EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
June 2020
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
Psalm 91 (NIV)
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 6 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
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Dearly Beloved,
The Psalmist recognizes that believers are not immune to facing various dangers in life. We can potentially experience enemies (fowler's snare) (3), deadly pestilence (3,6), terror of night and arrow by day (enemies)(5), plague (6), wild animals (lion, cobra, great lion, and serpent)(13). How can we navigate through life successfully and safely with so many different threats to bring harm and disaster to our well-being? The overriding answer to this question is mentioned in 91:1-2 and then restated in 91:8-9.
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust'" (1-2)
"if you make the Most High your dwelling - even the LORD, Who is My refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent" (9-10).
- Make the LORD your dwelling (9)
- Dwell in the shelter of the Most High (1)
- Rest in the shadow of the Almighty! (1)
- Say: The LORD is my refuge and my fortress (2)(9)
Our natural inclination is to think that the best sources for refuge, shelter, and defense are located in buildings on mountains and castles surrounded by moats and caves. We are used to our homes being our shelters to hide out from the invisible corona virus germs. We are getting use to wearing masks and gloves to protect us from infection. We are use to spraying down counters and door knobs and faucets to safeguard us. Don't get me wrong. There is a real and practical need to find protection from corona virus by sheltering in place at home, social distancing, masks, etc. But the psalmist is saying the greatest refuge is not found in a place or in hand sanitizers; it is found in the Person of the Most High God. The safest place on earth in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic is to be in a trusting, living, right relationship with your Creator and Savior! No matter what changes you may face, the safest place to be is in the presence of God seeking to do His will. If you are doing His will, even if King Nebuchadnezzar seeks to throw you into the fiery furnace, the Lord will be with you and will not let a hair of your head be singed, if he wants to keep you alive! (Daniel 3)" The LORD will command His angels to guard you and to protect you (91:11-13).
But remember, these promises of God's protection are conditioned upon our commitment to devote our life to Him, to trust in Him more than man-made places and strategies and weapons. The devil sought to use Ps. 91:11-12 to tempt Jesus to jump off the temple roof and to trust God to send His angels to catch Jesus before hitting the ground (Mt 4:6-7). Jesus knew that God had not called Him to needlessly and recklessly put Himself into danger and expect God to suddenly and miraculously save Him. That is not trusting God's promise; that is testing God!
So, it is good to follow shelter in place when needed, use masks and hand sanitizers, and social distancing where appropriate. And even more important is to love the LORD (14), to acknowledge His name (14), and to call upon Him (15) and show Him that you have made the Most High your dwelling!
Shepherding you in Jesus’ love,
Lance
FBC - Safely "Rebounding"
FBC has opened up for public worship service in the sanctuary as of May 10. No Sunday School will be offered at this time. We are seeking to take precautions to make our setting safe. Pews are sectioned off to help us comply with 6 feet social distancing. Face masks are optional. Offering plates are stationed near the entrance/exit doors to the sanctuary, as well as in the front of they church by the organ and piano. The church pew, doors, etc. will be sanitized prior to and/or during services as needed.
We are excited to worship together again. We recognize not everyone will feel comfortable to join us at the beginning; and that is understandable and acceptable.
As we begin public worship, either livestream or a video recording of the message will be explored. Audio of each message will still be posted on the church website and CD’s will continue to be available.
God bless and keep you safe and healthy!
Forgive Dave if he doesn't shake your hand
Pews are sectioned off for social distancing
Amy (Castle) Eslinger and boys
Reverand Harry Granger Will Be Missed!
Rev. Harry Granger went to be with the Lord on May 20, 2020. He will be dearly missed!
(Click here) to view his obituary on Potter's Funeral Chapel website) Thank you to those who helped with the funeral dinner and ensuring safety precautions!
Service and Commitment During the COVID-19 pandemic closure!
Even through the pandemic closure, some FBC church members spent their Saturday preparing, recording and uploading the church service!
Thank you to all of you who contributed to this effort, even if we didn't capture your picture!
Pam Hodges, Worship Leader
Pam has had songs and singers for each service. One Sunday it was just her and Dave! FBC is so fortunate to have Pam as our Worship Leader!
Kris Waller
Kris, not only plays the organ, he video-taped and edited the recording of the services, uploaded them to YouTube and copied DVD's for distribution. This man of many talents is truly appreciated!
Dave Hodges
"Reliable Dave" is a definite plus to the worship team! He is always there providing bass and a good joke once in a while! He is truly appreciated!
Nate Campbell
Mike Sturman
Suzi Morgan
Pastor Lance
Always learning new skills: filling in for Kris as Videographer on Sat. recording sessions; videoing his own sermons & Jolene's bible story, hosting Zoom meetings and maneuvering through social media via YouTube, & Facebook to get the Word out! Kudos to Pastor Lance!
Jolene Zagaris
Jolene recorded and posted Amy Carmichael's Missionary Story!
Brian Weers
Brian sang with the worship team and did a special on March 22!
Davey & Maggie Mathews
Davey, with assistance from his mom, sang "Jesus Loves Me" on Apr. 12! Maggie also sang with the worship team a couple of times!
Laurel Keene
Kelly Ayres
Kelly, did a special on May 10 and also sang with the worship team a couple of times during the closure.
CELEBRATING OUR 2020 GRADUATES!
Maggie Mathews
Maggie graduated from BSU with a BA in History and Sociology with a certification in Habilitative instruction. She will have her MIT in special ed in the Fall of 21-22! Maggie pursued her degree while working and being a mommy! Congratulations Maggie!
Brooke Ayres
Congratulations Emmett High class of 2020 and graduate Brooke Ayres! Brooke plans to volunteer her time to make a difference. It is important for her to share her faith with people that are lost. She will also pursue a career being a child life specialist. Brooke has a desire for adventures, exploring, and traveling specifically to Ireland , Italy, England, and tropical islands. Brooke's family (and church family) are proud of her hard work and dedication!
Way to go Brooke!
Recognize any of the "Whiz Kids" in this Newspaper Article?
Nate Campbell Joins the Idaho National Guard!
Nate Campbell, otherwise known as our FBC “guitar man” with the Worship Team, has decided to join the Idaho National Guard! He is in Columbia, South Carolina for Boot Camp then will be doing training in Virginia in about a month until mid-December. I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with him prior to his departure on May 5th and he agreed to let me share some things about him and his decision in this month’s newsletter.
Nate and his wife Teri, along with their 3 children (Jonah, Rachel, & Simon), moved to Idaho about 5 years ago. Nate and Teri always wanted to own land. Her father, liked Idaho, and had found some land here at a good price. Teri wanted to homeschool and knew Idaho offered this opportunity. Teri came here first and Nate joined her shortly after. Nate and Teri had been going to Cornerstone Baptist in Elgin, Texas. They started attending here at Emmett FBC because it was Baptist, and the kids liked that it looks like a castle! Nate and Teri joined the church and we are so grateful to have them as part of our church family!
As a kid, Nate always believed in God and the concept that God was good, but he never knew who Jesus was or what the Bible says. A guy named Jimmy Johnson asked Nate one day if he believed in God and then invited him to church. Nate had always thought going to the lake was as good as going to church. He took Jimmy up on his offer and he felt the pastor was talking right to him… about who Jesus was and why you should go to church. He continued going and leaned more and enjoyed reading the Bible.
Nate told me he has done some “stupid” things in his life.. and at times he is not a good person… he had hit rock bottom.. thinking he was going to lose everything… his wife, his house. But he knew if he lost everything, he would always have God. He said there were a lot of times where he felt God say, “I’m here”. He told me if you want to talk to God and know who he is, open the Bible. He loves the Bible.
So, why did Nate decide to pursue a career with the National Guard? A friend told him about it, and he thought it was a good career opportunity. The job he has at Fish and Game is part time. To become full time and move up he would have to be a Biologist; which isn’t really what he wants to be. He wants to pursue a career like a construction aircraft electrician. After going to school for 6 months he will be certified and hopes to get a job out at Gowen Field. He also shared that he hoped the discipline and structure of the Guard will help him personally as well.
So, a little tidbit I learned about Nate.. He has always liked playing the guitar and wanted to be a rock star like Jimi Hendrix. However, it took 2 years before he turned the volume of his guitar up on stage with the worship team!
We will surely miss our “guitar man” while he is gone and wish him the best in pursuing his career and personal goals. Nate has much more to his story of which he said he does share with those who he feels it will benefit, but I encouraged him to share publicly as you never know who may benefit from your story.
It is interesting to me how as Christians, we don’t always feel comfortable sharing our stories. Is it because we feel our fellow Christians, who “appear” to have it all together, will judge us or think less of us? Or is it because we don’t feel they want to hear it? Or that it is not as interesting as the next guy’s? The story that touched me when I first started coming to church was that of a teenage girl, Tanya Taylor. Not because I could relate to her personal struggle, but it made me think, if a teenage girl could have that kind of faith, why couldn’t I? If a teenage girl had the courage to be who she was amidst the peer pressures of high school, and the courage to tell her story, why are we as adults so hesitant? I believe there is only one judgment we should be concerned about.. that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If anyone else judges us because of our imperfections and/or past or current struggles, maybe they need our prayers just as much, if not more so, than we need theirs.
Thank you, Nate, for being who you are and taking time out of your schedule to sit with me before taking the kids fishing! Be safe. You and Teri will be in our prayers through this time of life transitioning!
If you want to write a note of encouragement to Nate, his address is:
Pvt. Campbell, Nathaniel
1st PLT E. Company
3-39th INF BN, 165th INF BDE
11000 Dixie Rd.
Columbia, SC 29207
Nate and Teri
Nate, Jonah, Rachel & Simon
A day fishing with Dad
Happy Father's Day!
A man is as great as the dreams he dreams,
As great as the love he bears;
As great as the values he redeems, And the happiness that he shares.
A man is as great as the thoughts he thinks,
And the insight he has gained.
A man is as great as the truth he speaks,
As great as the help he gives;
As great as the destiny which he seeks,
As great as the life that he lives.
C.E. Flynn
Racism, Protests, Riots, etc. - What the word of God says...
Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[a](A) 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.(B) 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
Roman 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Ephesians 4:26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Proverbs 3:29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Proverbs 3:31 Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, FITS OF RAGE, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
James 1:2-8 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 1:19-26 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
James 4:1-12 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”[c] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
RIGHT NOW MEDIA
Summer Camps!
- Teen Camp (6th -12th Grade): July 19-24 - $250;
- Kids Camp (4-6th Grade): July 26-30 - $200
Shiloh Bible Camps (Donnelly):
- Day Camp (K-5th): Cancelled
- Family Camp: Cancelled
- Jr. High Boy’s Outdoor Camp (6th–completed 9th): Aug 2–8; $225
- High School Camp (9th–12th): July 12–18; $225
- Jr. High Camp (6th – 8th): July 19–25; $225
- Boy’s Camp (4th – 6th): Aug 2–8; $225
- Christian in Training: Cancelled
- JR. CIT (7th – 8th): July 12–18; $100
- Internship (Application process): June 15–Aug 9
- Music camps: Cancelled
Fellowship of Christian Athletes: 2020 Camps
- Ada County Baseball Camp: July 14-16
- Canyon County Baseball Camp: July 21-23
- Total Athlete Day Camp: July 28-30
Check websites for most current dates and/or information changes.
Chuckles
"That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to."
"Awe, com on", the farmer insisted.
"Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "But Pa won't like it."
After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset."
"Don't be foolish!" the neighbor said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?"
"Under the wagon."
Birthdays and Anniversaries!
Birthdays:
June 5 ........ Megan Church
June 10 ...... John Ayres
June 14....... Teri Campbell
June 18....... Jessica Humphries
June 21....... Glenda Strunk
June 22 ....... Dorothy Pearce
June 24 ....... Heather Spears
June 27 ....... Jim Foster
Anniversaries:
June 5 ....... Wayne & Vi Rexford
June 18 ..... Kenny & Megan Keene
June 29...... Brian & Amanda Weers