​Recently, I finished The Release of the Spirit and it was truly one of the most challenging reads in my life. So much so, I decided to take the men’s group of our church through the book. Even starting to write this series proved difficult: I needed a few months to prepare for the first lesson alone and several meetings to complete the book. My pastor encouraged me to take my time with Release of the Spirit.
 
With The Release of the Spirit, I realized I could not just teach it intellectually. Of course, with any biblical lesson, the church teacher struggles with living out what they teach. But, with this lesson, I preached to myself more than usual. I needed to teach in the spirit, as the premise of the book encourages.
 
Background on Watchman Nee
 
Watchman Nee (Nee Shu-tsu) was a Chinese Christian teacher and church leader during the 20th century. He was born on November 4, 1903 to second-generation Christian parents. According to the Watchman Nee website, Watchman Nee was consecrated to the Lord before his birth. His mother desired a son and prayed, “If I have a boy, I will present him to You.”
 
The Lord answered her prayer with the birth of Watchman Nee. His father later said to him, “Before you were born, your mother promised to present you to the Lord.” One could not help to think of how the mother of Samuel consecrated him to the Lord before his birth.
 
It is noteworthy that Watchman Nee never attended a Bible institute for a formal ministerial education. He simply read the Word of God and books of Christian leaders from church history. These include, but are not limited to, John Bunyan, T. Austin Sparks and Hudson Taylor. In his thirty years of ministry, Watchman Nee corresponded with believers, produced publications and established many churches and Bible conferences.
 
However, Watchman Nee suffered much for the call of Jesus Christ. Again, the Watchman Nee website states five main sources of suffering: poverty, ill health, denominational opposition, dissenting believers in the local church and imprisonment. Illnesses include tuberculosis, chronic stomach disorders and heart disease. Watchman Nee and his ministry became the repeated target of false rumors and misrepresentation. He even said of himself, “The Watchman Nee portrayed by them I would also condemn.”
 
In March 1952, Watchman Nee was arrested for his profession of faith and leadership among the Chinese churches. He was falsely condemned and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment He died in confinement in May 1972. Toward the end of this series, I will go more into other aspects of his life, his imprisonment and death.
 
Despite the obscurity of his death, the life of Watchman Nee still serves as a testimony of self-denial and enduring suffering.
 
Premise and Terminology
 
The whole premise of The Release of the Spirit is that your soul needs to be broken in order for the Spirit of God to work effectively through you. The very first line of the book sets the theme: “Anyone who serves God will discover sooner or later that the great hindrance he has in the Lord’s work is not others, but himself (Chapter 1, page 11).”
 
Paul describes man as being tri-part. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless. Thus, man is comprised of spirit, soul and body.
 
In terms of the book, Watchman Nee describes the spirit as the inner man, the soul as the outer man and the body as the outermost man. I am not going to use this terminology (inner man, outer man and outermost man) for our discussion in this series. For this series, I will use terms the modern American church is more familiar with (spirit, soul and body). Nevertheless, the terminology of Watchman Nee does serve to help readers with a mental picture.
 
The spirit is to govern the soul (the soul being the seat of your thoughts, emotions, will, desire, consciousness, your personality; what makes you unique). The spirit through the soul would use the body to express the purpose and life of God (the body being the physical part of a person, which uses the five senses to perceive the physical world). Thus, the spirit wears the soul and the spirit/soul wears the body.
 
Sin corrupted this union of spirit, soul and body. The fallen soul is naturally self-preserving and selfish. However, when you are born again, you receive the Spirit of God, which unites with your human spirit. It is the desire of God for your spirit to become His dwelling place. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19, you are the temple of God.
 
The end goal is for your soul to be broken, conquered and renewed for use of the spirit. This brokenness is accomplished through the various trials of life, sufferings, both big and small. Although these daily circumstances may seem negative, God allows them for our spiritual growth.
 
The Alabaster Box
 
Chapter 1 of The Release of the Spirit discusses the analogy of the alabaster flask.
 
Mark 14:3 says, and being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His [Jesus’] head. 
 
An alabaster flask (also translated box, vial or jar) is an ointment container. It can also mean a perfume vase. In order for it to be used, it needed to be broken. Likewise, in order for the perfume of the Spirit to come out, the container of our soul needs to be broken.
 
The container of the fragrance may look pretty. But, the container only contains the fragrance; the end goal is the release of the fragrance. As Watchman Nee says, “We are not antique collectors. Nor are we ‘vase admirers.’ We should be those who only desire the fragrance of the ointment.”
 
If the container of our soul remains unbroken, the fragrance of the spirit would not be able to come forth. As soon as the soul is broken, our spirit is released.
 
“Many of God’s servants are not able to do the most elementary work…” says Watchman Nee (Chapter 1, pages 11-12). “Yet due to restrictions of the outward man [soul], their spirit does not seem to function properly. It is basically because the outward man has never been dealt with, for this reason, excitement in revivals, pleading prayers, and zealous activities are but a waste of time. As we shall see, one kind of basic dealing can enable man to be useful before God – brokenness.”
 
I could not help but notice the lack of importance Watchman Nee places on activity. This is a stark contrast to the modern Church, which places a high emphasis on motion, regardless if that motion is good or bad.
 
The breaking of God may take years to accomplish, as not all believers are the same. The breaking might be sudden or slow, small or massive. In the end, God controls the timing and degree of the breaking. We can’t reduce it, but we can extend the breaking due to our stubbornness. Stubbornness only results in wasting time. Needless to say, God requires us to be good stewards with whatever He gives us (Galatians 4:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:17), including time.
 
We can preach by using our mind and words, and we can stir others up emotionally. But if we do not know how preach in the spirit, the Spirit of God cannot touch people.
 
Watchman Nee specifies two distinct types of believers. The first type includes those in whom the spirit is restricted and unable to be released. Again, such a believer might be able to move someone emotionally. The second type includes those of whom the Spirit of God can be released. Such a person, as described by Watchman Nee, can truly reach the core of another by the Spirit of God.
 
There are two things that hinder brokenness. First, the Christian fails to see God as the source of the breaking. Other people are perceived to be the true problem. Similarly, Christians may perceive their surroundings or circumstances as the true problem. This is a false perception, as the Lord permits all things. This includes people, surroundings and circumstances. We only need to acknowledge this and bend to His breaking.
 
Second, is self-love. This is related to self-preservation. Whether we like to admit it or not, we love ourselves. As a result, we attempt to escape the breaking of our soul. This rescue of self results in subsequent and compounded problems.
 
“However, too many of us, even before the Lord raises a hand, are already upset,” Watchman Nee said (Chapter 1, page 16). “Oh, we must realize that all of life’s experiences, troubles, and trials which the Lord sends are for our highest good. We cannot expect the Lord to give anything better, for these constant difficulties are His best. Should one approach the Lord and pray, saying, ‘O Lord, please let me choose the best – your daily trials are for your greatest profit.’ So God’s motive behind all the things He has ordered for our lives is clearly for the breaking of the outward man. Once this occurs, and our spirit can come forth, we will be enabled to exercise and release the spirit consistently.”
 
Again, trials and tribulations contribute to our brokenness. These include bad surroundings, difficult people and so-called bad “luck”. We tend to react to trials with complaints. Understandably so, we do feel uncomfortable. But, we forget that the Lord is the One who orchestrates all things in our lives. Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. This does not mean all things are good.
 
Ending Thoughts
 
The Cross of Jesus is the pinnacle of the breaking of the outer man. As Jesus took up His Cross, we must be willing to take up our Cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). This is easier said than done until you begin to feel that pain.
 
I once heard it prayed, “Lord, chasten us if you have to.” Personally, I don’t think you need to ask the Lord chasten you. He will by default, like a good Father. And not only when we do bad, but also simply for the refining of our faith (1 Peter 1:7).
 
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ defeated the fallen state of your soul. You should not be used by your intellect, will, and emotions. Instead, your spirit and the Holy Spirit should use those traits of your soul.
 
I will end this article with 2 Corinthians 4:16: therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.


This series uses the Christian Fellowship Publishers (June 1, 2000) Edition of The Release of the Spirit. 

The Nativity Story is a 2006 film directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Mike Rich. Keisha Castle-Hughes stars as Mary and Oscar Isaac as Joseph. The story gives a full-picture of the nativity of Jesus, from the vision of Zachariah to the flight to Egypt.  
 
Overall, I enjoyed The Nativity Story, although I do have a few criticisms. All actors fit the role they played. Castle-Hughes conveys the challenges Mary faced: an angel told a teenage virgin that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. This is not something comprehensible or even conventional. The plan of God was not easy; it was intrusive, embarrassing and could have gotten her stoned. The plan of God tested Mary’s faith, as it did Joseph’s faith. On that note, Isaacs delivers the honor of Joseph really well. The Magi surprised me with their role in the film, as they played the much needed comic reliefs to the overall serious tone.
 
The cinematography is well-done, better than many indie Christian films. This includes shot composition and editing. You can definitely see the influence of The Passion of the Christ, which was released just two years earlier. Both even carry a similar contrast and dark tone, with the only difference being The Nativity Story carrying more of an indigo tone and The Passion carrying of a burgundy tone.
 
The story structure is clean and strong, as it simply follows the accounts found in the Gospels. This is unlike many “secular” Bible films, such as Noah (2014) and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). A few additions made, such as the attempted stoning within the dream of Joseph, work.
 
But, there are a few additions that do not work for me. Mainly, when additions distract from the simple account or alter it. First is the background melody of the Carol of the Bells, which plays during the climax of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Although minor, it struck me as out of place and distracted me. This is in contrast to the melody of Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel, which fits. The latter fits in The Nativity Story due to the Jewish overtones in the song, which fits with the setting of the film.
 
Another minor alteration is the timing of the wise men. A common misconception is that the wise men arrived at the manager of Jesus at the same time as the shepherds. In reality, the text in Matthew 2 shows Jesus was no longer in the manger. The passage also implies Jesus could have been up to two years old when the magi arrived. Although this change isn’t as bad as other past biblical movies, is still distracts. Similar to The Prince of Egypt, this alteration is not enough to not recommend the film. Personally, it would have been interesting to see The Nativity Story break away from this misconception of the magi.
 
But these minor additions and alterations do reflect a bigger issue in modern Christianity. This is the influence of Western tradition on Biblical understanding. We are taught certain concepts from youth that we think are scriptural. We may even adamantly state them as being in the Bible. However, if we were to actually take time to research these concepts, we would find them to be skewed or outright false.
 
The Nativity Story does what it is supposed to do. It tells the simple story of the birth of the Messiah, God becoming flesh. I really wished this film carried the weightiness of The Passion of the Christ, which it could have easily accomplished. Still, it is perfect to show around Christmas for a congregation, youth group or Bible class.  It is a reminder of the reason for the season, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us (Matthew 1:23, NKJV).”

Let’s read Hebrews 13:13-16:

13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach
14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.
16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
 
In verse 15, the writer of Hebrews calls believers to continually offer up the sacrifice of praise to God, which includes fruit of the lips and thanks to His name. Doing good and sharing are also included.

A simple dictionary definition states praise is an expression of approval, admiration, strong commendation; to extol or exalt. In context of the Bible, this admiration is directed towards God. The passage in Hebrews itself even defines it: praise involves giving thanks to God with the lips (verse 15). So there is the aspect of verbally thanking God, not just in your heart.

Worship is often associated with praise. It is derived from the Old English words of worth and ship, i.e. something is seen as having the quality of worth. For example, when we see the worth of God, we worship God. If we don’t see the worth of God, we don’t worship God.

Based on these descriptions, praise and worship can be considered a reaction to the presence or knowledge of God. We worship God, because we see the worth of God. For all the things He did for us (Jesus shedding His blood for our sins, saving us, and keeping us), He is more than worthy of our praise. Truly, the ability to praise and worship is a gifted response, as Matt Redman says. In our old nature, we wouldn’t need or want to praise the Lord.
 
First, before we get into the sacrificial nature of praise and worship, I want to ask a question: Why would praise and worship have a corrective/restorative nature on man?

There are many answers. Man was initially created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7). So, when man gives thanksgiving to God, he is being what God intended him to be. Many of man's difficulties originate from self-worship and self-gratification. Worship to God breaks the fear of man, and reveals in the fear of God. It also debases man's pride, as worship involves humbling one's self to God. Worship also directs the believer's attention to eternal things, the only thing that really matters (Colossians 3:1-2).

Hebrews 13:15-16 is interesting, because it brings in another perspective to praise and worship, which is a sacrifice of praise. One can conclude then that praise actually cleanses a person’s spirit in a similar manner as sacrifice does.

Note that this sacrifice of praise is through the blood of Christ; this isn’t a sacrifice for salvation. Hebrews13:15 says this sacrifice is by Him. In other words, by Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross gives us the ability to give this praise sacrifice.

The best way to compare these sacrifices is to look at the Old Testament sacrifices. The meanings for these sacrifices go deeper than what many Christians realize, and how each kind relates to an aspect of the New Testament believer.

For example, the sin offerings of the Old Testament foreshadow the ultimate sin offering: Jesus dying for the sins of humanity. The burnt offerings relate to the Christian giving their entire life to God. These sacrifices can really be a study by themselves.

The meat offering or peace offering tend to relate to the sacrifice of praise. One commentator said that the meat offerings were an offering to God of His own best gifts, as a sign of thankful homage. It is a means of maintaining His service and His servants. It also invokes enjoyment of communion with God.

A believer can bring many criticisms about worship:
 
“I don't feel like worshipping!”
“Worship doesn't make me feel anything.”
 
And worship can make you feel better. However, that is not the ultimate aim; worship is not about you feeling good. Like the one missionary who came to visit our congregation said, "We aren't worshipping you. We are worshipping God."

It is a sacrifice. Even the term sacrifice denotes that you are surrendering yourself to some degree. There is some kind of loss to you, whether it be your pride, self-worship or whatever.

A sacrifice isn't really a sacrifice unless it is something valuable to you. If it isn't something valuable to you, then it is expendable.
 
There is one practice, though not mentioned in Hebrews, that needs to be addressed. This is because it is so interconnected with praise and worship.

1 Timothy 2:8 says I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting;

The lifting of the hands is a practice often associated with praise and prayer. It is the universal sign of surrender. It is actually a very ancient practice; David (Psalm 28:2) and Solomon (1 Kings 8:22) are shown to be doing this. However, there is another aspect of lifting of hands that is unfamiliar to modern believers.

Psalms 141:1-2 says,

1 A Psalm of David. Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.

We see that the lifting up of hands is associated with the evening sacrifice. So, there are sacrificial overtones to the lifting up of hands, similar to praise.

Again, there is another correlation with the Old Testament. The lifting of the hands is connected to the wave offering. In the wave offering, portions of the things offered are literally waved in the air. The lifting of hands parallels this offering and continues to the present Church age. The fact that Paul wants believers everywhere to lift up hands shows this.

Finally, the sacrifice of praise carries a constant nature. In other words, lifestyle. Our main Hebrews verse says:

15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.

Notice the word continually. The sacrifice of praise is supposed to be a constant, ongoing aspect of the believer's walk, not just for gatherings of corporate praise and worship on Sunday morning. In fact, the singing and music aspect of worship is only a small portion of a life of praise. It is very possible for the Christian to be uneasy in corporate worship because they haven't been living a life of worship in their individual lives.

Again we can look back at the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, when sacrifices were offered up, they needed to be done in a very specific way: the right person needed to give them, the animal given needed to be without blemish and the prescribed animal precise.

Likewise, if you bring up a sacrifice of praise or lifting of hands with an incorrect spirit or hypocritically, then it is useless. If you spent the whole week serving yourself (maybe with a few quickie prayers and a glance at the Bible), then when you come here to worship Sunday or Wednesday, it doesn't seem right.

If we get stuck in a spiritual rut, let us not neglect this sacrifice for the believer. It will restore our spirit and soul to its proper place: to glorify God.

Placebo (7th edition, 1999) by Rev. Howard O. Pittman serves as another modern account of the spiritual realm. Pittman was a Baptist minister for 35 years who felt pretty secure in his Christian walk. But, on August 3, 1973, a main body trunk artery ruptured. According to Pittman, he suffered a physical death and angels took him through the spiritual realm. During this experience, he saw the work of demons in the lives of humans. Pittman claimed angels brought before him the Lord in Heaven, where he received an incredible surprise about the true nature of his Christian walk.
 
There are several things I appreciate about Placebo. In terms of reading, it is short and simple. The writing style is also very unpretentious. Even the two grammatical errors I found display the “homegrown” nature of the print.
 
True Christian living and hypocrisy are major themes of Placebo. Pittman calls this “heart-possessing” Christianity versus the “mouth-professing” Christianity. He says that Satan gives a placebo of mouth-profession to comfort modern believers (thus the name of the book). This form of Christianity is intellectual, superficial and completely indiscernible to its adherent. Even though this testimony occurred in the 1980s, this still applies to believers today. If you can’t appreciate Pittman’s claimed tour of the afterlife, the call to repentance is worth the read.
 
The only problem I have with the book isn’t the content itself, but more so the genre. Placebo serves as a classic example of a Christian-based near-death experience (NDE). Nothing about Pittman’s account contradicts Scripture per se. Nevertheless, such extra-biblical accounts can serve as a distraction for weaker believers.
 
Similarly, most believers should be careful to not entertain unbiblical NDEs. For example, a prominent NDE website features the full text of Placebo. But, the webmaster criticizes Pittman’s use of Christian terminology, instead identifying demons as “discarnate earthbound human souls” and the Devil as a manifestation of spiritual/mental ignorance (i.e. a manifestation of Self and not a separate evil entity). Thus, Pittman’s testimony is filtered through an unbiblical worldview.
 
In general, NDE research tends to overlaps with false teachings. These include reincarnation, universalism and an overall New Age tone. If you are a Christian, it is easy to see how this can be problematic. Again, Pittman does not agree with these false teachings. But, many NDE researchers use Placebo for their worldview.
 
I recommend Placebo as an easy and curious read that can both encourage and challenge the believer. There were some rumors that the account was found to be a hoax. However, after doing some investigating, I found no evidence of an exposed fraud. Regardless, Christians must test all extra-biblical items them against Scripture. At the end of the day, Pittman echoes the reality Paul already talks about in 2 Corinthians 4:18, we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (NKJV).

This quote from The Practice of the Presence of God (1982) summarizes the Christian classic perfectly. Based on the life of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection at the end of the 17th century, Practice is a collection of conversations, letters and maxims from the Carmelite lay brother. The abbot Joseph de Beaufort originally collected and published these items in 1692 (after Brother Lawrence’s death in 1691), under the title Spiritual Maxims.

Brother Lawrence, originally named Nicholas Herman, was born in Lorraine, France around 1614. He fought in the Thirty Years’ War as a youth, a devastating string of wars between the Catholic and Protestant countries in Central Europe. At the age of eighteen, Nicholas experienced a strong conversion, leading him to seek God deeper. He eventually joined the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris, France and became a layman. There, Nicholas took on the name Brother Lawrence.

Brother Lawrence remained in the monastery for the rest of his life. He worked in the kitchen and repaired sandals later in life. Despite his humble work, Brother Lawrence advanced in intimacy with God through prayer throughout the day. He called this “the practice of the presence of God.” This spiritually changed Brother Lawrence so greatly, that visitors came to seek insights on how to practice the presence of God themselves.

Considering the busy nature of this generation, Practice is a breathe of fresh air. Brother Lawrence named practicing the presence of God as key to spiritual growth. This means speaking with God throughout the day, even when occupied with a “non-spiritual” tasks. Thus, the goal is not overloading with church activities. Instead, the goal becomes doing all things for God rather than self.

“That means finding constant pleasure in his divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way,” Brother Lawrence said. “This is especially important in times of temptation, sorrow, separation from God, and even in times of unfaithfulness and sin.”

The term practice is used because of the diligence against distraction; this exercise of faith is not an easy task. But, if this becomes habit for the Christian, the end result is a faith that comes close to sight and experience, according to Brother Lawrence. Other topics include confession of sin and complete surrender. Considering the compromise that has infiltrated the Modern Church, practicing acknowledging the presence of God can solve many issues. It is interesting to note that Practice has transcended its original Carmelite audience, being recommended by Protestant ministers throughout the centuries, such as John Wesley and A.W. Tozer.

I can imagine this read frustrating this generation. Brother Lawrence repeats many of his points over and over again (and rightly so). This is exemplified by his statement, “If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but practicing the presence of God.” This might bother the impatient reader. As this book is mainly a collection of separate letters, this repetition is understandable. The repetition also carries a unintentional benefit: the reinforcing of practicing His presence in the reader’s mind.
​
This article does not do the book justice. It is a short and humble read, but highly recommended. Practice serves as a practical reminder of what David said of the Lord in Psalm 16:11, You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (NKJV).

​​John 16:8 says the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; this conviction is a form of correction. The Gospel itself is really one big correction. We are going our own erroneous way as described in Isaiah 53:6. But, Jesus completely corrects our way, changing us from sinners to saints.
 
My passion is to write. So, I could not help but relate spiritual correction to this.
 
In my freshman year of high school, I took this English class with this older teacher. I did very poorly in her class back then; in fact, I believe I had a D. One day, she pulled me into the hallway to talk to me.
 
“Armand, I can tell you are a gifted writer,” she said. “But you are lazy.”
 
As a teenager, I remember being kind of surprised by that. But, I couldn't argue with her because it was true. So, she placed me in a Journalism class. This class forced me to constantly write and be on a deadline. And that actually set up my love for journalistic writing and media production.
 
If it weren’t for that correction, things like my various long form writings and The Proverbs’ Guide to Love probably would never have happened. Years after that correction, that teacher helped me, even though it did not feel good in the moment.
 
Let’s read Proverbs 9:7-9:
 
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
 
The wise man understands the need for correction. He understands it makes you wiser. He knows better for next time. He will love the corrector back because he understands that correction is a form of help and love. Proverbs 12:1 says whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Notice the strength of the word stupid.
 
The scoffer does not understand this. It is reversed; the scoffer sees correction as a form of hate. A scoffer is defined as “someone who mocks or ridicules a belief of another”. The Hebrew word for scoffer can also mean “ambassador”. It carries the idea that the scoffer considers himself an authority. Try to correct someone who sees himself as an authority and you will find an almost impossible task. That person is wise in his or her own eyes (Proverbs 3:7) and cannot be wrong.
 
In our world, we consider disregard for correction as strength and maturity. The ability to take correction is considered weakness or passivity. In reality, the ability to take correction is the true sign of strength and maturity. The inability to take correction (to disregard it) is a sign of weakness. Why? What is generally the first response to correction?
 
“I am not wrong! You can’t tell me what to do!”
 
Oftentimes, the corrector is the victim of character assassination. This is a psychological/political term where a person or group attacks the reputation of the person instead of dealing with the actual argument or (in the context of this article) correction. For example, let’s say we have a person corrected for a fault. Instead of dealing with the fault, the person may call the corrector crazy, angry, prideful or an idiot. This relieves the need to truly correct the fault (at least in that person’s mind).
 
All of these things are emotional reactions and thus a sign of weakness, immaturity and foolishness. The challenge is will you react emotionally when corrected? Or will you ignore that initial emotional reaction and take an honest look at yourself in light of that correction?
 
I can bring up another example from my writing life. Let’s take my first book, The Proverbs Guide to Love. The first editions carried many errors, so I hired a professional editor. After a few weeks, I got my manuscript back. What did I find? Over a hundred corrections, grammar fixes, sentence syntax corrections, advice on better wording, recommendations on synonyms, etc.
 
Do you think when I got those edits back, I said, “Who does she think she is? My freshman year writing teacher said I was a great writer!”
 
No.
 
I was grateful. On a side note, errors fill the first drafts of many writers. I was thankful someone took time to go through my book (word for word), speaking it aloud, to catch every error she could. It helped me be a better writer.
 
As a writer, you become too close to your work, whether it is a novel, script or whatever. As a result, you can’t see your own errors. When a good editor comes along, corrections of red ink can cover your pages. A manuscript can sometimes go through literally ten edits or more before finally hitting a first edition. This will not anger a good writer. The writer will realize it helps them be better at their craft. You are only as good as your editor.
 
Now how does editing relate to my message? To be honest, spiritual correction is not much different.
 
God places people in your life almost like spiritual editors. He places teachers, parents, pastors and Godly friends strategically, many times for your correction. This is for our equipping as Ephesians 4:11 says. 2 Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is given by inspiration and profitable for reproof, correction and instruction. In order to do those things, you need a person to reproof, correct, and instruct.
 
In the same way writers become blind to their own grammatical errors, we become blind to our own spiritual errors. We need someone outside of ourselves, to come along side and point out the mistakes we made.
 
When correcting, we still need to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and instruct with gentleness (2 Timothy 2:25). If faultfinding or bitterness is our goal in correction, we need to reevaluate ourselves. Nevertheless, enablement is a form of hate. If a person truly loves you, they will not desire to see you continue on the wrong path. Correction is love.
 
I will end with Proverbs 27:5-6, which says open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 
​

help to convey the story as well. Beyond that, I highly recommend this movie due to the amazing sense of God seen onscreen, in the sermons, the players' responses and all the lives surrounding the events that took place. One of the repeated lines in the movie is “This is what happens when God shows up”. I believe that is ultimately what we need in every area of life today. I found myself inspired to share the Gospel with more boldness to everyone around me knowing anything is possible when God shows up. Don’t just take my word for it, go see this film and let me know how Woodlawn speaks to you.

Woodlawn was directed by the Erwin brothers, with screenplay written by Quinton Peeples and Jon Erwin. It was produced by Kevin Downes, Provident Films, and Pure Flix Entertainment. For more information, including local showings and the trailer, visit www.woodlawn.com.
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​Just recently, they were in Illinois at the funeral of one of the victims from the Lane Bryant shooting in Tinley Park, Illinois. The signs they held at this particular event were mostly the same old material. Some of the new ones read “Thank God for Dead Shoppers” which I must admit seemed much lower than I thought possible. 

In this article, I do not want to look at how offensive it is or isn’t or how it strikes me emotionally. Rather, I want to look at whether what they are doing is from God or not, because I have a deep yearning to see the move of God as well as hear the voice of God in the midst of His people. 
The first thing I want to do is understand the claims that they are making. Here are just a few:

1. They say that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because the military allows homosexual to join under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy (Note: this was in place as of the writing of this article).
2. They say that the Lane Bryant killings (which was a robbery gone bad) were from the Lord because Lane Bryant sells to cross-dressers.

Before we go on, we need to look at what it is this church is claiming. Westboro Baptist Church is claiming to speak as the mouthpiece of God as well as to hear the voice of God in these modern issues as to why these particular events have happened. They are not claiming that they have a sense about the current events that have transpired nor are they saying that they are discerning. But with a confident boldness, they claim to speak for God in these issues.

Who does the Bible, according to their sin, have the greater gripe against? 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

As the Apostle Paul clearly states, the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God and he goes on to list different sins of unrighteousness. It’s true that homosexuality is one of the listed sins, but it’s also true that Paul equally lists other sins such as fornication, adultery, drunkenness, and idolatry. According to Scripture, all stand as sin against God and all will keep a man from the Kingdom of Heaven. This means that all these sin types will lead a man into Hell for all eternity where the worm dies not with unquenchable fire burning forever (Mark 9:48).

Here is a fair question: If I go along with Westboro’s belief, then shouldn’t the Lord be causing the death of shoppers because Lane Bryant also employs people who are in Idolatry (which could be defined as having any faith other than Christianity), who are in relationship involving fornication, who get drunk on alcohol, who more then that are what the Bible calls the Unrighteous. 
The Scripture states two things. First, 1 John 5:17 says, all unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. Second, 1  John 5:19 says, we know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

According to the Scripture, all unrighteousness is sin. As a result, to claim a particular sin being the cause of why God’s wrath has been evoked would seem both unscriptural and quite frankly a serious stretch of the imagination.

1 John 5:19 states the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. So it’s a given that the businesses of the world are already both sinful and unrighteous. So are we to believe that the Lord looks upon an already sinful and unrighteous corporation and demands that they refrain from a particular sin while not demanding that they refrain from other sins? Or else He’ll judge them by causing the death of shoppers, who may not have a clue of the company policies instead of killing the President and the Vice President who actually have a say in the very policies that they say God is punishing them for.

If you look at situations such as in the Book of Daniel, it was King Nebuchadnezzar as well as his grandson who paid a direct price for their sin. You see, the Lord is omniscient and knows exactly who designed these policies as to selling to cross-dressers. So again, it’s totally out of biblical context as to this reasoning of Westboro Baptist. Paul says something very telling in 1 Corinthians 6:11: “such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

Saints of God, the entire Church is made up of people who were once sinners, idolaters, drunkards, homosexuals, and fornicators. Now, they have been cleansed by work of the Cross through the blood of Jesus Christ and are no more the things and kinds of people they once were.

Keep in mind that Wal-Mart, Lane Bryant, Sears, Carson Pirie Scott, Kmart, as well as a list of others, have no policy banning the sale of clothing to cross-dressers. In truth, their policy states that they cannot refuse service to anyone, including transvestites. The sign “Thank God for Dead Shoppers” moves me in my Spirit to ask this question: What about the issue of lawless iniquity? The man who killed the shoppers was committing a robbery, which can be defined as a lawless act. So is it unbiblical to say “Thank God for Dead Shoppers” when unrighteousness is the description used by the Apostle Paul to show the very state that will send a person to Hell for eternity. So in truth, Westboro Baptist is saying is, “Thank God for the manifestation of lawless iniquity and its furtherance.”

The truth is that the love of God is aimed at the sinner and the Lord has a desire to see all come to repentance and none to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So to rejoice or to thank God for a sinful, lawless action goes against the very Word of God. It would seem to contradict the very fabric of the Word of God.

This man who committed this act is now furthered in his sin and has five murders that he has to account to God Almighty for if he doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Will I thank God for that? No, I will not, because it goes completely against all that the Scripture says and ends the possibility of those five to have one more minute so as to hear the Gospel so as to be saved.

In fact, if I was to simply followed the theology of Westboro, I would stand self-condemned because I would be thanking God for the very lawlessness and iniquity that they claim has brought about these deaths as a supposed tool in the hand of God. It doesn’t make sense when viewed through the eyes of Scripture. If the Westboro Church wants to be consistent to their own theology, then the following rules must be adhered to:

1. No active Westboro member can work for an employer who lacks a policy defining a complete prohibition on the hiring of homosexuals, idolaters, drunkards, fornicators (people who have premarital sex), coveters, people who are immoral, and such.

2. No active Westboro member can practice law because our country’s laws and regulation prohibit any kind of discrimination based upon sexual preference, which clearly compromises the very institution of law itself (which would call for all lawyers connected with Westboro to surrender their law licenses immediately).

3. No active member can watch TV Shows that are aired by networks, who have affiliations with the porn industry. Their viewing directly affects that network’s ratings which causes it to make more profit, which would put the viewer in league with the network itself. This includes seemingly innocent shows and channels, such as Cartoon Network, of all kinds.

Remember when we read Old Testament books that deal with the wrath and punishment of God, we are dealing with Israel who for all purposes was a theocracy where God Himself was the Leader. Their civil law was shaped and held accountable to their religious law, and when the Lord did punish secular nations (such as the Hittites, Amorites, and Jebusites) He was usually judging them as to how they dealt with Israel. Now it is true that Sodom and Gomorrah was judged. But even then, the Lord sent angels to get Lot (a righteous man) out of their midst so as to not be included in the punishment.

How does this stack up against the current situation to where one of the employees was a minister of many years working at Lane Bryant who I might mention was shot first as she tried to restore lawfulness by calling 911? Remember, in the Book of Romans, it states clearly that the sword of the Law comes from the Lord. 

In closing, I think it’s very clear and evident that Westboro is another case of cherry picking a certain truth while ignoring another. This is indicative of the eclectic behavior we see in the American Church and is part of a spiritual problem and not a solution. It’s nothing more than self-inspiration filled with an emotional flurry sticking the Name of God upon it so as to validate the very theology Westboro Baptist preach.

As you can see, I didn’t get to their views on the military, because their error in this alone is so large and consuming, that I simply ran out of time and space. But if you desire to see another article on this issue, please drop us a line and let us know because we want to hear from you.

Pastor Mike Cepela is the Senior Pastor at New Life Assembly.