parablesblog

Personal Update

2012-01-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

Joseph Herrin (01-30-2012)

Randy Furman(left) and Myself

Many people have been writing to ask how my recovery is going. As most of you know, I was involved in a motorcycle accident September 6th in which my left foot was dislocated, my fibula (smaller leg bone) was severely fractured, and the bottom of the tibia (the larger leg bone) was chipped. I had two titanium plates affixed to the bone and more than twenty screws.

In one of the last updates I mentioned that I had to undergo a skin graft to heal up the wound where the compound fracture had occurred. The skin graft took well, and I was surprised at how quickly it healed.

About three weeks ago my bones had healed enough that I was able to start walking without crutches while still wearing a protective boot over my left foot and lower leg. About two weeks ago I began wearing a shoe on the left foot, instead of the boot, which has made walking much easier. I still have some swelling and pain after walking a distance. I can walk about half a mile right now, with my distance steadily increasing.

I am scheduled to go back to the hospital Wednesday February 1st to have three screws removed from my leg. These were intended to be temporary, and must now come out as they restrict motion between the tibia and fibula. The doctor said this is a very minor procedure that should only take about 20 minutes, though I will be at the hospital longer than this as they have to prep me and will put me to sleep for the procedure. I would appreciate your prayers for this final procedure to go well.

I am anticipating being released from the physician’s care not long after this. I will have a follow-up appointment two weeks later, but I do not anticipate any other surgical procedures or need for further medical intervention. I have continued to have very little pain with the injury, or recovery process. The grace of Yahweh has been abundant.

Regarding the photo at the top of the blog, it was taken about 7 weeks ago. Randy and Kathy Furman had come driven down from South Carolina to visit with me for the day. Randy is an old hand around motorcycles, having ridden them many years. He has done a lot of mechanical work on them as well. He asked if there was anything he could do to help me with the bike. By this time, I had fairly concluded that the Father would have me to sell it, but it needed a couple things done to it before I could do so. The clutch needed adjusting and the battery replaced. Randy graciously performed this work for me.

After getting the motorcycle cranking and shifting properly, Randy took it for a ride around the RV park. He had gone about 100 yards from my site, riding slowly. As I was watching him I saw him thrown off the bike. He had applied the front brakes, which may have been sticky from not being ridden for a while. At the same time he was on a curve, and there was some loose gravel on the road. The combination of factors ended up rather dismally. As you can see from the photo, Randy did not have a helmet on as he had not planned on leaving the campground. His right hand was broken in the fall.

Afterward, I had no peace about keeping the motorcycle. I sensed that it was time to sell it. Within 48 hours of posting it on Craigslist it had sold and was taken away. During this season I have been hearing from numerous other Christians who are experiencing various trials, many of which are physical. A number have even experienced broken bones, the most common involving either a foot or a hand. I am sure there are parables to be delved in these things, but I will not give an opinion of what they may be at this time.

Both Randy Furman and I are recovering well after being thrown from the same beast, and we are grateful for the grace of God.

A number of things have been occurring at this time that have a common theme. Having been loosed from my crutches, and being able to walk again, I have a new appreciation for such a simple liberty. Around the time that I was weaning myself off of the crutches, a sister in Christ sent me three silver coins. The coins bear a figure that is referred to as “Walking Liberty.”

Walking Liberty

Two of the coins I received were dated 1989. As I received them in December 2011, they were 22 years old. That is a very common number in my life. All of our trials and experiences in life come from the Father’s hand with a purpose. He is ever working to cause us to come forth as purified sons in the image of Christ. Silver is symbolic of purity.

Zechariah 13:9
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’”

Before we pass through the purifying fires of God, our liberty often is detrimental to our spiritual well being. While we are carnal we often use our liberty to pursue fleshly desires and passions. As we embrace the cross and submit to those fiery trials the Father has appointed for every son and daughter, we are able to walk in liberty without harm. Our Father is seeking to teach each of us to use our liberty to serve one another, rather than as an opportunity to pursue fleshly desires.

Galatians 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

A third thing that has recently transpired that fits into this theme relates to my bus. The bus has air brakes, and they have locked up while I have been parked here in the RV park. I discovered this just prior to my accident. It seemed in more than one way that Yahweh was indicating that I was to sit still for a season. My bus would not roll, and after the accident I could not walk.

As my foot has been healing and I have begun walking again, I began praying about God sending me a mechanic to help me get the bus on the road. I sensed that the Father would have me to entrust this matter to Him, and to not initiate any action in this regard. I wanted to know that it was the Father guiding and directing in this matter.

A few days after I prayed for God to send me a mechanic, Honesty, a sister in Christ, e-mailed me. I had not heard from her in about a year. She wrote to say that she and her husband Marc had been thinking about me. Marc is an excellent mechanic and he wanted to know if there was anything I needed done on the bus. I shared with them about the air brakes being locked up. Marc, Honesty, and their two daughters came down this past week-end and Marc quickly had the problem resolved. Sunday I rode with Marc as he drove the bus down the road and it is running very well.

The weather this past week has been unusually warm and pleasant. It seems like an early Spring. The daytime temperatures have been in the 70s. In many ways it seems like there is a promise of release and renewal.

Song of Solomon 2:10-12
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land...

To everything there is a time and a season. There is a time for sitting still and there is a time for setting forth. I sense that the changing of a season of my life is at hand. I am hoping at the end of February to be able to travel somewhat again. I will have been at the same RV park in Perry, Georgia for fourteen months. Fourteen is a number signifying transition.

Thank you for your prayers. The grace of God has been abundant even in a winter season, and during a period of injury and recovery. I am confident that the grace of God will continue to be abundantly supplied.

End Note: Following are links to two articles that were sent to me today. I found them very thought provoking.

http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2012/01/arctic-snowy-owl-irruption-even-in.html

http://nabiy4america.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/madonna-super-bowl-xlvi-46-and-the-revealing-of-the-harlot-of-babylon/
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Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Drowning in Deception

2012-01-26T16:24:00.001-05:00

Joseph Herrin (01-26-2011)

13th Century Painting of Revelation 12:15

Revelation 12:15
And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

The book of Revelation conveys truth through symbolism. The serpent is symbolic of Satan. He is also called the dragon, which is a type of winged serpent.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world...

The apostle Paul refers to Satan as “the prince of the power of the air.” His power is in deception. What is being symbolized in Revelation is Satan deceiving the world through a mass of lies. He is using words and various images and forms of communication to deceive the world. He would even sweep away the people of God with his lies, but God will help those who are fleeing from the great dragon.

Perhaps those who read this blog have taken note of the fact that the Chinese New Year began on January 23rd at midnight. The Chinese associate each year with one of twelve different animals. All of the animals are real except for one that is mythical, this being the dragon. In order they are:

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig

The Chinese further combine these animals with five different elements which are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. It takes 60 years for the complete cycle to be fulfilled.

The year 2012 in the Chinese calendar is the Year of the (Male Water) Dragon. It began on January 23, 2012 and will end on February 9, 2013. According to traditional texts, some form of the calendar has been in use for almost five millennia... The Chinese year beginning January 23, 2012 is reckoned in the seldom-used continuously numbered system to be 4709...
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calendar]

Chinese Water Dragon

According to the Chinese calendar, it is the year 4709. The numbers appear significant. In the Bible we find that these numbers hold the following symbolic meanings.

4 - The earth, humility
7 - Completion, Fulness of Time
9 - Finality, Judgment

When most people think of dragons, they think of those that breathe fire. The Bible does make reference to such a beast. In the book of Job Yahweh gives a description of the creature called Leviathan.

Job 41:18-21
His sneezes flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth.

It is not a fire breathing dragon, however, that is depicted in Revelation chapter 12. What is described is a water dragon. The spiritual understanding of this creature is that of a beast that makes war with its mouth. It sends forth rivers of lies and deception that sweep men away into ruin. This river of falsehood is already coming forth, and it will increase in coming days.

People of God, I share this to warn you that great deception is to be unleashed at this time. If your mind is being filled with thoughts and images from the mass media, then you are already being assaulted with a flood of deception. Television programs and movies are created to manipulate minds and transform public opinion. Much of this comes out of Hollywood. The origins of the word “Hollywood” is “Holy Wood.” The holly was considered sacred to druids and witches. Witches wands are often made of holly. Hollywood is a center of witchcraft. It is designed to cast spells over people, making their minds susceptible and fertile instruments of Satan.

If you look to the major media for your news, you are being deceived. Things are not as they appear to be, nor as they are reported to be. The word of God at this hour is “Come out of Babylon My people, lest you participate in her sins and partake of her plagues.”

This deception is to increase at this time. As the world hurtles forward into calamitous days where the economies of the nations are laid in ruins, the cause of this ruin will be ascribed to events and people that had nothing to do with it. The actual perpetrators will remain hidden. Their evil work will be concealed. Those who are acting in the most evil manner will be depicted as victims, or even as saviors.

II Corinthians 11:14-15
For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness...

As I correspond with Christians throughout the world I am appalled at the blindness and deception that is so prevalent. The saints have been spending too much time in the entertainments and pursuits of the world, and far too little time in communion with the Father. Their understanding is darkened, and their minds are full of confusion and error. Despite this tragic state, the church has not yet experienced anything like that which is coming.

Matthew 24:24
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”

If you have been neglecting prayer, Bible study, and meditation upon spiritual matters, then you are not prepared to walk wisely in the midst of great deception. If you have been imbibing freely of that which is on television, the movies, magazines, radio, and the Internet, not bringing such activities under the rule of the Spirit of Christ, then you risk being swept away in what is coming.

The Spirit is testifying that an hour of recompense is at hand. The saints of God will reap according to what they have sown. Those who have been sowing to the flesh must reap the results of their deeds. Those who have been sowing to the Spirit will also receive according to their works.

Will you find in coming days that you have the spiritual perception to walk wisely in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation? Or will you suffer loss due to the dimness of your spiritual vision? Will you be conned by the great deceiver and his servants in disguise, or will you see through the subterfuge and avoid the trap?

I recommend the following article for those who wish to discern the subtlety of Satan, and the works of those who are in collusion with him.

http://vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/mind-control-theories-and-techniques-used-by-mass-media/

I give this warning, however, there is an image that is sexually impure on this page as the author reveals the hidden symbolism in a Coca Cola ad. The value of the information in the article is such that I would recommend the article anyway. Be discerning, and exercise that self-control that flows from the Spirit of Christ.

End Note: I spoke with Randy Simmons today and he told me about an experience he had yesterday as he was ministering to the homeless on the streets of Macon, GA. He and a sister in Christ and another man were going to a bank and there was an ambulance pulled up in front of the bank. Randy is sensitive to God speaking in parables, and a sick, injured, or dying financial system is an interpretation that readily comes to mind.

As they were looking at this unusual sight, the sister in Christ drew Randy’s attention to the song playing on the radio. It is titled Independence Day, and was sung by Martina McBride. The caught the following words:

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.

Well, she lit up the sky that fourth of July
By the time that the firemen came
They just put out the flames
And took down some names
And sent me to the county home.
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong
But maybe it's the only way.
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day.

The name McBride means “son of the Bride.” The Scripture reference that comes to mind is Revelation 12, the man-child whom the woman gives birth to. All this occurs during a time of calamity and judgment. The hour is late.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

When Giants Fall

2012-01-25T14:32:00.000-05:00

Joseph Herrin (01-25-2012)

Fallen Giant Sequoia

The preceding post on this blog titled The Mighty are Falling spoke of the judgment of God upon those considered giants in the earth. We live in an hour when many who are lofty will be abased. In this post, I want to focus specifically on nations of this earth that are vaunted above all others in this hour. I want to share what I am discerning the Spirit of Christ to be proclaiming.

Let me begin by providing an amazing connection to the economic collapse of America and Europe and the account of the two giant sequoias that fell last year in California. In the previous post I included a video of the collapsing trees. Incredibly, their fall was caught on video by a German tourist who was standing nearby at the precise time of the collapse.

As I was researching the former post, I was drawn to the name of the German citizen who filmed the trees falling. I at first misread his name, thinking it was “Panzer.” I began pondering whether there may be a link to the German Panzer divisions of World War II. Upon further investigation, I found that the gentleman’s last name was not “Panzer,” but “Panzner.” Gerrit Panzner was the man God chose to be standing at that precise location with camera in hand to record the event. This detail stuck in my mind, and it came back with great force when the Spirit led me to another connection to this surname.

Michael Panzner wrote the book Financial Armageddon in 2007. This book predicted a global financial collapse in the following two years. This collapse was borne out as Wall Street was rocked by the implosion of the real estate bubble. The ripple effect has been devastating as banks, insurers, mortgage underwriters and a host of other industries have teetered on the verge of collapse. The complete collapse of the American and European financial systems were postponed through the immediate injection of trillions of dollars by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. This intervention, however, has only made matters worse, for America and Europe are now being pulled inexorably downward by a crushing burden of debt.

In 2009, Michael Panzner wrote another book. This latter book was titled When Giants Fall: An Economic Roadmap for the End of the American Era. When I read the title of this book, and perceived that the man who caught the sequoias falling bore the same last name as the author, I sensed that the Father was linking these two events together.

Although some reports speak of only one giant sequoia falling on the Trail of 100 Giants, there were actually two trees that fell at the same time. These trees were intertwined at the roots. Sequoias have vast, but very shallow root systems, which is quite remarkable for such massive living things. Does this not speak of the nations who also have shallow roots?

Mark 4:16-17
"In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”

Sequoias are found in a very limited area. They typically grow in groves. They stand by intertwining their roots with one another, thereby lending support to the trees nearby. This interrelationship has another effect, however. When one tree falls, it can easily cause other trees to fall who have become entangled with it. This is what occurred when the two giant sequoias fell on the Trail of 100 Giants a few months back.

As was mentioned in the recent blogs on the Costa Concordia disaster, the parent company Carnival Cruise Lines is an American and British corporation. Even so, America and Europe are greatly tied together politically, militarily, culturally, and financially. When one falls, the other cannot avoid being dragged down with it.

On his blog, Michael Panzner describes "an economy teetering on the edge of disaster."In a January 11 email, he said: "The fundamental outlook is even worse now than it was a few weeks ago, given (the lack of positive) developments in Europe and growing evidence that the economies of major countries around the world are deteriorating fast."
[Source: http://www.financialarmageddon.com]

As mentioned in the previous post, the Los Angeles Times spread the news of the fallen sequoias to the world when they posted an article on October 29th, 2011. See link below:

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/29/local/la-me-fallen-sequoia-20111029

It was in October of 1929 that the American Stock Market collapsed, leading into a period of tremendous poverty and hardship known as “The Great Depression.” October 29th, 1929 became known as “Black Tuesday” as there was a tremendous sell-off on Wall Street. The volume of shares passing hands on that date was not to be equaled for another forty years.

It is my belief that the Spirit of God is giving signs in the earth of those things which are near at hand. He would have those with understanding to prepare their hearts to endure the great hardships that are coming swiftly. Satan, on the other hand, has his own ambassadors who are seeking to lull the people into a state of lethargy and complacency. The message presented by American President Barack Hussein Obama in his annual State of the Union address last night could be summed up as the following:

No cause for alarm folks. We are going to right this sinking ship. We are working hard to get everything back on an even keel. There is no reason to abandon ship. Go back to your cabins and rest assured that we will have your best interests at heart. We will keep you all safe.

The following image of the Costa Concordia, listing after it struck underwater rocks, is a fitting metaphor for America and Europe at this hour.

Costa Concordia Listing

Although the ship was mortally wounded at this point, taking on water from a deep rent in her hull, she was still mostly above water. She was leaning, but had not yet rolled over on her side. You can see that all of the lifeboats are still hanging from the ship. No one had been urged to abandon ship yet. No cry of alarm had gone out.

This is a fitting parable for where we are at this moment. The captain of the good ship America is on the phone with his masters, that wealthy and powerful cabal of international bankers and industrialists who are working to bring forth a new world order. The citizens of the nations, like the passengers on this doomed cruise ship, are being urged to “stay on board,” to trust those who are driving things to their ultimate goal. The ship, however, is dead in the water. It is not going anywhere.

One might wonder why the vast majority of people in America and Europe are so calm. Why do they not see the peril before them? Too many have placed their faith in the crew manning the ship. Some still believe that merely changing captains will stave off disaster and keep the ship afloat. Their hope is in the next election. They are unwilling, or unable, to grasp the fact that the damage has already been done. In the past 4 years America’s declared government debt has increased by 50% from 10 trillion dollars, to more than 15 trillion dollars. She is steadily being pulled under by the enormous and irresistible drag of this great burden. Quicker and quicker now, America and Europe are succumbing to the forces that will surely swamp them.

This is not what was proclaimed in the State of the Union address last night. The goal of America’s masters is to keep everyone calm and inactive, placated by lies and deception, as long as possible. The captain of the Concordia spoke to the passengers several times after striking a reef, seeking to assure them that they had experienced only a “technical problem” and all would be okay.

Alarmed by the growing tilt of the ship, and the inaction of the captain, passengers onboard began calling land based authorities to report a serious problem. The coast guard in turn contacted the captain of the ship four different times in the hour after the ship struck the rocks to ask if there was a problem. Each time he assured them there was only a minor technical problem, telling them the ship was fine and they needed no assistance. It was passengers and some minor crew members who finally began launching life boats. The captain issued the command to abandon ship only after the passengers and crew had already begun to do so.

Soon America and Europe will have fallen over like the ship in the image above. They are headed in this direction at this very moment.

It was the Greek philosopher Plato who coined the term “ship of state.” In book VI of Plato’s Republic he likened the governance of a city-state to the command of a naval vessel. Plato argued that the only men fit to captain the governments of men were benevolent and wise men who had absolute power to steer the nations. Sadly, such benevolent, selfless, and wise men are not to be found among the rulers of the nations at this hour. Such a ruler will not be known until the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

Leonard Cohen's song Democracy contains the line "Sail on. Sail on, o mighty ship of state. To the shores of need, past the reefs of greed, through the squalls of hate." The Costa Concordia is a symbol of the nations. It was not sailing to “the shores of need.” It was a floating pleasure palace, created to satiate the selfish and excessive appetites of carnal men and women. It struck a reef as surely as America and Europe have wounded themselves on the reefs of greed.

Following is an excerpt from an Internet website.

Warning Signs That We Should Prepare For The Worst
Thursday, January 19, 2012

The warning signs are all around us. All we have to do is open up our eyes and look at them. Almost every single day there are more prominent voices in the financial world telling us that a massive economic crisis is coming and that we need to prepare for the worst. On Wednesday, it was the World Bank itself that issued a very chilling warning. In an absolutely startling report, the World Bank revised GDP growth estimates for 2012 downward very sharply, warned that Europe could be on the verge of a devastating financial crisis, and declared that the rest of the world better “prepare for the worst...”

When this crisis is over, all sorts of people are going to be running around claiming that they predicted it. But it does not take a genius to see what is coming. All you have to do is open up your eyes and look at the flashing red warning signs...

Pessimism regarding Greece is at an all-time high. Michael Fuchs, the deputy leader of Angela Merkel’s political party, recently made the following statement….

“I don’t think that Greece, in its current condition, can be saved.”

But of course Greece is not the only declining economy in Europe by a long shot.

Italy has a much larger economy, and if Italy totally collapses it will be an absolute nightmare for the entire globe.

Right now, the Bank of Italy is forecasting a significant recession for the Italian economy in 2012. The following is from a statement that Bank of Italy has just released….

“The uncertainty that surrounds the medium-term perspectives of the Italian economy… are extraordinarily high and are directly linked to the evolution of the eurozone debt crisis...”

Originally it was hoped that the economic problems in Europe could be contained to just a few countries. But now it has become clear that is just not going to happen...

So will all of this economic trouble eventually spread to the United States?

Of course it will.

The global economy is more interconnected today than ever. Back in 2008 the financial crisis that started on Wall Street ended up devastating economies all over the planet. The same thing will happen during this next great financial crisis.

Only this time the U.S. is in a much weaker position. The U.S. debt problem has gotten much worse since the last crisis.
[Source: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/warning-signs-that-we-should-prepare-for-the-worst]

Interestingly, the banner for the website that the article above was taken from contains the following image:

The Economic Collapse Blog

I have no personal agenda in sharing these things. I am not an advocate of political resistance. I am no “tea party” revolutionist. I am a son of God, a citizen of a kingdom that is not of this world. As a teacher and watchman I share that which I see through spiritual eyes.

God is not giving forth these signs of what is at hand in order to drive His sons and daughters to some carnal response. He would not have His children hide themselves away with a great store of goods in some remote and unpopulated region. The will of God, as always, is that His sons and daughters be led of His Spirit in all that they do.

Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

For years now I have been proclaiming a message of being led by the Spirit, of taking up the cross and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. There will be suffering ahead for all mankind. God will not spare His own from suffering, for it is through many afflictions that we must enter the kingdom of God. A few years back when Yahweh first began sending me across the nation to share with His people, He gave me the following verse as a theme:

Acts 14:22
Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying,"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

My life the past twelve years has been one of many adversities. Yahweh has greatly molded me as a son in the past decade and more. There is less of me and more of Christ, but the job is far from complete. Now the Father is indicating that a time is at hand for many more of His sons and daughters to walk through wilderness places, and to traverse an afflicted path. Endurance, patience, and faith will be required of all who would survive spiritually the days ahead.

I have shared previously that vehicles often symbolize ministry. (Barack Obama rides in a black limousine that the Secret Service has nicknamed “The Beast.”) Yahweh provided a bus for me a couple years ago. It is stamped with the manufacturer’s name and location. It says “Body by Carpenter.” There is a parable in this detail. The bus had been last used for an entertainment platform as some men were taking it to NASCAR races for week-ends of drinking and coarse speech and entertainment. My heavenly Father instructed me to re-fashion the bus into a fit habitation. It is now a place where I conduct ministry and where I live.

The bus is forty years old, having been manufactured in 1972. Forty is a number related to trials and testing, and it is associated with wilderness journeys. I believe the time is at hand for many of Yahweh’s sons and daughters to embark upon wilderness experiences. The abundance of Egypt will no longer be found. Yahweh will try His people with hunger and thirst (Deuteronomy 8:3). They will be led to face enemies, and perils, yet the greatest danger will always be from within. Unbelief, fear, and fleshly passions that wage war with the Spirit will have to be conquered.

Dark days are near at hand, yet there will also be great grace given to those whose hearts trust in God. Yahweh has not given me any time-line of events. I cannot say with assurance when America and Europe will fall, but I do not look for it to be far off. The ships of state are already listing precariously. It is a time for all God’s children to put away the baubles and entertainments and vanity of the world and to seek Him diligently. As the prophet Zechariah counseled the nations, so too do I counsel you:

Zephaniah 2:3
Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

The Mighty are Falling

2012-01-22T18:04:00.001-05:00

Joseph Herrin (1-22-2012)

Lamentations 5:16
The crown has fallen from our head;
Woe to us, for we have sinned!

The news of this day is reporting that Joe Paterno, longtime head football coach for Penn State University, has died. He was 85 years old.

Joseph Vincent Paterno

My attention was drawn to the life of this man a couple months ago when a string of remarkable and unusual events occurred. The first news item reported that Joe Paterno had won his 409th game as head coach of a Division I college football team. This put him in sole possession of first place, having the most wins of any coach in this category. He was at the pinnacle. He stood head and shoulders above all others.

This would have been a noteworthy milestone, yet it was what occurred next that arrested my attention. Having reached the zenith as college football’s most winning coach, Joe Paterno would not be allowed to savor his success. He would not coach even one more game, though the season was not over. A scandal erupted around one of Joe Paterno’s former assistant coaches who had been sexually molesting young boys. It was reported that Joe Paterno knew about the allegations, but fell short in his response. Public outcry was swift and very vocal. Joe Paterno was fired from his position. He had been head coach at Penn State for 44 years (44 is 22 x 2, signifying cutting off wickedness, and a double portion of flesh cutting).

The timing of events interests me greatly. Why did this scandal emerge at this precise moment? The allegations were years old. The man at the center of the scandal, Jerry Sandusky, had not coached at Penn State for nearly a decade. The Bible tells us, “The mind of man plans his way, but Yahweh orders his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

On October 29th, 2011 Joe Paterno won his 409th game. On November 5th Jerry Sandusky, was arrested on forty counts, being accused of abusing eight young boys over a fifteen year period. Joe Paterno held a news conference and said he would retire at the end of the football season which was about a month away. Outcry was such that the University acted quickly and forcefully. Rather than allowing Joe Paterno to finish the season, they fired him immediately. He had been with the University for 62 years.

As I pondered this, I was reminded of King David’s counsel to his son Solomon just before David died. David gave commandment to Solomon regarding two men who had acted very wickedly in their lives.

I Kings 2:5-9
"Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet. So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace... Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood."

David deemed it to be unfitting for wicked men to end their lives at ease and in peace. I do not doubt that David had the mind of God in this matter, though there have been many wicked men who have appeared to die at ease and in the midst of their prosperity. Yet, for these ones, God chose a different fate.

As with other blogs I have written that have reported on individual’s lives, it is not the person in the story that is of greatest concern. Rather, it is what is being spoken through their lives. God sets up men as signs to others on the earth. He speaks through many means, and in various ways. Those who have eyes to see will ponder and seek instruction through what they observe.

Joe Paterno is a symbol of both men and nations that have attained to great heights, yet their lives have been unworthy of the honor and success they have received. Joe Paterno was idolized by Penn State football fans. A statue of the man was erected on campus while he was still living (is this not what an idol is).

Joe Paterno Statue

Paterno’s success in winning games endeared him to the legions of fanatical supporters of their college and its teams. This idolization of the man was not renounced by Joe Paterno. He accepted the multitude of accolades that came his way. Perhaps it is also a parable that he spoke the following words during an interview in 2006 as he was being questioned about his insensitivity to the sexual abuse of women by football players.

"Most people know me. I am what I am,'' Paterno told ESPN.com.
[Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/10766548/]

The highlighted words above should trigger a memory in those who are familiar with the Bible. When Moses met God at the burning bush, he asked God what name he should be known by.

Exodus 3:13-15
Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

Had not Joe Paterno become like a god to many people? Was not he elevated even in his own mind? Joe Paterno’s success was not met with a corresponding humility. He did not acknowledge that it was God that had given him success. He took the credit to himself. He accepted the idolatrous worship of his fans. He became insensitive to his own personal failings, and those of his players and staff. The Jerry Sandusky affair was not an aberration.

In 1995, Paterno was forced to apologize for a profanity-laced tirade directed at Rutgers then-head coach Doug Graber at the conclusion of a nationally televised game. He was also accused of "making light of sexual assault" in 2006 by the National Organization for Women which called for his resignation, and was involved in a road rage incident in 2007...

In 2008, due to a litany of football players' off-the-field legal problems, including 46 Penn State football players having faced 163 criminal charges according to an ESPN analysis of Pennsylvania court records and reports dating to 2002, ESPN questioned Joe Paterno's and the university's control over the Penn State football program by producing and airing an ESPN's Outside the Lines feature covering the subject. Paterno was criticized for his response dismissing the allegations as a "witch hunt," and chiding reporters for asking about problems.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno]

His hubris was further revealed when he dismissed criticism that he was overpaid during a time when budgets were tight and many people were struggling to make ends meet. He sought to keep his compensation secret, but when it was finally revealed he responded pridefully, rather than humbly.

After five years of court battles, the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) revealed Paterno's salary in November 2007: $512,664. He was paid $490,638 in 2006. The figure was not inclusive of other compensation, such as money from television and apparel contracts as well as other bonuses that Paterno and other football bowl subdivision coaches earned, said Robert Gentzel, SERS communications director. The release of these amounts can only come at the university's approval, which Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said will not happen. "I'm paid well, I'm not overpaid," Paterno said...
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno]

Let me state again, it is not the life of Joe Paterno that I find important, for he serves only as a type and pattern for many men and nations who have grown prideful in their fortune and success. Yawheh is surely speaking something through this man’s life. At the height of his success he was cut down. His judgment came unlooked for. It was swift and the stroke was unanticipated.

On the very same day that Joe Paterno won his 409th victory, the Los Angeles Times reported on a story that I believe is related, though it would not become apparent until another week had passed and Paterno was fired.

Giant sequoia falls, raising questions about what to do next
October 29, 2011|By Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times

Along the Sierra Nevada's famed Trail of 100 Giants, the mammoth sequoia had stood sentry since King Arthur's knights gathered at the Round Table.

It witnessed the arrival of the first European settlers and the flurry of miners in search of gold. The onset of the Medieval Warm Period and the passing of the Little Ice Age. It stood, unperturbed, through the Great War and the one that followed.

Then a month ago, as a handful of amazed tourists looked on, it toppled — crushing a bridge over a small stream and blocking the path.

Now, the U.S. Forest Service must decide what to do...

"This has not happened in the Sequoia National Forest before," said public affairs officer Denise Alonzo, explaining the indecision.

The now-prone twins — two-thirds the height of Los Angeles City Hall — were among the bigger specimens in Long Meadow Grove, part of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. About 17 feet in diameter at their common base, the trees are middle-aged for giant sequoias, which can live 4,000 years and have the greatest mass of any living organism on Earth.

The Forest Service isn't sure why the trees hit the dirt Sept. 30, because they appeared to be healthy.

A German tourist, one of only a few people on the 1.3-mile loop trail at the time, recorded the crash on video.

"It can't be possible," Gerrit Panzner told the Visalia Times about what went through his mind when he realized the sequoias were falling.

"I wasn't afraid," said his wife, Sigrun Rakus. Her only thought was to get out of the way.

The trees may have toppled because the wet winter left the ground too soggy to hold the roots, which are relatively shallow.

"Sequoias do fall. That's how big sequoias die," said Nathan Stephenson of the U.S. Geological Survey.
[Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/29/local/la-me-fallen-sequoia-2011102]

Following is a video of the falling giants.

In 2010, as I traveled across this nation, I was blessed to be able to visit Sequoia National Park. I learned some things about the giant sequoias at that time. The largest and most mature of the trees are referred to as “monarchs.” They are kings among all living things. The tops of the trees are referred to as their “crowns.” It is typical for the mature sequoias to have their crowns fall off. It seems that Yahweh will have even the trees to give obeisance to Him.

More words of David come to mind as I consider the correspondence of events between these giant sequoias falling, and the fall of Joe Paterno.

II Samuel 1:19
Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!

David was lamenting the death of King Saul and his sons. Saul was struck down as a judgment of God. Saul was renowned for standing head and shoulders above all others in Israel.

I Samuel 9:2
He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

Before Saul was made king, he was humble in his own eyes. Yet after he became king he became proud. He did not honor Yahweh with his words and actions. He did many wicked things, therefore Yahweh judged him. Saul was brought low, and the humble man David was exalted in his place.

I believe that we are entering a time when many of those who have been accounted as mighty in the earth will fall. Now is an hour when God will abase many who are proud. He will also raise up some who are exceedingly humble. These events will come swiftly and unlooked for among both categories of people. There will be those who receive promotion at God’s hands like Joseph of old. In a single day they will be taken from the prison and given ruling authority.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 66:2
"But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

A time of shaking is at hand for the nations. As was revealed in the recent devastating earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, a time of shaking is also at hand for Christ’s church. Those who have exalted themselves, who have lived luxuriously, who have vaunted themselves, who have acted wickedly, will be laid low. As John the Baptist testified:

Matthew 3:10
"The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Let those who understand the times take note. Walk in humility before God and man. Remember the poor. Take care of the widow and the orphan. Seek humility. Seek righteousness. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.

Me Standing Next to a Giant Seuoia at Sequoia National Park

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Affirmations to Costa Concordia Parable

2012-01-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

Joseph Herrin (01-18-2012)

Europe and America Sinking Together

The image above was taken from an article posted on Financial Times on July 4th of 2011. The article was titled America and Europe Sinking Together. Following is an excerpt:

In Washington they are arguing about a debt ceiling; in Brussels they are staring into a debt abyss. But the basic problem is the same. Both the US and the European Union have public finances that are out of control and political systems that are too dysfunctional to fix the problem. America and Europe are in the same sinking boat...
[Source: http://www.ft.com/article]

This rather prescient article used the metaphor of a sinking ship to describe the impending economic ruin of the United States and Europe. Little did the author suspect that this parable would be duplicated before the world in stunning fashion seven months later when the cruise liner Costa Concordia ran aground and foundered. There are many, even among the worldly and non-Christian members of society who have discerned a parable in this catastrophe. This morning a brother forwarded me a link to an article posted yesterday on the Wall Street Journal’s website.

JANUARY 17, 2012
What Is Europe Sinking About?
The shipwreck of a cruise liner is a metaphor for a continent.
By BRET STEPHENS

The Lord works in mysterious ways, or so it is often said. But in an era when few can read His signs, those signs have a way of becoming a bit more obvious. Like 45-10. Or how about another Titanic-type event, right on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the first one, as a way of prefiguring some great European disaster?

OK, probably better to leave Him out of it. But as metaphors go, Friday night's tragic-ridiculous shipwreck of a cruise liner off the Italian coast is an apt one for a continent in which nine countries had their credit ratings downgraded earlier that same day. Even the biggest ship can founder in calm waters if the captain is negligent. Even a rescue operation 50 feet from shore can turn into a fiasco if nobody has conducted a drill and the crew have no idea how to steer a lifeboat.

When the hors d'oeuvres are listing hard to starboard and the waiters tell you nothing's wrong, something's terribly wrong.

That last detail—from passenger accounts of the accident—reminded me of listening to European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in New York last fall, explaining that Greece would never default, that the euro zone's financial position was not a serious cause for alarm, and that the main thing was to prevent further outbursts of market irrationalism. In other words, it wasn't the ship that was sinking, in Mr. Van Rompuy's view, it was just that the passengers had an odd way of occasionally going berserk.
[Source: http://online.wsj.com/article]

It is truly amazing to me to find this article on the Wall Street Journal website. Christ’s saying is true:

Luke 16:8
For the sons of this world are wiser in their generation than the sons of light.

The church continues apace proclaiming a prosperity gospel while many in the world are recognizing that the party is about to come to a sudden end. The Concordia Wreck is quite obviously a sign of great financial and political trouble coming to the world. It would be hard to construct a more fitting metaphor of the foundering of nations. Following is an diagram of the Costa Concordia showing the names assigned to the various deck levels.

Translating these nation names to English, they are: Sweden, Greece, Great Britain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Poland, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, and The Netherlands. This ship was clearly designed to convey a message of unity (corcord) among nations. The United States enters the picture by virtue of the parent company, Carnival Cruise Lines, being a British and American corporation. What happens in Europe clearly has an impact upon America.

Art, a brother in Christ who has the New Wineskin blog, posted the following comment to yesterday’s post:

It is no coincidence that the ship went down just as several major bond rating agencies (such as Standard and Poor's) were downgrading the sovereign (i.e., national) debt of several European countries (but not all), raising their borrowing costs and driving yet another wedge between them.

The first press release regarding those downgrades was issued by S&P at 4:36 PM Eastern Standard Time, which was 10:36PM Central European Time (i.e., in Italy).

The Concordia had hit a granite outcrop off Giglio Island slightly less than an hour prior to that, at 9:42 PM European Central Time.
[End Quote]

God is certainly giving a sign of impending disaster. The nations will be shaken. Even secular sources of news and commentary have made the connection to this event and the conditions in Europe and the United States. This is attested to by the following politcial cartoons.

The Concordia is renamed Euro in this cartoon, indicating that the Euro is soon to fail as a monetary system. This will set the stage for a new, global monetary system to be put in place, plans for which have already been put in place.

September 9, 2009
United Nations Proposes New "Global Currency"
By Declan McCullagh

(AP)
The United Nations would like the dollar, euro, yen, and other national currencies to be succeeded by a new "global currency."

That recommendation appears in a U.N. report released this week, which suggests the dollar's outsize role in international finance has ended -- and says that it's time to invent a successor currency that would be managed by a "Global Reserve Bank."
[Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/article]

It is interesting to note that the date of the report above is 9/9/9, a number mentioned yesterday in the post on the Concordia disaster. The Concordia wreck occurred 99 years and 9 months after the wreck of the Titanic. In the same post it was mentioned that the number 9 in Scripture is “THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT.”

This is another political cartoon. Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France are shown atop the sinking Eurozone ship while Monti, the leader of Italy is desperately clinging to the side of the ship.

This political cartoon makes a correlation to Obama saving himself from the sinking ship of America even as the captain of the Concordia abandoned ship while passengers were still aboard.

Here is a further twist on this idea that emphasizes Congress’s role in causing America to founder. People of God, we would do well to pay heed to the signs that are being given. Even the world is taking note, though I doubt too many are actually taking any steps that will prove beneficial in surviving the coming economic collapse and resulting political turmoil.

Are you truly prepared to weather what is to come? What will you do when the dollar is devalued, and your wealth ends up at the bottom of the ocean? Have you already divested yourself from an attachment to the world’s goods and possessions? Are you walking as a true disciple of Christ? You do not want to have attachments to that which God is testifying will soon sink beneath the waves. It is those who are free from entanglements that will find it easiest to extricate themselves from the wreckage.

II Timothy 2:3-7
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Yahshua. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier... Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Have you learned to walk by faith, being directed by the Spirit, and confident of God’s provision and care for your life? Do you have the assurance that there will be corn supplied to you in a time of famine? Those who do not have faith in God will be swept up in the panic that follows the sinking of the world economic system.

Do not say to yourself that it will not happen. Very few gave any credence at all to the thought that financial systems would be rocked in 2008. Nevertheless, the world faced a tremendous calamity with one crisis following hard on another. Major financial companies like Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Brothers became insolvent. AIG, the world’s largest insurance company faced imminent collapse. Home values that had been rising at double digit rates year over year suddenly tanked. In the ensuing years millions lost their homes to foreclosure. Millions more lost their jobs as the economy contracted and businesses failed.

Now, four years later, nothing has improved. State after state has faced a severe budgetary crisis. The Federal government has continued only by increasing debt load to “titanic” levels. The weight of all of this debt must soon pull the ship of state under water.

What should you do seeing that Yahweh is giving testimony to the catastrophic things soon to occur? First, do not place your confidence in leaders who do not walk in the ways of God, who do not have compassion for the people they are elected to serve. They are hirelings. When they see danger come, they will flee. Place your trust and confidence in God. What He tells you to do, you must do, and that without delay. Get your house in order. Free yourself from worldly entanglements lest you be unable to escape the coming ruin.

If you have yet to accept the cost of being Christ’s disciple, there is no time to lose. To be Christ’s disciple you must yield yourself to His leadership. You must lay aside self-governance and surrender to be governed by Christ. He must be the One who determines what you do with your time, money, and possessions.

Luke 14:33
"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

I Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that... you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price...

In the aftermath of the Concordia disaster it became known that the people had not been prepared for an emergency. The ship’s captain had not carried out rescue drills. Overconfidence gave rise to complacency. The ship had sailed (nearly) the same route many times. There had never before been a need to abandon ship or use lifeboats. The ship seemed exceptionally solid. She appeared to be able to remain floating for the imaginable future. No one, from captain to passengers, anticipated that this magnificent vessel would soon have a huge breach in her hull and quickly fill up with water and capsize.

Even after the damage was done, the captain refused to acknowledge what had occurred. It was passengers on board who reportedly contacted land based authorities with their cell phones to be the first to report a crisis.

Do not wait for the leaders of your nation to tell you a crisis is at hand. Do not look to them to tell you how to safely respond to what is to come. You will suffer loss if you do. Press into God. Seek His mind. Ask Him what He would have you do, and you must do this in all things. Do not just ask God how to survive economic and political turmoil. You must ask Him what He would have you to do in all things.

Psalms 146:3-10
Don't put your trust in princes, each a son of man in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh, his God: Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever; Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. Yahweh frees the prisoners. Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind. Yahweh raises up those who are bowed down. Yahweh loves the righteous. Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked he turns upside down. Yahweh will reign forever; Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise Yah!

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

The Costa Concordia Disaster, and Other News

2012-01-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

Joseph Herrin (1-17-2012)

Consta Concordia (lifeboats in foreground)

I have been following the story of the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia for a few days. I am convinced that there is a parable contained in this catastrophe. The details surrounding this ship and its sinking are pregnant with significance.

The Costa Concordia is one of the largest passenger ships to ever sink, being 21 meters (68 feet, 11 inches) longer than the Titanic. The boat is relatively new, having been christened and taken its inaugural voyage in July of 2006. An ill omen was observed by maritime professionals as the champagne bottle used to christen the ship did not break when it was struck against the ship. Sailors have long considered this to be a harbinger of an ill-fated vessel.

The Costa Concordia’s parent company is Carnival Cruise Lines, which is a British and American corporation. The word “carnival” means “flesh raising.” Carnival’s ships are renowned for their appeal to the fleshly passions of man. Free twenty-four hour a day buffets, fine dining restaurants, on ship stores selling luxury goods, Las Vegas style entertainment, casinos, discotheques, movie theaters, spas, and many more pleasures and entertainments are offered to appeal to the sensual nature of man. Carnival truly offers a “flesh raising” experience.

The ship was named “Concordia” to express the wish for "continuing harmony, unity, and peace between European nations."
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia]

The sinking of the ship coincides with the most serious crisis the European Union has faced. A number of countries in the union are laboring under crushing debt loads. Nations with a stronger financial position are expected to bail out their troubled partners. Germany is by far the strongest nation economically in the European Union, but her citizens resent having the wealth of their nation used to shore up a profligate lifestyle among nations that did not execute a sound fiscal policy.

The stronger financial nations are seeking to enforce austerity measures upon those nations that need bailouts, but these austerity measures are odious to the citizens of the troubled countries. Greece, in particular, is in perilous financial shape, and could default on its debt in a few months if a concord is not reached with the other member states of the European Union. Greece, however, is just the tip of the iceberg, for Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, and other member states of the European Union are not far behind Greece, and may soon require saving as well.

The image of an iceberg seems appropriate. The moments after the Concordia struck the reef have been described by passengers as reminiscent of the sinking of the HMS Titanic which had a very similar gouge rent into her hull by an iceberg. The Titanic sank 100 years ago, in 1912, a fact which has been mentioned often in the media. To be more precise, the Titanic sank 99 years and 9 months prior to the Concordia. In the UK, the number 999 is the emergency telephone number, equivalent to the number 911 in America. The number 9 in Scripture is related to finality and judgment. E.W. Bullinger, in his book Number in Scripture, states the following:

It is the last of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

It is akin to the number six, six being the sum of its factors (3x3=9, and 3+3=6), and is thus significant of the end of man, and the summation of all man's works. Nine is, therefore, THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT...
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/nine.htm]

While I am on the subject of numbers, the Concordia ran aground on January 13th. The number 13 also is of great significance in Scripture. Following is an excerpt from Bullinger’s work.

As to the significance of thirteen, all are aware that it has come down to us as a number of ill-omen. Many superstitions cluster around it, and various explanations are current concerning them.

Unfortunately, those who go backwards to find a reason seldom go back far enough. The popular explanations do not, so far as we are aware, go further back than the Apostles. But we must go back to the first occurrence of the number thirteen in order to discover the key to its significance. It occurs first in Gen 14:4, where we read "Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and the thirteenth year they REBELLED."

Hence every occurrence of the number thirteen, and likewise of every multiple of it, stamps that with which it stands in connection with rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, revolution, or some kindred idea.
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/eight.htm#205]

When one views the testimony of these numbers, relating them back to the intended meaning of the ship’s name, the message that comes forth is that “the harmony, unity, and peace” between European nations is about to come to a sudden and ignominious end. The festive party atmosphere will suddenly give way to panic. Some unseen hazard will doom the concord that exists among nations, leading to a time of “rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, and revolution.”

In Roman mythology, Concordia is “the goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony.”
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordia_%28mythology%29]

Image of Goddess Concordia on Roman Coin

“In art, Concordia was depicted sitting, wearing a long cloak and holding onto a patera (sacrificial bowl), a cornucopia (symbol of prosperity), or a caduceus (symbol of peace). She was often shown in between two other figures, such as standing between two members of the Royal House shaking hands.”
[Wikipedia]

Artists depicted Concordia between two members of the Royal House as a testimony of her role in producing harmony among political and national rulers. What then is signified when a ship bearing her name, filled with passengers from many nations, strikes a rock and quickly sinks? One need not be a prophet to understand the message.

I believe it is significant that Concordia’s image was put on coinage of the Roman Empire. The European Union has been described by some as a re-birth of the Roman Empire. Achieving financial unity was one of the chief aims of the European Union. Yet it is issues of money that have plagued the union. England has refused to adopt the Euro for its currency, as have nine other nations that are EU members. Financial issues are a leading source of contention among member nations.

The message is that Concordia has failed. The nations she sought to join in peaceful union as they all pursued common goals of prosperity and security, will fracture as none are willing to make the sacrifices needed to maintain the union. Many have been prophesying that 2012 will be a year of great shaking among the nations. This sign upon the earth would seem to give credence to the thought that tremendous disruptions are near at hand.

More could be written about the role of the captain of the ship in this catastrophe, and how his failings relate to the missteps of government leaders among the nations. It is reported that he departed from the specified cruise course and steered too close to Giglio Island. He was further reported to have immediately been in denial of the seriousness of the damage to the ship, and he waited too long to get all of the lifeboats launched and the passengers and crew disembarked.

Perhaps, more damning, is the fact that the captain left the ship before everyone had been evacuated, and when asked by an Italian Coast Guard official to return to the ship to oversee the evacuation, he refused to do so. We will surely see parallels to this behavior in days ahead as government leaders seek to save their own necks while abandoning those they were elected to serve and protect.

Catastrophic Uncontained Engine Failure

Canada National 2699

This next news item has received almost no press. I was made aware of it by a brother who wrote to share it with me (Thanks Darrell). It too has some significant elements in it. Following is the story.

This is Canadian National locomotive number 2699. It is a 212 ton machine powered by a 183 liter, 4400 hp V16 4 stroke diesel

Shortly before this picture was taken, while working under load, 2699 experienced what is known in the trade as a "catastrophic uncontained engine failure." The train was passing the town of Independence, LA, at the time.

The first picture below shows that the engine exploded and one of the 16 cylinder-packs that form the engine was ejected through the engine bay body side and thrown clear of the locomotive.

In addition to this the piston from that cylinder was thrown free by the force of the failure. It was ejected so violently that it traveled through the air and crashed through the roof of a nearby home where it imbedded itself in an interior wall.

[Source: http://www.youknowfunny.com/2011/02/thrown-piston.html]

I shared the following with Darrell.

Viewing this event as a parable, some of the following things stand out.

The train number: (2 - witness, 6 - flesh man, 9 - judgment, 9 - judgment)

E.W. Bullinger writes the following regarding the number 9.

It is the last of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

It is akin to the number six, six being the sum of its factors (3x3=9, and 3+3=6), and is thus significant of the end of man, and the summation of all man's works. Nine is, therefore, THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT...
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/nine.htm]

That the number is repeated twice would indicate the same thing as the repetition of Pharaoh's dream.

Genesis 41:32
"Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about."

The city location: Independence - could speak of an end of independence, or Yahweh's judgment on an unlawful use of independence.

The state location: Louisiana - Even as the train is Canadian, and Canada is a mixture of French and English, so too is Louisiana. No other state in the U.S. is noted for its French influence as Louisiana is. At present, France and the U.S. are yoked together (perhaps it could be likened to train cars) in an unusual alliance of military, political, and economic cooperation. This was shown clearly in the recent overthrow of Libya.

The event: The failure of the engine was "catastrophic" and sudden, occurring without warning and being unexpected. It was also described as "uncontained" which would indicate that man cannot control it or mitigate the damage. The piston affected things which are unrelated to the train. It did damage to a home, perhaps indicating that what occurs will truly "strike" home, "impacting" people where they live.

Engine stats: One of the numbers that stood out to me regarding the engine is that it is a 4400 horsepower locomotive. The number four denotes humility, and the number 44 is (22 x 2), signifying a double portion of flesh cutting. When a number is raised to the level of the hundreds, it speaks of the nations. 4400 would therefore be a testimony of a double portion of judgment coming to the nations.

Comet Lovejoy

I would end this post by making mention of the recent heavenly sign observed in Comet Lovejoy. If you missed the post on this subject, you can find it here:

Comet Lovejoy Blog

I believe this celestial sign indicates that some fiery times are at hand for the nations. A “decapitated remnant” will be brought through these experiences, surviving when no one expected them to do so. Another brother in Christ sent me a link to a video posted on the Fox News website that provides some interesting details of this heavenly sign.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

The Worth of a Woman

2012-01-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Worth of a Woman

A considerable part of the backlash against the teaching of Yahweh’s role and purpose for women is that many people equate status in this world with a person’s value, or worth. Many women fear that, if they subject themselves to men, they will be viewed and treated as having a lower intrinsic worth, or value, than the man. Some even fear that in accepting the testimony of Scripture, that woman was created for man, that Yahweh might esteem the woman to be of less value than the man. This latter conclusion is surely false. Yahweh loves women with a perfect love, but where man makes judgments he is prone to grievous error.

Many men do treat women as if they were of lesser value, but it is in patiently and humbly bearing up under injustice that women (and men) find the fruit of the Spirit being formed in their lives. Accepting patiently the injustices of others finds great favor with God.

I Peter 2:18-20
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

These words apply to women in their relationships to their husbands, as well as servants with their masters. Peter segues from these words directly into an admonition to women in the church.

I Peter 3:1-2
In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

A master is not manifesting behavior that is pleasing to Yahweh by acting in an uncompassionate, or harsh manner, to his servants. Similarly, a man is disobedient to the word of God if he treats his wife as if she is of less worth than himself. Rank is not an indicator of value in God’s sight.

I Peter 3:7
You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

In this present age Yahweh has established a governmental order that places man under the rule of Christ, and woman under the rule of man. Women likewise have a sphere of authority in which they rule, for they are placed in authority over their children, and may have servants under them as well. This gives both men and women an opportunity to practice conformity to Christ as they learn how to humble themselves under divinely appointed authority, and to demonstrate the gentle and meek nature of Christ as they exercise authority over others.

It will often happen that a person under authority is found faithful and pleasing to the Father even while the one who rules over them is disobedient. This does not cause the one under authority to be disadvantaged. In truth, they have more opportunity to demonstrate faith and obedience to God as they bear up patiently when suffering unjustly. A woman should never declare that she will be a submissive wife only when her husband gets his act together. I have heard numerous women say that they will honor their husbands when they begin to act honorably. This is great error. It is the will of Christ that servants prove themselves faithful when they have wicked masters, and that wives remain chaste and respectful when they have disobedient husbands. As they do so, the wives can gain great favor with God even while their husbands are heaping up judgment upon themselves.

The apostle Peter declared that women are “fellow heirs of the grace of life.” The word “heirs” reveals that Peter is speaking of inheritance. In the Law women did not receive an inheritance with the men. If a man had sons and daughters, the land of his forefathers was to be passed onto his sons. His daughters were not to receive an inheritance in this way. The only exception was when a man had no sons. Then the man’s property went to his daughters (Numbers 27:1-8).

When it came to inheritance, the Law treated women no differently than slaves. Slaves did not receive an inheritance in the land of Israel, neither could a Gentile. Only male descendants of Abraham received the promised land as an inheritance.

The apostle Paul declared that the rules of inheritance have changed. In the kingdom of God all may share an inheritance in Christ. In the third chapter of Galatians Paul establishes this truth. Both at this time, and in the age to come, men and women, slave and free, Jew and Gentile, can all be accounted as heirs of the grace of life that is found in Christ. When the subject of inheritance comes up, Yahweh makes no distinction based upon gender, societal status, or natural descent. The Law does not determine who will inherit the promises of God in Christ.

Galatians 3:18
For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise...

As Christians, me must not confuse a person’s status in this life with their worthiness in the eyes of God. Christ declared that many who are first at this time will be last in the age to come, and many who are last now will be first in the resurrection of the dead (Luke 13:30).

Luke 13:30
"And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

It is important to note that Christ said “some” who are last will be first, and “some” who are first will be last. A person’s status in the age to come is dependent upon whether they walked humbly and faithfully before God and man in this age. Many servants cannot escape their servitude, but neither do they accept it with grace. Similarly, many women do not accept their role as helper to their husband with grace. Those who manifest complaint, murmuring, rebellion, clamor, envy, and discontent will not only be last in this age, but in the age to come as well.

Yahweh’s instruction to wives and to servants are the same. Even as wives are exhorted to be subject to their own husbands in everything, servants are commanded to be subject to their masters.

Titus 2:9-10
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

Does God view those who are the last in this age as of lesser worth than those who are first? Absolutely not. If a man or woman proves themselves faithful in service to God and others they will be approved by Yahweh and honored in the age to come. Joseph’s life provides a type and testimony of this truth. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. Joseph’s enslavement was unfair. His brothers had sold him due to jealousy. Nevertheless, Joseph proved himself to be a faithful servant seeking the welfare of his master. No one was more faithful than Joseph, and his master promoted him.

When Joseph was falsely accused of trying to rape his master’s wife, he was cast into prison. Now he was as low as a man could possibly go. He was not a free man. He was a slave. Yet, he was less than a slave. He was a slave in prison. Joseph had been doubly abased, but even in the prison he manifested an excellent spirit and everything he did prospered. After years of patient and humble service Yahweh placed great honor upon Joseph. He was promoted to the right hand of Pharaoh.

Joseph’s life serves as a parable for all those who would receive promotion and honor at Yahweh’s hands. If we prove ourselves faithful as servants, the day will come when we receive great honor. The woman should consider the call to serve her husband a great opportunity to exhibit that humility and faithfulness that is pleasing to God. Yahweh has told the woman what His will is. The way before her is clearly marked. Those who manifest an excellent spirit in serving their husband, continuously seeking his welfare, will receive a glorious inheritance and great honor in the ages to come. There will be no distinction at that time between male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile.

Galatians 3:26-29
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Yahshua. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Yahshua. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

Notice the word “heirs” again in this passage. Many have misapplied these words, suggesting that Paul is negating all differences between the sexes. This is not so. Paul is speaking of inheritance, not governmental order. Paul is declaring that God sees all men and women the same when it comes to inheritance. All may prove themselves worthy of Christ’s inheritance in the saints.

Those who contend that Paul was negating any differences in gender roles with the preceding words are doing violence to the Scriptures. They are ignoring Paul’s many instructions to women in the church to subject themselves to men. If Paul is stating here that women need not subject themselves to men, then he must also be saying that servants need not subject themselves to their masters. Not only did Paul declare in the third chapter of Galatians that there is neither male nor female, he also said there is neither slave nor free. Paul, however, is speaking of inheritance in Christ. He is not giving a teaching on the proper attitude to have toward government. He addressed the subject of government in other passages.

Ephesians 6:5-8
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

Even as slaves will receive back from the Lord according to how faithfully they conducted themselves as servants, so too will women receive recompense from the Lord. Yahshua has testified:

Revelation 22:12
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to everyone according to what he has done.”

There have been men, like Joseph, who served other men as slaves, and their service found great favor with God. Daniel is another example. As a young man Daniel was taken into captivity to Babylon and made a servant of the king. Daniel did not rebel, nor wallow in self-pity, nor manifest a self-seeking attitude. Daniel was the most faithful of all the king’s subjects. Not even Daniel’s enemies were able to find fault with his service to the king.

Daniel 6:4-5
Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God."

Like Joseph many years before, Daniel bloomed where he was planted, even when his life seemed unjust, and his position was one of slavery. Did Yahweh think less of these men because of their status in this world? No! Daniel received the highest praise from God. When Daniel was seeking the Lord with prayers and fasting, Yahweh sent an angelic messenger to speak to him. This messenger declared:

Daniel 9:22-23
"O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”

The esteem God had for Daniel had no relationship to his position in this world. The same is true for women. I am convinced beyond any doubt that there have been many women who were more highly esteemed by God than the majority of men. Christ chose twelve men to be His disciples and apostles, yet it was not to any of them that He appeared first after His resurrection. The first person to see the resurrected Christ was a woman.

John 20:11-18
Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Yahshua had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Yahshua. Yahshua said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Yahshua said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Yahshua said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.

Was it not a great honor to be the first among all mankind to see the resurrected Lord? Those who confuse governmental order with the love of God would certainly think that Christ would reveal Himself first to a man. I am persuaded, however, that the one who loved Christ the most saw Him first. He could not delay in bringing comfort to one who was so grieved at being separated from Him. Notice how she clung to the feet of Yahshua when He appeared. Mary did not want to ever be separated from her Lord again.

Sisters in Christ, I ask you, if rumor had gone out that you had died, and you knew that this saying was causing distress among your family and friends, who would you show yourself to first to demonstrate that you were actually alive? Would it not be the one you knew would be the most grieved to experience your loss? Would not your love for that person compel you to go straightway to them?

I know of no greater testimony in Scripture that women are counted as worthy of the love and favor of God as men than the fact that Christ showed Himself to Mary Magdalene before He showed Himself to any other. Not even John, the beloved disciple, met the resurrected Christ before Mary.

God does not judge as man judges. Man is impressed with position, success, and fame. God, however, looks upon the heart. He knows those who love Him. He sees that it is often those without position, even in the church, who are the most faithful and devoted. The Bible tells us that Christ had twelve male disciples whom He handpicked. Only one of them was mentioned as being present at His crucifixion. All others had fled. Only John was in attendance. Yet among the women who had followed Him, we are told that there was a number present during this darkest, and most sorrowful moment of His life.

John 19:25
But standing by the cross of Yahshua were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

The male disciples of Christ had fled, fearing the persecution of the Jewish leaders and the Romans. The threat was just as imminent for these women, but not even fear for their lives could keep them from the One they loved so dearly. It is significant to note that the one male disciple who was present at the crucifixion of Christ was known for his love of Christ, and Christ’s deep love for him.

John 19:26-27
When Yahshua then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

Does it not speak volumes about the value of women in the eyes of God that one of Christ’s last acts was to appoint John as the caretaker of His mother? Was it not love that drove Him to look past His own suffering, and feel the pain of the sword that pierced His mother’s heart.

That women are greatly valued in the eyes of God is further attested to in the fact that the purest religion is described in the following manner.

James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Yahweh has great compassion for women. The widow is ever before His sight. Yahweh does not love women any less because they were created “for man.” He does not see them as of less worth than man because they are called to subject themselves. Yahweh’s government, and His grace are two separate systems.

The Bible describes the woman as “weaker” than the man (I Peter 3:7). Does it not move the heart with compassion to see those who are weak persevering, overcoming their fears, and going where those much stronger than they are unwilling to go? I am sure the ten male disciples of Christ who were absent at His crucifixion later rued the fact that they were not present when John and a group of women were. Did it not move the heart of God the Father to know that these women were present to provide solace and comfort to His Son in His hour of suffering? I do not doubt that a great reward awaits them.

In the days that followed the crucifixion, the women continued to be subject to men. Christ did not appoint any women to be apostles or leaders in the church. The governmental order of man being the head of woman continued. At the same time, the system of grace continued. Women were present in the upper room on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given. They became partakers of the Spirit of Christ the same as the men. Women are assured that in the resurrection they will receive inheritance along with men. Many who are the last, the lowest, and the least in this world will be first in the age to come. Such is the marvelous grace of our Father.

Sisters in Christ, there are men in this age who will judge with wicked motives. There are men who will act unjustly. Many will confuse authority with a person’s worth. Those who are humble will be taken advantage of. Take comfort in knowing that God sees all things. He weighs the hearts. His eyes roam to and fro throughout the earth that He might strongly support those whose hearts are wholly His (II Chronicles 16:9). Will He not give much grace to those who are lightly esteemed in this age, yet serve with faithfulness and patience?

In the age to come I am convinced that many women who were unknown to the world will receive honor and praise from the Father. The woman who devoted herself to her husband’s welfare, who raised children, who was a keeper at home, who prayed faithfully, who was a model of good works, who washed the feet of the saints; to her will belong glory and honor and praise in the ages to come.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Dissolving the Marriage Partnership

2012-01-14T15:43:00.001-05:00

Dissolving the Marriage Partnership

There is great power in words. George Orwell, in his classic book 1984, gives a chilling depiction of a government manipulating minds by exerting control over words spoken and written. Words give rise to ideas in the minds of men. By advocating that certain words be used and others suppressed, minds can be controlled.

Mankind is aware of the power of words. I have been angered on occasion as I have read of the despotic Orwellian practices of the United States court systems. I have read of numerous cases where abortion issues came before the court. Whether the court was sentencing abortion protestors, or ruling on the legality of various abortion procedures, they have sought to influence the outcome by dictating the language that could be used. I have read of judges banning certain words from being spoken in court such as “baby,” “unborn child,” “infant,” and “murder.” It has been mandated at times that the baby in the womb be referred to as a “fetus,” or “fetal material.” By proscribing what words could be used, the judge was able to shape opinion and arrive at a ruling in favor of the abortionists.

The media employs similar tactics by describing abortion advocates as “pro-choice” while labeling defenders of human life as “anti-abortion.” Those who defend the lives of the unborn prefer the positive descriptor “pro-life.” By disallowing this term, and choosing the negative prefix “anti” to describe pro-life advocates, the media is able to influence thought. The term pro-choice, although it is advocating the careless murder of the unborn, appears positive, while the term anti-abortion evokes a negative image.

I have recently been led to ponder the words “marriage partner.” The word partner has become ubiquitous, being employed wherever the marriage union of the man and his wife is spoken of today. Even among Christians, the word partner is used commonly to refer to one’s spouse. This word never appears in Scripture when the relationship between husband and wife is mentioned. I can only surmise that it is the cunning of the great deceiver that has led to this word’s adoption.

Consider what the word partner implies. A partner is a person who shares, or is associated, with another in some action or endeavor. Common synonyms for the word partner are “sharer, associate, collaborator.” The word partner is very frequently associated with the realm of business. To be a partner in a firm indicates that a person has achieved a certain status. No longer are they merely an employee. Now they have authority and the perks that go along with it.

Although there are various aspects of the word partner that can be rightfully applied to marriage, it is the overall image that is evoked that is cause for concern. By referring to one’s spouse as their marriage partner there is an implicit assertion of equality of roles, of shared authority, and the combining of the husband’s and wife’s individual goals and dreams into one corporate vision. On the surface this sounds not only reasonable, but highly desirable. God’s ways, however, are not man’s ways.

Let us look at the very beginning of God’s thought for the marriage relationship. In Genesis chapter two we read:

Genesis 2:18
Then Yahweh God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

The word God used to describe the woman is “helper.” God saw that the man had a need, and there was no other creature that could meet that need. It was necessary for God to form another being specifically to meet the needs of the man.

Genesis 2:21-23
So Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. Yahweh God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

In the New Testament, Christ’s apostles base much of their instruction to women in the church upon creation order. Man was created first. Woman was formed later out of a remnant portion taken from the man’s body. Not only was woman created subsequent to man, but she was created “for man.”

I Corinthians 11:8-9
For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.

In this passage the apostle Paul is establishing the governmental order that Yahweh put in place between the man and woman. The man is given a position of ruling over the woman, and the woman is to subject herself.

Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

This testimony of the man being the ruler of the woman is repeated in the New Testament.

Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

I Peter 3:5-6
For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord...

Sarah did not call Abraham “partner.” Sarah called her husband “lord,” and she is set forth as an example for godly women to emulate. To hear it suggested that wives should call their husbands lord produces a discordant sound in the contemporary ear. It may be accepted that women long ago called their husband’s “lord,” but these are modern times. Things have changed. Right? Many women would experience fits of laughter if they were counseled to start calling their husband “lord.” “What planet are you from?” might be the response of some. The word of God states that those who belong to Christ are “aliens and strangers” in the earth (I Peter 2:11). It should not be surprising if the counsel of God to women today would lead them to appear foreign, as if from a completely different culture. The saints in Christ are citizens of a heavenly kingdom that operates upon different principles than the kingdoms of this world.

Philippians 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yahshua Christ...

Among the citizens of a world under the dominion of Satan it is common to speak of one’s “marriage partner.” Sarah stands in stark contrast, for she obeyed her husband Abraham, and called him “lord.”

Genesis 18:12
Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

After many years of being married to Abraham, having witnessed his faults as well as his victories, being aware that he was a man who had both weaknesses and strength, Sarah called Abraham “my lord.” The word “my” adds a very personal element to the honor Sarah bestowed upon Abraham. Sarah had great knowledge of her husband, but she did not let familiarity breed contempt. To her, Abraham was, and ever would be, “my lord.”

Sisters in Christ, referring to your husband as lord, rather than partner is more than a matter of semantics. The attitude of women toward their husbands has been greatly altered so that the standard held up by the apostles seems absurd to the Christian wife today. A bondservant would never describe his master as “my partner.” To do so would be highly disrespectful.

One might object that the wife is not the husband’s servant. Why then is she instructed to call her husband “lord”? Yahweh has given us the examples of other women who, like Sarah, showed great honor and submission to their husbands.

I Samuel 25:39-41
Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants."

If Abigail had been a contemporary Christian woman under the influence of that proud and independent feminist spirit prevalent today, she would not have spoken so humbly of herself, nor would she have joyfully embraced the role of a servant. This is where the woman who aspires to godliness must be transformed in her thinking. To see the husband as "lord" instead of as a partner goes against everything society teaches.

The influence of society impresses upon women the thought that marriage is an opportunity for the man and woman to jointly pursue life, liberty and happiness. The goals and desires of the woman are put on the same level as the goals and desires of the man. This sounds fair and reasonable, but it is a departure from the image of the woman as man's helper. The modern conception of marriage presents the woman as co-equal to man. Husband and wife are both pursuing individual goals and desires. The wife expects the husband to help her achieve her desires and goals as much as she helps him. The man is viewed as the woman's helpmate as much as the woman is the man's. Does this not sound reasonable?

To suggest that the woman should subjugate her life, her dreams and her desires to that of the man appears preposterous. At times it is hard to perceive the degree to which the world and the church have departed from the will of God. Like the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water, changes in attitudes have been gradual. People have adjusted themselves to the changes. They do not seek escape, even if the changes are killing them. It may be easier to see the degree to which the church has departed from the ideal set forth in Scripture by observing the parallels between the woman’s relationship to man, and man’s relationship to Christ.

The apostle Paul states in I Corinthians 11:3 that Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman. These are parallel relationships. Let us therefore look at the man’s relationship to Christ. It would be dishonoring for me to describe Christ as my "partner." He is my "Lord."

John 13:13
"You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.”

As a man, I am called to set aside my desires and focus upon the will and desires of Christ. My plans for life must be abandoned. I must hate my own soul in order that I might be a disciple of Christ.

Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate... even his own life (psuche - soul), he cannot be My disciple.”

Matthew 16:25
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

What Christ is expressing in these words is that man must yield up his life, all the dreams and aspirations of his soul, all his personal goals and ambitions, and give his life to a wholehearted pursuit of the will and desires of Christ. This is what Christ did in relation to His Father.

John 5:30
“I can do nothing on My own initiative... I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

This was Christ’s attitude to His dying day. In the Garden of Gethsemane the soul of Christ was crushed as His own will and desires had to be put aside in order to embrace the will of the Father.

Matthew 26:38-39
Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."

As Christ subjugated His will to that of the Father, man must subject his will to Christ. The parallel is observed further in that the woman is to subject herself to the man.

I Corinthians 14:34
The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.

To do so, the woman must set aside her will, and her desires, and embrace her husband’s will as her own. As a man under the headship of Christ, I am to become so surrendered to Him, having no will of my own, that I can say with Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." I am to be selfless, wholly focused on fulfilling the desires of another. This attitude is to be carried over to the wife as she relates to her husband.

In my soul, I have many natural desires. Many of these desires appear noble and right. I would like to have a helpmate who honors me and supports me. I would like to have the intimate fellowship of both of my children, my parents, my sisters and brother. I would like to minister among the people of God and be recompensed with that honor that should be accorded to a faithful servant. My soul has also entertained some more overtly selfish desires at times. I have desired houses and land, money to spend, and many of the world’s goods. If I were to write the script for my life, it would be quite different from the script God has written. My script would have been self-focused. Christ would be included, but He would be helping me meet my soul’s desires as much (or more) than I was seeking His will and desires.

For much of my Christian life I was not yielded to Christ’s lordship. I loved Christ. I was in church every time the doors were opened. I taught Sunday School, preached, cleaned the sanctuary, mowed the church lawn, and looked for opportunities to serve the Lord. Yet I had not surrendered myself to go wherever Christ would lead me, and to do whatever He asked me to do. During this time I would have described myself as a disciple of Christ, but I was not one in actuality. A disciple must abandon his life to take up that life Christ has chosen for him.

During these early years of my walk with Christ, into my late thirties, I had all the things listed above that my soul desired. I had a wife who “partnered” with me even as I was “partnering” with Christ. I had children at home who loved me. I had fellowship with my extended family. I received honor in the churches that I attended and labored in. I owned several different homes at different times. I had the things this world offered that my soul desired, including a good job, and money to spend on my pleasures.

This all changed in 1999 when Christ spoke to me. Yahshua told me He could take me no further unless I surrendered to go wherever He asked me to go, and to do whatever He asked me to do. This thought terrified me. I knew that if I surrendered fully to Christ as Lord, He could very literally require anything of me. I had enjoyed being Christ’s partner, for that was not very costly. As Christ’s partner, my life remained intact. I could pursue personal goals while walking with Christ. I was sure I would not find it as pleasant to subject myself fully to Christ as my Lord.

A period of wrestling ensued. It was a Gethsemane moment that has been repeated numerous times in the years that followed. Would I die to my will and desires and accept the life Christ chose for me? By the grace of God I did yield. In the twelve years since that time I have been led down an afflicted path I would not have chosen. I have experienced firsthand all that Christ spoke when He said:

Luke 14:26-27
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:33
“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

Relationships that were dear to me had to be laid upon the altar. Fellow ministers cast me out from their midst. The honor I had formerly known among the body of Christ was turned to reproach. I was led to surrender the world’s goods that I had accumulated over many years. For a period of time I lived as a homeless man. I ended up as a resident at a Rescue Mission, being led of the Spirit to spend more than three years there. I have twice been put in jail as I have followed Christ. Life has not been a bed of roses. My soul’s desires have had to be cast aside that I might pursue the will of my Lord.

Christ made it known to me that we could not operate as partners. There could only be one Head in our relationship. I had to embrace the role of a bondservant. Most Christians today are partnering with God. Death to self has not been embraced.

Women today are mirroring with their husbands the same relationship most men have with Christ. They come into the relationship with dreams and desires of their own, and they expect their partner to help them achieve their soul’s aspirations. Christ did not approach the Father in this manner, and neither must we act toward our head in this way.

John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

As a man who has been given Christ as head, my confession must be, “I did not become Christ’s disciple to do my own will, but the will of Christ.” Similarly, the woman who has man as head must say, “I did not enter into this union to pursue my will, but the will of my husband.”

In the previous chapters I wrote of the Jezebel spirit’s tendency toward self-exaltation. Jezebel made herself a partner with her husband, King Ahab. She did not present herself to Ahab as a maidservant to wash the feet of his servants. Jezebel had her own agenda. Hers was a life of self-seeking, and self-advancement. The woman who would find favor with Yahweh must abase herself. She must take the lowest seat. She must be humble, laying aside personal ambition, adopting another’s will as her own.

The woman was created “for man.” She is to be his helper. If the woman seeks to save HER LIFE, she will lose it. The woman who loses HER LIFE will find the true and lasting life that Christ came to give.

If you are a Christian woman, it is unlikely that you approached marriage as an invitation to surrender your life to another. Yet, this is the will of God for the woman who aspires to godliness. Even as a man entering into relationship to Christ is to surrender his life, taking Christ as Lord in everything, so too must the woman be subject to her husband. Paul wrote, “as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

The apostles referenced three distinct things that serve as a foundation for their teaching to women: Creation order - man was created first; Creation purpose - woman was created for man; and divine government - “your desire shall be toward your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Each of these things finds its parallel in man’s relationship to Christ.

Christ precedes man in creation order even as the man precedes the woman. Christ is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15). He is the “ONLY begotten” Son of the Father.

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For many years I did not understand what was meant by Christ being referred to as “the only begotten Son.” It has only been as the Father has opened my eyes to perceive the creation order of all things that I have come to understand this mystery.

The Scriptures testify that Christ came forth directly from the Father. Everything else in creation was fashioned by Christ.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Colossians 1:16-17
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

In the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the words “only begotten” appear as “monogenes.” You may recognize “mono” as a prefix meaning “one.” “Genes” (pronounced gen-ace) is the root of the words “generate,” and “genesis.” Christ is declared to be the only direct generation of the Father. Nothing else has come forth from the Father in the way Christ has come forth.

There exists a hierarchy in creation. Yahshua is the firstborn of all creation. He is the direct generation of the Father. All other things came through Christ. Paul says of Christ, “all things were created through Him and for Him.” As man was created through Christ and for Christ, we see the parallel truth in Scripture that woman was created through man, and for man.

•    Christ came forth out of the Father.
•    Man came forth through Christ.
•    Woman was taken out of man.

•    Christ has God as head.
•    Man has Christ as head.
•    Woman has man as head.

The parallels continue. We previously read Christ’s declaration that He came to do the Father’s will. Similarly, man was created to do Christ’s will, and woman was formed to do man’s will, being created “for man.” The woman is instructed to obey her husband as the man is instructed to obey Christ.

A clear pattern emerges as we look at the testimony of Scriptures. Christ modeled before the creation what is pleasing to the Father. Having the Father as His head, Christ laid down His life that He might do the will of the Father. Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant. Man is to follow this pattern as he humbles himself before Christ, laying down his life to embrace the life of Christ. The pattern is completed as the woman humbles herself, taking man as head, laying aside her life to embrace the life of her husband.

As a man, I have fallen short of the perfection of Christ in many ways. Christ NEVER did anything of His own initiative. I have done much of my own initiative. Christ did not seek His own will, but I have often sought my own will. Christ ALWAYS did the will of the Father, but I have often chosen my will over the will of Christ. James declared, “For we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). John echoed this saying when he wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8).

Observing the patience Christ has demonstrated toward me, I choose to be patient with others. The saying is true, “By the judgment you have judged others, you will be judged, and by the measure you mete to others it will be measured unto you.” The saying is also true, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” and “judgment shall be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy.” I would not judge my sisters in Christ for their failings any harsher than I would judge myself for my failings. If we are humble in acknowledging our failings, we will learn to be gentle, patient, and merciful toward others.

At the same time, I must always point to the standard before us which is Christ. He was perfect, and He has commanded us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). We are to aim for nothing less. We are always to strive toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Yahshua.

The pride of life would lead men and women to grasp for equality. Man wants to partner with Christ, and woman wants to partner with man. Christ, however, shows us what is pleasing to God. Christ humbled Himself. He set aside His soul’s desires to do the will of the Father. Christ accepted God as His Head and as His Lord. Man must take Christ as Head and Lord, and woman must take man as head and lord. In each instance the soul must be crushed as unto death. All who would follow in Christ’s steps must hate their own life.The purpose of this age is to give the children of God opportunity to have the character of Christ formed in them. If we refuse to humble ourselves we cannot attain to Christ’s character. If men insist on being treated as an equal to Christ, or women as equal to men, then conformity to Christ’s image will elude them. Christ was content to be a bondservant.

Our actions, and our words, will declare whether we embraced the self-exalting spirit of Jezebel, or the meek and lowly spirit of Christ.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Casting Down Jezebel

2012-01-12T16:34:00.000-05:00

Casting Down Jezebel

Yahweh has given to the body of Christ a pattern to follow when Jezebel seeks to assert herself and to rule in the midst of His people. The solution is to cast her down.

Jezebel Being Cast Down

Let us look once more at Jehu’s response to Jezebel.

II Kings 9:30-33
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and adorned her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?” And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. He said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot.

One thing that stands out to me in this passage is that Jehu did not speak a single word to Jezebel. Jezebel tried to engage Jehu in conversation. With her words she described Jehu as the one who was in rebellion, acting to usurp authority. She compared Jehu to Zimri. Zimri was a servant of Baasha, an earlier king of Israel. He had command of half of Baasha’s chariots. Zimri conspired against Baasha and slew him, an act which Yahweh gave Zimri no commandment to do. Although Zimri’s actions fulfilled a prophecy against Baasha, the motive in Zimri’s heart was not the same as Jehu’s. Zimri sought only to wrest control of the kingdom for himself, while Jehu was anointed by a prophet sent by Elijah, and he was given commandment by the prophet to destroy the house of Ahab and Jezebel. Following are Jehu’s words of commissioning.

II Kings 9:6-10
“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of Yahweh, even over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’”

Jehu accepted this commission, and set his heart to fulfill it with zeal. As he was on the way to remove Ahab’s son from the throne, Zimri encountered the godly man Jonadab and said to him, “Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh" (2 Kings 10:16). Yahweh attested to the fact that Jehu had done well in carrying out His commands.

II Kings 10:30
Yahweh said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel."

Jezebel’s words were not right when she compared Jehu to Zimri. It is possible for men to perform outwardly identical acts, yet one man be approved by God and the other man condemned. From outward appearances, Zimri and Jehu did similar works. Of Zimri we read.

I Kings 16:10-13
Then Zimri went in and struck [Baasha] and put him to death in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. It came about when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends. Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking Yahweh God of Israel to anger with their idols.

Zimri slew an idolatrous king, and so did Jehu. Zimri destroyed the entire household of the king, as well as the close friends of the king, and so did Jehu. Outwardly their works were the same. They both slew kings that had defiled the land and people of Yahweh through idolatry. Yahweh had prophesied that both kings and their households would be destroyed, yet Zimri did not perform his acts out of obedience to a command of God, nor was he zealous for Yahweh. Zimri’s actions were selfishly motivated. His actions were those of a covetous and rebellious man who sought to elevate himself.

Zimri ruled only seven days after slaying Baasha. Omri, another army commander raised a force against him. When Zimri saw he was defeated he entered into the king’s house and set it afire with himself inside. He perished by his own hand in the fire, a fitting tribute to one who had acted by his own hand to usurp the position of the king.

There was much cunning in Jezebel’s words to Jehu as she called down to him from the tower. She sought to sow doubt not only in Jehu’s heart, but in the hearts of his followers. Certainly they all knew the history of Zimri, and the results of his treason. It seems remarkable to me that Jehu did not refute the words of Jezebel. He offered no defense. Jehu spoke not a single word to the daughter of Ethbaal. His only command was to cast her down.

There is wisdom in this. Jezebel will not be persuaded by any arguments. Rebellion is thoroughly rooted in her nature. Like the fool of whom King Solomon spoke, there is no profit in arguing with Jezebel, or speaking a word to her.

Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Proverbs 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him.

The Jezebel spirit cannot be reasoned with. It will never repent of its attitudes and actions. We see this truth declared even in the New Testament.

Revelation 2:20-21
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.”

The Jezebel spirit will not respond to the words of God or man. She remains defiant in her idolatry, immorality, and usurpation to the very end. There is only one effective course of action. Cast her down. Do not waste words. Actions alone will suffice.

You may well ask, “How does this truth apply to the Christian woman today?” Every woman must confront this spirit at some time. The spirit of Jezebel is part of that sinful nature passed onto all the descendants of Adam. What should a woman do when she finds this spirit of rebellion, of idolatry, of selfishness, and usurpation seeking to assert itself in her life? There will be no profit in conversing with this spirit. Her arguments are endless, and full of cunning. The best course of action is to take these thoughts captive, and to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

II Corinthians 10:4-6
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

Sisters in Christ, when this Jezebel spirit makes its voice heard in your heart, cast down her arguments. Abase those high and exalted attitudes that seek to assert themselves. Adopt that humble mind that was observed in Yahshua. Accept the role of the servant. Humble yourself before God and man, and in due time Yahweh will exalt you.

The world, and a large portion of the church, have embraced the mind of Jezebel. Women are declared to be equal to men in every way. The thought of the woman being subject to man is offensive, and derided with every imaginable argument. On every hand you will encounter those in the world who seek to take you captive to the attitude and actions of Jezebel. The philosophy of the independent woman has saturated society. Its advocates are everywhere. It is a mere remnant who have not fallen for the deceptive allure of this self-exalting spirit.

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Jezebel exalted herself. She took to herself a role God had not assigned to the woman. Consequently, Yahweh judged her severely. Her fall was calamitous. Her shame is beyond compare. She ended up as dung upon the face of the earth. Her reputation is one of divine reproach.

In contrast, the Son of God emptied Himself of the glory that was His. He willingly stepped down from His position in the heavens. Yahshua accepted a position of a servant, ever living to do the Father’s will. Christ even washed the feet of the men whom He had created.

Philippians 2:5-9
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Yahshua: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name...

The humble spirit of Christ is exceedingly pleasing to the Father. There are great contrasts to the death of Jezebel and that of Christ. Jezebel was cast down in her death. Christ was lifted up. It was not possible to cast Christ down, for He had adopted the lowest position possible.

We see another contrast after the deaths of Jezebel and Christ. When Jehu gave the command to bury Jezebel, there was nothing left to bury. The dogs had eaten her. Jezebel had lived in sensual ease and luxury during her life. Though Jehu would have shown her some honor in her death, God did not permit it. There was nothing left to bury. By contrast, Christ lived a life of humility and service. Although He was crucified, not a bone of His body was broken and He was buried in a rich man’s tomb. “Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of His godly ones” (Psalm 116:15). Those who would be honored by God must humble themselves.

Proverbs 15:33
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and before honor comes humility.

The world, and the sinful nature expressed in the passions and desires of the flesh, wage war with the Spirit of Christ. We will be ruled by one or the other. The empty deception and philosophy of this world says that it is right to assert oneself. The mantra of Satan is “Look out for number one.” In contrast, Christ told His disciples they must hate their own lives, and die to the desires of their own souls. Yahshua declared, “The greatest in the kingdom of God is the servant of all.”

Those who are ruled by the prideful spirit of this fallen world system will be abased in the end. Being a daughter of God will avail the Christian woman nothing if they have manifested the spirit of Jezebel. A notable truth is revealed in the details following Jezebel’s death.

II Kings 9:34-35
[Jehu] said, "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter." They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands.

Women in the body of Christ are likewise the daughters of a King. Yet, there will be no honor for those who exalt themselves in this life. Yahweh will abase the proud.

Isaiah 2:12
For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased.

Jezebel had her day of reckoning, and so too will all who follow in her steps. The Spirit and the Word testify that if we will humble ourselves then God will not have to humble us. It is wisdom to seek the low place, rather than to choose honor and position for ourselves. In the Gospels we read a parable through which Christ declared this truth.

Luke 14:8-11
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Christ was not delivering a sermon on social etiquette here. His subject was not how to behave at parties. Rather, He was presenting a teaching on the proper attitude to manifest throughout one’s life. Take the lowest place. Do not seek to elevate yourself. Live humbly at all times.

There is great application of this teaching to the life of the Christian woman. The world would tell you to always seek the highest possible seat. Take honor unto yourself. This is the attitude of Jezebel, the spirit of self-exaltation. In stark contrast Christ speaks the very opposite. Take a lower place than you think you deserve. Be content with abasement and humility. This finds great favor with Yahweh, and in His time He will exalt you. Many years ago, a very godly woman named Hannah spoke the following words.

I Samuel 2:7-8
Yahweh makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor...

Adopting a servile role before man appears as an evil thing to many women, even those who are Christians. The rebellion and pride of this fallen world system has infected all mankind. Those who are truly disciples of Christ, following the pattern of His life, are a mere remnant in the earth.

What God requires of the woman is not unique to her. Everything in the creation is under authority. There is a realm of service, subjection, and obedience, appointed to every created being. The apostle Paul shows us the pattern in his letter to the Christians in Corinth.

I Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Not even Christ lived to please Himself. He lived to do the will of the Father. He shows us by His example what perfection looks like, demonstrating by His words and actions what is pleasing to the Father.

John 6:38
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Pay particular attention to the words “I have come down from heaven.” Christ descended. He had an exalted position, rightfully attained, and He relinquished it when the Father asked Him to do so. In another Scripture we read, “No man takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of My own initiative” (John 10:18). We must lay down our lives before we can take them up again in resurrection life. Humility comes before honor.

It is said of Christ that “He humbled Himself... even to death on a cross.” To humble oneself means “to go lower.” The word humble shares a similar root with the word humus, which is a word for the soil of the ground. To humble oneself literally means to prostrate oneself upon the ground. This is what Christ did. He laid aside His glory in the heavens and descended to Earth. He took upon the form of a bondservant. He was meek and lowly. So too must all those be who would receive praise and honor from God the Father.

Sisters in Christ, if you find yourself in an exalted place at this hour, you must cast yourself down without delay. Follow in the steps of Christ. Empty yourself, and become one who washes the feet of your husband and of others. This is what the godly women of old have done.

I Samuel 25:40-41
When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants."

This is also the pattern that Christ’s apostles set before the women of the church.

I Timothy 5:9-10
A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

When the Jezebel spirit urges you to rise up, don’t argue with her. Silence Jezebel by your actions. Cast yourself down. Wash the feet of others. Take the lower position. In doing so you will prove the truth of the adage that states, “Actions speak louder than words.” The Jezebel spirit will flee in the presence of such humble service.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

A Moral Victory

2012-01-09T19:36:00.002-05:00

Joseph Herrin (1-9-2012)

Tim Tebow - Quarterback for Denver Broncos

Not having a television, I don’t watch too many sporting events, but athletic competition does interest me. There are numerous references to athletes and various sporting competitions in the Bible. God has used the image of a athlete as an example of the discipline and focus required by those who would follow Christ as His disciples.

II Timothy 2:5-7
If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules... Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

I Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

The apostle Paul was quite familiar with athletic competition. He was writing during the time of the Roman Empire when Olympic competitions were renowned far and wide. Paul taught that even as there are characteristics of athletic champions, there are also traits that are common to those who would be overcomers in Christ. There are certain rules that must be adhered unto, or a person will be disqualified.

Some of the traits the apostle mentions are self-control, bodily discipline, and focus on the goal line.

Philippians 3:12-15
I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Yahshua. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Yahshua. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect (mature), have this attitude...

I have been following the remarkable career of Tim Tebow since he played quarterback at the University of Florida. Tim had a very successful career at Florida. Wikipedia summarizes his college years with the following words.

As a backup to starter Chris Leak and a key situational contributor, Tebow helped the Gators win the national championship during the 2006 college football season. Tebow was the Gators' starting quarterback during the 2007 season and became the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season. Consequently, he became the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. In 2008, Tebow led Florida to a 13-1 record and its second national championship in three years, and was named the offensive MVP of the national championship game. The Gators again went 13-1 and finished with a top- ranking in 2009, Tebow's senior year.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow]

It was at Florida that Tim Tebow became renowned for his unabashed testimony of being a Christian. During every game he would paint a Scripture reference in the eye black on his face. After every game he would begin his interviews by saying, “First I would like to thank my Lord Jesus Christ.” There were more than a few detractors of his outspoken faith, but they never gained much ground for everyone loves a winner. The supporters of Tim Tebow were more numerous, and more vocal than those who criticized him.

Tim made quite an impact by these outward signs of his faith. Wikipedia states the following regarding his practice of painting Scripture references under his eyes.

In 2010, a new rule for the next NCAA football season, dubbed "The Tebow Rule" by media because it would have affected him, banned messages on eye paint. During his college football career, Tebow frequently wore references to biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye black and the verse became the highest-ranked Google search term over the next 24 hours, generating over 90 million searches. Additionally, later, when Tebow switched to another verse, there were 3.43 million searches of "Tim Tebow" and "Proverbs 3:5-6" together. Tebow stated of the searches "It just goes to show you the influence and the platform that you have as a student-athlete and as a quarterback at Florida."
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow]

For those of you wondering what Proverbs 3:5-6 says, I will provide the Scripture for you.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Tim’s acknowledgment of Christ went beyond Scripture reference under his eyes, and opening statements at press conferences. An Internet mania arose from what came to be referred to as “Tebowing.” Tim would regularly take a knee on the field, and bow his head in prayer at the end of a game, win or lose (though he did not have many losses).

Tebowing

When Tim was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in 2010, there was already a rule in place forbidding messages in eye black. However, there was no prohibition against bowing in the end zone and saying a silent prayer and this became his signature way of expressing his devotion to Jesus Christ.

Tebowing Again

Claiming to be a Christian, or even mouthing words of faith or gratitude to Christ are one thing, but many people’s lives speak quite a different testimony. I have been impressed that Tim has manifested in his character various traits that are what one would hope to see in a disciple of Christ. One characteristic that has impressed me most in one who has had such success and acclaim is his humility. In a realm where the media and fanatic legions of sports addicts make idols out of champions, Tim has remained very down to earth. Although Tim is passionate about football, he is quick to tell reporters that there are more important things. Tim has been in the news frequently regarding the sincere compassion he shows to others.

When reporters ask Tim the games he has won, or the players that are on his team, or those against him, his humility always shines through. After last night’s game in which the Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game Denver was expected to lose, Tim was asked about the play his wideout made to end the game. The humble Tebow described Thomas as someone "who makes me look a lot better than I really am." Though Tim is a fierce competitor, he does not demonize those whom he competes against. When asked about others, he praises their athleticism. When asked about himself, he gives praise to Christ.

Tim was born in the Philippines to parents who were Missionaries, serving there at the time. While pregnant, Tim’s mother suffered a life-threatening infection. Due to complications doctors advised her to have an abortion. She refused to abort the child she was carrying. During Superbowl XLIV Tim and his mother were featured in a pro-life commercial that was sponsored by Focus on the Family, the ministry started by James Dobson. This sparked national controversy as pro-abortion groups condemned Tebow, while pro-life groups rallied around him. The commercial did not mention the word abortion, but it upset many that it ended by inviting people to visit the Focus on the Family website to read about the full Tim Tebow story.

Since then Tim Tebow has become a very polarizing figure. Yet, his humble and enthusiastic spirit has continued to gain him admirers. A recent poll was conducted by the website Zillow asking people what celebrity they would most like to have for their neighbor. Tim Tebow came in first place on the survey.

Link to Survey Story

All of these things are interesting, but it is the parable I have observed concerning Tim Tebow’s career with the Denver Broncos this year that is the reason for my writing this post. Although he was drafted by the Broncos in 2010, Tim saw limited playing time last year, and was not the starting quarterback. The Broncos had a dismal season in 2010, winning only four games while losing twelve. Under starting quarterback Kyle Orton, the Broncos had one win and four losses this year when Orton was benched and Tebow was made the starting quarterback. Orton was replaced by Tebow at halftime during a home game against the San Diego Chargers in the fifth week of the season. Tebow nearly led the Broncos back from a 16-point deficit, as he passed and ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. There was little expectation for success, or hope that the season might be salvaged, but the Broncos went on to win the next seven out of eight games. But it was the way in which they won that garnered such attention.

Broncos' head coach John Fox announced Tebow would start in the following game on the road against the Miami Dolphins. Tebow and the Broncos struggled in the first three-and-a-half quarters against the Dolphins, but rallied from a 15–0 deficit in the last three minutes to win the game, 18–15, in overtime. Denver became the first team in NFL history to win a game after being down by at least 15 points with three minutes to play in a game. When things occur that never have happened before, it arrests my attention. This first game in which Tebow started as quarterback became a signature feature of his games.

The Broncos rarely led in any of their games until the very end. Under Tebow’s leadership, the team was constantly falling behind early, to rally late in the game. As win after win was posted at the very last moments, and often in overtime, people began to call the phenomenon “Tebow Time.” Even when the team was behind late in the game, fans of the Broncos would say, “Don’t worry, we haven’t gotten to Tebow Time yet.”

For example, on October 23rd, Denver was facing the Miami Dolphins. Tim Tebow’s stats were disastrous through the first three quarters. Behind 15-0 to the winless Miami Dolphins, with five minutes left in the game, Tebow passed for two touchdowns and ran for a 2-point conversion, tying the game. They won in overtime on a field goal.

Although Tim was a rookie quarterback, veteran broadcasters were noting what maturity he was playing with. They were particularly effusive about his unwavering optimism. He never seemed to get disappointed, but persevered to the end, always believing the game could still be won. Seven games, and six wins later, Timothy and the Broncos were facing the Chicago Bears. The Broncos were down 10-0 in the final quarter of play. The Broncos never gave up. In the final 2 minutes and 8 seconds of play, they caught up, sending the game into overtime. Tim was to have 236 yards passing this game, and 192 of them came in the fourth quarter. With three seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Broncos kicker lined up to make a 59 yard field goal attempt. He had only made one in his entire career at this length. He sent the ball through the uprights, and the game into overtime. In overtime, Denver won the game, marking the third overtime victory in eight games for the rookie quarterback and his team.

It was Denver's sixth straight win and seventh in eight games since Tebow, dubbed the ''Mile High Messiah,'' was promoted to starter. The Broncos have trailed in the second half in six of those victories.

This latest comeback put Denver in sole possession of first place in the AFC West after Oakland's 46-16 drubbing at Green Bay.

''Never say never,'' wide receiver Eric Decker said. ''That's a great characteristic of this team. ... Again it wasn't pretty. But again in the fourth quarter, we found a way to make some plays. Matt Prater, man, the kid can boom it...''

''We're rewriting the book on 'keep fighting,''' coach John Fox said. ''Our guys never blink. They remain positive. As bad as it looked today ... we didn't play well; we had some drops. But the guy who dropped a couple of passes caught the ... touchdown. That's kind of the M.O. on this bunch.''
[Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Tim-Tebow-Denver-Broncos-beat-Chicago-Bears-in-overtime-121111]

The message coming through this improbable string of victories is to have faith, and keep fighting. Don’t give up. Even if you have been pummeled and stymied for more than three quarters of the game, victory is till possible. To quit trying is to ensure defeat. To fight makes victory possible.

After winning seven of eight games, Denver hit a stretch of three games where they lost. Their worst loss came at the hands of the New England Patriots who beat them 41-23. Uncharacteristic turnovers and interceptions plagued the team, but they pressed on. The NFL’s website had this quote after the game.

His relentless attitude seems to still be rubbing off, a sentiment expressed to me when I asked Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey about it after the loss.

"It still felt like we had a chance at the end," Bailey said. "I think that's part of who we are. We've proven we will not quit until this thing is over."
[Source: www.nfl.com]

The Broncos qualified for the wildcard playoff game, which was played yesterday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were Superbowl champions in 2009, and made the playoffs again in 2010 with a 12-4 regular season record compared to Denvers 4-12 record. The Steelers made it all the way to the Superbowl again, where they lost against Green Bay. Most people did not hold out any hope that the Broncos and their rookie quarterback would beat a premium team such as the Steelers.

The Broncos scored early in the game, and at the end of four quarters the game was tied. Once more the Broncos were headed to overtime. It is in the late minutes, and extra periods of overtime that they have shined. They have played with great faith that victory is still in their grasp. The Broncos won the coin toss to see who would have first possession of the ball. A new rule in effect states that if a touchdown is scored that the game is over. On the first play of overtime Tebow tossed the ball to Demaryious Thomas who ran all the way to the end zone, a distance of 80 yards. In one play, and a brief 11 seconds, the game was over. Denver had won.

The news has been reporting today on the strangely coincidental numbers that were put up during this game. No less of a newspaper than the Los Angeles Times reported that many were seeing the hand of God in the numbers. It was mentioned how Tim Tebow used to paint John 3:16 under his eyes. The article suggested that even now that Tebow is not permitted to display those numbers, that God seems to be doing so for him. Tim Tebow finished the game with 316 yards passing. He had ten pass completions, for a playoff record 31.6 yards per reception.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/tim-tebow-john-316.html

Another website added this further testimony. Due to Tebow’s huge popularity, the game brought in the highest sports viewer rating by a television network for a wildcard playoff game in 24 years. The ratings kept climbing throughout the game and during the final quarter hour of the televised broadcast. From 8:00-8:15, which included the winning score, it had a rating of 31.6. And to cap off this string of numbers, the lone interception thrown that night came from Ben Roethlisberger and it was on 3rd down with 16 yards to go. On third and sixteen the ball was given back into the hands of Tim Tebow and the Broncos.

In all of this, I see a message coming through. God is still using sports and athletics to serve as a type of those characteristics needed by the overcomers in Christ. Don’t give up. Keep persevering. He who endures to the end will be saved. Keep your life pure. Stay humble. In a very real sense, this victory for the Broncos was a moral victory. They persevered. They did not give up. They showed endurance. Their hope never failed.

After the game, the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers was interviewed. His words seem to be filled with meaning that I am certain he did not intend.

"I'm proud of our guys and the way they fought, but obviously we're not in it for moral victories," said Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin...

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Jezebel and Masculinity

2012-01-07T18:24:00.001-05:00

Jezebel and Masculinity

The most commonly recognized attribute of Jezebel today is her spirit of usurpation. To usurp means “to take a position of power or authority illegally or by force.” In the Old Testament we read of Jezebel taking the authority of her husband, the king of Israel, to herself, and ruling in his place. In one of many sordid events recorded about the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, we find Jezebel engaging in lies, deception, perversion of justice, and murder, to wrest a vineyard from the hands of an Israelite that her husband might have it.

In the Biblical account, we find Jezebel chiding Ahab for not using his authority to gain what he desires. She then tells Ahab that she will deliver to him what he wants. She proceeds to do so by acting in his stead. Jezebel takes upon herself the authority of her husband, stepping into the role of ruler of her household, and sovereign of Israel.

I Kings 21:7-8
Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.

Thinking her husband was a bit of a Milquetoast, having no spine, Jezebel stepped in to do that which he would not. Such actions never strengthen a man. They have quite the opposite effect. A man learns to be compliant, while allowing his wife to manifest strength and project authority in his place. The Jezebel spirit unmans men, while taking to itself those masculine characteristics and roles that Yahweh gave to the male.

A revelatory detail emerges from an account at the end of Jezebel’s life. I have quoted this passage previously, but I want to draw your attention to the highlighted words at the end of this section of Scripture.

II Kings 9:30-32
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and adorned her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? Who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

Jezebel was surrounded by eunuchs, men who had been sexually emasculated. These were men who could no longer function as men. A eunuch is a castrated male. One of the visible signs that a man has been physically emasculated relates back to the previous chapter. Due to an absence of the male hormone testosterone, the eunuch is unable to grow facial hair. Eunuchs were often recognized by their smooth faces. In a society where men wore full beards, the eunuch was easily recognized by the absence of a beard.

Consider the passage above. When Jehu called up to the tower where Jezebel was, we are told “there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.” How was it known these were eunuchs, since only their faces would have been seen from the window? It was evident that the men did not have beards, therefore they were identified readily as emasculated males, or eunuchs.

Woman was created to be man’s helper, to be subordinate to the man. In the third chapter of Genesis God declares to the woman, “Your desire shall be toward your husband, and he shall rule over you.” This is a declaration of Yahweh’s governmental order. Paul states in I Corinthians chapter eleven, “Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman.” Jezebel is in rebellion against this order. She does not want man to rule over her. She wants to rule over men. This is what Jezebel did. By acting in her husband’s stead, writing letters in his name, and using his seal (the symbol of authority), commanding his elders and nobles, and by surrounding herself with emasculated males, she turned men into effeminate drones, compliant to her wishes, willing to serve her.

The woman who acts in this manner, seeking to command men, desiring them to fulfill her will and desires, will find that her actions bear many grievous results. Although Jezebel was successful in turning emasculated men into compliant servants, these men held no love in their hearts for her. When Jehu asked who was on his side, it was these emasculated men who showed their faces. They required no persuading to cast Jezebel down to her death. A deep resentment of what she had done to them made them eager to see her fall. It took a man who was not cowed by Jezebel, to embolden them to act, but act they did. They cast Jezebel down from the exalted position she had taken unto herself. Her body was dashed on the ground and trampled by horses.

A very revelatory experience was shared with me recently, and I believe God made it known to me at this time to give me insight into this subject that I have been led of the Spirit to write about. Many years ago, a sister in Christ married a man whom she had been dating for a couple of years. After they were wed, this man manifested no desire to be sexually intimate with her, though he did father one child with her. This man was ruled by his mother, and his mother hated the young woman he was married to. The mother sought to control everything he did, and told her son how to run his marriage.

This man was very compliant to his mother. He always did what she said, even to leaving his wife for periods of time, and taking their child with them, when his mother told him to do so. This man had no enmity toward his wife. He never acted as if he were personally angry with her. He was simply fulfilling the demands of his controlling mother.

One day, the young woman was told by a spiritual mentor about spirits that influence others to act certain ways. The mentor suggested that perhaps her husband’s lack of desire toward her was due to the influence of an unclean spirit. Afterwards, this young woman began to pray for her husband. By the leading of the Holy Spirit she prayed “I rebuke you, you spirit of homosexuality.” This woman’s husband was in another room, and she was praying quietly so that her husband would not hear her. As she spoke these words, her husband burst through the door, picked her up, slammed her against the wall and said, “Why are you rebuking me? Why are you rebuking me?”

This man was cowed into letting his mother rule his life, and one unanticipated result was a lack of desire in this man’s heart to be intimate with women. The offense caused by his mother’s domineering actions opened him up to a spirit of homosexuality. Many women today who act to coerce, or control their husbands, find that their husbands have little desire to be sexually intimate with them. This result is unexpected for many women. They do not realize that in failing to show honor and respect to their husband, refusing to submit to their husband’s headship, they are quenching the man’s desire to be intimate with them.

Many men begin to look elsewhere for the honor and respect that their wives do not provide. One of the reasons so many male bosses have affairs with their secretaries and the female employees under their authority, is that these employees are in the habit of showing deference and honor to them. They submit where the man’s wife does not. The submissive woman appears very attractive to the man. A deep longing in the man’s heart is fulfilled as her receives honor from a woman. A desire for further intimacy with the submissive woman at work, coupled with an absence of desire to be intimate with his wife, often leads to marital unfaithfulness.

When these things occur, most men and women fail to identify the forces that set things in motion. Wives do not realize they are quenching their husband’s desire to be intimate with them when they are resisting his leadership. Consider, for a moment, the spiritual parable in these things. The Jezebel spirit which seeks to rule over men, emasculates them. A physical eunuch loses desire for sexual intimacy with a woman. So too does the male whose wife manifests the spirit of Jezebel lose desire to be intimate with her, both physically and at deeper levels of the soul and spirit. The woman might be successful in getting her husband to bend to her will, but he will not love her for having done so.

Women, if you want your husbands to desire intimacy with you, then don’t emasculate them by resisting their headship and authority. A man need not consciously reason, “My wife does not honor me as a man and the leader of my home, so I am going to hold myself aloof from her.” Without giving it any conscious thought, or realizing why it is occurring, the man will find his desire to be intimate with a shrewish wife to have diminished, or to have fled altogether.

In many marriages, the woman sensing that her husband’s desire is waning will seek to stimulate his desire through sexual enticement. The wife may begin wearing sexually alluring clothes, things purchased from Victoria’s Secret, or some other venue that encourages women to dress themselves as sexual temptresses. Women are often successful in stirring up sexual desire in their husbands through such means, but this should not be misconstrued as the man desiring to be intimate with his wife. Many men will have sexual relations with their wives even as they are envisioning in their minds some other woman whom they imagine to be submissive and manifesting honor to them.

The Scriptures reveal that the needs of a man differ from those of a woman. Women need men to love them, but men need women to honor them.

Ephesians 5:33
Each individual among you is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she honors her husband.

There is an observable relationship between a woman who seeks to usurp authority over men, and the woman dressing provocatively. Jezebel exhibited both of these traits. They go hand in glove. Man has an inner need to be honored by the woman. He will find a natural repulsion in his soul to the woman who seeks to rule him. The soul of man interprets the resistance of the woman to his leadership as dishonor.
Consequently, the woman has to overcome this resistance by enticing the man to desire her through an even stronger sexual desire. The woman begins to dress, speak, and act in a manner that incites the man to lust after her. The woman may succeed in stirring up sexual desire in the man, but she has not caused him to love her. The attraction is shallow, and superficial. The man is not attracted to the beauty of the woman’s inner life. She has become a physical body to fulfill his sexual desire. She has not become his soul-mate.

As one looks at society today, it is evident that this is the pattern being played out almost universally. Women have become adept at enticing men through external dress and adornment. Adultery and fornication is rampant. Yet there is a corresponding decrease of true intimacy and commitment among sexual partners. Many are falling into a pattern of sexual engagement that is devoid of any spiritual intimacy, or commitment to one another. The person may not know, or even like the person with whom they are being sexually active. It seems a small thing to leave one partner behind, and go find another. This is the fruit of the Jezebel spirit.

I would mention another realm in which this emasculating Jezebel spirit displays herself. This spirit is observed in false religious practices. In the Roman Catholic Church we see the elevation of the woman over the man. Catholics are taught to pray to Mary. Mary is depicted as the queen of heaven. Images of the Madonna with the infant Jesus in her arms reveal the hierarchy of the woman holding a higher office than the man.

Roman Catholic dogma leads those under its influence to view Christ as distant, or angry with mankind. The saints are exhorted to pray to Mary, hoping that she will persuade her Son to answer their prayers. The mother becomes the channel through which the male figure of Christ can be manipulated, controlled, or influenced. Prayers to God the Father are absent among the Catholic Church, yet it is the Father to whom the Scriptures instruct the body of Christ to pray. When Christ’s disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He gave them the following pattern.

Matthew 6:9-13
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Yahshua told His disciples that after He ascended they would ask Him nothing. They would pray directly to the Father. They would not even ask the Son of God to petition the Father for them. It is the Father who is the ruler of heaven and earth. It is He to whom Christians are to pray.

John 16:23-27
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full... In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me...

This is the teaching of Christ. The church is to pray directly to the Father. Mankind, coming in the name of the Son, will be received by the Father. The Father will give the body of Christ that which they request. There is no need to pray to the Son as an intermediary who will relay requests to the Father. Yahshua said “I do not say to you that I shall pray to the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you.” Those who are in Christ have been given direct access to the throne of God.

Matthew 7:11
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

There is no admonition, or pattern anywhere in the Scriptures, where the saints are instructed to pray to Mary. In the Roman Catholic Church we find a religion where the Jezebel spirit reigns even in the heavens. Mary is elevated to the role of God the Father. She becomes the one to whom all men and women make supplication. Prayers to God the Father are replaced with prayers to Mary, which is an act of usurpation.

It should be no surprise that the emasculating effects the Jezebel spirit has upon men are on prominent display in the Roman Catholic Church. This false religion insists that her priests remain celibate. They are forbidden to marry, or procreate. Without physically castrating the men, the Roman Catholic Church has forced them to live as eunuchs. Thus we see that a religion that elevates the woman to a position Yahweh did not assign to her will unman men. The repression these men experience in turn leads many to open themselves up to homosexual spirits. In the recent spate of scandals that have been exposed among the Roman Catholic Church, the prevailing transgression (which was very widespread) was male priests having sexual relations with boys. The Spirit of Jezebel drives men away from the natural desire to be intimate with the woman.

The depiction of Mystery Babylon, the Great Harlot of the book of Revelation, provides an apt description of the Roman Catholic Church. She is pictured as a woman who rules, and who slays the people of Yahweh. This is what Jezebel did.

Revelation 17:3-6
So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Yahshua.

The Roman Catholic Church is all about appearances. Observe the glorious manner in which the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, and other church functionaries adorn themselves. They are clothed in purple and scarlet, and many precious things. Yet inwardly, they are full of uncleanness. The abominations and the filthiness of her fornication cannot remain hidden. The transgressions of the Roman Catholic Church continue to be exposed in these days as scandal after scandal comes to light revealing a historical pattern of cruel, vile, and immoral behavior. This is what follows when the Jezebel spirit rules over men.

Sisters in Christ, please meditate on these things. It is very important that you understand the consequences of taking to yourself the leadership role God has given to man. Do not let the spirit of Jezebel inspire and direct your actions. Humble yourself. Accept that position of service Yahweh has appointed to you. Yahweh gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud. The judgment of the Great Harlot is as severe as the judgment of Jezebel millennia ago. The Harlot is described as sitting on a scarlet beast. Yet, it will be this beast that is the instrument of her judgment.

Revelation 17:16-17
And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

What kind of beast do people ride upon? The most common animal used for transportation is the horse. Does not the life of Jezebel provide a great parallel to the harlot of Revelation in that Jezebel was trampled by horses?

II Kings 9:33
So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot.

Yet, there is a connection to another type of beast in the deaths of Jezebel and the Great Harlot. These beasts are dogs. John writes that the beast will make the harlot “desolate and naked, and eat her flesh.” After Jezebel was cast and trampled by horses, the dogs came and consumed her flesh. Certainly Yahweh seeks to convey something through these details. Both dogs and horses are considered unclean animals by God for they do not meet the dual criteria of chewing the cud and having a split hoof. Yet man has trained both of these unclean animals and made them his servants.

So too has the Jezebel spirit sought to take that which is unclean and cause it to submit to her service. The Jezebel spirit seeks to make the flesh the instrument for fulfilling all desires. The flesh, however, is not to be trusted. It can be wielded to some effect, but never truly tamed. It is inherently unclean. It will rise up at the end and destroy the one who looks to the flesh to accomplish their purposes.

This is a note of caution for all women who seek to use the flesh to get what they desire. Sisters in Christ, do not resort to fleshly methods to get your way in your marriage, or any other realm of life. Though you may have success for a season, in the end the flesh will bite you. Do not usurp authority that belongs to another. Humble yourself that God might exalt you in due time. Those who exalt themselves will be cast down by the power of God.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Jezebel and Sensuality

2012-01-05T18:31:00.000-05:00

Jezebel and Sensuality

It is fitting that a teaching on godly womanhood provide some instruction on the topic of a woman’s dress and external appearance. The Bible has a significant amount to say on the subject. Some years ago I was led to meditate upon the following questions:

Seeing that Christ’s disciples are described as “aliens and strangers” in this world, should not their outward appearance provide testimony that they are part of the Kingdom of God, and have been translated out of the kingdom of this world which lies in the power of the evil one? Knowing that Christ testified repeatedly that He never did anything of His own initiative, but that He always did the will of the Father, I wanted to know whether Yahweh has a specific desire for the appearance of His children.

Would walking by the Spirit lead a man, or woman, to dress differently, and to appear differently than those in the world around them? The world does not seek the mind of Christ in matters of dress and appearance, but the saints of God ought to do so. Is it not likely that those led by the Spirit of Christ, and those led by their souls under the influence of this fallen world system, would arrive at very recognizable differences?

At the time, I was primarily considering these things as they related to the man. Christians are not encouraged to ponder such things today. Most make their daily life decisions independently of the Holy Spirit. They dress as their parents taught them to do, or as their peers have influenced them to do, but rarely consider whether God has an opinion in the matter. As I contemplated these things I became convinced that God did have a specific will regarding my outward dress and appearance.

In the Old Testament we find the following instructions in the Law.

Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

The spirit behind this command seems to be that it is God’s will that gender distinctions should be maintained between the dress of men and women. It is not the will of Yahweh that men make themselves appear effeminate, nor that women make themselves appear masculine. I considered my clothing, and felt confident that I was conforming to the spirit of God’s commandment. No one had ever accused me of dressing like a woman, but what about other aspects of my appearance?

The Bible also has somewhat to say about a man’s hair.

I Corinthians 11:14-15
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her?

Oftentimes today one sees depictions of Christ that portray him as having long hair and a short beard. This is actually a reversal from the truth. Paul was speaking just a short time after Yahshua’s earthly ministry. Writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul declares that it is a dishonorable thing for a man to have long hair. The Scriptures also reveal that Christ had a substantial beard, for at His arrest the Roman soldiers were pulling it out by the handfuls.

Isaiah 50:6
I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard...

One cannot easily pluck out a man’s beard unless it has some length to it. The trendy five o’clock shadow beards of today are not typical of those worn by the Jews in the time of Christ. I gave considerable thought to this matter, and eventually wrote an article titled The Significance of the Beard. Following is an excerpt:

The Hebrew word for beard is zaqan (zaw-kawn'). We are told in Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words that zaqan comes from the related word zaqen (zaw-kane'), which is a primitive root meaning to be old. The correlation to this second word for age is so clear that Strong's Dictionary defines the Hebrew word zaqan as “the beard (as indicating age).”

To the Hebrew mind the beard was a symbol of maturity. This was not a cultural viewpoint, rather it was an understanding of God’s design in placing a beard on mature males. A boy cannot grow a beard. A boy is one who is not mature. When a young male passes through the time in his life defined as puberty some distinct outward signs accompany this advancement to maturity. The voice takes on a deeper timber, it becomes more commanding. Another obvious sign is the growth of body hair and, for a male who is modestly arrayed, the only part of this growth that is seen is that which is on the face.

Webster’s 1933 Dictionary defines puberty in this way: “the age of maturity; manhood, adult; the time a plant comes into flower.” Is not the beard of a man a sign of the flowering of his manhood? Even as the flower is the beauty and adornment of many plants, so is the beard the beauty and adornment of a man as he crosses the line of puberty and comes into the age of maturity.

God gave the beard to man for beauty and glory. Older men whose beards had turned grey were to be accorded special honor because the grey beard was a sign of advanced maturity. We find this understanding in the following verse.

Leviticus 19:32
Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
(KJV)

The phrases “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head” and “and honour the face of the old man” are parallel expressions denoting the same truth. The hoary, or grey head, directly corresponds to the phrase “the face of the old man.” The hoary head certainly could include the grey hair found on top of the head, but it most specifically refers to the grey hair of the face which is the beard...

To those who would say that the beard is just an external matter and it holds no real value, I would ask “Why do you want to throw away that which God has ordained to cover the face of man?” Yahshua had a beard and we know that He only did what He saw the Father doing. Christ did not wear a beard because it was a social standard of the time. The only standard Yahshua conformed to was the standard of His Father. He did not see the Father cutting off the beard, so he did not cut off the beard... Furthermore, Yahshua said that He came to fulfill the Law and the Law has these commands concerning the beard:

Leviticus 19:27
“You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.”

Leviticus 21:1, 5
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them... 'They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the sides of their beards.’”

What is referred to in the preceding verses is the practice of Egypt where men wore a long goatee from the chin, but they shaved off the beard from the sides of the face. I concluded, that it was not Yahweh’s will that I wear a goatee. (I am sheep, not a goatee.)

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary has this to say about the beard.

In biblical times most adult males of Israel wore full beards... The Law of Moses required Israelite men not to "disfigure the edges" of their beards (Lev. 19:27), a common practice of Israel's pagan neighbors.
To shave or pull out part of the beard was a sign of grief (Jer. 48:37-38), and to cut off someone's beard was to insult him (2 Sam. 10:4-5). Isaiah 7:20 pictures God's judgment on Israel as a shaving of the nation's beard, an intentional disgrace.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

In Isaiah God symbolically spoke of shaving off Israel’s beard as a sign of their disgrace.

Isaiah 7:20
In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River - the king of Assyria - to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also.

To have the beard shaved off was a sign of great disgrace. This is shown in the story of King David’s ambassadors who were disgraced by the Ammonites by having their robes cut in two at the waist and having half of their beards cut off. David was so enraged that he declared war on the Ammonites and destroyed them. So deep was the shame of David’s ambassadors that David told them to not return to Jerusalem until their beards were grown back, but to stay in Jericho.

II Samuel 10:5
When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."

Is it not a great delusion that has led men today to so carelessly cast off that which God designed to... distinguish men from boys and from women?
[End Excerpt]

As I thought on these things, I considered that the man who cuts off the beard is altering his appearance to be like the woman. God created the adult woman to have a smooth, hairless face, while He caused hair to grow on the face of the adult male. I wanted to be a thoughtful Christian, giving heed to all of my ways. The decision to wear a beard, or to shave it off, should not be made according to the counsel of the world, a world which lies in the power of the evil one. I wanted my decision to be based upon the Spirit and the word.

My point is this, if we are being led of the Spirit, rather than being led by our souls and the counsel and patterns of a fallen world, we will think, act, and LOOK differently than many in the world. It has been nearly thirty years since I last did not wear a beard. Does it not reveal a blind spot in man’s thoughts that many would not think of wearing women’s clothing, but they shave the beard off without any consideration at all? Whether consciously, or not, they are altering their appearance to be like that of the woman. Where does the motive, or inspiration, come from that leads men to do this? I have talked to many men and none have told me that God directed them to cut off the beard, or that they read in the Scriptures that removing the beard is the will of God.

Is it not possible, that the same Jezebel spirit that seeks to elevate women, and to emasculate men, is the driving force behind this trend? Consider how much more distinct men and women would be in appearance today if men did not daily remove the beards God causes to grow on their faces. Is not something altered in the psyche of men and women when men go about smooth faced, and they do so deliberately by daily removing the beard by shaving? Many hidden spiritual truths are revealed through outward testimonies in this world.

Over the years, the most common reason I have heard men give for not wearing a beard is that their wife does not like them to have a beard. Sisters in Christ, if this is your influence toward your husband, let me suggest to you that there is a lot more behind your attitude than the fact that you find beards to be scratchy, or think your husband to be unattractive in one. There is a spirit in this world that ever seeks to confuse the genders, and to diminish the authority of the man. There is a spirit that pressures men and women to conform to the ways of Satan’s kingdom, rather than the kingdom of God.

As a son of God, I want to conform to that image He has chosen for me. If all the world is doing one thing, but God is directing me to do something different, then I will appear like the alien and stranger that I truly am. I encourage my sisters in the Lord to seek out the mind of Christ to know what His will is for them regarding their dress and appearance. Is it not reasonable to conclude that the woman who is led by the Spirit of God will in many ways think, act, and LOOK differently from the women of this world? It is a privilege given to the body of Christ to be able to model before the world that which is pleasing to God.

Following are two passages from the New Testament in which Christ makes known His will regarding the dress and appearance of women in the church.

I Peter 3:3-5
Your adornment must not be external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands...

I Timothy 2:9-10
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

As I observe girls, and women young and old in the church today, I see that the majority are giving much attention to external beauty and appearance, and very little thought to that beauty that God commends. The apostles are expressing the mind of Christ. In the eyes of Christ a woman’s beauty arises from within, from “the hidden person of the heart.” The woman who aspires to godliness will be beautifully arrayed as she clothes herself with a gentle and quiet spirit, with reverence and honor toward her husband, and with good works.

Many girls and women today are like the Pharisees whom Christ condemned. They are giving great attention to external appearances, but inwardly they are full of sin and corruption.

Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Luke 11:39-41
“Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?”

Yahweh searches the inner parts. He knows the thoughts of men and women. He judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). What are the thoughts and intentions that drive Christian women’s fashion and appearance choices today? Are they not the same thoughts and intentions that motivate women in the world?

Let me phrase this question another way. What spirit is “inspiring” women in their decisions relating to dress and appearance? The word “inspire” literally means “to put spirit into.” In the world, the spirit driving the women’s fashion and beauty industries is the same spirit observed in Jezebel thousands of years ago.

II Kings 9:30
Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

Jezebel was not a godly woman. Inwardly, her life had no beauty. The beauty of Jezebel was strictly external. She adorned her flesh, coiffed her hair, and painted her eyes. She put on expensive clothing, gold and jewels. Jezebel knew only one kind of adornment, that of outward, physical body. Tragically, many women in the church find inspiration in the same spirit that inspired Jezebel. This was true in the days of Peter and Paul. If it were not, they would have had no need to give the instructions they gave. In essence, they said, “Don’t let your adornment be like Jezebel’s. Let your beauty be that of your spiritual life.”

In the previous chapter we noted how rampant the spirit of Jezebel is by observing its relationship to Christmas and Easter, the worship rites of Baal and Asherah. Consider now how rampant this spirit is as its influence is seen in the attire and appearance of women in society and in the church.

Fashion magazines are among the most popular genre of periodicals sold today. Millions of women scour the pages of fashion magazines to get “inspired.” They want to find some new way to make themselves appear attractive, seductive, successful, or powerful. In America entire industries have arisen that are devoted to beauty care products, clothing fashions and accessories, hair care, jewelry, fingernail and toenail painting, achieving the perfect tan, body fragrances, etc.. In the present generation there has also arisen a tremendous commerce in body piercing, tattoos, and cosmetic surgical procedures such as breast augmentation, liposuction, Botox injections, face lifts, tummy tucks, and the list goes on and on. Every year in America, tens of billions of dollars are spent as women seek to make themselves outwardly beautiful, desirable, or impressive.

What spirit is behind this massive societal tsunami? It is not the Holy Spirit. Stand outside most churches on a Sunday as the congregation leaves the building and observe the sensual dress of the young girls and the adult women. Their plunging necklines, short dresses, tight pants, high heels, hosiery, hairdos, cosmetics, painted fingernails and toenails, perfume, ankle bracelets, earrings and other jewelry are all on display. Yet no one notices Jezebel’s presence. No one protests the emphasis placed upon that which is physical, sensual, and provocative.

A discerning appraisal of the practice of the majority of Christian women reveals that the beauty they seek to project is external, rather than internal. Purity, innocence, gentleness, humility and holiness are not the image most girls and women are seeking to convey. They want to appear desirable, or powerful, or sophisticated. Their dress, bodily array, and conduct are designed to elicit a response of admiration; to stir up sexual desire in others; to promote an air of worldly success and glamour.

Sisters in Christ, I ask you to consider what motivates you in your choice of dress and appearance? Have you searched the Scriptures, and prayed to the Father, to understand what His will is for you? Or did you make your choices independently of God? Is your appearance in conformity with this world, or do you walk as an alien and stranger in this land?

I have a lovely daughter who recently celebrated her 24th birthday. When Kristin was fourteen she experienced a spiritual awakening in this area of her life. She began to consider what Yahweh’s will was for her in the realm of dress and appearance. Formerly, Kristin had always been what some would describe as a tomboy. Her favorite fashions were camouflage shirts and pants, cowboy boots, and other fashions that are associated with masculinity.

When Kristin was fourteen, she became convicted as she studied the Scriptures that she needed to begin wearing a covering over her long blonde hair. Soon after this she also began wearing long skirts and dresses. Kristin has continued this practice to this day. She is very modest in her appearance, and she is careful not to provoke lustful thoughts in men by dressing sensually.

Kristin has on occasions asked me for counsel concerning clothing. One thing that is popular among young women today are t-shirts that have some image or message written right across the breast area. I have advised my daughter to be aware of the subtlety of Satan in such fashions. Even if the message or image is innocent, it draws the eyes to the breasts of a woman. Men don’t need much encouragement in this area. A young girl, or woman is doing her brothers in Christ a disservice if she is by her dress and appearance causing them to have thoughts of a sexual nature stirred up inside them.

Kristin has many Mennonite friends, and they too dress modestly, and eschew jewelry, and elaborate hairdos. I cannot remember seeing any of them with their nails polished, or cosmetics on their faces, yet they glow with a different type of beauty. They have the beauty of purity and innocence.

There are a few denominations and groups like the Mennonites and Charity Churches that have chosen to array themselves in a manner that is altogether distinct from the sensual fashions of this world. Some refer to themselves as “plain people.” Such a description is offensive to the woman who wants to appear worldly in order to have the admiration and respect of the world. To be “plain” is to be humble. Jezebel is not humble, but the woman whom God favors is.

I have had a fair amount of interaction with many of the women and young girls in these churches. One thing that has impressed me is that the beauty of the inner life is much more readily evident in these ones than in women from churches that dress according to the fashions of the world. I see a greater honor in the homes. The children are respectful and courteous. The women submit themselves to their husbands, and they are renowned for their good works.

Although there are exceptions, I have noted a contrast among those Christian women who dress in worldly fashions. The women are much more likely to be outspoken, to seek equality with their husbands. Rather than being keepers at home, they are often career women, and many are addicted to shopping instead of being devoted to good works.

In effect, the women who focus on adorning the outside of the cup are more selfishly minded. Those women who have adopted plain attire while pursuing an inner beauty are more likely to exhibit a selfless attitude, focused on serving others.

The apostle Peter, while contrasting the carnal and the spiritual woman, declared that the beauty of the spiritual woman is “imperishable.” No matter how much success a woman has in making herself outwardly attractive and desirable, she will soon find her beauty fading. The glow and vitality of a youthful body soon loses its luster. In contrast, the woman who has beauty of spirit finds that her attractiveness never grows old.

Surely my words and counsel on these things will strike many as alien. If so, then perhaps I have conveyed some of the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. Few ministers will speak forth these things today. Jezebel is renowned for slaying prophets and righteous men. Those she cannot destroy, she will drive into hiding.

I Kings 18:13
“Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, that I hid a hundred prophets of Yahweh by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?”

This brazen spirit cows the most courageous spiritual men, leaving them no spirit to fight.

