The 700 Club: September 1, 2009

The 700 Club Daily Broadcast Tuesday, September 1, 2009 GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, welcome to The 700 Club. Wildfires have already turned parts of southern California into a lunar landscape. And now a major hurricane is bearing down on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Authorities are trying to get thousands of people to evacuate before it hits land. Here is reporter John Jessup. WEST JOHN JESSUP: In Southern California, the fight to beat back the uncontrollable blazes is taking a physical and an emotional toll for those who barely had time to escape. Rachel Higgs: I had to run, I was like shaking, to get my daughter. I grabbed her from her sleep. JOHN JESSUP: For others like Elizabeth Reichel, who are staying put trying to save their homes . . . . Elizabeth Reichel: We've been watering all day trying to sprinkle. They told us, of course, that wouldn't do any good, but it makes us feel like we're doing something. JOHN JESSUP: . . . . to those who feared the worst about the fate of their personal effects. Bill Meyers: You could see the house behind us in flames. You could see this house in flames, the whole neighborhood in flames, but our one house, just nothing happened. I can't explain it. I'm so happy that I have everything, my possessions, my pictures but to see my neighbors with nothing anymore, it just breaks my heart. JOHN JESSUP: The fires destroyed more than 50 homes, and they're threatening 12,000 others. Also under siege, a network of communications towers for local radio, TV, law enforcement and even Los Angeles International Airport. While many people have run for cover, others have ignored the mandatory evacuations. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ([R] California): When you hear from law enforcement, anything about the evacuation, follow their orders, because there is so many that think they have to stay behind and protect their home, but it always, they sometimes pay dearly for that. JOHN JESSUP: Government officials in Mexico have the same concern with Hurricane Jimena. They’re trying to convince people to evacuate, but many tourists and residents in nearby Cabo San Lucas so far have ignored the warning. Jim Patterson: We're staying at the Las Cascadas. It’s pretty. It looks like it’s pretty solid, not a lot of loose things to blow around. And everything is cement and concrete. Woman: [speaking in Spanish]. JOHN JESSUP: This woman says, “We’re trying to think ahead and fill up the tank, because the hurricane that's coming has us worried, because they're saying it's a category four” The storm is roaring toward the Baja Peninsula with wind speeds near 155 miles an hour, and forecasters predict Jimena may make landfall overnight. John Jessup, CBN News. GORDON ROBERTSON: Our prayers certainly go out to those in California, and I hope the people in Baja know what’s bearing down on them. Boy, in my recollection, I don’t remember a hurricane on that side. TERRY MEEUWSEN: I don’t remember a hurricane there, either. But please pray, because there are so many migrant workers that are living in shacks there. Seventy-five, 50 mile an hour winds, and that would be just a tragedy. GORDON ROBERTSON: And it would just wipe them out. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Yes. We work with an orphanage there, too, that really needs prayer. So please keep them in your prayers. GORDON ROBERTSON: All right. Well, Lee Webb has the rest of our top stories from the CBN Newsroom. Lee. VT. GAY MARRIAGES LEE WEBB: Gordon, same-sex marriages became legal in Vermont today. In April, Vermont became the first state to legalize gay marriage through the legislature and not the courts. So far, only a handful of couples, we understand, have received marriage licenses. Vermont, though, becomes the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage. The other states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Iowa. MONT. ASSISTED SUICIDE CASE LEE WEBB: Montana may become the first state to declare that doctor-assisted suicide is protected under the state’s constitution. The so-called “right-to-die” issue is going before the state supreme court. Oregon and Washington already allow doctors to prescribe medication to help people kill themselves, but voters approved those laws in statewide referendums. Churches in Montana have been vocal on both sides of the issue. One deacon at a liberal Episcopal Church sees it as a matter of choice. He tells the New York Times, “If we say that God has given everyone free will, that means God has given you the opportunity to do things right and to do things wrong.” PREJEAN LAWSUIT LEE WEBB: Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean sued pageant officials for religious discrimination, libel and slander. They fired Prejean in June, saying she missed several scheduled appearances. But Prejean's attorney says she was ousted because she affirmed traditional marriage when a pageant judge asked her about gay marriage. Prejean's lawsuit also says pageant directors told her not to mention God in public prior to the event. SHUTTLE AT SPACE STATION LEE WEBB: The space shuttle Discovery astronauts are conducting scientific experiments at the International Space Station. Discovery is carrying more than just supplies for its mission, though. As Gary Lane reports, one astronaut has brought a piece of Christian missionary history along for the ride. GARY LANE: Astronaut Patrick Forrester is paying tribute to Christian missionaries around the world on his third shuttle flight. The veteran pilot is bringing a part of Nate Saint’s plane into space with him. Saint and four missionaries were killed by an isolated tribe in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956. Forrester says he has a heart for Christian missions and wants to honor the men and women who risk their lives around the world. I talked with Mission Aviation Fellowship spokesman Gene Jordan, who says Forrester learned about Saint and the MAF ministry at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Gene Jordan: Not only that, he read the book by Elizabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor, and that really interested him in what Missionary Aviation was doing. GARY LANE (Interviewing): And specifically, what piece of the plane does he have with him? Gene Jordan: A piece of the original battery box went up, something that laid under the sands of the Curaray River for many years until it was uncovered in 1994. GARY LANE (Reporting): Saint’s son Steve said his father would be amazed to think a piece of his plane was going up into space, technology and capabilities he couldn’t have imagined 53 years ago. Yet Jordan suggests Nate Saint was a missionary aviation pioneer. Gene Jordan: While Nate had this driving desire for people to come to know Jesus Christ, he used the technology available at that time, right after World War II, to push out what missions were able to do through the use of aviation. So we want to use technology, whether it be computers or airplanes or whatever, to let people know the oldest story in the book of love. GARY LANE: And Forrester used modern day technology to take a piece of missionary aviation history into space. The 16 year NASA veteran suggests he may sign up to be a missionary pilot once he retires. Gary Lane, CBN News. LEE WEBB: And they will get one great pilot when he does that, Gordon. But Nate Saint must have been a great pilot, too, Gordon. Every time I see that video of him landing that plane on the riverbank, I think, “Wow, what courage he had.” GORDON ROBERTSON: He was also a pioneer. He came up with that method. You saw that bucket that was being lifted off. He came up with the method of circling around. And if the plane circles around, you can keep that bucket stationary in a center point. And that was unheard of at the time. And he pioneered it, and that’s how they made the initial contact with those tribes. It’s an incredible story, and I’m sure he’s getting a smile right now as to what’s happening with the remnant of his plane. TERRY MEEUWSEN: That is an incredible story. If you haven’t read Through Gates of Splendor, it’s a great book. Really wonderful. Well, coming up, the threat to Israel is clear, but the United States is also a target. GRAPHIC: NUCLEAR IRAN TERRY MEEUWSEN: What you need to know about a nuclear Iran. That’s next. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GRAPHIC: BACK FROM THE DEAD GORDON ROBERTSON: Coming up later, a killer car crash. Man: She should have died. GORDON ROBERTSON: And she did. Woman: I knew that I was there in that place because I was dead. GORDON ROBERTSON: What brought her back to life, on today’s 700 Club. Woman: She said, “Go back and be happy.” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT DAY PROMO GRAPHIC: HOME SWEET HOME GORDON ROBERTSON: Tomorrow. Living in her car . . . . Woman: I’ll be safer there. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . and looking over her shoulder. Woman: I had a screwdriver in one hand, a hammer in the other. GORDON ROBERTSON: How one girl found refuge in a parking lot. * * * GRAPHIC: THE FLAT-BELLY DIET GORDON ROBERTSON: Plus, how to trim your waistline, without doing a single crunch. * * * GRAPHIC: PHIL STACEY LIVE GORDON ROBERTSON: And Thursday, a live performance from American Idol’s Phil Stacey. This week on The 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Much of the talk about a nuclear Iran centers on the danger it means for Israel. But Americans need to know we also face a threat. Here is Chris Mitchell. DORE GOLD SET-UP CHRIS MITCHELL: For years, Iran has used deception to hide its nuclear weapons program. This is the contention of former Israeli ambassador and bestselling author, Dore Gold. In his new book, The Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Defies the West, Gold says the threat of Iran is closer and more dangerous than many believe. Gold points out Iran’s president has not only promised to wife Israel off the map, but looks forward to a future world without the United States. He also shows how Iran is motivated by a religious zeal and ideology that many in the west fail to understand or appreciate. Iran's president and ruling mullahs hope to usher in the return of the mahdi, Islam’s messiah, with the help of a nuclear weapon. Gold calls stopping Iran a global imperative that requires the harshest of sanctions backed up by the threat of military action. If the world does allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon, Gold warns it would be a colossal mistake. Chris Mitchell, CBN News, Jerusalem. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GUEST: DORE GOLD GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, Dore Gold is now with us, joining us from Washington. Welcome back to The 700 Club. Dore Gold: It’s good to be with you. Thank you for having me. GORDON ROBERTSON: You say that Iran is currently at war with the US, but we don’t realize it. How can we be at war and not know it? Dore Gold: Well, you were struck repeatedly by Iran, but many US officials and European officials have been in denial. Back in 1983, Hezbollah attacked the marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 US servicemen. At that time, the Secretary of Defense, Casper Weinberger, said, “We don’t know who did it.” Fast forward to 1996. You had the barracks holding the US Air Force personnel in Saudi Arabia at Hobart Towers attacked by yet another major bombing attack of Hezbollah, directed by Iran. And yet, the Clinton Administration at the time took now overt action against Iran for the attack. So what were the Iranians supposed to understand? They can strike American targets abroad, and yet there is no response. By the way, this has been a phenomenon we’ve seen with European reactions to Iran, and other western countries. GORDON ROBERTSON: They seem to be sponsoring terrorism throughout the Middle East. And this doesn’t seem to be anything new for them. And when you look at their history of involvement in both Lebanon and the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the incidences you just cited, why aren’t we waking up to the fact that they have much larger ambitions? Dore Gold: Well, I get a lot of people in denial. This is a hard subject to deal with. But it affects the security of all of us directly. When you open my book, The Rise of Nuclear Iran, I sat with a number of our intelligence analysts and a graphic artist, and I produced a map. Just open the book itself, and you’ll see the involvement of Iran in all the conflicts in the Middle East. They have their fingers in Yemen, in Sudan, in Afghanistan, in Azerbaijan in central Asia. They’re all over the place. In fact, a Bahraini officer—Bahrain is a small island next to Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf—said Iran is like an octopus, and its tentacles reach into Gaza, Lebanon, basically all the countries of the Middle East. Yet, this is something which unfortunately is not