The 23rd Psalm: Restoration and Salvation

In verse one of Psalms 23, we saw that David had made an astonishing statement: The Creator of all, YHVH, not only provided for him personally; but acting as a Shepherd, did so on an intimate level.  In verse two, he made another massive statement by detailing the level of care the Shepherd went to on his behalf.  Now, we are moving on to verse three, and yet another revelation.  (KVJ here)

he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. (CJB)

The KJV says "he restoreth my soul."  Most Onlyists point to translations such as this as evidence of foul play in the translation department.  However, David knew full well exactly what the soul was: The inner person.  Some people refer to the soul as the "inner man."  More properly, the soul is comprised of three main areas.  These are the mind, the will and the emotions.  It is this same understanding of "soul" that is also referred to as "the heart" in verses such as Matthew 12:34, when Christ stated that from "the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

So what is David actually saying here?  He is stating that YHVH brings his entire soul, his inner person, back into proper alignment with His word and will.  Adonai refreshes his mind, and refocuses him on the things of righteousness.  The Lord adjusts his will, bringing him back into line with His own.  Finally, YHVH takes his emotions and brings calm to them.  This is the refreshment of the soul.

Another thing David states is that he is led along the right paths.  What's the difference between the right and wrong paths?  In shepherding, if one were to lead the sheep down a path of brambles, thorns, and so forth, not only does one risk losing precious wool by having to cut out the offending brambles, but one also risks the sheeps discomfort as well.  If the path is rocky and loose, one risks also their less than certain footing in such conditions.

Let's move on.

He will turn back my soul: he will guide me into the tracks of justice for sake of his name. (JULIA)

Once again, Mrs. Smith uses the future tense, showing the care of the Lord pressing forward beyond just the present.  The phrasing here is also interesting, as "turning back" refers to returning to a point prior to diversion from an appointed path.  This is the same thing that "refreshing" or "restoring" does for David, as it returns him to where he needs to be.  (It should be noted that the original Hebrew does not actually have tense, so any argument over tense sensitive translation is without merit.)

Some may wish to call into question the translation of justice in this verse.  The original Hebrew, however, is able to go either way.  In this case, the Julia version brings about another interesting aspect of this verse.  While most translations prefer the term "righteousness," (meaning a state of right living and purity of heart), justice refers to another aspect, one far more familiar to the shepherd: The seeking of an offending lamb.
A lamb which spurns the rest of the flock and heads off on its own is often in for a very rude wake-up call.  Alone and on its own, it soon winds up in danger of all different variaties, from brambles and thorns to ledges, rivers and predators.  The shepherd keeps count of his sheep, and when one goes missing, leaves the flock in the care of the under shepherds in a safe a protected place, and goes in search of the lost.
This is comparable to the tale of the Good Shepherd told us by Yeshua.  However, simply finding that lost lamb is not the end of the ordeal, for the lamb must learn not to wander again.

In David's time, this was accomplished most often by breaking one of the lamb's legs.  In this modern era of SPCA and PETA, such an action seems cruel- However, it would be far more cruel to allow the lamb to run off again.  Each time, the odds of finding the lamb alive dwindle; the more the lamb runs off, the more headstrong it becomes and the further it wanders.  With each extra length of wandering, the dangers to its life increase.  Breaking its leg is not solely for punishment, but to draw it closer to the shepherd.
Once the leg is broken, the shepherd carries the lamb everywhere.  He tends to the leg and makes certain it heals properly.  He feeds the lamb from his own hands, since the lamb cannot stand to graze.  He snuggles the lamb when it sleeps, so that it maintains the sense of physical contact it needs.  He speaks to it and sings to it, so that it grows used to his voice.  When all is said and done, and the lamb can once more walk on its own, it will never again run off, so dependant has it grown on the shepherd.  It will graze with the flock, of course, and sleep with them; but when moving from field to field, that lamb will be at his side always.

Justice does not simply mean punishment for a wrong deed; it requires corrective action so the deed is not repeated, or it is not justice.  Thus, the use of justice here shows us a great deal about our common Shepherd.

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. (NLT)

Note the first part of the NLT's translation.  This is yet another aspect of the restoration of the soul.  Of course physical nourishment renews physical strength, but the provision of this has already been addressed.  Now, David references the renewing of his inner strength.

On long walks from one distant field to another, the flock of sheep can grow weary; one might even use the word dejected.  Sheep do not like to move for extended periods of time.  They are meanderers, happy and content to drift slowly with one another across a field.  Long marches, however, can slowly cause them to be depressed, in a manner of speaking.
For this reason, when on long walks, the shepherd will talk and sing to his flock.  The speaking and singing lifts the spirits of the flock, and keeps them strengthened.  David is telling us here that not only does Adonai strengthen him physically by providing sustanence, but that He strengthens him spiritually through encouragement- The same way David himself encouraged his own flock.  David was not a shepherd aspiring to be a musician, carrying around a harp to play in his downtime.  He had the harp to provide music to his flock, and in the process, worship YHVH.

He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. (AMP)

The Amplified sums it all up very well.
Adonai refreshes and restores David's strength and his soul- Indeed, He safeguards David's life as a whole.  Adonai leads him, and us, in the paths of righteousness- Right standing and uprightness, of which justice is a part.  However, in all of these verses, we've seen the same basic phrase ending this verse: "To bring honor/glory (for the sake of) His name."  Why?

I said in the last section that it has been a long held belief of mine that David had a revelation of the redemptive work of Christ long before it happened.  I believe firmly that David knew of this gift of salvation; knew of the Gospel; long before it was actually presented.  This section here gives further evidence of that.
The most major of God's gifts to us, which we cannot hope to earn or be worthy of, is salvation.  This is not to say that we are trash- YHVH finds us valuable enough to have died for us!  Nevertheless, we cannot attain salvation through any other means aside from Yeshua and an appeal to His sacrifice.  That is what the Amplified is saying here: We cannot earn this right standing, but He gives it to us anyhow- For His name's sake.  For the honor and glory to His name.

I used to read this and wonder why I could not be prideful, but God seemed to demand people brown-nose Him.  I wasn't being heretical; I was honestly inquisitive.  That question has remained with me for some time, even since finding the answer, because I believe that there are other people out there who wonder the same thing.  Here's the answer:
If you were a doctor who had come up with a cure for cancer, but the general attitude of the world was set against you, how would you get the word out?  The solution is simple, yet most businesses will report to you that word of mouth accounts for the majority of their clientele.

Likewise, YHVH is able to remove the most insideous and lethal disease of them all, one which modern science has not yet been able to even track- But the general attitude of the world is dead set against Him.  So rather than advertise, (a neon sign, no more war, showing up and punching the atheist, take your pick), He chooses word of mouth.
We are given salvation and redemption, restoration and refreshment, not because we have earned it or deserved it but because we will then tell everyone about how good the Shepherd is.  We praise and extoll and lift up His name above all other names; and as a result, more come to Him for the operation they need and the gift they truly desire, and the cycle begins again.


Next time, we'll look at verse four, and the immortal "yea, though I walk" portion.  Until then, may YHVH continue to strengthen, restore and refresh you as you spread the word of His goodness, mercy and the gift that He offers to all.

God bless!

Denominations: Not Divisions, But Organs In The Body Of Christ

Recently, I received a private email from someone in Greece who stated that they were concerned that we here at WarriorSoul are espousing a rather dim view of Christianity and the denominations within it.  This person's concern was that we seem to stand against various denominational churches within Christianity.  In other words, we seemed to this individual to be setting ourselves against the Body of Christ.
This, however, is not the case.  Speaking with the other founders of this ministry, and praying about the concern as well, we have decided to reprint the following article.  We here at WarriorSoul Ministries do not have a problem with denominations in general; as with most things of this nature, problems stem from certain people within the denominations.  
For instance, we have no problem with the doctrines of the Southern Baptist denomination, because their statement of faith remains the same as our own- They believe in One God who exists in Trinity as the Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost.  They believe Christ was born of a virgin as prophesied, died once, rose and ascended to the sky.  They believe He will return again.  Are there doctrinal differences?  Yes, of course there are; these are not enough for us to disavow the denomination.
The problem lies with the people within each and every denomination.  Any time someone states that the only true Word of God is the King James Version and that all other versions are from the devil; any time someone states that the Pastor's word is above question; any time someone states that women MUST wear this and not this, or that men MUST have hair of this length and not this- These are human issues, man-made laws that are not God's own, and these are what we take issue with.

Without further ado, here is the entry on denominations with the Body of Christ. ~Andrew, on behalf of WSM




God is far too complex for us to be able to comprehend a full revelation of who He is. Thus, he has allowed different aspects of Him to be seen by different people. Also, as humans, we are so varied that what helps me get into the throne room of God may not work for the person next to me.

I may enjoy lifting my hands and shouting praises to the rafters, whereas they may be much more focused on God if they are holding a hymnal and singing in a reverent tone. The other gentleman next to me might be the sort of willing vessel to jump and whirl when the Spirit comes upon him, while the woman next to him, because of her past, would not feel safe in anything but a carefully ordered service.

Thus, we have denominations, which are really only single words or phrases that sum up that church's approach to worship, Bible study, and prayer. Some of these are spawned due to rebellion, but some are very much acting upon a true revelation of God.

Very often, even those that originally began in rebellion have been blessed once that sin has been confessed.... Martin Luther rebelled against the "church" of his time because of a revelation of God and the meaning of His word.
Was the rebellion necessary? Only he and God know for certain, but the fact remains that it is because of him that many of us now know how to truly read and understand the Word of God.

As people come to know Christ, depending upon their prior lifestyle, God moves them into flocks that will minister best to their individual needs.

Someone who was an atheist for example, may not be able to get into the "Holy Spirit thing" right away, and thus God places him in a body that focuses more on the Word.
As he grows spiritually and develops, perhaps God will lead him into a new body, an new denomination even. Then again, perhaps not. His calling may keep him in that place, meant to instruct those who follow after him.

Or perhaps a former witch comes to knowledge of the Lord because of the Spirit she can feel around the Witness. She would, perhaps, be led to a Spirit manifesting church... One in which the Spirit that drew her can continue to love on her.
As she matures, perhaps she'll be led to another church or denomination, one that focuses more on the Word and it's study. Perhaps not. It may be her calling to become so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, that she can simply enter a room and clear it, thus being able to witness to those in it unimpeded.

Either way, simply because someone hops, runs, walks, crawls or shuffles down the Straight and Narrow, the major thing that matters is that they are moving forward along it. If they are not moving, or not moving forward at all, then yes, there is a problem there.
If they have stalled, then there's a chance God is doing some major repair work. If they are falling, get out of the way, and take as many true believers with you as possible.

Some may feel that last part was too heavy handed, but let me be clear. When a church body is pronounced dead and lifeless by God Himself, it is time to leave. Period. Anyone staying will indeed be brought down with the ship- they either are too blinded, or they've got something to lose.

I've found this test to be true- The Word says to test the spirit with Spirit. Thus, ask the Lord to reveal if this particular church body is within His will. Because when it comes down to it, it's really not the entire denomination that's wacky, it's the individual bodies.

This was all brought about by a verse in the Bible, actually, in Acts...
I believe it was Gamaleil who stated that if this thing is not of the Lord, it will fail, but if it IS of the Lord, then we are powerless to stop it.
And there have been denominations who have fizzled into nothingness. And there are churches that have done the same.

So after reading that, I got this vision of the human body, and how all the organs are supplied blood, and they all work together. If one organ stops allowing the blood to leave it, it ceases to function correctly, causing the Body to weaken. This also will eventually cause the blood to stop flowing to it, which will cause a hemorrhage if left untreated.

So too the Body of Christ has many different parts that do many different things, but we all operate within the Body of Christ, and thus, MUST work together.

Originally appearing on Renegade's Rants, December 13, 2007

The Things of the Unseen

As Christians, we are told over and over that we are to be aware of the very real nature of the spirit realm.  I use the term generally in order to reference all things that are hidden to the eyes of man, but which are nevertheless very real.  Angels, demons, and all other created creatures which are not seen with the natural eye are still as real as you and I, and should thus be granted the same amount of respect as that which is given the things of this physical realm... At the very least.
Ironically, the majority of the secular world also believes, to some degree, in the existence of the supernatural.  The most popular thriller and horror movies incorporate aspects of the unexplained, and shows such as Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and Ghost Hunters enjoy large followings even now.  I say this is ironic because, as one Christian rap artist observed:

"They scoof at the Bible and the things that it tells- They'll believe in stars and astrology but not in Heaven or Hell?!"

What is, perhaps, most ironic is that within the Christian community there remains a strong disavowal pf anything supernatural that isn't easily relegated to one side or the other.  Concepts such as ghosts, invisible creatures, or crying/bleeding statues are looked upon as imagination, or most popularly, things straight from the devil.  With the way mainstream Christianity reacts to these paranormal activities, it's no wonder we are portrayed as crackpots and worse in modern entertainment.  (The Waterboy's mother comes readily to mind with her oft repeated phrase "it's the DEVIL!")
So, what I'd like to do today is an exercise in broadening the mind.  We'll examine several kinds of phenomena, and look to the Bible for commentary.

Let's start with crying or bleeding statues.  This is very often associated with Catholicism, and usually involves a statue of the virgin Mary or some other saint bleeding or crying.  Most often, healings or some other sort of miracle occurs from physical contact with the liquid, and this is usually followed by a surge in faith.  It is important to note also that the majority of these events take place in areas where signs and wonders move people more than words.
Now, when addressing this topic, I am often referred to the writings of Jack Chick, whose take on this sort of happening is always that it is of demonic origin.  Friends, whatever you do, don't base your theology on ChickTraks.  He firmly believes the Catholic church to be Satanic, and rejects the fact that Protestantism sprang from Catholicism; instead, he espouses the exact opposite which is completely contrary to historical fact.  Anyone that rejects truth and substitutes their own should, at the very least, be viewed critically.
This to the side, the Bible is full of accounts regarding inanimate objects being used to give signs and wonders to those people who placed less stock in mere words.  The stone giving water twice; the burning bush that wasn't consumed; the idol of Dagon falling before the Ark of the Covenant; these are just a few examples of such cases.  Even Christ warned that the rocks would cry out praise if the people did not.  A crying statue in comparison?  Why not!

Ever heard people talk of seeing dragons, or any other sort of creature that no one else has seen?  How often they are ridiculed!  These are creations that are mythical or invisible; things no human eye can see and no one has ever recorded scientifically- Of course jeering and derision is the default response to such claims!
Yet in Ezekiel, the prophet writes about creatures that are otherwise invisible.  In Revelation, John observes a pestalence- a kind of locust/scorpion hybrid that no human has ever seen.  Pterodactyls are supposedly extinct, yet sightings are reported every year around the world.  Moreover, anyone who claimed to have seen a Coelacanth was thought crazy... Until, that is, a fisherman ended up with one in his net.

Ghosts are a favorite for church disparagement.  Every ghostly encounter is immediately and gleefully condemned as demonic activity.  I will agree that the majority of these are, in fact, the work of familiar spirits... But not all.  The Bible itself offers proof that the spirits of humans can, on occasion, appear to the living.  Look at Samuel's ghost appearing to Saul- Had that been a familiar, the witch's reaction would not have been nearly so violent, considering she would have dealt with familiars on such a regular basis it would have been a ho-hum matter of course.

In its zeal to paint the devil for what he is, the Church misses hundreds of opportunities to introduce the supernatural of God to unbelievers, and that is a tremendous disservice to both parties.  So, the next time you hear of some supernatural occurance, dear reader, do as the Bible instructs: Test the spirit of the account with the Holy Spirit.
Then, seize the opportunity to open that person up to the supernatural God of Creation, for Whom nothing is impossible.

All The World

PlanetShakers sing "The Anthem."

R.E.T.S. talks about to whom we should be bringing the Gospel.