The 700 Club - June 30, 2011
John Tesh gets candid with Scott Ross about living through a dark personal time and the story of Matt Krueger who suffers from a heart condition that conflicted with his passion for the party lifestyle.
Transcript
He spent years in front of the camera, but he has never told this story. John Tesh makes a stunning confession, on today's 700 Club.
I just couldn't take the pain anymore.
Well, welcome to The 700 Club. What I've been warning about, ladies and gentlemen, is being backed up by the top bankers in the world. The survey shows central bank fund managers say the US dollar will not be the global reserve currency for much longer. Why? Because we can't get it together in Washington. More on this story. Let's go to Lee.
Well, Pat, here are some of the details. The Financial Times reports that more than half of the managers polled predict that within the next 25 years the US dollar will be replaced by different currencies. In previous surveys, managers said the dollar would retain its status as the reserve currency. This departure, though, could point to growing concerns over the US spending crisis. Pat, I assume you do agree with their prediction?
I totally agree, and I think it's going to happen sooner than they said. I said at the beginning of this year it would be two years and if we kept up at the rate we're going we'd lose our reserve currency status, and our bonds would be downgraded. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think you realize, it sounds kind of like arcane, these ivory tower guys. But they manage eight trillion dollars worth of money. And these are serious people. And what they're saying is the United States is out of control, and "we cannot any longer feel that your currency is going to hold its value," because it's been slipping over the time; and it's interesting that their conclusion is that gold is the best investment; and they're advocating that the reserves, at least a portion, go into gold. This is going to kick the price of gold up rather dramatically in the direction I've been telling you about. Lee.
President Obama criticizes congressional Republicans for not extending America's debt ceiling yet.
They need to do their job. Now is the time to go ahead and make the tough choices. That's why they're called leaders.
The Treasury Department has set an August 2nd deadline for Congress to increase America's borrowing limit. The president is calling for tax hikes as part of any deal to raise the ceiling. But Republicans are saying "no."
Their answer to everything in this administration and on the other side of the floor, a large measure of them, is to increase taxes for everything.
House Speaker John Boehner says the president has not offered a plan to reign in spending. So I guess that golf outing what, a few days ago, didn't produce any kind of a solution for this, Pat.
The way I play golf, it doesn't produce sweetness and light, ever. My wife said, "Did you have fun?" I said, "You've got to be kidding. It was horrible." So I pray they didn't do so well. But, Lee, the president in that speech was guilty of the grossest kind of demagoguery. For example, he says, "Well, the CEOs ought to give up their corporate jets." He's flying in a corporate jet that in my opinion probably costs with all of the goodies involved in it probably 200 to 250 million dollars. They've got two of them. And every time he takes a trip, he's ensconced in this enormous machine with all of these staff to go along with him. And he's complaining about the businessmen who need to get from one factory to another factory quickly to get out to make business deals. It's just demagoguery, absolute demagoguery. And then he talks about people giving up their vacations. But the problem is that he will not address spending. We're still going to spend 300 million dollars to Planned Parenthood. He doesn't want to give that up. There is so much duplication and waste in government that you can't imagine. He doesn't want to stop that. There are all kinds of problems with the entitlement program. He doesn't want to get into that. And he's talking about taxing oil companies and taking away the tax breaks for corporate airplanes. This is nonsense. It is pure utter demagoguery to talk about corporate jets versus health care for grandma. He knows it. This isn't a serious president. He isn't serious about making anything happen with the fiscal problem. And so while these guys dither around what's going to happen? We're losing our status as a reserve currency of the world, and that is a very important thing. Lee.
Well, Pat, there is an election coming up, and with the campaign heating up, many pastors in America may have a lot to say about all of this. But they feel like they can't. They believe they've been gagged by the IRS. Now a top Republican state attorney general is telling those pastors they can speak out on some issues as long as they're careful. Paul Strand has more.
One of the country's rising political stars on the right is warning pastors they can talk about issues in the pulpit, but can't endorse or oppose political candidates.
You never want to lead anyone to possibly believe that you're, on behalf of your church, endorsing a candidate.
At this event shot by Virginia Wright, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says pastors could threaten their church's tax-exempt status because of IRS rules forbidding endorsements.
If they're going to set up tax structures like they have, they have some legal authority in our country to do that. And I would certainly encourage you to stay away from those lines. Don't get close to them.
Pastors are prohibited from speaking out on their political preferences.
Dan Busby helps ministries watch their finances to make sure everything is above board when it comes to God's money. His group hears from pastors who worry if they speak out too forcefully on a political issue or about candidates, the IRS will yank their tax-exempt status.
They would like to have the privilege of speaking their mind.
Atheist and secularist groups on the other hand feel this legal obstacle is fair and good.
All groups that are tax-exempt and non-profit should have to abide by the same rules, and that would include churches and their employees, and refrain from politicking from the pulpit.
Religious rights lawyer Jordan Lorence says this muzzling law goes back to the 1950s.
Lyndon Baines Johnson when he was the majority leader of the Senate basically got irritated with some pastors who were on the radio opposing his reelection as senator.
LBJ forced through the Johnson amendment to the tax code, which Lorence insists is unconstitutional.
The Johnson amendment violates the freedom of speech clause in the First Amendment. And that's why the IRS has been very reluctant to enforce it.
When you hear the folks at Westboro Baptist from Topeka, Kansas, speak out as they do around military funerals, and yet pastors can't have the privilege of speaking out on political candidates, there seems to be an imbalance.
Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington.
Pat, you heard Attorney General Cuccinelli say, "Go ahead and speak out on issues, but don't get close to that line." The question is, where is that line?
Well, the current IRS code is very clear. It's not anything that's devious. The law was put in, as was said, the Johnson Amendment. It wasn't vetted through a committee. It wasn't debated carefully on the Senate floor. It was just jammed through by a very powerful Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson. And it's called the Johnson Amendment. And it should have been challenged in the courts, and it should have been thrown out as unconstitutional. But nevertheless, it is currently the law. Here is what the law says: you cannot, as a charitable institution with a 501c3 tax exemption, you cannot speak in behalf of or in opposition to the candidacy of any candidate for political office. It's just that simple. You can't say, "I want you to elect Mary Smith," or, "I want you to defeat Mary Smith." You can't do that. But in terms of talking about issues, you can do that. In terms of voter guides, you can do that. In terms of letting the people know what the issues are, of course, you can do that. If there comes a time when we're going to have free speech, and we may have to jam the courts and let them fight this thing out. But right now, the IRS is very reluctant to consider revoking the tax exemption of a church. It goes against the founding of the United States of America that has to do with restricting religious belief. And this is part of our religious belief. So in any event, it will come up, and you will have people from the American Way and the guys at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and they'll be screaming bloody murder, but they're wrong. We need to understand what the law is. We need to get the law changed. I was working on that a few years ago. I was that close to getting a vote in the Congress to change the rules. And unfortunately, Newt Gingrich got in some trouble on some courses in a college down in Georgia. And so the Senate and the House backed off of the thing. But it's something that needs to be changed. It is wrong, and it gives a club to the IRS to beat down religious belief. And it's wrong. But nevertheless, Cuccinelli is a good guy, and he's telling you what to do. But, Lee, that's where the fine line, endorsing, saying, "Vote for Charlie Smith," or "Vote against Charlie Smith." That's the line. Lee.
Pat, President Obama praised New York legislators for passing a gay marriage bill last week. He stopped short of endorsing gay marriage during his news conference yesterday, but just a couple of hours later he held a celebration last night at the White House for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month. Charlene Israel has that story.
The president has been on record as opposing same-sex marriage, but he has sought to navigate a middle position by saying the matter shouldn't be decided by the federal government. The president touted his administration's accomplishments on behalf of the gay and lesbian community, including the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
I've met my commitments to the LGBT community. I've delivered on what I promised. Now that doesn't mean our work is done.
The president didn't explain how his personal feelings about gay marriage have evolved, but praised the process in New York that led to legalized gay marriage.
What gives me hope is the deeper shift that we are seeing. That's a transformation not just in our laws, but in the hearts and minds of people. It's playing out in legislatures like New York.
However, traditional marriage supporters won't give up the fight. They are pledging to target lawmakers who switched sides in New York. The National Organization for Marriage pledges two million dollars to defeat seven state senators who switched sides. Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage says, "In order to change policy on marriage, we're going to have change personnel in Albany starting with the turncoat senators who made promises to their constituents on marriage and then voted the opposite way." Charlene Israel, CBN News.
An anti-abortion campaign in California has become the center of a heated racial debate. Two pro-life groups say they're simply trying to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of black babies aborted each year in America. But pro-choice groups don't like their tactics. Efrem Graham has the story.
The billboards read "Black & Beautiful," and they're going up in largely black communities in Oakland, California. The ads aim to reduce the abortion rate in black communities. They're sponsored by the Issues4Life Foundation and the Radiance Foundation.
I had an appointment with death. My mother's name was written in a book. There was an appointed time for me to die; and unless God had broken that appointment, I wouldn't be here today.
National statistics suggest pregnant black women are three times as likely to have them. Ryan and Bethany Bomberger are the founders of the Radiance Foundation.
California leads the nation in abortions, with more than 214,000 performed in 2008. National statistics suggest pregnant black women are three times as likely to have them. Ryan and Bethany Bomberger are the founders of the Radiance Foundation.
Abortion is epidemic in the black community. We're talking about in cases like New York City, 60 percent of all black pregnancies end in abortion. In Philly, 50 percent of all black pregnancies end in abortion. It is at epidemic levels.
Still, there are many objections to the billboards. Some say the "Black & Beautiful" slogan is too close to the "Black is Beautiful" cultural-pride campaign made popular in the 1960s.
The fact that this has been co-opted is something that is obviously it's only meant to divide us. I think our community can see right through it.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has also spoken out against the billboards. In a statement she says, "I am deeply offended by the race-based billboards that are being displayed in my congressional district by the Radiance Foundation and Issues4Life. These billboards stigmatize women of color and perpetuate myths about parenting skills and the types of women who seek and use abortion services." But the organizations behind the billboard say it's Planned Parenthood that targets poor black women and denies black children the right to live.
"Choice" is a complete sham, because Planned Parenthood, they pretty much give you one choice, and that's abortion. About 98 percent of the women who walk into a Planned Parenthood clinic come out without a baby.
Planned Parenthood is quick to respond.
The reason why there are different rates of abortion in different communities is because those communities lack access to preventive health care services.
Efrem Graham, CBN News.
Well, have you ever witnessed a wrongdoing and wished you'd done something to stop it? Well, a Texas woman fed up with crime did just that.
I told the cashier, "Do something. They're leaving." And she couldn't do anything, so I just told her, "Watch my purse."
Monique Lawless was minding her own business shopping at Wal-Mart when three brothers walked in, took three cases of beer, and walked out without paying. No one did anything, so the single mom sprang into action, and watch what she did. She chased them outside and jumped on the hood of their car.
. . . . the car, and I knew I needed to get off, because he didn't care. And they were laughing at me the whole time in the car. And I hit my face. And I don't think my nose was broken, but it swelled up really big. I'm tired of it. Our society needs to stand up and say, "This is not right. We're not going to put up with it. You will be punished."
Way to go, Monique! She says that society has become complacent, and thieves know it. By the way, those thieves aren't laughing anymore; they got caught. And police pinned one of them into the fence, as you saw there, with his patrol car. Pat.
Well, I tell you, that lady is a hero, or heroine.
Right.
I guess she's made it on . . . .
Hoorah for the single moms. I tell you what.
Would you jump on a car and start a robbery? No.
No, but I might take off my high heel shoe and throw it.
Oh, that's a very courageous act, at a distance.
I'm not going to jump on anybody's car.
Well, that takes a lot of courage. It may be sort of foolhardy, but hey, God bless her.
God bless her. I thought that was great. And you know what, the main message she says, "When you see something wrong, we all have to stand together and stop it." All right, well, coming up, a story about a quiet community who gets an unwelcome neighbor: a million dollar mega mosque.
It's coming to you. I kid you not; it's going to be in your neighborhood.
Find out who is behind this project and who is trying to stop it. That's up next. Plus, guess what? Our chat room is open, and we want to hear from you. So all you have to do is log on to CBN.com and submit your questions. And what's going to happen when you do that? We're going to Bring It Online a little later on with your questions.
Still ahead . . . .
I had been in horrible, excruciating pain for four straight months.
A tell-all from John Tesh.
The pain is real. And people are, "Well, take a pain pill." Uh-uh, man. It's like taking an aspirin when you broke your leg. That stuff doesn't work.
And you'll never believe how bad it got.
She caught me on the floor at about two o'clock in the morning. I couldn't breath, and I was just like [gasping].
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.
Tomorrow . . . .
. . . . Meet Mama Grizzly, Jr. Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, opens up about her journey so far.
Plus . . . .
. . . . he signed a multimillion dollar NBA contract then spent the next 10 years living on the streets.
I kick myself in the butt every day just thinking about what could have been.
The rise and fall of Luther Wright, tomorrow on The 700 Club.
Well, a few months ago, the proposed mega mosque at Ground Zero in New York sparked a national debate. Just a few miles away, residents of one Brooklyn neighborhood fear that a mega mosque will be invading their residential community. Erick Stakelbeck has this exclusive report.
Sheepshead Bay is old school New York. It's the kind of place generations of Italians, Irish, Russians, and Jews have settled, drawn by the quiet charm and view of this working class, south Brooklyn neighborhood. Voorhies Avenue, with its tidy, well-kept row houses, is typical of Sheepshead Bay except for one major difference: this gaping hole. Many of the folks here on Voorhies Avenue were born and raised on this block. They brought up their families here. They plan to retire here. But now they say that's all up in the air, thanks to the proposed construction of this mega mosque, smack dab in the middle of their quiet residential neighborhood.
We're basically fighting for our quality of life. People invested in their houses, in their lives here.
Victor Benari is a member of the Bay People, a local group opposed to the building of the three-story mosque on tiny Voorhies Avenue.
Why in this quiet, nice neighborhood? Why is it not in a commercial street?
The Bay People have expressed their concerns in several peaceful protests, only to be labeled as racists and Islamophobes by Muslim and leftwing counter protestors.
They'll have the microphone, and they'll mock us. They'll curse at us. They'll condemn us for what we're saying.
CBN News recently sat down with members of the Bay People. They told us the mosque would cause major traffic, parking, and noise issues, including the Islamic call to prayer five times a day. They say their opposition is not based on religion. (Interviewing): So a church or synagogue, you would also oppose because of the quality of life issues?
It's residential.
Yes. Not in this place.
If they put a library here, we'd be against it.
