Ed Christian's World

The Upside-down Power…

The power of the cross…think about it. An execution stake, a horrible vessel of torture and death that becomes a symbol of life and hope. Death turns into life.

The worst thing that can happen becomes the best thing. Here’s the worst sin, the crucifixion of God, yet it becomes the greatest act of righteousness that’s ever been. Here’s the ending of God’s life, yet it becomes the beginning.

The cross becomes a place of hope; the tomb, a place of new beginning. That’s the power of God. The power of Jesus is to turn everything upside down. The Apostle Paul was accused; the man who was turning the world upside down.

You have that power too. If you are in Jesus, you have the power to turn everything upside down, to turn your sorrow into joy, your setbacks into victory, your failures into triumph, to turn every bad thing into the blessing of God.

Use that power; the cross is the most revolutionary power in the universe. It’s the power for the Lord and in the Lord to turn your life and the world upside down.

But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:24-25

Ask God to show you the areas of your life that need restoring/healing and apply His power to them. Seek God to turn problems into answers, tears into joy, and endings into new beginnings.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Zoroastrians…

In an ancient Middle Eastern land, there’s a caste of priests called the Zoroastrians of the Magian or Zoroastrian faith–the Magi. They dressed in white robes and conical hats. They begin a journey not knowing where it will lead them.

Seeking something greater, they ultimately came to the house of a Jewish family with a Jewish child. They would come to know the child as the Light of the world, the Glory of Israel. They followed a star which brought them to Bethlehem; a moment ordained from the beginning.

The prophet Isaiah said in his writings, “Arise, shine, for your light has come. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” It says, “They will bring you gifts of gold and frankincense.” When the Light of Israel comes, the Gentiles will come bringing gold and frankincense.

They were the first to fulfill the prophecy-because the Light has come. Be like the Magi. You don’t have to understand everything. Just follow His leading, and you will end up fulfilling the destiny for which you were born.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,  righteousness and truth) Ephesians 5:8-9

Make today a spiritual journey. Seek and follow God’s will and leading in everything, and be led to a treasure.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Synagogue Church…

The church and the synagogue are two separate and opposed things. There is a barrier between the church, the synagogue, the Gospel and Jewish people.

The first of what we call “church” was in Jerusalem. The leader was James. He wrote one of the earliest epistles. James 2:2 says, “If a man comes into your meeting, into your assembly, …”

The word here for into your assembly or church is synagogue. That’s where we get the word synagogue from. The first churches were in synagogues. The first church in Jerusalem was in a synagogue and that is the mother of all churches, the synagogue.

We have to remember the Gospel is to the Jew first; we have to pray for the Jewish people; love the Jewish people. Salvation came to you from the Jewish people; you are part of something Jewish.

If you are born again, you’re a child of Abraham. You are of the commonwealth, a citizen of Israel. So be blessed…the first church was in a synagogue.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Today, ponder the fact that you are actually a citizen of Israel, spiritually Jewish. The word Jew means praise. Praise Him continually.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Axe Principle / How To Be Focused…

Eccl. 10:10 says, “When the axe is dull, unsharpened, more strength is required. But with wisdom or skill, you will have success…”

Simple but profound. If you have a knife that’s not sharp, you will have to use a lot more effort to get things cut. But the sharper it is, the less strength you’ll need to do it. It’s not just for knives, but for our lives.

We can be doing things that are draining us of energy, and getting little results; not being effective for God because your axe is dull. If you live without focus, life becomes dull; you don’t accomplish much. You spend a lot of time and effort with little return.

Like Paul, become focused on the Lord. He said, “I do nothing without aim, everything is focused on Jesus.” He had purpose; he was consistent; focused; he changed the world.

Make Jesus the focus of everything. Fix your eyes on Him, run the race, you’ll become as a newly sharpened knife and be able to slice right through your problems.

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Sharpen yourself spiritually. Aim to live a day of focus, staying fixed on Him, fulfilling His call and will in everything you do.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Footsteps On The Alter…

Jesus was brought to the house of Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, into the dominion and jurisdiction of the priest of Israel. In ancient Israel, when a sacrifice was offered up, there was a procedure to be followed.

The first part was called the Hikrib, from a Hebrew word which means close or near. Hikrib means the bringing near of the sacrifice into the dominion of the priest. You had to give the sacrifice to the priest.

Therefore Jesus, as the sacrifice, had to be brought to the house of Caiaphas, just as the sacrifice had to be brought to the dominion of the priest – the Hikrib.

In the same way, you need to bring Jesus near to every part of your life, near to your hearts, near to your sin, near to your emotions, near to your past, near to your wounds, your secret things, your dreams, everything.

The whole point is the sacrifice has to be brought near. Bring Jesus near, because that is when it counts.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

Perform your Hikrib today. Bring Jesus into every part of your life. Surrender all weakness, and temptation.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Spirit-Filled Life…

Jeremiah 31:31 speaks of the New Covenant God promised to Israel. The time is coming says the Lord, I will make a New Covenant, not like the old; I will write it on their hearts.

The Old Covenant has 613 commandments for every part of life–eating, clothing, hygiene, worship, fellowship, marriage, taking out the garbage–everything. The New Covenant, life in the Spirit, probably has more.

The Spirit commands not by force, but moving by the Spirit. There’s a way to live in the Spirit for every part of your life. There’s a way in the Spirit to dress, to walk, to wash, to work, taking out the garbage.

You are in the Spirit, and there’s the Spirit way to raise your children, to speak, to answer, to play, to work, to shop–in the Spirit! Every part of your life is to be a worship service.

Jesus has put His spirit within you so at all times, you can walk in the Spirit of God and fulfill the Law or the Torah of the Spirit.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17

Today resolve to be all the more open to the power of the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead you. Be moved by the Spirit in everything you do today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Zeus and Jehovah…

Hanukkah was about a war between God and Zeus, a Greek god. His statue was placed in the temple, defiling it. The worship of Zeus was carnal, an idol to fill the senses.

The Lord is not an object, nor an idol. His worship is spiritual; of the Spirit. The feast of Hanukkah uniquely gives clues about end-time culture; a war between the carnal and the spiritual.

Our present culture focuses on the senses. “If it feels good, do it.” Unfortunately, this has seeped into the House of God. Believers are told to go by feelings. “God will make you feel good; feel the Spirit.”

This is not the way of God; it’s of Zeus. Feelings must never lead faith; only follow. We follow God; He’s beyond the sensual. We are never called to feel God, but to know God. We live by faith, not by sight.

We still know Him when we don’t feel Him. We praise Him when we don’t feel like it. Stop going by feelings. Know it, believe it, choose it, and stand in it. For you are of not of Zeus, but Jehovah!

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. Deuteronomy 5:7-8

Today, make it your aim not to live by your feelings, senses, or emotions, but by the reality of God, the truth of the Word, the assurance of the Gospel.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Transporting The Miracles…

The nativity was a moment in time filled with the miraculous. But Mary didn’t leave the miracle behind in Bethlehem. She brought it with her to Egypt, then out of Egypt across the borders to Nazareth. The miracle was deeper than a place, circumstance, day or situation. It is said that Mary treasured these things in her heart.

We have to do the same thing. The miracle isn’t about having a high experience with God – it’s greater than any high experience or circumstance. The miracle is Him, His presence. That’s not just something for a moment. The miracle is what you carry, it’s what you take from your time and experience with the Lord.

A miracle changes your life when you apply the miracle to your everyday life. That’s when it becomes a miracle life. For Joseph and Mary, the angels, shepherds – they were all eyewitnesses to a personal experience of the reality of the miracle.

Become a transporter of miracles. Take the miracle home, don’t leave home without it. The miracle will transform every situation and your life will become at all times, a miracle.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:1-20

Today, bring the miracle into every situation. Let God’s presence transform every circumstance and moment of this day.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Hunter’s Temptation…

Hunters hunt by using bait–the pleasure principle. Worms are gourmet for fish. Another temptation is sex; a hunter blows a horn imitating a duck call. The male duck, looking for a good time, gets caught.

That’s not just true for animals and hunters, it’s true of the enemy, the hunter of your soul. He uses the pleasure principle to trap you, to get you away from God, into temptation, out of God’s will.

It doesn’t matter what it is, whether you have a hard time with other believers, that’s the pleasure/pain principle. He will offer something to get you away from fellowship. To overcome that, stop living by pleasure and stop avoiding the uncomfortable.

Seek God and His righteousness. Refuse the pleasures of sin and embrace the hardness of the cross. When the enemy’s bait has nothing to connect to, he can’t touch you. The enemy’s worm, the enemy’s horn will not lure you.

Reject the pleasure principle for the God principle and the righteousness principle. Do what is right. Forget about pain or pleasure and you will end up a victorious believer and not a dead duck.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

When you face temptation today, try something new – look to the end of that temptation, where it will take you, the pain it will bring – and resist It!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Undipped…

A Greek myth tells of when Achilles was a baby; his mother dipped him into the “River of Immortality.” But the heel by which his mother held him wasn’t dipped into the water–leaving him vulnerable there.

Thus the phrase: “Achilles heel.” He died when an arrow struck his heel. Achilles was dipped in a myth, but we are dipped for real. We are baptized in Jesus, completely submerged in Him in salvation.

You won’t have victory where something is not covered. The enemy can still touch you where you are not submerged under Jesus’s headship, leaving you vulnerable. The enemy will have a foothold or heel hold of anything that is out of the cross; anything out of His Lordship.

Submerge yourself into Him. Dip everything in your life: that sin, that thing, that ambition, that habit under His Lordship, and it will be covered. The enemy will be defeated in your life, and there will be no more strongholds, footholds; or heel holds. You’ll have victory, and no Achilles heel. Submerge your spot so there will be nothing left in your life that is undipped.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2

Give the enemy of your soul no room in your life. Cover every weakness, every temptation with the blood of Yeshua. Immerse yourself in Jesus to be completely His.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed