Ed Christian's World

Master Of Dreams…

One of the most beautiful foreshadows of Jesus in Hebrew scripture is the foreshadow of Joseph. Even the rabbis saw that as parallel when they spoke of Jesus as being Mashiach Ben Yosef or Jesus the son of Joseph.

In the Bible, Joseph is given a Hebrew title; Baal Ha Halamote which means the master of dreams. Joseph is a shadow of Jesus. This tells us that Jesus is not only the Lord of the world but the master of dreams.

One of the things we don’t often talk about is our dreams. Our lives are filled with dreams, desires, and hopes, but most of them don’t come true. Many of us live our lives in the shadow of broken dreams and we mourn the loss of them throughout our lives, but He is the master of dreams.

He knows your dreams and hopes; all the things that are broken in your heart. Jesus knows how to redeem them. Open your heart and pour out your heart before the Lord. You gave Him your life, now give Him your dreams. He is not only the Lord of life, He is the master of dreams.

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Psalm 21:1-2

Share with God your hopes and dreams; seek His will in all these yearnings of your heart. Let Him be Master of everything.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Secret Kings & Queens…

Did you know that Joseph and Mary, or Yosef and Miriam, were royalty? They had to be since they were in Jesus’s genealogy. Even Joseph was of the royal line from David. And Mary was a royal princess.

You might be thinking that it must have been a privilege to be born of the royal house, to be in Jesus’s genealogy. We were not born of any kind of house like that.

But you are indeed royal if you are born again. And since you are born again, you also are in Jesus’s genealogy. It’s the record of the people who bore Him, the people through which He came.

If Jesus has come into your life, then you are of His genealogy. And if you are born again, your life has to be a royal life. So stop living your life as if it was just another life. This life is a royal life.

Start thinking royal thoughts, take royal actions, speak royal words and start doing royal things. For those through whom the King comes, they are truly royal and that means you.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Live royal today, take royal actions, think royal thoughts, walk in royal footsteps.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always

Ed

Blessed Are The Goels…

In ancient Israel, there was the law of the “Goel.” If a woman found herself a widow, the brother or nearest relative of her deceased husband would or could marry her and redeem her husband’s line and the house.

He would be called the “Goel,” the “Kinsman Redeemer.” Because of the “Goel,” she would be able to have children, and her debts would be covered; her shame would be lifted up.

Psalm 103 says: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.” In the fourth verse it says, “Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”

But in the original Hebrew it doesn’t say exactly that. It says who “Goels you.” It is saying that God is your “goel;” your kinsman redeemer, the one who looks at your life.

He joins Himself to your life so your sorrows would be turned to joy, your shame would be lifted up, and your life would become fruitful. It means that you are no longer alone.

You are married. Because He is committed to you, He is now with you. He redeemed your life; He has “goeled” you.

But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. Isaiah 63:16

Walk in boldness and strength today, bless the Lord, even in your valleys and sorrows; your Redeemer walks with you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Getting Into The Manger…

Where is Jesus? If you were looking for Jesus on the day of His birth, where would you find Him? You wouldn’t find Him in the inn, or in the crowded places.

God is not going to stay in a crowded place. We think we can maintain His presence in a crowded life or we can fit Him in between a thousand details. You might have let so many details come into your life that the Lord’s presence just can’t stay there.

And you wonder why you don’t feel that joy anymore, that zeal in God. How can you have it? He’s not going to stay where there is no room for Him. On the day of His birth, He wasn’t in the crowd or in the inn. He was outside–away in the manger.

You want to restore the joy and the glory of His presence in your life? Then you also have to get away from the crowded place and busyness. Get alone with Him, get to the manger and find Him again because He still loves you. He’ll be waiting for you this week–away from all the rest, in a manger.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Unclutter your schedule today to enter into thatsecret place where it is you and Jesus one-on-one.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Lion Hearlds…

With Jesus’s first coming, He called His disciples to have a key part, to go with Him throughout Israel to spread the word of salvation to all the earth.

Jesus is coming again. And just as the original disciples were chosen in His first coming, so He chooses and calls us, as born-again believers, to have a key part in His second coming. Now the original disciples prepared the way for the Lamb who was to be slain.

But we are to prepare the way for the Lion who is to reign in glory. How do you prepare for a Lion? By proclaiming and honoring His kingship over everything…our lives, our homes, our towns, and our world.

We are to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, and the coming of the King. We are to live as if He were already King because He already is. It’s exciting! We have as much part in His coming as the disciples did 2,000 years ago. As a believer, you are the disciple of the Lion.

So prepare the way of the Lord and make straight the path, for the King is coming, and you are His herald!

Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” Isaiah 62:10-11

Proclaim God as sovereign in your life. Share the Good News of the coming King in your neighborhood.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Departed…

In the New Testament we are told that we are children of Abraham. It doesn’t matter if you are Jewish or gentile; if you are born again, you are a child of Abraham.

Abraham is the first person in scripture to be called a Hebrew. Now the Hebrew word for “Hebrew” is actually Ivri. It means one who crosses over. Crossing over means leaving something or someplace behind.

That’s what Abraham did. He left his old life behind to follow God. So if you are born again, you are a spiritual Hebrew, an Ivri. And like Abraham, you have the power to leave the old behind.

One of the most important things you can ever do in the Lord is to leave. Leaving is a key to releasing blessings in your life. So learn to be good at leaving. Become a master at leaving… leaving sin, old habits, second best and what’s familiar or comfortable.

God desires to do something new in your life. But you can’t walk in newness of life unless you leave the old life behind. Always remember, you are a spiritual Ivri. And the power of a leaver is in you!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Cross over those barriers in your life. Leave the sins and old ways behind to enter the blessings in store for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Secret of Vanishing…

In Acts 15, the Council of Jerusalem had to make a decision regarding circumcision for gentiles. But Acts 15 is also the very last time Peter is mentioned in the historical account of the Bible.

Though he turns up in Paul’s letters and his own letters, he vanishes after Acts 15. The rest of Acts centers on Paul’s ministry. What is cool is that in his letters, Peter only blesses Paul. There is no indication of ego, pride, or hurt feelings even though Peter opened the door for ministry to the gentiles.

Serving the Lord isn’t about us at all. We can’t serve the Lord and be wrapped up in ego or pride. The Lord is the One who gave Himself up on the cross. So we must serve Him with selflessness and humility.

Be honest! Could you disappear like Peter? Could you continue to serve God’s purposes while someone else became the focus of attention? If not, then learn the joy of being so wrapped up in God that you disappear.

For the one who can disappear with joy will appear in glory in the Kingdom… just like Peter, the vanishing apostle.

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2

Seek to disappear today, to lose yourself, and live a day totally focused on God. Experience the pure joy of serving the Lord with a servant’s heart.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Yellow Lights In Your Life…

You’re driving somewhere, and you’re late. The light is green, but it’s turning yellow, and you are a believer. Like many of us, you floor the gas pedal. A hint of red is coming up, so you go through it.

It wasn’t red, not exactly yellow, sort of reddish-yellow. You zoom through; everyone is reading your bumper stickers, “Honk if you love Jesus,” “If you see this car without a driver, I’ve been raptured!” and you’re going through a red light.

In life, some things are definitely wrong: smoking, drunkenness, sexual immorality–those are the red lights. Then there are things that seem questionable. That television show, that activity, that relationship, that decision, that compromise. These are yellow lights.

You know adultery is wrong, but that flirtation, that second glance–that’s the yellow light! You can speed up or put on the brakes. The problem is, yellow lights become red lights and if you don’t stop that flirtation, it will become adultery. So stop that thing. It’s not only the red lights, but more importantly, it’s the yellow lights.

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Psalm 13:7

Look for those warning signs of compromise to sin that lead away from God’s will in your life and steer away from them.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Strange Material of Joy…

The Bible contains a beautiful promise. It says, “I will turn your mourning into joy.” It doesn’t say, “I’ll stop your mourning, make it disappear, or I will add joy.” Nothing like that. It says “I will turn your mourning into joy.”

It’s one thing to take away mourning, but God does better than that. God uses your mourning. He redeems your sorrow. He takes your heartbreaks as raw materials for joy. God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him, including your mourning. He uses it to become joy.

We look at our sorrows, disappointments, tragedies, and losses, and we mourn. Be encouraged. God promises to take your sorrows, disappointments and tragedies and turn them around to actually produce joy and blessing.

One day, you will thank God for that mourning. Stop living in sadness; give that mourning to Him and see Him turn it for good and into joy. Start giving Him thanks even now before you see it, and you will see it turn.

Your mourning will stop being mourning, but the raw material out of which comes your joy.

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

Expect God’s promise of blessing even before you see it. Watch how God turns your sorrows into your joy.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Show Me Your Glory…

In Exodus, Moses begged the Lord for one glimpse of His glory. The Lord said, “When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I pass by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses longed passionately for God, and God honored it. He was so overwhelmed with God’s presence, that when he went down the mountain, his face was radiant. The people feared looking at Moses’ face.

If you want to glow, you need to seek God’s presence and long for a glimpse of Him. If Moses glowed with the glory of God just seeing His back, how much more would you glow seeing His face. It’s written in 2 Corinthians, we have something greater.

We can behold God’s glory in the face of Jesus and be changed into His image. You need to seek His presence to behold His glory. Spend time with Him, my friend. Draw closer; He will show you the awesome glory of His presence, and you will shine with the light of God.

Be passionate for God’s presence in your life; long for Him and be changed so that others see you glowing, wanting what you have.

Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:7-8

Be passionate for God’s presence in your life; long for Him and be changed so that others see you glowing, wanting what you have.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed