And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; Eph. 4:31-5:1
In Nehemiah chapter two and three you will read about a particular gate in Jerusalem called the “Dung Gate”. This gate was an important gate and played a very specific role. God had given Israel very specific instructions on getting rid of their dung. After all, if the dung were not removed from the city there would be a tremendous health hazard with all kinds of disease. If Jerusalem was to be healthy it had to get the dung out.
Our bodies have a God designed dung gate as well that serves a very important role. If the body doesn’t rid itself of its waste, inevitably all kinds of physical complications will occur resulting in death. Jerusalem knew what to do with its waste; the body knows what to do with its waste; how is it that the body of Christ often times doesn’t know what to do with its waste? Dung is a natural, normal part of every day life. It wasn’t to be piled up in the home or the city. No one should make a memorial out of it. It is merely to be removed.
So many believers today seem to want to collect and save past offenses, jealousy, resentment, bitterness, and etc. Instead of removing their spiritual dung they store it, save it, justify it and talk about it to as many people as they can, and strangely enough, sit around and stare at it constantly. They come to church with it and then leave with it. Some people have been known to carry their dung around for twenty years. If that isn’t weird enough, sometimes they have dung fights within the church. Dung gets thrown everywhere. Yuck!!
Anytime dung sets out in the open there is a bad smell and flies invade. They are attracted to dung. In Luke 11:18 Satan is called “Beelzebub” which literally means, “lord of the flies”. Dung in the church invites demons to do their dirty work among the saints. If the body of Christ will get rid of its dung as God intended and directed, there will be greater spiritual health and a more difficult environment for Satan to penetrate. As believers we should avoid and admonish manure spreaders in the church. Would you allow someone to bring his or her dung into your house and pile it on your living room floor? Of course not!
Remember, a dung free dwelling is a healthier environment. God has a waste management program. It is called forgiveness. The blood of Jesus cleanses and purifies us daily. Let us labor to keep the body of Christ healthy. Collect all past dung, walk through the dung gate and get rid of it. Be blessed and healthy!
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Eph. 4:15-16
By the way, I know this article really stinks
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