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!!!

No More Politics!!!

Good Monday Morning To You!

I’m so glad that after Tuesday, we won’t have to tolerate anymore political TV, mail, electronic, or telephone ads. I’m sick of them. If everything candidates say about each other is true, they don’t need to be elected, they need to be arrested. In this blog, and on my Facebook posts, I have purposely avoided taking any candidates’ side. I am a Pastor to Republicans, Democrats, and third party voters. While I definitely have preferences, my number one goal is to be able to minister to all. Politicians come, and politicians go, but Jesus Christ is forever. He said He is “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation 22:13). Daniel 2:21 says, “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:” In other words, no matter who is elected, it is God’s will as to who holds office. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fatalist that says, “Why vote if God is taking care of it?” We still have the responsibility to, “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.” In our country, affairs of government are in the hands of the people. This is, according to the verse in Daniel cited above, the “kingdom” God has set up for us. Bottom line --- no matter who is elected, God is in charge. Make sure your faith is in Him, not some political ideology.

I want to give you an update on our online video ministry. While you are reading this, several of us from Friendship Harmony are meeting with a man associated with the Florida Baptist Convention who is very familiar with computers and video equipment. He is going to teach us the technical side of production. While he will be showing us things like computers and uploading, his wife will be showing us editing and the technical side of camera work. My dear friend and colleague, Rabbi Jim Pickens, who worked in the motion picture industry, will be teaching us about camera angles, lighting etc… Rabbi Pickens has accompanied us to our meeting today. He is a huge supporter of this new venture. I set a goal of having our online video ministry up and running by Thanksgiving. With your prayers, I believe we will make it. I’m really excited about this new means of ministry that the LORD has led us to. I haven’t been this excited about anything since I thought the Reds were going to the World Series! I believe the online video ministry will be a blessing to many around the world. I can just hear the Apostle Paul saying, “Go for it and give it all you’ve got for the LORD.” I believe if he were alive today, he’d make full use of the many options we enjoy in order to proclaim the word of the LORD. I wish to dedicate this new ministry to the Apostle Paul. With the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will proceed in the way Paul would have if he had been able. Thank you Paul for the excellent example you set for us. What you did, you did for Jesus. We’ll do exactly the same.

All I can say about the services at Friendship Harmony is “WOW!” It was an awesome day! I wish every one of you could be here and experience Friendship Harmony. As I’ve said before, you do not simply attend Friendship Harmony, you experience it. Our Sunday School lesson was tremendous. Brenda Conley is our teacher and she does a terrific job. Why more people do not attend Sunday School is beyond my understanding. I’ve always believed, “As goes the Sunday School, so goes the Church.” When I was a boy growing up, we attended the Fairview Baptist Church in Cincinnati. There was a strong Church built around a strong Sunday School. As I got older, we attended the Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Norwood (Cincinnati). It too had a well attended Sunday School. The Church was strong and successful. It was because of the Sunday School. That’s just how Southern Baptists used to do it. I’m convinced we need to step back into promoting Sunday School once again.

Our song service was vibrant, and I preached a message about what part each member of the triune Godhead plays. The notes are below. I hope they are a blessing to you. Soon you’ll not only be able to read the notes, but also hear the message. That’s the purpose of the online video ministry. Be sure to stay up to date on this blog as well as my Facebook page. If you haven’t friended me on my page, I hope you will. I make announcements on there regularly. Also, Friendship Harmony has a page. That too is an excellent way of staying up to date.

Salvation By God In Three ©
Ephesians 1:3-14
By Victor Cooper
11/1-3/12
Intro: The entire triune Godhead is involved in the process of salvation, from its conception to its conclusion. Today we break it down into what each member does.

I. Salvation is prepared by the Father. It is called election.
1 Thes. 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
A. Key phrase, “… is of God.”
1. R. Kent Hughes in his Preach The Word Commentary writes, “The doctrine of election presents us with a God who defies finite analysis. It is a doctrine which lets God be God. It also forms a bedrock of confidence for the believer. A God who chose you before time, when only he existed, will not leave you victim to the time and tides of life. In view of this, there can be no room for pride or imagined merit, but rather profound humility and thanksgiving.
B. God made the choice. He had to if we were to be saved. text v4
1. Unsaved man is spiritually dead. Ephes. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins.
[a] “A dead man can do nothing; it is God who makes one alive. He is very well known for resurrections! “ Pastor Vic Cooper
2. God chose when He was all that existed. v 4 “… before the foundation of the world…”
[a] “You had no more to do with your spiritual birth than you did your physical birth.”
Pastor B. J. Thomas circa 1990
3. God modeled His children after His Sacrificial Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[a] “… holy and without blame…” The two Greek words mean, “pure,” and “without spot or blemish.”
1 Peter 1:19 / 2 Peter 3:14 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (2 Peter 3:14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
C. This is what God has wrought. (wanted and brought to pass)

II. Salvation is carried out by the Son. John 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
A. Jesus came to carry out what the Father had started; our redemption. John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
B. Jesus has carried it out by His death and resurrection.
1 Isaiah wrote, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
2. Paul wrote, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14
C. Jesus will carry it out when He returns.
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
1. v 14 “If we believe that Christ died and rose again, we must also believe He will return. Pastor Vic Cooper
Remember:
What God has wrought,
Jesus has bought!

III. Salvation is applied by the Spirit. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
A. Application comes through guidance.
B. A guide must be present. 1 Cor. 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
C. A guide must be knowledgeable. John 16:13 He will guide you into all truth.
1. He cannot guide you into truth if He doesn’t know truth. He s what He has heard.
2. He speaks of Jesus who said He is Truth.
D. A guide must be alert. Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
1. Guided with His eye
Remember:
What the Father has wrought, and the Son has bought,
the Spirit has taught!


Conclusion: “So what is the point in knowing all this? This is theology e are not theologians. We have our pastors for that.”
The point is to show the child of God that the triune God is interested in you. From eternity past into eternity future He has your back.
The point is that if you have not called out to God for the forgiveness of your sins, and if you have not received Christ as your Lord, God is interested in you. He has prepared a way for your salvation. What is keeping you from receiving it
today?

I do hope you have a blessed, safe, and healthy upcoming week. The cold winds are beginning to blow up north, so wrap up and stay warm. If you are traveling down here to spend time with us, drive carefully. If you are one of those hearty souls that like to brave winter’s chilling tide, think of us often in your prayers. No matter where you are, I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic.