Ed Christian's World

Aliens With A Mission…

In the 1950’s, there were many films about aliens coming to earth. They spoke English and would say, “Take me to your leader”.

They would never say, “Hi, how ya doin?” or “How’s business?” It was never, “some weather we’re having, did you like those Yankees?” No, it was just, “Take me to your leader”.

The point is that the strangers or in Greek, aliens in 1 Peter that he is referring to, are us. We are the aliens. The aliens in the movies were on a mission, and likewise, we are not here to be caught up in worldly things, petty things or just hanging out.

We are on a mission and we are to accomplish something. We are here to affect the world, to be a light to the world; we have a job to do. Have you forgotten your mission?

Are you caught up in small things? You are on a mission to spread the gospel, shine a light and be the light of the earth. You are not here to hang out. Remember, this is not your home, you are an alien. Get to work and start acting like it!

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

Imagine you’re not of your earthly life or situation, but have just been transported to it – as an agent on earth – Well that’s what you are. Live today like an alien!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Honor Of Your Tests…

In heaven there will be good things: streets of gold, angels and we cannot even imagine what there will be. But, there is something that there won’t be anymore, no more tests.

You are thinking, “No more tests, great!” But, tests are not bad for us. We are given tests so we can have victory, so we can pass, so we can graduate and so we can fight the good fight.

We are not going to have tests in heaven. No tests, we are there. Now is the time for all eternity you have the chance to pass the test. You can turn down temptation, turn away from unrighteousness, stand for righteousness when no one else does, and rejoice and praise God when it is hard.

Next time you are tested, tempted, or confronted with that problem or thing, do not complain, and do not despair, rejoice in the opportunity you will never have again.

Show the Lord you love Him, turn down that sin, turn down that despair, rejoice, and praise Him. Have victory and pass the test. You will never have the chance to do it again. There are no more tests in heaven.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Today seek to see every problem, challenge, setback, temptation, trouble, choice, as a test – and pass it!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Prepare Ye The Way…

There was a holy man who went to dinner. The host brought him to the most honored seat. In humility, the man refused, and instead sat by the door.

Other honored guests came and were brought to the seats where the holy man was. “Why are we not sitting near the center of the table; the place of honor?” they complained. The host said, “You’re in the most honored seat. For wherever the holy man sits, that’s the center of the table.”

The same with us. We focus on our situations, our circumstances, our seat, our status, how others treat us. We want better attention, a better place, better everything, but we’re missing the point. We should not live a life focused on our circumstances, but rather focused on being with Him.

Wherever He is, that’s the center of everything, that’s the place to be. Wherever you are in your life doesn’t matter; aim to be near Him. That’s what matters. If you’re near Him, you’re in the place of honor.

Your circumstances don’t matter. Stay close to Him because wherever you are, you will be sitting in the center of the table of life.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Seek the Lord…draw near to Him…rejoice in His presence…marvel at His goodness…bask in His holiness…in the center of the table.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Wine and The Loves…

In the Song of Solomon, it is written, “For your love is better than wine.” Only it doesn’t really say that. In the original language it reads, “Kee to veem do-dekha mee yayin.” Which is this: “For your LOVES ARE better than WINE.”

The word for LOVE, the Bridegroom’s love, is plural. But the word for WINE, YAYIN, is singular. It means that whatever the world has to offer you, the things you can see with your eyes and touch with your hands – they’re only singular. They end. They run out.

Maybe you’re being tempted by some thing, some pleasure that is not of God. God wants to keep you from misery and emptiness – because that’s what you’ll be left with when the YIN, the wine runs out.

But the love of God is not like that. The love of God never ends, will never fail you. It’s always more – more than you think it is and more than you expect.

Put away that wine, whatever your wine happens to be and find what is better and never ending. That you too might say, “Your love is better than wine.”

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Today, put away that distraction, that diversion, that sin, or that idol God wants you to let go of and replace it with the love, the presence, and the joy of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Bridegroom’s Better House…

In ancient Israel, a Jewish man had to prepare a house for his intended bride. When the house was ready, the groom would come to the bride’s home and take her away into the new house he had built for her.

But there was a law in Israel, the law of the bridegrooms. According to that law, a bridegroom could never take his bride out of a house that was better than the house he was taking her to.

Well, Jesus is a Hebrew Bridegroom, and we, the Church are a Hebrew bride. He’s come to take us out of our old house and to a new one that He’s prepared. God can only lead you to something better. God will only take you to a better joy, a better love, a better peace, a better life.

Don’t be afraid to really follow the Lord and to go all out for Him. Don’t think it’s ever a step down. It’s only up. Everything He calls you to do will lead you to a better and higher place. Trust Him. Follow Him. That’s His job. And that’s the law.

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3

Take a step out of your comfort zone and go higher in the Lord today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Their Sister’s Keeper…

Our culture is one of increasing depersonalization. When many of us were growing up, we knew our neighbors, and people in our community. Now, it’s a big thing if we know people on the next street; even sometimes the people next door.

A few years ago, a woman was raped and killed as thirty-five people walked by and did nothing – a famous case of a culture becoming a culture of strangers.

A Bible prophecy says in the end times the love of many shall grow cold. The gospel calls us to get involved. Even, as believers, we sometimes can be cold and uninvolved, and separate ourselves. But, we must be involved; God was involved in you.

Would you let someone be killed right in front of your eyes? You’d say, “no, of course not!” But, when you let your neighbor pass into eternity and you don’t get involved and share the gospel of salvation you’re doing the same thing.

How much more must we share the gospel? Yes, we are our neighbor’s keeper. Share the gospel; bless them with the Word. Don’t let them perish because we are our neighbor’s keeper.

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

In some way, share the Gospel, plant seeds of eternal life, for those who need salvation.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

As It Is In Heaven…

How do you solve the problems you’re dealing with; the ones you’re dwelling on; the problems that are on your mind? The Lord’s prayer says, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

The original language doesn’t say, “on earth as it is in heaven.” It says, “as it is in heaven so on earth.” It’s about letting heaven reach your life. First as it is in heaven then let that touch your life.

Start by forgetting the problem that’s on earth. It doesn’t start with earth. You start with heaven. All good things come from heaven. Forget about the problem; start from heaven.

Get your eyes on the Lord; on His love. Start with the answer which is from heaven, then let it also be on earth. Jesus is the answer. He didn’t start from earth, but from heaven and came down to earth.

This problem of yours is going to be solved when you forget about it; get your eyes off it. Trust the Lord and get your eyes on the Lord and heaven. Let it be so as it is in heaven, so let it be in your life.

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 12:2

Seek to live your life not from earth to heaven, but from heaven to earth.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Where He Art – Not Where You Art…

I want to talk to you about Our Father Who Art in Heaven. Notice it says art. It’s God’s art but there’s nothing about your art at all.

It doesn’t say where you art because then you’d have to be in a particular place. It would be limited. It doesn’t matter where you art, it only matters where God art.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re in one place or another, whether you’re in a high place in your life, or a low place, whether you’re going through a tough time, or whether you’re in a place where you feel far from God.

You still pray because it doesn’t matter where you art. It only matters where God art. He’s in heaven – and He’ll be there for you. Even if you feel far from God, or you feel you’re not in the right place with God, or you’re up, down, or you don’t feel like praying – pray, because it doesn’t matter where you art.

It only matters where He art. He’s in heaven and He loves you. Reach out because He’s reaching out to you. Pray because you don’t have an art but God does.

This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Matthew 6:9

Reach out to your Father Who Art in Heaven today, no matter where in your life or situation you art or art not.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Abba Prayer…

There are seminars, books, and teachings on how to pray. Jesus knows best and he taught you how to pray. He started out by saying, Our Father, just like it says we cry out, Abba.

That’s not even just Father, that’s Daddy. That’s the Hebrew Aramaic word for Daddy, a baby word. The Lord is saying forget all your ideas of prayer – the complexities, formulas, all the special things.

You can learn the most profound truths in the word Abba, Daddy. You don’t have to go to a seminar. Go to a cradle and learn from that little baby. He doesn’t know many words; there’s no liturgy – but when he’s sad or hurting, he cries out.

When you’re hurting, pour out your heart to God – that’s it. If you have a need, bring it to him. When the baby is happy, it laughs. When you’ve got a joy, share it with God. Let your joy overflow in praise.

No eloquent words, but simply like a baby resting in his Father’s loving arms. It doesn’t have to be eloquent, just pour out your heart to God. Keep it simple, keep it basic, keep it Abba.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord heard them; he delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

Today seek to relate to God as His little child – get simple, get childlike, get to the heart – relate to Him as your “Abba.”

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Midbar…

The promised land is the shadow of heaven. When we speak about going home, crossing the Jordan, coming to the promised land, we’re speaking about going to heaven. The wilderness is a symbol of the place that we go through to get there, which is this life right now.

The Hebrews journeyed through the wilderness, crossed over and went into the promised land. That’s the way we picture it. But there was one wilderness, the Negev; which was part of and inside the Promised Land itself.

So if the Promised Land is a shadow of heaven and the wilderness is a shadow of this life, and they’re together, it means that heaven and this life are much closer together than you might think. If you’re a believer, heaven begins now. Even in the wilderness, the dry times, in the hard times, and in sorrows you can find heaven.

Whatever you’re going through in this journey, God is going through it with you. If you’re born again, God is with you and that makes it heaven. Learn to see the good in all things. Live in the heavenlies now because the promised land is also in the wilderness, and heaven is also in your life right now.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

Seek to live today as if Heaven were already in your circumstances, and as if you were already in Heaven – And in the Spirit, you will be.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed