Ed Christian's World

The Bethlehem Principle…

No room at the inn’ is one of the most famous phrases from the Bible. When Yoseph and Miriam came to Bethlehem walking in the center of God’s will, about to fulfill the ancient prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures, the door slammed in their faces.

So they went to a manger/lamb birthing station and there was born the Lamb of God, King of the Jews, Jesus, and the Light of the world. It doesn’t matter how close you are to God or how much you walk in the center of His will, you’ll still come up against closed doors.

But when the door closes in your face, when the door closes on that dream, on that plan, on that hope, and you hear the words “there’s no room at the inn”, know for sure that God has something better.

Trust the Lord. Stand in faith and persevere in hope. When the door closes to you, in the Lord know and have confidence that there’s something better and more beautiful waiting to bless you as you don’t give up. Persevere because there’s yet a manger in Bethlehem.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  2 Peter 1:5-7

Today, stand in faith, persevere in hope, and have confidence that the Lord will open the right door for you to accomplish His plans for your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Power of Forgiveness…

Good morning,

Today, let’s embrace the healing power of forgiveness and experience the freedom it brings to our relationships and hearts.

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9

These words from Proverbs 17:9 cut straight to the heart of our relationships. How often do we let small offenses grow into walls between us and those we care about?

It’s so easy to fixate on others’ faults, isn’t it? That coworker who always interrupts, the friend who’s chronically late, the family member who never seems to listen. Our first instinct might be to vent or gossip. But gossip is like a boomerang – it might feel good in the moment, but it always comes back to hurt us.

When we dwell on others’ faults, we’re letting them control our emotions and conversations, focusing on negativity instead of the blessings in our own lives. What if we saw these moments as opportunities instead of obstacles? Opportunities to exercise grace, to choose love over criticism.

This doesn’t mean ignoring serious issues; it’s about consciously deciding not to let minor faults overshadow the whole person. When we forgive, we’re not just benefiting others – we’re freeing ourselves. We’re creating space for joy, for deeper connections, for love to truly flourish.

It’s a choice we make, moment by moment, to see people as God sees them: worthy of grace, capable of growth. Today, let’s challenge ourselves to be agents of forgiveness. The love we nurture might just transform our relationships – and ourselves – in ways we never expected.

When do you find yourself most tempted to gossip, and what steps can you take to choose love and grace instead?

How have you seen gossip impact your relationships, and how might choosing to be a blessing instead change the outcome?

Have a blessed day!

Dear God, I know I’m not perfect, and neither are the people around me. It’s easy to get caught up in their flaws and let frustration build up. But I don’t want to let those little things create walls between us. Help me to see them the way You do – with compassion and understanding. Soften my heart, Lord. Make me quick to forgive, just like You forgive me. I want my relationships to flourish, not be weighed down by bitterness. Help me let go and choose grace, so Your love can shine through me and bring us all closer. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always

Ed 🙏🏼

The Rising God…

Critics argue that the resurrection of Jesus is borrowed from mythologies in the ancient world of rising gods. Foremost of these was Osiris, a tall, handsome king called “the Good One.”

His evil brother Set prepared a banquet and brought in a chest, announcing to his guests that he would give the chest to anyone who fit inside it.

Osiris, playing along, laid down inside. Set’s friends rushed in, closed the lid, and threw it into the Nile. Set later found the chest and destroyed Osiris’ body. Osiris’ wife Isis, with the help of the Egyptian gods, then resurrected his destroyed body from the dead. This is a mythological account of gods who never were.

So the question: what Egyptian today worships Osiris? But all across the world, people of every tribe, tongue, and nation worship Yeshua, Jesus, and have had their lives changed by the living power of His very real resurrection.

When you compare, you realize how priceless this treasure you have is. He’s real, and He’s risen. So live and rise in the very real power of the empty tomb and the very real power of Jesus’s resurrection.

I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.  John 11:25

Believe the power of the resurrection. And by this power, rise and overcome.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Seasons of Life…

Good morning,

Today, let’s find rest and reassurance in the promise of God’s unwavering love and support, even as the seasons of life change.

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4

‘Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He.’ These words from Isaiah 46:4 are like a gentle embrace, reminding us that God’s love doesn’t fade with time. In a world that often glorifies youth, God’s promise spans the entirety of our lives—from the first breath to the last sigh. He’s not just a fair-weather friend; He’s committed to sustaining, rescuing, and carrying us through every season.

Think about it: the same God who knit you together in your mother’s womb pledges to carry you through your twilight years. He’s not just watching from afar; He’s eager to support you in every challenge, ready to lift the burdens of life, whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual.

Each gray hair is a testament to His faithfulness, each wrinkle a story of His sustaining grace. Your value isn’t tied to productivity or appearance but rooted in being God’s beloved creation. So today, whether you’re in the bloom of youth or the richness of old age, remember: you are cherished beyond measure. God’s care for you has no expiration date, and He’s not finished with you yet. Every day is another chance to experience His enduring faithfulness.

In what ways does God carry you through each day?

How can you draw new strength from Him in this moment?

Dear Heavenly Father,
What a joy it is to know that You love me at every stage of life! From my first breath to my last, You promise to carry and sustain me. Thank You for seeing beauty in my gray hairs and value in my years. As I journey through life, fill me with the excitement of experiencing Your faithfulness in new ways each day. Help me to see my age as a testament to Your enduring grace, and remind me that Your purpose for me never expires. Give me courage to embrace each day as an adventure with You, knowing that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Thank You for cherishing me always and for the wonderful plans You still have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Sabbath As A Verb…

Jesus didn’t just die on Friday, He died on the Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word for resting – shabbat. The Sabbath comes from God’s action for resting on the seventh day.

Jesus died on that day, He rested on that day, so that you could likewise enter into His rest. God wants you to find rest for your soul and peace in your life. To do that, you have to learn of His Shabbat. To Shabbat is to do something. It’s an action.

So, find the Sabbath in your life not by resting in your works, but in the fact that God’s work is finished – just as He said “It is finished!” when He gave up His life for you on Calvary. He was laid to rest on the Sabbath, so you could find rest for your soul and peace for your life.

Stop waiting for your works to be complete and your life to be perfect. Enter His Sabbath today and find your rest in His resting and your peace in His perfect work.

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.  Hebrews 4:9

Spend time today resting in His perfect work of salvation to enter the realm of perfect shalom, the Shabbat of Jesus.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

From Ashes To Beauty…

Good morning,

Today, let’s remember that God takes our brokenness and transforms it into beauty. May His promise of restoration bring joy and hope to your day.

And provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.   Isaiah 61:3

Life has a way of leaving us with ashes – the remnants of heartache, shattered dreams, and seasons of loss. We’ve all felt their sting. Yet, amidst these ashes, Isaiah 61:3 whispers a breathtaking promise: God’s specialty is turning ashes into beauty.

He doesn’t merely sweep the ashes away but works a divine exchange – beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for despair. Like a master potter, He takes the shattered fragments of our pain and sorrow and fashions them into a masterpiece of redemption and hope.

As we surrender our ashes to Him, He cultivates a resilient radiance within us. Like a mighty oak rising from a scorched landscape, we discover a strength forged in the fire, our roots anchored deeply in His love.

Today, whatever ashes you face, know they don’t define you. You are held by a God who transforms brokenness into everlasting beauty. Trust Him with your ashes – your pain, your grief, your shattered pieces – and witness the miracle of His restorative power. He will turn your mourning into joy, your despair into praise, and your ashes into a glorious display of His faithfulness.

What “ashes” in your life do you need to surrender to God today? How can you trust in His promise to bring beauty, joy, and praise from your current struggles?

Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God who brings beauty from ashes. In the midst of my pain and sorrow, I cling to Your promise of transformation. Take my ashes—my brokenness, grief, and despair—and exchange them for beauty, joy, and praise. Help me trust in Your healing power to make all things new. As You work in my heart, may I become like a sturdy oak, rooted in Your love and reflecting Your glory. Thank You for the hope and healing You offer. I surrender my ashes to You, trusting in Your perfect plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Your Priestly Separation…

Have you known rejection in your life? Luke 6:22 says, “Blessed are you when men…ostracize you”. The Greek word for ostracize is aforidzo and it is the same word that’s also used to speak of God’s separating someone for ministry and for His purposes.

That’s profound. It means God uses the rejection of people in your life to separate you for Himself. Many people come to the Lord only by knowing rejection. If you had been accepted by everybody in the world, maybe you wouldn’t have come to the Lord.

So God used rejection for your good. And even in ministry, it was used that you would come to God and serve Him. Even now, God will use the rejection and the persecution to purify you and to separate you for Him. So don’t go through life wounded and fearful. Be healed.

Thank God for it. There’s healing in God’s promise to use all for good. The same word God used to separate the high priest, He will use to bring you blessing, and all the rejection you’ve known will become the holy separation that was needed to bring about your divine ministry.

As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Acts 13:2

Today, take time to think of all these things- rejection, separation, heartache- and how God used them to bring you to Himself and to fulfill your calling and give thanks!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Unlimited Hope….

Good morning,

Today, let’s dive into a powerful truth that can transform our hearts: we are not defined by our struggles but by the promise of renewal! Let’s discover this hope together.

For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.   Romans 6:5

In Romans 6:5, we find a cornerstone of our faith, a declaration that in Christ, we are not only united in His death but vibrantly alive in His resurrection. This profound truth doesn’t merely alter our spiritual status; it transforms how we live, breathe, and navigate the world. It’s an invitation to shed the old, burdened self, bound by sin, and to step into a life of freedom, purpose, and joy that mirrors Christ’s triumph over the grave.

Our unity with Christ is more than theological—it’s deeply personal, affecting every facet of our lives. It empowers us to face daily challenges with a new perspective, to approach others with Christ-like love, and to navigate our journey with the assurance of His presence and guidance.

Today, let this truth sink deep into your heart: you are resurrected with Christ. This isn’t just about the promise of life after death; it’s about the vibrant, transformative life He offers here and now. Embrace this day as a participant in Christ’s resurrection, living fully, loving boldly, and shining His light in every corner of your world.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the profound truth of my union with Christ in both His death and resurrection. As I navigate today’s journey, help me to shed the remnants of my old self and fully embrace the resurrected life You’ve prepared for me. Fill me with Your strength, love, and joy. May I face challenges with Your courage, extend love with Your compassion, and live fully in Your presence. Let my life be a vibrant testament to Your transformative power and grace, shining Your light to all around me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Alexander, Caesar, and Charlemagne have founded empires. But on what did they rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