Look at You!!
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he wasn’t very happy with the way the church was taking communion–the Lord’s Supper. They would often have a “love feast”–it was a big event kind of like our church picnics. First Corinthians 11:17–34 indicates that some were gorging themselves at the feast while others were left hungry. Some were even getting drunk. The people were not waiting for one another, nor were they sharing—they ate the food they brought themselves, and, if someone couldn’t bring much, he did without. Separation between rich and poor was evident and somewhere in all of this “the Lord’s Supper” got lost.
Paul said they weren’t even really eating the Lord’s supper. (vs.20) So, he asked them to do a “heart check,” (as we should do). Am I taking communion to remember Christ’s sacrifice for me? Am I just going through the motions, participating in the ritual? Have I daily been confessing words I’ve spoken I shouldn’t have, or participated in any grumbling? Have I been selfish?
Does that mean we have to be perfect to participate? Absolutely not! We just need to be honest with God and ourselves. Communion is a good time to reflect and to remember Jesus shed his blood and sacrificed his body for you and me to live life abundantly with the promise of eternity with him! We will never be perfect, as he was, but we can walk with him as closely as possible and keep growing and learning how to be more like him.
In that moment of reflection before we eat and drink in remembrance, we can ask him to help us forgive others, and create in us a clean heart! (Psalm 51:10) We can pray for unity in the body of believers and ask how we can be a unifier and encourager. We can ask him to reveal any way we have strayed from his perfect will and plan for us. Most importantly, we can tell Jesus how much we love him and want to be more like him. It’s about HIM, His glory, His honor, His mercy!
Deb Hill
EFCC Member
Comm(union)
“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.”
I Corinthians 11:17
E pluribus unum was approved in 1782 to be the motto on the Great Seal of the United States. We see it on the ribbon held in the eagle’s beak. In school, we all learned that this meant “out of many, one”. The United States of America meant just that, the thirteen smaller states joined together to become united in this new nation. They set aside some differences for the larger good. And the motto has become over the years to reference that we are a country of immigrants who become Americans, not denying ethnicity but setting it aside for the sake of unity as Americans.
While this is not a Biblical phrase or even has any spiritual emphasis in its origin story, it does illustrate a Biblical truth. We are one in Christ!
“For He Himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” Ephesians 2:14
“…so we, though many, are one body in Christ” Romans 12:5
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
There are a myriad of verses declaring all believers of whatever status as one in Christ. This truth is foundational to our core beliefs and, thus, we can see why the apostle Paul was so upset with the church in Corinth. The receiving of Communion was to be done in remembrance of Christ’s sacrificial death and to show how the believers were one in Him…it was to be Comm(union). It was a picture that had been changed by the strategy of our enemy. The evil one showed up in the church to deceive and divide as he has always done. He did it in the Garden of Eden, with Cain and Abel, and so on down human history in his goal to keep people from knowing Christ and/or living for Him. In the celebration of the Eucharist, the Corinthians would share a meal…or not share as it seemed. Can you imagine a potluck with one table for the haves full of food and one empty with nothing for the have nots? This was called a love feast and was to be marked by love for each other but was marked by economic separation! No wonder Paul was very direct in his condemnation of what they were doing.
Perhaps we need to check our hearts to see where we have been affected by this strategy of division. Are there things we must set aside so the love of Christ can be displayed in the communion sacrament? And perhaps not only then but in our daily walks as we live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus.
“. . . that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in Me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” John 17:21
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
Freedom Isn’t Free!
Happy Birthday America!! It’s the 4th of July, the day we as a nation come together to celebrate the birth of American independence, the many freedoms we enjoy as a nation for the past 249 years. Most of us will mark the holiday today with a summertime barbecue, a gathering of family or friends, perhaps a parade or patriotic concert and of course, a nighttime sky bursting with fireworks.
But as happy and enjoyable as this holiday is for us today, the reason we can celebrate the 4th of July is because 250 years ago others were willing to pay a price, battle in the Revolutionary War. That revolt cost the 13 Colonies’ young patriots greatly. Historian Howard H. Peckham’s data is regarded as the most accurate accounting of the death toll. 8,624 American fighters were killed in battle, another estimated 10,000 died in camp, and 8,500 perished while held in captivity.
The fact is, I have freedom and a holiday to celebrate, because long ago others’ lives paid for that gift. I never knew those patriots personally, but I enjoy every day the freedoms that cost them everything. It can be easy to take freedom for granted.
