Nick Emery Uncategorized

The Sadness of Silence

The third Monday in the month of January is considered by many as BLUE MONDAY: THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY OF THE YEAR. The good news is, if you are reading this, then you made it through this day. It hasn’t always been known as this, so perhaps it has come to be known as this because all the holiday festivities are over. Perhaps you started a new year with lots of goals and dreams and by now, reality has set in. Or, perhaps we are all ready for Spring and tired of the gloom and cold of winter at this point. Because depression is real and grips many, then noting a day like this is important, and addressing depression isn’t something to be silent about.  

Another significant day, or anniversary, worth noting happened this last week on January 22. Shawn Carney wrote: “46 years ago today, seven men who call themselves “supreme” silenced the voice of the American people, initiating the greatest human rights atrocity in U.S. history. The Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision dehumanized the unborn and led to 60 million children being killed by abortion since 1973. Despite 46 years of legalization, abortion is ending at the grassroots level. Not because of robed, ivory tower Supreme Court justices, but because families are living their pro-life convictions in communities across the country.”

This brings us to today. The issue of abortion can anger and shame and pain anyone bold enough to discuss this epidemic. I have been told, more than once, that because I am a man, that I have zero right to even talk about abortion – let alone encourage people to pursue God’s heart for the value of human life. However, that is exactly what feeds any sadness within my heart and mind this time of year: the sheer volume of silence from many regarding abortion.

Perhaps like me, they have been shamed about holding to Biblical truth regarding the sanctity of life. Perhaps for others, the issues of abortion is so raw and real in their lives personally that they look forward to a day when it is no longer present in their minds.

Despite the past silence of God’s Holy Bride and those who shepherd it, I am seeing a great change happening with the way others think about the value of human life. I see it regarding immigrants and refugees. I see it regarding racial oppression and the marginalized of society. And, I am seeing a change in many, as they seek to bring their lives under the authority of God’s Holy Word regarding abortion, too.

Yet, some still say that a little baby isn’t as valuable as an adult or someone who’s already born. The Bible says that each person has tremendous value. In fact, the Bible says that we are GOD’S MASTERPIECE. Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” A masterpiece is a prized possession, the best of the best, and the Bible says: YOU ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE. So, although not everyone understands how valuable a life is, I believe that God is changing this among His church and I believe that as Disciples of Christ, we should be champions for His redemptive work within the pro abundant life movement as well. 

It can change when we find ourselves looking at all the differences in the world around us, and when we stop believing the lies of Satan and begin to embrace the truth that pre-born baby has value worth protecting – just like the value of the life of the immigrant and refugee, and to those experiencing racial inequality and injustice.

I urge you friends: investigate how science agrees with Scripture about the value of a pre-born baby.

The moment a baby is conceived, their features, their gender, and their hair and eye color are determined at the conception. Just three weeks after that – so just a little longer than the Christmas break you were on – in just three weeks, a baby in its mother’s tummy, their brain and spinal cord begin forming and their heart begins to beat in 22 days. Within 6-7 weeks, arms and legs and organs like the kidneys begin to form. By 7-1/2 weeks a baby in a mother’s tummy has distinct fingers and can even hiccup. By 8 weeks nearly all the organs in the body have formed, and just need to mature and fully grow. At this age, the baby is very active and can been seen during an ultrasound – one of the services we provide at Life Choices for free – they can be seen waving their arms and kicking. And just 10 weeks after a baby is conceived, the baby begins to form their fingerprints.

Take a moment and look at the palm of your hands. See those finger prints? Each one is different. Each one is special and the fingerprints you have right now started to form when you were a tiny baby in your mother’s belly. 

The Bible and science agree. You are a masterpiece. You are special and unique and you have great value. Embrace that truth. Also, embrace an attitude of love towards others and point to living alternatives. Many groups are standing for life and work hard every day to bring great grace and respect to those who are considering abortion or who have had an abortion. Connect those wresting with this choice to those type of living alternatives and support those places.  Stand for truth. Speak this truth in love. Depend on the Holy Spirit for conviction. Let your convictions be rooted in Scripture and live out this truth. Reflecting God’s heart and His truth is what we can do to bring change as we live out His message of life and redemption.

We cannot stay silent. We must, in great grace and truth, speak to the holiness and the sanctity of human life. Simply posting an image on social media is not enough. We must learn the Biblical foundation for the holiness of life and live by God’s truth. We must also understand how science teaches us, that from the moment of conception, we already have the very things that make us human and unique.

“Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.  Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.” Proverbs 24:11-12

(Adapted. Original article published in the Nevada Appeal, Faith and Insight Article – January 26, 2019)

Nick Emery devotions, discipleship, holiness, obedience

Fulfillment Requires Obedience

True and lasting fulfillment requires obedience. True obedience to the Lord is fulfilling. God’s perfect love has provided the pathway to real obedience.

For many, however, the conviction to obey is saturated with a concept of negativity. Why do I say this? Well, far too often when one thinks about obedience, it normally brings about a feeling of completing a task, apart from the actual desire or longing to do it. Meaning, we associate obedience with obligation, rather than what it was intended for: fulfillment. When Jesus walked among us, He demonstrated fulfilling obedience. He carried out what many would see as a very different lifestyle of obedience. The life Jesus lived demonstrated what obedience to our Heavenly Father should look like in each of our lives today.

Obedience to the Lord is about making the choice, it is about purposing to live each day, (a lifestyle) to live a lifestyle of Biblical love and devotion to God, the same God who has fully and completely loved us with an enduring and extravagant, perfect love.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, Jesus said: “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (vss. 9 & 10) So why then is it so easy for us to miss the heart, the intent of God, when He calls us to pursue true fulfillment through obedience? Jesus demonstrates in John 15 that He purposed to live in such a way that it reflected, and it reciprocated the love He was shown by the Father. He lived His life in obedience to the Lord out of the depth and wealth of relationship He had – never out of simple duty or obligation. Jesus asks: will those who follow me now, do the same?

Another Biblical example we have regarding fulfilling obedience is in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus states the greatest commandment in Luke 10:27 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” The heart of God for us incredible, as He does not call us to a lifestyle of obligation, or even undesired sacrifice – rather, He calls us to a way of living each day that enables us to fully reflect and reciprocate the abundance of love that has be demonstrated in Christ and poured out for all the the world. The Lord does not merely set rules before us, rather He has made a relationship with Him the goal. He is after your heart – which comes in total and complete surrender to Him.

Our culture is often marked by its self-seeking, self-satisfying agenda – but, the Lord in His strength and power and wisdom, has set us free from this, enabling us to step outside of the burden of living for ourselves. We have been freed to live for others, by reflecting and reciprocating the perfect love of God when we live out a life of fulfilled obedience to the Lord. Our current way of living is often marked with the weight of pride, but God provides a way of freedom. The Father pours our His unceasing, selfless love which has the power to transform us into His beloved who can abide in the Lord and reflect His heart of truth, love and obedience.

If we purpose to truly obey the Lord, to abide in God’s commandments and to love wholeheartedly, we will experience true satisfaction that is unknown to those around us that are filled with the pursuits of our culture regarding selfishness and pride. We can and we will experience the abundant life promised to us by God if we abide in Him alone, if our identity rests in Him, in what He has revealed in His Holy Word, and when the Lord is our source of approval, and the source of a fulfilled life. 

May we abide in the commands of the Lord, choosing to live a lifestyle of wholehearted love for Him and of others. May we choose to live in obedience to Him, in response to His profound love for us. And as we do, may we discover the power, the purpose, and the radical freedom that comes from serving others with the very love that has been demonstrated through Jesus Christ for us, and them. May we experience fulfillment when we truly obey that which God has commanded His beloved to do.

Nick Emery Uncategorized

faith & easter

How would you define faith? Now, how would you define Easter?

For me, both words are connected to my relationship with the Lord. Yet I recognize that people can have faith in many things, even in people and still not define the word “faith” from a spiritual standpoint like I would. The same is true for Easter. Even though most churches see more people on Easter Sunday than any other time of year – there is large cluster of people who would define Easter in terms like: Easter Bunny, Easter Egg, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Basket, Easter Dinner, etc. – things that don’t even imply the Christian celebration of Easter, the remembrance of Christ resurrection and victory over sin and death.

Now for some that may not seem like a big distinction. And perhaps for others their definition of Easter would contain elements for both. People may debate the correctness of that – I won’t, probably ever. My kids will probably know both perspectives of Easter – the Easter bunny and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet just like my definition of “faith” and “easter” tend to center on my relationship with Christ, so should the way I live out my faith and the hope I have because of that first Easter.

I have encounter many people who struggle with believing God, with having a saving faith in Him. They have their lists. And those list are long. And the validity of their lists are scary. And I have encountered people who struggle with Easter. They struggle with all the ways the Easter story of Jesus Christ blows holes in their common logic or personal experiences. Both the lists of “why I am not a Christian” and the statements regarding the resurrection of Jesus being illogical, etc. are for many, very valid.

Yet tolerance can be a scary thing, can’t it? Tolerance keeps us from action. And with issues regarding our faith in God and with the true meaning of Easter, tolerance, in my opinion, cannot be afforded. Yet we often allow tolerance to creep into our relationship with God. And tolerance begins to destroy our faith. Some of you reading right now, may be shaking your heads in disagreement with this idea. Yet if you’re pro-tolerance, then why can you shake your head at what I am saying now? Doesn’t that speak against the very spirit of tolerance?

Faith has to be defined in a very specific way, not just tolerated or even put into our schedule or calendar. We have come to tolerate too many definitions of a saving faith in God. We have allowed to many others things to define faith and use the word faith as their describer – and the same is very true with Easter.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything. All of history pointed to a Messiah that would come and save us all from sin. And all of history has pointed back to that moment when Jesus conquered sin and death. Faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything for us as followers of the Lord. Every aspect of our lives, every day, should reflect the promise and power of the resurrection.

This Easter I have been reminded how to define faith and how to live in the promise and the power of the resurrection. We make believing in God and in the story of the resurrection so very complicated. Many have been hurt by the church or appalled by hypocritical Christians. And although I feel like I understand why this happens, but they let those things keep them living a life of faith, fueled by the promise of the resurrection.

Yet this Easter I was reminded of what simple, yet powerful faith is all about. I preached today about the promise we have from God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I wanted to give those in church who had never accepted Christ as their Savior, a chance to confess their faith in the Lord and in their desire to live out the power of the resurrection. Two of those who raised their hands were mentally handicapped adults. I don’t even normally ask people to raise their hands, but I did today. I told them I wanted to see their faces and to pray for them specifically.

A simple, yet powerful faith is one that is trusting. It looks past those who might be watching and goes straight to the core of the issue. Without hesitation, those adults raised their hands. Their hearts and minds, I am convinced, have the freedom of a child. Nothing holds them back. They want to claim a saving faith in God. They don’t question it. They don’t limit it because of the other things they’ve faced in life. The just do it. The raise their hands and they are all in. And they want others to know.

From the very start, they stop and proclaim what God has done for them. Perhaps that is what has happened to us as tolerance has crept into our lives? We stopped proclaiming the promises of Easter daily, and we settle for a once a year remembrance on Easter alone and regardless of how you define it, faith should change us.

The promise of the resurrection begs us to understand this and to live it out everyday. Throw that tolerance to the wind – let that go – and embrace this year as a chance to live each day in power of the resurrection. Let yourself redefine faith like a child would. Don’t hold back. If you belong to God, then display that to your world. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be fearful. Don’t let the value this world places on faith, be your guide for living a life of true faith in God.

Everyday is an opportunity to live out the promise of the resurrection. We just have to choose to live a life of faith like this. Allow the first Easter to define for you how to live a life of dynamic faith and true hope. We serve a living God who didn’t sacrifice His life for lie. Everyday we live should be a celebration of our faith in the Lord and in the promise of the resurrection of Jesus.

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Nick Emery devotions

the love factor

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“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Our truth today is simple: if a person truly loves God, then they must have a real and genuine love for others – whether that be a family member, friend or a neighbor. Not only do we sometimes struggle with having a true and genuine love for God, but we also struggle sometimes with authentically loving others. Yet loving others is connected to love and devotion to the Lord.

Why do we struggle with loving others? Sometimes they have hurt us and sometimes that hurt has been so big and it has made such a mess that loving them seems like we accept them or what they did and they we feel confused because why would we – how could we – love a hurtful person? Why should we love those who have made us feel like garbage?

Well thankfully God has never withdrawn His holy love for us when we made Him fell like we didn’t care, or didn’t want to obey Him. I am sure God has felt pain – especially with some of our decisions and actions, yet His love and mercy is always abounding.

Loving God with all that we are – heart, soul and mind – is a declaration against logic and feeling. It also plainly and yet powerful demonstrates that nothing else in this world is our focus or our aim – that nothing is a god or idol in our life – for the Lord alone is who we worship and in whom we live for.

Yet often we allow our anger or other feelings to become our idols and we serve those feelings and fan them into flame within our lives or even within others. In doing so, it not only breaks our connection with others, but also it affects our devotion to God. This is how the two are so deeply connected. This is why Jesus spoke what He did in this truth.

Did that person hurt you? Yes! Should they be punished! Probablly. But when we resist loving them still – when we let our feelings guide us and we serve them, then all we do is deny ourselves the joy of being centered in a loving and intimate relationship with God.

When we stop letting those idols of feelings control us we have freedom then to overflow with the love and generosity of God towards others, regardless of what they have said or done. No longer do we let lies control us, nor do we let others actions steal from us and cause us pain. We surrender all those feelings and all that sense of justice and fairness to foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ and we purpose to walk in the freedom of God that is found when we are centered on His complete & full love.

As you wrestle with this truth today – ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how your view of others and their actions is keeping you at bay from being centered in God’s love. And ask the Holy Spirit to show you have you might more faithfully demonstrating God’s redemptive love to others.

(NOTE: the post today was taken from the “Daily Devos” that I write. To sign-up to receive them go to: http://nickolasemery.us6.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=026a704b43a1b6cd8af81e245&id=c95886fdad

Nick Emery Uncategorized

reckless love

Perhaps your like me. Perhaps, whether it’s just for a moment, or for the day – you struggle with knowing God’s reckless love for you. I don’t fully understand why we have to constantly battle this, but every so often, Satan tries to pollute my head and my heart with a lie that says: “God doesn’t love you.” Perhaps, you’re like me. And perhaps, you’ve struggled with walking in God’s perfect and yet reckless love for your life.

Early this morning, I had that moment come, again. That dark moment of the lie from Satan saying, “I’m worthless, God doesn’t love you.” And all day I have fought against this lie. It was dispatched against my head and heart with such fury that it has taken all that is within me to battle this potent lie with God’s truth. With His promise of His reckless love for me.

A key truth I’ve been resting in today comes from Zephaniah 3:17, and it says this: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Another version of this truth says that “with His love, He will calm all your fears.”

Scripture tells us to draw near to God. Fight the temptation that would allow anything else than the righteousness of Christ to be the source of strength that you draw from in those dark moments. Remind yourself of all that God has done for you – you can truly trust in Him. And allow yourself during those moments of fear to be consumed by the reckless love of your Savior.

Jesus has the final word. And with His mighty love, He will save you. Just call on Him – He will fill you with His hope. Remind yourself of all that He has done and trust in all that He will do, for you. Jesus, He has the final word. And He, is victorious!

Nick Emery Uncategorized

a little love story…

ImageGrowing up I always wanted a true best friend. I remember getting jealous when one of buds would favor another friend over me. But that desire for a true best friend never went away. I prayed and prayed for that best friend. I grew frustrated waiting  but I realized I didn’t know what I was even truly waiting for. And, there were even times I felt like there was no one in this world that could ever be that best friend.

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Until I met her. And all of that changed. The joy she brought into my life is amazing. We had so much fun dating. When I was done coaching each day I would rush out of football practice to my car just to drive to see her. She in Sacramento and me in Yuba City. We put a lot of miles on our cars when we dated. And I remember so clearly the day the Lord told me: marry that girl. Asking her to marry me on the bluffs of Santa Cruz was such a great day for so many reasons.

I found my best friend. Compassionate. Selfless. Caring. Fun-loving. Loyal. Beautiful. Honest. Her laugh still melts my heart to this day. And although our journey together as husband and wife has been short, I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. She is my best friend and we make an incredible team: Team Emery, the Awesome’s.

It was four years ago today, I pledged these vows to my wife:

Melanie, I thank my Heavenly father for you. His perfect love has captured my heart. Now filled with His love, my heart is yours. By His grace I will my life giving you my deepest devotion, my most tender car and my gentle leadership. Through the pleasures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I will be faithful to you. Together, we will never walk alone. My heart will be your shelter. My arms will be your home. I submit my life to God’s call to live by faith, love and hope. Through our Lord Jesus Christ I humbly accept the privilege and responsibility of being your loving husband. I am yours for life.

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And I pledge this all over again. Every day I ask the Lord to make me more like Him to be a better husband and father. I know there are times where I fall short of this and I so appreciate your grace and compassion. Thank you for believing in me and for sacrificing so much for our family. Your love and devotion is amazing and I am so blessed to be able to share in this amazing journey with you. I love you with all of my heart Melanie. You are truly my best friend and there isn’t anything in this world we can’t face together!

 

Nick Emery inspiration, prayer, shame, spiritual disciplines, Uncategorized

confession time

I love my mom. And that’s not the confession I’m making…

Many years ago she started e-mailing us kids each day of the work week; she shared a verse and thought of the day from a devotional calendar that she has. And it has stuck – and now we get a little glimpse into whatever she is doing that day, etc. as well.

Today’s e-mail made my heart happy. Life over the past couple of years for my mom has been hard. She lost her sister and then almost a year later, we lost my brother. So things have been tough – but she has been faithful with her daily e-mails and faithful to encourage others. Today she shared this: “I had a chance to witness to Debbie, our apartment manager, yesterday. She is really close to the truth, and wants to understand the bible-please pray that the Holy Spirit will give me the right words. I invited her to church, and will invite her to go to Bible Study…”

I wrote her back and I told her I loved her and I loved her heart for others. She told me she has really grown and been stretched this last year. And its great to see her wanting to share with others about her faith in the Lord and the hope she has in God. And it is true – something has changed in her…

I’m also madly in love with my wife. And that’s no confession either – pretty much everyone knows how crazy I am about her…

My wife shared with me recently that she has a new desire to be more open to sharing about the love of God with people she is connecting with or new people she meets. If you know her, you know that she tends to be more a “behind the scenes” kind of person. But recently, God has been growing her and stretching her to look for opportunities each day, wherever she is at, to connect with people and to point them to Jesus. And guess what? Well, every park we’ve been to with the kids in the last couple of weeks the Lord puts on my wife’s heart to connect with a person she meets there. It’s incredible – this change in her, this desire and boldness…

My mom and my wife are inspiring me with their desire to share with others about their love for God. The Lord has used them to re-ignite within me an awareness of what He has already at work doing in the lives of people I encounter each day. Their example in my life has encouraged me to more bold with people I connect with. It’s led me to pray with strangers at the pet store and Wall-Greens. It’s led me to stop, connect and listen with people I normally pass by. And it’s given me opportunities to share with each of them, the hope that I have found in the Lord.

So my confession is this: I have not been good at sharing with others the hope that I have in the Lord. And to my family and friends who aren’t yet connected to God – I am sorry I haven’t been more courageous about sharing my faith with you. We know its there – for crying out loud, I’m a pastor. But I want that to change. I want you to see in me and my actions the hope that I profess in Jesus Christ. I don’t want to just pray for you, I want to, if you’ll let me, to pray with you. And, regardless of what you might think about the church, or the Lord – I want to, if you are willing, to have great conversations with you about God and His love for you. I love each of you and I want to spend eternity with you. I care about you, and about us, and I care too much to stay silent about this anymore.

So…who are you going to share going to share the Good News of God’s love with today? There are people all around you that need to know the Hope you have in the Lord – be bold, be courageous and point someone to Jesus today!