Ed Christian's World

A Mother’s Wounds…

A Chinese boy disobeyed his mother. The mother was holding a stick to punish him but he ran off. The mother began whipping and punishing herself for bringing up an unwilling child to be disciplined.

The boy was so affected he ran back and told her not to hurt herself but punish him instead. But she didn’t. His name was Lelan Wang. He became a great evangelist in China. As Lelan grew older, that memory helped him to understand the love of God in Jesus.

What is love? It is to put yourself in the place of another. God loves you so much, He put Himself in your place and struck Himself with your punishment so you wouldn’t be judged. Lelan’s life was changed.

He stopped doing wrong because he didn’t want to grieve the one who loved him. We should stop sinning, not just because it’s wrong but because we don’t want to grieve the One who loved us.

God’s love is greater than judgment and more than enough for us to live a new life of victory. Do not grieve the One who loves you and your life will be changed.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

Put away that sin in your life; that thing that grieves God. He died for it. Don’t grieve your Beloved.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

What About The Purple…

A while back I post the devotional: Starting With The Blue. I talked only about the color blue and Scarlet. I purposely left out talking about the purple to see who would notice. It would tell me who really reads into the devotional. However, I only received one response asking about the color purple. This surprised me somewhat because I hoped everyone would.have caught it.

To build the Temple of God, the Lord gave Israel specific instructions. The cloth was to be woven with three colors–blue, purple, scarlet. Wherever these three colors are mentioned, whether the veils or the high priest clothing, blue is always first.

Why is blue first? The colors are significant. Red is the Hebrew word for Adam, it represents earth and man. Blue is the color of heaven and blue is always first, because the secret of life is that you always have to start with the blue – the heavenly.

Scarlet speaks of sacrifice and typifies Christ in His sufferings. The crucifixion Psalm 22 quotes Jesus as saying – “I am a worm”. God took upon Himself a body of flesh and blood and then died, giving His life as a ransom for us.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.“He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Psalm 22:6-8

Your day – start it with the heavenly. Your plans–start with the heavenly. Your actions – start with the heavenly. Don’t live in the red. If you put earthly things first, you are going to end up with nothing. Blue first.

So stop reacting to everything around you. Start looking up, respond to God; let every motive come from the blue, from heaven. Let every plan and action come from the blue, from heaven.

Now lets add purple: The color purple typifies Jesus as King of king’s and Lord of lord’s, but there is another important truth. The mixing of blue and scarlet. Blue speaks of someone who is heavenly-minded, and scarlet, as we shall see, represents blood and death, sacrifice, and manhood.

Purple is a combination of both, which speaks of Christ as both God and man. He combined both natures in His own when He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh.

Love with the love of God, move with the Spirit of God, live by the life of God, live in the blue and your life will never end up in the red.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Make the switch today to live in and do all things “in the blue”.

Love always,

Walk daily with God at your side!

Ed

The Light of the Prison Cell…

Jesus said, Don’t be afraid, there’s nothing concealed that won’t be revealed, there’s nothing hidden that won’t be made known. I knew a man who was imprisoned for years because of his faith. He was alone, interrogated, tortured, even rumored that he was dead.

Nobody knew what he went through except the Lord. He was finally released years later and then began a powerful ministry to the persecuted believers of the world. When communism fell, his prison cell was taken, including the books he wrote and made into a museum.

People came to see what had come out from a dark prison cell and had now become a testimony of God’s love, faith and hope. Be encouraged, be faithful, no matter how dark the situation you are going through.

You are never alone. All the angels are rooting for you. Praise God and give Him the glory no matter what. Don’t give up. Fight the good fight. In the end, that prison cell, everything you are going through is going to turn into a place of glory. Wherever God is, heaven is, and there is His glory also.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:7

Be encouraged. Stand strong. No matter what the darkness, the light will be revealed.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love.always,

Ed

The X Power…

It’s clear to historians that Yeshua was crucified on the Passover weekend 2,000 years ago. The Sanhedrin established laws of the land for they were the ones in charge. When Yeshua was crucified, His enemies had all the power, yet His disciples had no power.

Not too long after Christ’s crucifixion, the Sanhedrin began saying that His disciples took Jesus’s body. Suddenly, the Sanhedrin said they didn’t have any power and claimed that the disciples themselves wrestled power from them.

So what happened? Why did this crucifixion overcome the Sanhedrin, the Roman Empire and the world? It was because of the X-power. It’s not about the disciples, it’s about Jesus.

In your life, you look at your situation and it may feel overwhelming. But it’s the X-power that makes all the difference. So you can say, “I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.”

The power of Jesus overcame Rome, hell and the world. So my friend, be strong and trust in Him, because in Him you have the X-power.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

Live today by the power of X, the cross. Overcome every problem, and the world.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Iron Creature…

The Book of Daniel speaks of world history and the end of the age. It talks about four creatures, world civilizations and the last of the end-time civilizations.

In Hebrew, the word used is shenna, which means diverse, changed, altered, different or it can be taken as unnatural. The other creatures are made up of animal parts or animals. The fourth one is not. It is of iron and nails and bronze and it’s beaming.

This is a profound revelation of end-time culture. It will be a shenna culture, an altered or unnatural culture. Man has set himself as a creator, remaking nature, altered unnatural immorality, unnatural in sexuality and gender, warring against everything that is natural: family, manhood, womanhood, childhood, fatherhood, motherhood.

We are living in an unnatural kingdom, day and age. We must be an example of what is natural, what is pure, and godly. Let our lives testify of our God, our Lord the Creator, and the One who we must glorify in everything.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, Romans 1:29

Be the salt and light to the world; set yourself apart as a holy example for others to see the true Maker of this world.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Sozo…

The Lord was correcting His disciples. They were ready to call judgment on sinners, but He said no; I have come to save. It is also the ministry of His disciples.

If you are His disciple, you are here not to pronounce judgment on people, but to save people’s lives. The key word here is “sozo”- to save. It is to save, to protect, lead, deliver, and preserve, to make them well and whole.

Jesus is the ministry of sozo. So you also have the ministry of sozo. We are not to avoid people, nor hold a grudge against them. Don’t be afraid of them, nor speak against them. Don’t fight them, or make them say you are right, but make them whole; to save them.

Are you doing that? Are you praying for them? Leading them to the Lord? Are you a blessing to those around you? Jesus will do that if you are in the power of His Spirit.

That’s your purpose in your ministry and your anointing. But seek to fulfill it and God will empower you. Fulfill your responsibility, the ministry of sozo.

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. Psalm 40:10

Be the “savior” to those you meet today. Be a blessing to others in need, share the Gospel, bless them, give them life; sozo.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Bottom Line…

The Bottom Line – the most important part of something : the most important thing to consider, the final result or outcome.

Businesses use the bottom line to measure their financial success. It is this that tells them how well they are doing and how people see them. It is the final result or statement, the main or essential point, the final outcome of a process, discussion, etc The most important or fundamental aspect of a situation.

We also use the ‘Bottom Line’ to measure ourselves. We measure how well we’ve done in school, with friends, completing our chores and for that matter life itself – how we measure up.

You can change anything in your life if you want to badly enough. Excuses are for losers! Those who take responsibility for their actions are the real winners in life. Winners meet life challenges head on knowing there are no guarantees, and give it all they’ve got and never think it’s too late or too early to begin.

Face it, nobody owes you a living. What you achieve, or fail to achieve in your lifetime Is directly related to what you do or fail to do. No one chooses his parent or childhood. But you can choose your own direction. Everyone has problems and obstacles to overcome, but that too is relative to each individual. Nothing is carved in stone!

This life is a sinking ship. No one gets out alive. We have a limited time and then eternity. Most people, even believers, spend their time chasing after material possessions, following trivial pursuits, focusing on what is petty, vain and meaningless.

Could that be you? If so, wake up! We only have a limited time to live in holiness, fulfill our calling, spread the Gospel, and help save those who are perishing. So glorify God with all your heart because this life is too precious to waste another second.

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21

Time plays no favorites and will pass whether you act or not take control of your Life – Dare to Dream and take risks….. Compete! If you aren’t willing to work for your goals don’t expect others to. Believe in yourself – you are your bottom line!

Did you know God gave us a bottom line also? He really did! He told us to love our neighbors as ourself and as He has loved us. He said we should put nothing ahead of Him. He instructed us to care for the poor and down trodden, the widows and children and He told us not to place judgment on others.

How well are we doing with His ‘Bottom Line’? I would speculate that if we measured ourself along the guidelines of His ‘Bottom Line’, we would find we are totally failing. Isn’t it interesting that we look so hard at ourselves and our bottom line, yet we so easily push His aside – that is until we find ourself in a bind? Yet, the first one we turn to when things start going wrong is to Him!

No matter what we choose to call it, sin is sin, and God is not confused about it. He will forgive us, if we ask for it, but wouldn’t it be so much easier just to follow His will? Think about it, then honestly ask yourself how well you are following His guidelines.

A while back I posted – In His Image. The post asked you to look in a mirror and tell me what you saw. When you looked at the clerk at the store, or your neighbor, or even the pan handler on the street – what do you see? The whole point of the post was to remind you that God is everywhere and to tell you that you just might be looking into the face of God.

Now, what are you doing to shine your light for Him? Believe it or not, this is the true measure for your’s and His ‘Bottom Line’ and we all should be striving to make the best of it.

What do you think? What is your ‘Bottom Line’? Who do you put first? I would love to see your opinion and your suggestions.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

King Of The Curse…

Matthew 27:29 says that they put a crown of thorns on Jesus. It is a mystery that goes all the way back to Eden. God told Adam and Eve that the ground will bear thorns and thistles as a sign of the world being cursed.

Why did they put a crown of thorns on Jesus? They didn’t realize that they were declaring Him King of the curse. The crown represents a kingdom, the weight of which rests on the King. The whole weight of the curse rests on Him including our sorrows, our sins and our curses upon Him.

He’s the king of the curse of the fallen creation. King also means ruler, so He is the Ruler of the curse. That means everything in your life, even the sins, even the consequences, even the bad things, all the thorns in your life; He is Ruler over it and will use it for good.

So give thanks for everything, because He wore a crown not of gold to be the Lord of good things, but a crown of thorns to be Lord of all things, especially the thorns of your life.

“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.” Galatians 3:13

Praise God today in your valley of trouble. Praise Him through the trials and bad things happening right now. God is ever faithful to turn these things into good.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Alpha Command…

In Exodus 12, The Lord tells the whole nation of Israel to take a lamb for each house. The Hebrew word Lakach means to accept the lamb or receive the lamb.

The alpha, or the first command of Israel ever given as a nation perpetually, is to accept the lamb. Yeshua is the Lamb before everything else, even before the Law. That means the whole age is waiting for the Jewish people to fulfill the first command when they will see Him when He appears.

Paul says that is when blessing will come over the earth, when they accept their Messiah by fulfilling the first command. The whole earth is waiting for it.

You know what? God is waiting to bless your life, too, not just Israel. There are great blessings waiting, but they only come when you obey what He said to you.

Do what you know He wants you to do in your life. Stop putting things off, get it together, do what you have to do. Just do it! The blessing will come when you fulfill your alpha command.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Today, do what you know God wants you to do, and enter into the blessing of His will.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Thoughts…

Just a little something to think about:

1] Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a “steering wheel” that directs the right path throughout.

2] So a Car’s WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can’t last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart, it’s just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: “Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?” He replied: “Yes, losing your vision!”

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE

One of Grandfather’s lessons was on worry. “Worry over tomorrow casts shadows on today” he said. “You don’t need to worry about yesterday for it is already gone, don’t worry about today for He is here to guide you, and you don’t need to worry about tomorrow because He is already there.”

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed