MENU

Wisdom
Category

On July 1, 2020 By In Politics, Wisdom

In the State We Trust

One of the great problems in our day has to do with government overreach. Yes? Yes! Now that this simple proposition is settled, let’s move on to another side effect of this ominous reality. And that is that we subtly allow the government to have a greater voice in our affairs when we treat them as the apex of knowledge.

The State is never a neutral institution. She always opines intelligently or not; with data or not. She can’t remain silent. We may all have opinions on all sorts of issues, but if we feel we have to share our opinions on all sorts of issues we are fools. The State, similarly, is supported by the imbecile’s currency. She needs to speak on everything and on everything she must speak in order to preserve her power and authority over the populace.

Our crisis is one of too much information and little wisdom which means we will always be in a position where we feel like we must know precisely what to do at all times in all places. And the State is always there for you to tell you how you are to live, when to mask on, and how to think. We have swallowed the State’s pills without questioning much at all of her intentions and presuppositions. I suspect, by now, we all feel sick in some way.

We need a healthy skepticism of every word that proceeds out of the mouth of D.C. Those men and women are highly syncretistic and are always ready to please their gods before the good of the people. And the very best way to draw the masses is by acting like all power and wisdom resides in one place. Those who are weak will find refuge there. The State will keep talking and talking and doing their very best to tell you that there is only way to do things. But the wise know that very often, too often, the State is basing their opinions on their agendas and even without knowledge they have to opine to keep you at ear’s length.

I believe it was Rushdoony who once noted that “Life is rarely easy, but, with Christ our King, it is always good.” I think that’s a healthy principle to keep in mind. There will be many times when we don’t know what to do; hard decisions will challenge us and our faith; and we may even have a sense that we are being lied to by powerful voices. In such times, when the radar of veracity is going all over the place, it’s all right to trust in local figures who have your best interest in mind. In fact, they may even be wrong at times, but at least you know that they trust in the goodness of God working on your behalf. The same can rarely, if ever, be said of the State.

Read more

On June 21, 2020 By In Counseling/Piety, Theology, Wisdom

When Mercy Ends

The words of Jesus at the end of Luke 13 are heart-wrenching and sobering:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk 13.34-35)

Patient mercy has been extended to Jerusalem for generations and is now coming to its greatest expression in Jesus. God has called. They have refused. The time of mercy for the impenitent is coming to an end.

(more…)

Read more

On May 24, 2020 By In Church, Politics, Wisdom, Worship

Who’s In Charge Of The Church’s Worship?

When Jesus reveals himself to John on the isle of Patmos, he is holding seven stars in his right hand. (Rev 1.16) These seven stars are the angels or messengers of the seven churches (Rev 1.20) to whom Jesus will speak in chapters 2 and 3. These angels are not spirit angels but pastors of the churches. They are the ones to whom Jesus speaks directly, who are then expected to deliver his message to the churches and deal with the issues he addresses.

Symbolizing the pastors as stars is not incidental. Describing pastors as stars isn’t an empty image. Stars have a long history of governing in Scripture; a history that begins in Genesis 1. Stars, along with the sun and moon, are the lights in the firmament-heaven for “signs and festival times.” They are set up to rule the earth. (Gen 1.14-19) When Abraham was promised that his children would be as the stars in heaven, (Gen 15.5) that promise included ruling the earth. Jacob, his wife, and their sons were sun, moon, and stars in Joseph’s dream in which Joseph rules them all (Gen 37.9-11). When Isaiah describes the fall of Babylon, the rulers that will fall are stars (Isa 13.10).

(more…)

Read more

Credit: Drew Pendleton / Freeimages.com

On April 29, 2020 By In Wisdom

Is Proverbs Addressed to Women?

Yes.

But one of the things about my book that might be causing some questions is that I argue that Proverbs is written to a young man.

Actually, in the introduction of my book Solomon Says: Directives for Young Men (Athanasius), I argue that the idealized person Solomon is addressing is a royal heir, a prince, one destined to inherit a throne.

