A Quick Work

Joseph Herrin (09-30-2010)

 












1972 Carpenter Bus Conversion Floor Plan

As I mentioned in the last post, my updates on this project have much more significance than to simply provide details of a conversion project. What is being shared has ramifications far beyond the scope of my life. This will become evident as you read the post.

Upon discerning from the Father that it was His will for me to transform this former church bus into a mobile habitation, I set my face to accomplish the work. One of the first things necessary was to draw up a floor plan of what I wanted to accomplish. I went to the website www.downloads.com and searched for some free floorplan software. I found a program, Sweet Home 3D, and I am favorably impressed with it. The above graphic was drawn using the software.

You may note that I have included a small cast iron wood stove in the design. I want to be as independent from the grid as possible. It doesn’t take much to heat a confined space, especially if it is well insulated, which I intend the bus to be. I had been looking on Craigslist, and through local advertisements, and at stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot for the materials I would need. I did find a few things that will be helpful, albeit unusual.

The bus has an outer steel skin and an inner steel skin, with s tubular steel frame in between. It is therefore very solid, and does not need any more strength added to the structure. I can therefore build with lightweight materials inside. I had read a number of other bus conversion stories online, and picked up some helpful ideas. A few accounts I would recommend are as follows:

http://www.vonslatt.com/bus-main.shtml

http://www.virtualplacebo.com/bus/

http://www.gypsyjournal.net/bus_project.htm

I knew that insulating was a very important matter, especially as I want to be as independent from the power grid as possible. I was brainstorming on some ways to insulate the curved ceiling, and had read positive things about foam insulation. As I was thinking about where I could find some flexible foam material that would also be suitable for ceiling material, I thought of the interlocking floor mats that many company’s sell that are made from out of foam. The foam is a bit more dense than what is ideal for the best insulating values, but I thought it would serve admirably.

I looked at many of these foam blocks online. The prices were a bit high, and I didn’t really want to order something that would have to be shipped to me. I thought I would look locally, and the thought came to mind to check at Big Lots, the store that sells surplus, closeouts and overruns. They generally have very good prices. Sure enough, they had the interlocking foam flooring, and their prices were 25% lower than the best prices I had found online. They also had an abundance, so I was able to purchase all that I needed.

Interlocking Foam Mats

Doing some research, I found that Weld Wood’s Contact Cement would be the best product to use to adhere these tiles to the ceiling as it will form an instant bond. Other products, such as Liquid Nails, have to be held in place while the glue cures, and this can take 24-48 hours. The tiles are gray, but they can be painted any color. This was my first purchase on the bus project, as I figured that insulating is one of the first things that must be done.

I did not have as much immediate success looking for fixtures such as a cast iron stove, a sink and cabinet, shower stall, RV toilet, plumbing and electrical fixtures, a dining table, etc.. There is a local Camping World, but their prices are exorbitant. I will not shop there unless I cannot find something at another location. I had spent a few hours online looking for things, but nothing was panning out.

This morning while in prayer I asked the Father to guide me to that which I needed to be able to accomplish this project. I confessed that I did not know where to find all that I needed, and I asked that He might reveal His provision.

I went back to Macon to empty out the bus. I had been using it for storage, and needed to move things into a storage building. When I had driven the bus last week the rear brakes were binding. I went on a short drive and they were smoking hot when I got back to the house. I had to get out the water hose to cool them off. I did not know who I would get to look at the brakes. I knew I could not drive it to a mechanic with the brakes binding, and I did not want to consider spending the money to have it towed, then paying a major repair bill.

I had been in Macon for a short time when one of Mr. Stanfield’s (Randy Simmons’ grandfather) sons came by. Alan is a mechanic, and used to drive trucks on his job. I asked him if he knew anything about air brakes, and he told me he had some experience with them. He volunteered to take a look at them for me. He also told me he knew a man who might have a small cast iron stove for sale that would work well in the bus. A short time later my brakes were adjusted and working fine. I also learned how to adjust them myself should I need to do so in the future.

I got the bus cleaned out and headed back to my campsite for the evening. I had received numerous e-mails. One was from a brother in Christ in Arizona. I had told him about my bus project, and he told me that if I would send him the floor plan that he would tell me how to wire things up. I really appreciated this offer, as electrical wiring is not my strong suit. In an RV one must deal with both AC and DC current, and I also want to install solar panels and a battery bank. This is over my head, so I know I will need some guidance on it.

(The solar power also seems symbolic. Body by Carpenter. Powered by the Son.)

Upon reading more of my e-mail I found that a brother in Christ from Tennessee who has a salvage business had e-mailed me. Mike told me he had some RVs he was parting out, and that I was welcome to any parts that I need. This was a great answer to prayer, as I had been looking for someone who had a wrecked, or abandoned RV that they would part out. I had not found any locally, and I am very willing to drive to Tennessee to get these needed parts. Besides, the fellowship was very precious the last time I visited with the saints there.

So, in one day I was able to get the brakes repaired on the bus, get a lead on a wood stove, receive an offer of help on the wiring, and find a source for many of the parts I will need to equip the motorhome. It was truly a day of grace.

As I pondered this, I discerned that the Father is helping me to make a quick work of this project. I believe this is an indication of the lateness of the hour. This was confirmed further by some other e-mails I received.

Yalana, the wife of the brother from Arizona who offered to help me with wiring, forwarded me an e-mail about a bill currently before Congress. In the House of Representatives it is designated as H.R. 4646. I went to the Congressional website to read about the bill, and alarm bells were ringing. This is truly an evil bill.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c111bVXrwj:e316:

The bill includes provision to charge a 1% fee on every monetary transaction conducted by the citizens of America. The e-mail I received summed it up in the following manner:

The "Debt Free America Act"! 

One percent transaction tax is proposed. President Obama's finance team is recommending a transaction tax. His plan is to sneak it in after the November election to keep it under the radar. This is a 1% tax on all transactions at any financial institution i.e. Banks, Credit Unions, etc.. Any deposit you make, or move around within your account, i.e. transfer to, will have a 1% tax charged. If your pay check, or your social Security, or whatever is direct deposit, 1% tax charged. If you hand carry a check in to deposit, 1% tax charged, If you take cash in to deposit, 1% tax charged.  This is from the man who promised that if you make under $250,000 per year, you will not see one penny of new tax. Keep your eyes and ears open, you will be amazed at what you learn. 
[End Excerpt]

Although the author of the e-mail focused on this being a new tax, there is actually a much greater evil involved. The government will acquire the authority to know about, and govern, every single monetary transaction conducted by the citizens of America. An excerpt from the legislation states the following:

      The purpose of section 3 of this Act is to establish a fee on most transactions. Such fee--


            (1) is different than a sales tax in that a sales tax is charged only on sales to the final consumer and the transaction fee would apply to intermediate users as well as end users,


            (2) is different than a value added tax (VAT), commonly used in European and other countries, in that a VAT is imposed only on a portion of a transaction's value (roughly the difference between an item's selling price and it's cost) and the transaction fee would apply to the entire amount of the transaction...


      (a) In General- There is hereby imposed on every specified transaction a fee in an amount equal to 1 percent of the amount of such transaction.


      `(b) Specified Transaction- For purposes of this chapter--


            `(1) IN GENERAL- The term `specified transaction' means any transaction that uses a payment instrument, including any check, cash, credit card, transfer of stock, bonds, or other financial instrument.


            `(2) TRANSACTION- The term `transaction' includes retail and wholesale sales, purchases of intermediate goods, and financial and intangible transactions.
[End Excerpt]

The only transactions exempted are those involving stock. This means Big Brother is getting immensely bigger. The IRS has already been approved to add 18,000 more employees to be able to handle the Healthcare Reform Bill changes that were recently passed into law. They will certainly have to add many thousands more as they will not be tracking every single transaction that every person in America makes.

Once the government gets the authority to enter an area, they soon will take it over. This is evident with what they have done in the banking industry, the mortgage industry, and the healthcare industry. Now they want the authority to monitor and tax every transaction you make, even if you are merely transferring money from one account to another. All this is setting the stage for the day when a person will not be able to buy or sell without taking the mark of the beast.

There are some other tell-tale signs of an evil and occult hand behind this legislation. Consider the number of the bill. It is H.R. 4646. If you will go to the link provided for the Congressional website, you will read that it was introduced on 2/23/2010. 2 times 23 is 46. This is evidently by design. The number 23 is a very symbolic number to those involved in the occult, Freemasonry, and the illuminati.

There are 23 Supreme Councils of Worldwide Freemasonry. The Knights Templars had 23 Grand Masters. Jacques De Molay was the 23rd and final Grand Master of the Knights Templars. DeMolay is the name Freemasonry has given to their youth organization which is used to introduce boys and girls to freemasonry.

Henry Price is buried in the cemetery of Townsend, Massachusetts. His monument is an obelisk that measures 69" tall (69 / 3 = 23). On the side of the monument facing west it says: Henry Price "Founder of Duly Constituted Masonry in America."

W is the 23rd letter of the English alphabet. It was the moniker for President George W. Bush, who was very clearly an Illuminist. The letter W has 2 points pointing down and 3 points pointing up, giving it an additional relationship to the number 23. George W. Bush was very much involved with secret societies, notably Skull and Bones, a Yale Fraternal organization.

According to the Congressional website above, the bill was introduced by Mr. FATTAH.  This is a reference to Chaka Fattah - D, PA.
http://fattah.house.gov/

Knowing that Satan and his disciples seek to imitate the significant details of Yahweh’s works, and observing already that the number 46 and 2/23 were prominently exhibited, one might ask why this particular representative was given the task of introducing this bill. It is doubtful that he was the originator of it, or its author.

The name Fattah is very similar to the Palestinian Terrorist organization named Fatah. The Fatah’s stated goal is defined in Article 12 of their Constitution, “complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.” They will not be satisfied until Israel is wiped off the map. They are the enemies of the natural descendants of Abraham. The word Fatah is the Arabic word for “Conquering,” or “Victory.” One must agree that the passage of H.R. 4646 into law will constitute a great victory by the shadow government that controls the nation of America.

I received an e-mail from a brother in Christ who shared the following website link with me.

http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=812

Following is an excerpt.


Economic Collapse Update: Acceleration In Autumn 
By Giordano Bruno
Neithercorp Press – 09/29/2010


Our current economy is a shell game. A grand fraud designed to siphon more and more tangible wealth (not fiat wealth) from the average person and transport it post-haste into the silk lined pockets of a corporate banking minority. The goal? To reduce the self sufficiency of American citizens to the point of total fiscal and social dependence on the top 1% richest men in the world...


Every time you hear the term “bailout,” or “quantitative easing,” just think “wealth transference.” Every dollar that is printed from thin air by the private Federal Reserve and handed to a globalist entity like Goldman Sachs or AIG through our Treasury represents yet another dollar of debt (and another percentage of interest) that you, the U.S. taxpayer, and your children, are expected to eventually pay for without ever seeing any benefits. Right now, at this very moment, you and your descendants for generations to come are being enslaved by forcefully imposed usury. Our country has been “volunteered” for a financial debasement on a scale that dwarfs the Great Depression or even the Weimar catastrophe. We ignore this reality at our peril.


Since the initial meltdown began in 2008, we have seen two and a half years of stall tactics and skewed statistics designed to prolong total collapse while central banks position themselves for optimal gain. Simultaneously, the concrete underlying factors of our economy, including employment and purchasing power, have gone down the tubes…


Today, as Autumn 2010 begins to settle upon us, many notable and even dire trends are beginning to break the surface of the water and circle the sinking wreckage of our financial system. I believe these factors signal an extreme acceleration in the possibility of “trigger events”, which we have discussed in previous articles, and herald a new dynamic, a process that will directly contribute to a final breakdown of the present system. Let’s examine these trends now…


Dow Bubble Until November Elections?


If you look back at the history of economic collapses across the world, you’ll find a strange and ironic constant preceding most breakdowns; the disproportionate values of stocks and securities when compared to actual profits and consumer activity. The Great Depression saw record breaking rallies in the Dow and relentless financial propaganda claiming recovery was imminent just before total derailment. In many cases, investor confidence seems to be most heightened just before a brutal plunge. Perhaps it’s the power of reactionary denial, or maybe it’s the increase in false data supplied by establishment economic goon squads.


September has seen a very uncharacteristic stock rally, especially considering the fact that U.S. poverty levels are now at a 15 year high:


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17poverty.html?_r=1


Food Stamp usage has hit a record high every month for the past 18 months:


http://www.zerohedge.com/article/food-stamp-usage-hits-18-sequential-record-high-408-million


The income gap between the very rich and the very poor has hit a record high:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/income-gap-widens-census-_n_741386.html


Consumers have cut back on their credit use for 23 consecutive months:


http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-09-08-consumer-credit_N.htm


Median household incomes fell in 34 states last year, the worst income depletion since the Great Depression, according to Census data released this month:


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-28/michigan-florida-lead-34-states-with-drop-in-median-income-census-says.html


Stock Market volume has been dismal, down in some cases by 50% (which would explain how the Dow has been so easily pumped up):


http://www.businessinsider.com/today-on-wall-street-horrible-volume-layoff-news-and-another-crash-2010-9


The Federal Government has now had to bailout three large credit unions, making the American taxpayer responsible for the backing over $30 billion in bonds while at the same time managing $50 billion worth of troubled assets inherited from the same institutions:
 (Joseph’s Note: This comment does not bring out the fact that these were commercial Credit Unions that provide loans to local Credit Unions. The government in taking them over is consolidating its control of all sectors of America’s financial sector.)


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499604575512254063682236.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection


Moody’s has (finally) lowered the Illinois debt rating from stable to negative, and California is now asking Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan for $5 billion dollars in cash just so their state government can continue to operate for the rest of the year:


http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/09/moodys-lowers-outlook-on-illinois-to-negative.html


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-27/california-may-seek-5-billion-from-wall-street-lockyer-says.html


Most disturbing is new Federal Reserve data revealing that foreign central banks are dumping record levels of U.S. Agency debt. Agency Bonds support government funded organizations like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae, etc. This means that this autumn there will be an even more pronounced destabilization of the mortgage giants, and we will have to foot an even greater bill as the Treasury continues their endless bailout with increasing amounts of fiat capital. Foreign banks recently dumped $57 billion worth of Agency debt all at once! Some analysts, like Jim Sinclair, believe this heralds a major proliferation in quantitative easing by the Fed (more than they have openly forecast), and a severe debasement of the dollar in the near term. I tend to agree…


http://jsmineset.com/2010/09/23/foreign-central-banks-net-sellers-of-us-agency-debt/


With all of these factors and hundreds more widely visible to anyone who wants to see them, how is it possible for the Dow to sustain its current upward trend? Witchcraft? The point is, when there is such an incomprehensible discrepancy between real market data and illogical market behavior, it is often a sign of a bubble; one that is dangerously close to failure.
[End Excerpt]

People of God, I do not know when the moment of America’s economic, political and social collapse will come. It is evident, however, that things are quickly reaching critical mass. This may perhaps be why the Father is permitting me to make such a quick work of this bus conversion. I have spent months on the road testifying to others of those things to come, and the Father’s reasons for taking His children through troublesome days. Now the Father is leading me to make preparations, and He is performing a quick work. I encourage you to seek Him daily to know what He would have you to be doing.

Even if the collapse should delay past 2010, it will certainly come. If it arrives sooner, let us be found in readiness, having done all that the Father has instructed us to do.

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

A Time of Transition

Joseph Herrin (09-28-2010)

I want to share some things I am discerning at this time. The Spirit speaks through many means, and He has often used parables to disclose truth to the people of Yahweh. I am discerning certain things through parables in my life, as well as through observing what the Father is doing in the lives of others.

Since returning to Georgia following my speaking trip across the nation, I have been seeking the Father to know what He would have me to be doing. I mentioned in a previous blog that Randy and I began seeing D.O.T. message signs over the interstate after entering Georgia that were flashing the message “September is Preparedness Month. Have a Plan. Get Ready.” We saw a total of three of these signs before arriving back in Macon.

I spoke with Randy about this, and mentioned that in order to “Have a Plan and Get Ready” a person must know what they are planning for. The Father has been declaring for some time that America’s fall is certain, and it will not delay. This message was given in a profound way when Miss USA fell two years in a row on the world stage at the Miss Universe Pageant.

Rachel Smith 2007/Crystal Stewart 2008
(God made the message “Crystal Clear” when Ms. Stewart fell in 2008.)

America began a precipitous fall at the very time of these occurrences as the housing bubble burst. Wall Street began to implode due to the repercussions of having gambled so excessively on mortgage obligations. Millions of jobs have been lost due to the decline of America’s economy, which has been in free fall ever since. It was recently reported that the government is taking in $2.2 trillion dollars in tax revenues from all sources this year, but will borrow an additional $2.8 trillion to meet her budget. Such a condition is untenable. It cannot continue, and will shortly be met with the world’s greatest default ever. At some point, the dollar will be rendered worthless overnight, banks will close, and the nation will be swept into chaos for which the government has been preparing.

One of the first acts of the 111th Congress, the one presently in session, was to establish regional detention camps across the nation. The government has also been quietly ramping up the number of soldiers placed on American soil trained in riot suppression, population control, and the implementation of martial law. These soldiers are being trained right here in Georgia at Fort Benning near Columbus.

For a summary of many of the acts of Congress and the Presidents in recent years to prepare for America’s collapse, and control of the citizenry, I recommend the earlier article titled State of the Union - The Quiet Coup.

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/state-of-union-quiet-coup.html

I am not sharing this information in any sense to motivate people to join Tea Parties, to arm themselves, or to seek to combat that which is occurring through the political forum. It is prudent to be aware of what is happening, the plans the government is setting in place, that we might be aware of that which is coming. If we are walking as sons of light, we will not be found in the dark when these things occur.

I am reminded of the testimony of Boris Sorokovksy as he related the story of the Ukranian Christians after the Communist takeover. For a period of some years, things remained fairly normal as the Communists consolidated their power and prepared their plans for a sudden radical change. Those with eyes to see could observe some of what was happening in government. Yet, the greatest sense of things to come was received through visions, dreams and prophecies that the Spirit of Christ brought to many in the region. The Spirit told the Ukrainian’s that they needed to be prepared to flee when He told them to do so, for a day was coming when the Communists would round up the Christians and many others. A great many would be starved to death. Estimates state that as many as 10 million may have been starved to death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor

Others were carried away to Siberian work camps (shades of FEMA work camps). People had their children taken from them, and great suffering abounded to a people who had been at ease, comfortable, and well fed. You can read Boris Sorokovsky’s account of this here:

http://www.heart4god.ws/id474.htm

The chief thing I have gained from Boris Sorokovsky’s account is that the Spirit of Christ will speak to His people to alert them to what is coming. He has led many in times past to flee from approaching evil. We see such examples even in Scripture.

Mark 13:14-19
“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. And let him who is on the housetop not go down, or enter in, to get anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter.”

History reports that prior to the campaign against Jerusalem under the Roman General Titus in A.D. 70, Christians in the city were given visions and dreams to flee. Many did, resulting in their lives being spared. Undoubtedly the earlier Jewish persecution of Christians in the city also served to cause many believers to exit the city, resulting in their lives being spared the massacre of the Romans who crucified tens of thousands of Jews when the city fell.

The Father continues to speak to His children to prepare them for that which is to come. Barack Obama campaigned on a message of “Change” and this is one campaign promise I believe will be fulfilled to a currently unimaginable degree.

There is a tendency among mankind to not believe that great evil could be perpetrated upon their own population. The Jews of Europe manifested disbelief as they were watching the National Socialist Party of Germany come to power. Despite many ominous signs, a great many Jews who had opportunity to flee did not do so, believing that the terrible reports they were hearing could not possibly be true. Similarly, many Ukrainian Christians did not heed the warnings of the Spirit. A great many paid with their lives, while others were sent to Siberia and had their children taken from them.

Despite many witnesses to that which is coming today, Americans, Christians included, are manifesting the same attitude of incredulity. They are unwilling, or unable, to believe the things that the Spirit is testifying. Neither are they paying heed to the many indicators of a coming economic and political collapse. The end of liberty is very near at hand.

Liberty Decapitated

I want to share with you that which I am hearing and being led to do, for I believe the Spirit is moving people to make certain preparations now, both spiritual and physical, in readiness for those things to come. Perhaps my personal experiences will cause others to begin to seek the Father to know His mind, and to take seriously the things they are seeing and hearing, responding with obedience to the leading of the Spirit.

For those not already familiar, let me begin by providing a link to a writing that details many of the signs the Father has been giving regarding the days ahead.

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/awake-o-sleeper.html

Upon returning to Georgia I rented a campsite for a month. I am continuing to live out of my camper/van, and I also have a canopy set up next to it to provide a bit more living space. After setting up, I began to address every issue I knew needed to be repaired on my van, as living in it the past four months and covering over 11,000 miles, has exposed some deficiencies.

The floor tiles I had put in before the trip had begun to shift around some, so I removed them and then glued them back down with the appropriate adhesive. I painted the stove which had significant rust on it. I bought some pipe to replace a damaged section of the sewer plumbing system, and I did a few other minor repairs.

After this, I could think of nothing further that needed to be done to the van. It is in the best shape that it has known since I have owned it. I also began to consider the school bus I purchased a year ago after the end of my trip across the country. The sister in Christ I purchased it for lives in New York and she has nowhere to park it there. She had desired to get it to her son’s house in New Hampshire so he could begin the work of converting it to an RV, but there had not arisen any way to get the bus there.

I wondered whether the Father would have me to work on the bus for this sister. This seemed a possibility as after the previous year’s trip I had been led to buy the bus, using some money I had left after my journey. I thought perhaps the Father would have me to work on the bus using some of the money I had remaining at the end of this year’s trek.

Last week this sister contacted me. She was very diplomatic in her communication, not wanting to hurt my feelings in any way. She told me that she had some news for me. Her son, who has a salvage business, had been given a bus and he was giving it to her. This solved her problem of getting the bus to her son’s home, since the bus is already there. The bus is also 24 years newer than the one I was led to purchase (mine is a 1972 model and the one she just received is a 1996 model). The bus her son gave her also has a wheelchair lift at the back, and since this sister is the care-giver for her elderly mother in her 90's, this seems ideal.

I assured this sister that I was not in the least offended. She told me that she was going to send the title to the bus I had purchased back to me, as she had never put it in her name. I began praying about the bus more earnestly to know the Father’s desire for it, being fully persuaded that He had directed me to purchase it. I began to sense that it was the Father’s desire for me to complete the work of transforming it to an RV, preparing it to be my home (and probably other’s) in coming days.

I asked the Father to confirm His will in this matter as I did not want to devote my time to a project unless it was truly Him calling me to it. I knew I did not have sufficient funds on hand to accomplish the job, so I began to consider my options. Either the Father could supply more money, or I could salvage my camper/van and use the parts from it in the bus. I did an inventory of parts I could use, including roof A.C., power inverter, potable water system, LP gas system for the stove, refrigerator, microwave, two new batteries, toilet and holding tanks and plumbing, seats, bed, etc.. I calculated that these items would cost about $2,500 to purchase, money which I could save by cannibalizing parts from the van.

In my heart I did not relish the thought of stripping the van. It is a perfectly good vehicle and would be a very suitable home for an individual in days ahead. Indeed, I am sure that it will be considered a very nice accommodation in that day. At the same time, I felt that the Father might be testing my heart to see if I were willing to sacrifice the van I had worked very hard on. I assured Him that I was, and I planned on beginning work on the bus, and salvaging the van if that was necessary.

The next day after praying about the matter once more, I committed myself to this path, believing it to be the Father’s leading. I drove my van to Randy’s grandfather’s house where the bus is parked to tell them the news. On the way there I looked at the odometer on my van and it had just turned over to 14,000 miles. This immediately struck me in my spirit as significant. I knew from previous experiences with the Father that the number 14 denotes transition. It speaks of a change from one condition or experience to another.

In 1999 the Father used this number very profoundly in my life when He called me to leave secular employment and to begin full-time ministry, looking to Him for all the provision for myself and my family. I had been at my employer for 14 years, and the Father directed me to look at the occurrence of the number 14 in Scripture.

The first occurrence of this number is found in Genesis 31:41. In my Bible software I typed in the word “fourteen” and it showed me the following snippet from this verse: “I have worked for you for fourteen years.” The Father used this to confirm to me that my time of work at my employer was at an end. The Father then directed me to the first occurrence of the number 14 in the New Testament. It occurs in Matthew chapter 1, being repeated three times. In each instance it denotes a marked change in the work of God among His people.

I also understood that when a number is raised to the level of the thousands that it denotes that which is heavenly. The Father was indicating that it was a time of transition, and even as He was leading me to prepare this bus for habitation, He was also directing me to a new season of ministry. Vehicles symbolize ministry. I had just done everything I knew to do to the van, a project I had been working on for more than five years, and I could think of nothing else to do to it. That season of ministry was ending, and a new one was beginning.

The van is 19 and ½ feet long. The bus is 30 feet long, symbolic of a larger ministry. The van is a 1986 model, and the bus a 1972, which is a difference of 14 years. This too signifies transition. On a very significant note, the bus is manufactured by Carpenter Buses. It has signs that state “Body by Carpenter.”

Working to transform this bus to a fit habitation appears to be symbolic of the ministry to which it points. The Lord is soon to return and He must have a Body prepared as a fit habitation for His dwelling place. This will be the fulfillment of Tabernacles. The Father has revealed this work to me the very week that Tabernacles (Sukkot) is being observed on the Hebrew calendar.

When I was driving this bus back to Macon last year after purchasing it, a tremendous rainstorm fell upon us for much of the way. The Father had spoken to both Randy and I (he was led a week earlier to purchase a 32 foot motorhome) through the image of a dove with an olive branch in its beak. He was indicating that it was time to prepare an ark, and that these vehicles would serve as an ark, a habitation in which to ride out a period of judgment upon the earth.

As I was driving to Macon, and immediately after observing the number 14,000 on my odometer, it began to rain. My odometer had not changed yet to the next mile. It has been very dry in Georgia for weeks, and things were beginning to dry up and trees were dying. The rain began that day and continued for 48 hours. My daughter told me 7 inches fell in Montezuma where she works.

I believe the Father is indicating that a time of judgment is very near at hand. It is time to prepare an ark, to be ready to go when He says to go.

You may remember in the first post on the Christchurch earthquake I spoke of the significance of Peter’s brother-in-law having moved his motorhome to the street, to be in readiness the next morning. This act of moving the motorhome, and having it in readiness, saved the vehicle as the chimney fell that morning when the quake struck and would have crushed it.

People of God, I do not know how close the judgment is, but I have a sense that I am not to delay in performing the needed work on the bus. I plan on posting my progress on this job, as I believe that there will be continued symbolism in those things that are done to it. The larger message is that there are days of great trouble coming to the nations. We must all be about doing whatever it is the Father would have us to do.

I do not want people to receive from this post that they need to begin doing the same thing I am doing. The specifics of what the Father would have each individual to do will vary. Certainly not all will be led to convert an old bus to a motorhome. The Father will call each one to prepare in their own way.

The Father could have given me the funds to purchase a brand new motorhome that needed no work. We must understand that, whereas we often look at the end result, Yahweh accomplishes much of His work in our lives through the journey. The work itself is a part of our training as sons.

I would also add, the same afternoon that I committed to the work and notified Randy and his grandfather of my intent to begin it, two sisters in Christ told me independent of one another that they were sending me a financial gift. One I have already received. The Father spoke to me through this, revealing that when we put our feet in the waters, manifesting faith and a willingness to obey, that His provision to accomplish the work will then be manifested. I also sensed in this that the Father was indicating that I will not need to strip my van, but that it also will remain a suitable habitation for someone in the coming days.

So the work begins in earnest.

A Final Note:

You may notice the lettering on the front of the bus above the windshield. It says “Nascar.” On the back of the bus above the door it reads "Church Bus." You can also see the cross and flame on the side. This vehicle served as a church bus, but was sold and used as a vehicle to attend the auto races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Thus, what began in service for God ended up as a vehicle to facilitate entertainment. Is it not appropriate that it should now be re-made into a habitation of those in whom the Spirit of God dwells?

Body by Carpenter
(He gives us a solid foundation on which to build. Click on image to view larger.)

It is truly a time of Transition!


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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

Christchurch Update

Joseph Herrin (09-27-2010)

Recently while conversing with brother Peter Boag from Christchurch, New Zealand, I asked him how things were coming along there following the devastating earthquake that occurred recently. Brother Peter shared with me the following:

Things are well with us ourselves thank you, in Christchurch, but I can't say that for many people who have lost homes. There are at least 2300 condemned at the moment with far more than that damaged and waiting assessment. Even in a more 'Western' society such as ours, compared to Haiti, the ramifications after the event are mind boggling. It is not simply a matter of rebuilding again, but proper assessment has to be made and all future considerations have to be considered. In the meantime, people can't live in their homes, and their future is on hold and uncertain. Temporary homes are very difficult to find, if not impossible. Many people are still without services while still in their homes. And up to tonight, we are supposed to have had over a thousand aftershocks. Many of these, you do not feel of course, but there are plenty to keep us on our toes! The damage to infrastructure is immense.

It has come out since my last letter to you about the quake, that the two cathedrals WERE damaged inside. The Roman one will be closed for at least a year. The Anglican has now reopened. In fact there is a service for the annual blessing of pet animals scheduled!!!  Many of the other older church buildings around Canterbury have also been very badly damaged. What their future is I do not know. Much more could be said about the quake and its aftermath, but my greatest 'take' on this long anticipated event, as one living here, is the Sovereignty of our Father. He spared the city from what could have been a very injurious event. And sad to say, the local paper yesterday published many, many letters from nonbelievers belittling the idea of God being in any way involved with the safety of the citizens of Christchurch. Shame!...

Further to the quake - If one were to view the city from the air, you would not see the devastation that you see in pictures such as you do in hurricane or tornado footage from overseas. Apart from the damaged older buildings that have collapsed in the city, most of the damage is in the homes that still are upright, but torn apart, and the infrastructure that is below ground. The liquefaction effect, that I learned about in school over 60 years ago, has rearranged the levels of the sewer lines around the city, pushing up manhole junctions in many places. This has effected the gravitational aspect of the flow, and also caused the roadway which generally straddles the sewer lines, to be very uneven and dangerous. Much of the sewage system will have to be redone, and this before the roads can be tackled. Pipes have broken too, and filled with the sand from the liquefaction pressure.
[End Excerpt]

I wrote back to Peter and shared the following with him.

Dear Peter,

The details you continue to share regarding the Christchurch earthquake are immensely insightful. You spoke of 2300 homes being condemned. Being condemned is an act of judgment. In this case, it is the rendering of a judgment based upon a home's unsoundness. I am certain this speaks not only of many individual lives in the church of Christ, but many corporate bodies as well.

I believe it is symbolic that many of those whose homes have been condemned are finding temporary housing unavailable. This speaks of those individuals and churches that have been condemned not being able to simply move to a new location and continue life as usual. There must be a complete rebuilding from the ground up.

The update on the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches also has much symbolism. The Anglican service to bless people's animals is a testimony of an embracing and blessing of the beast nature. The discovery of "internal" damage in the Catholic Cathedral speaks of a further revealing of hidden things inside the church that present a danger to those who enter her doors.
[End Excerpt]

In recent posts I have shared about the recent days leading up to Yom Kippur as being a time of self-examination and repentance. If we will judge ourselves, then Yahweh will not need to judge us.

Just a short time after Yom Kippur another major Christian scandal erupted upon the national scene, and it originated here in my home state of Georgia. Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is accused by four young men of having coerced them into having sexual relations with him.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20017430-504083.html

Bishop Long was also subject to scrutiny recently as one of the Grassly Six, a number of wealthy Christian ministers whose lavish lifestyles were investigated by members of Congress. There is a though provoking article on Eddie Long from the Atlanta Journal Constitution found at the following link:

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/bishop-eddie-long-powerful-632831.html

Rather than feeling any sense of righteous indignation regarding these reports on Bishop Long, I have been led to walk more in the fear of God. Those who teach will be held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1). I am aware of the sin which dwells in my flesh. Even King David, a man after God’s heart, was capable of the most grievous transgressions. My flesh has not been reformed one iota since I came to Christ. To this day I can declare, “In my flesh dwells no good thing. Sin dwells in my flesh.”

The flesh must constantly be ruled over. Apart from the restraint of the Spirit of Christ I would long ago have made a shipwreck of my own life. If Christ had granted Satan permission to sift me as wheat, I would have shown all the world what depths of sin I am capable of. When I hear of some failure of another human being, whether it be a Christian minister, or some secular person of renown (Lindsay Lohan, Katy Perry, for example), I know that if the Father had left me to myself, and I had been given the wealth and freedom they have to pursue anything the soul desires, that I would easily have done far worse.

People of God, I do not write these things to excuse unrighteous behavior, nor would I lower the standard of righteousness one centimeter. We are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Rather, I write these things to declare that those who have not yet attained to this perfection (myself included) should tremble when they hear of the fall of another. It could be you or I, but for the grace of God. So let us avail ourselves of the moment of grace we have received. Humble ourselves before the Father. Ask Him to not give us over to the sin and depravity that resides within, but to establish us in righteousness and truth.

Our hearts should grieve over the fall of those men and women we read about. The human condition is one of sin and death. Left to ourselves we would all surely perish and end our lives in disgrace, shame and dissipated living.

It was for this reason that Christ came. He came to set men and women free from the bondage of sin. If we do not look at our new life in Christ as a complete deliverance from death into life, if we do not exchange our selfish and self-indulgent carnal lives for a selfless devotion to Christ and obedience to the Father, we will surely be snared.

Christ is permitting hidden faults to be revealed in the church. He wants to reveal whose house will stand and whose will not. It is not too late to tear everything back down to the foundation and build again with gold, silver and precious stones. If we have built with wood, hay and stubble, it is a merciful act for the Father to reveal the deficiencies, to bring us to repentance now while there is still time to seek a remedy.

I Corinthians 3:10-15
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Yahshua Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but his soul shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

People of God, we are still in that season when Yahweh would have us to examine our lives. Will our house stand in the day of judgment? Have we judged ourselves rightly? Are we doers of the word, or hearers only, deceiving ourselves? These are questions I continue to ask myself. I am aware of the need of further progress that I might attain to the fulness of the stature that belongs to Christ.

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

Jesus Never Pleased Himself

A sister in Christ (Mia) sent me the following writing by Zac Poonen. I have often been blessed by some message by brother Poonen, a Christian brother from India. This specific message really encouraged me as it speaks of the very thing that the Spirit has been having me to meditate upon of late.

You will find this to be a very challenging word. It is what is required of those who would attain to the first resurrection, who would be included in the manchild company of Revelation chapter 12. These must walk in a much greater surrender to the leading of the Spirit, and manifest a mature devotion to the will and pleasure of the Father. These cannot be focused on pleasing self.

This matter of pleasing self is manifested in a myriad of ways that we seldom consider. Brother Poonen has done an excellent job of making this issue very practical. I pray that you are up for a challenge.

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

Joseph Herrin

Jesus Never Pleased Himself
Zac Poonen

In Romans 15:3 - it is written about Jesus that "He did not please Himself". He always denied Himself. Thus He pleased the Father at all times.

Pleasing oneself can be done in many areas of one's life - for example, in the area of eating. Consider a situation where, even when you are not hungry, you decide to spend some money to buy some tasty snacks to eat. There is certainly nothing sinful or wrong in that. But it speaks of a certain way of life. Because you have money, you buy what you like, whether you need it or not. You do what pleases yourself. If you feel like buying something, you buy it. If you feel like going somewhere, you go. If you feel like sleeping late, you just sleep late. What is the end result of living like that, even if you go regularly to the meetings and read your Bible every day? You may not lose your salvation, but you will certainly waste the one life that God gave you to live for Him.

Another brother however acts differently. He decides to discipline his body. When he is not hungry, he decides not to eat anything unnecessarily. He decides never to buy any unnecessary things for himself. He decides to get up 15 minutes earlier each day to spend time with God. When someone speaks to him angrily, he decides to reply gently. He decides to remain in love and goodness always. He decides not to read certain news items in the newspapers that will stimulate his lusts. In every situation, he decides to humble himself and not to justify himself. He decides to give up certain friendships that are influencing him towards the world. Through constantly deciding to deny his own will (what pleased him), he becomes strong in his will to please God alone.

What did he lose by not buying that unnecessary thing, or by getting out of bed 15 minutes earlier, or by giving up his human sense of dignity and asking for forgiveness? Nothing. But think of what he has gained!

A man like that, who is consistently faithful in the little things, will in a few years' time become a trustworthy man of God - not because of the Bible-knowledge that he possesses, but because of his faithfulness in the little decisions he takes in life not to please Himself but to please God.

Don't be weak-willed then. Exercise your will to please God at all times. Mature Christians are those who "because of practice (in exercising their will in the right direction through many years), have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Heb. 5:14).

Consider an illustration: Two fat men go to a doctor to remove their flabbiness. The doctor gives them a course of exercises for the next twelve months. One man goes through the discipline of those exercises consistently every day, and slims down and becomes strong. The other man does the exercises for the first few days and then slackens off and finally gives up altogether. His pot-belly gets fatter and fatter with his indisciplined ways, until he finally dies prematurely. This is an illustration of how we can either make our wills strong to do God's will, or leave them flabby and weak for the devil to exploit.

I remember reading once of a young servant of the Lord who felt that he had been watching too much television (even though he had been watching only clean programs), and who decided one day not only to sell his TV set, but also to use the time that he had spent watching TV, in prayer every day. As a direct result of that little decision that he took - and maintained - God gave him a ministry that blessed thousands. Those who see nothing wrong in watching clean programs over TV, find that God does not entrust them with much - for He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and there is no partiality with Him.

Yes, you are what you are today because of those many, many little decisions that you have taken in relation to either denying yourself or pleasing yourself in the areas of food, money, sleep, reading, etc.,

So forget the blunders that you have made in life. Repent radically of your sins and be wholehearted in the days to come. God forgives you and blots out your past. Don't mope over your failures now, or you will be a drifter in the future too. The memory of your failures will help you to recognise that you are what you are only by the grace of God. It will also enable you to keep your face in the dust at all times before God.

Determine that you will become a true man/woman of God.
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Mailing Address: Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

Are you a pioneer, or a settler? Have you chosen for yourself a Christian experience where the risks are minimized, most dangers avoided, and comfort is assured?

This talk, given in Columbia, Missouri during my recent trek across America is a challenge to embrace that bold and courageous life, fully surrendered to be led of the Spirit of Christ, which will bring forth the greatest spiritual progress, and the most profound reward. Many Christians have settled on their lees. They have become like wine that has set too long in one position until the dregs have settled to the bottom and they have lost their freshness.


What is Yahweh's answer to those who are at ease in Zion?

Jeremiah 48:11-12
Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. Therefore, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

I encourage the saints to listen to the following message. It is a season of stirring, and the Father is looking for those sons and daughters who will launch out into the deep with Him.

 

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

The Judgment Has Begun

Joseph Herrin (09-17-2010)

Christchurch, New Zealand - Fault Line

The Father continues to speak through the recent calamitous earthquake which occurred on the eve of Father’s Day in this island nation. The quake occurred on September 4, and the New Zealanders celebrated Father’s Day on September 5th. As you may well imagine, the Father’s Day celebrations of many took on a completely different aspect than anticipated.

I believe the occurrence of the quake at this time is intended by our heavenly Father to draw our attention to the following passage of Scripture.

Malachi 4:5-6
"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of Yahweh. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

The great and terrible day of Yahweh is fast approaching. Before it arrives, Yahweh will send forth a spirit of repentance upon His people to turn their hearts back to Him, THE FATHER.

I would like to share with you some keys to understanding the parable of the Christchurch earthquake. The earth is a parable of mankind, for man’s flesh was formed of the dust of the earth.

Genesis 2:7
Then Yahweh God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

This body that we live in is also pictured in Scripture as a house of clay whose foundation is dust.

Job 4:17-19
Can mankind be just before God?... He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error. How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust...?

The apostle Paul uses the metaphor of man’s body being a house, a tent, a dwelling place.

II Corinthians 5:1-2
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven...

Understanding these types will greatly aid the saint in understanding the parable of the earthquake in Christchurch. Another significant detail of the quake is that it lasted forty seconds. The number forty is symbolic of trials and testing. It signifies a period of time in which Yahweh will test mankind to expose that which is in their hearts.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3
And 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... And He humbled you and let you be hungry... 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.

The forty years in which Israel was tested was mirrored in the forty days in which Yahshua was led into the wilderness to be tested. Even as Yahweh tested the children of Israel with hunger, so too did He test His Son with hunger. Yahshua quoted the very passage from Deuteronomy above as an answer to Satan’s temptation to turn the stones into bread.

The purpose of the wilderness, a period of time marked by the number forty, is to expose what is in the heart. It was revealed that the people of God who followed Moses in the wilderness did not have the will of the Father uppermost in their hearts. They were more concerned with comfort and personal pleasure and satisfaction of the appetites of the flesh. They murmured and wept aloud as those who were suffering great affliction.

The Son of God was similarly tempted, and it was revealed that He had a different heart. He ever lived to do the pleasure of the Father. His meat was to do the Father’s will.

The Christchurch earthquake lasted forty seconds. Time is speeding up. The work of Yahweh is progressing at an abrupt pace. He will perform a quick work in the lives of His children in this hour. There is no time to delay. The Holy Spirit is proclaiming that there must be an attitude of urgency among those who desire to be counted among the overcomers and who would attain to the number of the firstborn.

Randy Simmons called me on the phone the second day we were back in Georgia. He told me that he had driven into Macon and was continually encountering signs that had the word “Urgent” on them. He was driving down the road and was approaching a very serious auto wreck. There were ambulances, police cars, emergency vehicles, fire trucks, etc.. One ambulance was coming directly toward him and had the word “URGENT” on the front of it. Randy turned off the road to avoid the accident scene and found himself driving toward an URGENT Care facility. He sensed the Spirit speaking to Him that we needed to have a sense of urgency about this hour.

A sister in Christ (Aletha Swanson), unaware of what Randy had shared with me, sent me the following word yesterday.

I wanted to share with you what the Lord has spoken to me concerning the time we are in by way of confirmation...


SANTA BARBARA DREAM


About 35 years ago (I was in my late 20s) while living in Santa Barbara, CA I had an extremely vivid dream that Santa Barbara was totally surrounded by fire and I instantly knew in my spirit that what I was seeing was happening during the time of the tribulation. At that time, I still believed in the pre-trib rapture and did not understand why the Lord was showing ME this scene since I did not believe I would be there during that time. It made no sense to me and I put the dream away in my mind and forgot about it.


Then last May (2009) there were terrible fires in the hills above Santa Barbara which threatened to burn down the entire city (those were the words of the newscasters) just as I had dreamed. I was watching a news report on TV in my home here in Sacramento when they showed a film clip of the fire. It was the SAME SCENE EXACTLY that I had seen in my dream 30 years ago. It was as though they had taken the scene from my dream and put it on the 5:00 news. I sat there in shock not knowing what it meant. I have pondered this dream and that scene for over a year wondering exactly what it meant and why the Lord was giving it to me.


Then on June 28th, 2010 the Lord clearly spoke the words to me "LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT IS ABOUT TO END." These words were accompanied with a strong sense of urgency and grief that something BIG and BAD was about to happen in the world. I did NOT have any sense of fear with this word, just a sense of being warned and that I needed to prepare physically and spiritually for a huge crisis...


Over time the Lord has confirmed to me WHY He gave me that dream about the Santa Barbara fire. The dream of the Santa Barbara fire was a warning, a sign, a time-marker, like an alarm clock going off as to the TIME of the tribulation. The huge fire I saw took place IN the time of the tribulation. That exact fire that I saw happened last May. I now know with certainty WHAT TIME IT IS. The alarm clock has rung!


The Lord has been confirming to me through many others the urgency I am sensing is from Him and that I am indeed hearing is from Him. We are standing at the very door and He is confirming through many voices to PREPARE. The time is short and the need to surrender all and to live for the Lord Jesus Christ is greater now than it has ever been. He has been directing me to prepare for a major emergency and time of great hardship. PREPARE is the one word ringing in my spirit..
Aletha

Truly, the Spirit is saying that the time is short. Indeed time has been shortened. What the Father performed in 40 years with Israel, and 40 days with Yahshua, He will accomplish in 40 seconds in the last days remnant. I do not speak this in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense. Those things the Father is speaking to His sons and daughters must be performed quickly. There is no time to waste. He will likewise use the same methods of testing His sons and daughters in this hour.

He will make them know hunger.

I mentioned yesterday that the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time we are now in, are known as “the days of awe.” During this period of time the Jews enter into a time of self-examination and repentance. The Scriptures declare that Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is to be a day for Yahweh’s people to afflict their souls. This is traditionally done through fasting. Yom Kippur begins this evening (Friday September, 17th) at sundown and runs for 24 hours.

(Note: Bob Schlenker has informed me that the Karaite Jews have Yom Kippur starting on the 19th at Sundown, and running through the 20th at Sundown. You can find this information at the following website: http://www.karaite-korner.org/holiday_dates.shtml)

The Spirit is indeed leading some to fast from food at this season. Randy Simmons, not knowing anything about the feast days, or the Biblical mandate to afflict the soul, was praying a couple days ago asking the Father what He would have him to do. Randy heard only one thing. FAST!

Randy does not enjoy afflicting his soul with fasting anymore than I do. Yet he believed the Father was calling him to three days of fasting, ending on the Day of Atonement, without even knowing about the Jewish calendar. He asked the Father to affirm His will in this matter by speaking to him through the Bible. Randy was led to the following words in the Scriptures.

Proclaim a fast!

At the same time, the Father has been directing me to afflict my soul. He has been revealing to me areas of my life where I have been seeking to satisfy my flesh, directing me to come into conformity to the image of Christ. Christ testified that He did nothing of His own initiative. He would not even turn stones into bread when He had not eaten in forty days. I have not come to the same place of ruling over the flesh where I would not do anything of my own initiative. Oftentimes I have reasoned that it is okay to eat something my flesh desires, or to engage in some leisure activity that my soul is attracted to. I have not yet been perfected, or come to the fulness of the stature that belongs to Christ.

The Spirit has been impressing upon me to STOP. He would have me to come to an absolute end of doing anything of my own initiative. He would have me to walk as Christ who was so perfect that He did not even speak a word unless the Father commanded Him to speak.

The Father spoke to me through an experience in my life a couple days ago. The brakes on my bike were not gripping very well. I had adjusted them before, but they still did not grip. I stopped in at a bike store and bought a new set of high quality brake pads. I paid more for them than I wanted to, but was assured that they are premium brakes.

This is a parable of my life. I do not always stop some activity as soon as the Father would have me to do so. Perhaps I will linger too long at the dinner table, eating more than I should. I may take a break from the daily tasks the Father gives me to do, and not return to the labor when I ought to do so. At times the Father will convict me of the need to do something, and I will put it off, continuing with what I want to do for a season.

The Spirit is saying “STOP!” He is exposing hidden faults in my life, and in the lives of others. I am sensing an urgency in the Spirit regarding these things. He is exposing subterranean areas of my life where faults exist. These faults if not quickly corrected will lead to a collapse of that which has been built upon it. A great shaking is coming, and the Father would spare us the great loss that we might incur.

Christchurch Repertory Theater

In the Christchurch earthquake the facades of many building crumbled. There is particular symbolism in the image above. In the Greek society of Christ’s day, those actors who played a part in a theater production were called “hypocrites.” The word hypocrite literally meant, “a play actor.”

Christ confronted the Jewish religious leaders of their day, calling them hypocrites, “play actors.” They were simply playing a role before the people. They outwardly appeared righteous, and lovers of God, but inwardly they were unrighteous and lovers of self. Yahweh in this hour is sending forth His Spirit to perform a deep probing work. He is exposing the inner condition of people’s lives. He desires TRUTH in the inner parts.

Psalms 51:6-7
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Right now, the Father is exposing those things which are deficient in the lives of His sons and daughters that they might quickly agree with Him and take the steps He directs them to take in order to correct these hidden faults. This is a brief moment of grace. Soon He will examine His sons and daughters and make a division among them. This will be a dividing similar to that which occurred when Gideon’s army was separated into three groups. There were the 22,000 fearful, the 9,700 unprepared, and the 300 who were alert and ready.

The numbers will be similarly precipitous in this last hour. Those who will walk as overcomers and be chosen for exploits in the Father’s name will be the smallest remnant. Indeed, they will seem too few to accomplish the will of the Father, but He will greatly help them.

People of God, I fear lest having run the race this far I should falter before I arrive at the finish line. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Our Father requires a complete harmony between our outward testimony and our inner life. He would have us to be perfect as He is perfect. He is performing a fiery examination in the lives of His saints at this time. I encourage you to permit Him to shine His piercing light into all areas of your life that He might reveal all that is not yet perfected.

Isaiah 26:9
At night my soul longs for You, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Yahweh is coming to the earth of our flesh with His judgments. This is not a judgment unto death, but unto life. Not a soul was lost in the earthquake in Christchurch. Hidden faults were exposed, buildings crumbled that were built deficiently. Those who had built on an unstable foundation were greatly shaken.

In the aftermath, hidden fault lines have now been exposed. That which was not sound in homes and buildings is being torn down to be built again from the foundation up. Those buildings that stood, but suffered some damage are being repaired. In the same way, the Father would have us to observe the condition of our lives. Depart from that which is unsound. Move away from the unstable foundations of this world system. Build upon the Rock. Do not permit anything to remain that can be shaken. If you do, there will be great loss.

I would recommend to you a writing that was forwarded to me. I am not vouching for all the writings of this author, for I have not tested them. This is the first article I have read from him, and it is excellent and I am able to highly recommend it to those who wish to discern this work of the Father at this hour. You can find it at the following link. It is the article titled “It Has Begun.”

http://www.firstloveministry.com/index.html

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

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

A Time of Examination

Joseph Herrin (09-16-2010)

Workman Inspect Building Damage in Christchurch

If you knew that a great earthquake was coming to Christ’s church, what would you do? Would you not want to know whether your home would stand in that hour?

There is a great shaking coming. The Father is leading many of His sons and daughters to allow Him to reveal faults and weaknesses that could lead to tremendous loss if steps are not take to address them.

Shortly after I arrived back in Georgia I sent out a letter to a number of people with whom I have frequent correspondence. I shared with them some experiences on the trip Randy Simmons and I recently completed. I shared that during the trip the Father had revealed some weakness and faults in my life, and I was being led to take steps to address these shortcomings.

Those who have walked for a long time through wilderness places, and have known much of the dealings of the Father, may have made much progress in their lives. However, they can still have some area of weakness, some fault that can cause them to suffer great loss.

Moses is a case in point. We have the following testimony of Moses’ life.

Hebrews 11:24-27
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

At the age of forty Moses departed from Egypt and spent forty years in the wilderness tending his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep. He left a life of affluence, or honor and authority in one of the greatest civilizations of all history, and endured a wilderness experience. Apart from this experience, Moses would not have had the character formed in him which was necessary for Yahweh to employ him as the instrument of His people’s deliverance. After forty years in the wilderness we find that Yahweh describes Moses as the most humble man alive on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:3
Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.

Despite Moses’ great progress, there was a fault within him, a weakness that unaddressed would lead to great loss. This fault was revealed toward the end of his life as he was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness. Becoming exasperated with the people’s complaints he struck the rock a second time when Yahweh told him to speak to it.

Numbers 20:6-12
Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to them; and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." So Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

Moses suffered a great loss due to this transgression in his life. Moses violated the command of Yahweh due to an impatience that sprang from a root of selfishness. Moses’ pitied himself, considering the burden of the people that God had placed upon him to be too difficult. This self-pity eventually manifested itself in a way that caused him to suffer loss.

I am unable to fully develop this hidden fault in this writing. If you desire to read more on it, I recommend the writing titled The Peril of Self-Pity.

http://www.heart4god.ws/id281.htm

The Father does not want His sons and daughters to suffer loss. He wants them to attain to all that He has prepared for those who walk as overcomers. He has invited all His children to qualify themselves to be numbered among the firstborn sons of God, attaining to the first resurrection. Yet only a small remnant will do so.

Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

To become a partaker of the first resurrection is the spiritual equivalent of being a firstborn son. The birthright and the blessing belong to the firstborn. These will be preeminent among all their brothers.

The apostle Paul had his eye on this prize, and he exercised self-control at all times lest he should be disqualified. Paul permitted the Spirit of Christ to reveal any hidden faults, any lack that might disqualify him from the prize before him.

Philippians 3:10-14
To get to know him, and the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death, - If by any means I may advance to the earlier resurrection, which is from among the dead: Not that I have, already, received, or have, already, reached perfection, but I am pressing on - if I may even lay hold of that for which I have also been laid hold of by Christ Jesus: - Brethren! I, as to myself, reckon that I have, not yet, laid hold; one thing, however, -  the things behind, forgetting, and, unto the things before, eagerly reaching out, with the goal in view, I press on for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[Rotherham Emphasized Bible]

I have been mindful that even after having spent the past four months preaching to others that there is a prize to be attained, and the great peril of falling short of the will of our Father, I may yet fall short myself. I must compete according to the rules if I would attain to the prize. It is not enough to know truth, we must walk in the truth. Self-control, personal discipline, are required by those who strive for the mastery in sports and who would achieve the top prizes. How much more must those who are seeking the greatest prize of all exercise self-control in ALL things?

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. And 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 buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

People of God, I confess that my flesh does not want to be crucified any more than any other person’s. I would not have walked the path I have been on for the past eleven years unless I saw that there was some prize before me and a fear of falling short had gripped me. Our Father has called us to set our eyes on the goal, and to be as Christ “who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). We must see the goal, the prize, the joy, if we are to run the race with endurance.

At times my endurance flags. I find myself growing spiritually lazy, failing to exercise the self-discipline required of an overcoming son. I shared these things in a recent letter to some friends and saints. One brother, who is a believing Jew, wrote me back and mentioned that the dealing of the Father in my life was very much in synch with the Jewish feast days. I asked him to explain what he meant.

Alan told me that the period of time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a span of ten days, is a traditional time of self-examination and repentance for the Jews. Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) began on the evening of September 8. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) will begin at sundown on the evening of September 18. It is a day to afflict one’s soul, a day of fasting, of confession and repentance.

Leviticus 23:26-32
And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to Yahweh. Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before Yahweh your God. If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath."

This most holy day on the Hebrew calendar is often referred to as “a Sabbath of Sabbaths.” If you are unfamiliar with the spiritual substance of Sabbath rest, that which all Christians are to strive to enter into, I recommend to you the book Sabbath.

http://www.heart4god.ws/id214.htm

Our souls are the offering we are to bring to Yahweh on the day of Atonement. We are to permit His Spirit to burn shine forth His light into the dark and hidden recesses of our lives, to perform His work of fiery burning. We are to agree with Him concerning any work, any activity, or patterns of thought in our lives that are out of synch with His own holy character. We must set our faces to correct all that is not in alignment with Yahweh.

There is a danger for all saints in thinking that they have done enough, already, that their present level of conformity to Christ is enough. Our Father has determined that His sons and daughters should arrive at a fulness of conformity to the image of Christ.

Ephesians 4:13
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

Our Father earnestly desires that Christ be FULLY FORMED within us (Galatians 4:19).

I have received some e-mails recently that impress upon me the seriousness of the hour and what is at stake. I will share a few here. This first one especially has impressed upon me the peril of complacency, of failing in diligence, in watchfulness and preparation.

Cheryl Bullard wrote to me the following:

Mr. Herrin,


I have something to share with you.  Please pray and ask Father to give you insight on it also, because I believe it is an important message.


Recall the story of Gideon's Army.  There is a parallel there that I believe is an eye-opener to those who believe they have already 'attained' overcomer status... One which will humble one and all...


Gideon "called up" all those who would come... 32,000 showed up... This is prophetic of all believers from among the world (they are the "called")....


Out of the 32,000 called, all those who were fearful were sent home.  This is prophetic of the overcomers being chosen from among all believers, and the reason is because they "overcame fear" whereas the ones sent home were therefore NOT "overcomers" (of fear).  The 32,000 was culled down then to 10,000 (the "called" and "chosen")...


I am sure that at this point the 10,000 "overcomers" believed that they were the final number for Gideon's Army.  I am sure all these overcomers believed that none would be sent home.  I am sure they believed there was no further test (just as many probably do today).  But there was.


Out of the 10,000 Overcomers, God had Gideon then WATCH and note who drank straight from the brook (with their face in the water) versus those who "kept on guard" of their surroundings and drank water from their cupped hand.  The 10,000 were culled down then to a mere 300.  This represents a tiny 3% of all overcomers who "overcame fear."  The other thing of note is that the overcomers did NOT know they were being tested and watched.  They didn't know there was another test to determine who would be in that final cut, and who wouldn't.  I believe this is the time period we are in right now, and many among this overcomer group are not aware they are being watched and tested.  The "test" is a timely one.... It is one of "being on guard"..."cautious"....hand on the sword (WORD) and watchful .... i.e., the test is one concerning DISCERNMENT. (These are the "called", "chosen", AND "faithful").
Cheryl

If you are content with your present spiritual condition, if you believe you have made the cut, do not permit yourself to be complacent in this hour. Strengthen the things that are weak and ready to die. Allow the Father to reveal anything that falls short of completeness in your life (Revelation 3:2). A man may fall from any height. It is a time to humble ourselves yet further, for there is a very great prize before us, and only the smallest remnant will attain to it.

Following is a note I received in reply to yesterday’s invitation for the saints to share what they are hearing from the Father. Sandi Keller wrote:

Brother Herrin,


You asked what others might of heard. I was actually sitting on the couch yesterday in silence and heard the words “Don't be caught Off guard.” When I read your blog this morning I looked it up -not prepared or Vigilant- not prepared in a state of readiness-slow to understand or respond. Just wanted to share.


Your sister in Christ, Sandi

People of God, I entreat you to stir yourself up yet more. Do not let down your guard, or slacken your pace, for the finish line has not yet been crossed. Stir up one another even as I am seeking to stir you up. Pray for one another. How tragic it would be for any to be called to be among the manchild company who will ascend to the throne, only to be disqualified unawares like the 9,700 men who made the first cut in Gideon’s army. Be watchful. Be ready.

A further word for consideration that was sent to me can be found here:

http://sermonplayer.com/c/coffeetalkswithmessiah/pdf/2482459_19375.pdf


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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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