of hope and encouragement! This truly is a story of us -- the children of the Most High -- from start to finish! This is all so fresh in my mind, as Father has been prompting me with butterflies in so many ways in the last month -- too much to not notice! As a result, I have really dug in to see what He wanted to share! I have been so encouraged, because He has spoken to me personally through this, but I also knew it was for others as well. So as always, I am so prayerful that this little journey will glorify our Father immensely and encourage you deeply! Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? Isaiah 43:19 So how does our story start? It begins with the smallest deposit within our spirit... inspired by the Father and many times planted within us by the testimony of a loving servant. It would look something like this... the planting of a very small seed (egg) by someone (butterfly) who has already undergone the transformation... all in full alignment with the Creator's plan. So the seed is planted, and what happens next? Well, in the case of our caterpillar to butterfly story, this ugly little wormy-looking thing comes from the very tiny egg, and it has one mission... to eat! It is a newborn, and it is famished to receive nourishment and grow, so it eats and eats, even shedding its skin repeatedly as it grows. Does all of this sound familiar? Do you remember how much you craved and ate the Word immediately after you understood and received the salvation of the Most High? Do you remember how you were continually shedding off the old you to make room for new?! In this stage, it is as if nothing else exists except us and Yahusha (Jesus) and learning and growing in Him! And very important to note... the caterpillar eats from the very plant from which it was born, sometimes abiding there throughout the entire process! I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5 So this ugly, but quite colorful, caterpillar is on its mission to eat until its reserves are filled and it can actually begin the transformation into its true identity. Once it stops eating, it goes into a short resting phase before it begins to go into its own little chamber of hiding. In its nature and obedience to its Creator, it submits to this isolation where it will actually begin to break down and transform into something completely different. Its Creator has provided it with all it needs to isolate itself; it just obeys and follows. This seems to be that moment of presenting itself as a living sacrifice to its Creator to do that which is required to bring about its full destiny. In the case of our journey, I can speak from experience that submitting to this part -- presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Father for His glory -- can be very hard. But it is not only necessary but somewhat commanded in the Word, as Paul "beseeches" or pleads with the Romans to do so. It is only through this submission and abiding that the preparation for full transformation and emergence can be completed. What happens in this little chamber, called a pupa, is incredible and miraculous. It can only be attributed to the love and wisdom of the One who created it. I will share now the details of what happens at this stage, and as we go through, think of yourself and where you may be -- entering in, in the midst, or about to emerge. Know that the miraculous story of this delicate, beautiful creature is about you... There is nothing new under the sun, and as the Word says, the creation speaks of the greatness of the Father - to us - and therefore, we are without excuse in knowing Him. First, the caterpillar is completely alone in the pupa. It is confined without its own freedom... but only for a short time (usually two weeks). With us, our pupa stage will be as long as is needed, and unfortunately for some (like me!!), it can be much longer! And I use the word "unfortunately" only in part -- because no matter how short or long it takes, the result is quite fortunate with beauty, freedom, true identity, and so much more! Obviously, it is worth it, and our Father knows exactly what He is doing in this stage of our journey. Before the caterpillar begins to enclose and isolate itself, its behavior changes, it sheds its final skin, and purges itself of any excess waste as it begins to create its own enclosure. Once isolated inside, the intense changes begin as it lies still. As I read about this, the words "massive rearrangement" were used to describe what happens in the pupa during this time. It is so important to grasp that the most dramatic changes taking place in this stage are done in stillness and silence. Is it not during our own "pupa stage" that we finally begin to be still and know that He is the one true and living God? Is this not the time when drastic changes can come to fullness -- many times through pain and suffering in isolation and loneliness, where we surrender to the point that our flesh, our old body, begins to die and deteriorate? It is here in this isolation that we finally understand that that the absolute death of self must happen to bring about refreshing and restoration unto newness! For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength... Isaiah 30:15 I would like to note here that only a butterfly pupa is called a "chrysalis". Although this chrysalis looks like a cocoon (or as my aunt and I like to say, a little green mini lantern), it is actually a living creature. Butterflies are set apart from moths and other related insects, because they become a pupa while exposed to the environment - they are visible to predators and the outside environment - but at the same time, they are typically protected through camoflage (they blend in with the leaves of the plant, which many times is the same plant as the place of their birth). And I must mention this wonderful nugget... the word "chrysalis" means gold! How perfect that the pupa/chrysalis or place of transformation and renewal is like gold! For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 As the creature within the chrysalis lies still and quiet, the transformation begins, and it begins with a dying from within. The old body of the caterpillar begins to be attacked by new cells within the chrysalis, and old body breaks down. These new cells, called imaginal cells, were already there within the caterpillar, lying dormant until the appointed time. These cells are called "the seeds of future potential which contain the blueprint of a flying creature". In other words, they are the cells that will create new life and are even said to carry a different frequency! As the caterpillar's body recognizes these new cells, it begins to attack back; however, the imaginal cells are more powerful and persist and multiply, connecting and bonding with each other, ultimately winning the battle and forming the new, multi-cell creature that will emerge, leaving the old body dissolved. How amazing is this and such a reflection of the intense battle within us between flesh and Spirit?! And just as the imaginal cells, or "new life" cells, win the battle over the old, so will the Spirit within us ultimately conquer the flesh! And when this happens, authentic, pure beauty emerges! As I ponder this, I think of how my Father's "cells" were within me from the beginning... waiting to be birthed at the appointed time. Then once activated through repentance and faith in our Messiah and then nourished with the Word, the true transformation process began through sanctification. This sanctification, or isolation/intimacy, birthed a true surrender and submission of the flesh in willingness to be overcome by the powerful, persistent Spirit of the Living God! And this process still goes on today! He chose us, He purchased us, and He is faithful to finish His work in us in the fullness of Messiah Yahusha! We can rest with all assurance in this promise! Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 As the transformation process within the chrysalis begins to cease, it will become somewhat transparent, and the new creature will become partially visible. At this point in time, the need for isolation and restriction is outgrown, and thus the struggle for emergence begins at its perfect "organic time". Notice the word "outgrown"... the time of isolation and restriction comes to an end as the creature is ready to emerge in its new identity! It is keenly aware of this timing as it begins to push against the lines inside the chrysalis by taking in air and pushing out with its abdomen. With much movement, which is absolutely necessary to exercise and strengthen itself, it pushes free from the chrysalis head-down, but once emerged, it immediately lifts its head upward where it sits perfectly still to allow its wings to expand and become firm. It is as if it says... I have emerged; I am here Father... now I wait on you to strengthen my wings! As it waits, it forms its own "proboscis" for drinking nectar and then pumps the fluid from its abdomen into its wings for firmness, lastly expelling anything extra from the abdomen to lighten the load for flight! It is now ready to fly!! There is no doubt that the transformation that takes place inside the chrysalis, worthy of the meaning "gold", reflects the same process that we go through as we begin to fully mature into the new creatures that will take flight, in the fullness of our identity in Yahusha, to soar above all that is below, all that is old, and all that earthly. It is a process of separation, isolation, stillness, death of flesh, and birth of the beauty of the Spirit of life. It simply must happen! It is also a process of finality -- it begins, it continues, and it ends in the fullness of the new creature. It is reflective of the promises of our Father that He will do all the work. He will draw us, He will plant the seed, He will nurture the seed, He will begin the sanctification process and set up all the needed circumstances along the way, He will provide all that is needed in us to complete this work, and He will ensure that at the perfect, "organic time" we are released to emerge into flight to soar in the calling He has determined for us. He will finish what He started in us, even if we feel stagnant, even if we feel tired, even if we feel we can't go on! I am amazed and encouraged by His creation and how He speaks through it, to show His endless and incredible love for us as well as His plans for each one individually! Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Yahusha ha Mashiach... Philippians 1:6 As I have gone through this journey over the last month or so, I have had the great pleasure of actually witnessing this process from the caterpillar stage to lift off! My aunt, completely engrossed in this, was gifted by our Father to allow her desire to watch the entire process become a reality. She was able to share pictures with me throughout the journey, along with all of her excitement and emotion up until "she", the new creation, flew away! Below is my aunt's new butterfly resting after emergence and then preparing to experience her new identity and freedom! As you now come to the conclusion of this post, stop and be still, and know.... Just as the caterpillar eats and grows and follows the lead of its nature into its own "sanctification" process; and without a care in the world rests until the proper time of emergence, so too will you under the faithful and careful leading and instructing of the Holy Spirit. And just as the Heavenly Father ensures with all certainty the emergence of the new and beautiful butterfly, how much more will He ensure this for you... His precious, blood-bought Bride?! There is no doubt that in your full submission in presenting yourself to Him, you will emerge and you will soar on eagles wings in your kingdom destiny as He has willed for you! Blessed be the name of Yahuah through His Son, Yahusha ha Mashiach! But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
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"Patience, young grasshopper" comes from a 1970s TV show called "Kung Fu". David Carradine played the role of Kwai Chang Caine, a half-American half chinese character in the old west who had been trained as a Shaolin monk in China. The show featured flashbacks to his training where he was called "Grasshopper" by his blind master, recalling a dialog from the first episode: Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear? Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds. Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat? Caine: No. Po: Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet? Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things? Po: Young man, how is it that you do not? I love this! "Young man, how is that you do not?" That's me!! Sometimes I feel so dull of hearing and seeing that it worries me. And patience has not always been my best characteristic. I am a hard-working, quick person, which tends to contribute to impatience. This is great when it comes to your job (and for your employer), but it can surely be a detriment in your spiritual walk (and not something our Father and "Boss" typically commends). How beautiful would it be to hear all of those wonderful sounds at once, as Po seems to do in our example above? And what's even better.... being able to hear (and even see) all the sounds and things that our Father sends to us in His personal one-on-one communication with us, even His still, small voice. My heart longs to be in this place every second of every day. Well, He says to me, "Patience my little grasshopper; I will give you what you seek, but in my time and when you are fully ready". And I say, "Yes Father, I believe you!" I am sure it is quite obvious that this post is about patience; but even more specifically it is about... waiting... waiting upon our Father and His perfect timing. I did a quick little count to see how many times the word "wait" (or any form of this word) is in the Bible, already knowing it's a lot! I counted 160 times (but some of these are not really positive, i.e., "lying in wait")! Then I checked on how many times we are specifically told to wait upon the Father or wait for something of Him, and it was about 37 times! Then when I looked at the number of references to patience, I found about 34. Obviously, this patience and waiting thing is a very common thread within our Father's word! No wonder it is absolutely a fruit of the Spirit! Have you ever found yourself overburdened, overcommitted, confused, tired and just outside of the peace and rest that the Father promises to those who trust Him -- even though you think you've been working for Him and His purposes? I have, and it hasn't been just once. This blog post is for all the "doers" out there - especially the ones who are "doing" for the Most High God This is to help us finally come to the realization that even though we know that faith without works is dead, our "doing" may not always works of faith and could just be works of flesh. And many times, this type of doing has an underlying cause that needs to be identified and then healed or addressed by the Holy Spirit. Works of faith, although they require time, attention, and energy, will never be related to the words used above -- overburdened, overcommitted, confused, tired, and without peace. The exact opposite will be true when our work is a product of obedience to the Father. The peace and joy of the Spirit will always accompany works of faith, because He Himself will always be the One to assign the work, equip us for the work, and actually produce the work. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30 I am guilty of fleshly works. It's in my nature to work and to work hard, and it goes back at least two generations before me in my family. And somehow this characteristic, which can be perceived as honorable in the world, has always tried to creep into my relationship with the Father. Somehow, buried deep within my heart is the belief that working harder for Him will glean more love and acceptance. Obviously, this could not be any farther from the truth, and this truth is finally beginning to fully take root in me (even though it's taken a while!). The truth is that He loved me when I was yet a sinner; He came to me to save me when I was at my absolute worst. There is no work I can ever do to earn this -- never ever. While this is ingrained in my mind and covered in absolute gratitude, my flesh forgets and gets busy; then He gently reminds me again. His patience with me overwhelms me greatly. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15 (Note: For this particular scripture, there are several more that are worded almost exactly the same! We would be wise to realize that our Father is amazingly longsuffering with us!) When I think of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years never entering into the Father's rest, I wonder... did their stiff-neckedness ever involve fleshly works in trying to please Him? There was blatant disobedience, murmuring and complaining, and even idol worship. But when I think of the golden calf incident, I think of fleshly works indeed! And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. Exodus 32:2-5 And the ending of this story is so very sad... the Father swore they would never enter into His rest. This very story and ending is mentioned four times (Deuteronomy 1:26-38 when it actually happened and then in Psalm 95:6-11, Hebrews 3:7-9 and 4:1-8; it's that important!!. These scriptures have always quickened me hard, because I know this "working" thing is an area of weakness for me; and I know it may be for many others out there too. Why is so hard for us to wait on Him, when we know by the profundity of His word that He will always answer, and being in His will will always bring us peace, joy, and REST! Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 There are many examples in the Word of those who failed to wait, along with the consequences, as well as those who did wait, along with the blessings. David's words about waiting are the perfect encouragement for this post. As you read these scriptures, think of something either coming up in your life that will require waiting or something in your past where maybe you should have waited and didn't. Meditate upon these words and allow the Holy Spirit to infuse you with the wisdom and peace to see the power of waiting in that particular situation. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3 Our Father has proven Himself to us since the beginning of time, as well as since the beginning of our own individual lives, that He is worthy of our trust and patience to wait upon Him in every situation, every crisis, and literally every moment. The fact that we are still breathing and living and being allowed the time to finish our walk in fullness is just one testimony of His faithfulness. Our steadfast assurance and belief in His sovereignty, faithfulness, love, and His never-ending mercy will bring us to the restful place of waiting upon Him, where we will always find the peace of His perfect will, in any situation. This is when we can truly enter into His rest. In closing, and really the main attraction I had intended for this post, I leave a poignant message from the late David Wilkerson (one of my favorites of all time) about waiting upon the Father and receiving His promises as a result. The Holy Spirit is very present in this message, so I pray that He will impart this truth to you so that it will become your very present way of life (and me too)!! |
Special NoteThese writings are written in love and a spirit of servitude. They are not designed to judge but make us think. We are all sinners in need of saving, and we all need encouragement and absolute truth to endure on the narrow road to sanctification and ultimately eternal life. Categories
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