@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'

Live as a Citizen of Heaven

When anyone is born again, it is the consequence of two decisions. The first is a decision made by God in eternity past. This was a decision to rescue and redeem humanity through the Cross. God decided to call everyone into fellowship with Himself through the atoning work of His Son. This is why Jesus said, “If I am lifted up, I will draw all to Me.” The second decision is the one we make when we choose to receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. God calls us and is actively working for the ultimate salvation of all. He even involves us in this wonderful mission, directing us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Once we are born again, we live in God’s kingdom on earth, the fellowship of all believers in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Sadly, it must be said that people are not always faithful, which means that any merely human society will always be flawed, but this heavenly fellowship has Christ as its head, and He is always faithful. When you look at dark events unfolding around you in the world, remember that though you are in the world, you are not of the world. You are first and foremost a citizen of Heaven and a member of Christ’s fellowship on earth. Unlike the world, this is a safe society with the noblest and most dependable leader. Heaven’s citizens walk and talk daily with Heaven’s King.