Christmas Season versus Sabbath Rest

Joseph Herrin (11-30-2010)

We are entering once again upon one of the church’s high holy seasons. Christmas and Easter have become the most pronounced and celebrated events of modern Christianity. This is in fulfillment of the words of the apostle Paul:

II Thessalonians 2:1-3
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Yahshua Christ, and our gathering together to Him... Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed...

Paul was writing over 1900 years ago, and the time for the Lord’s return had not yet arrived. The Spirit and the Scriptures both testify that the hour is now very near for the appearance of Christ. Those prerequisites declared by the apostle have also been fulfilled. Visible Christianity has fallen into apostasy. A good definition of apostasy is “divorcement from truth.” A profound lawlessness has also gripped the mass of believers.

Such a statement confounds the majority of believers, for they do not have an understanding of Yahweh’s definition of lawlessness. Christ described lawlessness in the following manner:

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'”

Christ defines Kingdom law and Kingdom lawlessness in the following manner: Those who are doing the will of the Father are acting lawfully; Those who are not doing the Father’s will are lawless. That is to say, “They are out from under authority.”

The problem Christianity has in recognizing lawful and lawless deeds arises from their soulish judgment. They view things with the human senses and make judgments based upon what they see and hear. This is not the manner in which the Son of God, or those conformed to His image, judge matters.

Isaiah 11:3-4
And He will delight in the fear of Yahweh, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge...

How many Christians today could witness a person prophesying, casting out a demon, or performing a legitimate miracle, and resist forming a judgment based upon what they saw and heard? How many would automatically assume that such an one was pleasing to God and acting in a lawful manner? Yet Christ said “many” who do such works will be declared lawless on the day of judgment.

Christ did all the works referred to here. He cast out demons. He prophesied. He performed miracles. For Yahshua these were lawful acts because in every instance He did only what the Father showed Him to do.

John 5:19-20
Yahshua therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing...”

Christ never acted apart from a command from the Father. He never performed any action arising from His soul. He lived to do the will of the Father.

John 5:30
"I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

The hearing that Yahshua refers to here is not the natural hearing spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. It is spiritual hearing. Christ listened for the still, small voice of His Father, and He did precisely as His Father directed. He never prophesied a word of His own initiative. He never healed a person without a command from His Father. He never cast out a demon that He did not see His Father casting out.

If such an understanding is new to you, I would recommend to you the book Sabbath. In it you will find described the spiritual substance of Sabbath rest, which is for man to cease from his own labors, as God ceased from His.

Hebrews 4:10-11
For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.

http://www.heart4god.ws/index_htm_files/SABBATH.pdf

Note that a failure to enter into this state of Sabbath rest is described as “disobedience.” To disobey is to practice lawlessness. This is the present condition of the majority of Christians. Rather than being submitted to the leading of the Spirit in all things, they are directed by the counsel of their soul.

Even if the soul counsels apparently good actions, like choosing a good paying occupation in order to support a family, pursuing the American dream so your family can live as comfortably and with as much worldly satisfaction as your neighbors, or participating in civic organizations that have charitable aims, they are lawless acts apart from the leading of the Father. One can even cast out demons and perform miracles and be lawless in the eyes of the Father.

This brings me to the subject of Christian holidays (holy days). The Father did give command for the twelve tribes of Israel to observe holy days. There were three main occasions for these observations every year. At the wheat harvest they celebrated the Feast of Passover. At the barley harvest they celebrated Pentecost. At the grape harvest they celebrated Tabernacles, which is also called by the Hebrew name Sukkot.

The early church was Jewish in origin. The twelve disciples which became the first 12 apostles were all Jews by natural descent. The church began in Jerusalem, and undoubtedly continued to observe these feasts of Yahweh. It took several centuries of creeping error to displace the feasts of Yahweh with the pagan feasts observed by the Sun worshipers of Rome.

Please note that I do not teach that Gentile believers today should observe the feasts of Yahweh in order to be declared righteous. There is benefit in understanding these feast days, for they are filled with symbols that serve as parables pointing to the coming of Christ (Passover), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) and the coming fulness of union with God (Tabernacles). It is not the shadows observed in these festivals that are of utmost importance today, but the substance that is realized in Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17
Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day - things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

It is important to understand the context of the apostle’s words here. He is not speaking of pagan festivals. Paul was a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was trained as a Pharisee, the strictest sect of his people. He was addressing Christians who were being told by some that they had to observe the Law’s many ordinances, in addition to having faith in Christ and being led of the Spirit. He was countering this argument, declaring that those things found in the Old Testament; namely ordinances relating to food and drink, feast days, new moons, and Sabbath day observances, were all shadows pointing to some spiritual substance which is realized in Christ.

What Paul did proclaim to the people of God is that they are to be led of the Spirit in all things, following the pattern of Yahshua.

Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

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

I have often been accused of teaching lawlessness for declaring that the saints of God are not bound to keep the Law delivered to Moses. This is a false charge, for I do not teach lawlessness. I teach submission to the rule of the Spirit of God. If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law, neither are you lawless. Will the Spirit of God ever lead a man or woman to an act contrary to the will of the Father? Absolutely not. The Law contained only a shadow of the will of the Father, but the Spirit reveals the substance.

What do these things have to do with the observance of Christmas and Easter? If lawful activity is defined as doing the will of the Father as He reveals it to us by His Spirit, then we must examine how the church has arrived at the celebration of these pagan holidays that have been adopted through the practice of syncretism. Has there been a command from the Father to observe Christmas and Easter, with all their pagan symbols and mixing of the holy and the profane? Is the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifested at this season when men and women are driven to excesses of material consumption? Is the promotion of the merchandise of the world a fruit of our union with Christ? Why does the carnal world enjoy this holiday as much as the people of God if it is actually a demonstration of spiritual life?

Some people at this season have written to me to inquire if I have any writings on Christmas. I have a teaching written specifically for those interested in the origins of this celebration. It reveals why this holiday has become such a sacred cow (golden calf) to Christians today, assuring that a great many will never separate from its observance.

I recommend this writing to you. It is titled Removing the High Places.

http://www.heart4god.ws/index_htm_files/Parables%20Bookshelf%20-%20Series%202-1-3.pdf

I recently put this teaching into the form of a newsletter, making it ideal to share with other believers. Following is the cover of the issue.

Newsletter Cover

This 24 page edition of the Parables Bookshelf Series is filled with images and Scriptures, as it addresses the church’s adoption of this holiday, revealing the origin of the dates, symbols, and practices associated with it. I am making this newsletter available in PDF format for any who should wish to print it out for their own viewing, or to share it with others.

Inside Pages of Newsletter

Some may ask, “Do not Christians have liberty to observe these holidays if they place the focus on Christ?” This is a question I have wrestled much with. I have desired earnestly to know the mind of the Father in these things. What I have come to understand is revealed in a prophetic utterance of Christ to Peter. This was at the third appearance of Christ after His resurrection, and shortly before He ascended to the Father.

John 21:18-19
"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands , and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."

These words contain a parable. When we are young (spiritually immature) we go where we desire, and array ourselves in a manner pleasing to self. To arrive at spiritual maturity we must give up this soulish liberty, and embrace the cross. We encounter the cross as we surrender the thoughts, will, and desires of our own soul to be directed by the will of Another. This Other One is Yahweh. As we come into this place of Spirit submission, we will no longer be guided by the counsel of our own soul. Instead, we will live for the will and pleasure of another.

This change of headship, removing our own head to take Christ as Head, will always lead us into conflict with the world, and with a worldly church. We could continue to be self-directed, offering sacrifices to God of our own choosing, but He demands obedience rather than sacrifice. He does not want His sons, who are called to attain to the fulness of the stature that belongs to Christ, to remain spiritual infants. We learn obedience by the things we suffer. We are perfected (matured) through suffering. This suffering (the work of the cross) is entered into as we cease doing our own works, and surrender to be led of the Spirit who reveals to us the will of the Father.

This certainly applies to our participation, or lack of it, in the celebration of Christmas and Easter. I found my own surrender to the will of the Father in this matter eleven years ago to be quite a revelatory experience. Unsaved family members became my adversaries. Why did this occur? Why were they so adamant that I participate in a “Christian celebration” when they had never before been advocates of obedience to Christ? Why is the world so heavily invested in continuing this celebration when she has removed all Christian morality from society, and all Biblical influence from the schools and government?

The answer should be obvious. Christmas is filled with images and practices that appeal to the fallen nature of man. To copy a phrase employed by Sinclair Lewis in the book Babbit, Christmas season is “an orgy of commercial righteousness.”

Perhaps you would like to persuade yourself that this is a trivial matter and will not have any bearing upon your appearance at the judgment seat of Christ. I would counsel you against such a conclusion. It is in our willingness to walk separately from the world, and a worldly religious system, that Yahweh proves those who will stand as overcomers. Where else is persecution to arise in the life of a saint if it is not in our obedience to be led of the Spirit by walking contrary to the path of the masses.

Consider that Christ declared that the way is broad that leads to destruction, but the gate is narrow and the way is afflicted that leads to life. Few there are who find it. If you are following the herd how can you assume that you are that narrow path that ends at life? Barack Hussein Obama will be lighting the Christmas Tree at the White House this year. Will you be lighting one at your home?

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

Harnessing Fire

Joseph Herrin (11-27-2010)

My recent work on “the ark” has involved installing various useful applications of fire, both for cooking and heating. I had salvaged a large propane tank from the RV that Mike and Donna Mitchell made available to me. It is twice the capacity of the one in my van, and about four times the size of a typical tank on a barbecue grill.

The tank is heavy, being completely full of propane. I wondered how much of a chore it would be to mount the tank under the frame of the bus as it weighed well over a hundred pounds, and was bulky and round. The underside of the bus is steel construction, and has steel supports run at even intervals across the underbelly. I had hoped that the mounts on the propane tank would align with the supports, and in fact they did. It was almost as if they were designed for the bus.

Propane Tank Mounted Under Bus

Every fourth brace under the bus was T shaped. At either end of the propane tank there was a flange mounted on the top, and it rested perfectly on the T brace on one side while it was bolted to another T brace. It took a little figuring to measure and drill all the holes before lifting the propane tank into place. Randy Simmons assisted me with raising and bolting the tank in place. We used a hydraulic jack to raise it and hold it while it was being secured. It is now hanging very securely.

Propane Tank Access

I had to measure and cut the access hole prior to mounting the tank as it would interfere with cutting. I will dress it up the access hole later with some type of cover, and most put a coat of fresh paint on the tank. All I need now is to get a piece of copper tube with the appropriate fittings on either end, and I can hook the tank up to my oven/stove combo.

My next project was to get my woodstove in place. I began by laying out the ceramic tile I had purchased to go under the stove, and tracing around it on the carpet. The carpet was installed onto a rubber mat that lines the entire floor of the bus. I cut out a section of carpet and rubber mat so I could attach lay the ceramic tile directly onto the steel floor.

Section of Floor Prepared for Ceramic Tile

I could not apply the ceramic tile with normal adhesives, as it is generally laid onto a porous surface such as concrete or rough plywood. I had to find an adhesive that would bond to both ceramic tile and steel. I found some suitable that comes in a tube like caulk, and I laid it down.

Ceramic Tile Laid for Stove

This was the extent of my labors on Thanksgiving Day, as I was engaged most of the day visiting with people gathered at my host’s home. My daughter came by in the afternoon and saw the bus for the first time. I believe we had 22 people in attendance and we were blessed to have Kristin play a few songs she had written.

The next day I sanded the woodstove I had acquired. It is not terribly old, perhaps ten years or so, but it had been outside for some time, and had been neglected. It needed a good sanding, and I had to chip off the scale rust in a few spots. I then painted it with some high temperature header paint I purchased at an auto parts store. It is rated much higher than the barbecue grill paint I looked at elsewhere. Most of them were rated to 1300 degrees, but the header paint was rated to 2000 degrees.

Woodstove Installed

Bolting the stove to the floor of the bus was a bit if a chore. I had to use one drill bit for the cast iron legs, then switch to a different bit that was designed for cutting through ceramic tile. The ceramic tile drill bit cost ten dollars, and the tip broke off after cutting the first hole. I was able to take it back to Ace Hardware and get it replaced and finish the job. After drilling through the ceramic, I had to put the steel cutting bit back in and finish drilling through the floor of the bus.

My next task to tackle is getting the potable water tank hung under the bus and completing all the plumbing throughout the bus.

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

Thank You Lord for the Cross!

Joseph Herrin (11-24-2010)

The sign pictured above was located right next to the motorhome the Father led Randy Simmons to purchase last year. The man selling the RV had a pest control business, and this was the message he had posted. The Father in numerous ways that day indicated to Randy that he was to purchase a vehicle designated as an ark. Randy was seeing images of doves with branches in their mouths all day, including a real one which flew directly in front of him as he was driving.

Randy’s motorhome has been a cross for him to bear. After purchasing it, and being assured by the owner that it was driveable, it died on him numerous times before it had moved ten feet. The owner ended up putting another battery in it for Randy, and he began to drive it home as I followed in his pick-up truck. The RV went a few hundred yards and the engine cut off. After sitting a few minutes he was able to crank it again and drive a few hundred more yards. This process was repeated a half dozen times, at times requiring me to get out in the road and direct traffic around the stalled motorhome.

Being frustrated, and not knowing the problem, Randy ended up leaving the motorhome beside the road that night. The next day his uncle Alan helped him get it to Randy’s mother’s home so he could begin work on it. It turned out that there was trash in the fuel tanks, and the motion of driving was stirring up the sediment, blocking the fuel line, and causing it to cut off. Randy had to pull the tanks and take them into town to get them cleaned and the insides re-coated. Performing this work he got soaked by gasoline numerous times.

Randy was told the RV had new brakes. It turned out to have one new brake pad. The brakes pulled terribly to one side and needed work. He discovered  numerous serious electrical problems almost immediately. When his uncle flipped one switch in the motorhome it shorted out an expensive battery, actually melting the post off the side of it.

The power distribution box inside the motorhome did not work. None of the 12 volt systems in the motorhome worked. The generator fuel pump was non-functional. The starter on the engine needed to be replaced several times. Randy thought the problem might be with the flywheel, so he replaced it which required dropping the transmission, which is a major job. The roof had leaks, so he patched it thoroughly last year. He discovered on our return from our four month journey on the road that the roof had been leaking despite being patched and the ceiling was sagging in places.

This is not an exhaustive list of the problems with the motorhome, but it will suffice to demonstrate the types of experiences Yahweh will lead His sons into when they are yielded to be led of His Spirit. It was very evident that Yahweh had chosen this specific motorhome for Randy. Getting it into functional condition would indeed present Randy with an afflicted path that would try his soul, and lead him to question why the Father had given him a vehicle that required so much work when He could have given him something much better.

I have shared with Randy that the path we walk is as important as the destination we are seeking to arrive at. The Father will appoint to each of His sons and daughters a path that is designed for maximum spiritual growth. We only have opportunity to increase in patience when we are brought to the end of our natural patience. The same is true regarding gentleness. It is exercised when we are provoked to anger. Longsuffering is developed only as we suffer for a long time. Faith is exercised in the face of unbelief. Humility is given opportunity to arise when pride rears its head.

I have written of Randy’s experience because of the sign that was present when he bought the RV. I knew it was symbolic, which is why I took a picture of it last year. This RV would lead Randy to a cross. Randy’s experience is not unique. It is common to ALL who will submit to be led where the Spirit leads them.

When we yield ourselves to the leading of the Spirit, He will direct our steps with great purpose. Where we would like a quick and painless solution to our needs and desires, the Father’s thoughts toward us are much different. He does not often give us that which our soul would choose for itself. He will bring us to experiences designed to promote spiritual growth. The afflicted path He appoints for His sons will disclose their shortcomings.

Consider the Israelites who were led by the Father out of Egypt. Yahweh promised them that He would bring them to a land promised as an inheritance. It would be a land flowing with milk and honey. He said He would give them houses they did not build, and vineyards they did not plant. These things sound wonderful to the soul of man, and indeed they are great blessings.

What the Israelites did not count on was the path that Yahweh would lead them down to arrive at their inheritance. Yahweh chose a path through a barren wilderness. They would be tried with hunger, thirst, heat, and serpents. They would be faced with enemy armies mightier than themselves, and even have to do battle with giants. Every deficiency within the people of God was exposed by these experiences.

Deuteronomy 8:2
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, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Anger, pride, impatience, dissatisfaction, grumbling, complaint, self-seeking, covetousness, idolatry and many other things were exposed through the experiences Yahweh led His people to. Their experiences were not unique to them. They were written for the church to learn from that they might not respond in similar ways. We too risk being disqualified from being partakers of the good things the Father has set before His people.

1 Corinthians 10:1-12
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Listed here are some of the same responses that will keep the saints of God today from entering into their inheritance. Idolatry - loving the world and the things in it; Sensuality - living an unrestrained life that indulges the flesh;  Murmuring and complaint - finding fault with the Father’s will and ways as He directs our steps; all these things and more are common reflex responses of the Adamic man. The Father will appoint experiences for each of His sons to show reveal what is in their hearts.

This reveals one important point. Although the Israelites could truly say they were being led of Yahweh, for they were following the pillar of fire and the cloud, they could not boast of walking as overcomers. It is not enough to follow. We must follow while overcoming the passions and desires of the flesh. Our Father is patient. We may not get it right the first time. He will lead us around the mountain again. This is for our benefit. He wants us to recognize where we failed previously that we might pass the test.

What we discover as Yahweh directs our steps is not pretty. We inherited a deep root of self-love, self-seeking, pride, and rebellion from our forefather Adam. Yet, it is the love of God that He would reveal to us this blackness within. He wants us to see it, to mourn over our condition, that we might yield to the process of transformation into sons of light. The old man must die that a new creation might come forth.

Last year at this season the Father appointed for me to spend sixty days in jail. I would not have chosen this course for myself anymore than the Israelites would choose to endure the wilderness. Yet, by accepting the Father’s path, even expressing thanksgiving for it, I was able to pass through the experience successfully as an overcomer. My experience would have been exceedingly bitter had I gone through it with a spirit of complaint, protesting the injustice of it all. Instead, I found springs in the valleys and water from the barren rock.

Are you yielded to go wherever the Father will lead you, and to do whatever He will require? You must be if you would be a disciple of Christ, for no disciple is greater than His master. If Christ had a cross to bear, then so too will all who follow in His steps. There are humble circumstances, trying experiences, difficulties, sorrow and loss that we must all pass through. As we do we are given opportunity to decrease in our Adamic nature and increase in conformity to Christ.

There is nothing more beneficial in the life of any saint than the cross the Father would lead them to. Those experiences that provoke the flesh and upset the soul of man are Yahweh’s best and highest will for His sons.  It is in dying to natural reason and all fleshly response, allowing the meek, gentle, forgiving and overcoming nature of Christ to be revealed that we are transformed and made worthy to rule and reign with Christ in the ages to come.

If the Father is leading you to some trial, some humiliation, some unjust experience, some provocation, loss, or sorrow, can you express thanksgiving for it? Only those who accept the wisdom and ways of God, leaning not on their own understanding and Adamic wisdom, will be enabled to do so.

Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares Yahweh. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

The past eleven years of my life have been ones of affliction, loss, and sorrow. This describes the way of the disciple of Christ, the way of the cross. The Father has shown me that my experiences have been that which a great many more will now be required to be led through. Are you willing? Will you pass through the wilderness victoriously as did Joshua and Caleb? Or will you be as that much greater number who murmured and complained bitterly against the path the Father chose for them? Will you embrace the difficulties the Father appoints for you, or seek to return to Egypt?

This Thanksgiving, let your heart choose to accept the cross with thanksgiving. It is Yahweh’s instrument to cause you to come forth as a spiritual creation in His own image. The path is not easy, but if it is embraced with thanks it will lead to life and blessings that far exceed any trouble we will have to endure for a season.

I believe the Father would have me to share these things with you at this time, for the coming year will be one in which many will find that their path is the way of the cross. Even now some see it looming before them. Will you embrace it? Will you go forward, entrusting your soul to a faithful Father despite the fears within and the conflicts without? Great grace awaits those who will accept the cross prepared for them. Such ones will never walk alone. Christ walks with them.

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

The Ark Nearing Ship Shape

Joseph Herrin (11-23-2010)

I am really blessed as I see things coming together quickly on the bus conversion the Father has directed me to undertake at this season. I have built the cabinet for the kitchen sink, with only trim work in it remaining. Following is the progress in a series of pictures.

Space where Sink and Cabinet will Go

Sink Frame Built

Sink in Place and Counter Top Added

In the above photo I have added two electric outlets, and applied a partial siding to the front of the cabinet. I decided to hang a curtain across the front to make access to the large storage area under the sink more accessible. The curtain will hang beneath the electric outlets.

You may notice the metal box under the sink with the vents on it. This is part of a heating system that works by circulating the fluid from the engine radiator through it and blowing air across it. I wanted to leave this with as much air flow around it as possible so it can serve as a heat source when driving.

There are two spools of wire under the sink. These are my 12 volt DC lines which I ran a few weeks ago in anticipation of hooking up the water pump for the potable drinking water system.

The following picture shows the interior of the bus looking from the front looking back.

Bus Nearing Ship Shape

This is quite a difference from the empty shell I began with a month ago. The Father has truly made a quick work of things so far, though there is still 2-3 weeks of work to go.

A sister in Christ (Ellen) from the Atlanta area contacted me last week and said she had a bolt of curtain material. She is a seamstress and asked if she could make the curtains for me. I sent her the measurements, and I am looking forward to the difference that having curtains will make. They will add a splash of color to the black and white scheme that dominates the interior.

Some of the work left to be completed is as follows:

●    Mounting propane tank under bus and running propane gas line to oven and stove.

●    Laying ceramic tile where the wood stove will sit.

●    Sanding the badly rusted wood stove and painting it with high temp paint.

●    Installing the wood stove, cutting a hole for the flue to be mounted through the roof.

●    Hanging the potable water tank under the bus and hooking up all the plumbing lines and 12 volt pump.

●    Finishing out the front of the bus around the driver’s area.
I am sure other miscellaneous things will come to mind that need to be done, but these are the major issues to get the bus livable. I also plan to paint the outside of the bus myself after I give it a thorough cleaning.

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

Obama the Destroyer

Joseph Herrin (11-22-2010)

Today’s date is a significant one. Twenty-two signifies flesh cutting. It is a multiple of eleven, and we are in the eleventh month. The number eleven bears a very somber message. E.W. Bullinger writes the following concerning it:

If ten is the number which marks the perfection of Divine order, then eleven is an addition to it, subversive of and undoing that order. If twelve is the number which marks the perfection of Divine government, then eleven falls short of it. So that whether we regard it as being 10 + 1, or 12 - 1, it is the number which marks, disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/eleven.htm]

Barack Hussein Obama is America’s 44th President. This too is a multiple of eleven. Considering the fact that he was not born as an American citizen, and is therefore not qualified for the position of President, his position is viewed as a subversive one by many.

I have written much of the symbols associated with Barack Obama relating to his call as a beast ruler. The Secret Service nicknamed the armored car built for him “The Beast.” The Illinois State lottery’s pick three numbers came up 6-6-6 the day his presidential victory was announced. The headquarters for Obama’s campaign organization in Chicago is 60606, etc..

I have also shared that Barack Hussein Obama was raised up by Yahweh to serve as a scourge and a destroyer to a nation that has given itself to profound evil. The blood of more than fifty million murdered babies cries out from the ground for Yahweh to judge and avenge them.

Ezekiel 21:31-32
“And I shall pour out My indignation on you; I shall blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I shall give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled in destruction. You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, have spoken.”

The recent Newsweek cover depicts Barack Obama in the image of Shiva, the Hindu god of death and destruction.

Obama as Shiva

Pictured below is the demon god Shiva performing the dance of death.

Shiva - The Destroyer

One will note a serpent like quality to these depictions. All is coiling and crooked, rather than straight and upright.

I want to tie this in to a recent discussion I had with a sister in Christ over the occurrence of a Blue Moon last night. Perhaps you have seen this mentioned in the news. Popular thought today has adopted the thought that a Blue Moon is a second full moon occurring in a single month. This is not the actual understanding of a Blue Moon. Following is an excellent article that details how this false understanding came about, and what a Blue Moon was considered to be originally.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20101119/sc_space/thereallystrangestorybehindsundaysbluemoon

To summarize, a Blue Moon occurs when there are thirteen full moons in a calendar year. This occurs seven times every nineteen years. To narrow it down even further, a Blue Moon occurs when there are four full moons in a single season. The Blue Moon would be the third of the four full moons. Such a moon was observed last night.

I mention this because of the significance of the number thirteen. We live in a year that will experience thirteen full moons. The thirteenth, and final full moon of this year will occur on December 21st.

One error in the article linked above regards the origin of the association of the number thirteen with bad luck. It did not receive this association due to an added month in the year causing calendar difficulties for monks in the church. The association of the number thirteen with evil goes much further back, and is firmly established in the Scriptures.

E.W. Bullinger has a lengthy exposition of this in his book Number in Scripture. I will include an excerpt.

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


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


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

I would point out that America’s foundation as a nation is marked indelibly with the number thirteen. There were thirteen original colonies that became the thirteen states of the Union. These are represented by the thirteen stripes on the American flag, and the thirteen arrows in the talons of the eagle on the Great Seal. There are thirteen stars depicted on the images of the nation’s money, and many more examples of this association could be provided.

As difficult as it is for those who have been steeped in the patriotic fervor of America and her religious system, America’s government was never formed to be a Christian nation. America traces its origins back to the American Revolution. The word revolution is defined as “an act of rebellion.” Both of these words, revolution and rebellion, are mentioned above in Bullinger’s account of the significance of the number thirteen.

I do not have space to write of the Luciferian foundations of America’s government here. For those interested, you can read about it at the link below:

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/luciferian-foundation-of-america.html

A further note on the symbolism of the Blue Moon is revealed in a quote on the Wikipedia article on this subject.

Some interpret this "blue moon" as relating to absurdities and impossibilities.  An alternative interpretation uses another Middle English meaning of belewe, which (besides "blue") can mean "betray."
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon]

I share these things to alert the people of God to the hour in which we live. I have been posting much about the bus the Father has instructed me to convert to a motorhome. The Father has referred to it as “an ark.” The ark of Noah’s day was a place of habitation to ride out a day of judgment. I am persuaded that the Father has the same meaning in mind in referring to this bus as an ark.

America and the nations are entering days of great judgment and tribulation. America has been given into the hands of evil men skilled in destruction. Most of the destruction has been going on clandestinely thus far. Soon the extent of America’s decline will be unveiled. Words like “disintegration, chaos, disorder, collapse, and death” will be used to try to describe the end of a mighty nation that boasted of being the world’s last superpower.

I am not building this ark because I think it is a neat idea, or because my soul was led to do so. I am doing so at the leading of the Spirit of Christ.

I cannot tell you what the coming days will look like, or predict dates of calamitous events. I do know by the Spirit that America’s fall is certain, and is coming swiftly. At this hour she has been given into the hands of evil men skilled in destruction. The freedoms of Americans are being stripped away. One cannot even fly on a plane without subjecting themself to invasive searches or body scans. The government is conditioning the people to the thought that they should be the gatekeepers of all movement. Freedom is being replaced with draconian controls.

The middle class is being destroyed. Their wealth is being given into the hands of global bankers, while the people are being saddled with debt greater than any nation in the world’s history. Just last night the news reported that America’s course is unsustainable.

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/11/21/obama-s-former-commerce-secretary-nominee-us-economy-unsustainable-track-1

I am not alarmed by these things, for as a disciple of Christ I am merely an alien and a stranger in this world. I have no land or home or property I am seeking to protect. The church is purified in days of evil.

Isaiah 26:9
For when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Additional link and quote:

The Newsweek cover shows Obama with several arms carrying policy issues while balancing on one leg. The headline reads: "God of All Things..."


Shiva, who is one of three pre-eminent gods in the Hindu religion along with Brahma and Vishnu, is considered the destroyer of the world, which must end, metaphorically speaking, in order to be reborn as a more universalistic place...
[Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/21/newsweek-depiction-obama-lord-shiva-upsets-indians/?test=latestnews]

Let us not sleep as others do, but rather be alert and sober.

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

Ark Update

Joseph Herrin (11-21-2010)

Progress continues on the conversion of the 1972 Carpenter School Bus into a motorhome. I have not taken a day off from working on it in a couple weeks.

Most recently I have been working on installing appliances in the kitchen. I had salvaged a Dometic refrigerator from the wrecked Coachmen RV that Mike and Donna Mitchell graciously made available to me for any parts I could use. The refrigerator was a big ticket item. Dometic is a Swedish company, and they cater to the RV world. They offer refrigerators that run on 110 Volt AC electrical power, or on propane. (Some smaller ones also will run on 12 Volt DC electric.) To those not familiar with RV refrigeration, producing ice cold air by burning propane may seem to be a crazy idea, but it actually works very well.

Dometic - Model DM2852

These appliances do not use your typical refrigerant, but are ammonia based. Fortunately, I did not need to know all the physics of this device to hook it up, but I did have to make some choices. I had already hooked the Dometic refrigerator to electric power. It required both a 110 volt AC and a 12 volt DC connection. It works very well on electric power. Finding the installation manual online I discovered that if I was to run it on propane I would have to build an airtight box around it and vent it to the outside of the bus. Burning propane in an enclosed space produces carbon monoxide, which can lead to difficulty in remaining alive. The human body requires a higher concentration of oxygen, and a lower ratio of carbon, for respiratory efficiency. There is a great parable in this. If you have not read about it yet, you can view it in the article “Gospel Chemistry.”

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/gospel-chemistry.html

Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of running the refrigerator on propane, I chose not to do so. I will run it on electric only. This simplified installation significantly. All I had to do was install some runners under the refrigerator so it was not sitting directly on the carpet, and then anchor it in place. I also needed to replace the decorative door panels, as the freezer panel was missing, and the refrigerator panel was damaged. I already had white paneling, so cutting and installing new door panels was a simple task.

Refrigerator Anchored at Top

One of the main concerns in an RV is to keep things in their place when driving. I had some braces that had been used to hold up the overhead shelves when the bus was a school bus. I found that they fit perfectly atop the refrigerator, allowing me to anchor it to the ceiling as well as screwing it solidly to the floor.

I don’t remember if I mentioned it previously, but I almost made a big mistake some weeks back. I had the refrigerator stored under a shed to provide me with working room in the bus. I was working away, putting up the bathroom framing and building beds when the thought occurred to me that the refrigerator might not fit through the front door. I measured it, and sure enough it was two inches too wide. This meant that I had to bring it in the back door before I had my walls in place. I had to remove one wall brace, which was a simple matter of removing two screws. Randy Simmons then helped me to carry the refrigerator through the back door of the bus. We had to carry it through one of the beds holding it horizontal, to get it to the kitchen area. There was just enough room to get the refrigerator through the bed. Below is a picture of the path we had to carry the refrigerator through.

The 2x2 in front center was removed and the fridge then carried through the bed. One thing is certain now, the refrigerator is here to stay. It cannot get out either the front or back exits now. If it ever quits working it will make a wonderful storage cabinet.

Following is a side view of the newly installed refrigerator. I also cut a side panel to dress it out, as it had only foam insulation on the sides.

Fridge Anchored in Place

Once I had the refrigerator in place I could build the cabinet for mounting the oven/stove combo unit. I also salvaged this from the RV in Tennessee. It is a Magic Chef unit, and matches well with my black and white color scheme.

Oven/Stove with Frame to Support It

The frame is solidly anchored both to the steel floor of the bus, and the steel side wall. All this talk of anchors and arks sounds like I might be going sailing somewhere. Similar to life on a boat, everything that is not supposed to move must be solidly secured.

After building the frame I began to panel it. I also added a plywood counter with some laminate to dress up the top.

Oven Enclosure Taking Shape

There is a goodly amount of storage space under the oven that I can use for pots and pans, and whatever else I can stash there. I had salvaged a number of cabinet doors from the Coachmen RV, and I found that they fit wonderfully. All I had to do was paint them (they were wood grain finish), relocate one of the handles as it was not aligned with the other one, and they worked out fine. The hinges have springs in them, which keeps the doors from flying open by when driving around corners.

Under Oven Storage

I needed to dress up the edges of the cabinet with some moulding, and drill a hole in the floor to run the gas line from the propane tank, and I was finished. Mounting the propane tank is a task for a future date. There is a window directly behind the stove. It will be used for ventilation when cooking.

The Finished Cabinet and Oven

So, now I have my major kitchen appliances installed, and I am on to my next task in preparing the ark. Here is one last picture of appliance row. In stair step fashion you can see the stove, the refrigerator and the microwave.

Appliance Row

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

Progress in a Picture

(Click on image for larger picture)

I don't have time to write today, so just thought I would post a picture of the bus progress. I painted the front inside of the bus, mounted a set of curtains, and anchored the dining set to the floor.


Things are shaping up. Yahweh's grace is great.


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


Joseph Herrin

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

The Arc (Yes, ARC)

Joseph Herrin 11-15-2010

Since my youth I have been interested in architecture. In my high school days (I graduated in 1979) I took all the drafting classes that were offered. This was in the days when everything was drawn by hand on a drafting board with a straightedge, triangles, and compass. Computer Aided Drafting and programs like AutoCAD were still years in the future.

I very much enjoyed drafting. We mainly drew machine parts, but in my senior year I was able to begin drawing house plans. I especially liked drawing the exterior view of a home. We could do this in either two point, or three point perspective. This gave the house an appearance of being viewed from a specific position with vanishing points. I regularly scored at the top of my class in drafting, though it was not something I ever desired to do as an occupation.

I believe part of the attraction of drafting was that I could draw very realistic images with the tools given to me. Without these tools, I am one of the worst artists you have ever encountered. My best drawings of people look like a child’s stick figures. I do not have a mind that retains images to be recalled and put down on paper. My freehand skills are non-existent. But give me measurements, straight-edges, triangles, curves, and compass and I can create decent images.

I believe it was in my senior year of High School that I began pondering what kind of home I would design as a dream home. I fixated on two different shapes. One was a geodesic dome. The other was a hexagon shaped home that had all the rooms built around a central atrium that was part greenhouse, and part arboretum. I envisioned trees, tropical foliage and running water in the central atrium, and the rooms around it all having a view toward the center. It was much more energy efficient to put the windows on the inside of the home, rather than on the outer walls.

One of the great challenges would be to take this central space and utilize it fully. When I was around 12 or 13, I remember getting a small five gallon aquarium and making it into a terrarium. Living in Oregon, it was not difficult to find mosses, small ferns and lichen covered rocks to decorate the terrarium. I believe this delight in creating micro-worlds, highly ordered and efficient has remained with me, and was manifested in my home designs as a teenager.

I grew up in standard stick frame homes. They were well built, and comfortable, but were no frills. I remember at some point visiting another person’s home and being captivated by the fact that they had curved doorways and arches in the home. What a difference this made from my customary living space of straight lines and ninety degree angles. I thought the curves were very beautiful, making the home very distinctive.

I have shared these things to inform you of the great grace and love of Yahweh that I have observed in something that most people would overlook. My heavenly Father has given me a vehicle with a curved roof, one long archway, to convert into a mobile habitation. Consider how unusual this is. How many vehicles do you see on the roads today with arched roofs? The majority of cars and trucks have flat roofs.

If we look for the mercy and love of our Father, we will find it in many places. I see the Father’s love and kindness toward me in that He has provided me with a school bus with a curved ceiling to make into a place of habitation. He knows that I find arcs, curves, and arches, very attractive, and He has demonstrated His awareness of what brings delight to my soul by providing me with this specific vehicle.

Above is a picture of the bus when I first purchased it. It was basically an empty shell, but what wonderful lines it has. It is like that terrarium I had as a child. It is a space awaiting someone to design and construct it into a thing of practical function and pleasing form. I consider it a great act of my Father’s kindness that He has given to me this project to work on.

