Ed Christian's World

The Crown of The High Priest…

The High Priest of Israel had a crown on his head, a crown of pure gold called the nezer; symbolically it circles his mind and his thoughts. We get the word “Nazirite” from the word nezer. Nezer means to cut off.

The Nazarite was one who made a vow to the Lord to be separate and to abstain from things that are not of God. To have a holy thought life. You too have to separate the thoughts that are not pure.

When things come in your thoughts that are not of God, cut it off immediately and do not let it dwell within you. Separate yourself from all thoughts of anger, jealousy, lust, indulgency, depression, gloom and doubt; whatever it is, cut it off.

Set up boundaries or hedges in your heart and mind to warn yourself from sin creeping into your life. Do not minister without your crown; circle your thoughts with the crown of God, the nezer.

Cut off the old ways of your life and consecrate the new, so your thought life will be crowned with the glory of God.

I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

Set the “nezer” around your mind and your thought life. Establish boundaries against ungodly thoughts. Let your thoughts be as holy as the high priest’s crown.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Set Your Face…

We have to learn the secret of “Face Setting.” In the book of Luke, Scripture says that as the time drew near for Jesus to ascend to Jerusalem and show Himself among the people there,

He sent His disciples ahead of Him to go into a village in Samaria, but they did not receive Him because they knew that His ultimate destination was to go to Jerusalem.

Jesus was not aimlessly stopping in this village; He wanted to be a blessing for these people at this time of His life. Surely this town missed out on the purposes of God in their lives.

Jesus knew His purpose; He knew His goal and so He set His face like flint to complete His purpose of God’s command. You have to be like Jesus, do not be sidetracked, know your purpose in this life that He has specifically given to you.

In Jesus, your life has a great and high purpose; set your life, heart, eyes, thoughts and everything on Him. Like Jesus, you will get to that high ground and you will finish your course in victory.

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; Luke 9:51-52

What has God called for your life – set your face, your life to this goal. Let no distractions take you off course.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Life On The Screen…

The problem with most of the media is when you spend your time in front of the TV set or in front of entertainment, your life becomes ruled by them. The more you spend time watching, the more you will determine that nothing is happening in your life.

You see, the action is on the screen and not in your life. The story is out of your life and onto the screen; what you are doing is sidelining your life. Jesus did not come so you could watch the shadowing of your life from the sidelines. He said that He came so that you can have life.

The light and noise of the TV and other media is nothing to be compared to the glory of real life in Jesus. Take the time you would spend today being entertained and use it instead to be in the presence of the glory of God.

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

Get on the field, start walking and breathing in the Jesus because life, like salvation is not a spectator sport. Jesus said that he came that you may have life and have it more abundantly.

Take the time you would spend today in lesser activities and replace it with time in the Lord’s presence.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Shifting Gears…

There is a principle of the first gear and second gear and onward. Your car works by this principle as most moving machines. Science works by it but most believers are not aware that this has a spiritual application that can change your life.

At the beginning of getting your car going and rolling, it goes with small steps and you have to put all the energy into the first gear to go into second gear. Then as it starts rolling faster it goes from second into third gear without much energy. First steps start with the most energy.

Start with you and God. The first step is crucial; put your energy and focus to make this change. The first step might seem as a baby step but put your energy and heart into it. Put in all your faith in God and believe you can do it. Be led by the spirit to walk in the newness of life.

Focus on the first step of love, repentance and forgiveness. This is the beginning of victory; living the super life of God. Shift into first gear and soon you will be cruising.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:14

Begin the most critical part of your day with just you and God and be moved by the presence of His Spirit in the direction He has made for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Broken Alter…

When God brought revival to ancient Israel, the sign that it had come was not church revival services, tent meetings, or gospel crusades – but something very different – broken altars. In the revival that came to Israel under the reign of Josiah, the central act was the king’s breaking, defiling, and pulling down the altars of the gods.

The breaking of the altar was the definitive manifestation that the reign of the false gods that had gripped the nation was broken. For ancient Israel it was the crowning act of repentance. The god whose altar was broken could not be worshiped. In the days of revival, the gods and idols that people or nation have served must be exposed and repented of.

The most brazen altar of the gods in modern times is the altar of abortion. They parallel most closely the altars of the gods that were erected in the Valley of Hinnom where the people of Israel offered up their own children as sacrifices. The Bible records that King Josiah specifically defiled and broke those altars down.

We must take it as the strongest of encouragements from God to rise to the moment. Will there be revival and a national return to God? That will depend. 2 Chronicles 7:14 still holds: “If My People who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land…” The key word is “if.”

Reference: 2 Kings 23

Let us take great encouragement and courage from God’s breaking of this darkest of altars. Let us be strong, courageous, and immoveable. Let us boldly proclaim the gospel of salvation and shine His light to this generation. For the altar has broken!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

God Enthroned and the Secret of Joy…

What does the Bible say about heaven? In the Book of Revelation, heaven is described as the place of God’s throne. Isaiah 66:1 confirms it: “Heaven is My throne.”

It is the place where John saw God seated on the throne. Yet, there is going to be a time when heaven comes to earth, in a sense. It says in Zechariah 14:9, “The Lord will be King over all the earth in that day.”

When will heaven come to earth? It will happen when the Lord is enthroned on the earth. But we are to live a heavenly life now. How? The key is the throne. Heaven is the place where God is enthroned.

If you want a heavenly life now, enthrone Him. When you enthrone Him – over your will, your desires, your ministry, everything – He becomes the sovereign Ruler over your life.

So allow Him to truly reign as Lord over every part of your life and live in the blessings of heaven now, because heaven is wherever God is enthroned.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Enthrone God in every part of your day today and every part of your life. Blessings will come.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The “OY” Breakthrough…

The prophet Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord in the temple and he cries out “Woe is me, for I am undone.” In Hebrew this means “OY” used exactly in the Bible.

Although he sees himself undone, he hears the voice, “Whom shall I send?” and he answers, “Send me.” His breakthrough came when he was willing to confess his sins before God and God touched him.

Isaiah knew that he was unclean upon seeing the glory of God and cried out for help. How do you see yourself in the light of God’s calling? When we see God and hear His voice we will realize that we too are unclean until his spirit touches us.

Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5

The breakthrough in your life will come when you too see your life in the light of God’s revealing word. You can’t live a life of compromise anymore.

Come before him in prayer, tell him you can no longer live in sin. See your life in the light of God’s word; Tell him “I am ready.” Present yourself as a vessel and He will cleanse you and use you like Isaiah, you can say the amazing word “OY”.

Find your point of breakthrough as you confess your sins and become a new vessel ready to be used by God for His will in your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Josiah’s Surprise and Your Destiny…

The story of Josiah, the good king, launched a revival in Israel. He saw a tomb while he was cleansing the high place. He wanted to know what it was.

The people around him answered: “It was the tomb of the bones of the prophets of God, who rebuked this site centuries ago and foretold that one day you would come to cleanse this place.”

Imagine being Josiah and finding out that you would step right into a destiny that had been foretold centuries before? The Bible says that man’s steps are ordained of the Lord, not just for Josiah, but for all, for you.

There is a destiny over your life, just as high, just as holy, just as perfect. As you follow God, and only as you follow God, can you fulfill it. Walk in the footsteps already laid out because it says, “There are good works He has prepared beforehand that you might enter into.”

The only way to get there, is to follow the Spirit; follow His righteousness and you too will one day see how your life was foretold and purposed from the beginning of time.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:29

Seek to follow in the perfect will of God today – and you will have taken many steps to enter into your prophetic destiny.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Encouragement of Weakness…

You deal with sin. All believers do. It can be discouraging and get you down. In Hebrews it says that we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our infirmities. The high priest is, of course, Jesus.

The word translated in the King James Version as “infirmity” is the Greek “asthenia.” It means “weakness.” It might sound like there is an excusing of sin when we talk about sin as a weakness.

There is no excuse for sin, there is only blood for sin, the blood of Jesus. So why call it weakness? For someone who practices sin, then sin is not a weakness, it’s their life. But for God’s people, your sin is a weakness and not the direction of your life.

You have a High Priest who knows your weaknesses and can sympathize. Make it your aim to give Him less to have to sympathize with. That which is not consistent with your goal or purpose, make it your aim to rid your life of all these weaknesses, because a weakness does not identify what your life is or what your life is not.

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2

Be encouraged today. Know that God sympathizes with your weakness – and let that encourage you to put away those sins once and for all.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love.always,

Ed

Batting a Thousand…

In baseball, there is a saying called “batting a thousand.” Batting a thousand means perfection – you get a hit every time, you never strike out and you never get called out. No one can do it.

In baseball, at the end of the year, they come up with averages – how well people did, etc. It turns out that 300 percent is really good; that is one out of three. Even baseball’s greatest players say that 300 is great.

In the Lord, good comes out of bad. If we are expecting perfection by never messing up, it is just not going to happen. Even out of falling, good comes. In God, even when we fall, if we repent and get up, it will be good.

So stop dwelling on the fact that you messed up. In God batting a thousand is not about never falling, it’s about getting up and finishing the course He gave us.

It’s not about messing up, it’s about repenting, coming back, hoping, and persevering. You just persevere and no matter what, my friend, you’ll end up in God’s grace, batting a thousand.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

If you mess up today, don’t beat yourself up over it. Get up, repent, and start over again in the grace of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed