1st Corinthians - Anastasis

P.S. Refresh

Thanksgiving, not only a time of sharing delicious food, but also gathering to give thanks for God’s goodness.. As you know, (particularly the moms and grandmoms), a lot of planning and preparation goes into the meal. My favorite time is when we’re all chatting as we eat the pumpkin pie smothered in whipped cream. This is the P.S. time after the meal. There are always lots of shared stories, laughter, and memories. Then we departed, promising to see each other soon. While the meal is the main event, it is this finish when I am very tired that refreshes me.

In some ways, Corinthians 16 is like the P.S. to all that has gone on before. As Paul finishes this letter there are many things he wants to say in closing. Corinthians dealt with a wide range of issues facing the young church in Corinth and Paul’s advice helped them understand how the Good News related to living lives as Christ followers. It was very heavy stuff, but the tone seems to be Paul wanting to finish on an encouraging note. He speaks specifically about those who helped him and how they had refreshed his spirit.

“For they refreshed my spirit and yours also...” I Corinthians 16:18

Paul’s spirit needed refreshing and fellow believers helped him. The word ‘refresh’ means to revive or reinvigorate. We refresh plants with water. We refresh our computers when they get glitches. And in some way the very presence of these men refreshed him. Perhaps they just let him rest, told him stories of what God was doing, or let him be just a brother in Christ. We don’t know what, but it is something we can do for others, especially those who serve at church.

They may not know they need to be refreshed but you may sense God telling you to encourage them. One time as Children’s Director, a friend saw before I did that I needed to be “refreshed”. I took her advice and went away for two days to be alone with the Lord. The first night I went to bed at 8:00 pm and woke up 8:00 am the next morning. Twelve hours of sleep! I did not know my physical tank was that empty but her encouragement refreshed me.

Think about our staff at EFCC, from those who work behind the scenes, to those who are in front of the congregation, and please consider ways of refreshing their spirits. Perhaps your words of encouragement might be just the very thing God wants them to hear. Please be praying for all of them to be “refreshed” in their spirits.

Francie Overstreet

by Francie Overstreet

P.S. When a Friend’s a Friend Forever

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.

Darica, Fred, Jane, Dave, Ross, Kevin, Ralph, Dan, Sam, Gene, Jason, Jason, Isaac, Jim - these are just some of the names of the people in my life who have or who currently encourage me in my walk with Christ. They do this, like Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus did for Paul, by refreshing my spirit. And I am thankful for each of them.

Today of course, is Thanksgiving, and we have much to be thankful for, do we not? Starting, most obviously and appropriately with God, and with all we have received in the salvation He provides us through our faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, were we to stop there in our thanksgiving, we would realize we are the richest people in the world. As A.W.Tozer once wrote, “The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One.” We hope and pray that everyone reading this today will take a moment to thank God for God!

Then we hope and pray you will move on in your moment of thanksgiving to the people God has placed in your life - people through whom He has or does refresh your spirit; people through whom you have or do receive love, friendship, encouragement, comfort, and a listening ear. While we probably don’t recognize or remember them enough, the truth is that these people have been sent by God into our lives and we know deep down in our hearts that we are thankful for them.

So spend a few minutes thanking God for them. Let Him know exactly why and how you are thankful - provide Him with specifics. Then, if you feel so inclined, let a few of them know of your thankfulness - send a text, make a call (you can use a phone to talk on - did you know that?!), write an email. As Paul says, “Give recognition to such people.” It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Paul sure wasn’t. Let them know they were on your mind and that you are thankful for them. You and they will be glad you did.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Scott Smith
Care Pastor

by Scott Smith

P.S. Strong + Love

King David strikes me as a bit of a paradox. He was complex, multi-dimensional, and complicated. He was a passionate poet, in touch with his emotions and the deepest longings of his heart. He wrote,

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63”1)

He was able to put into words a deep and abiding love for the Lord inspiring people for generations. However, he’s the same David who fought off bears, stood up to the giant Goliath, defended Israel against the Philistines, and led the nation of Israel to victory in battle. Rarely does one exhibit this combination of passionate love and uncommon strength.

This is the kind of paradoxical character that Paul calls Christians to develop. Listen to the way he encouraged the Corinthians,“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). His encouragement was to be on their guard because it’s easy to get lulled to sleep. To stand firm because the world, the flesh, and the devil are warring against their soul. To be courageous because there are so many things to be feared. And finally, they were called to be strong because their default posture might be to shrink back in weakness. This challenge could have been heard as the battle cry that prompted David to set his foot out onto the battlefield, and it could be the very encouragement we need to fight our battles with faithful fortitude.

However, the charge didn't end there. It culminated with the instruction, “do everything in love.” As Jesus' followers, we are not only called to be strong but also to be loving. To put it another way, we aren’t only called to live in his way, but to live with his heart. When we focus only on being loving, it might cause us to shrink back in fear when we need to stand. However, when we focus on only being strong, we lose the sensitivity and empathy we’re called to exhibit. We are called to have tough skin, but a soft heart. Strength and love.

My guess is you have a tendency to lean either in the direction of love or strength. We’re either wired to fight off the bear, or write a moving poem, but rarely do we do both naturally. Spend time today praying about your default posture and ask Jesus to teach you how to embody the full paradox of living with strength and love.

Pastor Ryan Paulson

by Ryan Paulson

P.S. Pursue Relationships

One of the joys of a life lived in multiple locations is establishing deep-rooted friendships. Likewise, one of the greatest sorrows is the same. I’m sure many of you can relate. In our first years of marriage, my husband pastored a church in Bakersfield. That is where our first three children were born and where one of my forever best friends still lives. She has walked with me through highs and lows over the last 26 years and would drop everything at a moment's notice if I called.

Upon entering the Navy we connected with an amazing Life Group at our church in Orange County. Four families with thirteen boys… praise God we were close to the beach and could let them run wild!

Other duty stations have brought precious, devoted women, keeping the home fires burning and encouraging each other while we awaited our husband's return.

And sometimes God brings dear friends into our lives and then takes them away… far away. Across the country, across oceans, across continents.

As much as I lament rarely being able to go for a walk, paddle board, run, or have coffee with these dear confidants, I would never trade the precious moments we have had. They are forever imprinted on my heart and when we do get to see each other, it is just simply sweet.

These relationships were similar to those that Paul references in 1 Corinthians 16. After fifteen chapters of elaborate instructions to the Church at Corinth, he specifically names seven dear friends, encouragers, and partners in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. In verses 10 and 11 he tells the church to take it easy on Timothy. He is a young disciple who is eager to learn. In verse 12 he communicates on behalf of Apollos. In verses 17 and 18 he speaks of being refreshed by other believers and then goes on to remind the church to greet all these beloved brethren with a holy kiss.

Paul has been encouraged by these relationships. They have exhorted him, cared for him, journeyed with him, and walked through suffering by his side. Paul is confident of his message and is equally confident that the message of truth that he proclaims is supported by fellow believers who have experienced the same.

We were created for relationships. Relationship with God and relationship with each other. It is through our relationships with others that we are strengthened and encouraged to continue on this journey, living out the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Next time you talk with a “distant friend”, don’t miss the opportunity to encourage him or her in their faith. You have been placed in that person’s life for a reason, even from a distance, to exhort them to be who God created them to be within their own sphere of influence.

Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director

by Lynette Fuson

P.S. Give Intentionally

I loved playing basketball growing up and it was great when the coach of the team was a friend’s dad or my dad. We had a couple of college-age coaches for a couple of years. It wasn’t anyone's older brother, just a couple of guys who gave their time to help our team. Not only would they give their time, but they would also buy snacks and reward us with Slurpees after good practices. Not to take away anything from all the dads who spent hours coaching, but this reward meant a lot to the team because of their intentionality.

In a similar manner, Paul answered a question about the collection for the saints and gave instructions to the church in Corinth. He gave a call to the believers to give missionally, intentionally, and honestly. There were other believers in need, who had given spiritual blessing to this church and others (Rom. 15:25-27). Paul wanted the church in Corinth to think missionally about how they used the grace and blessings God gave them.

Paul wanted the church to be intentional as well (v. 2). “On the first day of every week …” Paul encouraged the church to be thoughtful in setting aside money so they could bless others. He wanted this to be intentional so it would grow the community closer to God and each others by putting the focus on others. Paul also gave wisdom to this young church to put responsible people in charge of it. He encouraged honesty and accountability in the collection, so the church would not lose its way.

When we give our time, talent, or treasure, it is because God has given to us. He then gives a simple call to be missional and intentional in our approach so we give as an act of worship. Let me encourage you to take some time this week to think about what God is calling you to practice in this area, make time to talk to God about it, and then do your best to obey him. Praying for you all, we are here if you need anything.

Pastor Jeremy

by Jeremy Johnson

Remembering a Forgotten Blessing

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:44

This week we are talking about two main things - what our physical bodies will be like, and what heaven will be like, post-resurrection. These are amazing realities which bring much encouragement and joy to our souls! Before we wrap up the week, however, we want to zero in on one additional area also significantly impacted by the resurrection, and that is our spiritual lives.

As we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), we are constantly plagued by our sin nature. It constantly tries to influence us to do things contrary to what the Spirit desires. We know this to be true from Scripture (Galatians 5:17), and we know this from experience. We do not always do the things we want to do (Romans 7:13-25).

And this is where the forgotten blessing comes in! According to 1 Corinthians 15:44, there will come a day when we will only do the things we want to do because we will have a spiritual body, which is to say, we will have a material body completely animated and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The sin nature, with all of its ugly side-effects, will be gone and will no longer hold sway. This means a day is coming when we won’t struggle with jealousy, envy, fear, anger, selfishness, complacency, bitterness, covetousness, comparison, lust, broken relationships, and the like. Indeed, all of the things we battle against in our quest for godliness will be gone as we will finally have the presence of sin removed from our lives. In God’s post-resurrection world, our desire for holiness will be realized, our relationship with Him will be unbroken and uninterrupted, and our relationships with each other will be peaceful and harmonious.

What a day of rejoicing that will be!

Scott Smith
Care Pastor

by Scott Smith

Heaven, the Infinite Frontier

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power
1 Corinthians 15:42-43

Well, today I get to talk to you about one of my all-time favorite subjects; what heaven will be like. My entire life I’ve been saddled with this disability, so I’ve been thinking and dreaming about my heavenly body for quite some time now. My goal with this devotion is to stoke your imagination so that this potentially sterile concept of heaven will become a vibrant hope and a source of inspiration. A place you long to go to like a cozy home, but also a frontier meant to be explored.

We will be reunited with the people we used to do life with, except both parties will be new inside and out. Imagine the fellowship between old friends newly perfected, Families redeemed, without the possibility of strife. Imagine the person you’ve loved your whole life free from every sin and clothed in perfection. Eventually, the ones after us will be there, and we shall see the original personalities of our progeny, the spectacular depths of God’s ingenuity on display.

Like the caterpillar's maiden fight as a butterfly, we will perceive such wonders that will forever change us. Imagine actually experiencing the raw glory of God in the throne room portrayed in Revelation! What does glory even feel like? I imagine it feels like a combination of hyper-intense light and rushing wind with a liquid texture. We know it would’ve killed Moses, but a super tiny glimpse of it made his body emit light for a week. In perfect bodies, we may be able to stand with our Lord in God’s glory. I wonder what emitting light feels like. Jesus did that when he transfigured, so I guess we’ll find out!

We knew our bodies would be like Jesus’s body post-resurrection, so we’re looking at teleportation and flight. We’d never have to say goodbye to anyone ever again before embarking on a journey. We’d be able to recreate those flying dreams we’ve all had where we’re soaring over some gorgeous vista with the wind blasting through our hair. There will be the entire symphony of other senses exposing the glory of creation as it has always been meant to be experienced.

The best part by far will be interacting with Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit. This is their home, where the Trinity is from; think of the stuff we will behold. Like a son being taken to his father’s workshop for the first time, we’ll see the cradle of creation and how he made the first light in the beginning. But you better believe the Creator of creativity will go on creating at some point during eternity, and that’s the stuff that will really keep us on our toes!

Jonathan Duncan

by Jonathan Duncan

That Sounds Nice!

Years ago I got to witness an interaction between my son Eric and his great-uncle, that neither of us will ever forget. Eric, along with his twin brother, had spent their early childhood years praying that Uncle Carl would accept Jesus as his Savior. With boldness, they took advantage of every opportunity to tell him how much he needed Jesus. And with sadness, they listened to him time and time again say, “that’s nice” and go on with his day. As Uncle Carl reached his mid-90’s, the twins started to lose hope and became resigned to the idea that their beloved uncle may not spend eternity with Jesus.

As Uncle Carl entered his last days on earth, something suddenly changed. It was as if decades worth of truth had all of a sudden permeated his soul. He smiled, he looked youthful, and he talked about going to live with God in heaven.

During our last visit with him, the twins stood on either side of his bed and started asking him if he was excited to see Jesus. Uncle Carl grinned and said, “yes, I suppose it will be wonderful”.

Then Eric asked the ultimate question, “Can you imagine living without any pain at all?” Uncle Carl seemed a bit baffled and responded by saying that less pain sure would be nice. That was the open door that Eric was looking for. With all sorts of excitement he launched into a discourse on how when Uncle Carl left this earth and went to heaven, his heavenly body would never die, it would never grow old, it would never break down or get sick, and it would live forever free of pain. The perishable would become imperishable.

With that, Uncle Carl smiled a huge partially toothless grin and this time with fervor and faith exuberantly said, “well that sounds really nice!”

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul outlines what will happen to our earthly bodies when they meet glory - they will become glorious! We will have perfect, flawless, pain-free, glorious, imperishable bodies! In verses 51-52 he says, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, For the perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

This is our hope! The dead will be resurrected. The broken will be made whole. The captives will be set free. As the perishable becomes imperishable, we will become like our Savior for we will see him as he is! Oh, what a glorious day!

Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director

by Lynette Fuson

But a Bare Kernel

“And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.” - 1 Corinthians 15:37

Paul uses this farming analogy as a part of his answer to the question about the type of body that will be raised from the dead. His point is that the difference between our earthly body and our heavenly body is like the difference between a seed and a tree. In fact, he is saying that one day, when our earthly bodies are “sown” like a seed (that is put in the ground after we die), we will be raised as something so much more than the bodies that we know. Our new bodies will be to our old bodies something like what a tree is to a seed. I love that analogy because here on this earth, we think that what we can see and touch is the most real thing, but in heaven, this will be like a small taste of the reality to come.

I think that C.S. Lewis may have had this passage on his mind when he was writing a really fun book of his called, The Great Divorce. This book is about a fictional bus ride from hell to heaven and although it is only fiction, and although there is a lot of speculation, it is one of the best representations of heaven that I have ever read.

In it, Lewis plays with an old philosophic idea that evil is only a privation (or distortion) of what is good. In other words, sickness is not a thing, but a distortion of health. Death is just the absence or lack of life. If we think about the world this way, it would imply that the more good something is, the more real it actually is. This would also imply that the more evil something is, the less real it is. Because of this, Lewis suggests that hell (being the most evil place in existence) is extraordinarily small compared to heaven and that even our present world seems large compared to it. Lewis has to stop short of explaining heaven too much because it would be beyond what we can comprehend. Instead, he says it this way: “Heaven is reality itself."

Speaking of heaven, he says, “All hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world [heaven], the Real World.”

This is what Paul is getting at when he says that our earthly bodies that will one day die are “but a bare kernel.” We are only partially real today, but one day, we will take on our true form which will be the most real we have ever been. Oh, what a day that will be!!

Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor

by Josh Rose