In Appreciation For Our Fulltime Residents!!!

Good Monday Morning To You!!

How have you, been since we last met? Are you staying busy? I hope it is doing the things you love. Our associate pastor, Bob Felber stays busy in his garden in Kentucky. With much of his harvest, he and Wanda can what they grow, and then bring it with them to Florida. Bess and I really enjoy the beans, kraut, corn, and other things they bring. I’m especially partial to Bob’s sour kraut. It is really good when Wanda fries it. Have you ever had fried kraut? It is delicious! If you would like to try some let me hear from you and the next time she fixes it, I’ll get you an invitation to supper.

Yesterday was a good day at Friendship Harmony, although the attendance was slightly down due to rainy weather. My former pastor, B. J. Thomas, used to say that it only took nineteen raindrops to keep twenty Baptist at home. Even so it was a good service and the LORD really blessed.

I began a new series called, “The Making Of A Man.” We looked at Ezra and saw that he was descent, honest, and honorable. It should be the desire of every Christian to have these three character traits. There were no sermon notes, but you can view the message on YouTube, or on the church facebook page. Most people are viewing by facebook. To find it go to www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. I hope you will help our video ministry to grow. Would you consider sharing the videos on your facebook page?

As some of you know, here in Florida we are honored to have many winter visitors when the north is blanketed by snow, ice, and cold. After Easter our “snowbirds” return home, and church attendance naturally drops. Sadly, many churches go into hibernation mode during the summer. Many cease, or greatly curtail ministry events. To me this is wrong. It sends a wrong message. It tells our full-time residents that they do not matter. They DO matter. They are the backbone of the church. To honor the full time residents of the Flamingo Bay community where Friendship Harmony is located, we are hosting a picnic/gospel music concert this Saturday at Noon. If you are in the area feel free to come and join us. We will be serving hamburgers, hotdogs, and other picnic foods, and Fiddlin Bill will provide the music. It is going to be a great day and we hope our fulltime residents know that they are appreciated. We are also using the occasion to introduce ourselves to those that might not know us. If you cannot be with us, please pray for the success of this event.

Wherever you are, please have a safe and healthy week. For some of you who might not know, the church has a new mailing address. It is P. O. Box 583; St. James City, Florida 33956. Our e-mail address is fhbcsjc@gmail.com. Don’t forget if you have a Bible question that you would like to have answered, please e-mail it to me, and I’ll attempt to get you an answer. Stay well and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

The Duck - Man!

Good Monday Morning To You!

I hope you have had a great week since our last visit. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of juice, and let’s spend some time together. I’ll have a cup of coffee from my new Kurig Vue. I received it as a gift, and it makes the finest cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted. My good friend and colleague Tommy Simmons shared a cup from his Kurig K-cup, and it was delicious. My Mr.Coffee maker makes a minimum of 4 cups, and I usually waste two. For me, making just one cup at a time makes perfect sense. If you are looking for a one cup coffee maker, I highly recommend a Kurig system. You can get the K-cup models, or the newer Vue styles. With the Vue you can brew coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. My wife, Miss Bessie loves the iced tea. I hope this doesn’t sound like a commercial, but I am pleased with a product and I wanted to share it with you.

I have been telling you about me being called duck – man. Here is why. Back in May, Miss Bessie and I made a trip to Orlando and visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park. While we were there, I bought a funnel cake and sat down to eat it. While I was eating, these two ducks came over to me and I could tell they wanted some funnel cake. I pulled off a small piece and held it out. One of the ducks came to me and took his piece right out of my hand. Not to be denied, the other duck came for a bite also. I fed him, and by the time I was finished with my funnel cake, my two new friends had eaten most of it. Sharing with those two little guys was the highlight of my day. It rained us out and we had to leave early, but those two stayed close to me the rest of my time in the park. I asked an employee if those were Disney’s ducks and she said they were wild. She said Disney did not feed them, but if one was injured, they would see to its injuries.

Fast forward about three weeks. We had been rained out in May, so we went back to Disney to continue our trip: this time we visited EPCOT. We had been in the park for about two hours, and my hip was really hurting, so I went to a bench and sat down. When I sat down, guess who appeared? My two ducks! I had nothing to eat, but there they were, and they did not go over to others who had food. They stayed with me. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, “How do you know these were the same two ducks you had met previously?” You just know these things. A man knows his own ducks! What was I to do? I walked over to the concession cart and bought “myself” a treat. The ducks ate most of it. I didn’t mind – I really enjoyed the experience.

Fast forward two more days: we went to The Magic Kingdom. We had been there most of the day, and went into a Mexican establishment to eat. This particular restaurant featured a Mexican Salad Bar. We fixed our salads, found an outdoor table, sat down, and guess what? My ducks came to join us! I knew they would not eat a taco salad. They loved it, at least the crispy part. Do you see now why I am the duck – man?

To prove it, I made a visit to the Cape Coral Hospital, where they have a nice pond with ducks. When I parked, they came running. There were other people there too, but they came to me and followed me right to the front door. I told them I didn’t have anything for them, but that when I came back out, they would receive a treat. True to my word, I brought them a dinner roll that a patient didn’t want. True to their word, they were waiting by my car. I fed them, out of my hand of course, and they were thrilled. Were these the same ducks I had met in Orlando? No of course not. That’s silly to even think it. They were cousins, though!

Yesterday was another great day at Friendship Harmony. It was a double ordinance day. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and Baptism. We baptized two, with one, possibly two more to follow. Of all the things I do in ministry, baptism is my favorite. I wish the LORD would let me do it frequently! I wish I was in the Baptismal waters so much that my skin would shrivel. What a joy that would be!

The sermon notes are below. We concluded the series, “What Were You Thinking?” by asking that question of King Solomon. With all God had given him, and with the great start he had, where did it all go wrong, and why?

Enjoy the notes. I hope they are useful to you. The video should ready for viewing tomorrow. You can access it easiest by going to www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. You can also go to www.youtube.com. From their home page type into the banner Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then simply scroll to the message you’d like to see. If you are pleased with the videos, would you be willing to share them with others? We would surely appreciated it. If you are not pleased, would you write us and tell us why? We are always open for suggestions. Here are the notes.

Solomon, What Were You Thinking? ©
1Kings 3:1-10
By: Victor Cooper

On two occasions God made a covenant with Solomon. Solomon, who like Adam had it all, violated the covenant. All he had to do was to remain faithful to the LORD. He didn’t. We would ask him, “With all the LORD had done for you, what were you thinking?”

I. Solomon’s faith. 3:3
A. He worshipped in an unauthorized place. (Lev. 17:3,4)
B. He did love the LORD.

II. Better than a Jeannie granting three wishes. :5
A. Wouldn’t it be great if God would extend such a deal
to individuals today?
1. James 4:2b,3 …yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

III. Solomon’s request. :6-9
A. Solomon worships. v6
B. Solomon expresses his need of the LORD. v7,8
C. Solomon’s petition. v9
D. This follows the exact pattern Jesus taught in the
model prayer. a.k.a. The Lord’s prayer

IV. The LORD responds. :10-15
A. The LORD was pleased. v10
1. I’ll give you an understanding heart because you
have shown me you already have a good heart.
v.11,12

B. The LORD extends grace. v. 13,14
1. Riches and honor would be useful to Solomon to
assist him as he ruled.
2. They weren’t given as “the prize” for the correct
answer.

V. The conditional covenant. {a.k.a. a bi-lateral covenant}
A. Notice - now Solomon is worshipping at the approved
place.