I Kings 19:2-4
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O Yahweh, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

As many pastors and teachers today are cowed into fearful submission to this unclean spirit, the effect is observed throughout the church. The purity and innocence of the virgin bride of Christ has been lost. Christ is soon to return. It is time for His bride to make herself ready.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Jezebel and Idolatry

2012-01-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

Jezebel and Idolatry

Writing about Jezebel may seem an odd way to begin a book on godly womanhood. In Jezebel is seen the antithesis of everything that Yahweh finds praiseworthy in a woman. Yahweh has chosen to teach us much through contrasts. He sets before His daughters the lives of the godly, as well as the ungodly. Sarah’s life and attitude is set forth as an example of a godly woman.

I Peter 3:5-6
For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

Yahweh has similarly provided the details of the life and attitudes of Jezebel in the Scriptures that all might understand what is odious and detestable to Him. Among women, there is no name so reviled and full of divine reproach as Jezebel. In this chapter I want to set forth before you Jezebel’s relationship to idolatry, which Yahweh hates. In subsequent chapters we will look at other matters of great importance as the life of Jezebel is further reviewed.

The Scriptures reveal that one reason Jezebel received divine reproach, resulting in severe judgment, is that she embraced and promoted idolatry. Before you determine that you could not, or are not doing the same thing, I encourage you to consider carefully that which follows.

In the book of Revelation we find Christ pronouncing judgment upon the spirit of Jezebel that has infected the church.

Revelation 2:20-23
“I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”

The book of Revelation is a book of parables. Truth is communicated through types, symbols, and signs. Christ is not speaking of an individual by the name of Jezebel that attended a certain church. The reference to Jezebel is to be understood spiritually. There was a spirit tolerated among the church that bore great similarity to the woman named Jezebel in the Old Testament. At this time, I would specifically focus upon Jezebel’s promotion of idolatry and its practices.

Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. As you might guess by Ethbaal’s name, the people of Sidon were Baal worshipers. The first of the ten commandments condemns the worship of Baal, or any other false deity.

Deuteronomy 5:6-9
“I am Yahweh your God... You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God...”

Jezebel was a citizen of an idolatrous nation. She was also an ardent promoter of this idolatry. When Ahab, the king of Israel, took Jezebel to be his wife, she immediately induced the king to embrace the worship of false deities.

I Kings 16:31-33
[Ahab] married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

I Kings 21:25-26
Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of Yahweh, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh cast out before the sons of Israel.

Alongside Baal, the Sidonians worshiped Asherah. Asherah was a fertility goddess. The following historical information is provided that you might be able to discern the continuation of the Jezebel spirit in the church today, and thereby separate yourself from all that Yahweh detests.

Jezebel induced her husband Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes of Israel, to embrace the worship of Baal and Asherah. As Ahab embraced this idolatry, the citizens under his rule followed. The vast majority of the nation entered into idolatry, but Yahweh reserved a remnant unto Himself.

Romans 11:2-5
Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

The passage just cited is written in the New Testament, yet it is referring to events in the Old Testament. The apostle Paul is revealing that the same spirit that was at work among the natural people of Israel in the days of the kings is still at work today in the church age. In a parallel truth, Yahweh is still at work to reserve a remnant unto Himself who have separated themselves from the rampant idolatry embraced by His people. In the days of Ahab and Jezebel, only seven thousand men could be found among the entire populace who had not embraced Baal and Asherah. Similarly, there is a remnant among the body of Christ today who have separated themselves from idols.

I John 5:21
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Jezebel spread idolatry throughout the land of Israel. The spirit of Jezebel continues to spread idolatry among the body of Christ. Alexander Hislop in the book The Two Babylons does an excellent job of tracing the proliferation of idolatrous practices among the nations back to ancient Babylon (Babel), which Nimrod founded.

Genesis 10:10-12
The beginning of [Nimrod’s] kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

At Babel, “The Mystery Religions” originated. When God came down and visited Babel and confused the people’s languages, they spread throughout all the earth taking the idolatry introduced at Babel with them. Because their languages were now different, various names came to be associated with Baal and Asherah, which in their first origins were Nimrod and his wife (and mother) Semiramis.

Historical accounts, and religious traditions that have been preserved to this day, reveal a sordid tale of sexual immorality and idolatrous practices originating in Babel. That this is so should not be surprising. Nimrod was a descendant of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. Ham and his descendants were cursed by Noah because Ham uncovered the nakedness of his father.

Genesis 9:20-25
Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said,"Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants he shall be to his brothers."

It was a disgraceful thing for a son to see the nakedness of his father. Rather, than covering his father, Ham went and broadcast his father’s nakedness to others, demonstrating great dishonor. Ham had a son named Cush. According to tradition, Cush married a woman named Semiramis from whom was born Nimrod. When Cush died, Nimrod took his mother to be his wife. Thus, like his grandfather before him, Nimrod dishonored his father by uncovering his nakedness.

Leviticus 18:7-8
"You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.”

Nimrod founded Babel, the beginning of his kingdom, and it was there that the mystery religions were birthed. Nimrod was figured as the sun, and Semiramis as the moon. Together, they became the deities of the people. History reveals that ancient kings often perpetuated the myth that they were divine. In Egypt, the Pharoah was worshiped as god, and in Babel Nimrod was Baal (meaning “Lord”) and Semiramis was figured as the goddess of fertility, the mother of all.

As the people of Babel scattered across the face of the earth, they took their idolatrous practices with them. The names changed, for the languages had been confused by God, but their rites and practices continued. Semiramis became known by many names. In the Bible she is called Asherah, Ashtoreth and Astarte, as well as the moon goddess. Nimrod, as Baal, also became known by a great many names.

Nimrod was eventually slain. After Nimrod died, Semiramis became pregnant. Nimrod had been dead a sufficient time that the child could not be his, and Semiramis had no other husband. To continue the mythos of her divinity, Semiramis claimed that she had become pregnant by the rays of the sun god (Nimrod ascended). The child born was named Tammuz. He too is mentioned in Scriptures as one of the false deities whose worship was introduced to Israel, provoking the wrath of Yahweh.

Ezekiel 8:14-15
Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these."

Weeping for Tammuz continues to this day among those who call themselves Christians. The forty days of Lent that lead up to Easter are a continuation of this idolatrous practice. The days of Lent are considered days of mourning. They are observed with fasting, and also putting ashes on the head. Tammuz, like his father before him (he was claimed to be Nimrod reborn) was a great hunter. One day while hunting, a wild boar gashed him across his thigh and Tammuz bled to death from the injury.

Ancient Statue of Tammuz Dying - Note Gash on Thigh

Christmas and Easter are both traceable back to ancient Babylon. This worship of the fertility goddess, and her son, who is figured as her husband reborn, is found throughout the nations of the earth.

Images of Semiramis and Tammuz Among the Nations
(From top left, and continuing clockwise are pictured Semiramis and Tammuz from Babylon; Devka and her son Krishna from India; Isi and the infant Iswara from India; the many breasted goddess Diana from Ephesus; the Roman Catholic Mary and infant Jesus; and the Egyptian goddess Isis and her son Horus)

What all of these images hold in common is an elevation of the woman to a place of worship; to a position that is ultimately higher than the man. The man is always pictured as a child, subordinate to her. Even as there is a holy trinity in the Bible consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Satan has offered a counterfeit trinity. Its original members were named Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz.

Because Tammuz was slain by a boar, a boar was traditionally slaughtered on high holy days associated with the worship of this Babylonian trinity. The tradition continues to this day as ham is eaten at both Christmas and Easter.

No one should mistake the eating of swine’s flesh for a symbol of the birth, or of the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Swine were declared unclean in the Law of Moses. The Messiah is figured as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. On Passover, Yahweh instructed His people to eat lamb, but the church today celebrates Easter by eating ham. (It seems somehow prophetic that all these things began by Ham uncovering the nakedness of his father.)

I mentioned previously, that Easter NEVER falls on the same day as Passover. The Roman Catholic Church made certain of this. The date of Easter is based upon the phase of the moon, and the position of the sun. It falls on a SUNday, the day the Roman Emperors set aside for the worship of the sun. Baal is figured as the sun god, and Tammuz is supposedly Nimrod reborn. Those who worshiped the sun, and the deities associated with it, made certain that their high days of worship fell on the day of the week devoted to the sun. Yahweh warned the Israelites against worshiping the heavenly bodies, or associating them with deities to be honored.

Deuteronomy 4:19
"And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them...”

The date of Christmas, like Easter is determined by the position of the sun, being observed at the winter solstice as the sun passes through the shortest day of the year (the day of least sunlight) and begins to ascend once more to rule the heavens. The Bible does not state specifically when Christ was born, but many Bible scholars have concluded that it was most likely during the time of the fall feast established by Yahweh, which is commonly called the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. I find much merit in this view. What is certain is that the early church did not hold any celebration during the winter solstice, but the pagan worshipers throughout the Roman Empire had been doing so for centuries. (Some might argue that the Jews celebrated Hanukkah around the time of the winter solstice, but neither Christ, nor the apostles gave commandment to the church to observe this date; Neither is Hanukkah among the feast days (moedim) established by Yahweh in the Old Testament.)

The Emperor Constantine was a sun worshiper. At the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., he presided over a gathering of hundreds of bishops from the Roman church. This council established dictates by which the church should operate. The council codified the practice of SUNday worship, and forbade worship on the Jewish Sabbath. It also established formulas for determining when Easter should be observed, forbidding the use of any Jewish influence in the matter. Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church adopted idolatrous practices and beliefs while rejecting the appointed times (moedim) that Yahweh had delivered through the hands of His holy prophets. Referring to the date of Easter celebrations, the Council of Nicaea stated:

"At the council we also considered the issue of our holiest day, Easter, and it was determined by common consent that everyone, everywhere should celebrate it on one and the same day. For what can be more appropriate, or what more solemn, than that this feast from which we have received the hope of immortality, should be kept by all without variation, using the same order and a clear arrangement? And in the first place, it seemed very unworthy for us to keep this most sacred feast following the custom of the Jews, a people who have soiled their hands in a most terrible outrage, and have thus polluted their souls, and are now deservedly blind. Since we have cast aside their way of calculating the date of the festival, we can ensure that future generations can celebrate this observance at the more accurate time which we have kept from the first day of the passion until the present time...."
[Emperor Constantine I - Following the Council of Nicaea]

With these words, the Roman Catholic Church rejected the Biblical observance of Passover, the date on which Christ was crucified, and adopted the pagan observance of Easter. Thus the holy was replaced by the profane, and the body of Christ was induced to eat foods sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 2:20-21
“I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Remember, the words of Revelation are spiritual words. Even though there is a very real sense in which the people of God eat physical foods in honor of false deities through imbibing Christmas and Easter ham, Easter eggs, hot crossed buns, and various associated treats, it is the spiritual substance of these words that is most important. Eating things sacrificed to idols is a spiritual reference to the church feeding on doctrines of demons.

Hebrews 13:9-10
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Observe in these words how the phrases “various and strange doctrines” and “foods which have not profited” are used in parallel to one another. The church feeds itself on doctrines. The Jezebel spirit teaches and leads the bond-servants of Christ astray so that they eat things sacrificed to idols. The church observes dates and practices that formerly were associated with the worship of Baal and Asherah.

The mystery religions teach that Semiramis was immaculately conceived, being lowered from the heavens to the earth in a giant egg. This egg came to rest in the waters of the Euphrates river. Eggs are symbols of fertility, and as Semiramis was a fertility goddess the symbol of the egg became thoroughly associated with her worship. Those who knew Semiramis under the name of Ishtar spoke of Ishtar’s egg, from which we get our current Easter egg.

Mystic Egg of Astarte

Sacred Egg of Heliopolis

Heliopolis is a city of Egypt. Its name means “City of the Sun.” Semiramis was known there by the name Isis. Semiramis was a moon goddess, and therefore we see an image of the moon atop her sacred egg. A vast amount of additional information could be provided to further establish the association of Christmas and Easter with the worship of Baal and Asherah. To do so is beyond the scope of this book. One need only ask themselves where did all of these symbols, and practices arise?

Why do we not find in the Scriptures any mention of Christ’s disciples, or the early church observing Christmas celebrations? Why do we not find the apostles teaching along with the traditions of the church the giving of gifts on December 25th, or bringing decorated trees into the home? Why is there no admonition in the New Testament to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with Easter Eggs, bunny rabbits, baskets of straw and flowers, SUNrise services, or ornamental bonnets? It is because all of these things find their source in the worship of Baal and Asherah, which the church has now almost universally adopted. Nevertheless, Yahweh has reserved unto Himself a remnant who will not bow the knee to Baal.

My purposes in sharing these things are several. First, I would have you to see the pervasiveness of the Jezebel spirit. Second, I would have you understand its attraction. Third, I would have you see how it enters the church, and how its influence is spread.

The most commonly identified characteristic of the Jezebel spirit today is observed in a woman who will not submit to man, who seeks rather to usurp authority over man. This is truly a characteristic of the Jezebel spirit, but if I were to ask most Christians how widespread this spirit is in the church a great many would say it is rare. They might point to a few extreme examples, such as women seeking to be ordained as ministers. Few actually realize how pervasive the Jezebel spirit is.

By looking at the promotion of idolatry, and specifically those practices associated with Baal and Asherah, it is possible to discern more accurately the influence of this spirit. If I were to ask you how many churches celebrate Christmas and Easter, it becomes obvious that the influence of the Jezebel spirit is much greater than most have understood. Rare is the voice today that will declare the uncleanness of these practices. Can you imagine the response in most congregations today if the minister would preach from the pulpit the truth of these things? Jezebel’s influence has slain, or forced into hiding, the true prophets of Yahweh. As was the condition of Israel in the days of king Ahab and his wicked queen, so too is the condition of the church today. The majority have bowed to Baal.

Such success in leading the people of God into idolatry was achievable because it appealed to the desires of the natural man. Is there not in the celebration of Christmas and Easter that which is very attractive to the soul? Do not even the lost members of society, those with no profession of faith in Christ, enjoy these celebrations?

Christmastime has become a period when the world goes mad with a lust for consumer goods. It is a time when the love of the world, and the things in it, reaches its highest peak of the year. Merchants count on an orgy of consumer spending at Christmastime to achieve profitability. They can count on people everywhere spending inordinate amounts of money on every imaginable product. The church under the influence of Jezebel drives this process, for they have claimed Christmas to be a Christian holiday. Even as Jezebel induced Israel to adopt the idols of Sidon, she has led the church to adopt the idols of this fallen world system. The saints of God are feeding on the doctrines of demons.

Let me interject at this time, a definition of idolatry. You do not have to bow before a statue, or make a sacrifice to a false deity, or pray to a god other than Yahweh to be an idolater. Idolatry is an issue of the heart. It is setting anything next to God that commands your devotion, love, or actions. The spirit that abounds at Christmas is a spirit of covetousness. The apostle Paul declares that the covetous man (or woman) is an idolater.

Ephesians 5:5
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

The pervasiveness of this idolatry is undeniably extensive. Covetousness is the driving force behind the prosperity gospel that has replaced the preaching of the disciple’s cross in this hour. The Jezebel spirit extends as far as those churches that have embraced Christmas and Easter, the rites and symbols of Baal and Asherah.

Consider now the great attraction of these things. I know of a few men who have become convicted of the error of mixing the holy and the profane, of merging the worship of Yahweh and His Christ with that of Babylonian mystery religions. When they have suggested to their wives and children that they must put away these things, some have encountered a firestorm of protest. Some men have backed down immediately. They feared their wives and children more than they feared God.

What if the man had said to his wife or children that they were no longer going to practice some Christian discipline that had formerly been their custom? Would there be a great protest, even threats of divorce? It seems unlikely. The rites introduced by Jezebel, however, appeal to the flesh. They satisfy the lusts of men and women. Those who act to cast these things down must be prepared for resistance.

I have considered at length the testimony the Scriptures provide of Solomon’s life. Here was a man who loved God, and who was greatly loved by Yahweh. Solomon also loved many women. Many of Solomon’s wives were foreign women who were brought up in the worship of other gods. These women were accustomed to their annual celebrations, feast days, and rituals. They urged Solomon to let them continue to observe those things they had loved since childhood. What harm could it do to decorate a tree at the winter solstice, and give gifts to others? What was the real harm in painting and decorating eggs during the spring equinox, or letting them dress up in special festive clothes and hats? What was wrong with baking cakes for the queen of heaven, or setting out offerings of food and drink for their deities? (This is where the practice of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa originated.) With such arguments the heart and mind of Solomon was won. He wanted to please his wives, and he brought the worship of the Baal, Asherah, and other deities to Jerusalem.

I Kings 11:4-8
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and did not follow Yahweh fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Sisters in Christ, what is your influence upon your husbands and fathers? Would you encourage them to follow the idolatrous practices that have infiltrated the church as Solomon’s wives urged him? Is there in you a heart of covetousness? Would you be content to abstain from Christmas and Easter celebrations when all around you are partaking of them? The Jezebel spirit does not always appear as an enemy. It can be very attractive. It will dress itself in whatever adornment that is most appealing in order to allure you. The Jezebel spirit appeals to the lusts within your own heart.Are you willing to stand out from the crowd, and to walk alone? The seven thousand in Israel who were faithful to Yahweh had a very lonely walk. Few will surrender to be led of Christ out of Babylon that they might arrive at Zion.

Jeremiah 3:14
“Return, O faithless sons,” declares Yahweh; “For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”

Observe a hidden mystery in these words. Jeremiah was speaking to a people who had fallen far into idolatry. Baal was worshiped widely. Baal is a Hebrew word that means “lord,” or “master.” The people of Israel worshiped a lord after the fashion they had adopted from the nations around them, but they were not worshiping the one, true Lord in holiness according to His commandments. If you read the above passage in the original Hebrew you will see that it states, “Return, O faithless sons... for I am a Baal to you.”

There is more than one way to understand this statement. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had transformed the worship of Yahweh into the worship of Baal. They still claimed to worship Yahweh, but they did so according to practices adopted from Baal worship. The Jews went up to the Temple of Yahweh to worship, but they had built an altar for Baal alongside the altar of Yahweh. Their worship was actually Baal worship, but it took place in the house built for Yahweh. Do you see a parallel in the church today?

In external acts, have you adopted the rites and practices that originated with the worship of Baal and Asherah? Are you emotionally bound to the celebrations of Christmas and Easter? Internally, do you have idols in your heart? Do you covet the world and its goods? Are you under the influence of the spirit of Jezebel? Yahweh declares:

II Corinthians 6:15-18
What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, Yahweh sent a prophet named Elijah to the people. He demanded of them, “How long will you halt between two opinions. Choose you this day whom you will serve. If Baal is god, serve him. If Yahweh is God, then serve Him.” Jezebel promotes mixture. She does not mind if you worship more than one god, but Yahweh does. He will have no other gods before Him, that is to say, He will have no other gods in His presence.

The spirit of Jezebel seeks to seduce every daughter of Christ. She is very successful, for few recognize her when she comes. She is a face painter. She will alter her appearance to make that which is detestable to God appear acceptable.

Few are those Christians who have even discerned the error of celebrating the resurrection of Christ on a day that bears the name of a pagan fertility goddess (Easter). Few have recognized the corruption of mixing Easter eggs, bunny rabbits, and Easter ham with the celebration of Christ’s Passover. How then will they see Jezebel in their own hearts?

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

No Apologies - Introduction

2012-01-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Introduction

You may wonder why I chose No Apologies as the title of this book. During my entire adult life I have been made to feel as if I must apologize for teaching a Biblical view of womanhood. What God has to say to women is highly unpopular today. Yahweh’s instructions to wives, and all women in the church, flies in the face of political correctness and societal norms. The Biblical definition of a godly woman is offensive to the fallen human nature. God’s instructions to women in both the Old and New Testaments are viewed as backward, chauvinistic, and the undesirable offscouring of an ancient patriarchal society.

Having served as a Bible teacher for many years, whenever I have taught on this subject I have felt as if I needed to justify doing so. My approach has been one of much timidity, fearing the backlash that I expected to come, and it has come time and time again. I was like a man who had been injured by an exploding object he had been working on. Forever after he would approach similar objects with timidity, inching forward, reaching hesitantly to touch them, fearing lest he should experience an explosion once again.

It is impossible to fulfill God’s call on my life to teach faithfully the truths of His kingdom if I am afraid of the reaction with which I will be met. I am reminded of Paul’s words of exhortation to Timothy.

II Timothy 1:6-8
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...

Christ has appointed me to be a teacher to the body of Christ, to women as well as to men. There is much in the testimony of Christ that offends, but I will not be ashamed of His words. I will own them, proclaim them, defend them, and I will make no apologies for teaching Christ’s counsel on this, or any other topic. Those women who desire to know the mind of Christ deserve no less than the complete truth.

My aim is to be bold, but not brassy, courageous but not crass. The goal before me is to speak the truth in love. I wish to avoid a watered down truth. I would resist the temptation to embellish, or to diminish, the counsel of God; eschewing all pressure to make truth more palatable by altering, or removing, that which offends.

Many were offended by Christ’s words spoken in the days of His earthly ministry. The Son of God did not change His message to make it agreeable to the heart of sinful and selfish men and women. On one occasion when great multitudes were following Christ He spoke a very difficult word. Many were offended. Most deserted Him. Even among His disciples a large number left and would follow Yahshua no more.

John 6:60-63
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can receive it?" When Yahshua knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

God’s ways are not man’s ways. That which mankind esteems is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). The opposite is also true. That which Yahweh esteems is detestable in the sight of man. Should I then apologize for teaching accurately the things of God because they offend? Christ did not. The Son of God was not timid in proclaiming the mind of the Father. Neither must His appointed ministers be.

Philippians 1:27-28
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ..., in no way alarmed by your opponents...

At the same time, I would be humble in setting before you the truth. I recognize my own weakness. There are things Christ speaks that are uncomfortable to my soul. Christ’s testimony to me requires the crucifixion of my own flesh. I can only take up the cross after having crushed my soul with its passions and desires. This is accomplished with great difficulty. I know the battle. I would show empathy, and manifest patience, toward others who struggle.

On the cover of this book you will find the image of a hand extended as if to offer the word of God to others. This is what I seek to do here. The Scriptures contain many admonitions for women in the church. Following is an example.

I Corinthians 14:34-38
The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

Paul’s words appear a little testy. He speaks in a harsher tone than I would normally choose in my communications. Yet, I am persuaded that Paul did so for a purpose, and that his words and attitude were approved by God. They have been included in the Bible. Peter in another place calls Paul’s words “Scriptures.”

II Peter 3:15-16
Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Paul was gentle when gentleness was all that was needed to persuade the people of God of the counsel of Christ. Yet, when there was stubbornness and opposition, Paul wrote with greater force and emphasis. The subject of women’s roles and proper conduct among the body of Christ has always been one that has elicited protests. The spirit of Jezebel has found a home in the church (Revelation 2:20). When Paul encountered this spirit he dealt with it forcefully. Like Jehu in the Old Testament, he did not bandy words with Jezebel. He simply commanded that she be cast down.

The apostle Paul has had more than a few detractors over the years, and they continue to this day. Many decry him as a misogynist, a hater of women. This is an unjust judgment. Paul was zealous for the truth. Paul had equally harsh words for men who were rebellious and obstinate. This did not make him a man-hater. He labored to see carnal men and women transformed into spiritual beings. This transformation requires hard labor, more than a little suffering, and a willingness to sink lower. We must decrease that Christ might increase in us.

Many reject the suffering of the cross wherever they encounter it. If they cannot distort the message of Scripture to make it less painful to the human nature, they will instead attack the messenger. The faithful Bible teacher has three possible responses: He can be intimidated, and retreat into silence; He can change the message to conform to the desires of carnal men and women; or he can face those in opposition to the truth with boldness and courage. The latter was Paul’s response. He gave no apologies for speaking Christ’s commandments, even when carnal men and women opposed them. After giving instructions for the conduct of women in the church, Paul says:

I Corinthians 11:16
But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

In other words, the contentious can object all they want, but there is no other practice that the apostles of Christ have delivered to the churches of God. Paul would offer no concession to those who found the counsel of Christ disagreeable. Take it, or leave it.

I do not wish to appear crass, for I do care very much whether a woman accepts the counsel of Christ, or rejects it. There is a tremendous amount at stake. I would do all in my power to persuade my sisters in Christ to embrace the afflicted path that leads to life. Regarding this path Christ said, “Few there are who find it.” The path to life is the low road. It is the path of servitude, of humility, of voluntary suffering, requiring the exercise of much patience and self-control.

To teach the truth to my sisters in Christ I must lead them to the cross. It is not the cross Christ bore that I refer to, but the cross Christ invites His disciples to bear.

Luke 14:27
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

On the cover of this book, there is a cross on the Bible in the hand of the man. I know what I am offering to my sisters in Christ will require them to bear the cross. It is because Christ’s instructions require a woman to die to the desires of her soul, that these words offend. The cross is an affront to mankind. The fleshly nature does not want to die. To the mind of the natural man the preaching of the cross is folly.

I Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Many have judged the teaching presented here to be “foolishness.” To the majority this book will reek of the stench of death. Yet, a remnant will perceive in this teaching the aroma of life. These understand the necessity of dying to self, they recognize that humility always precedes honor. These few will find wisdom and life in what is set forth.

II Corinthians 2:15-17
For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Paul was not trying to sell people anything. He offered them the truth. Some were of the opinion that his message had in it the stench of death. In today’s vernacular some would say that “It stinks!” I do not refute this opinion, nor do I believe Paul would do so. There is truly in God’s counsel to women the smell of death. The Adamic nature must die. Some see only this experience, and being carnal they refuse to die. They do not look beyond death to that resurrection life that awaits those who embrace the cross. There can be no resurrection without a death first. The woman who refuses to die to her own will and desires will not enter into that resurrection life found in Christ.

So here, in a straightforward and unapologetic manner, I set forth before you the counsel of God recorded in the Scriptures for all women who aspire to godliness. I invite you to be courageous, and humble, in examining the message before you. It will require courage to walk contrary to the ways of a dark and sinful world. It will also require much humility, that much despised and maligned virtue that finds great favor in the eyes of God. Do not be afraid of what you will encounter here. Perfect love casts out all fear.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

A Testimony for the New Year

2012-01-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

I have recently been blessed to receive correspondence from a brother in Christ by the name of Jeff Higdon. Yahweh has led Jeff down an afflicted path for many years, while giving Jeff and his family much grace to endure. As I have read Jeff’s testimony I have found parts of it torturous, making it difficult to read. Other parts have me rejoicing at Yahweh’s faithfulness as God has demonstrated unwavering support to a son who has trusted strongly in Him.

Much of the turmoil in Jeff’s life has come from being raised up under the influence of much doctrinal error, and being subjected to grossly deceptive and self-serving actions from leaders in the United Pentecostal Church. The journey out of Babylon takes various paths for each of God’s sons and daughters.

Jeff is the son of a UPC minister. He grew up subjected to the doctrines of that church. One of these doctrines declares that to be saved a person has to be a member in attendance at a United Pentecostal Church. This produced a false sense of obligation, bondage seems to be an appropriate word. Even as an adult, observing the carnal machinations of godless ministers, Jeff was afraid to leave the church, or the denomination, lest he lose his salvation. Satan has forged many strong bonds to keep the people of God in slavery to Babylon.

As I think of Jeff’s testimony I am reminded of the three Hebrew men who were cast into the furnace of fire by the king of Babylon. The fire did not hurt them. It merely consumed their bonds. When they emerged from the fire they were no longer tied up. Neither were they injured. Yahweh will take many of His sons and daughters through fiery experiences in Babylon. The purpose of God is not malicious, but is intended to set His people free.

There may be some things you find objectionable in Jeff’s testimony. His testimony is one of an imperfect life, battered and scarred, but ever advancing toward ultimate conformity to the image of Christ. It is the human weakness evident in Jeff’s testimony that reveals its authenticity, and which endues it with the ability to encourage and strengthen others who suffer the weakness of this fallen nature.

Those who have read my testimony in the autobiographical book Evidence of Things Unseen, will perceive that I too have been a man beset with many faults. My testimony is as much one of Yahweh’s faithful discipline of a son, as it is the manifestation of His supernatural intervention in the life of one who has looked to God for help.

Jeff’s testimony is one of much heartache and suffering. It is also one of trust in Yahweh, attended by rejoicing at God’s continuous acts of deliverance. Knowing that Yahweh is leading others to similar experiences in these days, I offer these testimonies to the readers of this blog for their instruction and encouragement.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days,
Joseph Herrin
---

Dear Joseph,

I want to thank you for your dedication to the ministry and posting of your journey with God. You have been an inspiration to me in many ways, and I have enjoyed your writings. Some I do not understand yet for I have not had the time, or have not taken the time, to delve into God's word and try to accurately discern whether they are right or not. Regardless, I have great respect for your humility and style of teaching, whether I agree or not with every little detail of what you say.

I have been on a journey myself, starting out as the son of a United Pentecostal Church minister. I have suffered through sometimes unimaginable abuses at the hands of men who justified themselves in the name of the Lord! It has wreaked havoc in my life, causing my wife to have several nervous breakdowns. To this day she is still on medication for manic depressive disorder. We pray that one day she will be delivered from it.

For many years I believed that the only way that we could be saved was by attending a United Pentecostal Church, so we continued to go to the churches in spite of being despised and rejected, in spite of our kids being taken away by Child Protective Services for a little while due to false allegations that largely came from within the church.

The one thing that carried us through those dark times is the fact that God continued to work in our lives despite what was going on at church. We had far more miracles happen to us personally than I ever saw happen in the church. Through those experiences, our relationship with God was reaffirmed and caused us to hold on tight to him though we did not understand why we were being persecuted in the churches.

We lived in Louisiana for many years and bounced from one abusive church to another, rejected at all of them but not knowing what to do. Eventually, the Lord caused circumstances to come about where our business partner stole from us and we had to sell out to him. The sale agreement included a non-compete clause that I could not work in the same field anywhere in North Louisiana, effectively pushing us out of the area.

We had always said we would move to New Orleans, but when the time came, something came over me. I was convinced that a hurricane was going to hit New Orleans and wipe it out, and I could not move my family there. That was June 15, 2005. We moved to Texas in July, and Katrina hit in August. Thank God for His direction!

I threw myself wholeheartedly into the church work in Central Texas, excited to have a fresh start and convinced that the problems we had experienced in the UPC was regulated to the area we had just left. After 6 months in Texas, the church we were going to asked us to help in a daughter work at a church that was just starting. I threw myself into that work, holding nothing back.

I worked in the church for 5 years. I taught Sunday school, led worship, preached when asked to, ran the church bus every service, taught a weekly bible study in our home, and worked on the church property welding up fences, a pavilion, doing repairs, etc.. It was as much time as a full time job. During this period I also worked two full-time jobs to support my family. I taught industrial cleaning in a prison, and I had a residential carpet cleaning and disaster restoration company. It looked like we were being redeemed after all the years of persecution. We had favor in the community, favor in the churches, and we were making it financially.

However, my credit was (and is) very poor from years of failed businesses and repercussions from some of the things we went through in the churches. The UPC would not license me as a minister due to my poor credit, so I was regulated to just being a lay preacher. I had no problem with that, happy to do whatever I could in the kingdom of God.

When we first started working in the daughter work, the pastor was a brand new preacher and did not get his license until well after the church was under way. He was a good old boy, very well intentioned and totally unlike all the previous pastors we had known. As time went on, and he grew more confident in his ministry, I saw a slow change take place where he slowly started becoming just like what we had left behind in Louisiana. It grieved me greatly and I came to realize that it was a church system that was at fault.

I told my wife that if you took a perfectly good man, plugged him into the church system and ordained him as a preacher, eventually it would spit him out and he would be very similar to all of the ministers with whom we had dealings in the past. When that realization hit, I knew that I did not want to be a part of that system and become what it would eventually make me into.
Jeff Higdon

(Joseph’s Note: In August 2010, Jeff and his family left Texas and the United Pentecostal Church behind. He is now residing with his family in Idaho. He continues to seek the Lord, and to trust God to guide him as Jeff continues to work while looking to the Father to supply every lack.

Having received this preceding correspondence from Jeff, I asked him if he would allow me to post publicly some parts of his testimony. The following are taken from that which this brother in Christ sent to me. I have arranged them in general chronological order, though there is some overlap among the testimonies.)

Arm Fried in Oil

When I was a teenager, I worked a lot of hours. I would often go to high school, get out of school, run part or all of my dad's 120 mile newspaper route, go to work at Taco Mayo (like Taco Bell) as a cook, then go home and do my homework in the early hours of the morning before starting all over again.

Needless to say, I was pretty busy, and I had a hard time finding time to pray. I worked as a cook so I could be by myself without anyone bothering me, and every night, while I worked, the kitchen became my place of worship.

I would sing praises to the Lord and pray, particularly while I was stirring the beans since that was a little noisy. Sometimes I would feel the Spirit of God come over me as I sang, and I'd get a little loud. More than once the manager had to come back and tell me to quiet down. I looked forward to this time in the evenings because it was my special time with God, even though I didn’t particularly like cooking.

One day I was frying chips in the deep fryer, and grease was popping out everywhere like usual. The floor was real slick under my feet due to all of the grease, and as I went to put in the chips, my feet went out from under me and I plunged my right arm into the boiling grease up to my elbow!

I screamed to the top of my lungs "In the Name of Jesus!" as I pulled it back out. The pain was incredibly intense, and the grease was still boiling on my arm. I flipped my apron over it to absorb the grease and everyone came running to the back to see what happened.

The manager grabbed some first aid spray and pulled the apron back and sprayed my arm. My arm was a dark purplish red color and the pain was still out of this world. I was praying and talking in tongues all at the same time, rocking back and forth. As I prayed, the pain gradually subsided, and my arm returned to normal color.

I had no burn marks, no anything to show what had just happened. Everyone was in disbelief that my arm had gone into the fryer, and explained it away saying it was a good thing I didn't have the fryer heated up!

I had no explanation for it myself, only I knew I was frying chips, my arm went into the fryer, and I had not got burned. I doubted myself for a long time, not understanding what God had done for me. I thought to myself that perhaps it was somehow possible to stick ones hand in the fryer and not get burned, like the firewalkers that walk on hot coals or something.

Many years later, I knew a lady at church that the same thing happened to, except for her, her skin sloughed all immediately and it took months to heal. It was at that point that I fully realized what God had done for me, and began to tell people about it.

Learning to Appreciate having a Vehicle to Drive

From the time I was 14 till I was 19 I had 42 cars. I bought, traded for, fixed up, and sold cars all of the time. It taught me how to do mechanic work, and as a poor boy, I was able to upgrade a little better and a little better with each sale or trade of a vehicle. After a while, I think I got a little arrogant about how easy it was to get cars and fix them up. Pride goes before a fall!

A few years later I had an old van I was driving. One day, as I was going to church, the van started spitting and sputtering. I got angry and hit the dash with my hand. I said "Lord, I'd just as soon not have a vehicle as to have this piece of junk!" Big mistake!

The next day, I was driving down the interstate and the engine blew, sending a rod through the block. I had my whole family with me, so we got out and started walking. Almost immediately a man stopped and picked us up and gave us a ride home. I walked for close to a year.

After that year, I bought a Chrysler New Yorker. After three weeks, I made the same mistake. The car started giving me problems and I got angry again, even saying I'd rather not have a car than to have a piece of junk like that. Temper, temper! What happened to that van is described later in the testimony titled God sent a Fireman. Back to wearing out shoe leather.

I fixed up another car. Drove it a short time and blew the head. Took months to get the money for a used head, then when I fixed it, it slung a rod out of the block, ruining that engine! Every vehicle I bought or worked on ended up having catastrophic failures. I had lost my Midas touch with cars. Everything I touched broke!

After two years of walking or riding a bicycle, I finally got my hands on an old beat up Dodge van. Actually, I got my hands on three old beat up Dodge vans to be exact. I pulled the engine from one and the transmission from the second and put it into a third body to make one driveable vehicle. This vehicle was far from perfect, but I finally had wheels again.

I learned to be thankful. I continually thanked the Lord for that old junky van. When the floorboard rotted out and the passenger seat fell over, I thanked the Lord. When the dry-rotted seats that remained all ripped, I thanked the Lord. When the tires blew out, I thanked the Lord. When the gas tank rusted through and was un-repairable, I thanked the Lord. (Matter of fact, I strapped a 5 gallon can to the wall inside and put a hose through one of the holes in the floor board, running it to the fuel pump.) That van was ugly and had all kinds of problems, but it kept on going. I finally was able to buy another vehicle, and when I sold that old van, it was still running.

I learned my lesson. In ALL things give thanks! Even though I had talents and abilities, the Lord broke me down to the point my talents and abilities did me no good. He let me walk and walk and walk through the valley of not having a car until I learned my lesson. ALWAYS be thankful! Give thanks in all things!

Finding a Wife

When I was a teenager, I was your typical revved up male looking for a girlfriend, but I did want to be pleasing to God. I dated one girl, and as soon as we started dating, I knew something was wrong. She had an extreme fear of me when alone, but was okay in a crowd. I didn't know what was wrong, but I decided I needed to show her what a gentleman behaved like since I figured her fear stemmed from someone showing the depravity that the male species can sink to.

We didn't date long before I found out she had been gang raped, then molested by the father in the home she took refuge in. Her grandmother took her in and told me I wasn't welcome around anymore, so I just kept her in my prayers and that was the end of that relationship.

The next girl I dated was a different story. If she hadn't put on the brakes, I would have thrown my morals to the wind. When she broke up with me, I was both heartbroken and relieved. Heartbroken that the relationship ended, but relieved that I hadn't sinned against the Lord.

After this, I decided I would have to approach dating differently. I did not trust myself to stay pure in a relationship, so I was in a quandary. What was the right way to handle this? All my friends dated, but I didn't trust myself to date. What should I do? I wanted to keep a clean conscience before God. After praying about it, I realized that even if I found the perfect girl, I wasn't ready to get married. Why frustrate myself? I decided that I would not date until I was ready to make a full commitment.

From that day when I was 16 years old until I was 20, I did not date. I went from 16 to 20 years old without any hassles. When I was 20, I felt like I was ready to get married. I had been working full time since I was 14 years old, and now I was living on my own. I had a full time job and a part time business doing car head liners.

I prayed and asked the Lord to send me a wife, one that was pleasing to him and was the one that I needed. I told the Lord I wasn't interested in dating. I wanted to find a wife. I felt like dating was preparation for divorce with the date, break up, date, break up.

About 3 weeks after I prayed this prayer, a terrible hailstorm hit our community. The hailstones were from golf ball size to football size, and many roofs were destroyed and some cars were completely total, the tops smashed in.

At church there was a single mom who had been coming for several months with her little son, and she was a few years older than me. Her car was smashed up pretty bad. The windshield was knocked out and the vinyl top was ripped to shreds. After she got the windshield replaced, I offered to put a vinyl top on at my cost to help her out.

I thought the top would be easy to replace even though I had never done one, but it proved me wrong. I did it at her apartment and it took me three days to finish it. While I was working on her car, she brought me tea and fixed meals for me, and we talked while I worked. When I finished, I invited her to go to a fellowship meeting with me. From the first day I started working on the car till three weeks later, I saw her every day.

On the third week, I stayed after Sunday morning service and prayed all day at the church. I told the Lord that somehow I had allowed myself to fall head over heels for this lady, and I wanted to know whether she was the one or not. I told the Lord that if He showed me she was the one, I would ask her to marry me. If not, I would break up with her.

I prayed and set a fleece before the Lord like Gideon did in the Bible. I told the Lord that if she was the one, then at church service that night I wanted to hear her speak in tongues clearly and receive a blessing she couldn't contain where she started shouting. Now, I was going to a Pentecostal church so this wasn't uncommon, but the lady I was dating was extremely shy and I had never seen her do any such thing, so I figured it was something that only the Lord could do.

At church that night, I was excited waiting for her to arrive. Service started, and she wasn't there. Song service ended, and she still wasn't there. We had a special singer, and while she was singing, my girlfriend walked in. I was excited. I just knew that the spirit of God would move on her while the singer sang. Nothing happened.

The preacher started preaching, and my heart sank. The service was a dead, lifeless service. I couldn't feel the spirit of God moving at all, and the preacher struggled through his sermon. I kept hoping that perhaps when he gave an altar call, which he always did, then there would be a move of God, and I would see the Lord touch my girlfriend. It was not to be. The preacher got lost on making his point, and finally gave up. No altar call, he just said "You are all dismissed in the fear of the Lord."

Everyone got up and was greeting each other and saying their goodbyes. I looked back at my girlfriend, and she was sitting there with a blank look on her face. I bowed my head and started praying. I told the Lord I was serious about the fleece I had set before him, so please give me words to say to my girlfriend to break up with her, and to please send her a good husband that would love her and her little son.

While I was still praying, I heard a commotion behind me in the middle of the church where she was sitting. She suddenly jumped to her feet and began shouting and praising God to the top of her lungs, then began speaking in tongues fluently. I was startled and amazed when I realized I understood some of what she was saying. I had French lessons in high school, and she was speaking in French (which she didn't know a thing about). She was saying in French, “I love you Jesus,” “Jesus you are my Lord,” “I praise you Jesus,” and on and on.

I leaped to my feet and began to praise the Lord for hearing my prayer and answering in such a dramatic way. A few minutes later, my girlfriend was able to talk in English again, and she started laughing. She said "What just happened? I wasn't thinking anything or doing anything, and suddenly I just got hit by the Spirit of God!”

I asked her to marry me shortly after that, and we were married on November 24, 1989, just 3 months after we met. Our marriage hasn't always been perfect, but we have always clung to the fact that God put us together, so who were we to put an end to what God began? Sometimes in a marriage your heart goes pitter patter and you feel that strong love for each other so you walk together, and other times you continue walking together out of commitment. The key is to keep on walking. If your spouse is still breathing, God can still bless your marriage.

There have been times in the past, going through the trials we went through, that it seemed our marriage might be dead, but we kept on, and today our marriage is the stronger for the winds of adversity that have come our way.

Trials like Job’s

We once went to a toxic church where the pastor was a tyrant and dictator. The church was full of people in the middle to upper income bracket, but we were poor, living in a small trailer house. The pastor ordered me to sell the trailer and land we had because he said it was not God's will for his people to live in mobile homes. Our trailer was small and we only had a 1/4 acre of land, but our note was only $100 per month. Our income at the time was less than a $1000 per month, and we were able to pay all of our bills on that. After being publicly shamed for having so little faith in God by living in a trailer, I being a good sheeple went and bought a house with a note of $1000 per month. Yes, my note was the same as my income, but I had faith!

Miraculously, my income did go up drastically. (Maybe it had something to do with the sheer raw fear I had running through my veins as I worked in my business.) For over 1 1/2 years I paid the note on time. Often my lights would get cut off, or water, or some other bill would go unpaid, but I did pay the note. This was an owner financed house.

After that time, the man financing the house had a massive heart attack and was unconscious in a coma. His daughter had power of attorney if he was unconscious, so she flew straight from Colorado to Louisiana to steal as much as she could before he came back to. We were living in one of 42 houses he had owner financed. There were some things we had changed shortly before he had the heart attack, but we had done the changes verbally. According to the paper work, we owed almost $3000. As soon as the daughter came in to town, I immediately went to her and discussed everything that her dad and I had done. I showed her all the paper work we had along with what we had paid, and I told her of the verbal agreement we had which I had no documentation for.

I was very open about the whole deal. I had prayed about it, and I determined that whatever she decided would be fine. If she kept to the verbal agreement we had, then I would go with that. If she didn't believe me and wanted us to move, I was okay with that also. The daughter said she was fine with the arrangements her father and I had made, so don't worry about it.

A few days later, my wife called and said a sheriff had delivered an eviction notice to us. I immediately got the notice and took it to the daughter to discuss it. I told her that if she wanted us to move, we would move. She laughed and said, "I'm sorry, I sent that by mistake. Don't worry about it, just stick to the agreement we had." So, I was quite relieved and went about my business.

3 weeks later, it was time to go to court according to the eviction notice. I told my wife that even though everything was okay, I'd better go to court just to make sure. I went to the courthouse, and as I walked in, the daughter was walking in also. When she saw me, first she registered extreme shock that I was there, and then her face twisted in hate. She told me that she was going to get me. She was going to destroy me and my family. She was going to make sure that my kids were taken away. She even said that my wife was just like Andrea Yates (The lady in Houston who drowned her kids in the bathtub, which had just occurred two months earlier).

I was in total shock. I had no idea what this meant or the reason for the sudden hatred and the Andrea Yates accusation. I went in to the courtroom, and my case was the first one on the document. When the judge asked for an explanation of why I had not paid the $3000 according to the terms in the contract, I explained the agreement between the father and I and also the agreement between the daughter and I. The daughter was yelling at me while I was talking and the judge had to threaten her to keep her quiet.

The judge was very nice to me, but told me that in today's society everything has to be written down and notarized. Unfortunately, I had been served proper notice according to the eviction delivered by the sheriff, and I had 3 days to move out. I walked out of the courtroom stunned. The daughter was following me yelling at me, and I had no idea what to do. Right at that moment I was broke, not a penny to my name. All of my money was tied up in cleaning contracts that I had crews working on.

This was the beginning of a long nightmare for my family and I, and a time where the Lord showed himself strong in our lives. I had to go home and break the news to my family. We had a storage building rented for our business, so as fast as we could, we moved everything possible into the storage building. I packed it from the top to bottom front to back. Also at the same time this happened, we discovered that my wife and five girls all had lice! Anyone who has ever had to deal with lice in long hair knows the nightmare that can be.

At the end of three days, we weren't through moving, and we had no place to put anything else. The locks were changed, we were barred from entering the property, and the remainder of our stuff was hauled to the landfill. This included a good portion of our furniture and some of my equipment and tools I used to make a living. We were homeless. It happened so fast, my head was in a whirl.

During those three days, I still had a business to run that was very much dependent on me being there with deadlines fast approaching on the contracts, we did not have money, and we had to find a place to live. I had gone to the pastor immediately and told him of our situation. He was very rough with me in his demeanor, but said he would help. No one from the church helped with the moving, but at the end of three days someone offered to put us up in their home. The only problem with that were the lice.....! We started focusing on taking care of the lice problem. We got them all killed (we used tea tree oil), and after a few days there were no more.

During this time, an employee who wasn't supervised well enough (For some reason I was a little preoccupied with other things) over wet a carpet in a school we were cleaning, and I had threats of a lawsuit from the school. That end up costing me $5000. (The Lord gave it back, I’ve written that in another testimony). After a few days, the owner of the local Holiday Inn heard about our problem and let us stay there for three weeks at no charge.

The pastor brought us in and talked to us. He said that people in the church could let us stay with them, but that our family was too big to stay with one family in the church, so therefore he would split us up among four houses. I had no idea there was an ulterior motive here, but I felt I had no choice so we agreed.

As soon as our kids were split up among church people’s houses, the pastor called me in and said we need to go to the local child protection services office and talk to them. I immediately thought, Oh no, they've learned about the lice my kids had and someone reported it. My wife and I went to the office and we were each interviewed separately. The first thing they asked me was if I had ever molested my girls! They also wanted to know about why my wife had tried to drown the kids in the bathtub.

I almost didn't know what to say. I thought we were being called in over being homeless or perhaps the fact that the kids had got lice (which we had already cleared up). The first thing that went through my mind was that perhaps someone had molested one of my girls and I was somehow accused of it. The thought of something like that being done to one of my children made me physically ill to even think of. When I was asked about the attempted drowning though, I immediately remembered the threat of my kids being taken away and the accusation that my wife was like Andrea Yates. I refuted all of the accusations as there was absolutely no truth to them. They would not tell me who had reported us, and said that we could only visit our children supervised.

When my wife and I walked out of the office, we were both in shock. I had lost all body temperature and went stone cold. My wife's monthly cycle stopped, and her hair started falling out. Her hair was past her waist, but within a few weeks it was only to her shoulders. This experience had to be the absolute worst thing I have ever gone through in my whole life. I have been through many things, but the loss of my children was the most devastating blow I have ever had.

We went back to the pastor to talk to him, and he told us CPS had put him in charge of our children. From that point on, he started ordering us to do all kinds of things, and every order he gave was "If you don't do this, I'll make sure you never see your children again." I felt as if a gun was held to my head. I immediately complied with anything I was told to do.

I was ordered to immediately turn over all of my finances to the pastor. He told me I was a terrible father, a terrible husband, and that I wasn't fit to be either. He also said that people in the church had corroborated the charges against us! I turned over all of my money to a man in the church who was to manage it for me. The man in charge of our money sat down with me and told me I didn't bring him enough. He couldn't pay all my bills with the money I had given him. I told him I had given every penny I had made to him. He also gave me a stern lecture about working too many hours. He said I was going to have to cut the number of hours I worked, and I was going to have to bring him more money! It was a no win situation!

My wife and I had to go to parenting classes. We visited our children and had to deal with the church people whose homes they were in being very hostile towards us. As we are going through this, the people in the church took it upon themselves to contact all of the kid's teachers and tell them that my wife was crazy (bathtub scenario) and that I was a child molester. They also contacted all of the people I did business with and told them the same thing.

One by one, I started losing customers. I was contacted by a former boss who had a meeting with me to discuss whether I had molested my children or not. He had known me long enough to know my character, but there was still a small question mark in his mind.

The ruining of my reputation led to the demise of my business over the next year. Do you know how fast a bad rumor runs in a small town?

While all of this is going on, I am getting regular chewing outs from the pastor. At one point he ordered me to leave my wife or I would never see my children again! He also told me that if I ever told anyone that he had said that, he would tell them that I was I liar!

My girls were sent to a pediatrician and subjected to a pelvic exam. They also went through interrogation and counseling trying to find out if the charges against us were true.

I was so extremely stressed during this time, I didn't know what to do. I prayed, I worked as hard and fast as I could, I tried to please everybody so that I could keep my kids. Remember also that I had a potential lawsuit from my business.

There were two times during all of this that I almost snapped. One time I came up on an intersection where the woman (who had done the initial accusations) was driving through. I stomped on the accelerator. I was going to nail her to the telephone pole on the opposite side and kill her. At the same time I stomped on the brake, screaming NOOOOO! I had both the accelerator and the brake to the floor. In my anger I wanted to kill her, but I knew the Lord would not be pleased with that. The other time I almost snapped was after the pastor ordered me to leave my wife or lose my children. I had a very strong urge to take my .22 rifle and shoot him. The Lord helped me through that also.

I'm just being honest here. One does not really know how they will react until they are in a situation where your back is against the wall. Even though the Lord has seen me through many trials doesn't mean that I am always a spiritual giant full of faith. Sometimes the flesh wants to take over.

At this point, we still did not have a place to stay, the kids were still in other people’s homes, and we were being told we probably won't get them back, my reputation in the community has been ruined, and the whole church has wholeheartedly turned against us. We can count on one hand the number of people we know who will still speak civilly with us, and still have fingers left over. We were actively looking for a place to live. We had more income coming in now due to many of the jobs I had done in the summer were paying their bills, but 100% of it was going to the church to be doled out to us as needed. (Remember the gun to my head, "If you don't you won't see your kids again.")

The pastor called me into the office and told me He had found a place for us to live, a four bedroom duplex. I was to go by the housing authority office and pay all the deposits and start moving in. I went to the housing office, got the key and took my wife to look at the place. When I got there, red flags went up immediately. This is during the day on a work week, and there were people everywhere milling around on the streets and we were the only white people in sight. I am not racist at all, but I could feel the hate coming from the people who saw us.

I asked around and found out there were a lot of burglaries, rapes, and shootings in the neighborhood. I went back and told the pastor I would have to find another place because it wasn't safe for my wife and kids in that area. He immediately exploded into a rage, shouting at me. He told me I had better take that money and go do as he said or I would never see my kids again. I went back to the housing authority and rented the 4 bedroom duplex. I decided that the Lord could keep us safe, but if I didn't get my kids back first, safety wasn't even an issue anyway.

My wife and I started moving everything in, setting up housekeeping. After a few days, the pastor called me into the office again. He started shouting at me again, asking me what in the world was I doing putting the lives of my family in danger by renting a place in the middle of the worst area of town. What kind of father was I anyway? He said he could see why I had lost the kids. He wouldn't hear any of my protest that HE was the one who had made me rent it! He told me to go get my money back, the church had rented me a two bedroom apartment and we were to move into it right now. He had previously rejected the idea of renting a two bedroom place because he said CPS would not allow the kids to come home if we didn't have separate bedrooms for the boys and girls.

I tried to get the $1000 back from the housing authority, but the money could not be refunded. We moved into the two bedroom apartment.

I do not know the pastors motivation for reversing what he had said about the 4 bedroom apartment, but by this time I realized I needed to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove in my dealings with him. He held the key to my children's future, so I had to walk on eggshells with him, but at the same time I had to figure a way around him.

While praying about the situation, I realized that I had money owed to me that the pastor and people involved in the case did not know about. Instead of waiting for it to be mailed and risk being detected, I went directly to the people that owed me and picked up the checks. I then took those checks to their bank and cashed them so they wouldn't show up in my online banking account.

Over the course of a few weeks, I was able to collect $700 over and above what the pastor and church people involved knew about. At this point we were 3 1/2 months into the ordeal. I forgot to mention that my wife had to be hospitalized for stress for three weeks during this time. Also, concerning the carpets my employee had messed up and we had to correct, the threat of a lawsuit was dropped when I agreed to knock $5000 off of the bill that was owed to me (most of my profit for that contract). During this time I had also blown the motor in my carpet cleaning van and didn't have the money to have it rebuilt, so that was one more thing added to the mix.

Things were looking pretty bleak concerning our kids. We kept praying, but we weren't hearing anything back from CPS concerning the investigation. The only things we were hearing were being told to us by our pastor, and it didn't look good. But, we did have a place to stay, we had food to eat, we were able to pay all of our bills at the time. Also someone gave us a good deal on a used car so we once again had transportation. I had come to accept the loss of my reputation. The stress level had come down a notch except for the extreme ache in our hearts for our kids being gone and being uncertain of their future. We just kept on praying.

What would happen to the kids?

One day the pastor called me into his office. He had paperwork drawn up that he wanted me to sign. I asked him what it was. He said that he wanted me to sign over my kids for adoption, that he would make sure they went to good homes. Even after everything I had been through, this still floored me. I looked him straight in the eye and told him in no uncertain terms that there was no way I would ever sign my kids over to anyone. They were my kids, and I intended to raise them. No one else would care for them like my wife and I.

The pastor exploded into a rage again. (I was beginning to get a little used to these rage explosions by now.) He did everything but curse me, telling me how sorry I was. In his anger, he told me he was sending the kids back in three days and he would make sure that I lost them. He said he knew everything about my finances, how little money I had and so on. He felt he had me over a barrel. He knew I didn't have beds or very much food because he had doled out the money that I gave to him and had an accounting of every penny I had spent as well as access to my checking account and what came in and went out. Or so he thought. He did not know about the $700 I had hidden in a shoebox.

He told me I had gotten away with molesting my daughters this time, but I wouldn't get away with it again. I told him I hadn't got away with anything because I wasn't guilty of any wrongdoing. I asked him if any proof had been found. I knew that it hadn't because I was innocent. He just sputtered and in his rage sent me out of his office.

I raced back to the apartment, overjoyed that my kids were coming home. I grabbed the money out of the shoe box and worked around the clock for the next three days finding and buying the furniture we needed, and stocking the house with food. $700 doesn't go far, but it was just enough with careful buying and shopping the second hand stores to get everything we needed.

Three days later our kids came home. Oh what a happy reunion that was! We were all ecstatic at being together again! I don't know if any of us got much sleep for the next few days for all of the excitement we felt at being together again. What rejoicing there was in our household! What thanking of the Lord there was for bringing us back together! There was no petty bickering among the kids! It was a happy time. However, there were still the pastor’s threats and the fear of losing our kids.

After the excitement began to wear off at having our kids home, the threats we had received weighed heavy. What if the pastor said something to CPS that would truly cause our kids to be taken away from us? What if we weren't "Good enough" in the eyes of CPS? What if, what if, what if. The pastor said he was going to have CPS come check on us as soon as the kids came home because he knew we did not have what we needed to take care of them.

After 3 weeks, I could take it no longer. I went to the CPS office and asked to speak to our case worker. I explained that I was very afraid that they would find some cause to take our kids from us, and would they please come to our house, check everything out and if we needed to do anything tell us. I wanted to keep my kids!

The lady was very kind to me. She spoke soothingly to me and told me, "Mr. Higdon, every allegation against you and your family has proven false. After a thorough investigation of the facts, we have come to the conclusion that your kids have an excellent home environment. Now go on back home and don't worry about us ever investigating you again. We have real cases of abuse, and that is where we need to focus our limited amount of resources. If all of the families were like yours we wouldn't have a job!" It felt like a great weight had rolled off of my shoulders. Things didn't immediately return to the way they were before losing our house and all the false accusations, but the Lord had and did keep us all the way.

After the meeting with CPS and the assurance I wouldn't lose the kids, we left the church we were going to. The pastor and congregation still continued to spread rumors throughout the area, slandering us, but my family was out of danger. Most of the churches in the area were warned against us (and took our former pastor's word), and I gradually lost most of my business due to the church people spreading rumors.

One light in all of this was the home-schooling group we belonged to. It just so happened that the doctor who examined the girls was a leader in the home-schooling group, and he told everyone in the group that the allegations were unfounded.

For two years I didn't attend church on a regular basis, not trusting anyone, but my wife and kids attended another church. We were firmly convinced that if we did not attend a church building in that particular religion, we could not be saved.

I prayed about what to do about all of the hurt caused by the former pastor, church members, and the daughter of the man who had owner financed the house to us and had filed the false charges. Should I file charges on them? Should I talk to someone above the pastor in the organization he belonged to? I came to the conclusion I had to forgive them, so I did.

So what happened to the pastor, church members, and the daughter? The Bible says vengeance is mine, I will repay. The pastor of the church swindled the congregation out of 40 acres of land on the interstate. Many of the members invested their life savings into it, and somehow when it was all said and done, the pastor owned it all. The pastor was booted in disgrace (but kept the land), the congregation disbanded, many turning their back on God.

The daughter that had filed the charges became pregnant for the first time at 40 years of age, and did not have a clue as to who the father was. She ended up a pauper, living in a house her parents owned with nothing to her name, struggling to survive.

What happened to us? The Lord continued to provide. Yes we had scars. My wife's hair that had at one time hung down past her waist had fallen out to where it was only shoulder length. She had health problems from the extreme stress. I had become an extreme workaholic, working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, driven by the fear that I would not be able to provide for my family and might lose them again.

After this, the Lord in His mercy once again brought us through a wilderness experience where I had no work, so I learned to trust completely in Him instead of my being a workaholic. This time, there was much more peace. We had seen how God had provided for us in the past, and we were able to fully trust Him. After that time, the Lord helped me start another business that was extremely successful in a very short period of time. There were trials with that business, but God had a purpose in it. Through the sale of that business, we were able to move to Texas in 2005 and start life anew.

P.S. I measured my wife's hair today, and once again it is down to her waist. There is a lot more gray in it, but don't tell her I said that.

The Engine that wouldn’t quit

One time in the early to mid 90's, I moved a doctor to New Orleans almost 400 miles away. I rented a tow dolly and pulled my little Toyota corolla behind it. Out of habit, when I pulled the car up on the dolly, I put it in first gear. I pulled that car all the way to New Orleans at 70 mph with it in first gear, the engine revving through the roof. I didn’t realize it until I backed off the tow dolly.

After unloading the truck and dropping it off, my family and I got in the car to make the long drive back. Right outside New Orleans the rods started knocking and I lost power. We drove 350 miles or so at 30 miles per hour with the rods sounding like they were ringing bells under the hood. We kept praying asking God to get us home safe.

When we rounded the curve on our street and saw our house, one of the rods broke and went through the oil pan, locking up the motor. I pushed in the clutch and coasted into our driveway!

A Business Van Provided

When I first started my own carpet cleaning business as a full-fledged business, not part time like I had done for years, I had a dilemma. The Lord had provided everything I needed. I had equipment, I had chemicals, and I had a few customers. He even provided me with a brand new Century 400 Ninja carpet cleaning machine. It was a very nice portable machine, but there was one problem: No matter which way I turned it, without taking off the door, there was no way I could get it inside my two door Toyota Tercel. I even removed the passenger seat. It would not fit!

I was just slightly frustrated to say the least! God had provided everything I needed to start my business, but I was dead in the water without being able to transport my equipment!

I started praying. "Lord, I need a van! And Lord, I need something that looks decent enough to pull up to customers houses in. And Lord, I need it for less than $1000 because that is what I have to spend!"

What an impossible prayer! How was the Lord going to do this one?! Every van I looked at was thousands, not hundreds. After praying for an answer, I just started thanking the Lord for providing. I didn't know how He would provide, but I reasoned the Lord didn't do anything halfway. If he had provided everything I needed to start my business, then surely he would provide the vehicle.

At church service the following Sunday morning, I was worshiping the Lord during song service. I was totally focused on God, clapping my hands and raising them to the Lord in worship. All at once, I saw a vision!

In this vision, I clearly saw the back end of a white ford cargo van. I could plainly see that it was a Ford by the shape of the taillights, and the back doors had no glass, so I knew that it was a cargo van. It was also a very brilliant, beautiful white. Perfect for my business!

After the service was over, I told my wife about the vision and wondered at what it meant. Was it just me dreaming of what I really wanted? Why was it so crystal clear, in detail?
I decided that it was just the Lord giving me hope, but not necessarily a picture of the exact van that I was going to get.

I suddenly remembered a widow whose husband had died. Parked next to their house was a dark blue Chevy cargo van her husband had driven. I called the lady up and asked her about it. She asked me "Are you talking about the blue Chevy van my husband used for his business?" She specifically said it was a Chevy, just like I thought it was.

"Yes, that is the one." I told her. I was worried about ripping her off, and especially since she was a widow. I told her the van was worth much more than this, but would she be willing to take $1000 for the van?

Now, $1000 was every penny I had. That left no money for title transfer, tags, inspection sticker, etc. She told me she would consider it and give me a call back.

The next day, she called back and said she would take $800 for it. "Eight hundred dollars?!" I said, "But I offered you $1000 for it!"

She said, "I know it, but I called my son-in-law and I don't think it is worth $1000, so I am asking $800."

I gladly took her up on the offer. I was now the proud owner of a dark blue Chevy cargo van. Not exactly what the Lord had shown me in the vision, but it would work.

Boy was I in for a surprise........

The surprise came when I pulled up to the ladies house to purchase the van. There, sitting next to her house was indeed a dark blue van. However, much to my surprise, it was not a Chevy like I thought, and like she had told me. I'll give you one guess as to what it was: It was a Ford! In fact, it looked exactly like the Ford van I saw in my vision, except for the fact that it was dark blue and not white. I started rejoicing! Imagine that, what a coincidence! Well, the Lord hadn't given me a white ford, but he HAD given me a blue one, and I would certainly settle for that!

I was excited beyond words as I took ownership of that van. I even had enough money left over to pay for tags and inspection sticker!

I traded out work with a graphics designer to design a logo and sign for the van. I was really excited. New business!!

My excitement faded a little however, when I went down to the sign shop to see about getting the sign made for the van. The sign man told me, sorry, but that dark metallic blue doesn't look good with anything! You need this thing WHITE!

Okay, so I needed it to be white. How was I going to do that? I checked on paint jobs, and they were over a thousand dollars! I was in another dilemma. I started praying about turning this dark metallic blue van into a pearly white one. How was I going to do it? I had very little money.

At least now I had a van, so I was able to haul my carpet cleaning equipment with it and making a little money. Everyone commented on how ugly it was though. Sigh. Oh how wretched it is to be in poverty! I still kept praying though.

A few days later, a man knocked on my door. I had a vehicle that I had decided not to repair the last time it had broken down and it was sitting behind my house waiting on me to haul it to the crusher.

The man wanted to know if I would sell it. He had access to everything needed to fix it. I told him I would take $200 for it.

The man thought for a few minutes then made me a proposal. He said he didn't have $200, so would I be willing to trade? I said "Sure, what do you have?" I was expecting tools, a bicycle, etc. He said he didn't really have anything to trade, but he was a car painter. If I bought the paint, he would be willing to turn that ugly blue van into a prettier color!

I had the money from a carpet cleaning job, so I went and purchased a pearl white paint. A few days later, I had a beautiful pearl white Ford cargo van! God provided to me exactly what He had shown me in the vision, but in a roundabout way where I could never have guessed how He would do it!

Does God Hear and Can He Provide?

In 2000, I had a new carpet cleaning business. The Lord had blessed me with work, but I had run out of jobs and there seemed to be none on the horizon. I prayed and asked the Lord to send me work. I specifically told the Lord that I wasn't just looking for a handout, but if He would send me work, I would believe that He gave me the ability to do it.

Right after this prayer, a young man that had done some work for me mentioned that I ought to stop by a Baptist church and see if they needed any carpets cleaned. I stopped by on the way home and walked in to give the secretary a card. The secretary told me that I was too late. "Too late?" I said, "Too late for what?” She said that in less than an hour all of the bids were due in. Bids? I didn't know anything about a bid!

I asked her if I could be included if I put in a bid in time. She said "Sure, but you don't have enough time to look at everything, this is a huge complex." I asked her to give me a young person that could literally run through the complex open doors for me, and I would give her a price before 4 P.M.. A young man was assigned to the task, and I literally ran through the entire complex, writing down the first price that came to my mind for every room and area he showed me. I got back to the secretary's desk out of breath but with a handwritten bid in hand, right at the 4 P.M. deadline.

Now, when I looked at this job, I was absolutely broke. I did not have the finances to do the job, but I trusted that if the Lord gave it to me, He would help me to do it. I was waiting for the phone call the next day from the church, hoping against hope. I did not know if I would be taken seriously in the bidding process since I wasn't really invited to bid on it, and also my company was new, not well established like the others that had bid on the job.

The day dragged on, and finally that afternoon the phone rang. I had won the bid! I was really excited! I told my wife that I was going to be getting up at 6 am the next morning to go to Jackson, MS to pick up the supplies and rent the equipment I needed to do the job.

The next morning at 7 am, my wife came into the living room where I was sitting and praying. She asked "Why haven't you gone to Jackson? I thought you were leaving at 6 A.M.?” I told her that I was ready at 6 A.M., but I couldn't leave yet. When she asked "Why?” I told her I had no money, and the van was out of gas. Also, I had no money to pay for the supplies or rent the equipment when I got to Jackson. She walked out of the room shaking her head, probably thinking I was crazy!

I continued to pray, and reminded the Lord of what I had prayed two days earlier when I had asked for Him to give me work, and when He gave me work, to also give me the ability to do the work. I was confident that if He had answered the first part of the prayer of giving the work, He would also answer the second part of the prayer by giving me the ability to do the work.

So there I sat, broke and penniless. The hounds of despair wanted to bay at my door, but I wasn't ready to give in to them. I'm sure my wife thought I was crazy, and if I had asked a business man's advice, I'm sure they would have agreed with her. The bills were all due and there was no money to pay them. What should I do? When you don't know what to do, pray, and then pray some more. So there I sat, and I kept on praying.

As I was sitting in the living room praying, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. I jumped up and answered, and there was a man who I knew that the Lord had used many times in the gifts of the Spirit. He told me that He was driving to work that morning, and the Lord had spoken to him and told him to bring me a $100. He argued with the Lord that I wouldn't be awake since I never was up before 8 A.M. most of the time, then finally He told the Lord that if my lights were on, He would stop and give me the money.

When he drove past my house, I had all the lights on in the front! I accepted the $100 he gave me, then got in the van and drove to the gas station and filled up. The Lord had given me the financing for the transportation, but I still needed another $1000 to pay for chemicals and equipment rental. I hit the road, continuing to pray as I went that the Lord would go before me and make a way for me to get what I needed to do the job.

When I got to Jackson, MS, I drove straight to the supply house that carried all of the chemicals and equipment I needed. I did not know the people at the supply house; I just knew that their store was the closest one that had everything I needed.

I walked into the store, introduced myself to the owner, and walked around figuring out what all I would need to do the job. After totaling an estimate up of everything that I needed, the owner asked about the job that I was doing. When I told him it was a church, he offered to let me take everything I needed and just pay him when I got paid! Wow! This man did not even know me at all! I was bowled over with how the Lord had provided.

I thanked him profusely, loaded my van to the gills with chemicals and equipment and headed home, rejoicing at how the Lord had provided.

When I got home, the Lord sent some young men asking for work and willing to wait to be paid until I got paid. I cleaned all the carpets in the church and stripped and waxed all of the floors in the whole complex. When I was done, they were so happy, they gave me a regular contract that lasted for several years!

It is wonderful to know that God DOES hear us when we cry out to Him! He delights in surprising us with the different ways He can come up with to provide for our needs. We only have to trust in him. Just like Peter walking on the water, each step we take He will make the water firm beneath us, step by step, as long as we have faith.

Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

A $275 Van

This is yet another story of God's provision. This was probably in 2001 or 2002. After losing everything, I had to buy another van for cleaning carpet. I purchased a worn out '78 model Chevy van with a worn out '78 truck mount carpet cleaning machine in 2001. I patched and patched on the machine and the van and limped through a year. I cleaned a tremendous amount of carpet that year with that old van and machine, but I knew it was just a matter of time before it died.

In 2002 or 2003 (I don't remember the year exactly), I started looking for another van, and I found a finance company that had repossessed a '89 Chevy with a nice looking body, but the transmission was out. The transmission shop wanted $1000 to rebuild it! I didn't get a price on the van. As soon as I found out how much the rebuild would be, I passed on it.

The same week, I was driving my old '78 along, and the transmission went out. I coasted to a stop in front of the only occupied house on that stretch, got out, and went to the door to see if I could borrow their phone. The man that came to the door said he was an unemployed transmission shop foreman. He offered to fix the transmission in my old '78 for $200!

I thought about it for a minute, and thought about how bad of shape that old van was in. I asked him if he would do the same for a '89 Chevy. He said, sure! He even offered to take me to the finance company I had seen the van at and tow it back if I made a deal.

We went to the finance company, and I talked to them about the van. They said they understood the transmission was expensive to fix, so how about if I gave them $75 for the van?! I gave it to them, the gentleman hauled the van back to his house, and another $200 later I had a van that was like brand new again!

What are the chances of buying a van in top shape for $275? It bowls me over the way the Lord does things a lot of the time! He also provided another truck mount carpet cleaning machine that went inside of that van, also at an unbelievable price.

One thing I didn't mention is the money. Even though it wasn't a lot of money, he also provided the money to purchase everything AT THE TIME I NEEDED IT, and not before. I didn't have that sitting in my checking account, but he provided it when I needed it.

God's ways are beyond comprehension! The way he orchestrates things is marvelous! Why panic when things appear to be going wrong? Don't you know that he knew it was going to happen before it happened? He already has a plan before you meet your disaster!

What is Your Pot of Oil?

In Feb. 2002 or 2003, I don't remember exactly which year, I was reading II Kings, the 4th chapter about the widow whose sons were about to be made bondmen to satisfy her debts. The story tells of the miracle where Elisha asked what she had in the house, and she said only a pot of oil. He told her to gather up all the vessels she could find, fill them from the little pot she had, and sell it to satisfy her debts, which she did.

After reading this passage of scripture, the question started pounding through my head, "What is your pot of oil?” The question stayed with me for two days, and I contemplated on what the Lord was trying to tell me. I asked the Lord if it meant there was some talent I had that He would bless to provide for our financial needs, or was there something I had that I could sell to satisfy the needs we had.

We were in severe financial straits, and I needed to purchase propane. Our propane tank was a 250 gallon tank, and over the last several months, I had used 100 gallons every 2-3 months. Each time, I had run out of propane and had to bleed the line when the tank was refilled. It had been 2 months since the last refill, and I was watching the tank drop: 5%,4%,3%,2%,1%. I started crying out to the Lord asking him to please give me some work to do so I would have the money to pay for the propane.

Our house was totally run on propane. We had a propane stove, hot water heater, central heat, and dryer. With six kids at home and no eating out, we kept the stove and the dryer going all the time, not to mention the hot water.

As I watched the tank drop to 0%, I remembered the passage I had read a few days earlier and the question the Lord had put in my mind, "What is your pot of oil?” It slowly began to dawn on me that my pot of oil was the propane in the tank!

I didn't say anything to anyone; I just quietly thanked the Lord and went on my way. We went through the remainder of Feb., then through March, April, May, June, and July. All through this time, we were still in financial straits, but the propane kept on flowing, and we kept on cooking, heating our water, and drying our clothes. August came, and I finally started getting a little bit of work. Towards the end of August, the propane was still flowing, and one morning I realized I had an extra twenty dollars in my pocket. I was finishing work after working all night, and I picked up the morning paper at 5 a.m.. There in the classifieds was a 20 gallon propane tank full of propane for $20! I felt something urge me to buy it, so when I finished working at 7 a.m., I called about it and was driving to pick it up when my wife called to tell me that the propane had just run out! I told her not to worry, God had already provided.

I brought the tank home, hooked it up, and it lasted about 3 weeks. This was in September. At the end of the three weeks, I had made enough money to refill the tank.

I believe that just like the Lord miraculously provided through a creative miracle then, God will also do the same in the times that are coming our way!

One Bag of Rice

The year following the propane miracle, we were faced with another crisis. Our house was owner financed, and we had done a handshake deal and wrote down the agreement on a sheet of paper, each of us keeping a copy of the agreement. After 1 1/2 yrs. - 2 yrs. of paying on the house, and remodeling the carport into an additional room, I lost my copy of the paper. When I called to get a copy, there was a long silence on the other end of the line, then he asked "What agreement are you talking about, you are just renting." I immediately knew we were in dire straits once again.

Our house we had fixed up went up for sale, and we had no money and no place to go. My business was feast or famine, and right at that moment we were in the famine mode literally. Work was slow, and on that Tuesday night, after we ate our meal, we only had one bag of rice, and it was full of weevils!

Even though I felt the desperateness of the situation at the moment, I also felt an excitement in my spirit. I gathered my wife and 6 children into the living room and explained to them the situation we were in. I then told my children that I was going to tell them stories of miracles that had happened in my life since I was a kid like them, to build their faith so that when God provided for us, they would be able to tell their children what God had done.

For two hours, I told one story after another of how God had provided for my family when I was a kid all the way to the present time. After I finished, we prayed and asked God to provide for our needs. I sent the kids to bed, but my oldest daughter asked me if she could stay up and clean the living room so that when the Lord sent someone to us the next day it would be clean. What faith! Of course I let her clean the living room.

The next day, we got up, picked the weevils out of the rice, and ate it. (My wife was fasting, but I’ve always kidded her that it was not entirely for religious purposes!) At noon, my oldest daughter was expectantly waiting for someone to come by when the mail man delivered the mail. She ran out to the mail box and came running to me with an envelope containing a business check! I opened it up, and it contained a check for $5,000!

Now where did this check come from? My company had cleaned several schools 1 1/2 years before, and on one of the schools, through the negligence of one of my employees, several classrooms got mold in the carpet. I was able to successfully abate it, but the school refused to pay the cleaning bill for the work we had done ($5,000). Out of the blue, with no warning, after I had given up all hope of ever getting paid, I received this check for $5,000 at the precise moment we needed it.

I firmly believe if my family had not stood in faith believing, we never would have received this heavenly provision. One time I was worshiping in church and I became angry with the Lord for all of the suffering I had gone through for nine years before he healed my back (another testimony!). The Lord spoke to me very clearly and firmly and said "I healed you at your point of faith, not at your point of need!"

Secret Sins

I remember one Sunday morning pulling up to church and getting out with my family. A dear friend who was used mightily by God in the Gifts of the Spirit came up to me and asked to speak with me privately for a moment.

He told me that there was a book I was reading that was going to destroy my marriage. I was mortified and shocked! I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I was reading such a book! I had bought the book secretly, and no one knew of it except perhaps the storekeeper I had bought it from!

He told me that if I continued reading the book, a spirit would come into my house and marriage and my marriage would be destroyed. I went home from church that day and destroyed the book. What we do in secret is no secret from God. Sometimes we think we are not hurting anyone else with a particular sin, so what difference will it make?

Satan likes to tempt us and hinder our walk with God. The bible says:

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us...

If we are weighted down, we can't run as fast or as far, and brothers and sisters, we have time coming that we need to be prepared for. We need to be equipped to fight. Sin creates holes in our armor that the devil can and will use against us.

Sin doesn't benefit us! God's ways are the best way! The devil tries to give us shortcuts, but his ways lead to death.

Throwing Out the TV

Several years ago we had a TV like all other "Normal" Americans. I was careful of what I watched and what I allowed my children to watch. I became hooked on certain shows, and as the shows went from totally clean to dirty, I was like a frog sitting in a pot with the heat being slowly turned up. I was addicted to the show and now that I "had" to watch the show, I didn't want to give it up just because of the bad parts.

I found myself sitting and watching TV with my kids and I would tell them "Hide your eyes......hide your eyes......hide your eyes" as something came on that I didn't want them to see.

One day after telling them to "hide your eyes", it suddenly occurred to me: Wasn't the thing I was telling them to "hide their eyes" from equally bad for me? Would I allow someone to come in my house and do the things that were occurring on the show? Would I want my children around this type of behavior?

I got really mad, jumped up, and snatched the TV. Out the door I went and I threw the TV into the backyard. I noticed an immediate benefit after all of the wailing of my children died down: My house was more peaceful, my children were gifted artists, my children's grades went up, and amazingly, I had more time!

Making Monuments in Your Life

Several years ago while in a church service, there was a young lady and her husband who had just received terrible news. They had only been married a year or two, and had not been able to have any children. The young lady went to the doctor and he found cyst all over her uterus. He told her sorry, but it would be impossible to have any children.

She and her husband came to church devastated, as was the whole church when the terrible news was told. She went to the front for prayer, and the whole church was lamenting and praying, mourning for the loss of her ability to have children.

I had quite the opposite reaction. I felt something leap inside of me, and I felt an overwhelming joy flow through me. Inside I was rejoicing for the healing that was going to take place, and I felt like I had to tell her not to despair. I told her that God was going to make this a monument in her life that she would forever look back to and say, "I know that God did this!”

Sure enough, just a short time later, she became pregnant and had a little boy. The next year she had another child!

If you are facing a "monumental" challenge or sickness in your life, don't despair! This very thing that looks like it will crush all of your hopes and dreams may be the very thing that God uses to give you strength for the times ahead!

The Power of a Testimony

I have found over the years that since I am not good at debate, people have often out argued me when discussing the things of the bible. I greatly dislike a heated debate, but I want to tell others about Jesus and persuade them to come to him.

One thing that I have found is that following my Christian values and sharing my testimonies is the most effective way to share the gospel to others.

I once had a lot of dealings with a businessman who was an atheist. Normally, if you are around me for more than a few minutes, I am going to end up saying something about the Lord, but this man was different.

Every time I was in his presence, I would feel a check in my spirit and could not share a single testimony with him or even say anything about God to him. I did not know the reason for this, and I prayed about it, but every time I saw him I could not talk about God.

For two years or more I had dealings with this man most weeks. Sometimes things didn't go right in our dealings, but I was always honest with him. If I made a mistake and the mistake was in his favor, I always owned up to it. He learned to fully trust me because I never lied to him like the rest of his associates.

After two years, suddenly one day I felt a release in my spirit to share all of the miracles God had done for me. I might as well have been talking to a stone wall. I definitely felt prompted by God to share my testimonies with him, but he never had a reaction, comment, or anything. He would just look at me and listen, then continue on the conversation as if I had never said anything. I honestly didn't know what to make of it, but I continued on like this for probably two more years.

One day I got a phone call and he asked me if I could stop by his house and meet his mother. This was unusual, but I agreed. When I arrived, for the next several hours he would tell me, "Jeff, tell my mother about how God kept your arm from frying in the fryer. Jeff, tell my mother about how God healed your back,” etc..

I was in shock! He remembered every single testimony I had told him! He told his mother that if I had told him about the miracles at first, he never would have believed me. Instead, I had proven over the first two years that I never lied, even when it would have benefitted me greatly to do so and I had little likelihood of getting caught lying. When I started testifying to him it left him in a quandary. He did not believe in God or in miracles, but now through my testimony he was faced with positive truth that miracles did happen.

This man became a believer in God. As of when I left Louisiana he still hadn't become a Christian, but only because he was wealthy and didn't feel like he could continue doing business the way he did and be a Christian too. I hope that he has made the decision to cross over that line, but because of testimonies, he now believes there is a God in heaven.

A Van for the Family

Several years ago, our kids had outgrown our four door Pontiac Bonneville, and they certainly didn't fit into my Ford Festiva or my carpet cleaning van. We couldn't hardly go anywhere as a family because we didn't fit! Six big kids plus my wife and I were crammed like sardines into that car.

One day my wife called, and the car was broke down. She got it home, but it had blown the head gaskets and jumped time at the same time. We didn't know what we were going to do for a vehicle. We had no money and no credit to buy another vehicle at that time. I prayed about it, and while in prayer, I suddenly felt like God was going to provide a vehicle for us.

I got in the Festiva with my wife and went down to the Ford dealership to the used car section. I looked through the vehicles and found a really nice Ford 12 passenger van with all of the options. It was a one owner vehicle in top shape. The salesman told me it was $5000. After test driving it, I told him I would be back at the end of the week to buy it.

My wife thought I was just a little crazy. Where could we get $5000? I felt that excitement rising in me. I just KNEW that the Lord was going to do it. Toward the end of the week, we got a letter in the mail. In the letter was a check for $10,000! My wife's uncle had died with no heirs, and she was given $10,000 from the estate! This was totally unexpected. I had no idea that God was going to give us this money when I went looking for a vehicle. I had no idea how God was going to provide, I just knew without a doubt that he was going to.

I don't quite know how to explain it, but this was not a case of "Name it, Claim it" like so many preach. It was more a prompting of the Spirit, a listening, and then stepping out in faith when I felt that prompting.

God Sent a Fireman

I was working a job just above minimum wage. My wife was sick, and I had 4 or 5 kids at the time. My car threw a rod, and even though I know how to repair cars, I could not afford the parts. I worked extra jobs to make money, but at the time I had my focus fixed on a long term solution to my money troubles. I used all of the money I made to build carpet cleaning equipment. In the long run, that was the answer to getting off of the bottom.

Anyway, after walking for a year, my boss owner financed a Chrysler New Yorker for $800. He took $100 per month out of my pay check. I was on cloud nine! Yahoo, a car again! I had wheels! I was free again!

Unfortunately, my elation was short lived. After staying late at a home school meeting, we drove home and pulled in the drive at midnight. Right before we got to the house, the car's engine started missing terribly. I backed the car into the driveway. When I turned off the key and opened the door, I saw flames! I grabbed all of my sleeping kids out of the car and ran them into the house.

I tried to pop the hood so I could smother the fire, but the hood jammed and wouldn't open. I could see gasoline boiling over the top of the carburetor onto the engine, and it looked like liquid fire as it spread across the engine. I ran next door to get a neighbor to call the fire department, but she wouldn't answer the door. I was praying, Lord Help Me, as I sprinted across my yard headed to the neighbor on the other side of me.

Right at that moment, a wrecker truck stopped on the road. I shouted to him "Do you have a fire extinguisher?” He told me he did. He got out of the truck, pulled out a large duffel bag and threw it on the ground. Then he started taking off his shoes. What in the world was this idiot doing taking off his shoes?! I thought to myself. I need a fire extinguisher, and he says he has one, so what in the world is he doing?!

He unzipped the duffel bag, and then stepped inside of it. This man's actions were getting stranger by the second! Suddenly, understanding dawned on me when he pulled up his fireman's suit and put on his coat! He was a fireman!

He ran across the street with his fire extinguisher and looked at the flames. He handed me the fire extinguisher and told me to just spray a little at a time on the gas line to keep it from blowing up the car by hitting the gas tank. I did as he told me, while he directed in the fire truck that he had already called for me. The car was a total loss. It burned out everything in the engine compartment and dash, but nothing else was harmed.

So what does the Lord send when you have a fire at midnight? A fireman of course! Anyone or no one could have been on that road that night, but the Lord specifically had a fireman be the first passerby. Not only that, that was before cell phones were popular, and this man had a radio that he was able to use to call the fire department.

A Battery in the Wilderness

I was on my way to church on a Wednesday night, and the alternator went out on my van. The van died right in the middle of nowhere. No houses, no traffic, about a 26 mile walk to the closest place, and my cell phone had no signal. I had the entire family in the van. We said a prayer, and then I got out and checked the battery terminals to see if they were loose. Nope, they were fine.

Right at that moment, a pickup truck pulled over and a man dressed in a cowboy hat jumped out and said, "What's wrong, your battery dead?" When I shook my head yes, he told me to pull my battery and he would give me another one. I pulled it out, and he reached in the back of his truck and pulled out a brand new battery! He said he had been carrying it around and I could have it for free! With that, he jumped in the truck and drove off.

I put in the battery, cranked up, and made it to church. What a blessing that was!

Well, 7 years later, I got to repay the debt I owed. I was driving the church van and found a man on the side of the road in the same predicament. I ran back to my house and got a new battery I had and gave it to him. He was dumbfounded that I would do that, but I owed a debt that had to be repaid.

God’s Daily Provision

We were living in a 3 room unfinished cabin 26 miles from town. The cabin had no running water, and minimal electrical inside. I ran a water line, but due to lack of money, I only ran one faucet inside the house. I built an outdoor shower from cedar post and old windows screwed together (I painted the windows so you couldn't see through them). I made a sawdust toilet from a five gallon bucket, and picked up several bags of sawdust at a friend's sawmill to use in it.

I had lost all the contracts in my cleaning business, and my business had virtually folded. At the time, I had been falsely accused of some things and my name was mud in the community and churches in our area. My wife and I didn't know what to do. We were afraid to let anyone know of how dire our circumstances were, afraid that we would lose our six kids.

Every day, we would go outside and pray, and ask the Lord to provide for our needs. I got a little bit of work here and there, but nothing reliable or steady. We often did not know where the next meal was going to come from or how we would pay the note on our land or our electric and water bill, but somehow, someway, the Lord came through every time we prayed. It might be a letter in the mail that included a little bit of cash, or someone might drop by, and give us a little bit. We never told anyone our circumstances and never asked for help, but God provided day by day.

After praying for food one day, I received a phone call from a Italian restaurant I had cleaned the carpets in, and they asked me if I might be willing to swap stripping and waxing their floors and keeping their carpets clean in exchange for food. They were very embarrassed to be asking since they were the nicest restaurant in town, but they had fallen on hard times. They would pay for the chemicals if I would just provide the equipment and labor. Look how the Lord provides! While I had no income, no money for groceries, God fed us from the nicest place in the whole area!

Also during this time, I was paying my car insurance as I could. I would pay it one month, it would cancel, and I would reinstate it and keep on paying. I did not realize that the state of Louisiana automatically fined me every time my insurance canceled! I had accumulated almost $2000 in fines, and my license was revoked. Once again, we took it to the Lord in prayer. While my wife and I were praying, a friend we hadn't seen in a long time came driving up in her pickup truck.

She said she was praying, and the Lord said we needed some money, and she had to ask around to find out where we were living so she could bring us some money! I believe she gave us $300, prayed with us, and left. We were rejoicing and shouting hallelujah! The next day, she came driving up again. She said she had gone back home and while bragging to the Lord in prayer about how good she had been by giving us $300, the Lord told her it wasn't enough. She then gave us $1000! We were really rejoicing then! It still wasn't enough to pay everything we needed to pay, but it was a long way in the right direction.

The very next day, our friend once again came driving down our driveway. She said she hoped we didn't mind, but once again the Lord had told her she still had not given enough. She gave us $2000 more! Hallelujah! We were able to pay off the fine and reinstate my license, pay our bills, and buy food.

Through this time we went through, every time we ran out of food, or needed gasoline, money to pay a particular bill, etc., my wife and I would go out and sit under a tree and pray, and God always miraculously provided, and always in an unexpected way. We experienced several miraculous healings during this time when we often didn't even have enough fuel to drive to the doctor, much less pay for a visit. We did not live in luxury, and we were not always comfortable (often no heat or air conditioning), but God provided everything that we needed. Sometimes I think the kids didn't even know we were on hard times.

I know that we have hard times coming our way, but the Lord will provide for our every need. There is no need to be afraid, He is a good Father and cares for us, and we only need to trust Him.

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

A Dislocated Thumb and a Rusty Nail

During our time living day by day through the Lord's provision, my wife and I were both hurt the same day. I was changing the fuel pump on our 1994 Ford van, which is located inside the fuel tank. I misjudged how much fuel was in the tank and how much all of that fuel weighed. When I removed the straps holding the fuel tank in place, the fuel tank dropped, catching my thumb as it went down. The force popped my right thumb out of joint and turned it around backwards.

I immediately cried "In the name of Jesus" and grabbed my thumb, twisted it back around, and popped it back in place. It immediately swelled up, and I wasn't able to use it. I finished putting the fuel pump in one handed. My wife went out to the outhouse/shower that evening, and in the dark she stepped on a board with a rusty nail sticking up. The nail went almost all the way through the center of her foot.

The next day we went to church, and there was an evangelist who preached on demonstrative praise. On Monday morning we got up and had to go to town. My wife had red streaks going up the side of her leg, and my thumb was still unusable. We had no health insurance or money, and I made my living with my hands, so we did not know what to do.

My wife said, "Why don't we try what the evangelist preached about last night and just praise the Lord for taking care of your thumb and my leg and foot?” We gathered all the kids into a circle and we joined hands. We started praising God, thanking Him for his daily provision, and thanking Him for healing us. As we praised Him, we began jumping up and down.

We went out and got in the van. As usual, I grabbed the steering wheel and pulled myself into the driver’s seat, when I suddenly realized my thumb had closed around the wheel and had almost completely stopped hurting! The healing was in a matter of moments! We rejoiced and praised God for what he had done.

The next morning when we got up, the red streaks were gone from my wife's foot, and she was able to walk on it again. How I love Doctor Jesus!

Going into Business with God and the Devil

After our Job trial, my business was completely wiped out and shuttered. If my name was on the business, people wouldn't do business with me. I didn't know what to do, and I had no money to work with, no credit. We were on rock bottom financially, but the one thing I did have was a very strong faith in God.

Note: I found through my trials that God was much more interested in building my character than in providing comfort for me.

I was working one day, subbing a carpet cleaning job under another company, cleaning an apartment. As I was cleaning, I was asking God for direction. God's spirit came over me like a warm blanket, and I fell to my knees in intense prayer for about 30 minutes. His spirit lifted, and I finished the carpet cleaning job.

As I left the job, finished for the day, I suddenly felt an urge to go to the financial aid office at the local university. I felt it was the Lord, so I did. After sitting down with financial aid counselors, I felt like that wasn't why the Lord had brought me there. As I walked out the door, a poster caught my eye that advertised apartments for rent. The apartments had several bedrooms and the tenants rented a bedroom, sharing the living room and kitchen.

As I looked at the poster, I realized I had cleaned the carpets when they were brand new before the complex opened. (Red Louisiana clay tracked in.) The question popped in my mind "Do the apartments have 4 bedrooms or 5 bedrooms?" I thought about it for a second, and I couldn't remember. Oh well, I told myself, what difference does it make? As I walked to my van, the question started pounding through my head "4 bedrooms or 5 bedrooms? 4 bedrooms or 5 bedrooms?" I thought I was going crazy.

I drove away, with the question still pounding through my head and me thinking that this is what it is like to actually go crazy! As I drove down the street, I looked over, and there were the apartments. I gritted my teeth, telling myself I may be the biggest fool there ever was, but I'm going to go in that manager's office and ask if there are 4 bedrooms or 5 bedrooms.

When I stepped into the manager’s office, feeling like the biggest fool on earth, suddenly the question left me, and in its place was the burning question, "Who is this man behind the desk, and what does he do?" I made small talk for a few minutes, not quite knowing how to approach the question, when suddenly the man looked at me strangely and said "You may think I'm weird, but somehow I feel like the Lord sent you in here for a reason. What do you do for a living?"

Through that conversation, I found out he had a small cleaning business. We formed a partnership, and our business we formed skyrocketed in a matter of months. In less than 6 months, we each had a monthly income between $3500-$5,000, working only 4 hours a day. Our business was running smoothly, the employees all trained and doing well.

At this point, the devil side of my partner showed up. Greed and laziness took over, and our business relationship deteriorated overnight. He became arrogant with our customers, losing an account that would have made us a fortune and almost costing us some of the ones we had.

My partner then began actively working to cut off money to me and force me out, so he would have sole control of the business. I could have dissolved the LLC we had formed, but the business would have been a total loss. I was in over my head, dealing with someone that had significant financial resources and I had none. I knew that God would make a way, but I didn't know what to do.

I started selling stuff that I had to survive and pay bills. While selling some sheet metal to a man, he casually asked me about what I did for a living. After a few questions, he started telling me everything that my partner had already done to me in trying to take over the business. I was shocked! How did he know my business partner?

He started laughing and told me, no, he didn't know my business partner, but he had spent the last 20 years on an airplane flying around the country as a small business consultant.

He offered to coach me for free, and through his tutelage over the next 1 1/2 months, I was able to block all of my partner's moves. After my partner felt like he couldn't force me out, he bought me out.

I was and am so grateful to the Lord for what He did! One year before that date, I had been completely broke, living primitively in a cabin in the woods with my wife and children, and now I had enough cash in my hand to move out of the area and start over again.

God sent the money we needed, He just had the devil deliver it!

My wife had always wanted to move back home to New Orleans, and it had often been assumed that if we moved from the area, that would be high on the list. When we sold the business, my wife was excited about moving back home. All at once, I became adamant that under no circumstance would we move there. She said "You always say that a hurricane will hit there. I lived most of my life there and never went through one."
I told her, "Yes, a hurricane will hit there one day, and it will wipe that place out, and we are not going to be there when it does." I didn't know how soon, but I knew it for a fact. I was like a rock that would not be budged on the issue.

My wife, being the good woman she is, submitted to my final decision, though under mild protest. That was in June 2005. In July 2005 we moved to central Texas, and in August 2005 Katrina hit New Orleans and devastated that city! God is so good! He hides us in the day of trouble if we will only listen to His promptings.

Joseph’s Note: If you have a message for Jeff, or his family, you can either post a comment to the blog, or send me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward it to him.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Rowing Backward into the Future

2011-12-31T14:15:00.001-05:00

Joseph Herrin (12-31-2011)

I have concluded that my vision is much better in hindsight than it is at gazing into the future. There is an interesting fact relating to how the ancient Hebrews understood the concept of time. To the Hebrews the future was depicted as behind a person’s back, while the past was in front of the person. This is because the past is known. The past is something we can see clearly, being open before our eyes. The future is unknown, as if hidden behind one’s back.

I believe the Hebrews had the right idea about time. Someone has likened the Hebrew concept of time to a man rowing a boat.

As one rows a boat they are facing backward while moving forward. This is the experience of mankind. If you had asked me a year ago what experiences 2011 would bring, I could not have told you. I did not know that I would spend 74 days of the year in jail. Neither did I foresee that on September 6th I would post an article titled “Why Does God Require Christians to Suffer?” or that a few hours after posting it I would be lying alongside the road with multiple fractures, having been struck by a car.

As I think of this, I am glad that I did not know what the year would bring. God has designed things this way. Christ told His disciples, “Take no thought for tomorrow. Sufficient for each day is the trouble thereof.” We are given just enough grace to walk in the moment. I can testify that as each event entered my life in 2011, whether facing a judge in a courtroom, being led in handcuffs off to jail, or experiencing multiple surgeries to repair fractured limbs, Yahweh’s grace was always sufficient. There was not a single event in the past year that was too much for me to walk through, and to do so in peace. I am reminded of the promise of God contained in Paul’s letter to the saints in Corinth.

I Corinthians 10:13
For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
[Amplified Bible]

This I can attest to be true. I have received all necessary aid from the Father to bear up under the trials of this past year patiently. I fully anticipate that the coming year will be no different. Yahweh has promised that He will not subject me to anything greater than my ability to bear. This includes temptations to sin, as well as trials. I need not be overmastered by anything. Yahweh’s grace is proffered to His saints. We need only to avail ourselves of it.

Although I do not know what the year 2012 will bring, there is much indication that it will be a year of difficulty for the nations. Financial systems continue to sink lower, teetering on collapse. Political turmoil has been rampant in 2011, particularly in the Middle East, and it looks to continue, and perhaps escalate. Each year recently has been filled with natural disasters; earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, droughts, and the like. No doubt this will continue for we are approaching the end of the age. The Lord is soon to appear (in His saints) and the earth must experience birth pangs.

I believe this year will see more Christians being led into experiences where they will be cast upon God for all their needs. Although some will turn to the arm of the flesh (government welfare programs, credit cards and other forms of debt, etc.) to deliver them, a remnant will know that Yahweh is calling them to look to Him alone for every necessary thing. Though their faith will be greatly tested, it will also be greatly rewarded.

II Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of Yahweh move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Psalms 34:15
The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.

As I look back over the past year I see clearly Yahweh’s faithfulness. I have not worked a single day this year at secular employment. I have continued to minister through writing as Yahweh has directed me. I began the year with no more money on hand than would supply my immediate need, yet like the widow’s cruse of oil and jar of meal, this supply has never run out. Yahweh continues to renew it.

On the first day of this year I moved into my converted bus (The Dreamer). Yahweh graciously supplied all material to outfit it, through the functioning of the body of Christ. I drove the bus to an RV park, and every month of this past year Yahweh has sent what was needed to pay the park fees, to supply me with groceries, and to meet every personal and ministry need. In an hour when millions are out of work, and have exhausted their unemployment benefits, I have found that there is no exhausting God’s supply.

Matthew 6:31-34
"Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?' or ‘What will we drink?' or ‘What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If we are seeking first the will of God (His kingdom), we need not worry about our daily supply. Yahweh has not promised to give us all the things our hearts might covet. If we are seeking those things, then we are not truly seeking first His kingdom. However, He has promised to meet all of our necessities, to provide us with food, and covering.

I Timothy 6:8
If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

I am more than content. I am joyful for the Father’s provision and care in my life. He truly has cared for my needs this past year. I am confident that 2012 will prove His faithfulness even more.

Brothers and sisters, undoubtedly many will find themselves without jobs, or employment income this year. There will be increases in food prices, and scarcity of supply for many. The news reveals that these things are of great concern to the world. Christ said that the Gentiles, that is to say “the nations,” “eagerly seek after these things.” They are greatly focused upon them. Their attention is arrested by the need to acquire daily provision. Many schemes, and much thought and effort, is evident among the people of the nations regarding the procuring of food and covering.

The attitude of Christ’s disciples should greatly contrast with that of the world. We should be without worry. Our attitude should be one of faith and rest. It is enough to let the Father know our needs, and then look expectantly to Him to meet them.

Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Yahshua.

For some years the Father has had me dependent upon Him for all of my needs. I know that He has not called all His sons and daughters to the same experience. He has not told all to quit their jobs and trust Him for daily provision. Yahweh has provided jobs and good employment to many. But experiences change.

Yahweh has told me that He has had me walk through many experiences as a pioneer and explorer, and He would use me as a guide to others He will lead down similar paths in coming days. I have heard from a number of saints who testify that God has told them they will soon be looking to Him for every necessary thing. As I look at my past experiences I can assure these ones that as they follow where Christ leads, they can rest in Him. He will provide for their needs.

Some have foolishly asked me on occasion, “Joseph, if we all quit our jobs like you did, then who would there be to send support?” Have you not read that God cared for 600,000 men, plus women and children and a mixed multitude, for forty years in the wilderness. They were in a closed system. They had only God to supply their needs. He sent them bread from heaven, and caused water to flow from the rocks. He sent a wind and caused quail to fall all around the camp.

Do you have faith that this is your God? He is the one who caused the widow’s cruse of oil and jar of grain to never run dry in a time of great famine. Elijah was fed by the Brook Cherith as ravens were instructed by God to bring him his daily bread. Christ fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Another time He fed 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and some fish. We serve a God who can put a coin in a fish’s mouth to pay the Temple tax, and who turns pitchers of water into fine wine.

There was once a widow of a prophet who was in desperate need. She and her children were about to be sold into slavery to pay off a debt. Elisha instructed her to gather as many empty vessels as she could find, and to take the little oil she had in a container and pour it into the empty vessels. She was told to gather many jars. This she did. When she began pouring oil into the jars it continued to flow. When there were no more vessels left, the flow of oil stopped. She returned to Elisha and he told her to sell the oil to pay her debt and to live off of the remainder. This it the God I serve. His arm is not shortened where it cannot save.

When people ask me “What would happen if we all quit our jobs like you did?” they need to consider how I quit my job. I did not leave work of my own initiative. Yahweh instructed me to do so. When we are following Him in obedience, God will be the guarantor of every need.

In the days ahead, others will be directed to leave jobs and look to God for their provision. Some will have the experience thrust upon them as businesses fail and new jobs are not to be found. No matter how God leads His saints into such experiences, He will prove Himself faithful to those who trust in Him. Don’t be presumptuous and foolishly put God to the test, but neither should you hesitate to follow where He leads. Above all things, Yahweh is faithful. He has promised to never abandon nor forsake His sons and daughters.

On a personal level, I have much anticipation for the year ahead. I have often shared that vehicles represent ministries. The bus Yahweh provided for me has an identification plate that says “Body by Carpenter.” The bus was manufactured in 1972. It will be forty years old in 2012. Forty is a very significant number. It is closely related to wilderness experiences, and to the life of Moses.

Moses’ life is divided into three forty year periods. The first forty years Moses lived as the privileged son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He had the best education, and all that the greatest nation on earth could provide. At the age of forty his heart turned to his kinsman, and he longed to deliver them. He slew a single Egyptian and then fled for his life.

For the next forty years Moses dwelt in the wilderness. His life was as humble as it had once been grand. He tended the sheep of his father-in-law. Instead of the bounty of the Nile River delta, he experienced the barrenness of the wilderness.

When Moses was eighty years old, Yahweh appeared to him in the burning bush. He revealed to Moses that he was God’s chosen instrument to deliver His people from bondage in Egypt, and to guide them to the land of their inheritance. For the last forty years of Moses’ life, he led the people of God through the wilderness. Moses had spent forty years being humbled of God in the wilderness, and now he would serve as a guide as Yahweh led a much larger group through similar experiences.

Deuteronomy 8:2-5
“You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that Yahweh your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.”

I believe these words reveal a pattern for the days ahead. Many are about to be led through wilderness places. Yahweh will humble them, and test them, revealing what is in the heart. He will care for them, and keep them in these wilderness experiences. There will be occasions when He lets them know hunger and thirst, or some form of lack to prove whether obedience to Yahweh is more important than their natural appetites and human fears. Those who continue in faith will be made ready to enter into their inheritance in Christ.

With my bus turning forty this year, is the Father indicating that the ministry of guiding and encouraging His people in the wilderness is at hand? Is it time to take the “Body by Carpenter” and fashion it into a fit habitation?

II Corinthians 6:16
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

I cannot say with certainty what 2012 will bring. The future is behind me. (Yes, you read that right.) At the end of 2012 I will be able to tell you with much greater assurance what the year holds. The past will then be before my eyes.

End Note: Thank you for all those who have written words of encouragement and have assured me of their prayers regarding the revision of the book Sarah’s Children. The outpouring of encouragement has been abundant. I broke through the impasse yesterday, and I am now making good progress in writing. I was led to begin again anew. Rather than being a revision, it will be a completely new book. I believe that which comes forth will be to the glory of God and the edification of His saints.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

The Jezebel Spirit

2011-12-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

Joseph Herrin (12-30-2011)

II Kings 9:30
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window.

I want to share somewhat further regarding yesterday’s post where I spoke of facing much resistance and oppression while trying to revise the book Sarah’s Children. I appreciate those saints who wrote words of encouragement, and those who are praying for me. A number of people have written with words of exhortation. It has become evident to me that I was not clear in making known what it is that is hindering my writing on this subject. In truth, I did not see the matter clearly myself until after further reflection today. I am confident that the prayers of the saints are accountable for this clarity.

Of all the topics I have taught upon, there has been none that has been met with greater resistance than the subject of godly womanhood. Back in 1999 the Father made it known to me that I was to follow Christ down an afflicted path. He directed me to leave my job as a computer manager at a local hospital and to begin a ministry of writing and teaching. He said I was to follow wherever He led, and to trust Him for the care and provision of my family.

As I mentioned in a recent post, this walk was difficult for my entire family. The way of the cross is not easy. My wife had many fears, and her struggles were exacerbated by ministers and their wives in the church we attended who were under the influence of a strong matriarchal spirit. The head minister invited each of the minister’s wives to attend pastoral meetings. At the time, such an occurrence was very rare. All of the women were very reserved, and spoke little, except for the head minister’s wife. She was very brazen, and would even get up in the men’s faces and tell them what they were doing wrong. This woman had very short hair, and dressed in men’s clothing, and had a very outspoken manner. This contrasts greatly with the pattern God has set before Godly women in the Bible.

I Peter 3:1-6
In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

The ministers and their wives, knowing that my wife was struggling with following me down the path I was called to walk, being frightened by many fears, told us that it was wrong for me to make any decisions that affected my wife without her being in agreement. They said marriage was a democracy and all decisions were to be shared equally. This counsel came primarily from the head pastor and his wife. I was told that I could not follow where Christ was leading me apart from my wife’s agreement.

I shared with these ministers and their wives what the Bible teaches, that Christ is the head of man, and I had to follow Christ’s leading.

I Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

If I was held captive to my wife’s will, then I had two heads. If Christ’s counsel conflicted with the will of my wife I would be forced to choose one over the other. In effect, to follow the counsel of these ministers and their wives I would have to place my wife in a higher position than Christ, for my wife would ultimately determine whether I could do what the Spirit was directing me to do.

I knew the counsel being given by these men and women was un-Biblical, and contrary to the governmental order of Yahweh.

Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

I Timothy 2:12-13
And I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence.

I spoke openly with the ministers about these things, but they would not be persuaded. They encouraged my wife to speak forth her opposition to me, and emboldened her to manifest resistance to my leadership in the home. Things eventually came to a head, and the ministers asked to meet with me one morning after church. The Father spoke to me and said I would be put out of the body by these ministers, and that I was not to resist it. It was His way of bringing me out of Babylon. That same week I had received a pre-release copy of a book by Charles Newbold titled The Harlot Church System.

The sub-heading of this book cover says, “Come out of her, My people.” This is a quotation from Revelation 18:4. The Father used this book, which arrived unannounced in my mailbox, to indicate to me what was coming. I would be put out of the church by my fellow ministers, but the Father would use this event to bring me out from Babylon.

That final meeting was very difficult. The ministers asked me if I would recant my position, and adopt theirs. I explained to them patiently that I could no in good conscience do so, and shared again the Scriptures with them. After I had spoken, for the next hour, the four ministers and the head pastor’s wife, excoriated me. At one point, the head pastor’s wife jumped up from her seat and stood right in front of me. She pointed her finger in my face and said, “You think your words are prophetic, but I tell you they are pathetic!” The ministers then all gave their judgment that they could not continue in ministry with me.

In the years since, I have had repeated run-ins with this matriarchal spirit. When I wrote the book Sarah’s Children in 2002 I had a great deal of hateful correspondence, and many dropped off of my mailing list. Even men wrote to tell me that I was wrong, offering various reproaches. No one, it seemed, wanted to confront this spirit, or teach the crucified life of the disciples of Christ.

The world walks in support of this spirit. It is especially prevalent in Western nations, and so-called Christian nations. I feel the oppression of this spirit whenever I teach on this subject. On two different occasions in 2010 as I traveled across the country, the Spirit revealed to me a domineering female spirit in the home. In one place I asked the host couple for permission to teach on the subject, and they permitted me. Two women who had previously been excited and eager about the things I taught were in attendance. They both were greatly offended, and have not had any communication with me since.

In another home, I was led to speak to the host couple privately regarding what I was perceiving in their home. I shared with the woman that she needed to relinquish the leadership of her family, and the husband needed to step up into that role. The man was very passive when I spoke with them, and the woman very vocal and extremely emotional. After a while I could see that no progress could be made, so I prayed with them. The woman was eager and excited when she contacted me to arrange the meetings in her home, but has not spoken with me since.

In the intervening years since 1999 I have encountered frequent and fervent resistance on this subject. My wife divorced me, being encouraged by a wealthy Christian woman from another church to not walk with me down an afflicted path of God’s choosing. I have been reproached in the courts, and put in jail twice over this same issue. I have found that everywhere, the message of Biblical womanhood is rejected, and the Jezebel spirit is supported both by the weight of societal opinion, by the laws of the state and nation, and by the practices of the churches.

When I have recently sat down to write on this subject, I have sensed the oppression from spiritual forces of wickedness. These forces have made known that the message is unwelcome, being rejected even by the majority in the churches, and the many things I have suffered at the hands of this spirit sit as a threatening menace seeking to influence my mind and drive me into silence.

The battle between this spirit and the ministers of God is shown forth in the history of Elijah’s encounter with Jezebel. This spirit is unusual in its power to intimidate even the most godly and courageous of Yahweh’s servants. Jezebel could hear of God's miracle of sending fire from heaven, consuming the altar, the sacrifice, and the water; she could hear of the prophets of Baal and Asherah slain by the hundreds, and with absolute brazenness be un-cowed and speak reviling words and threats against God's chosen minister. Elijah had never backed up before. He had never shrank from a fight. But before this spirit he was daunted. Responding to Jezebel’s threats, this great prophet’s arms hung down weakly, he had no will left to fight. He fled in discouragement to the wilderness and sat down under a tree to die.

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

The Jezebel spirit seeks to cast the righteous works of Yahweh’s servants into a dark light. It calls good evil, and evil good. This spirit is intractable. It will not submit, but seeks to make the spiritual man to submit to it. This spirit can shake even the most devoted servants of God. Jezebel waged war against the prophets of God, and slew many. Elijah knew this and was intimidated.

I Kings 18:4
Jezebel destroyed the prophets of Yahweh...

Yahweh appeared to His chosen prophet, Elijah, and sought to strengthen him. However, He did not ask Elijah to face this intimidating foe again. Instead, Elijah was instructed to anoint another man who would face this spirit and conquer it. This man was Jehu. Jehu was exceedingly bold, and he was zealous to perform the will of God. Jehu did not run from Jezebel, but sought her out. He found her in a high tower, which is a parable revealing the manner in which the Jezebel spirit seeks to elevate itself over others, rather than to submit, or to take a low and humble position of service. Yet, the very transgression of elevating herself became the instrument of her death. Jehu ordered any who were in the tower with her who were on his side to cast her down.

II Kings 9:32-33
And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down.

Jezebel Cast Down

It is significant that it was eunuchs who cast Jezebel down. Those men who are attracted sexually to this spirit in a woman (or in the church) will not lift up a hand against it. Some men find a dominant feminine spirit to be seductive, even attractive, but it is repugnant to the Spirit of God for it is a spirit of pride and self-exaltation. Yahweh will cast down the proud, but He honors those of a humble and contrite spirit.

In writing this book there are spiritual forces I am coming up against. It has been difficult to make headway. The enemy would discourage with ignoble thoughts and suggestions. He says, “No one wants to hear this message anyway. Why trouble yourself? Why expose yourself again to enmity and reproach and even threats?” Some have written to me suggesting that my writing on this subject is not the will of God. I invite all who offer counsel to consider carefully whether they have apprehended the mind of Christ lest they be found to offer discouragement to Christ's ministers when they should be praying for them to be strengthened.

Some time back I became aware that there is even a website called Jezebel that has posted a mocking and scathing article about me. They did this after I posted a prophetic word relating to the Gulf oil spill and the spirit of abortion in Houston and in the church.

http://jezebel.com/josephherrin

When Jezebel begins to attack the ministers of God, the result can unintentionally confirm that the man is on the right track. A man is known by his enemies, as well as his friends. If I must have enemies, let it be Jezebel, the enemy of all that is pleasing to the Father.

Revelation 2:20
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray...”

Yahshua would not have the church to even “tolerate” Jezebel. Many have gone much further than this. They have committed acts of adultery with her.

Revelation 2:22
“Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.”

It is my heart’s desire to speak forth truth, and not be daunted by any threat. Although the majority will never receive the words of truth, there is a small remnant who will. I ask once again of those who are willing to please pray for me as I set my face to complete this task. There are real adversaries, both in the natural and spiritual realms. I can sense the oppression, but God has given us a promise.

Isaiah 59:19
When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh will lift up a standard against him.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Wrestling

2011-12-28T17:02:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have experienced much spiritual wrestling of late.I have sat down to continue writing on the current book revision day after day, but have come up against a wall. I believe this is largely due to the great spiritual resistance there is to the message being set forth.

I am reminded of times when I taught classes at a technical college. Occasionally I would have a class composed of students that did not want to learn. They took the course I was teaching because they needed the credit to complete their degree program, but had no real interest in the lesson. These students were clock watchers. They were always wanting to be let out of class early. Teaching such a class was akin to wading through wet sand. There was continual resistance as if the lesson had to be be pushed forth with great effort. At the end of the night I would feel depleted, exhausted.

I ask those who have found truth and encouragement in those things posted to this blog to pray that the impasse might be broken. Your prayers are greatly needed.

I am sharing here two prophetic words that were sent to me recently by a sister in Christ. These words were spoken by Glynda Lomax, and I believe the Spirit of Christ is speaking through them.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Time Has Come to Promote My People

I was in my evening prayer time before going to bed and I began feeling anticipation in my spirit, when the Lord began to speak this word to me.

A time of promotions has come. The time has come to promote My people who have walked in My ways. Those who have truly laid down all to serve Me will now see clearly My hand of blessing upon their lives. Those around you shall also see it and know it is My hand.

Much difficulty lies ahead in the coming year, My children. Difficulties of many kinds are approaching, a time like none you have seen before. A time of great difficulty when many shall not know where to turn for help or hope.

You are My voice in the earth, My little ones, and I desire you would speak My love and mercy and hope to those who shall be afflicted in what is soon to come.

Arm yourselves. Arm yourselves with My word and My wisdom. Know it well for it shall benefit not only you but all those around you as well. Do not fear what is coming, but stand ready to do all I have called you to do. Know you are My chosen for this time and be glad, My children. Be very glad for great is your honor in heaven and great shall be your reward.

Some of you have felt the changes taking place in the unseen realm. Much is being readied in preparation for the battle soon to come. Angelic beings surround My people on the earth ready to carry out My commands. The enemy also has forces ready in an attempt to stop the work of My kingdom, but he shall not succeed. Prepare for battle, My children. Prepare well for the battle soon to come.

I shall raise up some among you to be great leaders in this time. They shall seem to come out of nowhere for I have kept them hidden for such a time as this. I have prepared them well and made them strong and mighty in battle. They shall not be moved by what they see or what they feel, but only by their Master's voice calling to them.

The year that lies ahead will be difficult for many but it shall be a joyous one for many of My children who have walked in obedience to Me, for now they shall begin to see the rewards of their much obedience.

Psalm 75:6-7: For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. (7) But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Jude 1:2: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Matthew 20:16: So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Zechariah 10:5: And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.

Posted by Glynda Lomax at 9:00 PM http://wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Which Is More Important?

Times are coming soon when you will not understand what is happening or why certain things are taking place in the world, My people. Some of you have decided in your minds how the end of days shall play out but you are mistaken. There are things coming you know not of that will confuse you. No man knows the day or the hour. He also does not know My whole plan for I did not reveal every detail to you in My word.

To those who are watching and praying continually for Me, it will not matter. You await My Son's return with great joy and you have learned to be abased or abound in your present state and so you are happy either way, and this I desire.

I desire you would be about my work and loving My people each day. I desire you would be increasing the unity among you each day. I desire you would be learning more about My word and My ways and avoiding the evil one each day, for these things are more needful than your trying to guess the day of My Son's return. Sufficient for each day is the evil thereof.

Do you not see the lost are dying every day? Do you not know how My heart grieves for them when this happens and My people are busy talking about My return when I have pleaded with them to spend time in prayer for the lost?

Which is more important? When I will return or what I will find upon My return?

Luke 21:36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Psalm 133:1: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Matthew 6:34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Posted by Glynda Lomax at 2:03 AM 3 comments http://wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com/

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:

Joseph Herrin

P.O. Box 804

Montezuma, GA 31063

Woman, the Glory of Man - The Honored Servant

2011-12-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

The Honored Servant

The role of the woman in bringing forth One who would save mankind was foretold by God immediately after man fell into sin. When Yahweh pronounced the curse upon the serpent, He said:

Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

It is interesting to note that God speaks in this verse of the woman’s seed. Yahweh does not say that Adam’s seed will bruise the serpent’s head. A woman, however, does not produce seed. She receives the seed from another. The Savior must come from holy, divine seed, implanted in a virgin womb. The woman became man’s helper by bringing the Savior into the world, breaking Satan’s hold on man. Through the seed of the woman, God and man were reconciled.

The role of bringing forth life is so central to the woman’s purpose that Adam named his wife Eve. The name Eve means “life spring.” As important as the role of childbearing has proven to be, bringing forth the Savior, and continuing the life of Adam, there is much more included in the idea of woman being man’s helper.

After the man and woman transgressed in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh spoke to them indicating what life would be like for them going forward. The man was consigned to a life of toil. He was driven out of the garden where he had been able to eat freely from the trees there, and he was told that he would now have to eat that which grew in the fields. The earth would no longer bring forth an abundance with ease, and there would be thorns and thistles to make his labor increase. By the sweat of his brow man would have to work until he returned to the dust from which he came.

To the woman God spoke the following:

Genesis 3:16
"I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

There are many today who would overturn the meaning of these words. I have had numerous women tell me that God was simply warning the woman that man would try to rule her, but that it was not really Yahweh’s will for the man to do so. Some have argued that these words are part of the curse, and a curse is something that should not be embraced. With such reasoning many women have adopted an attitude of pride and rebellion. Oftentimes I have heard such ones proclaim that they will not become a doormat for the feet of man. These women do not realize what it is they speak, nor how displeasing their attitude is to the Father.

A doormat is a lowly instrument for cleaning the feet. Did not Christ wash His disciples’ feet, setting before them an example of service to one another? If the Son of God was humble enough to fulfill the role of a doormat, to wash others feet, then how can any man or woman who aspires to godliness refuse that service Yahweh calls them to?

Yahweh has given us examples of many godly women in the Scriptures. He has set these women up as examples to be emulated by Christian women today. One such woman is Sarah.

I Peter 3:5-6
For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

Yahweh told Eve that her husband would rule over her. Sarah called Abraham “Lord.” Sarah is set before all women as a pattern of godliness. Sarah did not reason in her heart that she would not make herself a servant to her husband. Sarah obeyed Abraham. She honored her husband by calling Abraham “lord,” while submitting to him.

Because the narrative of Abraham’s life focuses primarily upon himself, I think that few today consider Sarah’s struggles. Yahweh appeared to Abraham and commanded him to leave his father’s home, his family, and all that was familiar behind.

Genesis 12:1-5
Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you...” So Abram went forth as Yahweh had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

When Yahweh calls a man to some act of obedience, everyone around the man is affected. The closer the person is in relation to the man, the greater the effect is felt. There was no one closer to Abraham than his wife. Everything Abraham did greatly impacted Sarah. When Abraham heeded the command of Yahweh, and uprooted himself from his father’s house, Sarah was cast into the unknown along with her husband.

Undoubtedly there were fears in Sarah at that time. She would reasonably have asked of her husband “Where are we going?” He could tell her no more than that they were traveling to a land none of them had ever seen. There would be dangers along the way. They were few in number and there were strange lands and foreign people whose territories they would have to pass through. When they arrived at their destination they were not to find some safe fortress to make their home, they would dwell in tents as aliens and strangers in the land.

The fears and objections within the heart of Sarah must have been many, but we do not read of Sarah offering any resistance to the path her husband took. Twice in their sojourning in foreign lands Abraham asked his wife to say she was his sister. Sarah was beautiful, and Abraham feared the men of the land would kill him to take her for themselves. There was no protest in Sarah when Abraham requested this of her. She yielded obediently, acting to protect the life of her husband. To obey Abraham, fears had to be overcome, her own desires and concerns set aside.

There are many fears that assault women. This has ever been the case. Women are rightly concerned that their husbands might make some mistake that will result in harm to themselves or their families. Yet, the godly woman will show honor to the husband, not being ruled by these fears. This is Peter’s message when he states to the women of the church, “You have become [Sarah’s] children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” It is right in the sight of God for the woman to be subject to her husband, to honor and obey him.

Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

These words reveal that the will of Yahweh for the woman has not changed in the past six thousand years. The same thing God spoke to Eve in the Garden is being spoken by the Holy Spirit today. The woman is to subject herself to the rule of man.

Adopting a servile role before man appears as an evil thing to many women, even those who are Christians. The rebellion and pride of this fallen world system has infected all mankind. Those who are truly disciples of Christ, following the pattern of His life, are a mere remnant in the earth.

What God requires of the woman is not unique to her. Everything in the creation is under authority. There is a realm of service, subjection, and obedience, appointed to every created being. The apostle Paul shows us the pattern in his letter to the Christians in Corinth.

I Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Not even Christ lived to please Himself. He lived to do the will of the Father. He shows us by His example what perfection looks like. Yahshua has revealed by His actions and words what is pleasing to the Father.

John 4:31-35
In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Yahshua said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

John 6:38
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

In the life of Christ we see the example of one who was a perfect servant. Christ understood God’s purpose for Him, being content to have the Father rule over Him. Even when the will of God led to great suffering, Christ did not shrink back. He always remembered that it was His place to serve the Father. Christ had taken the Father as His head, and He would not be frightened by any fear, nor turned aside by any selfish motive. Christ refused to put self on the throne, to become His own head, His own authority and source of rule. Yahshua is our pattern man.

Christ’s greatest wrestling came in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that His soul was crushed unto death that He might do the Father’s will and not follow His own soul’s desires.

Matthew 26:37-39
And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."

Here is the perfect servant. Yahweh has called the man and woman to manifest this same servant spirit. To His disciples Christ delivered a potent message just before His crucifixion.

John 13:12-17
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

One day all will stand before God in judgment. It will be a remnant who hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Yahweh will honor none as faithful servants who did not manifest a servant’s heart. Those who sought their own will, who refused to humble themselves and honor those Yahweh placed in authority over them, will not be met with pleasure. Shame and dishonor will be their portion. There will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth as great multitudes realize too late that they spurned that opportunity they had been given to walk humbly and contritely before God and man.

There was a woman many years ago who was most remarkable in the attitude she displayed. Although this woman was the wife of a very wealthy man, and had servants of her own, she never lost the sense of her own call to serve. This woman’s name was Abigail, and David made her his wife.

I Samuel 25:39-42
Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants." Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

Like Sarah with Abraham, Abigail referred to David as “lord.” This was before David had been made king. Abigail’s honor toward David was not due to his position as ruler over Israel; it was an acknowledgment of Yahweh’s design that the husband rule over the wife. Abigail referred to herself as “your maidservant.” Do not the words “maid” and “servant” evoke thoughts of lowliness and servitude? Today, such titles and positions are spurned and met with derision.

Abigail manifested a humility that Yahweh could honor. Her name, her actions, and her words, have been preserved for thousands of years. It was the Spirit of Yahweh that inspired holy men of old to record the words of Scripture. The story of Abigail’s life has been read by millions. The testimony given is that here is one whom God will honor. Here is that rare woman who will freely make herself a servant to others.

Abigail had no objection to performing the role of a doormat. She said, “Behold your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” When teaching those gathered to Him, Christ declared:

Matthew 23:11-12
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

What does it mean to exalt oneself? Was this not the error of Satan when he despised the role God had given to him, desiring instead to be like God? We exalt ourselves when we choose a role higher than the one God has given to us. When a man seeks to follow his own counsel, rather than being led by the Spirit of Christ in all things, he is exalting himself. He is taking to himself the headship role that belongs to Christ. Such a man is a usurper.

It is not hard to see that the woman who seeks to rule her own life is also exalting herself. The woman was created for man. Yahweh said to the woman that man would rule over her. To cast off the headship of man is an act of pride and rebellion, and Yahweh has promised to humble such ones.

The pattern of God established throughout the creation is that humility must always precede honor (Proverbs 15:33, 18:12). Yahweh has established a governmental order among the creation that gives everyone an opportunity to humble themselves. Christ humbled Himself before the Father, even to the point of death. Man must humble himself before Christ. The woman must humble herself before man.

When Yahweh finds one who has proven themself faithful in the role of a servant, He will bestow honor and glory on that one. The reward of God is seldom seen in this present life. It is for the coming ages.

Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

God will judge with fairness. He is no respecter of persons. Every man and woman will reap according to what they have sown. If you are a woman, I do not doubt that God will esteem the very things the holy apostles said were characteristic of those widows who were to be considered worthy of honor; “having been the wife of a man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.”

Inescapable in these words is the call to servanthood.

Philippians 2:5-7
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Yahshua, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant...

In the kingdom of God it is the branches that bend lowest that bear the most fruit.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063