Ed Christian's World

Adam And The Cup Of Crushed Fruit…

When Adam fell, it happened through the partaking of a fruit. Jesus came as the second Adam, to undo his fall.

As Adam partook of the fruit of the tree… so Jesus, on the sixth day, also part took of fruit as He drank the cup of the fruit of the vine.

This time, the fruit was crushed, as Jesus’s life would likewise be crushed. Adam ate the forbidden fruit and was sentenced to death. Jesus drank the cup of crushed fruit and then was led to his death.

Adam, was taken from a garden to the place where he would die. Jesus would also be taken from a Garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, to his death.

We, who follow the Lord, are told to partake of that same cup, the cup of the Lord’s Supper. It’s not just a cup of fruit, but of crushed fruit.

For by partaking of the crushing of Jesus, His death, by dying to self, is the power to overcome the curse of Adam.

The more we do so, the more we’ll overcome. For the blessings of the Tree of Life now comes to us in a cup of crushed fruit.

Think of an area in which you need to die to self? Embrace that dying. Accept it. And start rising in His resurrection power.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 11

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Scorpions And Fish…

What father would give his son a stone instead of bread, or a snake instead of a fish, or a scorpion instead of eggs? No normal father would.

Jesus used that illustration to share how God our Heavenly Father would only give good things to His children. Now if Jesus went on, he might have noted that most good fathers will also make their children eat vegetables, lima beans, asparagus, broccoli, spinach.

But most of us didn’t ask for those things, and didn’t want them when they came. You see, a good father will also give his children what they need, even if they didn’t ask for it and don’t want it.

In other words, God also gives us what we don’t ask for, and don’t want – but need – like that trial, that problem, that person, that disappointment, that crisis.

Those are God’s vegetables. We don’t have to like them, but when you see them on your plate, start looking for the good, if not in the way they go down, then in what they will produce for you in the end. For God is not just the God of bread and fish; but of vegetables.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

Give thanks to God today for all those things you don’t want to give thanks to God for.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Grass Is Greener…

A Japanese legend: One day, a man named Hasnu was cutting a stone and he became miserable and discontent. He despised his life as a stone-cutter.

As he complained, he saw a king ride by on his horse. “I want to be king,” said Hasnu. His wish was granted. Hasnu became king. But while king, Hasnu looked up in the sky and realized that the sun was stronger than any king.

So he wished to become the sun, and his wish was granted. But then a cloud came and blocked out the light of the sun. So Hasnu became the cloud.

Then the cloud burst on the land, flooding everything, moving everything in its path, except for a huge rock. The rock was stronger, so Hasnu became the rock.

Then a man with a hammer and chisel came to the rock and began cutting it. Only then, did he realize, that the stone-cutter was more powerful than all of them.

Remember this, no matter what your situation, your position, your station, or your circumstances in life, there is no one so blessed, so well-off, and so mighty on earth as the one who loves and follows the Lord.

For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? Psalm 18:31

Count your blessings today – how blessed you are because you’re a child of God, a servant of God, and one who knows the Lord.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

1 Of the themes that men have known, 
One supremely stands alone; 
Through the ages it has shown, 
‘Tis His wonderful, wonderful love. 

Love is the theme, love is supreme; 
Sweeter it grows, glory bestows; 
Bright as the sun ever it glows! 
Love is the theme, eternal theme!

2 Let the bells of heaven ring, 
Let the saints their tribute bring, 
Let the world true praises sing 
For His wonderful, wonderful love. 

Love is the theme, love is supreme; 
Sweeter it grows, glory bestows; 
Bright as the sun ever it glows! 
Love is the theme, eternal theme!

3 Since the Lord my soul unbound, 
I am telling all around, 
Pardon, peace and joy are found 
In His wonderful, wonderful love. 

Love is the theme, love is supreme; 
Sweeter it grows, glory bestows; 
Bright as the sun ever it glows! 
Love is the theme, eternal theme!

4 As of old when blind and lame 
To the blessed Master came, 
Sinners, call ye on His name, 
Trust His wonderful, wonderful love. 

Love is the theme, love is supreme; 
Sweeter it grows, glory bestows; 
Bright as the sun ever it glows! 
Love is the theme, eternal theme!

Asking The Word…

In the Book of Acts, the account is recorded where Paul speaks to the people of Berea. The writer of Acts then records that the Bereans searched the word to see if the things Paul said were really true.

But the Greek word, translated as “searched” can also mean “asked,” “questioned,” “inquired of.” In other words, it can be taken, not only as if they searched through the word, but as if they “asked” the word, they “questioned” the word.

We should be more like the Bereans, not only in that we check everything out with the word, but that we learn what it means to “ask” the word, to speak to it, to be engaged in a dynamic relationship with the word, knowing that the word of God is alive.

Learn what it is to be engaged in a living conversation with the word… where you bring to the word every question you have, every problem, every need, and you let the word answer your every question, your every problem, and your every need.

For the word of God is from the mouth and heart of God. Go ahead… ask it… and it will speak.

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5

Whatever challenge you’re facing today, go to His word, find His answer and act on it. Seek and you will find!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Holy Lawbreaker…

In English, we have the word “iconoclast”. An iconoclast is someone who goes against the flow, or breaks the rules or traditions.

But the word goes back centuries. It comes from a great controversy which took place in the middle ages in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Church was covered with so-called, “holy images” – called “icons.” But there arose a movement that said, “The hallowing of icons is idolatry.” They began smashing the icons.

They were called the breakers of icons or, in Greek, the “icon-o-clasts.” But all believers are called to be iconoclasts; that is, we are not to serve, honor, or acknowledge any idol of man, whether of secular man, or of the church.

But it can’t stop there. A true believer is an iconoclast, in that he or she is continually smashing the idols in his or her life and heart. Are there any idols in your life?

Is anything you’re putting your trust, your love, your hope, your attention in, when it should be in God? If so? Then it’s your job to smash that idol; and be an iconoclast.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. Psalm 135:15

Is there something you shouldn’t be reverencing – the fear of man, the praise of man, the pursuit of money, pleasure? It’s an idol – Smash it today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Tomb…

There once was a man who decided it was time to start preparing his final arrangements. The man’s name was Yosef of Ramata, Joseph of Arimathea.

He became a secret follower of the Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth. Out of compassion, when Yeshua was publicly executed, Joseph gave up the tomb he prepared for himself and placed Yeshua’s body there instead.

A tomb is something that most people don’t lend out with the idea of getting it back. But the Rabbi happened to be God and so was only borrowing the tomb.

When He rose from the dead, Joseph had his tomb back. But now people saw it as a place of hope and life. A tomb is supposed to be a place of mourning and tears. Yeshua ruined a perfectly good tomb and a perfectly planned funeral.

But He doesn’t mind ruining our funerals, spoiling our sorrows, crashing our self-pity parties, and wrecking our fears.

Let Him ruin your funeral. Let Him mess up that indulgence of self-pity, let Him mess it all up with joy, and demolish it with thanksgiving and laughter. Let Him mess up your funeral, so you can start living.

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Matthew 27:57-60

Is there a funeral that you’re still living in, a sorrow, a regret, a bondage, a grudge, a failure, a scar – Jesus wants to ruin your funeral – let Him!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

First Fruits…

In Leviticus 23, God tells Israel that on the day after the Sabbath of Passover, they are to go out into the field and reap the Bikoreem, the first fruits, of their harvest.

So on that day, they would reap the first sheaf of the barley harvest and offer it to the Lord, the first fruits of blessings to come. Once it was offered, the great spring harvest could begin. It was called, Yom Ha Bikoreem, the Day of the First Fruit.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul speaks of the resurrection and calls Jesus the first fruits or, in Hebrew, the Bikoreem. It’s not an accident. For the day that Jesus rose from the dead was the Hebrew holy day called Yom Ha Bikoreem.

Jesus became the First Fruits of the new life on the actual Day of First Fruits. And so, the Resurrection is the Bikoreem, the beginning of life for all who receive the new birth.

Overcome today, and break through, for Yom Ha Bikoreem is just the beginning of a miracle that goes on and on in those who walk in its power.

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops Proverbs 3:9

Jesus has given you the power to break through into the new – Use that power today to take a miraculous step out of the old.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Feast Of Remembrance…

For over three thousand years it’s probably the most ancient, widespread, and continuously celebrated feast in history. God commanded the Jewish people to keep the feast forever and to pass it on from generation to generation.

But why? For this one reason – to remember. The Lord told them to never forget what happened to them in Egypt, the slavery, the miracles and wonders that God performed for their fathers.

Passover is a testimony that God’s people need to be people of memorial. What about the New Covenant? When you celebrate the Lord’s Supper, you’re celebrating Passover, in a simpler form. Jesus said, “Do this in REMEMBRANCE of Me.”

So God is telling you this: “Never forget your Egypt, where you came from, or how I took you out of the land of bondage, and the miracles I performed for you, the salvation, and how I kept you in the wilderness, and brought you to the promised land.

Keep it as a Memorial, and celebrate it all the days of your life that you may never stop being blessed in the Promised Land.”

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Take time to remember your own Passover, the life He saved you from, the sin, the bondage, the hopelessness, the darkness – and the blessings He’s brought you to.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Jesus And The Dip Of Bitter Herbs…

We’re all used to being at a party and dipping a potato chip or vegetable into a sour cream dip. Dipping is Biblical.

At the Last Supper, the disciples asked Jesus which one of them would betray Him. He answered that it would be the one who dipped with Him into the bowl. Why?

Well, from ancient times and to this day, at the Passover meal, Jewish people take a piece of matzah and dip it into a bowl of bitter herbs. The bread is a symbol of redemption, and of Jesus Himself.

The bitter herbs are symbols of bondage and slavery, sin and death. You see on Passover, there’s a special blessing of thanks you say over the dipping into bitter herbs.

That means Jesus even gave thanks for this, which represented His pain and death. So you return the favor and learn to give thanks even for the bitter herbs in your life and to bear His reproach joyfully and with love.

Because when you move in His love and give thanks for all things, your burdens become light, your bitter herbs become sweet, and your daily bread becomes holy communion.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

For each waking hour today, stop and take a moment to give thanks to God for the good and the not so good day you are having. Give it all to Him and you’ll be blessed.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,,

Ed