Ed Christian's World

We’re Just Visitors…

You can tell when people are tourists because they’re in awe of everything that we take for granted. Tourists love to visit the Statue of Liberty, but ask people who live in New York City, and chances are they’ve never been there, because they’re not tourists. Tourists take nothing for granted, they don’t live there.

1 Peter 1 says “we’re aliens, strangers,” meaning we’re in this world, but not of it. You’re here, but it’s not your home. You’re a tourist. You’re here on a mission. Take nothing for granted here and give thanks for everything.

All of it is God’s blessings. Starting with life, with the sunrise, the sunset, the air, the flowers, the friends, the fellowship, the time God has given you on earth. Every blessing on earth comes from God; it’s not forever.

You’re not a resident here; you’re a tourist. Get out your spiritual camera, your guidebook, and start praising God for all the blessings you may have taken for granted. Because this life is only for a short season, and in eternity then it’s gone. And you happen to be a tourist on planet earth.

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3

Spend time today enjoying the life God has given you and give Him praises throughout the day.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Earthly Limitations…

Heavenly Unlimitations “Shamayim,” is Hebrew for “heaven,” but it doesn’t really mean that exactly. It has an “im” at the end, which means it’s plural. Heaven is plural, because there’s no end to it, to the blessings; to the eternal. It’s forever, infinity, it’s amazing. But the word for “earth– erets,” has no “im” because it’s singular.

The things of earth are finite; limited. They have a beginning and ending point in space and time. If you live with your heart wrapped up in earthly things, you’ll always be running on empty or in short supply, because it’s limited.

But if you live by the heavenly, by His Spirit, by faith, your life will become unlimited because there’s no end. You’ll be filled to overflowing and unlimited.

Only an open heart with faith can contain that which has no end. Paul said, “We live by faith, not by sight…” The things that are seen are temporary, but that which isn’t, is eternal.

So stop being limited by the earth. Live by the heavenly, by His Spirit, and you’ll have no limitations. The one who lives in them cannot be bound.

For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Get your mind off the limitations of the earthly, and onto the limitlessness of the things of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Food Of Ghouls…

Growing up, I used to watch monster movies. They had ghouls who hung out in cemeteries and lived off of dead things. People who dwell on and live off of dead things, are ghouls.

If you call yourself a believer, but live off of dead things, sitting in front of the TV, taking in all sorts of impurities or watching questionable things on the internet, you’re a ghoul.

When you engage in gossip, dwell on the sins of others or look for faults to judge other believers, when you hold on to unforgiveness and bitterness, you’re partaking of dead things.

Do you know the difference between a ghoul and a child of God? A ghoul lives off of death. A child of God lives off of life. God’s calling us to put dead things far away from our lives.

We’re to become a people of life, to focus on what’s good, pure, lovely and true. Rejoice in and live off of that which is life. Put away that dead thing. Replace it with life. God has called you to be a person of life and not a Christian ghoul.

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

Examine your life today and get rid of that dead thing that takes you away from your relationship with God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Grabbing Jesus’s Kanaf…

Ruth said to Boaz, “Spread your garment over me.” Garment in Hebrew is “kanaf,” which can be translated as “wings”. Boaz does it and she’s no longer an outcast, she’s going to be married. From Ruth to the woman who touched Jesus’s garment, we see hutzpah.

That’s Hebrew for guts, nerve. Ruth had hutzpah. She knew there was a blessing waiting. She knew the law of Israel’s goel, the kinsman redeemer, and she went boldly forward. The woman who touched the fringe of Jesus’s garment, to get healing, knew the power of God. She also had hutzpah.

So should we. It’s not that we can tell God what to do or have Him do our will, but we’re to be bold when it comes to standing on God’s promise and His will. We need to grab hold of His cloak of blessing, the sacred kanaf, the wings of His garment.

Take the initiative to receive the blessing, to receive your healing and your shalom is waiting to happen. God has given you the promise. So go to Him in faith and holy hutzpah and say, “Lord, spread Your garment over me.”

“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.”  “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” Ruth 3:9-13

The Word is filled with blessings God has for you. Boldly push through, as did Ruth, to take hold of them today, even to grab the kanaf of His garment.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Heavenly Nostalgia…

In heaven we’re going to see and do beautiful things, but one thing we won’t be able to do, is overcome. Here we have the joy, honor and glory of overcoming. We hate having problems, trouble, crisis and setbacks; so we complain, but in heaven you won’t have the opportunity to overcome again.

Scripture says we’re to overcome the world. It never says we’re to overcome heaven; there’s nothing in heaven to overcome. So this life is for overcoming. That’s why we have problems. Without challenges or troubles you can’t have victory. To overcome is glorious.

Only here, can you run the good race or fight the good fight and win. Stop complaining about what’s glorious about this life. Paul said, “Momentary light affliction is producing an eternal weight of glory.”

Your crisis is for glory. So stop complaining at the very thing that’s going to bring glory. Rejoice, dig in your heels, run head on like David against Goliath, because you have been called to have the joy, honor and the glory of overcoming this world.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Today, see any negative situations as an opportunity to overcome. Give God the glory and run your race to win.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Listening For Answers…

I can’t tell you how many times Grandfather would have me go to the canyon and listen to the wind for the answers I was seeking. Many times we forget the answers God whispers in our ears require we sit in a quiet place and just listen. Many times He reminds me He gave me two ears for a reason.

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they’re forever banned?

The song ‘Blowing In The Wind’ by Bob Dylan sort of points this out. Though he wrote it about all the cruelty and war in the world, it still points out our human tendency not to want to listen. Believe it or not we don’t have all the answers.

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

In today’s world, with a Country so divided, our desire for answers is all the more prevalent, yet still fail to go to God with our concerns. Some still think they have all the answers and tend to believe what Satan is telling them.

Yes, and how many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
And how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

Yes, and how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
And how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows
That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind

A few years later when grandfather passed his words came back to me as a reminder that I should be in constant conversation with God and always listening for His response as He whispers in my ear. I am, for the most part, in continuous prayer or conversation with God and lean on Him for just about everything.

Saying that brings back another favorite phrase of grandfathers. “Don’t trust to hold God’s hand; let Him hold yours. Let Him do the holding, and you the trusting.” He always reminded me to turn things over to God and to let Him handle it. We often find ourselves turning things over to God, just to take them back to try a different approach. How much easier it is to trust Him to handle things while He is holding our hand.

As for myself, I am one who prays unceasingly. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are as one with Him. Empty yourself for it is only when you realize you are empty, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind. All you have to do is listen!!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Make Way For The Lord…

Isaiah 40 says, “Prepare the way of the Lord; let every valley be exalted, every mountain made low, the crooked places made straight, and the rough places smooth.” The highway of God, like it or not, is coming through. Everything is going to change, to make way for God.

Those who walk in the way of God have to do likewise. You don’t bend the way of God because of circumstance. You bend the circumstance to the way of God. You don’t change the Word of God for the world, you change the world with the Word. God doesn’t conform to your life, your life conforms to His way.

The way of God is straight.Don’t bend, manipulate, wiggle, or worm your way. Walk, live, think and talk straight, despite mountains, valleys, rough ways, crooked ways, despite rejection or acceptance, hard times or easy times, prosperity or lack.

Keep going and your mountains will be cast down, your valleys will be lifted up, your crooked ways will be made straight and your rough ways will become smooth. Prepare the way of the Lord, and you will change the world.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

Make way for the presence and power of God in your life. Clear away everything that is not in His will. Confirm everything to His way.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Starting With Heaven…

Here’s an incredible truth from the Lord’s prayer. “On earth as it is in heaven,” in the original language reads differently. It doesn’t say on earth as it is in heaven. It says “as it is in heaven, so on the earth.” The point isn’t about getting earth to heaven, the point is about getting heaven to earth. It starts with heaven.

There’s nothing before that, no problem, no issue, no concern, no enemies, no dangers. That’s where salvation starts. That’s where Jesus came from. That’s where every good and perfect gift comes from. That’s where the answers you’re looking for start. That’s where your peace begins. That’s where your blessing starts. That’s where your victorious life begins.

The gospel starts in heaven. The Lord’s prayer starts in heaven. So learn to start your day, your prayer, your solutions, your plans, your heart, dealing with a problem, your needs, your love, your future, everything from heaven.

Learn the secret of starting with nothing else, nothing more, no problem, no agenda, just God, just heaven. Because heaven is where it’s at, and that’s where all blessings begin.

This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6: 9-13

Lift up your open hands in prayer today, as a gesture of coming to Him with no earthly agenda and receive your heavenly impartation and mission.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Peter At The End…

Cephas-Peter, messed up a lot, in pride and in fear, in caring what people thought about him. He had enough notable lapses to finish up other walks. But what was great about him, was that he kept persevering. Peter never let the past hold him down. He finished the race in a blaze of glory.

In the life of Cephas, Jesus said, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve failed God, it’s how you finish that counts. You may have started your walk great, but then fell off, lost valuable time, compromised and became distant from God.

What matters now, is how you finish. As long as you’ve time left on earth, you’ve time to live victoriously and finish gloriously. So be like Peter, or Paul who said, “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call…”

Stop focusing on the start and start focusing on the finish. In the end, it’s the end that matters. And as did Peter, you’ll cross the finish line in a blaze of glory.

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Confess your failures, ask His forgiveness, and live today with a renewed zeal, passion, and focus on fulfilling your calling.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Being Where He Is…

The Lord’s prayer begins with, “Our Father who ‘art’ in heaven.” Our prayers often start with our problems, predicaments, situations, wants or needs. But it’s not supposed to be like that.

Prayer should start with focusing on where He ‘art.’ In other words, focus on where God is. What you’re dealing with or upset about, is where you ‘art.’ It has a place, but it is not the most important place of prayer.

Lay down your ‘art’ and focus on God and His ‘art,’ and your problems aren’t going to be such a problem. That’s when you’ll start dwelling in heavenly places. But you can only do that when you start from where He ‘art.’

When your ‘art’ is right, your heart will be right also. Then, you’ll end up dwelling in, what you dwell on. Where your treasure ‘art,’ there your heart will be also.

The point is, “Our Father who ‘art’ in heaven” forget where you ‘art’ and focus on where He ‘art.’ Most of your problems will be solved right there and you’ll be dwelling in heavenly places. But it all starts where He ‘art.’

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Today let go of your concerns, problems, and issues. And focus instead on how amazing He is. Worship Him in the beauty of His Holiness in heavenly places.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed