Praying For Your Safety

Good Monday Morning To You!

I understand that most of you in the United States are fighting some nasty winter conditions. Wherever you are, please stay safe and warm. If you have to get out in it, please use extra caution, regardless of if you are riding OR walking. One slip on the ice could be very bad, so please be careful. I would much rather be praying for your safety than the healing of broken bones. I would like to make one observation however. It seems like when December is nasty, January is not too bad. When December is descent, January is miserable. That is how it is back in my hometown of Cincinnati. Hopefully the worst of winter will be out of the way before too long. Does that seem true for where you live? How about some of you from places like Green Bay, Baltimore, and Detroit. Send me an e-mail and let me know about the winter habits of where you live.

Yesterday at Friendship Harmony was a tremendous day. The attendance was excellent, and the congregation sang like a choir. It was such a joy to be in the house of the LORD. The Holy Spirit was surely there with us. The message was about the second Sunday of Advent: Proclamation. The notes are below and the video will be ready to view Tuesday. To watch simple go to www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. You do not need a facebook account to view it. Be sure to let your friends and family who might not be able to make it to a church know we would be honored to have them join us by way of video. Here are those notes.

Second Sunday of Advent - Proclamation ©
Isaiah 7:14
2nd in a series of 4 By Victor Cooper
11/29; 12-7,8/13

Intro: Advent means “coming.” The birth of Jesus was the first advent; the first coming of Christ. Although most Baptists do not use the term “advent,” they certainly believe it. We call it Christmas.

Why the proclamation?

I. There was an expectation.
A. Adam and Eve had been told to expect a deliverer.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
B. Jacob reiterated it when prophesying concerning his son Judah. Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

II. The people needed to know who and what to look for.
A. A virgin shall conceive --- an impossibility without a God sent miracle.
1. Liberal theologians tell us that a virgin is simply a young lady They claim that it is young ladies that bear children; certainly not miraculous.
2. The Hebrew word ‘almah translated virgin indicates otherwise. It means a young unmarried woman of marriageable age who has had no relations with a man.
B. His name will be Immanuel, meaning “God with us.
C. His attributes were given. Isaiah 9:5-7For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace

III. The proclamation was clear.
A. A son would be born; not a child, but a son --specific.
1. Not only was it impossible for a virgin to conceive, but in that day predicting the sex of an unborn child was a 50/50 guess.
B. A prophet would b e given Deut. 18:15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
C. An intercessor was coming. Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
1. A current function of Jesus.
Romans 8:34 (NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Conclusion: The expectation is hereby proclaimed. He is coming!

May the LORD bless your upcoming week. As Christmas draws closer, be sure to enjoy the season, but do not fail to remember whose birthday we celebrate. I enjoy our weekly visits, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Throwing The Baby!

Good Monday Morning To You!

How is your week beginning? I am told that about one third of the country is dealing with snow. Are you one of those? Here in south west Florida we do not get snow, but it can get quite cold. Last Wednesday morning our wake up temperature was 44 degrees. I know some of you are dealing with much colder temps, but to us 44 is a cold 44. I had my furnace set on 68, and it kicked on.

Once before I wrote about my mom’s parents, Ruby and Austin Emery. They were the only grandparents I knew because dad’s folks died in 1945, and 1952; I was born in 1954. Unfortunately, my Papaw Emery died in 1960, so I didn’t have him very long. As the oldest grandchild, I am the only one who remembers him. Mamaw, on the other hand, lived to a ripe old age. She has only been gone eleven years.

Mamaw Emery had a bit of a problem with my sense of humor. She would say, “You’re a preacher. Preachers aren’t supposed to act like that.” Even saying it, I could see the twinkle in her eye. To both Mamaw and Papaw Emery, I could do no wrong. If only Howard and Alene Cooper could have been convinced of that.

I remember a time in 1980 when we went to visit her. She lived next door to mom and dad, so I saw her often. My daughter, Amanda, was two years old at that time and she had a doll she called “Baby Sister.” In fact, that might have been what the manufacturer called it. This doll was the size of a two year old child. It and Amanda were equally matched. I was in dad and mom’s living room and decided to play a prank on Mamaw Emery. I put Amanda’s winter coat on Baby Sister and carried her next door. When we walked in, Mamaw said, “There’s my baby.” I asked her if she would like to see her, and she said “absolutely.” I said, "O.K. then, here you go." I threw Baby Sister across the room at Mamaw. I expected she would jump out of her skin. Here is where the tables were turned. She let the doll fall to the floor in front of her, and said, “I knew it was a doll when you threw it. I knew you’d never throw Amanda across this room.” She then proceeded to give me the “You’re a preacher speech.” When the real Amanda came in, all was forgiven, except for the fact she did not have her winter coat on. Believe me, I heard about that too. “Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul, in the stillness of the midnight, precious sacred scenes unfold.” (Precious Memories, copyright 1966 by Stamps-Baxter Music. Written by J. Wright and Lonnie Combs)

As yesterday was what many churches call “Advent,” I felt it proper to develop a series of messages leading up to Christmas. It was “Expectation Sunday,” so the message followed that theme. I am not following the Advent schedule precisely as the Protestants and Catholics do. I am doing a “Baptist version.” I will be preaching the following messages on the subsequent Sundays leading up to Christmas. They will be “Proclamation Sunday” on 12/8, “Preparation Sunday” on 12/15, and “Exhilaration Sunday” on 12/22. If you cannot be with us at Friendship Harmony, be sure to view the videos which are available on Tuesday mornings. You can see them at www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. You do not need a Facebook account to watch the video. The notes are below for your Bible study use.

First Sunday of Advent - Expectation ©
Genesis 3:14,15
1st in a series of 4 By Victor Cooper
11/29-30/13

Intro: Advent means “coming.” The birth of Jesus was the first advent; the first coming of Christ. Although most Baptists do not use the term “advent,” they certainly believe it. We call it Christmas.
Question: Why was Christmas necessary?

I. Man had sinned. V6
A. Their expectations were too low.
1. The tree would make them wise.
2. A high expectation would have been to understand that God’s wisdom was all they needed.
B. Their expectations had become clouded.
1. “… it was pleasant to the eye…”
C. Their expectations were self focused.
1. The tree was both good for food and pleasant.
2. It was also off limits.

II. Man became separated from God. V23-24
A. Eden was where they had enjoyed fellowship with God.
B. They were jolted back to reality
1. There were driven out
2. God’s curse was validated.

III. God still cared for man.
A. God cursed the serpent. V15
B. God made provision for them. V21
C. Even cursed, the ground would still provide. v17
IV. Man’s expectation was introduced. V15
A. “..I will put enmity between thee and the woman…”
B. “It shall bruise thy head.”
1. It indicates a deadly wound.
2. A heel wound is not deadly, only crippling.
Bible Knowledge Commentary: Satan would cripple mankind (you will strike at his heel), but the Seed, Christ, would deliver the fatal blow (He will crush your head).

V. Man’s expectation was a deliverer. V15
A. This is the first prophecy in the Bible.
B. It pointed to the first coming of Christ.
C. The Messiah will come. Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Conclusion: Isaiah 46:4 ESV says, “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” This is our hope - it is our expectation! Christmas tells us of that glorious expectation. It shouted, “Expect your deliverer to come!”


I hope this Christmas season is one of joy and happiness for you and your family. This year will be a bitter sweet time for the Coopers. This will be our first Christmas without mom. I sure miss her, but she would want us to go on and enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ. We will, but she sure loved Christmas. You have a blessed and safe week, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!