The 700 Club - July 20, 2011

He lived stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I'd been braver, maybe I would have just shot myself. 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 crackhead I could be. How the cops smoked him out. I realized it was the police helicopter's spotlight. Well, welcome to this edition of The 700 Club. Folks, they're talking about raising taxes to pay for the government. We have before you today; we're going to show you some of the most shocking things. And I'm going to ask you if you want your tax dollars to be used for this. We're spending about 2.5 million dollars. Guess what? To study the drinking habits of Chinese prostitutes. And you want to pay more taxes. You want to eat your peas, and make sure those prostitutes get well taken care of in America, right? No! Okay. Of course not. All right. Well, that's what has got to come out. Today we've got Stephen Moore, great guy, Club of Growth, Wall Street Journal contributor. You're going to find out some real insight as to what is going on. But it makes you sick. Members of Congress still haven't reached a deal on the debt ceiling. President Obama says some progress has been made, but the leaders in the Senate are still skeptical. So here is a question. So what might happen if there is no agreement before the deadline on August 2nd? Well, here is reporter John Jessup with the answer. DEFAULT Some of the worst predictions, President Obama warns that those who loan America money might now say: The US government doesn't pay its bills, so we're going to start pulling our money out. Moody's and Standard and Poors already are warning they may be forced to downgrade America's golden AAA credit crediting. Many analysts warn that likely would lead to higher interest rates, since the Treasury Department would have to raise rates to attract concerned investors. And those higher rates would ripple through the entire economy. That means higher interest rates for businesses. That means higher interest rates for consumers. Which would be a severe drag on an already anemic recovery, says Senator Rob Portman, who served as head of office in Management and Budget under President Bush. We don't want that to happen. We don't want our economy to be even further weakened. All of the head winds that we're already experiencing in terms of the recovery will get worse. The stock market could take a steep drop, hurting businesses, 401Ks and pensions, as well as wiping out many jobs. But not everyone agrees that things would get so bad so quickly. I think you would see very little disruption. Conservative Senator Jim DeMint points out almost 200 billion tax dollars will continue to roll into Washington each month, enough to prevent defaulting and fund the size of a government as big as it was in 2003. A lot of these new programs would have to be cut back. We'd probably have to delay the implementation of Obamacare, which costs a trillion dollars. But that would still leave the federal government short some 135 billion dollars every month, unable to cover nearly 45 percent of its costs. Still, the bottom line is no one can say exactly for sure what would happen if the debt ceiling isn't raised. The real question may be whether we'll find out sooner rather than later. John Jessup, CBN News, Capitol Hill. Before we go to our very distinguished guest, I want to show you something, ladies and gentlemen. Watch this very carefully. And when you hear all that rhetoric coming out of Washington, match the rhetoric against what has actually happened. Now here are some of the examples of what's being done with your tax dollars when they're running up this enormous deficit. Now, first, government auditors found that 22 percent of all federal programs have no positive impact. Those programs cost 123 billion dollars a year. In other words, they all could be cut out. Health care fraud costs an estimated 60 billion dollars every year; that's fraud. And Medicare, 60 billion. Washington, get this, Washington spent 2.6 million dollars training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job. Can you believe anything like this? And Obama says eat your peas. Come on. Fraud related to hurricane Katrina cost an estimated two billion dollars. Debit cards provided to hurricane victims were used to pay for Caribbean vacations, NFL tickets, Dom Perignon champagne, Girls Gone Wild videos, and at least one sex change operation. Oh, my goodness. Senator Tom Coburn released a study of congressional earmarks last December. He found 175 million dollars spent for upkeep for an unused monkey house, an unused monkey house. And we've got to eat our peas, Mr. President. Let the monkeys eat the stinking peas. One point eight million dollars for a museum for old Las Vegas signs, 823,000 dollars for teaching South African men how to wash their genitalia. Oh, my word. You say, "You can't be serious. Intelligent people don't do that." But yes, they do. Two hundred twenty-four thousand dollars for a statue of a bus. The total cost of earmarks was about 11.5 billion dollars. And that's nothing compared to some of the things that they've put in. And they're saying, "We've got to raise taxes on the American people, so we can teach South African men how to wash their genitalia and Chinese prostitutes how to drink more responsibly." Do you want your money going for that? Isn't it time the American people stood up and say, "No more." Well, joining us now from Washington is Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal, editorial board. Steve, so nice to be with you. We enjoy your comments, your writings. And thanks for being here. Pat, thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be with you. And I'm as outraged you are about those examples. And you can spend a half an hour going through these programs. After all, Pat, do we really need a Department of Education? There is no evidence that it has helped the schools. Do we need a Department of Energy? Do we need a Department of Labor? We can go through every agency of government, every nook and cranny, and, in my opinion, Pat, find tens of billions of dollars of money that is either wasted, abused or should have never been spent in the first place. We're going in the hole, 1.6 trillion. What would you cut? You just can't take an ax to it right away, because that would unsettle the economy. You have to do it gradually, yes, or do you cut them in a hurry? You know what I'd do, Pat? I would start with an across the board haircut for every program. I would do about 15 or 20 percent. Now, that may seem harsh, Pat, but don't forget, we just spent 830 billion dollars on a failed stimulus plan that deluged these programs with money. Many programs saw increases of 50, 60, 80, 100 percent in their budget. I wonder how many Americans saw more than 100 percent increase in their family budget over the last couple of years. Not too many. And so these federal programs have been just deluged with money. Now it's time to trim them back. And then, of course, it's really critical, Pat, if we hope to get at all serious about ever balancing the federal budget again, we have got to eliminate Obamacare. Everyone knows, you know it, everyone watching this show knows that the fundamental problem with the budget is these out of control entitlement programs. And it makes no sense if entitlements are the problem, to create a brand new trillion dollar entitlement that puts 30 million more people, Pat, on the Medicaid program, which is already going broke. That's like putting more people on board the Titanic. The Democrats don't seem to want to come to the table. I'm a businessman, and if I have a business, and I've got a balanced budget, I wouldn't mind just sitting back and saying, "Okay, I can cut 10 percent or I can 20 or even 30 percent to keep the business alive and keep it out of insolvency. Why can't the Democrats understand where we're going? Pat, because nobody in Washington ever adheres to sound business principles. That's the problem. There is no concept of a balanced budget in Washington. We haven't balanced the budget in so long. And I think that's the real problem. I think there is a real problem, Pat, that the people in the White House and so many people in Congress have never run a business. Barack Obama has never run a business. He doesn't know how to balance a budget or to create jobs. And I would make the case of members of Congress in both parties, it's a big problem that so few of our politicians know anything about business. Well, when he was a senator, he voted against raising the debt limit. He thought that was a bad thing. Now he talks about Armageddon, the end of the world. We won't send out social security checks. I lost the audio. I can't hear. Tell us about that. What do you think? Steve, you with us? Have we lost the audio? Okay, just a second. I can hear you, but I can't hear Pat. All right. Can you hear—who can you hear? All right. Okay. Here you go. I'm trying to say, he says that social security checks won't go out. We won't have enough money. We'll go default on all these things. If we don't raise the debt ceiling, what really can happen? Pat, I believe there is a lot of fear mongering going on right now with respect to a couple of things. First of all, this idea that America is going to default on its debt. I want to assure all of your viewers and listeners that that is not going to happen, that the full faith and credit will continue to stand behind those treasury bills. Even if we face a situation where we have not passed the debt bill on time, which is August 2nd, you still have money that comes in every day. You have about 200 billion dollars that comes in through tax revenues every month. The interest on the debt is only 25 billion dollars. So all of this talk about Armageddon if we haven't passed the debt ceiling on time, I think, is a big canard. It's also a canard that the president and the Treasury Department cannot pay social security recipients. The Social Security Administration owns trillions of dollars of bonds. It can redeem those bonds, and it can use those bonds to pay payments. So I think what is going on here, Pat, is there is all sorts of fear mongering going on to try to gain a political advantage. And I think it is highly irresponsible to scare the financial markets, to talk down the dollar, and to scare seniors, quite frankly, who are worried they might not get a social security check, when I can tell them pointblank that they will get their social security checks, unless the administration tries this ploy of not paying them to gain a political advantage. Stephen, the number of the GDP, people have talked about 18 percent of the GDP as a fair estimate of what the government ought to be spending. It's up to about, what, 25 percent now. Is there a number, a cap we could put on the spending that everybody would agree on? Yes, look, I think we should cap spending at somewhere between 18 and 20 percent. One of the things that is really scary to me, Pat, is that if we allow Obamacare to go into effect and all of these other programs under Obamanomics. We're headed to 25, 26, 27 percent of GDP, which would be an all time record. And I think that's really problematic for the economy. If I may, Pat, I wanted to make another really important point about the stakes in this debt fight, because this is going to be the story for the next three or four weeks, and who knows how long this is going to last. But I think the critical thing for our country is whether the political system is capable of getting these enormous debts under control. You mentioned the fact we're borrowing 1.6 trillion dollars a year. My goodness. This is more money that the United States government borrowed over the next 10 years than we borrowed from 1776 through 2005. We can't continue as an economic super power to lead the world with our economy if we're borrowing all this money. And so I think the key point here for people to understand is that if we don't come out of this with some kind of a debt reduction plan, I think that there could be a financial crisis. Well, Steve, the people, this gang of six has put forward a plan maybe to save two trillion or four trillion over 10 years. That, as Coburn said, is just about going to pay the interest. Well, that's a good point. These numbers that they're talking about in terms of savings are so tiny given the magnitude of the problem, Pat. I couldn't agree with you more. And you know what, Armageddon doesn't come if we don't pass the debt ceiling on time. Armageddon is going to come if we don't get this debt and spending under control. As you know, Pat, that's what the 2010 elections were about. This is what the Tea Party movement was about. Americans understanding that a great nation pays its bills; that it doesn't continue to grow the government and run up its deficits. And this is a very serious financial problem, Pat. This is not a fire drill. We are in a serious financial crisis unless we get this debt under control. And you know what, I bet 98 percent of the people who are watching this show understand that, but I don't think the politicians in Washington, and especially the guy in the White House, I don't think they understand the gravity of the problem. Would you like to give some odds about the fact they're ever going to get it right? The great thing about America, Pat, is that Americans don't tolerate failure for long. And I think that if these politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, do not get the overspending and the debt under control, we're going to vote these people out, and we're going to vote new people in, because the American people, in their gut, they instinctively know that a great nation cannot continue to borrow 10 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. Think about this, Pat? What if the Chinese and the Japanese stop lending us the money? That's right. Where is the money going to come from? Yes. Well, they think they can print it, and they can't. Steve, thank you. But you know they've been trying that. They've been trying that, too, and look what has happened to the gold price. It went up to 1,600 dollars. That means, Pat, Americans are losing their sense of confidence in the currency as well. That's right. Not only Americans, but the rest of the world. I totally agree. I've been forecasting it at 1,800. I think it's going to hit up probably close to 4,000 or 5,000 an ounce the way it's going. I wouldn't be surprised, because when you run these enormous debts, what do countries normally do, Pat, when they get into a debt cycle like this? Think of what Argentina and Bolivia and Mexico do. They debase their currency, and they pay back the creditors with currency that worthless. That's what Ben Bernanke did with this QE2 program, which is essentially printing money to pay the debt. So, Pat, we're already doing this. Steve, come back. You're terrific. Thank you very much. Thank you, Pat. Great to be with you. Stephen Moore, ladies and gentlemen. Listen to that warning. And I have said at the first of the year, I'll say it again, if they don't get it together right now, and I don't think they will, we've got about 12 to 14 more months before we lose our AAA credit rating, before our bonds are sold down, interest rates go through the roof, and the standard of American living has dropped dramatically. We won't have enough money to pay for defense. We won't have enough money to pay for essential services. And this country will be looking like Argentina. And you say, "How can you do it to a great nation like the United States of America?" Well, we let that bunch of politicians take over. We've got the so-called progressives and people who have no experience whatsoever in practical business. And they're in charge of this great enterprise. And you and I, as voters, have put them in. So are we going to make a change? And the change can come, and we can come back out of it, but it's going to be too late to really save us from a financial collapse, I'm afraid. I hope I'm wrong. Lee Webb has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Newsroom. Lee. Pat, President Obama supports a bill that would overturn the Defense of Marriage act. DOMA, as it's called, has been in place for 15 years. It is a federal law that says marriage is between one man and one woman. In February, the Obama Administration announced that it would no longer defend the law in court. Now California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, has begun the process of repealing it by scheduling hearings on the matter. She does not expect DOMA to be repealed this year, but she views the hearings as an important first step. Iran is speeding up its nuclear program. It's installing more advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium. Iran says the International Atomic Energy Agency is supervising that process, but France quickly condemned the move, saying Iran's nuclear activities do not have any real benefits for its civilians. Britain also spoke out against Iran's latest move. Experts are suggesting a new way to fight Alzheimer's. New research shows that healthy living helps to prevent the disease. There are seven risk factors: smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and low education. Experts say that if everyone reduces their risk factors by 25 percent, more than half of a million new case of Alzheimer's disease could be prevented, Pat. Thank you, Lee. Are you doing your prevention? I am. What do you do? Everything from exercise, I eat right. I don't smoke. Taking antioxidants? Eating blueberries and stuff? I do eat blueberries. I had blueberry pancakes the other day, with Aunt Jemima syrup. It was really good. That isn't exactly what I—how about just plain blueberries? I know. I have those, too. I have those, too. I was up early this morning riding a horse. There I am walking Blue. It was good. That's why you're so tight. That's right. Yes, exactly. I don't know about being tight, but I hope I can still think. But that Alzheimer's is a dreadful thing. We need to do everything we can. It is like living death. And somebody that has a loved one with that thing, and suddenly they become blank, and there's nobody there, and it breaks the hearts of the loved ones. It is so tragic. And I've had a couple of friends that had that terrible disease. I don't know what you call it, but there are amyloid plaques in the brain that build up. And they still haven't gotten the answer. But I hope—we should have a crash program. If we're going to do anything to spend government money on, that's the one. We ought to have a crash program on researching why there is Alzheimer's, what causes it, and how we stop it. But doctors are saying you keep your mind active, you keep your body active, you stay away from fatty foods, fried foods, trans fats, and all that kind of stuff, and you eat antioxidants and vitamins. And some good things. Speaking of good things, we have a lot of good things in the show. Well, let's go. Well, here we go. Well, coming up, first they follow the call of God, then they follow the call of duty. Military chaplains are dealing with people in extremists. They're in life-death situations, not once, not twice, but very often every day. Chaplains under fire, after this. Look into the eyes of the people you've helped. Experience what God is doing in the world today, in High Definition. The 700 Club, now in HD. 