@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“For the Gentiles, hearing from our mouth the words of God, are impressed by their beauty and greatness: then, learning that our works are not worthy of the things we say, they turn to railing, saying that it is some deceitful tale. For when they hear from us that God says: ‘No thanks will be due to you, if ye love only those who love you; but thanks will be due to you, if ye love your enemies and those that hate you’—when they hear this, they are impressed by the overplus of goodness: but when they see that we do not love, not only those who hate us, but even those who love us, they laugh at us, and the Name is blasphemed.”
~ The 2nd Epistle of Clement (140-160AD)
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Choosing The Kingdom

In Jesus’ first recorded sermon, He directed His listeners to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). This message was both a warning and a radiant invitation, a divine summons that still echoes with urgency in these present end times, calling every soul to awaken to the nearness of God. The Greek word translated “repent” is metanoeite  (μετανοεῖτε), which means far more than sorrow for sin. It literally signifies a transformative “change of mind,” a reorientation of the entire heart and life toward God. Changes of mind shape lives and destinies. We might call such a change a fundamental paradigm shift. The most significant paradigm shift anyone may ever make is to choose the Kingdom of God. If we are wise, we will not be content to have only once made this vital choice, but we will orientate our heart and life to God at the start of each new day. 