Paalala sa mga Mafias ng Kristianismo

Article by Carl Trueman, "Areopagitica"

Via "Silencing of the Lambs" || R. Scott Clark || Heidelblog

Where the situation becomes sinister is when one group attempts to police the activities of another, or where one Christian organization or leader uses their personal power or share of the market to prevent others, with whom they are not formally connected, from speaking freely and asking the hard questions. At that point, things take a very sinister turn indeed. 

Some years ago (another time, another webpage), someone I know made thinly veiled criticisms of a powerful evangelical organization. The response was swift: First, he received a series of personal pleas from people at the organization, telling him to stop; then he later discovered that his boss had come under direct pressure from head office at the other organization to remove him. The truth of what he had said was not (as far as I am aware) challenged at any point. It was simply that his comments were very inconvenient from a public relations perspective. Thankfully, the boss sided with his writer, not with the external critics. 

That is why the health of the Christian subcultures in our society depends to an important extent upon the freedom of the Christian press; and that in turn depends upon having plenty of public voices and different groups presenting their different perspectives without the threat of being silenced by those with power and money. I need voices that criticize me and so does everyone else who operates in the public Christian sphere. Of course, I do not like being criticized; but it is necessary for the health of public life that it be so. It would be a disaster for us all if one or two organizations or individuals came to wield such influence that dissenting voices were eliminated. If that were to happen, there would less accountability for public figures, the news would be very carefully stage-managed, and we would all be impoverished. . . 

As John Milton said regarding truth: “Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the best and surest suppressing.” I am with Milton here: [the more public the conversation], the less the innocent have to fear and the more the guilty need to be worried.

Part 7, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

NOTE: The contents of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

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How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesied accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

Review: 
Without making a judgment as to whether the prophets are genuine or false, we have noted that the prophetic messages have shown a consistent pattern of inaccuracy typical of prophecies labelled as presumptive. Two inaccuracies, among others, stand out: geographic and inconsistency between prediction and actual event. These are very serious errors and are enough to negate any positive statement the messages may have. 

Question: Can I point to any prophetic statement that is accurate by the standards of accuracy? 

Answer: I cannot find a statement that is truly prophetic in the sense of being predictive in nature. One reason for this is there is only prediction that is precisely stated and can therefore be evaluated intelligently. That was the prophecy about Tagum City. As it turned out, the prophecy failed in that exact opposite happened to Tagum City.

Question: If there is accurate prophetic statement in the prophetic messages, how would you classify these kind of messages?

Answer: in the absence of a clear and specific prediction that can be evaluated intelligently – except for the prophecy about Tagum which turned out be 100 % wrong- what you find in the message are not true prophetic messages but PROPHECIES OF PROBABILITIES or PROPHECIES OF POSSIBILITIES.

Question: What are PROPHECIES OF PROBABILITIES? 

Answer: When something is probable, there is no sufficient proof that it cannot happen. An Improbable statement means it is unlikely to be true or to occur. When something is probable, it can happen or it may not happen; either way there is no proof.

Prophecies of Probabilities are not true prophecies but are only statements of guesses made by people. These can be refused without fear and discarded as a product of man’s confusion not of God’s revelation of facts. 

Question: Specifically what statements in the alleged prophetic messages are only probabilities but not prophecies? 

Answer: Note the following:

Prophecy of Probability (POP): “The Lord has kept in reserve for a mighty typhoon to rise up against 6 lands.”

Probabilities: It may happen but it also may not happen that a mighty typhoon will rise against 6 lands. Remains to be seen.

POP: God’s anger will come upon the islands of SAMAR and LEYTE. A huge typhoon is planned to come over there. There will be disasters through flood.

Comments: Samar and Leyte were recently hit a strong typhoon. Was it prophecy? Leyte is not a stranger to super typhoons. It was severely damaged by a typhoon in October of 1987 where 6000 died.. Then it was ravaged so badly by another typhoon in November of 1912 where 15000 died. It was struck by another one in November of this year.

Because of its location Leyte is always a candidate for being on the pathway of many storms.

POP: There are hundreds of places waiting to be flooded in the Philippines.
Comment: Everyone knows this. It requires no prophecy.

POP: Grievous death is going to come to MINDANAO.
Comment: Possible but there is no proof that it will happen just as there is no proof that it will not happen. This is not a prophecy but a probability

POP: Hundreds and thousands of people will be scattered.
Comment: possible; may; be and maybe not.

POP: Many houses will be ravaged.
Answer: Possibly. Maybe; maybe not.

POP: Many people will be refugees in their own land.
Answer: Possible. Maybe; maybe not.

POP: Children will die of hunger, of pain and of waters.
Comment: possible; maybe or maybe not. Probability not prophecy.

POP: Many children’s bodies will be thrown in the streets.
Comment: Possible more like no. Probability not prophecy.

POP: All your irrigable lands will be destroyed.
Comment: Possible but more likely not. For personal view is that this will not happen. All irrigable land? Sobra na yata.

POP: 70 islands of your nation are waiting to disappear under water. The waters will rise up against them. The shouts and the cries of the people will be terrible.
Comment: Probability only not prophecy. Every high tide 100 islands disappear. They reemerge during low tides.

POP: Earthquakes will come in your land.
Comment: last year there was a month when the Philippines was visited by 40 plus earthquakes. It is not a prophecy.

POP: Volcanoes will erupt in many places.
Comment: Naturally, volcanoes will erupt in many places. No volcanoes can erupt in one place. Always in different places because they are found in several places. The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (GVP) lists 50 Philippines volcanoes. Of this, 25 are considered active. It takes no imagination to say that volcanoes will erupt in several places.

POP: There will be cries and troubles in the land.
Comment: matagal na.

POP: Your young people will become captive. The hunters and the captors will increase in your land.
Comment: Reality that the Police is constantly watching and preventing. It is not prophecy. Even the Police know that.

POP: Wicked people will walk on the streets in your land.
Comment: Matagal na. They don’t only walk they also drive and ride.

POP: The Lord says many buildings will catch fire.
Comment: Even non prophets know this what is why each city has its own fire department.

Conclusion: 

I do not and I cannot see one very specific prophecy – except the one that failed (Tagum). What I see clearly are probabilities disguised as prophecies. God will hold to account some people for this false messages not circulating. 

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Part 6, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Dan Balais of IFP

NOTE: The contents of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

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How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesied accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

REVIEW:
In our previous postings, we have noticed a consistent failure of the prophecy in the area of accuracy. Please bear in mind that a prophetic message is supposed to be the message of God and not of any man. As such, a prophecy of this kind is guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate in all aspects. In the caser of the prophetic messages discussed here, we noticed inaccuracies in technical labeling, geographic information, identification of affected areas, dates or periods as well as degree of damage. We have also noticed a disturbing implication that the Omniscient may not be Omniscient after all.

CONTINUING THE TEST OF ACCURACY

Deuteronomy 18:20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." 21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. NIV

TEST: ACCURACY OF INFORMATION

First claim to be tested: 

Prophetic declaration: ““The Lord says there is a place called PANGASINAN. The Lord says it is in the northernmost part in your land.”

Geographic Fact: Pangasinan is not in the northernmost part of the Philippines.
A. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, Pangasinan is Southwest of Tuguegarao City. It being on the southwest of another place in the Philippines, it cannot be found in the northernmost part in the Philippines.

B. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, the northernmost part of the Philippines is not Pangasinan but the province of Batanes and the northernmost island in Batanes is Mavudis, the true northernmost place in the Philippines.

This the PANGASINAN CHALLENGE. Let the followers of the prophetic movement explain this.

Second Claim to be tested:

Prophetic declaration: “typhoon will specifically destroy Tagum city”.

Prophetic declaration: “ the destruction will be so great that the whole world will talk about that”.

Prophetic declaration: “the devastation will be so terrible, so great.”

Prophetic declaration: “The winds would come, huge typhoon, miles wide and miles high and would come with such force that would rip apart everything on the ground in the air..”

Prediction versus actual occurrence:
A. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, Tagum was not destroyed.

B. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, there was not great destruction in Tagum and the world did not talk about it. The people talked about the unselfish role that Tagum performed in favor of the victims of the typhoon.

C. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, no great devastation, no terrible devastation took place in Tagum. Clearly you will see that the prophecy about Tagum was a great mistake and a terrible error.

D. Contrary to the prophetic declaration, the winds did not rip apart everything. Nothing of the sort happened. Some neighboring places were damaged badly but not Tagum City. It in fact became the haven for the victims of the typhoon

This the TAGUM CHALLENGE. Let the followers of the prophetic movement explain this.

Third claim to be tested:

Prophetic declaration: “There is a smell of waters in many places in your land. Many people will be drowned. Maybe you have faced many times such dangers, but these coming dangers will be great in the eyes of the world.”

Prophetic declaration: “ Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die. It will be a big lesson and a fear to the rest of the world. A huge number of people will be scattered. You may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you.”

Prediction compared with the character of God.
1. Contrary to the prophetic declaration that “ Maybe you have faced many times such dangers…” the true God does not operate on the maybe on the truly, truly level. He knows past, present and future.

2. Contrary to the prophetic declaration that “ You may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you” the true God does not operate on the “may have to” but on the level of absolute certainty.

THIS IS THE DEITY CHALLENGE. Who is the supernatural being who gives seemingly partial and inaccurate information?

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Click HERE to go to Part 7 of Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Part 5, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

NOTE: The contents of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

================

How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesied accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

Review:
So far, we have clearly shown that the prophecy erred in many areas. God is Omniscient and cannot commit an error in labeling, geography, dates, results etc. The prophecies failed in a very disturbing manner and degree. Let us continue our observation.

TEST OF ACCURACY (Continuation).

THE TAGUM CHALLENGE; A TEST OF PROPHETIC ACCURACY.

From the documentary record of the prophecies put out by Intercessors for the Philippines (IFP), we have already noted that the message was wrong about Tagum. It spokeof Tagum as shaken in its foundations and people scaterring.

We now know that the opposite took place. Tagum city became the haven for victims of Typhoon Pablo. Tagum was also affected by only slightly that it was able to receive refugees from other places. It provided relief, food, and other provisions for the victims of the Typhoon (Philippine Daily Inquirer- Dec. 26, 2012). It was not the one that was damaged badly as the prophecy had said.

Question: What about the possibility that the prophecy was referring to another Tagum and not the Tagum that became the haven of the victims of the typhoon? Is it possible that the Tagum that was prophesied to be shaken in its foundation was another Tagum?

Note:1. We know the prophecy was referring to Tagum City because the name Tagum was mentioned in the same context as Compostela. Here are the actual words of the prophecy: 

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. It will surround a place called Tagum. Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die. It will be a big lesson and a fear to the rest of the world. A huge number of people will be scattered. You may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you.

Observe carefully that the first to be mentioned is Mindanao, then Compostela and then Tagum. The prophecy was referring to Tagum City.

2. If you go and check the actual words spoken by the Prophet Sadhu, you will actually hear him say that the place was Tagum City – not just any Tagum but Tagum City. In other words he pinpointed a place when no such calamity happened to the place. Check it yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoyZ76oHs04Ssss

3. In the same youtube video cited above, the prophet Sadhu speaks:

This hurricane or typhoon will start from there and come sweeping down and go over there compostela valley, go around compostela valley and it will specifically destroy Tagum city. The destruction will be so great that the whole world will talk about that destruction. Just like what happened in Japan. The earthquake that struck Fukushima and the nuclear reactor… (unclear) the whole world talked about that. It’s not something that is small or obscure that nobody will wonder about. The devastation will be so terrible, so great. The winds would come, huge typhoon, miles wide and miles high and would come with such force that would rip apart everything on the ground in the air everything the great ……. (unclear) 

The prophecy continues and speaks of everything, houses, everything rip apart. The speaker adds: “the destruction will be so great that it will be spoken about all throughout the world.”

Observation:
There are many errors in the messages all of which are in the nature of inaccuracies. This one will not be easy to explain. I call this the TAGUM CHALLENGE.

Followers of the prophet must now explain to us the following:
A. The prophecy said the “typhoon will specifically destroy Tagum city”. It did not. This is the TAGUM CHALLENGE, a test of accuracy.