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 . . . . . . . . summer is here. That means it's time to get fired up. We go grilling with Paula Deen's sons and get the secret to the ultimate tailgate party. Plus . . . . Little by little, I began to notice him perk up when talking about her. They call him The Ambassador. I'm in trouble. I don't know what to do. And before long, this rapper turned pastor would need diplomatic immunity from his wife, on The 700 Club. Chaplains. Chaplains. They go out with the combat troops. They lead in prayer. They're there when people are dying. Chaplains have been a key part of the US military for centuries, and even before the United States won its independence. Now many Christian chaplains fear the military's acceptance of open homosexuality may prevent them from speaking about their Biblical beliefs. Jennifer Wishon has this alarming story. I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Their ministries follow the call of duty. Their church is often a battlefield. Military chaplains are dealing with people in extremists. They're in life-death situations, not once, not twice, but very often every day. To produce "Chaplains Under Fire," filmmakers Lee Lawrence and Terry Nickelson spent three months with chaplains serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They wanted to provide a personal look at chaplains, their military role, and the troops' dependence on them. We show men and women who are in a lot of pain. We show the stress of combat missions, the stress of losing buddies. We spend a lot of time with casualties, and we show how the chaplains provide a variety of services for them during those times. Like conducting memorial services for troops lost in battle or greeting wounded warriors each step of the way during their journey to recovery. Spencer. You're in Germany, buddy. God bless you. Chaplains take on many roles, but their official job is to help the men and women assigned to them practice their constitutional right to worship freely. Now some chaplains wonder if a new military policy will affect their ability to stay true to their faith. We're doing away with one "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but we're have another don't ask don't tell policy, and it is if I hold biblical values concerning homosexualities, don't ask me about them, because if you ask me about them, I'm going to have to tell you. Now that a court has ruled the military must end that policy immediately, the military is changing course in a hurry. That rush concerns chaplains of faiths that view homosexuality as a sin. They're waiting to see if the new policy causes a conflict between their job and their faith. This is unique in American history, where you have military policy at odds with the belief system of the chaplains that they rely on. Ron Crews served as an army chaplain for 28 years. Now he endorses other chaplains. He says there are more questions than answers from the Department of Defense. In this new environment, will a chaplain be able to pull out a Bible and read scripture to a person he is counseling about sexual issues? We're concerned about that. Colonel Matthew Goff has served as a chaplain for nearly 20 years. He tells CBN News he has never felt pressured to violate his conscience, and sees the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as an opportunity. To minister to not only all the other soldiers who are staying in, of course, but as the homosexuals who do join the military. And they need the touch of Jesus just like anybody else. So to stay there, to be able to minister to them when they have needs and in crisis, and then God opens the door to their hearts. It's good to be there to do that. According to the Army, chaplains will continue to have freedom to practice their religion according to the tenants of their faith. Chaplains are not required to take actions that are inconsistent with their religious beliefs, such as altering the content of sermons or religious counseling or modifying forms of prayer or worship. But Crews says there is always evidence to the contrary. During a briefing on the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," he says one chaplain asked the briefing general if he and others could continue to hold and speak their beliefs against homosexuality. The general officer said, "Chaplain, if you cannot fall in line with this policy, resign your commission." Some chaplains have already taken that step. As a show of support for chaplains, a coalition is forming to provide legal and other support to chaplains who might be disciplined for sticking to their biblically held beliefs. No American, especially those who wear the uniform to serve their country, should be denied the right to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. While the documentary "Chaplains Under Fire" doesn't address the issue of gays in the military, Lorence says the chaplains she followed were able to remain true to their conscience. Everybody figured out a way to stay true to their faith while being open to all the soldiers and Marines. Chaplains pray that observation remains true as they face this new challenge of their military career. Jennifer Wishon, CBN News. Thanks, Jennifer. Joining us now is David French. David is a captain of the United States Army Reserve who served for a year in Iraq. Dave is also a lawyer. He now serves as senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. David, good to have you. Well, thank you for having me. You were a chaplain for a year. Did anybody ever tell you how you could have a service, whether you could talk about Jesus, whether you could talk about the Bible or what you could talk about? I was a lawyer for a year in Iraq, a JAG officer. Oh, a lawyer. Oh, JAG. But I served very closely with chaplains. And no one ever interfered with our chaplain's right to express his faith. No one every interfered with any soldier's right to express their faith. And that's a really important thing for service members to know, is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" doesn't change their right to religious expression. And there is some confusion about that out there, and there shouldn't be. They still have their right to have religious expression. Well, so what if a chaplain reads from the Bible and says homosexuality is an abomination before God? Can he do that? From their pulpit, a chaplain has the religious liberty in their pulpit to advance their faith. Absolutely, they have the right to do that. The sad thing is and the unfortunate thing is there is a lot of confusion. And as we saw in the report, some generals, apparently, are giving some inconsistent messages. But the reality as a chaplain is still free in their pulpit to advance their faith. So if he is counseling somebody, a guy comes in and says, "I am burdened with sin and guilt. I want to know what to do," he can tell him? Absolutely. A chaplain has that liberty to still maintain their faith. Now, the problem is, as I said, there could still be a lot of confusion out there. I've actually conducted "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" training. Yes. And there is confusion. There is a lot of confusion. And people do seem to believe that they can't share their faith anymore, but that's not true. At the ACLJ, we literally helped write the book on religious liberty in the military, and our service members still have their religious liberty. Have you ever had any lawsuits to establish the rights for these people? Well, fortunately, it rarely has to go to actual lawsuits. Fortunately, the military generally does a pretty good job of correcting its own ship. Well, they have a uniform code of military justice, and they have their own set of courts, so you'd have to go to court before a military tribunal. Well, most of the time when you have a dispute in military law, it is settled within the military justice system. But fortunately, the military has been doing a good job historically, and we hope it continues. And we need to make sure that it continues. It has done a good job protecting the religious liberty of its soldiers. They know that religious liberty and faith is a critical part of the warrior ethos. Sure. David, thank you for being with us. I understand you're going to come back with your wife in a few minutes. That's correct. Thanks for being here. Well, when we come back, find out why David French traded his briefcase for an M4 rifle and how his wife Nancy responded to the call of duty, coming up 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. 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His wife Nancy spent a year running the household without him. It doesn't sound that unusual, right? Well, it does until you know that David was 37 years old and a father of two when he volunteered to become a soldier. David and Nancy French lived a comfortable life in their Philadelphia penthouse. David had a great job as a lawyer, and was the president of a successful non-profit organization. Nancy was raising two kids and working from home as a writer. One morning David read the newspaper. There was a story that touched him about a wounded soldier in Iraq who was also a father. This compelled him to make a life-altering decision, to trade in his briefcase for an M4 rifle. It's an incredible story. So David and Nancy have actually written a book called Home and Away. It's a story of their family in a time of war. And I'm sure it just relates to so many other families out there. Thank you both so much for being here. By the way, good interview, David. And Nancy, I'm going to reach over. Good seeing you both. What an amazing story and a journey. I'm just going to jump right in with you, David. I know that you say that when you were younger, you always kind of had the inclination of wanting to work in the Armed Forces, but then you went to Harvard Law School. You did this, and you did that. You're in the business world. And then all of a sudden at the age of 37, you said, "I'm going to put down my briefcase, and I'm going to go into the battlefield." Kind of crazy. Some would call it crazy. Well, I was reading a newspaper article, and there was a story of an officer who was wounded. And as he was being led off the battlefield, he literally used the reporter's satellite phone to call home to his wife and two kids. And when I heard that I was just stricken in my heart, because here is a guy. He doesn't love his wife any less than I love my wife. He doesn't love his kids any less than I love my kids. And he is on the battlefield, and what was I doing? I was at home with a very, very comfortable life. And I felt a conviction unlike anything I have ever felt that I needed to do my part. So you really felt it was a call from God to say, "This is what I want you to do." It was the strongest sense of conviction I've ever had in my life. It was one of those things that you literally could not ignore. And so I turned to Nancy. And she knew what was going to come out of my mouth before I even said it. She knew what I was reading. She could see it on my face. Well, Nancy, seeing it on his face is one thing, but actually having your husband go away for a year is a whole other ballgame. How did you respond when your husband says, "Okay, honey, this is where I'm going." Well, it was not what I signed up for when we got married. He said that he was going to join the Air Force, but his eyes weren't good, so instead he went to Harvard Law School. And that I thought that was the type of thing that people just say to sound more courageous and moral than they are. And so 10 years later when he signed up, it was a shock. And I was not happy about it, but I prayed, because I don't want to be the type of person who stands in the way of God's purpose. And so I prayed about it, and I realized it was the right thing to do. Yes. But it really changed both of your lives. And it was very different from the world that you were currently living in. When I was reading your book, I thought it was kind of funny how you said, you have kind of the latest technology, or the latest television, or the latest car, or the latest house, or the latest this, and if you didn't, it was kind of uncomfortable. And all of a sudden, you're on the battlefield when all of those luxuries that you had are now all gone. So how did the battlefield actually change your life? When I landed in Iraq, a friend of mine came up to me, and he said, "If you live through this, this will be the most important year of your life." And he was absolutely right. For one thing, I saw courage unlike anything that I have never seen before. What our guys do down there is underappreciated. And I served with real heroes. And seeing that changes you. And then the other thing is I saw real, true evil. Al Qaeda is evil. And our fight against them is right and just. And it gave me this fierce conviction that we have to see this thing through, and we have to win this fight. There is really no other option. Being on the front lines as a Christian, or on the battlefield as a Christian, how did that shape your prayers or even just your relationship with the Lord? Well, I tell you what, it teaches you as you depend utterly on Christ for your next breath. There were some wonderful, amazing, Godly men who didn't make it home. And I think about them every single day. And I'm thankful for their lives. I'm thankful that I got to know them and know who they are. And one of the things I wanted to do in the book was carry on their legacy, so that no one would forget them. People truly have lived out the scripture, "Greater love hath no man but to lay down his life for their friends." Yes. A lot of times, we have, many people around the country have family members, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, over in the Armed Forces serving our country. And while they're out there, I've got two questions. One, how can we pray for them? And, two, how can we pray for the families who are left at home? Well, one of the big things is I think pray for courage. It's not that you ever lose the fear. Maybe some people do. I never lost the fear, I can tell you that. But praying for courage and the courage to do your duty. And then I know that Nancy needed prayers for resolve to see each day through and to be the sole parent at home. Yes. Well, let's talk about that, Nancy, because there are lot of military families who, their spouses are out and about, and they're left at home just to kind of manage everything. Well, this is the first time I think I read in the book that you had balanced a checkbook, and you had to handle all of those kind of financial responsibilities. Tell us about that a little bit. Well, I realized it's hard to be an adult. I met David when I was 20, and we married quickly after that. And so it was the first time I had ever had to manage the household. My goal was not to burn down the house or to get evicted. And so, after he left, though, it was kind of like a coming of age tale for me. And I decided to try to pay off our debts and make the house better and the yard and that kind of thing. But the big help was the church. And our church community really, they prayed for us. They supported him while he was gone by sending packages, and they showed up physically at the house to do menial work, like they fixed the garage door when it was broken. And one time a deacon of my church even pulled my kid's tooth because I was a wimp. So that's really being the incarnation of Christ. Sure. And we just appreciated that love and support. Exactly. Well, Nancy, you kind of glossed over the fact you paid the debt. That's huge within a year, and that was actually a great goal that you had, so that as your husband is out there and you're praying for him, you could set your own goal. Right? Yes. Yes. And I was listening to the radio today, Ramsey, and he had baby steps to financial freedom. And I thought, "That's what I need, is baby steps. I don't even know how to do my checkbook." And so I followed his—David gave me complete carte blanche to do whatever I wanted to with our finances. So I sold his Land Rover, because he didn't need it. He didn't need it. He didn't need it. Yes. You have a bike, David. That's right. And then I cleaned out our savings, and I did all of the little baby steps. And I did everything but the house. Oh, how funny. I have one really quick last question, and I know we've got to head to the next thing, because you guys are so good, but war changes people. When you guys get back, you're different from how you left. Let's talk about that really quickly. Nancy says I had an edge, and that I still have an edge. He wasn't as nice. Ooh, okay. Yes. I probably am not quite as nice as I was, but you know what, you experience things, and it does change you. And I think if I did what God was calling me to do, then the person I am as I come back is more the person that God wanted me to be. Yes. But, ultimately, even though both of you changed, you guys were able to come together in a collective way like never before and actually respect each other in a new way with a new life. Well, thank you guys so much. Thank you for serving our country (to David). Thank you for serving our country (to Nancy). And thank you for just being a testimony and a voice to so many people and families who are in the military who are still out there and who are still waging this war, so God bless you. God bless you both. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I want to promo the book. It's called Home and Away. David and Nancy's book, once again, Home and Away. And it's available wherever books are sold. Good read. All right, Pat, I'm throwing it to you. Thanks, David. A wonderful couple. She, by the way, is an accomplished ghostwriter. I don't think you brought that out in the interview that she ghost wrote Bristol Palin's latest. Well, still ahead, he took an early retirement. Where did he go? He wanted to go live in a cave and smoke crack. My goal was to smoke a hit of crack every three minutes. Here I am stuck in a cave. Who would live like this that isn't crazy? It's like that commercial, "What, have you been living under a rock?" Well, he was living under a rock. See how he escaped from a rock and a hard place, coming up. An independent report just named Jenny Craig the top diet. For me it's always been the top, number one, the best. In my opinion, it simply works. Three years ago I lost 40 lbs on Jenny Craig, and now I'm having the time of my life. It's our summer special. Get a six-week program for just $36 plus the cost of food. Call 1-800-JENNY20. Number one, the top, the best. Either way Jenny works for me. So call it whatever you want. Just pick up the phone and call. Remember the feeling you had when you drew a hot bath, sat down in the tub and let the warm water wash away the cares of the day? Well, for many people the luxury of taking a bath has become a thing of the past, as age and mobility issues have robbed them of one of life's simple pleasures. Let the Designed for Seniors Safe Step Walk-in Tub get you back in the water again safely and affordably and start to feel like your old self again without the risk or fear of injury. This American-made tub features a dual hydro massage therapy system, a less- than- four-inch step up, and a wider door for easier and safer entry. The Designed for Seniors Safe Step Walk-in Tub comes with a lifetime warranty, and it fits right into your existing standard tub space, so you can stay in the home you love. Call 1-888-774-4987 for a special helping hand rebates up to $750, and the first 30 callers get a free safety package. That's 1-888-774-4987. Rebates are limited. Call now. Welcome back to The 700 Club. A judge is ordering that a Ten Commandments monument be removed from a Florida courthouse. That decision comes after a 2007 lawsuit by the ACLU. The ACLU had argued that a government display of the Commandments in the Dixie County courthouse in northwest Florida violates the first amendment, which prohibits government from promoting religious messages. The judge is giving the county until August to remove the Commandments display. A second town clerk in the state of New York is resigning over her religious objections to gay marriage. Ruth Sheldon says signing a marriage certificate for same-sex couples violates her religious principles. Last week, another town clerk in New York announced her resignation for the very same reasons. Gay marriage becomes legal in New York on Sunday. 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 after this. 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. 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. In the beginning, God gave human beings the authority over plants, vegetables, animals. But you ask yourself, how could a human being made in the image of God become a slave to vegetables? Well, I'm going to show you somebody. For almost 40 years, Jim Cherrier was homeless. The last 14 of those years, he lived in a mine shaft, like an animal. Why? The love of a powder from a cocoa plant, made into something called crack, and that cost this man his wife, his family, his career, even part of his body. Jim Cherrier knows every nook and cranny of the foothills surrounding Phoenix, Arizona, because you for 14 years, these hills were his home. Behind these mountains here, it's like a whole big circle of mountains over a square 15 miles or so. And in the middle is a large basin. And in that basin is where I spent a lot of time, because there is no access to vehicles in there, and you rarely see anybody. That was perfect for Jim, who was a hard-core drug addict. He abused heroin so much that his veins collapsed and he had to have his arm amputated. But it was crack cocaine that kept him constantly paranoid. Even if nobody was around, I would imagine that people were listening to me. At times I'd even hear voices. There was only one place Jim felt safe, in his dark, musty mine shaft. There, he could go months without bathing or changing his clothes. And his only friend was a wild donkey that ate out of his hand. It was an extreme, drastic contrast between the life I had lived at certain times, of my own home, my own car, my wife, my children, a job, a steady job as a federal employee working for the Department of the Navy. Jim's parents raised him to succeed. He grew up with five brothers and sisters. They traveled the world and even lived overseas in Singapore. But at 15, Jim was introduced to drugs. And after high school, he hitchhiked around America for six years, experimenting with hallucinogens and acid. I was far from a pillar of society, but I paid my bills and I went to work. Although I stopped hard drug usage, I drank a lot of beer and I smoked a lot of marijuana. Jim learned that this was no way to hold a family together. His wife left. He met another woman and resolved to try harder, but she left, too. I knew that I failed them in ways that they needed, but I couldn't understand why they would actually leave me, because I didn't think I failed them that bad. Jim fell in love one more time, and this lady didn't leave him. She died in a fire. That's where I just didn't care about anything. And I just didn't care about myself. My problem is heartbreak, serious heartbreak in my life, to where I purposely decided to smash my life. And if I had been braver, maybe, I would have just shot myself. Instead, Jim took an early retirement from his job. I put all my money together, and I headed off to be the best crackhead I could be. Three days a week, he was a dealer in a dope house. The rest of the time he hid out to the hills and got high. My goal was to smoke a hit of crack every three minutes, 24/7. And I realized I was stuck in a rock and a hard place. Here I am, stuck in a cave. Who would live like this that isn't crazy? And I knew people thought that of me. I started thinking of my family, my kids, grandkids, and depression crept in on me more and more. Around this time, Jim met a man in his travels between the dope house and his mine shaft, and this man gave Jim a Bible. I couldn't wait to get out of the dope house and get back to the mine shaft, so I could just read the Bible. And I didn't know how to pray at this time, but I felt that God could hear what was on my heart, and He knew me. And I started calling out to God, saying, "I am brokenhearted, Lord. I am crushed in spirit. I am sorry for what I've done to my life. Help me, God." Then one morning around two a.m., Jim says he got an answer to his prayer. I could see all of the stars in the sky. And I saw one star in particular that looked odd, and it looked like it was getting bigger and bigger. And the next thing I knew, it got so big and bright, the entire front of the mine shaft here, all the way back, was lit up. I realized it was a police helicopter's spotlight. All of a sudden all these police started coming in here, and they dragged me out by my ankles. And they said, "You're going to prison, buddy. Man, we've been doing a two-year investigation on you, and you are going to prison." And I felt a sense of relief, because I was so sick of my life that prison couldn't be any worse. And I thought, "My life is going to change." The change came in jail. I completely gave my heart to Jesus. I realized that I had been living my life completely for myself. And I realized that everything, everything about my life was wrong. After a year in prison, Jim was released to a half-way house, where his dependency on Jesus increased, and his drug addiction completely disappeared. The problems are gone. My past life is over. And I've died to it, and I know in my heart that that's happened. And I truly have peace of mind. And I always thought peace of mind was something impossible to achieve, that it was some ideal, but I do have peace of mind, because I trust in the Lord. Today Jim is an outreach coordinator for the Dream Center in Phoenix, where he helps people break free of their addictions. He is back in contact with his grown children and is on good terms with his ex-wife. Everything of the past has changed. And I truly have been renewed in the attitude of my mind. I truly am a new creation in Christ. The Bible says He is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through Him. He is able to save to the uttermost. You couldn't ask of anything as depraved, as confused, as worthless as Jim was at the time. You'd think it would take a God to save someone like that. And yet God reached down and saved him. And now he is a productive member of society, hoping for the coming of the Lord. You see, God will forgive you. You say, "He won't forgive me." Yes, he will. How about spending 14 years sucking on a crack pipe and wasting your life and throwing away everything you had. Of course, God can do that and will. The question is, will you let Him? He is asking you right now, "Will you let Me take over?" And God has a special person watching this right now, and He has got a call on your life. And He says, "I want you right now to listen to what's being said, and I want you to obey what is being said." Right now, bow your head. Pray these words after me, mean them in your heart, and let God do the rest. Pray these words. "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. You know how wasted my life is. But, Lord, I know you died to redeem my life. And so at this moment I come to you especially, and I give you my heart. And I ask you, Jesus, please come into my life. Live your life in me, and I will live for you, and I will serve you all the days of my life. Thank you, Lord. Thank you Lord, that you heard my prayer and have come into my heart." Now, listen, if you prayed that prayer with me, I want to give you something. It's called "A New Day." It will tell you how to get started. There is a CD in here that will tell you how to live for the Lord and what's happened to you. I want you to go to your phone and call in and tell somebody, "I just prayed with Pat. I gave my heart to the Lord," 1-800-759-0700. Quickly, call in. Kristi is here. We've got a couple of questions before the program is over. And, Kristi, I'm going to give it to you. We do. You know what, Pat, throughout the entire show, we have literally had people log on to CBN.com to ask us questions. So I'm going to ask the first one. Sandra says, "I went to a psychic, and she told me that I was cursed. She also said that this was the reason for bad luck in my life. She said she could cure me by doing a ritual. What does the Bible say about this? Please advise." What do you think, Pat? Well, the Bible warns us about dealing with spirits that peep and mutter and of getting involved in the occult. And some psychic is not going to get you free. But if you, indeed, have a curse, you might ask the Lord to lift the curse and to cleanse you with Jesus. The blood of Jesus Christ takes away all curses, but sometimes we need to deal with them specially and to rebuke Satan, who has come upon you. What's next? Exactly. We've got another one. Here is a question from Mr. X, "I'm unable to go to my local church, because I keep eyeing my pastor's wife. I try to concentrate, but I'm unable to do so. Please advise." He's got the hots for the pastor's wife, Pat. I heard what you said. Okay. You don't have to draw a picture. Okay, sorry. It was my interpretation, my interpretation. Just keep going. Just go. What do you think? Job said, "I made a covenant with mine eyes not to look upon a maid." If you're looking at a woman lustfully, go to some other church if there's something wrong. But you need to get right with God. You need to fill your life with Jesus. This is a compulsion that shouldn't be yours. She's another man's wife. And the Bible says if you can commit adultery in your heart by looking at somebody adulterously. And so flee youthful lust, the Bible says. So don't go to that church. There are plenty other churches that don't have quite such hot pastor's wives. Is that all right, Kristi? That was pretty good, Pat. Thank you. That was pretty good. I don't think we have time for another question. No, we don't. Well, tomorrow, get ready for football season with tailgating tips from Paula . . . . Paula Deen's sons. I love her. Paula Deen! Paula Deen? Yes. She is the Food Network cook person woman who loves butter. She doesn't make sausage. That's Jimmy Dean. That's Jimmy Dean. This is Paula Deen. I don't think they're related. They spell the name different. Yes. Okay. Tomorrow. We leave you with these words from Matthew 21 . . . . . . . . "And all things, whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." God bless you. Thank you. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye. 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. Chen Xiu couldn't hear or speak. His parents were too poor to afford the speech therapy he needed. His mother prayed that God would help her little boy. That's when you were the answer to her prayers and provided Chen Xiu with the therapy he needed. You took them out of a silent prison and gave him hope for the future. 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.