Happy Pentecost (if you go by this calendar)! I have something the Lord just showed me within the last hour that I would like to share with you, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I am very excited about it and hope it will be an encouragement to you. If you have ever had the Lord use something very simple in the natural to communicate freshly to your heart, you will be able to relate at some level to what I am about to share. I was out walking early this morning listening to Brother Chooch's part 2 of "50 Reasons Why Pentecost is Tied to the Rapture." (Thanks to bgkimbr for posting part 2 on the original thread titled "50 Reasons Why Pentecost is Tied to the Rapture Part 1 (Reasons 1-25).") As I walked, I was just meditating on all the different reasons why maybe today. Then the Lord had me turn off the video and pull my ear buds (was walking for 1.5 hours, so was already listening a second time). As I was walking and talking and enjoying the presence of the Lord, I noticed something for the very first time. A house that I must have walked past over a hundred times through the years has a white bench sitting in front of it, something I had never paid any attention to at all. For some reason, I believe the Lord's reason, He had me notice it today. As I approached it, it sits at the end of a "T" intersection, so I was looking straight at it, rather than walking by it with it on one side or the other. Perspective, perspective, perspective. What really caught my eye as I drew closer was the shape of the bench. It was in the form of a butterfly. I don't know if I have ever seen a white bench in the form of a butterfly in all my life, but I certainly had not paid any attention to this one until this morning when the Lord brought it onto my radar. Here is what I sensed Him speaking to me as I quizzically looked it over. It is a picture of the rapture. We are all caterpillars in this world, fearfully and wonderfully made, but destined to struggle here on earth until the Lord ultimately transforms us into what He always intended in His heart for us to be. Think about it. We are the lowly caterpillars, who end up spinning a cocoon in which we must struggle for the ordained days of our earthbound existence. But then, more gloriously than we can even imagine, there comes an appointed time when we emerge from that cocoon, after a seemingly very long time, with new life, a new body, beauty that we never possessed before, and the ability to fly away from this earthbound existence. How awesome is that!?! Now, as I type this, there are just over 3 hours left in Jerusalem for this day as Pentecost (sunset in Jerusalem translates to 1139 AM CDT, 739PM locally in Israel). Is it possible that we could be that close to emerging as butterflies. I find it amazingly wonderful that the Lord spoke this to me as I was meditated on the reasons for a possible Pentecost rapture and within just hours remaining in Jerusalem. Obviously, I cannot say definitively this is it, but my ears are tuned to heaven listening for that shout and trumpet! And if we are still here a few hours from now, I still do not think it can be much longer before the butterflies are released at our appointed times to fly away with new unspeakable beauty. What a picture!! Maranatha!!! The Spirit and the Bride say come!!!! I’m sorry to be a “Debbie Downer” with your post because I understand what you’re saying about the butterfly transforms from a ugly caterpillar into a beautiful creature ... in reference to the new birth in - II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“ It is a beautiful process! :yes: However .... I just want to give some esoteric info on the meaning behind the butterfly ... especially the Monarch butterfly. Just like the beautiful rainbow symbol of God’s promise ... it is now corrupted and used for the gay and lesbian crowd symbol ... the devil also took the beautiful butterfly symbol and corrupted it ... it secretly represents for his followers to worship him. He is a copycat of the Lord and corrupted the new birth process by using the same symbol to have his followers in the music industry and Hollywood to abuse and corrupt little kids and teenagers and mind control them if that want to get into the music business or acting career and are under his control for a short season of fame and success. Google “MK ultra-butterfly symbolism (brainwashing)” on Pinterest .... you will see various pictures of the Hollywood “stars” with the butterfly over their mouth or over one eye, on their clothing, or they have the tattoo. This symbolically means they have sold their souls to satan for fame and fortune. Google “Silence of the Lambs” butterfly symbol ... its demonic. This is why while I live on this earth I do not care for butterflies. Whenever I see butterflies stamped on t-shirts, jewelry, on flip flops, on furniture and 2 weeks ago I was looking at stepping stones and the butterfly symbol was on the stone .... I couldn’t buy it because I know what it really stands for. In heaven and in the millennium I will enjoy the butterfly again but not right now ... not while satan is still in charge of this demonic world system. Today would be a GREAT day for the Lord to come take us HOME! :good: I still enjoy butterflies even if the enemy has tried to corrupt the meaning. They are truly amazing creations of God. I grow Milkweed, Joe Pye weed, yarrow and other plants just for them. As far as us, I believe our true new birth occurs at the rapture. Our nature is now a butterfly but we are stuck in a caterpillar body. (The flesh) Soon, we'll be flying! :yahoo: Please see my latest input on the 50 reasons of Pentecost thread!!! TR Hi Geri7. I am usually very well aligned with just about everything you post here, but I must kindly and respectfully agree to disagree agreeable on this one. I do not believe the Lord would have for us to forfeit the beauty of the authentic simply because Satan has attempted to corrupt and defile it, regardless of how successful he may have been in the world's experience. I would not for one moment forsake the beauty of a God-given rainbow just because it has been defiled and corrupted by man. Same with the butterfly. In fact, the reality that Satan has attempted to counterfeit or hijack some element of beauty from God's creation is, to me, simply testimony to the actual beauty God has endowed it with. One doesn't waste one's time in attempting to counterfeit or defile that which has no actual beauty or value. In some ways, it strikes me as a perverted form of flattery to the Lord's creative work. You know that old saying, imitation is the highest form of flattery... We would forfeit a lot of wonderful things following this kind of logic and, if taken to its ultimate degree (which I know you are NOT advocating), we would forsake worshipping Jesus because the Antichrist demands worship. Just some thoughts I had in response to your post. Grace and peace :). We are all caterpillars in this world, fearfully and wonderfully made, but destined to struggle here on earth until the Lord ultimately transforms us into what He always intended in His heart for us to be" I so enjoyed reading your post, Watchman . . ~~ ~ ~ agreeing with your words, here as well : " I do not believe the Lord would have for us to forfeit the beauty of the authentic simply because Satan has attempted to corrupt and defile it, regardless of how successful he may have been in the world’s experience. I would not for one moment forsake the beauty of a God-given rainbow just because it has been defiled and corrupted by man. Same with the butterfly." We would forfeit a lot of wonderful things following this kind of logic and, if taken to its ultimate degree (which I know you are NOT advocating), we would forsake worshipping Jesus because the Antichrist demands worship. Just some thoughts I had in response to your post. Grace and peace :). I hear ya, Watchman. I’m not judging anybody if they want to buy anything with butterflies printed on them and/or enjoy butterflies in their garden. I personally just can’t enjoy that insect until we reach heaven and on the restored earth. I still enjoy seeing a rainbow from a rainstorm with the sun filtering through ... but I personally would never buy a T-shirt with a rainbow printed on it or put a rainbow sticker on my vehicle or house window. There are far too many gays in my state and I don’t want people to think I accept that sinful lifestyle. I also get annoyed of the games the local grocery stores play. They make sure a lot of sale items say $3.33 and you must buy 2 to get the sale ... which makes it $6.66. The coding and symbolism is in our faces 24/7. I’m sick of this world and can’t wait for the new beginning. Keep looking up ... we are leaving soon. That's fair. To each, their own. Just means that the butterflies are going to be extra special in heaven. The reason I’m extremely careful about what I wear and what stickers to apply to a vehicle ... back in 2000 I had this happen ... while heading into a Rite Aid store, a female stopped me and said how about we party at the local bar and then head over to my place. I said whaaat? What makes you “think” I’m a lesbian ... and by the way I’m NOT. She said I see the sticker on your vehicle. I said what sticker? I then showed her the NY Yankee sticker. She got red in the face and said “Oh ... sorry I saw the rainbow sticker” ... it was on the vehicle next to mine. She then ran across the parking lot to get away from me. :mdrmdr: Also in New England they are known for displaying the rainbow flag at bed and breakfasts ... that means stay away from those places unless you like that type of “entertainment”. Lots of junk like that in Bar Harbor, ME and other resorts ... While I am jogging, I often see a butterfly pass by me, and felt God was saying 'hi' to me ~ yesterday that happened while the Jasmine bloomed ~ ~
I also grow Crocosmia for the hummingbirds. The most common and most reliable variety is called "lucifer. " Why? Because the flowers are bright red. So, the poor plant is saddled with that terrible name since there is a mistaken belief that the devil is red. :negative:
That and the spectacular rainbows.
