@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“The professions and trades of those who are going to be accepted into the community must be examined. The nature and type of each must be established… brothel, sculptors of idols, charioteer, athlete, gladiator…give it up or be rejected. A military constable must be forbidden to kill, neither may he swear; if he is not willing to follow these instructions, he must be rejected. A proconsul or magistrate who wears the purple and governs by the sword shall give it up or be rejected. Anyone taking or already baptized who wants to become a soldier shall be sent away, for he has despised God.”
~ Hippolytus (170AD – 236AD)
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Renew Your Strength in God

I guess we all have days when we feel tired or lacking in energy. Then there are those unfortunate people who suffer from a physical condition that saps their physical energy and strength. But physical energy, valuable though it is, is only one aspect of our vitality. As spiritual beings we can have an inner energy and vitality that does not depend solely upon good health, fulfilling sleep, and regular exercise. I’m talking about the life and energy that flows from God whenever we actively connect with Him in listening prayer. This is the truth captured by Isaiah when he writes, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). If we desire strength for today, and for tomorrow, let us wait on the Lord. In a busy world, full of distractions, it is easy to neglect the spiritual discipline of seeking God and listening to His voice. When we take this seemingly counter-intuitive step, we will experience a supernatural transformation of time, for as the Living Bible paraphrase of Proverbs 10:27 says, "Reverence for God adds hours to each day." A somewhat strange and unexpected thing will happen. Instead of having less time to do what we need to do, we will find that we have more. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself, and renew your strength in God.