Heaven

Stay Stoked in God’s Mysterious Timing

My favorite t-shirt (now very well worn) has a simple slogan: “Stay Stoked.” The word stoked means excited, awesome, or full of joy. People often comment when they see it, and for me it’s a reminder that because of Jesus, I can live with joy no matter what.

Not long ago, I decided to order a replacement shirt. I found one on sale and was stoked! But when it finally arrived, I discovered the company had sent the wrong shirt. Suddenly, I was not stoked. It was a small thing, but it reminded me how quickly frustration rises when life doesn’t go my way. My instinct is often to scramble for another solution instead of practicing patience and contentment.

Revelation 10:7 points us to a bigger truth about waiting: “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” God’s “mystery” isn’t something scary or unknowable — it’s His redemptive plan. It was revealed in Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10) and will one day be fully completed. We don’t see all the details, but we know His character — His love, grace, and promises — and that’s enough to trust Him.

Earlier in Revelation (6:10), the martyrs cry out, “How long, O Lord?” We often echo that question. Why the delay? Why hasn’t God set everything right yet? The answer is found in His heart. As Peter reminds us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise… Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God’s patience means more time for people to repent, believe, and find life in Him.

That means we live “between the trumpets” — waiting for God’s final victory at the sound of the seventh trumpet. And while we wait, we are called to trust His timing, hold fast in faith, and live as witnesses to His coming kingdom.

So even when plans don’t go our way — even over something as small as a t-shirt — we can “stay stoked,” not because life always runs smoothly, but because God is faithful. His timing, His plan, and His victory are certain.

Jeremy Johnson
Executive Pastor

by Jeremy Johnson

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

by Donielle Winter

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

by Ashley Carr

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

by Francie Overstreet

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

by 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

by Deb Hill