EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
December 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
Dearly Beloved,
One of the prophecies highlighting the miraculous first coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah is found in Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: The Virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call him Immanuel." The prophecy is given against the backdrop of the Syro-Ehhraimite War (735-734 B.C.) King Rezin of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah of the 10 northern tribes of Israel (aka Ephraim) joined to fight against the 2 southern tribes of Judah. "The hearts of Ahaz (King of the southern tribes) and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind (7:2). The LORD tells Isaiah to take his first son and tell King Ahaz not to be afraid of these two smoldering stubs of firewood (7:3-4)! Their plans to overtake Judah will not happen. Within 65 years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation (7:5-8).
In 7:10-13, the LORD wanted Ahaz to ask Him for a sign to confirm the reliability of His promises, but Ahaz refused, thinking that doing so would be putting the LORD to the test. But Isaiah rebukes Ahaz: "Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?"
Isaiah warns Ahaz that he is treading on thin ice in his relationship with the LORD. The LORD is seeking to protect you and your nation. He is seeking to give you added assurance that His Word is true and fully reliable, but instead of allowing Him to boost the confidence of your faith against such terrifying and threatening enemies, you refuse His requests to ask Him for a sign.
The LORD graciously and mercifully gives him a sign despite his unwillingness to ask for one: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel: " A sign was normally fulfilled within a few years. Virgin may refer to a young woman betrothed to Isaiah (8:3), who was to become his second wife. His first wife presumably had died after their first son Shear-jashub was born. Matthew quotes Isa. 7:14 in his telling of the birth of Jesus, remarking that what took place with Jesus being miraculously conceived and born of the Virgin Mary was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.
Immanuel means "God with us." It was meant to convince Ahaz & Judah that God will rescue them from their enemies. When Matthew quotes it, He is saying that God is with us through the person and work of Jesus Christ, because He will save people from their sins (Mt. 1:21-23)! Jesus was born of a virgin, that He might die for our sins and be raised to life, causing us to be born of God when we receive Christ by faith!
In Isaiah 7:9, Isaiah warns Ahaz: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." This is a profound challenge, not just for Ahaz, but for all of us. Our lives are built on various foundations. If the foundation of our lives is built on our faith in the LORD and His Word and His promises, then we are standing on firm and stable ground. But if the foundation of our lives is built up on worldly viewpoints and a self-centered perspective, we are standing on shifting sand or shaky ground spiritually.
Isaiah is reminding Ahaz how vital our faith in the LORD truly is! If you refuse to stand on your faith in the LORD, your standing days are over. You will fall. Their hearts are trembling over the invasion of enemies, and the LORD is promising them victory and protection. The LORD is urging Ahaz to trust Him. Your ability to withstand the enemies who terrify you is based on trusting the LORD's power and promises. If you stop standing firm in the LORD, you will fall. When you add the LORD's sign... His promise to bring a future deliverer who would be born of a virgin and whose name and life represented God Himself is with us, how much more should we stand firm in our faith? We know that the LORD faithfully kept his promise in sending His Son Jesus to be born of the Virgin Mary! We know that Jesus died on Calvary's Cross to save us from our sins! Let us continue to stand firm in our faith despite the uncertain days we live in!
Merry Christmas!
Shepherding you with Christ's love,
Lance
P.S. I highly recommend you read the article by Marshall Segal, starting on p.7.
Pastor Appreciation
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Good News Club Update
During November we had a low of 20 student and a high of 28. On November 11 you could sense the Holy Spirit moving as five children prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior! Lance delivered 2 Bibles to each of the students: a pictorial Bible to use now and an entire Bible to grow into.
Lance Zagaris, Roma Careaga and Carol Rainey meet with the children in small groups and help arrange them. Jolene Zagaris teaches the main lesson, Connie Walker teaches the memory verse, Margo Moodie leads singing and taught the Gladys Aylward's Missionary Story. Those wanting to watch the movie of Gladys Aylward's Ministry can watch Inn of the Sixth Happiness. Our Christmas lesson will be Dec. 14. Let us know if you want to contribute snacks or prizes.
To find out more about Good News Clubs, visit Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) at https://www.cefonline.com/ministries/goodnewsclub/
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Honoring Our Veterans
Jerry Barber, Bill Butticci, John Morgan, & Dave Goff. Not pictured is Robin Humphries, Jim Foster, Rocky Smith ...
Thank You for your service!
TODAY IS THE TOMORROW THAT YOU WORRIED ABOUT YESTERDAY!
Thankfulness
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
LOST MOUSE FOUND!
During the Thanksgiving Dinner, the church was searched by a group of kids in determination to find Jim Foster's lost mouse. Finally, with exclamation of joy, Lincoln Chapman having the mouse in hand, and Mason Gaskill and Karizma Gragg came down to show everyone that the mouse had been found! The mouse was hiding in some books in the library!
Jim was pleased that his mouse was found but as of yet the mouse has not been retuned to Jim. Jim commented he will be glad to get his mouse back and is prepared with a reward for those that found it. Jim plans to explain to the kids that there are several things that can be found in the church. Things such as friendships, maybe a special someone. But most of all, Jesus.
Messy, Late, and Happy
How to Survive Sundays with Small Kids
Almost everything about having a young family works against a standing multiple-hour commitment on Sunday mornings.
Just to physically get all parties out the door and into the same vehicle (at any time of day, on any day of the week) can feel like some kind of sophisticated military operation — waking the sleepy and corralling the antsy, feeding the hungry (of varying ages, appetites, and tastes), finding matching socks (or at least reasonably matching socks) for several sizes of feet, packing sufficient rations to hold the troops over until lunchtime (lots of rations, an irrational amount of rations), finding another outfit for the 2-year-old because she just rubbed her breakfast all over that dress, avoiding the last-minute tantrum or blowout (there’s something about those last five minutes that brings the worst out of kids, literally and figuratively).
And if you make it to church before it ends, you’ll need to hone a variety of specific and targeted tactics to keep each child quiet, still, and attentive. For the rest of you without children, if a kid suddenly bursts out in tears a couple of seats down and distracts you, don’t miss the miracle that he or she wasn’t crying or yelling or giggling for the last thirty minutes (and say a quick prayer for Mom and Dad).
Over the last six years (since our first was born), I’ve come to believe that spiritual warfare intensifies between 5 o’clock Saturday evening and noon on Sunday. I’m convinced Satan sends in demonic reinforcements to cause as much havoc as wickedly possible. To be sure, young families are certainly not the only ones tempted to skip church, but they have as many reasons as any (and often more). The Bible is clear, however, that we have even more reasons to go anyway.
Incomplete Joy
God gives us parents plenty of reasons to keep showing up to church, but as a father of three under 7 years old, I still love finding more. The apostle John writes to a church he knew well,
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (2 John 12)
“No family can afford to regularly sit out Sunday morning.”Our faithful presence on Sunday morning is worth all the effort and expense because some precious joys aren’t possible apart from gathering. “I have so much I want to say to you,” John says, “but paper and ink won’t do.” The people are the same, the meaning is the same, the very words may even be roughly the same, but something is different when those words are shared face-to-face. John had learned the spiritual power of steady proximity.
John, of course, had a lot to say in writing (fifty chapters across five books in the Bible), and he wrote about some of the most serious and thrilling realities in the universe. And yet he also knew that some words were far better said (and heard) in person. Some realities were far better tasted, seen, and experienced face-to-face. He knew that the fullness of his Christian faith and joy couldn’t be felt from a safe distance.
Presence completes joy in a way that technology (like pens and ink and high-definition cameras) can’t. That’s one reason young families keep spending all it costs us to get to our pew each week. More than anything else, we want our family to be happy in God — and being fully happy in God requires consistently sitting with the people of God under the word of God.
That Your Joy May Be Full
John’s second letter isn’t the only place he talks about this fullness of joy. One could actually argue that his Gospel and letters were one long attempt to bring this joy to fruition in us. He explicitly says in his first letter, “We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:4). When you trace that thread back through his Gospel, you see that this joy is not a pretty garnish along the plate of Christianity, but the sweetness in every course and bite.
As Jesus prepares to go to the cross, for instance, he says to his disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Jesus wasn’t merely making sure that their doctrine was organized and accurate, but that their hearts were full. He wanted the truth inside of them to catch fire. Christ came, and taught, and worked miracles, and died, and rose not simply for the sake of truth and justice, but for joy — that his joy would be sparked and inflamed in us.
A chapter later, Jesus says to the same men, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). Joy is the final answer to all our prayers. We pray, and keep praying, so that we might taste a depth and intensity of happiness we wouldn’t experience otherwise. And then a few verses later, he says,
You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. . . . You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:20, 22)
So, when John writes, “I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete,” that joy is thick with meaning for him. It’s a loud echo of his last hours with Jesus, and of the hundreds of hours they spent together before that — walking the same roads, eating the same food, experiencing the same memories, serving the same needy people.
This joy, for John, isn’t simply about the refreshment of good company; this is near the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. We were made and called and redeemed and commissioned to find joy together — to meet God side by side, not merely over Wi-Fi.
Families Made for a Body
This joy can’t be fulfilled through a live stream because our souls weren’t made ultimately for lyrics and sermons; we were made to be a part of a body. The apostle Paul writes,
Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. . . . For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14)
Families who consistently skip church are like severed hands or rogue eyeballs. We’d not only be ugly, but functionally useless. And not only useless, but we’d actually harm the body that needs us — spiritual amputations. Where’s the sense of hearing? At home, under blankets, watching the live stream again. Where’s the sense of smell? Getting some extra rest because it’s just too hard to go out. Where’s the sense of joy? It’s been quenched and diluted by our absence.
Christian joy depends on regular physical presence because that’s how a body works.
Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15–16)
Along with Paul, John knew this joy worked itself out in real, ongoing, life-on-life relationships. After all, he gave us Jesus’s all-important charge: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). How will the world recognize who’s been with Jesus? By how we love one another. And how will we love one another without committing to see one another?
What Families Cannot Afford
When I was still single, I was sometimes baffled why families had such a hard time getting to church. Sure, there might be more hairs to comb and shoelaces to tie, but how hard could it really be? That naive confusion crashed on the rocks of our own terrible twos. The hurdles to normal church life with small kids are undeniable. Hear me, though, fellow parents: the rewards are too.
No family can afford to regularly sit out Sunday morning. Sure, we won’t always be as put together as we want to be, and we probably won’t always be on time, but over time our whole family will be happier for having been there. Pen and ink won’t do; neither will podcasts and emails. We were made for eye-to-eye, shoulder-to-shoulder joy in the church. We were made for a body. We were made to belong. And only our presence brings that joyful belonging into full reality.
Umubyeyi Francoise Graduates!
Dear First Baptist Church,
I am writing to share exciting news with you! Your sponsored student, Umubyeyi Francoise, is finishing all of her requirements this month to graduate from Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) - Kigali campus with an Advanced Diploma in Information Technology! Your faithful support for Francoise since 2019 has equipped and empowered her to dream big, find meaningful work, and become a leader of the next generation of Rwandans.
In light of Francoise’s completion at the end of this month, we will be closing your sponsorship pledge by December 31, 2022. There’s still time if you want to order Francoise a gift from our Online Store, or send congratulations with an Online Letter using your Africa New Life account.
We will send you a Completion Letter from Francoise in the next few weeks, and we join you in praying that she continues to have new and exciting opportunities in her future.
If you’d like to sponsor another post-secondary student, we have several in need at varying levels of support (ranging from $50-$325/month) and duration (1-4 years). I’m happy to share more information with you, if you are interested. We also have younger students needing sponsors featured on our website.
The investment in a young person’s education, health and spiritual growth is priceless—and you have seen Francoise through all the way. Thank you so much for your partnership with Africa New Life Ministries!
Warmly,
Kelly
Bill Butticci - Give It To Prayer
Bill became a member of Emmett First Baptist Church (FBC) in 2005. He and his family joined FBC because they were looking for youth programs for their girls. Bill likes the relaxed welcoming atmosphere at FBC. He really likes the Pastor (Lance Zagaris) and the music program. Bill has been on the Diaconate for several years and partnered with teaching Sunday School many years ago.
Some of Bill's favorite memories at FBC were the events and youth group activities. He has enjoyed the Christmas programs and participating in various community projects. Bill remembers taking the bus to Bogus and going tubing. This may be one of the most vivid memories for Bill as he was carsick from going up Bogus Basin Road in a bus! 😊 He remembers John Hill getting the dump truck from the city to do clean up jobs for people.
Bill was baptized in the river around 2000. While he did not have a lot of exposure to the Lord growing up, he always felt he knew the Lord. Growing up, his mother went to the Emmett Christian Church. She was always trying to get the kids to go to church but their dad didn’t go so the kids didn’t want to go either. However, Bill, being the youngest, did go a few times and what little he did learn from Sunday School as a kid took some ground. Then he met Cyndi, his wife of now 40 years. Cyndi’s family is strong in their faith and always attended church and church functions. Going with Cyndi to church, “it was a done deal”. Bill “felt comfortable and had found his spot.” Bill and Cyndi were engaged, got married and attending church and the Lord is a strong part of their family.
Bill and Cyndi raised 5 girls and now have 11 grandkids. Bill says raising 5 girls was easy… he worked a lot and Cyndi was the one who dealt with any issues and Dad’s usually get along well with their daughters. When asked for advice on raising 5 daughters, Bill responded, “listen and know all the facts before making a decision.” He admitted he served as a good sounding board for Cyndi and said that he and Cyndi made a good team in the raising of their family.
Bill described himself as the guy that is involved… when nobody else will do it, he steps up.
Sue Beitia called him and said we really need another cello in the Christmas orchestra so be at the next practice, even though Bill had not touched an instrument in 35 years he went and has been playing in the orchestra for several years now. He said this is God at work with the gift of music.
Bill has also been in public service for many years. He has served as the Mayor of Emmett, City Councilman and now County Commissioner. Bill said he serves as a public official because he cares about is community and wants to try to make things better for folks. When Bill started in an elected office, he explained that he made the decision through faith and prayer. That is what he stood on. Any difficult decisions, he put to prayer, and he hasn’t been let down yet! As Mayor, he brought back opening prayer at City Council meetings. It is open to all churches to alternate leading the prayer at the beginning of the council meetings.
Bill’s passion is history. When he was Mayor, he was selected to serve on the board of the Idaho State Historical Society which is a state agency. He is now the chairman and has been for many years where he and 6 other trustees oversee the state museum, old pen, state archives, state records center and state preservation office. He has been serving as the Chairman of this board for the last for 15 years and also serves as the chairman for our local Gem County museum. This is where history is documented, and history repeats itself. Bill’s passion for history was reinforced when they lived in Massachusetts. In New England, you can see and touch history. The fairy tale, Mary Had a Little Lamb, was actually a real person whose home was there with a bronze statue of a lamb in the town common. Bill and Cyndi had an opportunity to purchase some items from the home at a local auction but passed on the dining set.
Bill definitely keeps busy. In addition to public service and his serving on the State Historical Board and his work with the local museum, Bill has worked full time at Micron in Quality Control for 28 years.
Bill does want to retire someday soon. His goal is to retire and take care of the lawn at the new Calvary Chapel going in around the corner from where he lives. Of course, he agreed that he would need to help take care of FBC as well.
Bill stated that the Lord is with him and gives him strength all the time and keeps him going. He said Lance has helped him through his outreach and his partner in crime, Clint Taylor, had helped him as well.
Bill said it takes time for things to happen, don’t expect things over night. One project Bill did was to rebuild a home for an elderly person in our community who had lost it to a fire and was under insured. The project took over 4 years but with continued prayer and support from many sources the doors were opened project was completed.
Bill’s message to others is that in tough times, pray about it. Don’t dwell on something. Give it to prayer. When you feel the burden gone, the answer comes.
Thank you, Bill, for your time and willingness to share. It is good to know that as a public servant/elected official, you pray and rely on the Lord in the decisions you make. It is obvious that the calmness and quietness you portray comes from your faith in the Lord. While you did not have a specific verse as your favorite, one that comes to mind for me after talking with you is Psalm 46:10:
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
~by Kathy Osborn, FBC Secretary/Treasurer
Advent Candles
Advent is the season of reflective preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the expected return of Christ in the Second Coming.
Advent candles have meaning and symbolism for the Christian holiday season. In almost all Advent traditions, lighting candles is a prominent feature of each week’s commemorative celebration. Some candles are placed within or near the Advent wreath itself. Other times, they are lit separately on each Sunday beginning four weeks before Christmas. Candles and the light they produce reflect the light that came into the world with the arrival of Jesus Christ.
Some traditions light a single candle on each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Other traditions place one large candle in the center of the Advent wreath and light it every day of December until Christmas.
The most common tradition typically uses four candles. Each advent candle is lit on one of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.
The color of these candles can vary, but it is common for the first, second, and fourth candles to be purple, while the third is rose-colored, red, or a pinkish hue. In some cases, all the candles are red, blue, or white; often, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Day itself.
First Advent Candle: The first purple candle symbolizes hope. Also known as the “Prophecy Candle” in memory of the prophets, particularly Isaiah, who prophesied the birth of Christ. It symbolizes the anticipation felt in awaiting the coming Messiah.
Second Advent Candle: The second purple candle symbolizes faith. Also known as the “Bethlehem Candle,” signifies Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
Third Advent Candle: The third candle is ordinarily pink and represents joy. This candle is pink because the rose color represents joy, also known as the “Shepherd’s Candle.” The third Sunday of Advent is meant to remind us of the world's joy at the birth of Jesus and that the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent.
Fourth Advent Candle: The final purple candle marks the last week of Advent as we anticipate the birth of our Savior. This final candle, also known as the “Angel’s Candle,” signifies peace. It reminds us of the angels' message: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” (Luke 2:14).
Advent Conspiracy - Give Presence
Advent Conspiracy is a movement designed to help us all slow down and experience a Christmas worth remembering.
WORSHIP FULLY
At Christmas we celebrate Christ’s birth. Our worship ought to be from our hearts, creative, and full of energy!
SPEND LESS
Consider buying one less gift this Christmas. Use the money you would have spent on that gift and give it to First Baptist Church. We will use it to: 1) support former CERT student, Dominic Bunting on his mission trip with YWAM and, 2) support Rwandan University student, Vincent Kayitare, with medical expenses from a broken arm.
Our last Sunday to collect for Advent Conspiracy is Wed., Dec. 28.
GIVE MORE
We know what you’re thinking. “Wait, didn’t they just say I should spend less, and yet here they are telling me to give more? What gives?” The most powerful, memorable gift you can give to someone else is yourself, and nobody modeled this more than Jesus. So, what does this look like for you? Maybe it’s tickets to a ball game or the theatre. The point is simple: When it comes to spending time with those you love, it’s all about quality, not quantity.
LOVE ALL
When we show our love to a family member, neighbor, or friend by spending a little less on gifts, we free up our resources to love as Jesus loved. This is the conspiracy three churches began a few years ago and has since grown to an international movement where thousands of churches have raised millions of dollars to love others in life-changing ways!
Designate in the memo portion of your check- Advent Conspiracy
********* SAVE THE DATE! ******** Christmas Eve-Eve Church Service
Friday, Dec 23, 2022, 06:00 PM
Emmett First Baptist Church
Creamy Coconut Cake
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (10 ounce) package flaked coconut
Directions
Prepare cake according to package directions. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan. Cool completely.
Poke holes in cake with a straw. Pour milk mixture over cake and spread with whipped topping. Sprinkle coconut over cake.
Serve chilled.
Chuckles
A pastor is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach.
After watching the boys efforts for some time, the pastor moves closer to the boy’s position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child’s shoulder leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring.
Crouching down to the child’s level, the pastor smiles benevolently and asks, “And now what, my little man?” To which the boy replies, “Now we run!”
(Pastor Lance says he could be caught doing this growing up!)