CATHARSIS

I Was Just Thinking About – CATHARSIS.

The original medical usage of catharsis in English (1872) was concerned with one’s emotions. By extension, it has also come to mean: to purify, purge; clear of shame or guilt. The intent was for a person to be returned to normalcy and to be better able to cope with life’s details as they unfold. Emotional considerations are difficult to release. It is especially difficult with interpersonal relationships, such as abuse by or the unfaithfulness of a loved spouse; a rebellious child who does not submit to reason or discipline; the death of a loved one, especially a child. These and a host of other considerations can and will impact one emotionally. Many times it will include guilt and regret. Did one make the best and wisest choices? Could the guilt-laden or sorrowing person have done anything differently that would’ve gained a better result?

As I think about catharsis, I also think about the times Scripture is quoted and applied glibly (often thoughtlessly; superficially; insincerely). How often has Romans 8:28 been partially quoted while the rest of the verse and Romans 8:29 is omitted? How often has Jeremiah 29:11 been used (most of the time out of context)? When dealing with the crises of life and wondering why they are happening, has Isaiah 64:8 come to mind? The words of the prophet are: “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.” Overall, it is easy to use Jeremiah 29:11, but it is not always followed through with fitting one’s life into the Lord’s plan for it. It is also easier to express Romans 8:28 generally, but much more difficult to conceive that all things work together for good…for those who are called according to His purpose. It is easy to find agreement that God is the potter and His people are the clay, but it is somewhat difficult to believe and apply Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” The verse also implies that one is willing to accept God’s will as He molds one into that which He wants one to be.

The Hymn, Like A River Glorious (Frances R. Havergal - 1876), reminds one of the sovereignty of God in all matters of life. Stanzas 2 and 3 share a great Biblical truth:

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,

Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;

Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,

Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,

Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;

We may trust Him fully all for us to do.

They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Refrain

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest

Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

The conclusions that must be reached in the life of a Biblical Christian include: God genuinely cares for His people (I Peter 5:7); God is able to do much for than one can ask, think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20); God does have a perfect plan that He is performing (Jeremiah 29:11); the plan of God will always be for one’s good (Romans 8:28); and the relevancy of the words of assurance in Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV), “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

Frances R. Havergal also wrote the words to a Hymn that one should attempt to sing from within often. Three of the stanzas contain words of confidence and assurance.

I am trusting Thee to guide me;

Thou alone shalt lead;

Every day and hour supplying

All my need.

I am trusting Thee for power,

Thine can never fail;

Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me

Must prevail.

I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;

Never let me fall;

I am trusting Thee forever,

And for all.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!

DIVERSENESS

I Was Just Thinking About – DIVERSENESS.

Jesus Christ prayed (John 17) that His followers should be one just as the Triune God is one. When one looks at the twenty-first church, does it represent any similarity to the prayer of Jesus Christ for His followers? No! Diverseness is defined as: “of a different kind; unlike.” The synonyms are descriptive: “varied, dissimilar, separate.” Why are these entries definitive of the contemporary church?

One of my favorite authors and devotional writers is Dr. A.W. Tozer (1897-1963). One of his entries was on the topic of Compromising Crosses. He observed: “Strange, is it not, that we dare without shame to alter, to modulate the words of Christ while speaking for Christ to the very ones for whom He died? Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His Name. He calls them to forsake the world; we assure them that if they but accept Jesus the world is their oyster. He calls them to suffer; we call them to enjoy all the bourgeois comforts modern civilization affords. He calls them to self-abnegation and death. We call them to spread themselves like green bay trees or perchance even to become stars in a pitiful fifth-rate religious zodiac. He calls them to holiness; we call them to a cheap and tawdry happiness that would have been rejected with scorn by the least of the Stoic philosophers.”

His background text for this descriptive observation is Matthew 10:38–39, “Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” He adds the thought: “We've fashioned crosses of gold to wear around our neck or on our lapel. We place crosses on church steeples. Have we forgotten that for Christ the cross was an instrument of death? And our cross for us is a means of death to self.” He then added a prayer that would serve us all to pray: “Forgive me, Lord, for trying to take cross-bearing out of my daily life. It is not innocent fun I need, it is holiness.”

What is his objective in the devotional? How could all of this be summarized in a very succinct and poignant way? A general heading attached to his commitment and viewpoint is: “The Choice – Happiness or Holiness?” His personal devotional life revealed the heart of a man who was committed fully to the Lord. On one occasion, he noted (Whatever Happened To Worship?): “In some circles, God has been abridged, reduced, modified, edited, changed and amended until He is no longer the God whom Isaiah saw, high and lifted up (Isaiah 6).” On another occasion, he wrote (Success and the Christian: The Cost of Spiritual Maturity): “The only fear I have is to fear to get out of the will of God. Outside of the will of God, there’s nothing I want, and in the will of God there’s nothing I fear, for God has sworn to keep me in His will.” He also shared his inner desire (The Counsellor): “I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion. You would never get me interested in the old maids’ social club with a little bit of Christianity thrown in to give it respectability. I want all that God has/is, or I don’t want any.”

When Jesus stated in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice), for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6), what did he intend for His followers? It is obvious that Jesus Christ wants His people to be in the arena and representing Him. The way He lived His life, he expects us to live our lives. Arena-living is summed up in Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV), “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” In the NLT, it is rendered: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

ACRIMONY

I Was Just Thinking About – ACRIMONY.

History is littered with many instances where acrimony brought about drastic situations and the loss of many lives. Acrimony is: “harshness, bitterness of nature, speech, disposition.” In my lifetime, this was seen in the acrimony of Germany (1930s) that led up to World War II. As the German acrimony and propaganda evolved, Jews, handicapped, Gypsies, deformed – all became victims of marginalization and extermination. In the 1950s and 1960s, acrimony continued that led to assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. While acrimony was headlined because of these leaders, there was also the deaths of Negro children attending Sunday School in a Church that was bombed in Birmingham, AL.

In our day, acrimony has once again surfaced and civility seems to be in the process of being obliterated. The rhetoric is becoming more heated in the political realm with a special focus on immigration and border control. Those who are attempting to maintain security for the nation are now the targets of criticism and harassment.

As it was in Europe during the beginnings of World War II and the racial tensions in the 1950s and 60s, the Church is silent. A prominent Protestant Pastor, Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) emerges as a voice - an opposition voice – of Adolph Hitler. In the effort to silence him, it resulted in his being confined to a Nazi concentration camp for seven years. It may be that he is best remembered for his heartfelt words: “First they came for the socialist, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

There is a Biblical injunction that was given by the Mother of King Lemuel recorded in Proverbs 31:8-9, “Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the justice of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.” These verses are rendered in The Message paraphrase: “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

Some are willing to plead ignorance and claim they either did not know or that it was none of their concern. However, Proverbs 24:12 (NKJV) reminds one: “If you say: Surely we did not know this, does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” In the Amplified Bible, it is rendered: “If you [claim ignorance and] say: See, we did not know this, does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives? And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul? And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?” In First Peter 4:11, God’s people are reminded: “If (when) anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If (when) anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever.”

How do you feel about acrimony and the rise on incivility? If you unclear of what incivility is, it is defined as: “social behavior lacking in civility or good manners, on a scale from rudeness or lack of respect for elders, to vandalism and hooliganism.” Some synonyms are: “rudeness, discourtesy, lack of politeness, bad manners (ill-mannered).” When was the last time you were willing to address incivility regardless of any personal risk? Have you become accustomed to using the hackneyed rationale of: “Being wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove”? Is that what Jesus intended as he sent out His disciples to the acrimonious world of His day? If in doubt, the answer is: “No!” Risk is always present as one takes up his cross daily to follow Jesus Christ.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

SERVANTHOOD - CHOICES AND COSTS

I Was Just Thinking About – SERVANTHOOD – CHOICES & COSTS.

Anyone who is a Biblical Christian will have choices to make. Some of these choices can involve life and death considerations. Others can involve personal sacrifice and costs. The following is copied from Today In The Word – June 22, 2018:

Pastor Martin Niemöller spent seven years in Nazi concentration camps. At the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., his words are on display: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Similarly, “Esther faced a similar moral and spiritual challenge. Haman had plotted and the Persian emperor had decreed genocide against her people. Would she speak out? Would it do any good? Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, told her to plead to the king for mercy. Such a course of action involved risking her life, for if she entered the king’s presence without being summoned and if he then didn’t pardon her by extending his scepter, she would be killed…Remaining silent would be a choice of fear, not faith.” The wise words of her Uncle, Mordecai, should impact our thoughts and choices as we follow Jesus Christ. We note in Esther 4:13-14, “Mordecai told them to reply to Esther: Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

The critical and crucial words, the bottom line for all committed followers of Jesus Christ, are: “For Such A Time As This…” We should  consider this challenged with the words of Paul in Second Timothy 3:1-6,  “But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!” By way of ministry and presentation of the Gospel to such as these, are we motivated by Mordecai’s words: For Such A Time As This?

It is somewhat intriguing to read reports from various denominations as they have held their annual meetings to discuss and determine how best to reach the world “for such a time as this”! Over the years, I have heard and read resolutions that were presented and approved - intended to reach our culture for Jesus Christ. One can only wonder – is this something that we merely talk about – or – something that we return to our churches and actually do. Years ago, I and an officer in the church, attended an Evangelism Conference that featured two well-known speakers. The meeting was held in Kansas City. There was a point when the principle speaker stated: “We have discussed evangelism and given you tools that have been proven to be workable and that will gain results. Now – go out into the city and put them into use. We will meet back here in the evening so you can share with one another about the responses to your effort.” He then added: “Some of you will NOT do this assignment. When you return, we’ll know who you are!” Guess what? Some did not return! That absence spoke volumes!

How about you? Are you a hearer only? Maybe a talker? Or, are you a doer? As you consider your response, think about James 1:22. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.” Prayerfully – consider these things with me.