Hillsong’s Brian Houston on Gay Marriage: ‘I Believe the Writings of Paul Are Clear on This Subject’

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter – October 18, 2014

Hillsong Church pastor Brian Houston has issued a statement specifying his position on marriage and homosexuality after a news outlet reported that he “won’t take (a) public position on LGBT issues.”

The news report came after Houston brought up the topics of homosexuality and same-sex marriage at a press conference held on Thursday with New York City media, on the occasion of Hillsong Conference being held at Madison Square Garden.

“I encourage people not to assume a media headline accurately represents what I said at a recent press conference,” Houston says in a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Saturday.

“Nowhere in my answer did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage,” he adds. “I challenge people to read what I actually said, rather than what was reported that I said. My personal view on the subject of homosexuality would line up with most traditionally held Christian views. I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject.”

(Photo: The Christian Post/Scott Liu)

Pastors Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong Church appear at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, at The Eventi Hotel in New York City. The press conference came on the occasion of the Hillsong Conference being held at Madison Square Garden from Oct. 16-18 in NYC.

The question that resulted in Houston’s remarks on homosexuality centered on how his church tries to remain relevant. In his response, the Hillsong pastor offered homosexual marriage as an issue that is a challenge for some churches. Traditional Christian teachings define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

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Beware of Superstar, Self-Appointed Church Personalities

The Flaming Herald – 10/9/2014 Bert M. Farias

Are these popular ministerial personalities great in the sight of the Lord or only in the sight of man? Are they really known in heaven or only on the Earth? Are they God-anointed or self-appointed? Is it ministry they deliver or some subtle form of hype?

“Many who are great in the sight of the Lord are living in cottages and hovels, and are scarcely known, unless to a few neighbors equally obscure,” said William Jay.

Believers, especially Christian ministers, need a baptism of clear seeing and holy discerning. Our ministry marketing budget may be soaring high, but our perception can sometimes be so low. Our motives need refinement. The refiner’s fire is near the door. Will you open it? Can you see the narrow way to holiness? Or is all the smoke blocking your view?

Before me now I see the impression I saw months ago. There are two scenes. One is of a clear and sunny horizon lined with an endless row of people. The other is of a vast forest. Dense fog covers the forest, and out of the fog comes the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, for the most part, is not found among the general populace. People have to really look to recognize Him.

Think about it. Our Savior was not born in a big metropolis, but in the small town of Bethlehem. And He grew up in the despised region of Galilee. He was not born in a palace where kings are, but in a lowly stable. The wise men had to really search and diligently follow the star to find Him. When Jesus entered into ministry, it is written that He had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). He did not have a ministry headquarters. He died a criminal’s death on a cross, naked and nearly alone. His grave was a borrowed tomb. His throne was an invisible one hidden from the multitudes of those who were healed and delivered through His ministry. He was called meek and lowly; certainly not the description fitting for a king. But today, ministry is so different.

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Foley’s parents “did not realize how brutal they were”

Robert Spencer Aug 22, 2014 – Jihad Watch

James Foley’s parents cannot be faulted for this naivete. After all, the official U.S. government line is that Islam is utterly peaceful and benign. This group calls itself “the Islamic State,” and is, of course, “extremist,” but the Foleys may have hoped that they would ultimately recall some of the vaunted peaceful, tolerant, benevolent and magnanimous teachings of their holy book and prophet, and let their son go. The Foleys’ failure to realize how brutal the Islamic State really could and would be is a byproduct of the general denial by both government and media of the fact that there are texts and teachings of Islam that preach hatred and violence. Their naivete is a manifestation of the general willful ignorance and the demonization of all who speak the truth about this as “racists,” “bigots,” and “Islamophobes.”

“Foley’s parents ‘underestimated how brutal they were,’” ITV, August 22, 2014:

The mother of James Foley, the US journalist executed by Islamist militants, told NBC’s Today show that they had previously attempted to negotiate with the extremists holding their son hostage.

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RUAP in local media / Qantas employee suing over religious discrimination for wearing a Christian cross

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) You may click the following link to read an excellent article about RUAP that recently appeared in the local media. http://journalnews.starcommunity.com.au/rise-up-rises/ 2) You…

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Great 50th birthday celebration for Pr Daniel

Dear family and friends in Christ,

As many of you are aware Monday the 20th of October marked a very special occasion which was Pastor Daniel Nalliah’s 50th Birthday!

On Sunday the 19th of October many family members and friends (around 200 people) gathered at Catch the Fire Ministries in Hallam to share in the landmark 50th Birthday Celebration of this very unique man of God.

It was a very joyous occasion filled with many touching speeches spoken by loved ones, family, friends and several ministers in the Body of Christ.

Several tears were shed as many heart felt speeches were made.

One of the main highlights throughout many of the speeches was hearing the great impact that Pastor Daniel has had on people’s lives through his continuous and bold stand for righteousness and how he has been a true example of a ‘father figure’ in their lives.

Pr Daniel stated, “I was so blessed to hear what my family & friends had to say.

Sometimes you need encouragement too, as constantly when you keep giving out, it’s refreshing when others pour their love into your heart. May I say a ‘BIG THANK YOU’ to all who came and sent greetings.

I do very much appreciate your kind words, love & blessings.

There is much to be done to win the nations back to Jesus.

Let’s join hands in one accord to rise up in Jesus’ name and take back what the enemy has stolen!”

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Vatican Document Makes Dramatic Tone Shift Over Homosexuals

10/13/2014 Philip Pullella/Reuters

In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said on Monday that homosexuals had “gifts and qualities to offer” and asked if Catholicism could accept gays and recognize positive aspects of same-sex couples.

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Roman Church should challenge itself to find “a fraternal space” for homosexuals without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church’s condemnation of homosexual acts or its opposition to gay marriage, it used language that was less judgmental and more compassionate than past Vatican statements under previous popes.

The document will be the basis for discussion for the second and final week of the assembly, known as a synod, which was called by Pope Francis and focuses on the theme of the family.

It will also serve for further reflection among Catholics around the world ahead of another, definitive synod next year.

“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community: Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home,” said the document, known by its Latin name “relatio.”

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Hillsong Founder Denies Covering up Father’s Sex Abuse

Charisma News – 10/13/2014 Sarah Pulliam Bailey/RNS

Days ahead of an annual conference in New York’s Madison Square Garden, the founder of the Hillsong music and church empire is facing strict scrutiny for what he knew about sex-abuse allegations lodged against his father.

Hillsong is an Australian megachurch that has exported its influence to major global cities and into churches’ music across the U.S.

In 1999, Brian Houston’s father, Frank Houston, who was also a minister, confessed to sexually abusing an underage male at his New Zealand congregation 30 years before. In response, the younger Houston, who was then president of the Assemblies of God in Australia, fired his father, took control of the church and merged it with Hillsong.

The elder Houston died in 2004.

On Thursday and Friday, the son took the witness stand in Sydney and denied any attempt to cover up the allegations. Next week, Brian Houston will be in New York City for the church’s conference at Madison Square Garden.

In his testimony, Brian Houston denied trying to hide his involvement in a $10,000 compensation payment made to a man who was abused as a child by his father.

“I acknowledge the courage of the victim in taking the stand today to outline the trauma he has suffered by Frank Houston,” Brian Houston said in a statement. “However I disagree with his perception of the phone call with me, and I strongly refute that I—at any time—accused him of tempting my father. I would never say this and I do not believe this. At no stage did I attempt to hide or cover up the allegations against my father.”

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Poll: 92% of Saudis believe that Islamic State “conforms to the values of Islam and Islamic law”

Robert Spencer Aug 25, 2014 – Jihad Watch

Now where did they get this idea? Haven’t they been listening to Barack Obama and David Cameron, the Pope of Rome and the Archbishop of Brisbane, who tell them that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam, and to all the Muslim groups in the West who have condemned (in vague, non-specific terms) the Islamic State? Is the Kingdom of the Two Holy Places, dedicated to implementing Islam in every detail of life, somehow filled with misunderstanders of Islam? What an odd turn of events! How could it possibly have come about?

“92% of Saudi’s believe that ‘IS(IS) conforms to the values of Islam and Islamic law’ – Poll,” Muslim Statistics, August 24, 2014:

Saudi poll to reveal public’s level of sympathy for IS

The Sakina Campaign plans to carry out a scientific survey to determine the position of the Saudi public on the “caliphate” announced by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. This comes after the results of an opinion poll of Saudis were released on social networking sites, claiming that 92% of the target group believes that “IS conforms to the values of Islam and Islamic law.” Observers believe that in the current period, it is most important to “focus on the roots of extremism and to address and fight it.”

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Why South Korea is so distinctively Christian

The Economist ^ | 08/21/2014

SOUTH KOREA, a dynamo of growth, is also a fire with faith. This week Pope Francis will spend five days there, for Asian Youth Day and to beatify 124 early martyrs. About 5.4m of South Korea’s 50m people are Roman Catholics. Perhaps 9m more are Protestants, of many stripes.

Yoido Full Gospel Church’s 1m members form the largest Pentecostal congregation on Earth. Belief’s farther shores include the Unification Church, soon to mark the anniversary of its founder Sun-myung Moon’s “ascension”.

The late Yoo Byung-eun, the shifty and versatile tycoon behind the ferry Sewol which sank in April, killing 304 mostly teenage passengers, had also founded his own sect (and the website God.com, now in other hands); its followers hid him during Korea’s largest-ever police man-hunt.

All this is particularly striking, because Asia is mostly stony ground for Christianity. Spanish rule left the Philippines strongly Catholic, but Korea is less simple.

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Why Do Liberals Have Trouble Understanding the Pure Evil of Jihad?

By David French , CP Guest Contributor – August 8, 2014

When I came home from Iraq in 2008, friends frequently asked me what I learned “most” from the experience. That’s a tough question to answer, and it depends greatly on context. I learned many things about my faith, my family, and my country, but if the question relates to the war itself, I’d tend to say something like this: “I learned the enemy is more evil than you can imagine, and I learned that a deployment is more difficult than you can imagine.” But while the deployment was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, the chance to play a very small part (surrounded by a band of brothers) to fight this extraordinary evil made it the most meaningful year of my life.

Since I’ve returned — and it’s been almost six years — I haven’t stopped talking about the nature of the jihadist enemy. I share the stories as much as I can (when the context is appropriate), yet I continue to be discouraged by how few Americans — and especially how few of my friends on the left — truly understand (or even try to understand) what the world faces. So they react in outrage when Israel strikes at Hamas, use the collapse in Iraq to once again score political points against President Bush, and use words like “irresponsible” to describe actions like launching rockets at civilians while hiding behind civilian human shields.

Why is this the case? Why can’t so many liberals understand the pure evil of Islamic jihad? I can think of three reasons:

First, they’re often in the grip of a strange kind of moral relativism. I say “strange” because it’s not true moral relativism. Actions of domestic political opponents are condemned in the strongest possible terms, and the history of Christianity is treated as if it is nothing less than one long story of war, rape, and conquest. That’s not relativism; that’s judgmental in the extreme. The relativism emerges when evaluating other cultures, where even dark deeds are excused by “culture” or “colonialism” and regions in the grips of the worst kinds of pathologies are hailed for their rich and glorious traditions.

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Church Unite Services in Melbourne at Convention Centre at 5pm & 8pm this Sunday evening 19th October

Dear friends & family in Christ, We're very pleased to announce tha Pastor Daniel has decided to join many other pastor & churches in cancelling Sunday evening service on 19th…

Continue ReadingChurch Unite Services in Melbourne at Convention Centre at 5pm & 8pm this Sunday evening 19th October

How to Be Led by the Holy Spirit

6/28/2014 Joyce Meyer – Charisma News

What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit? Some may refer to it as being filled with … or sensitive to … or anointed by the Spirit. It probably sounds really spiritual. But being led by the Spirit is actually a very practical part of living the Christian life. Simply put, to be led by the Holy Spirit just means to be obedient to Him.

The Holy Spirit does such awesome, yet practical work in the lives of God’s children. He is our comforter, counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby. He teaches us and guides us into truth—and He even brings the things we learn back to our remembrance as we need it.

And the best part of it all is that He lives in each of us. Ephesians 3:16 tells us that He enables us to be “strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]” (AMP).

He comes to live in our hearts when we’re born again, and then He teaches and guides us according to God’s plan and purpose for us. One of the ways He does this is by convicting us of the sins in our life. Much like a child does, as Christians, we learn what’s right and wrong as we grow in our faith. We may get by with things that are not right for awhile, but the time comes when we need to grow. I remember when I would go to church every Sunday and then spend most of the afternoon gossiping about the pastor or whatever I didn’t like about the service.

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Great success with 5000 Pro-Lifers at March for Babies in Melbourne

Dear friends & family in Christ, What a Almighty God we serve as several thousand PRO-LIFERS in demonstrating God's victory of LIGHT over darkness, LOVE over hate & LIFE over…

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Amid Iraqi Terror Crisis, Light of Christ Is Dawning

8/22/2014  Mark Andrews and Kyle Patterson

Before sending the first wave of military “advisers,” U.S. officials expressed reservations about putting combat “boots on the ground” in Iraq again to deal with a fierce Islamist terrorist threat in the country’s unstable northern regions.

But a Tennessee-based Christian relief organization has had its own “boots on the ground” in this dangerous territory for the past nine months and is showing no signs of backing down in the face of the ruthless militants’ convert-or-be-slaughtered ultimatum.

“Despite the atrocities being committed by ISIS [short for the Islamist State of Iraq and Syria], Iraq represents an opportunity to bring the hope and love of the Gospel,” says Crisis Response International (CRI) Director Sean Malone.

Teams of CRI responders–a combination of staff and trained volunteers–are committed to bringing a witness of God’s love in tangible ways providing food, shelter and medical needs to hundreds in Iraq daily, he said. But most importantly, CRI is praying and bringing the peace and salvation of Jesus into the hearts of hundreds of Iraq residents who are desperate for answers.

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