VI. The covenant broken. 11:1-7
A. Twice God made the promise to him. 3:5; 9:2
B. BKC Solomon did not abandon Yahweh but he worshiped other gods as well. His heart was not fully devoted to the LORD; he compromised his affections. Apparently he concluded that since he was a great king he should live like the other great kings of the world even though it meant disobeying God’s Word.
C. Solomon violated Deut. 6:5, and 17:16
1. 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
a. Multiplying horses was doing things in one’s
own strength. God wanted Israel to depend on
Him alone.
D. What was Solomon thinking? BKC Solomon’s life ended in tragedy. Solomon was greatly blessed by God but he allowed God’s gifts to dominate his affections. The fault lay not with God for giving Solomon so much, but with Solomon who, though he had the wisdom to deal with such temptations, chose to set his affections on the gifts and not on the Giver. The man best qualified to live life successfully chose not to do so. Success in life in the eyes of God does not come automatically with the possession of wisdom but with the application of wisdom to one’s life. Spiritual success depends not only on insight but also on choices. As is often the case, an abundance of material benefits leads people to think they have no needs when in reality their need for God never diminishes.

Conclusion: What about what God has done for and given you. What are you doing with it. What are you thinking?

I hope you have a good week. If you’re ever in the area, stop by and see us. Thanks for allowing me to come into your home or office, or wherever you are reading this blog. You cannot know how much I appreciate you. Stay safe, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

The Call To Fall

Good Monday Morning To You!!!

Welcome to July! This year is half over, but it seems like it has just begun. How is the weather where you are? Are you experiencing any of the oppressive heat? Not too long ago we were talking about it being so cold. In this life, things change. We change. As I approach my sixtieth birthday, I look back on my life and see nothing but change. Health, family, friends, career – they have all changed. However, in the midst of all that change, God remains the same. He said in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed”. Because He is stable and does not change, we can cling to Him and not be consumed, i.e. brought to an end. There is a song that says, “Hold to God’s unchanging hand.” While I am happy to be able to hold to His hand, I am even happier to have Him hold to mine. Psalm 73:23 says, “Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.” God promises to do that. The LORD told Isaiah, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

Today I had planned to tell you why I am being called the duck-man. However, the events of this past week with our Supreme Court opening the flood gates of sin by making possible same sex marriage, I feel compelled to address this most serious issue. In the paragraph above I spoke about change. I was born in 1954, and grew up in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Back then homosexual marriage would never have even come up for consideration. When I was a child, I never even knew what the word meant. Today it is an accepted practice called an “alternative lifestyle.” You can give sin a bath, put the finest cologne on it, dress it in a fine Taylor made suit, and call it handsome and debonair, but it is still sin with all its filth, degradation, and ugliness.

Anybody who knows me knows I get angry when I listen to talk radio. I have quit listening. Caller after caller, guest after guest all talk about problems. Rarely do you ever hear anyone offering a solution. In the paragraph above I cited a problem; one that has more deadly potential than a direct hit from a nuclear missile. As a matter of fact, Satan is hitting us with his evil bombs continually. The Apostle Paul called them “fiery darts.”

The cure for our country can be found in 2 Chron. 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Notice to whom The LORD is speaking: “My people.” We are trying to clean up Washington and straighten up the politicians, but God says, “If MY people…” The Bible tells us that judgment begins at the house of God. We will not straighten out the mess the country is in until we first straighten up the Church. That cannot, nor will not happen until we, as born again believers, gets our individual hearts right with God. Child of God, I’m speaking to you. I am also speaking to me. It is time for revival in the hearts of God’s people.

Yesterday Friendship Harmony, along with many other churches observed a time called “The Call To Fall.” It is a time for believers to fall on their knees before Almighty God and heed the teaching of 2 Chronicles 7:14. The LORD wants to enter into a covenant with His people to heal America. For those of you reading outside the United States, your country can be healed too by following the same pattern.. For a more in depth look at this topic, on Tuesday, go to our video at www.youtube.com. From their home page, type Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then, simply scroll to the sermon title, The Call To Fall. Feel free to share the information about the video with others. I wish everyone could hear this message. The information is timely because America is running out of time. The last thing we need is for God to, “…give them over to a reprobate mind…” When God does this, He abandons, or walks away from a people. This we do not need. President Ronald Reagan was right when he said, “If we ever cease to be one nation under God, we’ll be one nation gone under.” Please view the video and heed the words of promise.

I hope you enjoy your July 4th holiday. As you celebrate our freedoms, please be sure to thank God for the blessings of liberty, and ask Him to bless our land. Do it by the Scripture I spoke of today; 2 Chronicles 7:14. A happy holiday to you, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

David, What Were You Thinking???

Good Wednesday Evening To You1

It seemg a bit weird writing that. It’s usually Good Monday Morning To You!! I am still not feeling the greatest, but at least I can function. Have you ever felt bad but could not specify why? Sometime you just feel yucky and you cannot explain it. If you asked me where I felt bad, I couldn’t be specific; sometime you just feel horrible. Oh well, listen at me going on. How are you? I hope each of you is doing well and feeling fine..

I was going to tell you why I lately am being called the duck man. No, I do not waddle nor quack. It’s a good story, but I’d rather write it this coming Monday so that I can do the story justice. Instead, I’ll post the notes for last Sunday’s message and leave it at that.

The sermon is also now on youtube, or you can access it easier from my facebook page. Either way, I hope you’ll watch it. Perhaps you can print out the notes and follow along. To view the message on YouTube go to www.youtube.com. From their home page type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then simply scroll to the video you would like to see. As I said, you can also view it from facebook, but I do not know how to tell you to do it. I’ll find out and let you know next time we meet here in the blog.

David, What Were You Thinking?
2 Samuel 11-12 :various
By: Vic Cooper

After all David had experienced with the LORD, the closeness, the blessings, what was he thinking when Bathsheba first came into his sights?

David would say:

I. “I thought she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen“.
11:2
A. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
B. Lust tempted him. James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
1. Lust can only tempt you if you allow it.

II. “I was the King. I could have anything, or anybody I wanted.”
11:3,4
A. In sending for Bathsheba, David was following a tradition
of his time.
1. People of that day would get up at sunrise, then
usually take an afternoon nap, and get back up in the
cool of the evening.
B. Bathsheba wanted to be wanted.
1. She knew David’s routine, bathed in a spot where she
knew he would see, and wrote a real life script for
As The World Turns.
2. “… the pride of life…” 1 John 2:16
III. “I knew for both our sakes this had to be swept under the
rug: at any cost” 11: 8-17
A. His reputation was at stake.
B. They would be killed. Adultery was punished by
death.
1. Executing the King would be difficult if not impossible,
but he would have been known as “a son of death”
which would have rendered him ineffective, especially
when he ruled in capital cases.

IV. “I thought everything was done” v26,27
Nathan approached him a year later.
A. Numbers 32:23 “…be sure your sin will find you out.”
B. What made “the man after God’s own heart” do it?
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
1. ACC Who can know it?—It even hides itself from itself; so that its owner does not know it. A corrupt heart is the worst enemy the fallen creature can have; it is full of evil devices,—of deceit, of folly, and abomination, and its owner knows not what is in him till it boils over, and is often past remedy before the evil is perceived.

V. “Finally, I came to my senses.” 2 Samuel 12:13,14
A. David acknowleged his sin.
B. God commutes the death sentence on David, but exacts
it on his son.

VI. “I repented” Ps 51
A. David uses four words in the first four verses to confess
what he had done.
1. transgressions = rebellion
2. iniquity = perverseness
3. sin = offence
4. evil = wickedness


VII. David, what were you thinking after your rededication to the
LORD?
A. Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [2] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
B. He would again turn his heart to God and say, “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.” Psalm 119:37

Hopefully we will get back on track and have the blog posted next week when it is supposed to be. Have a good rest of your week and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

I'll See You On Wednesday

Monday Morning With Pastor Vic will be available this coming Wednesday due to Pastor Vic being under the weather. We’ll see you Wednesday morning!

Danny's Revenge

Good Monday Morning To You!

For the past several weeks I have been telling you about my seminary days. I guess I have been thinking back to that time because in August I’ll be a freshman again: a brand new, freshman professor of Geography at the South West Florida Bible Institute in Port Charlotte, Florida. Last week I told you about the time I caught my buddy sleeping and told him the professor had just called on him to dismiss in prayer. I promised that this week I would tell you how he got even.

We had just had our English class, and it was two hours before supper. We all decided to crawl into our bunks for a brief nap. Our dorm room was full with four boys. We took our nap and Danny tapped me to awaken me. He said, “Wake up Coop, it’s supper time.” I got out of bed, put on my shirt and shoes and we walked across the campus to the cafeteria. While my friends and I were heading to eat, people gave me some very dirty looks. I was totally bewildered at their strange behavior. I said, “Hello” to several, but they quickly turned away like I had some exotic disease. As I went into the line inside the cafeteria, people literally shunned me. Even the cafeteria lady looked at me and shook her head, grinning all the while. We found an empty table and I got nothing but the evil eye. I could not figure out what was happening. All the while my room mates seemed totally oblivious to what was occurring. All I knew was people I considered friends glared at me in wide eyed disbelief. When we returned to our room, it was dark and time to get ready for bed. I gathered my shaving kit and went into the shower room. When I looked into the mirror, I saw what all the scorn was about. While I had been asleep, my “buddies” had taken a black magic marker and had put 666 on my forehead. That’s right! I was walking the halls and sidewalks of a Baptist Seminary with the “mark of the beast” plastered all over my forehead. For those of you who do not understand, to a Baptist, this is the worst act of blasphemy one can perform. It is unthinkable for someone to accept the mark of the Anti-Christ. Danny and the roomies were standing behind me laughing so hard I thought they would pass out. I laughed too. I might be a practical joker, but I can take it, and enjoy it as much as I can dish it out.

Yesterday was a good day at Friendship Harmony. We honored the dads present by giving them a small gift, and the singing was roof lifting. I continued our Sermon Series, “What Were You Thinking?” This week we asked Moses, who had just disobeyed a direct order from God, “What Were You Thinking?” Moses had been told by God to speak to the rock, but instead he hit the rock. What was he thinking? The notes are below, and the video should be ready by Tuesday morning. To view it, go to www.youtube.com. From their home page, type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then simply scroll down to the video you’d like to see.

Moses, What Were You Thinking
Numbers 20:1-13
By: Victor Cooper
11/04/06

Moses, after all your experiences with the LORD, when He explicitly told you to speak to the rock, you disobeyed and hit it. What were you thinking?

I. “It was a very hard time for me.”
A. My sister Miriam died. We were very close. Num. 20:1
B. We had been lost forty years. The people and animals
needed water and they looked to me for it. It turned into
a mob scene. 20:2,3
C. This was how this outfit had behaved in the past. They
were rebels. 20:10”

II. “But, you’re right. I had such a close relationship with the
LORD. He had shown Himself faithful throughout my life.
A. By Divine providence after Pharaoh Seti had ordered
all Hebrew boy babies under age three to be killed,
my mother put me in the Nile in a little reed-boat.
Exodus 2:3
B. My sister Miriam “arranged” for Pharaoh’s daughter to
adopt me, and pay a Hebrew mother to care for me --
it was to be my own mother! 2:8,9
C. I was then to be raised in Pharaoh’s home and raised
and educated as Egyptian royalty. Acts 7:22
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”

III. “I remember one of my meetings with the LORD. It was
certainly memorable. Exodus 3:2
A. I was literally in God’s presence! 3:4-6
B. He told me He was going to deliver Israel from Egypt.
3:7-8
C. Then He dropped a bomb-shell on me. He told me I was
to be His instrument in that deliverance. 3:10
D. Interestingly enough, He told me He was going to lead
the people out of Egypt and into the Promised land, but
I was only to be involved with the Exodus - not the
entrance.”

IV. “I well remember our travels through the wilderness, and
God’s presence with us.
A. He led us by day and night with His pillars. Ex. 13:21-22
B. The LORD told me Pharaoh was coming after us, but that
He would protect us. Exodus 14:1-4
C. When they were chasing us, He hid us from them with
that pillar of cloud. 14:19-20
D. By the way, lest I forget to mention it, that yammering
outfit I was leading was murmuring all the way.
14:11-12”

V. “What was I thinking? I was thinking I needed to let these
people know who was in charge. I had forgotten that God,
not me, was in charge.
A. BKC The Lord told Moses only to speak to the rock for its flow must not be attributed to his own efforts but to the Lord’s miraculous provision. Moses, however, at the breaking point of his endurance and patience (he called the people rebels), drew attention to his own authority as covenant mediator by striking the rock twice with his staff. The water came because of God’s beneficent grace, but because Moses and Aaron had drawn attention to themselves rather than trusting in the LORD they were denied entrance to the Promised Land. The principle here is clear: “…For unto whomsoever much has been given, much shall be required…” (Luke 12:48).

Have a good rest of your week. Next week I’ll tell you why lately I have become the duckman. We’ll discuss that when I see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

Antics Of a Seminary Freshman

Good Monday Morning To you!!!

I always enjoy our Monday morning visits. I cannot begin to tell you how honored I am that you would take the time to read this blog. Blog. That was a word that did not exist when I entered the ministry way back in 1972. Back then, if you would have told me that I would have a web delivered blog reaching across the globe to over seventeen thousand readers, I would have thought you had gotten into Uncle Bob’s corn squeezings. Once when I was in my teens, I did find the home made moon shine, but that is another story for another day.

For the past two weeks, I have told you about some of my antics in seminary. I was a prankster living in a dorm room with three other pranksters. It was a riot! I’ve got to tell you about a prank I pulled on my buddy, Danny Jones.

One of the classes we attended was called, “The Life of Paul.” The professor was a man named Lee Payne. Brother Payne was one of the finest teachers I have ever had the honor to learn from. More often than not, he would break out into a sermon, and could he ever preach. You would leave his class feeling like you had been to an old fashioned revival. The classroom where we were seated held nearly a hundred people. Danny and I had seats assigned in the back. The classes were about an hour and fifteen minutes long, and after twenty minutes into the class, I looked over at Danny, and he was sound asleep. I didn’t want Professor Payne to discover his little nap, so I did what any good friend would do: I reached over and woke him up. I told him, “Danny, Danny, wake up. Professor Payne just called on you to dismiss in prayer.” Danny promptly stood and prayed the nicest dismissal prayer I have ever heard. Brother Payne stood there in wide eyed amazement. When he finished praying, Professor Payne said, “Now that Brother Jones has his prayer life back in order, we will resume our class about the life of Paul. Danny sat back down with the most bewildered, hang dog look on his face. I did not know a human being could turn that many shades of red. Of all the stunts I had ever pulled in both high school and seminary, this was my crowning achievement. However, before you get all teary eyed over poor Danny, next week I’ll tell you how he got even: it had to be his crowning achievement in prank pulling. When I begin teaching classes in mid August, I pray I do not have any students like me. God does, however, have a delicious sense of humor. Time will tell.

Yesterday at Friendship Harmony was an awesome day. I hope you don’t get sick of hearing me say that from week to week, but it’s true. Friendship Harmony services are alive, vibrant, and a joy to experience. As I’ve said on many occasions, you do not attend Friendship Harmony, you experience Friendship Harmony. Yesterday was no exception. The day started with the beginning of a new Sunday School class for people aged 15 to 20. What a blessing it was. Several of those have been attending regularly for the last six weeks. I am so proud of them.

During our morning worship time, we were honored to have in our service a missionary and his family. Bobu John and his family are from India, in the state of Delhi. They are active in operating homes for unwanted children as well as starting churches. They stayed for our fellowship meal afterward. It was a joy getting to know them.

As I said, we had our monthly fellowship meal after the service. The theme this month was, “My Favorite Casserole.” As always, our ladies rose to the occasion. We had a variety of wonderful casseroles. Our pianist, Karin Barry, made the best potatoes I’ve ever eaten. Perhaps I need to include some recipes from time to time.

For our morning message, I continued our sermon series, “What Were You Thinking?” This week we met Stephen and asked him, “What were you thinking when the stones were pounding against your body, beating the life out of you?” Below are the notes. I hope they are a blessing to you. Don’t forget, on Tuesday you can visit www.youtube.com and see the sermon as it was preached. To do so, from their homepage, type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church and hit enter. Then, simply scroll to the message you would like to see.

Stephen, What Were You Thinking?
Acts 6 & 7: various
9th in a series of 12 By: Victor Cooper

Today we meet Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church. Stephen was a man who loved Jesus, talked about Jesus and stood for Jesus; even though it cost him his life. We would ask him, “Stephen, what were you thinking when the stones were pounding against you, beating out your life? Why didn’t you just give up and give in?”

I. First, lets meet Stephen.
A. He was a man of honest report, (good reputation) full of
the Holy Ghost, (filled = controlled) full of wisdom,
(prudence) and faith (conviction of religious truth).
B. He was a man who was opposed, v9, spoke with power,
v10, and was falsely accused v11-15.

Stephen, what were you thinking?

II. “When I was brought before the Sanhedrin, I answered the
High Priest’s question. 7:1
A. He wanted to know two things.
1. Was Jesus going to destroy the Temple? 6:14
2. Was Jesus going to change our customs? 6:14”

III. “I reminded them of Jewish history beginning with Abraham.
7:2-50
A. I told them their fathers were guilty of unbelief and they
were no different. :51-54
B. Your modern churches are good about telling people
Jesus loves them, and that’s true, but it’s only part. You
forget to call a sinner a sinner and remind people that
God hates sin and will judge sinners!
1 God hates sin! Psalm 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
2. God judges sin. The Bible abounds with many
examples of God’s judgment falling. ex Egypt,
Jericho, Assyria, Babylon etc…
3. JFB Commentary we should view this {section} as the summing up, the brief import of the whole Israelitish history—grossness of heart, spiritual deafness, continuous resistance of the Holy Ghost, down to the very council before whom Stephen was pleading.”

IV. “I knew God was pleased with my testimony - I saw right
into the throne room of Heaven.
A. v56 I was already in that place of being part here and part
there. ex. Ruth Strimlan
B. What Moses asked for in Exodus 33:18, and was denied,
Stephen saw in verse 55.
C. The Bible does not say that the Heavenly sight ever left
Stephen’s sight.”

V. “As they were stoning me, I remembered how my Saviour
had responded on the day of His crucifixion. I wanted to be
just like Him - even in death.
A. I asked God to forgive them. :60
B. You’re wondering if it hurt. Probably, but I really do not
remember it, ‘for the former things are passed away” and
‘all things are become new.’
C. Revelation 21:1-5 {READ}
1. Pulpit Commentary His prayer indicates superiority to bodily suffering. There is no petition for relief from pain or even for speedy release. Exactly what was God’s will for him he would bear right through.”

For you ladies on or near Pine Island, this coming Thursday, June 13, at 1:00pm at the Island Grill, your Ladies Luncheon is scheduled. Also, our Bible study, “The Basics of Christianity” will meet at 6:30 on Wednesday Evening. The address is 4764 Flamingo Drive, and is the home of Shirley Jean. I hope you can be with us.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. For many of you who plant gardens, they should be just about ready to begin yielding their delicious crops. I hope you have a successful garden this year. Regardless of how you are spending your summer, stay safe and well, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic.