Ed Christian's World

He Left All For Her – A Love Story…

Genesis 2:24 says, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” In Ephesians 5, Paul quotes this scripture and then says, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Jesus and the church.”

It’s a deep thing. He opens a whole new revelation. That means that Jesus left everything. He left His Father’s house in heaven and came down to earth. He left His fellowship with His Father to be crucified on the cross. He left everything.

It says that the man shall be joined to his wife. He joined Himself to us on the cross. That’s so beautiful. He separated from everything. Whatever God’s asking you to leave, whatever that thing is, that treasure, that joy, that habit, that sin, that idol, let it go. Because that’s how you really join to Him.

He left everything for you, to be joined with you, to come into your life and save you. The Bridegroom left His Father’s house to come to you, to be one with you. And you, the bride, can do no less than that.

Remind yourself today that your Bridegroom has called you out and set you apart from the world for His glory and purposes.

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37-38

Remind yourself today that your Bridegroom has called you out and set you apart from the world for His glory and purposes.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Devine Leftovers…

Most people really don’t want leftovers for dinner. But Leviticus 19 says, “When you reap the harvest of your land, don’t completely reap it to the corners of your field, don’t gather in the gleanings… leave them for the poor and the stranger.”

It’s the law of “The Divine leftovers.” Biblical leftovers are holy. As God’s children, we must always have leftovers in our life; always sow more than we reap; give more than we take. We need to have leftover finances, leftover time for God, leftover service for the stranger, and leftover love.

We should think opposite of the “Take and get everything out of life” philosophy. In the end, our account balance should not be even. We should have been giving more than we got in this world–for the needy, for the poor, always having extra to give away.

Your life can overflow with extra love, extra blessing, or an extra word. Because it’s not enough to have enough. God gives you the best things. In Him, leftovers aren’t last night’s food. It’s a sign of life overflowing with blessing. Leftovers are the sign of heaven’s children.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

Make your goal to give away more than you get. Be a blessing to those you come in contact with today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Dance of The Electrons…

When you look at creation, you see a pattern. The moon revolves around the earth, the earth around the sun, and the sun around the center of the Milky Way. The same pattern is in the smallest atom.

The electron from which we get electricity, magnetism, and radiation does the same thing as the moon, earth, and sun. It revolves around the center. This amazing pattern, from the largest to the smallest, shows us that everything has to revolve around something greater than itself – moons, planets, stars, electrons, and man.

The way of existence is not just to exist. You can’t just live for yourself. You have to revolve around something greater. God is greater! If you live your life centered around Him, then everything in your life will fall into place.

Worship is centering your life around Him, who is greater than you. One of the Hebrew words for worship is to dance in a circle. The dance of the electrons and the Hebrews is the flow of life.

Revolve your life, dreams, focus, ways, worship, will, and everything around Him, and you will be blessed. This is the way of creation and the dance of life.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9

Today, worship Jesus as your center and join the dance of life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

As Being With Jesus…

In Acts 4, the Apostles are brought on trial before the Sanhedrin, not because of their ministerial degrees, diplomas, or liturgical garments, but because they recognized them as being with Messiah Yeshua, Jesus.

The sign of the disciple isn’t degrees, certificates, position or status. It’s that they are recognizable for spending time with Jesus.

Are you a disciple? If so, bear the sign that you have been with Yeshua, Jesus. Spend time with Him in prayer, praise, worship, and communion, receiving Him in the quiet. The more time you spend with Him, the more people will see that you have been with Jesus.

The mark of Jesus isn’t just for the first disciples but for you. Spend more time with Him, and it will even change the way you look. What’s the sign the world needs to see?

They need to see one thing–that you have been with Jesus and that they can recognize that in you. In the same way they recognized the first Apostles, people should see you because the more time you spend with Him, the more you will be like Him.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Spend some extra time with God and reflect His goodness to everyone around you today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

As It Is In Heaven…

In Acts 3:20-21 TLV, Peter says: “…and He may send Yeshua, Jesus appointed for you. Heaven must receive Him…” Heaven is the place where you don’t need anything. It’s perfect, full and complete.

But here it says heaven must receive. How can heaven need to receive? Heaven is not complete without Him. If heaven had everything else, streets of gold, living water, but didn’t have Him, it wouldn’t be heaven. Revelation 7:17 says, “For the Lamb in the center of the throne…”

If heaven centers around Him, how much more do we need to? Everyone needs Him. That’s why we must be born again to be saved. We had to receive Him. We need Him every day, every moment.

Let Him in, receive Him again. Let Him come in and you won’t be empty. Bring Him into every part of your life, every day. Bring Him into your home, your job.

Receive Him into your heart, your struggles, your failings, your weaknesses, your past, your dreams, your hurts, and your everything. Because even heaven must receive Him. How much more you and me? And that which receives Him becomes heavenly.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20

Receive Jesus into any empty area of your life today. Let Him make your life heavenly.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Way of the Fool…

Hitler, one of the most powerful men in the world; had no peace or joy. He was a miserable, wretched man. Stalin had everything and was paranoid and angry. Proverbs 12:21 says, “No evil shall befall the righteous, but the wicked will be filled with evil.”

That word evil can also mean adversity, affliction, calamity, distress, grief, misery, sorrow, and trouble. That’s the nature of evil. Sin might have its moment, but it will always end up making you miserable and wretched. Movies sometimes show evil people laughing maniacally.

But evil and joy ultimately don’t go together. In Hebrew, one of the words for blessing and joyfulness is a way of saying righteous. Righteousness and joy ultimately go together. God’s people are to rejoice always. Why? Because only God’s people can rejoice.

Turn away from evil and temptation. See it for what it is, a rip-off that takes away your joy. Pursue righteousness and godliness. The way of evil is for the miserable. But the way of righteousness is the way of joy.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

Walk in His righteousness today – turn away from all evil, temptation and sin, and do so in joy, because of joy, and for joy.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Reality of Beautiful…

Ephesians 5:26-27 says, “That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all of her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

The ancient Jewish marriage and even today in the orthodox marriage, the bride before coming to the bridegroom has to go into the waters of a mikvah; a ceremonial bath to become clean and beautiful for the groom.

The bride of Jesus is to be presented cleansed, without stain, without blemish. She has to prepare herself to become holy. We’re here to become beautiful for Him. To have the beauty, love, goodness, and holiness that God wants to see us with.

It starts with cleansing and washing our sins. Make the focus of your remaining time on earth not to be rich, powerful, or comfortable, but to become truly spiritually beautiful, cleansed, washed, spotless, and adorned in the eyes of the Bridegroom. Because God wants you to become gorgeous.

As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5

Use every situation you encounter today as an opportunity to become more beautiful for the Lord.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Rich Man and Lazarus…

Lazarus is the only biblical parable character that’s given a name. Lazarus in Hebrew is Eleazar, from two Hebrew words; El meaning God and azar meaning helps. God helps, that’s His nature.

As God’s people, we have to be compassionate and help others as well. There’s a hidden mystery in this parable. Another way you can look at it. Jesus said “When you help the poor, feed, clothe and bless them, you’re helping Me.” You’re “helping God” = Eleazar.

The rich man doesn’t have a name because God wants us to put our name there, to identify with the one who doesn’t feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or bless others. For us who live in the West, we’re very much the rich man. We have far more than most of the world. Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell.

God wants you to put yourself in the shoes of the rich man, to teach you to open the gates of your life and heart, and help the poor who are lying right outside your gates, the poor of this world. Because their name is Lazarus.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.’ Matthew 25:35-40

Ask the Lord to show you how you can help others and be the hands and feet of Jesus today. Then follow through with what He shows you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Gracias of The Lord…

When someone gives you something good, you say, “Thank you.” In Spanish, the word for thank you is “gracias.” Gracias looks and sounds like the English word grace. Grace is the unmerited, undeserved, unwarranted, and wonderful love with which God showers us.

We’re saved and cleansed by God’s grace. So what does gracias have to do with grace? Because the only appropriate reaction to grace is “gracias.” The only appropriate thing to do in the face of God’s grace is to say “thank you.”

So if you’ve been saved and received God’s grace, if you consider yourself to be a person of grace, then you must be a person of gracias. You want to show the world the power of grace? Then show them your gracias.

The proof of God’s grace is your gracias. And the more thankful you are, the more open you’ll be to receiving more of His grace. Do you want to know grace? Then be a person of gracias. Be thankful in all things. Be more than that. Be a person of “muchas gracias.” Be very thankful, and your life will be filled with much grace.

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21

Make it your aim today to give thanks for everything in your heart and with your voice, in all things.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Miracle Of Multiplication…

Thanksgiving holds the secret of performing miracles, particularly that of multiplying bread. Look at how Jesus multiplied bread. He took a meager, inadequate amount, gave thanks to God and then it miraculously multiplied.

When you need more, stop complaining and focusing on the need and being miserable. Give thanks for the little inadequate things. When you give thanks, you receive the power of the miracle of multiplication.

Giving thanks multiplies the blessings of life and performs the miracle of taking away hunger and bringing fulfillment. It transforms that which is not enough into that which is more than enough.

Do you want to be happy and full to have a life of abundance? Stop looking at what isn’t there; lift up what is and give thanks. Give thanks for all the things you haven’t thanked God for. You’ll find yourself performing miracles.

A life of unhappiness will be transformed into a life of joy. And the little things you thank God for will be miraculously multiplied into blessing upon blessing. So, learn how to become a miracle worker and start multiplying that bread.

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. Psalm 97:12

Make a list of things that you haven’t been thankful for and give the Lord thanks today… for all your many blessings.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed