Dear Saints,

By now I hope you will have read Joseph’s final blog posting on Parables, in which Joseph announced his retirement from ministry due to health reasons after many years of labouring for the Kingship of Christ. Joseph also announced how he is handing over his ministry to myself, Colin Buchanan.

https://parables.blog/major-announcement/

I have happily agreed to carry on Joseph’s ministry, though must admit to my surprise at this turn of events. Just like all Heavenly gifts it really was unexpected, and I’m still very much catching up with it all myself.

Truth is, along with being an author and organic farmer here in Donegal Ireland, I am also probably one of the world’s biggest fans of Joseph Herrin’s writings. And I’m only slightly joking when I say that. Joseph has many readers, but he is also blessed with a family of followers who have been dedicated to his writing ministry and who have helped sustain him in his work. Such is the dedication his ministry has attracted from fellow saints, and I believe this is due to our shared recognition of Yahweh’s anointing in Joseph’s teachings.

This Wise Fool

I am just finishing off an introductory blog entitled ‘This Wise Fool’‘, which refers to myself and my own particular heart for God. It will serve as an introduction of who I am to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, along with my testimony in regards to how valuable Joseph’s teachings have been over these years of walking, and sometimes stumbling, in my faith. I will also be explaining how I hope to carry on the ministry from here.

Unless I somehow manage to cut down the length of the introductory blog, I will likely need to split it into a few parts, which I will post next Tuesday and Friday. After that, I will return to Joseph’s established format of three postings per week.

Despite the length of the introductory blog, writing it has proved to be a serious challenge. This has surprised me, as I am a long-time professional author with a few million words under my belt by now, who has faced many a busted deadline in his time with publishers and global supply chains lined up and waiting. My writing usually thrives in the thrill and glory of a real challenge. But now, as I find myself assuming Joseph’s long-standing ministry, the challenges are much different than those of industrial book publishing and personal mission. Partly, they have resulted from my wish to write the most fitting tribute to Joseph and his work that I can, now that he is retiring. And there is also too the pressing sense in my spirit that I must show great care when writing in any way for the Remnant of Christ. It is a sobering responsibility, especially when you recognise how you are not yet perfect. I do not wish to lead my fellow believers awry in any way.

A STORM OF RESISTANCE

But even more than these challenging inner dynamics, there has also been a great storm of distraction occurring as I have tried to write while also taking over the running of Joseph’s ministry.

At times this has involved literal storms hitting our homestead one after the other, causing damages that have needed my attention. It seemed that barely had I picked up the pieces when the next storm came rolling in off the Atlantic. At one point in a particularly violent gust, I looked out the window only to see our cat flying past with his little legs still pumping the air. (When I told Joseph this he was quite concerned, being a cat lover. The cat was okay though. I promise no animals will be harmed in the production of this blog).

I will not bore you with all the other distractions that have been thrown at me during this time. I will simply say that in my walk in Christ so far, I have experienced a good deal of spiritual warfare, yet even armed with that previous experience, I have never known such a fierce gale of resistance to any previous steps in my walk. This step of faith now, accepting Joseph’s ministry in line with the wishes of Yahweh, has quite clearly drawn the attention of the enemy.

Which is quite exciting.

GUMSHOE FOR CHRIST

In our modern culture, the private detective makes for an interesting analogy of a few aspects of our Christian walk – the detective being a man who treads alone through the dark nights in search of the truth, ultimately confronting the lies of the lawless.

Probably my most favourite depiction of a private detective is found in the old 70s movie, The Long Goodbye, featuring Elliot Gould as the gently wise-cracking Phillip Marlow. Gould plays a man-with-cat alone against a conspiracy of lies. Nothing ever phases him. He does not seem to care enough about his own life to be disturbed by events. A more laid-back gumshoe you will not find.

The more the gales blow against this character, the more he simply reclines in his wrinkly old suit while raising a sardonic eyebrow, waiting for the howling to pass.

PEACE & WAR

Our Lord instructed us to be much the same in the face of struggles and adversary. To remain in our Peace even in the midst of a raging storm. It can also be noted that in the occasion of this particular teaching, in which Jesus was resting in a boat crewed by some of his disciples, they were not only confronted by a frightening storm when they panicked, but their small vessel was also pitching violently back and forth in the wind and waves.

For the men on the boat, it was not only a storm. Their whole world was rocking and threatening to drown them. And even then, they were expected to remain sober and calm and faithful.

God’s Peace is one of his gifts to His faithful children. Joseph writes about this in one of his most important works: Sabbath – Entering God’s Rest, which is a book of teachings that all maturing believers would profit from reading.

As his teachings in the book explain, peace comes when you finally stop your own soulful striving and await on the Lord’s guidance for your actions. I have been learning these things through the Spirit too. Even now I am still learning them. During this recent period in which I have been experiencing my own storms while assuming the ministry, the Father has graced me with a deep and comforting Peace that goes beyond even the normal peace of my faith. Nothing seems to phase me. No pressures stir my soul. I have been assured that His will shall be done in His own good time, and that I am not to concern myself with these distractions and contrivances, only to continue in faith at the pace He desires.

It is helpful, also, in having Joseph’s own walk of faith as an example to follow. This fascinating journey is partly described in his biographical work, Evidence of Things Unseen. I highly recommend you read Joseph’s testimony if you have not yet had a chance to (and of course it’s free to download from the Heart4God website).

When you read his account of how stepping out in obedience to the Father’s commands provoked a storm of hostility from fellow believers, and how he continued onwards in the face of these angry reactions and criticisms, you realise that for all of Joseph’s humble denials of personal bravery, his ministry has been a tremendous example of courage and composure under fire.

It is very easy to underestimate what a saint is stepping into when they begin to boldly declare the true gospel of Christ Yahshuah to this fallen world.

In doing so, in helping to dispel the dark light shrouding the eyes of the blinded, the saint is doing nothing less than taking head-on the spewer of that flood of dark light, the Adversary known as the ruler of this age. By confronting the blinding false light of this world the saint finds himself or herself stepping into the very frontline of the battle, where of course it is the hottest. Indeed it is like stepping into a gale.

To do what Joseph has been doing for all these years, telling those truths of this world which many will not even listen to without being provoked in their flesh, castigated by fellow believers still captured by the fallen Church, working ‘alone’ without the official backing of any organisation or denomination … To follow this particular path is to take on the whole world with only the Father to provide for and protect you. It is to follow the example of Christ Himself.

And indeed, for all of his knocks and bruises along the way, and perhaps some deeper scars too, Joseph has clearly remained under Yahweh’s protection for all this time. How could he have made it through his ministry so successfully and in one piece if he had not been?

JOSEPH’S RETIREMENT

I would like to say more on Joseph’s teachings in relation to my own path, as I believe this will relate to many of his readers too. But I will reserve those thoughts for the blog next week.

There is one thing I should add about Joseph’s retirement which I do not believe he has yet mentioned.

Whilst he is retiring from the field of his writing ministry due to health reasons, Joseph may also soon be retiring from the internet altogether. Fairly soon, it may not be possible to contact Joseph at all.

So if you have a personal testimony to share with Joseph about the importance of his teachings to your own walk, or if you have a gift or donation or some other blessing you wish to send him, then please do so now, while you still can.

And of course, let us pray for Joseph’s good health that he may be well and of good cheer in this season he is now entering upon.

HOUSEKEEPING

Joseph has asked that I change the donate buttons on the websites to my own donation buttons. I have not yet done this. I would like all donations during this time to go to Joseph, as it is his retirement after all. Let him receive the fruits of his labours as a final gift of gratitude from those saints who have profited over the years from his teachings. At least, that is how we do things here in Ireland, and everyone knows the Irish are the most civilised people in the world.

I hope you will join me for Tuesday’s posting, when I will introduce myself properly and explain how I hope to best further the legacy of Joseph’s ministry in the immediate future.

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

Colin Buchanan

thiswisefool@protonmail.com