Ed Christian's World

Visions All Around You…

People say, “If only I saw a vision, I’d believe,” or “I wish I saw visions like Isaiah saw or Jeremiah. If I just heard God’s voice.” But, you are seeing visions… all the time.

Everything you see is a vision; it’s part of creation. Creation is a miracle, it’s supernatural; it shouldn’t exist but it does. It came from nothing. Everything exists by the mouth of God. The flowers, the grass, the faces, all the creation of God. Miracles!

It’s supernatural: you’re hearing voices, music, birds singing. That shouldn’t exist. That came from nothing; from God. God is always speaking to you from the Bible, from those who know Him and His voice.

The Book of Esther has no mention of God, yet the fact is, no other book shows the incredible moving of God, his hand in every event, action, and thought. Sometimes we wonder, where are you God?

Life seems like the Book of Esther. But, He’s all around you. His love written on every cloud. His faithfulness on every sunrise. Rejoice, my friend. God is there. He’s with you, all around you, and as near to you as your next breath.

And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20

Today, seek to take time to enjoy the visions you see all around, the awesome creations of your magnificent God. Fall in love with Him over and over again, and know that He is near.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Other Side Of The Door…

A young man enters a room. An old man is standing by a door, he’s miserable. The old man says, “Don’t open that door.” He opens the door and he’s on this beautiful island, with everything he needed and a mansion. He goes in the mansion.

There’s a door and a man says, “Don’t go in that door.” He opens the door and it’s a beautiful land. He’s welcomed as king, marries a beautiful queen and has servants. He’s in the palace, sees a door and a guy says, “Don’t go in that door.”

He opens that door and he’s back in the original place. He’s miserable like the old man sitting there.

Proverbs 5:15 says, “Drink waters from your own cistern.” The secret of a joyous life is to stop dwelling on the woman you don’t have, rejoice in the wife you do.

Stop dwelling on the home you don’t have, rejoice in the home you do. Stop dwelling on the blessing you don’t have, start thanking God for the blessings you do have.

If God is in your life, there’s heaven in your life. Don’t miss it longing for what you don’t have and miss what you do.

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1

Drink waters from your own cistern today – Rejoice and give thanks for all the blessings God has blessed you with in your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Rising God…

In the ancient world there were strange foreshadows and substitutes of the resurrection in the myths of the dying and rising gods; Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis and Dionysius.

All throughout the ancient world there were these yearly rights and rituals commemorating the death and resurrection of these mythological gods. It was all a myth.

There was nothing historic about it. They didn’t really believe that anything happened once and for all and it would change their lives.

As believers, we have a real resurrection, but so many of us live as if it was a myth. It doesn’t really affect our lives. We hear that He rose but we go back to our life and there’s very little evidence that anything is changed.

We have a real God, a real resurrection. Jesus rose for real in history so we have to live it for real and stop living as though it was a nice myth.

Live the power of the resurrection every day. You really have to overcome. Every other good news is a myth but Jesus and his resurrection. You’ve got the real thing. He rose; you can do the same.

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,

Make it your aim today to live and walk and act in the power of the resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus, and you will overcome.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Love vs Power…

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. This is a quote by Jimi Hendrix

The words love and power caught my eye when I first came across this quote. I recognized what I saw and I had to say it out loud a couple times before I realized its deep meaning.

“When the power of love…” — I like this because it gives love a source of power to begin with. Love is one of the most potent gifts a person can share with someone.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

Then, ”..Overcomes the love of power — This is where I saw love go from potent to just seriously poisonous. If love is a response of human beings and our love is focused on power, there is no love; there is no connection — it’s just a drive for control and has no sympathetic real feel of love.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:10

So, after sitting and dwelling on this for a while, I realized something. The world does not love its people the way it should. Or maybe I should rephrase it — We do not love people the way we should.

Love of power makes its owner feel more secure based on all of the controlling and manipulative behaviors he can instigate to make others behave in what he perceives to be right. We see this in some church leaders today and it is turning people away from the church.

We do not live in peace, because the love of power is too strong, and the power of love…well, where is it?

Peace brings joy, happiness and mercy — that is exactly what a blessing is. And that is the gift of God! I like to think that one day I will live in a peaceful world — one with no war, one where people actually show sincere love for each other.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

We are taught, through Jesus, to love our neighbors as ourselves and as He has loved us. Do we or are we so caught up in the love of ourselves that we fail to show His love or follow His commandments?

This brings me to question have we failed ourselves and worse yet have we failed God? Some folks will say it is the church that has failed us! Well folks, we are the church and since the spirit resides in our hearts, our failure to love our neighbors as ourselves and as He has loved us is both a failure to God and ourselves!!!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

God gave His son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life through the love of Jesus and yet we short change all that He gave us to feed our ego. As a Christian there is no excuse.

The time has come for us to break this shell of power, jealousy, hate and distrust and then center ourselves in God’s Hands. It is time to show our unconditional love for each and every soul just as we were commanded.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Let us all commit to practice daily the power of love and push the need of power out of our daily lives. When we follow His commandments then we will begin to see peace in the church and here on earth.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The God Price…

When you buy something in a store you pay at least what you think it’s worth or you wouldn’t buy it. Nobody pays more than they think something’s worth or they wouldn’t buy it.

Whatever you pay, you’re valuing the object you’re paying for at least as much as what you’re giving for it. It’s profound.

Look at Calvary. When you see those pierced hands, it means He paid for you with the life of his only begotten son. That means He loves you as much as He loves His only begotten son. He gave His own life. He loves you as much as He loves His own life!

Not because we were worth it but because He loved us with the love that makes us worth it. In view of that price, we must love Him as much or even more than your own life. How could you do any less?

Love others as much or more than your own life. Because God so loved you that the price for you was Himself. Live your life in a way that was worthy of the price that He paid – a life worthy of the life of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Today, love those unlovely, unloveable, and unloving people in your life – not because they’re worth it, but because He loved you first.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

A Holy Commotion…

One of the biggest problems we have in the Lord is we want commotion-free walks. We want a place where there’s no commotion. If you want a place where there’s no commotion, go to a cemetery.

If you find commotion in a cemetery, you’re in trouble. In a dead place there’s no commotion, but light in darkness causes commotion. The life of God in a dead world will cause commotion.

When Jesus came into the world he caused a stir in Bethlehem. In Nazareth and Galilee, there was commotion. Palm Sunday, there was commotion. They said, “Who is this who stirs up the whole city?”

God’s presence causes commotion in daily life. If He’s come into your life, it will cause commotion in your routine. Don’t go for a commotion-free walk; it’ll be dead. Maybe what you need is something to get stirred up a bit.

Let God interrupt your routine. Let Him shake us out of it. Forget the rut, forget the routine; let the presence of God come fresh in your life. Let it cause a commotion because God wants to bring that cemetery in your life into Palm Sunday.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love. has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Step out of your routine today – let God interrupt your day, speak to you, and cause some Holy Spirit commotion and change.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

With All Your Lev…

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,” but in Hebrew it says this, “Trust in the Lord with all your lev.”

Now Lev in Hebrew is a real important word. It means heart, but it doesn’t just mean heart; it means your mind, your emotions, your will. It means the real core of you.

Most of us trust in one way or another. In our head we might be trusting, but it’s not penetrating your emotions or your feelings, so you’re angry, you’re afraid. You know what? If you really trust God with your heart then your emotions are going to get touched too.

It means let this sink to the deepest part of your life. You want a blessed life? Don’t just trust Him with your head or even your emotions, but trust Him with your decisions, your will, your wants, your desires.

Choose; commit yourself by faith. Let this faith get “deep” into the core of your being. Let your faith not be shallow but let it be a Lev faith. And if you do, your life will be blessed to the core, to the very Lev.

You who fear him, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield. Psalm 115:11

Seek to let the good news of God’s love penetrate your heart, your mind, your emotions, and step out in faith.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Hiney Salvation…

In the Bible there’s a very special word that comes in the Hebrew, but you don’t get it in English. The Hebrew word is Hiney. Hiney is the equivalent of an exclamation point. Whatever it’s saying, when it says Hiney it means Wow!

So many things in the Bible are Hiney. When you first come to the Lord you have a Hiney experience. Everything is, Wow! Salvation is Hiney, Wow! You don’t hear God loves you, you hear Hiney, Wow! You don’t hear follow the Lord, you hear Hiney, follow the Lord, Wow!

There’s Hineys all over the place. Well, you know what? After a while in the Lord you often lose the Hiney and you hear God loves you and God loves me, ok, alright, well, hey, you know. People just end up going to services and doing their thing, but there’s no Hiney anymore.

Get back to the Hiney of your faith because God is awesome! And the only way to really know Him is to know Him as Hiney. Get the Hiney back in your heart. It’s not just that God loves you, it’s Hiney! God loves me, and that’s Wow!

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4

Seek to live today with a heart of “Hiney!” Get in to the awesome wonder, the amazing grace, and the holy ‘wow’! of God’s love and your salvation.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Moment Esther Came Alive…

Esther was a beautiful, young Jewish woman who miraculously became queen of the Persian Empire. But she did so by hiding her Jewish identity, living, as it were in the closet. The day came when it was all put to the test.

A plan was set in motion to destroy all the Jewish people of Persia and the only one who could stop it was Esther. But to stop it she would have to reveal her true identity as a Jewish woman and risk losing her wealth, her position, and her very life.

What was she to do? The practical and expedient thing to do was to keep living a lie, and save her position and her life. But instead, she said, “If I perish, I perish.” What she meant was this: there comes a point where you have to decide to stop compromising, and to stop living a lie.

When you live to survive, you’re just existing. Come to that blessed point where you say, “Enough already! I’m through with compromising. I’m through with fear. From now on I live a life worth living or I don’t live at all. And if I perish, I perish.”

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16

Today, decide to ‘Stop’ doing that one thing that’s keeping you from living the life that God has called you to.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Last Joy…

During the wedding celebration at Cana in John 2, they ran out of wine. When all the celebrations of this world run out; the party ends.

They start out full of life and dwindle. Even the waiter at the Cana wedding said the best was served at the beginning. The wine is the symbol of joy.

The real joy of the Lord never ends. The world seems exciting and new at first, but then it gets old. The Lord comes to the party and He turns the water into wine. The joy of the Lord is different.

The best comes at the end. You might let your walk get old or let things take a natural course and lose the joy of it. But the joy of the Lord never gets old. Like the celebration that ran out of wine, He brings new joy. Stop seeking the joy of the world.

Get some new wine, some real joy, His joy. Give your heart to His joy. He will renew your joy; give you new wine, the abundance of which will never run dry. Come back to Him and He will fill you up.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Focus today on really getting into the joy of the Lord – Rejoice in the Lord always!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed