Ed Christian's World

God Running…

The prodigal son leaves the father, sinfully losses everything and comes back hoping to be received as a slave. The father sees him from a distance and actually runs to his son – he runs!

This is a picture of God. If we repent, it’s enough that he actually forgives us, loves us and comes to us. But he doesn’t just come to us, he runs to us. The bible says “He longs to have compassion on us.” He delights to have compassion on you. He doesn’t just allow you to approach Him, He runs to you.

That’s how passionate His love is. Never doubt the love of God. If you return to Him, He runs in His love to you. Learn to run to Him. Don’t just wait for God, run with passion into His presence, as someone who can’t wait, who delights to be with Him more than anything else.

Song of Solomon says, “let us run.” So run in love, in joy, in faith, in serving Him. Run in worship, in righteousness, run in His spirit. Don’t walk, run! Because He didn’t just come to you, He ran.

The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:11-32

Let go of your burdens. Let go of your hindrances. And just run into His open arms. He will run to yours.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Making Your Wrong Name Right…

There have been times I’ve called someone the wrong name. It’s embarrassing, but God has the same kind of problem. God often calls people by the wrong name.

In Matthew 16:18 He called Simon – Peter: the rock. He called an old man with a barren wife – Abraham: the father of the many. When you are still struggling, He calls you victorious.

When you read in the Bible that you’re a royal priesthood, holy, you’re tempted to tell God He has the wrong person, He called you by the wrong name. Like God, we need to call people by the wrong names, names that don’t fit the present reality. If you’re just calling them what they are, you’re just reflecting what is.

Learn to speak in faith, to call the weak in God, strong, the struggling in God, victorious, the battered down, prevailing. Then what happens, is the old man actually becomes the father of many, the shaky apostle becomes a rock and you become victorious and blessed.

Learn the secret of speaking and receiving the wrong name into your life, and in God it will become the right name.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18

God calls you “holy,” “royal,” “beloved,” “the light,” “victorious,” and much more. Take one of these today. Believe it, claim it, and live it.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Praying For Paul…

In Ephesians 6, Paul says many things, but then he says, “And pray for me.” Pray for me? Paul, the great teacher of the truth of the New Covenant? Those who read his words 2,000 years ago were his students.

Still today we’re his students. He was revealing great truths of God and then he asks for the prayers of his students. What does this teach us? No matter how much you’re used of the Lord, how mature you are in the Lord, never forget that you need prayer. You need God at every moment.

The moment you forget you’re dependent on God, you’re in trouble. Don’t learn the hard way. Even a great fruitful branch that has borne the largest, most beautiful fruit, will become useless the moment it’s not continually connected to the tree. Paul, with all his gifts, knowledge and credentials in the Lord, knew that he needed God every moment.

We all do. Pray without ceasing, always be in communion with God. Pray for each other, for your teachers, for your leaders, for yourself and while you’re at it, please pray for me, too. Thanks.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

If you need prayer today, don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask someone, and then pray for them also. And let your every need be known to God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

All That Is To You…

In Hebrew, there’s no real word for “have”. “Have” really means “to”. You don’t have a car, but the car is to you. You don’t have a house, but the house is to you. In other words, they’re “for” you. God promises to work all things together for your good.

The choice here is, you have it or it is for you. If you have possessions, then your possessions won’t be for you, they’ll actually be against you, to weigh you down. Let go of your possessions and they’ll be for you, to bless you. Stop saying, “I have a problem’. Rather, say “the problem is to me, for me.” If it doesn’t belong to you, then it can work for your good.

Give up ownership, then past mistakes and failures are going to work for your good. Let go of the burdens, the future, the past, desires, hurts, or bitterness. In the Holy language of the Bible, you don’t have anything but a promise of something better. When you let go of those things in God, they won’t weigh you down anymore. They’ll be from now on, for you.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Let go of all ownership today, even of your problems. And see, and receive, all things today as gifts from God, for your good and your blessing.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Nonmiraculous Miriacles…

Matthew 25 says, “When I was hungry you fed Me, thirsty you gave Me to drink, a stranger you took Me in, naked you clothed Me, sick you visited Me, in prison you came to Me.” He didn’t say, you called down manna from heaven, you spoke to the rock and water gushed out or you laid hands on Me and healed Me.

Isn’t it easier to call down miracles? It’s possible. So why not here? Sometimes God restrains miracles so you can be part of the answer. He wants to do something greater. Manna coming from heaven is a miracle.

So is loving and buying someone food. In some way that’s even more Jesus-like. Often you have a problem in life with no immediate answer, because God wants you to rise up and be part of it. He wants your whole life involved in the answer.

Getting manna from heaven won’t necessarily make you more like Jesus, but loving, blessing and giving in righteousness will. When you don’t see the miracle coming out of heaven, it’s a sign that now the miracle is to come out of another place.

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21

Ask God for a compassionate heart today, to see the needs of others, and be a blessing as He enables you. Perform a miracle!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Jesus Doesn’t Follow…

In John 3, Nicodemus says, “Rabbi, we know you are from God.” Jesus responds, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he can’t see the kingdom of God.” His answer didn’t follow, as if He wasn’t listening.

Jesus didn’t always respond to every question, demand, compliment or curse. His interest was in Nicodemus, not Himself. He told him what he needed to hear. Jesus had a mission and that’s what He was responding to. He didn’t react to the world, He acted upon it. He knew His purpose and He did it.

You can’t live your life reacting to everything, rushing to every demand, answering every question, defending yourself against every charge or taking seriously all the compliments or rejections. You aren’t called to mirror the world, you’re called to be a light to the world, to be like Jesus.

Light doesn’t react, it acts upon. So stop reacting and start acting upon. Know your calling, your mission and fulfill it. Don’t follow the world, lead it. Remember, what Jesus does. He doesn’t follow, neither do you. You follow Him, but you don’t follow the world.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 3 John 11

No matter what the world tries to throw at you today, don’t react to it. But act upon it with the light and love of Jesus.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Sleeping Husband…

Ruth goes down to the threshing floor and waits for Boaz to fall asleep. She then lays down at his feet. Boaz wakes up to “behold a woman!” The same thing happened when Adam was sleeping, “Behold the woman!”

With Boaz and Adam, this happened before they got married. But with most men, it’s after they’re married. Boaz was sleeping and didn’t notice her. Husbands often fall asleep to their wives, getting used to them, taking them for granted, forgetting to behold the wonder of the other person, getting wrapped up in media or careers or a million other things.

Learn from Boaz, it’s time to wake up. This isn’t just for husbands. We all tend to take for granted the people who are closest and most precious to us. You only have a limited time to love them. Wake up to the treasures God has given you, behold them.

Husbands, it’s time for you to see the gift you were given to love and cherish. It’s time for you to wake up, look at that person who’s been with you all this time and say, Behold, a woman!

 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” Ruth 3:1-9

Take time today to show your appreciation for those around you and those closest in your life. Do something special to bless them.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Blossoms Of Your Valley…

Song of Solomon 6:11 says, “I went down into the garden… to see the blossoms of the valley.” Believers often tell you they’re in a valley and they’re unhappy about it. The valley is a low place. It can be hard times, times of sorrow, loss, weakness and not feeling God.

But in Song of Solomon, it’s not a sad thing, it’s a beautiful thing. The valley can be a place of fruitfulness, one of the most fertile places, where the rain and waters flow. So in your life, the low times are often the most potentially fertile, the most potentially fruitful, and the most beautiful.

Generally hard times produces the greatest change, repentance or decisions for God. Most believers came to the Lord in the valley. So why do we despise it, if so much more growth, repentance and joy will come from the valley? Don’t despise your valley.

Go down, see the blossoms, the vine and the pomegranate. Look for the good fruit God wants to bring forth. In every hard time, you will find what God has being waiting for you, blossoms of the valley.

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14

Remember that all your times are in His hands. Ask the Lord to show you the blossoms in your valley. And thank Him for them.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

When Harvard College Was Christian…

Harvard College was founded in 1638 by Puritans for training missionaries for the Gospel. Up to the 1700’s, over half its graduates went into ministry. But by the mid-19th century, the last embers of spirituality were quickly disappearing.

Yale University was founded in 1701 and from its beginning, taught students, “The Bible is the Word of God.” A group from the university travelled the country preaching salvation. But like Harvard, Yale’s evangelical stand soon disappeared.

These universities were founded for the glory of God and yet, they ended up completely lost in all sorts of other purposes, except the one they came into existence for. It happens all the time, not just to universities, but also to believers.

Maybe you started out pure, focused and full of zeal for the Lord, but got distracted, sidetracked, caught up in money, success, ministry or a thousand other things and forgot the very purpose for which you exist.

Reconsecrate your heart, mind, soul, and strength to knowing and serving the Lord. Come back to your first call and don’t end up like Harvard.

Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 1:3

If you’ve gotten distracted from fulfilling your purpose in life, get back on track. Reconsecrate your purpose and your path to God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Gettysburg Confession…

Gettysburg, an event in American history, occurred at about the same time as the fourth of July. It was the turning point of the Civil War. General Lee’s orders to charge across a large open field of grain as Union soldiers rained down bullets and canon fire upon them was perhaps the greatest disaster of the war.

Thousands of men were killed or wounded. As the Confederate soldiers retreated, they heard General Lee saying, “It’s all my fault boys, it’s all my fault.” A poignant moment in history, but also a display of a kind of greatness. Greatness is, when you’ve made a mistake, being able to confess and repent.

As God’s saints we still make mistakes, but we must confess and repent. You can’t grow if you don’t repent. You can’t repent if you won’t confess your sin. You can’t confess your sin without taking responsibility for your actions. You can’t change until you can say, “It was my fault. I was wrong.”

That’s the beginning of repentance, change, growth and blessing. Learn from Robert E. Lee. Greatness in God begins with the words, “I was wrong.”

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Is there something in your life that you need to take responsibility for, or admit wrongdoing? Today is the day to confess, repent and move on to greatness.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed