(punchy theme music)
- Good evening and Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks for joining us for this
special edition of "Faith Nation."
I'm John Jessup.
Well, 2020 marks the 400th anniversary
of the landing of the pilgrimsin Plymouth, Massachusetts.
While many Americans mayconsider Thanksgiving
to be the pilgrims' lasting legacy,
their impact on American government
is seen as even more consequential.
CBN's Paul Strand explains.
(wind whooshing)
- 2020 is the 400th anniversary
of the founding of Plymouth.
I think that's a huge milestone.
It's a great milestone in human history.
- [Paul] Christian historian,Jerry Newcombe's documentary,
"The Pilgrims" looks athow those 51 pilgrims
not only survived theirfirst Massachusetts winter,
but went on to influencetheir future nation.
- This small small groupcast a very large shadow.
- [Paul] From the documentary...
- Did you know that today10% of the population
of the United States areMayflower descendants,
30 million people from 51.
- The pilgrims founded America,
for all intents and purposes.
- [Paul] In those days, England demanded
all citizens belong tothe Church of England
and conform to its beliefsor face harsh punishment.
- You will worship asthey say you worship,
and so to do this illegally meant
you could be arrested.
- Or even put to death,so the pilgrims fled.
- They just wanted to worship Jesus
in the purity of the gospel
and the king wouldn't let them do that.
He was ruling it over their conscience.
That's why they fled.
- [Paul] They had come tobelieve in radical ideas
they found in the Bible,
like they had rights given by God
and that he wanted them to be free,
to govern themselves from within.
- The Mayflower was a cargo ship,
but the most precious cargo
that was carried across the Atlantic
were the ideas in thehearts of the pilgrims
that were drawn from the Bible.
- [Paul] And after unexpected winds
blew them off course awayfrom any governing authority,
they made a covenant between God and man
for a new form of government.
- The pilgrims gave usThe Mayflower Compact,
which was an agreement forself government under God,
which was really the first step
in the creation ultimately of
the Declaration of Independence
and of the US Constitution.
- It was a polarity changein world government.
You know, instead of top down
ruled by these kings that keep
getting more and morepowerful, it's bottom up.
It's the people themselves deciding
what laws are gonna pass andagreeing to submit to 'em.
- [Paul] It made freedomthe cornerstone of America
as shown by the words on the liberty bell.
- It says, "Proclaimliberty throughout the land
and to all the inhabitants thereof."
- [Paul] Some students are wrongly taught
the pilgrims stole from the Indians
and treated them horribly.
The record shows the opposite was true.
- The pilgrims were kind to the Indians.
They showed them love, theyshowed them compassion.
They showed them the godly way to live.
- [Paul] They did take some buried corn
in cold New England, but only because
they were literally starving.
- And they even said, when they later
came into contact withthe Native Americans,
they said, "Find out whose corn that is
so we may repay them."
- [Paul] They didn'tsteal land in Plymouth.
It had been abandoned by the Indians.
- There was a plague that occurred
three years before thevoyage of The Mayflower,
and it wiped out about 95% of the Indians
in that particular region.
- They wouldn't come back on it
because of the plague.
The pilgrims took land nobody wanted.
- [Paul] And they showed the Indians
they'd treat them as equals.
- And there was even a situation
where a pilgrim killed an Indian.
The pilgrim was put on trial.
- [Paul] The Indians expected...
- A mock trial, go through the motions,
get it over with, let him go.
After all, all theydid was kill an Indian.
- And that's not what happened.
They found the pilgrim guilty
and he was hanged for murder.
- Everybody was equal under the law.
Now the Indians could trust the pilgrims.
- [Paul] The pilgrimsshowed future Americans
a God-blessed cause was something
worth suffering for, even dying for.
The Mayflower's CaptainJones offered to rescue them
from the first deadly winter they faced.
- Half their number have died.
This is not what theysigned up for at all,
and Jones says, "Anybody whowants to come back to England
with me, I will take them."
Not one of them went.
- [Paul] The pilgrimsmade living by the Bible
and loving it a very American habit.
- And that touch book was the Bible.
- The Bible was the key book
for the first 200 years.
- [Paul] The foundingfathers brought America
an enlightened revolution.
- And above all, they quoted the Bible
four times more than theyquoted any human author.
- [Paul] It gave them the go ahead
to throw off Britain's ungodly tyranny.
- They recognized thatthere is a higher law,
the law of God and that God presides
over the affairs of nations.
- You were to obey the lawful authorities,
but if the lawful authorities
take too much authority unto themselves
and they violate God's laws,
then obedience to God meansresistance to tyrants.
- So the pilgrims who'd fled England
for their freedom laid the foundations
that shaped America andeventually its freedom.
Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington.
- Thanks Paul for thatinteresting look back.
Well, even though 2020has been a rough year,
today, people across the country
are taking time to focuson reasons to be thankful,
and as Lorie Johnson reports,
gratitude throughout the year
can lead to major health benefits.
- For thousands of years,
scripture has been very clear.
Give thanks, and now, health experts
are saying the same thing.
- Studies have shown that
people with a more grateful disposition
actually engage in more exercise.
They eat healthier.
They take care of themselves better
by getting regular physical examinations.
It's also been shown to be helpful
with people who are havingsome kind of physical ailment
actually reduce negative health symptoms
and increase sleep.
- [Lorie] The research is clear.
Grateful people handle adversity better,
experience less PTSD, clinicaldepression and anxiety.
- Gratitude has been shownto actually help cope
with stress and negative life events,
which of course, stresscan be a major contributor
to physical problems.
Stress certainly tends todepress our immune system,
makes us more vulnerableto disease, to sickness.
- [Lorie] As a bonus,taking this extra step
can help your family and friends.
- Research is showing more and more
that the quality of our relationships
has a tremendous impact on
the quality of our health,
and gratitude actually has been shown
to help improve the qualityof one's relationship.
- Most people aren't naturally grateful.
That's why here at ReviveOur Hearts Ministry,
they actually teach people
how to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss leads the ministry,
which includes a nationallybroadcast radio program.
She says gratitude starts
with telling God you don'towe me anything good.
- All I deserved was hell,
and you've given me somuch more than that.
You've given me Heaven and eternal life
and Christ Jesus and your Holy Spirit.
Oh Lord, if you nevergave me anything else good
in this life, then havingsaved me eternally from sin,
I am one blessed woman
and I will spend all ofeternity giving you thanks.
- Nancy says developing this spirit
is like building muscle.
It takes work.
- Gratitude is, it'ssupposed to be a lifestyle.
It's a habit, and unfortunately,
it gets eclipsed by bad habits,
the whining, thecomplaining, the murmuring,
the pointing out thingsthat we wish were different,
but we can change that
as we lift our eyes upwardoff of our circumstances
and say, "Lord, you are amazing."
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
For his steadfast love endures forever.
- [Lorie] In her book,"Choosing Gratitude,"
Nancy recommends making thanksgiving
a priority for an entire month.
Also, keep a journal, writing down
all blessings, big and small.
- And I found that that discipline
helped me to be consciousof, mindful of things
that otherwise I might have forgotten.
I might not have noticed,
and I think that's why Psalm 103 says,
"Forget not all his benefits."
- [Lorie] And while you have your pen out,
write thank you letters topeople who've blessed you.
- It can be emails, it can be texts,
and I do it that way too,
but I try to write some old fashioned,
long-hand thank you notes to say,
I'm so grateful that you thought of me,
for your kindness, forwhat you invested in me,
and you know, you'll find that,
if you write that kinda note,
you'll probably shock some people
because it's so rare today.
- [Lorie] And don't stop there.
Express thanksgiving outloud several times a day.
- We're much better at saying, you know,
what we wish we had, what we have
that we wish we didn't have
rather than saying thankyou to God and to others
for what we do have.
- [Lorie] So for betterhealth, make a conscious effort
to give thanks, a lot of it, every day.
It's not easy, but well worth the effort.
Lorie Johnson, CBN News.
- [John] Up next, an anxiety epidemic,
is the church failing todeal with this major issue?
(upbeat music)
- [Announcer] Introducingthe CBN Bible from CBN.com.
Now, an easier way to study the Bible
and grow in your faith.
Highlight your favorite verse.
Read separate versions at a glance.
Click and read a commentary
or cross reference your favorite verse
using the Strong's Concordance.
All the right tools to study the Bible
all in one place.
The CBN Bible, available at CBN.com/Bible
or the iTunes App Store.
- [Narrator] This is "CBN NewsWatch."
- Thanks for joining us.
- [Narrator] Watch breaking news,
exclusive stories and programs,
credible news reporting.
- We show you what'shappening in the world
and how you can pray about it.
- [Narrator] This is "CBN NewsWatch"
because truth matters,
weekdays at 5:00 on the CBN News Channel.
(upbeat music)
- Woo hoo!
Hi "Superbook" fans.
Here's something else you'll love.
Whoa-oh-hoho-ho!
It's the new Superbook Bible App.
It's packed with games, activities
and "Superbook" episodes
that you can watch for free.
Oh no!
There's trivia, a fun daily devotional
and answers to your Bible questions,
plus, an easy to understand Bible
the whole family will enjoy.
You can even create your ownSuperbook character, ta da!
Whoa-ho-ho!
(reporter chattering)
sorry, pardon me, sorry, excuse me, ouch.
- Are you getting this?
- Earn Super points towin daily prizes too
and so much more.
Time to get back to my adventures.
See you soon.
It's the new Superbook Bible App,
free downloads on iTunes,Google Play and Amazon.
- Well, welcome back.
Fewer faces may bearound this Thanksgiving
due to Covid concerns, adding to why
the holidays can be hard,
especially for thosestruggling with mental illness
along with the stigma of counseling.
That is particularly true in churches.
Heather Sells reports how one pastor
and his congregation are fighting for hope
in the face of despair.
- [Heather] As a college senior,
Dacari Middlebrooks got a dreadful call.
His best friend had been murdered.
This led to three yearsof violent nightmares,
when finally, a seminaryprofessor suggested therapy.
Middlebrooks rejected it flat out.
- I said, I appreciate your suggestion,
but black people don't go to counseling.
We just pray about it.
- [Heather] The government estimates
that each year 48 millionstruggle with anxiety disorders
and millions with challengeslike major depression,
post-traumatic stressand bipolar disorder.
For the young, mentalillness can turn deadly.
Suicide is the secondleading cause of death
for ages 10 to 34.
Fortunately, Middlebrooks didmake his way to a therapist.
- I went to counseling and I enjoyed it.
It was the greatest two anda half years of my life.
- [Heather] He began attending a church
with a pastor who openly talked about
his struggle after his first wife died.
- I went throughincredible loss in my life
and found myself in a place of depression
and didn't realize what it was.
I knew I was in a dark place.
- [Heather] Bishop Walker also eventually
sought out counseling, and as he healed,
he realized his own churchneeded a wake up call.
- I think that there is, inthe African American community,
this whole idea that, you know,
this phobia, this stigma, you know,
if you get counseling,you know, you're crazy.
- Research shows thatpeople who are struggling
with their mental health oftenturn first to their church.
That's an enormous opportunity.
Now remarried, Bishop Walker and his wife,
Dr. Stephanie Walker, a pediatrician,
are bringing mentalhealth to the forefront.
They started Churchfit at Mount Zion,
offering classes and programs
on total physical and mental health.
This includes a push from the pulpit
in an effort to fight the stigma.
- We now make it a part ofour everyday conversation
as opposed to something that's whispered
or something that's talkedabout only in the corner.
It's a part of the everyday conversation.
So, do you need help?
How are you feeling today,
and asking three questions beyond that
because what is the common answer?
Well, I'm fine.
Well, really, so tell me more.
- Psychologist, VanessaBell, attends Mount Zion
and says the new direction has been huge.
- I think that's what he did in essence,
normalized it from the pulpit,
that you know, what you'reexperiencing is real.
We can pray about it,
but there are also resources available.
- [Heather] Dr. Walker has also developed
a referral system, so churchmembers can easily find
a counselor, psychiatristor support group.
- As a church, we don'thave to recreate the wheel.
The resources are out there.
We have the people,they have the resources.
We serve as connectors.
- [Heather] And Mount Zionmakes sure its people know
how to help, ask the right questions
and not let go when someone is hurting.
- It's not an option to leave you.
It's not an option to hang up the phone.
It's not an option to tellyou we can't help you.
Where do I need to send you next
and they're trained tofigure out immediately
in that moment, what are the next steps
in terms of getting this person help
and getting them connected.
- [Heather] For Middlebrooks,he's gone from shame
to healing to transparency.
He writes about his journey
in the new book, "TheDepressed Millennial,"
and he says he's seen achange in his church as well.
- I think the church is now aware
that there has to be a space,
and I think that's whatwe've been able to do
here at Mount Zion is carveout a space for dialog.
A lotta people were afraidto share that I'm broken.
- [Heather] Middlebrookshopes more churches
will adopt this model as they become aware
of mental health needs
in their congregations and communities.
Reporting in Nashville,Heather Sells, CBN News.
- [John] Thanks, Heather.
A mother of three with a deadly diagnosis,
the unlikely source where she found
a donor to save her life, that's next.
- When I came to Regent University,
it's like the world opened up.
I felt like I needed to advance my career
and go back to school.
Regent was the perfect fit for me.
The Regent professors are world class.
You are equipped.
The focus of the faculty ison each individual student,
whether it's on line or in person.
You become a part of Regent's family.
You carry with you, not just the content
and the knowledge, but theconfidence to understand
that we can be significant in the world.
- [Announcer] RegentUniversity, follow your path.
- [Reporter] Nigerian Christiansare being slaughtered--
- [Chris] Christians in Iranare routinely arrested--
- [Woman] Christians continue to suffer--
- [Announcer] In timesof trial and affliction,
you need to know the truth.
- [George] One of the fastest growing
Christian populations in the world.
- [Announcer] Join WendyGriffith and George Thomas
for "Christian World News."
- [Woman] Young people are the ones
who are open to the gospel.
- [Announcer] Powerfulstories of suffering and hope
that affect all Christians.
Watch "Christian WorldNews" Saturday at 5 pm.
- [Narrator] Get "Protect Your Sleep"
and discover how to improvethe quality of your life,
a free DVD or booklet
from the Christian Broadcasting Network.
- If you're not a great sleeper,
you can do things to makeyourself a great sleeper.
If you're already a pretty good sleeper,
you can enhance yoursleep and be even better.
- [Narrator] Five leadingexperts help remove
the obstacles between youand restorative sleep.
- When you don't get arestful night's sleep,
you wake up with anaccumulation of stress.
- [Narrator] Call1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com
to get your free DVD or booklet today.
- Everything you do,
you do better with a good night's sleep.
- [Narrator] You'll discoverhow food affects your sleep,
how to put insomnia to rest,
explore effectiveremedies for sleep apnea,
and much more in "Protect Your Sleep."
Wake up to your best life
and get "Protect Your Sleep" today.
Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com
to get your free DVD or booklet.
- Welcome back.
Grateful to be alive, that'show one young mother felt
after an experimental livertransplant from a live donor.
Here again, Lorie Johnson,
with her incredible story of thankfulness.
- [Lorie] On the outside, Carole Motycka
looked like the picture of health.
In 2016, she experienced pain
following a strenuous hikeand visited the doctor.
Expecting a minor report,
the diagnosis caughther totally off guard.
- He said, I believe you havea large tumor in your colon,
and he said, I believe thatyour cancer from your colon
has went into your liver,
and he said, this is probablythe worst case scenario.
- [Lorie] The good news?
Surgeons removed the diseasedportion of Carole's colon.
Since the cancer had spreadto her liver, however,
doctors told her chemotherapywas the only option.
Given the average survivalis just two years,
Carole's first thought was her family.
- My kids, certainly.
So they instantly came to my head.
Am I going to see them grow up?
- [Lorie] Then, doctorsat the Cleveland Clinic
told her about a new option.
Carole was eligible for anexperimental liver transplant
from a live person.
- Basically, it consists in removing
about 60% of the liverfrom a healthy person,
a healthy donor, andtransplanting that part
to a person that is in need.
- [Lorie] Given her desperate situation,
Carole started looking for a donor.
Her pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church
in Van Wert, Ohio wroteabout Carole's need
in the Sunday bulletin.
- It's like the very secondthat my eyes saw that
and started reading it,I just had this feeling
come over me that, you know,this is going to be you.
You need to do this.
- [Lorie] After tests,Jason learned he was
a perfect match, but doctorswarned him there were risks.
- It's about four to sixpatients in a thousand will die
as a result of liver donation.
- [Lorie] Jason stillagreed to the transplant,
even though he barely even knew Carole.
- It was a blessing to me.
I think I cried forprobably the first week.
- [Lorie] The difficult surgery
was a complete success.
Carole and Jason, whoare now good friends,
both recovered beautifully and feel great.
- You know, it's given me the chance
to see my John, he's graduated now,
and my Joseph is gonna graduate,
and my Nick is at Dartmouth,
and I didn't know thatI would get to see Drew
graduate from high school,
but I get that opportunity now
because of what Jason has given to me.
- So many people have come up and said,
you know, it's so great what you did
and it's amazing, you'resuch a great person,
and I always have to, like, step back.
I'm like, no, it's not,you don't understand that
I was called to do this.
- Thanks to the transplant,
doctors estimate Carole'schance of survival increased
from 10% to 60% after five years.
Great news for Carole and many others
facing a similar diagnosis.
In addition to the surgery,
doctors also conductedgenetic testing on Carole.
They found what they believecan cause colon cancer
at such a young age.
Doctors now know mutations in the BMPR1A
and SMAD4 genes can cause polyps to form
in the colons of teenagers.
If left untreated,these polyps can develop
into colon cancer, whichcan spread to the liver.
Since these mutationsare usually inherited,
Carole's four children alsounderwent genetic testing.
Doctors learned twocarried the problem gene.
Both then underwent colonoscopies,
at which time doctors discoveredproblems and treated them.
- Jonathan had several polyps removed.
Joseph, who was 20 years old at the time
that he had the colonoscopyhad three pre-cancerous polyps.
And so, through my diagnosis,
what a greater gift could I give as a mom
besides teaching my kids to love Jesus,
and to be compassionate young men,
I was able to give them life again.
They will never have to deal with this.
They will never have to gothrough what I've had to do.
- [Lorie] Carole hopes to use her story
to convince young adults to learn more
about their family's health history
and undergo genetic testing
and colorectal screenings if necessary.
Lorie Johnson, CBN News.
- [Announcer] Christians around the world
are standing with the Israelis, but why?
In CBN's free magazine,"Friends of Israel,"
you'll discover why Christians
are supporting the Jewish state.
How Israel is fulfilling prophecyas a light to the nations,
and ways you can prayfor the people of Israel.
Israel needs the supportof friends like you.
Call now or go to CBN.comto get your free copy
of "Friends of Israel."
(upbeat music)
- Heavenly Father, we do thank you
for the work of your Spirit, Lord God,
with this movement of getting the Bible...
- Yes.
- Lord, into public schools.
- [Announcer] Watch "The Prayer Link,"
Tuesday nights at 6:30.
- If you're tired and exhausted all day,
you can't think clearlyand you really just need
a cup or even a pot of coffeeto get through your day,
then join me, Dr. JoshAxe, for this new series,
where I'm gonna teach youhow to transform your diet
and use essential oils and supplements
to get a better night's sleep.
- [Announcer] Get "Protect Your Sleep"
and live your best life,
with innovative informationfrom five leading sleep experts.
- If you're not a great sleeper,
you can do things to makeyourself a great sleeper.
If you're already a pretty good sleeper,
you can enhance yoursleep and be even better.
- [Announcer] Discover asleep-enhancing bedtime routine,
how to put insomnia to rest.
Learn how to relievepain that disturbs sleep
and much more in "Protect Your Sleep."
- Everything you do,
you do better with a good night's sleep.
- [Announcer] Wake up to your best life.
Call 1-800-700-7000 to getyour free DVD or booklet
of "Protect Your Sleep" today.
- Don't miss out on this brand new series.
- And finally tonight,this holiday season,
many charities anticipate greater demand
to help those in need,
but as many organizationshave already come to learn,
raising money looks a little different
in the days of COVID-19.
CBN's Charlene Aaron reports.
- You know it's the holiday season
when you see and hear those bell ringers
from the Salvation Armyoutside local stores.
This year, the charitykicked off an early mission
to rescue Christmas as more families
struggle due to COVID-19.
- People have come tous who used to be donors
to the Salvation Army.
Since middle of March, we've served
more than a hundred million meals.
We've provided 1 and a half million more
nights of shelter than wewould in a normal year.
- [Charlene] CommissionerKenneth Hodder serves
as the army's national commander.
He anticipates those needssuch as feeding families,
paying bills and providing shelter
extending beyondThanksgiving into Christmas.
- We currently project an increase
of about 155% over last year,
which would mean about 6.6 million people
will be coming to the Salvation Army
for assistance this Christmas.
- [Charlene] In response, it has launched
an initiative called Rescue Christmas
to head off a potential50% decrease in donations.
- Last year, we raised about $126 million
at the red kettles and,as you can imagine,
a 50% decrease on thatfigure would be devastating.
- [Charlene] With less traffic in malls
and shopping centers,fewer bells and kettles
will be on display this holiday season,
leading the army to offernew ways for giving.
- All of our bell ringers will have
all of the necessary PPEs.
They'll be social distancing.
We'll be cleaning the kettles regularly.
In addition to that, however,
we're going to providemore near-field technology,
which will allow peopleto give over their phones
when they come close to aSalvation Army Christmas kettle.
They'll be able tocontribute on their phones.
- [Charlene] Another high-tech option...
- [Hodder] They can simply say,
"Alexa, donate to the Salvation Army,"
and they'll be able to dothat, quite remarkable.
- [Charlene] Meanwhile, Hoddersees this holiday season
as a greater opportunityto meet the spiritual needs
of people affected by thechallenges of this year.
- It is precisely at this time of year
and precisely at the moment
when all of our human reliance
on the things of thisearth begins to crumble.
We can turn to the sourceof our true strength,
the source of truly rescuing Christmas
in the person of Jesus Christ.
And so, we're anticipating achallenging Christmas season,
but ultimately, one inwhich he will be glorified.
- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron, CBN News.
- Thanks, Charlene.
Well, thanks so much forwatching this special edition
of "Faith Nation," I hope you have
a great Thanksgiving, eat a lotta turkey
and have a great night.
(upbeat music)