(more…)

Read more

On April 27, 2020 By In Counseling/Piety, Theology, Wisdom

A Song for the Day of Trouble (part 1)

Troublesome times are a great constrictor of the soul. They squeeze with a kind of pressure that exposes what is within us. During a crisis of the magnitude and scope we are experiencing now, the responses of the people provide an honest look into the heart and soul of a culture.  Naturally, you will always have the deniers, the doomsayers, the opportunists, and a variety of other characters on the stage. But who will we be in the day of trouble?  

In Psalm 77, we find a genuine, honest dealing with life when the day of trouble comes. We find not only one man’s experience and expression, but a wonderful gift given by God to his people throughout all times and in all places about how to deal honestly with the realities of life when trials invade our lives, our families, our churches, or our communities. 

Many of us are familiar with what the worldly virtue of self-expression looks like. It is often raw and untamed. It flows like a water hose through social media, song lyrics, t-shirts, and even casual conversations. As the trouble increases so does the force and volume of its flow. 

In contrast, the Psalms are a mighty river channeled between the shores. Honest expression and real emotions are governed by the solid, immovable truths of glory and grace.  Whether rushing swiftly over jagged rocks or flowing as quiet waters, these divine songs always bring us to see life clearly…as it truly is, as it is meant to be, as it is going to be for the people of the cross. How we express ourselves in these troubled times will either muddy the waters of reality or it will bring clarity, both for us and the watching world. 

As we step inside Asaph’s world and walk with him in his day of trouble, we also are learning how to walk. As the Lord Himself invites his people to sing this song, we are learning how to dance when the music of life plays the minor key. 

Troubled times lead us to seek a particular Savior. 

“In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord.” (v.2) 

When trouble comes, Asaph’s eyes look heavenward. This response seems so obvious to us, so much so that we probably don’t take the time to ask the question, “Why does he seek the Lord in the day of trouble?”  It’s a question that appears too simple to even warrant consideration, but consideration is exactly what’s needed. 

The psalmist recognizes that only the Lord can deliver him out of his troubles. So it’s to the Lord he runs. We don’t know what these troubles are or the context of the situation. It really doesn’t matter. It is enough to know that Asaph is a man in trouble. He is not simply troubled by things he sees or knows; he calls it “my trouble.”  And how he responds to those personal troubles reveals something about his own heart and the heart of the One to whom he seeks. Life squeezes, circumstances overwhelm, and the psalmist responds almost instinctively in a particular way.

Have you ever been in danger of drowning or seen someone else struggling to keep themselves afloat? I’ve never literally been in that situation, although years ago I did have to jump into a pool fully clothed to help one of my sons who had ventured too far into the deep end. It was a bit scary at the time and I ruined a good phone and my favorite pair of shoes. But I most certainly know the feeling of drowning under the pressures of life. I know that in those moments of physical or emotional drowning, the temptation is to look for anything that might hold out the slightest hope of rescue.

Asaph is not a drowning man thrashing and clawing for whatever he can find to hold on to. When trouble rushes in, his eyes are not frantically searching for relief and deliverance. The reason something like a microscopic parasite can throw the world into hysteria and confusion is because every individual and every nation responds according to how they answer two basic questions: What do they want? What is getting in the way of what they want? The ditches of history are strewn with a long line of saviors and scapegoats. 

Asaph’s eyes are drawn to a certain Deliverer and a particular salvation. He does not seek a convenient savior; he seeks the consummate Savior. There is a world of difference between the two. He resonates such glorious truths as Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;” and Psalm 121, “I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

Troubled times lead us to a particular response.

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. (v.1)

How the psalmist seeks the Lord is also telling. He cries aloud to God. He gives voice to his troubles. He brings them out into the open. He does not keep them shut up, nor does he silently endure. He shapes these troubles into tangible, spoken words. Obviously, the all-knowing, all-wise God does not need such audible expressions. He is “a very present help in trouble.” a But Asaph’s cries remind us of some important things to keep in mind when our day of trouble comes. 

God does not need us to put words to our suffering, but neither does He discourage His children from doing so. We do not have to silently endure. We do not have to stoically wait upon Him. To cry out in pain and anguish and deep trouble is not a sign of weak faith. Jesus Himself gave voice to His anguish in the garden. Rather, our cries become a lament of the whole person. The soul is troubled and the body gives expression to it. Body and soul, Asaph seeks the Lord because body and soul the Lord created him.  

Not only does this expression show us something of the relationship between Asaph and the Lord, but it also indicates that this is not a private lament; it is not merely a personal trial. Giving voice to our need brings our burdens into the midst of the congregation. It brings our dependence upon God into the light of community. To be united together as the body of Christ means that there are no private troubles. b We sing these songs together as a vivid reminder of this reality. 

In the next part, we will look at the particular salvation Asaph seeks and how he finds comfort in the midst of trouble. Hopefully, we will gain some practical wisdom from the way he goes about moving from being restless to being at rest. For now, let us learn and imitate these songs so that when our waters are troubled, we can give honest expression to the depth and breadth of our suffering without violating the established boundaries of our relationship to Christ and His church.  The depth and breadth of His glory and grace is greater. While the world looks around pointing fingers and grasping for answers, the church should be singing. Not in obliviousness like Nero fiddling while Rome burns, but harmoniously and honestly lifting up our eyes and voices in hope for ourselves and the nations.

  1. Psalm 46:1  (back)
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:21-26  (back)

Read more

Photo by Frank Dittmar from FreeImages

On April 24, 2020 By In Wisdom

Lessons in Lockdown Land: When Preppers Seem Wise

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Proverbs 31:25–27 ESV; emphasis added).

Before I walked into my local store to see bare store shelves, preppers did not seem as prudent to me as they do now. I may have thought of them as a class of people who had less trust in God than I had (or thought I had).

A lot of my feelings developed during the Y2K scare, when some Christians (and others) insisted that we were headed toward a horrible economic and social crisis because too many computers would fail when we changed millenniums. They painted vivid pictures of disaster and made me fear the future. In many cases, their recommended actions were far outside my financial ability. If they were right, I was doomed.

(more…)

Read more

Credit: alfonso diaz/Freeimages.com

On April 21, 2020 By In Wisdom

On Being Exiled from One’s Labor

Only a month ago millions of people had jobs waiting tables, cutting hair, and working many other jobs. Some liked their jobs. Some didn’t. Some regarded their jobs as temporary while they worked on something else for their futures. Some were actively looking for other work.

And suddenly, their job has disappeared along with any idea of what the future holds.

In a column I posted at TownHall.com, I suggested that the plague we are now suffering under is evidence that Solomon was right that our toil is vapor and chasing wind. This is stated repeatedly in Ecclesiastes. I pointed to similarities in Proverbs. Here are some more examples:

  • “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 ESV).
  • “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21 ESV).
  • “A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 20:24 ESV).
(more…)

Read more

On April 6, 2020 By In Wisdom

Fear: America’s Best Sold Drug

As I write this, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is in Intensive Care. Our hope and sincere prayer are that God would spare him and hasten his recovery. Covid-19 is no joke! Today, however, some good news painted our computer screens. Bill Gates says that if people continue to practice social distance, cases “should begin leveling off towards the end of the month.” He also offered a smaller number of deaths than the White House’s estimate. Over at the Wall Street Journal, we were greeted with some encouraging economic speculation. The author argues that our economy is strong enough to sustain whatever is ahead. Due to our creativity, we should be back in business soon. I pray this all becomes prophetically fulfilled.

But not all is wine and roses. There are apocalyptic voices everywhere. The Drugde Report has bathed their hideous white screens with bad news for the last four weeks. They have painted such a dreadful picture that at one time, they covered every available space with unimaginable scenarios, all of which determined the end of the world in some capacity. As I have tweeted, their hype has probably given them immense attention. Even now, though some numbers are changing, the message is still the same whether during Covid-19, Hurricane Season, Wars and Rumors of Wars: Fear sells.

Fear! Fear! Give me some of that ol’ time religion! It’s been there since the days of Genesis. When Eve ate the fruit, she allowed her fears to consume her. “Did God really say?” When the first mother suspended her belief for a second to contemplate the Serpent’s words, she gave in to fear.

Will Yahweh keep his promises? Shall the Creator of all the earth give me the knowledge to endure? Perhaps this serpent is right. If I doubt God’s ability to come through, I might as well accept this offer. If I doubt that God can intervene and do just as His Word promises, then fear settles.

To settle in fear is easy. But the Christian faith is not an easy faith. Again and again, we are called to count the cost. The Bible gives us difficult imperatives to challenge our faith. James says, “Count it all joy, when you meet various trials.” Paul says, “rejoice, and again, I say rejoice.” Is this the message you are hearing on the news today in opposition to the ubiquitous apocalypticism? Is this the exhortation from our political figures? No. Fear sells easily but joy is something we must fight and strive for in this world.

Make no mistake: I do not wish for anyone to minimize concerns. I have stressed that not taking the necessary precautions is naive and assumes a stupid hubris. However, we are not addressing the obvious. We are talking about taking a certain posture as Christians. We are talking about rejoicing that the King has come on this Holy Week, and he is not like other kings who forsake the throne when things are not going his way. Jesus does not step down for even a second during the Spanish Plague and certainly not the Covid-19 crisis. We do not worship a king who sees the cross from afar and runs away in fear. We exalt a King who sees the cross and draws even nearer.

Our expectations are framed around the current view of Jesus we have. We instinctively know that he enters our lives daily, hourly, repeatedly by his Spirit, but the manner of his entrance is usually interpreted according to our current view of Jesus. When we are living in fear, surely everything taking place is reason to succumb to fear’s power. Then, we adopt a minimalistic view of the Messiah’s work which is why so many are content with a small Jesus. The audience of fear is always more eager to hear than the audience of fear not.

It is clear especially in our day that fear is the most sold American drug! To some extent, we have all taken it and to some extent, we are all addicted to it. But Jesus comes to break our addictions this Monday of the Passion. When everything is not as it should, he says, “Rejoice; fear not!”

Read more

Photo by Mark Cabrera from FreeImages

On April 3, 2020 By In Wisdom

Coronavirus Fear Without the Mind-Killer: Solomonic Wisdom in the Shadow of the Plague

One of the most memorable items that has come to us from Frank Herbert’s Dune is the “fear litany,” which the story’s protagonist recites to himself in order to regain composure amid panic:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

(more…)

Read more

On March 25, 2020 By In Culture, Theology, Wisdom

Kuyper’s Flawed Example: Sphere Sovereignty on the Personal Front

In book 2 of Plato’s Republic, Socrates’ conversation with his young friends takes an unexpected turn. Plato’s brothers Gaucon and Adeimantos have challenged Socrates to defend justice for justice’s sake and not merely to gain a reputation for being just. Why would people wish to do justice if they were deprived of its tangible rewards? To answer this question, Socrates memorably shifts the discussion to the building of a city. Why? Because if he can demonstrate what justice is within the city, he can by analogy reason back to locating justice in the individual person, which he and his companions undertake to do in the succeeding books of the dialogue.

I was reminded of Socrates’ rhetorical strategy several years ago as I read James Bratt’s magisterial biography of one of my heroes, Abraham Kuyper: Modern Calvinist, Christian Democrat. Kuyper, as readers may know, originated the term “sphere sovereignty,” a translation of the Dutch expression sovereiniteit in eigen kring, or “sovereignty in one’s own circle.” Facing the twin threats of liberal individualism and socialist statism, Kuyper, based on his reading of the Bible and the larger Christian tradition, came up with this rather inelegant phrase to describe his party’s unique approach to society. (more…)

Read more