Ed Christian's World

Your Heartbeat…

Have you ever put a stethoscope to a rock? Probably not! But if you did, you would discover that a rock has no heartbeat. It doesn’t need one. But if you put a stethoscope to your chest, you’ll discover that you do indeed have a heartbeat because you’re not a rock.

Your heartbeat tells you that your existence can never be taken for granted or wasted. Your life is a gift. There was a first heartbeat, and there will be a last.

And if you put that stethoscope to your loved ones, your parents, your children, your co-workers, your co-ministers, you’ll find that they too have heartbeats. They will not always be there. They had a first heartbeat and they will have a last heartbeat, and only a limited number in between.

Therefore, their existence also cannot be taken for granted. Your life and your new life in salvation is God’s gift to you. What you do with it, is your gift to God.

Treasure those around you while you have them. Love them, forgive them, bless them and save them. For we are not rocks, and our greatest treasures in this world, all have heartbeats.

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

Take a moment to listen to your heartbeat. Thank God for every beat, every moment of your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The True Sign Of Holiness…

What do you think of when you hear the word “spirituality” or a “spiritual person,” a “holy man?” Most people picture someone who is somber, mystical, transcendent. But in Acts 13:52, it is written that the disciples were “filled with great joy and the Holy Spirit.”

Joy and the Holy Spirit… go together. You see the Spirit gives joy and joy is spiritual. Joy is even listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So you see, the most spiritual people are also those who have joy and who are truly filled with the Spirit.

They do not argue all day about the gifts of the Spirit, but have the joy of the Lord. Those believers rejoice in the love of God from morning to night. The good news is, since joy is of the Spirit, it is not dependent on the flesh or the world or your circumstances.

There is never a situation in which you can’t have joy, for true joy is based on the Spirit, and the Spirit is not bound by circumstance. Rejoice in the Lord always. For it’s time to get spiritual, and the spiritual are those who rejoice.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Practice the practice of rejoicing always, rejoicing unconditionally, rejoicing no matter what – However far you get, you’ll be more blessed than you were.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Secret Of Moody’s Faith…

The renowned evangelist Dwight L. Moody spent hours praying for faith. He once said, “If all the time I have spent praying for faith was put together it would be months. I thought that someday faith was going to come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not come.

Then one day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). I had closed my Bible, and prayed for faith.

I now opened my Bible and began to read God’s Word, and faith has been growing ever since.” Much of what believers describe as “faith” has nothing to do with Biblical faith.

There are many teachings, seminars, churches, and ministries which base everything on a faith which constitutes, in effect, believing that God will give you whatever you desire.

Our faith must be based not on emotion and not on want, but on the Word of God, which is Jesus, His death and resurrection. If you want greater faith, open your Bible. Apply and live the Word today. And faith will come and grow, by the Word of God.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

Open up your Bible today and seek to receive everything it says – to your mind, your heart, your emotions, and your will.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Living With His Past…

In Biblical times, people didn’t have any last names. They had to come up with ways of identifying them. One of the ways was by the place of their origin like Joseph of Arimathea, Simon the Cyrene, and Mary Magdalene, whose last name is the name of a town, Miryam of Magdala. There were many people who went through their lives identified, marked, and labeled by the place they resided and by their past.

Likewise, we’re marked and defined by where we’ve originated from and by our past. But, in Jesus comes the power to break the past; break out of the old and into the new. Jesus was called “Yeshua min N’tzeret,” “Jesus of Nazareth.” His first followers were called “the Nazarenes.” They were “Sam the Nazarene,” “Rebekkah the Nazarene,” and “James the Nazarene.”

In other words, they were no longer known by the place of their origin, but by the place Yeshua, where Jesus came from. When you live in Jesus, you are no longer marked or bound by your past or your circumstance. Your past belongs to Jesus. And His name belongs to you.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

Today, imagine if instead of having your past, you had the past of Jesus, full of God’s love – how would that change how you live and act? In the atonement, His perfect past is yours – live it.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

I Am With You…

God spoke to Yaakov, Jacob, in a dream. He said to him. “I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go…” (Gen 28:15). Jacob’s reaction was to focus on the place where it all happened… and call it “Beit El” – “God’s House.”

In some ways, he missed the point. The point wasn’t the place, but that God was with Jacob, and would be with him wherever he went.

We tend to be focused on the where, but God wants us to focus on the wherever. God is not just the God of the House of God, not just of the mountains, but the valleys too.

If we only rejoice in the mountains, then we’re only rejoicing in the mountains, not in God. Many believers only rejoice when the circumstance looks good. But God wants us to rejoice whether the circumstance looks good or rotten.

If we’re so focused on our circumstances… then are we really the people of God? We have something much more than a prosperous circumstance.

We have God in the good and bad times. Rejoice and learn to live with an unconditional joy… for you have an unconditional God!

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say   “The Lord is great!” Psalm 40:16

Today, live confidently. Take joy and strength knowing that God is with you wherever you go and whatever you may go through.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Serve Through Prayer – Two Eyes – Two Ears – One Mouth…

Sally, one of my favorite people, responded to my post “On Prayer” with: “I wonder if a person’s prayer life is a reflection of their relationships with other people. I find that listening is a skill that often has to be taught. People want to be heard so much that they ignore the most important aspect of communicating–listening. I have said to people, you will never hear your answer unless you are still and quiet.”

It reminded me of something my Grandfather told me as I was learning the Prayer / Medicine Wheel. He would say “God has blessed you with two eyes to observe all that is going on around you, two ears so that you can hear what the spirits are telling you and one mouth to say thank you Lord!”

There is no doubt in my mind we talk too much, don’t listen enough and fail to notice what is happening all around us. One of the biggest challenges I have had was teaching my wife to see what is going on around her, observing people instead of not seeing them.

In my life, on the reservation, the one lesson I learned was we don’t die, we pass on to the spirit world and like the medicine wheel we continue in our never ending circle. As a healer I was taught to listen to the spirits and to use their strength to increase my knowledge to serve others. We are taught to use our eyes to see what nature is giving us, through the animals and plants, to help heal the inflicted and calm the storm. We use our mouth to thank God for all the blessings He has given us in strength and knowledge.

We are given two ears so that we listen twice as much as we talk, two eyes to see all the blessings we are given, even though we don’t deserve them and only one mouth to express our thanks for everything.

Listening is not something we should be taught, but I think Sally is right, people are so intent on being heard, they forget the most important aspect in communication – listening. If you can’t listen you will never learn or get your answer.

That may just be the reason most people think their prayers aren’t being answered, because they are blind to the fact that you must listen to hear His response and look with your eyes when He is showing you the answer.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

Two eyes, two ears and only one mouth – God knew what He was doing, let’s pay attention!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Difference Between No Fear and Fear Not…

We know that believers are not to dwell in fear. On the other hand, fear definitely has advantages if used correctly. King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by enemy armies. He was afraid.

The saints of God often dealt with fear: Moses, Elijah, David, Peter, and Paul. The point is not about never having fear… it’s what you do with that fear that counts. Firstly, the saints of God recognized that they were afraid. Secondly, they brought their fear to God.

You see, we are told to “Fear not.” But that doesn’t mean you will never have to deal with fear. You will have to deal with fear, but you will have to choose to overcome it. Fear…… and then… NOT.

How do you fear not? You bring your fear to the One who is much bigger than your fear. Look how many Psalms are in the Bible that were written by David confronting his fear? They often start with fear, but they end with praise.

So too, use your fear to bring you closer to God. Be strong and of good courage… but first learn how to use your fear for good.

Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. Isaiah 54:4

Whenever you’re anxious, worried, or afraid – don’t just go with it – but bring it to the Lord and let Him make your fear become a fear not!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

He and You…

President Franklin Roosevelt used to attend a church in Washington. One day, somebody telephoned the church and asked anxiously, “Tell me, do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?”

The rector answered, “That, I cannot promise. But we expect God to be there. That will be incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.”

What if you heard that the President of the United States was coming to attend your worship service? You’d be very excited, you’d make sure to get there early and you’d be more eager to invite friends. You would not allow rain or other engagements to stop you.

If that’s how you’d be if the President decided to attend your next worship service, how much more should you be all those things every week of the year? Because someone far greater than the President is definitely showing up… Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, the Light of the World, God, the King of the Universe!

Be excited about the things of God…. Be excited about God. Be excited about going to worship service. For far more awesome and exciting than a meeting with a President… is a meeting with God.

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Acts 2:28

Get more excited about God. Mark your calendar for this week’s service that “Yeshua, the Messiah, King of the Universe”, will be the honored guest… and get there early.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Yoga and The Drowning Lifeguard…

Many people, even Christians, are into Yoga. In Sanskrit, ‘Yoga’ means ‘the joining.’ The premise of Eastern religion is that we are all God, but we have come under the illusion that we are not God.

Therefore, we have to join ourselves back. The problem: how can we be joined back to God if we are God in the first place? Yoga is to extinguish the self in order to merge with God. But, if you are God, then to extinguish yourself is to extinguish God.

If we’re under an illusion and lost, and at the same time we’re God, then God is also lost, which leaves no hope. So, who can be saved? It’s ultimately hopeless and miserable; one only has to go to India to see it.

There’s only one true joining; that is of the God who joined Himself to us, in life, in death, and in resurrection.. Jesus.. that you could be saved. Forget ‘the yoga’ and trying to join yourself to God.

Receive instead the love of God that has joined itself to your life. Rejoice and be glad. There is no true yoga, or joining.. except the Gospel.

 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

Be joined to God today, by letting God be joined to you. Receive His presence in your secret place.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Dragons Mouth…

A Mouth! Did you know that evil spirits have no physical mouths to speak with? How do they speak? They need a mouth. Whose mouth? Yours.

You might think, “That’s fine, but I’m not a demoniac.” Think again. If your mouth is used for slander and gossip, for words that are impure or negative and destructive, if you’re giving voice to things that hurt or tear down… then you’re giving voice to evil and to the spirits of evil.

Evil needs a sound system to whisper temptations, thoughts of fear, envy, suspicion, greed and impurity. But it can’t go any further unless we give these things room by dwelling on them and giving them voice.. so they can spread to others.

Have you allowed yourself to be a mouthpiece for darkness? Repent; resolve that you will never again allow your tongue to be used for evil. The good news is… the Holy Spirit has no mouth of flesh and blood either… except yours.

Dedicate your mouth to be a vessel of the Holy Spirit, speaking only words that bring life. Let the Spirit of God speak through you and the spirits of evil be silent.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Make it your aim today to let no dark thing come out of your mouth but rather to be a mouthpiece of the Master and to silence the mouth of the enemy.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed