LOVE, LEAD, LIE
We noted in our previous article Brian Houston retweeting Hillsong’s tweet of their ‘Hillsong Statement’ about the A Current Affairs (ACA) report. This is what the Hillsong Tweet read:
Statement by Hillsong Church on A Current Affair story: http://hil.so/qzpw
Source: Hillsong Church, https://twitter.com/hillsong/status/590754683674853376, 10:51 PM – 21 Apr 2015. (Accessed 24/04/2015.)
We have already reviewed this “Official Statement” from Hillsong:
Which “tabloid trash” do you believe?
Brian Houston in damage control… again… and again…and again.
What occurred after Hillsong issued that statement was breathtaking.
THE REPORTER AND THE RORTER
One of the issues that the A Current Affairs report highlighted was the fact that Hillsong pressures people to give money.
Hillsong have continually lied to the general public about this issue and this is a lie that we at Church Watch have exposed repeatedly.
We would like to remind our readers that Brian Houston himself pressures his members to give money so they can be right before God and be in the will of God. (This false teaching absolutely perverts the foundational teachings of Christianity and is in fact a damnable heresy.) As you can see, Houston is scamming people financially into believing that they can only prosper in God if they give money to God/Hillsong.
On the 22nd of April, Tracy Grimshaw from A Current Affair tweeted ,
@FArimado we ask Hillsong constantly to talk to us about how the donations are spent. They will not. “If only” they would..
Source: Tracy Grimshaw, Twitter, https://twitter.com/tracygrimshaw/status/590997174332227584, 2:54 PM – 22 Apr 2015. (Accessed 25/04/2015.)
It was this phrase from Brian Houston that caught our attention:
“It’s not as though ACA is known for its credibility”.
Who is lying? Who’s credibility is at stake here? Sadly, many people are tweeting that this is not a good look for a church. And as @Dan_Nolan9 observed, “Not a good look for a church – creating falsehoods in a statement accusing ACA of falsehoods”.
This because ACA responded to Hillsong’s original tweet alerting people to the Hillsong Statement. The statement claimed “the program made no attempt to contact us to get the facts – or even hear our perspective – before airing this piece of fiction”.
Ben McCormack from ACA tweeted a few times to people who accused ACA of not contacting Hillsong.
@hillsong this statement by Hillsong is false. ACA contacted the church by phone and email and we got no response.
Source: Ben McCormack, Twitter, https://twitter.com/BenMcCormack9/status/591090162039279616/photo/1, 9:04 PM – 22 Apr 2015. (Accessed 25/04/2015.)
This tweet included the following evidence to prove that Hillsong’s statement was a farce:
He also tweeted later with the same attachments,
@Markedw @tracygrimshaw @hillsong we contacted them on 4 separate occasions. Don’t fall for more Hillsong dishonesty.
Source: Ben McCormack, Twitter, https://twitter.com/BenMcCormack9/status/591105999525650432, 10:07 PM – 22 Apr 2015. (Accessed 25/04/2015.)
After the news team publicly exposed Hillsong for not being honest in their official Hillsong Statement, Brian Houston contacted Ben McCormack. Do you think Brian Houston apologised for his false allegation?
This exchange took place on the 23rd of April, 2015:
Brian Houston:
@benmccormack9 Hey.. How about coming to have a coffee with me one day? You got the guts to do that? Just you and me.
Ben McCormack:
@BrianCHouston love to meet. Why not do an interview on camera & answer some questions too? You got the guts to do that?
Brian Houston:
@BenMcCormack9 The Q’s are not the issue. It’s your skewered editing & underhanded tactics that are the problem. So no..!
Ben McCormack:
@BrianCHouston now there’s a surprise.
Ben McCormack:
@BrianCHouston our offer of an interview remains open..
Brian Houston:
@BenMcCormack9 well my offer of a coffee with no hidden recording or cameras stands. It’s not as though ACA is known for its credibility!!
Ben McCormack:
@BrianCHouston we live to give Brian.. Just like your followers.
You’d think that excellent leadership could check all their emails or even check with ACA, before publicly accusing ACA of lying. (Especially when the program was being advertised in advance.) Once again, we are seeing another unsound, unwise and poor leadership example in Hillsong Church.
