Ed Christian's World

Heavenly Ant Lessons…

In Proverbs 6, it says, “Go to the ants, you sluggard. Go to the ants and learn.” Ants are pretty incredible. When an ant dies, the other ants waste no time. They take it right out of the nest and into the dump. Ants have no ant ceremony praising the deceased ant. They just throw him out into the dump.

You die, you are out and they waste no time. The ants are serious; they have nothing to do with dead ants. So learn wisdom. If you want to live a fruitful life, efficient in God, productive and successful then throw out that dead thing. That thing will only stop you from being fruitful.

If something is past, get on with it. Those things that cannot produce any life, take them and throw them out of your life. Dead also refers to anything that is not of life, something that is futile.

Bitterness and grudges are dead. That sin or habit, throw it out. No more funerals, no more mourning, just throw it out. Learn to be as wise as an ant and throw that dead thing into the dump.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Is there any dead thing in your life, an ungodly habit, action, attitude, thought, etc – get that dead thing out of your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Waters of Zion…

On May 14, 1948, Israel was born from the dead as a nation. Israel as many of you know, is the size of New Jersey. And yet, did you know that Israel is the most fought over land in history?

Now you would think, with all this fighting, Israel must be filled with natural resources. It’s not. It has almost nothing – but one thing – it belongs to God. And so, if you’re saved, you’re of Israel and it’s the same for you. You might often feel like you’re in a fight, and every day’s a battle.

There’s a reason for it. You’re God’s Israel. You belong to God. So your life is precious. There’s a calling on it, a high calling, and a good promise of great things to come. So it’s worth the fight.

The enemy knows it. And his job is to discourage you from persevering and inheriting the blessing waiting for you. Be encouraged. Fight the good fight.

Press on and keep going until you inherit the blessing. You knew you had a fight. But now you know you’ve got something worth fighting for.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Think of all the conflicts, problems, attacks, obstacles, resistance and warfare in your life… but don’t complain about it, but thank God that the enemy is against you – stand even stronger.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Jesus – The Sunset…

In Scripture, Jesus is called the Light of the World. If Jesus is the Light of the World, what happens when Jesus dies and goes into the earth?

When Jesus died, the Light of the World went down into the earth, and because the Light of the World goes down there is a sunset. When the sun goes down the day is over.

Because Jesus went down, the old life, the old creation and the old past are over. If He died, we died and the old life is gone. The good news are if you live in Jesus, the day of the old life is over.

The sun has set on the old bondage, the old sin, your failures, your guilt and your sorrows. It is all over. The sun has even set on your mistakes and your gloom. The sun has set on it all.

The light of the World has gone down, the sun has set, and the day is over. Now, put the old life to bed and you will rise in the dawn of a new day, a new life, in the light of His sunrise.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

The sun has set – take everything of your old life, your old self, and your old nature that’s still up and around and put it to bed – say “good night.”

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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