Jesus said that we should expect to “see” the Kingdom, that is, to observe the evidence of its unfolding both within and around us. Hmm. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn can be found on pages 116 and 117:

“With the coming of Jesus, and especially with His ascension to heaven and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a new order of heavenly rule has been established on the earth, just as the prophets of old had foretold.

“And yet we do not have to look very far to see that much of the world does not appear to have gotten the memo. “Evidence for this new reign of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, which is the Kingdom of God, is in short supply. Everywhere we look, the governments of men struggle to maintain order and to realize a modicum of peace and prosperity for their people. A culture of self-indulgence, material craving, and sensual license inundates the West. Rising giants of the Eastern world strive mightily to walk a balance between traditional cultures, modern forms of governance, and the hankering for material prosperity which they have tasted and found to be most desirable. Wars and rumors of wars continue; natural disasters wipe out the lives and wellbeing of multitudes; violence, slavery, and oppression continue to threaten; and economic uncertainty is the lot of increasing numbers of people.

“So if the Kingdom has come, where is the evidence of its power?

“For nearly two millennia the Gospel has been increasing on earth. Men and women have forced their way into the Kingdom of God by grace through faith, putting to death their old selves and falling on the mercy of God for forgiveness and eternal life. Lives have been changed. Cultures have been transformed. Innovations and improvements in almost every area of life have come about as the result of Kingdom citizens drawing on the transforming power of Christ with new ideas and new strength.

“No, the full power of the Kingdom of God is not yet visible among us. The day of its complete unveiling is yet to come.”

For reflection or discussion
1. Where would you like to see more of the Kingdom’s presence in your own life?

2. How do you expect to see the Kingdom advancing through your church?

Jesus promised we would be able to see the Kingdom in its coming. There would be evidence, and that evidence is visible over the long view of world history since the time of Christ. We should be encouraged to know that the Kingdom of God continues its progress on earth, even in our secular and materialistic day. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it. Encourage one another with observations of the coming of the Kingdom in each other’s lives. You can order or download a copy of The Kingdom Turn at The Ailbe Bookstore. 

The post Evidence of the Kingdom appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

Because the Kingdom of God comes with the Holy Spirit as He regenerates and indwells us, the Kingdom will always come on earth as it is in heaven via that avenue of our soul. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn can be found on page 112:

“The Kingdom of God itself is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as we have seen. It makes sense, therefore, to believe that wherever we are laying aside the ways of the world and putting on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, there the Kingdom of God is being found and is advancing, and we are becoming that peculiar people who walks in the Spirit of God rather than the spirit of the age.

“This process is called sanctification, and it is a work of grace. God, by His Word and Spirit, works within and through us to make us increasingly fit for His Kingdom. 

“But while sanctification is a work of God, it’s one that we must engage in as well, ‘working out our salvation’, as Paul put it, in fear and trembling before the Lord.

“Sanctification is the heart of our pursuit of the Kingdom of God. The harder we work at this, in every area of our lives, the more we will find that our outlook, attitudes, priorities, and practices begin to reflect the very character of Jesus. Through sanctification we are actually ‘putting on Jesus’ and, as we become more like Him – as He increases in us and our old self decreases – we reflect more the reality of the Kingdom of God to the watching world.”  

For reflection or discussion
1. What would you say ae the key ingredients for the process of sanctification?

2. How is the work of working out your salvation going in your life?

The Kingdom of God comes from heaven to earth, in the first instance, in the souls of God’s people. The more we know about the Kingdom, desire the Kingdom, and make it the defining priority of our lives, the more we will continue to grow into the likeness of Jesus, which is the goal of sanctification. Share today’s podcast with some friends, then get together to discuss God’s work in your life. Your copy of The Kingdom Turn awaits you in The Ailbe Bookstore. 

