LOUIS FARRKHAN, PREACHING JULY, 2005!

IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION:  This video contains words that are hard to hear.  Words that many consider inappropriate for a minister to use.

The video is from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan preaching in July 2005 and made available online this year; and recommended to me by a minister buddy of mine.

This blog is intended to shock us into discussion about dress and behavior by adult men and women in the church.  That said, I do not agree with the doctrine of the Nation of Islam.  I do believe (in reference to holiness, or holy living by Christians); that fish are first caught, then cleaned.

However, what Minister Farrakhan is talking about here is adult men and women who are (at least in part); already, supposedly part of the family and the fellowship.

Peace,
S.J. Fort

GOD CAN AND WILL WORK IT OUT FOR HIS GLORY!- WHEN WE LET HIM

Alpharetta, Georgia (CNN) -- Andy Stanley walked into his pastor's office, filled with dread. The minister sat in a massive chair behind an enormous desk. He spread his arms across the desk as if he were bracing for battle. His secretary scurried out of the office when she saw Andy coming. The pastor had baptized Andy when he was 6, and groomed him to be his successor.

But a private trauma had gone public. And Andy felt compelled to speak. The minister stared in silence as Andy gave him the news. The "unspoken dream" both men shared was over. After Andy finished, the pastor looked at him as tears welled up. "Andy," he said, "you have joined my enemies, and I'm your father." 'I understand drive-by shootings' He won't wear a suit or a tie in the pulpit. There's no special parking space reserved for him at his church.

Everyone calls him "Andy." As a teenager, Andy decided he was going to be a rock star after seeing Elton John perform live. Today he has found fame, and infamy, on another stage. Andy Stanley is the founder of North Point Ministries, one of the largest Christian organizations in the nation. A lanky man with close-cropped hair and an "aw-shucks" demeanor, he is alone as he steps out of his office to greet a visitor to his ministry's sprawling office complex in suburban Atlanta.

At least 33,000 people attend one of Andy's seven churches each Sunday. Fans watch him on television or flock to his leadership seminars; pastors study his DVDs for preaching tips; his ministries' website gets at least a million downloads per month. "I tell my staff everything has a season," he says, leaning back in an office chair while wearing a flannel shirt, faded jeans and tan hiking boots. "One day we're not going to be the coolest church. Nothing is forever. As soon as somebody thinks forever, that's when they close their hand," he says, slowly clenching his fist. "Now they have to control, maintain and protect it. ... Things get weird."   At 54, Andy knows something about weirdness. He was swept up in a struggle against another famous televangelist -- his father, the Rev. Charles Stanley, a Southern Baptist megachurch pastor and founder of In Touch Ministries, a global evangelistic organization.

The experience enraged Andy so much it scared him: "I understand drive-by shootings," he told his wife one day. "I was so angry at my dad. I was trying to do the right thing." A new challenge for Andy Stanley The experience wounded his father as well. "I felt like this was a huge battle, and if Andy had been in a huge battle ... you'd have to crawl over me to get to him," Charles Stanley, now 80, says." I would have stood by him, no matter what. I didn't feel like he did that."

There's no father-son preaching duo quite like the Stanleys. Imagine if Steve Jobs had a son, who created a company that rivaled Apple in size and innovation -- and they barely spoke to one another. That was the Stanleys. Neither man has ever fully explained the events that tore them apart 19 years ago -- until now. 'I was the heir apparent' Charles Stanley remembers the first time he heard his son preach. "I was tickled pink," he says. "I instantly knew that God could use him." Charles knows something about preaching. Millions of people around the globe grew up with the sound of his sermons ringing in their ears. Andy Stanley in his own words In "Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend," Andy Stanley talks about his relationship with his father and the evolution of his ministry. More info » He has preached from the pulpit of First Baptist Church Atlanta for 40 years. Tall and lean, he delivers homespun sermons in a rich baritone while holding his black leather Bible aloft for emphasis. He's written at least 40 books.

In Touch Ministries sits like a Greek temple on the crest of a hill overlooking the Atlanta skyline. A large American flag stands near its entrance, beside a row of gushing fountains. A mammoth portrait of a smiling Charles Stanley hangs just inside and bears the inscription: "Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." It's an impressive sight, but it's not the type of life Andy envisioned for himself growing up. His father never raised him to be a pastor. "My dad was great. He didn't pressure me. I never heard that talk, 'You're the pastor's son and you need to be an example.' " What Andy remembers most about growing up with his father is not his fame, but his resolve. He tells this story in "Deep and Wide," his new book about his father and the evolution of his own ministry: When he was in the eighth grade, his father waged a bruising battle to become senior pastor of First Baptist. The battle inflamed tensions so much that his family received nasty, anonymous letters and deacons warned his father that he would never pastor again. Andy Stanley and his father, the Rev. Charles Stanley, embrace at First Baptist Church Atlanta.

One night, during a tense church meeting, a man cursed aloud and slugged Charles in the jaw. Andy says his father didn't flinch, nor did he retaliate. He kept fighting and eventually became senior pastor of First Baptist. "I saw my dad turn the other cheek," Andy later wrote about that night, "but he never turned tail and ran." His dad was his first hero.

But another church incident taught him a different lesson. Andy was raised as a Southern Baptist, a conservative denomination that teaches the Bible is infallible and that women shouldn't preach. His father was twice elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. "We were Southern Baptists and everyone else was wrong," Andy says. "I grew up believing that we were the true Christians." One Sunday, a gay pride group planned to march past his father's church. Leaders of the congregation, warned in advance, dismissed church early to avoid contact with the group. But organizers of the march changed the schedule. Andy watched as First Baptist members filed out of the church and gawked at gay and lesbian marchers streaming by.

Then he noticed a Methodist church across the street whose members held out cups of water for marchers and signs that said, "Everybody welcome! Come worship with us!" "We're the church that sings 'Just as I Am' after the sermon, and here we are shunning this group of people because of a lifestyle we disagreed with," he says now. The pull of the pulpit, though, was stronger than any reservations he had about church. Andy enrolled in college to become a journalist. But he abandoned those plans after a youth minister's position opened up at his father's church.

Those who heard Andy's first sermons say his talent was evident from the start. He had a knack for saying things that stuck in a listener's mind. He was funny, insightful, took on hard questions, and he nudged people to look at familiar biblical passages in a new way. I would have stood by him no matter what. I didn't feel like he did that. The Rev. Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, on his son, Andy Charles started televising his son's sermons on In Touch's broadcasts, and picked him to preach in his place when he was traveling. And when First Baptist opened its first satellite church on Easter Sunday 1992, he appointed Andy as its pastor. Within three weeks, Andy's congregation was turning people away at the door because they had no more room. Within two months, Andy's satellite church swelled to 2,000 members. Andy says his father was delighted. He started joking that the Stanleys would become a preaching dynasty. And both men began to share an "unspoken dream": that Andy would take the helm after his father's retirement.

In Touch was no longer just a ministry; it was Andy's inheritance. "I was the heir apparent," Andy says. "I know that he desired it." Something, however, would drive father and son apart. 'I got that straight from the Lord' Andy didn't know his parents' marriage was in trouble until he was in the 10th grade. Before then, he never saw his father or his mother argue or even disagree. Charles and Anna Stanley seemed to have the perfect relationship. A year after his father appointed him to pastor a satellite church, he knew his parents' marriage was disintegrating. They had been to every counselor and doctor imaginable. Eventually, his mother moved out and stopped attending church with his father. "People got used to it, and they quit asking about it," he says. "It happened so gradually." Anna Stanley had made her own mark on the church -- and on her son. "No matter what I did, I could come home and tell her," he says. "She never freaked out, never overreacted. She was always a very safe place."

The Rev. Louie Giglio, one of Andy's best friends growing up, still remembers some of the lessons Andy's mother taught at summer Bible camp. "All of Andy's wisdom doesn't come from his dad," says Giglio, now senior pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta and a founder of the Passion Movement, a popular outreach effort for young evangelicals. "She was incredibly insightful." The quiet exit of Anna Stanley from the pews went public in June 1993 when she filed for divorce. Her action caused a sensation in Southern Baptist circles, where divorce is considered a sin by some based on a literal reading of the Bible. Some pastors shunned Charles; others publicly demanded that he step down. The scandal dragged on for years as the couple attempted to reconcile. In 1995, Anna Stanley explained why she wanted a divorce in a letter to her husband's church that was excerpted in the local newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in an article titled "Torn Asunder." She said she had experienced "many years of discouraging disappointments and marital conflict. ... Charles, in effect, abandoned our marriage. He chose his priorities, and I have not been one of them." The impending divorce didn't just threaten Charles' family; it jeopardized his ministry.

He had always preached unquestioning obedience to the Word of God. And wasn't Jesus clear about divorce in Gospel passages such as Luke 16:18: "Every one who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." New Testament passages such as those had prompted First Baptist to institute a policy that prevented divorced men from serving as pastors or deacons. What would the church do when its celebrity pastor -- the man who packed the pews and beamed First Baptist's name across the globe -- got a divorce? Charles treated the calls for him to step down like he treated the punch in the jaw so long ago -- he didn't flinch. He said he would gladly work on his marriage but he wouldn't resign as pastor. A choir performs during a service for the Rev. Charles Stanley at First Baptist Church Atlanta.

RAYMOND MCCREA JONES/CNN Gayle White, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution religion writer at the time, dug up a quote from the embattled pastor that explained his rationale and used it in her "Torn Asunder" article: "You see, into my ministry I brought the survival spirit. You do or die. You do whatever is necessary to win. It doesn't make any difference what it is." That survival spirit was second nature for Charles, whose father died when he was 9 months old and who grew up so poor that he learned about Santa Claus the Christmas morning he discovered in his stocking the orange that had been in the refrigerator the night before. He lived in 17 homes by his 8th birthday. His mother, Rebecca, worked two jobs and was often away from home. But she'd leave her son notes, reminding him of chores, giving him advice or simply to say, "Charles, I love you." At night, she'd kneel beside her only child and pray, "God bless Charles here for whatever it may be."

Just as his mother protected him, Charles shielded her. She married an abusive alcoholic who told his stepson he would never amount to anything and sometimes tried to attack Rebecca. Charles would intervene. "You come after my mom," he'd say, "you come after me." So it was really no surprise that, decades later, Charles would refuse to back down. He told opponents calling for his resignation that he answered to a higher authority. "God said you keep doing what I called you to until I tell you to do something else," he says today. "I got that straight from the Lord. ... I was simply obeying God."

Besides, what could he do -- make someone not divorce him? "If somebody doesn't love you and doesn't want to live with you, you can't -- nowhere in the Scripture does it say that you're to preach the gospel until someone does this or that," he says. Charles, though, wasn't the only one in his family with a strong will. His son had other ideas about divorce. When can I give up on my relationship with my dad? Andy Stanley, founder of North Point Ministries Showdown The tension between Andy and his father had been building even before the divorce. They were partners in ministry, but they were becoming rivals. As Andy's congregation started outdrawing his father's, people told Charles that his son was becoming a prima donna who wanted to take over the entire church. Those rumors seemed to be validated, Charles recalls, when his son's church staff asked him to give them the satellite church's property. "They felt like they had their little nook," Charles says now. "They didn't have their little nook. Whose idea was it, No. 1, and who's paying for it, No. 2."

The distance between father and son was also philosophical. They had different ideas about church leadership. Andy had discovered another preaching mentor, the Rev. Bill Hybels, an unassuming, genial pastor -- the kind who travels alone without an entourage. He helped pioneer "seeker churches" while leading Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. People tend to focus on the cosmetic innovations of seeker churches: incorporating contemporary Christian music in worship, injecting clever skits and colorful stage props into services. But Andy was also drawn to Willow Creek's primary mission: reaching "irreligious people" who had been turned off by traditional church. After hearing Hybels, Andy says, church made sense "for the first time in my life." Hybels became his hero. "They were more committed to progress instead of maintaining traditions."

Andy incorporated some of Hybels' innovations into his father's satellite church. He stopped wearing suits in the pulpit as his father had insisted. The church grew even more. But so did the tension with his father. Was he competing with his father? Almost 20 years later, Andy pauses before he answers: "Not intentionally, but I felt like what we were doing was better." All the tensions converged one day when Andy's father called him into the office to discuss the divorce. Churchgoers crowd around a picture of the Rev. Charles Stanley given to him at a service.

"Dad, you never asked me what I think you should do," Andy said. His father smiled and asked him what he thought. Walk into church the next Sunday morning and read a letter of resignation, Andy said. Tell them that you want to continue as their pastor, and will preach as long as they want.

"Daddy, your church is not going to leave you," Andy said. "They need the opportunity to choose to have you as pastor if you divorce. If you do this, it all ends. Let them choose." Andy says his father didn't hear anything after the word "resign." All the rumors seemed to be true. His son had joined the church faction trying to get rid of him. His son had betrayed him. Andy says it was after that exchange that he started popping up in his father's sermons, not as the heir apparent, but as the Old Testament villain, Absalom. Absalom was the charismatic but treacherous son of David who tried to snatch his father's kingdom away from him through war.

"My dad at the time fashioned me as an Absalom who had rebelled against him," Andy says. But Andy himself felt betrayed. He wondered why his father didn't denounce from the pulpit those people who questioned Andy's loyalty. He told his father, I'm your most loyal staffer, but you can't see it. "I never felt I should replace my dad. I didn't feel like I was at war with my dad." It consumes you. As soon as he got home, we were talking about it all the time. Sandra Stanley, wife of Andy Stanley The conflict could not have come at a worse time for Andy. He had recently married; a baby was on its way. He had a steady job, health benefits, his congregation was booming. But his relationship with his father was crumbling. It was like being trapped in a soap opera.

"It consumes you," says Sandra Stanley, Andy's wife. "As soon as he got home, we were talking about it all the time. There was always something new happening, some new comment." Andy had to act, but how? His answer came in the form a slim book he happened to pick up one day, "A Tale of Three Kings" by Gene Edwards. The book explored the story of a biblical soap opera, the relationship between David and King Saul, Israel's first king. Saul descended into jealousy and paranoia because he was threatened by David. David eventually left King Saul's kingdom and abandoned the spoils that came with it. Andy's eyes stopped on one line in the book: "Beginning empty handed and alone frightens the best of men. It also speaks volumes of just how sure they are that God is with them." That line clinched it for Andy. He would walk away from his father empty-handed -- no church, no salary, no health benefits. He would turn his back on the unspoken dream. Now he had to relay that message to his father. That day remains vivid. He drove to his father's office filled with anxiety.

When he saw his father sitting behind his massive desk, he knew he wasn't going to take it well. "He was in his stern, commando mode," Andy says. His father reacted by staring at him in silence. Then he accused him of joining his enemies. He finally rose slowly from his desk, walked over and embraced him. Both men cried before regaining their composure. "It was really bad. It was horrible. But you know what? I had perfect peace," Andy says. "I've never been so sure of a decision even when the whole world blew up all around us." Andy says he could not have stayed at his father's church, no matter how much money or fame he stood to gain. "My dad taught me to be better than that," he says. "Seeing him get punched when I was in the eighth grade -- all that was clear to me. You trust God with all the consequences." News of Andy's resignation spread. Reggie Joiner was on First Baptist's staff at the time. He would later help found North Point and now runs Orange, a nonprofit that teaches churches how to reach and keep young people. He remembers meeting with Charles after his son resigned. "I sat in his office for two hours and he talked about Andy being his legacy," Joiner recalls. Chairs replace pews and bands replace choirs and organs at North Point Community Church.  

Later, he called another leader at First Baptist to tell him that Andy had resigned. The stunned church leader said he had never heard of a young pastor walking away from such a prominent ministry. The man paused before finally telling Joiner: "I think I could follow that guy anywhere." Communion over chips and salsa Charles Stanley was alone. His marriage was ending. Pastors were publicly calling for him to step down. People within his church were trying to get rid of him. His enemies were coming after him, and his son wasn't stepping in front of his father to meet the blows.

That's how Charles saw it. He says his son could have prevented some of that pain. He was the one person who could have stopped the congregation from calling for his resignation because he had earned so much respect. "I forgave him. I couldn't understand it. I would have never done that," Charles says. The church drama lasted seven years. The divorce became final in 2000, and First Baptist eventually voted to retain Charles as its pastor. He recently celebrated his 80th birthday at First Baptist, and was presented with a large photograph depicting Jesus counseling him as he prepared a sermon. Charles painstakingly posed for the photographer, with a professional model playing Jesus.

"Every Sunday I had to preach, no matter what," Charles says of those days when he was going through the divorce. "I couldn't get up and say I had a horrible day yesterday. It kept me in the Word of God -- praying, trusting God, watching people saved and watching the church grow." Few would question Charles' toughness, but during that time he revealed another side. He stopped treating Andy as his enemy. He started treating him as his only son. Charles fought for his relationship with his son as hard as he fought to stay in the pulpit. Maybe harder. He did it with chips and salsa. He kept inviting his son to lunch at Mexican restaurants. And Andy kept accepting. The meals were excruciating. Both men were still angry; they weren't good at chitchat. But it was a way to keep talking. The meals became a ritual, like communion. Charles then went public with his support for his son. In 1995, Andy formed North Point Community Church with a group of friends. When Charles heard the news, he interrupted his regular order of service one Sunday morning to tell his congregation. "And he has my blessing," he said. Charles did something else that some pastors shy from: He sought professional help. He asked his son to join him in seeing a counselor. It was just another way in which Charles refused to fit the caricature of a simple "Bible thumper."

He had defied Southern Baptist theology by saying women should be able to preach. He installed 12 Step programs in his church and an orchestra. He was a techno-geek who loved computers and photography. The counseling sessions between father and son were at times explosive. Emotions spilled out in the open. One night, Andy invited his father over to his house to see his wife and children. The night ended with both men yelling at each other "like middle-school girls" in the driveway, Andy recalls. Still, they kept going. "They weren't too smart, too spiritual or too proud to allow somebody to come in and help them navigate all of that anger," says Andy's wife, Sandra.

"Their relationship with one another was more important than their pride." A pivotal moment came one day when Charles called his son with a request: "Hey, can you preach for me this Sunday?" Twelve years after he left the church as his father's enemy, Andy returned as his son. His sermon title: "The Cost of Following Christ." Afterward, Charles invited his son into In Touch's television studio to talk about the sermon. His face lit up with joy as he bragged about his son's church. He told Andy on camera that he didn't have a father growing up so he didn't know how to be a father at times. He leaned forward in his chair and looked at Andy with a huge smile before saying, "I'm absolutely delighted to have Andy with me again." Andy sat upright in his chair with his hands folded in his lap. His smile was tight and strained. Original artwork lines the walls of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. RAYMOND MCCREA JONES/CNN "It's great to be back," he said. Asked today whether he would have ever cut off his son, Charles quickly shakes his head. "It was the wise thing to do.

I loved him and I knew he had great potential for God. I wouldn't have cut off communication under any circumstances." The same was not true for Andy. A sobering realization Critics accuse Andy of being too accommodating. He won't draw theological lines in the sand. His sermons are too self-help, too Christian-lite. Charles Stanley in his own words In "The Ultimate Conversation: Talking With God Through Prayer," Charles Stanley looks back on 55 years of ministry and explains how he learned to fight his battles through prayer. More info » He is an introvert who struggles at times even to make conversation off-stage with members of his church. But he will still invite listeners who disagree with his sermons to contact him afterward. People who have written him scathing letters are sometimes shocked to hear his voice on the other end of their phone line.

He was criticized recently for preaching a sermon that mentioned gay people but no explicit condemnation of homosexuality. "I'm always trying to look for ways to affirm everything, maybe to a fault," Andy says. Yet there is a toughness about him that's reminiscent of his father. He has called members of his church to demand that they stop attending when people complained that they were harassing other members. He preaches that people who divorce and remarry are committing adultery even though many in the contemporary church reject that teaching. He wouldn't allow CNN to photograph him preaching at North Point -- too distracting -- or just hanging out with his staff on an ordinary day. ("It singles me out as being of greater significance.") That toughness hardened into self-righteousness as he tried to reconcile with his father. He became judgmental. He was angry at his parents, and at people who questioned his integrity. Mr. Accommodation was becoming a Pharisee.

He realized that the battle wasn't just with his father -- it was with himself. "I saw the dark side of myself, and I realized that I'm no better than anyone else." A turning point came during an individual counseling session. He told his counselor that he felt like he bent again and again, but his dad wasn't changing. "When can I give up on my relationship with my dad?" he asked his counselor. The counselor's reply: "When your heavenly father gives up on his relationship with you." A Christmas gift from Dad Andy and his father still seem to be following the counselor's advice. They haven't given up on one another. When his father celebrated his 80th birthday at First Baptist, Andy was there to pay tribute. He called his father his hero, and paused to gather his emotions several times.

Charles took off his glasses and wiped tears from his eyes. One person who was not there was Anna Stanley. Andy says his mother is his biggest fan. She watches DVDs of his sermons throughout the day, and insists her caregivers join her. He says his parents rarely talk anymore. "There is no animosity," he says. "She'll ask about him: 'How's Charles?' She watches him on television." He's heard the rumors about his parents' divorce -- that his father was unfaithful. But he insists they are false -- that his father did everything he could to save the marriage. Andy is vague about his mother's condition. He says she is under 24-hour care and he visits her often. North Point Community Church staff members review the previous Sunday's services.  

Only he and his sister, Becky, know the truth, he says. (Becky declined to talk after initially agreeing.) "I love my mom. In her prime, she was an incredible woman," Andy says. "Something just caught up with her, and my dad took all the grief for her." Charles doesn't seem to spend a lot of time reflecting on that grief. He's still preaching and traveling the world. One of his favorite pastimes is going to bookstores to sign copies of his book. (His latest, "The Ultimate Conversation: Talking With God Through Prayer" was just released.) He says he won't marry again as long as his ex-wife is alive because the Scriptures say that a divorced man who remarries commits adultery. "I couldn't be happier," he says. "I don't really need a wife. God has just filled my life with good things."

Sitting in his cavernous office at In Touch Ministries, he pauses at times to dab tears from his eyes as he recalls his ordeal. "Instead of destroying me, it flung the doors open for me," he says of his divorce. "People used to say, 'I couldn't watch you. What do you know about hurt, pain, and loneliness? Now I can watch.' I look back now and realized that God used that all for good." Would that good, though, include the end of the "unspoken dream" -- the expectation that his son would follow him at First Baptist and In Touch? That is the question that hangs over father and son now. Charles has built a global religious empire, and he has a gifted son who is renowned as a leader. Wouldn't it be better to pass it all to Andy one day? Every Sunday, I had to preach, no matter what. I couldn't get up and say I had a horrible day yesterday. The Rev. Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries Charles sighs before answering: "I look back now and say God was in all of this. If we had stayed together, we could only be so large." Instead, two world-renown megachurches stand in Atlanta, each headed by a Stanley. "He tells people he's proud of me," Andy says. "He ends our conversations that way: 'Andy, I'm proud of you.' '' Still, his father reserves one critique for his son's pulpit performance. "He still wants me to wear a suit."

The two now visit each other's churches. One visit, captured on film, reveals how far their relationship has come. North Point's staff was planning an informal Christmas communion service last December when someone suggested that Andy call his father to see if he would lead the service. Andy texted the request to his father and within five minutes, his father texted back: "I would be happy to!" When his father arrived at North Point, Andy stepped onto the stage to introduce him. He wore a sober, dark suit coat over jeans. "When people tell me that they enjoy my preaching, I always have the same answer: 'You know what, I got it all from God and my dad, in that order," he said. Andy smiled and looked at his dad seated in the audience. "I'm extraordinarily blessed, extraordinarily grateful, and I'm thrilled Dad that you are here to talk to us and lead us through communion." North Point's staff clapped as Charles walked up to the stage. He wore a suit coat, but no tie. Andy gently placed his hand on his father's shoulder and helped him adjust a microphone. "You got it?" he said. His father nodded. "OK. Thank you." Charles sat down before his new congregation with a huge grin. Fat gift boxes wrapped with red and green ribbons were stacked behind him. Charles' velvet baritone echoed through the hushed sanctuary.

Christmas is about memories, he said, and one of his best memories came when he was 5 years old. That was when he got his first electric train set, which he kept until he finished college. "I couldn't wait for Andy to grow up a little bit so I could buy him one," Charles said. That moment arrived on Andy's fourth Christmas. As Charles assembled the train set, he explained to his son how the engine worked. Andy, then about 4, with his father, the Rev. Charles Stanley, during Christmas. "We were putting the tracks together and Andy said, 'Daddy, did Santa Claus bring you this train or did he bring it to me?' "

The congregation erupted in laughter, and Charles laughed so hard that he momentarily choked over his next words. "So, we're both enjoying it immensely, believe me," he finally added. Charles finished his story, then asked the congregation to bow their heads and close their eyes as he led them in prayer. He quoted a passage from the Gospel account of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. It's a familiar passage for many Christians: Jesus opened his Last Supper with a warning that someone close would betray him, and ended it by extending his forgiveness. Charles and Andy bowed their heads to pray, and then father and son broke bread together.

VIDEO LINK- ARE YOU KEEPING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST CENTRAL? PART 2

ARE YOU KEEPING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST CENTRAL? PART 1

MESA, AZ (CBS5) - The Living Word Bible Church is no ordinary church. And the man behind - and in front - of it all is Pastor Tom Anderson, a leader who certainly knows what it takes to engage a congregation.

 Anderson is among a group of preachers across the U.S. that refer to themselves as prosperity preachers. But many people in Anderson's congregation claim his message has led them down a patch of financial ruin instead of riches. One glance around the $10.2 million domed property at Brown and Val Vista roads in Mesa tells you Anderson, at least at one time, has reaped the rewards of his "prosperity" ministry. There are skylights, a waterfall, a Starbucks shop, bookstore, rock wall, recording studio, soda fountain and castle, all elements more commonly tied to an amusement park rather than a church. "You have to give them options,"

Anderson told CBS 5 Investigates. "You have to give them different types of music. "You have to give them a certain level of entertainment. Everything has become entertainment today. To compete with the world you have to have some stuff, so I do a little Elvis. We have karaoke that pops up on the screen and they can sing with me." Don Enevoldsen preached at Living Word for years. He says he also served on the church's board and ghost wrote about a dozen books for Anderson, the most popular How to become a Millionaire God's Way. The book is based on Anderson's sermons and provides advice that goes beyond the traditional tithing message. It's advice more commonly associated with a financial adviser. "I can encapsulate in a nutshell: If you tithe, God will protect all your stuff so the Devil can't take it away from you," Enevoldsen said. "If you give offerings over and above the tithe, which would be 10 percent of your income, that opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing and you have to invest in something for that blessing to have something to multiply, and that investment would usually be real estate."

 Enevoldsen said Anderson provided advice on many different financial matters. "He would talk about what kind of houses to buy, what kind of neighborhoods to look for, how long you should live in them before you sold them," Enevoldsen said. "He gave advice on how to buy and sell cars. He gave advice on how to invest in the stock market. He gave a lot of pretty specific advice." And it was that advice that Enevoldsen said many people followed. "An awful lot of people had bought into this bad financial advice and were so wrapped up in investments that when the economy collapsed they believed they couldn't lose because God would bless their investments because they had tithed and gave offerings," Enevoldsen said. "

A lot of them ended up upside down a half-million dollars or more in just a matter of a month or two because they believed what the pastor said." Enevoldsen choked up as he recalled the investment results of many in the congregation. "I began to really see the damage that was being done to people I knew well and began to realize by writing these books and sitting in these board meetings and never saying anything, that I was really complicit in the damage," Enevoldsen said. Eventually Enevoldsen left the church, but said other followers continued to find financial ruin. "We lost $60,000," said former member Preston Gaiser. Gaiser was closer to Anderson than most. He was an elder at the church and also Anderson's personal arms bearer, a security guard of sorts. "We ended up taking equity out of this house and bought another house," Gaiser said. "Our plan was to keep it three to six months and sell it - just to kind of test the waters. Since I was so close to Tom and he's dealing with these people all the time, I almost felt the pressure that I should be doing it too, you know, even though it was not me." Even after losing thousands on the investment, Preston said he dutifully followed Anderson's preaching, believing that because he had tithed, God would financially take care of him.

 "I kept trying to hang on saying 'it's got to get better,'" Gaiser said. "'It's got to get better. It's got to get better.'" Anderson admits people have lost money following his philosophy. "Absolutely," Anderson said. "Because stuff happens in this world. It just means that whatever you get stolen you can get back seven times." CBS 5 Investigates dug into Anderson's background and learned he received a master's degree in business administration from Golden Pacific University in 1986, which was eventually shut down by the Hawaii attorney general for being a diploma mill. His Ph.D. came from an unaccredited university. And, most profoundly, CBS 5 Investigates learned that the man who preaches that the road to riches runs through his church filed for bankruptcy last year. Anderson said he has told members of his congregation about the bankruptcy. At least some of them. "Immediately on doing it, I made the announcement I had to take my net worth down to $300 in order for Chapter 7 - you have to do that," he said. "For those that understand what that means, then they understand what I did."

 As far as coming right out and admitting it: "That would be foolish," Anderson said. "For the people that need to know, knew. For the people that didn't need to know they didn't know." During a 45-minute interview with CBS 5 Investigates, Anderson blamed his bankruptcy on a number of different factors, including a mysterious unidentified bank, a man at a bank and members of his own congregation. "The Living Word Bible Church tithes dropped from $10 million to $4 million over the past few years, but the overhead didn't. So a tremendous amount of my money had to go into the church to make sure the staff and mortgage were paid," Anderson said. "I even gave my cars. I gave everything to keep this church alive." Some former members of the church, such as Gaiser, are still paying for Anderson's advice.

 "Yes, we are still paying for it," he said. Yet the power of forgiveness is truly an amazing, powerful quality, as exhibited by Gaiser. "I love Tom, I really do. I love Maureen, I love the boys. I don't blame them for what happened," Gaiser said. Anderson has no plans to let bankruptcy slow him down. In fact, he says he has big plans for the Living Word Church, which includes an $18 million expansion. The new church, Anderson said, would resemble a mini city, complete with a 10,000-seat sanctuary. Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

PASTOR, PREACHER, CHRISTIAN- ARE YOU KEEPING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST CENTRAL? PART 1

Consider the following blog concerning a church right here in Mesa Arizona. For all of my fellow believers know that I am not "outing" a sister church as this story and the piece I will blog about that follows this, has already been published on CBS Channel 5 and the world-wide web respectively. 

Here's the Blog, written by another person I am speaking of:

THE FIRST CHURCH SERVICE I EVER WALKED OUT OF 

I’m not much of a protester. Too easy going and all that. I did walk out of a movie once, but it was so long ago I forget why. I have certainly never walked out of a church service in anger. Until this month. Two weeks ago I walked out during the middle of the pastor’s “sermon”. Here is why. The church in question is Living Word Bible Church, in Mesa, Arizona.

I was staying with my elderly mother for a week, and she lives a couple miles from the church. She goes to a different church, but that morning (long story) I did not go with her. I really did desire to go to church, however, especially since it was the second Sunday of advent. But since I had no car with me, this meant a good Sunday morning walk. I picked out two likely candidates on my phone’s web browser, then headed off to one of them. I soon realized I would not get there in time, so I detoured and walked to Living Word Bible Church instead. I knew little about it, but I figured since they had both “word” and “bible” in their name that they would at least try to be a teaching church (unfortunately, by this logic Grapenuts would have both grape and nuts).

I made my way in from a side street, and the first thing I noticed was that the congregation was very racially diverse. Score one for them. I was quite disconcerted, however, at the name of the bookstore which dominated one corner of the massive foyer: “Winner’s Bookstore”.  Major red flag.

The most common heresy of the modern American church is the idea that God’s design in salvation is to make us successful in earthly categories like success and wealth. Ever an optimist, I hoped this was an aberration, and made my way into the sanctuary. The service began with the pastor of the church, one C. Thomas Anderson, announcing that this was going to be a special miracle service. Okaaaayyyy.

To me, the idea of “planning” miracles is as ludicrous as “planning” revivals. But I had walked two miles to be in church and worship, and was not going to leave. Or so I thought. The band then belted out three songs. Though all three had words on the screens, I don’t think the first two were really intended to be congregationally sung. They were too fast and the timing too odd to work as corporate worship songs. In any case, neither was about God at all. The first asked the question, “Are you ready?” and answered it with the repeated refrain, “I’m as ready as can be”.

The second was about me living a miraculous, blessed life. Both songs basically functioned like the music of pep rally, and indeed the whole service brought back to mind the forced enthusiasm of my high school assemblies before the big game. The third song was actually quite good (or maybe my expectations were so low that any song actually about Jesus would strike a cord). I hadn’t heard it before, but it was about Jesus meeting my needs. Yes, even though it was a Jesus song, it was exalting him primarily for how he helps me in this life (which I don’t find a bad thing as long as it is balanced by more objective worship songs).

The pastor comes back on stage. He begins talking about how the church needs to get out of debt. I notice before the service they showed a video about planning for a new building “three times the size of our present one, with ten thousand seats”, so apparently the goal is to get out of debt so we can get back in debt. This especially struck me as odd, since the service (one of three that morning) was less than 40 percent full. Pastor Anderson then launches into several minutes describing the greatness of the church and its strategic place (somehow Mesa is the epicenter of the country). At this point I am a little distressed.

More than twenty minutes into the service, and I have heard almost nothing about Jesus or even God, but a good deal about the church and the pastor. The Pastor transitions to talking about how much greater the church could be if it was out of debt. I look again at the pledge sheets handed out before the service.

He tells us that they will create a permanent landscape on one of the walls. If you give a certain amount, you will get a place on the landscape. 250 bucks will buy you a bronze tulip with your name, while $250,000 will place you on a silver eagle in the sky, and for only a million dollars you get a piece of the rainbow. Pastor Anderson takes pains to point out how your children and grandchildren (and, of course, everyone else) will always be able to see how much you gave. I couldn’t help wondering about the words of Jesus regarding giving: “don’t let your right hand know what you are doing, so that your giving may be in secret” (Matthew 6:3-4).

This transitions into Pastor Anderson holding his wife and himself up as examples. Three times, we are told, they agreed to give God “everything”. And of course God rewarded them for this. “God gave us a mansion. If you have ever been to my house, you know it is a mansion. And God gave it to us at cost”. This was spoken so arrogantly that I began to feel queasy. He goes on, “And you should see all my cars!” And here, I could take it no longer. It was well past the half-way part of the service, and it was apparent there would be no bible teaching.

The cross of Christ had not been mentioned one time, nor had Jesus himself been mentioned except almost in passing. I will claim no great gift of discernment, but I was pretty sure any “miracles” generated in this man-glorifying pep rally were not going to be from the Holy Spirit.

I walked out. I wept for a minute outside, then began the walk home.

THANK YOU LORD FOR PASTOR PATRICK J. WALKER AND THE NEW MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH FAMILY!

To God be all the glory, honor and praise. I thank our God for the lessons I learned while attending the Church Family Conference at The New Macedonia Baptist Church in Washington, D.D., Rev. Patrick J. Walker pastor. agape, pastor fort

THANK YOU PASTOR EMIL THOMAS AND DESTINY CHURCH!

Sunday past Sis. Angela Fort and I were blessed to participate in the eighth anniversary service for Destiny Church in Washington D.C. and their esteemed pastor and first lady, Dr. Emil and Sis. Shanda Thomas. My friend and brother Emil Thomas was such a blessing to my wife and I that I cannot tell it all. I thank our GOD for you and yours Pastor Thomas. May our GOD continue to bless and keep you, your family, your church family and your preaching and teaching ministry for years to come. agape, pastor fort

CONGRATULATIONS MR. PRESIDENT!

Yes, to all of the people who believe President Obama is the poster child for non-values in America I said ... CONGRATULATIONS MR. PRESIDENT! And yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I am a pastor. And yes, like you I am a sinner. However, I am most proud to say that I am a sinner saved by the love, mercy and grace of God. I've already articulated how I cannot understand the blatant hypocrisy and out right ignorance of some Christian preachers and pastors who, prior to the re-election of President Obama just two nights ago, made public statements in support of his opponent former governor Willard Mitt Romney. I hear you, I hear you, I hear you self-proclaimed, conservative, right-wing, Christians who honestly and ignorantly believe that Mr. Romney stands for the "values" that you hold so dear as a follower of Jesus Christ. Time nor space will allow me to share all that is in my heart on this matter, but for now let me raise this simple question: How can you leap frog the greatest "value" if you will of the Christian faith- namely Salvation in and through Jesus Christ alone (Solus Christus); the belief that the Bible alone is The Word of God (Sola-Scriptura); that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone (Sola fide); and that it is God's grace alone (Sola gratia); that saves us. President Obama has declared with his mouth that he believes the Bible is The Word of God, he believes Jesus Christ is The only begotten Son of God and that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, died on a cross for his sins, was raised the third day and that He (Jesus Christ) is coming back again. Yet and still in the name of "values" some Christian leaders have come out in support of Mr. Romney a practicing Mormon and former leader in the Mormon church as their choice for President. Many have done this in spite of the fact that the Mormon faith is in fact a cult (regardless of whether or not Franklin Graham and/or Rev. Billy Graham the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have removed language from their website that stating Mormonism was a cult or not). Many Christian preachers and pastors have come out in support of a man who was in active leadership in the Mormon church, and remains a major personality in the Mormon church today even though they believe such things as: God The Father was once human and through certain steps/circumstances became God Almighty, that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are brothers, that Mormon men who are faithful will, after being resurrected first and calling on/up their wife- if she has been faithful to join them will one day rule their own planet, etc., etc., etc. ... over and above President Obama- a professed and confessed Christian. Now hold it. I am not saying that I agree with President Obama on every issue. I am not saying that all of his decisions as President have been in line with every jot and tittle of The Word of God. I am not saying that he is sin free. What I am saying however is this ... ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD! Still "God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners CHRIST died for us". None of us, including me, YOU, former Governor Romney and President Obama are free from the stain and guilt of sin. The Bible teaches us that God loves us ALL THE SAME regardless of who we are, what color our skin is, what we believe or don't believe, how much money we make, where we live or how we behave. God still loves us with an everlasting love. For those of you who believe the faith, doctrines and prophecies of the Mormon church and as such believe that I will not make it to one of the three levels of heaven you believe in and that in fact I am not "saved" ... I understand. Still I want to ask you to PLEASE examine The holy Bible for YOURSELF. Do so with an open mind and heart. Examine The Word of God ... the holy Bible and see if what I am saying is true. Jesus Christ loves US ALL and came to the world to SAVE US ALL! My faith is in Jesus Christ and Him alone! Now that President Obama has been re-elected here's a plea from me to you ... let's support the President of the United States. Let's agree to take a serious look at ourselves before we judge other persons. Let's admit that all of us are sinners, that all of us make mistakes, that no one is perfect. Let's rest and rely on the love, mercy and grace of God as seen and demonstrated in and through The LORD Jesus Christ. Let's do our best to love and live like The LORD Jesus Christ. Let's look beyond the color of someone's skin and seek to see the heart and spirit of that person instead. Let's NOT use words such as "values" to hide the racism in our hearts. Let's commit to be honest with God, ourselves and one another. Let's treat other people the way we want to be treated. Agape, S. J. Fort

VOTE! STOP BEING IGNORANT, PICKING OUT YOUR "PET SINS" AND HYPOCRITICAL!

Let me admit at the start ... I am personally bothered by the ignorance, hypocrisy and out singular passion to get PRESIDENT Barack Obama out of office ... "by any means necessary". For the Christian faith in me I do not understand how so called "conservative Christians" (by the way, Christians should not be labeled as "conservative" or "liberal" primarily, but as CHRISTIANS- followers of CHRIST); can in any way, shape or form support former governor Willard Mitt Romney with a clear Christian conscience. Yet, popular religious personality after religious personality come out in support of Governor Romney over President Obama- often referring to Governor Romney as the "lesser of two evils". Persons who have come out in support of Governor Romney over President Obama include: Dr. Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Pastor Robert Jeffress, many, many more members of the Southern Baptist Convention; a few from other national Baptist conventions and still a few more from across evangelical church lines. With respect to those Christians who claim they don't want to "compromise" their Christian values and vote for a sitting President who openly claims and proclaims his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, who both in print and from his mouth has said that he believes in Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, death on the cross and His resurrection; and instead vote for a non-Christian who shares their "values"- know that this is hogwash, and completely unacceptable. To Dr. Billy Graham I say you, Sir, should be ashamed of yourself for endorsing a non-Christian in former Governor Willard Mitt Romney for president of the United States. Moreover, you should be embarrassed and ashamed to go even further and have the language identifying mormonism as a cult removed from your website following your meeting with and endorsement of Governor Romney. Saints, Check out this excerpt concerning the Dr. Graham's endorsement of former Governor Romney via the Christian Post website- Evangelist Laments Billy Graham's Support of Romney, Says Mormon 'Lies' Spreading

Billy Graham (center) and his son, Franklin, met with Gov. Mitt Romney during his visit to the evangelist's mountain home this afternoon, while in the region for a speaking engagement in Asheville this evening. "It is no wonder why God is judging this nation by giving us a choice between two son's of Satan when high profile men of God like Billy Graham and supposed Christian leaders like Ralph Reed, Mark DeMoss, David Barton, and scores of others are publicly telling Christians that it is OK to compromise their faith and put temporal politics over the eternal souls of men to support a Baal worshipper," Keller said in an email to The Christian Post. The evangelist, who is urging people to write in the name of Jesus instead of selecting either candidate on Election Day, refers to the Rev. Billy Graham's recent remarks on Romney, which many say is an unofficial endorsement of the GOP candidate. Earlier this month, Romney met with 93-year-old Graham at his home in North Carolina, where the evangelist praised the Mormon politician for his "values and strong moral convictions." An article which calls Mormonism a "cult" was removed from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's (BGEA) website following the Republican's visit, with Chief of Staff Ken Barun explaining that the reason behind the decision was that BGEA did not wish to be a part of the debate on Romney's faith, which has reached great heights this political season. Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelist-laments-billy-grahams-support-of-romney-says-mormon-lies-spreading-83804/#AOXqUqetroHsvPHX.99 People who support Governor Romney over President Obama claim to do so because President Obama supports abortion and same sex marriage. Now, let me quickly say that as a preacher of the Gospel who has Jesus Christ as my Savior and LORD, the Bible as my guide-book, and the Holy Spirit as my constant company keeper, I do not support same-sex marriage. That said, I do support human rights or civil rights for EVERYONE!!! All people deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jesus loves us ALL THE SAME! Red, yellow, black or white we are ALL precious in His site. There is no difference between us when it comes to the fact that we are ALL "fearfully and wonderfully made". The Bible teaches that God's ideal and plan for marriage is between a man and a woman. The Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage- whether it be heterosexual, bisexual, transexual, try-sexual (I made that one up); or what have you is a sin. So those of us who are heterosexual need to note this too. Now, regarding President Obama's positon on abortion- all of you please note that he has repeatedly stated that he is "pro-choice"; and that he does not believe the government should dictate what a woman does when it comes to making a decision about whether or not to abort a baby. It is a "personal choice"; and should not be mandated by the government. I know no two people agree on every point, however we can agree that mormonism is a cult ... period! Point blank! We can agree that none of us are perfect and live free and above sin. We can agree that the Bible in no way supports same-sex relationships or marriage. We can agree that one glad morning- The LORD Jesus Christ will return and He will rule with righteous judgment. Until The LORD returns let's agree to do our best to live for Him! And to stop lying to ourselves and others, to stop compromising our faith to fit in with the status quo. Let The LORD lead you as you vote ... but VOTE! Even if you go in and write-in the name Jesus ... VOTE!!! agape, S.J. Fort