Live Blogging: Bishop Eddie Long Tells New Birth Congregation This is a Sensitive Time for Ministry

Bishop Eddie Long tells congregation this is a sensitive time of the ministry, God's got them and he does too.

Live-blogging New Birth: Vanessa Long is in church today, seated with the wife of the guest pastor Apóstol Guido Raúl Ávila. Long said there are certain environments God operates in. He said New Birth is such an environment and he is calling for them to sow something in the atmosphere right now. Yeah, always asking for money. There are people standing around the altar again. He said this is a very sensitive time of ministry and God's got them and he does too.

He said your "tithe" comes from your gross and your offering comes from other area. He said your faith is represented by your tithe. He is asking for more than the 10 percent the Bible said one should give. He said some members of the church handed him their tithes during the picnic on Sunday. He said those who have sown by credit card, must sign the envelope. What's wrong with this picture? Paying tithes by credit card?  Then they wonder why they have money problems. This is further proof that Bishop Long, Creflo Dollar and all those shady pastors all care about money. New Birth has a track club? Wow. Asking for congregation to vote for Mitchell Kelly, who is a contestant on "So You Can Dance."

He said we will give not one rock the opportunity to even think that it will cry out in our place. (chuckle). He said somebody knows what he's talking about. He said to praise Him through the sickness and make it a sacrifice of praise. (chuckle). We know exactly what this is ALL about: JAMAL PARRIS.  He said "touch your neighbor and say the Devil stole something and I am getting it back seven times. I am getting it back. He said the Devil didn't steal his praise." He said he will never curse God and he's God all by himself, Elohim. He said to look at their neighbor and you don't know what they have gone through and they are still praising God. He said he's messing with hell for a moment because he has to bless God and tells congregation to confuse Hell and mess Hell up. People are milling around the front of the church and throwing money on the altar. I'm pretty sure that isn't being reported to Internal Revenue Service. He said your praise "got God's attention." Celebratory sermon of some sort.

Apóstol Guido Raúl Ávila of Christ for All Nations Center (CCN) in Venezuela to deliver Sunday sermon at New Birth.

It's amazing that Long has invited Hispanic pastor Apóstol Guido Raúl Ávila from Venezuela to deliver the message today. I wonder if they plan on opening some Hispanic New Birth satellite churches? What's the story on Apóstol Guido Raúl Ávila and his CCN ministry? He called Bishop Long his friend and companion. He said 15 days ago the Lord gave him a Word to give to New Birth. July 3, 2011, the Lord said two years from now, the Lord will bathe them in a glory they have never known before. He said said "the river of God is going to take this place. Everything you have gone through is for this time in 2013. Everything will be completely changed and the glory of God is going to embrace this place. The best times are before you."

Text for sermon taken from 2 Cor. 1:3-11 -- comfort in trouble. He said we are living in times that are very challenging, decisive, determining, accelerating. He said the pressure Paul went through was so great. So, now he's comparing Bishop Long to Paul. Wow. That's a stretch of imagination.

He said when you fight against wild beast, you have the power to take cities and power over darkness. Your time of glory has begun. "A new dimension has opened up today. Paul said that I was pressured. I was overwhelmed, the war was so intense all strength went from me and the sentence of death, fighting against wild beast but God freed him from all evil. Paul and his team were pressured and overwhelmed because of the wild beast and circumstances." He said something good is happening today with you -- the congregation cheered.

Bishop Long "falls out" in church, after Apostle Raul Avila lays hands on him, also laid hands on wife Vanessa, telling her God will hold her through it all.

Sometimes we pay too much attention to power but many times we run away from anything that has to do with pressure. He said pressure and power are directly proportionate to each other. If you don't know that which is pressure then you don't have understanding about that which is power. Every time you shows power towards God, he allows pressure to come. The more pressure you have, the more power will manifest through you. Great pressure, great power. He said all have gone through difficulties in life. He said the black and Latino race have had a painful history. He said neither the pressure of your errors are going to block your blessings. Trust in God that he is going to free you. It's all about the money -- pressure relieves your tithe, Avila said. Amazing.

Well, the drama came towards the end as Apostle Raul "laid hands" on Bishop Long, who fell to the floor and stayed there for some time. Yeah, the Lord finally got him, right? Nah. That's just for appearance sake to show he's trying to rehabilitate his image. So, I guess Long is trying to show that he's open to submit to the Will of God. He also laid hands on Vanessa Long, who he told God will kiss her and hold her through it all. Yeah, this is proof that all is not well in the Long home. So, Art Franklin, what have you to say about the state of Eddie Long's affairs?