In Revelation 5:9-10, 12, they sing a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.”“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Jesus paid the price for my freedom. The Lamb of God had to be slaughtered to “break the seals,” to take away the sin of the world. It took the precious blood of Christ to ransom you and me from slavery to sin, from guilt, shame, condemnation and death. Because he paid the ultimate price, I’ve been gifted with salvation and freedom in Christ for this life and for the life to come.
Ephesians 2:8 reads
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
May we celebrate freedom for our nation today but may we never forget that freedom isn’t free. It came at a cost in 1775. The salvation gift God gave us, cost God greatly!
May we be happy and grateful this Independence Day.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member
Where's the Lion?
Revelation serves us the Final Act of God’s story, tying up loose ends, bringing all things to a close, and reminding us of the “one who conquers” once and for all. The text primarily does this through layers of symbolism and, among other things, connects important dots from the Church’s past to cryptic allusions of the Church’s future.
One of these brilliant, symbolic moments–where John (the narrator and author of Revelation) ties together images that thread their way through all of scripture–is shown in chapter 5, verses 1-14.
John is beside himself at the beginning of the passage, weeping out of hopelessness and despair. One of the elders assures him that the Lion of Judah will be able to bring hope and save them, but, when He actually shows up, there’s a twist; it’s no lion that appears, it’s a lamb! And not just any lamb, but one that looks like it’s been sacrificed on the altar.
“Hold up, where’s our lion?!”
You can imagine people’s shock and disappointment at this discovery. This was no doubt the response of more perceptive Jews when Jesus showed up (those who were even able to recognize Jesus for what he claimed to be; most missed him entirely, kind of like a joke going completely over someone’s head). That’s because the Jews were expecting a conquering hero who would subdue the Romans with an entourage of bloodthirsty angels, freeing them from suffering by taking out their enemies once and for all.
They didn’t understand that God’s heart is meek, not vengeful. His ways are not our ways, and what he loves is not what we love. What the world values, God “count[s]... as nothing,” so the way he sought to demonstrate his heart to us and save the world was by coming as a Lamb (“whoever has ears, let them hear”).
The lowly carpenter that was born in a stable and died an obscure death on a cross. Not the kind of person who gives “conquering hero” vibes, is he? But this is where God brilliantly subverted expectations. For as a Lamb he came, and as a Lamb he conquered.
The Lion of Judah conquering as a Lamb is meant to symbolize throughout scripture this reality that Jesus as God conquers in a way the world would never have guessed: by embodying sacrifice, selflessness, meekness, and unconditional love. This is the way he saved the world (as no one had ever done before), and it’s also the way he invites His Church to partner with him in doing the same.
Ashley Carr
Teacher
Bowls of Prayers
“…and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Revelation 5:8
“Let my prayer be counted as incense before You…”
Psalm 141:2
As we continued our glimpse into the Throne Room of heaven and we began to hear about what “must take place”, I was struck by the picture of the golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. The prayers of all the believers for all of time have become a ‘sweet aroma pleasing to God’. Incense is a sweet-smelling substance burned as an offering to God in the tabernacle and the Temple as a way of honoring God. It symbolized the prayers of the Hebrew people. But these prayers include our prayers; those of the apostles and early believers, those who trusted in Christ over the last two thousand years, and those who will until He returns.
What prayers are included in this aroma to God? Richard Foster says, “To pray is to change.” Often that is what prayer is, please God heal my child, please God help my words to be kind, please God bring my neighbor to Christ, that becomes incense. Prayers don’t need fancy words or deep theological phrases. Dom John Chapman says, “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”
Prayers of gratitude, adoration, joy, love, confession, and repentance are certainly incense, a sweet aroma to God. But what about those other prayers with different emotions; their catalysts can be fear, confusion, despair, anger, doubt, hopelessness, etc. How can they be a sweet incense to God? Anything prayed to God acknowledges that (even in our doubting) He alone is Sovereign and has the answers. The cries of our hearts in humility and transparency are always heard and become part of those bowls full of incense. And our LORD delights in our prayers and He wants us to bring everything to Him. Brothers and sisters, prayer is a way we can honor Him every day and all of the time; and those prayers are a sweet aroma forever to Him. Ponder this today as you fill those bowls of incense.
“When the Spirit has come to reside in someone, that person cannot stop praying; for the Spirit prays without ceasing in him. No matter if he is asleep or awake, prayer is going on in his heart all of the time. He may be eating or drinking, he may be resting or working – the incense of prayer will ascend spontaneously from his heart. The slightest stirring of his heart is like a voice which sings in silence and in secret to the Invisible.” Isaac the Syrian
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
Heaven’s Preacher
There’s a moment in Revelation 5 that has always stopped me in my tracks. John is weeping uncontrollably because he sees no one worthy to open the scroll. It’s a stark contrast to the glorious scene of Revelation 4. He’s weeping because it doesn’t look like anyone is going to be able to make sense of history. No one can tie up the threads of the pain, the wars, the injustice, the grief. John isn’t just sad, he’s in anguish. He’s grieving a story that seems to have no resolution, a symphony that will forever be unfinished.
And then, one of the elders speaks. Revelation 5:5 reads,
“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.’”
Let me once again point out, one of the elders speaks. Not Jesus. Not an angel. Not a disembodied voice from heaven. One of the elders, one of the redeemed. A fellow worshipper. A servant. A preacher. Right there in heaven.
I love that detail. Because it reminds me that heaven isn’t silent, it’s not all just floating and singing. There’s communication, there’s ministry, there’s encouragement. There’s someone coming alongside a grieving brother or sister to say, “Don’t weep… He’s here. He has triumphed.” That’s what disciples do, we point others to Jesus… even in heaven.
Part of what we do when gathered as a church, sometimes without even realizing it, is say to one another: “Weep no more… He has triumphed.” We say it through songs sung loud enough to carry someone else’s burden. Through Scripture read with reverence. Through prayers whispered for the hurting. Through the laying on of hands or the offering of an encouraging word.
Worship isn’t just about how we feel toward God; it’s also about what we speak over one another. In a world full of unresolved grief and unfinished stories, we become a community that says: the story has a victorious ending. The scroll will be opened. The Lamb has overcome. You never know who walked in weeping. But when we gather, we can take up the ministry of the elder by offering presence, offering hope, offering Christ.
So let’s not just attend worship, let’s participate in heaven’s work. Let’s serve. Let’s speak. Let’s remind each other: He’s here. He’s triumphed. And you’re part of His story.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Weep No More
I read again recently of John Merrick, the man known as the Elephant Man, born in England in 1862–a beautiful baby. At about age three his appearance started changing due to an unknown condition leaving him with severe deformities, and his life became a living nightmare. He ended up in a London Hospital after enduring unspeakable cruelties. A kind surgeon, Frederick Treves, eventually invited Merrick to be physically examined and Merrick ended up living at the hospital. The doctor became his friend and arranged for a friend of his named Mrs. Leila Maturin, "a young and pretty widow", to visit Merrick. She agreed and with fair warning about his appearance, went to his rooms for an introduction. The meeting was short, as Merrick was overcome and sobbed. He later told Treves that Maturin had been the first woman ever to smile at him, and the first to shake his hand.
In Revelation 52-4, we see John overcome and weeping (sobbing),
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
The scroll represented or contained God’s plan of redemption for humanity. The search was in vain. There was no one found worthy, meaning there was no one to redeem this world. No one who could right the wrongs we see down here. No one could prevent Satan from controlling this world or stop the ongoing sin and misery occurring on this planet. Scripture says at this point John just wept and wept. The Greek word means 'To weep, wail, lament, implying not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.' The Bible says he did this 'greatly'. He bawled his eyes out with loud groans as he realized how dire the situation really was.
John’s tears represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. Those tears of the Apostle John are the tears of Adam and Eve, driven out of the Garden of Eden, as they bowed over the first grave, as they watered the dust of the ground with their tears over the silent, still form of their son, Abel. Those are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery. They are the tears of God’s elect through the centuries as they cried unto heaven.. W. A. Criswell
The Story continues in Rev 5:5-7:
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
John temporarily lost hope but quickly was reminded that there was One who could reveal God’s big plan of redemption– JESUS! The Lion and the Lamb. He fulfilled the requirements:
Jesus qualified as a kinsman-redeemer for all mankind because He came as a man.
Jesus was able to pay the price of redemption for He lived a sinless life. (2 Cor 5:17)
Jesus who was willing to pay the price, laid down His own life for our eternal life.
We have access to the same hope, joy and worship John experienced when we accept Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord. Will you let Him dry your tears and restore your hope with His love today? He is waiting.
Deb Hill
EFCC Member
Worship… What is it, Anyway?
Is it singing? Is it music? Is it the style of music?
Is it something that only happens in a building on a Sunday?
Or is it something so much more?
When I first started leading worship after I became a Christian, to be honest, I didn’t really know what true worship was. I thought it was about the songs I picked or how well I sang. I wanted people to be moved, but actually? I actually hoped they’d be impressed by me. I was more focused on acquiring and clinging to my own little crown.
But the closer I’ve grown to Jesus, the more I’ve seen Him for who He is – radiant, holy, merciful, seated on the throne, high and exalted. And once I saw Him clearly… worship stopped being about me. In light of Jesus, how could it be about anything else?
Revelation 4 pulls back the curtain on ultimate fullness of reality. Heaven is not quiet. It resounds with thunder and praise. Creatures cry out “Holy, holy, holy!” and elders fall down, casting their crowns before the throne.
Why?
Because Jesus is the only one on the throne.
He is the only one worthy of worship.
And those crowns?
They aren’t just trophies they earned and hold onto. They’re symbols of unmatched grace from our lavishly generous King. So of course they lay them at his feet.
You see, that’s what worship is. It’s not just music. It’s not just a moment. It’s certainly not a style. It’s a whole-life response to the worthiness of Jesus. It’s taking every honor, every gift, every breath, and saying, “Jesus, this belongs to You.”
So what’s the crown you’ve been holding onto?
Lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Not because you’re unworthy, but because He is.
So today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives, let’s live like we’ve seen the throne.
Because one day, we will.
Nate Keating
Modern Worship Director
I Can Only Imagine
Many of you may remember the story as well as the song written by Bart Millard from the band “Mercy Me.” The song was born out of the death of Bart’s father who had come to Christ late in life. It touched the hearts of believers and drew unbelievers to ponder their own future. Here are just a few of the lyrics:
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes would see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.
This song always makes me weep with joy! The song came to mind after reading the passage of Scripture from this Sunday’s sermon, Revelation 4:1-11.
Imagine with me what it must have been like for the believers in each of the seven churches to hear what the LORD said about them. Some may have come away weeping and awakening to the need to repent. Some stayed the course even when it was not easy. Some prepared for trials to come, all the while growing their trust in Him. Jesus always encouraged them because there was reward to come. Then when these letters were finished, John says, “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice…said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Then John describes what he sees. What a wonderful gift this was and is. What a great blessing to live in anticipation of the first time we see the throne, the creatures, the LORD face to face, hear the voices singing “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty”; all that had been endured before will be gone as we will join with all believers in worshipping Him. To God be the glory.
Imagine:
What will it be like for you to see Jesus face to face?
If you live in anticipation of that moment, how might that transform your everyday life?
What do you want to say to Him?
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
The Colors of Heaven
When John tries to describe the One seated on the throne in Revelation 4, you can sense him reaching for words that don’t quite exist. He doesn’t say “God looked like…” He says “had the appearance of …” It’s as though John is saying, “I saw it… but I can’t fully describe it. He’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” And what he describes isn’t a face or a form, but color. Light. Radiance. Glory.
He begins describing God, not in anthropomorphic terms, but by writing,
“And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” (Revelation 4:3)
Jasper and carnelian. These aren’t just decorations, they’re symbols loaded with meaning. Jasper, in the ancient world, was a precious and often translucent stone. Later, in Revelation 21:11, the city of God shines with jasper that is “clear as crystal,” representing purity, majesty, and the brilliance of God’s glory. Carnelian, a fiery red gem, carries the weight of judgment and redemption. It’s the color of blood, of sacrifice, of costly love. Together, they tell us this: the One on the throne is both holy and merciful. He’s brilliant in light and burning with love.
And then John says something even more surprising: around the throne was a rainbow, shining like an emerald. A rainbow was God’s ancient sign of covenant faithfulness, and the rainbow in heaven completely encircles the throne. But this one isn’t multicolored like rainbows we’re familiar with; it’s emerald green. Green, the color of life, flourishing, and renewal. In other words, the throne of God is surrounded by peace. Encircled by life. Framed by a promise that mercy has the last word.
What are we supposed to do with this vision? Maybe we don’t decode it so much as behold it. Maybe the point isn’t to explain every gem and hue, but to stand in awe and say, “God is clothed in unexplainable beauty.” The psalmist says it like this:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment…” (Psalm 104:1–2)
God wears light as a garment. Maybe looking at God is like looking at the sun. Today, pause and look up… not with your eyes, but with your spirit. Let the beauty of God anchor your soul. Let His radiance shape your reality. Because the throne isn’t just beautiful, it’s true. And the One who sits there reigns right now. In the midst of whatever you are walking through, He is seated on the throne.
Pastor Ryan Paulson