong with using prescription drugs which are not meant for them, every once in a while. That's a problem. It just kind of slows everything down. Makes you not feel as much. The pills like almost nothing can hurt you, like what's going on in reality doesn't affect you. Yeah, you could have girl problems or problems at home that you just can't deal with anymore. They just want to hide from their problems, so they take the pills. According to the DEA, prescription drug parties are frightening fad. And when they walked through the door, everyone turns in whatever pills they have accumulated in the course of time, put it in a fishbowl; and during the night and they take a handful of pills, drink alcohol behind it, and unfortunately many of them overdose and sadly enough, some of them go to bed and never wake up. They're called farm parties and much of the drugs come from regular homes. Kids often raid their parents’ medicine cabinet without anybody even knowing the drugs are gone. To prevent this from happening, keep your prescriptions in a secure place and get rid of the ones you no longer take. Expired prescriptions can be dangerous even if they’re yours. You just can't guarantee what it's going to do to you. And you don't know how it's going to affect your body. You don't know how it's going to affect the rest of the other medications you might be taking. So, what's the best way to get rid of your unused medicine? Our problem is folks don't know what to do with all the medicines sitting in their cabinets, and they look around and decide, and often doctors have told them this, to just dump it in to the toilet. Flush it away. And that way it's no longer a danger for them or for someone getting into it, but no one thought through that where does it go after that? Unfortunately it goes into a wastewater treatment plant that's not designed to get the drugs out of the water. In fact, scientists have detected high levels of pharmaceutical compounds in some drinking water sources. Throwing drugs in the garbage also harms the environment. So the safest route is to drop off your unused drugs and a “Take Back” event held by the DEA and local police departments throughout the year. In my area of responsibility, we collected over 18,500 pounds of pharmaceutical drugs. So, are they successful? Absolutely. Or you can safely send your pills to a drug disposal company. You can buy this kit at your local pharmacy. Just fill the prepaid envelope and drop it in a mailbox. So while law enforcement and Washington try to reduce the prescription drug abuse epidemic, there are steps we can take right now to stop a potential problem before it starts. Lorie Johnson, CBN News. Thanks Lorie. A very timely reminder. You don't know what your kids are doing. If you've got unused drugs, prescriptions, a lot of them are good for two or three months. Sometimes you take a course of antibiotics, and it’s 12 weeks or whatever and it's all over. And then what's left is out of date. Dispose of them as was pointed out. But you don't want them to wind up in the water supply. So, anyhow. Man, and it just looks like they're trying to get us every time you turn around. You know, isn't that the truth, Pat? It really is. I was literally, this morning, I was praying for my son. After watching all these stories and seeing all this stuff, I was like, “Lord, cover my baby. Cover my child.” Our teenagers, our kids these days are bombarded with so many different things, elements at them. It's no longer just the crack cocaine; it could be the Vicodin or . . . . Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they are not going to get you. Right, my goodness. Anyhow. Anyhow! Trust the Lord. That’s the answer. I mean, all these things. But listen to Lorie; she’s got some good stuff. Aright, what’s next? That’s true. Well, we’re going to continue on this path. Up next, a pain pill addict who actually robbed drug makers, not because he wanted to, but because he felt he had to. I had never done anything criminal like that. Within about four weeks, I had to rob another drug warehouse. Find out why this outlaw was thankful to go to prison when we come back. When you look in the mirror, can you imagine erasing years of aging? That's what I used to look like. Lifestyle Lift takes only about an hour. See the difference immediately. I'm Linda. I'm 70 years old. Can you believe it? Call now for a free information kit. It's quick, affordable, and takes only about an hour. Lifestyle Lift, a breakthrough medical procedure that helps remove wrinkles, frown lines and sagging skin. Call now for a free information kit. Consultations are free. Call Lifestyle Lift today. Do you have money to burn? If not, you need to know that the paper dollars you've invested your life savings in are being consumed right now in a growing blaze of inflation and declining value. Economists know why the dollar is burning and at risk of crashing. It's because politicians and central bankers keep printing them, and this makes the dollars you've worked so hard for, worth less and less. The politicians and bankers hated the gold standard, because it forced them to be honest. That's why the US dollar keeps losing value and could soon crash. The good news is that you can create your own personal gold standard and keep your savings protected when the dollar crashes. Call or visit online now. Find out more about the best performing assets of the 21st century from the best company in the country, Swiss America. To listen to our top songs of the week, go to CBN Radio at CBN.com. Well, When Freddie Johnson was told that he was on the road to Hell, he didn’t flinch. After all he had spent the better part of a year, robbing warehouses to feed his drug addiction. And all that time Freddie knew that what he was doing was wrong. The problem was he just couldn’t stop. I reached under my shirt. I pulled out a pistol and showed it to him. And I said, “Now, you see this?” I said, “I’m going to put it back in my shirt, my pants, because I don’t want anybody to get hurt.” That sounds like the work of a hardened criminal, but Freddie Johnson was a professional musician. This was his first in a string of robberies, and it all started with one little pill. I’d never felt anything like that in my life, the physical euphoria. His girlfriend, who soon became his wife, introduced him to the powerful drug Dilaudid, a synthetic form of heroin. From his first experience with the opiate, Freddie knew he’d crossed a line. I knew that that was something serious. It was just like opening a door that I should have never stepped through. At first, it only took a half of a pill, but then, the body builds up a tolerance to it, and it takes more and more. Freddie found a dentist who agreed to write him virtually limitless prescriptions for the drug. He started writing me prescriptions for 600 tablets of Dilaudid every day, six days a week. With that number of pills, Freddie and his wife could fuel their addiction and then some. What they didn’t use themselves, they gave to Freddie’s cousin who sold them. In just no time at all, I was, by most people’s standards back then, I was rich. We’re supporting our habit, and my cousin was bringing me about 10,000 or 12,000 dollars a day in cash. Eventually, police caught both the dentist who had written the prescriptions and the pharmacist who supplied the pills. Without a source, Freddie was in a painful situation. The physical pain involved with having to what they call cold turkey kick an opiate habit is indescribable. It’s just from the crown of your head to the bottom of your feet, you’re in agony. And nothing will make it go away except the opiate itself. Then Freddie recalled hearing the name of a wholesale drug distributor. He opened the Yellow Pages and searched for its address. So I said, “Okay, I’m going to go rob one of these warehouses.” And I had never done anything criminal like that, actually committing a felony. I just determined that I can’t deal with what’s going on, and I’ve got to have some pills. And I went in and robbed them, stole several thousand tablets of Dilaudid. Within about four weeks, I had to rob another drug warehouse. Over a 10-month period, Freddie robbed 12 warehouses, spanning eight states. He raked in between six and seven million dollars worth of prescription drugs and was personally injecting more than 125 tablets a day. Still, he knew what he was doing was wrong. He had been raised by a Christian family and knew about the love of God. Money does not buy you any peace. I had plenty of money, but I never had one moment of peace. I can remember Christians telling me, “Freddie, if you don’t change, you’re going to Hell.” I know that. I’m on a train that’s going too fast to jump off of right now. I knew that it was going to come to a bad end. He was right. It wasn’t long before his crime spree came to an abrupt stop. I was out on bond in five states. I had gotten picked up on some of the charges. Now, once they charged me with one of the robberies, it was kind of like tipping over the first domino. Freddie was convicted of his crimes and sent to prison. He served five years in Texas and thirteen in Louisiana. The other states where he was wanted allowed him to serve time concurrent with what he was already doing. During that time he and his wife divorced. When you get arrested and your freedom is taken away from you, it is a shocking, demoralizing, traumatic experience. Freddie was released when he was 50 years old. He got a job and started attending church. But then he got a double ear infection. The doctor, even knowing Freddie’s prior addictions, urged him to take a potent painkiller and he did. I got addicted again as a result of the pain medication for the ear infection. For a while he maintained a seemingly normal lifestyle. He met and married a Christian woman and even helped with a prison ministry through his church. God helped other people through me, but I was not committed to the Lord. When Freddie couldn’t get anymore refills, he robbed a pharmacy. I never thought I would ever do anything wrong again. I could not imagine ever doing something like that again. It just was beyond my comprehension. When the cops showed up at Freddie’s house, he wasn’t there, but his wife was, and she was shocked. She knew nothing about his addiction. I was clueless. He was functioning, working, getting up in the morning, doing everything that someone who doesn’t have an addiction does. Freddie turned himself in, knowing he might spend the rest of his life in prison. In a public jail cell, waiting to hear his fate and in the throes of drug withdrawal, Freddie made an important life decision. I talked to the Lord, and I said, “Look, I’ve always known who you were, and I’ve always known you existed. I can’t take this anymore. And if you’re a merciful Lord, which I believe you are, will you please forgive me and please take my life? I cannot stand this pain anymore.” I think it was the next day, I was able to roll over and get up on my hands and knees. And I crawled over to the bunk. I put my head on it and knelt there, and I began to pray. God touched my consciousness and made me understand that, “Well, you’re going to get through this.” When his court date came, Freddie was sentenced to six years. I knew that the Lord had intervened. Freddie served his time and walked out a new man. He’s been drug-free now for more than eight years. The difference is now I have the Holy Spirit dwelling within me. I didn’t have that before. And if there is any difference that means something, that’s the difference. All the other times before, I had never surrendered. He totally submitted to the Lord. He would not make a move without first praying about it. And that’s really what a godly man does. After years behind bars, Freddie found true freedom through Christ. Some people say that situations are hopeless and things are hopeless. And I would tell them that that’s a lie from the pits of Hell. There is hope whether you know it or not. The Lord Jesus Christ is not the God of a second chance. He’s the God of many chances. And hopefully this will touch some people’s lives and let them say, “Wow, there is a chance for me. I can do this, too, because God is no respecter of persons. If He helped Freddie Johnson, He’ll help me.” Wow, God is not just a God of grace and mercy, but God is a redeemer. He is a freer. He said, “Who the Son sets free is free indeed.” And just like that man who surrendered his heart and his life to the Lord, God set him free. And God can do the same thing for you. If you're suffering from any form of bondage or addiction in your life that you feel has taken hold of you and it's like you can't breathe, God can set you free. Jesus Christ can set you free. We're going to pray for you right now, but I also want to encourage you in the midst, right now, or even later on, if you feel like you want someone to pray with you or encourage you, there's a number right there on the screen, 1-800-759-0700. And there's prayer counselors who are always there for you to pray with you and encourage you. But in the meantime, Pat, and I want to do that very thing. We want to encourage you. Do you want to start or do you want me to start? You go ahead. We've got some wonderful answers to prayer that have come in. They've been pouring in. We're so thrilled; just share a couple with you. Okay here, we have one from Hope of Alvin, Texas. Had been bound by fear for years, unable to leave her home. She had people from church, and pray with her but the fear was always there. She was watching an episode of The 700 Club and she saw a story about someone like herself, trapped by fear. She prayed with you, Pat, and at that point she was completely delivered at that moment. Remember, who the Son sets free . . . . Bound for years. . . . . is free indeed. Years. Set free instantly. Exactly. We've got another one. Sammy from Cleveland, Ohio, had a miscarriage. But she believed God was going to bless them with a child. She prayed with Pat on The 700 Club. You are talking about someone who had cervical problems, problems in their cervix. Check this out. She's now six months pregnant. Praise the Lord! God is a miracle working God. All right, here's somebody else. His name is Kenneth. He lives in Seattle, Washington. He called CBN for prayer for healing of diabetes. Now, that's a tough one. That's a tough one. And nothing is too hard for God. And he had tumor spots on his lungs. The doctor called him after a recent visit to say he doesn't understand what happened. Now the blood tests show that he doesn't have diabetes. There are no more spots. He has been healed as far as we can tell. Now folks, God Almighty answers prayer. He is the creator of the universe. When you read in the Bible the word capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, over and over, is the name of the Lord. What does that mean? Well in Hebrew it means, “He who causes everything to be.” He is the author of everything. He made you, made your body. He knows all about you. Now, we're going to join hands and we're going to believe God. “Father, we come to you knowing that you are He who causes everything to be. You are the author of all life. You are the author of everything that exists. Now Lord, we come before you humbly, and we ask for miracles. Now Lord, listen to the prayer of the people. Hear their prayer and answer. Kristi, God has given you something. Someone who's had a surgery, I'm not sure if it's a gastric bypass but there's been tremendous complications from the surgery that no matter what happens it gets worse and worse. The doctors keep saying negative things. Well, the Lord is healing you right now. Is restoring your body and like Pat said, the Lord, God, is the great, “I Am.” And He has created you fearfully and wonderfully made. You are whole in Jesus’ name. Somebody has a twisted intestine, and it may be something coming close to gangrene. God is releasing those intestines. They're coming out straight; and all the gangrenous flesh is being taken away with healthy flesh, in the name of Jesus. Kristi, what else? There's another person, you've got a mass. I'm not sure if it's in your stomach. It's in your to intestinal area. You're waiting for the test results, and you're scared that it's cancer. The Lord says that it's not cancer and you're fine. Thank you Lord. There are a number of you gripped by fear. The Bible says perfect love casts out fear for fear has torment. In the name of Jesus, we bind a spirit of fear right now. You will leave people now in the name of Jesus be loosed. And may the power of God set you free and give you joy, the joy of the anointing of the Lord. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, in Jesus’ name. Now Lord God, we pray all over this audience that you might hear an answer their prayers. Touch them Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Where ever you are, please tell us what God's done for you. We'd love to hear about it, but the important thing is that you have received something from the Lord. He loves you. Praise His name. Well still ahead, we've got a doctor who rose to the top of his field. But unfortunately it was at the expense of his family. Doctor: My wife sat me down and said, “We've got three kids. I'm tired of telling them how many days it's going to be before they can see their father again.” Well, how they healed their marriage when we come back. My name is Roger Stump, and I’m a cancer survivor. The surgeon said it's inoperable. “It's already in your liver.” My wife, Brenda, sat there and cried; and I'm thinking, “I can't die right now. I'm only 52 years old.” I was so distraught. I've heard Cancer Treatment Centers of America have experience with pancreatic cancers. It was like night and day. The hospital just breeds an environment of hope. You get a CT scan, and the next morning the results were read to you. We’d go up there; I just knew it was going to be a good result. You could just see the joy on Dr. Granik’s face. Call now and we’ll show you how the most compassionate people anywhere put you at the center of everything we do. Together, we'll explore real treatment options you may not even know exist. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It is such a different place, because they give you hope. I would strongly urge you to call them and get a second opinion. Please call today. When you look in the mirror, can you imagine erasing years of aging? That's what I used to look like. Lifestyle Lift takes only about an hour. See the difference immediately. I'm Linda. I'm 70 years old. Can you believe it? Call now for a free information kit. It's quick, affordable, and takes only about an hour. Lifestyle Lift, a breakthrough medical procedure that helps remove wrinkles, frown lines and sagging skin. Call now for a free information kit. Consultations are free. Call Lifestyle Lift today. Freezer burn steak, $20; dried out chicken, $15; moldy cheese, $5. Stop throwing cash in the trash. Save money with the Food Saver system. The number-one vacuum sealing system that keeps food fresh up to five times longer. Air can penetrate ordinary zipper bags. Food Saver bags keep air out, preventing freezer burn. With the food saver system, you can save up to $2700 a year. Save now with the kitchen appliance that pays for itself in just weeks. Available where ever small kitchen appliances are sold. Welcome to Washington for this CBN Newsbreak. The Episcopal bishop of Long Island, New York, is ordering gay priests to get married or stop living together. Gay marriage becomes legal in New York Sunday. The Episcopal bishop of New York says that gay clergy must get married quote, “In due course.” Many mainline Protestant denominations are also struggling because they've taken steps toward accepting gay couples, but they haven't changed their official definition of marriage. A judge has ruled that the state of Illinois must temporarily continue referring adoption and foster cases to Catholic charities. The group had notified the state that it would no longer license new foster care and adoptive parents when the state's new civil unions law went into effect on June 1st. Catholic charities says the law does not require it to place children with unmarried couples. The group wants to continue its practice of referring gay and unmarried couples to other agencies for foster and adoptive services. Well, you can always get the latest from CBN news by going to our website at CBNNews.com. Pat and Kristi will be back with more of The 700 Club right after this. Store sales Now is a good time to get a new HD TV but, did you know you need more than a cool TV to see true HD? Thirty percent of the people watching a high def television are not watching high def programming. Why would they do that? Store sales Because you need a HD provider. Dish Network is the leader in hi def. I'm going to step up and check out Dish Network. Now get the biggest deal in entertainment for just $24.99 a month for a full year, plus get your HD channels absolutely free for life. Store sales Guess how much Dish Network charges you for HD? $50 bucks? Store sales $50 bucks! No, it’s free! Free for life. Free is better. Store sales Free HD for life. How cool is that? That is very cool. I like free. I can afford free. Free for life? Store sales Free for life. Bring it. Call today and you'll also get HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Stars, free for three months. That's over 30 premium movie channels free. With Dish Network, HD is free for life. Store sales Free! Free! Store sales Bam! Cool! I think I gotta get some Dish Network. Awesome. How do I sign up? Gotta go Dish. Girl: I want Dish Network. Store sales Let’s watch TV. With Dish Network, HD is free for life. Call and switch to Dish Network today. This is the information retailers don't want you to know, especially now. They don't want you to learn just how much money you've been giving away to retail markups on items you purchase for your home, all because you don't know how to buy like the insiders do at DirectBuy Club, the home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices. When you go to DirectBuy, you know that things are going to be a lot less than retail, and you don't have to worry about sales. It's just one price, and it's a low price, too. I would shop around and investigate; and without a shadow of a doubt, DirectBuy would have the lowest price. Members buy top-quality name brand merchandise from hundreds and hundreds of trusted manufacturers. So call the number on your screen now, and we'll rush you your free visitors pass to your local DirectBuy Club and your certificate for a free 30-day membership. This is a limited offer, so call now. Well, as an ER surgeon, Brian Woods loved to save lives. But there was one person whose life withered away under Brian's watch, his own wife. Brian Woods had a problem. His whole world revolved around Brian Woods. It became this ego-centric cycle of performance, of doing, so that I could get response from other people to drive me further to do the next thing. This endless cycle of attracting attention began in high school where Brian excelled as a student and as a musician. He decided to go to college where he met Amy. Brian and Amy married in 1994. A year later, Brian started medical school. In 1996, the Air Force commissioned Brian to work for them and also paid for his med school. He soon worked his way up to Chief of Aerospace Medicine and still made time for his hobby, music. He just was always doing something. It was difficult for me to be able to get him to stay home and be with us and pursue what a healthy marriage could be. He just was very absent. Brian Woods: After about two years of that, my wife sat me down, basically, and said, “Listen. We’ve got three kids. I’m tired of telling them how many days it’s going to be before they can see their father again.” Just wishing that I wasn’t the single mom that I felt like I was. My response to my wife’s desperate cry for, “I need my husband back,” was met with indifference and, “Who are you to tell me that I can’t be an officer in the military, that I can’t save people’s lives in the ER on the weekend?” The person that I saw him becoming was just not someone that I was super excited about living the rest of my life with. Then it happened, the accident. I was driving down I-35 here in Dallas, and I rear-ended a semi truck, probably doing about 80 miles an hour. Witnesses at the scene said I never swerved or braked; I just impacted the back of the truck. My car flipped around the front of the truck, and then impacted the wall. Brian was flown to Parkland Hospital. He had fractured his legs in five places, shattered his pelvic bones, ripped his liver, and his spleen had burst. Any one of those four injuries we just listed is enough for even a young healthy person to bleed out internally. And I was dealing with all four of those at one time. Still, Brian survived. He was in a coma for 26 days, and he had six surgeries. Several weeks later he went home. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t get up to use the bathroom. All he could do was lie on the couch or in his bed and think. The depression began to grow. Depression turned into darkness, turned into panic, turned into sheer panic attacks where I was shaking. Brian had become a Christian as a boy and was active in church. But as his life fell apart, he got angry at God. I was very direct. I was very ugly. I was challenging God, saying, “Who are you to let this happen to me? Don’t you know all these great things I was doing for You?” On a Thursday afternoon, I was in the middle of one of my fits, telling the Lord how dumb He is for all of this. I won’t say I heard an audible voice, but it was a very clear message to me that spoke and I heard, “Brian, I do love you, but you no longer need Me.” “What do you mean, I don’t need you?” And for the first time, that presence of need became a new thing. And I broke. My heart broke. From the standpoint of realizing I don’t need God just for salvation; I need God to exist. I need God to live. I need God to breathe. I need God to walk again. I don’t know at this point how that’s all going to play. I need God if I want to a be a husband that I know that I’m supposed to be. I need God if I’m going to be a father. Even that day I began to see a softening of his heart and of his spirit; and the way he spoke to me was different. It was like something had changed with him. The Lord broke through in that moment, and that changed everything in me. His heart was changed that way, where he was really encouraged and encouraging. You could see the peace come over his body and his mind. Brian had several more operations and months of rehab. A lot of people have asked, “Do you think, as a doctor, that this was a miracle in your life that you lived and that you made it through all that?” And I think my honest answer is, the physical, medical truth of everything I that I went through and what I recovered from, there’s a lot of great stories and miracles in there. But the greatest miracle of this event was that the Lord used all of that to put me in a posture and a position to finally receive His truth for my life, to receive His identity for my life. I think that’s the greatest miracle of this entire story is that the Lord allowed all of that for me so that I would become and understand and live the way that I am called to live. Well, I hope you don't have to have an automobile accident before you begin to realize that your spouse is important and your children are important, and you stop being absorbed with your work or whatever. We get so busy, and we don't realize what's important. It's important that we realize. I was reading Ecclesiastics a couple of days ago; and it says, “A wife is a gift of God.” And you men need to realize that your wife is a gift of God. Your work is interesting, the fact that you're out trying to make money. Well, you say, “I’m doing it for my family.” Nonsense. You're doing it for yourself. Don't kid yourself. You're not doing it for your family. You're doing it for you. And you want to be a success; there's nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, get your priorities right. It's first love of God, then love of your spouse and your family and then love of others. We have something called, “Love and Marriage, God’s Plan for the Family,” and somehow or other it's got my name on it. I don't recall writing it, but nevertheless it says I did. So, I'm sure it has to be if you say so. I’m sure you did, Pat. We'll give it to you free. “Love and Marriage.” I have been married for 56-57 years, whatever it is, and I've got four kids. You should know that answer. Well, I don’t because as the years go on, you lose track of all those. I’ve got four kids. I’ve got fourteen grandchildren. Now I've got two great-grandchildren; and God has blessed beyond measure. So maybe this little book is something that will tell you how you can get blessed. Maybe Dede wrote the book. No, Dede didn’t write the book. I’m sorry. She could’ve but she didn’t. Alright. She could’ve. That was a heartwarming story. Well, are you ready for the e-mail questions? Let's go for it. We're going to jump right in with one from Rambo. He says, “Throughout the Bible, we see many figures who had several wives. When did it become “One man, one woman?” Actually I think it did in Genesis. “For this cause shall a man leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and the twain shall become one flesh.” And Jesus said, “What God has joined together let not man put asunder.” I don't know, polygamy was certainly accepted among the wealthier people, certainly the kings. Maybe that was a sign of the fact that they were kings. You know, they made alliances, and marriage was less of a romantic thing. I was reading about Solomon. It said he married the daughter of Pharaoh. Well, that was an alliance between Israel and Pharaoh, and they sealed it by saying, “Okay, you can have one of my daughters.” So, when did it come out? I don't know exactly when, but it certainly wasn't in the early days. And you read Noah; Noah had a wife. He didn't have a lot of wives. Others didn’t, but you sure do have in the Bible, as you go on. David the king had a number of wives and a number of children. So, do you have any thoughts on that? I don't, I only have jokes in my head. Oh, then don't tell them. What's the next question? I'm not going to tell them. All right Jason asks, “I am a Christian, but I struggle with stealing and pornography. I know it's wrong. How can God help me quit?” You’ve got to face this thing, and you face it as sin and face it as, “If I keep it up, I’m going to Hell.” You begin to realize you can't do that and say that I love God. If you don't do it, God's going to punish you and it will hurt. It will be built-in. You will wind up in prison, and that will not be good. Or you will ruin your life, and that will not be good. God has gotten rules where we can be happy. He wants us to be happy. If we break those rules, they have built in them their own punishment. So, if we violate God's rules, it will hurt us. So, how can you quit? Get real, come on. What do you want me to tell you how to stop it? You're going to destroy yourself. Tell yourself that. “I am going to ruin my life, and I've got to shape up.” All right. I think another part of it to, Pat, the heart. I think a lot of times whether it’s alcohol, drugs, pornography, stealing, whatever the manifestation is, what's the heart issue? What's the root issue behind it all? What is that void or that hurt that you're trying to console with these things? And that's what you need to take to the Lord and say, “Lord, this is my deep, dark issue. Will you go in and fill that place, love me, heal me, restore me?” Because then, when the Lord fills you up, you won't need those other things. That sounds beautiful; but I think those porn guys, I don't think there's any deep dark void. I think that stuff is a spirit, though. Well, it’s a spirit. That stuff is a spirit. You can bind that stuff. I really do, Pat. Men have testosterone and that caters to their lusts, and it's not necessarily some deep, dark void. You've got to control your passions. All right, what's next? Okay. Beth wants to know, “My husband and I are selling our house and moving. After we sell it, we will have enough money to be debt free. Should we invest the money for retirement or pay off our current debts? What should we do?” I think that house sounds like it was an investment. I'd pay your debts off. I really would. I think you'll feel better. You'll be more comfortable; and then any surpluses you can make wise investments with. I would pay it off. I don't know exactly what you've got. If you told me you had a 3 percent mortgage on a house and should you sell it, but you've already sold it. So, having sold it, take the money and pay off your debts. All right. Speaking of which, I think we have another piggyback one on that one. Linda says, “My husband and I are elderly. When our parents needed care, we moved closer to them, but we are now in debt. How can we be wise stewards with our money when were facing bankruptcy?” Oh, that's a hard one. I don't understand exactly what happened to you. You moved closer to your parents to look after them, and now you're in debt and you're facing bankruptcy. The biggest thing about finances is you don't spend more money than you take in. And you need to have a budget. You need to be honest about where you are spending your money. I just don't believe maybe you're as close to bankruptcy as you think. Ask God to show you ways of getting more money. Getting out of it, paying off what you've got. Realizing assets that you may not be aware of. If you have to, there's nothing wrong necessarily with bankruptcy. I mean, the laws are set there to get people out of debt and to give them a fresh start. It isn't easy. So Chapter 7 is cheap. You clean up, but you lose everything you've got. So anyhow, one more question. All right. Oh, I thought, you want to try one more? Yeah, one more. Let's try one more. Ann says, “How should a Christian defend themselves when people are spreading untrue rumors about them? Are we meant to be a doormat? Is it okay to be angry?” Yes! No, it’s not . . . . You said no; I said yes. We're not supposed to be a doormat and no, you shouldn't be angry. “Vengeance is mine. I will repay saith the Lord.” Put it in His hands and let Him do it, and He will defend you. And the Bible says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” That's a promise God will give you. So you serve. When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him. Please the Lord, that's your focus. We leave you today with these words from Ephesians. Here at CBN, we see amazing things happen when we stand together. That’s why we want to say thank you to the thousands of you . . . . . . . . who recently pledged to join the 700 Club. Your monthly gift makes it possible to bring crucial help to those who need it most. You help heal the sick, feed the hungry . . . . . . . . and preach the Gospel across America and throughout the world. You’ve brought health and hope to people in desperate need. And changed their lives forever. This widow was so poor she had to search for food for her children. Many times all she could find was ant larvae. When her daughter became ill with a deadly parasite, you sent a free medical clinic that saved her life. You also gave this family a small poultry business, so they can support themselves. Your love ended their despair. So please watch for this mailing and send in your pledge. This year millions will know . . . . The love and saving power of Jesus Christ. And that only happens, because you were there.