COMPARTMENTALIZATION

One huge reason for the condition of our country is that Christians have been conditioned to not bring their faith into the marketplace of ideas. Religion needs to be kept within the four walls of the church, separation of church & state, blah, blah, blah.

“Secular” government doesn't by default mean that policy, legislation, etc. are to be neutral. That's actually impossible. Legislation by its very nature reflects some kind of moral standard.

This idea of keeping the various areas of life neatly separated is called compartmentalization. It reflects the idea that the mind is separate from the body, the emotions are separate from the mind, personal ethics & honesty from job performance, & so on.

Education is now seen by many as imparting knowledge & skills to people, & nothing more. Very few people believe that it is concerned with character development or moral outcomes.

Of course, this has to a certain extent been twisted by some “PC” aspects of education. The progressive “education” that we’re seeing in much of primary, secondary, & higher education is better described as re-education aimed at forming specific attitudes, characteristics & behaviors. That’s what we see being played out in the streets & neighborhoods of some of our cities right now. But that’s another topic.

Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as having a transformative influence on culture. “He spoke another parable to them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened’” (Matthew 13:33). It’s impossible to influence a culture without being intimately involved in it.

So, Christian, pray. But don’t just pray. Get involved. Speak up. Join an organization. Meet your neighbors. Run for political office. God has a place for you here & now.

PRAYING GIRL, PRAYING GRANDMA

The best I can figure, it was 48 years ago today, September 17, 1972, in Omena, Michigan, when Jesus Christ became so real to me that I surrendered my life to Him. I’ve never been the same since.

There were many people involved in the process that brought me to that day, & ultimately to this day. But I want to talk about just 2 of them.

"Gram" Higgins & our son Allen

My grandmother, Rachel Juanita Higgins, had been a believer as a child. But she made some wrong choices & her life took a different direction because of them. Over most of her adult life she was a working mother, raising 4 sometimes challenging daughters. But late in life she returned to the Lord & prayed faithfully for her children & grandchildren. She saw me come to the Lord & went to heaven just a few months before I graduated from Bible college in 1980.

Deborah's senior picture

My wife Deborah came to know Christ at the age of 12 & has never wavered from the path of discipleship. She is the most generous & sincere person I have had the privilege of knowing. Shortly after her conversion, she was encouraged to begin to pray for her future husband. Part of her prayer was for someone tall, with blond hair & blue eyes. She obviously didn’t get that. But she also prayed for someone who loved the Lord & was called into ministry. She got that. But it took 6 years before she saw the answer.

In my rebellious, self-absorbed teenage years, I would never have listened to what either of these 2 women might have to say about God. But I am eternally grateful that God listened to their prayers for me.

You may be a parent or grandparent, burdened for your children or grandchildren who are not where they need to be in the relationship with Jesus. I’m living proof that you can still pray & expect God to hear & answer.

You may be a child or teenager who just wants to make the right decisions & be what God wants you to be. But you’re not sure it can happen, because you’ve seen too many relatives or friends go off the rails. I’m living proof that God will listen to your prayers & guide your relationships if you’ll just ask Him.

He wants to hear the heartfelt prayers of girls & grandmas. I know, because I’m one result of their prayers.

THANKFUL FOR ANOTHER YEAR

 I’m thankful to God for another year He has given me.

My mother in 1987

There have been a number of things that have hindered me from writing this blog (caring for my wife, a couple of long & important writing projects, & videos on prayer). But I just wanted to take a few minutes to share with you some thoughts about why I’m thankful for another year the Lord has granted me.

One truth that has become very precious to me is that God is in control of the circumstances of each person’s birth. That doesn’t mean that He has given me all the answers to the “Why” questions, but it does reflect His sovereignty & desire to bless each person & to advance His cause in the world thru that person.

I was in my mother’s womb for 10 months & just a little over 6# in weight at birth. A few weeks before the due date for my birth my parents had suffered the loss of my oldest brother Eddy (age 4 or 5 years) from a lingering childhood disease. For whatever reason, God allowed this & a result was the delay by several weeks of my introduction to the world. Even though I never met my brother Eddy, I know that I will see him in heaven.

A highlight every year because of the wonders of digital technology is receiving birthday greetings from the scores of friends the Lord has given me over the seasons of this life. Something especially neat is that this aspect of my birthday covers 2 days, because of our many friends on both sides of the International Date Line.

So today I’m celebrating with the family how the Lord has given me another year to love & serve Him in this world.