@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'

Heaven's Way or Earth's Way

It's our choice

We’re all used to doing things the world’s way. We learn from an early age how things are done in our culture, and some of these things may be good and helpful. But there’s another way of doing things - a way that transcends the limitations of cultural influence. I call it the Way of Heaven. It’s the path of those who daily seek God, hear Him, and follow His guidance. This practice is as old as humanity itself, a way of life that has been followed by the truly wise in all ages. It’s not just earthly groups that have a culture. Heaven has its own way of doing things. Contrary to what some mistakenly believe, far from being a passive observer, Heaven is an active provider of information, wisdom, and direction. Heavenly data is always wholly accurate, and utterly relevant to our earthly situation. Because of its uniqueness in this respect, the guidance of Heaven is to be sought before that of all other sources. Choose to seek God today – because Heaven has planned the best path for you. It’s always time to choose Heaven’s way.