I have spent most of my recent years ministering through the written word. This too is something the Father has shaped me for, and given me a delight in doing. Yet, He knows that I also enjoy working with my hands, constructing things.

Have you considered how much attitude has to do with our enjoyment of life? We can carry into this life an attitude of complaint and murmuring where every day is filled with obstacles, miseries, and woes to be recounted. We can look at the negative constantly and be surly and depressed. Or we can have an attitude of thanksgiving, discovering the Father’s mercies, and seeing His acute awareness of our innermost thoughts, joys and delights. I see the Father’s mercy even in the shape of the roof of this bus I have been given to work on. I like it very much, and I am grateful for it.

As I have been working on the roof and ceiling I have found numerous things for which to be thankful. When installing the air conditioner on the roof I was blessed to consider that a curved roof will not hold water, which will cut down on leaks significantly.

Of course, it is more challenging to work with curves. In the last post I showed a picture of the wall panels I have been cutting. They have to be curved along the roof line in order to fit. It is much easier to cut straight lines. A person with a complaining spirit might be tempted to bicker about the added complexity of dealing with arcs, but I find it well worth the effort. The added beauty of a curve is worth a little patient labor.

The past three days I have been working on the ceiling in the bus. One of the very first things I purchased when planning this project was interlocking foam tiles. They are sold as flooring to provide a cushioned walking area. I had pondered what I could cover the steel ceiling of the bus with. Foam has the benefit of being a good insulator against both temperature fluctuations and sounds. It is also pliable, and can be shaped to an arch.

I did some research online, and found that others had used various types of foam on the ceilings of buses. It was recommended by one man to use contact cement (Weldwood) as it adheres instantly and forms an excellent permanent bond. So, this is what I have been using. One caveat, should you try this yourself. They call it contact cement for good reason. Once the two surfaces to be glued together touch, there is an instant bond.

This calls for some planning in piecing things together. Following is an example of the process I have been using.

(Click on any picture to view as a larger image.)

If the space you are working on has some squareness to it, then it is good to begin in a corner. I began in the front of the bus at the passenger side. The first piece was a challenge as you have to prevent the center from touching until you have the edges aligned. It is very difficult to remove the tile once it has made contact. It is not impossible to get it unstuck, but is difficult.

Using a small paint roller, I apply contact cement to the back of the tile, and to the ceiling. Each surface must be allowed to dry. Depending on the temperature (must be above 65 degrees), this can take between 5 to 15 minutes. Then the surfaces will bond instantly when brought together.

As you can see, putting the interlocking tiles in place is much like working a jigsaw puzzle. This is an easy puzzle, for all the pieces are identical.

Pictured above is the first row of tile all the way to the opposite side. All that is left is the final edge piece to dress out the boundary between the wall and ceiling.

And here is the final piece in place for the first course of tile. I had to take a break from gluing tile at this point, for I needed to install a ceiling vent. I had salvaged a vent from the RV in Tennessee. There was previously a small round vent in the ceiling, which can be seen in these pictures, but it was inadequate, and had been painted completely shut up on the roof. I needed to cut a hole, and install the new vent, before putting more ceiling tiles up.

You can see the vent hole cut with a beautiful Georgia sky shining above. The Father has given me excellent weather for working on the bus so far. I am also very thankful for this. The few rainy or cold days we have had have fallen at times when I have been able to take care of other business, such as printing newsletters for prisoners, writing blogs, and answering e-mail.

It requires some patience to perform this work on the ceiling. I have spent three days on it so far, and will need one more to finish. There are a lot of lights and other objects to cut around. Each tile has to be installed individually, and then measurements taken from the edges for the next piece. When allowing glue to dry, this takes time, but the end result is worth the patient effort.

This photo was taken from the front step of the bus, looking in. It shows the vent installed, and several courses of tiles glued in place. You will also see four lights in place. Two are the original Carpenter Bus lights. They run off of the main battery. The others, which are lit, I installed. They run off of auxiliary power, or shore power and have switches on each light. These too were salvaged from the RV in Tennessee.

I did the bathroom ceiling the first day, and the area over the beds the second day. All I have left now is a section toward the middle where the air conditioner is mounted.

The bus already sounds much quieter inside with this foam tile covering the smooth metal ceiling. It also tones down the brightness of the interior, and the grey contrasts well with the white and black which are found throughout the bus.

The Thanksgiving Holiday is about a week and a half away. I encourage you to take the time to consider what ways the Father may be demonstrating His love and intimate awareness of your character in the details of your life. Perhaps you too will find many things to be thankful for. Has the Father been sending blessings to you, especially designed for you, with your character, background, and personality in mind? Have you been noticing? I am certain He would be delighted to receive thanks from the grateful hearts of His sons and daughters.

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

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

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

The Ark Takes Shape

Joseph Herrin (11-12-2010)

One aspect of the building of Solomon’s Temple that has always amazed me is that all the wood and stone was pre-cut before being brought to the construction site. We are given the following historic detail about the construction of this Temple which would surely qualify as one of the great wonders of the world.

I Kings 6:7
And the house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

Of course, there is a great parable in this detail, and it has great bearing upon the sons of God. Yahweh is building a house for His dwelling place. It is to be constructed of very costly stones. Yahshua was the most costly, and He has become the chief cornerstone.

I Peter 2:4-5
And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones...

The site of the construction of Yahweh’s Temple is a Heavenly location. All the stones are being quarried, hewn, and shaped through rough and painful processes far away from the site of their eventual placement. The realm of our shaping is here upon this terrestrial earth. It is here that the hammer and the axe and other iron tools are used to form us into the precise pattern which we are to bear to take our place perfectly fitted into the Temple in heaven which is the dwelling of God. (This is metaphorical, of course.)

I have at times contemplated the skill needed by those laboring on the Temple of Solomon. We often have instilled in us that ancient man was primitive, and has become more intelligent and skilled over time. I think that the opposite is actually true. Knowledge may increase in these last days, but not intelligence. The forefathers had great capacity for intellectual thought, as both the Scriptures and history proclaim. Just a few generations from Adam we read the following:

Genesis 4:20-22
And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron.

Can you imagine the intellect it required to be the first to create musical instruments, both string and woodwind? Or to be the first to develop the realm of metallurgy, fashioning implements from metals quarried and then refined and heated in the fire? Ancient men were not ignorant brutes by any means.

I thought of the task faced by Solomon’s laborers as I was cutting and shaping some paneling to go in the bus. Following is one of eight panels that I had to cut that had a similar shape.

(Note: All images can be viewed larger by clicking on them)

The bus has a curved roof, and the curve flattens out toward the center, being steeper on the edges. This posed a challenge for me in cutting out the panels, as it was difficult to simply take measurements and draw lines with a straightedge. I ended up taking a large heavy piece of paper that had been a wrapper for a roll of insulation. I taped the paper to the end of the bus up at the ceiling, and I cut it out to fit the shape of the roof. I used this paper as a template to get the arch right.

Unlike Solomon’s workers, I had the advantage of using power tools. In this particular instance a jig saw for the curves, and a skill saw for the straight edges, were employed. Following is a picture of the panel in place.

Panel in Place

I have made much more progress since putting in these panels. The biggest event was getting the bus wired for 12 volt DC and 110 volt AC current. A few days ago I was able to go “live” by connecting to outside power. Following is a picture of the wiring distribution box, before I mounted it.

Wiring Distribution Box

The distribution box was salvaged from the RV in Tennessee that Mike Mitchell generously made available to me. I am pondering the parable of the electrical distribution box, being convinced that such a key component that supplies power to the bus bears some significance. The manufacturer’s name for the box is oddly enough, World Friendship Company, and it is a model 8955, able to supply 55 amps of electrical power to the bus.

The distribution box plugs into “shore power,” which in the world of RVing refers to an outside electrical source. Ships use the same nomenclature when they are docked in port. This seems fitting since the Father has made reference to this bus serving as an ark, the original of which was a large ship.

Of course, one reference to World Friendship that came to mind is the following:

James 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

I do not believe, however, that this is the understanding Yahweh intends to convey through this device. I have every confidence that He is the One who has appointed this electrical converter to be used in the bus, and that He has chosen it with goodwill. Another possibility is found in the following passage.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

It is true that the world has no greater friend than Yahweh, and His Son. Yahshua declared that “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Building an ark is a strange way to show love for the world, however. We read the following concerning Noah and what building the ark meant for the world around him.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

There is much to ponder in this passage. The faith and righteousness of Yahweh’s obedient sons and daughters serves to condemn the unbelief and disobedience of the world. The obedience of the one exposes to judgment the transgressions of the other.

I do not believe I have fully comprehended what the Father is speaking through this electrical distribution panel manufactured by World Friendship Company. Perhaps some of those reading this blog will be given further insight.

Electrical Panel Mounted

Another major milestone was getting the roof air conditioner mounted and wired. I began by taking some measurements, and laying out on the ceiling where it would be best to mount it.

AC Layout on Ceiling

The square on the center, which measured 14" by 15" was all that needed to be cut out. The roof was also two layers of steel, but my Kawasaki reciprocating saw made quick work of it.

      










Following is an image of the air conditioning unit mounted.

AC Mounted on Roof

Installing the roof AC was a much easier job than I had anticipated. The grace of Yahweh was certainly evident, allowing me to make quick work of it. Upon plugging it up to power, it worked fine. It changed the outside profile of the bus, making it begin to look like a motorhome.

Bus with AC on Roof

You may note that when this picture was taken some of the windows were black and some were white. This is no longer the case. I scraped the paint from all the white windows yesterday and re-painted them with transparent black spray paint. I also painted the frames around the windows (inside) a gloss black, and trimmed out above them with white. Following is the end result after a day of spray painting.

Bus Interior

You may note some of the lights are on, as the bus is now electrified. The refrigerator works as does the roof AC which can be seen at the top of the photo. A great deal of progress has been made since my last update. I will include one last photo which shows the preparation work done to install the wood stove near the front door of the bus.

Wood Stove Area

The black panel under the windows is a fire panel. It is made to go behind a wood stove to reflect heat and protect the wall. Note that a fan has also been installed to circulate the air over the stove to warm the back of the bus. That is ceramic tile leaning against the fire panel. It will be installed on the floor for the stove to sit on.

I hope those who write to me expressing a desire to read more blog posts will understand what has been keeping me from writing of late. I have been very much occupied with this labor at the direction of the Lord. His grace has been abundant.

I want to close by thanking those saints who have sent in financial support during this season. It has enabled me to continue to work on the bus. Although it has been done very economically, and I received the great blessing of receiving all the RV components from a brother, I have still found it necessary to sell the two gold coins given to me on my recent trip. I felt confident of the Father’s leading in this, and I am assured that there is also a parable in gold being a key component in the construction of this ark.

I have read some accounts of people who performed bus conversions for under $5,000, and I believe I will also be able to stay under this amount, which is rather incredible considering how wonderfully apportioned the bus is turning out to be. By the way, that $5,000 price tag includes the original purchase price of the bus.

For those interested in knowing where the expense has come in. Following is a partial list. (If Noah lived today, I think he would be very familiar with Home Depot.)

16 Sheets of Wall Panel
Lumber for Framing
Screws (several boxes of assorted sizes)
Electrical Wire for AC and DC
Electrical Outlet boxes and covers
Light Switch
Wire Nuts and Connectors
½ Inch PVC hose for plumbing
Brass PVC Connectors
Clamps
Caulking
Spray Paint (12 cans)
Gallon of Paint for beds and shelves
Paint Rollers and Pan
Masking Tape
Fire Panel
Ceramic Tile
Reciprocating Saw
Cordless Drill
Drill Bits (about a dozen so far)
Light Bulbs
Hole Cover to Run Cord Through Wall for Microwave
Chisels
Foam Tiles for Ceiling
Two Gallons of Weldwood Contact Cement
Razor Scrapers and Blades to Remove Paint from Windows
Saw Blades for Skill Saw
Open End Wrench Set
Bolts, Nuts and Washers for securing Furniture and Appliances to Floor
Metal Strapping for Securing Holding Tanks Under Bus
Fuses
Insulation
Angle Brackets for Bracing (about 80)
Screw Driver Bits
Grease for Undercarriage
Batteries (Two auto batteries for auxiliary power)
Battery Cables and Terminals

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