T. M. Moore

The post Within You appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

We can’t worry about whether our faith in Jesus will offend some people. It will. In fact, in many ways, we may find ourselves at odds with people who don’t know Jesus. Just as Jesus did. Today’s reading from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 107 and 108:

“The first Christians knew that they could not seek the Kingdom of God as long as they, in any way, held on to friendship with the world and the spirit of the age. They could not love the world and all the things in it and love the Lord Jesus at the same time. They were seeking a new social order, following a new ethic, committed to a new King, and drawing on a new power according to a new worldview which, increasingly, they learned by hearing and obeying the Word of God. 

“The Kingdom of God, by the Light of the Gospel, is making headway against the darkness of unbelief and sin. And while the tares of wickedness continue to crop up everywhere, the citizens of God’s Kingdom know that they are called to a mission of sowing and cultivating the truth of God in every area of life.

“And as they do so, they encounter the spirit of the age, and know that this spirit must be denied and rejected for the Spirit of the Kingdom to come in power.

“Thus, all who pursue the Kingdom of God must expect that, in many and various ways, their way of life will put them at odds with the prevailing worldviews of their contemporaries…

“Make no mistake about it: As we force ourselves further into the Kingdom of God, we will find ourselves increasingly at odds with the world spirit of our age.”

For reflection or discussion
1. How have you found your faith in Jesus to be “at odds” with the world around you?

2. How does being “at odds” with the world tempt or test us?

If we’re persuaded that the Gospel is true, then it won’t matter if we find ourselves at odds with the world. We will hold fast to Jesus and cling to His Word because we know His Word is truth. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it. Your copy of The Kingdom Turn is available today in The Ailbe Bookstore. 

T. M. Moore

The post At Odds appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

How we look our world will determine how live in it. And more important, how we seek the Kingdom of God in it. Happily, Jesus has given us plenty of help in thinking about the world as He does. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is from pages 103 and 104:

“Jesus envisioned the world like a wheat field, where the Master of the field expects to reap a bountiful harvest at the end of time. According to Jesus, the world is not a weed field, waiting to be burned, but a wheat field, set to be sown, cultivated, guarded, and harvested in His time. For now, the Lord’s enemy, still determined to do what he can to thwart the Master’s project, sows the seeds of unbelief, temptation, wickedness, corruption, and deception wherever the seed of the Gospel has taken root – including in your heart and mine.

“But when the Master returns to gain His harvest, He returns to a wheat field, invaded by weeds, and not the other way around, as so many ‘left behind’ Christians would have us believe. 

“The Apostle John got this vision. He wrote, from a state of persecution and exile, that the Light of the Kingdom of God is advancing, rolling back the darkness and bringing righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit to nations and peoples everywhere. John did not allow his circumstances of exile and confinement to dissuade him from pursuing a compelling vision of the advancing Kingdom of God. Nor should we. 

“We may think we’re living in dark days, that things are going from bad to worse, and there’s no end in sight. But the truth is just the opposite. Satan is back on his heels, bound and reeling; the rulers of this world are deceived and deceiving; the Church, though for the time somewhat complacent, at least in the West, is at all times a spiritual tinder box, ready for a new spark of the Spirit; and the Kingdom of God is advancing wherever men and women cling to Jesus’ compelling vision and seek the Kingdom of God as their highest priority in life.”

For reflection or discussion
1. Is your part of the world field—your sphere of service—growing wheat or weeds? Explain.

2. What does your calling to sow and cultivate that field require of you?

We’re all workers in the Lord’s wheat field, loving and teaching and encouraging others to bring forth the fruit of the Gospel in their daily lives. If we think of our world as a “weed field”, we’re not likely to put much effort into tending it. But Jesus sees our sphere in His field as a wheat field. Yeah, we have work to do. Share today’s podcast with a friend. Get together to discuss it. Encourage your friends in signing-up to receive Read Moore for free, every week day. Your copy of The Kingdom Turn is available now in The Ailbe Bookstore.

T. M. Moore

The post Wheat or Weeds? appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

It’s not that Christians today don’t have a vision for the Kingdom of God. It’s right there in Scriptures, after all. It’s that we hardly think about the Kingdom at all. We’re just not excited about it. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn can be found on page 102:

“People are motivated by compelling visions. Show us something big, something really desirable and worth whatever it takes to get it, then assure us that it can be ours, and we’ll go all out to attain it.

“Jesus understood this. That’s why we find Him, in so many situations, casting a glorious and compelling vision of the Kingdom of God for His hearers. He commanded us to seek the Kingdom, and He enticed us in that pursuit by powerful images suggesting the beauty, majesty, greatness, and infinite value of the Kingdom of God

“In Matthew 13 the Lord piled parable after parable, image upon image, and metaphor on metaphor to convince His disciples and followers that seeking the Kingdom, while a struggle, is well worth the effort required.

“Jesus began this litany of vision-casting parables by saying that the Kingdom of God has the potential to multiply the fruit of righteousness in those who receive it (vv. 18-23). Like a small and seemingly insignificant seed, the Kingdom of God can grow and flourish and become a haven of rest and spiritual nourishment for us and many others (vv. 31, 32).

“He continued by saying that the Kingdom’s mysterious power can transform that which is unpalatable into something wholesome, delicious, and good (v. 31).

“He explained that, like a treasure hidden in a field, the Kingdom of God is more valuable than everything we could ever own (v. 44).

“Like a fisherman’s net it gathers up people from every walk of life for the purposes of the King (vv. 47, 48).

“He concluded by saying those who embrace and seek this Kingdom gain a mastery over the Word of God that enables them to minister from every section of the Scriptures (v. 52).”

For reflection or discussion
1. When you think about the Kingdom of God, what images or “vision” come to mind?

2. What does it mean for you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?

Jesus worked to cast a vision of the Kingdom that would help His followers desire and seek it. It seems to me that we should nurture Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom as our own, with all the glorious images and promise He holds out to us. Share today’s podcast with some friends, and encourage them to subscribe to receive Read Moore five days a week. Your free copy of The Kingdom Turn is ready in The Ailbe Bookstore. 

T. M. Moore

The post From Small Beginnings appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

We’re not waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. It’s here now, and it continues to advance. The fullness of the Kingdom awaits a later day, but for now, we work to further its progress. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 97 and 98:

“[T]he Kingdom of God is the rule of King Jesus which He has now brought into the affairs of men and nations. The Kingdom of God, the rule on earth of King Jesus, is present; yet the Kingdom of God is always coming, as Jesus implied by teaching us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom. 

“Throughout the Old Testament God ruled all creation and its peoples, as He has from the beginning. Yet He kept His distance, so to speak, and allowed Satan, the Father of Lies, to blind the world and shroud it in the darkness of unbelief and sin. Satan was always God’s servant during those many years, and could only do what the Father allowed him. God gave Satan a long leash, so much so that, not only were God’s chosen people, the Israelites, blinded to His will for most of their history, but the rest of the world was plunged into paganism, idolatry, violence, and mayhem. 

“But with the coming of Jesus, everything changed: ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.’ A new order has broken into the lives of men and nations; a new King has ascended His eternal throne; a new power, in the Person of God’s Spirit, is unleashed in the world; Satan is bound, though still dangerous; Christ is building His Church; and the Holy Scriptures now provide the map and manual for a new people with a new mission and purpose. 

“To be sure, the full coming of the Kingdom awaits the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. But now, and for 2,000 years, the rule of Christ on earth has been advancing against the wiles of the devil, the opposition of men and nations, and the lies and half-truths of the best of human thinking. As the Apostle John observed in his day, the light of the Kingdom is advancing and the darkness of sin and unbelief cannot overcome it.”

For reflection or discussion
1. How do you experience the rule of King Jesus advancing in your life?

2. How have you seen the Kingdom of God advancing through you into the world?

All Christians are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. We have an appointment and a mission to seek the Kingdom in everything we do, so that the glory and love of God may be known more fully in our world. This seems pretty important, don’t you think? Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss how you can know more of the progress of God’s Kingdom in your life. Your free copy of The Kingdom Turn is waiting for you now at The Ailbe Bookstore. 

T. M. Moore

The post Kingdom Advance appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

As Christians, we want to glorify God in everything we do, because that’s how others are drawn into His glory and begin to know Him better. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 93 and 94:

“In order to bring others into the knowledge of the glory of God in every area of our lives, we must come from glory, like Moses descending Mt. Sinai, with his face aglow, into the world where glory is wanting. Only by coming from glory can we bring our world, in all its variety, into the glory of God with increasing expression and consistency.

“This means more time in prayer and God’s Word, waiting and persevering in seeking the glory of the Lord there. It should also involve some time observing and reflecting on the glory of God in creation. But it will mean more time, and more focus in that time, in order to discern, not just the intellectual context of the text of Scripture, or mere description of a landscape or beachscape, but more active, focused seeking of the glory of God and relaxing into His love.

 “Look for the telltale signs of God’s presence: His beauty, goodness, wisdom, love, forbearance, compassion, and so forth. Make note of these by writing them down for deeper reflection over the next several days. Interact with God, praying, like Moses, that God would show you His glory and immerse you more completely in His love, that His presence would become real to you and go with you as you set out for your day.“Read, study, meditate, observe, and reflect with a view to encountering God in His glory. Dare to tell God you will not let Him go until He blesses you with a glimpse, a touch, a breath of His glory to revive your soul and expand the horizons of your faith. Then let that glory and love sink in, saturate, and transform your soul as you begin thinking about ways of refracting the glory of God through your life into the day ahead.

For reflection or discussion
1. How will you know when you are beginning to enter the glory of God?

2. How do expect entering God’s glory to affect you and your walk with the Lord?

The glory of God is all around us, so much so that we can easily take it for granted rather then enter the glory of God and know the transforming joy of His Presence. Today, how will you seek to enter the glory of the Lord? Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss how the glory of God is transforming your life. Your copy of The Kingdom Turn awaits you in The Ailbe Bookstore. 

T. M. Moore

The post Laying Hold on the Glory appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

God has set us, citizens of His Kingdom, squarely in the midst of the hope of His glory, that we might know and show it now as we look forward to and prepare for knowing and showing it forever. Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 92 and 93:

“Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 10.31 could just as well be translated, ‘So whatever you do, whether you are eating or drinking or whatever you do, do it all into the glory of God.’ That means all your relationships, roles, and responsibilities. We who stand in the hope of the glory of God, and who wait and endure and persevere to know that glory, are not stingy about the experience. We want everyone to know it. We want everything we do to refract it. We want to haul people and situations and things into the glory we are coming to know more consistently. We want the knowledge of the glory of God to cover those parts of the earth we inhabit, and so we seek to bring our families, homes, work, colleagues, friends, diversions, time, possessions – the whole shebang – into the glory and love of God which we are increasingly coming to know.

“Here it all boils down to words and deeds, words and deeds. How and what we talk about, and how and what we do will either contribute to the staging of God’s glory or the suppressing of it. If we don’t know how to ‘work out our salvation in fear and trembling’ so that the glory of God comes to expression in all we are, think, say, and do, then we need to refocus our growth in the Lord, so that we learn to wait and hope for what we should wait and hope for: the glory of God in us and through us, throughout the world around us.”

For reflection or discussion
1. How conscious are you of doing everything you do for the glory of God? Explain.

2. How can Christians help one another be more consistent and effective in this matter?

God intends to make Himself known throughout the world, and, while He’s doing this constantly through His works, He uses us in everyday situations to point people to Him. And for us, this is where we encounter the glory and the joy of the Lord, in serving Him with all the gifts He has given us. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then follow-up to talk about today’s topic. Your free copy of The Kingdom Turn awaits you in The Ailbe Bookstore.

T. M. Moore

The post Words and Deeds appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

Jesus walked on water, stilled the storm, withered the fig tree, and admired the birds and lilies. What place does creation have in His Kingdom? Today’s reading from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 91 and 92:

“The creation is at present subject to a form of futility which prevents it from fulfilling its purpose as a vehicle for glorifying God. This is one of the effects of sin, both that the glory God has hidden in creation does not readily manifest itself, and that fallen men are incapable, because of sin, of discovering, enjoying, and celebrating the glory of God in creation. This is a task for royal children, for those who have made the Kingdom turn and stand in the hope of glory.

“We who hope in the glory of God, and are being transformed from glory to glory into the image of the Firstborn of all creation, must also consider that it is part of our calling to bring the creation into the redemption and glory which we enjoy as God’s children. In order to do this, we must give ourselves to this high calling and holy challenge by becoming familiar with the creation, learning the distinct creatures, discovering their contributions to the symphony of glory which is daily being performed around us, and finding ways of making known the glory of God in each creature.

“Further, we must take up the duty of conserving and developing creation so as to guard it against further corruption and to give it the freedom to flourish which we enjoy in the Lord. Thus we extend the Kingdom to the entire creation and increase anticipation of the new heavens and new earth, even as we are also preparing for that great day.

“Creation is the stage on which we stand and hope in the glory of God. Its props, sets, lighting, and all the rest are in need of some refocusing and refurbishing, so that the glorious purposes of the divine Playwright can be clearly seen. And it falls to us, who stand in the hope of glory, to bring creation into the glory in which we hope, by every means, at every opportunity.”

For reflection or discussion
1. How much has concern for creation factored into your experience of being saved?

2. What are some things you might do to improve your ability to see the glory of God in creation?

Paul wrote that creation speaks so clearly about God and His eternal Being and attributes that everyone has some knowledge of the Lord. Most of them ignore it, but that knowledge will never go away. The more we know about creation and see the glory of God in it, the more we can remind our contemporaries about His beauty, wonder, and power. Share today’s podcast with some friends. Get together to discuss what you’re learning, and plan some event or activity to help you see the glory of God in creation. Your free copy of The Kingdom Turn is waiting for you in The Ailbe Bookstore.

T. M. Moore

The post Glory and Creation appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.

We who have made the Kingdom turn stand in the hope of God’s glory and love now, every day. But even as joyful and reassuring as that is, God has more in store for us. Today’s reading from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 86 and 87:

“Heaven, though not our ultimate destination, is pretty amazing in its own right, offering an even more focused and intensified experience of the glory that is to be revealed. So desirable was heaven to the Apostle Paul that he could say, ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!’ 

“Beyond this world, beyond heaven, beyond anything we can imagine, and filling up eternally into all the fullness of God, a new world is being prepared, and we who stand in the hope of glory now stand also in the hope of glory then. Glory now and then: This is why we are Christians. Our main priority is to live now so as to know, experience, and express a reality that is, but that is still in preparation – the eternal realm of God’s glory and love. We stand in the hope of this glory every day of our lives. We seek it in His Word, pray earnestly to enter into it, linger and lavish in it as we do, then go forth to live that glory and love in all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities.

“And as we do, we have one eye fixed on the horizon of time. For we know that time will one day run out. History and the world as we know it – full of its bustle, busyness, bitchiness, and brokenness – will one day come to an end, and with it all the circumstances and stuff to which people cling for happiness and hope. But when that happens, the glory that is to be revealed will shower upon and radiate through those who stand in the hope of that glory now, until they are transformed into that very glory and image of Jesus Christ, and dwell face-to-face with Him forever. 

“And even then, even amid all that brilliance of spiritual, personal, creational, and cultural glory, the glory that is to be revealed will increase in transforming love and power, without obstruction and without end.”

For reflection or discussion
1. How often do you think about your final destination beyond this life? What do you think?

2. Why is it a good idea to be absolutely clear about where we’re headed beyond this life?

“Bound for glory!” We’ve all heard that saying, and, hopefully, the significance of that truth is beginning to sink in a little more. Glory now. Glory hereafter. Glory forever. Yeah. Bound for glory! Share today’s podcast with some friends, then get together to discuss what you’re learning. And go to The Ailbe Bookstore and claim your free copy of The Kingdom Turn.

T. M. Moore

The post Glory Beyond appeared first on The Fellowship of Ailbe.