Visiting the Captives

Joseph Herrin (10-01-2015)

Pencil Drawing Sent to Me by a Man in Prison
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Following are some recent correspondences from men in prison.

Brother Joseph Herrin,

God bless you very much. My name is Joel & I have been studying your literature, which is quite remarkable. I have spoken to many brothers in Christ about you! I would like to begin “Receiving” your literature. And I ask you to “please” send my family this Bible study, which I call your literature, die to the fact that it is very unique and full of knowledge. I would like to receive the Bible study as of this month, if it is possible.

My family visited me last week & I discussed two of your Bible studies (newsletters) with them, but I was unable to show them the study & they wanted to see it! Here in visitation they don’t allow us inmates to bring anything in or out of the visitation room! But please send them this Bible study. “Make sure to please!”

I have been receiving the Bible studies from an inmate that got transferred to another facility. He left this Bible study with another inmate & that is how I got it. Well brother Herrrin, please enroll me in your Bible studies.

God bless you,

Joel

P.S. Brother Herrin, after my family receives the 2 Bible studies, I’m sure they will love to receive the Bible course! Thank you! God Bless you!

Note: From the beginning of my Internet ministry in 1999, I have made it a policy to only send material, or add a person to a mailing list, if the individual writes to me themselves and request it. There have been a handful of occasions when someone has asked me to send material to someone, usually to an inmate in prison, that they are convinced badly needs to receive the material.

As it often turns out, the person who “needs” to hear the message doesn’t actually have an interest in the truth of the gospel of the kingdom. After a number of experiences where men wrote to me asking me to please NOT send them material they did not request, I became more firm in my policy to only send material to individuals if they write to me themselves to request it. There is significant labor and cost in sending out the newsletters and other material at no cost to the recipients. This adds a further impetus to insure that the message is being properly matched up with people whose hearts are prepared and eager to receive it. If a man will not trouble himself to write a request to receive the newsletters, or pay the minimal cost of a postage stamp to mail his request to me, then it is pretty good evidence that he does not have much interest in the material.

I did make an exception with Joel, and I mailed the 2 newsletters to his family members. I did send them a note, however, explaining my policy. I informed them that they would only receive additional material if they personally requested it. I do include my contact information in every newsletter mailed out.

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Mr. Herrin,

Here’s my new address. Please start sending my Bible Study here. Thanks! How are you doing? Sir, I pray as well as expected. Yes, I’m still in the word as always, but I do get sidetracked sometimes due to being in prison. Your Bible Studies keeps my mind at bay.

It seem like everybody has turned their backs on me. The only person I really have is my wife to be. Yes, I know God is always here with me.

Well, I thought I would drop you some lines as well as see how you are doing. Please take care and may God bless you always.

Sincerely,

Aurie

Hello Aurie,

Thank you for writing. I have updated my mailing list so you should begin receiving the newsletters at your new address.

In your letter you asked how I am doing. Physically I am well, and the Father is blessing me in many ways. I am going to include a couple of recent writings that speak of Yahweh’s blessing of my life and ministry in recent weeks. I think you will find them encouraging.

I am sorry to hear that everyone except for your wife-to-be has abandoned you. As you mentioned, however, God has not abandoned you. I have often found that when all men fail us and turn against us that Yahweh will use these times to draw us closer to Him. Very often our relationships with others are a distraction which prevent us from spending time with God. I am reminded of David’s life as a young shepherd tending his father’s sheep. Day after day, month after month, for years, David was out alone by himself watching over the sheep of his father. During these times David developed a closeness to God. We see the fruit of this period of David’s life in many of the Psalms he wrote.

Psalms 8
Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
Who has set your glory above the heavens!
From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength,
Because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which you have ordained;
What is man, that you think of him?
The son of man, that you care for him?
For you have made him a little lower than God,
And crowned him with glory and honor.
You make him ruler over the works of your hands.
You have put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen,
Yes, and the animals of the field,
The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea,
And whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Yahweh, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!

I can imagine David writing this as a young man out tending sheep. In his loneliness and isolation, David’s thoughts turned to God. David gave himself to a spirit of worship as he thought on the awesome creation Yahweh has made, and His kindness in taking thought for someone as lowly as man.

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

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Brother Joseph,

Hope that this letter finds you in great health and spirit. I have a few requests if you are not too busy. The first, I was hoping you could explain to me who AZAZEL is from Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26?

Also, you mentioned two books in the Bible study course that I wish to have. They are The Mark of the Beast and Sabbath. I am currently going back over the first Bible Study you sent me again. The newsletters with the book Overcoming Addiction by the Spirit of Christ. My last letter asked if you would send my sister a copy of them. I gratefully appreciate your help.

You are right about these giants in our flesh. I sometimes battle the same ones multiple times. I know that I can’t beat them alone & I have to be strengthened through faith and the Spirit of Messiah Yahshua!

With Love,

Clinton

Hello Clinton ,

Thank you for writing. In your letter you began by asking about the identity of Azazel in Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26.

Leviticus 16:8, 10
Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat (azazel)... But the goat, on which the lot fell for the scapegoat (azazel), shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat (azazel) into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:26
“He who lets the goat go for the scapegoat (azazel) shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.”

I am guessing that your interest in this question is due to their being some people who suggest that Azazel is the name of a fallen angel. Since you capitalized the word Azazel in your letter, I am led to conclude that you are using it like a name. In the Hebrew Old Testament the word azazel is not capitalized. It is not intended to be the name of a person, or of an angel. It is a reference to a goat. Therefore it is not capitalized.

Clinton, you can tell definitely that the word is used to refer to a goat because of what else is written in these verses. It states, “Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats.” The goat to whom the lot points becomes the scapegoat. Symbolically, the sins of the people are placed upon the head of this goat, and he is sent out into the wilderness. By placing the sins of the people on this goat and then sending him away into the wilderness, the removal of the sins of the people is being symbolically represented. It is as if the sins of the people were being removed from them, and cast far away. There are other Bible verses that speak of God removing the sins of the people from them.

Psalms 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

The scapegoat symbolically receives the people’s sins and removes them far away. The Hebrew word azazel is formed by combining the Hebrew word “ez” for “goat” with the Hebrew word “azal” meaning “to go away, to disappear.” The word literally means “the goat who goes away or disappears.” Yahweh was demonstrating that He would accept the sacrifice of the blood of the other goat and He would cause the sins of the people to be cast far away and disappear.

In your letter you also asked if I would send you the The Mark of the Beast and Sabbath. I will add these two books to your mailing list queue so that they will be the next books that you receive in the newsletters.

I am glad to hear that the book Overcoming Addiction by the Spirit of Christ has been helpful to you. I pray that it might be helpful to your sister as well.

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

Joseph Herrin

Note: I did make an exception for Clinton as well, and I sent a copy of the book Overcoming Addiction by the Spirit of Christ to his sister who, like Clinton, struggles with addiction. Clinton informed me that he was going to speak to his sister and let her know about the book. Along with the book, I included a letter to inform her that her brother had requested that I send it to her.

Although I occasionally make an exception for special requests like this, I continue to require that anyone who wants to receive the Parables Bookshelf Newsletters write to me personally to make their request known. Thank you for your understanding of this policy.

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

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

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