The Unknown Alarm

Good Monday Morning To You!
I’ve got to tell you what happened to me last Tuesday morning. Let me set up the scene. My cell phone had a problem --- you could not hear the ringer, or any of the alerts. My son, Kevin, and I had planned to take it back to Verizon for a repair or a replacement. I went to bed and Kevin was going to wake me the next morning. Miss Bessie and I had bought a new mattress and it was our first night on it. The next morning we were awakened to the loudest siren I have ever heard. I knew it was not one of our alarms, so I figured it had to be my C pap machine. It was just slightly out of reach, but I frantically kept hitting the off button, but the alarm still sounded. As I said, we have a new mattress and it is hard to sit on --- it’s slick. Picture this, I am leaning over quite far and I am sliding toward the floor. I managed to get my feet to the floor, but it is tile and I was bare footed. It was like being on ice. I am sliding to the floor and I yell, “Kevin, help!” He came in and took my hand, but instead of a hand up, he helped me make a more graceful fall to the floor. I’m sitting on the floor, the siren is still sounding, and the three of us are laughing hysterically. Kevin said, “Dad, turn off your alarm.” I replied, “What alarm?” Kevin said, “I fixed your phone, and I set your alarm.” He turned it off and I told him to never again set an alarm in my room without me knowing it. We all laughed about it the rest of the day. It would have been great for “America’s Funniest Videos.” Seriously, family life is wonderful and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Yesterday was a great day at Friendship Harmony. The attendance was good and there was a good spirit among the people. The congregational singing was excellent, and I might try to have a make shift choir from time to time. I certainly have the singers for it.

Yesterday I concluded our series of messages concerning, “Why God Allows Suffering.” Below you will find the sermon notes, but I would hope that tomorrow, Tuesday, you will watch the video. It is the message as delivered to Friendship Harmony in its entirety. The video can be seen at www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. Remember, you do not have to have a Facebook account in order to view the video. Below are the notes; please feel free to use them for your personal Bible study. Preachers and teachers may also use them for their classes, their small groups, or their messages. May God bless you as you study His word.

Why Suffering?
Various verses
Suffering Series 3 of 3 8/12-9/6/14
By Victor Cooper

Intro: The other day I was asked, “Why does God allow suffering? Why does He allow someone to hurt an innocent person?” This is the age old question which was probably asked by Eve when she buried her son, Abel.

Review: Earlier we discovered that sin originated with Lucifer; it did not originate with God. We learned that the reason for suffering is sin. Sin means, “to miss the mark.”
The question is not, “Why is their suffering?” The question is, “Why does God allow suffering?
All sin is rebellion against God, not withstanding any one or anything else offended.
Rebels often try to enlist the aid of others in their cause.

God allows suffering because:

I. God has limitations. There are two kinds of limitations pertaining to God.
A. Natural limitations. His limitations are those things contrary to His nature.
1. God cannot lie. Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
2. God cannot be tempted to sin, nor can He tempt man to sin. James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
B. Self imposed limitations. Those things He has chosen not to include in His plan.
1. He choose Isaac not Ishmael; Jacob not Esau.
2. He choose not to spare James.
Acts 12:2 And he (Herod Agrippa I) killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3. God did not spare His own Son.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God’s Self imposed limitation is the first tie in point to our question, “Why does God allow suffering?”

II. Man has free will. The ability to determine how one will live their life, and whether or not they will submit to God’s will.
A. For God to stop suffering at the hands of another, He would have to remove their free will.
B. To remove one’s free will, they are no longer responsible and are outside of the need for redemption.
C. To remove free will reduces man to being an automaton, one destined to serve God without any say in the matter.
D. Becoming an automaton leaves out loving God.
E. In order for God to even remove a person’s free will temporarily, He would have to remove it from everyone.
Man’s free will is the second tie in point to our question
“Why does God allow suffering?”

III. It reminds us of the viciousness of sin.
God takes sin more seriously than we do.
A. Sin brought man into open rebellion against God.
B. Sin affected all God’s creation from the angels in Heaven, to the fish in the deepest part of the sea.
C. We see the sins of others as bad, but our own we justify away.
D. From week one we quote from Professor Walter Veith “Sin must run its full course for the enormity to be fully abhorred; but it eventually will be eradicated along with its instigator.”
Professor Veith’s observation is the third and final tie in point to our question,
“Why does God allow suffering?”

Conclusion: Our question was, “Why does God allow suffering? Why does He allow someone or something totally ` innocent to be hurt by another?”
The answer:
1. God’s self imposed limits will not allow for it. This is a point of Theology.
2. Man has a free will. This is a gift from God; it is a point of Grace.
3. It reminds us of the viciousness of sin.

A final thought: In my blog dated Sunday, August 24, I wrote, “On the surface these are not easy questions to answer, but actually they are. The problem is not the answer. The problem is our acceptance of the answer. Here is where faith enters the picture. I am talking about a mature faith that has been and is being nurtured by a diligent study of Scriptures, and much communication with the Holy Spirit.”

I’ll not be seeing you here on the blog for the next three weeks. Miss Bessie and I will be on vacation. I will miss you, but I’ll tell you all about our trip when we return. Please pray for us for safe travel and for a time of mental and spiritual refreshment. May the LORD richly bless you, and I’ll see you on the video tomorrow, and again in three weeks on Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

This Year's Mother Of The Year Is Awarded To ...

Good Monday Morning To You.

I hope all you moms who are reading this had a good Mother’s Day yesterday. We had a really good Mother’s Day service at Friendship Harmony; I’ll tell you about it in a minute.

Last week I shared a prayer request concerning my wife, Miss Bessie. Last Monday afternoon I took her for an X-ray, and after reading the films, the radiologist told us to go straight to the Cape Coral Hospital Emergency Room. The ER physician looked at the X-rays and ordered a CT Scan. The scan showed that she had 4 broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a partially deflated lung with a touch of pneumonia. This was on top of the fractured wrist we were already of. The CT also showed bruising on her liver, but they were not too concerned about that. As I said last week, our orthopedic doctor, Michael Jugan, believes her hip is the problem and the reason for the fall. Thank you for your prayers, and I’ll keep you posted.

Yesterday I gave much thought to my own mom, Alene Cooper. She was a tremendous mom. Every night at bedtime she would come in and sit on my bed and listen to my bedtime prayers. She taught me two. One was, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the LORD my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the LORD my soul to take. A-men.” The other was, “I see the moon, the moon sees me. God bless the moon, God bless me. And God bless mommy, and God bless daddy, and God bless …..”

Did you pray either of these prayers? The lessons she taught me about prayer stays with me to this very day. The first prayer was a prayer of faith. It was faith in God and faith in prayer. The second was a prayer of thinking of others. I would later learn that was called an “intercessory” prayer. I may not have known the theological technicalities of it in the late 50’s and early 60’s, but I did learn about the importance of prayer.

As I said earlier, the service at Friendship Harmony was tremendous. I know it seems like I always say that, but it is true. The attendance was good and the Spirit in the service was awesome. I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for meeting with us at church. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, we would be just a club.

The message was called, “Mother Of The Year: Naomi. The message came from selected passages in the book of Ruth. We talked about Naomi being acquainted with sorrow and hard times, yet knowing the LORD was sufficient to see her through. Untested faith is shallow faith, and Naomi’s faith was deep and steadfast. This was from Ruth 1:3-5.

We saw from chapter 1 verses 7-9, we saw that Naomi was considerate of the needs of others. She had buried her husband, then her two sons, leaving herself and her two daughters in law. Naomi was going back home to Israel and told the girls that they could return home and find husbands among the men of Moab.

In chapter 1, verses 16-18 we learned that Naomi was a highly treasured woman. Her daughter in law Ruth said this to her. Ruth 1:16-18
“And Ruth said, ‘Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: [17] Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.’ [18] When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.” What a fitting compliment for a fine lady.

We saw that Naomi was a descerner of God’s will. To accomplish this she had a close personal walk with the LORD. Are you able to descern the will of God? If not, perhaps you need to draw closer to Him. This we saw in chapter 3, verses 1-4. From this wise counsel of Naomi to Ruth, Ruth and Boaz eventually marry and have a son named Obed. He grows and has a son named Jesse, who in turn has a son named David. David would not only become Israel’s greatest king, but from him one day the Messiah, Jesus would be born. Naomi knew the will of God for Ruth, and her simple act of faith blossomed into a Messianic line.

Finally we learned Naomi was known to others as a person blessed of God. From verses 14 and 15 of chapter 4, we saw how others recognized the hand of God at work in the life of Naomi. May we all, women and men alike, follow the fine example set forth by dear Naomi.

May the LORD bless your upcoming week with the blessings of good health and Spirit filled days. There is no video being posted tomorrow, so I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!©

Prayer request: Do you have any?

Good Monday Morning To You!!

I trust you have had a good week. My week was good, but my wife, Miss Bessie, has had a tough time. Last Sunday evening, I was out and she decided to stay home. After my visit, I decided to drop by Wal Mart to buy a shovel. I was surprised that our Wal Mart does not carry them. As I drove home, I had an uneasy feeling as I got closer. When I went up the steps onto the porch, I could hear moaning coming from inside. When I went in, I found Miss Bessie lying on the floor. She was in terrific pain from falling. The first question I asked her was, “Did you hit your head?” She told me she had not, but that she could not get up, nor could she reach the phone. When I asked her what had happened, she said she got up out of the chair, took one step, and went down. She hurt both her knees, her ribs, her shoulder, her hip and her wrist. She still hurts terribly. Last Tuesday she saw our orthopedic surgeon, Michael Jugan, who told her that he believes her hip was the culprit. Back in November of 2012 when he replaced her second knee, I remember him telling her then that her hip would soon need some attention. Last Tuesday he put her wrist in an “air cast,” which is what we used to call a removable brace. He wants her to wear it for a month. He also wants the other injuries to “settle down,” then he wants a more thorough exam of her hip. I ask you to keep her in your prayers.

May we at Friendship Harmony pray for you? Please feel free to share your prayer request with us. You can contact us at fhbcsjc@gmail.com. I will share your request on this blog so others can pray, but I will respect your privacy, and will not give out your name and location unless you give permission.

Yesterday was a very good day at Friendship Harmony. The service was uplifting, and we were blessed at the invitation to have a lady come and request membership in our church. I served as her pastor once before in another location, and I am so honored to have her with us. She studies her Bible faithfully, and she can ask some very deep and thought provoking questions during Sunday School. Her husband is ill, but possibly one day he can come also. His name is Larry, please pray for him.

The message title was, “I Will Extol Thee” from Psalm 145. The 10 minute version of the video should be ready to view on Tuesday morning. To see it go to www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. Remember, you do not need a Facebook account to view the video. I do hope it is a blessing to you.

Have a good and a safe week, and remember, if you have any prayer requests, please share them with us at fhbcsjc@gmail.com. If you have any questions concerning Scriptures, you may use that E-mail as well. May the LORD bless you, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Busy But Blessed

Good Monday Morning To You!

I had one of those really great days yesterday. It started with a fantastic service at Friendship Harmony. After a good discussion in Sunday School, The Majestic Sounds Quartet from Cincinnati, Ohio sang for us. It was our third anniversary/homecoming and the glory of God rained down upon our service. I gave the group all the time they wanted to sing, then I made a few brief remarks. When the invitation was given, one precious young lady came and received Christ as her Lord and Savior. What a blessing! What a Heaven bought blessing!!

After the service was dismissed, we observed that time honored tradition that most Christians keep: we feasted. I’ll say one thing for Baptist women, they sure can cook. What a meal it was! Later that day I had a luncheon to attend in Ft. Myers, so I decided not to eat too much. What I had decided to do and what I did do was two different things. I put on the feed sack and feasted. Two different ladies made meatloaf, and since that is my favorite food in all the galaxy, I tried a piece of both. They were both magnificent. All the food was good. Next month on March 9, we will do it again. Our featured guest will be Fiddlin’ Bill from right here in our area. Bill is a touring professional, and is always a crowd pleaser. Be sure to mark your calendars now, so that if you are anywhere within driving distance, you can join us. Of course, you are always invited to all FHBC services. They’re all pretty special.

As I said, Bess and I was invited to attend an alumni luncheon from my high school alma mater, Norwood High School. I graduated in 1972 and there were graduates there from as far back as 1962. For me it was an absolute treat. I’ve never been able to attend a class reunion, so this was pretty special. I was even able to reconnect with a couple I went to church with nearly thirty years ago: Paul and Barbara Crosson. Paul was the minister of music at the Tri-County Baptist Church in Cincinnati, and was perhaps the best music director I have ever known. Whether he was leading the choir or the congregation, he pulled better out of you than you thought you could give. Paul's wife, Barbara, is also a Norwood High School graduate.

Today is shaping up to be special as well. Tonight the class I teach at the South West Florida Bible Seminary will be presenting their mid term projects. I do not give a mid term exam, but assign a project that reflects what we are studying. This class is Parabolic Interpretation, so each student is to write their own parable. It can be about anything they wish, religious or secular, but it must follow the interpretive rules. I believe they will do well! I will let you know next week.

By way of an announcement, there will be no video posting tomorrow. With the group singing, we did not tape due to copyright restrictions. You can, however, view past videos if you’d like. You can see them at www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. Remember, you do not have to have a Facebook account to view the videos. I hope you will let me know what you think of our new condensed videos. We no longer tape the entire message, but do a “mini message” using the same notes. We try to keep the length to about 10 minutes. Be sure to let me know what you think.

Stay safe and well, so that I can see you again next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Purple Grape Juice

Good Monday Morning To You!

What a busy week it has been! I’ve had something to do nearly every day. I love busy times though. One thing Bess and I was privileged to do was to attend a Pastor’s premier screening of a new movie to be released later this month. Our associate Pastor, Bob Felber, and his wife Wanda accompanied us to see The Christmas Candle. The film is set in a small village in England near the turn of the century. If I go into too much detail, I might spoil it for you. If you would like to see the preview, go to www.christmascandlemovie.com. Be sure your sound is turned on! I highly recommend this film and I heartily endorse it, and I hope to see it again when it is released. The movie is appropriate for all ages, and is very well done with a good story. If you do not see any other picture this Christmas season, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this one. As soon as this movie is available on CD, it will definitely be added to the Cooper collection. Check out the preview and I hope you will enjoy it as much as Bess and I did.

Yesterday was Communion Sunday at Friendship Harmony. That is always a very special day. I had to announce to the congregation that the communion juice was clear. When I went to the store to buy a bottle, clear (they call it white) was all they had. I told the story of a dear little lady in my former church in Cincinnati who scolded me for having the wrong color grape juice. The deacons were supposed to take care of the supplies, and each of the men thought the other had done so. However, Kroger was less than a mile away, so I slipped out during Sunday School to buy a bottle. It never occurred to me that they might be out. “This is Kroger,” I told myself, “they never run out.” They ran out! All they had was white grape juice. I figured since it was 100% pure juice, it would not matter. It mattered! The elderly lady told me in no uncertain terms, “The Bible says the grape juice has to be purple, and it has to be Welch’s!” She was deadly serious and meant every word of it. I thought to myself that the school I had attended had cheated me because they never taught me that. Do you think that perhaps I should inform my students in my class later tonight that communion juice has to be purple and it has to be Welch’s? If I do, it’s likely the Dean of Old Testament Studies and the school’s president will call me into the office for a chit-chat. I think I’ll pass.

I hope you have a really good week, and that the LORD’s blessings come to you and your family abundantly. Pray for me when it goes well with you; I do so appreciate it. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!

The Dolphins And Miss Bessie

Good Monday Morning To You!

Bess and I are back from our trip. It was a pleasant trip, but cold in places that normally do not get cold in early August, and quite wet. I never dreamed I’d need a sweater, but it definitely would have made life more comfortable. I tried both Wal Mart and K Mart to find one, but both stores said they would not be stocking them until early September. It is nice to be back in Florida! Even though it was a trip of family business and not pleasure, we did get to visit the Seaquarium in Miami, Florida.

Ever since Miss Bessie was a little girl, she has wanted to swim with the dolphins. For her it would be a dream come true. Several years ago she was in the Gulf of Mexico swimming and dolphins were close by, but those had no human contact. However, at the Miami Seaquarium, they have several different dolphin encounters a person can choose from. You can do a thirty minute swim with them, up to spending an entire day with the trainers, assisting them in their duties. Bess took the thirty minute swim which also included a thirty minute training session on dolphin interaction. I was allowed to come in as an observer, and it was quite interesting. I want you to know that Miss Bessie had the time of her life. She is still on cloud nine! She was with three male dolphins named Abeco, Echo, and Riley. I couldn’t tell one from another, but the trainers tell me they have sixteen dolphins and they know each of them by name. One thing really impressed us about the Miami Seaquarium: the animals and their trainers genuinely seemed to love one another. Whether it was the dolphins, the whales, the birds, or the other animals, both human and animal absolutely cared for one another. It was good to know that these animals were not being exploited for monetary gain, but were loved and properly cared for.

Bess got to shake hands with the dolphins, as well as hug them, pet them, and even kiss them. She was also allowed to give a command which the dolphin obeyed. Bess was excited to get to hand feed them, but the biggest thrill of all was getting to hold onto Echo’s fin, and have him carry her across the large pool. Bess is an excellent swimmer, but I told her Echo moved her across the water faster than she ever had on her own. She said the entire day was the thrill of a lifetime. It was quite exhilarating for me as well to see her enjoying her time with her three dolphins! We have pictures. If I can ever learn how to upload them, I’ll share a few of them with you.

Yesterday was a really good day at Friendship Harmony. We had a guest speaker, Bro. Ricky Boyton, preaching for us. I’ve known Ricky for just a short while, but I can tell you he is a fine Christian and an excellent preacher. Our people, Pastor Vic included, really enjoyed and benefited from his message. He spoke about the goodness of God from Psalm 107:1-2. Several people asked if we could have him back again, and I’d be honored if he would return. Ricky also brought his wife, Angela, and their daughter, Olivia, with him. Ricky surprised me by saying he will be taking my class on Human Geography of Bible Peoples beginning later this evening at the Southwest Florida Bible Institute. I believe he will be a fine addition to the class.

Thanks for reading the blog. I appreciate you so very much. May I ask a favor from you? Would you remember Friendship Harmony Baptist Church as well as the Cooper family in your prayers? It means so much to know that good, Godly people all over the globe are praying. If we can pray specifically for you, let us know. You can send your request to www.fhbcsjc@gmail.com. We at FHBC would be honored to pray for you. I promise you if you’d like your name and request kept confidential, I will honor your request. Have a good and safe week, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Braggin' On The Ladies!

Good Monday Morning To You!!

I hope you had a good week. Today I want to do a little bragging. I’m not talking about the arrogant, bad kind, but the kind that says how proud I am. Here at Friendship Harmony, we had two small groups this year: the Book of Zechariah study group led my dear friend and colleague, Rabbi Jim Pickens, and our Ladies Group. Allow me a moment to sing the praises of our Ladies Group. This group meets monthly for a luncheon, a devotion, and a time of fellowship and worship. After their meeting the other day my wife, Miss Bessie, came in and asked if the Ladies Group could sing a special at the next service. She said they had sung “The Old Rugged Cross” at their meeting and wanted to sing it for the upcoming church service. I certainly agreed, and yesterday they sang. It was absolutely fabulous. They were a real joy to hear and to watch. They had beautiful 3-part harmony, and joy radiated on their faces. They turned a good service into a great one. I want to thank our ladies for a job well done. Our Ladies Group meets year round, and I hope they will sing again for us soon.

Yesterday I preached message number two in the four part series, “Coming With His Coming.” As you might recall, the first message was “The Coming Day,” and yesterday was “The Coming Dawn.” From the moment I began preparing this message, until late Saturday night, I had to wrestle with the devil. He did not want that message preached. I love it when Satan acts up like that. It tells me I am right where God wants me to be, and that I am doing His will. Anyway, the devil is still fighting this message. I always post the notes, but for the moment I cannot find the memory stick where I stored them. When I find it, I will do a mid-week post. In the meanwhile, you can see this and other messages by going to www.youtube.com. From their homepage, type Friendship Harmony Baptist Church into the banner, hit enter, then scroll to the message you’d like to see.

Well, it’s the wee hours on Monday morning, and I’ve got an early day, so I guess I’d better close for now. Have a good week, and as always I’m so glad we can visit this way. Be sure to come by and see me on YouTube. I hope to see you there, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

The Prophet Bessie

Good Monday Morning To You!

Let me begin by speaking to the men. Is your wife a prophet? Mine is. This past week I was working on a four point message titled “Coming With His Coming.” Miss Bessie asked me what I was preaching, and I told her a four point message. She said, “Do you mean a four part series?” I told her that it would be one message with four main points. She said, “No it won’t. You’ll preach a series.” This was her prophecy. I said, “No, not this time.” She stated that I would. I told her she was mistaken and set out to prove it. When all the sermonizing was complete and it was time to preach, I preached part one in a four part series called, “Coming With His Coming.” The Prophet Bessie was right again!

Yesterday was an awesome day at Friendship Harmony. We had a good service, and one came forward requesting Baptism and church membership. We welcome Bro. Tom into our fellowship.

Now, getting back to those notes I told you about, here is part one called, “The Coming Day.” I hope they are a blessing to you. The video will be available Tuesday afternoon. To view it go to www.youtube.com. From their homepage type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church, then select the message you wish to see. Yesterday’s was, “Coming With His Coming.”

Coming With His Coming
Acts 1:9-11
Second Coming Series 1 of 4 By Victor Cooper
03/18-23/13

Intro: The Bible clearly affirms in many passages that Jesus is coming again. What happens with that coming?

#1 The Coming Day

I. The day of His coming will glorious for believers.
A. The day begins at the rapture of the church and will be the greatest day believers have ever seen.
Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18
1. The dead will be raised.
2. The living will be changed.
B. Believers will be in the presence of Christ. Read Revelation 4:1
1. A door is open in Heaven. Remember an open door is an invitation to enter.
2. The trumpet call in voice. This is what Paul spoke about in
I. Thessalonians 4:16-18.
3. These are the things John experienced, but are a picture of things to come for God’s children when the great day of the Lord begins.
II. That day begins a time known as the Tribulation and will be the most devastating time this earth has ever seen.
Malachi 4:1 (read)
A. The Anti-Christ is revealed. 2 Thess. 2:8-9
B. The Lord will laugh at the wicked. Psalm 37:13.
C. A cleansing is coming. Malachi 3:2

The question for the week comes from a reader who asked if a Pastor had to be ordained, and where was I ordained and when. Although ordination is not an absolute requirement, for legal reasons a man should be. Many states require a minister to be ordained in order to solemnize a wedding, and hospitals prefer ordination in order to receive clergy privileges. I was ordained by the Georgetown Baptist Church in Georgetown, Ohio in November of 1973. It was a special time for me, but I could feel the weight of responsibility as I undertook a lifelong commitment to serving Christ through the church. Don’t forget if you have a Biblical question, send it to me at fhbcsjc@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

I am told that many of you up north are experiencing some pretty bad weather. It looks like Old Man Winter wants to make one last attempt before he gives way to spring. Please stay safe, warm, and dry. I don’t want to hear about any accidents involving any of you. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Hold Up Thy Neighbor - Hold Up Thyself

Good Day To You!

I trust you have had an excellent week since we last visited. Some of you have asked me about my mom, Lois Alene Cooper. As you might be aware, mom fell a few weeks ago and broke her leg bone where it connects to the hip. She required surgery, but is now doing great and feeling fine. She is in a rehab hospital in Cincinnati and her therapists plan to get her walking at some point this week. Thanks for your continued prayers for her. Mom will be celebrating her 81st birthday this Thursday, January 24.

Also my wife, Miss Bessie, is having a hard time recovering from an illness. She has what is known as viral syndrome. As I understand, it means that several different viruses were operating in her body at the same time. She was already weakened from her total knee replacement back in November. What we have not mentioned before is that she received blood during her surgery due to severe blood loss. Again, this weakened her and made her system ripe for invading viruses. She is still experiencing a three week headache and nausea. Miss Bessie thanks you for your prayers for her. At the end of the blog, I’ll give you both of these Cooper ladies addresses in case you’d like to send a card.

Yesterday was a tremendous day at Friendship Harmony. The attendance was excellent and it was a really good service. This church is a preacher’s dream. It is very easy to preach here, because the people are behind the preacher. Whether it is me, or Bob Felber, or Jim Pickens, this church prayerfully supports whoever is breaking the bread of life. It is also challenging to preach here. The folks at Friendship Harmony are well read in their Scriptures, so the preacher had better be on his toes. It causes us to study harder and dig deeper, and for that I am grateful.

I preached a message titled, “Hold Up Thy Neighbor, Hold Up Thyself.” The notes are below, and the message will be on www.youtube.com later this week. I’ll send out a special edition of this blog when it is posted. Also at that time, I’ll explain how to find it on youtube if you do not already know. At this time, three prior messages are posted.

Hold Up Thy Neighbor - Hold Up Thyself ©
Galatians 6:1-5
By Pastor Vic Cooper
01/19/13

Intro: Paul tells us that one responsibility of believer’s toward one another is to restore another in times of hardship and failure. He tells us that in so doing we must also guard ourselves.

I. Restore your brother/sister. v1
A. Restore> Gk. Katartizo> to repair or adjust
1. In secular Greek, the word is used as in setting broken bones.
` 2. In the New Testament the word is used for mending fishing nets.
B. Restoration of another must be conducted with meekness. Meekness; gentleness
1. Accomplished by first showing concern.
2. Concern must be followed with kindness.
Concern is a feeling; kindness is an action.
3. Genuine caring means you must be real.
C. During the process you must keep an eye on yourself. Why?
1. Judgmentalism says, “You failed, I never could!” This is arrogant, stupid, and dangerous.

II. The law of Christ. v2
A. Believers are not under the law of Moses, but are under the law of Christ. What is it?
1. Mark 12:31 “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
2. Paul had already reminded this to the Galatians in 5:14.

III. Guard yourself. v3
A. Refers back to v1, “considering thyself.”

IV. Test you deeds. v4
A. Proving (testing) your own works is “considering yourself” of v1, and keeps one from self deception; v3.

V. No contradiction here. v5
A. v2, bear one another’s burden.
B. Bear your own burden.

Which is it?

C. Both!. Two different words are used in the original.
1. v2, burden --- a heavy, crushing load; one man cannot carry it without help.
2. v5, burden --- like a soldier’s backpack; one man can, and is expected to carry it. An American soldier’s pack weighs from 35 to 75 pounds.

Conclusion: As you’ve probably noticed by now, the point of all this is not holding up your neighbor as much as it is holding up, ie considering yourself. Why? If you keep your guard, you will not become someone like in verse one who must be restored.

As I mentioned earlier, here are the addresses I promised in case you feel so inclined to send cards.

Mrs. Lois A. Cooper
c/o Forest Hills Care Center
8700 Moran Road, Room North 305A
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

Mrs. Bess Cooper
Box 3036
Pineland, Florida 33945

Thanks for being such a loyal reader to this blog --- I really appreciate you. If you are new with us, let me extend you a welcome, and I hope we will visit regularly. I’ll send out a special midweek edition when the video is posted and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Does Pastor Vic Really Do Dishes???

Good Monday Morning To You!

I trust you have had a safe and healthy week. The same has not been the case here at the Cooper home. Miss Bessie, along with recovering from her total knee replacement, also has the flu. It has hit her pretty hard. My daughter, Michele, is fighting an upper repertory infection. Even poor ole Pastor Vic had several days where he felt absolutely miserable. I still have the stuffy head and a cough, but at least the body aches and fever are gone. This, however is not the case for Miss Bessie. Please pray for her swift recovery, because quite frankly, I’m not used to performing all these wifely duties; dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning. I thank God I was born a boy!!! I was standing at the sink, getting myself a good case of dish-pan hands, when a Scripture came to mind: 2 Kings 21:13 “And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.” Did you catch that? As a man wipeth a dish; not a woman. The author of 1 and 2 Kings is unknown. If I’d have written about a man having to do dishes, I’d write anonymously too.

Some of you have asked about my mom, Alene Cooper. Last week mom fell and broke the femur (the large bone) in her right leg. It required surgery, but her surgeon is confident that she will recover. Mom was transferred on Friday from Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, to a rehab center just east of the city. She is at the same place she was last year after her gall bladder exploded. We expect her recovery this time should be a bit easier. Please continue to pray for her. I spoke to her just a few minutes ago, and she sounded good. If you’d like to send her a card, contact me for the address.

We had a good service at Friendship Harmony yesterday, in spite of quite a few being out sick. The attendance was still good, and the song service was uplifting. I preached a message on “Some Do’s and Don’ts.” The notes are below, and the message is probably a little different than what you might be expecting. The video will be posted at some point this week if it is useable. I took a couple of coughing spells and I’m sure for internet viewing that might be quite distracting. We’ll see.

Last week’s video from the message, “Bearing The Cross,” is now available online. You can get to it at www.youtube.com. When their home page comes up, type Friendship Harmony Baptist Church in the box next to their logo. We don’t have a picture posted, but you will see a silhouette of a skinny little guy which you may safely assume is me. Here are the notes from yesterday.

Some Do’s And Don’ts ©
Isaiah 41:10; 40:11
By Victor Cooper
1/11,12/13

Intro: Many Scriptures speak of God’s care of and provision for believers.. The “Good Shepherd” teaching is not a New Testament concept. God used Isaiah to convey the same message some 700 years before the birth of Jesus.

