Ed Christian's World

The Word For You Today…

In synagogues during ancient times, the pastors would minister using Biblical accounts: the past works of God, what God would one day do in His kingdom, when the time of the kingdom would come and what would come on the earth. One pastor did something different.

In Luke 4, after one Pastor read the prophecy of Isaiah he threw in a bombshell. He said, “Today in your hearing, this has been fulfilled.” Jesus’s redemption is now–forever–but now. Many of His people live as if the power of Jesus has past or is coming.

We say, “I’ll be free tomorrow, I’ll overcome tomorrow, I’ll fulfill the calling tomorrow,” but tomorrow never comes. Jesus’s power is now. Today is the day of salvation. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.

Your repentance, your breakthrough, your victory, your blessing, and your ministry won’t come tomorrow. Jesus ministers today. He calls you, He speaks to you, and He opens His hands now.

If you respond, if you come, if you receive it, you will be blessed, and this scripture will be fulfilled in your hearing today.

This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances.” Isaiah 49:8

Live today as Holy unto the Lord, He is victorious today as He is all of our tomorrows. Draw near to Him, as you minister. Jesus ministers and comes in power today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Disappearing Dictators…

A believer suffered under Stalin and other dictators for his Christian faith. He had a dream one night that all these dictators were at a table.

Instead of condemning them, hating them and blaming them for all the suffering they caused him, he asked them for forgiveness for not being able to thank them for the blessings they gave him.

Through the persecution came God’s great blessings, purification, holiness, humility and unconditional joy. He forgave them, asked for their forgiveness, thanked them, and one by one they disappeared. The man had no more enemies.

When you fight your enemies in the flesh, you have a greater enemy. Forgive them, love them and they disappear. You will no longer see them as an enemy. When you love your enemies, they aren’t enemies anymore.

Holding on to wrongs, injustices and sins against you will be a burden. Thank God for them, for the purification, holiness, long-suffering, endurance, unconditional love and joy that came as a result.

One by one, these problems will disappear, replaced by blessings. Try today and see what happens, because in God’s grace, you have the power to turn curses into blessings.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

Do not hold on to hate, wrongs and problems. Release them to our God. Our enemies and those who hate us are only temporary. But our blessings, holiness and love last forever.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Little Monsters…

When I was a child, one Saturday, the morning monster movie was about a mummy. A guy was dead for about 3,000 years and was all bandaged up. He tried chasing people, but he could hardly move. You felt sorry for the guy and wanted to help him.

Too many believers walk like mummies. They walk slowly because of all the wrappings and old dead things from the past. It is hard for a mummy to jump for joy, run the good race, walk the good walk, hug another person or show love because of all the old wrappings.

Are you still wearing old wrappings? You are not alone. Lazarus was dead and Jesus raised him to life and said to remove the wrappings. Lazarus was alive, but he could hardly move.

You can be raised to life, but not able to move because you are still wearing old wrappings from the past. He didn’t raise you up to be a walking mummy, but to be free! Take off the burial clothes, bindings, baggage, and run the race, and jump for joy. Break through the bondage and be free.

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.

Embrace the new creature that is you in our Savior, for you have been set free from all earthly bindings. Throw off the old you and rejoice, for you have been redeemed.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Radiance of His Glory…

Hebrews 1 says that He is the exact representation of God. The Greek word refers to a tool that engraves; an ID to distinguish it from anything else. The Greek word is “Kharakter” or character.

People have many pictures of God: distant, wrathful, uncaring or capricious. But here it says the Son is the exact representation, the exact character. You want to see God, the king of the universe? Look at the “Kharakter,” the exact thing. The character is the Son of God.

What is God really like–His heart, His nature? Look at the “Kharakter,” the exact image, the ID. Look at the one hanging on the cross, bleeding, giving His life for you. That is the “Kharakter” of God, the seal. That’s Him. That’s His identity.

That’s who He is. That’s His nature, His heart. What is God? That’s God. Who is God? God is love. That’s how much He loves you. Don’t ever doubt again.

Know this now, at all times and in all circumstances, God does love you more than you could ever fathom, and that One on the cross is the very Seal of the Living God, that’s His “Kharakter.”

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16

We who are in Jesus, have a future and a hope, He is the source of our joy and our worship. Make your character mirror His, as He lives and breathes into your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Above…

It says in Colossians to set our mind on that which is above, where our life is hidden. We are called to live a heavenly life, in the heavenlies. Heaven is not just up, it’s above.

Up is a direction, above means it’s over something else. Set your mind and heart on what is above, where heaven is. Living a heavenly life is to live not just up, but to live an above-this-life, life; to live above yourself.

It’s amazing. It says to set your mind on things above, that’s where your life is. Well, how can it be where you are if you are here, and yet it is above you. That’s the secret. Learn to live above yourself: above your ego, fears, your interests, rights, the confines of yourself and ego, above the flesh, to be free in heaven and to let go.

When you are in an argument, live above it, step out of your grievance, out of your problem. It won’t be your problem anymore. Heaven is a place of joy and it’s above you. You’ll have freedom, joy and release when you start to dwell above yourself.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2-3

Set your heart and mind on Him, so that you are Kingdom Come focused. Earthly troubles no longer trouble you or slow you down. Let your walk show Jesus reigns forever more.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Jesus and The Crushed Flowers…

Naturally made perfumes are from crushing flowers. A definition of forgiveness is the smell of a flower when it is stepped upon; crushed. We are to manifest the fragrance of Jesus, the fragrance of grace, mercy, and forgiveness, sweet righteousness, and love.

It’s the smell of a flower when it’s stepped on. When you prepare a banquet for those who hurt you, when you bless them, that’s the fragrance of Jesus. When you are sinned against, instead of cursing them, bless them.

When your pride is stepped upon, and your reputation and feelings are stepped upon, instead of anger, hurt, or paying back, of being depressed, you die to self and give them the love of God in return.

That’s the fragrance of Jesus. Jesus was crushed, but in that crushing, He forgave them. From that crushing comes our redemption, the sweet fragrance of Jesus.

You do the same. What comes out of your life when you are pressed, stepped on, or crushed, that’s what you are. So be beautiful as He is beautiful and manifest the sweet fragrance of Jesus. Forgiveness is the smell a flower makes when it’s stepped on.

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15

Surprise those who hurt you or wronged you by doing the opposite of what they expect, bless them and forgive them. Show God’s love is greater and stronger.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

What You’re Born For…

You say, it’s hard to worship and pray; it’s not for you. You spend hours watching TV or on the internet, but can’t spend time worshiping? Not cut out for it.

If you’re born again, you are born to worship. According to I Peter, you are kohaneem, a priest. As in the Old Covenant, you are kohaneem in the New, born to worship and praise God. Not cut out for it?

No, no, you were born for it in the new birth; it’s in your new nature, and your new heart. It’s more natural for you to be in His presence than watching TV; to listen to His voice than the radio; to read His word rather than that magazine, to look at Him rather than that object of lust.

You were born a royal priest to worship Him, to dwell in His glory. It’s your new nature. Believe it; exercise it. Do as every priest–enter His presence, dwell in His courts, minister to your God, and you will find the joy and desire of your heart because the priests, the kohaneem, are called to worship. It’s the very thing they were born to fulfill.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Remove obstacles stopping you from learning what it feels like to be in His presence the whole day – sing His praises, talk to Him, find your joy there. You will find the secret of His blessings.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Miracles of Sodom…

Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens. Gen.19:24

Genesis 18 and 19 record the judgment and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – cities so evil that their inhabitants attempted to rape the angels sent to them. The Bible records the judgment – fire rains down from the sky and the cities are destroyed.

Of course, modern scholars and critics of the Bible believe the account to be a myth and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah an event that never took place. And there has never been any remnant of any city that would fit the description of the account… until now.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would have been located in the region of the Dead Sea. Seven miles northeast of the Dead Sea is a city called Tall el-Hamman. It has in recent times been the focus of an extensive multi-national archaeological excavation. Those involved in the excavation included archaeologists, geologists, geochemists, geomorphologists, mineralogists, paleobotanists, sedimentologists, medical doctors, and cosmic-impact experts.

After fifteen excavations, the team published its conclusions. The conclusions were stunning. They placed the city about 3,600 years ago, which is within the generally accepted time period of Sodom and Gomorrah. What they found, set apart the ruins from virtually any other city ever excavated. They came to the conclusion that the city was destroyed – suddenly, violently, cataclysmically.

How was it destroyed? Fire from the sky. The blast was so great that the scientists likened it to that of an atomic bomb. In fact they believe that the force of the blast was greater than the atomic bomb of Hiroshima… a thousand times greater – or the equivalent of a thousand atomic bombs!

The force that destroyed the city was so powerful that the temperature of the air rose above 3,600 Fahrenheit. Mudbrick houses, clay vessels, swords, shields, and spears began to melt.

According to the scientists, none of the estimated 8,000 people or animals within the city survived, just as in the account of Genesis. In fact, it appears that wood and small plants were blasted into tiny diamond-like structures. Other finds indicated the melting of elements that require temperatures of 4,435% Fahrenheit!

As for the vegetation, it appears to have been wiped out as it was written “and also the vegetation of the land.” Further, it appears that the destruction caused the land to be covered with salt – also echoing the account in Genesis.

It is yet another example of science catching up with the Bible. And it’s striking for this to be revealed in our generation. For our culture once identified with the morality of Abraham – now it identifies more with that of Sodom – and now the stones cry out, warning of judgment.

Be confident in the Word of God. In the end it will be proven true. In the meantime, live by it, stand by it, and overcome by it. And May God greatly bless you this month as you do!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed