A Dismal Failure

Good Monday Morning To You!!

If you read the mid week edition last week, you know we survived the storm very well. What a difference a week makes. It has been hot and dry for the last several days! I’d like to see it stay this way for a while, but God knows what’s best.

Do you like to cook? Occasionally I like to venture into the kitchen and try new recipes. I get most of mine from Mr. Food because his are not too difficult. Two weeks ago I made Alfredo sauce. It was every bit as good as Olive Garden’s. Yesterday, I made it again. Did you ever have one of those experiences in the kitchen when you did everything as you had before and it miserably failed? Today you would have thought I was trying to invent Alfredo flavored wall paper paste. Did you ever have one of those experiences in the kitchen where you were hungry for something, but once it was made you didn’t want it? My answer to both questions is a resounding yes. When I finished cooking my Alfredo glue, and put it on my angel hair spaghetti, it literally nauseated me. How about some of you cooks letting me know if you have ever experienced this. I take a daily injection called Victoza, which totally zaps my appetite, but usually I can still eat. Maybe that was the culprit, but I doubt it. Let me hear from some of you.

Yesterday we started a new sermon series at Friendship Harmony called “Victorious People.” The four messages are victorious over Satan, sin, self, and sorrow. I had planned a single sermon with four main points, but it seemed to expand to the point where doing that would not adequately do justice to the topic, or Scriptures, so it turned into a four part series rather than a four point message. This week we looked at “Victorious Over Satan.” The notes are below --- I hope they are of benefit to you.

Victorious Over Satan ©
2 Cor. 2:14; Various
Victorious People Series 1 of 4 By Victor Cooper
8/27-31/12

Intro: In the next four weeks we are going to see how believers are victorious over Satan, sin, self, and sorrow. No believer needs to live a defeated life. We are a victorious people so lets start believing it and living it.

I. Our victory over Satan was prophesied long ago.
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.
A. This world became Satan’s domain at man’s fall.
1. Three times John calls him the prince of this world.
John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11
2. The Ephesians were told he is the prince of darkness.
Eph. 6:12
3. Paul told the Corinthians that Satan is the god of this world. 2 Cor. 4:4

II. Satan’s defeat was prophesied in Genesis (3:15) and confirmed in the New Testament. Romans 16:20a And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
A. The one to bruise his head is Christ.
1. A head wound is fatal; a heel wound is only crippling.
(a) A snake’s venom is in its head. A crushing head wound would release venom into the snake.
2. A bruised heel is believed by some theologians to mean that Christ‘s greatest creation, humanity, would be crippled by sin.
3. Others believe that Christ’s death would be temporary (like a heel injury), while Satan’s would be permanently terminal.
4. While both positions are theologically true, Pastor Vic believes the better of the two explanations is the second. The explanation follows.
B. Paul’s use of the word “bruise” indicates a complete crushing.
1. Note: Nothing is said here concerning a wound, even superficial, to God’s people.
2. JFB Commentary …as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, they are "shortly" to receive their discharge, and have the satisfaction of "putting their feet upon the neck" of that formidable enemy—symbol familiar, probably, in all languages to express not only the completeness of the defeat, but the abject humiliation of the conquered foe.
3. This is why Pastor Vic believes Satan has dealt a wound to Christ ( the cross) while Christ has dealt him a mortal blow, (the resurrection).

III. We can be victorious over Satan’s temptations.
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
A. I can hear it now: “Of course he was defeated, he tangled with Christ.”
But --
B. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. “
John 14:12
C. If Jesus defeated him, we can defeat him because, “ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. “ 1 John 4:4

Conclusion: As believers we are victorious over Satan because he is a defeated foe.
11098. Devil’s Viewpoint
A modernistic preacher announced in defending his liberal theological position, “I’m not afraid of the Devil.”
“That is not what matters so much,” one of his acquaintances replied. “Let me ask you a more important question: Is the Devil afraid of you?”
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations

My dear friend, as you make your way along life’s highways, do stop and realize that Satan travels those roads too. If you’re stuck in a rut or bogged down in the mud, the devil will be only to happy to assist you. Resist him! Reject him! Rebuff him! Remove him! (I see a future four point sermon here.) Believe me when I tell you, its better to drown in life’s seas than to ride in Satan’s boat.

Have a good and a safe week. I’m going to try a new recipe tomorrow. Its called onion casserole. With the exception of my daughter Amanda who lives in Arizona, all of us Coopers love onions, so this could be the find of the century for us. I’ll let you know when I 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!!