So why should Bobbie and Brian Houston set themselves up as leadership mentors for other churches to follow?
Live Love Lie
Categories: Hillsong
It is abundantly clear from the footage in that ACA story that Ben McCormack was on Young St near the corner of Danks St in Waterloo just a couple of metres from the front entrance to the Hillsong City Campus. It’s also clear that he interviewed various people who had walked out of the Hillsong Church building. McCormack could have walked inside the building (minus the camera and sound guy) and asked to speak to someone, or try to arrange an appointment to speak to someone. Why didn’t he? McCormack was within arms length of the front door but didn’t walk in. If McCormack was so desperate to get a response from Hillsong why did he let that opportunity pass? That he did shows that he didn’t really try all that hard to get a response from Hillsong. A Hillsong response not appearing in the story obviously suited ACA’s biased purposes.
I noticed some comments on Twitter that suggested that any emails from A Current Affair would probably have got caught by the spam filter because ACA is trash.
7:30, Lateline, 60 Minutes and The Project are examples of good news and current affairs programs. A Current Affair is an example of a terrible current affairs program. Tracy Grimshaw has been a good journalist so it is bafflingly why she continues to front such a rubbish program. Yes, A Current Affair is tabloid trash.
Newtatste says “I noticed some comments on Twitter that suggested that any emails from A Current Affair would probably have got caught by the spam filter because ACA is trash.”
Pretty poor excuse, Newtaste. The program was also advertised in advance – are you suggesting not one Hillsong leader didn’t know what was going to happen?
Simply not buying it, they are fame hounds as long as the publicity suits their purpose. Pastoral narcissists, addicted to fame and celebrity, “blank screens” where their followers can project their own carnal desires as they see the obvious “blessings” surrounding the lifestyle of the Houstons.
I’ll repeat what I wrote on the other site:
“It’s interesting seeing Brian Houston interacting with an obvious unbeliever such as Ben McCormack, (a man who identifies himself as a ‘humanist’ on his twitter header). When high profile Christian leaders like Houston are always declaring their love for the lost, how should they treat guys like Ben? As a man who needs Christ or as an adversary?
Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
1 Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
Brian Houston needs to be reminded that the world i.e. Ben McCormack, will judge Christianity by what they see in Brian Houston. And what the world appears to be seeing is someone who loves Hillsong and its reputation more than Christ and His reputation.”
If a so-called man of God can stop in the middle of a Good Friday sermon to advertise their latest album, obviously seeing it as important a message as Christ dying on the cross, whose reputation is more important? http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2015/04/creflos-65-million-dollar-theological-tantrum.html
Ben McCormack judges Christianity based on Ben McCormack’s disbelief in Jesus Christ. Ben McCormack’s admiration of Bill Crews and Bob Maguire hasn’t translated into a belief in Jesus.
Seriously Newtaste?
How do you expect an unbeliever to act? Like a Christian?
The more important question should be – how should Brian Houston behave to the unbelieving Ben McCormack, as a potential soul to be won for Christ?
As a representative of Christ, Brian needs to be reminded about the primary role of a pastor.
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
It would seem that Brian prefers to be a representative of Brian and Hillsong. He already has a movie named after him – “The Life of Brian” 🙂
Another example of Ben McCormack’s reporting of Christians.
” At another point in McCormack’s interview of Russell, the young Aussie stated that if she never got married, she “will never have sex, because part of chastity, as a single person, is abstinence.” The tabloid correspondent replied condescendingly: “That sounds really, really tough. You’ll never get to experience sex if you don’t get married.” Russell confidently responded, “The people that ask me those sort of questions almost say that that’s the only thing in life. I see so many other things. But it’s a lifestyle that I’m committed to, and I’m happy this way. I’m fulfilled. Why would I change?” ”
See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2008/07/15/down-under-journalists-turn-cynic-towards-chaste-catholics#sthash.KLzso0Py.dpuf
Ben McCormack has long had a grudge against Christianity, and based on some of his stories seems to confuse Christianity, Mormonism and Scientology as being much the same. Bill Crews needs to have a private talk to him, I think.
He’s not a Christian, Newtaste. Why do you expect him to behave differently? Ben cannot act apart from his nature.
I hope you don’t judge fellow believers harshly, as we “all sin daily and sin much”.
” I hope you don’t judge fellow believers harshly, as we “all sin daily and sin much”. ”
You all judge fellow believers extremely harshly. Joining in on putting the boot into Brian Houston. Then when he’s down continuing to put the boot in.
One could be forgiven to thinking Brian Houston might be an unbeliever, considering his behavior, his apparent worship of his own “kingdom”, his constantly exposing his followers to false teachers, fellow wolves, so to speak.
Let’s look at some evidence of biblical regeneration, shall we?
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/regeneration_grudem.html
“…..Other results of regeneration are listed by Paul where he speaks of the “fruit of the Spirit,” that is, the result in life that is produced by the power of the Holy Spirit working within every believer: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23). If there is true regeneration then these elements of the fruit of the Spirit will be more and more evident in that person’s life. But by contrast, those who are unbelievers, including those who are pretending to be believers but are not, will clearly lack of these character traits in their lives. Jesus told his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. (Matt. 7:15–20)”
Neither Jesus nor Paul nor John point to activity in the church or miracles as evidence of regeneration. They rather point to character traits in life. In fact, immediately after the verses quoted above Jesus warns that on the day of judgment many will say to him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” But he will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers” (Matt. 7:22–23). Prophecy, exorcism, and many miracles and mighty works in Jesus’ name (to say nothing of other kinds of intensive church activity in the strength of the flesh over perhaps decades of a person’s life) do not provide convincing evidence that a person is truly born again. Apparently all these can be produced in the natural man or woman’s own strength, or even with the help of the evil one. But genuine love for God and his people, heartfelt obedience to his commands, and the Christlike character traits that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit, demonstrated consistently over a period of time in a person’s life, simply cannot be produced by Satan or by the natural man or woman working in his or her own strength. These can only come about by the Spirit of God working within and giving us new life.”
Newtaste – you expect Ben to behave like a Christian, but then you appear to be judging Christian behavior by Brian Houston’s standards, so I’m not surprised.
The five headed monster is chasing it’s tail.
Newtaste – your comment is rather silly. Stop trying to deflect an intelligent discussion about Brian Houston’s behaviour, and pugnacious attitude towards a potential soul to be won for Christ, Ben McCormack.
Newtaste – And over on C3ChurchWatch you continue to have strong remarks about Brian Houston’s very good mate (and partner in crime for promoting false teachers) Phil Pringle. Please explain why Pringle gives you “the creeps” and his spiritual twin Houston doesn’t?
newtaste said: April 22, 2015 at 12:23 pm
“TF, baseless assumption. Pringle gives me the creeps.
CW, keep up the good work (even though no one much reads it nor cares).”
Two souls won.
“However, Indonesian authorities changed their minds at the last moment and Christie Buckingham, a senior pastor at Bayside Church, and David Soper, an old friend of the Chan family, were able to be with the men until the final minutes.”
http://m.smh.com.au/world/bali-executions-eight-prisoners-refused-to-wear-blindfolds-as-they-were-shot-20150429-1mvm99.html
“By all accounts, these two young men – whom I have had the great privilege of being in personal contact with over the last number of months – have not only accepted the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, but have also rehabilitated themselves to be upstanding members of the prison system. Even in jail they have made a positive contribution to the lives of other prisoners, and sought to pay their debt to society. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Chan almost everyday and his faith and strength under extreme duress, have inspired me.”
http://hillsong.com/blogs/collected/2015/april/istandformercy#.VUC0sSM_7qA
Did Brian win them to Christ, Newtaste?
The answer is no. Did Brian fly over and spend time with them? Did he accompany the saints on their journey to their execution? No. But praise God for those who spent those final hours with these men, the true unsung heroes whose only publicity is generated by others, not themselves.
“Brigid Delaney @BrigidWD
Myuran’s funeral is on Saturday at 11am DaySpring Church in Sydney’s Castle Hill & Andrew 11am Friday at Hillsong. Both are open to public
https://mobile.twitter.com/BrigidWD/status/595464473642676225 “
Thanks Newtaste.