Ed Christian's World

The Colors of the Serpent…

The Bible speaks of the enemy in terms of a serpent, a snake; so we can get a jump on his strategies by looking at snakes. Many snakes have bodies filled with shapes, colors, lines and triangles of color, or rectangles and blotches and spots and bands.

Why? They are there to camouflage. So a coiled snake often will obscure itself by these patterns. Other snakes have scales that blend in with the surroundings. Others have stripes that eliminate the sensation of motion.

This says a lot about the enemy and his strategy. The enemy always seeks to camouflage himself as a serpent. He never comes in the beginning and says, “Hey, I am the devil. I am here to destroy your life.”

The nature of serpents or the enemy, is to come in camouflage as good. He will always come as something looking good; a pleasant indulgence that will cripple your walk, or a nice sounding new teaching that will destabilize your faith.

Therefore, be careful. Look through the appearance, beyond the feeling, to the word and Spirit of God. Because only in God is there true life and true joy.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

Today examine your walk in the Lord and look for the holes where the enemy has crept in. Keep your faith in God pure by focusing on His word daily.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Elect One Has Risen…

As a believer, the resurrection of Jesus is center in your life. Has it made a difference in your life – a testimony of the evidence that He is risen? This is from ancient Jewish writings from people who didn’t even know the New Testament.

Strangely, they speak about Jesus and the resurrection from this extra-biblical book of 1 Enoch. They write about Jesus, “The elect One shall sit on My throne, and from the conscience of His mouth shall come all the secrets of wisdom.

For the Lord of the Spirit is given to Him and glorified Him. In those days, mountains shall dance like rams, the hills shall leap like kids satiated with milk, in the faces of all the angels in heaven shall glow with joy because on that day the elect One has risen. The earth shall rejoice.”

If this was written by people who didn’t even know the Lord, how much more must we who know the Lord rejoice! It doesn’t matter what else is happening in your life. Your life is to be filled with good news and great joy. Rejoice! The elect One has risen.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4

Share your testimony with those you meet today. Let them see your joy and the love of Jesus in you. Be the beacon of the Good News.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Beggar in my Dream…

I used to go out to share the gospel and give food to the homeless. One night, I dreamt someone begged me to take him with me; he was in bondage and wanted to be free.

There wasn’t room in my car, so I apologized and drove away. As I went, I saw the car growing; there was room. Looking back, I saw a creature pulling the man back into darkness. I missed the opportunity because I decided there was no room.

When I went back into the city, I gave food to a homeless man who said, “Take me with you, I want to get free of alcoholism.” I said, “I’m not leaving you.” We found a Christian to help him. If not for the dream, I might not have pursued it.

An obstacle that keeps us from God’s will is the belief that we don’t have room in our lives; nor in our mind and heart. It doesn’t matter whether there is room. Do God’s will anyway.

Minister; open your life, and your heart to His purposes. He will make room and enlarge your tent. Provide a willing heart, and God will provide the room.

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

Today take time with the Lord. Make room in your heart for the will of God. Look to minister and expect the surprises of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Waters of Heaven…

We picture heaven as a static place. Not much action with some harp music; not a lot going on. But heaven really is a place of action. Why? Because a river flows through it. And a flowing river is filled with action.

Heaven is a place of waters, not just waters, but living, flowing waters. Water is a symbol of the Spirit of God and the Spirit moves. If you want to live a heavenly life now, then learn from the river that flows through heaven and let the Spirit move through you.

Let His love move you and move in His love. Let His righteousness move you and move in His righteousness. Let His mercy move you and move in His mercy. And as you move, learn to flow because heaven flows.

Now pride doesn’t really flow, it’s puffed up. Selfishness is all stuffed up. And anger is built up. But love flows. Grace flows. Joy flows and peace flows like a river. So get into flowing in God.

Move in the Spirit, flow like a river, because a heavenly life, like heaven, has a river flowing in the middle of it.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Psalm 46:4-5

Be led by the Spirit today, Ask Him to reveal His will to you, then do as the Holy Spirit moves you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love.always,

Ed

God Bless America…

After September 11, everyone was saying God Bless America, God Bless America. Which God, which America and what blessing? The God of the Bible, the god of political correctness or the god of Islam? Which America?

The America founded to be a light to the nations, or the America that is the chief exporter of pornography and immorality, killing of unborn children with its media that daily blasphemes God?

Which blessing? The blessing of being kept safe and prosperous so we can continue in sin and take God out of every corner of public life? The point is not God Bless America.

The point is, America should bless God! The focus of our prayers are not to be our nation’s prosperity, but our nation’s repentance. So, too, in our lives. We tend to focus our prayers on God blessing us.

More important is that we bless God, that we repent and we live in God’s will. We can’t expect His blessings if you don’t embrace and submit to His will.

Pray and seek for our life to be in His will. Bless God with your obedience and God will bless you with His best.

