Joseph Herrin (07-26-08)

As I have been contemplating all of the witnesses that the Lord has been giving to His people in America about what is coming upon this land, I have been reminded of the testimony of Boris Sorokovsky. Boris’ family was residing in the Ukraine after the communists came to power, and for a period of quite a number of years life remained largely unchanged as the Communists consolidated their power. Toward the end of this period the Spirit of Christ began to speak to many Ukrainian Believers through dreams, visions and prophecies, warning them that a time of severe persecution was coming. The Spirit led a number of these Believers to relocate to other areas that they might be spared what was coming.

Boris’ family was among a group of Christians who heeded the warning, and the testimony of how God ordered their steps is fascinating. There is also a warning about unbelief and a desire to hold onto temporal comforts, as a group of those who heard the word of God and initially followed, turned back when the judgment tarried. All they were warned about came upon them. I highly recommend this testimony which can be read here: http://www.heart4god.ws/id474.htm

In a similar way, the Spirit of Christ is speaking to many American Christians about great judgments to befall this nation. The steps of preparation are somewhat different in that the Lord is calling His children to separate themselves from all idols and immorality, and to open their hearts to the poor and needy, that they might come under His protection in these days. The Spirit of Christ is calling God’s people to come out of Babylon, separating themselves from a religious system that protects the flesh. Spiritual Babylon hinders God’s sons and daughters from embracing a pure devotion to Christ as pure virgins, and discourages them from obtaining a conformity to the image of Christ that is attained only by taking up the disciple’s cross.

I do not discount that there may also be some physical things the Spirit may lead the children of God to do in this hour. He has led me to embrace a manner of living that will be similar to what many will experience in coming days. I am living out of a small camper/van, I have no home or furnishings, I eat a very simple and inexpensive diet, I am foregoing the use of air conditioning (and this in Georgia in the summer), and I am looking to the Father for the provision of all of my daily needs. Yet, I am persuaded that the Spiritual preparation is by far the most important.

Recently I shared with another Christian who wrote to inquire what they could do to prepare for coming days. I told them that what the Spirit has been speaking to me for some time now goes contrary to natural reason. The natural mind that believes that troubled days are coming, and that famine will be present, will logically want to set by some store of goods to be used as a supply in days of trouble. The Spirit has been telling me to do just the opposite. I have been led to open my heart and wallet to the poor and needy and to give generously in this hour. The Spirit promises that Yahweh will take care of those in days of famine who themselves cared for the hungry and needy in their time of want.

This counsel of the Spirit leads a Believer to embrace faith in God, trusting that He sees all things and He will deliver in a day of trouble. It would lead them away from walking in fear whose counsel is always to hoard food and supplies against a time of want. There are a myriad of very plain Scriptures that testify to this truth of God’s care of His people in a time of need. If you would like to have your faith encouraged, and your soul edified, I would recommend to you the audio teaching called “Compassion’s Silver Lining,” which can be heard here: http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/id14.htm
God has allowed me to serve in some regards as a clearinghouse to distribute the various words of warning to the church of those things to come. I receive many things from brothers and sisters in Christ that I feel are of a significant nature that should be passed along, and in this blog I want to include a couple recent responses to the writing on what was symbolized by Hurricane Dolly. The first response comes from a sister in Christ who is in her 70’s. She wrote the following:

Joseph,

I forwarded several of your messages over the past few days to some of my friends. [The following testimony speaks of an] occurrence this morning regarding my personal experience with the numbers “22” and “4.”
—
The strangest thing happened yesterday while I was trying to send the message on the “signs” that were given to Joseph regarding Hurricane Dolly. The names of those who I sent this to are contained in a list in my Address Book that I titled “Undisclosed List.” I tried 3 times yesterday afternoon to send “Hurricane Dolly,” but the message kept staying in my “Outbox,” and a yellow error icon came up 3 times at the bottom of my screen, so I “gave up,” after logging off and rebooting twice.

It was not until I began checking my emails this morning that I noticed in my “Sent Items” that it did go out. BUT the names on this list came out OPPOSITE from the way they normally do. Figure that out!
ANYWAY, the reason for this message is that when I opened my Bible this morning it opened to Ezekiel 22 verse 4, which was the first verse at the top of the left page, which says:
“You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come.” Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries.” English Standard Version
AFTER I READ THIS VERSE I NOTED THE TIME ON THE CLOCK WAS 9:11!

I wrote the following in reply to this sister in Christ:

Dear Sister,

This is a very unusual occurrence. The reversal of the e-mail addresses strikes me as being symbolic of God saying that “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” Surely, in coming days this will be true. Those who have eaten the bread of privation and have endured hardship and sorrows while their brethren were enjoying their good things, will find themselves promoted above their brothers.

That you turned to Ezekiel 22:4 and then read on the clock that it was 9:11 are surely a testimony of the Lord that these things are at hand.
[End Reply]

Today I received another response that informed me of an occurrence that took place yesterday in San Diego, California, home of the Padres Baseball team. A brother in Christ wrote:

The reason for my email has to do with the web blog you wrote about Hurricane Dolly this past Wednesday. In it you wrote the following:
Due to idolatry and wickedness God will cut-off evil from the Body of Christ by giving her sorrows. God will humble the Body of Christ. He will judge the fathers (Padres, pictured in Ahab), and He will bring forth purity from the body of Christ.
Well this past Thursday, as I was driving to work the radio stations were reporting a major accident here in Southern California on Interstate 5 going to San Diego. A truck filled with food had turned over and exploded causing a back up of almost 40 miles. People were being urged to take the East 91 Freeway to Riverside and then take Interstate 15 south in order to get to San Diego.
Well three hours later another accident occurred. This was a fatal accident in the 91 east which caused more delays. What made this particular accident so shocking, was the fact that the son of a famous well known preacher in Southern California and other parts of the nation was the one who died. Christopher Laurie the son of mega-church pastor Greg Laurie, was killed in the accident. This brought sorrow to thousands of Christians in the area.
When I heard the shocking news the first thing that came to my mind was the blog I had read the night before. Look at the following:
– Both accidents happened on roads that lead to San Diego. San Diego has a baseball team called the PADRES (Fathers).
– Greg Laurie is seen by many here in California, if not the nation, as a major Church Leader (FATHER).
– Christopher was 33. Greg Laurie is 55. This means that Greg had his son when he was 22.
– The mega-church has 15,000 members. People were going on the 91 to get to the 15. 5+1=6
– The name Christopher means, bearing Christ inside. Could it be that the body of Christ has to die in order to the manifest the “Christ in you?”
The gospel that Laurie preaches is one of just salvation. They never seem to get past the milk and into the meat of the word. It’s interesting that pastor Greg does not believe that God sent the September 11 judgment to America. He does not believe God is sending judgment to America.
Could this have been a judgment on one of the leaders? Greg Laurie as well as many others are active in the Republican Party, specially encouraging their members to support President Bush. Could this have been a message sent to the Jezebel church?
I don’t want to sound judgmental as I know the Laurie family is in pain over the loss of Christopher. I do pray that God heals and restores their hearts and at the same time for their ears to be opened to what the Spirit is saying.
[End Letter]

A couple things stand out in this information. The first accident involved a truck carrying a load of food. The Spirit has been testifying that there is both a literal and spiritual famine coming to America. I recently shared the news articles about the collapse of a grain elevator in Nebraska, as well as a corn storage facility that exploded in Ohio. There has also been much in the news about soaring grain prices and the loss of billions of dollars of crops in the upper Midwest due to record flooding. Two believers forwarded me a correction that Kay Arthur released concerning her message in Atlanta that spoke of famine coming. However, her correction was very minor, and actually reinforces the understanding that a physical famine is coming. The correction she offered was to say that she did not receive this as a word from God, but by reading the Word of God, particularly Ezekiel chapter 14.

A second thing that stood out is that the brother who notified me of the death of Christopher Laurie wrote, “ This brought sorrow to thousands of Christians in the area.” This was the message of Hurricane Dolly, for Dolly is a diminutive of Dorothy and Dolores whose names mean “God gives” and “Sorrows.” Dolly impacted Corpus Christi which is Latin for Body of Christ.

As I looked further into this event I found a news site reporting the following:

Laurie, 33, of Huntington Beach, was driving alone “at a high rate of speed” in the carpool lane of the eastbound Riverside Freeway in Corona when his station wagon collided with a California Department of Transportation tractor, the California Highway Patrol said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene…
Chris Laurie is survived by his wife, Brittany; his daughter, Stella; his parents; and his brother, Jonathan, 22.
[Source www.latimes.com]

Christopher’s father was 22 years old when he was born, and he is survived by a brother who is 22 years old. Christopher was operating his automobile illegally when he crashed, going at a high rate of speed and driving in the carpool lane when he had no passengers in the car. As I have mentioned before, vehicles stand for ministries, and this event symbolizes one who is a Christ bearer acting in a lawless manner, resulting in a tragic end.

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.’”

Luke 6:46-49
“And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say… But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it [like Hurricane Dolly] and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.“

Brothers and sisters, it may seem insensitive to look upon this personal tragedy as a sign of things to come, but the Spirit testifies that what is coming to the church in America will result in personal tragedies in millions of homes. What is coming quickly will result in vast amounts of sorrow and suffering, and much of it could be avoided if the people of God would repent of their lawless ways and turn to God the Father with a heart to do His will. The church is filled with professors of Christ who utter the word “Lord” week after week. Yet they are being directed by the desires and passions of their own souls. They are pursuing works that God did not appoint to them. They are building programs and kingdoms that are monuments to man, being Babylonian in nature, even as Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his works.

Daniel 4:30
“Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Christopher Laurie was working as the art director at the church where his father is Senior Pastor. Greg Laurie has embraced Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Life deception. There are many running with a message today, but God has not sent them. They bear a message of which God is not the author. That Rick Warren counts Rupert Murdoch as one of his church members, and has accepted large financial donations from this man who is the world’s largest pornographer, reveals that the fruit of the Purpose Driven Life message is rotten. Significantly, Greg Laurie received a public reproof for his support of Rick Warren and Bill Hybels on 6/22 of this year.
[See link: http://evangelists.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/greg-laurie-connects-purpose-driven/]

As I heard of the death of Christopher Laurie I was reminded of another tragedy that occurred closer to my own home, taking place at Six Flags amusement park in Atlanta.

AP (June 28, 2008)
A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said.

Six Flags officials are uncertain why the unidentified 17-year-old from Columbia, S.C. scaled two six-foot fences and passed signs that said the restricted area was off-limits and dangerous to visitors, spokeswoman Hela Sheth said in a news release…

The teen and his parents were at the park with a group from the Oakey Spring Baptist Church near Springfield, S.C., police said.
[End Excerpt]

Once more we see a person associated with a church acting in an illegal manner and meeting a tragic end. This young man scaled two fences that were marked with numerous warning signs. Is not the church doing the same in this hour? God is sending warning after warning, but they are not being heeded. The church continues to trespass against the will of God believing that they can do so with impunity.

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Recently I have observed the Spirit of Christ directing me to turn away from all idolatry and immorality. It is a time to put away all besetting sins. It is a time to cast self down from the throne of life and allow God to take His rightful place in the direction of every action. The will of man must be laid upon an altar that God’s will might be done among His people. Failing to take Christ as Head in all things will result in God’s judgment falling upon the head of man. The judgment will come suddenly, and much sorrow will result.

This is an hour to live soberly, and to act radically in obedience.

Matthew 18:8-9
And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell.

For the past three weeks I have been dealing with a severe bout of sciatica. I pinched the sciatic nerve, and this has resulted in much pain in my right hip and leg. I have had to begin using a cane to walk or stand for the past few days as the pain has gotten severe. I have not been able to go to the gym to exercise, nor have I been able to ride my bike for the past two weeks. I am reminded of the passage above, and God’s call to separate ourselves from all immorality. We should be radical in our dealing with any impure or unrighteous thoughts.

I ask for your prayers on my behalf that I might not only be healed of this sciatica, but that I would be able to take captive every thought that exalts itself in unrighteousness in my mind. I am hearing the call of God to be pure in heart, pure in thought, and this must be done in the midst of an unrighteous and ungodly generation. In an hour when most of the church is manifesting a great carelessness in thought and action, the Spirit is testifying that God demands purity in our inward parts. It is my desire that I might walk with an unstained conscience before God and man, and I have not been perfect in these things. Thank you for your prayers.

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

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