US STEPS UP Aid to Ukraine

[Music] the following program is sponsored by cbn coming up a gunman runs wild in a parking lot and all of a sudden he starts shooting ten shots ring out he then turns to us and begins to open fire and two innocent bystanders are in his crosshairs blood was coming out of my mouth it was coming out of my head see their miraculous survival god's been here god is taking care of them our week of prayer begins today on the 700 club [Music] welcome to the 700 club more horrible news out of ukraine here's a quote something that can't be happening in the 21st century that's how a member of ukraine's parliament described filtration camps where civilians trying to flee are being forcibly taken to russia more help for ukraine is on the way that's the promise from the united states secretary of state and secretary of defense after they arrived in the war-torn country heather selz has the latest the ukrainian president made clear to the visiting u.s leaders what his country needs the priorities are weapons and support from the united states of america and our partners in the high-level meeting secretary of state anthony blinken and defense secretary lloyd austin pledged to help ukraine win its war against russia they said the u.s has approved the sale of 165 million dollars in ammunition for ukraine plus 300 million in military financing we are doing everything that we can to get them the types of support the types of artillery and munitions that will be effective in this stage of the fight we certainly saw people on the streets in kiev uh evidence of the fact that the battle for keeve was was won and there is what looks uh you know from the surface at least to be a normal life in kiev but that's in stark uh contrast to what's going on in other parts of ukraine in the south and the east lincoln added that russia is failing in its goals for the war to subjugate ukraine even so russia is keeping up the pressure six russian cruise missiles hit the port city of odessa over the weekend killing at least eight with fresh air strikes targeting the steel plant in mario poll where thousands of civilians and soldiers are trapped but today the russian military said it will open a humanitarian corridor for civilians to evacuate from the besieged plant you have hennia kravchuk a member of parliament warned on abc's this week of what are called filtration camps near mario poll where people trying to flee are being forcibly taken to russia we do not know how to you know to bring them back to ukraine zielinski has also accused russia of deporting ukrainians although that has not been independently verified a possible sign of hope the united nations secretary general is meeting with russian president vladimir putin in moscow this week and then with zielinski in keeve all this is ukrainians marked orthodox easter on sunday with people in keeve praying for those on the front lines and others trapped in places like mario pole even in that city orthodox christians celebrated as smoke rose in the distance from the steel plant [Music] and in budapest and elsewhere across eastern europe ukrainian refugees marked the holiday with prayers for their homeland with many hoping and praying they can return home themselves heather sells cbn news a stark contrast of visuals celebrating easter in the smoke of war what you what russia is doing right now is just absolutely inconceivable where you have filtration camps what they're trying to do is take whole populations and move them these are things the babylonians did this is something that has disappeared from history and now being redone all in this sort of myth of a greater russia and ukrainians are really russians and we're going to prove it by taking them and resettling them in russia this is again unbelievable i said it before i'll say it again russia's at risk of forever tarring their entire civilization uh the pursuit of this greater russian myth is is is actually putting them on the track for destroying their own civilization how can you recover how can you possibly recover from the horrors of this war well millions of ukrainians continue to flee their country they need a place to get help and support as they arrive in eastern european nations wendy griffith is on the ground at the border with poland where cbn's operation blessing is bringing much needed help a lady came in she and her young daughter seven-year-old daughter had escaped from i believe it was kharkiv one of the dangerous areas and the little girl it was raining really hard uh and she came in soaked in with this tiny little rain jacket and she asked if we had any coats well thank goodness we have coats here people have donated coats and that they came in and you know i want to just give you a sneak peek so you can see what i'm talking about uh one of the greatest things about this tent is it is warm uh and there are hot drinks and there are blankets and there's just people coming and going all the time and come on in here and you can see it already feels so great it's uh we have a beautiful little living room uh sorry i just want to show everybody here uh where people can hang out and we've got a kids corner with the super book playing and we've got these beautiful lights to make it fun we've got people uh eating drinking just uh getting warm and so this has been such a busy place during this entire refugee crisis we've met i met three women today that uh had escaped from uh one of the most dangerous places and they were on their way to germany and they just stopped in here uh just to you know they've been on a two-day journey with no sleep so they just stopped in here to get warm and regroup so it's just we've met so many fascinating people and they've been so inspiring well that's just part of what operation blessing is doing the most important piece is the warehouse with food where we're sending truckloads of food to refugee centers in poland but also back into ukraine that people are are wanting to stay and they have every right to stay and but they're out of food they're out of water and we're providing that for them and we're doing it in your name if you're part of the operation blessing disaster relief fund if you'd like to give to it it's real easy i have to do is call us 1-800-707 000. you can also write to us at cbn center virginia beach virginia 23463 just put disaster relief fund in the memo line of a check you can also text us text ob crisis 71777 or you can go to cbn.com either

way do it now be part of helping those in need in other news israel's foreign minister has responded to criticism about the how the government handled the recent palestinian violence on the temple mount ephron graham has that story from the cbn newsroom evra gordon yair lepid told journalists terror groups are behind those clashes at the holy site and as cbn middle east bureau chief chris mitchell tells us their aim is to create trouble in israel and the region during ramadan israel has tried to ensure the muslim faithful could pray at the al-aqsa mosque on the temple mount there has been a dangerous effort underway in jerusalem terrorist organizations have been trying to hijack the al-aqsa mosque in order to create an outbreak of violence in jerusalem and from there a violent conflict across the country while clashes have erupted between israeli police and muslims lapid maintains israel is not to blame hamas and islamic jihad extremists burst into al-aqsa mosque in the early mornings again and again they brought weapons into the mosque they threw rocks and explosives from within it and used it as a base to incite violent riots videos on social media have shown security forces using stun grenades and tear gas inside the mosque and lapid points out israeli police aren't endangering worshipers they're trying to protect them the only reason the police have twice entered the mosque in recent weeks to remove them if we had not removed these rioters there would have been a disaster recently reports are circulating that israel intends to change rules governing the temple mount lepid denies the accusations israel is committed to the status quo on the temple mount muslims pray on the temple mount non-muslims only visit there is no change there will be no change we have no plans to divide the temple mount between religions lapid said israel had blocked provocation by jews and reports indicate no jews will be allowed on the temple mount probably until the end of ramadan several rockets have been fired from hamas controlled territory over the last week and israel is focused on containing the situation israel will not accept rocket fire from gaza period we have a zero tolerance policy for attacks on our territory the tension also affected a christian celebration after israel limited worshipers for what authorities called safety precautions still thousands gathered for the holy fire ceremony at the church of the holy sepulchre on saturday thankfully it took place quietly and in an organized fashion for the first time in years ramadan passover and easter coincided resulting in violence rather than celebration it should be a cause for joy we should be able to celebrate together respect one another enjoy one another's traditions and cultures that is the true spirit of jerusalem chris mitchell cbn news here at home the supreme court will tackle a dispute today between a washington state public school system and a former high school football coach administrators fired joseph kennedy after he refused to stop praying on the field with students after games at first his prayer at the 50-yard line was a quiet moment by himself but eventually it grew and dozens of students would get involved until his termination in 2015. kennedy's attorneys say the constitution guarantees freedom of speech and religion and allows him to pray on the field and students are free to join but the school district says kennedy's religious speech could have in the effect pressured students to pray and open the district up to lawsuits turning now to political news former president donald trump says his relationship with house minority leader kevin mccarthy remains good it comes after new york times reporters released a tape of mccarthy telling other republicans he would advise trump to resign following the capitol hill riot on january 6th of last year mccarthy at first denied the quote before the times reporters released the tape some political analysts thought the revelation would damage the relationship between the two politicians but the president told the wall street journal mccarthy visited him after that conversation and changed his opinion orrin hatch the longest serving republican senator in history died this weekend at age 88. hatch was a strong conservative on many republican issues like limits on abortion and he helped get president trump's tax cut bill through the senate hatch also stood up for the supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh in 2018 when he was under fire we can't allow the more time for new smears to damage judge kavanaugh his family his reputation the reputation of the court and of course the reputation of the country we cannot allow more more time for partisans on the left to try to beat judge kavanaugh into submission but hatch was also bipartisan working across the aisle with democrats many times during seven terms that he served in the senate gordon well senator hatch was great american and many people don't know his story how he grew up in abject poverty but managed to get through his um just through his talent into law school but here's the story you may not have heard while he was in law school he was married he had two kids he and his father took a chicken coop and and tried to transform it into a cottage that was their nickname for it the cottage and that's where he lived while he studied for law school it's absolutely amazing what an american story to go from very humble beginnings to the height of power at the u.s senate it's a remarkable american story and it's one that we all enjoy here in america that no one is is just because of birth entitled to anything you make it here because of your skill because of your determination because of your perseverance so i honor him for his perseverance it's a remarkable story a life well lived well we want to thank you for joining us we've got much more ahead on today's 700 club including blood from her mouth and her head gushing all over her body this woman and her daughter were shot point blank by a crazed gunman in a parking lot they both needed miracles to survive and you'll see how they got them that's coming up plus a trip like no other a group of diplomats travel to three countries that are part of the abraham accords see history in the making as peace unfolds in the middle east [Music] the abraham accord seemed impossible just a few years ago today the historic peace agreement is gaining more acceptance and regional support one example a unique visit of diplomats to israel chris mitchell has the story this group of international diplomats are getting an up-close look at jerusalem's western wall and temple mount former israeli ambassador to the u.n danny janon brought them here after spending several days in the uae in bahrain we are all very proud of the abrahamic code that was signed by president trump prime minister netanyahu and leaders from the gulf today we see the fruits of those agreements we took a delegation of senior diplomats including the vice president of paraguay minister of foreign affairs for eight days trip to the uae bahrain and israel we feel that it's an important accord but we can do much more with other countries and the goal of this trip is to show the world the potential of the walk between israel and moderate arab countries paraguay's vice president felt the trip provided deep meaning for him being in the holy land is always important for every christian and so is the legacy that danny denon is passing on to us we're taking something very important with us we see that it's possible to have peace between human beings the likely renewal of the iranian nuclear deal plus the regime's threat to israel and the gulf states cast a shadow over the visit and the region a bulgarian ambassador sees the region separated into two camps one of war and one of peace i never came here to jerusalem on a flight from arabic country yesterday i did that what i think will happen in the future is that the initial interaction between israel and the arabic countries human to human interaction cultural interaction tourism i'm sure we'll go farther to the next stage where israel and arabic countries will cooperate in the field of security international security and will reinforce the camp of peace for this croatian ambassador the trip expanded her view of the regional accords this trip gave me the opportunity to learn about emirati and bahrain perspective of the abraham accords and after this visit i believe that there is a same level the highest level of dedication for all three sides for peace prosperity and stability in the region that and even wider than that the trip also opened up new opportunities for example the minister of foreign affairs of the central african republic she signed diplomatic relations with bahrain during the visit the vice president of paraguay announced that they will open an embassy in the uae so we see the fruits of their cause and i believe that we'll be able to do much more not only here and in the region but worldwide in addition also it gave me opportunity to see and to explore the possibilities of joining to this ambitious project i am certain that there is a wider possibility for the countries like croatia to join in certain niche and cooperation and to contribute to the project and also to contribute to my country it makes a difference for everyone this is my impression and it can also make specific impact for countries like croatia they were amazed because for years and i know it from the u.n when you say israel the middle east

you think about the conflict you know of asylums they came to the middle east and they saw solutions they saw that we can actually help them to resolve conflicts we can help them to improve the lives of their citizens in terms of food security health agriculture chris mitchell cbn news jerusalem this is absolutely wonderful to see you go back just a few years in history john kerry the secretary of state and the obama administration said that this was impossible that you couldn't have peace in the middle east without first peace with the palestinians it's amazing how the trump administration how the nation of israel is showing well that's not true you can have peace you can have an abraham accord and now emerging from that israel is being known as a peacemaker among nations creating new ties new solutions for the world's problems all of which is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy that israel will be a light to the nations a light to the nations not just in innovation not just in technology but now also in peace what a wonderful thing a wonderful thing i applaud it so uh hallelujah let us all continue to pray for the peace of jerusalem there well up next all the car windows blown out bullet holes in the doors and blood everywhere my mother and daughter were sitting in their parked car when a gunman went on a shooting spree see how their miraculous survival stunned the doctors right after this [Music] well today cbn operation blessing regent university are celebrating the life and legacy of my mother d.d robertson the live stream of this celebration starts at 11 45 a.m eastern time if you'd like to get more information you can email livestream cbn.com there'll be also information on cbn.com how you can watch

this wonderful celebration of life it's being uh the the celebrant if you will is dan bakkens her longtime pastor with providence new life uh church and the family will be participating others will be participating and you'll see a video of her life and legacy but join with us and join and celebrate the life and legacy of my wonderful mother well today begins our annual spring week of prayer now through friday april 29th we're going to be praying for your needs every day on the 700 club in fact you may already have received this envelope in the mail it includes a brochure called i will rescue and protect you along with this scripture card to place on your table to remind you of god's faithfulness so just take a moment send us your prayer requests so that we can begin praying for you or you can call us with those requests at 1-800-700-7000 or visit cbn.com you can also write to us at cbn's week of prayer cbn center that's virginia beach virginia two three four six three we'll send you the free brochure and scripture card as well when you call now in front of me you see the many requests that we've already received we'll be praying for these needs in just a few minutes but first gordon has the story of a double miracle that's an amazing answer to prayer gordon well just imagine you're sitting in your parked car with your child suddenly a gunman opens fire on you that's exactly what happened to debbie she grabbed her daughter tried to play dead and that's when the shooter sent another round right into the back of her head i can tell that something really bad has happened to my wife and my daughter i got really mad and i said something is really bad here and i don't even know if i want to go see what is going on august 1st 2021 vandy tulos just left his wife debbie and daughter rachel at a walk-in clinic in baton rouge rachel has autism spectrum disorder and needed a negative kova test before returning to school as they sat waiting in their car they noticed a man with a gun yelling at a driver in a nearby truck and all of a sudden he starts shooting he then turns to us and begins to open fire it was the most terrifying thing just in that split second i threw the car into reverse and started backing up i zigged and zagged forwards and backwards in an effort to try to stay a moving target he came around to my side of the car and he shot through the window into my face i grabbed my daughter and i laid across the shift thinking maybe if i play dead he'll leave he shot me one more time in the back of the head the gunman fired nine millimeter rounds into their car then ran off and stole a car that had been left running outside the clinic i get a phone call from her not very coherent couldn't really i knew something was wrong i turned around and i went back over there debbie knew she needed a miracle for her and rachel's survival i prayed i said god just please keep me alert and conscious long enough to get her to safety blood was coming out of my mouth it was coming out of my head but this time i was covered with blood so i got out of the car and i walked around and she said mom i'm shocked she was white as a sheet and she screamed was screaming and screaming and just this blood curling scream that i hope i never hear again but she collapsed and and again i just prayed for her and for me moments later vandy arrived on the scene and tried to make sense of what he saw all the windows are blown out there's there's there's bullet holes in the side of the doors and i could see the blood i could see the blood in the car after a moment of extreme anger vandy was overcome with faith that god was in control god's been here god is taking care of them i have to have the faith right now to know that they're okay even though i can't see them i haven't had that come over me before in my life like i did at that moment in time the gunman was soon captured by local law enforcement meanwhile debbie and rachel were rushed to our lady of the lake hospital in baton rouge rachel had been shot in the chest chief of surgery dr michael connors describes the life-threatening nature of her injury the bullet tracked across the midline hitting really the back of her clavicular head and traversing over to the right there any of the major blood vessels hit can be catastrophic the airway can be catastrophic as well as the esophagus debbie was also treated for her wounds thankfully the bullet to the back of her head only grazed her skull doing little damage the bullet to her face followed an interesting path the bullet went in my cheek through the back of my through my tongue through the back of my neck and ended up here where it still is but um it missed everything vital thankful she would be okay debbie waited and prayed for news of rachel's condition from the looks of things we didn't know you know we didn't know i didn't know if i'd ever see her again rachel is a thing young female so front to back is is not very thick and it traversed directly across here missing all her major organs my personal thoughts a bullet traversing from here completely across the midline without the individual having suffered really any injuries at all is amazing i didn't really have to do anything for her other than just take this bullet out but outside of that she required no treatment rachel and debbie share the miracle of being spared from what could have been a life-ending situation and that is god that's a miracle by his grace by his hands totally in control it was done by him i'm back to my normal life i mean it's just been amazing his grace people were praying for us all over the world i didn't know that until afterwards debbie and rachel have fully recovered thankful god spared their lives and heard their prayers god was with me 100 he was there for the whole thing he was guiding those bullets there's no way we should have survived this no way either one of us should have survived it i don't believe in luck i believe that god does this for us i believe that god is our very present help in time of trouble it doesn't get any more troubling than a gunman pointing a gun right at your car right at your head pulling the trigger and then somehow or other that bullet misses misses all vital doesn't cut through any arteries doesn't cut through an esophagus a bullet to the back of the head doesn't do anything it just grazes through what an amazing thing what an amazing god he is our very present help isn't that incredible now what does that very present mean it means he's right here with you he is emmanuel he is god with us and when we have requests when we have needs we just come to him now i believe in writing down our requests i believe in announcing our requests out loud the sort of general prayer i'm not a big fan of when you get real specific with god you understand he can get real specific with you he may not always do it the way you want him to do it but he comes through and he is a god who answers prayer we've got some prayer requests here's one from one of the viewers of this show healing my lungs from restrictive fibrosis i am losing vision in my right eye i need my vision restored and then here's someone i need a full-time job and i need a full-time job with benefits this is someone saying we need rain in eastern oregon selling cattle because there's not enough pasture to feed them someone else saying i need healing of my knees and ankles so i can walk again healing for my daughter she's losing weight rapidly body can't retain nutrients no diagnosis all right let's lift these to the lord if you have prayer requests you can write to us with them you can also write them down right now you can also say them out loud and in that let us make our requests made known and when we do it in accordance with his will then we know that he hears us and if we know that he hears us we know that he answers now how do you know you're praying with god's will well look to heaven that's where god's will is being done does anybody need a job in heaven does anybody need healing in heaven does anybody need rain in heaven the answer is all of that is provided all of that is provided so we see god's will and we pray that god's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven done in my life as it is in heaven done in my body as it is in heaven let's do that let's pray together lord jesus christ we come to you and we declare that you are almighty that you are the one who answers prayer that you are emmanuel god with us our very present help in time of need lord for the needs that we've read for the need for rain the need for a job with benefits the need for restoration of vision the need for restoration of lung capacity all of the needs before us lord we lift them all to you right now and we ask that you stretch forth your hand to do miracles on our own we can't do these things but with you all things are possible and so we ask for that now that you make the impossible possible now lungs were made to breathe eyes were made to see ears were made to hear we command it now in jesus name be healed and be made whole terry god's given you something there's someone you've had recurring heart issues most specifically arrhythmia and every time you think you've gotten a leg up on this and it's done or you've found a solution it comes back god is healing your heart right now and it will beat regularly in rhythm and consistently you'll not have any more issues in jesus name there's someone with a hearing disability and it's really never heard of this where you can't locate where the source of sound is coming from it's like you you you you're not hearing it with location i don't know what that is but you know exactly what it is and what i just described because god is giving you that he's restoring that to you now in jesus name you'll be able to turn to the one who's talking to you know exactly what they're saying in jesus name be healed be made whole there are many many of you who have respiratory problems some of you are post-covered in whatever your issues are but some of you have chronic respiratory problems you've had them your whole life just lift up your hands breathe in the breath of heaven exhale and begin to praise the lord you are being healed right now in jesus name um i think there's someone you're suffering with sort of uh brain fog and you're wondering what did somehow you get covered and you didn't know it is there some kind of long covet what what is this is this age what is happening to me why are my thoughts this way why is everything just seem foggy you are you are getting clarity of thought clarity of memory uh your mind is being restored to you now in jesus name and someone else speaking of recurring things you have an issue with gout so painful you can barely move god's not only healing the goat you're suffering from right now it will not return you are set free in jesus name lord we thank you we thank you for being our healer our provider our all in all the answer to every human need we thank you and most of all we thank you for you that you are the greatest gift we could ever receive we thank you for it in jesus name amen and amen if you've been healed if you've been restored give us a call and let us know one eight hundred seven hundred seven thousand and we remind you we're here for you we wanna pray for you we're here for you 24 hours a day seven days a week all you have to do is pick up the phone and call and if you'd like to participate in our week of prayer it's real easy you can go to cbn.com and you can join in or you can call us 1-800-700-7000 well coming up later he's a rising star in christian music he was also once laid out on the floor in handcuffs billy ballinger talks about winding up on the wrong side of the law and the wake-up call that rescued him [Music] welcome back to the 700 club for this cbn news break the satanic temple is filing a lawsuit against an elementary school in pennsylvania after it voted last week not to allow an after-school satan club whptv reports the temple says the main issue is whether the board discriminated against the organization by allowing some other school clubs in but not the satanic temples club a cbn ministry partner has generated excitement for superbook in the country of nepal compassionate hands for nepal recently attended a conference with representatives from multiple churches the team helped build considerable enthusiasm among the attendees by showing superbook clips and sharing useful ministry information cbn and compassionate hands for nepal have worked together to distribute superbook in that country one pastor even shared a testimony of how superbook helped to disciple his parents as new christians you can find out more about what cbn is doing around the world by going to cbn.com international gordon and terry are back with more today 700 club coming up right after this [Music] you turned my morning into dancing those are the words of a girl from lesotho she and her sister were orphaned after the death of their mother you're about to find out why she's now singing for joy for a long time tamelo and her sister cared for their mother who had tuberculosis one morning while trying to feed her they realized their mother had died i did not understand why she had to die and leave us here alone she loved us when she died i worried about where we would get food and clothes yvonne is a house mother at beautiful dream society which is supported by orphan's promise [Music] my heart broke for them their mother was gone so i became their mom i asked god to give them strength and hope after what happened when i first came here i spent a lot of time in my bedroom crying mama yvonne comforted me and loved me like i was her own orphan's promise has supported this home for years we knew that in time the girls would settle in now they're very happy in their new home all the kids do homework together in the afternoon temelo is doing so well that in just two years she moved up from third to seventh grade i feel safe and happy here when i read my bible i feel god's love for me [Music] you turned my morning into dancing and clothed me with joy i have a mother who loves me and god gave us many brothers and sisters i thank god for my daughters i have big dreams for them thank you to everyone who supports this work i pray god will bless you so you can keep doing good things for others thank you for loving us and helping us the bible says god puts the lonely in families because family is a god idea and that's one of the things that orphan's promise does we are not supporting or building big orphanages we're building families and these two girls have been welcomed into a wonderful family of children where they are loved and nurtured and given opportunity and to hope for a future we want to say thank you because when you support cbn you support orphan's promise and we are cbn's outreach to vulnerable and orphaned children throughout the world bringing them hope in the future taking them from at risk to thriving thank you for making that possible 65 cents a day 20 a month makes you a 700 club member if you haven't done that yet this is a great time to do it our numbers toll free it's the easiest way you call 1-800-700-7000 just say i want to join the 700 club or you could go online and do that here are some options we have for you i just mentioned a general membership that's 20 a month but you could join 700 club gold at 40 a month or become a thousand club member at 84 a month 2500 club members join us at 209 a month and then our founders come in at 417 or more a month ask god what he'd have you to do and then call today make a difference in the lives of these children who are so desperate to belong to know that their lives have significance they're always shared the love of jesus by the way when you call and join today will you do it using pledge express that's electronic monthly giving means your bank does all the work you don't have to remember anything it does save us some administrative costs and so we say thank you by sending you power for life teachings you'll get one every month and we think they'll bless you call now gordon up next a christian recording artists with a rap sheet billy ballinger tells what tells why he wound up behind bars after this [Music] the theft of a nine millimeter handgun and a stash of cash well that's what brought a swat team to billy ballinger's front door billy eventually served two years in prison so how did he wind up a rising star in christian music billy explains in this interview with cbn's will dawson [Music] [Applause] winter jam is the country's largest christian music tour in 2020 it was recording artist billy ballinger's big break his single tree and the nails is his first hit you call me [Music] it's such a powerful song thank you i just feel like that's a true honor to get to be able to present a song like that so many times we feel like we're broken we've missed it we've messed up but i think i think what's important about that song is is that we get to talk about what jesus did not what we failed when you think about failure in your life looking back it's a different story that was rough my memory of that was rough billy was raised in a broken home and as a teenager began running away i just felt like i was running away to freedom each time but then you'd get there and the grass wasn't greener on the other side you know i just wanted as a kid you know i just wanted to have some peace billy was placed in a residential facility and for a while things began looking up that's when he met jody we were in choir together like the boys wanted to see the girls the girls wanted to see the boys and choir was a place to do that the couple's relationship grew quickly when they were 17 billy and jody left the group home and jody became pregnant though they were married shortly after the ballingers fell into the wrong crowd and began selling drugs i had great opportunities in front of me i just chose for whatever reason to take the wrong path and it cost me dearly billy and jody were involved in the theft of a nine millimeter handgun and cash they stashed the money at their home before a swat team busted down their door you're laying on the floor in handcuffs yeah and your daughter and jody you're in the next room what's going through your mind that is the moment where you think it how could i think i would never get caught that's that moment you have a wake-up call i was just thinking oh my goodness like it's all caught up to me this is all caught up to us and what do we do now the couple was arrested and their daughter was taken into foster care while on bond billy got a job in construction his boss a christian invited the young couple to church i remember showing up that night with the best i had a pair of old work pants a ripped up nike t-shirt i did leave my hat in the car came in i was going to hide in the back because i felt like needles were sticking in my body all over when i walked in and then just before we went to trial one night at a service there they did an altar call i knew i'd hit rock bottom and i was like i need god billy and jody committed their lives to god but still had to face trial they were both sentenced to six years in prison i was just heartbroken you just feel like my wife i can't hold her i can't be with her what have i done you want to put everything in rewind you know reverse and redo everything but you can billy faithfully sent jody letters telling her about his love for god in a desire to change he changed so much that i'm like it wow he is like really changed it was like a brand new man i mean he was not that old person whatsoever and i credit the word of god to that because i was just saturating myself with it changed me i didn't change me it changed the way i thought it changed everything i did and i said i'm not going to be violent no more i'm not going to party anymore i'm not interested in the drugs anymore i just wanted my family back after the ballingers served two years in prison the state board of appeals granted them a hearing they brought me and my wife back to that same judge and she looked at us and she said we have decided to suspend the rest of your sentence and we went home that day billy and jody were reunited with their daughter and resolved to live for god when i got out of prison i started going to the nursing homes with my church and preaching i had so much word in me i just go somewhere and explode you know and um but then i joined the praise team and then that desire started to come and then when i would sing somebody would say there's something there over the years billy recorded seven albums and in 2020 joined the winter jam lineup today the ballingers travel the country sharing their story of god's grace told best through his song tree in the nails [Music] you know the music becomes a vehicle for the message god has truly redeemed us it isn't like he just redeemed us to go to heaven is the fact that he cares about our entire life it really is true it doesn't matter how broken it was if you're still breathing you still got a chance that's what that song does it's saying right now is your moment that's what that song says to me and i pray that's what that song says to the people that hear it [Music] what a great message he didn't just redeem us to go to heaven he redeemed us for our life here on earth jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly and when you see billy's story where here he had made the wrong choices he had was running with the wrong crowd that led him into a life of crime that crime life led to more crime and before you know it you're trying to rob people and steal guns and you end up with a six-year prison sentence but in that he found something he said i found my bottom i knew i needed god for you right now sitting where you are do you know that you need god you need them in every moment of your life you need them in every decision you need them to guide every single step every single way and when you have that need and you have that knowledge then suddenly wonderful things can happen where you get into a wonderful adventure with god for billy it was early release and then after the early release he didn't go back to his old ways he says i'm going to nursing homes because the word is just pouring out of me and in that he found all i can sing songs and then he started to sing more songs and then he started to write his own songs and then you see the wonderful adventure that god put him on now god has an adventure for you and it's different than billy's adventure because his adventure for you is specifically crafted for you he has created good works for you to walk into he did all of that before he even laid the foundation of the earth that's what the bible says i find it absolutely amazing that i'm i'm doing things that god thought about before i ever existed and all i have to do is wait on him wait on his timing seek him ask him for direction ask him for guidance you can start that adventure right now you don't have to run away from god you don't have to get cleaned up before you come to god you can just say god can you use me just as i am can you use me can you change me can you show the good things that you have for me the great adventure of life that you've created for me if you want this if you want help with this prayer give us a call hundred 1-800-707 thousand when you call i've got something for you it's called a new day and it's and there's a teaching how do you live the christian life how do you get these wonderful blessings all free all you have to do is call here's a word from corinthians if anyone is in christ he is a new creation old things have passed away

2022-04-29 18:16

Other news