Ed Christian's World

She Like The Dawn…

In the Song of Solomon 6:10 says the bride is like the dawn. The Hebrew word for dawn is Shakhar, which means to break forth, to break through.

If you are born again, you are the bride; you are like the dawn or the Shakhar. The bride is like the dawn because she also breaks forth, she breaks through. Is there a problem, obstacle or fear in your life?

It does not matter because you are the bride and your nature is Shakhar, to break forth or to break through. You are not bound to your old nature. Your new nature is to break through that thing, that habit, that wall, darkness or rut.

Break through that bondage, lack of victory; break through the distance between you and God, through that problem, fear or whatever. The bride has the power of Shakhar. Who is this who goes forth like the dawn, like the Shakhar?

You the bride, have the power to breakthrough, you have that in Jesus. So breakthrough that problem or obstacle. The Beloved is like the dawn. That means you have the power to break through!

For everyone born of God overcome  the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4

Whatever the obstacle, the hindrance, the bondage, the sin, the habit, the past – You have the power of Shakhar in God. Use it – Break through!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The ANI-LO Response…

How do you live holy, victorious, committed and righteous? The answer is in the Song of Solomon. In Hebrew, the bride says: Dodi Li V’ani Lo my beloved is mine and I am his. The bride is totally committed to the beloved; totally his.

Why? Because she first can say, my beloved is mine and I am his. She knows he’s committed to her. Her commitment to him is based on his commitment to her. Her love is based on his love for her. That’s the secret of a victorious life in Jesus.

We struggle to commit our lives and to live 100% righteous. But it doesn’t have to be. When the bride says, Ani Lo, I am his, it’s not a struggle. It’s a response. The bride isn’t centered on what she has to do or on herself, she is centered on Dodi Li, my beloved is mine and I am his.

You too can’t have that commitment, that Ani Lo, without that Dodi Li. Realize His commitment to you, His holy love for you. Focus on Dodi Li, my beloved is mine, and your life will become Ani Lo and I am His.

My beloved is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:16

Learn, ponder, receive the mystery of Dodi Li – and then commit yourself all the more to Ani Lo!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Outside the Synagogue…

The gospel of Luke tells of Jesus being kicked out of His own synagogue. He went outside; He left. They went on with their services, rituals, routines, and their social lives, but everything was dead, empty and lost.

God’s presence moved on. His miracles went on, outside the synagogue, rituals and routines. The healing and the good news went on outside. The release of the captives went on, freedom to the prisoners, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, all the miracles that His own synagogue couldn’t contain.

His own religion could not contain Him, and neither can ours. You want miracles, blessings, the presence of God? Then you have to step outside of your routine, your rut, even the rituals in your life. You have to break out beyond the walls that contain your faith.

The walls of Jesus’s religion couldn’t contain Him. He had to go outside for the miracles to keep going. We too need to step outside our narrow walls and walk with the King in the excitement of the newness and adventure of Him. The blessings He has for you are so big, they cannot be contained indoors.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, Luke 4:18

Today, step outside the walls of your routine. Step out in the adventure of faith that God has for your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Song of the Resurrection…

Song of Solomon is a love song between a man and woman, an allegory of God, the Bridegroom, and us, the bride. It speaks of His death and resurrection, of the Bridegroom coming into a garden of spices and a bed of spices. God, your Bridegroom, in His love for you, came into a garden, a garden tomb, and on a bed of spices, burial spices.

In the Song of Songs, two of the spices are myrrh and aloe. These are the same spices that were brought to the Lord as He lay in the tomb. In Song of Songs, spices are given as gifts of love. Myrrh represents sorrow, and death.

Give your Beloved your sorrows. Aloe was linked to healing. Take all your wounds and place them upon Him. He comes into your tomb because your tomb needs Him to bring light to your darkness. Let your Beloved come in to your darkness so He can touch it.

Lift your myrrh and aloe, your sorrows and wounds, and bring them to Him. Let Him come in, and the tomb will become a garden of spices. As it is written, “May my Beloved come into His garden.”

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies. Song of Solomon 6:2

Take time today to let God touch the dark places, the wounded places, the secret, or shameful places, or the hardened places of your heart and life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Dawn, The Moon, and The Sun…

SHAKHAR is Hebrew for dawn. Song of Solomon reads, “Who is this who grows like the dawn?” Hebrew reads more literally, “Who is this who looks out the window at the dawn?”

It’s talking about the Bride… us. It means we’re to be as the dawn. The dawn is light that increases. It’s not enough to be a light, you need to be a light that increases and gets brighter.

What about the “looking out the window” part? It could be translated as “Who is this who peeks through like the dawn?” The dawn peaks through as the rays of sun break through the horizon. Dawn is a break through.

Become a person of breakthrough… to learn how, in all situations, especially the dark ones, to break through in hope and victory, and turn any night into morning. For every darkness breaks through like the dawn.

For every gloom, break through with hope, in every bitterness, break through with forgiveness, in every guilt, break through with grace, in every fear, break through with courage, and in every end, break forth with a new beginning. You too will be one who grows like the dawn.

Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? Song of Solomon 6:10

Make a commitment today to grow, to increase in God, to grow like the dawn. Start by taking steps today to the next level.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Jesus’s Sabbath…

A friend of mine was telling me how he grew up and became a Christian. Growing up Jewish, before he accepted Yeshua, Jesus, as Messiah, he could never understand how Good Friday could be called “Good Friday.” It made no sense.

It was the day that Jesus died. Why would His people call the day their Lord died – “Good?” It certainly didn’t resemble anything good by a long shot. Yet it was good. This fact shows us how radical our faith is. We don’t have a faith that denies trouble or one which cannot deal with sorrow.

Our faith is a Good Friday faith. A Good Friday faith teaches us that goodness is not dependent on circumstance. No circumstance can make you good, no circumstance can keep you from being good. Nothing can stop you from the good life, but you.

The “good life” isn’t a life of riches, comfort or success. Nor is it a life free from hurt or sorrow. Stop being oppressed, suppressed, repressed and depressed over your circumstance.

Your circumstances are irrelevant. They cannot stop you from living the good life if you will not let them. Start living the good life today my friend – for Jesus died on Good Friday. And we… have a Good Friday faith.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Make it your aim today to live unconditionally, uncircumstantially – Determine that no matter what, come hell or high water, you will live a blessed day in God!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Price…

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him … Yeshua, Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.’ He’s naked, hanging on the cross, the Roman nails through his hands and feet.

His body is wracked with excruciating pain – and what’s He doing? He’s praying for those who nailed him to the cross. He’s thinking about their needs! He’s bleeding to death and He’s more concerned about their future and salvation. He’s forgetting about Himself and doing what love does – putting Himself in the shoes of others.

It’s one thing to put yourself in the shoes of another. It’s another thing to put yourself in the shoes of your enemies. It’s another thing to do this while you’re hanging naked on the cross, bleeding to death. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your problems, needs, worries, and desires.

When you’re wrapped up in yourself, you can’t love. If He, in all His pain, could forget about Himself, how much more can you forget about yourself, and love others, even your enemies? Do something divine today – forget about yourself and love someone.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

Whatever you might be going through today, instead of being focused on your issues, seek to focus on others, and how you can be a blessing to everyone you meet.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Lord’s Supper…

Communion, the Lord’s Supper, was really a Pesach, a Passover Seder. Now the Passover is not just a supper, it’s a service. The one who leads is the one who serves, who passes out the matzah, the bitter herbs, and all the other required foods.

In other words, it’s not a buffet. You let the leader serve you. And since the Lord’s Supper is a Passover, it’s the same way. The Lord is the one who serves you the bread of life.

There’s a reason for that. He is love. And He wants you to learn of love as well. Too often we live serving ourselves, going through life desiring, lusting, and taking. But in the Lord’s Supper, God is saying, in effect: “You don’t have to live like that. I will serve you. I will take care of your needs. Sit at my table. Let me minister to you.” And then live your life serving, not yourself, but others.

So take time today to sit at the Lord’s table and let Him minister to you. And then, in His love, serve another. For this life is not a Buffet, but the Lord’s Supper.

I am the bread of life. John 6:48

Take some time out of your busy schedule today to just sit at the table of Jesus and let Him minister to you, receive His blessings, and then bless others.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Lamb and The Doorway…

On the eve of Passover, 3,000 years ago, God told the Israelites to put the blood of the Passover Lamb on the wooden beams of their doorpost. When they did this they were to enter the doorway and stay inside. When the angel of death passed over the land, that doorway became the doorway of salvation, the doorway to the Promised Land.

A thousand years later, on the same day, Passover, God put the blood of the final Passover Lamb, Jesus, on another set of beams of wood, the cross. That means that the cross must also be a doorway. A doorway to the Promised Land!

What does it mean to you? No matter how far you think you are from God or what you’re going through there is a doorway, only one step away.

There is a doorway to lead you out of bondage and to the Promised Land, in which you will find freedom, grace, and the light of heaven to shine on your heart.

It’s the cross, it’s Calvary, it’s the love of God. And in your hardest, darkest and loneliest times, it will be there, just one step away, the Doorway to Heaven.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. John 10:9

In whatever situation you’re in today – Look for His doorway, the doorway that will allow you to walk in a way you’ve never walked before.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Heaven Entering Your Gates…

The idea that most people have about heaven is that heaven is a place you enter or the place you hope to enter. Even as believers we tend to think of Heaven primarily as the same thing.

It’s the place we will enter or we hope to enter, but Palm Sunday is the answer to that. Palm Sunday is about the Lord entering Jerusalem. The Lord, Yeshua, is the Lord of Heaven, the epitome of all that is Heaven – the Heavenly. And notice what’s happening, it’s not that we are trying to get into Heaven’s Gate, rather it is HEAVEN entering into earth’s gate.

Salvation is not primarily about getting into heaven. It’s about heaven getting into you. Stop trying to reach heaven and let Heaven reach you. You didn’t first come to Him – He came to you.

Stop trying to attain His love – let His love enter in. Stop trying to attain His holiness – let His righteousness enter in. Stop trying to attain His joy; but let His joy come into you, for He came into the gates of Jerusalem that Heaven would come through the gates for you.

Blessed are those who bwash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Revelation 22:14

Stop trying to reach Heaven today and let Heaven reach you. Let the light and glory of Heaven enter the gates of your heart.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed