Ed Christian's World

A Dwelling Of Thanks..

The Feast of Tabernacles is called Sukkot in Hebrew. It’s plural for sukkah, which means a temporary hut. The Israelites would leave their homes and camp out in huts they made out of branches.

They would remember the journey that God took them through to bring them to the Promised Land, to appreciate what God had given them. Sukkot is the feast of thanksgiving.

As God’s people, we have to give thanks for what we’ve been taken from and what He’s given us. Often, we come to the Lord rejoicing for what He’s done and then forget and take our blessings for granted.

It’s really important to remember when you first came to the Lord, to stop and give thanks to God for what you have. Remember what you had before the joy, before you had hope and faith.

Get away with God and give thanks for all your blessings so you can be blessed again. Write down your blessings. Give thanks to God. Get into your sukkah, your hut. Take nothing for granted and you’ll continue to receive the blessings. Happy Feast of Tabernacles!

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17

Today, take time to remember and meditate on all that God has carried you through in life and give thanks.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Message From The Dead…

In the late 19th century, Henry Stanley journeyed to Africa in search of David Livingstone. He was received by King Muteesa of Uganda. One of the king’s wives had a strange dream just before his arrival about the white man’s God and His son.

The king agreed with Stanley to send a letter to England asking them to send missionaries. The young French man who was carrying the letter was ambushed and murdered. Stanley’s letter was recovered from the boot of the slain man and sent to England where it was printed in the daily telegraph.

Several young men responded and brought the Gospel to Uganda. In the end, the dead man did his job. If a dead man can be used for the Great Commission, how much more you who are still breathing? The Gospel is so alive that even though the messenger is dead, it still produces life.

Become a messenger of the Good News, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and serve the Lord in the great commission. You’ll end up being more alive than you ever were before because God’s will is the way of life.

Do everything without grumbling. The verse continues, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13

Today, seek to become a messenger of the Good News in whatever way, and through whatever the door, the Lord would open for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Apostasy Candle…

II Thessalonians speaks of a great falling away. The Greek word is apostasia from which we get the word apostasy. Stasia means state of, and apo means away from.

Looking around the world, we see apostasy everywhere, even in some churches. We’re witnessing an unprecedented social, moral, cultural, and ethical upheaval, but Jesus didn’t die to save culture or society.

He died to save people, and the Gospel’s as strong as ever – even stronger now in an anti-God culture versus a culture that professed to be Christian. A candle burns brightest at night.

When the apostles foretold the apostasy, faith in Jesus was the belief of relatively few people. Most of the world was pagan. In order to have apostasy from the faith, it would have to spread to all the world.

This was only possible in the 19th and 20th century when Judeo-Christian morality became universal. So, be encouraged. The apostasy you see in the world is only more proof that God’s on the throne and you’ve got the light.

Be strong and remember, it’s not by day but by night that a candle burns its brightest.

Now, the Spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.  1 Timothy 4:1

Practice being a candle in the night – shine against the darkness, bear a contrary light, and be a night light of the Lord.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Courage To Surrender…

Today, let’s pray for the courage to surrender like Jesus asks us in Mark 8:35. May we find peace and joy in letting go of our striving and embracing the abundant life He offers.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Mark 8:35

In our self-focused culture, the concept of losing one’s life may seem counterintuitive or even alarming. We’re conditioned to prioritize self-preservation, chasing after our own dreams and desires. But Jesus presents a radical paradigm shift, inviting us to a life of selfless surrender.

When we cling tightly to our own plans and agendas, we may find that life slips through our fingers. But when we release our grip, offering our lives as a living sacrifice to Christ, we discover the true essence of living.

Losing our life for Jesus isn’t about self-denial for the sake of it. It’s about aligning our hearts with His purposes, finding our identity and our joy in Him. It’s about trading temporary pleasures for eternal rewards, knowing that our lives are secure in the hands of the One who gave His life for us.

This path of surrender isn’t always easy, but it leads to a life of profound significance and unshakable peace. It’s in losing our lives that we find them, in the most beautiful and transformative way possible.

Today, let’s embrace the upside-down kingdom that Jesus invites us into. Let’s choose to lose our lives for His sake and for the gospel, confident that in doing so, we will find life abundant and eternal.

Heavenly Father, My heart truly desires to honor You, yet I find myself clinging to my own plans and worries. Help me loosen my grip on control and fully surrender my life – my dreams, my anxieties, my desires – into Your loving hands. Transform my heart and guide me into the beauty of surrender, a life poured out in worship of You. Replace fleeting pleasures with Your unshakeable peace and the eternal joy found only in You. Have Your way in me, Father. All I am is Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Worry and worship cannot exist in the same space. One always displaces the other. Choose worship.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