But God

This is a chance to unbury themselves out of there and find

the seats. Good to have brother Eric Ramos

with us. He's an evangelist from Fair

Haven Baptist Church. And if you recognize that name,

there's a reason. It's because that's where I grew

up and Brian grew up there too, along with me, I guess.

But I know we grew up there together and, and I mean, he's,

I've known him since, since I was born basically.

And so, yeah, we, we go back a long way and he's been been at

it for a long time and just faithfully serving the Lord and

doesn't get this way too, too often.

But when he told me he was coming through SMA, I want to, I

want him to come and preach for us tonight.

So he does a lot of high school chapels and things like that,

different schools and, and goes around and preaches and

represents the college there as well.

And so we got to spend a little bit of time before the service,

but he's got to head out of here and go all the way to with field

tonight after we finish up for like a 9:00 Chapel in the

morning. So it could be a very short

message. We'll see.

But depends on how bad he wants to get out of here.

But it's good to have him. Brother Ramis, you can preach

for us. Ning, are you awake tonight now?

You think it's cold here? My wife texted me right before

the service said it's snowing back in Indiana.

So I'm glad I'm here and not there.

Praise the Lord for that. Take your Bibles if you wouldn't

turn to Psalm 27. Psalm 27.

Good to see the swongums really is a blessing.

This good to be seen Pastor and misses boots.

I was trying to think I was at the first service of Mount

Victory Baptist Church. My dad was with me and I think

one or two of my kids was with me.

So, and then we were here when you guys were gutting this

building, I was like making up for detention that I got away

with back in the day. And so it's like I stopped and

like, hey, here's a hammer. I was like, and So what a

blessing. And then we sat and shared some

things about what the Lord is doing here.

So I want to commend you. I want to encourage you to keep

it up. Keep it.

It's hard to believe in June I'll have been at Fair Haven for

50 years at our church, and it's all because somebody knocked on

a door and just listening to what you have going on

Saturdays, there's people door knocking and writing letters and

giving out Bibles. You'll never.

Know. What that'll do?

But it affected this family. My parents are both saved.

My dad is 80 years old now and he's faithful to church.

My mom worked in a Sunday school class for 40 some years.

She stepped aside as a teacher, but she's like, I can't leave

the class. So she's still helping in the

class and that's just a blessing.

My dad's cuts the grass at the church and I can go on and on

and on. And so it's been a blessing to

just see, I say these guys grow up.

The problem, the reason Sarah and Brian and Sarah have issues

because I was their junior high youth pastor and that's why I

have no hair. And but what a blessing to serve

the Lord and I'm just glad to be here tonight.

So if you don't like the sermon, I invited myself, so don't hold

it against pastor. I'm like, hey, I'm coming

through. Can I preach is like, well, let

me pray about it. And so, but I'm just glad to be

with you guys tonight and how many you have never heard me

preach before. You've been blessed.

You're going to be laughter tonight.

Like thank the Lord, go learn and preach.

I think that my role is when I come and preach in churches is

they're like, wow, we're thankful for our pastor so that

if there's anything that I can help a pastors, like let them

know they don't have to hear me all the time.

You'll be thankful for your pastor, but praise the Lord.

Well, let's have a word of prayer and hopefully we can be a

blessing to you this evening as we look at God's Word.

Lord, we love you and thank you for faithful people that gather

on a Wednesday night. I get around to a lot of places

and Wednesday nights a lot of times are empty.

You brought a good group of people here tonight and I'm

thankful for that. And I, I really don't want to

hinder their growth in any way. So I pray that even as your word

is open that it would be helpful.

I have some things I, I think can be of encouragement and even

a caution in the mixed midst of this message.

So I just pray that you'd help me say what I should not, say

what I shouldn't. And Lord, that we would just

leave here tonight, knowing that when your word was opened, it

was it was helpful. And we know it's profitable as

the writer of Hebrews says so. So use this.

I ask, ask these things in Christ's name, Amen.

You'll have to excuse me. I.

I like to preach to. Kids.

And so I won't wander around a little bit.

I was talking to brother Craig. I'm like, is it OK if I wander?

He's like, how far are you going?

To as I have no. Idea how far I'm going to go,

but maybe out the door. We'll see.

But Psalm 27, we'll get there kind of as a.

Springboard for where we're going to go tonight, and I'm

going to, I'm going to. Talk about the life.

Of Joseph and just listening to you all do trivia, I think

probably the majority of you know the story of Joseph is that

fair Can you say I kind of know what's going on in the life of

Joseph so I'm not going to belabor the entire.

Story, but there's going. To be some things that we'll.

Look at tonight I would say I got serious about.

Serving the Lord. When I was. 16 years old.

Up to that point I was pretty self.

Centered, I still have. That problem sometimes, but at

that point I really wasn't concerned about people.

I was concerned about myself. But then the Lord stepped in,

and that's a wonderful thing. When God steps in and he kind of

just started doing a work in my heart, in my life, I surrendered

to the Lord. I didn't know what that meant.

It almost sounded like a wussified term to surrender

because guys don't do that. But I've learned to understand

men of God understand humility and surrender, and God's

teaching me that. But but.

So about 16 years old. I jumped on a bus route.

I began to start seeing the needs.

So I've been at this almost 34 years.

Hard to believe, and I will say this probably the most

discouraging. Thing in the.

Ministry is when people quit. Let me.

I'm going to ramble a little bit about I'm going to be timely

because he said I have till about 7:15 and we're already

over that so but. You as a.

Church have no. Idea how you can?

Encourage preachers that come in I I know we as evangelists or

guest speakers will come in and we're supposed to bring

encouragement in our suitcases and revival in our backpacks,

but for me, as I've. Traveled. 1520 years I go into.

Churches, and it's a blessing. To still see the same people

just faithfully serving don't underestimate faithfulness, but

it but it does something to people when you quit because

it's. Pretty easy to sing.

I have decided to follow. Jesus, but to.

Live it is a different. Story.

And I don't think most people intend to quit.

May 25, 1999 I stood at an altar at Capital City Baptist Church,

Austin, TX and I made some promises to my wife and she made

some promises to me. And we didn't say all right to

having to hold for two years. No, we, we had the intent to

stay at it. And I think most people, even in

the Hollywood world, even on their fourth marriage, when they

get married again, they stop and think, all right, this time it's

going to work. So don't, don't under don't

misunderstand the fact good intentions are good.

But there's going to be things that creep up into our lives

that are going to try to get it to cause us to quit.

When college students quit, this is discouragement.

I work with bus kids. I love the bus ministry.

I've got about 34 kids we're discipling right now in our bus

ministry on Saturdays. And then they come in and

they're fired up and we've got new books we're working on

giving them out and doing someone on one discipleship.

And then when you say, where's so and so?

How they quit coming out. That hurts.

I start losing weight. Sometimes I need to lose weight

and I get on a mission and then guess what happens?

Cheesecake shows up. Quitting.

We're in football season right now, but years ago I lived near

Chicago, and so the Bears were kind of the thing back in the

day. Walter Payton, one of my

favorite guys to watch. You might not know who it is,

but his nickname was Sweetness. Didn't rub off on me but.

He was. Playing a Monday Night Football

game. The Bears were playing the

Giants. And one of the announcers?

Made a comment, he said. Walter Payton has accumulated

over 9 miles in career rushing yardage and the other announcer

said this yes and that's what somebody knocking him down

every. 4.6 yards. You stop and think like, wow,

it's amazing what he did. I don't think he's the record

holder, maybe. Second or third now?

But all the yards that he ran all along, he was getting

knocked down by some big boys. And I guess what I want to

encourage you, church tonight is, as you say, I want to get on

the path of serving the Lord Jesus.

That's noble. That's a wonderful thing.

But along the way, you're going to get knocked down, and some of

those things that knock you and I down are called.

Circumstances, and I think sometimes they get a little

overwhelming. Look at Psalm 27.

It says this in verse. 10. David is writing this and he

says when my. Father and my mother.

Forsake me and don't we live in a world like that?

I've got about 12 or 13 teenage boys I was teaching on how to

have a relationship with their Heavenly Father and I'm in the

middle of. This and I was just.

Waxing eloquent and they're looking at me with this blank

look. And it was as if the Holy Spirit

says you need to ask them if. They have a relationship with

their earthly father. So I stopped.

I kind of rained it in and said. How many guys have a

relationship with your earthly father?

And only one, the other twelve said we really don't even know

who our dad is. I hate.

To say it, but that's kind of the world we.

Live in today. And so the psalmist says this,

When my father and mother forsake me, I love this, then

the Lord will. Take me up.

Amen, Verse 11. Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and

lead me in a plain path, because here it is mine enemies.

Verse 12. Deliver me not over unto the

will of mine enemies for false witnesses.

And I want you to hold that thought because we're going to

talk about that in just a little bit.

For false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breathe

out cruelty. Here's verse 13.

I had fainted. I think we understand.

I'd have given up. I I'd I'd have quit quit unless

I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord.

In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good

courage, and he shall strengthen.

Thine heart. Wait, I say.

On the Lord you don't need to turn there, but Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

12 says this. What?

Talks about the Lord Jesus. Christ consider him that endured

such contradiction of sinners against himself.

Here it is, lest ye be wearied. And faint in your minds.

I I don't know over the 10 years how many people have started

coming to mount. Victory Baptist Church, I think

you mentioned you had some. 80 visitors this.

Year, maybe more. I don't. 160 I'm the evangelist.

I'm supposed to say 3000. And, and, and some people come

and go for good reason, But truth of the matter is people

come and say, oh man, look at all the young people.

Look at the music program. They got a kids ministry.

They have all these things like, wow.

And then when you get into and you realize, oh, there's tithing

and giving and there's some expectations for service and

there's this. And they're not whoa, whoa,

whoa. We just wanted to show up on

Sunday morning, waltz in, waltz up.

This is a cult. They want us to come to Sunday

school Sunday morning. Sunday night, maybe.

What's wrong with those people? I get it.

You're cold. But I'm involved.

In one too, but people come and they go and you stop and say,

why is it that it's so difficult for people to just stay at it?

I'm so thankful to tell you tonight that the Bible does not

require us to be successful. But it.

Does require us, brother Johnny? To be faithful and the beauty.

Is from the youngest to the. Oldest we can all do that, so

I'm going to give. You 2 words this.

Wednesday night you're tired, not going to give you.

I have an outline. Forget the outline, but remember

2 words. But we're going.

To look at the life of Joseph, just quickly so turn to Genesis

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

chapter 50. Genesis.

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

Chapter 50. What type of stories inspire you

now? Back in the day, I would.

Get the Reader's Digest. And there were some.

Pages of jokes. All in a day's work, humor in

uniform. I, I forget and, and I would

find myself drifting to those because I'm a goofball

sometimes. But but generally I would find

myself first thing I would grab was the story drama in real

life. And I'd go there and I'd read

these dramatic, traumatic stories and be drawn in and they

inspired. Me, I like sports.

I grew up in the. Sport of wrestling and to this

day, if there's a match going on, I'm all in.

I'm engaged, I want to see what's going on.

I start yelling I don't even know the people and I start.

Coaching and yelling, it's just in me.

And so there's wrestling going on all over the country.

I like the college world Division One.

And I've. Watched it but there's one.

Story in particular that intrigues me, and it's about a

guy named Anthony Robles. He was a national champion for

Arizona State and he had one leg and you.

Stop and say wow he here it is. He overcame circumstances to get

to that level. There's people that I just

listened to a book called Endurance about Ernest.

Shackleton crossing the Antarctic and you know, I, I,

I've read books on mountain. Climbing etcetera, etcetera.

But when you read about the the man that was hike climbing a

mountain and got his arm lodged in the boulder and he's like, if

I don't do something, I'm going to die.

And he takes a pocket knife, saws off his arm, lives and

still climbs today. Like, OK, I mean, I like hiking

things and climbing things, but that's not going to take me to

the levels. Like, let's just hack off the

arm and let's go. I'm not into that.

But it's inspiring. And I guess all I say all of

that because it's nice to have the kid that grows up and

everything's nice and special all the way up.

But there's something inspiring when you read about somebody or

follow the story of someone that overcomes circumstances.

So can we look at Genesis? 50 and we look.

At the life of Joseph, we're not going to go all the way back.

We'll, we'll just allude. To a few things.

But look at verse #15 and when Joseph's brethren.

How many did he have? Bible trivia.

How many? All right, we've got it all.

Right, so he had eleven brothers.

All right. When he saw that their father

was dead, they said Joseph will peradventure hate us and will

certainly requite us all the evil.

Which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto

Joseph, saying, Thy father did. Command before he died.

Saying it's amazing when the. Dad's gone.

They get really concerned about obeying him.

Just a thought there. And when their life potentially.

Is on the line verse 17. So shall.

He say unto Joseph. Forgive, I pray thee now the

trespass of thy brethren. And their sin for.

They did unto thee evil. And now we pray thee, forgive

the trespass of the servants. Of the God of thy.

Father and Joseph wept. When they spake unto him.

And his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and

they said. Behold, we be thy servants.

Verse 19. And Joseph said unto them.

Fear not, for am I in the place of God now this.

Is our text verse 20. But As for you?

I can just see him. Pointing his fingers.

His finger. At his brothers.

As for you, you thought evil. Against me.

But this is where the whole dynamic changes.

But God meant it unto good. To bring to pass.

As it is this day to save much people alive.

So 2 words tonight, in the midst of circumstances, in the midst

of difficulties. In the midst of trials, you

might say, Brother Ramis, I'm going through a family

situation, if some. Of you might be here going

through a physical. Situation.

Some may be dealing with financial stress.

I don't know. It's not my business, but in the

midst of circumstances. But God, we'll look at a couple

things about that tonight. I would say probably the first

ten years. Of Joseph's lives, life was

pretty. Normal, I would say when he hit

the junior high age till about what we'll say 12 till about

3015, eighteen years I would say would be would have been pretty

rough. And let me say this, that's

generally where we go. When we stop and think about

Joseph. Probably from the time he was 30

till the time that he was 110 were good years.

That's a long time. So you got 80 years of

awesomeness. You've got. 10-15 years of

normalness and you've got about 15 years where all of us zone in

and say and what it. Is is bad circumstances?

But that's just kind of the general way that we think if we

can find something negative. We will.

It's amazing how negative we can get about something.

It's cold outside and. Guess what's going to happen in

a few months? It's hot outside.

That's just the way it. Is I've got 4 kids getting some

people say. What's your problem?

Well, my 2 oldest. Boys are named Gideon Titus.

All right, So sounds like a disease.

It's like, what's your problem? I have Gideon Titus.

But but, but sometimes I find myself, as it's easy to quote

the verse, children are a heritage from the Lord.

That's a nice verse. But you know, sometimes I find

myself in the midst of that. Complaining about the gifts that

God gave to me. Well, they're bad, yeah.

So was their dad, and they're never thankful enough and

they're never kind enough. And the list goes on.

And here I am talking about the blessings of God in a negative

way. Church, can I caution you?

I know you. I know you've been hoodwinked.

Your pastor and missus pastor probably are not perfect.

Close, but understand they have difficulties and they have

trials and they have circumstances and there's

probably been times I'm not going to ask him publicly, but

he's probably thought these people don't listen.

Well, apparently that's the case.

And I've been frustrated, Brother Trey, when I get up and

I preach to young people like and and you're preaching your

guts out and you're sweating and spitting and they're like.

What did you get out of that message?

A great nap. Somebody thought it was funny

circumstances. Let me give you #1 When it comes

to the life of Joseph, sometimes we forget this Joseph was from a

dysfunctional family. You ever heard that term before?

It's a family that doesn't. Function well.

I'm. I listened to about 10 chapters

of Genesis on the way down here today, and I was listening to

Joseph's life and I'm stopping to think about.

Let's stop and think about Joseph's dad.

For a second. His name, Jacob, is it brother

Paul? When when you think of Jacob, do

you think thumbs up or thumbs down?

He thinks, thumbs up. OK, I don't think that way.

I'm just. That's fine.

That's fine, so. Levi.

Thumbs up or thumbs down, he says.

Thumbs up, all right, We're not going a good direction right

now. I'm losing the battle.

All right, there you go. I got Doctor Swang to the

rescue. Thank you.

OK. At least the beginning of his

life, we're going to say he was known for being a cheater, A

trickster. The Bible word is supplanter.

He was not a good guy. He connived and he cheated to

get his way. So you stop and think about his

dad and then you got this Rachel Leah situation that gets ugly

and and Rachel's upset because Leah's having kids.

I can't figure all this out. And then they're like, well,

here's my concubine, which I used to think was.

Porcupine back in the day. And so you got Zilpud and you

got all the and there's all these kids and then and then

Dinah and his sister, she's a mess.

And I'm sitting there thinking, holy cow, Joseph didn't have the

perfect home. And praise the Lord, if you got

a good home, kids, you better thank the Lord for it, because I

walk into, you probably know this, those houses and Gary's

sometimes. Yeah.

You walk in and there's marijuana floating through the

house and vodka all over, and some of the houses don't have

furniture in it because they're absolutely train wrecks.

There's a young. Man that, Lord willing, will.

Graduate from our Christian School this year.

His name is Lavelle. Remember Lavelle?

Lavelle Wilson, I call him love, too.

He's got a tough home, but he's made some decisions.

Say I want to live for Jesus. But that's not parents say,

let's go. Let's read your Bible.

And pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow.

Let's get up on Sunday morning, Go to church.

No, no, they get up on their own because they want to.

And so I would say many of the homes we waltz into on a

Saturday with our nice shirts and ties on and acting like

we're we're God's gift to the world.

Those kids just want somebody to love them because their moms and

dads don't and they're dysfunctional in their homes.

Listen to what Winston Churchill.

Said he said. We shall fight on the beaches,

we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the

fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills.

Somebody said it. Sounds like our family vacation.

Then you got the favorite child thing.

That didn't work out so well, did it?

Did it? And so.

So the list goes on. You study the life of Joseph and

you stop and think, man, his brothers got so far as they

wanted to. They didn't just dislike him.

Now let's stop and think. Emma, how old are you?

12? All right, so let's picture

Joseph at 12. Let's just be real here, I could

just picture them. Like I am the favorite.

Just so you know, I got a favorite coat.

I got a special coat. And then maybe there was a time.

He said. I had a dream.

I don't know. He was probably annoying junior

high and I'm not saying you are, but most are so so we we have to

be real about the life. Of Joseph but his home was

dysfunctional and his brother said we want to kill you.

So that's I would say. Heavy circumstances.

I know young people that have taken their life at 1516 and 17

years old because of the dysfunctions of their home.

That's why it's good to pray for the kids in this church.

Mountain Victory Baptist Church is on my prayer list.

I've met somebody tonight, some of the other kids I have.

I pray for this church because the devil has a target on the

young people of this church. Pray, pray and they're in good

homes. Here's the problem.

I see a lot of kids in good homes chucking the things of the

Lord, let alone those are in dysfunctional homes that have no

hope. We must pray.

Number one. I see a dysfunctional family,

dysfunctional home #2 this one I'd like to caution Mount

Victory Baptist Church on. I call this distorted facts you

remember. When Joseph was working.

His normal everyday business in Potiphar's house and a lady

shows up. We don't.

Know her name? We'll call.

Her missus? Potiphar and she got interested

in that young man. And he did what?

Was right. Mind you.

Paul writes to Timothy flee fornication and Joseph had

opportunity to participate in fornication and before Paul

wrote to Timothy Joseph already. Knew I'm going to flee

fornication. Amen.

And so he does. And did it turn out real well?

For him? Oh, not for a couple years.

But what happened is. He was accused.

I want to help you because. I've been at this a long time

and I've seen a lot. Of churches go through things

like this. There's a title.

For the Devil, the title. Is the accuser.

Can I, can I warn your church that's what I'm going to do

tonight? And then I can get on the road

and you'll forget about me. That's OK.

We are very good. I'll say this.

We're exceptional accusers. We always know what people are

thinking. The Bible says in Jesus day many

turned and went back John chapter 6.

John 6 · chapter mention

And in our minds, we're like, yeah, I know why?

The Bible doesn't tell us why, but we're pretty good at coming

to assumptions and saying, well, they left the church because and

then we feel like because we know the answer.

I'm going to share it with my man right here.

He just has to know why Brother Johnny didn't shine his shoes

today. Are you with me?

And what happens is we've become really good at accusing one of

now this, this is husband wife issues.

This is kids to parents issues. And then what?

Happens is it filters into the church.

Let me remind you, when Potiphar said negative things about

Joseph, it cost. Him two years of his life in

prison. I just want to caution us to be

careful how we accuse one another.

And you say, well, I don't really do it verbally.

I. Do it on social media.

I've come to understand social. Media is not real social.

It's pretty unsocial. We should call it on social

media. And if you haven't, I don't, I

don't have it. I don't really mess.

With all that stuff, I got enough to worry about.

But all I'm saying is just be careful what you.

Type. Be careful what you text.

Be careful what you say because. A little bit of truth is good,

but sometimes we like to. Add a little bit to it and this

is not just a lady thing. Sorry.

I used to think the ladies were always the ones, you know, they

were the gossipers back and I think man, we.

Can get it. Pretty wrong too, so I want to

help your church if. There is an issue with.

Brother Brian and there may be lots, just just come and say,

hey, I just want to clear this up.

Don't accuse. Don't think, just come and

probably will be resolved quickly.

But Joseph had to overcome circumstances.

I've been called a lot of things in my day.

Some I cannot even say publicly and maybe some for good reason.

But there's that little slogan. Sticks and stones may break my

bones, but words will never hurt me.

That's that's a lie. That's a lie.

People were will remember what you say.

I had somebody come to my office and say, brother Amos, I've been

bitter at you for three years. I'm like and you know.

The problem was resolved quickly.

Because there was a misunderstanding.

I said what she said. I said like, yeah, but we got it

right. But three years it took.

I didn't know. She sure did, and probably every

time she saw me. All I'm saying is Joseph had to

deal with that. I shudder to think.

What people would say about the man of God and his wife, because

that's dangerous grounds. Don't, don't do it.

But churches can be destroyed by gossip.

That's a hard word. Distorted facts.

Joseph had to deal with that. But God, are you with me?

All right, so I'm going to keep moving #3 quickly.

Disappointing, forgetful fellows.

Sorry, I'm just sticking with the DS and the FS.

That's my grades now. Watch me, Joseph.

While he was in prison. Helped two men.

Specifically, the Butler. And the Baker, we know the

story. They had dreams, they were

worried, they were nervous, Joseph says.

Something's wrong. He helps them.

And what does he say to the Butler when he heads out the

door? On his way to freedom.

Don't forget me. And guess what happened?

He forgot. Like love you too.

And sometimes I come to understand the very people that

you help and you pour into their lives are the very ones that

will forget about you. So if if you're serving the Lord

for people. You're going to.

Quit. But if you're serving the Lord

because you just love Him? You're going to keep on going.

Dealt with a lot of bus kids over the years and I love.

Them to death. And sometimes you go up at the

house, you remember those days, you're working with a family,

you show up at the house, it's completely empty, never a word

to be heard from again. And you just wonder what?

Happened to that family, but this is when it gets a little

better. I call this and I can't spell

it. Correctly dreaming Pharaoh,

we'll. Just spell it with an F so it

fits the outline. This is when God steps in, and

this is when we have to stop and think all.

Joseph's in this forest, if you will.

He's in the midst of all the trees and he doesn't know what's

going on, but all of a sudden the Pharaoh is.

Sleeping. And he has.

A dream and God uses the dream to stir the Butler to

remembrance. Oh, I remember that guy.

He helped me in prison and all of a sudden the tide starts to

change. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2 real

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

fast. Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

This phrase is all throughout the Bible and I love this

because again, this idea. These two words, but God it.

Changes the whole dynamic of the scene.

Ephesians Chapter. Two verse #1 says.

This but you an end, You hath he quickened, who were dead in

trespasses and sins. Where in time passed, you walked

according to the course of this world, according to the Prince

of the power of the air, the spirit that thou worketh.

In the children of disobedience, among whom also we all.

Had our conversation in time past in the lust of our.

Flesh. Fulfilling the desires of the

flesh and of the mind, and we're by.

Nature, the children of wrath. Even as others next two words

verse #4 So here it is. You're on this path of walking

in the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and

somewhere along the line, God steps in.

Amen. For that I was a 12.

Year old boy when? God stepped in and changed my

life four years later. I wouldn't say I was on a really

good path, but I was doing my thing, quite selfish.

I was searching for the Lord and God stepped in and changed the

course of my life. It's also Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Don't turn. Don't turn there.

Scarcely for a righteous. Man, will one die yet?

Peradventure for a good man, some would even.

Dare to die but God? I'm trying to.

Encourage you tonight. This is when God.

Steps in and normally he does it when we're going through tough

times. Circumstances is the big word

dreaming Pharaoh, and it takes us to what I call a delightful

freedom. Imagine that you are a world

class concert piano player at the peak of your career.

Someone who has spent years. Studying and practicing.

Developing the art your fingers respond instantly to your

mental. Commands going along the.

Keyboard with grace. And speed.

I'm hoping my girls come to that point.

Then one day you feel a stiffness in your hands that

wasn't there before. You go to a.

Doctor tests, they're done and. The diagnosis comes back

arthritis, your fingers are destined to become wooden and.

Crippled from the heights of. Success and acclaim you will.

Plunge to oblivion. It happened to a man by the name

of Byron Janis Janis. Within a short time, this man

saw arthritis quickly spread to all his fingers and the joints

of nine of them had to be fused. Some people would have never

recovered from such a blow. But he decided to fight back.

He kept his ailment a secret. From all but his wife and two

close friends. He worked long hours to.

Change his technique. He learned how to use what?

Strength he had instead. Of concentrating on his

weaknesses. He also used the regimen.

Of medications, acupuncture. Ultrasound etcetera to deal.

With his pain, his wife. Learned how to give him

therapeutic massages to loosen his stiff joints.

Through hard work and sheer determination, he was able to

continue. His career he maintained a full

concert scheduled for 12 years without anyone suspecting.

I want you to listen. To this he told the world.

At a White House concert. These this this story.

He said this and this is what grabbed my attention, he says.

I have arthritis, but arthritis does not have me and what

happens is these circumstances. Are real.

I'm not trying to. Downplay circumstances and

issues that. You may be dealing with.

Now or have in the past. But don't let them own you.

My wife has been a dorm mom for 17 years.

Hard to believe girls will come to her and share her, share with

her things that she has had they have dealt with in the past.

And sometimes my mind is blown by what they've had to deal

with. Some have been ill used and the

stories go on. My daughter-in-law was one of

those girls gone through pretty tough stuff, and if you focus on

the circumstances, I promise you'll quit.

But As for you, but As for him? But As for, they meant it for

evil. But God.

We. Love to focus on those bad 15

years. But there was. 80 pretty good

years, all because Joseph said God's in the picture.

I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to fall apart

because He's the one that I'm living for and it's all under

His control. But God help us, Lord tonight.

I trust that this could be a blessing and encouragement to

those that have gathered tonight.

I do not stand before these folks as an example of

steadfastness and faithfulness. I there have been times I have

been in my pastor's office ready to throw in the towel.

But I'm so thankful that you're gracious and merciful and full

of compassion and willing to just keep us at it in spite of

the times that I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Maybe there's someone here tonight that was encouraged by

this, or maybe there's someone that's ready to quit.

I don't know. It's not my business.

For some reason, you urged me, encouraged me to speak along

these lines tonight. So I pray that you might use it

how you see fit. Bless these folks.

Thank you for their attention. I have these things in Christ

name, Pastor, Amen. Let's stand with our heads bowed

and eyes closed. I'm going to give you an

opportunity to respond to the message.

I don't know exactly what you're going through, but God does.

And I do know some of the circumstances that some of you

are going through, and I know it's a helpful message.

Whether you're in the middle of something right now or not,

you're probably going to go through something and you've

probably been through something. And we all need that.

We all need to be reminded about the fact that we have somewhere

where we can go and somebody we can go too.

And that's God. And what a great reminder from

the life of Joseph. Sure didn't have a very good

start. It seemed like everything was

against him. But God came and changed

everything for him. And it's only after Joseph threw

everything on him. Joseph made decisions that got

him to that spot. So as the piano plays, if the

invitations open, you come, if God's worked you hard.