EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
August 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
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. 5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. 9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work. ~Psalms 62:1-12
Dearly Beloved,
Ps. 62 was written by David when his opponents sought to conspire against him and dethrone him (topple him from his lofty place) (4). David seems to be in a vulnerable place from a human point of view when you consider verse 3. He describes himself as a leaning wall or a tottering fence. He is not as strong or as stable as normal. It wouldn't take as much effort to topple him in this condition. In addition, he is being ganged up upon by numerous foes (3) And they have been relentless in their attempts to take him down... "How long will you assault a man?"(3). They eagerly resort to lies to accomplish their mission(4). They are hypocrites (4). They use extortion and theft to help seal the deal (10).
You would imagine David to be quaking in his boots out of fear and anxiety from his circumstances. But instead he confesses that his soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation come from Him! He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken" (1-2)!
There are times when certain people are out to ruin you, when they falsely accuse you, when they cannot be trusted. There is no safety among them. There is no potential for letting down your guard with them. There is no resting around them; only being on high alert.
David not only reveals that his soul finds rest in God alone, but he counsels his soul to find rest in God alone; my hope comes from Him (5)! In verses 11-12, he declares that the LORD is strong and loving! Only God is mighty to save. Only the Lord is loving, honest, truthful, and faithful. He alone is worthy of our full trust! Our relationship with the Lord provides the type of security and strength that men find in a fortress. In the LORD we can experience shelter and rest from people who are threatening to ruin our reputations, take away our jobs and homes.
These verses have application to our income, finances, and investments. When the stock market drops, will I be shaken? Where is my security? Who is my refuge? When the gas prices stay high; where does my soul find rest? Can I trust the Lord to provide for my family as I put my hope in Him?
Shepherding you with His love,
Lance
For worship I encourage you to watch We will Not Be Shaken (Live) Brian Johnson - YouTube
Free Lemonade!
Thank you Phil and Shirley for your time and service to the Lord and FBC!
Spring is Gone....
Cruising on in to a Fun Evening!
Games included Horseshoes, Frisbee Golf, and a Ring Toss. The winners of these games were awarded some great, handmade prizes from our own local craftsman, Jim Foster!
Winners were:
- Horseshoes, Kai Careaga
- Ring Toss, Teagan Careaga
- Frisbee Golf, Marcia Kaiser (a girl! as exclaimed by Jim)
Bob Kaiser
Bob Kaiser (my dad), passed away on July 19, 2022. Bob was baptized and joined FBC on October 27, 2019, after losing his wife of 69 years in April of 2019. Rather than repeat what is in the obituary, this link will take you to it so you can read it or view the recording of the service on www.Potterchapel.com.
Dad worked hard all his life to take care of his family- working as a delivery driver, a lineman, and a long career with the Emmett Sawmill. With 7 children, we never had much money, but our parents made sure we took family vacations each year. We had a cow, chickens and pigs which helped the food supply and kept us kids busy with chores. I remember passing the jar of cream around shaking it to make butter. Dad would build us wooden toys and even built us girls a playhouse. Dad and mom sacrificed a lot over the years of raising the 7 kids and didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done to help one of us out of trouble.
Dad always dreamed of “hitting the big one” with lottery tickets. In the end, I believe he knew he had already hit the big one with his wife and family who deeply loved and cared for him and each other.
Dad was friendly, a prankster, and an extremely talented man. He loved to draw and he loved to work with wood and wood burn his hand-drawn art. He combined these talents in many art projects that my sister Gerry has featured in her business. He drew pictures when he worked at the mill that people still have today (thank you Pam & Dave Goff for wearing shirts from the early days to the funeral)!
On the night our mother died dad was having a really hard time. He didn't want to see her die. He didn't want to see her take her last breath and he could not tell her goodbye. He pretty much fell apart and was talking to my brother, John, saying he didn't know what to do. John told him to get on his knees and pray. So Dad did and John prayed with him….. after that Dad was able to go in and sit with Mom and tell her goodbye.
Shortly after mom passed dad wanted to get closer to God so he could be with Mom when he leaves this world. He started praying, reading his Bible, asking questions, and going to church. Dad loved the music… but especially the Old Rugged Cross (his favorite) and Amazing Grace. He would have had the worship team do those songs every Sunday if it were up to him. About a month after mom passed, he accepted Christ in his heart and was baptized. It was a glorious day!
I asked Lance to visit with dad and he did so. Lance’s recounting of what took place from that point is as follows:
I visited with Bob at his house around Easter. I shared the Knowing God Personally Gospel Tract with Bob. It speaks of ….
1. God’s love for us and His desire to have a personal relationship with us
2. Our separation from God because of our disobedience, causing us to face God’s future judgement
3. Christ dying on the cross for our sins and providing the way for us to know God.
4. The need for us to receive Christ and His work for us by faith in order to know God.
Bob listened and took the tract. The next day, with Kathy’s help, he used the prayer in the tract to pray to the Lord to receive Christ as His Savior by faith.
Bob continued to attend worship services on a regular basis. It helped him to know that Kathy was there, and he enjoyed listening to her sing with the worship team. Even when she would be out of town, he would often attend. He enjoyed the services. He looked forward to attending.
I took Bob through Class 101 for people interested in being baptized and becoming members of the church. It was a great day when Bob was baptized on October 27, 2019. Family and friends came to witness and celebrate with him!
Bob enjoyed singing himself and would sing specials at the church with family and /or the worship team. Bob also helped put his artistry to work helping Lance with drawings for a sermon or Kathy with a flyer.
When Bob was unable to drive a car, family members or people from church would bring him. He enjoyed the potlucks. He came almost weekly, until the last 4-5 weeks of his life.
After Bob became a Christian, Kathy would ask me for ideas and ways to encourage her dad and family. She had already started including her dad and some of her siblings on a daily morning phone call for a devotional reading, discussion and prayer. They really like using the Jesus Calling devotional.
Bob’s life and faith in the Lord Jesus were an encouragement to my heart … to witness the transformation of his life at the age of 89 and over… to witness the genuine desire to know the LORD and pursue a relationship with Him… to see him desire to be in church when he never saw the personal need for it for so many year ... to see him asking questions and wanting to learn. Bob’s life runs contrary to the old saying: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”
It’s never too late to confess your sins and trust Jesus as Savior and follow Him whether it’s a short time or a long time on earth. It sets your destiny for all of eternity to be with the LORD. Ps. 16:11 says: “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”
On June 18, Dad was hospitalized with dehydration and pneumonia. After 3 days in the hospital, they had done all they could for him. They did not expect him to live any more than 3 days to a week. The month that followed had its ups and downs. Even though he needed 24/7 care, he was determined to get better. And he was determined to finish the 3D art project he was working on. We even saw him working on it while he was sleeping. While dad’s spirit was good; he just kept getting weaker. It was very frustrating for him. Then he started having more pain. Eventually he was not wanting to/able to get out of bed. During this entire time, he just kept wanting to get back to church. On July 18, Dave and Pam Hodges and Pastor Lance agreed to come out and sing worship with Dad… kind of a mini church with some family and friends by his side. He loved it! He said he felt like a king. The next day, Dad was pretty much unresponsive. We sang to him, played all kinds of music and visited with him. With two of the daughters and a granddaughter by his side, they decided to play the song “I Can Only Imagine”, by Mercy Me and put it by his ear to be sure he could hear it. Simultaneously as the song came to an end, dad very peacefully took his last breath.
As my sister, Gerry, said, “at the ripe old age of 91, dad’s chores on earth were finally done and he could be with our mother once again”.
Amazingly we receive continuous reminders, or “signs”, to let us know all is good. While all these instances could be brushed off as coincidences, we like to think of these as signs, or messages, from our parents, or “God signs”. For example:
Hummingbirds was a sign we asked our mother to leave for us to let us know she was with Jesus. Hummingbirds would come flutter in front of us and stare into our eyes or show up just at the right time when we were struggling with something.
Dad always loved birds and would talk to them through his whistling while sitting out in his yard. But after mom passed his love for hummingbirds became more intense. He always had to have his feeders fresh and watched for hours as the hummingbirds visited his feeders.
As they prepared Dad’s body for removal from the house after he passed, we exited the house to wait for him to only be greeted by two fluttering hummingbirds at the door entry who amazingly stayed in place as we all exited.
As Dad’s body was being wheeled out of the house the night he passed, draped with the American flag, we all looked up to see several hummingbirds fluttering in the tree above his body. As they drove away from the yard with our dear father’s body, all the hummingbirds also left at that exact time.
The next day, Gerry called us and explained: “As I sat in my bedroom, mourning my loss and bawling like a baby, I looked up at the door going to the patio to spy one lone hummingbird fluttering at the window staring in my room. This continued for well over a minute. I have no hummingbird feeders in my back yard and no flowers on the patio to draw any in, so I knew in my heart all was well, smiled and thanked my parents for yet another sign from Heaven.”
As the family met to go through some things, there were a few “squabbles”. That night, a huge branch of the tree holding our childhood treehouse that dad built broke off across the lawn, barely missing dad’s prize windmill in the yard with branches on both sides of it. The treehouse remained intact. We thought this was either a message to quit “squabbling”, or a message to be sure to take the treehouse before selling the house.
God is good and he assured us through this experience, and others, that he is taking care of our dad and our mom!
The family was touched by the outpouring of prayers, cares and love expressed by the FBC congregation. Thank you! ~Kathy Osborn
*** The problem ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.***
A Rest Sweeter Than Sleep . . . . Nighttime Prayer for a Troubled Conscience
Article by Scott Hubbard, Editor, desiringGod.org
This article is worth reading. The author quotes 3 poems from the early 1600s. While the old english spelling is confusing at first, the author explains the meaning of the poems well.
Lance's take on the article: The LORD often surprises us with His love! Sometimes we recognize it and are grateful! But unfortunately, there are times when we don't see His love or even anticipate Him to be loving toward us. In love, He is more patient then we would choose to be, more forgiving than we ever anticipated, and more gracious then we feel we deserve! If we could truly rest in His love, we would not have nearly as many sleepless nights as we do!
Occasionally, as I lie down to sleep, a restlessness bends over my bed. A vague uneasiness. A nagging sense of some tension unresolved. Some door in the soul swinging on its hinges. The stirring of an unquiet conscience.
As I relive the day, I see why. Prayers hurried or skipped. An evangelistic opportunity avoided. Grievances nourished. Self-promoting words snuck into conversations. The “prayer request” that was probably gossip. Precious time squandered. Encouragements unthought and unspoken. As the old prayer book says, “I have left undone those things which I ought to have done; and I have done those things which I ought not to have done.”
Was this a fitting response to your God? I ask myself. Was this “walking in a manner worthy” of him? Sometimes I drift off with such questions unresolved, fitful and self-reproaching yet tired enough to succumb to sleep.
But not always. Some years ago, I found unexpected help in the poem of a long-dead pastor, who asked the same questions, felt the same guilt, yet found in Jesus a rest far sweeter than sleep.
‘Even-Song’
George Herbert’s (1593–1633) “Even-Song” closes a series of three poems in his collection The Temple, beginning with “Mattens” and continuing with “Sinne (II).” The titles “Mattens” and “Even-Song” refer to morning and evening prayers in the Anglican church. And “Sinne” — well, that captures what often happens between those morning and evening prayers.
“Even-Song” is not a prayer for every evening. Herbert does not assume we only ever end the day self-reproachful, with sin having wrecked the day’s resolves. But he does assume we sometimes do — and that, often, even the most faithful Christians kneel beside their beds deeply wishing they had walked in a manner more worthy of their God.
What do we say at the end of such days, when we feel the gulf between God’s kindness and our unworthy response? More than once, “Even-Song” has met me at my bedside, speaking clarity and comfort to my troubled conscience. It has become a faithful nighttime friend.
As Night Draws Near
Blest be the God of love,
Who gave us eyes, and light, and power this day,
Both to be busie, and to play.
But much more blest be God above,
Who gave me sight alone,
Which to himself he did denie:
For when he sees my waies, I dy:
But I have got his sonne, and he hath none.
As night draws near, Herbert looks back, remembering God’s morning gifts of “eyes, and light, and power this day, / Both to be busie and to play.” Our Father, “God of love” that he is, opens the storehouses of his heart from the day’s first moment. As Herbert celebrates in “Mattens,” “I cannot ope mine eyes, / But thou art ready to catch / My morning-soul and sacrifice.” “Yours is the day” (Psalm 74:16), the psalmist says. And Herbert, surrounded by God’s gifts, feels it.
For sinners like us, though, one gift rises above the rest. The God who gives us “eyes, and light” for daytime labors also gives us another kind of sight, “Which to himself he did denie: / For when he sees my waies, I dy.” Alluding to Psalm 130:3, Herbert remembers that God, in Christ, does not “mark” our iniquities, even when we do; in a sense, he does not see the sins we see.
And why? Because “I have got his sonne, and he hath none.” God gave up his Son at the cross — and at the same time, he gave up the sun that would otherwise shine upon our guilt. Jesus buried our sins in darkness on Good Friday, and on Easter Sunday, they did not rise with him. And so, in the glory of the gospel, God no longer “remembers” the sins of his people (Hebrews 8:12); he no longer sees them. They are buried, hidden, unseen, kept forever in darkness.
But they do not always feel buried, hidden, unseen. And so, Herbert takes us back to his “troubled mind.”
Troubled Mind
What have I brought thee home
For this thy love? have I discharg’d the debt,
Which this dayes favour did beget?
I ranne; but all I brought, was fome.
Thy diet, care, and cost
Do end in bubbles, balls of winde;
Of winde to thee whom I have crost,
But balls of wilde-fire to my troubled minde.
Like a good father, God meets us with favor morning by morning; his “diet, care, and cost” send us into the day strengthened and renewed. But all too often, as we approach home in the evening, we dig in our pockets, wondering how we could have taken so much and brought back so little. “What have I brought thee home?” Herbert asks. “I ranne; but all I brought, was fome” — or, a few lines later, “bubbles, balls of winde.” Insubstantial nothings.
Approaching God with fists full of wind may not trouble the spiritually nominal, who care little whether they please God or not. But for those who have tasted the kindness of God, and have seen the cross as its cost, such wind can become “balls of wilde-fire to my troubled minde.” The sun has set on the day’s regrets, with no time now to remedy them, leaving us with a thorn-pricked soul. A pillow of self-reproach. A smoldering conscience.
On nights like these, some simply try to sleep their guilt away. Others search for some rationalization. Still others pray, but not in a way that douses the fire in their minds. What does Herbert do?
Closing Our Weary Eyes
Yet still thou goest on,
And now with darknesse closest wearie eyes,
Saying to man, It doth suffice:
Henceforth repose; your work is done.
Thus in thy ebony box
Thou dost inclose us, till the day
Put our amendment in our way,
And give new wheels to our disorder’d clocks.
Herbert, with wild fire burning his troubled mind, turns to God and says, “Yet still thou goest on.” The “God of love” has yet more love stored up, more favor to offer. He began the day by giving us “eyes,” and now, as night overtakes our burdened souls, he “with darknesse closest wearie eyes.” And not just with sleep: God, in mercy, closes our eyes to our sins, just as he, in Christ, has already “closed” his.
As God closes the soul’s eyelids, bidding them be blind to the day’s confessed sins, Herbert imagines him “saying to man, It doth suffice: / Henceforth repose; your work is done.” In response to our weary, day-end regrets, God gives not more work, but rest. Our work, however pitiful, can be done at day’s end because God’s perfect work of redemption is done (John 19:30; Hebrews 10:12–14). And we, by faith, “have got his sonne.”
Thus God “incloses” us in “thy ebony box” — surely a reference to a coffin. The biblical writers saw sleep as an image of Christian death (John 11:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:14), and Herbert, tapping into the theme, treats nighttime as a daily rehearsal for the moment when our ebony box will be made of wood and not of night. On that last twilight, some of God’s true children, like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, will look back and ask, pained, “What have I brought thee home / For this thy love?” Our troubled nights teach us how to answer that question, readying us to lie peacefully upon our final bed as we wait for God to close our eyes, put us to sleep, and keep us for the resurrection day, which will “put our amendment in our way” — which will raise us sinless and whole, children of the everlasting morning.
Until then, we live like old timepieces, “disorder’d clocks” whose hour and minute hands begin the day aligned with God yet often slowly get off track. And every morning, God rewinds us, no matter how disordered from yesterday, and once again strengthens us to run.
Rest Deeper Than Sleep
I muse, which shows more love,
The day or night: that is the gale, this th’ harbour;
That is the walk, and this the arbour;
Or that the garden, this the grove.
My God, thou art all love.
Not one poore minute scapes thy breast,
But brings a favour from above;
And in this love, more then in bed, I rest.
As God carries us from morning to evening, we move from favor to favor, mercy to mercy, kindness to kindness. By poem’s end, Herbert muses which of the two, day or night, “shows more love”: The gale that sends us through day’s waters, or the harbor that holds us at night’s shore? The walk that takes us through day’s labors, or the arbor that receives us into night’s rest? The garden of daytime strength, or the grove of nighttime forgiveness?
“In Jesus, we find a rest beneath our rest, a pillow under our pillow.”The question cannot be answered. In Christ, God gives us power to work for him, and he gives us pardon to rest in him. Both have their peculiar favor; God’s children prize them both. And so, “not one poore minute scapes thy breast, / But brings a favor from above.” Not one minute of the day is unadorned by the love of God — whether daytime love or nighttime love, strengthening love or forgiving love.
Herbert closes, “And in this love, more then in bed, I rest.” In Jesus, we find a rest beneath our rest, a pillow under our pillow, comfort of soul surrounding the comfort of sleep. Such rest and comfort depend, ultimately, not on what we give to God (though we long to give him much and more), but on what he has given to us: “his sonne.” And so, even the frustration and futility we feel toward day’s end can become a mercy, delivering us into a deeper rest than sleep can give.
Zucchini Parmesan
Recipe by Allrecipes Member MaryJo
Original recipe yields 5 servings
- 2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Step 1 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Step 2 - In a large pot boil the zucchini until tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender.
Step 3 - Combine the zucchini, onion and garlic in a 9x12 inch casserole dish, and mix well. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the mixture and stir well. Top with mozzarella cheese (use more or less depending on your preference).
Step 4 - Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.
217 calories; protein 8.3g; carbohydrates 21g; fat 11.5g; cholesterol 16.3mg; sodium 512.3mg. Full Nutrition
Chuckles
"If somebody dies in the hospital, angels move them to the eternity ward."