The 700 Club - July 6, 2011

Well, welcome to The 700 Club. For today’s headlines, let’s go over to the CBN News Desk. Gordon, President Obama is pushing Congress to reach a long-term deal on the government’s debt ceiling. There are just 27 days before the August 2nd deadline, but the two sides haven’t been able to agree on whether to raise taxes. Charlene Israel has that story. The president says he is opposed to a stop-gap, short-term deal that just raises the nation's debt ceiling. I've heard reports that there may be some in Congress who want to do just enough to make sure that America avoids defaulting on our debt in the short term, but then wants to kick the can down the road when it comes to solving the larger problem of our deficit. I don't share that view. Summoning leaders from both parties to the White House on Thursday to work toward a final agreement: It’s my hope is that everybody is going to leave their ultimatums at the door, that we’ll all leave our political rhetoric at the door, and that we’re going to do what's best for our economy. Some say if they fail to raise the debt ceiling, the US government could default on its obligations. The limit currently stands at 14.3 trillion dollars. Fiscally conservative lawmakers are demanding deep cuts in the federal debt before voting to raise the ceiling. So far, Republicans and Democrats are having trouble agreeing on a plan. Democrats are demanding tax hikes to go along with budget cuts. But Republicans are holding firm against them. The time is here for my Republican colleagues to put politics aside. Simply put, we are out of time. The White House is seeking cuts in the range of 2.4 trillion dollars, including tens of billions in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Plus, more than 400 billion in tax increases over the next decade. The president says any deal must include new tax revenue. The tax cuts I'm proposing we get rid of are tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Congressional Republicans have refused to budge on raising taxes as a way to reduce the deficit. Washington needs to find a way to spend less. Taxing more is their easy way out. Meanwhile, the White House says that if the government's debt limit isn't reached by August 2nd, the US will face its first ever default, something that could shake economic markets worldwide. Charlene Israel, CBN News. Another European nation is facing deep financial problems. Moody’s Investor Service has cut Portugal’s credit rating to junk, even though Portugal just worked out a bailout package in May. Moody’s is warning that Portugal may need yet another bailout, one analyst telling Reuters that the problems in Greece may be repeated in Portugal. California lawmakers want the governor to sign a gay history bill. That bill would make the state the first to require public schools to include the contributions of gays and lesbians in their social studies curriculum. The California assembly passed the bill 49-25. A Democratic assemblyman says the legislation is important because gay students are often bullied. Republicans say it raises concerns that students, though, will be indoctrinated into accepting homosexuality. Governor Jerry Brown has not indicated if he will sign the bill. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, though, vetoed a similar measure in 2006. Some Christians are calling the bill, quote, “sexual brainwashing,” and they say it will drive more parents to take their children out of public schools. More than a quarter of adults in the US are obese, and that number is steadily rising. Now we’re learning that eating more is only part of the problem. As Heather Sells tells us, folks are also eating more often. According to a new study, Americans eat 570 more calories per day than they did back in the 1970s. That is roughly a pound a week. Experts say one problem is portion sizes. We are used to seeing more on our plates, and therefore we eat it. When it is in front of us, we consume it. But even worse than the amount on our plate is how often we eat. We have food everywhere. There are gas stations. They’re at movie theaters. We’ve got it at the coffee shops. Snacking accounts for more than 25 percent of an American's average calorie intake. In 2006, time spent snacking averaged about 15 minutes per day. In 2008, that number doubled to almost 30 minutes a day. Nutritionists say that Americans are choosing foods more for flavor than nutritional value. That kind of food often leaves you hungry again after only an hour or two. This isn't going to be an easy fix, according to experts. They say it is going to take a little extra willpower to resist food that is so easily accessible. Heather Sells, CBN News. Now, let’s go back over to Terry to find out what’s ahead on today’s 700 Club. Well, up next, a builder loses his business. I thought it was the end of construction for me, and we had lost our home to foreclosure, so I started selling my construction tools just to pay our rent. See what got him back in business, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * Still ahead . . . . . . . . you’ve heard of cutting. I liked the way it felt. Now meet a man who took it to the next level. I got this bright idea to grab a jigsaw and cut off one of my fingers. See how far he went, on today’s 700 Club. I believe at first I might have tried to hide it, but how can you hide stumbling around or falling on the floor? You’ve won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes! Watch your mail for the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes or go to pch.com and enter. This August 31st you could win $5000 every week for life. Obamacare is not only going to ruin our health care system, but it's going to put us so far in debt, we will never recover. Perhaps worst of all, it was concocted in an undemocratic process in locked rooms in the middle of the night. Obamacare was passed and rammed down the throats of the American people. In January after we delivered petitions to the House, they voted to repeal. Now the Senate is only four votes short of repeal as well. It's critical that you call today and add your voice to the new U.S. Senate petition. Even if you’ve signed a petition or made a call, do it again. And ask your friends to do it again. We don't want them to ever think that we're giving up so that they can give up. Call 1-800-899-5051 or go online to RepealItNow.org to sign the official petition. Together we can force Washington to repeal this costly and destructive law. Call 1-800-899-5051. Life can be tough; there are challenges for all of us. Jesus told us to pray for one another, and that’s exactly what we want to do. On 700 Club Interactive, we use technology to bring Christians together to pray for each other, meet others just like you and talk or share with them in real time. Watch God work miracles in people’s lives as we interact with viewers through the wonders of today’s technology. Join us on the new 700 Club Interactive weekdays at 9:30 on ABC Family. Last year in America, a home went into foreclosure every 10 seconds. And that’s what happened to Albert Lopez. He and his wife lost everything. Then Albert made an investment that turned his finances around in just one week. When Albert and Wendy Lopez moved to the big island of Hawaii, Albert thought his small construction business would do well. They even started building their dream home, but a recession caused them to lose it all. We just had to survive. And there was no work, no construction work around, so I thought it was the end for construction for me. We had lost our home to foreclosure, so I started selling my construction tools just to pay our rent. But things began to turn for the couple when they started taking to heart some lessons they were learning on The 700 Club. The world teaches you that you want to save money, that if you want money, you have to save it. But God teaches us you have to release it. You have to give it away, and then it will come back to you. So Albert and Wendy prayed and asked God where they were to give. It popped into my heart to give to The 700 Club. I said, “Oh, Lord, I don’t hardly have anything.” And He said, “They don’t ask for much, 20 dollars a month.” I said, “Well, I can do that.” And I started there. It didn’t take long. After that things really started turning around for me. In fact, the same week that he made his pledge to CBN, Albert landed a great new job as head carpenter at a hotel that had previously turned him down for employment. They offered me a position that was a good, great job that paid me 30-something dollars an hour. Then out of the blue, someone called Albert and asked him to build them a house. It was the first real home construction work he’d done in years. That was my turning point. From then on, I was back in construction and working at the hotel. Then as they increased their giving, Wendy says God gave her an idea to start a daycare business. She had worked for others doing childcare for years. The Lord spoke to me and said, “You could be doing this at home.” And I came home that day, and I told Albert. So he said, “Great. I know what to do.” She went to school. She got her license. We built a daycare, and it was just a blessing. Whatever you sow, you reap. And that’s what it is. You want finances, well, sow finances. That’s the way God set it up, and that principle works. That's the way God set it up, and that principle works. Here are the words of Jesus. You find them in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” And if you want finances, sow that. It’s a universal principle. And it’s how God set things up. You reap what you sow. We walk around as if that’s not true, that things are supposed to come to us regardless of what we sow. But it's universal. If you want friendship, be a friend. If you want good things to start coming to you, start giving things and see what happens to you. Converse is true as well. If you sow anger, if you sow strife, if you sow bitterness, well, you’re going to reap that, too. If you’re stingy, you’ll reap that, too. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. God loves a cheerful giver, and He loves a generous giver. So today resolve, “I'll start sowing. I'll start obeying these laws of the universe. I'll test God with this. I'll see if it really works, if it really comes to pass.” He won't disappoint you. What He has done for others, He'll do for you. So start, and just say, “I'll start today.” Terry. Your gifts make such a difference. I want to show how your gifts helped a single mom in Guatemala. When we first met Maria, she had five children, and they were all living in a shack made from tattered pieces of plastic. When Maria Vasquez was abandoned by her husband and left with their children, she could no longer pay the rent and was forced to move out. I didn’t a have a place to go. I had to ask other people for refuge for me and my children. With their own hands and pieces of plastic they could find, Maria and her children built this small house in a very windy section of Zacapa, Guatemala. But wind isn’t the worst problem. When it rains, the water passes through the broken plastics into the house and wets the beds. Maria tries to make a few dollars a week doing laundry for her neighbors. That’s enough for food, but there is no money to improve their living conditions. That’s when Operation Blessing learned of Maria’s situation and paid her a visit. We were shocked to see how the family was living and quickly made plans to build Maria a new house. Tears of gratitude fell from her eyes as we told Maria the good news. Maria’s new house is made of adobe bricks and has a cement floor. And their living conditions went from this to this. And to help her have some extra income each month, Operation Blessing set up a new poultry business for Maria. I was not expecting this help. But thanks to God, now I have it. Thank you. Can you imagine being desperately poor to begin with, then having your spouse leave, and you're left with five children to try to figure out how to eke out a living, how to provide even a place for them to sleep, a place for them to eat and have meals together? You came into the midst of that incredible need, a need that really could have threatened their lives. And we say thank you. 700 Club members, you're doing that all around the world. For the rest of you, if you're not a 700 Club member, would you join us today? Would you help us make a difference in the lives of people who are hurting? You can do that by calling that toll-free number on your screen. It’s 1-800-759-0700. Just say, “I want to join The 700 Club.” It’s 65 cents a day, 20 dollars a month. And you’ll be joining with thousands of us who are reaching out to the world with the love of Jesus Christ. When you join, if you say, “I’d like to join using Pledge Express,” that means your bank does all of the work, you have none of the hassle, we want to say thank you, because it saves us extra dollars that we’re able to put right into the lives of people like Maria. And our way of saying thank you to you is to send you “Power for Life” teachings each month. We believe these will be a blessing to you. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you are making a huge difference in the lives of people that you may never meet in this world, but you will in the next. And they will be so grateful. So we want to say thank you in advance. Gordon. Well, up next, a man tries to get his hands on painkillers, even if it meant losing a finger. I went to the hospital, the ER, and, of course, they did surgery. And that would keep me in drugs for a while. See even more extreme measures he took for drugs right after this. Our world moves at an incredible pace. But there is a destiny that awaits each one of us, and all of us will face life’s ultimate question: where will I spend eternity? In Life Beyond the Grave, you’ll meet real people who have experienced Heaven and Hell and have a powerful witnessing tool to share with others. I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your destiny is sealed forever in Heaven. 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. How far will an addict go to get drugs? Well, you may think you have some idea. But what you're about to see is shocking, so shocking it is not suitable for children to watch. Kevin Kubik lied, cheated, and stole to feed his habit. But he had no idea what he would do for drugs until the day he was craving painkillers and staring at a jigsaw. Young Kevin Kubik’s entire world crumbled when his father was hauled away in handcuffs. Kevin never saw him again and never learned what crime he had committed. When I saw my father being taken away, I got angry. And, of course, being a young age, I didn’t know what was really going on. And it was something I had no control of. So these feelings of anger started brewing up inside of me. Kevin became an emotional wreck and took his anger out on anything in his path. I started beating up on things, ripping things apart, tearing things. I had a lot of rage inside me that needed to come out. It wasn’t long before Kevin found another outlet for his frustration: cutting himself. Honestly I don’t even know why I started cutting. I think that it might have been an attention-getter, because I didn’t have the attention of a father. I didn’t have a father figure. He also started drinking and doing drugs. I liked the way it felt, because the pain and the agony of not having my dad around kind of vanished, to not feel the hurt and the anger and the pain. It started with marijuana, but as Kevin grew older, he did every kind of drug he could get his hands on and lived in an alcohol- and drug-induced haze. Then he discovered prescription drugs. I cheated. I stole. I stole from family members. I would do what is called “doc shopping.” I would go from one doctor to another. You learn what doctors will prescribe what and certain medications that you like. And for a certain amount of money, you could basically get for what you would pay on the street, get a prescription for, and it would basically be kind of legal. Kevin’s emotional imbalance and his insatiable need for drugs pushed him over the edge. I got this bright idea to grab a jigsaw and cut off one of my fingers. And before I did that, I deadened my finger with xylocaine that I had acquired, so that way I wouldn’t feel it. And it was this first finger right here that I cut off the first time. And I went to the doctor, went to the hospital, the ER, and, of course, they did surgery. That would keep me in drugs for awhile. He didn’t stop with his finger. Over the course of several years, Kevin took an electric knife and sliced his Achilles tendon. When it healed, he sliced it again. He sliced behind his right knee. He cut the tendons in his left hand and cut off the tip of a second finger. Kevin also smashed his big toe, damaging it so badly it had to be amputated, all for the goal of getting prescription drugs and lots of them. I was physically addicted. If I didn’t have them, I would become sick. Headaches, sweating, nausea, aches and pains. And the easiest way to get rid of them was to keep doing drugs, because the more I did them, the less that pain was there. Then Kevin met LuAnn. He cleaned up his act long enough to get married. But it wasn’t long before LuAnn caught onto what Kevin was doing. She started finding out little bits and pieces of the extent of my injuring myself and my addictions. I believe at first I might have tried to hide it, but how can you hide certain injuries or stumbling around or falling on the floor? Then Kevin’s life grew even darker. Weird, strange things manifesting, growls in the house. I knew it wasn’t right. I truly believe that it was demonic possession. Kevin’s temper became even more violent. Anything would set me off. I didn’t need any certain thing to happen in order for me to fly off the handle. One night Kevin went too far. In a drug and alcohol induced haze, he picked up a knife and threatened to kill LuAnn. She ran from the house and didn’t come back. When she left, I was a totally lost and devastated man. For the first time in my life, I felt really alone, torn, didn’t know where to go, didn’t know where to turn, lost everything, had nothing, hardly any health, didn’t eat. All I did was drink and do drugs. And at that time, I lost the most important thing to me. That was my lowest point. LuAnn meanwhile started attending church with a friend. It wasn’t long before she accepted Jesus as her Savior. In a desperate attempt to have any communication with his wife, Kevin agreed to pray with LuAnn every night on the phone. Then one night something terrifying happened. We had talked and we had prayed, and we hung up the phone. And as I was lying there, and something grabbed me around my ankles. That scared me. So I decided to pick up the phone and call LuAnn. And while we were talking on the phone, there was the loudest thunder and the brightest lightening struck. It was as if, and I could picture this, as if God was slamming down His fist and saying, “My Son is coming to save this young man tonight.” So as LuAnn and I were on the phone, I said, “LuAnn, what do I do? What do I do?” And she said, “Ask Jesus to come down.” And I said, “Jesus Christ, my life is yours. Do with it as you please.” And immediately, I went to sleep. And I fell asleep on my Bible, and I had peace for the first time in at least 31 years. The next morning, Kevin was a new man. And on that morning of 3/9/03, 2003, God, through His Son Jesus Christ, healed and delivered me. After 25 years of addiction, mental disorders, illnesses, eating disorders, He instantly took it all away with no withdrawals. Kevin’s desire for drugs was replaced with a new hunger. I just started devouring the Word of God. I jumped into the Word of God so deep. He put a hunger in me for the Word. From the time I opened my eyes until the time I went to sleep, I was searching to know who this was that came and delivered me. LuAnn saw the dramatic change in Kevin and came home. They now serve the Lord together. They have a good church home and lots of Christian friends. And Kevin is drug and alcohol free, something he never thought possible. Anything that you have ever done, ever thought about doing can be forgiven. Nothing, no problem is too big for God, for Jesus Christ to handle. We just need to humble ourselves and give it to Him and ask Him to take over. All you have to do is humble yourself before Him and ask Him to take over. Now, maybe you've got problems like Kevin has got. Maybe they're not as bad, but for you they're still big problems. And you're going, “Can anybody save me from this? Can anybody get me out of this?” And maybe it started when you were a child. Maybe dad got taken away from you, mom got taken away from you. Maybe they were there, but not there. Whatever that issue was, whatever that starting point was, that started you looking for release, looking for some kind of emotional fix. Now, whether that was cutting or alcohol or drugs or relationships or whatever thing that suddenly became your thing, and the thing that you looked for, for release, it’s now not you looking for it, but it is looking for you. And it has taken over. And it's dominating your life. And you're going, “How can I get free?” Well, the answer is really simple. It's the same answer that Kevin found. Humble yourself and pray, and ask Him to come. You've gotten where you are today living life on your terms. The way to get out is to start living life on God's terms. Now, just say, “Not my will, anymore, God. You take over. You live through me. You show me the plan you want for me. You guide me. You direct me.” And if you'll do that, then you'll find what you've been looking for all along. You'll find an unconditional love. You'll find acceptance. You’ll find forgiveness. You'll find that just as you are right now, God loves you. He's not looking for you to clean up first. He'll take care of that. He'll do that. All He's looking for is that you, day by day, will just turn to Him, turn it over to Him, whatever the problem is, and let Him fix it. That's what He wants to do for you. He loves you so much that He died for you. He paid the price so that you wouldn't have to. If this is for you, if this is what you want, just bow your head. Pray the same prayer that Kevin prayed. He'll come to you. What He's done for others, He'll do for you. Pray with me. “Lord Jesus.” That's right, say it out loud. “Lord Jesus, I come to you, and I don't have much to give, but what I have I give to you. And I ask that you come into my life, that you come into my heart, that you give me peace, that you show me how much you love me, that you forgive me, and you want me with you. And, Jesus, if you'll do this for me, I promise to follow you. Here's my life. Take it. Use it as you want. For I pray it now in your name. Amen.” Father, for those who just prayed, I pray a release. We break every bondage over them now. And, Lord, I just ask that the chains would fall off of them, that they would have a newness of thought and life, and a knowledge that you have recreated them, that all things have been made new for them. Fill them now, Lord, for I ask it in Jesus' name. If you prayed with me, the Bible says it's very easy to get saved. All you have to do is believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and you shall be saved. I've made it easy for you to confess with your mouth. All you've got to do is make a toll-free call: 1-800-759-0700. All you have to say is, “I believe in my heart and I now want to confess with my mouth that Jesus is the Messiah. He’s my Savior. He’s come to me.” When you call, we’ve got a free packet for you. It's called “A New Day.” In there is a CD teaching, how to live the Christian life. The packet is free. The phone call is free. Make it right now: 1-800-759-0700. We'll be back with more of The 700 Club after this. I started getting into horoscopes, studying about psychics and witchcraft. A dangerous obsession . . . . I would begin to have demons reveal themselves to me on a continual basis. . . . . a fatal attraction. We had quite an intense connection when it came spirit to spirit. . . . . and a supernatural SOS. On today's 700 Club. She said that the man that I was living with was going to kill me. 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. Welcome back to The 700 Club. The directors of California's Crystal Cathedral have voted its founder off the board. The Reverend Robert Schuler founded the church more than 50 years ago. His son says his 84-year-old father wanted to enlarge the ministry’s board of directors, but members instead voted him off. It did give the title of Chairman of Emeritus to Schuler, but he’s not allowed to vote. The ministry has been plagued with problems, including bankruptcy. Chapman University is offering to pay 46 million dollars for some of Crystal Cathedral's property. Political unrest in the African nation of Senegal has Christians there on high alert. Muslim protestors burned down two churches in the capital city of Dakar recently. A dispute over the upcoming presidential elections sparked riots across the city. More than 100 people have been injured. The government has imposed a curfew and cut off power to much of the city. Christian leaders observed a day of prayer and fasting on Sunday. You can always get the latest from CBN News by going to our website at CBNNews.com. We'll be right 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. Yasmeen Suri was enchanted with the occult. When she met a man who shared the same passion, Yasmeen became even more obsessed, until the things she loved the most nearly killed her. “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light . . . .” Yasmeen Suri became a US citizen in 2008. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security invites her to sing at their events. Yasmeen was born in India to a Sikh family. They moved to America when she was a child. She didn’t speak English, and unfortunately, because of her ethnicity, she was the brunt of cruel jokes from the other children. I felt a sense of loss of control of my life, and I wanted to have control of my life. So I thought the more I could get spiritual experience, the more I would be able to control my environment and the more I would be able to control people. So I started getting into horoscopes. I started studying about psychics and witchcraft. I would begin to have demons, which I didn’t know they were demons at the time, reveal themselves to me on a continual basis. And they would just speak to my spirit that I had been born for a purpose, and that purpose would be fulfilled. As an adult, Yasmeen was engrossed in the occult. The experiences that I would have, I wouldn’t be satisfied. It would just leave me just more empty. It didn’t give me an answer. It gave me power and a sense of control, but there was no answer for me. She met a man who was involved in the occult. He took her deeper into witchcraft. I moved in with him, and we had quite an intense connection when it came spirit-to-spirit and having the occult draw us together. In our house we would have crystals, huge pictures of Ramses and Pharaoh all over. When her birthday rolled around, she asked a friend for a Shirley MacLaine book. Her friend was a Christian. So she gave me my present. And I opened it up, and it happened to be a Bible. So I said, “Oh, where’s my book?” And she said, “Well, I wanted to show you something in the Bible.” And she opened it up to Deuteronomy 18:9-14, and God says that those that consult with familiar spirits or wizard or enchanters, those that practice necromancy and a whole list of things, He said that those things are an abomination to God. And those scriptures jumped out at me from the Bible, and they jumped off the pages, and they actually went right through my spirit. And I was convicted of sin for the first time in my life. It seemed to Yasmeen that everywhere she went she met Christians. I would ask them questions like, “How does this Jesus come inside of you? What does it mean that, you mean another man comes inside of you? What is this born again mean? What does saved mean?” So I would ask questions, and even though I didn’t understand them, I would still learn. At home, her boyfriend became violent. Yasmeen was also having vivid nightmares that kept her up at night. During this time, another Christian friend gave her a message. She said that the man that I was living with was going to kill me if I didn’t leave and that the Spirit of the Lord told her that I must leave him immediately. When she spoke to me, I just started crying. It broke something in me, and I knew it was God, even though I didn’t know God. So I packed all my bags, and I told my mom that I was moving to North Carolina. She moved in with her brother who invited her to church. I walked into that church, and when the worship started, I began to weep and weep and weep uncontrollably during worship and singing songs. And I had no idea what was happening to me. I felt how much God loved me, and He didn’t hate me for all the things that I was doing in my past and all the abominations that I was practicing and how much He wanted to reach out to me and be a Father to me. After going to church for a while, she made a decision. And I looked up into Heaven and I said, “Jesus, I’m a sinner. I believe what people have said about you, that you’re the Son of God, that you died on the cross for me and you died for my sins.” I said, “Please forgive me and come inside of me and live in me and be the Lord and Savior of my life.” The change was almost instantaneous. The next morning, all my bad dreams were gone, my torment was gone, everything was gone. It was a like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, the weight of sin, the weight of deception; and I felt like I was alive for the first time in my life. I had a big bonfire, and I burned everything that I had, even the music, the books that I had, the objects that I had all over my walls, the pictures, the clothes, the jewelry. I had to break everything in my life and break those chains over my life. Yasmeen’s life was on new path. It was really a pretty awesome walk with the Lord. I was thankful to the Lord for just opening my eyes so I could see. Instead of teaching people about the new age, the Lord had me telling people how dangerous the new age is. She always loved to sing, and as she developed her voice, she knew it was a gift from God. “Come to Jesus. Come home.” (Interviewing): I love music because music is such a way that God speaks to our spirit. And God says that He inhabits the praises of His people. I see so many people, whether it’s in the church or out of the church, that are so lonely, and they’re hurting, and they’re desperate. Jesus is the only one that can fill that void. The Lord really spared me from death, not just spiritual death, but physical death and emotional death. I could have lost my mind. I could have been eternally separated from God. So I thank God for His mercy and His love, that He loved me when I had nothing to offer Him. None of us have anything to offer Him that is of any consequence to God. He owns it all. He created it all. And yet with all that He is and all that He has, He desires to love you and me. He desires to have a relationship with us. In fact, that's what He created us for. When we're empty, we try to find something to fill us up. Lots of times we choose the wrong thing. Then our lives feel out of control, and in desperation, we grab on to whatever we can to try to be able to control our lives. And we become captive to the very things we grabbed hold of. The good news is Jesus said He came to set the captive free. Is that you today? Are you someone captive to trying to make sense out of your life, trying to put meaning into your life, trying to control yourself and the people around you, and you know it is to no avail? You can be set free today. Not just set free, but you can find that contentment that you've been looking for, that contentment that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yasmeen said at one point, she said, “What is this “born again” thing? How do you have Jesus come into your life?” It's really giving Him your life, giving Him your heart, inviting Him into the very midst of who you are. If you've not ever done that, you can do it right now. You will be amazed. Did you hear her say that she prayed a prayer of commitment, and the next morning when she awoke, everything was different. You see, the Bible says that if any man or woman is in Christ, they become a brand new creation, that all of the old things pass away, and everything becomes fresh and new. You can have that right now today, too. Will you pray with me? You've tried so many other things. Today give God that same position of first place in your life. Pray together with me. “God, I want to know you the way Yasmeen knows you. You have seen my struggle. You know how I’ve tried. You know the emptiness inside of me, the lostness, the hopelessness. You know the pain. And I'm coming to you today having tried many, many things, none of which have answered my needs, none of which have spoken into my emptiness. I'm coming to you today humbly, saying ‘I need you.’ I'm coming to you today of my own will, saying ‘I want you.’ Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. Will you forgive me? Will you teach me your ways? I want to live differently. I want to know what I was created for and to understand who you are, and who I am in you, and who you want to be inside of me. So I'm giving you everything that I am, my life, all that I have, and I'm asking you to be my Lord as well as my Savior. Holy Spirit, come now. Fill me. Fill my heart. Fill my mind. Open the ears and the eyes of my understanding. Teach me your ways. I want to live for you, walk with you. I want to spend eternity with you, God. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for setting me free. I turn away from every practice, every bit of worship, every spirit, every activity I’ve participated in that has separated me from you. I turn away from it now, in Jesus' name. And I choose you, Lord. Thank you, God, for loving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.” If you've prayed that prayer, you have the new beginning you're looking for. So how do you grow in this relationship with God? Where do you go from here? Well, we've put a little packet together to help you. You need to get into the Word of God. For one thing, it's God's love letter to you. Start in the New Testament with the Gospel of John, and begin to read of God’s love for you. As you read the Word and the Word gets into your heart, we want to share a packet we've put together for you. It’s called “A New Day,” and it's filled with information from the Word of God. God loves you so much. You're going to grow in your relationship with Him as you seek Him, and as you say yes to Him, and as you grow in His Word. So call now: 1-800-759-0700. Just say, “I prayed that prayer. I’d like the ‘New Day’ packet.” It’s free, and we'll send it out to you right away. Gordon. Well, up next, doctors are baffled by a patient's checkup. They did another mammogram, and they could find nothing. So I ended up in one day having four mammograms and an ultrasound, and they couldn’t find anything. Find out how she beat breast cancer after this. Watch your mail for the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes or go to pch.com and enter. This August 31st you could win $5000 every week for life! 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 to 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. Each year nearly 200,000 women in America are diagnosed with breast cancer. Cynthia Nowell was one of them. It can take years for a woman to beat the disease. But for Cynthia, it took two days. I wasn’t feeling well. I was extremely tired. And I sensed that something was wrong, but I wasn’t exactly sure. So I went to the doctor. And she was examining me, and she felt something in my breast. And she said, “We need to have a mammogram.” I said, “Okay, I’ll go have one.” And I did. They found a three centimeter lump in my breast. I went to church. I was very burdened about it, because I was afraid of being sick. I was afraid of leaving my family. The preacher said, “There’s someone here that has cancer in their breast. And you have unforgiveness.” And then it was just like God opened my eyes. The scales, they were just removed from my eyes. And I thought, “I do have unforgiveness.” And God just revealed it to me in a way that was powerful. And I went to the altar, and I released it. And then I was watching CBN, and Gordon had a word of knowledge. So right now, choose to forgive. From your innermost being, just forgive those who have hurt you. And I knew that was just a confirmation. I felt that Gordon was speaking to me. It almost felt like he was saying my name. And I thought, “Thank you, Lord. Thank you for speaking through Gordon to me. I receive it.” About two days later, I went back and they did another mammogram, and they could find nothing. And I knew I had been healed. So I ended up in one day having four mammograms and an ultrasound, and they couldn’t find anything. And I know that God healed me. I know He healed me, and I just praise Him for it. I guess so. That's pretty astonishing, isn't it? Many of you have needs that you’d like to have prayer for today. Needs that you’d like God to speak into, to touch in your life, to deal with for you. And so we want to take some time to pray for you. But first we want to build your faith by sharing some other stories of people who have had miraculous results through prayer. This is Mary Ann. She lived in Clarion, Pennsylvania. She injured her left knee. An MRI showed there was no ACL ligament remaining in the knee. She was fitted with a leg brace and she had to wear it all the time. Then one day while she was watching this program, Gordon, the Lord gave you this word of knowledge. You said, “Your left knee. God has just done reconstructive surgery. You are looking at surgery as an option for that knee. That just got healed, in Jesus’ name.” Mary Ann was completely healed. She has had no pain, has not worn the brace. She is even able to run up and down stairs. That is a reconstructive miracle right there. Yes. With no ACL you’re running up and down stairs. Wow! That’s a miracle. Here is one from Indiana. Mary had suffered with sinus problems for more than two years. Her sinuses would clog up so severely, she could hear them crackle. She would have severe pain over her eyes. One day she decided to watch The 700 Club and to pray with the host. That's a nice thing to do. Terry, you had a word of knowledge about someone with chronic sinusitis being healed. Instantly her sinuses began draining. The severe pain over her eyes left. And she has been problem free ever since. Praise the Lord! Now, that can happen to you. Isn’t that incredible? You just heard three miracle stories, one about breast cancer, one about a left knee, one about sinuses. And what about you? Could that happen to you? Start thinking that way. “Yes, that could happen to me.” Is there any reason God can't heal you? Don't for a minute think that there is. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. Nothing. Nothing. I don't care what you've done. If you think there is something, just bring it to Him and say, “Lord, will you forgive this?” If you have unforgiveness against other people, get rid of it. Just say, “Lord, I forgive them. I set them free. I give them that gift of forgiveness. I don't want to hold anything against them anymore. I let them go.” And just feel the release of that. And now just ask Him to come. Ask Him to manifest His presence all around you, in you. There is a wonderful word Paul gave us, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” You can't get away from God. If you're breathing, you're in His presence. You can literally breathe Him in and just say, “Lord, I come to you now. I have faith in you now. I believe in you now.” And let Him do all of the rest. Now, we're going to claim a verse, “When two or more agree touching anything, it shall be done.” In an act of faith, reach out and touch that which needs healing. And Terry and I will agree. We'll agree with you touching anything, and God will do the rest. Let's pray. “Lord, we just come into agreement with those who are laying hands on that area of the body that needs healing, and together we say to that disease, that infirmity, that pain, be gone in Jesus' name. Return no more. You spirit of infirmity, we bind you now, and we say leave these bodies now in Jesus' name. Be made whole.” There is someone who has a disease in your spleen, and it affects the ability of your body to makes red blood cells, and God is healing your spleen now in Jesus' name. You just felt something move inside your abdomen. That is God putting things in order as to what needs to happen with you now. That is just a sign for you to let you know this is for you. This word is for you. Just receive it now in Jesus' name. There is someone else, you've had a fall and you've broken ribs in your right rib cage, the lower part. It's painful for you to breathe. God is able, and He is knitting all that together. And just take a deep breath, and realize the pain is gone. You’re free from that now, in Jesus’ name. There is somebody else, you've had some kind of an accident that has actually torn your nails right out, like down to the nail bed. And God is revealing His knowledge of you to you today, not because of your nail bed or your wound in your nails, but because of your heart. God wants you to invite Him into the midst of your life and your pain. Trust Him today. He loves you so much. There is someone with recurring sinus infections, and you've heard the story about sinuses, and you're saying, “Please say that.” It’s very painful. And for you it goes deep, that you've got pain even behind your right ear from these sinus infections. And God is clearing all of that out now in Jesus' name. He is taking all that bacterial infection, viral infection, He is taking it all away from you. And He just wants you to be reassured, it will never come back. You're free from it now in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. We want to share in your good reports, so if you've been healed, please call us and let us know: 1-800 759-0700. We leave you these words from Psalms . . . . . . . . “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” God bless you. 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. When Kitty was abandoned by her parents she went to live with her grandmother in the middle of a garbage dump. They ate scraps of food from the dump and tried not to get bitten by the rats. That's when you built them a new home and set up a small clothing business near the market for Kitty's grandmother. You rescued them from hunger and fear. 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.