I had a really good week. Last Wednesday, my secretary, Teri Clementi, called me about 10:00pm and asked if I could use some good new. I told her I definitely could use some and she told me that her daughter Lisa had my laptop fixed. I nearly jumped for joy! I told you about it going down about six weeks or so ago. I do all my homiletics on it. Homiletics is preacher talk for sermon preparation. I like to use the big technical terms so that you think I have some intelligence! Anyway, for the last six weeks, I have had to go back to the old way of doing things. I thought it would be a snap! WRONG! WRONG!! WRONG!!! I did not realize how much I’d come to depend on my laptop. I have several Bible study programs that I use, and not having access to them really crippled me. I got by, thank the Lord, but I really struggled. I’m the one who used to fight computers and said they were not necessary. I even used to say, “The church of the Lord Jesus Christ has gotten along quite well for the last two thousand years without a computer. Let it go for another two thousand, and then we’ll discuss it again.” It sounds pretty silly as I look back on it. Remember that old saying, “The words you say, make ‘em sweet, for they’re the words you might eat?” O.K. with egg on my face I eat my words concerning those dear electronic darlings. The laptop is fixed but it is different. It is quite old and very slow. I'm told I can speed it up by adding more memory, but it would not be worth the cost on a computer this old. However, I can use what I have until I can afford better. Even though it is different than it was due to new programs that were added out of necessity, I'm glad to be able to get into my Bible Study programs again, even if it takes a while. I'm gettin' old and slow too, and I could use more memory, so I know how the poor contraption feels!
We finished our study in 1 Thessalonians last night. Paul was writing to a church that was for the most part a good church. You might say they had it all together. They were by no means perfect; no church is, but they were doing the best they could with the Lord’s help.
Paul told them to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” We decided that this verse means exactly what it says. Abstain means to hold yourself back. If it even looks bad, keep back from it. Consider it dangerous. As you hold yourself back from evil, you can then be sanctified wholly and be preserved blameless. Blameless means no legitimate accusations can be made against you. Anyone can accuse you of anything, but if it’s groundless, it’s not a blame, it’s an absurdity. The point is live your life in such a way that Christ is honored and exalted so that if anyone accuses you of anything, Jesus, defending you says, “No, not true. You are making a false accusation.”
I hope you have a good week. It is so hard to believe that July is nearly past and August is upon us. The contest has just a few weeks to go. Please contact the people in your inbox and ask them to subscribe to this blog. All they have to do is go to www.preachercooper.com and sign up. Then they go to the bottom of the page, click on comments, and tell me your name as having referred them. Whoever has signed-up the most, wins a real nice prize. There can be up to four winners. I sure hope you are one! Speaking of comments, feel free to click on comments yourself and let me hear from you. Two-way conversation is always preferable. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic.
No comments:
Post a Comment