recognized, and it’s completely out of the discussion in the United States. GORDON ROBERTSON: They’re also getting linked up with Venezuela, and they’re coming into Latin America. Dore Gold: That’s a very important point you’re making, because many people, you talk about Iran and the US, they go, “Well, that’s a problem for Lebanon. That’s a problem for the Middle East. It doesn’t affect America. It doesn’t affect the western hemisphere.” Untrue. Since the early 1990s, the Iranians have been carefully building up a presence here. Now, the last number of years, they’ve opened about six embassies in Latin America. Now, an Iranian embassy is not a place to go for cocktails in the evening. An Iranian embassy is a place that usually has personnel from the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards. It might have personnel from Hezbollah. It might transport and help affect the movement of weaponry. This is what Iranian embassies do around the world. So if you open a whole slew of embassies in Latin America, you can anticipate that Iran is developing something. Now, you mentioned Venezuela, and, of course, that is led by President Hugo Chavez who is a very close ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. He not only has allowed Iran to penetrate his country with a security presence, but he is also helping Iranian proselytizers come to his country and convert Indian tribes, particularly on the Columbian border, to Shiite Islam. Now, the Iranian interest in this is to create a kind of nest or sanctuary for its organizations in the future. GORDON ROBERTSON: In your book, you talk about Iranian elements being part of FARC in Colombia. Is that true? And if so, shouldn’t we just be incredibly alarmed about that? Dore Gold: Well, that’s true. I’ve had Colombian sources who told me about Iranian efforts to get into the areas of Colombia under FARC control. It’s just part of the whole network that’s now arising in Latin America, which I think high level US intelligence and defense officials are aware of. But it’s not at all in the public domain. In fact, there was an effort by Hezbollah sympathizers to basically sneak into the United States from Tijuana into California. They were caught. But that shows how easily this Iranian buildup in Latin America can be converted into a terrorist presence that could be the initiative that Tehran used to move into the southern United States. GORDON ROBERTSON: Let’s turn to just the subject of the book, The Rise of Nuclear Iran. I guess the basic question is why do they want nuclear weapons? And what do you think they intend to do with them once they acquire them? Dore Gold: Many people think, “Well, the west has gotten used to Pakistan having nuclear weapons. North Korea had two nuclear tests. So big deal. Iran is another one.” But Iran is a country motivated by a radical Islamic ideology. It will give radical Islam the kind of power that it could never dream of. In fact, my scenario is as follows: I don’t think Iran is going to push a button and launch a missile at New York or at London tomorrow if they get nuclear weapons. I think the problem is different. When the United States was attacked on 9/11, al Qaeda came out of Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban. And President George W. Bush wanted to send a message to the whole world: “If you give sanctuary to global terrorist organizations that strike at American territory, we will take your regime down.” It was a very important message, and that’s why the US and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan and took down the Taliban in Kabul. However, think of a situation, fast forward to the future. Iran has nuclear weapons. Iran today is already the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, according to the State Department. Now, should there be major attacks in the future against western targets, against London, Paris, New York, and those attacks emanate from terrorist organizations that have sanctuary in nuclear Iran, will the west be able to respond? The answer is no. It will be a far more difficult problem, and it will make terrorism far more common. My point is not to get everybody depressed who is listening to this. My point is to give a warning, because this can be prevented by effective action today. We should not put off effective action because it’s comfortable, it’s the comfortable thing to do, at the expense of our future security tomorrow. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, one option of effective action is there were news reports that Israel took out Syria’s ambitions to become a nuclear power and destroyed a reactor that they were building with the help of the North Koreans. I think it’s quite evident Iran is looking for this. They’re building the facilities in order to do this. It’s not just in one location. It’s in multiple locations. How do you take that out effectively? Dore Gold: Well, as a former diplomat representing the state of Israel, it’s not my inclination to speculate about operational considerations that the Israeli military might be thinking about. I really don’t know if they are. But I think what’s important to recognize is that if we don’t ratchet up sanctions to an extremely painful and critical level in the next two to three months, then everybody will be left to their own devices to defend themselves. And by the way, the first thing the Arab states will do is go to get nuclear weapons themselves. You’re going to have nuclear proliferation spreading across the Middle East. The whole question of what Israel will do will be small potatoes in comparison to that problems. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, can you speculate about what the Obama Administration should do? Dore Gold: Well, the Obama Administration, as I said earlier, has made this idea of engaging Iran diplomatically, persuading the Iranians to desist from their nuclear program, as a kind of centerpiece to their policy. Recognizing, however, the harsh reality and very tough reactions on the part of the Iranian leadership, the administration has suggested that around the meeting of the G20 around September 23rd in Pittsburgh, the US and its allies will make a decision whether to continue with the offer of engagement and persist in those overtures or change policy. It’s important that this not be a long process of deliberation, or to say, “You know what, let’s give Iran another six months.” That’s the easy thing to do. But I will tell you this, from the experience and from all the records I lay out in my book, the Iranians will exploit that six months. They will exploit any time you give them to get themselves closer to the nuclear finishing line. And then we’ll be in a whole different world. This can be prevented if we act now. GORDON ROBERTSON: One final area of speculation: there have been a lot of news reports just in the last 24 hours speculating about the Arctic Sea, the Russian freighter that mysteriously disappeared in the English Channel and then was found off the coast of Africa. And there was a mission from President Perez to Moscow the day after it was found. And lots of discussions about Israel making it clear to Russia that Russia trying to supply Iran with missiles was unacceptable. Is that another player in this game? Is Russia really trying to aid Iran in its quest for missile technology? Dore Gold: Well, the Russians have been involved in transferring missile technology to Iran going back to the 1990s. I think the United States satellite in fact picked up an Iranian rocket engine test which indicated that the Iranians were working with Russian engines at one time, lifted Russian missiles and rockets and gave them the capability to strike intermediate range level targets. That was known in the 90s, and the Clinton Administration began to address that back then. Unfortunately it many times continues. The Russians have I think a very mistaken policy on Iran. They know that their adversaries in Chechnya and Dagestan are Sunni Muslims. And they think they can do business with Shiite Iran and it won’t affect them. But the Iranians have shown that they are willing to stretch their protective umbrella, not just to Shiite organizations like Hezbollah, but to Sunni organizations like al Qaeda which entered Iran and set up a command structure in Iran after they fled from Afghanistan in 2001. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, you’ve certainly given us a whole lot to stay awake at night about. Dore Gold: It’s all in the book. GORDON ROBERTSON: All right. Ambassador Dore Gold’s book is called The Rise of Nuclear Iran. I encourage you to get it and get informed about this. It may seem far off from this, but part of the speculation on that Arctic Sea is that was medium range missiles that would be able to hit Europe. And you start talking about a nuclear armed Iran with the ability to deliver to a European city, you are talking about a nightmare scenario. And so this isn’t just all about Iran trying to wipe Israel off the map. Their clear intention is they want to wipe us off the map, and they are willing to do whatever is needed. So be in prayer for our President, our administration. You talk about a time needed of unusual wisdom, he needs it. So be in prayer for him. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, up next, a near fatal attraction. Woman: We get asked, “What attracted you to each other?” And maybe it was mutual self loathing. We didn’t like ourselves. How could we like each other? TERRY MEEUWSEN: Watch how this couple finally learned to love themselves and each other, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2A: 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 2B: 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Jeff and Tami Allen were a miserable couple from the start. At their wedding, people were placing bets on how long they thought their marriage would last. Even now, Jeff and Tami are the first to admit there is no earthly reason why they’re still together. JEFF AND TAMI ALLEN DEBBIE WHITE: Jeff and Tami Allen need only a few words to sum up the early years of their marriage. Tami Allen: We had done everything wrong. If there was a way to do it right, we did it wrong every time. DEBBIE WHITE: Jeff was a traveling stand-up comic, and Tami was a waitress in a comedy club when they first met. Tami Allen: He had sworn off waitresses the week before he came to town, and he met me. Jeff Allen: Gives you an idea of the kind of discipline I have. DEBBIE WHITE: A handful of dates later, Tami was pregnant. They entered marriage full of hope and expectations. Tami Allen: All I knew, I couldn’t hold my parent’s marriage up as an example of what a good marriage would be, and so the only examples I had was what I saw on television. When it didn’t go that way, it was, of course, a disappointment. People at our wedding were placing bets as to how long it would last. We get asked, “What attracted you to each other?” And maybe it was mutual self-loathing. We didn’t like ourselves, so how could we like each other? Jeff Allen: We weren’t the couple you’d have over for a friendly game of Scruples. DEBBIE WHITE: Jeff and Tami moved their new family to Phoenix, Arizona, far away from Tami’s parents. Jeff continued to travel with his comedy career as much as 250 days a year. And when he was home, he was not the loving husband Tami had always hoped for. Tami Allen: He would come home from the airport, and he’d immediately go to the bills. And he’d go through the roof, just screaming, screaming, screaming and belittling and making me feel small. I know in his heart, I know today, that he loved us the best that he could. But it wasn’t very good. DEBBIE WHITE: Jeff’s excessive drinking and explosive anger drove their marriage to the brink of divorce and Tami into the arms of another man. Tami Allen: There was a point that I did the absolute unmentionable. I had an affair. I just wanted somebody to like me. That’s all I wanted. I wanted somebody to like me. I wanted somebody to tell me that I was pretty, to sit near me, or not have mean things to say. DEBBIE WHITE: It wasn’t long before Jeff found out about the affair. Jeff Allen: I just wanted to tell her, “I love you. Sorry. How does it get here?” That was the question I kept asking her. “How did we get here? How do you go from the hope and the expectations and all that stuff to here?” DEBBIE WHITE: With their marriage still in ruins, Tami took the kids to her parents’ home for the summer. Jeff was not invited. Left alone to reflect on his broken marriage, Jeff turned his life over to Jesus Christ. Tami Allen: And then when I came home, that’s when he announced that he was a born again Christian. And that’s when I turned to him and said, “What does that mean?” DEBBIE WHITE: Jeff was a changed man. His explosive temper cooled and his verbal abuse of Tami stopped. He became a loving husband and father. Yet, as their marriage gained strength, they were hit with another blow. Tami was diagnosed with cancer. One night as she went with Jeff to a Gaither concert, Tami met God for herself. Tami Allen: And they laid hands on me and started praying for me. And it was like the presence of Jesus, God was there. It sounds silly to say that, but I felt Him. And when we got back to the room I said to Jeff, “I know this sounds weird, but I know I’m going to be okay. I know I was healed.” And at that point in my heart, my heart was captured. Jeff Allen: We held each other and just praised God, praised God. DEBBIE WHITE: Tami’s salvation and healing brought the couple even closer. Jeff Allen: Everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve been through, there is no earthly reason why we’re still married. It is a divine intervention into two people’s lives. Tami Allen: We’re just not the same people. There’s light in his heart. There’s light in my heart. We’re not self-loathing every day, like we were. We know that God loves us, and we know that Jesus died for all the horrible things that I did. I know He did. Jeff Allen: So, when I read about love and grace and forgiveness, I had a wife who showed me love, grace and forgiveness. It still boggles my mind, and I thank God. I thank God for intervening in my life and showing me what love, grace and forgiveness looks like. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MINISTERS SALVATION TERRY MEEUWSEN: Marriage is tough, isn’t it? I don’t know a single marriage that doesn’t need love, grace and forgiveness. But you can’t give away to each other what you don’t have yourself. That’s why it worked for them when Jeff and Tami both found love and grace and forgiveness from Jesus as their Savior, God as their Father, on an individual basis. Then they had something to extend to each other. Maybe there are some of you watching today, and you’re saying, “How did we get here? How did we get where we are today?” Nobody walks down the aisle saying, “Gee, I hope this marriage doesn’t fall apart. I hope we don’t get divorced.” Everybody goes down the aisle with the kind of hope and anticipation and love that Jeff and Tami had in the beginning. Their friends might have been taking odds, but they had a lot of hope in their relationship when they first married. What do you do when that all falls apart, when life happens, when people disappoint you, when you make poor choices yourself? Where do you go? What’s the band-aid? There are lots of temporary band-aids that people have solutions they offer and you can counsel here or see someone there, but the truth of the matter is, if you’re broken inside, then your relationship with other people is going to be broken as well. But you can change that. You can change that right where you are, right now. You can have the same love and hope and forgiveness, mercy, grace that they found. It was almost over for them. So when they tell you that their life had a new beginning and that Jesus Christ put it all back together, you can stand on that. They wouldn’t be together today if they hadn’t found that in a personal relationship with the one who created them. See, that’s what we were made for. We weren’t made to go it alone or to try to figure it out on our own or get good enough or be kind enough or forgiving enough. I don’t know about you. I don’t have that in me. But Jesus Christ came to cover our sin. And He didn’t just die for that. He redeemed us. That means He buys us back, and then He gives us everything we need to live differently, to be changed people because we belong to Him. That’s available to you, too, today. It’s yours for the asking. Tami said when they prayed for her and she felt the manifest presence of God, she said, “This sounds kind of silly.” It does sound silly and too simple in our humanity. But God made it simple, so that we could all partake, so that it was available to anyone who called upon the name of the Lord and so that it wasn’t by our own intellect, by our own power, that it happens. It happens when we surrender, when we lay it all down and say, “I can’t do it without you, God. I don’t want to do it without you.” Will you do that today? If you’re struggling in your marriage, let God come right into the middle of that and show you how to live differently and even give you the power to do that. Pray with me. “God, I want to know this kind of power and difference, this kind of grace and forgiveness and love that Tami and Jeff have. I want to know it in my life. You know all the water that’s gone over the dam. You know all the pain, all the heartache, all the hurt, all the words that have been spoken harshly. God, help. Help. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Jesus, please forgive my sins. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for looking at my sin and loving me anyway. I don’t understand that kind of love, but today I just want to receive it. So I’m coming to you saying take my life, the mess, as well as any gifts or abilities you’ve given me. I just give it all to you, the good, the bad and the ugly. And I’m asking you to touch me with your healing power. I’m asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you to fill me with your Holy Spirit, to change me. I want to live for you. I want to know what it’s like to have your power at work inside of me. I want to think differently. Take my selfishness and change it. Replace it with your love and your compassion and your grace and your mercy. Help me to see what you’ve given me, so I can extend it to my spouse. Thank you. Thank you for loving me. I give you everything I am and all that I have. And I ask you to take my life and use it. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” Well, if you’ve prayed that prayer, then walk in that relationship. How do you do that? GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM Well, for one thing, you get into the Word of God, the Bible. It’s God’s promises to you. We’ve put together also a little packet that’s absolutely free that will share information with you on why is church important, why is fellowship important. It’s not about a religion. It’s about a relationship. GRPAHIC: OUR GIFT TO YOU 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM But relationships need input. So if you’ll call our toll free number, we’d like to send you “A Higher Calling.” This is absolutely free. Our number is free as well: 1-800-759-0700. Just ask for this. You can also log on to CBN.com and get it that way. And if you’re struggling in your marriage, ask for this little booklet, “Love and Marriage.” GRAPHIC: LOVE & MARRIAGE 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM We’ve culled out some of what God has to say about it, and we’d like to share it with you. This is free as well. Gordon. GORDON ROBERTSON: Well, coming up later, a woman survives an accident, but just barely. Woman: I couldn’t even swallow. I was in diapers. I was fed through a G-tube. I was drooling out of my mouth. I was paralyzed on my left side. GORDON ROBERTSON: See how she completed a triathlon, later on today’s 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3A: 7 DAYS ABLAZE TERRY MEEUWSEN: During the autumn each year, the entire staff of CBN sets aside a special week of prayer. Each day we pray for you and your family. We care about you and the things you need in your life right now. Whether it’s large or small, we want to pray with you. We believe in a miracle-working God who answers prayer, and we want to see the Lord accomplish miracles in your life. Please call us or mail your prayer request today. It’s our privilege to pray for you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 3B: ENCORE DENTAL Spokeswoman: We’re downtown today, campaigning to save America’s teeth, because good dental health is about more than just brushing. Announcer: If you’re one of the millions of Americans without dental insurance, call Encore Dental for affordable, quality dental coverage. Spokeswoman: When was the last time you went to the dentist? Man: Uh . . . . Woman: Like, probably three years ago. Man: Probably back in college. Announcer: Poor oral health can lead to serious illnesses, like heart disease and stroke. Spokeswoman: What’s your excuse? Woman: It’s just too expensive. Woman: I’m self-employed. Spokeswoman: No dental insurance. Woman: None. Announcer: With Encore Dental, you can receive up to 100 percent coverage for preventative care and up to 50 percent on basic and major procedures. Woman: George retired a year ago. George: And when I did, I lost my dental coverage. Announcer: There are no claim forms and no waiting for reimbursement. Call now for a 30-day money back trial period. Announcer #2: Call 1-800-757-4903 now for a 30-day money back trial period. Announcer: Call now, and get an additional ten percent off when you pay by credit card. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OK. PASTOR FUNERAL LEE WEBB: Welcome back to The 700 Club. An Oklahoma pastor is being remembered as a sweet, loving woman of God. About 1,000 people turned out to mourn Pastor Carol Daniels. Daniels’ body was found in her church last week with several slashes to her neck and body. No arrests have been made, but Daniels’ brother is asking people to pray that the family finds the strength to forgive the murderer. GAY MARRIAGE VOTE? LEE WEBB: A coalition is filing a ballot initiative today to preserve traditional marriage in the nation’s capital. The group, Stand4marriage DC, wants voters to decide whether homosexual marriage is legal. In May, the DC City Council passed a measure that allows homosexual marriages performed elsewhere to be recognized in the district. 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 4: 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT DAY PROMO GRAPHIC: HOME SWEET HOME GORDON ROBERTSON: Tomorrow. Living in her car . . . . Woman: I’ll be safer there. GORDON ROBERTSON: . . . . and looking over her shoulder. Woman: I had a screwdriver in one hand, a hammer in the other. GORDON ROBERTSON: How one girl found refuge in a parking lot. * * * GRAPHIC: THE FLAT-BELLY DIET GORDON ROBERTSON: Plus, how to trim your waistline, without doing a single crunch. * * * GRAPHIC: PHIL STACEY LIVE GORDON ROBERTSON: And Thursday, a live performance from American Idol’s Phil Stacey. This week on The 700 Club. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: Joe Mendez came to America with one goal: to be his own boss. His first business went bankrupt, but a few years later, he was running a multimillion-dollar company. Here is how Joe found success the second time around. JOE AND SUSAN MENDEZ DORY NISSEN: Joe Mendez will quickly tell you quality is priority in his North Shore Fence Company on Long Island. Joe has come a long way from his humble beginnings growing up in poverty in Puerto Rico. Joe Mendez: I was born into a very, very poor family. We had no running water. We had no electricity. DORY NISSEN: Joe’s dream of owning a successful business in America almost didn’t happen. His first business went bankrupt, and Joe tried to drown his financial problems in alcohol. Joe Mendez: I wasn’t reading the Bible. I wasn’t going to church anymore. I just walked away from God. And when I walked away from God, I stopped tithing. I stopped giving. Everything went down the drain. DORY NISSEN: With his business gone and little money left, Joe asked God to forgive him and help him start over. Joe Mendez: Something in my life was missing. I wasn’t happy anymore. And I said to myself, “I want to go back to church, and I want to get my life together. And I want to follow Jesus again.” DORY NISSEN: After Joe shared this with his wife, Susan, she accepted Jesus Christ, too. They decided to open a fencing company and keep God the focus of their business. Susan Mendez: It was just amazing how each year it was just more and more business. It never went backwards. It always went forward. And how it continued and how it grew from year to year, it was amazing. DORY NISSEN: They also practiced the principle of tithing, giving to several ministries, including CBN. And the more they gave away, the more they made. Today, North Shore Fence brings in four million dollars in sales each year. Joe Mendez: I believe that when we are faithful with what God puts in our hands, He gives us more and more and more. And to me, the windows of Heaven were opened. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GORDON ROBERTSON: That can happen to you. The windows of Heaven can be opened to you. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM If you’ve been apart from God, come home to Him today. Realize He will welcome you back with open arms. Jesus came to seek and to save that which were lost. And if you’re like Joe and you find yourself in a situation, “What do I do?” Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you’ve lost your business. Maybe you’ve lost your house. God is able, if you just put Him first, so make Him first. And then practice what you just saw Joe do, which is he started giving, not from any sense of obligation, because he loved God now. And he wanted to put God first in his life. If that’s you, call us: 1-800-759-0700. We’re inviting you to join The 700 Club, to be part of a worldwide reach, CBN WorldReach, to preach the Gospel around the world. We’re inviting you to be part of Operation Blessing, to bring help and hope to people around the world and also right here at home in the United States. Every month, Operation Blessing feeds three million Americans. If you want to be a part of that, call us: 1-800-759-0700. How much is it? Twenty dollars a month. That’s 65 cents a day, and you join with tens of thousands of other people that want to make a difference in the world today. We also encourage you to join Pledge Express and do that electronic monthly giving. GRAPHIC: FREE WITH PLEDGE EXPRESS 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM That is easy. All you have to do is ask for it when you call the number. Or you can log on to CBN.com. When you join through the Internet, you automatically sign up for Pledge Express. We save so much on the processing, we’re able to send as our gift back to you “Power for Life,” monthly teaching CDs. So if you want it, ask for Pledge Express. Well, we’ll be right back to pray for you, after this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SPOT 5A: 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 Akhtar and Rasheed. They were abandoned by their father, left to hunt for food and sleep on the streets. You gave them a wonderful new home and a bright, happy future. 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, most people never wake up from the kind of brain stem injury that Julie Papievis suffered in a car crash. Julie did wake up, but not until after she took a trip to Heaven. JULIE PAPIEVIS MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: At the age of 29, Julie Papievis was in a car accident that left her in the balance between life and death. As she was driving away from a shopping mall, a teen driver ran a red light, plowing into her at 50 miles an hour. The impact jarred her head and neck, severely injuring her brain stem. Her body instantly began dying. Within minutes, the fire department arrived and pulled her from the wreckage. They were unable to detect a pulse or blood pressure. They took her to Loyola University Medical Center, unconscious and unresponsive. Brain scans showed no brain function. Dr. John Shea (Neurosurgeon, Loyola Medical Center): The brain stem is really the vital center of where we breathe. It controls our heart. It’s sort of our center of life. You cannot exist without a brain stem. Anybody that has pinpoint purples and has that abnormal posture that she had, the survival rate is very poor. She had a serious brain stem injury, that I did not think she’d ever wake up. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Julie remained unresponsive in a coma. After several weeks, hospital staff gave no hope of recovery and urged her parents to release her to a nursing home. Dr. John Shea: If somebody comes in with a brain stem injury and is not breathing and is not talking, can’t feed themselves, have no control of bodily functions, it’s a miserable existence. I just didn’t expect her to get return of function. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Her parents refused to give up hope. They and their church family prayed for a miracle. To the astonishment of her doctors, six weeks after the accident, Julie woke up. Julie Papievis: Like all of us woke up this morning, I just woke up, I mean literally just woke up. Physically, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even swallow. And my left eye wasn’t open. I couldn’t hear out of my left ear. I was in diapers. I was fed through a G-tube. I was drooling out of my mouth. I was paralyzed on my left side. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Despite all those physical limitations, Julie had an undeniable hope. Julie Papievis: I never felt as if I was alone. I always felt the Lord’s presence in my whole walk through my recovery, and from the minute I woke up, He was always there with me. And I felt that because of the experience I had. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: While in the coma, Julie had been given a glimpse of Heaven. Julie Papievis: It was so vast, and there was no real beginning or end to it. It was just perfect peace. I knew that I was there in that place, because I was dead. I knew that, and I was not afraid. I was not afraid to be there. I was happy to be there. It was like I was home, and I wanted to stay there. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: She remembers her deceased grandmothers suddenly standing with her. Julie Papievis: My grandmother said, “No, you can’t go with us. You have to go back.” And I said, “I can’t go back. I’m not physically okay,” and I was pointing to my left side that was paralyzed. And she said, “Your body will heal.” And I felt right then like someone had come and put a warm blanket around me and their arms around me, and I knew right then that I was in the presence of our Lord. I felt it. I knew it. And then she said, “Go back and be happy.” And then the next memory I had was waking up in the rehab hospital. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Julie was alive, but her road to recovery was difficult, both physically and mentally. Julie Papievis; I kept thinking and saying, “God, why did you not let me stay there? Why did you bring me back to this body that doesn’t work, and I have to struggle so hard to do everything?” To wake up in a body like that, like I did, it was so incredibly disabled. I don’t know how I would have ever gotten past it if I did not have the story of hope that He had shared with me, the experience of hope that He had shared with me with my grandmothers. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: After two months of physical therapy, feeling and movement slowly returned to her left side. Her progress was nothing short of miraculous. Dr. John Shea: With the type of injury that Julie had, she had a four percent chance of surviving. Most people that have a four percent chance of recovery, if they survive and they live longer than six months, very often are in a nursing home in a severe disability or persistent vegetative state. Her recovery was not due to medicine. Her recovery is some miraculous event, some miracle that happened, because theoretically she should have died. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Julie progressed so well that in 2007, ten years after her accident, she trained for and finished an indoor triathlon. Julie Papievis: When people hear I did a triathlon, they say that’s impossible, but I believe nothing is impossible, because I have been in front of the Lord. So I feel like anything is possible. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: Today Julie shares a message of hope and purpose with others who have suffered similar injuries. Julie Papievis: I want people to know that truly inside themselves that they matter. There is nothing that is “less than” about them, because they’ve gone through those circumstances. MIA EVANS-SARACUAL: She has also written a book about her experiences and recovery entitled Go Back and Be Happy. Julie Papievis: I have more purpose here on earth to fulfill, and I take that very seriously. The Lord is with me, which I knew, but it just makes it so much clearer that He has been with me through all of it and that He truly has an intention, a good intention, for my life. I feel a much closer personal relationship now that He really has a definite purpose for my life and for this story and for this gift of hope. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOSTS PRAY FOR NEEDS TERRY MEEUWSEN: That’s an amazing story, isn’t it? God is an amazing God. And I think of how often we focus on the problem instead of on Him, instead of on the knowledge that He is with us always. Always. He’s with you, too. We want to take some time to pray for you at the end of this program today, and to build your faith by sharing what God has done for others in addition to Julie. This is Jimmy. He lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He had the PC ligament in his right knee completely severed in a car crash. His doctor told him it would take from one to two years of treatment to get the knee back to normal. After three months of therapy, his leg remained in constant pain. Then Gordon, he heard you giving a word of knowledge about someone with tremendous pain inside the knee. And you said, “What has been torn is being knit together right now, in Jesus’ name.” He says the pain left immediately. He jumped off his bed, went outdoors, ran two blocks up, two blocks back, had no discomfort. When he saw his orthopedic surgeon, the doctor told him there are only two known cases of this happening, “You are the third.” An amazing miracle for Jimmy of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. GORDON ROBERTSON: Here is one that I just love, because technology gets involved. In 2001, Ivette of Belleview, New Jersey, was diagnosed with chronic bladder syndrome. It’s extremely painful. Doctors had no hope of a cure. She spent a lot of time flat on her back just to find relief from all the pain and discomfort. In July 2008, Ivette recorded a broadcast of The 700 Club on her DVR. It’s a digital video recorder. She was thinking about erasing the program, but something told her to watch it. During the show, Terry, you had a word of knowledge: “Somebody else, you have a bladder condition. It’s been ongoing and very life debilitating. God is correcting that condition and healing you.” Well, Ivette said, “That’s for me.” Over the next year, she replayed that word of knowledge over and over, and she began getting better and better. And now, in August 2009, she has no pain. She takes no pain medication. And her bladder is working normally. Isn’t that incredible? God stands by His word to perform it. All we have to do is listen to Him. All we have to do is listen to Him. Sometimes our symptoms crowd out His voice. And remember that piece? Can you imagine being trapped in your own body, not being able to move anything? But what you hold onto is you are in the presence of God. You are in the presence of Jesus. And that word, “Your body is going to heal,” and that encourages you. And then over time, you get recovered so much you’re able to go through a triathlon. That can happen to you. It can happen to you. Whose report will you believe? Believe today the report of the Lord. He heals all your diseases. In an act of faith, lay your hand on that area of the body that needs healing. We’ll agree with you, and we’ll let God do all the rest. “Lord God, we lift the needs of the audience to you, and we just join into agreement with them. And as they lay hands, we just come into agreement, and we claim your word. If two or more agree touching anything, it shall be done. So we come into agreement, and we agree together. Be healed and be made whole.” God is healing leg injuries right now, and specifically someone with a left leg condition where you’ve strained your groin. And God is just taking all that pain and that discomfort away in Jesus’ name. Right now, be haled. There’s someone else, you’ve got chronic hamstring problems. And it comes from participation in track. And God is healing you and stretching out. What the doctors say is going to be chronic the rest of your life, He is able to stretch it out right now. And in Jesus’ name, you are healed and made whole. Terry. TERRY MEEUWSEN: Someone else, you have been diagnosed with a crisis brain situation, so deep in the brain the doctors can’t do anything. But God is healing that condition for you. GORDON ROBERTSON: God is also healing a tumor right now, in Jesus’ name. I don’t know if it’s in the same word, in the brain. A tumor is disappearing now, in the name of Jesus. If you’ve been touched by God, we want to share in your good report. GRAPHIC: 1-800-759-0700 CBN.COM Call us: 1-800-759-0700. God bless. GRAPHIC: COPYRIGHT 2009 CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END SPOT: ORPHAN’S PROMISE TERRY MEEUWSEN: Hi, I’m Terry Meeuwsen. I’d like to tell you about Orphan’s Promise. Orphan’s Promise helps children who have had tragic beginnings in life. Boy #1: My father died. My mother started drinking and gave me away to the orphanage. Girl #1: We were homeless, and she made me beg for food. Boy #2: We don’t know where our sister is. I’m looking for her now. Girl #2: We want to return to be with our mother, but she doesn’t want us. TERRY MEEUWSEN: In many countries, children are turned out of orphanages when they turn 16. They lose the only security they have ever known. Many will become easy prey for prostitution rings and criminal gangs. Together, you and I can break this cycle for these kids. For just 20 dollars a month, you’ll provide computer training, life skills and people that care, preparing them for a future of hope. Show them God’s love. Call the number on your screen right now and say you’ll help.