It is written:“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” Romans 14:11

Pray for America today, for repentance, for salvation, for revival – and be part of the answer by living in revival today.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Off the Chair…

Imagine you were guilty of a serious crime and you were sentenced to death in the electric chair? You are taken to the chair, they strap you down and they are about to pull the switch. Suddenly, at the last minute you are reprieved.

Someone gave their life for you, they chose to die in your place so you would be free. They unstrap you, they open the door, they set you free. They say, “go in peace.” You would live in gratitude. You wouldn’t demand anything, you would count your blessings.

You would live with a debt of love. But if you want salvation and the blessings of mercy, then you have to live by mercy. You were sentenced to eternal judgment and rightly, but someone gave his life for you.

You went to your judgment and you will be free now because He went to your judgment. Live your life appropriately, hold no more bitterness, relinquish all rights, bless and live in humility.

Walk in a debt of love, because you just walked away from the chair. Or rather, your salvation began when you left the execution stake – the Cross!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11-12

You have been blessed with a debt of love that comes from salvation. Pay that debt of love by living a day of love – and a life of love.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Scroll Factor…

One of the most important parts of the Bible isn’t the black ink or even the Word. It’s the space behind it. When the prophets wrote down the Word they had to write it all on scrolls of parchment.

The Word had to have something to stick to, a background, a context, otherwise you couldn’t read it. What does it teach us–all that white space? That we can’t just exist in the realm of words.

The Word of God has to be fixed onto life, into the context of your life. You can’t just quote scripture, it’s not enough. You need the context, it has to be fixed to your real life.

If you have the Word but you don’t apply it to your life, it is just like ink without the parchment. It doesn’t produce life, they have to be together.

The Word of God can change any life, any situation, any problem, any heart, but you have to apply it to the real part of your life. The blessings begin when it comes together. Let the blessings begin in your life. Take the Word and let the Word hit the page.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14: 23-24

Take the Word today and let it touch your real life, apply it so that it sticks onto your background.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Let It Roll…

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” The word in Hebrew for commit is “galal,” to roll away, as in rolling a boulder down a hill. We get the word Galilee from it, because Galilee has rolling hills.

Commitment is to roll away. Let go of those stones, problems, worries, things you are trying to hold on to. Commit them to the Lord and your burden will be gone. Once you roll something down a hill, there is no rolling it back.

The most committed people in the Lord are actually going to be the most light-hearted. Stop trying to keep everything under control. Once, you give it to the Lord, don’t take it back.

When you came to the Lord, you committed your life. That means you rolled away your life to God. Don’t worry or be weighed down or heavy laden with anything.

Have you taken back that boulder of your life? Commit it all back. Let it go, for to commit everything to God is to roll it all away.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: Psalm 37:5

Today, let God have control over every aspect of your life. Release it all. Give God the reins to your will and let it roll!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Obedient Tapeworm…

In Acts 12:20 Herod becomes enraged and on an appointed day, Herod put on his royal robe, took his seat and began delivering an address. The people saw him as a god and almost started worshiping him, but Herod did not give the glory to God.

Immediately, an angel of the Lord struck him and he was eaten by worms and died. No doubt, they were tapeworms. Tapeworms cause problems by eating the food before your body can process it. God ordained the tapeworms as a judgment.

An angel struck Herod and he was eaten by worms. The tapeworms were an angelic action doing God’s will. A tapeworm is not pretty.

When we think about godliness, we don’t want to be compared to a tapeworm. Here the tapeworm is an example for believers. All the tapeworms had to do was eat and they were obeying God.

As believers, children of God, we don’t always obey God. We find a million ways to get out of doing God’s will. Are you obeying God’s will for your life? The tapeworm that does God’s will is more angelic than a believer who doesn’t.

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samual 15:22

Start the day asking for what God’s will is for you today, then simply do it.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Secret of the Magi…

The magi were wise men, but how could they be that wise, and know what they knew by looking at the stars, and that a king would come in the time He did?

Daniel 9 gives the countdown to the coming of Jesus: seventy times seven, 490 years, adding up to around that time. How would they know that prophecy? Daniel was chief of the wise men.

The word “wisemen” refers to magicians or magi. He was chief over them, the wisest of the wise. Undoubtedly, the magi studied the writings of Daniel and undoubtedly, Daniel would have prayed for them to become saved.

Although they seemed hopeless, Daniel prayed for them. Clearly, they would someday travel to Bethlehem, and be known throughout the ages as those first finding the Jesus.

If the magi in Persia was far away and into the occult, could one day find the Light because they searched and found Him, then don’t you give up on those people in your life who seem so distant.

Keep sharing, loving, praying, and giving the word. If the magi in Persia could end up in Bethlehem, so can your friend.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find. Proverbs 8:17

Pray today for your unsaved friends and co-workers, give them the Good Word, let them see the living God within you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed