Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Supernatural Character of Coming Days - Part 1

Joseph Herrin (03-04-09)

I have recently shared that no matter how much the people of God prepare for the coming days of difficulty, they will find that natural provision is inadequate to see them through. When man’s resources fail the unlimited resources of God will be seen. God has been preparing a people through years of walking by faith, following the leading of the Spirit of Christ, in order that they might serve as guides to His people in coming days.

Many of those who have submitted to this preparation process are little esteemed in this day. Many have endured incredible difficulty. They have been reproached, scorned, criticized and rejected. They are viewed by most in the church as the off-scouring of the world. When the church has been enjoying the comforts, pleasures and ease of the world these men and women have in many cases been led to sell their possessions, quit their jobs, and follow the Lord wherever He leads. Along with the great difficulties and trials they have encountered, there has also been observed the supernatural hand of God. Yahweh has sustained them. He has proven Himself strong on their behalf.

For some time I have had the pleasure of corresponding with an older sister in Christ named Alida. She has from time to time told me some details of the life of a man she knows who lives in her area. This man’s name is Michael, and his experiences have been remarkable. The first e-mail I received from Alida expressed some concern over the actions of Michael, while at the same time being impressed that God was using him. Over time she has become greatly encouraged to believe that it is indeed the Lord who has been directing him, though few in the church would share her sentiments, and even some in Michael’s own family have considered him delusional (an experience I am not unfamiliar with myself).

Here is what I received from sister Alida the first time she wrote of Michael:

I have good friends, Michael and Judy, who have been in ministry in the past. then God called M. out to be 'set apart' into prayer and waiting, as part of preparation for the BIG things ahead. He has not worked or been in public ministry for 10 years now. He keeps saying that it is now about to be brought forth. (He reminds me of you and I told M. about you and what you've had to go through)...
For the last 2 years J. & M. were living with a friend, who had enough room for them in her condo. Now Judy is recuperating at her son's home for a month, and M. felt he could not stay with the friend any longer. So he moved out but is living in his car, and pennyless except for what people (like us) will give him for gas and food. Of course, no doubt, God is using him on the streets and the testimony of that is encouraging, but..... J's son is a minister in the 'word of Faith' movement, and he is more of the persuasion that is put forth in this article. He simply says, "It doesn't line up with the Word to be perfectly capable of working, but not to do so . . ." He calls M. delusional. Moses worked, Paul worked, etc..
(One testimony of last week was that M. heard the Holy Spirit tell him to drive to a particular park 20 miles away from where he was. He questioned this at first because of the cost of gas for that many miles . . . but he went. He drove to that park, unfamiliar to him, and to a particular spot where there were many picnic tables, but only one man sitting on a table in the distance. He went to this man, said hello and asked how he was doing; 'not too good' the man answered who was drinking from a 5th of whiskey.He began to tell of his troubles and that he was finishing this bottle and then would shoot himself in the head with the gun he produced from his pocket.

M. told him god had brought him all the way to talk to him and pray for him . . . and if he would let him pray for him he would no longer want to kill himself for he was being plagued by demons etc.. The man said “Preacher, if you drove all this way for me, I guess I'll let you.” So M. did and the man, after the demons were rebuked, sat there like a stone for 20 minutes and then suddenly started talking as if waking up, and said, “Wow, what happened? I NO longer want to kill myself; why did I ever think I wanted to do that?” He described how something seemed to come up all the way from his toes and throughout his body and left.

This was the first I heard of Michael, and the life God had directed him to live. Outwardly such an experience is difficult to receive as it makes little sense to the natural mind which is conditioned to judge all things by the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. The natural mind concludes that a man should always seek the natural path. If a man can work to secure a natural provision by the power of the flesh, then it reasons that he should work. Yet the natural man is not capable of casting demons out of a man it does not know, or arriving at a meeting in a town 20 miles away in a park that has never been visited. Only those who are directed by the Spirit, and who look to the Spirit to perform that which man cannot, experience such things.

Yesterday, sister Alida sent me this additional testimony.

Dear Brother Joseph,
We have been reading your articles dealing with the hard times coming. Today's comments from the two people were indeed some of the thoughts we had. A few days ago I wanted to write you to tell of what is happening in our "neck of the woods" which is Michigan...
I have told you in the past about our dear friends Michael and Judy, who are true warriors in the King's army. M., like you, was asked by the Lord to stop working an outside job and to be set apart to be prepared for the task God was giving him. M. has experienced a progressive walk of the Lord (now 10 years) Y'shua teaching him, showing him many things in the unseen world, both the demonic and the heavenly realm where God dwells. He has had many visitations of Y'shua Himself and was taught how to discern appearances of angels and Satan himself, who will sometimes come in disguise. He has been sent on many 'missions' by the Lord, sometimes to help someone and to deliver someone from demonic oppression or suicide attempt in the middle of the night many miles away. But many times the Lord sends him on a trip to teach him something. Twice this last month the following happened:

a) M. was sent by the Spirit to a place about 100 miles from their home, and when he arrived the Lord told him to go another 50 miles; after waiting on the Lord for some time for instructions, the Spirit said "now you may go home." "But Lord, I have no gas left? What am I going to do? I have no money in my wallet? You will have to provide."

He began praising the Lord some more and evil spirits began to assail him with questions: How are you going to get home? How can you be so stupid? How gullible you are to think you heard from the Holy Spirit to come here? etc etc. all starting with "how."

M. said suddenly while he attempted to rebuke these spirits, the Holy Spirit spoke the answer in his heart. "HOW GREAT THOU ART." M. got out of the car and began to loudly proclaim "How GREAT THOU ART!" singing it, shouting it. Then in the midst of this the Holy Spirit spoke again: "Look in your wallet.” He did. Nothing. M. continued the proclamation until again the Holy Spirit said: “Look in you wallet now.” He did and found two $50 bills in his wallet. He returned home rejoicing!
b) M. was sent just one week ago on another mission and found himself about 100 miles south of Toledo. After waiting on the Lord, he heard new instructions. “Drive to Chicago." "But Lord, I have only a quarter tank of gas left. This is Your problem Lord." So he started on his way and after a while the car suddenly went sputter, sputter . . M. pulled along the side of the road and said, “Lord, this is Your problem." Immediately the car went full force ahead again and he drove for many miles on nothing, even stopping the car at 2 different rest stops. Each time the car started up again.

Finally, when he was near the east coast of lake Michigan, he pulled into a rest stop again and the car died while he drove in. He had to 'muscle' the car into a parking slot. It was late at night. "Now Lord, what next? It is your problem to get me there and back." He waited on the Lord in worship and praise and meditation and prayer for several hours. Then the Holy Spirit. spoke. “Look into your wallet.” He looked and there was a brand new $50 bill.

M. said "Thank you Lord. That's great, but how am I going to get to a gas station? Are you going to send someone here to help me?" Suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke “Get your gallon water jug and fill it in the bathroom.” He did. “Now, pour it into the tank.” M. had to search for something to make a funnel. He found some cardboard and fashioned a funnel and began pouring. He said, "As soon as I started pouring I smelled the gasoline smell and it looked like gasoline!" Then M. REALLY was rejoicing and laughing. The Holy Spirit said, “You can drive home now.” He arrived safely home several hours later.
This is the kind of teaching M. has been going through. Going in obedience to a place "God knows where" and then being taught something which is preparatory for the very near future. Lately these have become lessons of “supernatural provision.”

I wanted to take the time to write this story in enough detail to show that it takes obedience, faith, patience, and willingness to wait upon the Lord until He determines the time for the miracle. I believe we all can expect these miracles of provision, if we truly believe and are willing and obedient to be led by the Spirit and are practiced in listening to His voice for direction.
Blessings and Peace to you in the Name of our Lord and King Y'shua, our Deliverer.
Alida

I wrote back to sister Alida the following:

Dear Sister Alida,

Thank you for sharing these things with me. Michael's experiences are truly remarkable. I do foresee a day coming shortly when all of God's children will need to RELY upon such provisions. I know some would scoff at Michael's experiences, but we read of similar things in Scriptures, and we do not scoff at them. Is it any harder for the Lord to have a coin appear in the mouth of a fish than to have $50 appear in a wallet? Is it any harder to transform water into wine than it is into gasoline?

The day is near at hand when we will find that God's grace is sufficient for all of these things. I know He will also have a provision for you.
[End Excerpt]

People of God, I have seen enough supernatural provisions from the Father that I do not stagger in unbelief when I hear a report such as this. I recognize the ways of the Father in the testimony provided. There is a reason that Yahweh is leading Michael to experience lessons in supernatural provision in this season. The people of God will need to depend on the supernatural provision of the Father in coming days.

It is the mercy of God that He is preparing a people in this hour to serve as ministers of salvation for His people in coming days. These ministers are often scorned and rejected by the very ones who will be kept alive by their ministry in days which are at hand. In this we see the pattern of Joseph and Yahshua repeated.

Joseph’s brothers rejected him, treating him roughly and selling him into slavery. Yet the difficult experiences of Joseph’s life prepared him to save many people alive during a time of famine. The very one’s who had rejected him were saved by his ministry.

Yahshua also was rejected by His own people. He was called a heretic and a blasphemer. He was accused of having a demon. Yet by His shed blood He surrendered His life that an entire nation would not perish. He purchased the salvation of God’s people by His obedience.

Revelation chapter 12 declares that God will lead the church into a wilderness experience in these last days. Yahweh will have a provision for her there. The One who caused water to flow from a rock and bread to fall from heaven, will manifest a supernatural provision for His people in that hour.

Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The woman will not only be physically nourished, she will be spiritually nourished as well. For many years the church has grown fat physically by has been famished spiritually. Her experience in the wilderness will remove the excess flesh and provide an environment for a spiritual creature to arise.

There will be an outpouring of the Spirit upon God’s people. He will feed them on truth and righteousness. They will be cleansed of all the defilement of religious Babylon. They will be instructed by ministers who have been prepared for such a time as this, and the ways of Yahweh will be made known to His people. Many glorious things will be observed in a day of great distress.

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

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

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

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