Ed Christian's World

The Second Blessing…

When Jesus came to Jerusalem, many of the people shouted the words which greeted pilgrims to Jerusalem. From Psalm 118 “… Baruch Ha Ba, Ba Shem Adonai – Blessed Is He Who Comes In the Name of the Lord.”

Many of them said that, but many did not and in the end, He would not be welcomed but rejected. And so what He said is interesting. He said – You will not see me again until you say, “Baruch Ha Ba, Ba Shem Adonai.”

The Lord will not come again until the Jewish people say those words. It might sound hard but it’s actually the mercy of God. The Lord is giving a second chance for His people to do what they did not do when He first came: to receive Him, to welcome Him in and to bless Him.

So be encouraged and rise to your calling, for God is not finished with you. He’s not finished with you until you, like Israel, fulfill all that He gave you to fulfill and for which He placed you on this earth: to bless Him, to welcome Him and to usher in His glory.

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Is there an area where you’ve messed up and haven’t done what God is calling you to do, or stop doing? Today is your second chance – do it!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Passion…

God loves you and me – great heresies believers believe, but not true. God doesn’t just love you. He LOVES you!!! He didn’t just give His Son for you, he gave His son for you!!! He’s not just good, He’s great; awesome!!!

God is passionate. He doesn’t just love you, He passionately LOVES you. He gave His life because He loved you–that’s passionate. He went through the passion because He passionately loves you.

When He asks you to love Him, He doesn’t ask you to love Him, but love Him!!! We need to learn the passionate love of God so that we can live a passionate life for God, a passionate joy for God.

Be passionate about God; He is passionate about you. You think, well He loves you; maybe you’ll praise Him, maybe you’ll serve Him, maybe you’ll live a little bit for Him. If you realize He loves you then you’ll praise Him, serve Him and live for Him with all your heart!!!

You won’t be able to do anything less when you get it into your head and heart that He doesn’t just love you. Remember my friend, He LOVES you!!! Be blessed.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

Today, meditate on and cherish His incomprehensible, extravagant love. Let it fill you to overflowing because there’s more than enough to give away.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Dirt Beneath The Flowers…

Flowers are beautiful. Fruits are sweet. But you can’t have flowers or fruit without dealing with dirt. You can’t have a garden without dirt. Galatians 5 speaks about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, goodness.

You cannot have these without dealing with some dirt. First you must dig, then turn over the dirt in your life. God calls you to bear fruit, but first you’ll have to deal with some things you don’t like to deal with – things that are unpleasant, not loving, good or gentle – areas we’d rather not dwell in or on.

Sin, hardness of heart, things that are dark and not pretty; that are not loving or pure. God calls you to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, self-control, and goodness, etc., and fruit all grows from the ground. It all begins when you put your hands to the plow and break up the fallow ground.

Don’t be afraid, my friend, of dealing with those difficult areas of your life, those areas you don’t really want to look at. Take them on, break up your fallow ground today, because it’s time for you to bear your fruit.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Ephesians 4:1

Do some yard work today.. in your heart and life. Deal with the dirt. Let God plough it over, and do new things.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Plans That He Knows…

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans for welfare, plans to give you a future and a hope, not for calamity but for Shalom.”

He doesn’t just say, I have a plan. Instead the Lord says “I know the plans.” He’s saying I know the plans, you don’t know. Not that I am telling you all the plans, but I know the plans.

You’re so caught up in the details of your situation, you’re forgetting something. I’ve got a plan for you. You couldn’t even handle the plans I have for you, if you knew. It’s enough for you to know that I know the plans. “Trust Me,” says the Lord.

You may not know where your life is heading, but I know the plans. Stop worrying, fearing and being anxious. You can be at peace, because there is something good ahead if you’re following the Lord. He’ll work all things for good.

It’s enough that there is a plan, and even more than that, it’s enough for you to simply know that the Lord says, I know the plans.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:3-8

Today, rest in this truth – God knows the plans He has for your life – You don’t have to. The plans are good and for your blessing. Just seek to walk in them.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Ask, Seek and Knock…

Hosea 2:15 says, I will transform Israel’s Valley of Trouble into a gateway or Door of Hope for her. In Hebrew, the word ‘Achor’ means trouble and Heta Petah Tikvah means “Door of Hope.”

You might be in the valley right now, in trouble, and you are getting down and getting discouraged, but God’s will and power is to turn your Valley of Trouble into a Door of Hope.

Now Jesus said, knock and the door shall be opened. A door can be opened or closed, and that’s where you have to follow Jesus’s command. You might be standing right next to the Door of Hope, but you haven’t knocked yet. A closed door looks like a wall, unless you knock and you have to open it.

So listen, you want to get out of that Valley of Trouble, look for the Door of Hope. Knock and the Heta Petah Tikvah, the Door of Hope shall be opened to you. Because in God, every Valley of Trouble will turn into a Door of Hope for you and your part is to knock and go through it.

You who are the hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night? Jeremiah 14:8

What troubles do you have in your life? Instead of being upset or down over it, look to find the Door of Hope, the good thing God is planning to do.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Take Care Of Your Own Garden…

In the beginning of the Bible, there is a man, a woman, and a garden. It was to be their garden. It wasn’t their neighbor’s garden. There were no neighbors. They were to bear fruit to God.

God also calls you to bear fruit. In Galatians 5 it speaks about the fruit of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Keep your life and your walk with God very simple.

You can help your neighbor when they ask and bless them, but your business is your garden. You can’t make your neighbor bear fruit. But you can go over to your neighbor’s house and bless them.

You can bring tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, all the blessings of your garden and give it to them. You are not responsible for their fruit. You are responsible for yours with which you can bless them.

So just make sure your garden is fruitful, full of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit God called you to bear, that’s your business. The rest is His business.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10

Don’t focus on the faults of others – focus on your own garden, what you need to do, what is God calling you to bear? Do what you need to do.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Happy Thanksgiving…

This Thanksgiving I give thanks to God for family, friends and the loving peace He has blessed me with. When I look back over the past year, I am amazed at all the blessings He has given me, in spite of my short comings. Thank you Father for loving me and showing me how to love.

When we begin to think of all the things we should be thankful for I find life just wouldn’t exist without the daily blessings and grace God bestowed on us daily. I, for one, know many of these blessings are not deserved yet He gives them too me anyway. What a mighty God we serve!!

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

I’m sure we all have many things to be thankful for and I sincerely wish each and every one of you a wonderful day full of love, joy and thanksgiving. Share your blessings with every one that crosses your path. Be the shining light He intended you to be and remember love isn’t love until you give it away.

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:1-2

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Casting Out Your Nets…

In Matthew 4, the Lord calls “His” fishermen. They are called to be fishers of men. Well, fishers always cast out, whether it is a line or a net.

Thus we must always first act in faith, to first engage people. Even when the Lord was giving them the miracle of the fish, they had to first cast out. You cast out, you cast your bread on the waters, you cast out your net.

You won’t see the blessing if you don’t cast out. You spread the word, you cast out the word, you cast out your comments, you cast out that tract, you cast out that visit, you cast out that book, you cast out that ministry, you cast out that question.

It doesn’t matter where you are. You might be in a family gathering when the time is right, you talk to that person in a store, you make your cast. God has miracles waiting for you in the deep waters, but His fishers can’t be timid.

Be gentle, but bold. Salvation and miracles are waiting to fill your net, but you are only going to see it when you cast out.

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all you. Joshua 22:5

Today, seek to be a true fisher of men – cast out your net, cast out a word, cast out a seed, cast out a comment, cast out something that will draw them in to the Lord.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

But Not My Family…

Christians say I’ll share the gospel with anybody: cannibals, mass murderers, serial killers and Nazis. I’ll even go to head-hunting, Neo-Nazi Ku Klux Klan cannibals in New Guinea. You’ll share with anybody?

Well anyone but one group. Don’t ask me to share with my family. I’ll share with any other but not my family. Imagine you’re drowning and you’re yelling “Help” and the lifeguard says, “Sorry, I can’t save you.” You’re a relative. I make it a policy not to save family members. It’s too awkward, causes too much problems, sorry, goodbye. Could that be you?

Could you be expressing your faith all over the place but not with your own family? You’re showing love, forgiveness, patience, peace, radical mercy, unconditional agape; you’re loving your enemies – all outside of your home.

Remember the Great Commission. It started in Jerusalem and then to the world. How about taking all that love and that patience and that radical forgiveness, radical warmth, boldness, and zeal and bring it to the most radical place – your home. You’ll get to the head-hunting Neo-Nazi, New Guinea Cannibal and Ku Klux Klan members, but first bless your family.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Take a bold step, and with a heart of love, bring God’s love to a family member and let this be the beginning of a new adventure of life’s mission.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Go To The Ant…

“Go to the ant” Proverbs 6:6. We learn a lot from the ant. Ants don’t do things half-heartedly. It doesn’t have much of a heart, but it uses all it has.

When it picks up a bread crumb three times its size it’s not picturing itself on a raft in the Caribbean with sunglasses and a coconut milk shake. It’s thinking about the breadcrumb. There’s wisdom in their ways.

As human believers, often not as wise as ants, we do things halfheartedly. We do one thing, we’re thinking of another, and… complaining about it. Our heart is not in it. Or we don’t really believe in what we’re doing.

We have a divided heart, and just go through the motions. You want victory? Learn from the ant. Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. If you can’t do it with your whole heart, don’t do it.

If you’re a father, do your duties, not grudgingly. If you’re a wife, don’t do it grudgingly but with all your heart. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. Serve the Lord with all your heart, with gladness; be as wise as the ant.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23

Make it your aim today to do all things wholeheartedly – with all your heart , mind soul, and strength.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed