Pastor Vic's special gift!

Good Monday Morning to you.
Yesterday was Father’s day. It was a pretty good day with only one little glitch. I’ll talk about that in a minute. I was wished a happy day by all four of my kids. Jason and Michele are both home and saw to it I received good wishes. Amanda called me from her home in Arizona (the part not on fire) and my trucker son Kevin called me from Atlanta. It was cool hearing from everybody. Miss Bessie fixed me my favorite dinner. Turkey! I get a turkey dinner at lease three times a year: Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Father’s Day. Bess is trying to score points after she gave me a horrible gift. My good friend and our minister of music, Ken Birdsong, received from his wife a really nice shofar for his gift. He used it yesterday morning as our call to worship. My gift from my wife --- a badly botched haircut! That’s right; a messed up haircut. We have a set of clippers that are relatively new. When she attempted to use them, they would not cut. She eventually got out the old set, but could not find the guard. She decided to try anyway. This was where things went seriously wrong. She took more hair than a Comanche ever did. I look like Captain Picard on Star Trek. My daughter Michele said I favored Mr. Clean. She even posted a picture of me on her website. If you’d like to see it, go to www.bebe-chat.com and click on “blog.” It is hideous!!! My buddy Gene Middleton is going to love it! I’ve been wearing a baseball cap even around the house. I cannot be seen in public looking like this. I’m not a vain person, and I know my looks are more suited for radio than for television, but ridiculous is ridiculous. Go look at the picture and tell me what you think. Please please send up prayers for Miss Bessie --- she is going to need them. I will somehow be avenged. I do not know how or when, but she is definitely in the cross hairs of my sight. It will be sweet. Poor Miss Bessie. Poor Pastor Vic, shamed beyond belief.

Fathers Day at Friendship Harmony was really special. As I said, Ken Birdsong blew his new shofar to start our service, and Karen Fain and Margaret Birdsong sang a beautiful song. Their voices blended with really tight harmony. As a former traveling Southern Gospel singer, I know good harmony. I was really impressed with Karen and Margaret. It was a job well done. I preached a message titled Our Father Where Art Thou? Sometime it seems like God is nowhere to be found. When that is the case, what do you do? Below are the notes for your personal Bible study. You preachers and teachers may use them also. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Our Father, Where Art Thou?
Micah 7:7-8
By Victor Cooper
06/18/11

Intro: Have you ever felt like God was thousands of miles away from you? While theologically that is impossible, sometime that is how it seems. When that is the case, what do you do?

I. God is never unaware.
A. Nothing ever happens to a believer that hasn’t first filtered through the hands of God.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
B. What God allows, God watches.
Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

II. God is never “not there.”
A. Troubled as he was, Job knew it. Job 5:17-19 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. 19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
B. Paul, a man acquainted with trials, knew it. He testified, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;” 2 Corinthians 4:8
C. Jesus felt alone, but still knew God was there.
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
1. Forsake> to desert
2. Jesus knew God would hear Him, or He would never have called upon Him.

III. Jesus promised His presence.
A. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
B. The Bible teaches it elsewhere.
Deuteronomy 31:6, Josh 1:5; 1 Chronicles 28:20.

IV. What do you do when God seems so far away?
A. Know that God is there.
B. Keep praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
C. Keep believing. Hebrews 11:6/John 20:29b But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 29 Jesus saith …blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Preached 6/19/11 at Friendship Harmony Baptist Church Fathers Day Service.

As you go about your week, just remember the Savior walks it with you. Just knowing that makes it easier to get through each day. Have a good week and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!

Let Freedom Ring

Good Monday morning to you.Welcome to this abbreviated version of Monday Morning With Pastor Vic. I know you are busy with your long holiday week-end, so I'll try to not tie up a lot of your time. Did you get to enjoy America's 234th birthday? How was your 4th of July? It was terribly soggy down here in South West Florida. Granted, we needed the rain, and thanked God for it, but I hated to see people's pic-nic and fireworks plans ruined. The Coopers really did not have any plans, so being shut inside listening to the rhythm of the falling rain was not so bad. We rented a movie called, "The Box." Weird. Very weird. We dismissed evening services at church so people could spend time with their families and friends. Again, it's too bad about the washed out plans, but that family time is precious time, and should not be about what you are doing, but who you are doing it with. It is that together time; that's what is important.

My Sunday morning message was titled, "Let Freedom Ring." The sermon points were:
I. Freedom rings means I can have the joy of Jesus in my heart.
II. Freedom rings means I can love Jesus.
III. Freedom rings means I can walk about the Kingdom of Heaven with my head held high.

I can have joy in my heart because the penalty of sin is gone, the pain of sin is gone, and even though the persuasiveness of sin is still there, I can overcome.

I can love Jesus because sin no longer blocks the light of Jesus. As the moon blocks the sun's light from the earth during a solar eclipse, sin blocks the light of Christ during a spiritual eclipse. This eclipse is where unbelievers live, but Christians can also experience them. Are you in one right now? Jesus' light will shine through, but you must get that sin out of the way. That is called repentance, ie changing direction.

I can walk about the Kingdom of Heaven with my head held high because just as Jesus told the woman in John 8:11 He told me, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." I was just as guilty of my sins as she was hers, but Jesus took the awful stain of my sin away. I'm free! Let freedom ring!!

Don't forget the contest. For more information scroll down and read about it, or click on the flashing contest sign. There will be four winners and I'd love for one of them to be you. It's just my way of saying, "Thanks for the help." It will help increase readership of these Monday Morning articles, thereby allowing more people to hear about Jesus. Won't you help? Thank you so much.

Good bye for now and I'll see you again next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!