In The Gates
Free to Feel with the Heart of God
Written by T. M. Moore
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
The Law of Liberty (17)
Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. Psalm 119.111,112
In Scripture, the heart is the centerpiece of the soul, the seat of our affections, the wellspring of attitudes, emotions, aspirations, hopes, and desires. Both Solomon and Jesus warned us to keep a close watch over our hearts, because the primary issues of life flow from that source, and it can corrupt and mislead us, if we do not attend to it continuously.
This is why God requires that we love Him with all our hearts. He knows that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, prone to lead us into false affections, misleading desires, unwholesome attitudes, and vain hopes. When we refuse to love God with all our hearts, our hearts will bend toward mere self-interest. That may seem the thing to do just now, but it usually ends up not as satisfying as we’d hoped (Prov. 14.12). How can we break free of the destructive affections that lead us down wrong paths and into box canyons of disappointment?
We need to set our hearts on a proper course, that’s how. If we incline our hearts toward the Law of God – to seek it, love it, delight in it, and persevere in understanding it – we will find God’s testimonies to be a source of joy and a bounteous heritage to guide us in all our ways. If we try reading and studying the Law of God without setting our hearts on it properly, it will only be a burden we’ll soon enough set aside.
This is a matter for prayer. Beginning there, with prayers such as we find in Psalm119.111, 112, and proceeding on to reading God’s Law, meditating in it, envisioning its outworking in our lives, and going forth to obey it, we can nurture proper heart attitudes toward the Law of God, which will liberate us from our own misleading affections, and allow us to live our lives with the heart of God instead.
Readers will gain a better perspective on the main teaching of this series by reading The Ground for Christian Ethics, by T. M. Go to www.MyParuchia.com, click Publications, then click Waxed Tablet, and scroll down until you see this little volume.
Daily meditation in the Law of God helps us along thepath of holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Rom. 7.12). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compilation of the Mosaic Law for contemporary believers. Go to www.MyParuchia.com, click on Publications, then click on Waxed Tablet for the Fellowship of Ailbe bookstore.
Every Thought Captive
Covenant Subversion
Written by T. M. Moore
Monday, 01 March 2010
Satan, Bound (13)
Yes, yes…or can you not the beauty of
it see? Look, here is God, who by His love
has His eternal will inscribed in plain
words, so His people might the blessings gain
of His enduring covenant.1 What more
could they desire of Him? What more implore
Him to perform, than what He plainly tells
them in His Word?2 If only I could sell
them on the notion that they ought to try
and push Him further, lead Him to comply
with their extrapolations of His Word,
then this would be to test the sovereign Lord,
which is the same as making Him observe
the notions of their foolish hearts, and swerve
from His revealed intent. And if this I
could manage, I would make His Word a lie,
well, unreliable, at least, and all
would put the Lord at their own beck and call,
to serve their vain imaginations and
interpretations of His clear command.
I don’t expect you to appreciate
my cunning – just to take my dangled bait.
Off to the wilderness I sped, and there
observed His people feasting on a fare
of strangest pastry, which had drifted down
from heav’n, and they collected off the ground.3
Oh, His annoying care for all their need!
I thought, I’ll use this feast to foster greed,
and promptly led some to suggest that He
who had provided this might also be
enticed, let’s say, to add a little meat
to the cuisine. Now wouldn’t that be sweet?
Again, observe my genius working: Let
God’s Word be clear: He promised He would set
before them every day this heav’nly bread.
I showed them how to use these words instead
to push the Lord beyond what He had meant
to say, exploring if He might be bent
to do their will than, rather, they do His!
A simple formula – “if that, then this” –
was all I needed to suggest, and they
were off and running, seeking every way
they might get God to fit within their schemes
by starting with His written Word, as seems
most reasonable, and then expanding out
from there by sinful logic, casting doubt
on what is clearly written for the sake
of getting other foolish folk to take
their side and to endorse their point of view.
Permit me to attach a footnote to
the wilderness fiasco – my first thrust
and parry to subvert His people’s trust
in His revealed and spoken Word. He threw
their gambit in their faces, sending to
their lusting gullets quail to make them puke.
I had to chuckle at this stern rebuke.
This avenue of covenant subversion
was most adaptable. Whate’er perversion
suggested by my subtlety seemed to
advance whatever they desired to do,
they seized upon with evident delight.
See him who struck the rock protest his rights
as though he were the Lord Himself.4 Observe
this one, whose lusting heart began to swerve
from God’s declared intentions when he spied
unguarded plunder, whereupon I lied
to him, implying that this little bit
of stuff would not send God into a fit
of rage, in spite of what He’d clearly said.
Now he and all his family are dead.5
And see this judge, who piously declined
to be appointed king, a change of mind
experience, and test the Lord beyond
what He had promised, and bestow the fond
name of “My Father King Is” on his son
(the little bastard).6 Here’s another one,
whose foolish vow – permissible within
the scope of revelation – led to sin
and slaughter.7 See this king ignore the Word
of God, and by his power as the lord
and savior of his nation (so he thought),
convince himself and everyone they ought
to keep a little booty for themselves.8
His fate is shared by everyone who delves
in this experiment of trying to
make God’s Word sponsor whate’er he wants to do.
See all those foolish prophets bend the Word
of God to suit the fancies of their lord
and king? Or those whose messages assure
the people that God’s favor will endure
in spite of all their sin? They’re in my pay,
and all my neat ideas promptly obey.
So everywhere I looked, in time, I saw
those clever, foolish people, more in awe
of their interpretations or the views
of some misguided prophet whom they’d choose
to follow – even though his failing word
was shown by others to be false, absurd,
and not a word from God – put Yahweh to
the test, to see if they could make Him do
their bidding. All the while I let them think
their footing firm, though they were at the brink
of devastation.
And I noted my
demonic host cast an approving eye
on this successful ploy. Although the Lord
did not forsake or change His holy Word,
it didn’t matter. In the hands of these
upstart interpreters, who sought to please
themselves at God’s expense, His Word had none
of that transforming, blessing pow’r that one
would reasonably expect. Which is to say
His holy covenant could not allay
my gathering strength, as I continued to
His people’s confidence in Him undo
and all my wicked pleasure satisfy
by substituting for His truth my lie.
1 2 Timothy 3.15-17
2 1 Corinthians 4.6
3 Exodus 16.1-26
4 Numbers 20.10-13
5 Joshua 7.10-26
6 Judges 8.22-32
7 Judges 11.29-40
8 1 Samuel 15.1-23
Kingdom Civics
Seated at the Right Hand of God
Written by T. M. Moore
Monday, 01 March 2010
The King’s Business (1)
What in the world is Jesus doing?
“But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26.64
A much-neglected doctrine
Christians rightly celebrate and glory in the triumph of Jesus in His resurrection from the dead. Having burst the bonds of sin and death, Jesus has opened the way for all who believe in Him to know forgiveness of sins and new life in the Spirit of God. This is the great privilege and daily joy of all who truly know Jesus and long to follow in His way, seeking the Kingdom of God as their first priority in all things (Matt. 6.33).
But though He is seated at the right hand of Power, Jesus is not inactive in the day-to-day affairs of matters on earth. He has instructed His followers to pray that His Kingdom will come, increasingly, on earth as it is in heaven, and He is working by His Word and Spirit to ensure that those prayers will not be made in vain (Matt. 6.10). For though He reigns in heaven, beyond the reach of mortal flesh and eyes, still, He is pursuing the King’s business on earth in a variety of ways.
The doctrine of the ascension and session of Christ is not one which most Christians consider with any degree of consistency or practical experience. Yet Jesus is working, even now, to bring to fruition the divine economy and the progress of His Kingdom. The first believers looked hopefully to Christ’s work at the Father’s right hand, finding in His ascension and session the orientation, perspective, and power they needed in order to do the King’s business here on earth (cf. 15.25; Heb. 1.13).
The ascension of Christ
Jesus’ ascension to the Father’s right hand was foretold and anticipated by the saints of the Old Testament. Zechariah previewed this great triumph in his prophesy concerning the Son’s satisfaction of the Father’s righteous requirements on behalf of His saints (Zech. 3.1-7). In this vision the Son of Man is rightly accused by Satan, in the presence of God, of being clad in garments of sin and unrighteousness. Yet, His appearing in such filth was but to demonstrate that He had borne the sins of His people, and the Father expressed complete satisfaction with His work. Hence, He was given new garments of righteousness to wear in the divine presence, and promised that He would be both Priest and Ruler over all the Lord’s economy.
His work of satisfaction completed, Christ was greeted upon His ascension with shouts of glory and victory by those who have preceded us into the heavenly places, there to receive His reward and be appointed King of all the earth (Ps. 47.5-7). Thus received, Jesus took His place at the Father’s right hand, to begin the work which would define His reign from heaven over all the cosmos (Ps. 110.1, 2). Now God points the rebellious nations to His Son, and calls them, through His Church, to turn away from their wicked deeds and embrace the Son as King and Lord (Ps. 2.1-12). Jesus is indeed busy at the Father’s right hand, carrying out all the business which has been assigned to Him as Savior and King.
But what is that business?
The King’s business
The work of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand plays out on earth as He gives Himself perpetually to advancing His eternal rule and reign (Is. 9.6, 7). We will summarize that work here and unpack each aspect of it in subsequent installments. Suffice it to say, at this point, that the work of our King is comprehensive and powerful to accomplish the purposes of our God.
Jesus’ first work at the Father’s right hand is to uphold the world and everything in it (Heb. 1.3). In this we see the great wisdom and power of our eternal King, as He gives coherence, at every moment, to all created things, and life to every creature. Were it not for the constant work of our King, the very cosmos would cease to exist, and no life would be found anywhere in the entire creation.
As He thus upholds the world, Jesus also intercedes for His saints, offering His own indestructible life as the basis for all His supplications on our behalf (Heb. 7.24, 25). He knows our needs and failings and makes it His business, at all times, to ensure that the Father understands and meets our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4.19).
Chief among our needs is power to serve the Lord according to His agenda and plan. Thus Jesus and the Father together send the Spirit to regenerate, indwell, fill, and enable those who believe in Him (Jn. 14.15-17). Moreover, He marshals His angels, day by day, to assist the saints in the great work of making disciples to which He has appointed them (Heb. 1.5-7; Rev. 14.6, 7).
The power of Christ our King is given so that we, His people, may pursue the work of His agenda, which is to build His Church as a testimony of His wisdom, might, and grace before the powers and principalities which yet sustain their rebellion against Him (Matt. 16.18; Eph. 2.6,7; 3.10). By His Word and Spirit He gathers His elect, perfects them in holiness, and builds them together into a glorious temple of unity and maturity before the watching world (Ps. 147.2-6; Eph. 5.25-27; Eph. 2.19-22).
In this great work of building His Church, Jesus our King is putting all His enemies under His feet (Ps. 110.1). He overcomes them in many ways, so that not even the counsels of hell can stand against His purposes or frustrate the growth of His holy nation (Matt. 16.18; 1 Pet. 2.9, 10).
In the process, Jesus continues the great work He began on earth of plundering the devil’s holdings, taking back for His own glory and use those people and all their relationships and culture which have heretofore been held captive in unbelief and sin (Matt. 12.22-29). Even the creation itself is liberated from the curse of sin as the sons and daughters of God go forth in faith to reclaim, renew, and reconcile the world to God through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8.19-22; 2 Cor. 5.18-20).
Meanwhile, the Lord of glory, our heavenly King, is preparing an eternal dwelling for all those who follow Him in faith, carrying out on earth the work to which He calls them from His heavenly throne (Jn. 14.1-3). He grants us glimpses of that glorious eternal future in various places in His Word, pointing us to the forever horizon where we will live with Him in perfect righteousness and uninterrupted bliss.
The progress of His Kingdom
Thus, by all these means, Jesus works from heaven to advance His rule of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, calling and equipping His people to work for the progress of His Kingdom and the glory of God in all their words and ways (Rom. 14.17, 18; 1 Cor. 10.31).
Jesus promised all those who believe in Him that they would see Him in seated in heaven, a privilege we find to be amazingly sustaining in the midst of all our trials, as we gaze with the eye of faith on His resurrection and reigning glory (2 Cor. 4.6, 16-18; Eph. 1.16-23). Indeed, our King as even seated us with Himself in heaven (Eph. 2.6, 7), so that, living from that vantage point, we may have all incentive and power to show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us to all the watching world.
The implications of Christ’s reign for us who believe are staggering. We are called to live, not for our own sakes, but for His (Matt. 10.39), and to find our fullest, richest, most meaningful and powerful existence in the full and abundant life of taking up His cross and earnestly doing the King’s business in all our own (Jn. 10.10; Matt. 10.38). Now we are called to turn our gaze away from earthly things and to fix our minds on the Lord Jesus, risen and reigning, that we might find from Him the perspective and power to be His witnesses and make disciples in every aspect of our lives, all the days of our existence (Col. 3.1-3; Acts 1.8; Matt. 28.18-20).
Unless our lives our informed, shaped, and guided by a compelling vision and daily experience of Jesus Christ exalted as King and Lord, we shall not be able to fulfill our very reason for being. Look to Jesus, look to the King’s business, and dedicate yourself each day to furthering that great work in all you say and do.
ReVision
What Goes Around
Written by T. M. Moore
Monday, 08 March 2010
In America the unfettering of male libidos has led to a dramatic increase in sex crimes, the large majority of them against women. Pornography - which trades money for flesh in a wholesale exploitation of women - is out of control. Stable marriages are becoming a thing of the past as adultery and easy divorce become more "acceptable." Women are left, typically with their children, trying to figure out what to do with their lives.
Sex trafficking is up all over the world. In China and India 100 million baby girls have been aborted, killed, or abandoned by parents who have come to see them as a liability. Young girls in America and the West, exploited by men seeking only sexual gratification, choose abortion and all the painful after-effects of that bad decision as a way of escaping the problems foisted on them by a sex-crazed society.
The world, it seems, is at war against women, in a campaign of exploitation and extermination invented by women, fueled by women, and, to date, apparently approved by women. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 14.12). Of course, such venerable advice has no effect on a generation that rejects absolute truth and prefers its own concoctions of right and wrong. But the truth is there nonetheless.
In the report on gendercide in The Economist, two sentences above all riveted me: "Gendercide exists on almost every continent. It affects rich and poor; educated and illiterate; Hindu, Muslim Confucian and Christian alike." Christians, too? Evidently the allure of worldly passion has affected the Church even in so horrible a manner as this. Where can Christians - and where can the world - look to find a community that stands against this trend? In the early Church, following the lead of Jesus, Christians elevated the status of women to full-fledged members of society, and celebrated their importance as strong pillars in the temple of the Lord. While most Bible-believing Christians would still embrace this view, one has to wonder whether our practices - casual sex, easy divorce, ready embrace of pop culture and current fashion, widespread use of pornography - don't give the lie to our confession.
Where is the voice of the Church in the midst of this outrage against women? Our sermons, Bible studies, and popular literature focus more on helping the believer to be happy and prosperous than on vindicating the righteousness of God and working for justice, freedom, and the progress of the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake: The plight of women in America and the world will only get worse if present trends continue unchecked. And who is tasked with the restraint of immorality and the establishing of moral practices in line with the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit?
If the Church will not rise to this - and various other outrages against the goodness and justice of God - no one else will, either. But if we will, and do, God will cause even those most hostile to His way to get in line, if only for their own good (Ps. 81.15).
T. M. Moore
Winter and Spring 2010 Schedule
We are delighted to offer the following training opportunities for the Winter/Spring season at The Fellowship of Ailbe.
Follow the links to register your participation in these challenging and transforming training opportunities.
Webinars
With Paul in the School of Preaching
Pastors, are you interested in preaching more like the Apostle Paul? This three-session seminar will give you everything you need to improve your preaching and feed your flock with the strong meat of God’s Word with greater consistency and effects.
“The Context of Preaching” February 15, 5:00 pm Eastern
Preaching must be undertaken from within the Kingdom of God and for its progress in the lives of your people and your church.
“The Content of Preaching” March 15, 5:00 pm Eastern
True preaching is Biblical, doctrinal, oriented toward discipleship, and for the building-up of the Body of Christ.
“The Conduct of Preaching: April 19, 5:00 pm Eastern
We are most effective in our preaching when we prepare thoroughly, preach urgently and with clarity, and concentrate on the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Free with your $50 registration is a copy of T. M.’s enchiridion on preaching, Text to Transformation, a participant’s guide, critique of two of your sermons, and helps for sermon planning.
Full and Abundant Life in Christ
The life of discipleship is fuller, richer, and more powerful and transforming than most Christians know. In this webinar we will consider the Christian life from the perspective of practicing the Kingship of Jesus. Learn how you can improve your devotional life, understand the role of spiritual disciplines, gain a vision of the exalted Christ, and begin to take every sector of your life captive for the glory of God.
“Practicing the Kingship of Jesus” February 25, 5:00 pm or 10:30 pm Eastern
The first Christians were looked upon by nonbelievers as a threat to the status quo because they “practiced another King, Jesus.” Learn how practicing the presence, pursuit, and pre-eminence of Jesus can enrich your walk with the Lord.
“The Hope of Glory” March 25, 5:00 pm or 10:30 pm Eastern
What is the Christian’s hope? What motivates and sustains the true follower of Jesus Christ? Learn how you can both engage and express the glory of God in all the details of everyday life.
“Seeking the Kingdom” April 22, 5:00 pm or April 22, 10:30 pm Eastern
Discover the keys to seeking the Kingdom of God and growing in His righteousness – knowing the power of God at work within you to will and do of His good pleasure.
Free with your $50 registration is a copy of T. M.’s The Ground for Christian Ethics, a learner’s guide, and various supplemental handouts.
Officer Training
Are your elders and deacons fulfilling their calling to shepherd the flock of God, so that your people take up the work of ministry that builds a healthy, growing church? Join T. M. in teaching this webinar to your church leaders.
Revival Prayer
What could be more important than uniting with other believers to pray for revival? Register to join us, each third Thursday night of the month, 9:15 pm Eastern, for this hour of seeking the Lord for renewal. Participation is free and includes resources you can use to promote prayer for revival in your church.
The Gospel and this World
This Winter/Spring our focus is on “Proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.” Learn how sharing the Gospel can become a more consistent, personal, and effective part of your daily walk with the Lord. This free seminar includes a participant’s guide and resources to help you identify your Personal Mission Field and begin working it for the Good News of the Kingdom of God. This class monthly at 8pm.
Weekly Download
Pastors and Elders
Register to receive our monthly Shepherding Newsletter.
Schedule an Officer Training Seminar for your elders and deacons.
The Ailbe Seminary
Visit The Seminary.
| Voices TogetherPsalm 136:1-3 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures foreverJohn Nunnikhoven + Read More |
