Ed Christian's World

Pure Thoughts…

Good morning,

Today, let’s fill our minds with thoughts that are pure, lovely, and admirable as we reflect on Philippians 4:8. Embrace the beauty and goodness that God has placed all around us.

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

In a world that constantly bombards us with negativity and distractions, it’s easy for our thoughts to spiral into worry, fear, and doubt. But in Philippians 4:8, Paul offers us a powerful antidote: to intentionally focus our minds on what is good, true, and beautiful.

It’s not about ignoring the challenges of life but rather about choosing where we direct our attention. When we fill our minds with thoughts that are noble, pure, and praiseworthy, we create a mental space where joy and peace can flourish.

This shift in focus is not merely a feel-good exercise; it’s a transformative practice that aligns our hearts with God’s heart. When we meditate on His goodness and truth, we become more resilient, hopeful, and compassionate. We begin to see the world through His eyes, recognizing the beauty and wonder that surrounds us.

Today, let’s make a conscious effort to replace negative thoughts with those that uplift and inspire. Let’s choose to dwell on what is lovely and admirable and watch as our perspective shifts, our hearts are filled with gratitude, and our lives reflect the light of Christ.

Heavenly Father, today, I bring my scattered thoughts to You. It’s easy to get lost in the noise, but I want to focus on what is true, noble, and right. Fill my mind with Your goodness and light. Thank You for always being there, even when I forget to notice. Help me turn my worries into prayers and give me the strength to trust in Your plan. Fill my heart with Your peace, the kind that doesn’t always make sense but brings such comfort. Guide me to see the beauty around me and share Your love with others. Thanks for listening and for Your unending peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Kepler’s Universe…

17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler, troubled by his friend who denied the existence of God and maintained that the universe came into existence by itself, constructed a model of our solar system.

Upon seeing it, his friend exclaimed, “How beautiful! Who made it?” Kepler replied, “No one. It made itself.” “Nonsense,” said his friend. “Tell me who made it.” Kepler then said, “Friend, you say that this little toy cannot make itself? It’s but a weak imitation of this great universe, which I understand you believe did make itself.”

No one in their right mind would have believed that Kepler’s model made itself any more than one could believe that a car could manufacture itself. Yet, according to many scientists, the universe came into existence by accident, and so did human life.

You’re here because of God, and your life has a great purpose. The Creator also said concerning you, “I know the plans I have for you… plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

Rest assured in the fact that your life was not an accident and God has a purpose for you. Live each moment today as one who was created for the high purposes of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

A Beacon Of Light…

Good morning to everyone!

Today, let’s embrace the opportunity to shine our light and be a beacon of hope to those around us.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

In today’s verse, Jesus calls us not just to hold our faith close but to let it shine outward, illuminating the lives of those around us. This verse isn’t simply a call to personal righteousness; it’s an invitation to actively demonstrate the transformative power of God’s love through our actions.

Each day presents us with countless opportunities to be a living example of Christ’s teachings. It could be through a gesture of kindness, an act of service, or even through our patience and understanding in difficult situations. In these actions, our light – the light of Christ within us – shines brightly, offering guidance, comfort, and a glimpse of God’s grace to others.

Remember, each of us carries the potential to brighten someone’s path, using our talents, resources, and time not just to serve but to inspire. In doing so, we transform into beacons of hope and encouragement. Let’s make our light shine in such a way that others can’t help but notice and give glory to our Father in heaven.

What specific actions can you take today to shine God’s light and help others see His love and grace in your life?

You may have noticed I spend a lot of time within the Sermon On The Mount. I do this because I feel it gives us the very essence on how to live our lives.

Dear Lord, in the quiet of this morning, I am reminded of Your call in Matthew 5:16 to let my light shine. Help me, Father, to live out this day in a way that reflects Your love and grace. Guide my steps and my words, that they might bring a glimpse of Your kingdom to those I encounter.
Empower me, Lord, to use my talents and time to serve and uplift others, to be a source of encouragement and hope. May my actions point others to You, bringing light to places of darkness and joy where there is sadness. Let my life today be a living testimony to Your goodness and mercy. In doing so, may I glorify You in all things.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Shemen Name…

In the Song of Solomon, the bride says to her beloved in Hebrew, “Shemen turak sh’mecha”. “Your name is like pouring oil.” When you’re in love, your beloved has a beautiful name and it pours off your lips like oil.

You sing it, shout it, and write a song about it because the name of your beloved is always beautiful. When you’re in love, the name of your beloved is like pouring oil.

The name of Jesus is like pouring oil. Not just because He’s called ‘The Anointed One’, but because it’s the name of our Beloved. There’s something about His name, Jesus; Yeshua in Hebrew. It’s the name of the One who loves us with all His heart and life, who died for us.

His name should pour out of your heart and lips, and not just His name, but His love. It’s one thing to talk about Yeshua, another to show His love. Show others the love of your Beloved, and they will love Him too. Then His name will flow from their hearts, like pouring oil.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  John 13:24

Today, let your lips be filled with and flow forth with the name of your Beloved, in worship, in praise, and in love.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

If You Can…

As the first light of morning graces our world, let’s open our hearts, eager for the divine wisdom in today’s scripture. May His Word be our guiding light, illuminating each step of our day.

‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’
Mark 9:23

Mark 9:23 is a powerful reminder from Jesus about the strength of faith. When Jesus says, “Everything is possible for one who believes,” He’s inviting us into a world where faith opens doors, breaks barriers, and brings about change.

It’s easy to feel limited by our circumstances or by what we see around us. Maybe there’s a dream we think is too big, a problem that seems too complex, or a situation that feels unchangeable. But Jesus challenges us to shift our perspective – to see things not just as they are, but as they could be through the lens of faith.

Believing isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s about trusting that God can do what seems impossible to us. It’s about holding onto hope even when the odds are against us and taking steps forward even when the path isn’t fully clear.

Today, let’s embrace this challenge. Let’s look at our lives, our communities, and our world, and ask, “What can faith do here?” Whether it’s believing for healing, for restoration in relationships, for breakthroughs in challenges, or for growth in our personal lives, let’s approach these with the confidence that comes from faith in a God for whom nothing is impossible.

Gracious Father, I come before You with an open heart, eager to believe and experience the impossible. Banish every trace of doubt within me, and fortify my faith to stand firm against life’s challenges. Let my trust in You not be based on circumstances but on Your steadfast love and unmatched power. I want to live in the fullness of belief, confident that with You, Lord, everything is truly possible. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

The Lord is trustworthy in all his promises and faithful in all he does.  Psalm 145:13

Trust God for the impossible – miracles are His department. Our job is to do our best, letting the Lord do the rest.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Isaiah 66 World…

Isaiah 66:1 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.'” Sitting in a chair with your feet up on a stool is a divine picture. Heaven is as the chair to God because that’s where He dwells, and the stool is the earth.

By nature, He doesn’t dwell here, but He does touch it with the feet of His presence. This world, with all its mountains, oceans, nations, and history, is all His footstool. Do you have problems, worries, concerns, fears, or anxieties on your mind?

All of these things that happen to you in this world are part of God’s footstool and, therefore, under His feet. If you dwell with God, all these things are also under your feet. That which is under God’s feet is under His control, His will, and His love for you.

Ephesians says that He put all things in subjection under Jesus’s feet, and if you’ll receive it, under your feet as well. So, stop worrying. Pull up a chair, put your feet up, and be at peace – you’re living in a footstool world.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  1 Peter 5:10

Today, set aside all worry, all problems, all concerns. Treat them all as a footstool; put it all under your feet. If God, until they become the miracles of peleh.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Anxiety vs Faith…

Good morning!

Today, let’s take a deep breath. Let’s begin this day by placing all our worries in God’s hands and trust in His perfect timing. Remember, His plans for you are beautiful!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Worry often lurks, ready to hijack the peace promised to followers of Christ. But Paul gives us a powerful choice beyond anxiety’s constant troubling and unrest – gratitude-filled prayer.

Through surrendering every detail and outcome to God’s trustworthy hands, we release cares too overwhelming for us alone. His divine wisdom takes over, bringing clarity we lack in chaotic moments. God sees beyond today’s struggles to the redemption awaiting just ahead. If only we could view trials from Jesus’ victory coming tomorrow!

Yes, hard times will still toss us sometimes when storms roll in. Plans will unexpectedly unravel. Hearts will still ache on lonely nights of sickness or grief. But comfort exceeding human understanding fills all who rest in the Everlasting Arms.

The same God who named every star also carries our burdens when strength gives out. There is shelter for every soul that stays near to the Most High. His unbreakable love remains sealed by scars on the hands that shaped the stars.

How can you transform anxieties into prayers today? In what ways can practicing gratitude change your experience of challenging situations?

Father, as this day begins, I’m holding onto the words from Philippians about not worrying. Sometimes, it feels easier said than done, but I trust in Your promise of peace. When those moments of worry creep in today, help me turn them into prayers instead. Give me the strength to let go and trust in You. I’m grateful, Lord, for all the ways You’ve been there for me, even when I haven’t seen it. Today, help me remember those moments, especially when things get tough. Fill my heart with Your peace, the kind that doesn’t make sense to the world but makes all the difference to me. Guide me today to live in that peace and to share it with others. It’s a crazy world out there, and we all need a bit of Your calm. Thanks for always listening and for the peace You offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Yatbil…

When, as a young person, I first started reading the New Testament, I had a hard time with John the Baptist. It was like reading about Richard the Presbyterian, or Norman the Methodist.  I pictured him clean-shaven, short hair, with a robe.

The truth is very different. He was hairy, bearded, wild looking, and spoke Hebrew. He was called ‘Yochanan Ha Matbil’; Yochanan the immerser. He was a Nazarite; dedicated to God according to the scriptures, a priest, a son of Aaron, and he was Jewish.

John the Baptist stands as a symbol of the Gospel and salvation. To the Jew, it seems totally un-Jewish. To most Christians, it seems totally un-Jewish. In reality, it’s the most Jewish thing in the world.

When you really get to know Jesus, you realize how Jewish it is. If you have the Jewish Jesus in your heart, you’re Jewish in spirit. Get to know who He really is.

Rejoice in your Jewish roots, bless the Jewish people, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem because true Christianity is as Jewish as John the Baptist.

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people but from God.  Romans 2:28-29

Meditate on this – In Jesus, you are a child of Israel, totally Jewish, live as one who is of God’s chosen people, His royal, holy priesthood.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Prisoners Flower…

In his loneliness and despair, the Frenchman Charnay, imprisoned for provoking the wrath of Napoleon, took a rock and scratched on the stone cell wall “nobody cares”.

One day, through the stones of the dungeon floor, a green shoot appeared and began reaching up to the light through the tiny window of his prison cell. Charnay was so touched by this, he kept part of his daily ration of water for the plant. It grew until it became a beautiful blue flower.

The day the flower fully blossomed, Charnay crossed out the words “Nobody cares” and replaced them with “God cares”. On hearing of this, Empress Josephine was so impressed with his devotion to the flower that she persuaded Napoleon to set him free.

If a prisoner in a dark dungeon could find the love of God, how much more can you in the circumstances of your life? When situations look hopeless, look for the tender shoot coming through the cracks.

Nourish and water the tender shoot of God’s love, hope, and joy and you’ll see something beautiful blossom. You will likewise be able to declare, “God cares”.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Take a scripture and ‘carve it’ into your heart, and to every situation of your day. Refocus your thoughts today and meditate on the love of the Lord in your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Do You Believe This…

Good morning everyone!!

Today, let’s embrace the hope of eternal life that Jesus offers us in John 11:25-26.

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
John 11:25-26

In John 11, Jesus doesn’t just promise us heaven someday; He offers a life overflowing with joy, peace, and purpose that starts right now. It’s a life so vibrant that death can’t touch it, a joy that echoes in our souls no matter what life throws our way.

Deep down, we know we’re made for more than just this fleeting existence. We crave eternity, a longing to live in the unending love of our Creator, and to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.

Because of Jesus, we don’t have to scramble to get it all right in this life. We can embrace the messy beauty of our journey, knowing the best is yet to come. We can face hardships with courage, knowing they’re temporary. We can love fiercely and forgive completely because that’s what heaven is all about.

So today, let’s choose to really live. Let’s let the promise of eternity fill us with hope and purpose. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who conquered death and allow His love to chase away every fear. That’s the abundant life He came to give us—not just in the future, but starting today.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Dear God, thank You for the vibrant life You offer me, not someday, but today. Fill my heart with Your joy and peace, overflowing into every corner of my life. Guide my steps so that I may walk with purpose, never forgetting that my true hope rests in You. When life gets tough, remind me that these challenges are temporary and that You are always by my side. Help me to love others fiercely, forgive them freely, and embrace the beautiful messiness of this journey, knowing that the best is yet to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can not heal.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