The recent Koran burning controversy has revealed something significant – secularism is dying. Europe has been learning this for awhile. Now it’s America’s turn.

For years secularism has been put forth as the desirable operating system of the world. Secularism, it’s been argued, is the only system that can supply the neutrality necessary to allow all viewpoints to flourish. But now the virus of relativism has snagged up the secular system, making it inoperable.

The recent brouhaha over the burning of the Koran reveals this in several ways.

First, it reveals secularism’s inconsistency. Not too long ago the U.S. Military burned a whole shipment of Bibles in Afghanistan for tactical reasons. This is not widely known, but once you learn about it, it makes any sensible person wonder, “Why is it OK to burn Bibles in Afghanistan but an outrage to burn the Koran in America?” Secularism cannot offer a consistent answer.

Second, the Koran burning controversy shows that secularism is losing authority because it’s becoming apparent it has no standard. Even if you agree with the slew of secular authorities who believe burning the Koran is a bad idea, it is proper to ask them, “By what standard is it wrong?” After all, if someone were to plan a similar stunt using something Christians hold dear, there would be no outcry. He may have even got Federal funding. At best, the only standard secularism has to offer is, “be nice,” and even this is applied selectively.

Third, the recent incident about the Koran shows that the secular ideal of pluralism does not work. According to pluralism, “all religions are the same, and we all serve the same God.” Besides being bad theology, it’s also bad practice, because it overlooks glaring moral differences between faiths. As a Christian missionary put it last week when confronted by Muslims about the Koran burning issue, “O.K., I’ll tell my people not to burn books, you tell your people not to kill.”

While our secular rulers seem to have a hard time seeing that there is no moral comparison here, the general public is catching on, and it will only hasten secularism’s demise. Secularism’s approaching death is a scary thought for many, because we are so comfortable with it. But in its place, God will raise up something new.

The question is, “What will come next?” Since secularism’s death could come “any time now,” we must wonder what will follow.

As the end plays itself out, Islam is positioning itself to pick up the mantle. Since Islam is a belief system that encompasses all of life, and is being pandered to right and left by secular rulers, it finds itself in a favorable position.

The big wild card is, “What will Christians do?” Christians have grown accustomed to a privatized, other-world kind of faith. But that may be changing. There are signs that a growing number of people are seeing that the secular dogma of neutrality is a myth, and that God’s authority is to be acknowledged in every sphere.

If there truly is a change, however, there must be more than just allegiance to the generic god of civil religion. There must be allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord of all areas of life, leading to a recovery of Christendom.

For this to take place, Christians everywhere must come out of the closet and submit to Christ in every corner of existence. If this were to happen, the future would actually be quite bright.

The Lordship of Christ is the issue. And what follows secularism depends on how we respond to that issue.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

Amos had a tough role to play. God commanded him to go warn his nation that judgment was coming because it refused to live by His standard. God had put a plumb line to His people Israel, and He could spare them no longer (Am.7:8).

Though Amos’ message was one that nobody wanted to hear, it proved to be true. About 30 years after delivering his warning, Israel was destroyed. There were consequences of rejecting God’s standard after all – and the consequences were dire.

This aspect of Israel’s history raises an important question. Does God have a standard that applies to nations today?

There are secularists and Christians alike that would say the answer is, “no.” The secularist would say we must govern ourselves by the standard of reason. The Christian, in this case, would say that there are natural laws that may apply to all men, but no common standard that can be applied to all nations.

In each case, however, some critical truths are being overlooked. Let’s consider them.

First, when God made Adam, he was a representative of all men. He was made in God’s image, and was to live in keeping with God’s character. This is true of every human being that has come after him. All men everywhere are accountable to live by God’s standard because they are children of Adam.

Second, when Adam fell into sin, he set the whole human race on a course whereby it is inclined to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. As result, human reason and natural revelation alone are insufficient guides for humanity. The clear standard of God’s Word is needed.

Third, though Adam’s fall put humanity in a state of rebellion against God, all remain accountable to live by His standard. An example of this is that God judged Sodom and Gomorrah even though they were not part of His covenant people. The same can be said for Nineveh, who repented when warned of judgment to come if disobedience to God’s standard continued.

Fourth, Jesus Christ is the heir of all nations. The day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord and King over all. In the meantime, the nations – by His grace – are to learn to observe all that He commands.

Fifth, the Bible gives the civil authority a very distinct role as a minister of justice, charging him to uphold certain standards God has revealed in His Word.

The issue at hand is not a small one. If God has given us a standard, we must recover what it is. When we learn we have violated His standard, we must return to Him with repentant hearts.

The most compelling argument that this is so is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Through Christ’s resurrection, God is bringing about a new creation – right in the middle of the old one. The world has a hard time coping with this, because it prefers to limit Christian beliefs to that which is private and inconsequential.

But Jesus will not have it so. By His resurrection He declares Himself to be Lord over all. So to His standard we should return, and in so doing enjoy the blessings of the new creation.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

For many in our day, worship appears to be a totally irrelevant activity. Sleeping in or catching up on household chores may seem to be a more worthwhile way to spend a Sunday morning in our stressful times.

But forsaking regular worship in this way is a mistake.

Worship is the most relevant activity you can be engaged in. And it’s the regular, faithful worship of God that is critical to reversing the current slide of our culture.

How can this be? How can an activity that appears so optional actually be necessary to our well-being?

First, worship is critical because of the way God made us. Due to the prevailing evolutionary worldview of our time, man is thought of as homo sapiens – man the thinker. Indeed, the ability to think at the level humans do sets them apart, but even more basic to man’s nature is that he is a worshiper – he is homo adorans.

As worshipers, people will always live with something at the center of their lives. And, whatever is at the center will shape them and push them in certain directions. God made us to have Him at the center of our lives, and to live with anything else there is idolatry. The regular worship of God is critical in that it helps to keep us from idolatry and forms us into what God wants us to be.

Second, worship is also critical because God blesses on the basis of ethics. It’s widely believed that the way to the good life is through power, so the whole of society is caught up in manipulating forces to their advantage. But God is not impressed by the power of men. He commands men to obey Him, and it is those who do He blesses.

The Bible says, “You shall walk in the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you. . .” (Dt.5:33). Regular worship is critical here because it serves to reign us back in to the direction we should go. Apart from worship, we stray easily and do not keep His commands.

Finally, worship is critical because it brings us the renewal we need. God is always faithful to the covenant promises He makes with His people, and He desires to bless us. But we do not keep the way that He calls us to live in, and we suffer for it. Because of this, we need His renewing grace.

This renewal is given freely by God through faithful worship. In worship, God calls us into His presence, cleanses us of our sin, sets us apart anew with His Word, feeds us and shows us His favor at His table, and sends us out into the world again with His blessing so that we can serve Him faithfully.

There is no question that we need God’s renewal. It can’t be denied that we need His grace to walk in His ways and be blessed by Him. There is no doubt that we need Him at the center of our lives to be shaped into His likeness.

But how are these needs met? They are fulfilled through worship, and because of it, engaging in the regular worship of God is not only relevant, it’s essential.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

Where will you be this Sunday?

Centuries ago the priests of the Old Testament were doing some repair work in the temple. In the midst of the project, they found an important book. They hurried with their discovery to the young king of the day, Josiah. One of the scribes read from the book, and the king responded with sorrow, and tore his clothes (2 Kings 22:8ff.).

Why did Josiah respond in such a way? Because the discovery made that day was the book of the law, God’s written guidelines for how His covenant people were to live. Upon hearing from the book, Josiah realized how far the nation had strayed from God, and he knew he was responsible to do something about it.

The good news is that this discovery prompted Josiah to institute reforms that restored the people to covenant faithfulness.

Recovering the covenant and living in it faithfully is exactly what we need in our own day.

Our society is in huge decline, and everyone knows it. What few realize, though, is how to reverse the slide toward the abyss. Every four years we elect a new president with the hope that maybe something will change, but it never does. Conditions only get worse.

Why? Because we’ve forgotten the covenant.

God calls us to live in covenant with Him. This covenant is a solemn, personal bond whereby He promises to be our God, and we are obliged to live as His people. When we are faithful to Him, we are blessed. When we forsake the covenant and His ways, we suffer.

The covenant itself has a number of important concepts.

First, God is in charge of everything. Second, God has instituted certain authorities within the family, church, and state that serve as representatives between Him and the people under their care. Third, God’s Word gives us the rules to live by. Fourth, there are consequences to obeying or disobeying His rules. Fifth, the future belongs to those who are faithful over time.

To live in keeping with these covenant concepts is not oppressive. In fact, it is the way of blessing and life. To live in covenant with God brings happiness and prosperity.

Also, life in the covenant is not a foreign concept. Before getting off the boat, the founders of the Plymouth Colony penned the Mayflower Compact. It is the covenant thinking represented in this document that forged our nation in its early days and brought us the outpouring of blessings we have experienced for so long.

Finally, relating to the covenant in some way is inescapable. We cannot simply ignore the covenant and say, “This doesn’t apply to me.” We are either covenant keepers or covenant breakers.

Oh, how we need to recover the covenant. It’s in keeping the words of His covenant that we are able to prosper in all that we do (Dt.29:9). Nothing else will do.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

This past Sunday, our church – like many congregations – observed Trinity Sunday. This is the day that Christians remember that God is triune in nature – that is, He is One God and three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For many, the Trinity is not much more than an abstraction. But the triune nature of God is at the foundation of life and love.

One way to see this is to notice how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work together to bring restoration to humanity.

In the beginning, God created all things (Is.45:12). But because of man’s failure to trust Him, sin entered the world and marred all that He had made. Yet God did not leave mankind and the world in this fallen state, but initiated a plan to bring about renewal and restoration.

Each member of the Trinity has a role to play in bringing this grand plan about.

First, the Father ordained that He would re-create all things. He chose those who would be part of a new humanity from before the foundation of the world, and draws people to Himself to have new life – a life with a future and a hope.

Part of this plan is that the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for sin and raise up all who believe to everlasting life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn.3:16).

Because of this, the second person of the Trinity – the Son – serves as a Redeemer. By way of His death and resurrection, Jesus reclaims all who trust in Him from the clutches of sin and introduces them to a life of renewal by the grace of God.

The third member of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit – brings into effect that which the Father has planned and the Son has secured. So, it is the Spirit who brings us to the Father and conforms us to the likeness of the Son.

It is also the Holy Spirit who enables us to persevere and develop proven character in hope because it is He who pours the love of God within our hearts (Rom.5:1).

From all eternity the Holy Trinity has lived in union and communion – a relationship where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all live in mutual love and submission to one another.

Now, by grace, the same God incorporates us into this relationship through faith. As we believe that the Father has called us, that the Son has redeemed us, and the Spirit is renewing us, we experience the life and love of God, and become what He wants us to be.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

People fear many things these days. People fear cancer, crime, financial ruin, and the loss of liberty. There are other fears that keep us worrying, too — like the fear of other people.

One fear we do not have much of is the fear of God – and that’s too bad. The fear of God is the greatest fear – as in the best – that any people can possess. Because it’s the fear of God that drives out all other fears, and leads us to be secure in Him.

The scarcity of godly fear these days is not surprising. The view of God that’s most prevalent has Him as so benign, tame, and watered down that it makes Him not only hard to fear, but hard to even respect.

But what if God is more than what we have made Him to be? What if He is more than just our cheerleader and friend? What if He really is as the Bible presents Him? What if He is holy, just, and angry with the wicked every day (Ps.7:11)?

More particularly, what if God really is in control of all things, and sees fit to withdraw His blessing when we displease Him? What if our present troubles have arisen because we have in fact offended Him? This would make Him worthy of fear, wouldn’t it?

In these days of confusion and distress it would do us well to consider and recover the fear of God. After all, what has our “No Fear” attitude toward God gotten us. Has it made us a more responsible, righteous, prosperous, secure, content, and happy? No, actually, it has brought about just the opposite.

When we look to the Bible we see that this is just what we should expect when we forsake the fear of God.

The Bible tells us that godly fear is really the starting point for a life of blessing when it says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. . .” (Pr.1:7). To give up this fear leads to folly.

Because God continually calls us to fear Him, He eventually turns away from those who will not hear Him. He laughs at their calamity and mocks when their dread comes because they “did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Pr.1:29).

On the other hand, those who listen to Him live securely (Pr.1:33). His eye is on those who fear Him (Ps.33:18). The angel of the Lord encamps around them and rescues them (Ps.34:7).

In the face of our fears there are many things we may try to avert them, but only one thing will do – recover the fear of the Lord. Any other measure is a fool’s errand.

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

Give us, O Lord, the fear of You – the only fear that leads to life.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

In a day when there’s so much indifference toward the people around us, it’s good to remember and apply the second greatest commandment.

What is the second greatest commandment?

The first greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt.22:37-40).

Did you get that? You are to love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.

In His parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk.10:25-37), Jesus made it plain that neighbors are those who God puts in our path. This would make those we live with our closest neighbors, with the next closest being those who live, work, and play nearby.

Overcoming our natural indifference toward our neighbors and extending ourselves toward them is essential for a healthy society. But what can we do to overcome our present disinterest and connect with our neighbors in a way that fulfills Christ’s command?

Here are a few ideas to put into practice.

First, be aware of your neighbors. Don’t be so caught up in your own private world that you miss what is going on in the lives around you. Pay attention to those who come and go in your midst.

Second, get to know your neighbors. Those on the periphery of your life are not just objects to deal with, but people like you, with their own hopes and cares. Get to know them.

Third, take the initiative in the lives of your neighbors. Don’t just wait for your neighbor to make a move in your direction. You make a move to get involved in their lives. As you do, take an interest in their circumstances and needs.

Fourth, give of yourself toward your neighbor. Real love is shown by laying down one’s life for another. Look for practical ways that you can sacrifice to show care and concern for your neighbor. Lend a hand or get together over food.

Fifth, get a dog. (I’m only half joking here.) Having a dog and walking it regularly in your neighborhood will give you lots of opportunities to follow through on the recommendations above. If you don’t have a dog, find other natural ways to get involved in your neighbor’s lives.

One of the biggest problems of our day is alienation and broken or nonexistent bonds between neighbors. By looking to the Lord in faith, getting past our own tendency to isolate ourselves, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we take an important step toward restoring the bonds.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

A recent study tells us that babies know the difference between good and evil at six months. Many people find this interesting because it challenges the long-held assumption that children are born as ‘blank slates,’ with their morality waiting to be formed by parents, experience, and society.

According to the author of the study, “A growing body of evidence suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life.” It appears, in other words, that the ability to distinguish between good and evil is hardwired at birth.

This study, while interesting, does not reveal anything essentially new. It simply has observed and measured what’s been true from the beginning. All people born in this world come with an awareness of right and wrong written on their hearts.

Why is this so? Because every human being is made in the image of God.

Being made in the image – or likeness – of God means various things. One of which is that babies are born with a certain moral understanding, whereby they are able to discern between right and wrong from the very beginning of their lives.

This ability, of course, is imperfect, for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that babies are born into this world with the fallen nature of their father, Adam. So, even though children come into this world in God’s image and bear a moral compass, that compass has been made defective by sin. The other reason that babies cannot discern perfectly between right and wrong is that they need opportunities to learn and mature.

How we understand the moral nature of children has significant implications for how we approach them.

If children come into this world as ‘blank slates,’ they are often left to themselves to find their way or are manipulated for the purpose of another. The sad result, in either case, is children who are morally impoverished.

But, if we see children as born in the image of God, we can understand the need to bring them up in a direction consistent with their hardwired design. The way this direction is followed is by nurturing children in the grace of God to overcome the effects of sin, and providing them with godly instruction to show forth the path of righteous living more clearly.

From this, it becomes obvious that children – especially in terms of their moral development – cannot be brought up in a neutral fashion. They must be reared in a definite direction under God if they are going to mature morally. This point is one that parents and educators need to give further thought to because it bears on how they fulfill their own teaching and leadership responsibilities.

Even though the recent study about babies does not reveal anything essentially new, I’m still thankful for it. It brings to the fore truth about children that needs further consideration in our day.

Let us marvel at the way God has created children in His image, and let us bring them up in keeping with His design.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

The prevailing view of the Church today is not that great. Instead of viewing the Church as God’s ordained institution for bringing the kingdom of God to the world, the Church is largely considered to be just another voluntary organization that makes its claim on our time and money. As a result, any compelling commitment to the Church is lacking.

There are a number of reasons for this situation. One has to do with the fact that the Church shares many of the failings and unmet expectations common to any group where human beings are involved. Another reason is that the idol of individualism has made its way into the Church, so that any attachment to the people of a local congregation is viewed as optional.

Related to this, there are some doctrinal weaknesses that have led to a diminished view of the Church. For example, while the need for individuals to have a personal relationship with Jesus is true, this emphasis seems to have displaced the accompanying truth that to be committed to Christ as one’s Head also means being committed to His body, the Church.

Another critical doctrinal weakness is that we’ve overlooked the place that the Church has as Mother. We are used to the idea that God is the Father of believers, but how about the biblical concept of the Church as Mother?

The Bible tells us that the Church is the bride of Christ, and the New Jerusalem. As such, she is the Mother of all Christians (Gal.4:26,27). As Mother, the Church is to be honored.

The understanding of the Church as Mother has existed throughout history. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin states in reference to the Church: “God is pleased to gather his sons, not only that they may be nourished by her help and ministry as long as they are infants and children, but also that they may be guided by her motherly care until they mature and at last reach the goal of faith.”

Calvin adds, “’For what God has joined together, it is not lawful to put asunder,’ so that, for those to whom he is Father the church may also be Mother. And this was so not only under the law but also after Christ’s coming, as Paul testifies when he teaches that we are the children of the new and heavenly Jerusalem.”

The early Church Father Cyprian made the case even stronger when he wrote, “You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the Church for your Mother.”

The reason that the Church is considered to be the mother of believers is not arbitrary. It’s because of the mothering role that she plays in the lives of Christians. Like an earthly mother, the Church provides the instruction, reproofs, and nourishment that God’s children need.

Like any mother, of course, the Church is not perfect. But that is not an excuse for abandoning her. Despite her shortcomings, the Church as Mother provides the kind of care that every Christian requires, and all who desert her will surely suffer harm.

Honor the Church as Mother. Find and devote yourself to a local congregation. It’s not an option, because it’s through the Church that God provides ongoing grace to sustain His people, and it’s by way of the Church that He brings life to the world.

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

With all the popular media we have today there are so many voices calling for our attention. In the midst of it all, we each must ask ourselves, “Whose voice am I hearing and attending to?”

Answering that question is critical because the voice you hear and attend to will set the course of your life. And, naturally, not every voice has your best interest in mind.

Politicians, spiritual leaders, marketers and others who bring us their messages all have their agendas. The same can be said for every book, movie, or song we expose ourselves to.

Because of it, we need to take care how we listen. We need to be able to cut through the noise and hear the right voice. To hear and follow the wrong voice leads to confusion, disillusionment, and death. To hear and follow the right voice leads to understanding, hope, and life.

So, how do you know you are hearing the right voice? Here are a few tests to apply to the voices that seek to influence you.

First, there’s the truth test. Is what you are hearing true? Or, is it laced with deception in order to lure you in a direction you really don’t want to go? Listen and hold to what’s true, because it’s the truth that endures and sets free.

Second, there’s the righteousness test. What direction is what you are hearing inclined to take you? A path of moral decline, or a way of increased righteousness? Listen carefully, because even though the former path may appear easier and more attractive, it’s the latter that will keep you secure.

Third, the love test. Does the one whose voice you are hearing come in love? Anyone can appeal to you out of their own self-interest. But the one who comes in love has what’s good for you in mind, even if the words they share are hard to bear.

In the end, all three of these tests point to Jesus Christ. Truth, righteousness, and love are all embodied in Him. So, through all the voices we are exposed to each day, it is His voice we must hear.

His sheep hear his voice and He knows them. His sheep follow Him and He gives eternal life to them. Those who are His will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of His hand (Jn.10:27,28).

No matter where you are or what your situation, discern and hear the voice you need to be hearing. Because it’s in hearing the voice of Jesus you’ll find your greatest security.

Many voices will seek to distract you and lead you astray. But it is only Christ’s voice that will lead you in the way that goodness and lovingkindness will follow you all the days of your life (Ps.23:6).

Questions or comments? Email davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit his blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

What is God’s design for the human race? His design is to bring about of a new humanity in Jesus Christ.

What’s this new humanity to be like? It’s to be comprised of those who dwell in peace, unity, righteousness, and faith as it is given by the Lord.

Why does the realization of this new humanity seem so difficult? Because there is resistance to it from spiritual forces of wickedness.

How is this resistance to be overcome so God’s design can be brought to fulfillment? By prayer.

This is the message that the Bible gives us about God’s purpose in this world, and how that purpose is to be worked out in reality.

Through Jesus Christ, God the Father has secured the redemption of the human race and the bringing about of a new humanity. As a result, all who belong to this new humanity through faith in Christ are equipped to live differently. They are able to put off the old man and put on the new, and live in peace and righteousness. Through history, God’s Spirit works to cause this new humanity to grow and grow.

What a glorious picture! But it’s a picture not easily realized. It’s much like the promised land of old. Canaan was a place of great blessing, but there were enemies to contend with. The same thing is true regarding our own redemption. All who are in Christ are given hope and promise – but there is resistance that must be dealt with if we are to realize the blessings of redemption.

Because of this, we need God’s ongoing grace — and we need to pray.

Prayer is a general term for various kinds of communication with God. Prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication are all to be a balanced part of our lives as we seek to have God’s best realized in this world.

Most common is to raise up prayers of petition because we face so many needs and obstacles. And this is something we should do because the Lord tells us that we should ask in order to receive (Jn.16:24).

But our prayers should not be limited to times of trouble. In all our ways we are to acknowledge Him, and as we do He will make our paths straight (Pr.3:5,6).

When it comes to prayer, we are to be alert (Col.4:2). Our approach to prayer is not to be sleepy, but attentive and aware. Pay attention to what is going on around you, consider what it is that would redeem any situation, and pray accordingly. And do not merely pray for yourself, but intercede for others. As you do, you’ll be a participant in God’s work of redemption.

God is building up a new humanity through Jesus Christ that one day will be brought to maturity. When that day comes, the blessings of God will cover the earth – that future has been secured by the death and resurrection of Christ.

In the meantime, there is heavy resistance. Yet we are able to see Christ’s kingdom advance and conquer through prayer.

God’s Word gives us a vision of hope and new life. It’s prayer that brings this vision into reality.

Questions or comments? Email me at davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit my blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

One of Jesus’ more familiar statements is, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt.6:24). When most people hear these words, they think something like, “Whoa, I need to make sure my interest in money doesn’t get too great a hold on my heart.”

But there’s something else these words of Christ should get us to consider. We need to make a choice about whom (or what) it is we serve in this life. For no one can serve two masters.

God doesn’t want us in some middle, uncommitted ground. He calls us to make a clear decision as to who our master really is, and have our lives follow through by faith.

Christ’s words about God and mammon are not the only ones in the Bible that confront us with the need to choose our object of devotion decisively and wisely.

When God called Abraham to follow Him into a new land, Abraham had to make decision to actually leave behind his old life and go. When the Lord told Noah to make an ark, Noah had to choose to ignore the ridicule of the masses and find himself some gopher wood. When the prophet Elijah addressed the people of his day, he said to them, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him.” And, when Jesus said to Peter, “Come!” while he was in the boat, Peter had to actually get out of the boat, get his feet wet, and walk on the water.

Something all of these examples have in common is that they tell us about the nature of biblical faith.

Biblical faith is more than just believing certain facts are true or giving mental assent to certain doctrines – even demons can do that much! Biblical faith is about being willing to head in the direction that the Lord lays before you, and trusting Him along the way. Anything short of this is to live in a double-minded way, something the Lord despises.

When the Bible teaches us to pray for wisdom, it urges us to ask in faith, without any doubting. Otherwise, we’ll be like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind – because that is the consequence of double-minded living (Jas.1:8).

On the other hand, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light (Mt.6:22). Your mind’s eye will have a singleness of purpose and you will have the pleasure of walking in the Lord’s light as you focus on pleasing Him.

How many today are conflicted and confused because they are trying to serve the Lord in a double-minded way? As a result they are miserable and miss the good that God has in store for them.

Double-mindedness toward the Lord leads to misery. We must serve Him in a single-minded way to know His peace and favor upon our lives.

Choose this day whom you will serve!

Questions or comments? Email me at davidjbostromATgmail.com or visit my blog at dbostrom.wordpress.com.

ABOUT David Bostrom/Seed for the Harvest on The Cardinal …

Pastor David Bostrom writes the popular column called Seed for the Harvest, that is published weekly in several newspapers and Arlingtoncardinal.com. You can learn more about Pastor Bostrom’s ministry by visiting his blog — dbostrom.wordpress.com.

David Bostrom is the pastor of Christ Church of Lakeland in Lakeland, Florida. Originally from the Chicago area, Pastor Bostrom is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), and he received his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL).

Pastor Bostrom is married and has six sons. His family arrived in Central Florida to plant Christ Church of Lakeland at the end of 2009.

For the past 20 years, Pastor Bostrom served churches in Michigan His work there included the planting of three congregations.

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