They wonder why a large mosque is planned for a residential street where no Muslim families reside. In fact, they say the small Muslim community in Sheepshead Bay is located several blocks away from the mosque site.
We welcome the Muslim families to build a house and to be a good neighbor. But we will not welcome this facility in the wrong place and backed up with the wrong organization behind it.
That would be the Muslim American Society, or MAS, a group whose leaders admit was created by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, a jihadist movement founded in Egypt that seeks to establish Islamic Sharia law worldwide. These days MAS officials now attempt to distance themselves from the Brotherhood, at least publicly. But a 2004 exposé by the Chicago Tribune said that, "In recent years, the US Brotherhood operated under the name "Muslim American Society." It was incorporated in Illinois in 1993 after a contentious debate among Brotherhood members. When the leaders voted, it was decided that Brotherhood members would call themselves the Muslim American Society, or MAS." Revelations like that have the Bay People worried about what their new neighbors might teach behind closed doors. So do Muslim Brotherhood documents uncovered by the FBI that identify Islamic centers as the axis of the Brotherhood's operations in America, where battalions are supplied for the movement.
How do you deal with people who embrace enemies of the United States? I cannot. I don't think anybody can.
In addition to the mosque in Sheepshead Bay, MAS recently attempted to purchase property in nearby Staten Island. Their bid was rejected after a huge public outcry. The group did succeed, however, in opening a massive mosque outside Boston in 2009 that boasted a price tag of over 15 million dollars. It follows a nationwide trend. In 2001, there were 1,200 mosques in the United States. In the past 10 years, that number has nearly doubled to over 2,000 mosques. One recent study found that 81 percent of those US mosques feature Islamic literature that advocates violence. The Bay People say New York City officials ignore all of their concerns.
You take out your mortgage, you work your two jobs, you try to raise the family, and then someone comes along that, they don't want to answer you. You're just told, "Well, you have to deal with this now. It's a house of worship." All the considerations are given to them. No one has met with us to hear our needs, our concerns.
The double lot which would house the MAS mosque went for a whopping 800,000 dollars, and construction on the facility will likely cost at least another million. Although the property owner, a Yemeni immigrant named Ahmed Allowey, has said the funds are all locally raised, the Bay People have their doubts. They note that Saudi Arabia has financed countless mosques across the US and Europe.
The owner, we never hear from him. He'll come to the rallies, and he'll hide behind children. He'll stand behind people. But you never see him in the front of the barricade.
Allowey and MAS leaders in Brooklyn did not respond to CBN's repeated requests for comment. Their Voorhies Avenue property already faces some 30,000 dollars in fines for building violations. The Bay People say their best chance to stop the mosque would be to convince the city of New York to change zoning laws that they believe are outdated. They warn this fight has ramifications far beyond Brooklyn.
We need to stand together in our small community, such as Sheepshead Bay. As Sheepshead Bay goes, so goes the—it's coming to you. I kid you not; it's going to be in your neighborhood.
Erick Stakelbeck, CBN News, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
The Muslim Brotherhood, ladies and gentlemen, a radical group that wants to establish Sharia Law on a worldwide basis and reestablish the caliphate. That's what their goal is, so they're doing it surreptitiously. But to think of that, if Erick's figures are right, 81 percent of all the mosques have radical literature in them advocating violence. That's what they're teaching these people. And there was a madrasa, a children's school up in northern Virginia, that had a map that didn't even show the state of Israel on there. They just call the whole place "Palestine." And then in that, there are all kinds of things about how to undermine the United States of America. To say this is a house of worship is just ridiculous. But anyhow, that's happening to us while we sleep. Sooner or later it's creeping up. And it's like little termites going into your foundation of your house. They keep eating and eating and eating, and all of a sudden the supports begin to crumble. So how many years will it take? We don't know. But they're hard at work at it. Kristi.
We're going to see how that story pans out, too. Well, we've all heard of John Tesh, right? He's a dear friend of The 700 Club. Well, up next, he, meaning John Tesh, actually reveals his biggest secret.
When you get taken down like that, it puts everything in perspective.
So what knocked him down? Well, you're going to find out with our exclusive interview with John Tesh. That's up next. Really, it's amazing, so you don't want to go away.
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.
To see this week's top on demand videos, go to CBN.com.
Well, fans of John Tesh, they know that he suffered from back pain not too long ago, but they didn't know how bad it was. In fact, no one knew. For months, John just struggled through unbearable pain and, as he told our very own Scott Ross, pain that nearly caused him to take his life. Take a look.
His obituary would have read, "Celebrity John Tesh commits suicide by drowning off the Jersey Shore."
When pain takes your faith away—it really can—the only thing that's left is the people who believe in you who can help keep you connected to God.
He's always had the Midas touch. John Tesh's career in broadcasting and entertainment has garnered him a host of accolades: three gold records, two Grammy nominations, six Emmy's, and an Associated Press award for investigative journalism, just to name a few. Everybody remembers John as the popular co-host of Entertainment Tonight. He stunned a lot of viewers by leaping out of broadcasting into his first passion, music.
So I'm the poster boy for, "Quit your job and follow your dream."
Now he's performing live on stage and speaking over the airwaves from his own radio show, "Intelligence for Your Life." When I sat down to catch up with John, we talked about a wide range of topics from social networking to humanitarian relief. So I was shocked when, for the first time publicly, John brought up how a back injury took him on a dark journey of excruciating pain and hopelessness.
Yes, I had a piece of disc material in my spine come off and landed on my nerve root and paralyzed me. And so I started a new journey.
As the pain got progressively worse, John did his radio show on his back. He tried keeping his suffering in perspective.
Nothing compared to what other people have to go through. But the pain is real. And people are, "Well, take a pain pill." Uh-uh, man; it's like taking an aspirin when you broke your leg. That stuff doesn't work. I was in one of these pain centers where they give the epidurals, and this lady's who's been, I later found out had been in pain for 20 years, looks over at me and says, "Oh, you're such a youngster at this. You're going to get your spine fixed. You'll be out of here, and I'm still going to be in here in pain. Consider yourself lucky. Consider yourself blessed. And you know what? I'm going to pray for you right now." And I'm thinking, "This woman who knows that for the rest of her life through failed back surgery, she's going to be living that life in excruciating pain, and she still had the energy to pray for me." And I felt pretty horrible at that moment.
John says pain became the focus of his life.
I was in so much pain. I couldn't take pain pills. They didn't work. Connie's just, she's just such a trooper, but I don't think she knew how bad it was until she came in, and she caught me. I'd had an anxiety attack, but I'd never had one before. I didn't know what it was. And so she caught me on the floor at about two o'clock in the morning. I couldn't breathe, and I was just like [gasping], like that. And she knew what to do. She grabbed a paper bag and she had me breathe into the paper bag. And yes, I was hyperventilating.
John says he knew other patients in the pain center were far worse. He had support from his wife, Connie, and Facebook fans offered prayers. Still, the pain screamed louder.
And I had been in horrible, excruciating pain for four straight months, and I lost the use of my left leg. I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't play music anymore.
John convinced himself the only way to stop the pain was to take his own life. He planned to get drunk and let the ocean take him under.
The doctor said, "You can't go in the water, because you won't be able to make it out," because I'm like crawling to the water because of my leg. And I had downed about a half a bottle of vodka. And I'm in a wet suit heading to the ocean on the Jersey Shore, going to go for a swim. What I was trying to do was kill myself, because I just couldn't take the pain anymore.
John's suicide attempt ended in the arms of his son, Gib.
He grabbed me and said, "You want to go for a swim?" And I said, "Yes." He took me and he held me in the water as the waves washed over me and the tears came down. And I realized that I had a lot to live for.
A successful back surgery eventually restored John's health.
When you get taken down like that, it puts everything in perspective.
And you're healed now?
I am. I am, thank God.
So the prayer worked.
Prayer works. And everybody was praying for me.
What did you learn in that kind of suffering?
I learned the power of intercessory prayer, and I learned that you can never do it alone.
And your faith is intact now?
More than ever.
Yes.
More than ever. I've tried everything. And the only thing that works for me is Jesus Christ. I guarantee you, at 58 years old I've tried everything. And New Age, this, that, whatever. The only thing that works is a connection to God.
Wow, Pat, I was just watching that story, and I was thinking you know what, life challenges do not exempt anyone. A lot of people think if you're in the media, if you're a high profile Christian, if you're this or that, then you've got this kumbayah life. But the reality is that it's not that way. Every single one of us has to rely on the Lord in every instance of our life and persevere in that, you know, Pat?
That's it. That's exactly it.
That was as good story. Well, still ahead, you've got questions; we've got answers.
In fact, Misty writes, "Is it a sin to take medicine for anxiety or even depression?" Well, stay tuned, Misty, because we're going to answer that question when we Bring It Online, so don't go away.
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.
Welcome back to The 700 Club. Same sex couples will soon be able to enter into civil unions in Rhode Island. State senators there passed the bill in a vote of 21 to 16. It has already passed the House and the governor intends to sign it. Some gay marriage advocates, though, have urged him to veto it because of exemptions that allow religious institutions to ignore rights given through civil unions. Rhode Island will join several states that already offer civil unions instead of gay marriage.
A federal appeals court in Cincinnati gave President Obama a victory on his healthcare plan. The three-judge panel agreed with an earlier ruling that Congress can require Americans to buy insurance. The case is expected, though, to head to the US Supreme Court where it will be ultimately decided. 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.
If you're over 50, getting life insurance can be tough. How can you get the coverage you need at a price you can afford? I have good news. With AARP Level Benefit Term Life from New York Life Insurance Company, you can apply for up to $50,000 in affordable Term Life insurance without a medical exam. That's right, your acceptance is based on your answers to three, simple health questions and most who apply or accepted. Underwritten by New York Life this coverage is affordable and can be easy to get. And it's the only life insurance program endorsed by AARP. If you're an AARP member between 50 and 74, called New York Life now to receive free information by mail plus a rate quote. Not an AARP member? We'll tell you how to join.
Call New York Life at 1-800-916-1773 for free information by mail. You'll also receive this free gift just for calling. That's 1-800-916-1773. Certificate benefits and limitations should be carefully examined prior to purchase.
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. We're back, and it's time to answer your questions, so we're going to jump right in with Misty, who says, "Is it a sin to take medicine for anxiety or even depression? I just had a baby eight weeks ago, and my anxiety is worse than ever. I know it could be postpartum depression, but still, what do you think?"
Well, I think you've recognized the problem. And I think what you need to do is to make sure you've got nutritious food, that you've got as much outdoor exercise as you possibly can. Get out in the sunlight. You need serotonin. Serotonin comes from sunlight. So get out of the house. Don't sit around. You'll be more depressed. Is it a sin to take certain meds? I don't think so, but I tell you, some of these things don't do what they're advertised to do, number one; and number two, they can be habit forming. So be very careful that suddenly your happiness doesn't come out of a bottle, but it comes from Jesus. And is it a sin to take it? No. All right.
That's the line. Your happiness doesn't come out of a bottle, but from Jesus. I like it.
Thank you.
Well, Ben says, "Yesterday," talking about you, Pat, "you talked about the law of fidelity. He who is faithful in the little will be faithful in a lot. I have a question about that. Recently, I was short changed by a cashier for a penny. I complained about it, and eventually was reimbursed my penny. My wife was there, and she was very embarrassed. She said I was being stingy. I think I'm valuing every penny. What do you think?"
I think you're a dingbat. What are you talking about? A penny? Are you out of your mind? What kind of a thing is that? Your wife is right, you're stingy. That's ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. It isn't up to you who is going to be faithful or not. That's what God says. But somebody short changes you for a few bucks, let it go. The Bible says suffer yourself to be defrauded. You don't fight over a penny. Good heavens! All right, what's the next question? I make you all happy. Come on, keep asking the questions.
All right. Cheryl wants to know, "Is sunbathing the same as sun worshipping? I have low vitamin D levels. I certainly feel better with a tan, but I don't want to be a sun worshipper. What do you think?"
You're not bowing down to the sun and asking the sun to do miracles for you. All you're doing is lying out and getting some rays. There's nothing wrong with that.
That's what I say. And not for nothing, being a person who is slightly caramel colored, I think that seeing some people who kind of have, who are really very fair, you need a little sun. You need a little bit. Roll in dirt. Do something. Sun is good.
All I can say is be careful about cancer. And I think that the ozone layer has changed, has lifted somehow. There are holes in the ozone layer, and I think that we're seeing much more severe sun. I had sun poisoning. I was sitting out on a terrace in the sun with a t-shirt on, but it had some holes in it. You know how t-shirts are. They make the material. And I got sun poisoning. So you've got to be careful. But no, that's not sun worshipping. But next question.
Okay. Anthony says, "I recently broke up with my girlfriend, because I found out that she is still legally married. She wants me to wait on her to get her divorced finalized in July. Would I be sinning to date her while she is still married?" Can I answer this one? Yes. Yes, yes, yes! I have a huge pet peeve about this, and I'm jumping in to say this. Okay, when a person is married, there is a covenant there. Even if you are physically separated, there is a still covenant there. You cannot date until you are divorced. And it drives me batty when I see so many people who are legally separated or even separated physically, and you date. Okay, go. What were you going to say? That?
Oh, yeah.
Okay, good.
That's good. All right, what's the next question?
Cindy says, "I was wondering if you have any theories about the infamous Bermuda Triangle?" That's a fascinating question.
I think it's a lot of nonsense. I think what has happened is there might be some electrical impulses. Various places in the earth's orb, there can be some various currents that might throw a machine off course. Those things we use to navigate, I used to be a private pilot, and I tell you, you can find your instruments stuck or they can get confused. And it's easy to go off course. So I think that's what's happened. But as far as some spooky creature down there and some thing from the devil, that's nonsense. It really is. So just the way it is.
All right. Ready for the next one?
All right.
You're liking these, aren't you?
Oh, I love every one of them. Let's go. I'll insult everybody before it's over. Keep going.
That's true. Margaret says, "I prayed for a certain job. It was my heart's desire, and I didn't get the job. And what does it mean? And where was God?"
God was loving you and looking after you. And what you thought was the right job, God knows better. And what you should always say in something like this, "If this is your will," because He sees down the future. The thing, we can't see beyond here. But He sees all the way down. He sees the bad bosses. He sees the guys that are going to lie about you. He sees somebody that's going to take advantage of you. He sees the heartache and misery. He wants to shield you from this, because He loves you. So don't always be banging up against something and getting mad, because God doesn't give you what you want. You say, "If it be your will, Lord, I'll receive that." But that's the way it is.
Can I tell you a really quick story?
All right.
Because this applies to this. Okay, so I was working at Fox Television before I started working here. And I was on my way to go to New York to work there. And to make a long story short, I was the third finalist to get a job, didn't get it. And I came back, and I was boohoo crying, saying, "Lord, what do you want? What do you want?" Because I knew that was my desire, my heart's desire. And the Lord said, "Christian TV." And I said, "Other than that. What do you want?" And literally . . . .
So here you are.
Here I am, 12 years later.
Much better than being in New York on Fox.
Well, it wasn't on Fox. I worked at Fox, but New York—anyway, kumbayah. So the Lord made me come here.
So He told you.
He forced me.
Well, I'm so glad.
And aren't you thrilled?
Oh, I am. To think that you have to get forced to come to work with me, I might get kind of upset. All right. Well, we'll twist your arm some more. Thanks for those questions. She's a little giddy. She's going on vacation. You'll have to apologize for her.
I am.
Well, they call him "the fix it man." He's a 14-year-old orphan who could repair almost anything, except his own prosthetic leg.
I believe that God has given me a gift to fix things. So it makes me really happy when I get to use my gift to help others.
But Tian has not always felt so productive or loved. He was born with a deformed leg. That's the reason his parents abandoned him and he came to live at this children's home. The home was able to get Tian a prosthetic leg, but by the time he was 14, he had outgrown it, and there was no more money to resize the artificial limb.
My leg hurt so much that it was red. I couldn't walk like I did before. I couldn't stand for a long time, and I couldn't play with my friends.
Tian started falling down a lot, and that broke my heart. I know he was hoping someone would help him. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do.
Then, Ms. Jang had an idea.
A friend told me that maybe CBN could help Tian. I had never heard of CBN, but I called them anyway to ask. They responded really quickly.
CBN provided the funds needed for the new artificial leg, and today Tian feels like he is on top of the world. He is scoring points on the basketball court, and he is well on his way to becoming a professional handyman.
I can fix fences, lamps, and locks on doors. Thank you so much CBN for my new artificial leg. Now I will be able to help more people.
You say, "What is this? They know about you over in China?" Yes, they know about CBN in China.
They know we're out there to help people. You see, all around the world, you're reaching out to help people. It's kind of exciting, isn't it? You never heard of Tian there. He's thanking you for what you've done, because your 700 Club membership means that much. And what does it take? About a half of a price of a bottle of soda pop, 65 cents a day, 20 dollars a month. You become a 700 Club member. And some of you do a lot more than that. You can say, "Well, here's 1,000 dollars," or whatever. And we dig water wells and give people fresh water. And we have medical clinics, all kinds of wonderful things. And more than anything, we're bringing the Gospel to hundreds of millions around the world. So it's kind of exciting, and you're part of it. Now, I want to offer you something. We did a series called Life Beyond the Grave.
And we compressed some of those stories into a CD, a DVD, actually, and its Life Beyond the Grave. And we'll give this to you when you join the 700 Club. These are exciting. These are people who have actually died. And they either went to Heaven or Hell and came back to tell about it. It's incredible. So it's a great witnessing tool. So please pick up the phone, call in, and say, "You can count on me." Twenty dollars, twenty dollars a month, and you can change the world: 1-800-759-0700. Kristi.
Thank you, Pat. Well, coming up, a fascinating story. We have a story about a teenager who was headed for a heart attack.
A normal cholesterol level should be around 100 to 150. The nurses kept on coming back and they took my cholesterol reading three times, because they couldn't believe it.
So hear how he got a new heart. You're going to find out when we return.
Our world moves at an incredible pace, people everywhere rushing to their destinations. 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've experienced Heaven or 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.
What makes the miracles of Jesus even more miraculous? Standing where they happened, in Israel. Come explore Jerusalem where Jesus opened blind eyes. Visit the hills of Galilee where Jesus fed the multitude. Stoll through Capernaum where Jesus lived, and taught, and healed. To learn more about standing where it all happened in Israel, visit www.goisrael.com. Come visit Israel.
Matt Krueger lived by a simple motto: life is short, so party hard. But Matt never imagined just how short life was until he paid a visit to his doctor.
I kept God completely out of the picture, because I was busy having a good time. And I didn't really want a relationship with God.
Having a good time was the motto of Matt Krueger's life growing up. His passion and ability to play sports opened the door to plenty of partying in high school and during his college years.
I played sports in college at a small school and had a lot of great friends. But we would party a lot and we had a lot of fun. But just at that point in time I didn't really see a need for going to church a whole lot.
His partying came to a halt when during a routine physical in college, 18-year-old Matt Krueger learned he had cholesterol levels over 400, which could lead to a severe case of CAD, coronary artery disease. It's a condition where plaque builds up inside the arteries feeding the heart.
Normal cholesterol levels should be around 100 to 150. The nurses kept on coming back and they took my cholesterol reading three times because they couldn't believe it.
Because Matt was adopted as a baby; he didn't know the medical history of his family. But like most young men, Matt didn't think much about his condition, and continued his wild lifestyle like nothing was wrong.
We drank a lot and I think maybe one of my excuses was, well, life is short, and so let's party. I was young and was in great shape playing sports. I wasn't overweight, and so I just kind of shrugged it off.
Matt‘s longtime girlfriend, Marina, tried to convince him to be more conscious of his health but Matt wasn't listening.
I could tell that he felt like life was over; like that he might not have a future. So I guess I took on the role of feeling like I needed to reassure him there was still going to be a future.
At 22, Matt had a heart scan. It revealed that so much plaque had built up in his arteries that doctors warned he could have a heart attack or stroke at any moment. They recommended immediate surgery. Matt began to get serious about his life.
And I remembered thinking to myself, you know what, maybe it's time to kind of move on with my life. And maybe it's time to stop partying and start to have a family.
Matt and Marina decided to marry. Finally, when Matt was 26, he agreed to have six stents inserted in his arteries to open up the blockages. It was actually during the surgery that he learned why he hadn't died already.
My heart had started to grow its own little tiny bypass and capillaries.
But Matt's surgery led to an unexpected side effect. For the first time, he really became fearful of his own death.
Any little ache and pain that I would have, I would immediately go to the thought of, oh, my gosh, this is it. So much so that I even took two ambulance rides to the hospital only to find out that there was nothing wrong with me.
Matt's fear of death began to wreak havoc on his marriage.
He really couldn't concentrate on anyone else. That was taking all of his mental time. I battled with feeling like you couldn't meet his expectations.
Matt's breaking point came after a day he spent doing yard work. He was sure he was having a heart attack and quickly began to pray.
I said, "God, if this is it, if this is a heart attack and I do die, then I want to make sure that I'm going be with you." It was kind of at that point that I truly with all my heart asked Jesus into my life. I kind of held Him off to the side for so many years, and it was my last hope and my last option, but it was my best option. A peace came over me and now I almost felt like the devil can't torment me here, because if I am going die I'm going go and be with God.
Matt didn't have a heart attack that day but he says God gave him a new spiritual heart. That's when things really began to change. Marina was the first to notice.
He's selfless. He's got an amazing sense of discipline that you don't see in a lot of people. And he has got a heart for God and a heart for wanting to serve which is just 110 percent opposite of who he used to be.
God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, and of love, and of self discipline. When you let go of your life and you give it to God, He wants to show you how He's faithful.
Today, the Krueger's have four children, a successful business, and a strong marriage. Matt has changed his diet and exercises regularly. All of that has given him a much healthier heart and a much happier life.
Life is shorter than we think and none of us want to think about death, but it will come to all of us. He just wants us going forward to continue to love Him and to grow in Him, so that when we get to that judgment day we've done what we can on this earth for Him. And we can spend the rest of eternity with Him.
The Bible said He suffered death that He might destroy him who has the power of death, and held mankind captive with that fear all their lives. People are afraid to die. I want to ask you this. Are you scared to die? People are afraid to die. Matt was. He was afraid he was going to die. He got hyper and paranoid. He just thought any little thing, he was going to die. Jesus Christ destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil, who through the fear of death held us all captive. You don't have to be a captive to fear. Fear is paralyzing. The Bible says very clearly, "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." Fear has torment. But perfect love casts out fear. And Matt has learned perfect love. He began to get away from himself and start loving God, then those fears left him. Now, let me ask you this. Are you gripped by fear? Are you afraid of dying? If you get in an airplane, are you afraid you're going to die? If you drive a car, are you afraid you're going to die? You walk along, you're afraid something is going to fall on your head and kill you. Are you afraid some burglar is going to come into your house and shoot you? Do you live in fear? Be honest. Well, let's get rid of that right now. If the answer is yes, Jesus Christ came to do away with him that had the power of death. We will have life in Him. So I want you right now to pray with me, wherever you are. I want you to bow your head right now and let's believe God. Pray these words, "Jesus." Pray with me. "Jesus, I've been afraid, but Lord, I know that you suffered death that you might destroy him that had the power of death. And I pray right now that your Spirit might come into my heart. I take you, Jesus, as my Savior and as the Lord of my life. Come now. Set me free from fear, and fill me with perfect love, which casts out fear. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name." Now, for those who prayed right now, in the name of Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear, in Jesus' name. Loose them. And may the peace of God come into your heart from this moment on. Thank you, Lord. Amen. And amen.
Well, for those who prayed with me, I want to give you something. It's called "A New Day." I'll make it available free if you just pick up the phone and call.
But I want you to call and say, "I prayed with Pat. I gave my heart to Jesus Christ today, and I am free from fear," 1-800-759-0700. Well, that's all the time we have for today's program. Tomorrow, our interview with Sarah Palin's daughter. Plus, meet the NBA star who signed a multimillion dollar contract, then spent years homeless and living on the streets. We leave you today with these words from the Psalms . . . .
. . . . "I took my troubles to the Lord. I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer." 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.