@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Choosing Our Place In Revival

We have a part to play in revival and can choose the nature of our engagement with it. The most basic level of engagement is to choose to participate in a move of revival. We may attend revival events, experience revival phenomena, and perhaps witness the miraculous and supernatural expressions of revival. But the higher and superior level of engagement is to choose a life of personal revival. Let me explain. Once upon a time there was a King of Israel called Saul. Saul chose not to do things God’s way and was ultimately removed from office. But there was a point in Saul’s life where he was heard prophesying by the Spirit of God (1 Samuel 10:12). Given Saul’s poor spiritual state this was surprising! The reason for this unexpected display of spiritual gifting on Saul’s part was that at the time that he prophesied he was in the company of the prophets and therefore came under the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was upon them. Under that anointing he did what prophets do – he prophesied. But the moment he walked away, he just went straight back to being the old Saul, unable to speak one prophetic word. That’s how it is for many people during a revival. They find themselves in a place where the Spirit of God is moving, and whilst there they come under that anointing and may even do great things. But when the revival leaves town, they go back to their old life in which miracles, signs, and wonders are rare or non-existent. We can be like Saul, anointed for a moment, or we can choose to be daily filled afresh with the Holy Spirit and live our life in personal revival.