The Lord Jesus immediately gave me a spiritual illustration of how we see “poop” in front of us in our walks every day, i.e. we see sin and sinful life patterns set before us on our paths of life tempting us to walk in them. We can choose to walk in the poop (sin/sin patterns), or we can choose to avoid the poop (sin/sin patterns). Many who choose to walk in holiness (avoiding the poop), and who choose to not allow ourselves to walk in poop, though, are often being pushed by the world, including by the worldly church, to adopt the ways and patterns of the world for our lives, so that we appear more “normal,” and not so “religious.”
The Song
As soon as the Lord gave me this spiritual illustration, the Lord also put the song, “Keep On,” in my head, so that it began playing in my mind. So, when I got home, I looked up the words, and they fit so perfectly with this spiritual illustration. This song is speaking about humbly bowing before God, repenting of sins, and turning to Jesus Christ in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives. Instead of walking in sin (poop), we are to walk in righteousness, faith and obedience. Then, we can walk in fellowship with the Lord daily, and we can abide in his truth. Then, the song said that we need to rest in the Lord and let him lead. He leads us to avoid sin and to walk away from stepping into it.
Then, the song says that we are not to bow to the gods of men, but we are to let Christ rule in our hearts. So many voices out there, including inside the church, are trying to convince us to listen to men over God, as though man knows more or better what is best for our lives than God does. Yet, we are to follow God’s word and Christ’s teachings, and we are to let the Spirit of God lead and rule in our hearts, not men and not the teachings of men. Men (of the flesh) would try to get us to stop sharing our faith and to stop sharing the gospel message because it might offend people, it might lead people to think that we are judging them, or they might think that we are playing Holy Spirit to them, or that we think we are better than them, etc. Yet, we are commanded by Christ to share his gospel with the whole world, teaching them to obey Christ’s commandments. This is love! – Love for God and love for others - to share with them the truths of God’s words which can transform their lives.
Lastly, the song says that we are never to yield to sin against our God, but we are to obey him in every way. Man (of the flesh) would try to lead us to accept a little “poop” in our lives in order to make us fit in better with society and not appear weird to the rest of the world. The world tempts us to accept that little bit of poop into our lives so that people don’t think we are crazy, and so we blend in better. They try to push us into the same poop that we are trying to avoid stepping into, and many of them do this sincerely, thinking they are helping us to attain some level of “normalcy” in our lives. Yet, it is the Lord who is supposed to direct our steps, not man, and it is the Lord we must please, not man. And, the Lord leads us to not step into any “poop,” i.e. anything considered sin by God, anything contrary to Christ’s teachings and commands, and/or anything that would lead us to follow man over and above God.
The Scripture
After I read the words to the song, and I understood how they fit with the spiritual illustration the Lord had just given me, I prayed, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” and then I read John 14:
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Jesus the Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.
My Understanding: I love this passage of scripture! It is so encouraging!! When we are troubled by the cares of this world, and/or we are troubled by human relationships, and/or we are being tempted by Satan to accept a little sin into our lives so that men will accept us, the Lord reminds us that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. Our true home is in heaven with God. Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us so that we can be with him forever, and he will return one day to take us to be with him. Amen!
Thomas, who has been nicknamed “Doubting Thomas,” because he would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw him with his own eyes, spoke up and told Jesus - even though Jesus had told them plainly that they knew the way to the place he was going - that the disciples did not know where Jesus was going, and so they could not know the way. Thomas did not understand what Jesus was saying because he was thinking with a natural mind. He was thinking of a physical place on the earth, but Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms. The place Jesus was going was back to the Father in heaven, and the way to heaven, for the people, was through faith in Jesus Christ – the (only) way, the truth, and the life.
And, there are many “Doubting Thomases” in the world and church today who are thinking with natural minds, and who do not understand the things of the Spirit of God. And, many of them will try to get us to think with natural (logical) minds and human reasoning and to reject the things of the Spirit (i.e. they will try to push us to step into the poop, thinking they are helping us), because the things of the Spirit of God don’t always make sense to the natural mind, just like what Jesus said to Thomas did not make sense to him. Yet, again, we are to let the Spirit of God lead us and direct our steps, not the logic and reasoning of men.
Then, Jesus Christ addressed the subject of love for him. He said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” Yet, many preachers and church leaders today are teaching us that obedience to Christ is not necessary for salvation. They are also teaching that repentance is not necessary for salvation, and that God is pleased with us no matter what we do. Don’t listen to them, and don’t believe their lies!
Jesus continued by stating that he would send them another Counselor after he went to the Father, and that Counselor is the Spirit of truth. Since Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven, and since the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit of God came upon those waiting and praying, and since the believers of Christ that existed in the world at the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection also received the promised Holy Spirit into their lives, when we invite Jesus Christ into our lives to be our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit of God comes within us to indwell and to rule our lives – to give counsel, guidance and direction, and to lead us into all truth and to teach us the things of Jesus Christ. He will guide us concerning what are lies of Satan that try to tempt us and to push us to accept a little poop into our lives, and he will show us what is true. And, he is to be the only one directing our steps.
Jesus ended his speech by telling his disciples that “the prince of this world is coming.” And, that is still true. One day the beast of Revelation, the false prophet and the dragon (Satan) are going to rule the entire earth. When they do, all hell is going to break loose. If we cannot walk with God while we have the light of truth so available to us, what are we going to do when evil reigns and rules the earth? We cannot count on being raptured out before things get bad. We have to be spiritually prepared, for this day of evil is going to be unlike anything we have ever before experienced in our lives. So, if you have been walking in poop, even a little bit of it, thinking that is ok with God, that he is still pleased with you, and that his grace takes care of your “poop,” then please repent of your sins today, turn to your Lord Jesus Christ in full obedience and surrender to his will for your lives, so that you can walk in fellowship with the Lord, so you can abide in his truth, and so you are spiritually armed for battle (see Ephesians 6:10-20), so you can stand your ground against the evil one on the day evil reigns and rules the earth, if not before then.
Keep On! / An Original Work / December 15, 2011
Praise the Lord! Praise Him now!
Before Him humbly bow.
Repent of your sins now.
Turn to Him; obey now.
Walk in fellowship with Him daily,
And abide in His truth.
He will forgive you,
And He’ll cleanse you,
And He’ll give you new life.
Trust in Him. He is truth.
He will not forsake you.
Rest in Him. Let Him lead.
He will meet all your needs.
Obey His ev’ry word to you,
And listen to all He says.
He will be faithful
In all His promises,
So rest in Him.
Do not bow – gods of men.
Let Christ rule in your hearts.
Do not stop – share your faith.
Keep on: speak Jesus’ name.
Share His truth with all He leads you to
Be a witness for Him.
Never yield to sin
Against your God.
Obey Him in ev’ry way.
http://youtu.be/3DB0CKmC1Gc
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