Be Discerning


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Right after Donald Trump was proclaimed the winner in the presidential election in the USA, I saw on my Facebook newsfeed that somebody posted a YouTube video trumpeting the supposed fulfilled prophecy of the self-proclaimed Indian prophet, Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj. 


It claimed that way back in August, Selvaraj allegedly had a vision that Trump would win. He claimed,
I was caught up in spirit and I found my soul standing before the [council]. The very [council] where I always used to go and I saw Father Abraham, and I was standing beside him. And I was very very surprised to see Donald Trump come and stand in that room. And this is what I was told. They said, “Trump will become president.” [1]
Before you jump to conclusion that that proves Selvaraj is a true prophet, the most we could say is he just got “lucky.” Why? Even if he did predict a Trump victory, remember that he has a 50/50 chance of hitting it. There were only two presidential candidates. 

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Another self-proclaimed prophet, Nigerian Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua, was not that fortunate. He predicted that Hillary Clinton would win. 
Ten days ago, I saw the new President of America with a narrow win. The new President will be facing several challenges over many issues, including passing bills, attempts to possibly pass a vote of no confidence on the new President. The boat of the new President will be rocked. By the way, in order not to keep you in suspense, what I frankly saw is a woman. [2]
But after it became clear that Trump won, Pastor Joshua’s Facebook entry declaring his “prophecy” got deleted. 



Somebody questioned why it was deleted, “If this was uttered by the man of God, why remove it?” [3] Your answer is as good as mine.

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Selvaraj already prophesied falsely before. For example, in April 2013, he declared, 
There is a place called Mindanao, and below that strait is a place called Compostela. The Lord said that there is an appointed typhoon to come upon that area. [4] 
But there were geographical blunders in that prophecy. Compostela is a province located in Mindanao and not below it. Mindanao is an island and not a strait. If it was God Who really gave that prophecy, shouldn’t we at least expect accuracy as far as geography is concerned? [5]

The Bible has a one-strike policy as far as prophecies are concerned.
And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22, ESV. Emphasis added)
The batting average that we should require from everyone and anyone who would claim to prophesy for God is 100%. Not 99%. Not 50%. It’s 100%. No more. No less. So, based on that standard, what would you call Selvaraj and Joshua?
Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, The Message)

Brothers and sisters, be discerning.

[1] Yeshua Kadosh, “DONALD TRUMP WILL BE THE PRESIDENT | Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj | Prophecy | USA | 2016,” filmed August 2016, YouTube video, 2:06, posted August 15, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqMDSURQPuU&app=desktop.

[2] Cobby Dollar, “TB Joshua predicts Hillary Clinton as winner of US election,” filmed November 6, 2016, YouTube video, 7:14, posted November 6, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGRQY6ke_M.

[3] BBC, (9 November 2016, “Nigerian preacher TB Joshua deletes prophecy of Clinton win,” BBC News, retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/.

[4] As quoted by John Pesebre (23 November 2013), “Part 2, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines,” Nabuenyo, retrieved from http://nabuenyo.blogspot.com/.

[5] Ibid.

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