Ed Christian's World

The Face – And The Mirror…

Jesus called us to be the light of the world. But God is, by nature, the light of the world – not us. So how do you become a light? By reflecting His light. How? How does a mirror reflect the sun?

By turning its face away from everything else, away from the earth, and into the direction of the sun. What you look at, what you dwell on, what you spend your time and thoughts focusing on, that is what you’ll end up reflecting.

What you reflect, you become. So consider what you’re dwelling on. If you dwell on what is not good, you won’t end up good either. If you dwell on your problems, you’ll become a problem. If you dwell all the time on your troubles, you’ll become troubled and trouble.

Just because there are troubles in your life – you don’t have to let it trouble you or determine who you are. Learn from the mirror. Turn your heart and mind away from the troubles, away from the details of this world, and to the light of the Son – and you will become… the light of the world.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

No matter what situation you find yourself in today, let His light illuminate the darkness around you. Shine bright!

Walk daily with God at your side!

The Dark Elohims…

The word for God in Hebrew is ‘Elohim.’ But is not a singular noun – it’s plural. This undoubtedly is linked to the mystery of God’s triune nature.

But there’s more – the word is also translated to mean the gods of the nations. So when Israel turned away from “Elohim.” the true God – it turned to the other, the false gods and idols of the nations.

We can even see it happening in America. As America drives the true God out of its life, it creates an vacuum, into which comes all sorts of gods and idols of carnality, materialism, sensuality, and pride.

So it is with individuals, even believers. If you don’t fill yourself up in the joy and presence of God, you’ll end up going after the other, you’ll end with many gods and idols in your life.

If you find yourself already with gods and idols in your life – it’s a sign of the vacuum. Get the wrong out of your life – that you might be filled with the true – God.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25

Today, let go of anything false – any desire, any idol, any pursuit that conflicts with God or His Word – and be filled by the One True “Elohim.”’

Walk daily with God at your side!

The Answer…

Song of Solomon 2:10 says, “My beloved answered and said to me, ‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one….’” Why is that strange? Because the beloved answered – with no question asked.

This reveals a radical key. We think the answer comes after or at the end of a problem or need. But it’s really the opposite. God is the answer – and so the answer must always come first.

This is a revolutionary secret. It’s natural to live your life seeking answers to your problems and needs. But in God – it’s the opposite: the secret isn’t living from the problem to the answer – the secret is living from the answer to the problem.

Get your eyes off the problem and focus on the answer. Start with the answer, with the good news, with your Beloved, with His love and salvation – with the solution, the fullness, the finish, the victory. Start with Heaven. Start with Him.

Then you take the answer back to your problem and you overcome. So let God answer you, and be your answer, even with no problem and no questions asked.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25

Seek to live without reacting to the situation and problems, but responding to the answer, and bringing that answer into every situation.

Walk daily with God at your side!

The Anti-momentum Secret…

Which is harder? To stop a car when it just starts rolling on the top of a hill – or to stop it when it’s gained full speed heading down the hill? The answer is obvious – it’s easiest to stop it when it’s on the top of the hill, and hardest when it’s rolling.

So too, that’s the difference between a walk of failure and a walk of victory. The non-victorious believer lets sin start rolling and allows it to pick up momentum and power. And thus that believer must spend massive amounts of energy trying to deal with that rolling sin – and all that energy is exerted on the defense.

But the victorious believer fights sin before it gets rolling – at the starting gate, at the top of the hill. He pushes it back when it’s just a thought, just a temptation – when it has virtually no momentum.

Do that and the power and energy you’ll have against that sin is multiplied many times over. Fight your sin at the starting gate, at the top of the hill, don’t give it a chance to roll, when it’s just a thought, just a temptation – and you too will live as a super believer.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Fight sin at the very beginning, when it’s just a trace and thought – and start living in victory.

Walk daily with God at your side!

The Portable Mountain Top…

God gave Israel a way to receive His presence in their midst. It was called ‘The Tabernacle.’ But the Tabernacle had another name. It was called in Hebrew, the Ohel Moed. The phrase means “the Tent of Meeting.” But the word Moed means, not only ‘meeting’ but the ‘Appointed Time.’

God also gives you the way for your life to be filled up with His presence – every day – and to overflow with His glory. And one of the secrets is found in this one Hebrew word – ‘moed,’ ‘the appointed time.’

If you want to know the true presence of God in your life – then you need to give God your appointed time. Your prayer life has to be purposeful. You need to treat your time and meeting with Him as something as important as any other appointed time on your schedule – in fact more so.

Make these times with God appointed times. Put them in your schedule if you have to – but treat it just as important as the most important meeting in your life. For it is – it’s your Ohel Moed – your Tent of the Appointed Time.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

Today, take any steps you need to, to secure your appointed time with the Lord. Make it top priority.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Plan B…

God sends Jesus to Israel – to the Jewish people. And though there were many thousands who accepted, the nation as a whole rejected Him. So what happens to God’s plan of salvation? God goes to Plan B.

The Gospel now goes out to others, beyond the border of Israel. Salvation goes to the Gentiles. Now of course, God knew it would happen and that the Gospel would go to the nations – but still, it went first to go to Israel – and in Israel’s rejection, it went to the world.

In its outworking on earth, it was still Plan B. And so if you’re saved today, and you’re not Jewish, you need to thank God for Plan B. God loves Plan B, He works through it all the time.

The next time things in your life don’t work out the way you wanted, the way you hoped, the way you planned – remember that. God loves working through Plan B. So start looking for His Plan B, and rejoice in it. For, in the end, His Plan B, turns out to be Plan A in disguise.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

Rejoice in Plan B, the Plan B of your life. And in every closed door and disappointment, look for Plan B.

Walk daily with God at your side!

How To Minister To Yourself….

In 1 Samuel 30, the Bible gives the account of how David faced one of the lowest points in his life. He returned with his men to their home base only to find the city burned down and their wives and children taken captive.

There was weeping, grieving, confusion, and even anger against David himself. The Bible records that he did something that most believers don’t know how to do or never end up doing. It says “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

The Hebrew word here is ‘hazak’ which here can be translated as, “strengthened himself.” And what happened? David rose up and turned calamity into victory. But the turning point was when he encouraged himself.

Maybe you’ve been discouraged, down, and paralyzed in your walk. You need to learn David’s secret. Learn how to encourage yourself – with God’s word, God’s love, God’s calling, and with God’s encouragement. This very thing can transform your life – but it all begins when you minister encouragement – to yourself!

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Today, encourage yourself and strengthen yourself in the Lord.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Reflections…

Proverbs 27:19 has a fascinating truth: “As in water, face reflects face, so the heart of a man reflects man.”

There are several layers of meaning and interpretation, but one of them is the faces of man that surround your life, will in some way, reflect your heart. For what’s in your heart will ultimately affect those around you.

Thus the faces of man become a sort of mirror of you and your heart. So what do you see in the people around you – especially the people who are most close to you or around you all the time.

What do you see in their faces in that first moment when they first see you; joy, peace, smiles? Do you brighten a room by entering it – or by leaving it? What is your effect?

Look into the mirror of the faces of those around you. For in some way, it’s reflecting your heart. And if you don’t like the reflection you see – then start changing it – and don’t stop until the joy on their faces is the reflection of your heart.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. Exodus 34:29

Today look at how your life and presence is affecting others, and make the changes needed to brighten up your world.

Walk daily with God at your side!

The Blessings – On what we didn’t want…

Since ancient times, the society of India has been divided into the caste system. At the top of the caste system are the Brahmans and at the bottom are the Untouchables. The Brahmans are given the most utmost respect and honor – while the Untouchables are held in the greatest contempt.

In recent times, the Gospel has made inroads into the Indian subcontinent. There have even been waves of revival. In these revivals, which of these peoples do you believe are the most open to receiving salvation? The Untouchables are the most open – and the Brahmans the most closed.

Why is that? A general principle – the more comfortable you are in this world, the less open you will be to the kingdom and to the voice of God.

So the next time you seek to be more comfortable in this world – or get upset because your situation is uncomfortable – remember the Brahman and the Untouchable. Rejoice in your uncomfortable situation, and that problem, for these may be the very things which are keeping you in and seeking for the kingdom of God.

Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Give thanks to God for all those things in your life you may never have given thanks for, the things you didn’t want, but which have drawn you closer to Him and kept you in His kingdom.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Sunset to Sunrise…

Sunrises are beautiful. People get up early in the morning just to watch them. But sunsets are just as beautiful. And you can’t have a sunrise without a sunset – it’s the same motion of the earth. So for every sunset, there is an equal sunrise. In fact, every sunset produces a sunrise.

The same law applies to our salvation. On that Sabbath eve, two thousand years ago, with the death of Jesus – the light of the world descended to the earth. But for every sunset, there must be an equal sunrise.

The going down of the light of the world on that Sabbath night, would end up producing the rising up of that same light, the resurrection, life from death – the sunrise. And so it is for you in Jesus.

For every sunset in your life, every loss, every heartbreak, every disappointment, every sorrow, every fading to black – you can be sure there is a sunrise. In fact that sunset is even now leading to that sunrise.

For Jesus is both the sunrise and the sunset of our lives. And so for every sunset – will come the sunrise!

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

Today, in every sunset, every ending, look for the beginning, in every loss, look for the blessing, and in every setback, look for the victory.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed