Catch the Fire Update: Devil in the Detail

Further to our earlier post on Pastor Danny’s incorrect prophecies on the Federal Election, we would like to direct our readers to a response posted by Pastor Danny to the Catch the Fire Ministries website. It’s called, “Election 2007 - Did I get it wrong?”

Apparently, God has been talking to Danny again.  He writes:

Personally, the weekend of the election was one of the worst weekends in my life. On Saturday 24th November, as I was just about to minister at a combined churches service in Albany, Western Australia, I received the shocking news from my wife that John Howard had lost the election. She also told me that upon receiving a telephone call from Sri Lanka, she heard that her father was rushed to the hospital with heart failure. Since I was away from my home at the time, it was really difficult for us as a family. As Bible believing Christians who struggle not against flesh and blood, but wrestle against principalities and powers of spiritual darkness (Ephesians 6:10-20), we all know that our adversary satan waits for the opportune time to attack. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Immediately I said, “Lord, what’s happening?? How can I even rise up and preach Your Word?” But praise Almighty God, as we prayed together for my father-in-law, the Spirit of the Lord strengthened me to rise up and preach the Word of God. That night he miraculously recovered and is now doing very well. Glory to God!

After ministering to the people of God on Saturday night, I struggled to fall asleep in my motel room in Albany, Western Australia, as I was all alone, in tears and feeling very sad for most of the night. I kept asking the Lord, “DID I GET IT WRONG???”

Around 5.00 am on Sunday morning, I begin to hear the voice of God say, “Why are you so downcast, rise up and fight. The word you received was from Me. Did not I confirm it through many of My servants? I promised My children, through my servant Moses, that they would enter the promise land when they left Egypt. However, they rebelled against Me and My servant, consequently spending 40 years wandering in the wilderness. During this time My servant Moses went through much ridicule and mocking from My own people, with many saying that they should have stayed back in Egypt.” (Read Numbers 14:1-5)

At this point I said, “Lord, why is it when the Body of Christ comes together to pray for rain, You answer our prayers so quickly?” The words from the Lord came to me, “For My people are united when they pray for rain.” At this moment I felt so prompted to read the prophetic word from the Lord regarding the election that I released on 11th August 2007.

As I begin reading the prophetic word from the Lord, I was greatly stirred in my spirit to read the following words that I had stated, “I will boldly declare that PM John Howard will be re-elected in the Nov election – ‘IF THE BODY OF CHRIST UNITES IN PRAYER AND ACTION.’

Again I heard the voice of the Lord, “For My people were not united in prayer and action for this election. If they were, they would have experienced spiritual revival under My freedom reigning in this nation, but now My people have chosen another way. They have not voted for My will, but for self gain and personal change.”

So it’s not Pastor Danny’s fault for being wrong, but the fault of his followers for not praying enough or “voting for My will”.

As for us here at Austrolabe and the others who have commented on Pastor Danny’s failed prophecy, we all neglected to read the fine print.   The devil, as they say, is in the detail.  As Pastor Bob Cotton reminds us on the site:

I noted that when you declared what the Lord had told you, you included the word “IF”. While some would see this as a disclaimer for you to dodge criticism should the prophetic word not come to pass – the “IF” is meant to be an encouragement & motivation to the Church. 2 Chron 7:14 is an example of this type of condition. “IF my people….. etc”. Obviously, the condition was not met.

Pastor Chris Twinn seems to agree:

We have had prophetic words concerning the re-election to government of John Howard and the Coalition. This has not happened as we see it now. Does that mean that these prophetic voices are false? No, it does not! Time and time again in the Word of God we have seen God proclaim through the mouth of His prophets His will and yet His people did not obey.