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!!!©

Mother's Day 2012

Good Monday Morning To You.
One final time in 2012, let me say Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms. I got to call my mom up in Cincinnati and wish her a happy day. I told the congregation yesterday that when I was a boy we attended the Fairview Baptist Church in Cincy. Each year for Mother’s Day every one received a flower to wear in honor of their mom. I asked dad why his was white while ours was red. He explained that if your mother had passed on, you wore a white flower, and if your mom was still alive, you wore a red flower. I then asked the group, “How many of you ladies here today your children’s mother is still alive?” It was as quiet as a funeral home at 2:00a.m. It eventually dawned on them what I had said. I don’t mean to do these things, but sometime my mouth works faster than my brain. These things just hit me and before my brain can tell my mouth to stay shut, it’s done. Oh well. That’s just Pastor Vic’s sense of humor. By the way, I get it from both my parents, but especially my mom. Happy Mother’s Day once again mom!

I surprised Miss Bessie with a special Mother’s Day Dinner. I made her corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots. I told her several days ago that I was fixing “something.” It drove her nuts trying to guess. She never did and on our way to church yesterday, I told her. I told her it would be some of the finest food she’d ever eaten. All she could say when she took her first bite and I asked her what she thought was, “Ooh, it’s so good.” That was appropriate since I got the recipe from Mr. Food. It was one of his slow cooker recipes. I cannot share it with you due to copyright limitations, but you can get it (and many others) by going onto his website. It can be found at www.mrfood.com.

Yesterday at Friendship Harmony, Bill and Patty Wolfe surprised our ladies with an orchid floating in a decorative glass bowl. These were flowers they had grown. Thanks Bill and Patty from all of us.

In honor of the occasion, I preached a message called, “The Value Of A Good Woman,” from Proverbs 31:10-12. I told our people that Proverbs 31 would be the text that many preachers would be using on Mother’s Day. I preached a simple three point message and I explained to the men in attendance that these traits were for us too. The Bible teaches holy living on the part of both women and men. The sermon notes are here for your use. You may use them in your private Bible study, for a Sunday School class, or as sermon notes. I hope you find them usable.

The Value Of A Good Woman
Proverbs 31:10-12
By: Victor Cooper
Preached 5/13/12

Proverbs 31:10-12 (NLT) Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. [11] Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. [12] She will not hinder him but help him all her life.

These three points concerning the qualities of a good wife are noble goals that all women, married or not, all men, and all young people would do well to try to copy for their lives.

I. She is a dedicated woman.
A. She is dedicated to her family.
1. God instituted the family long before He instituted the Church.
B. She is dedicated to God.
1. Dedicate = def. Gk. qudash; to pronounce clean
2. Psalm 30:1 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up… (underline mine)
a. thou hast lifted me up - thou hast pronounced me clean; thou hast dedicated me
C. To whatever else she becomes part of, she is dedicated to it.
D. A synonym used in several translations of Scriptures for dedicated is devoted.
1. The difference between the two words is only slight;
a. Dedication has to do with action from a sense of duty while
b. devotion has to do with action from a sense of love. Both combined make her more precious than rubies!

II. She is a dependable woman.
A. Her word is her bond.
B. v11 Her husband can trust her
1. He is the closest person in the world - if he can trust her, everyone else can trust her.
2. Even God can trust her. We often speak of the importance of trusting God, but it is also important that He can trust us.
REMEMBER: She is more precious than rubies!

III. She is a delightful woman.
A. v25 She is a pleasure to be around. She can laugh.
1. She is happy, joyful, positive and upbeat, without being foolish or frivolous. .
B. v20 She cares for others.
C. Being such a person makes her more precious than rubies.

Conclusion: Proverbs 31:30 (NLT) Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

I hope you have a good and safe week. Be watching this Wednesday morning for a special mid week edition of Monday Morning With Pastor Vic. I’ll be announcing to you an upcoming two day service in Orlando that you will not want to miss. Last year Bill and Patty Wolfe and Miss Bessie and I went to the services and it was absolutely the highlight of our year. I remember sitting there thinking, “I wish my entire Church could experience this.” You can, and I’ll tell you more about it this Wednesday morning. So for this week I’ll conclude by saying, I’ll see you this coming WEDNESDAY Morning with Pastor Vic!!

Happy Mother's Day One Last Time

CGood Monday Morning To You!

One last time, Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms. Did you have a good Mother’s Day yesterday? Some people took Mom out for dinner while still others got together for a cook-out. The point is not what you do, but the time together as a family. I live 1100 miles away from my mom, and wish I could be closer, but she knows how much I love and miss her. I spoke with her by phone. It’s not like being there, but it is the next best thing.

My favorite time of year is the spring. Here in south west Florida we do not have spring. It is pretty much either summer or the northern equivalent of late fall; most of the time its summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love Florida’s weather (except hurricanes, they tend to be a bit annoying) but the spring seems to have an air of newness and freshness about it. The ice, snow, and cold winter winds are gone and are replaced by buds, baby birds, and warm gentle breezes. Football helmets are stored away and replaced by batting helmets; hanging sweaters are accompanied by moth balls and tee shirts are the attire of the day. Spring says all the cold, hard, and nasty is exchanged for warmth, life, and the promise of better days. Spring says there is hope. I hope there is some springtime in your life.

This upcoming Sunday, Friendship Harmony will be participating in the Christians United For Israel Sunday. My message is titled Why Christians Must Support Israel. Do be praying about that message. I’m excited about it and hope I do it justice! Next week I’ll tell you how it went. As part of our attempt to honor Israel, I have been preaching a series of messages this month called Heroes Of Israel. I decided not to use such obvious choices like David, Moses, or even Abraham. The supporting material for them is vast and boiling down their lives to a twenty minute sermon would indeed prove difficult; perhaps in the future God allowing it. By the way, you did know that Abraham was not a Jew. Although he is known as the father of the Jewish nation, it was Jacob who fathered the twelve men who would be the beginning of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was Jacob whose name God changed to Israel. The nation was referred to as The Children of Israel, i.e. The Children of Jacob. So far in our series we have examined King Hezekiah, and for Mother’s Day we got to know Deborah from Judges chapters 4 and 5. I am using a set of five criteria to show why they were heroes. This set of five will be used for all those we will consider in the month long series. When you look back to the notes on Hezekiah from last week, and compare them to today’s notes on Deborah, the major points will be the same. If we as individuals can achieve these same five points in our lives, we too can be heroic in the eyes of the LORD. The notes are printed below for your personal Bible study.

Heroes Of Israel: Deborah
Judges 4,5: Various
Heroes of Israel Series By Victor Cooper
5/7/11

Intro: Today we look at a heroin of Israel: Deborah. Watch this shining example of womanhood as she stands for the things of the LORD.

I. She had a Godly reputation. Judges 4:5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
A. The people of Israel trusted her.
B. Her presence would bolster the confidence of Barak and he would go meet the enemy.
1. In Judges 4:8 Barak hides behind a woman’s skirt.
2. In Judges 4:14-16 he becomes a fearless warrior.

II. She was dedicated to the service of the LORD.
Judges 5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day…
A. She took time for praise.
B. She did so in front of others --- she was not ashamed.

III. Deborah led by example. Judges 4:8-9 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
A. She didn’t say, “God chose you to do it, now get on with it. Get out there!”

IV. Deborah prayed intercessory prayers.
Judges 5:31a So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.
A. Perished enemies would certainly be good news for Israel.
B. The Bible Knowledge Commentary “To be like the sun when it rises means to have a life full of blessing.”

V. God listened to Deborah. Judges 5:31b And the land had rest forty years.
Delivered to the Friendship Harmony Baptist Church 5/8/11/am service.

May the LORD bless your week. Stay safe and well AND don’t forget to enjoy the springtime message God provides through nature. God’s creation is bursting with life --- be sure to be part of it. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!