The Islands of the Sea

Joseph Herrin (10-18-09)

Note: A search box has been added to the Parables Blog. It will search all posts on both the Parables Blog and the Heart4God website where my books and other teachings are posted. I also added a graphic that displays my e-mail address. I have not posted it as text to avoid it being captured by automated programs that scan the Internet for e-mail addresses to add to mailing lists. I hope these additions will be helpful to those who read these posts.

Isaiah 11:11
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover the second time with His hand
The remnant of His people, who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea.

Yahweh has ordered my steps so that I find myself once again camping on Jekyll Island, Georgia. It has been an eventful stay thus far, with many things to ponder. I thought I would share with you some pictures and thoughts from this season of camping.

I arrived on October 1st and paid for a month. The campground posts the last day paid through on some cards. One goes on a post at the campsite, and the other is to be hung from the rearview mirror of the camper’s vehicle. My last paid day is 11-1. As I view the card from inside my van it looks like it reads 1-11. Either way, the number 111 comes to mind. I have shared the significance of this number much in past posts.

The United States Congress is currently in its 111th session. Each congressional session lasts two years, and the present one covers the years 2009-2010. Recently, Congress also confirmed Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th Supreme Court Justice to sit on the nation’s highest court.

Last year, at the same time that Hurricane Ike (diminutive of Isaac) was battering Galveston Island and the Houston area, a calamitous train wreck occurred in California. Metrolink 111 had departed UNION Station on Los Angeles, and crashed full speed into a UNION Pacific freight train. I have understood this to be a prophetic foretelling of the disintegration of the UNION of America during its 111th Congress.

The Father continues to place this number 111 before me in very significant ways, including this sign hanging from my van’s mirror. My van is an Xplorer Model 222. Each Congressional session lasts two years. Therefore, the 111th Congress will conclude 222 years of American government.

It is not coincidental that my friend, and brother in Christ, Randy Simmons, who is also camping with me, was directed of the Lord to purchase a motorhome some months back. After purchasing it, and bringing it home to work on, he noted on a plaque on the side of the unit that it is a Model 111. Randy also has a card hanging from the rearview mirror of his pick-up truck that has our campsite date, 11-1, written on it.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the first night Randy arrived (October 2nd), we sat outside and listened to a TruNews broadcast in which Augusto Perez shared how the Father had spoken to him in a powerful way through the Scripture passage found in Ezekiel 12:20-28. The passage speaks of the judgment of Yahweh no longer delaying, but being fulfilled without further delay.

As you can imagine, thoughts of those things to come have been upon our minds a great deal while camping. About a week into our stay there was rain forecast to arrive, and Randy is camping in a large tent while I am camping in a pop-up tent trailer. Within a period of about fifteen minutes, two men from campsites on different sides of us came over to speak to Randy. They told him that when it rained hard the water would flow right through the spot that Randy’s tent was pitched at. They suggested to him that he may want to get anything in his tent that could be damaged by water up off of the ground.

Randy is careful to ponder those things that happen in his life, and he told me that he sensed that the Lord was giving a warning, not just of a rain storm to come, but of judgment to come to the nation, and that it was time to get one’s house in order. It only sprinkled lightly that night, so there was no flooding problem.

A few days later, rain was once more forecast, but it had not materialized. Randy had just gotten back from running his dog on the beach when he said that he was going to ride his bike down to the fishing pier which is about a mile from our campsite. It was right at dusk, and it struck me as very unusual for Randy, to go out again right after he had returned.

It was only a short time later that he returned. He said that when he got to the fishing pier that he looked across the Sound toward the mainland and he could see a large thunderstorm approaching. He said it was black from the sky to the ground as if it were raining in heavy sheets. People were leaving the pier, and he turned around and came back to camp.

Randy and I placed a tarp over the tent he was in to further waterproof it, and we thought of what we might do to channel the water away from his tent. Randy had seen a long piece of tin earlier, and we decided to use it to build a dam to divert the water around his tent. You can see it positioned to do this in the picture below.












(Click on image for larger picture)

We had about thirty minutes to make preparations before the storm hit. The dam we built helped significantly, and Randy’s tent stayed dry inside. It is a new tent and it is advertised as having a “bathtub bottom” that is supposed to keep water out. It worked as advertised, and although water ran under the tent in places, actually causing the bottom of the tent to ripple as if it was floating, the inside remained dry.

I was less fortunate with the pop-up camper. The awning ended up collapsing under a great weight of water, for a great deluge came down when the storm hit us. Following are some pictures taken just after the storm.












Looking out my door at the collapsed awning.
(Click on image for larger picture)












Broken support poles.
(Click on image for larger picture)

I ended up going to the hardware store and purchasing some heavier metal poles to replace the flimsy ones that came with the pop-up. Randy commented that the storms that we weather end up making us stronger.

Randy and I both felt strongly that the Lord had a message in this event. It was the Spirit that directed Randy to go to the pier in time to see the storm approaching. This speaks of the Father giving His children a warning of that which is approaching. He does so that His people might make themselves ready. Whether this is getting your spiritual, or physical house in order, the Father has been speaking for some time that His children are to prepare themselves for calamitous days ahead. There is a great storm approaching, and we must pass through it.

Even as Randy saw the storm just a short distance away, and we had a window of about 30 minutes to make preparations, we also discerned that the Father is saying that the storm that has been building is not far off. Time is short, and whatever God’s people need to do to be in readiness should not be delayed.

Ultimately, both Randy and I were in a vulnerable position. We were not inside brick and concrete houses. We were in lightly constructed dwellings, and there were very large trees over both of us. Should a limb have broken off, our dwellings could have been destroyed, and injury resulted. It will be the same in coming days. Yahweh would not have us to find our security in that which appears solid to the world. Our safety will be found in being precisely where He has directed us to be, looking to Him to save and protect.

It was evident that the Father had given Randy two warnings concerning flooding in his campsite, and then had given him advance notice of the storm’s arrival. In the same way, when the Father directs His children to some specific action in these days, they should not delay to respond with obedience.

I have been further pondering the visit Randy and I had to Jekyll Island almost one year ago. I had arrived at the end of October and had rented a site for two weeks. Our last date to be here was 11-9. On the card hanging from my rearview mirror, the date appeared to read 9-11. I had commented on this to Randy at the time.

During that season the Lord impressed upon me to read again the book titled Endurance - Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. I wrote some posts on the revelations the Spirit gave me from that book last year. You can find them at the following link.

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/endurance-part-1.html
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/endurance-part-2.html

Sir Earnest Shackleton embarked upon a voyage to the South Pole with a group of adventurous men. Their ship, which was named Endurance became stick in the ice, and the men were stranded in the South Weddell Sea where they had to survive more than 500 days in one of the world’s most severe environments. All the men made it through the experience, and their lives were greatly changed by it.

The Spirit spoke to me that the coming experience that God will lead His people through will also require great endurance. It will be a very severe test through harsh circumstances, but He will be present to deliver His people. The Spirit brought to my attention that Shackleton’s trials began after he departed from South Georgia Island.















(Click on image for larger picture)

As I was reading this book I was on a South Georgia Island, which I now find myself on once again. I do not know when these things are set to occur, but the Spirit is testifying that it is a time to be watchful and ready. Difficult days are at hand.

I mentioned in a recent post that the Father had recently provided for me to put some new tires on my van. Vehicles are symbolic of ministry, and the Spirit has testified for some time to me that the wilderness experience He has led me through in the past ten years was preparation that He might use me to encourage a much larger group of His people who must go through very similar experiences.

My van is an Xplorer with a Pioneer sound system. The tires I recently bought are Pathfinder tires. In an article titled Explorers and Pioneers to Serve as Guides,

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/explorers-and-pioneers-to-serve-as.html

I shared that which the Spirit was speaking to me concerning approaching days. He reminded me of the pattern of Moses. Moses was led to a 40 year experience in the wilderness which was for the purpose of humbling him. At the end of that period, the Lord then directed Moses to lead His people through another 40 year period in the wilderness. Our Father is following the same pattern in this hour. Those who have been following the Father through wilderness places will soon be used to lead others through similar experiences.

On Monday, October 12th, I went on a bike ride around Jekyll Island. The island has a bike trail that circles the island, and the entire circuit is about 14 miles. I am used to riding this circuit most days. This day, however, I was led to ride along the beach, for the tide was out, and about two thirds of the island can be navigated by riding along the beach. This does make the ride longer, however, being about 20 miles in all.

I had gone from the north end of the island to the south end, and was about to swing around the southern tip. I knew that there were fewer access points back to the road there, and I was not sure I could reach my destination which was the St. Andrews picnic area. I knew the beach ended there, and was not sure if the beach would take me all the way to that point. As I thought of this, I was reminded of my new tires, and thought that like a path-finder, I would simply press on until I could go no further.

About the same time the thought occurred that it was Columbus Day. Columbus was an Explorer, and he ventured forth into parts unknown. He determined to go forward as long as he could do so. At times it looked like his quest was hopeless, and his crew was restless to turn back before it was too late. Columbus pressed on and eventually was credited with discovering America. I felt that somehow it was symbolic that I press on as well.

I continued around the island and was heading north again when I ran out of beach. I knew I was within a few hundred yards of the picnic area that had been my goal, so rather than turning around, I decided I would look for a path through the woods. I was able to find one small game trail after another. Sometimes I would leave my bike and scout ahead, then go back and retrieve it. I had to portage it over some downed trees, and up a few small sand hills, but I sensed I was heading in the right direction.

After a bit a better trail appeared before me where I could tell deer had been running through. I got back on my bike and followed it. It led to another trail, then to a small road, and eventually I came out at St. Andrews picnic area.

There seemed to be some significance that day to pressing on and finding a path to the destination before me.

The week-end after this a large group of young people came to camp at the campground where Randy and I are staying. They set-up in the large group area for tents. I went over to look at the sea of tents that was going up. There was close to fifty tents in all. Following is one picture of the group.












(Click on picture for larger image)

My daughter came to visit this past week, and camped for four days with us. She said all the tents reminded her of the Israelites in the wilderness. I was amazed when I saw the name of the group that was camping. Following is a sign they had posted.












(Click on picture for larger image)

The group was called Pathfinder’s. It is a youth organization of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

http://www.pathfindersonline.org/

We would hear the youth and their leaders singing in their camps during the mornings and evenings. I had planned to end with the following verse, and it seems an appropriate place to put it after speaking about the praise that has been arising from those dwelling on the Island.

Isaiah 42:10
Sing to Yahweh a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it.
You islands and those who dwell on them.

It has been a very interesting stay thus far. I will keep you posted.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

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