B. The prophecy said “the destruction will be so great that the whole world will talk about that”. This did not happen. No great destruction. The opposite is true: great generosity on the part of the people of Tagum who provided for those who have been damaged by the typhoon. This is the TAGUM CHALLENGE, a test of accuracy.

C. The prophecy said: “the devastation will be so terrible, so terrible.” It did not happen. This is the TAGUM CHALLENGE, a test of accuracy.

D. The prophecy said: “The winds would come, huge typhoon, miles wide and miles high and would come with such force that would rip apart everything on the ground in the air everything the great..” This did not happen. The “rip apart everything on the ground” did not happen. This is the TAGUM CHALLENGE, a test of accuracy.

Here is an invitation to those who have circulated the documentary record of the prophecies of Mr Sadhu. Here is the invitation to those who believe that everything Mr. Sadhu says is from God. Explain to us the TAGUM CHALLENGE because as it is the TAGUM ISSUE is such a huge blunder and a mountain of inaccuracy that it alone is enough to disprove all the prophecies of Mr Sadhu. Please try to explain the TAGUM CHALLENGE.

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Click HERE to go to Part 6 of Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Part 4, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

The Intercessors for the Philippines has been the regular host of the so-called prophetic events

NOTE: The contents of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

================================

How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesy accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

Review:
In our first 3 postings, we have noticed a consistent failure of the prophecy in the area of accuracy. Bearing in mind that a prophetic message is supposed to be the message of God and not of any man and as such guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate in all aspects, we noticed inaccuracies in technical labeling, geographic information, identification of affected areas, dates or periods as well as degree of damage. We have also noticed a disturbing implication that the Omniscient may not be Omniscient after all.

CONTINUATION OF THE TEST OF ACCURACY

Here is another part of the prophecy:

The Lord says there is a place called PANGASINAN. The Lord says it is in the northernmost part in your land. From there a grievous disease will spread all over the world. That will consume the flesh of men; all their upper (outer) skin will begin to decay. It will pierce through the bones. The fear of this disease will spread all over the world. The Lord said that this (disease) will begin from the Philippines.

First Observation:

We cannot comment on the prediction about a disease since it has not happened as yet. It will be worth remembering the details of this prediction so that when something happens, we can evaluate its accuracy based on a 100% rate. Here are the details:

1. It will be a grievous disease or a disease where the response will be like grieving. 
2. It will spread all over the world. This is not hard to evaluate. Just count the number of nations and see how many nations will be affected. 
3. It will consume the flesh of men.
4. It will cause the upper skin to begin to decay. 
5. It will pierce through the bones. 
6. It will be feared all over the world (again just count the number of nations affected by the disease). 
7. It will, by the Lord’s own words, begin in the Philippines. 

If a disease does show itself in Pangasinan and the descriptions will be the same, that means the prophet has heard it from a supernatural source. However, if the details are not 100% that means that the prophet has heard it from a supernatural source other than God for God is always 100% accurate. 

Second Observation

Consistent with its previous record, the prophetic message has again failed in its geographic information. God owns the world and everything in it and He certainly knows where every town, city or Barangay is located.

The prophecy pinpointed the location of Pangasinan as being in “the northernmost part of your land”. Note the following:

1. The entire province of Pangasinan is not in the northernmost part of our land. 
2. The entire province of Pangasinan is northwest of Taguig, Pateros, Cainta, Laguna, etc. but not the northernmost province. 
3. The location of Pangasinan is north of Zambales but it is not the northernmost part of our land. 
4. The location of some towns in Pangasinan is west of La Union but it is not the northernmost part of our land. 
5. The location of Pangasinan is southwest of Tuguegarao City and because it is on the southwest of another place, it cannot be the northernmost part of our land. 
6. The northernmost most place in our land in the province of Batanes which is 162 kilometers north of the island of Luzon. There being another place officially designated and verified by actual location as the northernmost province, Pangasinan cannot hope to be labelled as the northernmost province. The prophecy has erred again consistent with the previous record.

God is Omniscient

And He is very strict about what a prophet can say. Anything that the prophet proclaims as from God and if it can be shown that God did not say those words, the prophecy is considered presumptuous and the prophet is called a presumptuous prophet.

Here is what God says:

Deuteronomy 18:20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.

Observe carefully: Would God give wrong information out of ignorance of geographic facts? Let’s change the question. Is it possible for God to commit error in geographic information? To both questions, the answer is no. therefore the proclamation of Pangasinan as being in the northernmost part of our land did not come from God. It is a presumptuous message and it did not come from God.

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Click HERE to go to Part 5 of Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Part 3, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Photo of the event where alleged "prophecies" were uttered

NOTE: The content of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

=============================

How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesy accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

Review: In the test of the accuracy of the message, we noticed that:
1. The prophecy failed to use correct technical label. It speaks of “typhoons and hurricanes” coming to crush our land. The word hurricane is not used in the Philippines.

2. The prophecy failed to use correct geographical information. It speaks of Compostela as below the strait in the place called Mindanao. Compostela is in Mindanao not below it.

3. The prophecy failed in the matter of time and period. It speaks of a typhoon appointed to hit Tagum. The prophecy was publicly announced in April of 2013 but the typhoon hit Tagum in December of 2012.

4. The prophecy failed in its identification of the place hardest hit by a typhoon. It speaks of Tagum as being shaken in its foundation and many people will die. Tagum was not shaken in its foundation. There was no scattering of people from Tagum. In fact, Tagum provided haven for people from other places who were victimized by Typhoon Pablo.

CONTINUATION: TEST OF ACCURACY OF THE MESSAGE

The prophecy indicated that Samar and Leyte will suffer because of God’s anger. Here are the exact words:

God’s anger will come upon the islands of SAMAR and LEYTE. A huge typhoon is planned to come over there. There will be disasters through flood.

The prophecy was made in April of 2013. Typhoon Yolanda devastated Samar and Leyte in November of 2013. It looks like the prophecy finally hit mark. Did it?

First Observation:

A. The typhoon that devastated Leyte and Samar was an expression of God’s anger. This is the claim of the prophecy.

B. If the Typhoon was really an expression of God’s anger and if God’s anger was directed at Leyte and Samar, why did God’s anger also devastated places that have not been identified in the prophecy , such as: northern Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Antique? Was it a case of an uncontrolled typhoon doing beyond what it was supposed to do or a case of mistaken prophecy?

C. If the killer typhoon was an expression of God’s wrath, was God also angry at Leyte in 1897 when a typhoon hit the same area and where more than 6000 were killed? Was God also angry in 1912 when another killer typhoon hit the same area and 15000 lost their lives? Is the third time that God is angry at Leyte or is this is a case of place being in the path of powerful typhoons? Does God harbor historical anger at Leyte?

Second Observation: 

God is always sure of His facts that is why He is Omniscient. The prophecy indicated that God may sometimes not know everything. Here are the exact words in the prophecy:

There is a smell of waters in many places in your land. Many people will be drowned. Maybe you have faced many times such dangers, but these coming dangers will be great in the eyes of the world.

Why would the Omniscient God say the following: 

Maybe you have faced many times such dangers…”. The prophecy seems to say that God is not Omniscient, the very opposite of the truth in the Bible. The Prophecy contradicts the nature of God. This is no longer geographic inaccuracy, labeling inaccuracy, this is no longer inaccuracy of details but is an inaccuracy of the most dangerous kind: inaccuracy about who God really is and what God really is like. 

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Click HERE to go to Part 4 Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Part 2, Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Vincent Selkvakumar

NOTE: The contents of this blog series come from the Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.

=============================================

How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesy accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.

APPLYING THE TEST OF ACCURACY OF PRONOUNCEMENTS

The words of the prophecy:

“If you will be callous about repentance, a great disaster will come upon this nation. The typhoons and the hurricanes and the sea waves are waiting to come and crush the land.

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. It will surround a place called Tagum. Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die. It will be a big lesson and a fear to the rest of the world. A huge number of people will be scattered. You may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you.”

Analyzing the message in terms of its accuracy of facts

1. Technical precision: The warning about hurricanes coming to crush the land must be evaluated. What we have is a typhoon. Hurricane is the name used in other parts of the world like the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, central and northeast Pacific. Would the test of accuracy include the use of technical labels? Since the message is presented as God’s own message, it is reasonable to believe that the message will include technical accuracy. 

2. Geographic Precision. the place Mindanao is mentioned and “below that strait is a place called Compostela”. What is a “strait”? the prophecy doesn’t explain. But it is important to note that Compostela is in Mindanao not below Mindanao or below some strait. Since prophecy is God’s message, wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that the prophecy would include geographic accuracy? 

3. Date Precision. The place Tagum is mentioned. Here are the exact words: 

“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. It will surround a place called Tagum. Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die.” Note the following: The Lord appointed a typhoon to “come to that area” obviously, based on the construction of the sentence, referring to Compostela.

The appointed typhoon, however, “surround a place called Tagum”. What typhoon was that? The one hit both Compostela and Tagum was Pablo- which carried the international name of Bopha. It hit the Philippines in December of 2012. Will someone tell us why an event that took place in 2012 was made public in April of 2013? Wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe a prophecy being a message from God, will carry with it accuracy in the matter of dates and time? So far, we have raised questions in the area of accuracy in technical labels, geography and date. 

4. Note how the typhoon is mentioned in relation to Tagum. Here are the exact words: 

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. It will surround a place called Tagum. Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die. Then the foundations will be shaken; many people will die. It will be a big lesson and a fear to the rest of the world. A huge number of people will be scattered. You may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you.” ” 

The prophecy mentions Mindanao, Compostela and Tagum. But the targeted place was Tagum. What would be the impact on Tagum of the typhoon? 

• It was to be surrounded by the typhoon. 
• The foundations will be shaken. 
• Many people will die.
• It will be a big lesson a fear to the rest of the world.
• A huge number of people will be scattered.
• The nation may have to depend on the nations of the world to help you.

Comparing the prophecy and the actual event, what do we see? 

First Observation: Tagum was not the hardest hit of the places. Official reports identified New Bataan in Compostela Valley, Cateel, Baganga and Boston in Davao Oriental as the hardest hit of the places. Compostela the town and Tagum the city did not make it to the list of hardest hit cities. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect that a prophecy, being a message from God, would carry accuracy of details of specific events?

Second Observation: Tagum did not see a lot of people being scatted and did not experience the shaking of its foundations. Instead of people scattering from Tagum, here is the report the Dec. 26, 2012 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

TAGUM CITY—Some 80 kilometers away from his devastated community, 44-year-old Edwin Balinas has found a place where he wouldn’t worry anymore about food, clothing and most importantly, the threat of another deluge every time it rains.

For Balinas and dozens of others who had fled the death and destruction brought by Typhoon “Pablo” early this month, this city is more than just a safe haven.

Local officials and employees provided them with virtually everything they need—just for them to find comfort and joy despite their misery.

“People in this city are good-hearted. Their mayor provides all our needs. There are always doctors and nurses taking care of us,” said the father of four, whose wife is still missing and one of their four children dead after their hut was wiped out by the flood that swept Andap village in New Bataan, Compostela Valley, on Dec. 4

In other words, Tagum was not the hardest him not the one that received the bowl of wrath. It became the city of refuge. Since a prophecy is a message from God, wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that it must carry accuracy in the areas of location, impact, numbers and the like? How did the city of refuse became identified in the prophecy as the city whose foundations were shaken and from whom people scattered?

Thus far, we have seen that the prophecy erred in: Technical labels, geography, date, details of events, projected result different from what actually happened, the place of have was wrongly identified as the place whose foundations were shaken and from whom people were scattered. 

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Click HERE to go to Part 3 of Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events of the Philippines

Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines, Part 1

Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj


NOTE: This article and the subsequent ones are Facebook posts written by Rev. Dr. Doy Castillo, PhD for the members of his church. I am republishing them here for guidance of a wider readership. Used here with permission from Rev. Castillo.


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How should you, the members of this church, view the prophecies of Prophets Sadhu Sun­dar Sel­varaj and Vin­cent Selk­vaku­mar? Did they, in fact, prophesy accurately the calamitous events that have taken place in our country? Please Read, analyze and post your questions.
THE TESTS OF PROPHECY

THE FIRST TEST: THE ACCURACY OF THE PRONOUNCEMENTS OF THE PROPHET:

Deuteronomy 18:20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." 21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. NIV

The same principle is discussed in Jeremiah 28:9
But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true. NIV

The message is attractive ("Peace") but the measure of the prophet’s message is not in its power to attract but in its fulfillment. This is the test of accuracy.

THE WARNING TO THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE PROPHETS
The prophet who speaks in the name of the Lord and makes a proclamation when the Lord has not told him to do so, that prophet “must be put to death” (verse 20).
 The prophet who speaks in the name of other gods must also be put to death. (verse 20).
THE WISDOM FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD A PROPHET

The test is in the prophet’s message. (verses 21-22)
If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message that the Lord has not spoken. It is considered presumptuous prophecy and the prophet proclaiming it is a presumptuous prophet.

THE SECOND TEST: IDENTITY OF THE DEITY THAT THE PROPHET REPRESENTS

Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. NIV
This is a specific type of a dreamer. He foretells (predicts) by dreams. If the prophet claims that his message is a direct revelation from God and not through a dream, he is not included in this category. There is, however, an instructive reminder in the passage about signs that a prophet is to be rejected: the prophet is representing a deity that is different from the God that that Bible tells us about.

The deity that the prophet represents can also be identified by the kind of teaching that the prophet espouses. remember that a prophet speaks only what God has told him to speak. If his teachings are clearly contrary to the teachings of the Bible, then the prophet has failed in the second test.

Conclusion

It is important not to be drawn into the debate as to whether a prophet is a genuine prophet or not. His true identity will be revealed at the proper time. What is important is the apply the test of Accuracy, the test the identity of the deity he represents and the conformity of his messages with the revealed Word of God the Bible.

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Click HERE to go to Part 2 of Pastoral Guidance On Prophecies of the 2013 Calamitous Events in the Philippines

Tula ng Manggagawa: Gantimpala sa Pusakal

Ilang taong binuno

Humukay ng balon

Binuyong tumalon

Sabi ng pinuno

Kaya pala dapat mag isa

Kukupit ng pera 

Sirain ang karera

Nandamay pa siya

At siya'y may gantimpala

Sa kanyang nagawa

Yung tapat naging kawawa

Nauwi lang sa wala

Short List of Subject in Certificate in Christian Ministry Foundations

SENTRO NG KATUWANG SA PANGSIMBAHANG GAWAIN

Certificate in Christian Ministry Foundations

Mission: To ground workers in the foundations of ministry and leadership.

Seminar 1: Christian Ministry Foundation

1.         The Bible for Life

2.        The Story of the Bible

3.         The Message of the New Testament

4.         The Message of the Old Testament

5.         Essential Evangelical Doctrines 1

6.         Essential Evangelical Doctrines 2

7.         Character in Ministry

Seminar 2: Christian Leadership Foundation

8.         Evangelism and Discipleship

9.         Teaching God for Life Change

10.       Preaching from the Bible

11.       Personal Disciplines for Ministry

12.       Personal Ministry Management

13.       Counseling

14.       Small Group Leading

15.       Lesson Planning and Presentation

Life Skills Elective (choice of 3)

16. Financial Planning and Advertising

17. Budgeting and Basic Accounting

18. Family Altar and Catechisms

19. Basic Missions
20. Marriage & Family Life

Certificate Subject List of Certificate in Christian Ministry Foundations

SENTRO NG KATUWANG SA PANGSIMBAHANG GAWAIN

Ang Sentro ng Katuwang sa Pangsimbahang Gawain (SKPG) ay isang training center para sa mga volunteer workers ng lokal na simbahan --  mga partners ng gawain sa ministry ng Lord. Layunin ng SKPG na pagtibayin ang kaalaman at karanasan ng volunteer worker o leader sa pamamagitan ng systematic at academic na training.

Isa sa mga goals natin dito sa training curriculum is to establish the lay leader na mag-aattend na maging humble associate nung pastor. Hindi sa naninira ako ng lay leader but minsan o kalimitan, ang mga lay training creates arrogance and pride sa lay leader that he/she feels the need to force his/her new-found knowledge to the pastor.  

Sa naisin nating makapagbigay ng mas academic na training sa mga lay leaders o mga partners na katuwang sa ministry ng pastor sa simbahan, ginawa natin ang curriculum na ito. Ang program na ito ay tinatawag na Certificate in Christian Ministry Foundations na may layon na mag taguyod ng karampatang panimula at mas sistematikong pag aaral at pagsasanay sa Bible, theology at practical ministry.

Para sa mga katanungan sa pag-enrol at iba pang details, please click HERE.

Narito po ang buod ng mga kursong papasukan --

Seminar 1: Christian Ministry Foundation

1. The Bible for Life. Ang layunin ng pag-aaral na ito ay mag introduce sa student ang value ng hermeneutics, survey (isagogics), theological studies and their role in relevant transformation. The teacher will work through basic discussion on hermeneutics, isa-isahin ang mga genres o uri ng panitikan na nasa Bibliya and work through basic biblical theology. The course hopes to create in the student interest, motivation and determination for for further studies.
2. The Story of the Bible. The purpose of this course is to show story of the Bible in a redemptive-historical framework by going through the different major epochs in biblical history and then culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This will serve as a foundational backbone for future survey of biblical literature, theology and ministerial courses.
3. The Message of the New Testament. The purpose of this course to provide the student with an overview of basic information of the New Testament books along with the dominant themes in each book as it relates to a redemptive-historical framework.The course hopes to strengthen the biblical knowledge of the student both in information and  tools for teaching/preaching ministry.
4. The Message of the Old Testament. The purpose of this course to provide the student with an overview of basic information of the Old Testament books along with the dominant themes in each book as it relates to a redemptive-historical framework.The course hopes to strengthen the biblical knowledge of the student both in information and  tools for teaching/preaching ministry.
5. Essential Evangelical Doctrines 1. The purpose of this course is to give the student an elucidation on essential evangelical doctrines. It is a shortened systematic theology going through the major confessional doctrines. This course hopes to strengthen the students to the non-negotiable doctrines of the Christian faith.
6. Essential Evangelical Doctrines 2. Continuation of the previous.
7. Character in Ministry. The purpose of this course is to establish the biblical teaching of godly character. The course will begin with the theology of character, character development and its relationship to the witness and the community. Then it will show practical steps how to carry out the duty of developing a godly character. In the end the course hopes to build value and pursuit of godliness for the student.

Seminar 2: Christian Leadership Foundation

1. Evangelism and Discipleship. This purpose of this course is to orient the student to a basic personal evangelism and discipleship plan. The class begins with a thorough review of what the gospel is and apply that to making an implementation plan for evangelism and discipleship. This course hopes to jumpstart zeal for the gospel ministry grounded on a biblical understanding of the gospel.
2. Teaching God for Life Change. The purpose of this course is to train the student to make a strategic plan to be implemented as a teaching curriculum. The course begins will work from the biblical teaching of education and proceeds to discuss how to design a simple curriculum for small group leading. Students who will take "Small Group Leading" and "Lesson Planning and Presentation" will greatly benefit from this course.
3. Preaching from the Bible. This is a workshop on the basics of preaching from the text of Scripture with the intent of communicating the gospel.
4. Personal Disciplines for Ministry. The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic concepts and practice of Christian duties or personal spiritual disciplines that are vital for personal and discipleship ministry.
5. Personal Ministry Management. The purpose of this course is to introduce for practice basic concepts in personal ministry management such as planning and administration. In the end this course hopes to persuade the student to pursue an organized ministry.
6. Counseling. The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the basics of biblical counselling for the purpose of giving counsel to individual small group members.
7. Small Group Leading. A course dealing with the basics of small group leading.
8. Lesson Planning and Presentation. 

Life Skills Elective (choice of 3)

Financial Planning and Advertising

Budgeting and Basic Accounting

Family Altar and Catechisms

Kairos Course

Homebuilders Course