Ed Christian's World

Prayer Without Limits….

Don’t start praying. That’s right, don’t start praying. You’re thinking, what kind of advice is that? That’s not spiritual or godly; that’s not the Bible.

Well, that is the Bible–the Bible says the same thing. It says in Ephesians 6:18 “pray without ceasing.” It’s not saying to start praying, but to pray always, without ceasing, at all times. If you are praying always, then it’s not a matter of starting.

If you are starting, it means that you weren’t praying before that. Of course, if you’re not praying, start praying. The point is that you should always be praying.

Your life should be one big prayer where you are always in contact with God, where your heart is always speaking to God, hearing from God, worshiping God, being touched by God’s Spirit.

The channel is always open, never closed. Learn how not to start praying, but how not to stop praying, to always pray, to always be open, to have your life an unending prayer to God.

It all starts when you stop starting and stop stopping, and you just pray, you just be with God at all times in every place, always.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Seek today, as much as possible, to learn the secret of praying without ceasing – to pray without starting and pray without stopping.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Faith Factor…

A ministry successful at finding jobs for the unemployed was offered state funding, but they had to eliminate Bible study and prayer. It didn’t seem like too much, so they took out faith.

The result was disastrous. The program finally closed down. They took out faith and kept the practical things. That says something. Even as believers, we often think of faith as if it’s, a nice thing, but not exactly the bread and butter of practical living. But it’s the opposite.

It’s faith, God’s power through faith–that’s the most important factor. Without it, everything falls apart. It’s the things of God which we often ignore or let it get crowded out because it’s not the most practical or crucial thing.

Well, that IS the most important and practical thing. Don’t let your prayer life or your time in the Word get pushed aside. Don’t let your time in God’s presence, in worship, in service and in ministry get pushed away, because the things of God ARE the most important things in your life.

You take them out and everything else falls apart. Faith is first. God truly makes all the difference.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:38

Today, take a moment to examine your heart to see if it has taken any detours away from your God and your faith. If so, get back to faith and your first love.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Root Of The Righteous…

“A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” (Prov. 12:10) You might have a beast in your life–your spouse, your boss, who knows?

If you are righteous, then be kind to beasts. Don’t expect beasts to act like humans; stop yelling at them; stop getting bitter. You don’t get bitter at your dog for acting like a dog. Don’t become bitter at the beasts in your life because they are acting like animals. You don’t get depressed because your cat scratches you.

If they’re acting like a beast and you’re righteous, be kind, be compassionate, pray for them. For by the love of God, beasts can stop being beasts. It happens when there is salvation, and someone with the gospel and the power of Jesus to be kind as Jesus was.

There were lots of beasts around Him and He was kind to them. It happens in the power of the Lord–so be kind in Jesus’s love. In Him, miracles happen and beasts turn into saints. The miracle often only starts when the righteous, when you, start being kind to that beast.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Who has hurt you – who has acted like a ‘beast’ in your life – be kind to them.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Christmas…

Next week is Christmas so let’s put our minds in the correct place for what Christmas really is about.

Now is a time for reflection…

Christmas is the season for Rebirth, renewing the Love of those we hold dear. It is the time for Joy and Happiness. It is also a time for Peace and Reflection.

Here is a little known secret to reflect about in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”:

-The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stand for Faith, Hope and Love.

-The four calling birds represent the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

-The five golden rings recall the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represent the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitude’s.

-Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

My true love is God!

This is what Christmas is all about!

Maybe now everyone will begin to understand just how much He is in our everyday life and just how blessed we are that He is always there.

With all this in mind I sincerely wish each and everyone of you a Very Merry Christmas! May your life be full of Love, Joy, Happiness and Peace. I pray for a complete Rebirth of Spirit for all. God bless you all!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

How to Live A Life of Blessing…

Most believers want a blessed life and they’re waiting for blessings to come. We think it’s going to come any day or any year. I know God promised the blessing. You’re waiting for God to give you the blessing and you’re wondering why it isn’t coming.

The problem is the grammar. We’re thinking blessing is only a noun. Blessing is a noun, but the key is, it’s also a verb. Blessing isn’t just something you wait for; blessing is something you do.

If you want a life of blessing, then bless. Don’t spend your life waiting for the blessing. Spend your life blessing. Jesus said it’s more blessed to give or to bless than to receive.

Start blessing and your life will be blessed – more blessed. You can fill your life with blessings by blessing your loved ones, co-workers, the cashier, stranger, blessing everyone you can. Bless and you shall have a blessed life.

Don’t wait any more for a blessing to come because you’ve already been blessed by God. It’ll all start a blessed life when we learn to bless and keep blessing. Then your life will be filled up with blessing.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35

Instead of focusing on your needs today, go out and be a blessing to someone else in need – and don’t forget to praise and thank God as you do.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Pig’s Jewelry…

Proverbs 11:22 says, “As a ring of gold in a pig’s nose, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.” Picture it, a pig with earrings and a nose ring, lipstick, rouge, eyeliner, false eyelashes, powdered nose, necklace.

The truth is deeper than anything that only applies to women. The point is, your life is as a gold ring. In salvation, it’s priceless because you’re made in the image of God.

It’s meant to be something beautiful, but if you give yourself to sinfulness, greed, lust, anger or selfish ambition, whatever you’re degrading something meant to be beautiful. You’re degrading yourself. You become what you give yourself to.

A ring given to a pig will end up in the mud. A life given to sin will end up in the mud. If you give yourself to something low, you’ll be lowered. Yet if you give yourself to something higher, then your life will be lifted up.

Give yourself to what’s pure, true, holy. Give yourself to Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah and your life will be lifted up. It’ll become the treasure it was meant to be and not a ring in a pig’s nose.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Treat your life, your being, as a precious vessel – don’t give it to any sin or anything that is not precious and of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Show Them…

We are commanded by Jesus to preach the gospel and to preach the kingdom of heaven. But we are not only to speak about heaven, we must also show heaven.

Heaven is to be in you, God is in you, that’s the difference. If heaven wasn’t in us, then we could just talk about heaven and be fine. The point is, heaven is in us, God is in us, so it’s not enough to just talk about Him, we have to show Him.

Paul was taken up to heaven. He said it wasn’t permitted to say the things he saw; it was too much. But he could show it, and he did show it. He kept rejoicing; he kept persevering because of heaven. He showed them the reality of it.

Well, if you’re born again, you’re born from heaven and you need to do the same thing Paul did. You need to show heaven. Don’t just talk about life in heaven, you show them the reality of a heavenly life now.

You see, heaven is too good to only be spoken about. So don’t just talk about it, put your life where your mouth is. Show them.

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Psalm 105:1-3

Today, share heaven with those who need to find it – but don’t just talk about it – show them heaven!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Children of Leah…

Leah the unloved wife of Jacob, always tried to earn his love. She bore him children to gain his love. Leah’s children are children of rejection.

They learn to work for love and believe they are unlovable. They can never accept love, so they spend their whole life trying to prove themselves. If I do enough, people will appreciate me and love me.

As a believer in God, we can do the same thing. Like Leah, we think we can be good enough or bear God enough fruit and He will love us.

That was Leah’s mistake. You never bear a child so your husband will love you. You bear a child because your husband loves you. The child is the fruit of love.

With God, we do not bear Him enough fruit or good works for His love; you bear God’s fruit because He loves you. The good works, love, joy, holiness and self-control in your life are the fruit of God loving you.

Stop trying to earn the love of God. You are loved. In that love go forth, bear Him the fruit, the fruit of His love is in you.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Stop trying to prove yourself, impress, or earn anyone’s approval. Receive the great, overwhelming, complete, and sufficient love of God and what He has for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Heirs of Heaven….

In the world, people may inherit a fortune when someone dies if they are named in the will. Sometimes the will has stipulations, but if they are named in the will, they will receive an inheritance. So it is important to be in the will. When the will is read and your name is there, you are an heir.

The Bible says you are an heir to the inheritance if you are in the will. The question is, are you in the will? This is not about predestination; this is about being in the will of God now.

Is your life really in God’s will? If not, there is no inheritance. God has a living will. If you abide in His will, then you will be an heir of the blessing that He has.

If you are outside of the will of God, you are outside of the inheritance and the blessing. In the will of God, you will find the blessings, promises, your calling and the inheritance that God has bequeathed to you. Get in the will.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

Do you want to walk in the blessings of the inheritance? Then today make it your aim to get your life more and more walking in His will.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Manger People…

Now Jesus said He had no place to lay His head. He didn’t really own anything. He was born in Bethlehem, but that really wasn’t His place. He grew up in Nazareth and he was called Jesus of Nazareth, but that really wasn’t His place.

He ministered in Galilee, but that really wasn’t His place. He went through Jerusalem, but it was not really His home. He did not belong to a place. He belonged to heaven. And so we are His disciples. He is our master, and if our master has no place, then neither do we.

You are not to be defined by your place or your circumstance. You do not belong to your culture, your past, your situation right now or your problems. Do not get wrapped up in all these things. You don’t even belong to that sin anymore, you gave it to God.

We can’t be situation based, we need to be Jesus based. Follow Him wherever He takes you. He will bring you to where you never imagined. We have no place in Jesus, but we have Jesus and He is much better than anything is.

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:57-58

Ponder this reality – you don’t have any real place in this world – you don’t even belong to the sin or your past – you belong to Heaven. Live free!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed