Dear friends:

Below is a prediction by Pat Robertson for 2008:

January 3, 2008
NORFOLK, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Wednesday that 2008 will be a year of violence worldwide and a recession in the United States, followed by a major stock-market crash by 2010.

Below is a prediction Pat Robertson made one year ago for 2007:

Jan. 2, 2007
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in “mass killing” late in 2007.
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Pat goes off by himself at the end of every year to seek the Lord, with a yellow pad and pen to record what he thinks he hears.  Based on the 2007 prediction, at age 77, he may need a hearing aid, although his predictions in earlier years were not any better, according to one friend who tracked them.

Unfortunately, his predictions are about as accurate as those of an average person, or even non-Christian, and anyone who reads the news, or less so.  They may come to pass and they may not.  One guess is as good as another.

This is not meant to be disparaging.  Pat is a great man of God whom I have known for 34 years and whom I respect.  It is just good to keep the subject of "predictions" in perspective.  We have seen nothing but failures the past few years, both by those who have predicted the rapture and those who have predicted terrible destruction.  So far it appears that nobody knows nuthin'.  I guess we'll just have to walk by faith!  (Surprise! God designed it that way!)

Of course, God never makes a mistake, so the failures were not His fault.

Please don't write and tell me that God changed His mind.  I have heard that too many times.  He can, of course, but He also knows the future.  Some people act as though God is unstable and can't make up His mind what to do.  I don't think so.

Oh, yes, it is biblical that there are modern-day prophets in the land.  The problem is that those who wear the "prophet name tags" may not be the real prophets.  I have concerns about some of them.  The real prophets may not be on TV but may be quiet, unassuming, and little-known people, such as little old ladies in tennis shoes.  Those are the ones to whom I am inclined to listen with the greatest care.

Jim