Ed Christian's World

The Holy Place In…

The Wilderness So… you’re going through a wilderness…Or, you’ve just gone through a wilderness…or, you’re about to go through a wilderness… or … whatever the case … you probably don’t like the wilderness, those hard times in the Lord.

But if you go into any synagogue in the world, you’ll find something called the Ark, the holiest place. Inside the Ark is the Torah, the most holy scroll which contains the Five Books of Moses.

But think about it… this most sacred scroll, the Torah, was written completely in the wilderness…. Genesis and the creation of the world, Exodus and Passover, the Ten Commandments, the Law, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy of Holies.

The wilderness is sacred, a special place and time where you get the chance of drawing especially near to God. It is in the wilderness that He gives you the Tent of Meeting, and reveals His presence in the deepest ways.

So do not despise your wilderness, but bless it. For God Himself will dwell among you in the most special of ways and make your wilderness most holy.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

Create a special place to spend time getting closer to the Lord today – just Him and you. Make your wilderness holy.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Maintaining Focus – By Grace Alone…

Over the years we all learn that nothing we do is by accident. As Christians we grow in the fact that it is only by His grace that we do anything. This is why it is so important to stay focused on God.

It is through His grace that there’s a lot right in your life. It is also through His grace we have stuggles in our life. Don’t focus so much on the struggles that you miss the gift of His grace for within every struggle there is a gift.

By grace alone we go forth and it is by grace alone we have blessings to share. So why is it that so many people spend so much time complaining about their misery than they do rejoicing about the blessings in their daily life?

We will stumble, it is only human, but through prayer and His grace we are lead back onto His path. I think we, as Christians, begin to take His presence for granted and forget to thank Him for all He is doing on our behalf.

In every stuggle we face there is a joy to share, if we take the time to discover it. However, most don’t take the time to find out what the blessing is because they are so bent because of the struggle they have put in front of them.

I have learned over the years to ask myself why God has blessed me with this struggle and what joy I can share with others as a result of it. I have found in every struggle there is also a blessing. As we walk our way through the problem we begin to understand just what God is teaching us and then we are blessed.

It is my opinion we exist, by His grace, to share our blessings with others. We grow through sharing with each other and each of us receives a bit of joy from it. This joy is a blessing that grows as we share it with others. It is a never ending process that grows as we continue to share our blessings.

As we know, life is full of rough places that we learn to overcome or work around to continue down our chosen path. God places these obstacles in our path because there is a lesson to be learned from them. As we learn the lesson we are given a blessing and when we share the blessings we are blessed again.

To grow in life, both as a Christian and as a person, we must take the cards we are dealt and make the best of it. I believe we get out of life just what we put into it so by expressing the joy in everything we are sharing the love God wants us to share. We must keep our focus centered on God.

It is by grace alone I am….

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Elected Mule…

You may not have a high opinion of politicians and this probably won’t help…. a cautionary tale… and true. In 1938, the Democratic mayor of Milton, Washington sponsored the running of a candidate who was obviously not qualified for the government. The candidate was a mule.

The election came, and by a 51 vote plurality, the mule was elected to public office. I’m sure the citizens of Milton didn’t fancy the idea of being governed by a mule. Although I’m sure for some, it represented a distinct improvement.

The point is, if we complain about those who govern us, we’re complaining against ourselves because we elect them. It’s not just true for politics; it’s also true for life. You don’t only elect rulers in the political realm, but also in the spiritual.

When you give yourself to anger, lust, that habit, that activity, you’re electing it to rule over you. Give yourself to prayer and worship, and activities that are good and righteous and thoughts that are godly.

As it is written, “Let the peace of Jesus rule in your hearts.” Elect the Lord today. It’s far better than being governed by a mule.

Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Acts 13:39

Take a one-person vote today and decide by a unanimous decision to meet with God daily in prayer, in Bible reading, in worship – in however the Lord leads you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Secret Alms And Closets…

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:1) Jesus says: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men, to be seen of them… When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Notice what Jesus calls righteousness. According to Jesus, righteousness consists of giving to the needy. In most synagogues, there’s something called the “Tzedakah Box,” a container you put money into to help the poor and needy.

Tzedakah is a Hebrew word for righteousness, not charity. In English, there is a difference between the two. Too often we separate the two. We become hyper-spiritual in the wrong way, and we talk of a righteousness that has little to do with real life, or love, or blessing others.

We speak of the righteousness of God, but we act unloving to those around us. We speak of holiness but live self-centered and stingy lives. But in Hebrew, there’s no difference between righteousness and generosity.

Neither is there a difference with our Hebrew Lord. So get the two together. Do an act of Tzedakah today – for Jesus is your Tzedakah and Tzedakah must be your life.

As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:9-11

What will you do to increase the fruits of your Tzedakah? Start today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Of Mountains and Valleys…

In the ancient writings you’ll find an amazing thing. The rabbis spoke of two Messiahs. One they called Maschiach ben David who would subdue the nations and reign on David’s throne in glory forever. The other they called Maschiach ben Yosef who would come humbly, suffer and die for sins.

It’s clear in the Bible that there’s only one Jesus. He’s both glorious and humble, and victorious and suffering. Only one person sums all that up — Jesus of Nazareth.

If Jesus were only glorious and victorious, then it would be hard for Him to identify with us or us with Him. He’s also the Jesus of suffering and rejection, loneliness and sorrow. So whatever you’re going through you’ve got a Jesus for that too.

You’ve got someone who can identify with you and someone with whom you can identify. He’s doubly good. He’s not just Jesus for one part of your life, but for all. So whatever you’re going through, He’s going through it with you. Lean on His shoulders in your sorrows and He’ll share His blessings with you in His joy.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Give your best to God today and also bring Him your worst today. Either way, He’s with you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Unplanned and The Planned…

The Planned Let’s say you wanted to have a rotten relationship with someone. How do you go about planning the rotten relationship?

You could plan never to express any love to them. You could plan to be critical all the time. You could plan to not come through on your responsibilities. You could plan on not coming home on time, being irritable, inconsiderate, hurting their feelings, purposely neglecting their birthday, and just never going out of your way for them.

You do these things and chances are you’ll end up with a rotten relationship. That’s how you plan out bad relationships. No one plans to end up with rotten relationships. But that’s exactly how bad relationships happen — with no planning.

Good relationships don’t happen that way. Good relationships take planning. If you want a good relationship with your parents or children or husband or wife, you’re going to have to want it.

You’ll have to plan for it, work at it and persevere in it. But it’s more than worth it. It will make the difference between what is worthless and what is precious.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

Make plans to spend a day with someone you may have been neglecting. Mark it on your calendar.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Your Other Treasure…

There’s an expression, “Time is money.” But that’s not true. Time is not money. Time is time. We often use money to purchase good times. And the more we give, the more good times we expect.

If we put a quarter into a pinball machine or video game, we get a few minutes of fun. If we spend a few dollars in the cinema, we get two hours of entertainment. If we spend 20 or 30 dollars in a restaurant, we get a night out.

Yet all of these things we spend money on ultimately end and then there’s nothing. But Jesus said, “Don’t store up your treasures on earth where moths and rust devour, and thieves break in and steal.”

He told us to store up our treasures in heaven because that’s the only place where treasures last forever. When you invest your treasures in the Kingdom of Heaven you get blessings forever – you get eternal dividends.

Be wise with your investments. Invest whatever you have in this life in the Kingdom of God. You’ll inherit everlasting riches and all the time in the world – and then some.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

Re-evaluate your spiritual investment plan and make one necessary change in your life today that will give you a better return in the Kingdom of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Edr

The Footstool World…

The Book of Hebrews says that God is the builder of everything. In other words, when you see leaves, butterflies and flowers there’s a builder behind it.

Now imagine if you saw a television set with a screen, plugs, channels, digital remote control, circuitry, plastic molding and the name “Panasonic” on it, and someone tried to convince you that no one built that television set. It just came together by accident.

Would you believe it? Would anyone? Of course not. And yet the most complex television set can’t compare to the complexity of the human eye. The most complex stereo system can’t compare to the complexity of the human ear.

All the electrical systems known to man can’t compare to the complexity of one human cell. And the most complex computer ever devised by human intelligence can’t compare to the complexity of the human brain.

The fact is, God is the builder of everything. Be strong in that. And rejoice in this: He also built you, gave His life for you and is now building your life into something good and precious.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10

Spend some time giving honor and glory to the Lord God, the creator of all things – especially for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

You Have To Move On…

On the road with Jesus ministering in Galilee: He’s healing the blind and making the crippled walk. But suddenly Jesus leaves and says, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”

Jesus is in effect saying, “I have to move on.” If you’re following Jesus and He’s moving on, then how can you follow Him if you don’t move on? Don’t stop following. Don’t stay where you are. Don’t stop stepping out in faith. Don’t stop moving ahead.

Jesus called his disciples to follow him because he’s always moving. Have you been stuck in the same place? Pondering what you once had but lost? Get over it. Move on already.

The Lord is not staying in it, and neither should you. Move on with your life. Step out and go. The Lord is always moving on.

If you want the continuing presence and joy of the Lord, then move on with the Lord because moving on is the only way to go when you’re going with the Lord.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Think of one step of faith that you can take to keep you moving forward in the Lord and act on it today. Don’t be left behind.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Heart – One True Editor – 2…

They say time heals all wounds and for the most part it does. God has created in us a system that helps heal our hurts and stresses, broken bones, heartaches and just about anything else that causes hurt in our bodies and minds. It is the heart! Our heart, mixed with a little love, is the great editor of hurt and distress for our soul.

Psalms 147:3 He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds. When we turn our wounds and hurts to Him, He gives us peace and comfort. I don’t think we fully realize the depth of His love for us. I know we don’t realize the enormous power of love, whether it is His love for us or even our love for each other.

When Jesus gave us the commandment to love our neighbors as He has loved us, it was to open the door for us to see others as He has. Love is the key to all things and because of that it is the most powerful emotion and trait we have been blessed with.

I remember Grandfather telling me when I was about 7 years old that every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message. Then added every act of kindness and love we do is showing His love within us to others, giving them a unique look inside our heart. The heart will, with love, rewrite our hurt and pain so it doesn’t seem so harsh. It will, over time, help us see things in a different light – His light.

I am reminded of when he told me to listen to my mind, but to follow my heart. God resides inside our hearts and provides wonderful guidance for us, if we choose to follow. He set the example for us, through His son Jesus, and asks us to use that example in our everyday life. He taught forgiveness, unequivocal love and compassion for everyone.

He gave us free will, so we make our own decisions on our life events. Forgiving others for a wrong is a choice, if we choose the path of love and forgive our heart is filled with joy. If we chose the other path, we continue to carry it’s pain with us. Why choose to carry that burden? Let your heart heal the hurt, let love in and push the pain out.

Because the indwelling Christ resides in us, God is literally establishing His rule in the world through us. As we say yes to God and live our lives in agreement with Him, He lives, rules, and reigns through us everywhere we go and in everything we do. Thus He also takes our pain and suffering from us therefore making our heart the best editor for our memories.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

When you put it all together you realize how powerful love is and how important it is that we forgive others as He forgave us. Knowing we are the only bible some people will ever see makes shining our light even more important. Love is the light of the world and it is never wasted.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed