(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] The followingprogram is sponsored by CBN.

- [Wendy] Coming up, the hunt for

the Ark of the Covenant.

Are we about to unearth thegreatest find of all time?

- We're really gonna see ithopefully in our lifetime again.

- [Wendy] Then, a terminal case of cancer.

- You will die from this.

- [Wendy] And death wasready to take her away.

- [Abigail] Knowing thatthe Grim Reaper was standing

at the foot of my bed.

- [Wendy] Watch as she entersthe battle of her life.

- [Abigail] I simply had no options.

- [Wendy] On today's 700 Club.

(upbeat music)

- Welcome to The 700 Club.

Blowback against the White House

for colluding with Facebook to flag posts

they claim promotemisinformation about COVID.

Critics are crying government overreach

and suppression of freedom of speech.

Meanwhile, COVID is spikingagain in nearly every state.

Our George Thomas has the story.

- The White House facing backlash

after calling on socialmedia companies to flag

what they considermisinformation about COVID-19.

This as cases of the virusin nearly every state

are on the rise.

The nation is averaging25,300 new cases each day,

more than double that of a few weeks ago,

but far below the worst of the pandemic.

- Now is our moment to really double down

on our vaccination efforts and our other

prevention interventions.

- [George] Los Angeles County,the largest in the nation,

is now reinstating itsindoor mask mandate.

- We will be implementing an order

requiring masking indoors,regardless of vaccination.

- [George] 160 millionAmericans are fully vaccinated

and so far the vaccinesare proving effective

against the Delta variant.

Health officials say themajority of people getting sick

are not vaccinated andthe White House blames

what it calls misinformationcirculating on social media.

- Today I issued aSurgeon General's Advisory

on the dangers of health misinformation.

- [George] Two thirds ofpeople not vaccinated, he says,

believe common myths.

- Myths like you can getCOVID from the vaccine,

which is absolutely not true.

- [George] Now, Press Secretary Jen Psaki

says the White House is inregular contact with Facebook

about flagging posts seen as problematic.

- We're flagging problematicposts for Facebook

that spread this information.

- [George] And askingthe social media giant

to step up enforcement.

- There's about 12 peoplewho are producing 65%

of anti-vaccine misinformationon social media platforms.

All of them remain active on Facebook.

- [George] Critics slammed the move,

saying it infringes onthe First Amendment,

pointing out experts havefrequently been wrong,

like the theory COVIDstarted in a Chinese lab,

once banned from some online discussions,

but now considered credible,

even by the World Health Organization.

- As you know, I was alab technician myself,

I'm a immunologist, andI have worked in the lab

and lab accidents happen, it's common,

I have seen it happening.

- Conservative commentator,Katie Pavlich, tweeted,

"Reminder: Fauci workedwith Facebook to ban

the lab leak theory, which is factual,

for more than a year."

Journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted,

"This is the union ofcorporate and state power,

one of the classic hallmarks of fascism,

that the people whospent five years babbling

about fascism support."

The White House says it's careful not to

politicize the vaccine, but critics argue

their latest move is another expansion

of government power, thistime over free speech.

George Thomas, CBN News.

- Thanks, George.

In other news, a new technology

might help stop a future pandemic.

It's a tiny sensor andguess where it sits?

Right under your skin.

John Jessup has that story

from our CBN News Bureau in Washington.

John.

- That is right, Wendy.

The tiny hydrogel sensorwas originally developed

to help treat diabetes, butfor the Department of Defense,

it's a way to stop the spread of infection

dead in its tracks.

CBN's national securitycorrespondent, Caitlin Burke,

has the story.

- Investment in this kind of technology

has been going on foryears, all with one goal,

to protect the soldiers protecting us.

- What we do is we say, "Well,the science is interesting,"

but we're translating that.

We're translating that intoapplication and benefit

and it's something, frankly, I think

the Department of Defensedoes really, really well.

We can see science, but we say,

"We have mission, we have anational security mission."

- [Caitlin] In March of 2020,the USS Theodore Roosevelt

made headlines when more thana thousand sailors on board

tested positive for COVID-19.

For two months the outbreak kept the ship

and its crew of 4,800sailors from their mission

of defending our nation.

Dr. Matthew Hepburn says he'sdevoted his entire career

to prevent that from ever happening again.

- That what we want todo is detect an infection

as early as possible, beforesomeone even spreads it

to another person, to tryto prevent that infection

in the first place, sothat it never happens,

but if it does, we detect and treat,

and what we also might want to do

is then make sure everybodyelse is protected.

- [Caitlin] That dream,now appears possible

thanks to this tiny hydrogel biosensor.

Placed under the skin, itmeasures what's going on

at a tissue level.

For example, the amountof lactate in your body.

- The level of lactate at the tissue level

is a really good indicator that someone

is starting to get sick.

It's one of those things thatwe see go up pretty early

in severe infection, called sepsis.

- [Caitlin] The sensor doesn't identify

what infection you mighthave, it's more of an alert.

Hepburn compares it toa check engine light.

- Like, a check engine light doesn't say,

"There's a problem, you're out of oil,"

or something like that, it just says,

"There's something wrong,there may be something wrong

with your engine, so take a closer look."

So the idea of the sensor ischeck engine light goes off,

then you need to dosome more specific tests

to figure out if you have COVID

or something else wrong.

- [Caitlin] This nextgeneration technology

was invented by Profusa.

The private sector company created it

to help treat diabetes.

Now, through a partnershipwith the Department of Defense,

the sensor has been developed

for a number of other purposes.

Besides detecting infection,

it can also measure oxygen levels.

- [Matthew] So you canthink of, like, a pilot,

you'd want to know tissue level hypoxia,

or low oxygen, as an early signal

that you're not gettingenough oxygen to your tissues.

- Currently in clinical trials,

this, like all othervaccines and treatments

provided by the Department of Defense,

must get FDA approval.

This one appears to be well onits way to that achievement.

Caitlin Burke, CBN News.

- Technological breakthroughs.

Thanks, Caitlin.

Well, people of faith around the world

are targeted daily from violent attacks

to so-called polite persecution,

putting limits on how theycan express their faith.

But as Jennifer Wishon reports,

a growing number of peopleare joining forces to stop it.

- Most people in the world, 80%,

live in countries wheretheir religious activity

is restricted by their government

and, increasingly, thatpersecution is severe.

This week people from across the globe

representing 30 different faith traditions

are gathering here in Washington

to promote religious freedom.

- Please keep praying for my brother.

Thank you so much.

- [Jennifer] Some came toadvocate for loved ones,

survivors told their stories.

- Persecution is very hard.

Mariam Ibrahim madeheadlines when she refused

to recant her Christian faith,

despite a death sentence in Sudan.

- It's a choice that, you know, I'm,

because we are the Christian,

we know our freedom is in Jesus.

- [Jennifer] TursunayZiyawudun is a Uyghur Muslim

who managed to escape from aconcentration camp in China.

(speaking foreign language)

Her pain is palpable.

She and other women were regularly raped,

subjected to electric shock and humiliated

for the crime of their faith.

Now she can't escapethoughts of her people

continuing to suffer.

- [Tursunay's Interpreter]Sometimes I think

it would be better if I wereback in the homeland with them,

even if it meant death.

I'm so shocked that the world

is just sitting by and watching.

The Chinese government hasabsolutely no shame about this.

- [Jennifer] The type of surveillance

the Chinese CommunistRegime uses against Uyghurs

has been exported tomore than 80 countries.

- That means that the government

and those dystopian regimes,

the bad actors, can usethat technology to monitor

who's going to what church,saying what during the sermon.

- [Jennifer] Despite growing awareness

of global persecution,sometimes not even genocide

garners enough aid or attention.

Seven years after ISIS nearly wiped out

Iraq's Yazidi community,much of their homeland

remains uninhabitable.

- And there's peopledying of hunger and thirst

and it's like people, likeI said, offer sympathy,

but it's like, at the end of the day

I was just exhaustedand my family and people

were still suffering and dying

of lack of medical aidand thirst and hunger.

- [Jennifer] For the Hungarian government,

helping persecuted Christiansis a moral obligation.

- Christians are the mostpersecuted religious group

in the world.

- [Jennifer] Tristan Azbejserves as state secretary

for Christian aid.

In four years, Hungary hassupported a quarter million

persecuted Christians, helpedreconstruct 67 churches

in Lebanon and rebuilt theChristian town of Telskuf, Iraq

after it was decimated by ISIS.

- 900 buildings were damaged.

The church, that wasused for target practice

by the jihadists.

- [Jennifer] No matter their motivation,

religious freedom advocates agree

they receive much more than they give.

- They have a messageto keep our identity,

to keep our faith in Christ.

- There's no downsideto religious freedom.

Countries that practice tolerance

enjoy greater stability and prosperity.

Jennifer Wishon, CBN News, Washington.

- Thanks, Jennifer.

Shining the light on such anincredibly important issue.

Wendy.

- Absolutely, thanks, John.

And of course the Bible says in Hebrews

to remember those in prisonand those being mistreated,

so let's all remember topray for persecuted believers

around the world.

Well, up next, you're gonnameet a real life Indiana Jones.

He's on a quest to track down

the long lost Ark of the Covenant

and he thinks he knowsexactly where to find it.

So why does this explorer believe

we'll see the Ark in our lifetime?

He'll tell you himself, coming up.

Plus, imagine trying to sleep

with the Grim Reaper atthe foot of your bed.

That happened to thismother after being diagnosed

with terminal cancer.

So how did she cheat death?

Find out later on today's 700 Club.

(upbeat music)

Movie makers, archeologistsand even the Queen of England

all have been fascinated by the search

for the Ark of the Covenant.

Some legends claim the Ark is as far away

as Ethiopia or Ireland.

But one explorer believesit lies behind a giant rock

at Judaism's holiest site.

Why is he so convinced?

Chris Mitchell explains.

- [Chris] Researcher andauthor, Harry Moskoff,

took CBN News throughthe Western Wall tunnels

up to the ramparts of the Temple Mount

and into the chambers surroundingJudaism's holiest site.

His book, "The A.R.K. Report",

chronicles his two decade questto find the legendary icon.

- [Harry] So here we areapproaching the three arches.

- [Chris] He says onetheory is that it was taken

out of the Temple and carriedto Jericho 18 miles away.

- It says in Jeremiah that someof the vessels in the Temple

were exited, sort of escaped as it were,

through this area at thedestruction of the First Temple.

- [Chris] But Moskoff took us to the spot

where he believes the Ark lies.

- This particular sectionof the Western Wall

is really fascinating, actually,

because this stone is 570 tons.

- [Chris] Moskoff believesa key clue lies behind

this giant rock and sayshigh tech search tools

give credence to his theory.

- There were tests done bythe University of Nebraska,

sonar tests, et cetera,using electromagnetic waves

and they actually found what's called

a storage space across from here.

So, actually, there was a purpose

for putting this giant stone,this massive slab here.

One of the reasons, in my opinion,

is to protect whateverit is on the other side.

And according to my theory,the Ark actually was buried

by King Josiah, I think it was 568 B.C.,

in back of these boulder,these massive stones.

- [Chris] In fact,underneath the Temple Mount

lie dozens of undergroundtunnels and chambers.

- Back then, 150 years ago, Charles Warren

went in and actually did a survey,

nothing's really been donefor political purposes,

obviously, unfortunately.

- Since then?

- Since then.

No one's been allowed toeven put a shovel, nothing.

- Yeah.

- But, basically, they were the ones

that surveyed the wholearea and they were the ones

who picked out the tunnels, et cetera.

They couldn't find the Ark, but.

- Maybe it wasn't time.

Warren, a British explorer,documented those tunnels

at the request of Queen Victoria.

Just one of many throughouthistory looking for the Ark.

- When people like the Crusadersand the Knights Templar,

even the Palestine Exploration Fund,

which was originallycommissioned by Queen Victoria,

came over the centuriesto look for the Ark,

what they were looking for wasa golden box with the staves,

but what they really shouldbe looking for is a room.

They could've been rightup against the wall

and on the other sideof the wall is the Ark.

- [Chris] Moskoff says theoriginal Holy of Holies

had another chamber directly below it.

- Actually, the blueprintitself of the First Temple,

a chamber should bebuilt exactly the same,

Holy of Holies, exactlythe same level of holiness

as the one right above it.

It was set up right from the beginning

to house the Ark with agolden floor and everything.

- [Chris] That's how Solomon built it,

constructed, so the Arkitself could go down?

- Right, could go down, yeah.

- Do you feel like there's a time

when the Ark itself,when the time is right

will be revealed?

- I do.

Timing is incredibly important,incredibly significant.

Obviously it's agroundbreaking, game changing,

biblical type of discovery.

My personal opinion isthat when it does happen

it won't be in a clandestine way

where we're sneakingthrough these tunnels,

you know what I mean,and we're bringing it out

under cover of darkness.

It will be a greatoccasion and it will help

bring the Messiah, it'llbe something that's,

all nations will really rejoice in.

- [Chris] Moskoff creditsIndiana Jones and the Lost Ark

for the renewed interest.

- There are some thingsthey've gotten right about the,

you know, the power of the Ark, et cetera,

and it's destructive forces shouldn't get

into the wrong hands and itknows where it is, so to speak,

it suddenly became a thing, you know?

Oh, what is the Ark ofthe Covenant, you know?

What is that?

Oh yeah, it sort of put itinto the face of the public

and maybe that was it's best success.

I loved it, personally,you know, it's Hollywood.

- What do you think is the main takeaway

people need to know aboutthe Ark of the Covenant?

- It's a real thing.

Just like it did 2,700 yearsago, it still exists today.

It's got the broken tabletsthat Moses crashed down there

at Mount Sinai and the second tablets.

It really does exist.

We're really gonna seehopefully in our lifetime again.

It is a catalyst for the Messiah to come.

- [Chris] Until it is revealed,the Ark of the Covenant

built by Moses in the wilderness

will continue to fascinate the world.

Chris Mitchell, CBN News,

the Western Wall tunnels, Jerusalem.

- One thing's for sure, Godknows exactly where it is

and in his perfect timing,all will be revealed.

What a day that will be.

Well, at CBN we are committed

to blessing the nation of Israel

and one of the mostimportant ways we can do that

is through prayer.

Psalm 122:6 reminds us to prayfor the peace of Jerusalem.

And in this free guide, "TenWays You Can Pray For Israel".

You'll learn spiritual lessonsfrom Israel's patriarchs,

prophets and New Testament leaders.

You'll also discover specificways to pray for Israel today.

So, to get your free copy,just call us, 1-800-700-7000

or you can go to CBN.com/PrayforIsrael

to get your free copy, "TenWays You Can Pray For Israel".

Well, still ahead,millions of fans know her

as Ashley Abbott on TheYoung and the Restless.

So what is actress, singer and author,

Brenda Epperson, doing now?

She'll tell you herself, coming up.

But first, a PET scanturns into a glory scan.

This cancer patient'sdoctor calls her a miracle.

So what caused her total healing?

You'll find out right after this.

(upbeat music)

Her life was flashing before her eyes

and getting a glimpse of her own funeral.

Terminal cancer stalkedAbigail every waking moment.

"You will die from this,"that's what her doctor told her.

So why is Abigail stillalive to tell her story

and completely cancer free?

You're about to find out.

- I had those moments wakingup just in a cold sweat,

knowing that the Grim Reaper was standing

at the foot of my bed, like,"I have a right to be here."

"I took your dad out,took your grandparents,"

I never even knew my grandparents.

"I have a right, I'mhere to get you, too."

- [Narrator] All her life,Abigail Holt-Jennings

had braced herself for thismoment, a battle with cancer.

She had watched her dadfight it for 10 years

until he passed away when she was 16.

Now 42 years old, she'd been diagnosed

with an aggressive formof metastatic cancer.

- I think the lord was preparing me,

like, "You're about to enter a battle,

but I am with you."

- [Narrator] Less than a year earlier,

she'd undergone a double mastectomy

after learning she hadstage three breast cancer.

She thought she was in the clear.

But six months later,at a follow-up PET scan

with her oncologist...

- He said, "This is what Ifeared, it's moving to your lungs

and you see these places?"

He's like, "These areplaces I cannot get to."

"This is terminal andyou will die from this."

- [Narrator] The treatmentshe did offer were extreme

and would only put off the inevitable.

- That is when that Grim Reaper,

I could feel, I could feel that thing,

that spirit of deathand that spirit of fear

walk in the room.

And then I felt wonderful Jesuswalk in the room, as well,

and he said, "But whodo you say that I am?"

And it was in that momentthat something rose up

inside of me and I rememberanswering him in my mind,

"This is gonna be a greatline in my book one day."

In other words, I knowyou're gonna hear me

and I'm gonna write about this one day.

- [Narrator] Abigaildeclined the treatments

and decided she would fight cancer

taking a natural and dietary approach

and, above all, praying andbelieving God for healing.

- As believers, thereis a hope inside of us.

And so, now, did I just walk around like,

huh, you know?

I didn't know how God was gonna do it,

but I knew my eyes were on him.

- [Narrator] Enlisting the prayers

of her family and friends,Abigail, a single mom of two,

talked openly with herchildren about her health.

- And I remember my little girl, Lily,

came up to me with a magazineand she opened the magazine,

and she loved American Girl dolls,

they now have a, an AmericanGirl doll with no hair,

and she said, "Mom, maybe Ineed to get this one this year

in case you lose your hair."

And I said, "Honey, you willnot have to order that doll

because mommy is not losing her hair."

- [Narrator] Three monthslater, another PET scan

showed the cancer wasspreading aggressively

in her lymph nodes.

Holding onto hope was becoming harder.

- I simply had no options.

I was just getting morescared and more frustrated

and would wake up with dreams,

seem like a movie screen, my funeral.

- [Narrator] Then, a couplemonths after getting that news,

Abigail went to the Dominican Republic

to visit a friend, a doctor,and take time to rest

and seek God.

Abigail remembers showing herfriend the PET scan results.

- The look on her face whenshe read that last one,

and I had never seen her look like that.

That did rattle me.

All I know to do is seekGod with all my heart,

that's all I know to do.

- [Narrator] She would spendmany hours that week in prayer,

seeking God's will.

Late one night nearthe end of her visit...

- I got out there and Isaid, "God, I need to know

am I gonna die?"

"What do you have to say about this?"

It was just me and God.

That is when I felt Jesuswalk in, if you will,

and I felt his presence.

He said, "Abigail, I came tohave a conversation with you,

I came to actually go on a walk."

- [Narrator] Abigail says shethen saw a vision of herself

with Jesus in Jerusalem.

He walked her past thecross and into the tomb

where he lay down.

- And he said, "Watch this," and he sat up

and he said, "Abigail,when I sat up, you sat up."

And then he walked tothe entrance of the tomb

and I will never forgetthis as long as I live,

he said, "When I walked out of the tomb,

did I have cancer in my lungs?"

I said, "No, Jesus, you didn't."

He said, "So, do you have tohave cancer in your lungs?"

And I said, "No, Jesus, I don't."

And in that moment, Iknew, I am cancer free.

- [Narrator] A few weeksafter she came home,

Abigail faced yet another PET scan.

She says that morningJesus spoke to her again.

- "Good morning, this is the glory scan."

And I went, I went in that tube,

you know, I hate those things,

and I just sang, not a fear, not nothing.

- [Narrator] Later that day anurse called with the results.

- And she goes, "Abigail, Idon't really know what to say,

but, uh, there's nothing here."

"Like, there's nothing here."

And I was like, "I know, I know."

- [Narrator] At the follow-up appointment,

her oncologist confirmedthat Abigail was cancer free.

- He goes, "I don't needmy degree on my wall

to see that this is a miracle."

- [Narrator] That was 2017 and Abigail

has been cancer free ever since.

To anyone who's fighting abattle, her message is clear,

"Keep your eyes on Jesus."

- He was trying to tell me,

"This doesn't have to do with you."

"I took care of sin at the cross,

I took care of every disease,

I took care of every sickness."

He is entirely the healer, entirely.

- I love Abigail's story so much

because she had a choice,to believe the Grim Reaper,

who said, "You're gonna die from this,"

and even her doctor said,"You're gonna die from this,"

or to believe the spirit ofJesus Christ, the healer,

who said, "Who's reportare you gonna believe?"

"Did I have lung cancer whenI came out of the grave?"

"No."

And she chose to believethat she was healed

according to the word of God, which says,

"I have forgiven all of your sins

and healed all of your diseases."

You know, there's somebody today

and you need this story so much

because you've had that bad report

and you're believing that lie.

I remember, myself, 20 years ago,

I had, I got diagnosed with melanoma

and they'd already cut it out of my arm

and the place on my legand I was recovering

and I really didn't even understand

how serious melanoma could be,

and I'm laying in bedand I hear, "Cancer,"

and I knew that I knew thatwas the voice of the enemy

telling, trying to get me to own it,

trying to get me to think I have cancer.

Let me tell you what happened.

I got out of that bed and Itold that enemy where to go

and that I would never again get cancer,

in the name of Jesus, never again.

You have to get in the enemy's face

and tell him, "I am a child of God,

this is not my inheritance, this is not

what God has for me."

And like Abigail, she was a fighter.

Man, I just love her testimony so much

because it was a grim diagnosis.

She felt the Grim Reaper in her room,

but Jesus said, "You are healed."

So today, believe, choose todaywho are you gonna believe.

Because God wants to heal you.

He went to the crossso you could be healed.

Receive it today, believe the truth today.

And also, we have apraise report from Barry

from Rogersville, Tennessee,

was told that the resultsof a CAT scan showed cancer

throughout his liver.

Before another day wentby, Barry called us

at CBN's prayer line toagree for complete healing.

Then he went in for a biopsy.

Just as the needle was about to go in,

the doctor asked Barryif he was the same person

who was in the other day.

And the doctor wasamazed because there was

no sign of cancer, praise Jesus.

Jesus wants to wipe it out completely,

he doesn't heal you half way,

he wants to wipe it out completely.

So let's pray really quick today.

I know there's so many of you right now

just needing that healingtouch, needing that miracle.

So, Lord, we thank you thatyou are the God of miracles.

What you did for Abigail,what you did for Barry,

God, you're no respecter of persons.

Lord, I pray right now forthat miracle healing virtue

to touch every viewer who's watching,

everyone who's raisingtheir hands right now

and saying, "That's me,that's what I need."

And, Lord, that their next doctor's visit,

God, they're gonna get thatclean slate, that clean report.

God, I believe with them,Lord, for that miracle

and we thank you in advance.

In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

Well, still ahead, full transparency,

childhood rape, divorce,cancer, multiple miscarriages,

actress Brenda Epperson endured them all.

How did she rise up toovercome severe setbacks?

Find out after this.

Plus, the raging wildfire that threatened

to wipe out Brenda's ranch.

What miracle did she seerise up out of the ashes?

All this and more, comingup on The 700 Club.

(lighthearted music)

(upbeat music)

- Welcome back to Washingtonfor this CBN newsbreak.

At least 110 people havedied in devastating floods

across parts of WesternGermany and Belgium.

As rescue crews and operationsand searches continue

for hundreds of missing people,

Germany's president said he'sstunned by the devastation

and pledged to support,pledged support, rather,

for the families of thosewho have been killed.

Along those lines,CBN's Operation Blessing

is helping people facingdisasters around the world.

Six year old Mosonilives in an area of Kenya

hit by severe drought.

Her mother is a farmworker and has struggled

to provide for her children.

With little water andsometimes nothing to eat,

Mosoni would complain ofstomach and head pains so bad

she thought she would die.

She prayed to God to send them food

and thanks to OperationBlessing's partners,

Mosoni and her family enrolled

in an Operation Blessing school nearby.

She now gets free educationand two meals a day

with access to a watersystem built near the school.

And her mother joined theOB Agriculture Program,

helping to provide for her family.

They both thank God and OB'spartners for their help.

Well, you can find out moreabout Operation Blessing

by visiting ob.org.

Wendy will be back withmore of today's 700 Club

right after this.

(upbeat music)

Fame, fortune, devoted fans,

actress Brenda Epperson had them all.

So, why was it never enough?

- [Narrator] For threedecades, Brenda Epperson-Moore

captured the hearts of herfans as a singer, author

and film and television actress.

She's best known for her recurring role

as Ashley Abbott onthe popular soap opera,

The Young and the Restless.

But Brenda's journeyto fortune and success

was filled with setbacks and losses.

Yet, this courageous, unstoppable woman

would not give up on her dreams.

She tells her personal storyof overcoming disappointment

and discovering joy inher new book, "Rise Up!".

- And welcome back to The 700 Club,

my friend, Brenda Epperson-Moore.

Hey Brenda, great to see you.

- Hi, good morning.

It's so good to see you,too, Wendy, I adore you.

- Likewise.- Thank you for having me on.

- Absolutely.

Well, Brenda, you landed the prime role

on the hottest soap withvirtually no acting experience.

- Yes.- How did you do that?

- That was a miracle, honestly.

It was miracle number, youknow, 3,000 in my life.

I'll tell you, I moved toLos Angeles from Oregon

to sing 'cause I'm a singerand I ran into a girl

who played this part onThe Young and the Restless

and everybody said, "Oh,you look just like her,"

and when I saw her, she goes,

"You should audition for thepart," and I went, "Sure."

So, I thought, "Let mejust call the office."

I started calling the casting office,

one thing led to another,started to going in

on auditions and got a screen test

and God just opened those doors.

You know, he purposed for meto be there at that studio

and on that show, forsure, it was a miracle.

- Yeah, well, you were anatural, a natural born actress.

- Thank you.

- So, why was fame, though,and fortune not enough for you?

I mean, you had it all.

- Well, you know, it's interesting

because, you know, what I talkabout in my book, "Rise Up!",

I talk about so many things and, you know,

God really called me to ignite his people

when I wrote this bookand I'm so passionate

about people understanding the purpose

and the calling on their life.

And this book is foranyone who's been afraid

or abused or hurt or lonelyor touched darkness, like me.

And at the end of each chapter,

I give you challengequestions that will help you

uncover those limitedmindsets and thinking

that are holding you back.

Because when I was on the show,

what the world has to offer is temporal,

but what God has to offer, Jesus Christ,

who died for our sins, is eternal.

We will never be able to findour purpose or our passion

in the world, we haveto plug in to Christ.

And, you know, being on theshow and being on the set

was wonderful and it taught me so much,

but then it became a verytoxic environment, Wendy,

and it was very clear tome that I needed to go.

And God opened another door for me.

I signed with Sony TriStar Music

and I was able to open for Lionel Richie

all over Europe.

And even on the set ofThe Young and the Restless

and being at CBS, I leda cast member to Christ

and prayed for people.

So God used me at that platform,

but when he puts us in places

and pivotally puts us these places,

sometimes it's for a long time,

but often it's a seasonand that season was over.

So, it's up to us to knowwhen God is moving us on

to the next thing.

- Well, before you everbecame Ashley Abbott,

you were so, you had a greatrelationship with your father,

you adored him and he diedwhen you were very young

and then you actually wereraped by a little boy,

when you were only, what, six years old?

Was it six years old?

- Seven, yeah.

- Seven, and I know all these things,

you know, affected you so much and,

but your mom was a devoted Christian,

why did you rebel againstGod when you were young?

- Well, you know, you know, again,

I talk about in my book, "Rise Up!",

how, you know, and I love CBN, by the way,

if you're not a partner at CBN,

I just tell you to be a partner

because every blessing that CBN does

and gives to so many people,that's your blessing, too,

and I'm so passionate aboutCBN and all that you guys do,

thank you so much.

You prayed one time andmy mother was healed,

so, you know, God doesgreat things through CBN,

Wendy and everybody there.

- Thank you.- You know, when my,

yes, when my father died,I, my life and my world

was turned upside down, we had no money,

no life insurance policyand we lost our home,

where we lived, you know,we moved out of the state

and we lived with my auntand I was also carrying

a deep dark secret ofbeing raped as a young girl

and my innocence was takenaway, my youth was stolen

and I was so angry with Godbecause I didn't understand,

as a young girl, holding that secret,

that when I said, "I hate you, God,"

that I opened the door forthat hate and that anger

and that unforgivenessto penetrate into my soul

and I began to hate myself and, and-

- Brenda?

When did you finally, youknow, surrender to Jesus?

Because you were going through so much.

- Oh, I was going through so much

and I just hated myself andthe world was telling me

I was ugly, I was abused, I was abandoned,

I would never measure up, andthen, at a candlelit service,

I was standing there andI felt the love of Christ

and a warmth over mybody, like that woman said

in the story earlier, then Jesus walked in

and her life was transformedand she was healed,

and my soul was healed fromthat hate and that anger

and the abuse and all ofthe ugliness melted away

and I accepted him intomy heart and that's when

my life changed in a momentand that's what God can do

for everybody and that'swhat I talk about,

the emotional healing that I underwent

and the practical dailysteps that I give people

in my book, "Rise Up!", that they can take

to overcome those limitedmindsets and bondages

that are holding you back and move you

and propel you forward into the future

and the calling and thehope and the life of freedom

that God has for each one of us.

- Amen.

Well, you know, I've got several copies,

I've been giving it away.

I love this book and Iwant everyone to read it.

Brenda's book, again,it's called "Rise Up!",

it's available wherever books are sold.

Get your copy, it's agreat read for this summer

while your on the beach,you will absolutely love it.

Brenda, thank you so much,God bless you, my friend.

- Thank you.

God bless you, thank you.

- Well, wildfires are currently ravaging

the Pacific Northwestand Brenda knows exactly

what it's like to be in thepath of a raging inferno.

In 2018, the roaring flamesleaped up to the fence

of her family's propertyin Southern California.

So, what happened next?

Nothing short of a miracle.

- [Narrator] Hollywoodactress, singer and co-founder

of a Ascend Women, BrendaEpperson has been following Jesus

most of her life.

But her faith took a turn notlong after she and her husband

moved their three daughtersinto their California home.

- When we first moved in,I remember this sense of,

"You gotta pray over this property,

you gotta pray over the land,

you gotta pray over the horses,

you gotta pray over every inch."

- [Narrator] This was theperfect home for their family.

A beautiful location in the Agora Hills

with land and stables fortheir daughters' horses.

But from the day they moved in,

Brenda felt an inexplicable urge to pray

that would go on for a year and a half.

- I would find myself waking up

and just walking around the property,

standing up on the hills behind me,

crying out to God, falling on my knees,

declaring his love and his promises

and professing that thisproperty was a safehaven,

this property would be a beacon of light.

- [Narrator] Brenda not only prayed,

she felt inspired to writescripture on wooden stakes

and put them around the property.

- I'm pounding stakes in the ground,

declaring God's favor,declaring Psalms 91,

Isaiah 54:17, "No weaponformed against this land

will prosper," and I thought, "I'm insane,

what is going on?"

But I felt so compelled tojust speak life over death.

- [Narrator] Then came a morning

when she woke with an unshakeableheaviness in her heart.

- I said, "Lord, what isthis heaviness that I feel?"

I went to go get my kids and there it was,

a plume of smoke and all ofthe sudden I went (gasps),

"Something's wrong."

- [Reporter] A trio of wind-driven fires

exploding in California.

- [Narrator] On November 8, 2018,

one of the three destructivefires to hit California,

the Woolsey Fire, beganto consume Los Angeles

and Ventura Counties, takinglives and hundreds of homes

in its wake.

- [Reporter] Obliteratingentire neighborhoods.

- Turned on the news andthe loss and the devastation

and the people's homes being burned

and the land that wasbeing swallowed up by fire,

I knew this was bad.

- [Narrator] Right then,Brenda received a frantic call

from a friend whosehome was in direct line

of the fire and desperatelyneeded a safe place

to evacuate her family and animals.

(ominous music)

- I said, "Honey, we'vegotta go get our friends."

So we grabbed the trailer, the truck

and then I grabbed my truck.

- [Narrator] After turningtheir home into a shelter,

the Eppersons began settling everyone in

when a nearby boarding stable called

looking to relocate their35 horses upon evacuation.

- And I took a deep breath and I thought,

"Okay, God, this is happening."

- [Narrator] That night,Brenda couldn't sleep.

She hadn't noticed the boarding stable

had already brought the horses and left.

Then it dawned on her.

- And I'm going, "Oh mygosh, they've evacuated."

- [Narrator] Stirring up thehouse in preparation to leave,

she and her friend immediatelydrove to the gas station

to make sure they had afull tank in their trucks.

- It's dark, there's only onelight on in the gas station,

thank God they left the gas station on,

and I hear the police driving,

"Evacuate, everybody now, evacuate,"

over the bull horn andit's just apocalyptic,

like, the end of the world.

So we get back to the houseand we looked at each other

and I said, "We've gotta go."

I can either pray or panic,I can either be in faith

or in fear, and I chose prayer and faith.

And I said, "Lord, evenif everything goes,

I'm still gonna give you glory,

I'm still gonna trust you."

- [Narrator] After cramming three horses

and as many other animals as they could

into their trucks andtrailer, they hosed the area

around the remaininghorses and fled to Malibu.

But they had to evacuate again.

Eventually, they found safety

at a friend's house in Burbank.

- We turn on the news andthe hills around our home

are on fire now.

And I said, "You know what,we're gonna turn the TV off

and we're gonna trust God."

- [Narrator] After a coupledays, Brenda and her husband

decided to venture home.

They passed through apolice point and went on

to their neighborhood.

- It was apocalyptic.

There was just smoke everywhere,

there was spot fires everywhere,

you couldn't breathe, it was dark.

- [Narrator] Then through thedevastation, hope appeared.

- And I fell on my knees because the fire

had come to our door.

And then, I looked and I saw how it burned

the entire mountain all the way down

to our fence and stopped.

And I just sobbed and sobbed and I said,

"Lord, I'm gonna usethis property for you,

I give it even more to you,whatever you want to do,

your will be done.

- [Narrator] As promised,Brenda and her husband

opened their home to whomever needed help

and gave an encouragingword to victims of the fire.

But it didn't stop there.

- This fire, this tragedy has caused me

to no longer be quiet about my faith

and about the hard times,but also the amazing miracles

that God has sent in mylife and God really does use

things that are meantfor evil and for harm,

for good and for his glory.

And when you're surrounded by fire,

surrounded by circumstances,you're surrounded by evil,

you don't think you can stand up,

you don't think you could rise up,

there's no hope in sight,God will come through for you

and God will raise you up out of fire

and he'll make it evenbetter and more beautiful

than what you can imagine.

- God will come through for you,

he came through for Brenda,he's no respecter of persons.

If you need a miracle, if you need prayer,

we have something that will encourage you,

this prayer sheet, it's called

"Answered Prayer: God'sPower In Your Life",

it's free, we'll send it to you,

just give us a callright now, 1-800-700-7000

or go to cbn.com to get your free copy.

Well, up next, multipledeployments to war zones,

like Bosnia, Albania and Iraq,

this veteran served hiscountry for 29 years,

so where did he turn when he and his wife

had trouble paying the rent?

Find out after this.

(upbeat music)

You can be a blessing to the families

of those serving in the military

by sending them a SuperbookSummer Celebration Box.

Each box contains DVDs,toys, fun activities,

books and more.

For your gift of $25 or more,

Superbook and Helping the Home Front

will deliver a Summer Celebration Box

to an active duty military family.

Just visit cbn.com/blessmilitary

or give us a call, 1-800-700-7000.

You can also textBlessMilitary, all one word,

BlessMilitary, to 71777.

Serving for 29 yearsin multiple war zones,

Kevin always put the welfareof his soldiers first.

His wife, Richa, keptthe home fires burning.

Then, Kevin retired from the military

and the couple faced a new challenge,

where were they going to getthe money to pay the rent?

- Anytime, you know, a war zone,

there's a possibilitythat anything can happen.

And so whatever feelings or whatever fears

I might've had, I had to suppress that

and make sure that I bestrong for my soldiers.

If I had to die so they cancome back to their families,

then I was willing to make that sacrifice.

- [Reporter] For ArmyStaff Sergeant Kevin,

placing the warriors whoserved under him first

was always his priority.

He deployed multiple times to war zones,

like Bosnia, Albania and Iraq.

Each time, leaving behind his wife, Richa,

and their children.

- Is that gonna be thelast time I talk to him?

You think about your children,

you think about things thatyou don't want to think about.

Everything has to be inorder when they leave,

so just in case if they don't come back.

Richa relied on her faith to sustain her

through the multiple separations

that ranged between six months to a year.

- Prayer, it helped me stay grounded,

it helped me not to worry,it helped me to have peace.

- [Reporter] After 29 years, it was time

for Kevin to retire.

The couple felt God was calling them

to start and pastor their own church.

But they had to get throughsome financial hurdles first.

After leaving the army,paying rent was a challenge,

since they no longer hadfree military housing.

Then, both of their vehiclesneeded major repairs,

totalling several thousand dollars.

- Where's the money gonna come from?

What if we don't have enough?

You know, all those different things.

- [Reporter] Despite the challenges,

Kevin felt God would provide.

- My faith in God, in his word,

has helped me to staycalm and keep my sanity.

So, for me, it's everything.

- I believe I'm able to sithere and smile and not worry

'cause I believe that God isgonna get us through this.

- [Reporter] The coupleconfided in their pastor,

Tommy Leonard, with New SeasonChurch in Anchorage, Alaska.

He immediately contactedCBN's Helping the Home Front

to ask if we could assist.

- When they first presentedthe situation to me,

it was a bit overwhelming.

I knew this was somethingthat, as a church,

we couldn't just write a check for.

But to be able to have a resource

like Helping the Home Front,it's a dream come true.

- [Reporter] Pastor Tommysat down with the couple

to share some big news.

- New Season Christian Center,in partnership with CBN,

want to help with some of the pressures

that you're feeling rightnow in your transition.

And so, we're gonna take care of

the first two months of your rent.

- [Kevin] Wow.

- We don't want you just to get to a point

of getting things done,we want you to get ahead.

And then, since you have aissue with your vehicles,

we're gonna take your vehicles

to Alaska Sales and Serviceand we're gonna take those

and get them repaired for you today.

- This is overwhelming.

All I can say is thank you.

- The Bible says, "Godis a reward of those

who diligently seekhim," and this is a part

of his reward package for you.

- [Reporter] Their vehicleswere fixed right away,

CBN paid their rent for two months

and Kevin and Richa's dream came true,

they now pastor theirown church in Anchorage.

- I'm overwhelmed with gratitude,

thanking God for NewSeason Christian Center,

as well as CBN.

- It changes a lot right now, it does.

Thank you, CBN.

- [Kevin] Yes, thank you.

- It's worth trustingand believing in God.

I'm so thankful to Godfor this blessing today.

- Our military families are so deserving.

I love seeing their faces when they're

getting blessed like that and, you know,

if you're a CBN partner,a part of your gift

goes to Helping the Home Front

and blessing our military families

and, boy, they've done so much for us,

it's the least we can do.

If you would like to join The 700 Club,

I'd like to invite you togo to your phones right now

or go onto cbn.com and justsay, "Yes, I want to be a part

of helping people all over the world

and right here at home."

It's so easy, it's just $20a month, 65 cents a day,

that's all it takes tobecome a CBN partner.

When you join, be sureask for Pledge Express,

that's where your bank does all the work,

no stamps, no checks, no hassle

and it comes right outof your checking account.

I have that and it's fantastic

and you will love it.

So, again, 1-800-700-7000is the number to call

or you can go onto cbn.comor you can text CBN to 71777,

easy number to remember tojust help hurting people

all over the world and ourwonderful military families.

Well, it's been fun being with you,

being with you all weeklong and we leave you

with these words from Galatians 6:9,

"Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper timewe will reap a harvest

if we do not give up."

One of my favorite scriptures.

Thank you so much for watching today.

God bless you and havea wonderful weekend.

(upbeat music)