EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
February 2022
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
On the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond the How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Romans 11:33-34
Dearly Beloved,
As the apostle is writing the book of Romans, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He is compelled to break out in praise and wonder of the LORD’s unfathomable Omniscience! No man on earth is capable of mining the depths of the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge! No creature can truly know the mind of their Creator in all His divine wisdom and knowledge! We are finite. He is infinite! We are creatures dependent upon our Uncreated Creator! Our minds have amazing capacities and capabilities, but in comparison to the LORD’s Omniscient mind, we are greatly limited in knowing what He knows and using that knowledge wisely in ways to glorify God and benefit mankind.
In Scripture, we face a tension. On the one hand, we are called to know the Lord. Ps. 46: 8 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Hosea 6:3 says, “Let us acknowledge the LORD. Let us press on to acknowledge Him”. We are called upon to know and learn the ways of the LORD. PS. 103:7 says: “He (the LORD) made known His ways to Moses.” In Exo. 33:13, Moses said to the LORD, “If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways, so I may know You and continue to find favor with You.” On the other hand, knowing the LORD and His ways will be a never-ending process. We cannot plumb the depths of His knowledge and wisdom! We do not have the capability of knowing the LORD as He Knows Himself! We have been given the mind of Christ (I Cor. 3:16), but even Paul confesses in I Cor. 13:12: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. We have the Spirit of God within us, but we still possess weakness and inadequate knowledge. Rom. 8:26 says: “We do not know what we ought to pray for.” But fortunately, the Spirit’s presence is of great encouragement and help to us… “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
I would like to share some quotes by John Flavel taken from the devotional book Voices From The Past, Vol. 2. “Do not pry too curiously into the secrets of providence or suffer your shallow reason arrogantly to judge and censure its designs. There are hard texts in the works of God, as well as in the word of God. It is becoming for us to be reverent” (emphasis mine) (p. 355).
Let us pause and be in awe of our All knowing and All wise Creator – Redeemer Lord!
Flavel continues: “Here the Scripture sets bounds to our curiosity, which no man can, or ought to transgress. It is not for man to call God to account. His wisdom is called ‘unsearchable’, so the human mind may not weary and toil itself in vain, and not without the greatest danger, in searching out God. Man may easily get a strain by overreaching” (p.366).
I might add the strain is not merely intellectual, but often emotional, physical, and spiritual as well.
Flavel continues by giving and example from Scripture. “Asaph so pried into the puzzling mystery of the afflictions of the righteous, and prosperity of the wicked, that it begot envy and despondency in him (Psa. 73). And this is all he got for summoning providence to the bar of reason.” (366). It wasn’t until Asaph entered the sanctuary of God that he understood the final destiny of the wicked (destruction) and of the righteous (in heaven with the Lord) (Ps. 73:17-28).
A.J. Swoboda says: “we forget that God’s greatest gifts are often wrapped in unanswered questions… God is Sovereign and holds exhaustive knowledge. But He does not rush to fix” (After Doubt, p. 113). May we learn to trust and worship and serve God even when He doesn’t answer all our questions!
Shepherding you in Jesus’ love,
Lance
A New Year's Plan
I tried to think of a clever new phrase
A slogan to inspire the next 365 days,
A motto to live by this coming New Year,
But the catchy words fell flat to my ear.
And then I hear His still small voice
Saying "Consider this simple, daily choice:
With each new dawn and close of day
Make new your resolve to trust and obey."
"Don't look back, caught in regret
Or dwell on the sorrow of dreams unmet;
Don't stare forward anchored by fear,
No, live in this moment, for I Am here."
"I am all you need. Everything. I Am
You are held secure by my strong hand.
Give me this one thing - your all in all;
Into my grace, let yourself fall."
So, at last, I'm ready; I see the way.
It's to daily follow, trust and obey.
I enter the New Year armed with a plan,
To give Him my everything - all that I am.
~Mary Fairchild
Visit from the Hassemers
Mike and Ranada Hassemer visited FBC on Sunday, Jan 9th. Mike gave an update to all they are doing in their ministry in Alaska. Mike thanked FBC for our support and explained how our continued support helps them with their continued ministry. FBC has always supported their ministry and continue to do so in their retirement ministry a well. If you were unable to attend church that day, you can watch the service on the FBC YouTube page at https://youtu.be/Gzsviqt2gVM, or on the church website or Facebook page.
Mike and Ranada are retired missionaries who served in Alaska from 2008 until a about a year ago. As they built their Alaskan home, the Hassemers included private space to offer short-term housing to ministry families coming to Soldotna for rest, training, or medical procedures. You can read more about them in their Arctic Barnabus bio at https://arcticbarnabas.org/mike-ranada-hassemer/ . Although they are retired they have chosen to stay in Alaska and continue to offer their home.
Mike explained that although they are retired from Arctic Barnabus, they are not retired from ministry. They provide housing for interns and ministry guests from Arctic Barnabus staying with them. One of the guests was a family that came from the Moody Aviation Program in Spokane. Arctic Barnabus is going to be a place where Moody places a lot of their interns when they go through the aviation program so they will most likely have more of these type of guests. Last year, seven months out of the year they have had interns from Arctic Barnabus staying with them. Other ministry guests have also stayed with them. Dr. Baker and Dr. Street, who were speakers for a training at the Hassemer's church, stayed with them. They author many counseling books. One in particular, Instruments of the Redeemer's Hands is one of the most read books on counseling. Dr. Street wrote one recently, Passions of the Heart, dealing with pornography and sexual sins, which is expected to be one of the most sold and read biblical counseling books.
The Hassemers have have helped with other ministries as well. Soar Ministry in Russia take Easter baskets and Christmas stockings, including a bible, and distribute them in orphanages in Russia. Over 1,000 stockings were sewn at Hassemer's house and taken to Russia for that program.
Samaritans' Purse has an office in Alaska, Operation Heal our Patriots program. Week long program for people with injuries or illness dealing with war; or firefighters and policemen dealing with some of the same type of issues. The Hassemers have done shopping for them. Mike, being skilled in cabinetry has helped with building projects and helped when receiving calls from people out in the bush. They have shown many of their guests how to fish "Alaska Style".
Mike explained that their relationship with FBC is very important. He told a story where a Pastor was having family come to Alaska for a wedding. The bride, mother and step-grandmother stayed with the Hassemers. The step Grandmother was from Emmett. One day she was distraught and explained that she had a brother with Parkinson's and she had received a call saying the brother did not have long to live. He had resisted accepting Christ and would go for a ride with her as long as she wouldn't preach to him. Mike told her that they have friends in Emmett and would make a call. He called Al Cinnamon (Mike and Ranada met Al through Pastor Lance) and told him the address and Al said he just rode his bike past that house. Al recognized the name from a student in CERT and when he went there the daughter said the man knew Al from his announcing at high school games. He listened to Al and he received Christ. The best is yet to come for the him. Mike shared 1 Corin.2: 9 with a reminder that, regardless of COVID, fires, etc., we have something better to look forward to and we need to share with people going forward this year.
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him— 1 Corin.2: 9
Man's Way Leads to a Hopeless End; God's Way Leads to an Endless Hope!
Season of Prayer
Gary Johnson facilitated Wed. night sessions of "Season of Prayer" meetings throughout the month of January. An average of approximately 20 people from 5 different churches signed up and attended various sessions. Feedback was great and Gary hopes to continue facilitating this program at other churches as well.
The sessions included prayer, prayer and more prayer, as well as an in depth look at our walk with the Lord and encouragement on praying for and talking to others who may need the Lord.
FBC plans to continue to meet on Wednesday nights for prayer in Fellowship Hall. Will include a lesson on prayer as well.
John Morgan Shares About Reading God's Word
On Sunday, January 16th, John Morgan shared his testimony on reading the Bible. He explained on December 31, while reading chapter 22, verses 20-22 of Revelation, he realized he had read the Bible entirely in 365 days. And that while we should be reading the Bible every day, it was quite an experience for a "novice like himself". To recognize you're reading "God's Word", when you really understand it is God's Word, and the lessons to be learned by reading it and doing it on a daily basis. While he was hesitant to begin this "job", with Suzi's help he began by following a program called A Daily Bible Reading Plan. It balances what you read in the Old Testament with what you read in the New Testament. He commented that it is an experience no one should miss. Reading stories in the Old Testament about people who really are our ancestors is an incredible journey and he expects it to be a lifelong process for him. To hear more of what John had to say, you can watch the Jan. 16 service on our church website, facebook or YouTube channel.
Devotionals, Bible Studies, Training, Stories, and more!
RightNow Media (RNM) has so much to offer and it is free to the FBC congregation and those you may want to share it with!
Sign up/sign in by clicking the link below:
https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Account/Invite/fbcemmett
Do you have kids, grandkids or are you a kid at heart? New to RNM is a series called The Creators:
*New Episodes Released Weekly!*
The Creators tells the story of a group of friends who join forces to create films that are “meaningful, virtuous, and good.” Both clever and creative, The Creators weaves biblical truths into engaging stories with humor and the right dose of seriousness. Enjoy this light-hearted children’s series that will make your kids laugh and leave them with important truths to consider.
Contact the church office if you need more information on how to get signed up for and use this wealth of resources!
B.L.E.S.S.
For the Lord has commanded us, "I have placed you as a Light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." - Acts 13:47
Pray-Care-Share
Blesseveryhome.com gives you the tools to become a Light for Christ in your neighborhood. Join an ever-growing community of Christ followers who are devoted to being a Light in their neighborhoods through praying for, caring for, sharing the gospel with, and discipling their neighbors.
Features
A free personalized and customizable list of your own neighbors so that you can begin to know your neighbors like never before.
Color-coded tracking tools to record your Pray, Care, Share journey with each neighbor home.
Daily reminder emails featuring a prayer prompt and the next 5 neighbors to pray for that day.
A private prayer journal to keep track of prayer requests or notable life events for each neighbor.
Access to our collection of resources to help you grow in your ability to bring others to Christ.
Ability to connect with your church and share your progress.
And much more!
It's free and confidential.
More information can be found on the website by clicking the link above.
Valentine Friendship Dinner Postponed to March 5
Pam Goff - God Will Never Leave You or Forsake You
Pam has been a member of the Emmett First Baptist Church (FBC) since 1976. She had gone to the New Plymouth First Baptist until her husband Dave got out of the military and they moved to Emmett and started attending at Emmett FBC. Pam has served the Lord through many aspects as a member of FBC. She served on the Diaconate for several years, the social committee, sang in the Choir and subsequently on the Worship Team, she led VBS one year. Pam has participated in many bible studies and/or small groups. Pam and Dave have been faithful attendees but due to COVID and health issues, she and Dave have not been attending church in person but have been faithful attendees via the livestream. Pam expressed appreciation for the livestream and commented that she and Dave enjoy being able to attend the service through the live streaming, and they actually get out of their pajamas and dressed as if they are going out to church! :) She said others she knows also listen online periodically.
Pam is grateful to those at FBC who influenced her such as Harry and Francis Granger, Merne Howard Wilson and Pat Scott. Pat told her once that she prayed daily for each person in the church directory! Pam also appreciates Lance, who demonstrates his love for the Lord and has been a great mentor.
Pam came to know the Lord when she was about 5 or 6 years old. She lived in Rupert and her Aunt took her to VBS. It was through a flannel board story that she was “Absolutely taken in” and from that point on she knows where she wanted to be. She was baptized when she was about 15 or 16 years old at the New Plymouth Baptist Church.
Pam was a “non-traditional” student when she went to college to become a teacher. After Dave lost a kidney to cancer, he encouraged her to go to school so she would have a way to support herself if she ever needed to do so. She graduated in 1992 at the age of 39 years old and got her first job teaching 2nd grade at Butteview. She loved the job and interacting with the kids. When asking Pam if she ever had a chance to minister to the kids, she explained that there were times when they were doing their journal writing that the kids would ask about God or heaven, which gave her the opportunity to talk with them a little about God. She also recalled a time when one of her co-workers passed away and the teachers and staff were told about it in a group meeting before school started. After the meeting, as they were getting ready to go to their classrooms, out of the blue, Pam felt the need to pray. Although not something she would normally do, she asked them if they could pray, and she led them in prayer. Also, at times, if one of her co-workers were having a hard time, she might pray with them before school. Since she was older, many of her co-workers would come to her, referring to her as “mom”. She loved it!
Pam has been married to her “wonderful” husband, Dave for 51 years. They met at a party when Dave was a senior and she was a sophomore. She said that Dave was so funny and fun! She repeatedly talked about how wonderful Dave is and how he always makes her laugh. Then one New Year’s Eve, their daughter, Cassie, arrived. Dave was in the military at the time and when Cassie was 6 weeks old, they all moved to Germany and lived there for 18 months. Cassie followed in her mother’s steps and became a schoolteacher as well. As with most parents, seeing your children grow and go through life’s struggles is difficult, and it was extremely difficult when Pam learned of the struggles her daughter was going through. But Pam hopes that by sharing her experiences, she can help others through similar experiences. Pam expressed how proud she is of her daughter, and the tough journey she is on in her life. Cassie is now working with autistic children and doing good.
In 1985, around Christmas, after jarring his back while tubing, Dave went into the doctor, and they discovered he had kidney cancer. They told him they needed to do surgery right away to remove the kidney. Dave has had ongoing checkups and “so far, so good”!
Pam’s parents were not initially strong in their faith but came to know the Lord and attended church later in life, with her mom eventually coming to Emmett FBC. Pam described her dad as someone who was liked by everyone. He had a strong faith when he passed away in Payette 17 years ago from pancreatic cancer. She said it was tough to see him go through this but he told her he knew where he was going, which was comforting.
Pam said her mom would read the Bible routinely in her later life, even when she developed dementia. Pam discussed that her mom had a hard life which seemed to result in her having a wall, or distance about her. Pam even felt that distance, but still loved and cared for her mom. Pam’s mom was around 88 years old when she really started declining with the dementia. Pam described how stressful it is when a person’s mind is gone. Pam’s mom initially stayed at home, but with strange occurrences being more and more frequent as the dementia progressed Pam was forced to make the extremely tough decision to put her in a home. While Pam’s siblings fully supported her, she still questions that decision, but Dave tells her “What choice did you have?”. Pam’s mom passed a couple of years ago at the age of 89. Pam is now helping to care for her 89-year-old aunt, who recently fell.
Pam feels there are many times when the Lord has been with her through the tough times, but one she recalls most is when she went back to school. She said it was overwhelming. Cassie was in Jr. High and High school; it was a huge commitment and took a lot of time. However, she truly felt it was her calling and the Lord was going to take her to the end... and He did! She gives all the glory to God that she completed the schooling, 4 – 5 years of it, including summer school.
When asking Pam, how she stays strong through the challenges, she said she always leans on the bible verses that assure us God “will never leave you or forsake you”… and no matter the storm, she knew she wasn’t alone.
Pam wanted to share the following poem and stated, “it is where I’m at in life now”.
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination
And life is a journey
From childhood to maturity
And youth to age;
From innocence to awareness
And ignorance to knowing;
From foolishness to discretion
And then, perhaps, to wisdom;
From Weakness to strength
Or strength to weakness –
And, often, back again’
From offense to forgiveness,
From loneliness to love,
From joy to gratitude,
From pain to compassion,
And grief to understanding –
From fear to faith;
From defeat to defeat to defeat –
Until, looking backward or ahead,
We see that victory lies
Not at some high place along the way,
But in having made the journey, stage by stage,
A sacred pilgrimage.
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination.
And life is a journey,
A sacred pilgrimage –
To life everlasting.
Greg Laurie
In every life, the rain will come down and the streams will rise. That’s why, when we hear the Word of God, we need to listen as though our lives depend on it because they do. Our spiritual lives do.
Jesus, in His conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV).
In contrast to the wise man who built his house on the rock, Jesus made this statement about the people who don’t do this: “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (verses 26–27 NKJV).
We’re in a spiritual battle, and we fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. In fact, Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So when the Devil comes with a temptation, we need to respond with the sword of the Spirit. Or when the Devil whispers in your ear, “You’re not really a Christian. God hasn’t forgiven you,” we need to respond with the sword of the Spirit.
Memorize the Word of God. Use the Word of God. It will help you in times of temptation and in times of trial. As the psalmist wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). Know the Word of God.
MARCH 13 - SABINA: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years Movie
MARCH 13 & 17 - SABINA: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years Movie
Hosted by Emmett First Baptist Church at the Frontier Cinema!
(Details coming soon to your email and in the church bulletins!)
PG-13 • 1H 55MIN •
Great character is sometimes forged amid great turmoil. Sabina: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years is the story of how God’s love transformed an ambitious, atheistic hedonist into one of the greatest Christian women of the 20th century. The film opens with Sabina Wurmbrand risking her life to show Christ’s love to a trio of Nazi soldiers. Why? Why would a Jewish Christian risk her life to help her enemies – members of the army that killed her entire family? Experience the amazing true story that has redefined the concepts of love and forgiveness for millions around the world. Click Here to watch the trailer.
APRIL 23 & 24, 2022 - BOISE HARVEST With Greg Laurie
Two wonderful nights full of musical performances by top Christian artists, special guest interviews, and a message of hope from the gospel that could change your life. Find more information at Boise Harvest 2022.
Boise Harvest is FREE for everyone because of the faithful support of participating churches & partners, our donors, and Harvest Partners. FBC is one of those churches and we encourage anyone interested to further support this event and inspire hope in many live with your gifts by volunteering:
DECISION FOLLOW-UP WORKER - This is a ten-minute friend to those who make a profession of faith, praying for and encouraging them in their walk with Christ.
USHER - Ushers work as a team and are assigned to oversee a section in the venue to greet those arriving and help them find seating.
PRAYER ROOM - Prayer will be offered up during the event from start to finish in a private room in the venue.
SECURITY - Active or former law enforcement officers, or those currently serving on a church’s security team, will work with the venue staff and local law enforcement to ensure a safe environment for those in attendance.
MERCH BOOTHS - Merch Booth volunteers serve others by displaying and selling products at the event, answering questions, and processing sales transactions. The merch booths are fun, social, and a great place for first-time volunteers to get experience.
The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
FILLING:
- 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Directions
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a large pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven.
Step 2 - Make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon; add butter or margarine. Press crust onto bottom and 2/3 of the way up a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment. Wrap a large piece of foil around bottom of pan. Freeze until filling is prepared.
Step 3 - Make filling: Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated.
Step 4 - Remove crust from freezer and pour in filling. Carefully place cheesecake into preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes; turn oven to 350°F and bake until top of cheesecake turns golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove cake to a wire rack to cool.
Step 5 - Make topping: Combine sour cream and sugar; spread over cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
519 calories; fat 39g; saturated fat 21g; protein 10g; carbohydrates 34g; cholesterol 183mg; sodium 423mg.
Chuckles
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My mommy looked back once while she was driving, '" he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"