Joseph Herrin (08-24-08)

The Lord continues to send signs to His people on a very large scale. Tropical storm Fay has captured my attention from before it made its first landfall in Florida. The Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, declared a state of emergency before Fay reached the state.

The semblance of the governor’s last name to Christ is remarkable. Charlie, according to the website www.behindthename.com is derived from a word meaning “man.” Thus we see the governor in type as a symbol of “the man Christ.”

I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Yahshua…

Even as the governor of Florida has dominion over the citizens of his state, Christ has dominion over His household. In many signs and through various prophecies Christ has been declaring that His people should prepare themselves for a state of emergency, for a great disaster is about to fall upon them.

Tropical Storm Fay defied all storm track predictions, and acted in ways that are the opposite of normal tropical depressions. No tropical storm or hurricane on record had ever made landfall upon the state four times, until now. After Fay made landfall on the west coast of South Florida and preceded across the state, it actually increased in intensity. It developed a well formed eye, and its central pressure dropped and winds picked up while it was crossing over the state of Florida. This is certainly bizarre behavior, and one which turns hurricane prediction models on their heads.

Such storms usually weaken over land and intensify over warm water. However, when Fay emerged on the east coast of Florida it was a stronger and better defined storm than when it had landed on the west coast.

As of the latest update on this storm system, eleven deaths in Florida have been attributed to the storm. Many of them were unnecessary, the result of people not heeding the warnings given, and failing to recognize the danger of the situation. Two women died in separate incidents as they were swimming in the rough surf whipped up by the storm. Their drowning was completely avoidable had they heeded warnings to stay out of the water. A young man was caught on camera by a local news crew trying to kite surf in the storm. The erratic and powerful winds from Fay picked him up suddenly and slammed him to the beach. He was then dragged along until he was further slammed into the side of a building. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

One particular story coming out of the storm that drew my attention was the report of a 100 year old sailing boat, 60 feet in length, that was driven upon the beach by the storm and battered to pieces. Flotsam from the wreckage was scattered hundreds of yards down the beach and the boat was a total loss.

The name of the boat was the Lady Cecilia. According to the website www.behindthename.com, Cecilia is derived from “the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus ‘blind.’” Symbolically, vehicles represent ministries, and a wind powered sailing vessel symbolizes a ministry that is viewed as being a Spirit empowered ministry. I am reminded of the passage of Scripture,

Isaiah 42:19-20
Who is blind but My servant, or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, or so blind as the servant of Yahweh? You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; Your ears are open, but none hears.

Truly the Son of God has been giving many warnings of those things to come to this nation and His people. There have been signs in the heavens and signs upon the earth. There have been prophetic utterances and many parables in the news, yet the vast majority of those who claim to be servants of God have been walking as if they are blind and deaf to all of these things. Will they not be dashed to pieces by the storm that is about to fall upon them even as the Lady Cecilia? Having failed to take refuge in Yahweh, having ignored all the many warnings to separate themselves from the sin and idolatry that demands judgment, many will be the slain of the Lord (Isaiah 66:16).

Is it mere coincidence that the same week that the storm was ravaging Florida that news came out that Todd Bentley, the leader of what was called “The Lakeland, Florida Revival” was exposed for having been carrying on an adulterous relationship with a female member of his ministry staff, and his wife has now declared that she will divorce him? How many warnings were given to the church about the uncleanness of this work and the man leading it? Yet just a little over a week before this matter became known Peter Wagner, along with 16 others, laid hands upon Todd Bentley, commissioning him as an evangelist, and prophesying that what had begun was going to continue to grow and intensify. Wagner’s organization, International Coalition of Apostles (ICA), was represented in that 13 people who participated in this endorsement of Bentley were deemed to be apostles by the organization.

If these were truly apostles, then where was their spiritual discernment? Did not any understand that there was great impurity present and God was about to expose and judge it? Were these truly apostles who not only endured this evil man, but who joined themselves to him thereby sharing in his sins?

I Timothy 5:22
Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Perhaps they were not truly apostles at all. I strongly suspect the majority are not appointed by the Lord as apostles. Their appointment has come from man.

Revelation 2:2
I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false…

If one views the proceedings of this “alignment” ceremony, they should certainly question what spirit is behind the madness. I encourage you to watch the following videos of this apostolic alignment ceremony, and pay attention to the words of those speaking. Peter Wagner prophesies a release of greater power and greater authority and yet shortly after this the entire “revival shut down. Che Ahn quotes from Scripture declaring that Todd Bentley is pleasing to Christ in every way, leading an exemplary life while the opposite has been true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjl5wKso9eU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVdY9ufJmz8&feature=related
These men are considered the heads of what many view to be Spirit led and empowered ministries. Yet the truth is that they are spiritually blind, and about to make a shipwreck of their lives, and that of many babes in Christ who have placed their trust in their judgment. It is my prayer that perhaps some might be awakened to the depth of deception they have been walking in and come to repentance before the storm of God comes crashing down upon His people.

A large part of the witness of this storm is contained in the remarkable fact that it made four separate landfalls upon the state of Florida. Such an occurrence had never been witnessed before. The track of the storm seemed pre-determined for the storm to linger a maximum amount of time over Florida inflicting the utmost damage possible.

As you can see, there was no part of the state overseen by Governor Crist that was not impacted by this storm. Similarly, there will be no part of the body of Christ that will fail to be greatly impacted by that which is swiftly coming upon the nations. Christ has been giving warnings. Those who fail to heed them will suffer terrible loss.

What does this number four represent. The following information is taken from E.W. Bullinger’s book Numbers in Scripture.

THE FOURTH BOOK
of the Bible is Numbers. In Hebrew it is called B’Midbar, i.e., the Wilderness. The gematria of B’Midbar is 248 (4×62).
It relates to the earth, which is a wilderness compared with Heaven; and to our pilgrimage through it. It tells of Meribah and striving (20:13), and records the history of the murmurings, rebellions, and wanderings.
THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE PSALMS
is the Book of the Wilderness. The first Psalm is the “Prayer of Moses, the man of God,”—the man of the wilderness…
God’s four sore judgments in the earth (Eze 14:21): three are inanimate (the sword, famine, and pestilence); while one is animate (the noisome beast).
The number four is a number closely associated with the earth, and is also associated with humility. The word humility shares a common root with the word humus, which means earth, or soil. There is a definite relationship between the wilderness and humility. God will take His children through wilderness experiences in order to humble them.

Deuteronomy 8:2-5
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…, And He humbled you and let you be hungry…, Thus you are to know in your heart that Yahweh your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

God’s people have known much prosperity in America, and this has led to much pride. Like the church of Laodicea they have equated physical prosperity with spiritual blessing. Yet the judgment of the Lord is quite contrary to this.

Revelation 3:16-18
I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…

Once more we see blindness mentioned among the servants of God. It should be noted that these ones do not know that they are blind. This is a great tragedy. They claim to be able to see, but they do not see. Many have been deceived by the events occurring in Lakeland, Florida. They thought they were observing a work of the Holy Spirit of God, but the fruit in the lives of the ones leading this movement is much impurity. Neither has there been repentance.

Many have referred to this “revival” as “the Lakeland Outpouring.” They have not discerned what type of outpouring the Holy Spirit of Christ will bring to the body of Christ in this hour. God required purity in the lives of His children. He requires that they separate themselves from all idols and all that defiles. He will not pour forth material blessing and prosperity as Todd Bentley prayed for night after night. Yahweh will lead His children to the wilderness where they will know hunger. He will let them know trial and hardship that they might learn humility, for in their prosperity they have grown proud and careless. They speak irreverently of the HOLY Spirit, and treat the presence of the HOLY God as if it can be conjured up by the actions of a carnival barker.

Let repentance and righteousness be seen among the people of God. Then there will be a manifestation of the One who is Holy. Yes, there is an outpouring coming forth, even as Tropical Storm Fay produced an unprecedented outpouring of rain upon the state of Florida. Read book four of the Psalms, which begins with Psalms 90, and you will understand some of what is coming.

Psalms 90:5, 7-9, 11-12
You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep… For we have been consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath we have been dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh… Who understands the power of Your anger, and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

There is no fear of God before the eyes of the people of God. If there had been then those in Lakeland would have trembled at the sin and fakery and shameless money pandering taking place. Yet even now, there is no fear of God before their eyes, and God will not be mocked. Those who speak His name will be chastised for their irreverence. They will perish like Uzzah for treating what is holy as if it was common.

In many ways God is testifying that He is about to lead His people through a wilderness experience. They will be greatly humbled in circumstance. Where they have known profuse abundance and endless blessing, they will find themselves struggling to find food and water, like unto the nation God led into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. Many will fall away. Many will be slain of the Lord. But through it all, God will bring forth a humble remnant.

Come quickly Lord Yahshua.

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

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