I. The “Don’ts.” Isaiah 41:10.
A. Do not fear. To be frightened. Why would Israel be fearful?
1. They had rebelled many times --- perhaps they were afraid of losing their covenant status.
2. Bible Knowledge Commentary Even though Israel was exiled because of sin and unbelief, she still was not rejected by God. Since the covenant the Lord made with Abraham was unconditional (Gen. 15), his descendants need not fear.
3. “You do not have to be afraid because I am still with you.” VCT*
B. Do not be dismayed. To look around bewildered; confused to the point of inaction.
1. Why would they be confused and bewildered?
2. Fear generally leads to confusion.
3. “You do not have to be dismayed because I am eternally your God.”: VCT*

II. The “Do’s”
A. I will strengthen you.
1. The plus: when God strengthens something, it is strong!
2. The negative: Often God strengthens us through trials, much like metal is hardened by fire.
3. The result: Christian maturity.
B. I will help you. It means to aid and comes from a Hebrew root which means “to surround.”
C. I will uphold you. To sustain. Reference.com gives 5 definitions to the word. Their number 4 is interesting: “…to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction.”

III. God’s provision. Isaiah 40:11
A. He will feed His flock like a shepherd.
1. The key is “like a shepherd.”
a. Shepherds are totally dedicated to the flock.
Torrey’s Topical Textbook
CARE OF THE SHEEP BY, EXHIBITED IN.
Knowing them. John 10:14
Going before and leading them. Psalm 77:20; Psalm 78:52; Psalm 80:1
Seeking out good pasture for them. 1 Chron. 4:39-41; Psalm 23:2
Numbering them when they return from pasture. Jeremiah 33:13
Watching over them by night. Luke 2:8
Tenderness to the ewes in lamb, and to the young. Genesis 33:13-14; Psalm 78:71
Defending them when attacked by wild beasts. 1 Samuel 17:34-36; Amos 3:12
Searching them out when lost and straying. Ezekiel 34:12; Luke 15:4-5
Attending them when sick. Ezekiel 34:16
B. He will gather and carry them.
1. God initiates the action. He knows when because His eyes are always on His sheep.
C. He will gently lead them.
1. A cowboy drives; a shepherd leads.
2. As a shepherd leads, his own sheep follow.
John 10:14; 27 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

IV. To get the most out of these passages in Isaiah, read them like this: Isaiah 40:11; 41:10; 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. [Isaiah 41:10] Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. [Isaiah 40:11] He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Conclusion: If you are a child of God, nothing can separate you from Him. Your sin interferes with your fellowship with Him, but He is still your Heavenly Father. Therefore, do not fear nor be dismayed.

For those of you who are here on Pine Island, don’t forget to upcoming events this week. The first is our small group Bible study on the Book of Zechariah. The study begins this Wednesday afternoon at the home of Brenda Conley. It is at 2:00 p.m. and will be led by my good friend and dear collogue Rabbi Jim Pickens. Jim is no stranger to Friendship Harmony and will lead us in good, deep study. If you enjoy good prophecy study, this class is for you. The Book of Zechariah is the Old Testament’s Book of The Revelation. Zechariah speaks heavily concerning the millennial reign of Christ: that 1000 year period of peace and harmony on earth with Christ leading the way. This time period follows the seven years of Tribulation. In fact, Zechariah fills in many facts only briefly alluded to in The Revelation. I cannot think of anyone better to lead this study than a Messianic Rabbi.

Also, next Sunday is our carry in dinner. Our cooks are some of the finest in all of Christendom. Remember, if you eat it in a Baptist Church, it contains no calories and cannot hurt you. If you’re here, be sure to stay and enjoy the food and fellowship.

Stay healthy, safe and warm. If you’re traveling here this week, stay safe on the highways. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Happy Anniversary Miss Bessie!

Good Monday Morning To You!! I trust your past week was a good one. Mine certainly was. On August 1, Miss Bessie and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. I cannot believe how fast the years have flown by. We’ve had our times of heartache and joy, trials and triumphs, sickness and health, yet through it all we have come through. We are like a ship that has sailed the stormy waters; we’re a bit banged up, but we’re still fully functional and ready to continue sailing through the seas of life.

I was also honored to help another Pastor and his wife celebrate their 25th anniversary. We gathered at the church of Bob and Bertha Chapman in North Ft. Myers, and I conducted a special service for them with family, friends, and members of his congregation coming together to make it a special time. Right before the service began we heard Roy Rogers sing “Happy Anniversary.” If you’ve never heard the song before, Google it, pull it up, and listen. It is a fine song that he wrote for his wife, Dale Evans. What a fine Christian couple they were. After the service we enjoyed a tasty meal in their fellowship hall. One thing about our Christian sisters --- they sure know how to cook. The Lima beans were excellent and were fixed by a Christian brother. It seems many of our men are fine cooks too.

The service at Friendship Harmony yesterday was very uplifting. We concluded our two weeks of singing Fannie Crosby hymns. Did you know that Fannie didn’t write her first song until she was 44 years old? Fannie continued writing until she died at age 95, writing three songs per week. Fannie also used over 120 different “pen names;” names other than her own. It is reported she did this because publishers wanted her hymns, but were afraid to print books with so many “Fannie Crosby” songs, thus the usage of fictitious names.

Our series of messages from the Book of Jude continued by examining verses 12, and 13. In these verses, Jude continues exposing the false teachers for the dangerous people they were. The message title was, “Useless To The Church.” Jude told us that these people were selfish, dangerous, and absolutely useless. These apostates were people that the church would be better off without. Today we try to make our churches inclusive, so that everybody can come. The Church should be a welcoming place, but must also be on her guard so that people who are there to teach false doctrine and hurt the church can be dealt with as each situation warrants. I pastored a church in Cincinnati where I was told of an incident that happened three years before my time there began. One woman had become so hurtful to the church, and so dangerous that she had to be excommunicated. In a Southern Baptist Church, excommunication is rare indeed. It meant that she could never set foot within that church ever again. Normally when a member is dismissed due to a problem of some sort, they can repent and seek the church’s forgiveness. The church is only too happy to do it. As one does this, they are welcomed back to worship again and after a trial period, their membership can be restored. This lady was totally excommunicated - she could never come back. How tragic when a church is forced by the actions of someone like this, to have to take such a drastic step. That is, however, what must happened. Jude warns us citing four examples from nature about how useless these people are.

I know what some of you are thinking. In your mind you’re saying, “Pastor Vic, the church is supposed to love everyone, after all, we’re all God’s creatures.” My response is two fold. First, a rattlesnake is also one of God’s creatures, but would you be willing to sit in a church pew next to one? Second is to properly understand the meaning of the word “love.”

Love is not a feeling, it’s an action. It is how you treat someone. It is doing right by someone. Sometime the right thing to do is to dismiss someone. To like someone is a feeling. You can not like someone, but still love them. It is you saying, “I might not like you, but I’ll do right by you.” That’s love. Doing right by the church is protecting it from false teachers. This is what Jude is suggesting. Below are the sermon notes. Please feel free to use them for your personal Bible study.

Useless To The Church ©
Jude v 12,13
Encouragement From Jude Series
08/2-4/12
By Victor W. Cooper

Intro: Jude now uses four examples from nature to show the Church that these apostate believers were useless to them.

They are:

I. selfish imposters. V12a (ESV) These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves…
A. Love feasts were what we call “fellowship dinners,” and were usually followed by The Lord’s Supper.
B. These times were a showing of love for one another and for Christ.
C. It was a time of purity. This is why Paul said in 1 Cor. 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
D. Jude calls them, “spots,” meaning dangerous rocks in the ocean. The New Living Translation says, “When these people join you in fellowship meals celebrating the love of the Lord, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are shameless in the way they care only about themselves…. “
E. They are there for both selfish and hurtful reasons.

II. clouds without water.
A. They provide no life sustaining rain.
1. Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Bible Knowledge Commentary: In addition these unbelievers had taken a shepherding role, but did not function as shepherds. Instead of feeding the flock of God, they selfishly would feed only themselves. How unthinkable for a shepherd not to feed his sheep—which was his major responsibility! Their leadership was false, for it was deceptive, hardened, and selfish.

III. twice dead trees.
A. A non-bearing fruit tree appears dead at harvest time. The apostate believers had no fruit, nor did they care to.
B. An uprooted tree is dead.

IV. rough crashing waves. V13
A. Waves roll in, then out again leaving behind nothing but foam.
1. Jude’s readers would have understood this reference very well. The Greek goddess Aphrodite was formed from the foam left behind by the waves of the sea.
2. As the Greek gods and goddesses were merely man made myths, Aphrodite would be useless.
3. Today’s readers understand the coming and going of the waves, with the resulting foam The foam is a useless product.
B. There is nothing solid about foam; there is nothing solid about an apostate teacher..
1. The old expression says, “There’s nothing to them.”

V. wondering stars. i.e. shooting stars
A. They streak across the sky in a momentary flash of light then are gone.
B. Unlike a fixed star, navigation by a shooting star is useless; it leads nowhere. Even with our modern GPS and computers, military and cruise ship captains are still taught how to navigate by the stars.
1. No wise ship captain would follow a shooting star. .
2. A ship captain knows following a shooting star will lead to disaster.
3. Jude is saying that following these wandering stars is useless and no good will come from it.

Conclusion: So, what is the point? What is Jude doing with these verses? Jude is accomplishing three tasks.
1. He is telling the Church that these people are useless and do not need to be in the fellowship. We must not be so interested in “how many we had in church today” that we accept anyone, regardless of their stand.
2. He is teaching us the warning signs of a false teacher, so that we can be on our guard.
3. He is encouraging us so that we do not turn out to be just like them.


I hope your upcoming week is a good one. If your area is suffering from the heat and needs rain, I pray the Lord sends some. Above all, make sure you protect yourself from the heat. If you have to be out in it for an extended period, be sure to carry along some water. I want each of you to stay safe and well.

Thank you for being a loyal reader. As of last Monday, there are 12,832 of you following this blog from all around the world. I’m grateful for each of you. How about writing to me and introducing yourself. It is always good hearing from. You readers outside the United States are encouraged to write as well. My e-mail address is preachercooper@hotmail.com. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic.