The Duck - Man!

Good Monday Morning To You!

I hope you have had a great week since our last visit. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of juice, and let’s spend some time together. I’ll have a cup of coffee from my new Kurig Vue. I received it as a gift, and it makes the finest cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted. My good friend and colleague Tommy Simmons shared a cup from his Kurig K-cup, and it was delicious. My Mr.Coffee maker makes a minimum of 4 cups, and I usually waste two. For me, making just one cup at a time makes perfect sense. If you are looking for a one cup coffee maker, I highly recommend a Kurig system. You can get the K-cup models, or the newer Vue styles. With the Vue you can brew coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. My wife, Miss Bessie loves the iced tea. I hope this doesn’t sound like a commercial, but I am pleased with a product and I wanted to share it with you.

I have been telling you about me being called duck – man. Here is why. Back in May, Miss Bessie and I made a trip to Orlando and visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park. While we were there, I bought a funnel cake and sat down to eat it. While I was eating, these two ducks came over to me and I could tell they wanted some funnel cake. I pulled off a small piece and held it out. One of the ducks came to me and took his piece right out of my hand. Not to be denied, the other duck came for a bite also. I fed him, and by the time I was finished with my funnel cake, my two new friends had eaten most of it. Sharing with those two little guys was the highlight of my day. It rained us out and we had to leave early, but those two stayed close to me the rest of my time in the park. I asked an employee if those were Disney’s ducks and she said they were wild. She said Disney did not feed them, but if one was injured, they would see to its injuries.

Fast forward about three weeks. We had been rained out in May, so we went back to Disney to continue our trip: this time we visited EPCOT. We had been in the park for about two hours, and my hip was really hurting, so I went to a bench and sat down. When I sat down, guess who appeared? My two ducks! I had nothing to eat, but there they were, and they did not go over to others who had food. They stayed with me. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, “How do you know these were the same two ducks you had met previously?” You just know these things. A man knows his own ducks! What was I to do? I walked over to the concession cart and bought “myself” a treat. The ducks ate most of it. I didn’t mind – I really enjoyed the experience.

Fast forward two more days: we went to The Magic Kingdom. We had been there most of the day, and went into a Mexican establishment to eat. This particular restaurant featured a Mexican Salad Bar. We fixed our salads, found an outdoor table, sat down, and guess what? My ducks came to join us! I knew they would not eat a taco salad. They loved it, at least the crispy part. Do you see now why I am the duck – man?

To prove it, I made a visit to the Cape Coral Hospital, where they have a nice pond with ducks. When I parked, they came running. There were other people there too, but they came to me and followed me right to the front door. I told them I didn’t have anything for them, but that when I came back out, they would receive a treat. True to my word, I brought them a dinner roll that a patient didn’t want. True to their word, they were waiting by my car. I fed them, out of my hand of course, and they were thrilled. Were these the same ducks I had met in Orlando? No of course not. That’s silly to even think it. They were cousins, though!

Yesterday was another great day at Friendship Harmony. It was a double ordinance day. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and Baptism. We baptized two, with one, possibly two more to follow. Of all the things I do in ministry, baptism is my favorite. I wish the LORD would let me do it frequently! I wish I was in the Baptismal waters so much that my skin would shrivel. What a joy that would be!

The sermon notes are below. We concluded the series, “What Were You Thinking?” by asking that question of King Solomon. With all God had given him, and with the great start he had, where did it all go wrong, and why?

Enjoy the notes. I hope they are useful to you. The video should ready for viewing tomorrow. You can access it easiest by going to www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. You can also go to www.youtube.com. From their home page type into the banner Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then simply scroll to the message you’d like to see. If you are pleased with the videos, would you be willing to share them with others? We would surely appreciated it. If you are not pleased, would you write us and tell us why? We are always open for suggestions. Here are the notes.

Solomon, What Were You Thinking? ©
1Kings 3:1-10
By: Victor Cooper

On two occasions God made a covenant with Solomon. Solomon, who like Adam had it all, violated the covenant. All he had to do was to remain faithful to the LORD. He didn’t. We would ask him, “With all the LORD had done for you, what were you thinking?”

I. Solomon’s faith. 3:3
A. He worshipped in an unauthorized place. (Lev. 17:3,4)
B. He did love the LORD.

II. Better than a Jeannie granting three wishes. :5
A. Wouldn’t it be great if God would extend such a deal
to individuals today?
1. James 4:2b,3 …yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

III. Solomon’s request. :6-9
A. Solomon worships. v6
B. Solomon expresses his need of the LORD. v7,8
C. Solomon’s petition. v9
D. This follows the exact pattern Jesus taught in the
model prayer. a.k.a. The Lord’s prayer

IV. The LORD responds. :10-15
A. The LORD was pleased. v10
1. I’ll give you an understanding heart because you
have shown me you already have a good heart.
v.11,12

B. The LORD extends grace. v. 13,14
1. Riches and honor would be useful to Solomon to
assist him as he ruled.
2. They weren’t given as “the prize” for the correct
answer.

V. The conditional covenant. {a.k.a. a bi-lateral covenant}
A. Notice - now Solomon is worshipping at the approved
place.

VI. The covenant broken. 11:1-7
A. Twice God made the promise to him. 3:5; 9:2
B. BKC Solomon did not abandon Yahweh but he worshiped other gods as well. His heart was not fully devoted to the LORD; he compromised his affections. Apparently he concluded that since he was a great king he should live like the other great kings of the world even though it meant disobeying God’s Word.
C. Solomon violated Deut. 6:5, and 17:16
1. 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
a. Multiplying horses was doing things in one’s
own strength. God wanted Israel to depend on
Him alone.
D. What was Solomon thinking? BKC Solomon’s life ended in tragedy. Solomon was greatly blessed by God but he allowed God’s gifts to dominate his affections. The fault lay not with God for giving Solomon so much, but with Solomon who, though he had the wisdom to deal with such temptations, chose to set his affections on the gifts and not on the Giver. The man best qualified to live life successfully chose not to do so. Success in life in the eyes of God does not come automatically with the possession of wisdom but with the application of wisdom to one’s life. Spiritual success depends not only on insight but also on choices. As is often the case, an abundance of material benefits leads people to think they have no needs when in reality their need for God never diminishes.

Conclusion: What about what God has done for and given you. What are you doing with it. What are you thinking?

I hope you have a good week. If you’re ever in the area, stop by and see us. Thanks for allowing me to come into your home or office, or wherever you are reading this blog. You cannot know how much I appreciate you. Stay safe, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!