Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:27 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God is with you whether you think He is or not”

In Acts 17:27 Paul ended his statement to the Athenians with an interesting and important general truth about God – He is everywhere, all the time. There is never a time when He is not right there.

God is always with you, even when you’re not aware of His presence and even when it seems as if He has deserted you. He hasn’t. He is there.

This truth is important for us to remember because many times, especially in tough times, it can seem as if God is not with us. I’m sure it seemed that way to Joseph. In recent days we’ve been considering his story as recorded in the book of Genesis. You’ll remember that his hateful brothers sold him to a group of Ishmaelite traders to be taken to Egypt to be sold as a slave. As he was dragged along by the Ishmaelites, mile after mile, hands tied in front of him, maybe a long rope connecting him to the camel in front of him, not knowing where he was going or what the future held – I’m sure he wondered where God was at.

You’ve probably never been dragged through the desert behind a camel, headed to an uncertain future of slavery in a foreign land; maybe it just feels that way. Maybe you feel trapped in the middle of a mess with no way out, and the future looks dark and threatening. Welcome to Egypt.

But remember the truth we learn from Joseph’s story. In Genesis 39:2 we’re told that “the Lord was with Joseph.” Yes, the Lord was with Joseph even in the worst of times. Well likewise, in Hebrews 13:5 you’re told that He is with you too, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

As Max Lucado explains, “God is with you whether you’re happy or sad.” I would add to that, “He is with you whether you think He is or not.”

That promise was true for Joseph and it is true for you too. No matter how bad things might look at the moment, God is with you. He is watching over you. He will guide you through this long trek in the wilderness of trials and tribulations, and He will deliver you from it. Trust Him.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. The lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man.” Genesis 39:1-2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We can have success in the midst of adversity”

As we follow Joseph’s story we find that sometime after the Ishmaelite traders arrived in Egypt they sold their slave Joseph to an Egyptian official by the name of Potiphar. Potiphar then took Joseph into his home to work as a household slave.

Usually when we remember this part of Joseph’s story we recall that he excelled as a servant to the point that Potiphar put him in charge of the entire household. What we forget is that it didn’t start out that way. Slaves in Egypt were not treated well. Joseph would surely have been mistreated by the Ismaelite traders, little better than an animal. Upon arriving in Potiphar’s household he would probably have been beaten right away, just to make sure he understood his place, and then given poor living conditions and the lowest, most demeaning work to do.

It was within that environment of pain and suffering, hardship and toil that the young man excelled. And he did it for an extended period of time. As he worked day-by-day, doing a good job, showing respect, maintaining a good attitude, those around him slowly began to realize that there was something special about him. Soon he was promoted from cleaning the chamber pots to sweeping the floors and taking out the trash. Some time later he was allowed care for the Master’s clothes and to serve at the dinner table.

Over time, as Joseph handled his tough situation with dignity, strength of character, and consistent cheerfulness, his conditions steadily improved. As this was all happening, over a long, drawn out period of years, Joseph had no idea what the future held for him – but he did know Who held the future. He knew that God was good and the He was Sovereign over the events of his life, and so Joseph focused on excelling in the moment and trusting the future to God.

Therein lies the lesson for us. Our circumstances might not be what we want them to be – in fact they may be awful. But we can still resolve to excel in the present moment, and then in the next one, and in the one after that, and to just keep doing our best, with a good attitude, strength of character, and with dignity, and then trust the future to God.

God got Joseph through his tough times and he will get you through yours as well.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the robe of many colors that he had on. Then they took him and threw him into the pit.” Genesis 37:23-24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “There’s a lot we can learn from Joseph’s story”

Did God put the story of Joseph in the Bible just because it’s an entertaining read? No. There’s much more to it than that. Joseph, of course, is a key figure in the history of the nation of Israel and his story is of immense value for that reason alone. But even more than that, the life of Joseph is remembered and studied because of what his example teaches us about getting through tough times.

Joseph was the favored son of Jacob. He was a daddy’s boy and he was spoiled. His eleven older brothers hated him – so much so that at one point they beat him up, threw him into a pit, and then sold him into slavery in Egypt, telling their father that the boy had actually been killed by wild animals.

Over the next thirteen years Joseph suffered one calamity and injustice after another. Every time he started to get on his feet, some new disaster would happen to him. He spent time as the slave of Ishmaelite traders. Then he was sold to an Egyptian official named Potiphar to work as a household servant. Then he was falsely accused of sexual assault by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. Then he was left to rot in a stinking Egyptian prison for years on end.

However, there’s no indication in Scripture that Joseph ever gave up or allowed bitterness to master him. In every situation he looked for opportunities to excel and he strove to honor God in the way he conducted himself. Time and time again as the story developed over thirteen long years, we read of a faithful God interceding as necessary, redeeming the pain and suffering, and then using it all to accomplish His purposes in Joseph’s life. Joseph ended up becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt and the entire nation of Israel (including his hateful brothers), were saved from a great famine.

Max Lucado writes, “God will use your mess for good. We see a perfect mess; God sees a perfect chance to train, test, and teach the future prime minister. We see a prison; God see a kiln. We see famine; God sees the relocation of his chosen lineage. We see Satan’s tricks and ploys. God sees Satan tripped and foiled.”

In the days to come we will spend some time exploring Joseph’s story to see what we can learn about surviving and thriving as we deal with our own tough times.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God has something to say.”

I thank God for Christian authors. Heck, I am one. But sometimes we writers become a little too focused on our own words and not focused enough on God’s words. While the thoughts and insights we have to share may be of some value, they pale in comparison to what God has to say.

When it comes to the subject of God helping us through the tough times, I’m sure He greatly appreciates my efforts to help Him explain Himself (or not), but maybe it would be good to simply let Him speak for Himself on the issue. Psalm 91 is an excellent example of God offering words of comfort and assurance to His struggling people. So without further delay, here He is in His own words:

“The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the

Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’

He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net, from the destructive plague.

He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.

Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord – my refuge, the Most High – your dwelling place, no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.

Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My name. When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. I will satisfy him with long life and show him My salvation.”

Thus saith the Lord.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My name. When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. I will satisfy him with long life and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God will get you through this”

I’m not sure when or where I first heard it, but legend has it that a Pastor once challenged the members of his congregation to share a verse of Scripture that was particularly reassuring to them. The story goes that one wise old man stood up and said his favorite verse is, “And it came to pass …” which appears first in Genesis 4:14 and is then used multiple times all throughout the Bible.

It’s an old story but a great truth. The fact is that sooner or later everything comes to pass. Nothing lasts forever. That includes good things, but also bad things. Whatever your current situation is, the day will come when it will have passed. In might take a while but still, it will pass.

I love a statement that Max Lucado makes in his book “You’ll get through this”. It goes like this, “You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In the meantime don’t be foolish or naïve. But don’t despair either. With God’s help you will get through this.”

Sometimes the situation will get worse before it gets better. But you will get through it. Often you will fear that you won’t get through it, but you will. There will be times when the pain and anxiety will seem like more than you can endure, but it will pass and you will get through it.

Do you doubt this? Don’t. In the Bible God has given us way too many promises regarding this issue for it not to be true. He will get you through it. Tomorrow we’ll take a look at another of the many passages in the Bible where God speaks to us about this issue of getting through tough times.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We need wise friends to help us through tough times.”

Some of our worst decisions are made during times of trial and tribulation. As was noted yesterday, when our circumstances are difficult our thinking becomes fuzzy. It’s during the tough times when we need wisdom the most, but that’s also the time we’re least likely to have it.

The solution? Seek out wise people who will help you through your tough times. However, make sure they are not only truly wise, but also wise in the ways that matter. Your friend might be a Yoda-like sage when it comes to making decisions about financial investments but if that person has never been married, they’re probably not a good choice to help you think through your marriage problems.

How can we determine if a person is appropriately wise enough to help us through our tough times? First, the person should be a mature Christian who is capable of viewing your circumstances from a Biblical worldview.

Second, the individual should have the habit of seeking God’s guidance from the Bible. The Bible is our primary source of wisdom because it comes to us from God; it provides us with God’s thinking about our issues.

Third, it needs to be someone who has an understanding of the issues you’re dealing with. A person who has successfully dealt with something similar in their own life is a good choice. Be careful about this, there’s nothing worse in these situations (or potentially more damaging) than to take advice from someone who fancies themselves an expert but who actually knows little or nothing about how to deal with your situation.

Another good way to “walk with the wise” is through books. Through their writing, Christian authors share deep insights with us on particular topics. Throughout this month I will draw heavily from Max Lucado’s wonderful little book “You’ll get through this”. In that book Max uses the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis to teach some powerful lessons about faith, perseverance, and victory during tough times.

God will use wise friends to help us through our tough times. But we must be wise enough to seek their help. Don’t try to go it alone.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” Proverbs 11:14 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Get the advice of good counselors to help you through the tough times.”

One of the most traumatic things any of us will ever experience is the loss of a spouse. When you lose your husband or wife your whole world is turned upside down. That’s why one of the first pieces of advice a counselor will give a new widow or widower is “Don’t make any important decisions for a year.” That means don’t sell the house, don’t move, don’t change jobs, don’t make major investment decisions.”

The reason for that restraint and caution is because when we’re going through a difficult time, especially one that is emotionally draining, it’s almost impossible to see things clearly. We simply cannot think straight and therefore important decisions made in that mental state will often turn out to have been wrong – sometimes terribly wrong.

Therefore another piece of advice we counselors give to people going through tough times is, “Make sure you have a few close and trusted advisors to talk to who will help you to think things through.” It’s crucial for us to have people whose insight and judgment we trust, and who will help us to make good decisions during tough times.

Those principles apply not just to the loss of a spouse, but to any difficult circumstances. Because our own thinking will be clouded by stress, emotions, and perhaps even depression, we need the advice of others who can help us to see things clearly.

However a word of caution is in order here too. Not everyone can be trusted to give sound advice and not everyone can be trusted with sensitive personal information. Choose your counselors wisely. Make sure you tell them you consider this to be sensitive personal information and you’re counting on them to keep it confidential.

Getting through tough times is hard; it takes time and it requires good decision-making. A few trusted counselors can make all the difference. But choose them wisely.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Getting through the tough times”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God will get you through it.”

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “Life stinks … and then you die.” Sometimes life can feel that way. Sometimes it can seem as if every day is a burden, every issue is a problem, every person is an adversary, the trials never seem to end … and then you die. King Solomon felt that way. In fact, he wrote an entire book of the Bible about it. He even started it in Ecclesiastes 1:2 by writing, “Absolute futility, says the Teacher. Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

But then, if you read to the end, you find that Solomon also discovered an answer for the seeming futility of the never-ending trials and tribulations of life – the answer was God.

Whatever it is you’re faced with, God will get you through it. Not only that, He will enable you to get through it victoriously and He will even show you how to find joy in the middle of it.

Joy in the middle of pain? Happiness as I’m harassed? Fear and uncertainty that leads to fulfillment and peace? Yes. And also spiritual growth, stronger faith, a greater ability to help others going through similar trials, and much more.  Not only does God get us through the tough times, but He redeems them and uses them for our ultimate good.

It has been said that storms in life are so common that you have either just come through one, you are currently going through one, or you’re about to enter one. That being the case, we need to learn how to survive and even thrive in those times.

All this month we will explore the topic of “Getting through the tough times.” As we will learn, God has many ways in which He helps us get through those times and to do so victoriously. He uses the Bible, other Christian literature, sermons, miraculous answers to prayer, Christian counselors, and the help and encouragement of other Christians, just to name a few. I look forward to learning and growing with you as we explore this important and very common theme which is a big part of all of our lives.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “First things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you; to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “It’s not that complicated”

Sometimes when I think of our church I just sit back and chuckle. We’re really a unique bunch. If you’ve seen the first Star Wars movie you might remember the scene where Hans Solo and Chewbacca go into an inter-planetary bar. The place was filled with odd looking creatures from every corner of the galaxy, all with peculiar habits and unusual mannerisms.

Yup, that’s us. I laugh and think, “Man we’re a mess. But we’re a happy mess!”

And that’s the key – we’re happy. There is love and laughter, kindness and caring. We might not be as slick and polished as some churches, but our folks focus on the things that really matter (like loving God and loving others). And we don’t get too caught-up in the religious entertainment industry which has come to characterize much of what passes for church life today.

This is the point the prophet Micah was trying to get across to the Jews of his day. The practice of their faith had become overly-structured and highly ritualized. There were volumes of rules and regulations; there were complicated procedures and all sorts of processes; there were standards to meet and boxes to check. Micah was essentially saying to them, “Wait a minute folks it’s not supposed to be that complicated. All you need to do is love God, love people, and be faithful.”

I think that describes Oak Hill Baptist pretty well. If you’re looking for a church that has million dollar facilities, a musical program that resembles a Christian concert, and a preacher with big hair and a television ministry, then you won’t like it here. But if you just want to be with a bunch of people who love God and each other, and who joyfully minister in the name of Jesus, then come and visit with us.

I encourage you to go to our website at www.oakhillbaptist.net. Look at the pictures, read the stories, and be sure to review the Acts 1:8 model of ministry statement. That statement describes pretty well who we are and what we do. Then I encourage you to visit with us on Sunday. Sunday school for all ages is at 9:00 and the worship service begins at 10:00. We meet again for worship at 6:00, and at that time we also have children’s mission groups known as Royal Ambassadors for boys and Girls in Action for the girls.

At Oak Hill Baptist we know that being a great church really isn’t all that complicated. Just make it a point to keep first things first – worship God, love each other, and minister in the name of Jesus. We hope to see you at Oak Hill Baptist soon!

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.” 1 Peter 2:17

Our thought for today: “Treat people with dignity and respect.”

I was once in a close working relationship with a man with whom I had deep and fundamental disagreements on important ethical issues. I sometimes felt as if my own integrity was at stake because of the positions he had taken and which directly affected me because we worked together.

At one point a disagreement between us became heated and in the middle of it he made an observation which stopped me in my tracks. He said, “Jim, I know you disagree with me but I think you also have disdain for me as a person.” The reason that comment brought me up short was because as he said it I realized it was true. Beyond just disagreeing with him on important and fundamental points of principle, I had come to disdain and disrespect him as a person.

In 1 Peter 2:17 Peter was giving Christians guidance about our relationships with others. In crisp, short phrases he addresses our relations with God, other Christians, government officials, and other people in general. With respect to other people in general, the Amplified Bible translates it, “Show respect for all men (treat them honorably) … “

I recently read a statement that said, “Jesus honored the dignity of every person, whether he disagreed with them or not.” I think that’s true. The only possible exception could be the way He felt about the religious leaders of His day with their arrogant hypocrisy. When they perverted religion for their own personal gain, and abused their positions of authority by using it to control people, Jesus got angry and lit into them. But in all other cases we read of Him treating everyone with dignity and respect. That was true whether He was dealing with faithful and obedient disciples, or a woman caught in adultery, or a notorious tax collector, or a Roman soldier, or even Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

Treating people with dignity and respect is easy when we’re dealing with a nice person whom we like. It’s much more difficult when we find ourselves having to interact with someone we don’t like, or with whom we disagree, or a person who has done someone wrong and must now be held accountable for their actions. In situations like that it’s harder to treat them respectfully, but doing so is probably even more important then.

I see an excellent example of that every time I appear in court with one of the men I’m working with in the jails. Regardless of the offense the incarcerated man has committed, the Judge and all of the attorneys always address him with the title “Mr.” They also call him “Sir” and they ensure their tone with him is measured and calm and professional.

This is what Peter was referring to. It’s also what Jesus modeled for us and I believe it’s what we need to strive for in our relationships with others.

First things first, we must treat others with dignity and respect.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim