Ed Christian's World

Learn From Your Mistakes…

Proverbs 24:16 says, “A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again.” An example of this is Simon Peter. Peter was a righteous man who fell many times. But you don’t read about him continuing to make the same mistake again and again.

For as a righteous man, he got up. And he didn’t waste his falls, but he made the most of them and learned from them. Peter grew, and by the end of his life, he was truly a great man of God.

So, too, with you. The question isn’t whether or not you’ll make mistakes, or if you’ll mess up. The question is, what will you do with your mistakes and messes once you make them? First, you need to rise up from them. Second, don’t just let them be a bad memory.

Turn them into something good by learning from them, grow stronger, purer, and more in the center of God’s will for your life. For mistakes are some of the greatest teachers you will ever have. Thus, the wise man doesn’t just recover from his mistakes – he makes the most of them.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. Proverbs 26:11

Take your mistakes and weaknesses and turn them around for good, turn sin into repentance, bitterness into forgiveness, and sorrow into joy.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Treasures In Heaven…

When the volcano of Pompeii erupted, one of the city’s inhabitants, a rich and beautiful woman ran down to the harbor to escape by ship. It was a wise decision. However, before running down, she decided to stay behind just long enough to collect as much of her jewelry as she could carry. Then she ran into the street with her diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, gold brooches, and earrings.

But the delay in getting all that jewelry placed her in danger. The poisonous fumes of the eruption overcame her as she ran. She fell down in the street. There she was found, ages later, entombed under the volcanic ash of Pompeii, her hands still clutching her jewelry.

This life is a spiritual Pompeii. It’s ultimately ending. And we’re all leaving it. And the more you try to take from it, the more you lose even of your own life. Let go of what you’re clinging to. Travel light. For it’s all Pompeii. But God has called us out – and to life.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26

Let go of anything you are holding onto that is hindering your spiritual walk.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Live In The Spirit…

You never see things as they are – only as they were. In order to see anything in this world, the light from the object you’re perceiving has to reach your eye. Then the light has to be translated into electric impulses, which then have to travel to your brain. Then your brain has to distinguish what it is, and all that takes time.

So the truth is, you never see anything as it is – only as it was. But truth can never be something simply that was. It must be true now. So then how can you truly see the truth? By not going by your eyes, by sight, but by living through faith and in the Spirit.

Those who are led by the Spirit walk in the newness of life. It’s never old. It’s never simply what was – but what is. It’s new. So never limit yourself by going on what you see or feel. That’s all old – and it’s no longer true. Go by faith. Live by the Spirit. And you’ll walk in the newness of life and in the Truth.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

Let go of the past and that which is old and live by faith in the newness of what is.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Tent Of Meeting

The Lord gave Israel something unique. He had them build a tent in which His glory would dwell – the Tabernacle. How did the Israelites build it? They built it with their treasures. They had to give their gold, their precious jewelry, and their fine clothes. They had to give their best.

God has also chosen to have His presence and glory dwell with you. But for that to happen, you, as with the Israelites, have to give Him your best. In other words, your prayer life, and your devotional life. Your time and communion with God only become as good as what you give to make it. If you give Him little time or only the leftover time in your day, then you’ll never know the blessing of His glory.

If you build Him a cheap tent – He will not come. So don’t miss the blessing of His presence or His glory. Give Him your treasures. Give Him the best part of your day. Put your meeting with Him above everything else – and you will be blessed. And the glory will inhabit your prayer life – And He will come.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

Today, build God a tabernacle, a tent of meeting, for you and Him – Give Him the best part of your time, and do it with all your heart.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

New day – New start…

One of the ways the children of Israel were unique was their calendar. God gave them a new calendar. He told them in Exodus 12 that the month of Aviv or Nisan would now be the beginning of months for them. That means that it wasn’t the beginning of months for them before that time. Thus, God had them start a new calendar, with a new beginning, a new year; a calendar different from the old one.

If you are born again, then you are a spiritual child of Israel. That means you too, must learn to go by a new calendar in the Spirit. Every child of God must live by a new calendar. The old calendar begins with your old birth – the new, with your new birth. In the old calendar, every day you get older. But in the new calendar, you have the power to grow newer every day.

In the new calendar, there’s no past of shame, guilt, failure, or darkness – it’s new every day. Live in the new. Start each day fresh, newly begun, as if everything is new – because it is – in the new calendar.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

See this day as an entirely new beginning. Start living by your new calendar and grow new in the spirit.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Healing Are The Wounds…

Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend…” The word translated as “faithful” is the Hebrew word “aman.” Aman can mean many things, but one of its meanings is “to nurse.”

A strange thing, because “to nurse” would seem to be the very opposite of “to wound.” The wounds of a friend can actually nurse and bring healing, especially when that Friend is God.

The Lord allows His children to be wounded – to know hurt, emotionally, mentally, or physically. But He promises to work all things, even the wounds, for your good. That means whenever He allows a hurt or a wound to touch your life – even that is for your good. God will use every hurt in your life to bring about a greater blessing; a deeper relationship with Him, spiritual growth, or healing for your soul.

So here’s a new way to look at the hurts and wounds of your life. Every one of them has a purpose to bring you a blessing. Seek God for that blessing, even when you don’t understand it – and that wound will turn from hurtful to healing.

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19

Bring your wounds to Him and receive the healing that comes from His wounds.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Sixth Day – Of Likeness…

The Book of Genesis records the creation of the world was in six days. But what happened on the sixth day? God created man. And He created man in His own image. Man was the epitome, the culmination, and the crown of creation. So what was the ultimate aim of creation? To create man in the image of God.

Now God is working on a different creation, a new creation, and the ultimate purpose of the new creation is for you to be created in the image and likeness of God. So it’s not about whether you become rich or not, or successful in your career, or whether you’re well-liked or hated. God’s purpose for your life is that you become conformed to His image, molded to His likeness; that you become like Him.

Don’t make it your goal in life to become rich, famous, comfortable or powerful, but make it to become like Him; loving, pure, righteous, godly, generous, compassionate, merciful, good– just as He is. For the creation of God in you is only complete when you bear His image and likeness.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 1 Peter 1:14

Make it your goal to be more like Jesus in every way. Conform to His image.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Preparing For Heaven…

When I was in middle school, we would have air raid drills. We were ushered out into the halls, where we would get down on our knees, and put our hands over our heads. I guess they thought that the best defense against a bomb dropped by the enemies air force was to cover our heads. Of course, it was only a test. We were preparing for the possibility of a real crises by going through the test.

Real life is filled with real dangers, real threats, real problems, real disasters, and real crises. And yet, this life is neither the final story nor the final reality. This life is preparation for eternity, for the ultimate reality. This life is only a test. Its problems, its crises, its impossibilities are only tests.

For a believer, everything that happens in this life is for a purpose – to prepare you for eternal life. Every problem is an opportunity for you to rise higher and manifest your faith. So the next problem you encounter – don’t fear, don’t panic, and don’t get discouraged – See it for what it is and pass – It’s only a test.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1Cor 10:13

Face any problem you encounter as a test that you already have the answer to and pass it.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Camping In Heaven

Chag Sukkot is the Hebrew name for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was because, during the feast, every worshiper camped out in a sukkah; a type of tent, under the skies of Jerusalem.

There is a profound truth here. Israel was home in the Promised Land, and you don’t normally camp out at home. But God wanted them to remember the days when they journeyed through the wilderness in tents, and when God camped out with them.

The Promised Land speaks of Heaven, and the wilderness speaks of this present life. Nothing here lasts forever, and all your circumstances are only tents on your journey to the place where things do last forever. Remember, you’re camping.

In the Promised Land, you’ll dwell in places that never pass away. And there you’ll remember this life as the days of your camping out; as tents in which you slept the night. And you’ll give thanks and say “how lovely were your dwelling places”- because God was there with you – those were the days of your journeying when you camped out with God in tents.

As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Exodus 33:9

Today, view this world and this life in a new way as a camping trip, where everything is a temporary tent – and live in view of your final destination – heaven.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed