Crank Call

Some commentators may have got it wrong in predicting the outcome of this weekend’s election, but few have got it as spectacularly wrong as Pastor Danny Nalliah, of Catch the Fire Ministries. Whereas the commentators of the media and blogosphere may have based their predictions on statistics, anecdotal evidence or just gut feel, the Christian fundamentalist self-professed prophet Danny Nalliah based his prediction on a personal call from God. And so, it seems, did a number of other people associated with his little group.

As Pastor Danny told his followers before the election:

I thank the Lord that I just had a one to one meeting with Peter Costello on Thursday 9th August and John Howard on Friday 10th August. The Lord had given me a clear prophetic Word for both of them and I thank Him I was able to deliver His Word in addition to praying with both of these Federal Government Leaders.

Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to share the details of these private encounters, but I will boldly declare that Prime Minister John Howard will be re-elected in the November election (if the Body of Christ unites in prayer and action) and pass the leadership onto Peter Costello sometime after.

We don’t know who it was who told Pastor Nalliah that Prime Minister John Howard would be re-elected and Peter Costello would assume the mantle thereafter but he (or she) was wrong. Very wrong.

And then we come to this prophecy from Kenneth Copeland (also published approvingly on the Catch the Fire Ministries website):

Kenneth Copeland’s prophetic declaration on 26th October 2007
Following is an email we received from Col Stringer with some excerpts from Kenneth Copeland’s prophetic declaration on 26th October 2007 about our Australian Prime Minister John Howard (further confirmation of Ps. Danny’s prophetic word given on 11th August 2007 regarding the Federal Election on the 24th November 2007)

“God’s man in Australia stood up and publicly declared Australia a Christian nation! ‘If you want to come here and join us in our Christian faith you are welcome here but don’t think you can come in here and try and force some other religion here on us and don’t think you are going to tell us how to believe God and who we are going to worship.’ He publicly did that, now this is no time for that man to be defeated. Well he’s not going to be. Amen. He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is Lord over Australia! It has been announced! Amen.

Ooops. Sorry Kenneth but it seems it was time for the man to be defeated and he’s not exactly Lord over Australia. In fact, he’s unlikely to even be Lord over Bennelong.

And then we have Karen Hetherington, another Catch the Fire pop prophet, who wrote on their website:

And concerning our current P.M. I would mention that in 1990 while praying with a sister in the Lord, that the Spirit of travail moved me with supplications and weeping for new government in the land and I heard myself speaking forth that John Howard was God’s chosen vessel to lead Australia as P.M. This took me by surprise as I had no political aptitude and from time to time as the Lord has caught me to lay hold of the intercessions of His Spirit has He imparted some very interesting dreams visions, words concerning how to pray etc in this vital area of need. So John Howard is very much our God-appointed leader – ‘There was a man sent from God and his name was John’ (Jn 1:6) – and he will give the leadership mantle to Peter Costello. Praise Jesus. And when on 30.7.07 I was driving past Mt. Beerwah in Queensland (aboriginal legend a mother mountain with womb) the Spirit of God suddenly moved me to cry out in the loud aboriginal like tongue followed by the shouting our several times of ‘The Honorable Peter Costello, Prime Minister elect of Australia’…

Ok. I’m sure crying out suddenly in an “aboriginal-like tongue” whilst driving your car in rural Queensland is a sign of serious spirituality in some quarters. However, if this was a prophetic vision, it wasn’t exactly 20/20.

She continues:

Yesterday I was seeing in the Spirit Jesus visiting Peter Costello. Jesus was preparing his priestly role and as Peter Costello stood in black suite (legal) Jesus began to pull away from his garments invisible threads of law and religion. Zech 3 comes to mind where Joshua is reclothed aright. Then Peter Costello is seated and Jesus stands in front of him and puts His hands on Peter Costello’s shoulders and then standing from behind Jesus again puts His hands on Peter Costello’s shoulders but I notice the right hand has fingers and thumb spread out. This signifying 5 members and in the 5th term for coalition, the governmental leadership will be on Peter Costello’s shoulders. Current prayer need on my heart is the new Treasurer to stand with Peter Costello as P.M.

10/10 for detail but 0/10 for accuracy. But then, as Mark Twain warned, prophecy is always very difficult when it comes to the future.

Edit: Link to a News Limited article removed in response to clarification posted in the comments.