In his book Live Love Lead, Brian Houston recalls the time he found out about his father’s shocking secret in late October 1999:
“… and I thought to myself, “This is not just immoral-this is criminal.” My father had committed paedophilia.”
pg. 80.
Eight months later after that confession in late October 1999, Brian Houston published a book titled ‘You Can Change the Future: Living Beyond Today and Impacting the Generations Ahead‘, praising the life, ministry and person of his father… in which he forgot to mention his father was a paedophile (and was currently under discipline).
This article will examine excerpts of this controversial book.
Published July, 2000.
(Click to look at snippets from ‘You Can Change The Future’ in this pdf)
According to Brian Houston at the Royal Commission and in his book ‘Live Love Lead’, he expects everyone to believe that:
- He handled his father’s affairs with honesty.
- He handled his father’s affairs with transparency.
- He handled his father’s affairs with no conflict of interest.
- He handled his father’s affairs with “guts or the courage”.
- He handled his father’s affairs the way Jesus handled his affairs before unjust men.
- He did not cover up his father’s paedophilia.
So how can Brian Houston justify his behaviour by publishing his book ‘You Can Change the Future’? Do you think Jesus would be tempted to praise and uplift the Apostolic and prophetic ministry and life of CLC/Hillsong founder and serial paedophile Frank Houston?
THE LIES & FACADE
Brian Houston made this claim in his book ‘Live Love Lead’ about how he dealt with his fathers crimes between 1999-2004:
“I believe with all my heart that I handled an impossible situation with transparency and honesty.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 282.
When pressed by the Royal Commission if he had a “conflict of interest” when dealing with his father, Brian Houston stated:
“The whole idea of a conflict of interest, to be honest, hadn’t even occurred to me and was never suggested by anyone else until we got here to the Commission, and yesterday counsel assisting began to go along those lines. I saw it as me being in a role, having to make tough decisions, and having the guts or the courage to make those tough decisions.”
Source: Brian Houston, Transcript (Day 89), Royal Commission (Case 18), pg. 20-1.
In his book ‘Live Love Lead‘, Brian Houston chose to portray himself to his Christian audiences as a heroic figure:
“Throughout the entire ordeal, I kept going only because I knew God was with me. I had to rely on his [sic] power to face a situation that was personally and professionally beyond my imagination.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 82.
“The things he did were wrong, terrible, and shocking. But the only way that I knew how to move forward was to endure the pain of this difficult season.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 86.
Similar to Kong Hee, Brian Houston parades himself in Live Love Lead as a messiah-like figure when dealing with allegations of his father’s crimes, and his fathers victims (pages 82-83).
“Yet, more than all the professional and personal pain, I also lived with the awareness that there was someone out there who was hurting so much more than I-an innocent victim whose life had also been forever changed. During this time I just knew I couldn’t bear the pain by myself and remain the leader God had called me to be for our church and denomination. I needed my heavenly Father.
Jesus handled his own suffering this same way, drawing his strength from his Father’s power.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 82-3.
“But he [sic] also told [his disciples] about the difficult path that lay ahead of him. Jesus told them that he had to go to Jerusalem and face the wrath of the many hypocritical Jewish religious leaders before being arrested and executed and then rise from the dead on the third day.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 85.
Houston also sees himself as ‘Christ-like’ when Peter tempted him not to go to the cross. Houston seems to think that Jesus said to Peter, “You’re trying to get me to limit my view of God’s plan and focus only on my own comfort. But that’s shortsighted. So knock it off!” (pg. 85). How did Houston want his audiences to see himself?
“We face the same temptation but have to keep our eyes on Jesus.
He didn’t take a detour around the shadowed valley ahead. So we must follow him through it.”
Source: Brian Houston, Live Love Lead, Australia: Harper Collins Publishers, 2015, pg. 85.
Brian Houston’s messiah complex is concerning. “However, in my mind, I knew I had no option but to confront this- I had to walk the difficult path before me,” (pg. 85).
Brian, how difficult is it for you to withdraw the publication of a book?
On the opening page of ‘You Can Change the Future’.
On the reverse page is this dedication,
In the introduction, Brian Houston opens up the first sentence talking about his father. He gives his father’s testimony in the introduction, boasting that Frank “set a new course for the future generations of the Houston family” and that “the impact of his preaching and ministry has ultimately changed the lives of countless of thousands around the world” (pg 1).
Notice the theme here?
- The title of the book includes “impacting the generations“.
- The book dedication to Frank Houston with the image of Frank on the other side was about Frank impacting the “generations of the Houston family” and the “countless thousands of men and women across the globe”.
- The opening introduction is about Frank setting a “new course for the future generations of the Houston family”.
So how can you change your future and impact the generations ahead?
Brian Houston wants you to look at his father as a perfect example to emulate.
(Why doesn’t he mention his father is a paedophile?)
- Chapter fourteen also sets the tone portraying Frank Houston as a spiritual model to follow, using the scriptures (Psalm 112:1-5) to present Frank Houston as a “righteous man” and a “good man”, Brian Houston insinuating he is living in the “special heritage” his father has left him (pg. 77-8).
(Why doesn’t he mention his father is a paedophile?)
Sickeningly, this chapter contrasted the blessed children (like Brian Houston) with children who have been abused (like maybe, Frank’s victims?):
“A child who has suffered abuse is not doomed. If they grow up full of anger, bitterness and resentment, and never deal with the issues of the past, then they will never walk in their full God-given potential. But Christ can set them free from these curses of the past.”
Source: Brian Houston, You Can Change the Future, pg. 78.
That’s a reassuring teaching for Frank’s vicims, isn’t it Brian? (Were you expecting AHA to read this and find comfort with this advice after your father abused him?)
On another page, Brian Houston claimed that Frank Houston showed no sign of retiring or finishing up ministering at CLC/Hillsong:
“My father is over seventy and I rarely hear him talking about the ‘good old days’, even though he has seen plenty of them. He is still dreaming and moving forward with God, and there is no such thing as ‘retirement’ in his vocabulary.”
Source: Brian Houston, You Can Change the Future, pg. 115.
On one hand Brian now wants us to believe that Frank Houston was “never to preach again”. But here he’s saying his father does not even have retirement on the agenda?
So which Brian do you believe?
The great AOG President Brian Houston who is “honest” and “transparent” or the loyal son who is receiving the heritage and baton of his father’s divine legacy?
(Which is why he didn’t mention his father was a paedophile in this part of the book?)
In Chapter Twenty-Two, Brian Houston used his father as an example of someone who helps “change the impact on generations”. Brian Houston associates his paedophile father to that of Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, William Booth and Charles Haddon Spurgeon, people he thinks also impacted the generations.
“The day my father committed his life to Jesus, he didn’t understand what was actually happening in terms of impacting other people’s lives. Because of his decision, our family has been changed forever, and thousands of people have been trained up and are preaching the Gospel worldwide.
There have been some great men of God in days gone by – Wigglesworth, Finney, Spurgeon, Booth – but they are now in eternity. They made an impact during their generation but in all His wisdom, God chose to put you and me in this generation. You may imagine living in the time of horse-drawn carriages, but it isn’t coincidence or chance you are here today. You are here for a time such as this to be part of God’s eternal purpose.”
Source: Brian Houston, You Can Change the Future, pg. 122.
Just like these men, “The decision you make and the actions you take have a huge impact, not only on yourself but on the generations to come. You will pass on a baton to the next generation” (pg. 122).
* Houston was clearly capitilizing off the reputation of popular Christian figures. Spurgeon is the only one we endorse in the above image.
So what does that baton look like? Brian answers this question for us (emphasis ours):
“In 1999, my father Frank Houston decided to step back from day-to-day running of his church, Sydney Christian Life Centre, and passed the baton of leadership on to me. What an honour for Bobbie and me to continue building on the foundations laid by my parents. It was also a tremendous responsibility as we were already pastoring Hills Christian Life Centre in Sydney’s north west. Today Hillsong Church continues what was started in 1977, with our two major worship centres, a city-wide network of cells, and contributing services and ministries all adding to the expansion of future generations.”
Source: Brian Houston, You Can Change the Future, pg. 122.
BIG NOTE HERE: Brian Houston acknowledges that Frank’s work in 1977 is still foundational to Hillsong and whatever Frank has passed down, (you’ve got to wonder what’s in that baton), is impacting the “future generations”. Once again, Brian Houston is leveraging off of Frank’s reputation, ministry and legacy, acknowledging Frank is pivotal to Hillsong “adding to the expansion of future generations”. Frank Houston is still the commodity at this stage to further Brian Houston’s cause. Brian is clearly capitalising on Frank’s celebrity status and reputation to further his Hillsong brand
(Which is why Brian didn’t mention Frank Houston was a paedophile in this chapter either?)
The date 1999 is also important. This means that Brian Houston was still writing this book after May 1999 when this meeting occurred, where Frank Houston handed over and merged his church with Brian’s church.
Further note: Brian was referring to Hills CLC as Hillsong as early as May 1999 (or earlier) and before July 2000.
When you read the above blurb, it sounds as though Brian Houston captured a very special and sacred moment when “Apostle” Frank Houston passed the “baton of leadership” of his church to him.
However, this is how Brian Houston described this event at the Royal Commission:
“… my father retired in May 1999 from the senior pastor role, and the idea was that he was going to be an itinerant – it may or may not be relevant, but at the time it seemed very rushed, that he suddenly asked me if I would take on the church. Now, with hindsight, I think we know some of the reasons why that is. So in May of that year, 1999, I became the senior pastor of what we now call the city campus, but then it was Sydney Christian Life Centre, and for a period of maybe 18 months or two years we ran two very distinct churches, working in cooperation.”
Source: Brian Houston, Transcript (Day 88), Royal Commission (Case 18), pg. 54.
When asked by Mr Beckett why it appeared his father Frank Houston “seemed very rushed” to hand over his church to merge with Brian’s church, Brian stated,
“… I believe because he knew that things were coming to a head with the issues that we’re talking about here at the Commission.”
Source: Brian Houston, Transcript (Day 88), Royal Commission (Case 18), pg. 55-6.
So according to Brian, Frank Houston passed his “baton of leadership” (his disqualified and counterfeit ministry), to Brian.
If Brian disclosed in his book that his father Frank was a paedophile, would you like to pass on your “baton of leadership” the same way Frank Houston passed on his “baton of leadership” to his son and “future generations”?
Brian Houston and his elders have emphatically tried to distance their Hillsong brand with the conduct and ministry of Frank Houston. However, Brian Houston in his book ‘You Can Change the Future’ has made sure that this scandal directly links both the ministries of Frank Houston and himself.
It took a paedophile to destroy the lives of many victims and it took the son of a paedophile to hide his father’s crimes and to keep what he inherited safe with the publication of ‘You Can Change the Future’. Does protecting one’s investment trump courage, honesty and integrity?
However we look at it, the publication of ‘You Can Change the Future’ is scandalous. Brian Houston may have changed his future and inherited his “righteous” father’s “”special heritage” but at what cost?
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:35-6
Hillsong Church Watch 
I think I’m going to hurl.
“One of these things is not like the others” – very witty.
Churchwatcher
what do you think of this?
10 Cultural Responsibilities of the Hillsong Leadership Team
Brian C Houston
14 April 2016
Everything has a culture. Your life has a culture, your marriage, your home, your business, our churches have a culture… If you’re a leader, it is you who sets that culture.
Over the years I have been repeatedly asked the question, “How do you guys build such a strong culture?” When Bobbie and I began Hillsong Church more than 30 years ago, we didn’t set out to build a particular kind of culture. Back then, there was no one else to sweep the floor after the service, or open the door and welcome others or pick up people to bring them along to our church. We had to BE the culture.
And that is what I have discovered – You cannot build the culture unless you are prepared to BE the culture.
Any culture is only ever as strong as its lowest common denominator. It’s not enough to just decide on a particular culture you want because if you have people on your team with a different spirit, then that is where the pace and level of your culture will be set. Build a culture around faithful people. Faithful people in your organisation are the ‘culture carriers’. They are the ones who will teach others the collective habits long after you have left. They will carry the vision and make the changes necessary to maintain the heart and purposes of your mission.
So, these are the 10 Cultural Responsibilities I ask our staff to embrace when it comes to setting the tone and framework for Hillsong Church. If you are leading a business, then adjust accordingly… it is never too late to BE the culture you want to see!
10 Cultural Responsibilities I Will Embrace:
1. I am a CAN-DO person.
I surround myself with can-do people. It is too easy to be ruled by what can’t be done, what we can’t afford, don’t have time for, can’t do… there’s always a reason why not. People are quick to tell you why you can’t do it, can’t afford it, we don’t have the people or we don’t have the money, we don’t have the time…
One of the things that hinder building can-do people is when we live by experience. No innovation, creation or new thing, is ever born out of experience because experience only tells us what either has or hasn’t been done. But when you live with a can-do mindset, it’s amazing how you can find a way.
2. This is not my job, this is my life.
2 Tim 1:9 says,
“[God] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began…”
We are saved for a purpose, we are called for a purpose we are graced for purpose; it’s all about God’s purpose. When we live called, what we do is a calling, not just a job. Jesus talked about the spirit of hirelings in John 10:11, 13. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” He goes on to say that he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and they are out of there. That’s the spirit of a hireling; they are just there to do a job, make some money, get on to the next thing.
If you are a pastor, be careful not to look around the world for someone who is the best or most skilled. Build from within – from those who are planted in your church. A hireling spirit won’t stand with you when tough times come. But those who live saved and called for a purpose are there in the good times and the bad times and everything in between. The same goes for business people. Build INTO your people, raise them up and give them a vision for the long-term.
3. I Will Serve the Lord with Gladness.
Not sadness, not madness, not badness but GLADNESS! If we don’t serve the Lord with gladness, then we start to think minimums. Minimums say, “What time do we have to get there? Do I have to come? Do I have to bring my wife? Do we have to stay very long? What time to you want me to go?”
Imagine if Jesus said to God about going to the cross, “Do I have to? How long do I have to stay up there? Do they have to use nails?” Aren’t you glad that wasn’t the spirit of our Saviour? If you try to build around people who think in minimums, that’s what you end up getting.
4. Empowerment Starts with Me.
We often think of empowerment ‘downwards’. My experience is that empowerment works in every direction. Sometimes if you want to be empowered, you need to learn how to empower upwards. If you understand empowerment starts with you, then you live your life in a way where you are committed to empowering your leader or boss upwards.
What does that look like?
If you are complicated, over sensitive, have to sit and talk through your latest sensitivities every day, then to me, you are complicated; and that complication pulls the person you answer to into your complication, and your world.
Understand that empowerment starts with you and do whatever you can to live with the kind of initiative that enables your leaders to lift their head higher and get their eyes looking further down the road to set the pace and vision.
5. I Am Not On the Gossip Train.
Every country has its Christian gossip mafia. They are the ones who are always on the phone, “Have you heard the latest? Did you hear about Hillsong, I don’t know whether you heard…?” I want to pastor the kind of church where we are the last to know because we don’t get on the gossip train. If people ring you all the time to tell you the latest tragedy or rumour, you probably should ask yourself, “Why are they telling me?”
The Bible says that the mouth of the righteous is a well of life. Is your mouth a well of life or a sewer of defeat? Scripture also says that the mouth of the righteous feeds many. So if the people around you are depending on your words for nourishment – are they dying of malnutrition or are they thriving?
6. I Am One of Them.
I’m thinking about ‘them’ and ‘us’; them may be THE bosses, us are the workers. Them are upstairs, us are downstairs. Them and us.
I wonder in your church, where do you locate yourself? In the culture of our church, I want people to spiritually, emotionally and mentally see themselves to be on the same side. We are all ‘us’, we are all a part of the same team.
7. I Will Bring Those Around Me on my Journey.
I’m talking about your family – your wife and kids; those that are ‘outside’ of your work environment. Take them on the journey. I’ve seen so many sad mistakes within the normal weekly dynamics of a church team. People can leave work feeling offended or aggrieved; they go home to their wife and ‘vomit’ their emotions about all of the stuff that happened…
Then they come to work the next day and during the day they get that issue worked out and talked through – it’s gone and everyone moves on – but they don’t resolve the issue at home. They go back to work and sort it out and the cycle repeats itself over and over.
The issue is, your spouse loves you, and if you are constantly bringing home the problems, but not the resolutions, then you could wake up one day and find your home is full of resentment. Your family will feel like church is getting too much of their family time.
I have never been a fan of compartmentalising our time. It’s not God-time, then church-time and family time. I don’t think we need to box our lives like that. If you have wisdom you can obviously serve God, love the church and bring your family along on the journey with you. But if you keep dumping resentment at home, you set them up as enemies of church time. Use wisdom when it comes to what you ‘bring home’.
8. What I am Part of is Bigger than the Part I Play.
No matter whom you are, the moment we think our part is bigger than what we are a part of, it begins to destroy culture and bring separation. I often think about Barnabus and Paul. They had a bit of a falling out, and Barnabus left – we literally never hear about him again.
Don’t forget that God anointed both Paul and Barnabus. If you are unteachable or can’t easily be told or taught, you will drift away from what God has for you. The devil loves to get people to separate from the thing they are part of – often with tragic results.
Is there someone in your life who loves you enough to look you in the eye and tell you what you need to hear? If you keep a teachable spirit and understand that what you are part of is bigger than the part you play, then I believe you can build a beautiful culture that will build the kind of team, ministry, business or church that is a magnet to people.
9. I Delegate, but I don’t ‘Dump’.
The most difficult personality to locate when it comes to dynamics on a staff are the people who are wonderful upwards – nothing is too hard and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for their boss. But when it comes to carrying out their instructions, they just offload it onto others.
Dumping and delegation are not the same. Dumping doesn’t consider the other person’s world or the other responsibilities they may have. This is one of the most caustic things to happen on a team. Dumping onto others undermines culture and is the hardest thing for a pastor or boss to recognise. Let’s be respectful of others’ time and their responsibilities, and know the difference between delegating – which is positive – and dumping.
10. My Spirituality is Attractive.
This is nothing to do with facial features, but everything to do with our spirit. Mean-spirited, angry, judgmental and legalistic people; if they looked at their own spirit, they’d realise these attitudes give no grace and fail to understand Jesus’ finished work. I cannot stand that kind of ‘ugly’ Christianity.
As Believers, we need to carry His name well. We are His hands and feet. Let’s not be pseudo-spiritual, super-spiritual, opinionated, negative or critical Christians; that is not the kind of spirit we want in our churches. Stay away from that kind of thing and let’s agree to focus on loving God, loving people and loving life. That kind of spirituality is attractive.
Lastly, have a vision that inspires a culture. A leader should create a culture that produces growth and cultivates longevity and creativity in others.
Culture is built over time through hard work and diligence. Know who you are, what you want, where you are going and identify who is coming with you. Culture is the outworking of these things and what you allow: Direction and pattern. You ARE the culture!
Take a risk and create a culture that defies what is ordinary; one that is marked by personal discipline, a different spirit and a different heart – a culture of love and servanthood that prefers others. Keep your habits and those of your team on track. We can build a church or a business, but if we don’t build a culture we cannot build anything that lasts.
Great article Church Watcher! I still can’t get over Brian’s book Dedication to both his parents knowing full well at the time of publishing what his father had done! Frank’s ‘decisions in life’ really did change the lives of many – The family photo Brian used is just creepy – Brian embracing someone who he knows is a pedophile and the pedophile embracing his own son!
Yeah …..and what about Brian outlining the roots of Hillsong as stemming from his father Frank’s church in this book? A fact Brian vehemently denies now, and in the RC. It’s all there in black and white and written by Brian himself.
Brian Houston is such a chameleon, saying whatever best suits his situation at the time.
This was a clearly a situation not of Brian Houston’s making. But he had to deal with it. And these words aptly sum up how he dealt with it: “Throughout the entire ordeal, I kept going only because I knew God was with me. I had to rely on his power to face a situation that was personally and professionally beyond my imagination.”
The question we have to ask ourselves is- was God with him or not? I think He was, and that is why Brian has come out of this ordeal a much more powerful impacter for God’s ministry than ever before.
“Throughout the entire ordeal, I kept going only because I knew God was with me. I had to rely on his power”
was God with houston? or were houstons lies with houston? If God was with houston why did houston lie more than 1 occasion?
Diep, Which lies are you specifically referring to?
If outward success is a sign of God’s favour, do you also assume that God is with Islam, $cientology and Wall Street banksters? Houston scratches itching ears. There will always be far more people who want to hear positive sounding, people-pleasing messages (goats) than bible-believing Christians (sheep).
God tests people’s faith to see how genuine it is. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+13%3A1-4&version=KJV. Preachers like Houston (who promise lots of success and fulfilled dreams but never preach what repels unrepentant sinners i.e. whole Gospel) attract goats like metal to magnets.
thinker, are you saying that outward success cannot be a sign of God’s favour? The Bible clearly shows that it can be, and often is, as in the case of Joseph, Abraham Job and David, Solomon and many others. It is not the only indicator for evidence of God’s favour though.
James, outward success can be from God, and sometimes it is not.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+8:35-37&version=KJVMore
More importantly: is Houston/ Hillsong successful in God’s eyes?
e.g. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+4%3A2&version=KJV
Does Houston preach God’s Word (bible) or Hillsong’s opinions/ impressions?
Does he ever preach a message of correction instead of pep talks?
Does he ever preach what the unsaved world loathes? e.g. Jesus is the only way of salvation, those who reject Him will spend an eternity in Hell?
James
“This was clearly a situation not of Brian’s own making. But he had to deal with.”
I’ve been in a similar situation – it wasn’t my own making, and I had to deal with it by REPORTING IT TO THE AUTHORITIES – as unpleasant as it was,because it was MY JOB before God and man and because I cared for the victims. I don’t go crying on people’s shoulders about it like Brian.
As head of a large church system Brian was legally and morally responsible to protect his flock and report the perpetrator to the police. What a mess he made of that responsibility. He didn’t ‘deal’ with it -he covered it up!
Not only that – now he’s in trouble, like a true wimp, he tries to deflect guilt onto everyone else, including his own congregation, saying that everyone else should’ve reported the paedophile. Where’s the ‘Live Love Lead’ leadership there?
Would God be with you, leading you when you commit criminal acts that put children at risk? How absurd.
Debra, this is what Brian wrote about how he handled the situation at that time. An exerpt from his book Live Love Lead: I believe with all my heart that I handled an impossible situation with transparency and honesty. In hindsight, would you do some things differently? Always. And yet I certainly did my best at the time with what I knew. Can such a tragic situation ultimately work for good? Is it possible that anything of worth can come from a circumstance where lives were shattered and deep pain was experienced? I cannot speak for the real victims of my father’s action, but I have seen firsthand the fallout among his children and grandchildren.
That quote demonstrates distancing, minimizing, refusing to admit personal sin/ responsibility, and putting his own family before his father’s abuse victims.
But really it doesn’t matter what Houston, a Hillsongee or a “meanie critic” believes in their heart about decisions made at the time – what does GOD think? What does the bible say on the matter?
This is one of the best opportunities possible for a 21st century church leader to show his followers that he has been personally convicted of sin, has repented of his sins, accepted God’s forgiveness and seek to assist his father’s victims to bring GOD glory – why won’t Brian Houston do that?
Thinker
I think Brian has done enough to bring clarity to his position and actions on the matter. I feel that even if he met all the ‘demands’ of his haters, they are too far down their tunnel of hatred/envy for it to change their minds about him.
Meanwhile, as he moves on to make a greater impact for good and for God you guys seem to be bogged down in your negativity. I have to ask- what have any of you done to help someone come closer to Jesus this week, or this month, or maybe this year…have you prayed with/for the victim whom you so easily use to further your condemnation of a man of God. Please share these stories with us.
James – what is the gospel?
We are asking you this because you are coming across as a goat and someone who is not born again. You should be a lawful Christian. Instead you are standing in defense of the lawless.
So please answer the question: what is the gospel?
The gospel is the good news churchwatcher. There are many verses in the Bible that describe it. My favourite one is John 3:17.
Now would you care to answer your own question churchwatcher? …just so that we can clarify that you are not the goat here.
Bringing clarity – Houston giving extended PR statements (justifying the decision not to report his father) is not a substitute for confession of sin. Use your bible.
Labelling people as haters doesn’t make the uncomfortable truth a lie. That strategy only fools extremely undiscerning people. You (like many other Hillsongees) reflexively diagnose hatred/ envy instead of addressing what critics are saying. Surely some of you are capable of doing the latter for a change?
Telling people the truth about Hillsong is bringing people closer to Jesus. Christian love involves way more than doing nice things and saying nice words to make other people feel nice and warm and fuzzy inside.
Letting people remain deceived when you know the truth is extremely unloving. Letting people believe a lie that could potentially prevent them from being a true follower of Jesus Christ is being an accomplice of Satan.
Jesus said “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). Would *you* want others to let you remain believing a lie, even though in the short-term hearing the truth may make you experience negative feelings?
“The gospel is the good news churchwatcher. There are many verses in the Bible that describe it. My favourite one is John 3:17.”
Can you stop channeling Brian Houston please?
We have noticed your arguments are his arguments and his false gospel is your false gospel. We have seen him use that verse in his sermon right after the Royal Commission to pervert the gospel of salvation to emotionally and mentally control people to side with him on the issues that emerged from the RC.
How about explaining John 3:17 to us?
Churchwatcher
‘Can you stop channeling Brian Houston please?
We have noticed your arguments are his arguments and his false gospel is your false gospel. We have seen him use that verse in his sermon right after the Royal Commission to pervert the gospel of salvation to emotionally and mentally control people to side with him on the issues that emerged from the RC.
How about explaining John 3:17 to us?’
1. I just quoted a bible verse. How is that ‘channeling’ Brian. Thousands of preachers use this verse every day. Are you going to stop them all…or maybe attempt to remove it from the Bible!
2. Could you give me a link to that sermon please. I’d love to hear it.
3. If you have difficulty relating this verse to the good news(gospel) then you still have a lot of learning to do. I will leave this devotional on John3:17 with you.
http://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/john-1to12/to-save-or-condemn
“Not only that – now he’s in trouble, like a true wimp, he tries to deflect guilt onto everyone else, including his own congregation, saying that everyone else should’ve reported the paedophile.”
Great point. When you put it into perspective, Brian Houston’s like…. “It was MY dad that did it, but it was my CHURCH’S responsibility to report it.”
How incredibly lame is that utter nonsense. It’s the same utter nonsense as his PROSPERITY gospel is. How can people be stupid enough to fall for any of it.
It beggars belief.
“Brian has come out of this ordeal a much more powerful impacter for God’s ministry than ever before.”
Which ‘ministry of God’ is that? (Since Brian never preached the true Gospel.)
Maybe you mean the ministry of another god? A powerful impacter for the Allah of Islam maybe?
This is the kind of ministry our God(Yeshua) is using Hillsong Church for:
http://hillsong.com/collected/all/blogs/category/bwc/
“This is the kind of ministry our God(Yeshua) is using Hillsong Church for:”
No, our God(Yeshua) does not use False Teachers to build up the Body of Christ. He is using Hillsong Church to separate the Wheat from the Tares.
There are many of these humanitarian organizations doing stuff like this, which also do not preach the Gospel in its correctness.
https://www.lds.org/topics/humanitarian-service?lang=eng
http://www.redcross.org/mo2
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/poverty/2010/3/4/34997/Jehovahs-Witnesses-relief-efforts-in-Haiti-highlight-international-unity
http://www.reverendsunmyungmoon.org/works_humanitarian.html
What % of Hillsong money grubbing actually goes towards these good deeds anyway?
What % has gone towards providing a very comfortable lifestyle for False Teachers?
‘There are many of these humanitarian organizations doing stuff like this, which also do not preach the Gospel in its correctness.’
Jonathan
You are quick to discredit the work that our Lord is doing through Hillsong Church as fake. So who then is doing the work credibly? Could you list them down and say what impact they are making for Jesus?
Here is just another ‘little’ work being done by just one Hillsong churchgoer. Watch from the 4 minute mark and tell me that God is not involved in this.
All those good deeds will not grant salvation on that day James. Hillsong has some sort of “form of godliness” but nothing more.
Matthew 7: 22 – 23 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Luke 13: 25 – 27 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’…
2 Timothy 3:5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
“Here is just another ‘little’ work being done by just one Hillsong churchgoer. Watch from the 4 minute mark and tell me that God is not involved in this.”
How dare you. Coming onto a discernment website and promoting still other false teachers? Do you lack common sense? Christine Caine is a major false teacher. Bekah Shae for the past couple years has been increasinglyhanging out with these and other spiritual decadents, which has been very noticeable if you would have ben paying attention.
You are confused. How can something (ANYTHING!) from a false teacher be of God?
I choose to ignore what your silly experiences say, they do not supersede the text of the Bible, though that is what you constantly do. You trust your ‘feelings’, putting them way above the Bible and its warnings. Solid Christians trust what the Bible says. Period. Faith in the Bible text is what counts.
So, No. God is not involved in A21…. Not. At. All.
God does not need false teachers to build His Church.
Stop compromising the Bible because of your feelings / emotions.
On your super hangup insisting hillsong music is glorious: the non-thought provoking lyrically-shallow Hillsong music is a tool they use for attracting/keeping their cult followers and generate lots of money. Hillsong Music is the front door into a spiritually dark empty smelly brainwashing sewer.
Jonathan.
‘So, No. God is not involved in A21…. Not. At. All.’ You are entitled to your opinion about Christine Cain and A21. You would have a very difficult time convincing the hundreds of women and girls they rescue that they are not led by God.
What has your ‘nameless’ church done for these women. I’d be interested to know my friend.
Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
“You would have a very difficult time convincing the hundreds of women and girls they rescue that they are not led by God.”
The exact same level of difficulty you’d have convincing those thousands of Jehovah’s Witness Cult & Unification Cult & Mormon LDS Cult disaster victims their rescuers are not led by God either. So once again, you are all about feelings / emotions / experiences. Those are your “bible.” You try to draw these worldly comparisons, and from your dollar-for-dollar, deed-for-deed spreadsheet you conclude who is following God. That’s called “works-based salvation” and it seems you are as hung up on that as you are on yuckity Hillsong Music.
“What has your ‘nameless’ church done for these women. I’d be interested to know my friend.”
You have a serious misplaced level of value. You keep mis-estimating that you’re “pulling rank” on everyone here (it’s called “pride”), by trying to compare everyone else to Hillsong, believing that Hillsong is so big, they surely do more.
HOWEVER, though my small baptist church cannot match the dollar-for-dollar level of funds, like I told you before %-wise it’s more. FURTHERMORE, we give 0% to funding false teachers, while you are a big constituent of false teachers. AND, we are scriptural, while Hillsong is not at all. SO, you in your cult, are still repeatedly using worldly methods from your worldly unregenerated mind trying to justify your worldly cult.
This is not my opinion. God is not involved in A21. A21 is led by a False Teacher. God is not part of that organization. Not. At. All. And. Never. Was. But you can’t tell that because you argue like a goat, for the goats. Are you a goat?
Jonathan, you still have not said exactly what your church does for these women. And yes, unfortunately I am comparing ‘works’ because you don’t seem to understand grace. The language on this site very closely resembles that of the Pharisees who did not want to know about grace either. I guess this also is an ample response for churchwatcher’s comments (Matt 6:1) as well.
James – if you knew the grace of God you would not be defending those who pervert it willingly.
“The Pharisees didn’t want to know about grace….”
I am genuinely curious – bible chapter and verse to prove that specific claim please.
Don’t remember Pharisees being accused of that before. Thanks in advance.
I’ll give you John chapter 8 to start of with. The Pharisees came in with condemnation first. Jesus challenged them with undeserved kindness…and changed the woman’s life around. We could then move on to 1John 4 but that may be too much for you to handle.
James – the Pharisees were all about social justice with one hand and destroying the most vulnerable with the other. You promote the face Hillsong wants to promote but neglect to see the harlot and the beast eating their own young.
The victims and the pastors liked Brian Houston and Hillsong – until they encountered this coward and liar personally. Just look at how sycophant Brian treated his best friend Geoff Bullock. Now he is air-brushed out of Hillsong’s history.
The system is rotten and only gullible people like yourself are falling for their good works. This is WHY Jesus to watch out for false prophets. They look a true shepherd until you examine the fruit more closely.
Jesus expects you to take him seriously and to discern the truth. Why are you rebelling against his instructions and his warnings?
Take a chill pill, churchwatcher. I’m not rebelling against anything. All I am doing is questioning your motives, and asking you to judge your selves by some of your own standards(this is biblical, isn’ t it?), and suddenly everyone is starting to jump up and down.
I challenge all the ‘anonymous’ people in this forum- if you are as fearless as you say think you are- remove the anonymity and then be ready to be scrutinised with the same light. Tell us the stories about your church leaders. Be honest and tell us about all your misdemeanours. Are you humble enough to do that? Or are you going to walk away quietly from this challenge like the accusers of the adulteress in John 8. Brian is easy to cherry-pick on because there is so much public information out there.
‘James’ – we challenge you to reveal your true identity. We can do it for you but we choose to respect your anonymity.
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
Churchwatcher
I asked first.
It’s not your site, you don’t get to ‘call the shots’. Those who comment here are known and respected for their willingness to share their testimonies regarding their sometimes very disturbing journeys away from charismania and false doctrine.
As for moderators here, some of them attended the Royal Commission hearings and have all the now public documents to prove their case.
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
“I challenge all the ‘anonymous’ people in this forum- if you are as fearless as you say think you are- remove the anonymity and then be ready to be scrutinised with the same light.”
Dear James, Arrogant you are not the internet police. You do not go onto websites and make demands, especially unbiblical ones.
Did you know there is biblical precedence set for anonymity? Of course you didn’t know, because you behave like a pagan, waffling your way around dodging questions by posing others instead of giving answers.
Don’t tell anyone what to do. Especially by making unbiblical demands to others who actually do believe in the same Bible which you yourself hate.
PS: “Take a chill pill” is not found in the Bible. That is the world’s way of admitting you are clueless, because you cannot find verses to back up your man-made theories.
I’m learning, Bisigio…that this is the way anonymous (‘so called Christian) accusers slip out of a genuine challenge.
The challenge remains. For self-righteous Christians like the ones here there should be no reason why you would want to remain anonymous…unles you’ve got something you are just as ashamed of(or worse) as the ones you accuse. Biblical basis for this- John 8.
“Biblical basis for this- John 8.”
John 8 is not a biblical basis to support your man-made theory. You are wrong on multiple levels, however, I am not required to tell you why, so I will not bother explaining to you why. Yet it is very clear to any biblically literate person why.
Speaking of slipping out of genuine challenges, one notices you have failed to answer Churchwatcher’s challenge to you to iterate the Gospel, you have even begged other posters to explain it to you.
You could not even explain the Gospel, therefore you are a false convert.
And now, also a “slip out of a genuine challenge” hypocrite.
Australia does not have the freedom of speech laws that Americans take for granted.
People learn from past cases e.g. whistleblower Roland Poon to tread very carefully when dealing with mega-rich megachurches. We do not have nearly unlimited funds from Hillsong fans to pay for legal costs .http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/former-church-member-roland-poon-who-alleged-funds-misuse-vindicated-says
Here’s a passage for you to reflect upon James. The John 3:16 verse is loved. The following verses are too often overlooked. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A16-21&version=KJV
Note verse 20. ” For every one who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”.
Brian Houston should have trusted in the God whom he claims to believe in. He could have trusted that God would support him and his family when his father’s pedophilia became publicly known, but Houston took the easy way out to protect the Hill$ong brand. He hid what should have been reported.
This was the time he should have put all his leadership teachings into practice and he did not. This was the time he could have proved his faith in Jesus Christ was genuine to very cynical unbelievers, by trusting God would provide even if every follower vanished and unpaid bills started to accumulate.
This is a time his faith could have shined in a very deep darkness of his father’s own making. Instead he added to the darkness by refusing to shine the light onto his father’s wrongdoings, so that Hillsong would continue being a success in the world’s eyes.
It is really quite tragic that such a wonderful opportunity to show how Christians confront sin – seeking justice for “the underdog” as well as mercy for repentant sinners- was wasted by a man who chose to put the company NOT God first.
This is sounding very much like the Pharisees who had come to stone the woman caught in adultery. Read John 8:1-11 and you will see similarities in the Pharisees and teachers of the Law in this true story and your attitude.
Jesus said to the woman “go and sin no more”.
Telling half the truth is lying. Sin.
Minimizing personal responsibility shows doubt in God. Sin.
Focusing on family’s embarrassment instead of looking after his father’s victims shows wounded pride and extreme selfishness. Sins.
Excessive mercy is being shown to an unrepentant sinner. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A8-9&version=KJV
God’s forgiveness is given WHEN people repent from their sin/s. Why do you try to shame people into “out-mercying” God?
What does God think about guys like Frank Houston? Mark 9:42 “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”
Totally agree. But what if he repented? Was he beyond God’s grace? Neither of us know whether he did or did not repent. Neither of us should then become his judge. I ask you this- have you openly confessed ALL your sins in public- and been punished for them all? What about those hidden ones you asked God to forgive but never told anyone? Come on people- we are all in the same place- all in need of God’s mercy and grace.
“But what if he repented?”
Repent of what? Being disqualified in New Zealand for paedophilia and then using God as the reason why he came to Australia to start a church? Frank knew he was also disqualified as a pastor for having unruly children but insisted he must live out his calling.
That is called an Apostate. A lawless one. A false prophet. Research how Prophet Frank treated Philip Powell.
“Was he beyond God’s grace?”
He chose to be beyond God’s grace.
“Neither of us know whether he did or did not repent.”
Brian doesn’t know either. Listen to the Ben Fordham interview.
“Neither of us should then become his judge.”
Frank CHOSE to be a minister. The man is a complete and utter fraud who was trying to buy his way into heaven. Do you think any rational person can conclude where Frank is by his faithless actions?
“I ask you this- have you openly confessed ALL your sins in public- and been punished for them all?”
We’re not pedophiles, chap. You are asking an idiotic question to silence us and that is such a wicked thing to do in light of the criminal, Frank Houston.
Do you always ask such fallacious and stupid questions to avoid common sense arguments?
“Come on people- we are all in the same place- all in need of God’s mercy and grace.”
False. We’re not claiming to be Apostles, Prophets, Healers and profound bible teachers who in secret are touching little children. You, on the other hand, seem to have no problem defending such reprobates.
Churchwatcher, You have made interesting responses to some of my questions. None of your responses is a contextually sound biblical one. All I see is condemnation without grace. I also notice that you smartly chose to avoid one question! I am not attempting to defend the pedophile. I am simply questioning the Pharisee-like nature I see in many of the comments on this post.
***
1. GRACE NEVER MEANT UNQUALIFIED MEN CAN EVER ENTER INTO MINISTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
2. IN ADDITION GRACE NEVER PROMISED QUALIFIED MEN WHO BECOME DISQUALIFIED LATER FOR OTHER REASONS ARE ENTITLED TO RETURN TO MINISTRY.
***
Brian has been UNQUALIFIED to be a “minister” from the gitgo (such as he cannot even do the *basic* skill of rightly dividing the Word of Truth).
Furthermore, even worse, now in addition for new reasons, UNQUALIFIED Brian has become further DISQUALIFIED to remain in his so-called ‘ministry’ due to his bad behavior.
As for you, to follow a person such as Brian is not only sheer foolishness, but actually this is disobedient on your part as well.
Brax
‘As for you, to follow a person such as Brian …’. I don’t ‘follow’ Brian. I do love listening to his sermons though, as I do like listening to many others.
BTW, I agree with your two points(I would still have noticed them if you had not used caps!- take it easy bro. My question to you is: who ‘unqualified and/or disqualified Brian? Last time I heard he was still an ordained Christian minister.
James
Your answer to my post relies heavily on Brian’s latest book. I’m sorry but I don’t believe anything he says because Brian is a proven liar e.g. Claiming on the Hillsong website there was only one child raped by Frank 30 years ago- even though he knew there were many more.
There are so many examples of his deception and outright lies they’re just too many to mention. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t believe anything he says so his platitudes and spin really left me cold.
But when he started to once again bring it all back to him and his poor children I really saw red. All of his kids are going well. Multi millionaires with the world at their feet. No psychiatric problems or suicides – unlike the victims .
The victim who gave evidence at the RC is on a disability pension as a result of the rapes. At least one victim has committed suicide. How dare he compare his childrens’ suffering to that of the victims!
Debra
I have not read Brian’s book- yet. You may be surprised to know that I am not that great a fan of his.
But it is true that many people suffered because of the actions of Frank Houston. And there is no denying the fact that Frank’s decedents have to live with this for the rest of their lives. I ask you- do you condemn Jesus because of what His ancestors did? Have you carefully considered the full background of people like the adulterer David, the liar Jacob and the harlot Rahab? Why target Brian for what his father did?
James
You just don’t get it – do you? Or are you just not listening? Blind and / or brainwashed? I’m not condemning Brian for what his father did! The clear message expressed over and over on this site is what the God says in his word about what unrepentant BRIAN did, and how false teachers should be pointed out – just as Jesus did.
Once again lumping Brian’s children’s suffering together with the victims suffering is highly offensive. I had an ancestor who was a paedophile and I tell anyone who’ll listen about it. It’s not something to boast about but neither am I ashamed about it.i did nothing wrong. It’s not something that I will have to ‘bear for the rest of my life’. It’s nowhere near the victim’s suffering ! Just an uncomfortable fact. By minimising the victim’s life long agony with your pathetic comparisons you are turning your back on them. Pity help you.
‘Blind and / or brainwashed’. Neither Debra. I’m just saying that in these situations, there are many people who get hurt, some more, some less. God is interested in healing for all. Brian has made his statements about the issue, and his role in it. Me and you speculating about it all will not change the fact that through God’s grace Brian has managed to move on and is now leading a fruitful church ministry that is seeing thousands of souls saved. You can wallow in the sorrow or also choose to move on and make a real difference in a world that needs believers working together not against each other.
James – what is the gospel?
“I ask you- do you condemn Jesus because of what His ancestors did? Have you carefully considered the full background of people like the adulterer David, the liar Jacob and the harlot Rahab?”
Comparing Brian Houston THE LIAR to Jesus Christ THE TRUTH is madness and actually blasphemy. James you really are a sicko.
Jarkko, The real sickos are the ones who have time to sit around and make futile attempts to bring down men who God is using to bring many souls to a knowledge of and a relationship with Jesus. Wouldn’t their time be better spent attempting to show the love of Christ to the billions of Muslims and atheists around the world and in their neighbourhoods?
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
“Brian has made his statements about the issue, and his role in it.”
You mean Brian has made his lies about the issue.
“Me and you speculating”
There is no speculation. It is obvious the Royal Commission was not happy with Brian’s ‘testimony.’ They do not speculate.
“will not change the fact that through God’s grace Brian”
God does not approve of liars or lying.
“managed to move on and is now leading a fruitful church ministry”
False teachers do not have the capability to lead a fruitful church ministry. They spin webs of lies and deceit.
“You can wallow in the sorrow or also choose to move on”
You james can continue to swallow the lies or get with the program.
Why do you constantly make a false declaration you do not follow Brian, yet you constantly defend him and brownnose him?
Leyeckmeyer
I am then very sorry to inform you that Brian Houston has a very successful ministry (many souls coming to Jesus, many lives being transformed, many marriages restored, many churches being planted… and the list can go on).
I will reiterate that I am a follower of Jesus Christ, not any man. All humans have flaws..you, me and Brian included, but this site has clearly set out an agenda to get this man. And I am simply trying to bring some balance to the discussion. Please don’t get upset and start accusing me of defending as if Brian is perfect- but neither are you, or your pastor, or me, or anyone else on this self- righteous site.
Test the Spirits
John 4:1-6 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
Is testing the spirits high on your agenda, James?
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
You are quite the little deviant James. Using the ancestors of Jesus to justify the unjustifiable behaviour of Brian and Frank Houston?
Let’s see…
Jacob REPENTED and came into covenant with God.
Rahab REPENTED and joined God’s people.
David was punished and REPENTED of sins to God.
Compare this with lawlessness of the Houstons…
Frank Houston did NOT repent – when he was under investigation by Philip Powell, Prophet Frank threatened that God was going to kill Powell for “muckraking”. Frank apparently lied to Brian over his pedophilia and did not cooperate with the AOG investigations.
Brian Houston did NOT repent of his cover up – he has told countless lies to justify why he handled his fathers crimes with integrity and honesty.
Maybe you should go to a pre-school Sunday class to get educated on the gospel of repentance.
Churchwatcher
Neither I nor you know for certain whether Frank repented. That is a matter he had to sort out with God. Should he have repented publicly? I think it would have been good if he had. But ask yourself the same question- have you repented publicly for ALL your sins? Would you come out of your anonymism and do it on this forum? I’d like you to answer these questions to yourself honestly and then attempt to understand what I am driving at.
As for Brian, I think he has made his position clear many times- you believing or not believing in the truth of his statements does not in any way make a dent on the good work God is doing through him and his Spirit-led ministry.
“Wouldn’t their time be better spent attempting to show the love of Christ”
@James, Wouldn’t your time be better spent attempting to not propagate lies?
“Jarkko, The real sickos are the ones who have time to sit around and make futile attempts to bring down men who God is using to bring many souls to a knowledge of and a relationship with Jesus. ”
@James, Brian Houston does not know Jesus, because he does not know the Gospel. Yet he takes people’s money and tells them he’s preaching the Gospel to them. That’s called “lying.” Stop deflecting. The real sickos are the ones the Bible calls sickos, and that’s Brian Houston for painting himself as a successful pastor when he’s nothing of the sort, and you for speaking your blasphemous comparison.
“I am then very sorry to inform you that Brian Houston has a very successful ministry (many souls coming to Jesus, many lives being transformed, many marriages restored, many churches being planted… and the list can go on).”
Social gospel is the only thing you espouse. Not the true Gospel of salvation.
“I will reiterate that I am a follower of Jesus Christ, not any man.”
Seriously now. You are a clone of Brian Houston (that man you say you are not fond of). And you defend his pathetic ‘ministry’ to boot. You are double-minded, which Scripture also warns against. Another warning you refuse to heed. You are NOT a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a CLONE of Brian Houston.
“All humans have flaws..you, me and Brian included, but this site has clearly set out an agenda to get this man.”
If this site did have that agenda, why would you care, since you say you are not fond of him? Why do you keep defending him? You’re just another Hillsong superhero running to rescue that liar.
“And I am simply trying to bring some balance to the discussion.”
Explain how defending that liar is equivalent to ‘balance’? This website is not a discussion, it is an in-depth exposure of countless lies being told to the Church.
“or anyone else on this self- righteous site.”
This site defends Scripture. Explain how in your warped mind that is ‘self-righteous’? You do not defend Scripture. You defend people: Brian Houston, Christine Caine… Are there any other anti-biblical personnel you care to side with in YOUR self-righteous anti-Jesus arguments?
Leyeckmeyer.
‘Social gospel is the only thing you espouse. Not the true Gospel of salvation.’
Can you explain the term ‘social gospel’ please? And then can you tell me what you think the ‘true gospel’ is?
You’ve got google James. Use it.
James
Brian May be “moving on” but the wheels of the Australian justice system are still “wallowing ” in it like me.
For your information, I already choose as a Christian to make a real difference in this world by fighting for the rights and justice for victims of child sexual assault. You do know, I hope, that sexually assaulted adult/ children are very dear to God’s heart.
Debra, then lets wait and see whether the Australian justice system decides Brian is guilty of any unlawful act or not.
In the meantime, I sincerely commend you for the work you are doing. Hillsong Church is also involved in helping fight against domestic and family violence.
https://hillsong.com/citycare/advocacy/
James – If “good works” is the measure of scriptural integrity, Hillsong has a long way to go just to catch up with at least two well known atheists doing the same thing better.
George Soros – A currency speculator who is among the world’s richest men, admitted to being an atheist in an interview with 60 minutes. Soros made $1 billion in a single day, Black Wednesday (16th of September, 1992). Usually, we hear of such great fortune corrupting people, but Soros had the fortitude to turn his wealth into a positive force for others. In the 1970’s, he provided funds to help black students attend the University of Cape Town during apartheid. The Open Society Institute was founded in 1993 by Soros to promote non-violent democratization of post-Soviet states. As of 2003, the OSI had given away a total of $4 billion. Soros has also given large amounts to other foundations than his own to help fight world hunger and poverty. While some would say that a humble life is a good life, George Soros shows us that with great wealth we can also be an enormous source of good.
Richard Dawkins = An outspoken and renown author, Oxford University professor and evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins is the quintessential atheist. In 2006, he started the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, which raises money to fund education and humanitarian efforts. It raised $500k for the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders for Haiti Relief. Though not nearly as wealthy as some of the other people on this list, Dawkins is committed to making the world a better place through secular initiatives, including the OUT Campaign which encourages atheists to identify themselves to family and friends, using the same method that Gay Rights activists do to help bring the public’s view of atheists into a positive light. Dawkins has also received many awards for his humanist work, including American Humanist Association’s Humanist of the Year Award in 1996.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
Churchwatcher, Ephesians 2:8-9 refers to salvation. Good works saves no one. However, the outworking of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives results in good works. The difference between the good works of the secularist and those of Christians the ones at Hillsong and other churches(hopefully yours too) is that the Christian ones ultimate objective is to get people in touch with Jesus, who alone can truly liberate them. The secular organisations do not have that objective.
Adventures in missing the point completely.
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
James
I hope you realise that by “fighting for the rights of the victims of csa ” I meant primarily being a voice for these afflicted people on sites like this. And more importantly, opposing people like you, whose hardened, uncompassionate hearts communicate to the victims to “get over it”. Another important aspect to this work is identifying church systems that minimise the suffering of the victims and cover up the csa crimes.
I thank God for people like you Debra. So many people’s lives could be transformed by more Christians getting involved in similar ministries.
I know first hand how deeply it can scar people and eventually affect all other relationships. In my mother’s generation it just wasn’t talked about, so people like her were just expected to get over it.
Thinker,
Thank you for your encouraging words. Brought a tear to my eye..
Hi Debra – can you please email us?
“The whole idea of a conflict of interest, to be honest, hadn’t even occurred to me and was never suggested by anyone else until we got here to the Commission”
Either Brian Houston is a Naive Superfool, or Brian Houston is a Profound Liar.
Or possibly Both.
Here is part of the snippets from Houston’s book in that pdf link:
“The only thing you take with you when you’re gone is what you leave behind. – John Allston”
That is not quite true. Most persons when they die will be taking all their sins with them into eternity rewarding them with an eternity of suffering.
That quote Houston made was a poor choice to quote, imho.
James: I’ll give you John chapter 8 to start of with.
And I’ll give the link so people can see for themselves if you’ve kept the passage in context.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+8%3A1-11&version=KJV
James: The Pharisees came in with condemnation first.
Too generalized. You should have expanded further to make it clear who you were referring to, the woman or the Pharisees.
Q: Condemnation for what specifically? The woman caught in adultery? Condemnation for Jesus for something that He’d done/ not done?
A: 5 “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.”
The Pharisees were trying to get Jesus to contradict the Law. Please explain how their trickery demonstrated the Pharisees’ non-belief in grace.
James: Jesus challenged them with undeserved kindness…
Who? For what? For the adulterous woman? For the Pharisees? Where is a verse where it suggests Jesus was undeservedly kind to the Pharisees *themselves*? Yes, He was kind for not publically declaring the Pharisees’ own sins (as they deserved). Nothing to suggest Jesus was being kind to the Pharisees their non-belief in grace though.
James….and changed the woman’s life around.”
Q: How exactly? Did he intervene in her personal life directly? Did Jesus suddenly give her life purpose and meaning? Did he tell to stop listening to nasty judgemental Pharisees because they were too negative and didn’t believe in God’s grace?
A: “She said, No man, Lord….”
She could have said teacher, prophet, equivalent of Sir etc. – she called Jesus LORD. Those words demonstrated faith in Jesus Christ.
“….. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
If she had genuine faith she would have obeyed that commandment and wouldn’t have committed adultery again.
Conclusion: The passage you mentioned doesn’t back up your claim at all.
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James: We could then move on to 1John 4 but that may be too much for you to handle.
Does the link agree with you? https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+john+4&version=KJV
Where is the mention of the Pharisees’ non-belief in grace? Where? Is there microscopic small print somewhere? I know my eyesight is deteriorating ….Perhaps someone else can point to the verse you’re referring to….
James – Stay on topic or your comments will not be approved. The moderators have had enough of you trying to highjack the thread.
Team ChurchWatch.
James – https://churchwatchcentral.com/2016/05/02/conrad-mbewe-lets-revive-the-lost-art-of-christian-polemics/
Team ChurchWatch.
“James: We could then move on to 1John 4 but that may be too much for you to handle.”
It appears that the entire Bible is too much for this James to handle.
Maybe this James should just “move on” as NFNL has wisely suggested.
It is safe to apply Occam’s razor to James.
https://churchwatchcentral.com/2016/04/12/applying-occams-razor-to-evangelicalism/