The 700 Club: September 7, 2009

The 700 Club Daily Broadcast Monday, September 7, 2009 GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to this edition of The 700 Club. For today’s headlines, let’s go over to the CBN News Desk. GREEN JOBS ADVISOR RESIGNS LEE WEBB: Gordon, the White House hopes it dodged another political bullet with the resignation of Van Jones, President Obama's adviser for green jobs. It's the latest in a series of political controversies as the White House tries to focus on health care. John Jessup has the story from Washington. JOHN JESSUP: Like millions of others in this recession, White House green jobs czar Jones is out of a job. But he's not the victim of a tough economy, rather his own words. First it was an expletive he used to describe Republicans blocking the President's agenda. Then another video surfaced with Jones offering commentary about the Columbine school shooting. GRAPHIC: YOUTUBE Van Jones: You've never seen a Columbine done by a black child. Never. Now a black kid might shoot another black kid. JOHN JESSUP: The remarks were made before he joined the administration. But his name also appeared on a petition signed after the September 11th attacks, suggesting that high-level government officials allowed them to happen. In the end, it all proved to be too much. After quickly becoming a lightning rod for conservative critics both on the air and on the Web, Jones decided it was time to go. GRAPHIC: “THIS WEEK” – ABC Robert Gibbs (White House Press Secretary): The President and the CEQ accepted his resignation because Van Jones, as he says in his statement, understood that he was going to get in the way of the President. JOHN JESSUP: For his part, Jones said the petition never reflected his views. In his resignation letter, he claims he was the victim of “a vicious smear campaign” and that “they are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.” Jones' resignation has some critics calling into question the expanded use of White House czars with a hand in everything from the auto industry to the environment. It is the latest in a string of headaches for the White House, which is desperately trying to regain the upper hand on messaging as it prepares for President Obama's address to a joint session Congress later this week on healthcare reform. John Jessup, CBN News, Washington. PUBLIC OPTION? LEE WEBB: And the Obama Administration isn't giving up on a health care reform bill that includes a government option. The White House says the President is, quote, “not walking away from a public plan.” But there's no guarantee he will veto a bill that does not include it. Liberals say a public option is essential for any health care bill. Republicans say it's unacceptable. And the President is going to try to reach out to both sides in his speech Wednesday night. SWINE FLU OUTBREAK LEE WEBB: Schools are taking extra precautions to fight the swine flu. Stillman College in Alabama cancelled its opening football game this past weekend. Thirty-seven players were sick with flu-like symptoms, and about 2,000 students at Washington State University have reported symptoms. Reported cases are spreading in classrooms across the country; and, as Paul Strand reports, a lot of parents don’t know what to do. PAUL STRAND: The swine flu is a much scarier reality now at Cane Ridge, Tennessee’s Maxwell Elementary School after one of their kindergarteners died. Some parents are yanking kids out of class. But a new study of the first 36 children to die from swine flu brought on by the H1N1 virus sheds some light on exactly which children are most in danger. Two-thirds had underlying conditions, like cerebral palsy, epilepsy or diabetes. A quarter had no underlying conditions, but got a nasty infection like pneumonia along with the flu. So most children, most people, will go right through the swine flu without any real trouble. Dr. Paul Hain (Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital): This flu that is going on right now is no worse than a regular seasonal flu. And so the odds of any particular child dying from the flu are extremely low. PAUL STRAND: But some need to really watch out. Dr. Thomas Frieden (CDC Director): The warning signs are difficulty breathing or someone who has got an underlying health problem. PAUL STRAND: That's why parents like Michele Mundt, whose children have diabetes, are on guard. Michele Mundt (Mother): I don't want to be hysterical about it, but I am definitely paying attention. PAUL STRAND: And what should all parents be doing? Dr. Lawrence D’Angelo (Children’s National Medical Center): If the vaccine becomes available in the near future, they need to get the kids vaccinated. Secondly, they also need to maintain good health and good hygiene during this time. And finally, if the kids get sick, please keep them out of school. PAUL STRAND: Bottom line: parents need to be concerned, but not panicked. And all kids and parents have power in their hands to control the spread of this virus. First, sick kids need to stay home. And those at school should listen to all that absolutely practical advice they're getting: keep washing your hands, cough into your sleeve, avoid barehanded contact with the handles and spots everyone else is touching all the time. Use hand sanitizer after if you do. And avoid close contact with those kids who aren't taking these precautions. Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington. PROTEST AGAINST CHAVEZ LEE WEBB: Thousands of Venezuelans are protesting against President Hugo Chavez. People filled the streets of Caracas Saturday protesting what they say is growing authoritarianism by Chavez. They’re denouncing recent arrests of opposition members and protesting against a new education law in Venezuela. Critics say the proposed law could lead to indoctrination in schools. Gordon and Terry will be back with more of The 700 Club, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: COMING UP CRACK HOUSE CALL GORDON ROBERTSON: Still ahead, she was famous for visiting crack houses. Woman: “Here comes that crazy lady. We can’t get high in peace.” GORDON ROBERTSON: See what happened when she took her four-year-old along. Man: That may have been my wakeup call. I might not be here right now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 1: SWISS AMERICA “IRA” Spokesman: Seventy-seven million baby boomers hope to retire in the next ten to 20 years, and just three percent will be financially independent. But Uncle Sam wants to help you put gold into your retirement plan by creating a self-directed Precious Metal IRA. There are no tax penalties or new contributions needed to convert an existing IRA or other retirement fund into gold. Pat Boone: This is Pat Boone to tell you about Swiss America’s three-step plan for successful gold investing. First, call Swiss America. Request their free book, materials, and rare opportunity CD. Second, review the materials and learn why gold has more than doubled in the last five years and why experts say it may double again. And third, earn a return through growth of your gold investment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, being your own boss is harder than it sounds. Just ask Moe Altamuro. He struggled to keep his music store out of the red, until he learned the secret to smart investing. MOE ALTAMURO TIM BRANSON: In 2004, Moe Altamuro took his lifelong passion for music and turned it into a business. Moe Altamuro: A friend of mine had been working at this little knick-knack shop, and I said to him, I said, “I’ve got some guitars and stuff sitting at home. What do you think about me maybe putting like three of them outside on a little guitar stand and see what happens.” TIM BRANSON: Eventually, the idea expanded into Most Everything Muse, but business was sporadic. Meanwhile, Moe and his wife Eileen learned about tithing. As struggling business owners, they were skeptical about giving. Moe Altamuro: I laughed. I said, “Do you want me to give you money? I don’t have any. What am I going to give you? What am I going to give you if I work for myself, and I don’t know if I’m going to make 50 dollars this week or if I’m going to make 1,000 this week?” Eileen Altamuro: I was always concerned with not having enough, and do we make enough money? And can we afford to give ten percent? Can we afford to give anything? TIM BRANSON: Despite their fears and uncertain income, they began to give. Moe Altamuro: I just made the commitment. I said, “All right, I’ll give you 50 dollars a week.” And it started coming without any problems. And people were coming in, and they were starting to buy stuff. And I was like, “This is brilliant. Unbelievable how this is working.” TIM BRANSON: As Moe continued to give, God was faithful to meet his needs. Then Moe decided to give even more, and that’s when his business really took off. One of the ministries Moe and Eileen decided to support was The 700 Club. Moe Altamuro: The first check that I wrote to The 700 Club was amazing, because that week alone the business grew. That week alone people came in and made amazing purchases. I had to call my wife up and go, “This is amazing. You wouldn’t believe what happened this week. We made 2,000 dollars this week.” And she was like, “What?” When we first started, we didn’t make that in a month. TIM BRANSON: Since then, the business has grown so much that they moved to a larger building. They’re still CBN partners and now give through Pledge Express. Eileen Altamuro: He’s proven so much what the Bible says: give, and it will come back to you. And you really don’t have anything to worry about. Moe Altamuro: I’m going to keep on giving to the Lord. Until my dying day, I’m going to keep on praising God, giving Him everything I’ve got, everything I can. My music, my ministry, everything I could do is going to be to glorify God. My Almighty Father in Heaven, I thank Him for everything. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON TEACHES GORDON ROBERTSON: Moe learned the secret. The secret is to give, and it will be given unto you. See, if we’re just so absorbed in our own expenses and our own debts and our own finances, and we don’t reach out with compassion to others, we don’t obey the biblical commandment to give, then we can’t expect that God’s blessings will flow. But here is a promise. It’s from Matthew 25, . . . . GRAPHIC: Matthew 25:29 NLT To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. . . . . “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” And boy, we really need to get this principle deep into our spirits, that no, we’re not some sort of independent agent out here working on our own. If we want God’s blessings to flow in our life, then we need to organize our finances along His terms, and His terms are quite specific: Give. Use what’s been given to you and realize that everything you have has been given to you, everything, all your skill, all your ability. Everything has been given to you by Almighty God. And if we just give back, then we can expect His blessings to flow in abundance. But if we don’t use what He has given us, if we don’t use it for His Kingdom, if we don’t seek that first, then we can’t expect those blessings to continue to flow. So today, just make it your day that you say, “Okay, I want to get on the plus side of blessing. I want to live my life in accordance with how God has outlined it for me. These rules aren’t to punish me. These are rules that lead me into abundance,” because when you start doing it God’s way, then you have abundance. Terry, what’s next? TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, workers from CBN’s Operation Blessing paid a visit to a remote village in Thailand. What they found were three starving people living in a shed that was about to collapse. What they left behind was a family with a brand new life. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WILAI’S BLESSING KEN HULME: Wilai works hard fishing in the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Thailand, but today she caught nothing, because the nets are damaged. Wilai has been trying to support her husband and her young son, but things have been difficult. Wilai: My husband used to be able to fish for a living, but since he got sick, all the responsibilities have fallen on me. KEN HULME: When Operation Blessing went to help the family, they didn’t find a house, but a broken down shed with rotten floors and timbers and a roof that leaks. Wilai: It’s a very difficult time. The house is so broken down that when it rains we get soaked. And when that happens at night, we’re not able to sleep. KEN HULME: When Operation Blessing saw their situation, they went right to work. They brought in timber and roofing, and paid some local workers to rebuild Wilai’s home from the ground up. Next Operation Blessing provided Wilai’s son a grant for him to go to school for the first time. Wilai: I feel honored that Operation Blessing chose us, and I’m glad that my son is given a chance to study. KEN HULME: The kindness of CBN partners has made a big impact on Wilai’s family. As she grew close to the Operation Blessing staff, she found it easy to pray to receive Jesus as her Savior. And that is making the greatest impact on this young woman. Wilai: Jesus gave me peace and is helping me to trust Him with our daily needs. I prayed to God to bless us, and He did. KEN HULME: And today, Wilai’s husband is strong enough to fish again, using some new fishing nets provided by Operation Blessing. Wilai: I want to thank CBN for helping us get on our feet again. Thank you for fixing our house, for the new fishing nets, and especially for helping us to hear about Jesus. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Where there is a need, you find CBN partners making a difference, touching and changing lives because we care. You care. When we join hands together, we become a mighty force that moves out into the world with the love of Jesus Christ in a way that dramatically changes lives, not just for a day, but for a lifetime. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We want to thank you if you’re a 700 Club member for making that possible. If you’re not a 700 Club member, this is a great day to join with the rest of us in reaching out and hugging the world with the love of Jesus. You can become a part of that. You can go to CBN.com right now. Join The 700 Club. Sixty-five cents a day, 20 dollars a month, makes you a 700 Club member, and it’s a wonderful chance to know that you are changing the world. There is so much going on the world that’s difficult today. It’s great to know you can make a difference, isn’t it? GORDON ROBERTSON: You can make a difference. And all it takes is 20 dollars a month, so if you’d like to join us, now is the time to do it. You can log on to CBN.com, and when you do you can become part of Pledge Express. What that means is your gift comes in automatically. GRAPHIC: FREE WITH PLEDGE EXPRESS 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM It is all done through the Internet, and so an automatic deduction from your checking account or from your credit card account it can happen. And when you join Pledge Express, we send back as our gift to you Power For Life monthly teaching CDs. So if you want it, log on to CBN.com right now. Well, up next, a determined pastor follows one of her flock to a crack house. Woman: I would go get a foghorn, like, “Thaddeus, we know you’re in there.” Man: You were coming out or she would go to praying, and everybody in the house would be coming out. GORDON ROBERTSON: Watch how this pastor’s efforts finally pay off thanks to the help of a four-year-old. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2A: PLEDGE EXPRESS Announcer: While Mary feeds her two young daughters, she also helps feed needy families around the world. While Bob hands a drink out to a co-worker, he helps give water to villages with new wells. And while Carl builds a house for his son’s new puppy, he helps rebuild homes in disaster areas. TERRY MEEUWSEN: These people all have something in common. They’re CBN partners who have joined Pledge Express. I hope you’ll consider joining Pledge Express, too. It’s a way to simplify your own life while speeding help to others, all at the same time. There are no checks to remember or stamps to buy, and your gift goes to work faster, helping those who need it most. So join us and change the world for someone today. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2B: CURVES Announcer: So you finally decided that it’s the right time for you to lose weight. That’s great. And maybe you’re considering going to Weight Watchers. Woman: Weight Watchers? Woman: Oh, no, girl. Woman: You’re going to try something new. Woman: I am? Woman: We’re clear. Go, go, go, go, go! Announcer: Introducing the new Curves 30-day diet plan. It’s clinically proven and a brand new way to lose weight and keep it off, without counting points forever. There are diet classes every month, which are free to everyone. No membership required. Curves’ exclusive 30-day diet is designed to help you retrain and sustain your metabolism. That way you can reach your goal weight and stay there. Want to get started? Woman: Let’s try something else. Announcer: Learn a whole new way to take off the weight. Call your local Curves club about the 30-day diet plan and find out when you can try a class near you, free. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: When Kimberly Daniels finally beat her cocaine addiction, she never thought she’d go back to a crack house, but she did many times. And an addict named Thaddeus Bruce was glad she did. THADDEUS BRUCE Thaddeus Bruce: There was no satisfying that beast. It was just an abundance, and I would say in excess of 400 to probably about 700-800 dollars of crack cocaine. MICHELLE WILSON: Thaddeus Bruce was 21-years-old when he first started using crack cocaine. He spent hundreds of dollars on his addiction every day. It got so bad that he pawned his cars, jewelry, and stole from family and friends. Thaddeus Bruce: I’m walking the streets with the same clothes on I’ve had all of these days, the same shoes I had on. And all I’m doing is looking for my next fix of crack cocaine. MICHELLE WILSON: Thaddeus’s addiction cost him his marriage, his children, his home and his job. He started living in crack houses. In fact, we did this interview across the street from one of the more popular crack houses in the area. Thaddeus Bruce: I didn’t use at this particular house, but I used at many, many houses just like that. Most of them, no running water, no lights. They use candles, and just filth all over the place. All you want to do is find a place that you can sit there, and you can get high without being bothered, not worried about the police, the po-po coming in knocking and busting the doors down, which sometimes even if they did, you would try to get your last hit. MICHELLE WILSON: No matter how many different treatment centers he went to, nothing seemed to work. Then his desperate mother introduced him to a pastor and a former cocaine addict in Jacksonville, Florida. Thaddeus Bruce: You could see the anointing all over her life and how God had set her free. And I wanted that. I really did. MICHELLE WILSON: Thaddeus started regularly attending church and reading his Bible. But the pull of crack cocaine was too strong, and he went back to using. When he came up missing, Pastor Kimberly Daniels knew just where to find him. Pastor Kimberly Daniels: I would go to the crack house and get a foghorn, like, “Thaddeus, we know you’re in there!” He’d be trying to sneak out the back door. After a while, the word got around in my program. They’d be like, “Here comes that crazy lady. We can’t even get high in peace. She’s going to make the police get us or whatever.” Thaddeus Bruce: She had such a connection with God and an anointing on her life that she wasn’t taking no for an answer. You were coming out or she would go to praying, and everybody in the house would be coming out. So, oh, yes, you’d come out of the house. You’d come out. Yes. MICHELLE WILSON: One day, Thaddeus was high on crack at his aunt’s house when Pastor Kim went to pick him up for church. He refused to go. It seemed nothing would convince him until God used Pastor Kim’s daughter, Faith, to get Thaddeus back on the road to recovery. Thaddeus Bruce: She said, “Come on, Mr. Thaddeus.” She said, “I’m going to pray for you, because you need to go with us, and we need you to go with us.” And she began to pray, and at four years old. Can you imagine the anointing on her life? And it was almost as if she laid her hands on me and began to pray. I just broke out into tears, and I mean just like a sob. I mean not just a little weep, but I mean a sob. And the next thing I know I was sitting in the car, and she was sitting in the seat right beside me holding my hand, this little girl, Faith. And it was like even at that age, the anointing was on her life so much. And even today, I thank God, because that may have been my wake-up call, that if I didn’t come that I might not be here right now. MICHELLE WILSON: Through tough love and the prayers of Pastor Kim and her husband, God totally set Thaddeus free from years of crack addiction. Thaddeus Bruce: The peace that came over me after the deliverance, because truly I know that there was a deliverance that had taken place on my life. MICHELLE WILSON: That was 14 years ago. Today, Thaddeus has a brand new life. In fact, we were there for his wedding day. Pastor Kim Daniels: I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride. That’s what I’m talking about! Thaddeus Bruce: So many of my friends and people that I used with are dead or locked up in jail. And by His grace and His mercy, I’m here. MICHELLE WILSON: Thaddeus is a faithful member of Pastor Kim’s church. When he ministers in music, it’s a song of repentance, redemption and restoration. Pastor Kim Daniels: It’s a blessing to see how prosperous he is. He is a strong foundation, and after all these years, I’m so thankful to God that he’s still strong in the Lord. He is sharp. He is dedicated, and he is delivered. Thaddeus Bruce: Here I am today, and I’m truly free. And for all of those who are still bound or who think they’re still bound, there is a way, and that’s Jesus Christ. And if He can set me free, if He can deliver me and change my walk and talk and give me a new song, He can do the same for them, because He’s no respecter of persons. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON MINISTERS SALVATION GORDON ROBERTSON: He is no respecter of persons. What He has done for others, He will do for you. We are all God’s children. He loves each one of us. He died for each one of us. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Are you part of the world? Are you one of those ones that God is loving right now? Let the prayers of a four-year-old girl guide you as well. Come on, Mr. Thaddeus, you don’t want to stay here. You don’t want to be like this. You don’t want to live your life this way. Get up out of that darkness, and walk into the light, and let Jesus change you, transform you. Now, maybe some of you listening to me right now, you’re deep into addiction, and you’re asking, “How can I get free?” And maybe you look at stories of crack houses and say, “Well, I’m really glad I haven’t gone that far.” Well, how far have you gone? How out of control are you? Maybe some of you, you say you’re a Christian, but in secret you’re doing things that you’re ashamed of. And there is a blot, there is an obstacle between you and God. Maybe for some of you, this is the first you’ve heard that God can set you free. He can make you new again. Regardless of where you are, how many times you’ve asked for forgiveness in the past, how many times you’ve set your face to change, I’ve got real good news for you. Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, and He is willing to go to any length to set you free so that you can be with Him for all eternity. God does not desire that anyone should perish. And He freely gives salvation as many times as you need it. He will come in. If we will only confess our sins, He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let Jesus take care of your sin problem. Let Jesus take care of your addiction. Let Him be your all and all. You don’t have to get cleaned up first. Let Him do it. Let Him become your righteousness. And when you do, you’ll find that new song. You’ll find that joy. You’ll find that peace. You’ll find what you’ve been looking for all along. Now, if this is for you, just bow your head with me. Pray a very simple prayer and let Jesus do all the rest. Bow your head. Repeat after me. Say it out loud. “Lord Jesus, I come to you right now, and I open the door of my heart. And I ask now that you cleanse me, that you forgive me, that you set me free from these compulsions. Lord, create in me a new heart. Make me pure, so that I can see you. And Jesus, if you’ll do this for me, I promise 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. I pray from the top of the head to the soles of the feet they would be filled with your Holy Spirit, they would be filled with joy, and they would be set free now, for we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. And amen. If you just prayed with me, the Bible will say to you if you just confess with your mouth now you shall be set free. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM What I want you to do is go to the phone. Make a toll-free call: 1-800-759-0700. You don’t have to leave your name. You don’t have to identify yourself. Just say, “I prayed with that guy on TV. I asked Jesus into my heart. I want forgiveness for my sins.” When you call, if you want it, there is a free packet. GRAPHIC: A HIGHER CALLING 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM In there is a CD teaching on how to live the Christian life. We also encourage you to join a local church, read the Bible every day. It’s through these things that you go on with Christ, that you continue in your salvation. But it starts with that phone call. It starts with confessing today that you’ve made Jesus Lord of your life. Do it right now: 1-800-759-0700. Terry, over to you. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Up next, a new dad gets a shock when he sees his son’s first baby picture. Man: We were looking at the ultrasound, and we saw a baby and what appeared to be a telephone cord, the curly kind. But it wasn’t. It was intestines. It floored me. It instantly changed my life. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That was just three months into the pregnancy. Find out how the baby’s fate changed his father’s life, when we come back. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3A: PCC SPOT 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3B: SYNVISC Announcer: If you have osteoarthritis knee pain, Synvisc One treats it right at the source and helps you get back to doing the things you love. Synvisc One is the only treatment that can give you up to six months of pain relief with just one injection. It’s a natural substance similar to healthy joint fluid that lubricates and cushions your joint and relieves pain without the serious side effects that pain pills can have. For your free information kit, call 1-800-211-9223. Synvisc One may not work for everyone. Before beginning treatment, tell your doctor if you are allergic to products from birds, such as feathers, eggs or poultry, or if your leg is swollen or infected. The most common side effects are temporary pain, stiffness, swelling and fluid buildup in and around the knee. Synvisc One has not been tested in children, pregnant women or women who are nursing. To learn more, call this number, go online or ask your doctor about Synvisc One. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SETTLEMENTS CONTROVERSY LEE WEBB: Welcome back to The 700 Club. Israel has approved hundreds of new housing units despite clear objections from the Obama Administration. Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave permits for 455 new units to be built in the largest West Bank settlements in Judea and Samaria. The White House and State Department have called on Israel to stop all settlement construction. The Israeli government, though, is expected to declare a building freeze as part of a package the US is putting together to restart Middle East peace talks. 112 YEARS OLD LEE WEBB: A 112-year-old Kansas woman says hard work and faith in God are the keys to her long life. Ella Schuler is the 15th oldest person living in the US and the 30th oldest person in the world. Ella Schuler (112 Years Old): Be good at living, be a good person and a good citizen, and do what you think God wants you to do. LEE WEBB: She has 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, and a Facebook page. Happy birthday, Ella. You can always get the latest from CBN News by going to CBN.com. GRAPHIC: FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO CBN.COM Gordon and Terry will be back with more of The Club, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4A: BOSLEY Announcer: When it comes to going bald, you now have a choice. Advances in medical science have resulted in the world’s first and only permanent solution to hair loss. Man #1: It is your real hair. It’s your natural hair. You wash it; you cut it; you swim with it. Announcer: Bosley is the world’s most experienced hair restoration expert, having pioneered virtually every major advancement in the art and science of hair restoration. Man #2: I’m very satisfied, very happy with what I’ve done. This has got to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, I’ll tell you that. Announcer: Bosley Hair Restoration is a relatively simple outpatient procedure. The results look completely natural, and it’s affordable on nearly any budget. Call the toll-free number now to receive your free no-obligation information kit that will help you decide if hair restoration at Bosley is right for you. You don’t have to accept going bald. Do something about it right now. Announcer #2: Call 1-800-982-2893. That’s 1-800-982-2893. Call now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4B: CURVES Announcer: So you finally decided that it’s the right time for you to lose weight. That’s great. And maybe you’re considering going to Weight Watchers. Woman: Weight Watchers? Woman: Oh, no, girl. Woman: You’re going to try something new. Woman: I am? Woman: We’re clear. Go, go, go, go, go! Announcer: Introducing the new Curves 30-day diet plan. It’s clinically proven and a brand new way to lose weight and keep it off, without counting points forever. There are diet classes every month, which are free to everyone. No membership required. Curves’ exclusive 30-day diet is designed to help you retrain and sustain your metabolism. That way you can reach your goal weight and stay there. Want to get started? Woman: Let’s try something else. Announcer: Learn a whole new way to take off the weight. Call your local Curves club about the 30-day diet plan and find out when you can try a class near you, free. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Nashville artist Adam Cunningham earned his first Dove Award for a song called You Are My God. The song’s message is simple, but for Adam learning to trust God was anything but easy. ADAM CUNNINGHAM MIA EVANS: You might recognize Adam Cunningham’s Dove Award-winning single, You Are My God. Adam Cunningham (Singing): “You are my God . . . .” MIA EVANS: However, life hasn’t always been award winning for Adam. Adam became a Christian at a young age and even took part in his parents’ musical ministry. Yet in his teens, Adam intentionally walked away from God. Adam Cunningham: I got into drugs a little bit and just making some really bad decisions. And I wish every day that I wouldn’t have done most of it. MIA EVANS: Adam got a job as a used car salesman. At 19, he married the girl he met at Bible camp, Amanda. Amanda Cunningham: He didn’t really have any desire or sense of responsibility to come home to his family and spend time with us on a daily basis. Adam Cunningham: I was a terrible husband, a terrible father to our oldest child who was the only one around at that time. And I was just a jerk, I mean in every essence of the word. I was selfish, very selfish, kind of alienated everybody from my life and didn’t really talk to them a lot, really didn’t have any interest in talking to them a lot, because it kind of reminded me of what I didn’t want to be anymore: a Christian. MIA EVANS: Amanda became pregnant with their second child. Adam Cunningham: Three months into the pregnancy, we found out through an ultrasound that our little baby had something called gastroschisis. MIA EVANS: In the case of gastroschisis, skin doesn’t form all the way over the baby’s abdomen, leaving a hole that exposes the intestines. Adam Cunningham: So looking at the ultrasound, we saw a baby and what appeared to be a telephone cord, the curly kind. But it wasn’t. It was intestines. It floored me. It instantly changed my life. I was like, “What? I’m Adam Cunningham. This stuff doesn’t happen to me.” Well, it did. And I didn’t really know how to deal with it. Amanda Cunningham: I was pretty naïve about the whole situation. I think if I was to be pregnant with a baby now, I would be just freaking out for the next six months. But the nurses just told me how they would fix it, and everything would be okay. MIA EVANS: Six months later, Brock Addison entered the world at a surprisingly large five pounds. He was whisked off to surgery before either of his parents could hold him. With his wife in recovery, Adam was alone in the hospital waiting room. Adam Cunningham: I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t help my wife feel better. I couldn’t fix my son. I prayed probably that day for the first time in a long time. I felt like an idiot. It all of a sudden hit me how much I had been failing my family up until this point. And I could joke around all I want, and I joke around a lot, but the fact of the matter is when it all comes down to the end of the day, I was failing in every way possible. The only person I could call on was God, and I didn’t want to. “I don’t want to call. I don’t want to pray. Act like just a bunch of hypocrites that I’ve seen in my life so far?” But I did. The doctor came in two hours to give us the progress report on how things were going. And he looked at us and says, “I don’t know how, but we’ve got it all back in.” MIA EVANS: Remarkably, Brock left the hospital healthy just three weeks later. Adam Cunningham: If you ask me, that’s when I became a true Christian. That’s when I made a decision to follow God. That’s when I made a decision to be a better husband, to be a better father, to be a better person. Amanda Cunningham: He just decided that he wanted to change his life, decided he wanted to try and figure out what God wants him to do. MIA EVANS: Adam moved his family to North Carolina for a fresh start. He picked up his guitar for the first time since he was a child. Amanda Cunningham: He had always played with his family, and I really didn’t know the extent of how much they played until he picked it back up. It was neat to watch him be excited about something and to really see his heart involved in something. Adam Cunningham: I started leading worship. I started at a small church in Mocksville, North Carolina. It was the greatest church I’ve ever been a part of in my life. The people there completely put my faith back in Christians. MIA EVANS: Adam’s name fell across the desk of two gentlemen in Nashville starting a music label. The family moved to Music City, and in 2007 Adam released his debut album. Amanda Cunningham: I think that Adam and I are both a good example of how you don’t have to be a perfect person, and you don’t have to be a super Christian and that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been through or how horrible the person that you think you’ve been, that God can use anybody. MIA EVANS: Today, Adam and Amanda have three healthy children and a strong marriage. Adam leads a weekly worship service in Nashville called The Loop. Adam Cunningham: Why should I spend my time living for God? That’s the question right there. Why is God worth it, and I’m not? I can’t tell you. It’s just something everybody has got to figure out for themselves. And then they get to that point where they make a decision. They don’t recite a prayer, but make a decision. There was a song back when I was a little kid. It was called “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Boom, there it is. That’s the plan of salvation right there. I have decided to follow Jesus. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MINISTERS SALVATION TERRY MEEUWSEN: So often, I think we grow up in church. We grow up with the faith that our parents passed on to us, but somewhere along the way, what Adam says is true. You’ve got to embrace it for yourself. And it’s more than just going to maybe a small camp when you’re a kid or something at your church and saying a recited prayer that somebody encourages you to say. It’s a great beginning, but somewhere along the line, the Bible says you need to count the cost. You need to understand what it is you’re making a commitment to, who it is you’re making a commitment to, what it is you’re grabbing hold of and what it is you’re letting go of. So today I would ask you, have you come to that place in your own life where maybe you’re just sick and tired of being sick and tired or sick and tired of being lonely, sick and tired of not understanding what it’s all about or climbing up a ladder that’s not going anywhere? Everybody comes to a point at someplace in their lives where they have to look at God, look at Jesus and decide, “What am I going to do with Him in my life, in my heart?” Especially if you’ve grown up in the church, and you’ve had some disappointments. Maybe like Adam, you’ve seen some people who weren’t walking the walk they way they should have been, might have been hypocritical in how they were living. Maybe some of that perspective was because you didn’t have a lot of understanding about it yourself at that time. In the end, it all boils down to this: not a church, not a group of people, but a person. It’s Jesus. And the question is, what are you going to do with Him? Whether you choose to follow Him or not, whether you choose to believe in Him or not, doesn’t change who He is, the sacrifice He made or the gift of free salvation and forgiveness that He offers to anyone who calls upon His name. Sometimes if you’ve gone through a phase where you’ve walked away from Him frustrated with the people around you, you do feel like a hypocrite coming back and praying. But can I tell you, He’s the only game in town that matters. Everything else is just stuff. But in the end, we all have a choice. Who are we going to follow? Who are we going to serve? How are we going to live? Like it or not, we all make those choices every day. Today, God is speaking to your heart, once again presenting the truth of who He is and what He wants to do for you. Will you take Him up on that offer? It’s not just about how you live your life here. It’s about eternity, and that’s a long, long time. God loves you. He has always loved you. He has always had a plan and purpose for your life. Don’t let anybody or anything else get in between that and you, in between Him and you. Pray right now. Pray with me. Not some traditional, staid prayer. Pray from your heart and mean it right now. Let’s talk to Him together. “God, I’m listening to this man’s story. I want what he’s got. I want the real deal. I don’t want any of the stuff that I’ve seen in the past. I don’t want any of the hypocrisy. But I know that part of why I journeyed away from you is because I wanted what I want. I wanted to do it my way. I wasn’t ready for you. Now I acknowledge, God, I’ve blown it. I have blown it. I not only want you, I need you. Jesus, come into my heart and my life. Will you forgive my sins? You know every part of me that’s walked apart from you, that’s done things I shouldn’t have done. It’s allowed stuff into my life and junk that’s diminished who I am. I am so sorry. I want a new beginning, and I know I don’t deserve one, but I’m asking you in grace and mercy to forgive me and to change me. I give you the permission to come in and open the eyes of my heart to seeing who you are, to hearing your Word. I want to be different. I want to follow you. I want to live for you. I want to know truth, and I want to spend eternity with you. I give everything I have to you, and in return I receive everything you want to give to me. And I commit all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.” If you’ve prayed that prayer, what do you do now? How do you move forward in your relationship with God? Well, first thing to do is to get into the Bible. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM Find out what God has to say to you as His child. Start with the book of John. It’s called the love book, and I think that you’ll find out about how much God loves you there. But we also want to help you grow. We’ve put a little packet together for you. It’s got some scriptures in this brochure and some teaching on this CD. We’d love to get this to you. It’s absolutely free. GRAPHIC: A HIGHER CALLING 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM If you prayed that prayer, and you’d like to have this, call the toll free number that’s on your screen. It’s 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 it out to you right away. We’ll be right back after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: COMING UP DRIVE-BY DELIVERANCE GORDON ROBERTSON: Coming up . . . . Man: I really felt that Susie would die, that she would not survive very long. Susie Tait: I needed a miracle. GORDON ROBERTSON: How this cancer patient went from terminal to totally healed in her car. Susie Tait: I immediately busted out crying. I knew that I had been touched. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5A: ORPHAN’S PROMISE Zina (Ukrainian Orphan): I know how it feels to be alone. Tarkeshwar (Indian Orphan): To be hungry. Eduard (Ukrainian Orphan): To be afraid. Rungnapa (Thai Orphan): I haven’t had a birthday party. Denys (Ukrainian Orphan): My own room. Rima (Ukrainian Orphan): Or a family to call mine. Zina (Ukrainian Orphan): I’m an orphan. Ruslan (Ukrainian Orphan): An orphan. Katya (Ukrainian Orphan): An orphan. Yi (Chinese Orphan): And there are a hundred million more like me in the world today. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Together, you and I can make a tremendous difference to someone today. We can change the lives of orphans. I’m asking you to get involved. Give to Orphan’s Promise. From Asia to Africa, from Latin America to Europe, you’ll be providing housing, food, education, job training and hope to children who are alone and at risk. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me.” Please give to Orphan’s Promise and love a child today. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5B: ALERT USA Dr. Joyce Brothers: Hi, I’m Dr. Joyce Brothers. Those of us who are independent and live alone shouldn’t do so without having emergency protection. And for reliability and peace of mind, I recommend Alert USA. Announcer: With Alert USA, if you ever need assistance, just press your pendant to be connected to an operator who can summon help to your home 24 hours a day. Dr. Joyce Brothers: I’ve been giving advice for many years, and I believe Alert USA provides the best emergency support and value for your dollar. Call now for a free brochure. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: After a three-year fight with cancer, Susie Tait’s doctor told her she had less than a year to live. It was a devastating diagnosis; but later that day, Susie got a second opinion on the way home in her car. SUSIE TAIT RENELLE RICHARDSON: Susie Tait was an active mother and schoolteacher. In 1998, she discovered a lump in her breast. Susie Tait: I knew that we were up against a battle that I could not control, and I knew that the doctors were not going to be able to do the kind of things that I needed done. I needed God, and I needed a miracle. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Susie underwent extensive chemotherapy and radiation, yet her cancer reoccurred. In 2001, she was told that the cancer had spread with a vengeance into her abdomen and liver. Doctors said that she had less than a year to live. Susie Tait: I never felt like cancer was bigger than God. It didn’t matter to me if it was all over my body in every spot, even though I knew the diagnosis was critical. It wasn’t very good at all. But I have never felt like that anything was out of God’s hands. RENELLE RICHARDSON (Interviewing): Susie, you have an incredibly strong faith, but did there ever come a point where you thought you were going to die? Susie Tait: No. I did not go straight to the panic. I went straight to God. And before I could panic, I felt like He was already answering me. And, of course, I am very aware that we all will die, and I was very aware. I was not in denial of what my condition was, but I could not feel anything but peace and trust of what God was trying to show me. RENELLE RICHARDSON (Reporting): To keep up with the treatment schedule, Susie had to temporarily quit teaching. When she wasn’t at the hospital, she spent her days riding horseback on her 300-acre ranch. She prayed and listened to the Lord. Susie Tait: He wanted me to just lay this at His feet, and that He was my Father, and that He could take care of all of it, and that I was His child. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Even with her strong faith, Susie’s health kept deteriorating. Her record was showing no sign of improvement, and her doctor was planning for the worst. David Hinton, M.D. (Medical Oncology-Hematology): I really felt that Susie would die, that she would not survive very long. I think every oncologist who treats breast cancer patients knows that young women who have a recurrence of a breast cancer will generally not do very well. RENELLE RICHARDSON: As Susie drove home from her doctor’s appointment, she contemplated her dismal prognosis. Then her thoughts turned to her daughter, Jackie. Susie knew that without a miracle, she wouldn’t be around to raise her only child. Susie was not ready to die. She regularly listened to sermons on healing. One message from CBN was called “You Will See Miracles.” Susie had heard this tape before, but as she listened to it again, something incredible happened. Susie Tait: I immediately busted out crying. Oh, sorry to talk about that. When I actually felt it come through me, it was more emotional than it was physical. I did feel a feeling go through my body, but it was an immediate knowledge that God had healed me. I knew that I had been touched. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Susie decided to stop chemotherapy. One month later, her doctors ordered a new round of tests. They were astounded at the results. The cancer in her lymph nodes was completely gone. Subsequent tests revealed no cancer in her body. David Hinton, M.D.: Then when I saw her back again, I was amazed at how well she was doing, because the last time I saw her, it had not been long since her surgery where they had found very extensive disease in her abdomen, and I just wouldn’t have dreamed that she would do as well as she had and still does. Her attitude about her whole disease, the fact that she knows that God has healed her and that God wants her to be around for Jackie has just played a tremendous role in her being able to stay healthy and do so well. RENELLE RICHARDSON: Susie has turned her talents to writing. She just published a children’s book she wrote with Jackie, who’s now 11. Susie says she is living proof of the healing power of God. Susie Tait: I hope that people do not hold themselves back from expecting miracles, because they don’t feel like they’re perfect or they don’t feel like that they’re worthy. None of us are perfect. Nobody is worthy, but God is our Father, and He wants the best for all His children. He wants us to come to Him first. He wants us to run to Him first, and He’s there waiting on us. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOSTS PRAY FOR NEEDS GORDON ROBERTSON: He is there waiting on us. He is just waiting for us to turn and come home. That’s what He’s waiting for. He’s waiting for us to finally hear, for our ears to be opened, our eyes to be opened, and realize that all we have to do is turn, and then He’ll heal us. These aren’t my words. These are the words of Jesus from Matthew 13. The secret to healing is our ears are opened, our eyes are opened that moment. Now, for her, that moment happened in a car. She pulled over to the side of the road and was listening to a healing tape. That moment can happen to you right now. Just get it through. Let it go deep into your heart. You don’t have to be perfect. If that’s the requirement, we all fail. Let Jesus be perfect for you. Realize that He came, He died, for you, just as you are now. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Realize that now. And religion is all about us trying to perfect ourselves, so that we can come to God. That’s not God’s plan. That’s not Christianity. Christianity is Jesus coming to us, coming, living on earth, emptying Himself of everything, becoming our all and all, literally becoming sin for us, that we might be with Him in eternity. Just imagine that. Now, if God’s will were being done on earth, Jesus wouldn’t ask us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Now, imagine Heaven. Imagine being with Him for all eternity. Is there any cancer there? Is there any sickness there? Is there anyone blind? Is there anyone deaf? Is there anyone lame? No. So let that prayer be your prayer right now. “God, your will be done in my body today.” And when you pray that, hear what He is saying to you. “All your sins are forgiven. I forgive all your iniquity. I heal all your diseases.” And turn and realize Father God is reaching out to you right now. Now, before we pray, we want to encourage you with some other people that have been healed, some really incredible stories. Here is one from Hawaii, Pacific Palisades. Georgia fell and broke her right hip. After surgery, she had pain for a year. It finally began to lessen in intensity. Then almost two years later, she reinjured her hip and was in constant pain. She had to use a cane to walk. Last month she was watching The 700 Club. Terry, you had a word of knowledge about someone whose hips were out of alignment. You said, “You’re going to feel that move into place, and you’re not going to have any more pain.” Well, instantly, Georgia felt the power of God move through her. She stood up and began to walk unassisted and without any pain. And since then, she has had no problems. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s awesome. GORDON ROBERTSON: That’s a miracle. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That is a miracle. This is Rebecca. She lives in Robinson Creek, Kentucky. She tripped and fell and injured her right knee. For weeks afterwards, she said she had constant pain and difficulty walking. She was watching this program when she saw a story of a man who had been healed of a cracked left kneecap, and she thought to herself, “Why couldn’t there be a word about my right knee?” And then, Gordon, you said, “You’re saying, ‘Please say right knee,’ so right now we are. That pain is gone now, in Jesus’ name. Rebecca jumped up from her seat. She began to walk around, and she, too, has been pain free ever since. GORDON ROBERTSON: God hears you. God answers the cry of His children. In an act of faith, right now, just lay your hand on that area of the body that needs healing, and let’s together pray out loud, “God, your will be done here as it is in Heaven,” not some far off thing, but right here, right now. And let’s see what God does. Pray with us. “Lord God, we just lift the needs of the audience to you right now. And as people lay hands on areas of the body that need healing, we just agree with them, and we say now, be healed in Jesus’ name. Kingdom of Heaven, come into this body in this place. Lord, your will be done in this body as you intended it to be. You intended eyes to see. You intended ears to hear. You intended legs to move and to walk. You intended us to be cancer free. So in the name of Jesus, be healed now.” There is someone, you’re laying your hand on your right ear. God has just opened up that ear, and you can hear now for the first time. Plug up your left ear and realize you’re hearing my voice through what the doctors said you’ll never hear. God is opening your ear right now. There is someone, you’re laying hands on your left knee. God is healing that for you right now. Begin to move it, in Jesus’ name. TERRY MEEUWSEN: And someone else with seizures, unexplained seizures. That’s stopping. It will not happen again, in Jesus’ name. GORDON ROBERTSON: There are lesions on your brain. God has just healed every single lesion. You are healed. You are set free. If you’ve been touched by God, we want to share in your good report, so call us: 1-800-759-0700. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We leave you with these words from John, . . . . GRAPHIC: John 15:7 “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (NIV) . . . . “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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.