The 700 Club: October 12, 2009

UnderWing Transcripts PO Box 16282 Clearwater, Florida 33766 540 455-2333 / UnderWing@underwingtranscripts.com ________________________________________ The 700 Club Daily Broadcast Monday, October 12, 2009 GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to The 700 Club. For today’s headlines, let’s go over to the CBN News Desk. SUPPORTING GAY RIGHTS LEE WEBB: Thanks, Gordon. Gay rights activists got a key endorsement this weekend. President Obama pledged to back their efforts to gain equal rights. They were among his biggest supporters during the campaign, but now many of them are losing patience with the President. John Jessup has the story from Washington. JOHN JESSUP: From California to the nation’s capital, gay activists marched to end discrimination, even making their voices heard loud and clear all the way to the front steps of the White House. President Barack Obama: I'm here with a simple message. I'm here with you in that fight. JOHN JESSUP: Over the weekend at a dinner hosted by the nation’s largest gay rights organization, President Obama repeated his campaign pledge to allow gays to serve openly in the military. President Barack Obama: I will end “Don't ask, don't tell.” That's my commitment to you. JOHN JESSUP: A call echoed by the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. GRAPHIC: NBC: MEET THE PRESS Sen. Carl Levin ([D-MI] Chair, Armed Services Cmte.): I think it has to be done in the right way, which is to get a buy-in from the military, which I think is now possible. JOHN JESSUP: But some are growing increasingly critical that the President is not moving fast enough on gay rights. They want a timeline and more evidence that that he will make good on his word. Cynthia Nixon (Actress): He says all the right things, but it's time for him to really put his money where his mouth is. Man: We have to put pressure on not just the President, but the Congress and even the court in order for us to achieve equality. JOHN JESSUP: On Sunday, tens of thousands came to Washington in a march to demand equality. Man: The same rights that any heterosexual person would have, we hope to have as well. JOHN JESSUP: President Obama thanked this crowd for its support and told them expect to see changes in the future. President Barack Obama: I also appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough. But I will say this. We have made progress and we will make more. JOHN JESSUP: John Jessup, CBN News, Washington. STUDYING COLUMBUS LEE WEBB: Today marks Columbus Day, but many students in public schools are learning very different lessons about Christopher Columbus than their parents did. The new studies are based in multiculturalism, but critics worry that many of the lessons are too negative and not balanced or accurate. One fourth grade class in Pennsylvania put Columbus on trial. They charged him with misrepresenting the Spanish crown and theft. They found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison, calling him a, quote, “bad guy.” FEAST OF TABERNACLES LEE WEBB: This past week, the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. As Chris Mitchell reports, Christians from around the world gathered to join the celebration in Jerusalem. CHRIS MITCHELL: Jews mark the Feast of Tabernacles by building small booths, or tabernacles, called sukkahs. It’s a reminder of how God provided for the Jewish people when they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. Yet, Malcolm Hedding of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem says there is also a future fulfillment for this feast of the Lord. Malcolm Hedding (Director, ICEJ): Then all men will come up and all women and all children from all the nations of the world to celebrate the glorious God of Israel in this city. And Zechariah 14 speaks about that. It will be brought about the return of our wonderful Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the promise of scripture. CHRIS MITCHELL: The city of Jerusalem marks the feast with a parade. Nir Barkat (Mayor of Jerusalem): It is open for people to come and enjoy the spirit, the history, the religion, the culture. We’re open. We want to everyone to come to visit us. CHRIS MITCHELL: During the parade, Christian pilgrims from all over the world, like this group from the USA, join the march to show their support for the people of Israel and the united city of Jerusalem. Some came to the feast at great personal cost. These Filipino women suffered from the recent floods that hit their nation, yet they chose to come and celebrate the feast. Ruth Castro (Filipino Pilgrim): I had so much more need to be here, to really pray at the Wailing Wall for our country and also for God’s direction for me, since I am a widow and my children are married. And I lost everything. CHRIS MITCHELL: Pilgrims also prayed earlier in the week. They joined with millions of Christians around the world to participate in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. Pastor Jack Hayford (President, Int. Church of the Foursquare Gospel): There is a growing awareness that the only way we’re going to effectively address anything of the challenges that face the world and the responsibility that faces the church and its intercessors’ supporting role for Israel except through prayer. Pastor Wayne Hilsden (King of Kings Congregation, Jerusalem): We’ve called a sacred assembly of the church worldwide to also look to God, look to God’s purposes for the nation of Israel, to be reawakened again to the reality of this nation and that Israel is a fulfillment of God’s promises throughout the prophetic scriptures. CHRIS MITCHELL: Many see this day of prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles as two sides of a growing phenomenon among Christians worldwide to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and prepare for its King. Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem. PHILIPPINES DISASTER LEE WEBB: More than 600 people have been killed in landslides and flooding in the Philippines and hundreds of thousands are still displaced. Back-to-back storms began flooding the northern Philippines on September 26th. Those storms have caused the country’s worst flooding in 40 years. The hardest hit areas are about 125 miles north of Manila. Operation Blessing is on the scene helping those flood victims. And if you would like to find out how you can help, you can go to their web site at OB.org. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO OB.ORG Now, let’s go back over to Terry to find out what’s coming up on today’s 700 Club. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, coming up, a salesman gets laid off after ten years on the job. Man: I felt at times that I was very close to a very severe nervous breakdown. I think about the fact that I’m failing. I’m failing myself. I’m failing my family. It was like death by inches. TERRY MEEUWSEN: See how this man revived his career by taking his wife’s advice. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVES GORDON ROBERTSON: Coming up later, she wanted to marry her girlfriend . . . . Woman: The priest told us that what we were doing was okay, that we would still go to Heaven. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . but she was torn. Woman: I wanted both. I wanted God, and I wanted to live a homosexual life. GORDON ROBERTSON: How a stranger offered her a solution, on today’s 700 Club. Woman: I said, “Ma’am, what are you doing out here at three o’clock in the morning?” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 1: SWISS AMERICA Pat Boone: The best investment of the new millennium: gold. Waves of change can destroy financial castles built on sand. But true wealth is built on a solid foundation of gold. Today’s economic crises have caused many to look to government for financial solutions, but experts warn that borrowing trillions will result in higher inflation and less money in your pocket. Gold offers protection, liquidity and growth. Rebuild your financial peace of mind starting with a golden foundation. Swiss America has provided millions of Americans with the best educational resources in print, online and now on television. Take a moment to request a free rare opportunity booklet, CD and DVD. Call the number below or visit online. Until next time, this is Pat Boone for Swiss America saying don’t wait to buy gold. Buy gold and wait. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Jeff Saeli had a great job and was looking forward to retirement, but all of that changed when he was laid off. Jeff says he was headed for a nervous breakdown, until he did something unusual and took financial advice from his wife. JEFF AND DONNA SAELI KEN HULME: Things had been financially stable for Jeff and Donna Saeli of Orlando, Florida. Jeff was making near six figures selling computer systems to Fortune 500 companies, and Donna worked as an office manager. But when Jeff was laid off after ten years with the company, he lost a lot of income and gained a lot of stress. Jeff Saeli: It was like death by inches. I lived with fear almost every day, really panic over the fact that, “Am I going to be able to stay in this house?” KEN HULME: And at his age, Jeff found it hard to find work. So he took several jobs that paid him far less than he’d been making. Donna Saeli: It was the dark period, I think, of our marriage. Jeff Saeli: Right. Donna Saeli: Because I would see Jeff just be so frustrated, and then he’d get angry because he was frustrated. KEN HULME: For years Donna had been tithing on her modest income, but Jeff decided not to tithe on his wages. And he believed he had a good reason for that decision. Jeff Saeli: I just didn’t think that I could afford to give that much and still maintain everything that was going on, on a daily basis. KEN HULME: Jeff did his best to juggle payments on bills, sometimes paying monthly minimums. Other times they simply lived off their credit cards and a 50,000 dollar home equity loan. But after three years of dead-end jobs and with retirement just around the corner, Jeff’s frustration turned to despair. Jeff Saeli: I felt at times that I was very close to a very severe nervous breakdown. I think about the fact that I’m failing. I’m failing myself. I’m failing my family. KEN HULME: So Jeff finally decided to take his wife’s advice and tithe. In fact, over the next year, Jeff and Donna increased their giving to church and to ministries like The 700 Club. That’s when Jeff got the call from the employer who had laid him off three years earlier. Jeff Saeli: Out of the blue, my old manager called me up and he said, “Would you like to come back to the company?” And I didn’t even ask him what the salary was. I said, “I’ll take it.” KEN HULME: And the rest, as they say, is history. Once back at the old job, Jeff’s income skyrocketed. He gave us some examples of God’s blessing. Jeff Saeli: We needed a new car. I took out a loan for the car. I actually took it out for 72 months and I was able to pay the car off in 14 months. KEN HULME: Finally, Jeff and Donna were able to do the things that they had only dreamed of, like taking a trip to Thailand to dedicate a CBN well that they had sponsored. Jeff Saeli: You get to see it on TV, and you say, “That’s nice.” But when you actually see it in person, it takes your breath away from you. I would encourage people to get involved with CBN. There is so much good that CBN and Operation Blessing can do. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON TEACHES GORDON ROBERTSON: It’s incredible. When you start to live by God’s promises, it’s incredible what He’ll do, how He will open windows in Heaven and pour out blessing. Now, some of you may be just like Jeff. You’ve been laid off. You’re looking at an uncertain future. You’re willing to take any job, anywhere, and even if you know it’s a dead end job. And you’re just wondering, “How am I going to be able to survive? How can I do what I need to do for my family? How am I going to do what I need to do just to stay in my own house?” Well, learn the lesson Jeff learned and realize that you need God behind you. You need Him with you. You need to be doing things in accordance with His Word, obeying His commandments. And part of that is giving. Part of that is giving, even giving from your need. What does He ask for? He asks for ten percent. He asks for the tithe. And here is the promise from the tithe. It’s from Malachi 3:10. Memorize it: “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. And prove Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” Now, this isn’t some big slot machine in the sky. This isn’t some lottery ticket. This isn’t some get rich quick scheme. This is a lifetime of giving. You saw what happened to Jeff. Three years. Three years he went through that battle. Three years he proved God. He tested. And he was tested in turn. But then came the years of provision. And that can happen to you if you obey what God tells you to do. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, if you’re a member of The 700 Club, then your gifts are helping people all around the world, just like the story you just saw. It’s also helping one 11-year-old girl in Vietnam. After her mom died, she was forced into hard labor, but today she has a loving home and she has a bright future. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HANG’S RESCUE TERRY MEEUWSEN: Hang’s mother had been running a small ferryboat when she accidentally drowned in this Vietnamese River. Hang: My neighbors and I went into the water to look for my mother, but we couldn’t find her. Three days later they found her body. I miss Mom very much. We were very close. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Hang was only 11 when her mother died. She went to live with her grandmother, where she worked hard in the fields to plant and harvest the crops. Hang: I didn’t mind it at all. I love my family. I just decided to be strong. TERRY MEEUWSEN: But the financial needs of her grandmother’s household were too great, and soon Hang was forced to drop out of school. That’s when her grandma brought her here to this Christian home and school for children sponsored by CBN’s Orphan’s Promise. Here, Hang was able to return to school and eat three healthy meals a day, all under the loving eyes of her new house parents. Hang: I like it here, because our house parents love us so much. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And whenever she can, Hang takes time to hop on her bicycle and head home to visit with her grandma. Hang: When my mother died, I threw away my dreams. Now I am studying hard to achieve them and be able to improve the lives of my grandmother and my other siblings. Thank you CBN for changing my life. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Being a 700 Club member means that you are helping thousands like Hang to know their dreams are available to them once again, giving them hope and a future. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We want to invite you to join with the rest of us. If you’re not a 700 Club member, if you don’t know what CBN is doing around the world, today is your day to find out and to partner with us. To be a 700 Club member is a gift of 65 cents a day, 20 dollars a month. All together, we can change the world with that. So we’re asking you to join with us. Help us to reach out to precious children, to adults who don’t need a handout, they need a hand up. They need to know of the love of God and you’re bringing all of that to them. When you give your gift today will you do it through Pledge Express? It means the bank does all the work. GRAPHIC: FREE WITH PLEDGE EXPRESS 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM It’s automatic monthly transfers through the bank. No hassle. No paperwork for you. But it saves us a lot of administrative costs, so much that we want to send you a thank of “Power for Life” teachings. These will come to you every month, and you’ll have the opportunity of participating and changing the lives of others. So call now: 1-800-759-0700. Or you can also log on to CBN.com. Gordon. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, up next, a bride-to-be goes to her pastor for some premarital pointers. Woman: He said three things to me. He said, “Call off your wedding. Get counseling. And tell your fiancé.” Well, I did one of the three. GORDON ROBERTSON: Find out which one, right after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2A: RIGHT ON THE MONEY PREMIUM ANNOUNCER: There you were, on your way to financial security when suddenly everything changed. Your road to financial freedom, gone. You need direction. Discover a biblically based way to navigate your financial future. Pat Robertson’s teaching, Right on the Money, shows you what works and what doesn’t. Available now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2B: SIMPLEX Announcer: Attention, those on Medicare with diabetes. Woman: Results from testing my blood glucose were often wrong. I’d have to code my meter. Pharmacist: If you’re on Medicare with diabetes, then you need to know about the newest methods in checking your blood glucose. You don’t have to code your meter anymore, and you don’t have to stab your fingers. These new no-code meters are easier to use and nearly painless. Woman: This new method hurts less, and I don’t have to code the test strips anymore. Pharmacist: No coding helps make testing faster and confirms accuracy. And the best news is that Diabetes Care Club will send you one of these new meters. Woman: I called, got my no-code meter. Now my fingers don’t hurt anymore. Pharmacist: Diabetes Care Club delivers the latest technology directly to your door for free. So call and find out why over 100,000 patients choose Diabetes Care Club. Woman: Honey, you don’t have to code anymore. Upgrade your meter and change the way you test now. Call now. I’m glad I did. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: No matter what she tried, Janet Boynes couldn’t numb the pain from her past. She turned to drugs and same-sex relationships. But Janet was always left feeling worse than before, until she found what she was looking for in an unlikely place. JANET BOYNES DEBBIE WHITE: Janet Boynes grew up in a family of seven kids, by four different fathers. The man who raised her was an alcoholic. Janet Boynes: Everybody knew that the Boynes family always had the police outside. DEBBIE WHITE: Janet’s mother was abused as she grew up. Janet Boynes: I think what you have a tendency of doing is repeating what was done to you. I know she wanted the best for me, but the abuse was beyond measure. I can’t remember to this day as a kid that my mother ever hugged me or told me that she loved me. DEBBIE WHITE: The violence she experienced at home spilled over to fights at school. Janet developed a reputation as a bully and a tomboy. Janet Boynes: A lot of people used to say, “Well, are you going to be,” what they called back then, “a dyke or a lesbian?” And I didn’t associate myself with that, but that’s what a lot of people assumed. DEBBIE WHITE: When she was 12, Janet was molested by a relative. A few months later, she was raped by an altar boy at church. Janet started smoking and doing drugs to deal with the pain. Janet Boynes: I was afraid to tell my mom, because I thought I would be blamed for it. I started getting high quite a bit. Even though I was a great basketball player, I got high and went to practice. DEBBIE WHITE: Janet finished high school and went on to college. She still used drugs, but there were other problems. Janet Boynes: I was starting to become more attracted to women. So many men had hurt me that these women, I thought, were a lot more like me. DEBBIE WHITE: Janet struggled to put those thoughts aside. She started attending a church and accepted Christ as her Savior. She got off drugs and started dating a man she met at church. When he asked her to marry him, everything seemed perfect. Janet Boynes: My family loved him. And they just thought that we would make a great couple. And I was really excited about that. I was looking forward to marrying him, but because he was a professional bike racer, he did these things on the weekend where it left me pretty much by myself. DEBBIE WHITE: Janet started spending a lot of time with a woman she met at work. Janet Boynes: She introduced me to her family, who were Christians. Her dad was a pastor of a small church in the St. Paul area, and met her mother. And it was late one night, and I stayed there. And we wound up sleeping together. DEBBIE WHITE: Janet was confused and scared, so she went to her pastor for advice. Janet Boynes: And he said three things to me. He said, “Call off your wedding. Get counseling. And tell your fiancé.” Well, I did one of the three. I told my fiancé what happened, gave him back his ring, and I walked away from the Lord. DEBBIE WHITE: For the next 14 years, Janet lived a homosexual lifestyle and moved from relationship to relationship. She became deeply involved in drugs, cocaine this time, and developed bulimia. Janet Boynes: My life was miserable. It was starting to go literally just down the tubes. But I was refusing to come back to God. DEBBIE WHITE: She and her girlfriend decided to get married. Janet Boynes: The priest told us that what we were doing was okay, that we would still go to Heaven. And so we went out and got engagement rings, because we thought, “We’re going to get married. He said it was okay.” I wanted both. I wanted God, and I wanted to live a homosexual life. I wanted to find a way to have both. DEBBIE WHITE: During that time, something strange happened. Janet Boynes: There was this church called Maple Grove Assemblies of God. And every time I would go past this church, it was almost like I stepped out of myself, and I was in that church. And I would look at my girlfriend and go, “I’m going to go to that church someday.” She would look at me like, “What are you talking about, Janet?” DEBBIE WHITE: Janet started her own business cleaning health clubs. One night, while she was working . . . . Janet Boynes: I left at three o’clock in the morning and told them I was going to the store. DEBBIE WHITE: She struck up a conversation with a woman in the grocery store parking lot. Janet Boynes: And I said, “Ma’am, what are you doing out here at three o’clock in the morning with all these groceries?” And she said, “Well, I just dropped my son off at college.” And I go, “What college is open this time of night?” And she said, “North Central Bible College.” And so I began to tell her that I was a backslidden Christian and that I’m living a homosexual life, and she pulled out this brochure. And on that brochure was the church that God told me I would be going to: Maple Grove Assemblies of God. DEBBIE WHITE: The woman invited Janet to a women’s Bible study. Janet Boynes: And me, not thinking in my right mind, I said, “Sure, I’ll go.” And I came in with these sweat pants on, looking grubby, not knowing what to expect. I’m in a room with nine other women, feminine, and I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” So I’m sitting there with my head down, feeling so much shame, thinking these women are cruel. They are going to chew me up and spit me out. Everybody introduced themselves, and when they got to me, they asked me my name. And I said, “My name is Janet.” And I said, “I’m living a homosexual life. But if you help me, I will live my life for the Lord.” DEBBIE WHITE: Janet was surprised by their reaction. Janet Boynes: They didn’t talk about me. They didn’t tell me I dressed stupid. They allowed God to change me. They didn’t try to change me. One of them came to me a few months later. And her and her husband were praying, and they felt in their heart that I was supposed to come and live with them. Well, I sold my home, asked my girlfriend to move. At the age of 40 I moved in with this Christian home for a year. And it was the most amazing thing to watch this family have something that I never experienced. DEBBIE WHITE: And Janet’s heart began to heal. Janet Boynes: God started putting great Godly men in my life, men at church that would just come up and give me a hug. As I continue to be around people that love me and care about me, God continues to heal me from the inside out. DEBBIE WHITE: Ten years later, Janet is active in her church and ministering to others who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle. She wants them to know that healing is a process, but that they can experience complete freedom in Jesus Christ. Janet Boynes: I want everybody else that’s living the homosexual life who didn’t have a great mother or who didn’t have a great father to experience that God is a Father to the fatherless or the motherless, that what He’s done for me, He will do for them also. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON MINISTERS SALVATION GORDON ROBERTSON: What He’s done for me, He’ll do for you. He is no respecter of persons. There aren’t some kids that He won’t pay any attention to. He loves all His children. He loves you. And He wants you to be with Him. And, yes, there is good news for you. He can change you. He can change your innermost being. He can change what you think about. He can change what you desire. He can make you new again. The world tells us that we can’t change, that there is no hope for us, that we’ve got to follow certain steps or certain rules or certain things and that we’ll always be this way. But Jesus says, “No. I came that you might have life, have it abundantly. I came that you might be made new, new, as I intended, as I intended.” God did some incredible things for us. He gave us life. He breathed life into us, and we became living souls. He gave us a free will. We’re the ones that messed it up. We’re the ones that said, “Okay, I’ll disobey God. I’ll take that forbidden fruit. I want to experience that. I want to have that knowledge,” not knowing that it would hurt us. It would kill us. It would destroy us. If this you, if this is what you’ve done, you’ve tried things as a, quote, “experiment,” and then realized that experiment would last a long time, and you’re struggling to find a way back, “How do I get back to what I used to be?” Jesus is your answer. He can restore. He can make you new again. He can take away the desire for drugs, for alcohol, cigarettes. He can even change your desire in sex. The world says you can’t change. Jesus says you can. He can make you new. He can restore. He has a great dream for you, and He hasn’t given up on that dream. God hasn’t given up on His creation. And you’re part of that creation. And He wants you to be with Him. And He has a great future for you. He has plans that He has drawn up for you from the beginning of creation, plans that will give you a hope and a future if you just let it. So if this is for you, if this is what you want, bow your head. Pray a very simple prayer. But with your heart, believe. It’s that that makes the difference. When you search for Him with all your heart, then you find Him. Don’t leave anything behind. Today, let it be your day where you’re all in. You’re just like Janet. You’re saying, “Okay, I’m here. This is what I am. And I know that God can change me and I need help.” If that’s you, pray. “Lord Jesus.” That’s right. Say it out loud. “Lord Jesus, you know who I am. You know what I’ve done. And Jesus, right now, I give it all to you. And I don’t hold back anything. I want you in my life. I want you to change me, to make me new again, to forgive me of all the things that I’ve done wrong. And Jesus, if you’ll do this for me, I want to follow you all the days of my life. Hear my prayer, for I pray it in Jesus’ name.” Father, for those who just prayed, I pray a baptism in your love. Just surround them now with your anointing, with your covering, with your forgiveness. And then fill them to overflowing with your love. Do it now, for we ask it in Jesus’ name. If you just prayed with me, the Bible says that if you’ll believe in your heart and then confess with your mouth, you shall be saved. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM What I want you to do is make a toll free call: 1-800-759-0700. Just say, “I prayed for that guy on TV. I want Jesus in my life.” We’d be glad to pray for you for anything, anything at all. If you’ve got something on your heart that you want to confess, that you want to say and get in agreement with someone else for prayer, we want to be the person that you pray with. Call us. It’s our honor to pray with you: 1-800-759-0700. Terry, over to you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Still ahead, he turned to the Mafia for help, and then the Mafia turned on him. Man: I was afraid of dying. Fear gripped me worse than I ever thought was possible. If you said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, you would be killed. That’s the code that we lived by. TERRY MEEUWSEN: See how he escaped the Mob and lived to tell about it. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3: PRAYER COUNSELING CENTER Son: Daddy? Father: Yeah, buddy? Son: How many nickels are in a dollar? Father: There are 20 nickels in a dollar. Son: How do birds fly? Does milk really make my bones stronger? Father: Yeah. Yep. Son: Daddy, when we die, will we go to Heaven? Announcer: Do you have the answer to life’s biggest question? Call The 700 Club. We’ll help you find answers to the important questions life brings your way. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SWINE FLU DEATHS LEE WEBB: Welcome back to The 700 Club. The number of children dying from swine flu has reached disturbing heights. The H1N1 virus is blamed for the deaths of 19 children over the past week. That's a total of 76 overall, about as many as usually die in a full flu season ending in May. Some parents are skeptical, though, about the vaccine. But a top health official says the risks from not getting the swine flu vaccine are greater than any potential risks associated with it. Unlike the usual seasonal flu that doesn't hit hard until winter, swine flu has already made its way through all 50 states. MISS AMERICA JUDGE LEE WEBB: The Miss America pageant will have a new judge this year. Rush Limbaugh will be one of the seven judges at the 2010 pageant at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. And pageant officials say they are thrilled to have him. Limbaugh's radio program is in its 22nd year and on nearly 600 radio stations. You can always get the latest from CBN News by going to our web site at CBN.com. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM Gordon and Terry will be back with more of The 700 Club after this. Please stay with us. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4A: CANCER CENTERS Laura Brokow: The doctor came in. I was still waking up from anesthesia. He leaned over my bed and he said, “Laura, you have cancer,” and he walked out of the room. The first thought is, “What’s going to happen to my children?” I knew I was ready to fight this, and I just wanted this cancer out of me. I wanted to take care of it and move on. Then my mom called me. She had seen an ad on TV for Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It was just a tremendous experience from the minute that I walked in the door. Their bedside manner, you just can’t even describe it. It takes a very special person to do what they’re doing. Announcer: Hope is alive at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Call us now to have a real conversation about you and your treatment options. We’ll send you this free DVD that shows you how this very special group of people put you at the center of everything they do. Laura Brokow: I wanted to live to see my kids grow up. That’s what gave me the drive to fight cancer. They supported that in me. They gave me choices. They made me realize that every life is worth saving. You can’t fight cancer if you don’t have hope. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4B: HUMANA Spokesman: If you have Medicare, I have three things you’ll want to hear. There’s an all-in-one Medicare health plan from Humana. It includes Medicare prescription drug coverage, and it can save you money in so many ways. It’s all in this book, and it’s yours free just for calling. You’ll see all the ways the plan saves you money, including prescription drugs. In fact, Humana Medicare Advantage members saved on average over 1,400 dollars on their prescription costs last year. And you get all this coverage with a monthly health plan premium that may surprise you. Even if you’ve looked at Humana before, you need to take another look at this plan. Call 1-800-669-0739. We’ll send you the decision guide absolutely free, in a slightly smaller size, of course. Discover the all-in-one Medicare health plan that can cut your costs and cover your prescriptions. Call 1-800-669-0739. Or go to HumanaBigBook.com. The savings are too big to miss. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Antonio Lorenzo never had positive influences on his life. His mother was an addict. His father died when he was young. Still, no matter how far Antonio strayed, there was always one person willing to help him find his way home. ANTONIO LORENZO Antonio Lorenzo: I was brought up wrong. I was taught wrong by the world. I was taught wrong by people that perceived to love me, but really didn’t care about me. ANDREW KNOX: Antonio Lorenzo never had a close relationship with his father. Antonio Lorenzo: Most of the time, he was drinking and shooting up drugs. ANDREW KNOX: His bond with his mother wasn’t much better. She was a drug addict, too. Antonio was still young when his parents left his life completely. Antonio Lorenzo: My dad contracted AIDS and gave it to my mom. When I was 13, both of them passed away. I had never had a male figure tell me what to do, so I grew up rebellious and doing everything I wanted to do. A lot of the rejection and fear of rejection, the hurt, abandonment, not being accepted, all of that stuff was hidden under pride. ANDREW KNOX: After his parents died, Antonio went to live with his grandmother. Then an uncle picked up where his father left off. He introduced him to selling drugs. Antonio Lorenzo: After messing around with cocaine and marijuana, he started to show me how to sell the cocaine. He’d give me a certain amount and say, “Well, this is what you put in the 20.” ANDREW KNOX: Before long, the 15-year-old businessman was making 1,000 dollars a week. He dropped out of school and partied with his clients at local bars. He also found a new rush: stealing cars. Antonio Lorenzo: I thought it was fun. Getting arrested and that rebellious attitude was real fun to me. It was almost like a high. ANDREW KNOX: Antonio’s dangerous lifestyle didn’t take him high enough, so at age 16 he began snorting cocaine. His aunt was worried about him, so she took him to a Christian concert, hoping it would change his life. Antonio Lorenzo: I really heard what I wanted to hear, and I heard that Jesus forgave my sins. I heard that He had died for my sins and that I was going to go to Heaven now. So my first impression was, well, why give up my sin, if I’m going to go to Heaven now? ANDREW KNOX: Antonio’s half-hearted commitment didn’t last. Then his grandmother died later that year, and he felt abandoned again. Antonio Lorenzo: I felt like here’s another person who loved me, and now they’re out of my life. And so I said to God, “If this is how you are, I don’t want to serve you.” ANDREW KNOX: He even considered taking his own life. Antonio Lorenzo: No matter how many cigarettes I smoked, the thoughts wouldn’t go away. And I just said, “I’m aggravated. I’m frustrated. I’m just going to commit suicide.” ANDREW KNOX: He stopped selling drugs and made ties with the mafia, but life with the mob was even more dangerous than selling drugs. Antonio Lorenzo: It was full of fear. It was full of terror. If you said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, you would be killed. That’s the code that we lived by. ANDREW KNOX: Antonio was afraid he would be next. Antonio Lorenzo: I was afraid of dying. Fear gripped me worse than I ever thought was possible, and so I called my aunt. I said, “Does Jesus love me?” And she said, “Yes.” I said, “Does He really love me?” And she said, “Yes, He never left you; you left Him.” ANDREW KNOX: Antonio took a chance he had been unwilling to take before. Antonio Lorenzo: I said, “God, if you’re real, and you give me a new life, I’ll give you mine, in Jesus’ name.” ANDREW KNOX: A few weeks later, Antonio was arrested and put in jail. He says it was the best thing that could have happened to him. He spent his time in jail reading the Bible and says that’s when he gave his heart to Jesus Christ. Antonio Lorenzo: And I prayed one of the sinner’s prayers out of there, and I started to cry. I knew that I was saved. I knew that God was real and that He gave me a new life. ANDREW KNOX: Prison walls kept Antonio safe from the mob for two years, but he couldn’t hide forever. Antonio Lorenzo: I was real scared, because I was getting out of jail soon. I wasn’t sure what my future was like. I heard God call my name for the first time in an audible voice. It’s like He was standing right behind me. And His presence came on me, and He began to tell me how He was going to take care of me, and I had nothing to worry about. ANDREW KNOX: When Antonio was released, his life changed completely. Antonio Lorenzo: Since I’ve been out of jail, I don’t think that I ever feared ever getting killed again. God has proven Himself in so many ways that there’s nothing a man could do to me that God can’t save me from. ANDREW KNOX: He also finished high school and didn’t stop there. Antonio Lorenzo: I got my medical assistant degree, and I also got a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the Bible College. In my furthest of dreams, I couldn’t have imagined that God was going to do everything He’s been doing and showing me everything He’s been showing me. Everybody is accepted in God’s eyes, but He only favors those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. And you can’t meet God without Jesus. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MINISTERS SALVATION TERRY MEEUWSEN: Jesus said, “I’m the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Me.” Sometimes that’s a hard pill to swallow, because we want to do it our way. We want it all to make sense according to our plan. God has a plan, and He is right. It’s for everybody. But you and I have to make a choice of whether we’re going to come to Him on His terms, not our terms. On His terms. So many times we wait like Antonio did, until we’re in such a desperate situation, until we’ve just burned out, come to the end of ourselves, sometimes lost everything. The invitation was there all along, but in our stubbornness and our selfishness and our independence, sometimes we have to wait until we come to the end of ourselves. Here’s the great news: God is always there. Can you imagine this, that the Creator of the universe waits on you, waits on me, waits for us to come to that place where we have nowhere to go but to look up? And He’s waiting with love, waiting with forgiveness, waiting with complete acceptance. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have to suffer the consequences of our choices, because that’s just a natural law of the universe that we live in. There are consequences to the choices that we make. But the greatest choice you’ll ever make is to solidify your relationship with the one who created you, to love Him and to be loved by Him. Our earthly mothers and fathers and families sometimes don’t have what it takes to give us what we need. Sometimes they’re bruised and broken, too. You can’t give away what you don’t have. But the Bible says that God will be a Father to the fatherless and that when your mother and father forsake you, the Lord will take you up. So how you were raised and who you were raised by doesn’t have to define your future. You have a future that’s already been set before you. Will you say yes to it? That’s what God is waiting to hear. He’s waiting to hear you say, “I see who you are. I know that you love me. I’m willing to receive your love and to acknowledge my need of you.” Let’s do that together right now. Will you just stop what you’re doing for a moment, and let’s pray together. Pray with me. “God, I do see who you are. I do know that nothing that I have, no relationship that I have, none of the things that I have satisfy this need in me. I also know that I’ve done some things that have been horribly wrong. So I am coming to you humbly today. That’s not something I often do. I am humbling myself to come before you on bended knee to say God of the universe, save me. Save me from myself, from my sin, from the world. Save me. I want to spend eternity with you. I want to know that my life counts for something here. So will you also, Jesus, come into my heart and be the Lord of my life? Will you teach me how to live for you? Will you show me who you are and what you want to do and be inside of me? I give you everything that I am and all that I have. Make my life count. Teach me how to live for you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me, so that I can live differently. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for waiting for me. I say yes to you today on every front. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you’ve just prayed that prayer, then begin to walk in your new life. We’ve put together a packet for you. It’s called “A Higher Calling.” GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM It kind of helps you with the steps you need to take now. GRAPHIC: OUR GIFT TO YOU 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM You’ve prayed the prayer. How do you grow? Well, this is absolutely free and so is the toll free phone call to get it: 1-800-759-0700. Or you can log on to CBN.com. Just say, “I prayed that prayer, and I’d like ‘A Higher Calling.’” We’ll get this out to you right away, so call now. Gordon. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, coming up, doctors gave this mother one solution for her daughter, just not the one she wanted. Woman: He said, “She’s basically brain dead. If she lives, her brain is already cottage cheese. She’s going to be a vegetable. It’s in your best interest and hers to sign a do not resuscitate.” And I go, “No.” GORDON ROBERTSON: Find out what she did next, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5A: ISRAEL PAT ROBERTSON: Israel, the land where God came to mankind. Imagine to be in the place where our Lord lived, to stand where He performed His miracles, to see where He taught the multitudes. The pages of the Bible come alive in the land filled with God’s promises. Don’t miss this experience of a lifetime. Visit Israel. You’ll never be the same. ANNOUNCER: Call today. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5B: SMART 4 LIFE COOKIE (Singing): Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Woman: I stole the cookie from the cookie jar. (Singing): Who, you? Woman: Yes, me. And I lost 105 pounds. (Singing): Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Man: I stole the cookie from the cookie jar. (Singing): Who, you? Man: Yes, me. And I lost 115 pounds in six months. Announcer: If you want to lose up to 15 pounds a month, get Smart For Life cookies. Doctors developed Smart For Life cookies with extracts from natural ingredients, like fruits, vegetables, wheat and dairy. Smart cookie meals replace breakfast and lunch, so you can save 1,200 dollars a year on food. Woman: Just pop a cookie. It will save you a fortune over other plans. Eat cookies, lose weight. It’s that simple. (Singing): Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Announcer: Order now and get a free week of cookies, plus free UPS delivery. Lose weight, save money, an average of 1,200 dollars a year on food. Get smart. Call 1-800-209-0368. That’s 1-800-209-0368. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: A killer stalked Marianne Cook 24 hours a day. She couldn’t see it, and she couldn’t hear it, and she couldn’t feel it. That’s because the killer was a tumor in Marianne’s body, and it was ready to strike. MARIANNE COOK Marianne Cook: I felt really dizzy all of a sudden, and the next thing I know something woke me up a few hours later, telling me to get out of the bathtub and go call somebody. I made it to my bedroom floor, and I don’t remember anything after that. TIM BRANSON: Marianne had suffered a massive stroke and lay on the floor of her apartment unconscious. She wasn’t found until 20 hours later when neighbors below her called the landlord to complain about water running into their apartment. The landlord called Marianne’s mother. Wilma Cook (Marianne’s Mother): This lady told me she was the manager at Marianne’s apartment and that Marianne had been found unresponsive. And the ambulance was there to take her to the hospital. TIM BRANSON: Wilma waited anxiously while doctors tried to find out what had happened. She was shocked when she got the diagnosis. Wilma Cook: He said, “She’s throwing clots. We don’t know why.” He said, “She’s basically brain dead. If she lives, her brain is already cottage cheese. She’s going to be a vegetable. She’s going to be blind in both eyes. She’s going to lose both legs, and she’s going to be paralyzed. It’s in your best interest and hers to sign a do not resuscitate.” And I told him, “No.” TIM BRANSON: Doctors diagnosed Marianne with an atrial myxoma, a rare tumor that attaches to the heart. Eventually, pieces of it break off and travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. One piece had reached Marianne’s brain, causing a massive stroke. Another was lodged in her heart. Wilma knew her daughter was near death. She also knew her daughter wasn’t a Christian, so she began praying for a miracle. Wilma Cook: That was our prayer, “God don’t take her lost. Don’t let her die lost.” TIM BRANSON: Marianne was airlifted to Cleveland Clinic. Doctors wanted to operate immediately. Wilma Cook: The doctor told us that with surgery she stood a chance. He could not promise any quality of life whatsoever, but she would at least stand a chance to live. Without surgery, he said one will hit a vital organ in a matter of hours, and she’ll be dead. TIM BRANSON: Dr. Marc Gillinov was in charge of the initial procedure. A. Marc Gillinov, M.D. (Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery – Cleveland Clinic): She had a tumor in her heart, and pieces of the tumor had broken off and gone all throughout the blood stream to her brain, arms, legs, kidneys, all organs in her body, causing damage wherever the pieces went. But the big picture is, if pieces are breaking off, we’ve got to take care of the tumor, remove it from inside of the heart so no more pieces can break off. Wilma Cook: I looked at him, and I said, “Doctor, you’re in her hands.” And he turned around, and he says, “Mom, we’re all in God’s hands.” TIM BRANSON: The initial surgery was a success, but there were still more questions than answers. A. Marc Gillinov, M.D.: We took her to ICU, and she’s still on life support. She’s not having any more bits of tumor break off, but she’s still comatose, and we don’t know if she’s going to wake up. TIM BRANSON: Marianne needed a second perilous procedure to remove the pieces of tumor that were lodged in her legs. Dr. Sean Lyden was the lead surgeon. Sean Lyden, M.D. (Vascular Surgery – Cleveland Clinic): When we first saw her, I’ve got to admit, I really didn’t think she had any chance of survival. One, just from a neurologic standpoint, would she ever wake up? The other issue was that her blood flow to her legs was so bad I wasn’t really sure there was going to be any chance to save her legs. And I thought that even if she had some neurologic recovery that there was a good chance we would have to amputate her legs above the knee on both sides. TIM BRANSON: The surgeons faced additional complications. Sean Lyden, M.D.: She had a clot that started at the groin, but extended all the way down to the level of the toes. And so the concern was, were we able to get the clot out of her legs, get enough of the clot out to restore blood flow, and would she have any functional muscle or nerves when we got done doing that? TIM BRANSON: Marianne survived nearly 12 hours of surgery. But the doctors had little hope for her recovery. Through it all, Wilma continued praying. Wilma Cook: All I could do was hold on and hope that God was in control. I knew that I couldn’t lose her. I just absolutely could not. TIM BRANSON: The next morning, Dr. Lyden received amazing news. Sean Lyden, M.D.: Miraculously, the next day my fellow called me at six o’clock in the morning and said, “You have to come and see Marianne. You have to come see Marianne.” And I was like, “I know her legs are going to look bad. We’ve done everything we could. We’ve worked on her for over 12 hours. I’m sort of out of my bag of tricks.” He said, “No, no, her legs are better. They’re all pinked up. They have blood flow. They have pulses.” And it was really just unbelievable how much she had turned around overnight. TIM BRANSON: After ten days in a coma, Marianne woke up. She lost two of her toes due to poor circulation and lost vision in her left eye, but she was alive, and her mom knew that God had answered her prayers. Wilma Cook: She woke up, and I could tell she was aware. Praise the Lord, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus! TIM BRANSON: Over the next three months, Marianne went through rehab to regain the ability to walk and function normally. Her rehab really took off when she made a big decision. Marianne Cook: God told me I didn’t have to be alone anymore, that He was always there with me. I said, “God, I want you in my life. I need you in my life.” And I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. TIM BRANSON: Marianne astonished doctors with her quick recovery. She began walking after only two weeks and went home after only three and a half months. Today, she lives a normal life. Sean Lyden, M.D.: The fact that she turned around in such a short period of time and then went on to become totally normal, I think probably some divine intervention helped that. It was totally miraculous. A. Marc Gillinov, M.D.: In every case, but particularly in a case like this, there’s got to be an extra special ingredient that goes into it that we can’t define, we can’t predict. Some people call it fate. Some people would call it God. Some people would call it man’s natural toughness and resilience. I personally would call it God. Marianne Cook: I told God, “I cherish every minute with my mom. Please let me spend as much time with her as possible.” And we have. Wilma Cook: Boy, have we. It has been a learning experience for both of us. It’s been a bonding experience like you couldn’t ever believe. There’s no way to describe the thankfulness I have in my heart that she’s sitting here beside of me now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOSTS PRAY FOR NEEDS GORDON ROBERTSON: Amen. God is good, isn’t He? He’s good all the time. He always responds to the prayers of His children. Sometimes He responds instantly. Sometimes it takes time. But He’s working. He’s always working. He’s always working all things together for good for them that love Him and are called according to His purpose. That’s all you have to do. Just love Him. That’s one of the great commandments Jesus gave us. Love God with all your heart and everything in you. Love Him. Then love others as you love yourself. Just keep that in mind. As you’re praying for healing, don’t forget to tell God how much you love Him, how much you need Him, how much you want Him. It’s that kind of prayer that gets an answer. Here is a wonderful miracle from Downsville, Louisiana. Jean, she had knee replacement surgery. As a result of the operation, her hip was thrown out of line, and she needed to use a walker. Her biggest problem was the excruciating pain she had in her hip. She had been watching The 700 Club daily praying that a host would say something about a hip out of line. Well, last March, Terry, you did that: “There is somebody, your hips are out of alignment. God is just straightening that condition for you right now.” Well, Jean got up from her seat and started walking unassisted. And she has had no pain since. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s wonderful Jean. Indeed. GORDON ROBERTSON: That is a miracle. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, this is Temi, who lives in Orleans, Ontario. He had a diagnosis of low oxygen saturation caused by an iron deficiency. One day he and his mom were watching this program, and, Gordon, you had a word of knowledge about someone whose blood did not properly carry iron. He said, “I don’t know what it is, but God does. And He is able to literally physically remake you and remake the cells in your blood stream. Go back and get a test to show you that you have been healed.” Temi and his mother claimed that word of knowledge. He returned to the doctor for tests three separate times. Each time the oxygen saturation level was in the normal range, and the doctor could no longer find anything wrong. Hallelujah. GORDON ROBERTSON: Wouldn’t that be great for you? The doctor found nothing wrong. Wouldn’t that be great? Wouldn’t that be a good report? Whose report will you believe? Here is the report of the Lord: He forgives all your iniquities. He heals all your diseases. That’s His report. That’s His report, and you’ll find it in the Bible. Let’s pray. In an act of faith, lay your hand on that area that needs healing, whatever it is. We are going to pray for you. And the Bible says if two or more agree touching anything, it shall be done. So reach out and touch that anything, and let’s believe God for a miracle for you. “Lord God, we just join with the people in the audience right now. And we just agree with them. And we join in agreement in the Spirit. And together we say to that area of the body that needs healing, be healed. We say it out loud. Be healed and be made whole.” There is someone, you’re laying hands on both knees. You’ve got problems and pain in both of them. It’s worse on the right side, the right leg. And on the outside part of the leg you’ve got shooting pains going down your leg. God is healing you right now. He is restoring everything. He is restoring cartilage. He is restoring the kneecap. He is restoring the joint. In Jesus’ name, be healed. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: There is someone else, you have pain in your leg as well, but you have a clot. Actually, you’ve had it for some time. It might even be more than one. You wear those heavy duty stockings that are supposed to help with circulation and things. God is healing that for you. It’s just dispersing, breaking up right now. You’re not going to have any recurring problem at all. GORDON ROBERTSON: There’s someone, you’ve got a circulation problem, and it’s caused by diabetes, and you’ve got poor circulation to your toes. And you’re worried, are you going to lose them? And God is saying, “No, you’re not going to lose them. You’re going to be healed.” And you’re being healed right now, and that flesh is being restored now, in Jesus’ name. Amen. And amen. If you’ve been touched by God, we want to share in your good report. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We want to tell others about what God has done for you, so call us and let us know: 1-800-759-0700. We leave you with these words from Hebrews, . . . . GRAPHIC: Hebrews 11:6 “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” (NLT) . . . . “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END SPOT: YOU WERE THERE TERRY MEEUWSEN: I have the privilege of traveling all over the world and seeing firsthand the life changing things you make possible through your partnership. Thank you for joining The 700 Club. Here in India, you’re demonstrating the love of God to such wonderful people, most of who are in great need, both physically and spiritually. You’re bringing hope and joy to millions around the world, just like you did for the Chens. Their home was destroyed in an earthquake, leaving them with nothing but heartache. You rebuilt their entire village and restored their dreams as well. Your monthly gift makes it possible to heal the sick, feed the hungry and preach the Gospel, both at home in America and throughout the world. So please watch for this mailing and send in your pledge. Imagine lifting someone’s life out of despair and filling it with hope instead. That’s what you make possible every day, and it only happens because you were there.