- [Gordon] A defenderof religious liberty.

- When the government comes in

and forces us to violate our conscience,

it's forcing us to goagainst our human nature.

- [Gordon] What hope doeshe see on the horizon?

Plus.

- Finally, he just said, "Look man,

"this is what I'mma do.

"I'mma let you go,

"but if I ever see youon this block again,

"I'mma lock you up forpossession charges."

- Why this criminal was set free.

That and more on today's700 Club Interactive.

Well welcome to the show.

We're now over a week into the new year.

Another Christmas seasonhas come and gone.

An estimated 25 to 30million Christmas trees

are now being discarded.

And while many of them are recycled,

the majority are simply thrown out.

- Well one man in Texas isusing his woodworking talents

and turning Christmas treesinto canes for veterans.

Back in 2016, disabledArmy veteran Jamie Willis

was looking for a way to help

his fellow service men and women

and he partnered with aFlorida-based non-profit,

and three years later, he's received

over 1,000 Christmas treesdonated from families

and his local Home Depot.

Willis says he hopesword continues to spread.

- I never expected it to get this big,

but the bigger it gets,the happier I'm getting.

I don't want this to stop.

I want this to keep going allyear long one cane at a time.

- And if you're wondering,

it usually takes Willis one tree per cane

and about one full day to make one cane,

which I think that is just

so cool.- At one cane at a time,

he's gonna have

- Yeah.- a couple years before

he gets through a couple of thousand.

- True, yeah, but I think

that's such a good, creative way

- Yeah.- to really be resourceful

about the Christmas trees.- Yeah.

- Yeah, I love it.- It's much better

than a landfill.

- Yeah, definitely.- Well, on New Year's Day,

celebrity Donnie Wahlbergleft a $2,020 tip

at his local IHOP.

On the receipt, he wrote:2020 Tip Challenge.

- That challenge appearsto have been started

on New Year's Eve in Michigan

where two restaurant patronstipped a single mother,

you guessed it, $2,020.

Of course, on the receiptwas 2020 Tip Challenge.

The act of kindness has since gone viral,

and here is Danielle telling 7 Action News

how much it meant to her.

- It's a blessing.

I'm gonna build a future because of this.

My kids have a future,

and I have a home.

It's a big deal.

It's a really big deal.

They gave my kids a lifethat they don't even know

that they didn't have,and I have a chance.

- That's so--- That's wonderful,

- I love that.- to hear,

"I have a chance now."

All because of a random act of kindness

- Yeah.- to say, you know,

let me help you.

Let me help you where you are.

- Yeah, I love that.

I think tip, like, being a good tipper

is actually a really practicalway to show love to others,

especially in the name of Jesus,

you know.- Right.

- So, I love that.

- So you're a good tip,- 20--

- you're a good tipper?- 2020 Tip Challenge.

Are you gonna do the 2020 Tip Challenge?

- 2020, I'm not sure I'm gonna,

you know.- I don't know

if I can do the 2020- I'm still paying off

- Tip Challenge.- a bunch of college

student loans for my kids.

- That's true, yeah.

- I don't know if I'm gonna go that far.

What do you typically tip?

Are you 10%, 15%, 20%?- 20, I would say 20%.

- You're 20?- Yeah.

- Yeah.

I'm a 20.- Yeah.

Right here, pound it.- Just 'cause.

- It's good.

Yeah, that's right.(Gordon laughs)

Good stuff.

Love it. (chuckles)

- Well the stage is now set

for the college footballnational championship.

Next Monday night, LSUfaces a Clemson team

looking to win theirthird title in four years.

- And leading the Clemson Tigers

to a second straight championship game

is sophomore Trevor Lawrence.

The quarterback has been vocalabout his Christian faith,

and after a semi-finalwin against Ohio State,

Lawrence had this to say.

- Just the fight, the team,

didn't play great, didn't look pretty,

but just find a way to get it done.

And I wouldn't want todo this with anyone else.

And I have Ephesians 3:20 and it says

God can do immeasurablymore than any of us can

because of Him within us,and that's just so true.

I mean, all of us, me,what we did tonight,

just, it ain't us.

- Wow.

- I love that.

He's just saying- Yeah.

- it ain't us.

We're not here for us.

And regardless of whether you win or lose,

let's give glory to God.

He's able to do things with us.

And what a great message for the nation.

What a great message for everyone.

- Yeah, amen to that.

I love it.

And he's a sophomore?

That's awesome.

Yeah.

- You don't think he's gonna go pro?

- I think so.

Hopefully.

Hopefully, he does.

- This year, next year?

- Maybe next year.

- You a Tiger fan?

- I did have some cousinsthat went to Clemson,

so I feel like--- Which Tiger?

- The Clemson.(Gordon laughs)

Clemson, Clemson,

I have to go with Clemson.

My cousins went there, so you know.

- Yeah, all right.

Clemson, all right, well.- Yes.

- We'll see.

LSU's tough this year.- Yeah, that's true.

- Well Trevor Lawrence isjust one of many athletes

who are active with theFellowship of Christian Athletes.

In the past 15 years, CFA,

I'm sorry, FCA has distributed

roughly 2.5 million Bibles worldwide.

The organization reported giving away

nearly 200,000 copies of the Bible

just this past year, 2019.

- [Ashley] But FCA has been scrutinized

in the national media recently

for their stance on thebiblical view of marriage.

FCA President Shane Williamson said

their strategy is simple,get people to read the Bible.

- And when you do read theBible and you understand

that this is the doctrineof the apostles and you...

It used to be in churches,

whether it was the EpiscopalChurch, the Catholic Church,

it's one of the pledgesthe congregation makes,

we will adhere to theteachings of the apostles.

And one of the things the apostles taught

was about sexual immorality.

Now immorality, any sin,whether it's sexual immorality

or you name a whole gamut ofthem, can always be forgiven,

but when you start sayingwe're no longer going to hold

to the biblical standard,well then you've left.

And so, for the Fellowshipof Christian Athletes

to say we need to holdto the biblical standard

'cause that's in our name.

We are the Fellowshipof Christian Athletes.

For Salvation Army to change,it's all about salvation.

We need to be saved from these things.

And the criticism is incredible.

And what happened with Chick-fil-A,where their foundation,

it wasn't the stores orthe franchise owners,

but it was the foundationestablished by Chick-fil-A,

we're gonna take a portion of our profits,

we're gonna donate it to a foundation,

that foundation, in turn, gave money

to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,

gave money to the Salvation Army,

and for that, they were criticized

and it was somehow hatespeech or somehow bigoted

to give to the Fellowshipof Christian Athletes.

There's no bigot to that.

You say, "We're Christian,they're Christian.

"We want to support Christian ideals.

"We want a culture thatsays let's love one another,

"let's love God, let's love one another."

And one way we can love one another

is be sexually pure.- Yeah.

- So that's the standard.

I don't see why you criticize that.

I also don't understandpeople getting away

with criticizing that.

We are a free and open society.

You have a right to beChristian in our society

and you have a right todonate to Christian causes

without fear of some sort of retribution

or boycott in the marketplace.

Well, they're not the onlyones that this is coming to.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes,

they hold the biblical view of marriage,

and the cultural majority, I'mnot sure it's the majority,

but our culture is now sayingthat that stance is bigoted.

That's just one example of the struggle

to maintain religious liberty.

Who's fighting back against this trend,

and why does one defenderof religious freedom

see new hope on the horizon?

Paul Strand has the answers.

- As one who argues cases up here puts it,

the heart of religious liberty is this.

Every human has a conscience

and government shouldn'tbe messing with it.

- It's that inner voice that urges us

to choose the good and reject evil.

- [Paul] Luke Goodrichhas fought for this right

before the US Supreme Court,

and writes about the huge challenges to it

in "Free to Believe."

- When the government comes in

and forces us to violate our conscience,

it's forcing us to goagainst our human nature

and violating a fundamental human right.

- But as America movestoward a post-Christian era,

issues seen by believers andtheir conscience as wrong

are now exalted.

Therefore, any oppositionto them is condemned

as rank discrimination.

- Now those long-standingChristian beliefs

are actually viewed as a threat.

- [Paul] The biggest current battleground:

homosexual and transgender rights.

- And the rapid advance of gay rights

is certainly the most significant

religious liberty threat today.

- [Paul] The government longago said you can't discriminate

based on someone's race or sex.

If the Supreme Court rules sexincludes sexual orientation

or transgender status in upcoming cases,

it could mean real troublefor those with biblical views

on human sexuality.

You could likely multiply by the thousands

new problems of the kindsuffered by baker Jack Phillips,

who refused to make a cakecelebrating gay marriage.

- Thousands of religious organizations

will face new lawsuits and new liability

simply for acting on theirlong-standing beliefs

about human sexuality.

- [Paul] At one point,

supporters promised same-sexmarriage wouldn't harm anyone.

Well, depending on how the court rules,

Goodrich points out how thosesame so-called peacemakers

could go all out to get their opponents.

- To brand traditionalChristian beliefs about marriage

as a form of bigotry, and thenuse the power of the state

to punish those religiousbeliefs and practices.

- [Paul] On the other hand,

Frank Wright of D.James Kennedy Ministries

maintains believers back onlyone-man, one-woman marriage

because it's healthy for families.

- The Bible says it becauseit's for our welfare.

It's what enables families to flourish.

- [Paul] He's sadhomosexuals and their allies

view that approach as bigotry and hatred.

- If they were to come to me and say,

you know, "Why do you hate me?"

I would explain to them that I don't.

"You and I see thisissue totally different.

"I don't hate you.

"Why should I hate you?

"And why should you hateme because we disagree?"

- [Paul] As for the transgender issue,

the Obama administration mandatedthat doctors and hospitals

provide surgery for men whowanted to be turned into women

and women into men.

- Even when it violatedtheir religious beliefs

and their medical judgment.

And if they didn't do that,

they would be deemed to be discriminating

and would be subject togovernment penalties.

- [Paul] Abortion is another battleground

where supporters try to demonize those

who can't and won't back it.

- If you as a Christian,whether you're a doctor

or an employer, if you oppose abortion,

you're somehow denyinghealth care to women

and discriminating against women.

- [Paul] Goodrich fought

for both the Little Sisters of the Poor

and Hobby Lobby's pro-lifestand before the Supreme Court.

- The government was trying to force them

to provide abortion-causing drugs

in their health insuranceplans or in their businesses,

even when their conscience told them

you cannot participate in an abortion.

- [Paul] The court ruled in favor of both,

and Goodrich says believers can take hope

in how often their consciencerights win like that in court.

- We have a 90% win rate

and we're undefeated atthe US Supreme Court.

- [Paul] He warns, however,

Christians need to prepare for defeats

and learn how to show Christ's love

even to a culture that's turningmore and more against them.

- Much of scripture iswritten to Christians

who are facing suffering andpersecution for their faith.

And as Christians, we needto recall those teachings

and let those influence us.

And it's not just about winningor fighting a culture war.

It's actually more about being like Christ

in the midst of these conflicts.

- What Goodrich hopes for is a government

that just leaves religionalone as much as possible.

For instance, in public schools,

it shouldn't force students to pray,

but it can allow a time wherethey can pray if they want.

It shouldn't build a crosson government property,

but it can let one stand.

In other words, governmentshouldn't oppose

or promote religion.

It should just let it be.

Paul Strand, CBN News, reportingfrom the Supreme Court.

- We should also letfreedom of conscience be.

I think that's where we'regetting in the culture today,

that you don't have the freedom to think

along biblical lines.

And if you do and if you ever express that

or you ever donate to itor you ever support it,

then somehow or other, you'regonna be labeled a bigot.

That's not the case.

America's founded on this.

We need to have religious freedom.

We need to have the freedom to believe

in accordance with whatour conscience dictates.

And when you lose that,

you're essentially losing a key component

of why the United Statesof America exists.

This isn't something weshould ever give up lightly.

This is something we need to fight for.

And in that fight, do it with love.

- Yeah, amen to that.

What you said.

(Gordon laughs)

Well up next, a South African girl

whose mother wasstruggling to support her.

See how a desperateprayer led both of them

to a better way of life.

That's coming up.

(inspirational music)

Right now, I want to introduce you

to a little girl whosesmile lights up a room.

Her name is Olungaka, andshe lives up to its meaning.

But not long ago, her singlemother was desperate for a job

and struggling to support her family.

- [Terry] Olungaka is her mother's joy.

Her name literally means theunending great love of Jesus.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Interpreter] She is such a happy child.

She always wants to help when I clean,

so I give her the small socks and vests.

But in the past, she would get bored

and want to go to school with her friends.

I didn't have a job, soI couldn't afford it.

- [Terry] With no one tolook after her daughter,

it was hard for Nolindo to find work.

- [Interpreter] Mondays were the only days

I had time to look for work.

I never found a job and alwayswent home feeling defeated.

- [Terry] One night,while her daughter slept,

Nolindo cried out to God.

- [Interpreter] I askedHim for any kind of job

so that I could provide for her.

- [Terry] Then a friendreferred them to Life Child,

a ministry supported byCBN's Orphan's Promise.

We paid all of Olungaka's fees to attend

and Nolindo received mentoringas part of our program.

She started volunteering ata local neighborhood watch,

and with our help and encouragement,

she soon got a job as a security guard.

- [Interpreter] Without your help,

we would still be struggling.

I am thankful that I canfinally provide for my daughter.

I know God brought us all these blessings.

And Olungaka learns so much at the center.

- [Interpreter] My teachertells me I am very smart.

Today, we learned that God madethe heavens and the animals.

I learned to pray, and Iknow that Jesus hears me

every time I pray.

- [Together] Bless thehands that made our food.

In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

- [Interpreter] I loveeverything about being here,

especially the food and my friends.

But I don't like naptime

because I just want to keep playing.

- Thank you, CBN.

- Gosh, she's so cute.

And that thank you goes to our CBN

and Orphan's Promise partners.

And if you aren't a partnerwith CBN or Orphan's Promise,

I really encourage you to do it today.

You know, if you've beenasking God to use you,

if you've been asking Him to use you

as a vessel for His kingdom,

becoming an Orphan's Promiseis a way He wants to use you.

He blesses us to be ablessing unto others,

and Orphan's Promiseblesses and helps kids

and families around the worldpractically and spiritually

in spreading the message of Jesus Christ.

So I encourage you to join us today.

Become an Orphan's Promise partner.

All you have to do is giveus a call, 1-800-700-7000.

I really encourage you to do it.

I'm telling you, you won't regret it,

and I do believe, ifyou make this decision,

you will see lasting fruit in your life.

Gordon.

- Well up next, a man is caughtred handed by the police.

- Boom.

Put me across the hood, checked me.

I had the crack on me,I had the knife on me.

- See why the police let thisman walk when we come back.

(dramatic music)

Michael Ford was 13 years old

when his dad put a gunto his mother's head.

Then he forced her to say,"He's not your father.

"You're not his son."

Abuse and violence at thehands of his alcoholic parents

were all that Michael had ever known.

But even abusive parentswere better than no parents,

as Michael was soon to find out.

- He dragged her intothe kitchen by her hair

and he pulled out the gunand put it to her head

and he cocked it and hesaid, "Tell him the truth."

She looks at me and shesays, "He's not your father.

"You're not his son."

- [Andrew] Michael Fordspent much of his youth

fearing the man he thought was his father.

- He used to verbally abuse meas much as he did physically.

He would tell me that nobodyloves me, nobody wants me.

I'd be better off dead, I'dbe better off running away.

He would always tell her, you know,

what about that SOB thatshouldn't be here right now,

he shouldn't be in my house.

You grow up as a kid, regardlessof your parents' flaws,

your parents are your heroes, you know?

But when you find out thatthis man isn't your father,

then who are you as a person?

- [Andrew] Both of hisparents were alcoholics.

- She would, you know, get drunk and cry,

lock herself in her room.

And he would get drunk and smash things

and shoot his guns off andbeat up on me and my mom.

- [Andrew] When Michael was15, his mother went to prison

after she killed someonewhile driving drunk.

- It broke me.

My mom was the best person I knew,

regardless of the flaws that she did have.

And for them to throw thebook at her like that,

it took my hope.

- [Andrew] Michael wentto live with relatives

until he finished high school.

Then they told him he was on his own.

- And they tell me, "Look,you graduated high school now.

"We did what we had to do.

"We got you through whateveryou needed to go through.

"Get a job, do something.

"Don't come back home."

Once again being rejected,neglected by somebody else.

I ended up at the homelessshelter here in San Antonio.

And I remember my firstnight there, man, I cried.

And the only thought that wasgoing through my head was,

"Where is everybody?"

There I was, alone, by myself, homeless.

I decided then, "It's just me.

"Whatever I got to do forme, that's what I got to do."

- [Andrew] Michael turned to gangs

for protection and survival.

- Gang life was glorified.

I wasn't accepted at school,I wasn't accepted by my dad,

but if I joined this, I couldbe accepted by something.

- [Andrew] Michael also started stealing.

- There's a lot of people whoget Social Security checks,

welfare checks in thebeginning of the month.

They'll go to cash out these checks

and be walking around withall that money on them.

And we would beat 'em upand we'd take the cash

and live off of that.

- [Andrew] Eventually,Michael was arrested.

- So I had the thought thatI was gonna get out of jail

and I was going to get a job.

I was gon', you know, goback to school or whatever.

- [Andrew] Shortly after that, however,

Michael's best friend'sgirlfriend was robbed.

The two of them set outto settle the score.

- He gives me a knife, really big knife.

Mind you, at the same time,

I have like $120 worth of crack on me.

And we see a cop driving towards us,

so we decided to cut throughthe nearest parking lot,

and I guess that wasenough initiative for him

and he kinda like swervedaround us and cut us off.

Boom.

Put me across the hood, checked me,

and I had the crack onme, I had the knife on me.

- [Andrew] Michael beganto envision life in prison.

- The very first thought thatcame to my mind was like,

"Yo, they threw the book at your mom.

"She had never been introuble with the law before

"and they threw the book at her,

"so imagine what they'regoing to do to you.

"You've got a record."

Something in my spirit said, "Pray."

So I prayed, and Isaid, "God, God, please,

"if you get me out of this situation,

"I'll give my life to you."

- [Andrew] But he was shockedat what happened next.

He was like, "You're way too young

"to be getting in all this trouble."

He said, "Well, what do youwanna do with your life?"

"Oh, well, I wanna go to school."

I started making, I'm just being honest,

I started saying thebest stuff I could say

to give this man a goodimpression about me.

I started telling him all types of stuff.

"Oh yeah, I'm gonna go to college."

Finally, he just said, "Look,man, this is what I'mma do.

"I'mma let you go, but if I ever see you

"on this block again, it doesn't matter

"if you're going to thestore to get a bag of chips,"

he said, "I'mma lock youup for possession charges."

- [Andrew] The next night,

Michael met a young mandoing street evangelism.

- And he's like, "I'mfrom the Joshua House,"

and he was like, "We'reout here to let people know

"that Jesus love you, andthere's nothing you could ever do

"to separate yourself from God's love.

"It doesn't matter what kind of life

"you're living right now,

"Jesus loves you just the way you are.

"You come just as you are."

And I just heard thevoice of God, and He said,

"You told me you weregonna give me your life.

"Stop what you're doing.

"Go with these people

"'cause this is where I want you to be."

As soon as I heard that,

I looked at him and I said, "Let's do it.

"Let's go.

"I'm ready, let's go."

- [Andrew] Michael beganattending a church in San Antonio

and entered a group homewhere he was cared for

and discipled.

- What really threw me off was the love.

People I had never met before hugging me

and, you know, tellingme that they loved me

and that Jesus loves me.

It was the first time in mylife that I had felt peace,

that I felt hope.

It was the first time in my life

that I've actually felt like I had a home.

I learned what it means tolove God, to love others,

to know God, to serve God.

I haven't looked back since.

- [Andrew] Today, Michaelis married to Maria

and shares his musical gifts at church

and in the streets of San Antonio.

He's also the directorof the same group home

that he attended.

- If somebody hadn't loved mewhen I wasn't worthy of love,

then I wouldn't be who I am today.

God has called me to go andshow others of His love.

My purpose in life isto worship God, period.

And I Peter 2:9, it says:You are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood,God's special possession

in which you have been calledout of the depths of darkness

into His glorious lightto declare His praise.

Our job as Christians is tolift up the name of Jesus Christ

in everything that wedo, with all of our mind,

with all of our strength,with all of our hope.

- That can be for you.

Maybe you're like him and you're going,

"God, get me out of this,"

and then, when you get out of it,

you forget that you prayed.

Maybe that's happenedto you a couple times.

Maybe you made a decision forChrist when you were young,

and for whatever reason,you went your own way.

You thought that what theworld had to offer was better.

Maybe you too had an abusive childhood.

Maybe you too felt rejected at school

and where do I fit in, how do I belong.

All of these things.

Realize that Jesus came for you.

And whether you're trying to carry crack

and a big knife across a parking lot

or you're thinking, "Wellokay, what's this all about?"

God loves you.

He doesn't play favorites.

He loves all of us andHe loves us equally.

And it's not based on what we do.

It's based on who we arebecause we are His children.

And He has a special purpose for you,

a special plan, one that He laid down

before He laid down thefoundation of the Earth.

He was thinking about you

and He was thinking about good things

that you would be able to do,

things that would bring you joy,

things that would bring Him joy,

working together with you.

And you just saw anincredible turn-around,

somebody that goes from homeless

and trying to be part ofa gang, trying to fit in,

to leading a ministry,

to having a family, havinga marriage, having children.

That can happen to you.

All it takes on your partis to get real with God.

And when you say, "Ifyou get me out of this,

"I'll serve you," well now'sthe time for the serve,

now's the time for the obedience,

now's the time to really follow Him.

And it starts very simply, with a prayer,

"Jesus, could you forgive me?"

You already know the answer to that.

Yes, he will.

Then it starts with a commitment,

to say, "I want to readyour word every day.

"I want to be with you.

"I want to learn more about you.

"I want to know what you want me to do,

"and then I want to do it."

Where you turn away from all the things

that you know are wrong.

You don't do them anymore.

You don't make up tales.

You don't lie.

You don't steal.

You don't pursue yourself.

You pursue Him.

If you'd like to start doing that

and make that commitment, giveus a call, 1-800-700-7000.

Here's a word from Philippians.

For our citizenship is in heaven,

from which we also eagerlywait for the Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

(uplifting music)