SPEAKING DISHONESTLY THE SUNDAY AFTER THE ROYAL COMMISSION

Below you will be hearing part of a sermon that was given by Brian Houston after the Royal Commission in 2014. Towards the end of his sermon that talked about tackling the issue of shame, Brian Houston dropped this deceitful testimony.

What is shameful on Houston’s behalf is the fact he is teaching on shame but is himself ashamed to even name the person he is referring to. Essentially – by withholding the persons name, Brian Houston is lying by omission – and being a hypocrite. The person he is talking about in this video appears to be Pat Mesiti, the former Pastor of Hillsong’s Youth Alive.

“Many years ago, over the years I’ve had many people in my office over failings and things that now frame their lives.

Never forget many years ago a friend of mine, sitting in my office having confessed immorality, I’m talking about sexual immorality; he was just so filled with shame. I will never forget it he literally could not sit up straight, physically could not sit up straight, he was just dumpling over. It was that feeling of remorse and shame, thinking about the consequences of his sin, the devastation he had caused people around him and it cost him everything.

Literally, it didn’t only cost him his ministry, it cost him his marriage, it cost him his home, he lost his home, it cost him everything. The only thing he had was loyal friends and perhaps that’s the greatest thing we can have anyway, is loyal friends.

And there were people who stuck with him, people who I know here in our congregation who stuck with him. I was talking with him yesterday on the phone, actually text messages, same thing these days, and ahhh he was telling me that after years of rebuilding his life, just constantly rebuilding his life that the house he lost that his sin, his shame had cost him, he is on the edge of perhaps buying back.

Now think about that instead of your shame and dishonour you will enjoy a double share of honour you will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, everlasting joy will be yours.

I’m thinking what restoration is that! Literally restoring what the devil had taken, what his own sin and shame had taken and his family loved that house his adult girls they’ve got great memories of that home and ahhh his little daughter loves that home and so, I don’t think they’ve done it yet, it’s not over the line but it looks like, you’re talking about restoration the home that his sin and his shame cost him is coming back into his life and other things that were robbed from him are being added back into his life.

After many, many years something like twelve years and I think what an amazing story. And that is the grace of God and we are a grace church and we will always believe that your accuses, one by one they need to leave, whether they are external or internal, so it’s you and Jesus alone because untimely the only victory you have over shame and guilt and condemnation is in Jesus Christ and if you get rid of all the noise, all the other voices, all the finger pointing and just spend time with you and Jesus, that’s where my friend your victory will be won.

Instead of shame and dishonour you will enjoy a double share of honour, you will ohhh I love it [claps hands] possess a double portion of prosperity in your land and everlasting joy will be yours. How great, how wonderful.”

Source: Brian Houston, Hillsong Church – 12 October 2014, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq7M0JWw9dche, Hillsong, Published by Hillsong Church 16/03/2015. (Accessed 16/03/2015.)

Pat Mesiti’s “restoration” is an “amazing story”? Really Brian? If you are not sure who Pat Mesiti is, read these articles:

What Happened To Pat Mesiti of Hillsong?

Guess Which “get-rich-quick” scheming Pastor This Journalist Is Warning Us Against?

Money-Making Mesiti ‘Ministering’ At Hillsong London In 2010…

It Takes Houston & Pringle To Restore One Who “Reveals The Best Tips On Public Speaking”

So why is Houston using the “restoration” testimony of Pat Mesiti and calling it an “amazing story”? Mesiti’s fall was a tragedy. However, when you read the articles above, Mesiti’s restoration was a spectacular failure. He now has the appalling reputation in Australia and New Zealand as a spruiker and con artist. Is this why Brian Houston was ashamed to leave out Mesiti’s name in the testimony?

Last year the Financial Review wrote about Pat Mesiti.

Property spruikers signal overheating market

Pat Mesiti , whose mission in life is to create 10,000 millionaires before he dies, wants you.

The Sydney-based organiser of property seminars boasts he can show Australians the secrets of how he and his friends “built fortunes in real estate, starting from scratch with no special skills and not a lot of spare cash”.

All you need do is attend his “property millionaires” tour – in Melbourne this weekend – where you can learn how to develop, renovate and churn property.

“Many of you want to flip properties,” Mr Mesiti declares in a YouTube clip on his website.

“We want to teach you how you do that safely, securely, and make money.”

It’s the kind of pitch that worries analysts watching for signs the property market is overheating.

There are plenty of reasons to worry. Reserve Bank of Australia figures showed this week that investors now account for about 45 per cent of home loan approvals in NSW – a record and well above the previous peak in 2002-03.

RP-Data on Friday said Sydney house prices rose 1.5 per cent last month and are almost 15 per cent higher than a year earlier, a sign price growth may be accelerating.

Experts say an apparent explosion in property investment seminars is a warning parts of the property market are overheating.

“A pick-up in the property spruiking business is a signal things may be getting a little too exuberant,” said Paul Bloxham , HSBC Australia’s chief economist.

The former Reserve Bank official co-wrote a 2010 central bank study into the causes of the 2003 Sydney housing boom and bust.

Housing seminars are a common sight around hotel conference rooms, where they pitch to retirees or younger investors. Direct telephone marketing is also on the up.

Mr Bloxham’s original report noted that one of the alarm bells about Sydney’s overheating market a decade ago was a crackdown on property investment seminars and increased scrutiny by the tax office of rental deductions.

“Some of the tell-tale signs are there,” he said on Friday.

HIGHER THAN EXUBERANT TIMES OF 2003

“The investor share of loans is at a record high, and higher than the very exuberant times of 2003, which ended with house prices falling and parts of Western Sydney doing it tough.”

He says the city appears to be following a familiar pattern, fuelled by record-low official and commercial lending rates that start with price rises based on fundamental drivers, such as a shortage of new homes and rising incomes.

“People then get overly excited about it and start buying assets because the price of those assets is rising.

“The solution is not to leave interest rates too low for too long. It’s one of the reasons the Reserve Bank won’t be cutting rates further and we have in mind they’ll be lifting early next year.”

Chris Curtis , a Sydney property buyers’ agent, said there was no doubt pushers were once again proliferating, but are more sophisticated.

They still use well-worn arguments to drum up business, such as negative comparisons to shares and a shortage of housing supply, while updating the pitch to emphasise affordability of property investments for self-managed super funds and the “globalisation” of Sydney as a haven for global capital.

“They’re quite appalling, and what’s happening now is that everyone is doing this property thing – it’s not just the Gold Coast white-shoe brigade: it’s now happening with credible brands,” Mr Curtis said.

The concern was echoed by last month’s David Murray financial system inquiry interim report, which said borrowing by self-managed funds would create problems if left unchecked.

Regulators, who say co-ordinating enforcement is tricky, fear much of the demand for off-the-plan apartments is being driven by double-digit commissions.

Cash payments of $40,000 are routinely made to advisers who recommend apartments, typically to self-managed super fund investors.

In turn, investors are promised double-digit returns, guaranteed tenancies, regular rental income and perks, such as ‘‘free’’ furniture, in a bid to invest in off-the-plan developments.

Tim Mackay , a financial adviser at Quantum Wealth, said high-pressure sales seminars promising easy wealth had become common.

“Aspirational investors should view it as a canary in the coalmine and tread cautiously.If in doubt seek independent advice,” he said.

Mr Mesiti, one of the spruikers, said that while there were pockets of over-heating other parts were not.

“Property, like life, goes through different cycles at different times,” he told AFR Weekend.

“Everyone is entitled to their view. It think it is a great time to leverage and take control of your own destiny, of your wealth.”

Source: By Jacob Greber & Duncan Hughes, Property spruikers signal overheating market, The Financial Review, http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/property-spruikers-signal-overheating-market-20140801-j6yt3, Published Aug 2 2014 at 2:44 AM | Updated Aug 2 2014 at 5:24 AM. (Accessed 17/03/2015.)