If you happened to watch the Kentucky/Michigan game Sunday you witnessed what is being touted as the best finish of this year’s NCAA Tournament.  With 2.3 seconds left in the game, Aaron Harrison made a 3-pointer from about twenty-four feet giving the #8 seed Kentucky Wildcats a 75-72 win over the #2 seed Michigan Wolverines and a trip to the Final Four.

Come-from-behind wins make for exciting finishes.  Such is the story of Joseph.  As the favorite son of Jacob, Joseph was labeled as the #1 seed among his brothers.  He was picked most likely to succeed in his High School yearbook.

Then tragedy struck as the long winning streak seemed to give way to an extended losing streak.  First, Joseph was cast into a pit.  Then he was sold into slavery and carted off to Egypt.  Next, he was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison.  Finally, he was forgotten by the one guy who could help him.

And so it was that Joseph sat in an Egyptian prison as several of his most prime years passed by.  But Joseph was determined to stay in the game.  Though hard-pressed on every side, he was not crushed.  Though perplexed, he was not in despair.  Though persecuted, he was not forsaken.  Though struck down, he was not destroyed.

There would be no story had Joseph not remained faithful.  But he did!  What comes next is one of the all-time great finishes.  In a day, Joseph was promoted from the prison to the palace.  He went from being a slave to the second highest ruler in the land – a position he would fill for the rest of his life.

That’s not all.  Genesis 48:22 tells us that Joseph was given a double-portion of land in Canaan.  Look at a Bible map of the twelve tribes of Israel.  You will not find a land area marked “Joseph” because there was no tribe in Israel called by that name.  But you will find two tribes named for the sons of Joseph, “Ephraim” and “Manasseh.”  The son thought to be lost ended up with twice the inheritance!

No matter how lopsided the score may be or how many times you’ve been knocked down, stay in the game.  Don’t quit.  The eternal prize is not given to those who finish first; it’s given to those who finish.  Stay faithful and finish strong.

Here’s to great finishes!

Pastor Todd

PS – Congratulations to all you Kentucky fans:)!  Condolences to all my Michigan friends:(!

The story is recorded in 1 Kings 20.  The Syrians, led by King Ben-Hadad, launched a massive campaign against the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Ben-Hadad was an arrogant cuss.  He did a lot of trash talking and engaged in a war of words with Ahab in an effort to intimidate the King of Israel.  But talk is cheap.  Though greatly outnumbered, Israel defeated the Syrians and sent them running for home.

A year later the Syrians regrouped and came against Israel again.  But this time they changed their strategy.  Since the first battle had been fought in the hills around Samaria, the Syrians reasoned their defeat was because the God of Israel was a God of the hills.  So they decided to change locations and fight Israel in a valley.

So Ben-Hadad assembled a huge army.  So great was the mismatch that 1 Kings 20:27 described the army of Israel as two little flocks of goats in comparison to the Syrians who filled the countryside.  The Syrian king thought he had Israel this time.  They were outnumbered and in a valley.  What Ben-Hadad did not know but was soon to find out is that the God of Israel is the God of the hills and the valleys!  And once again, Israel defeated the Syrians and drove them out of the land.

I believe this is a story we need to hear again because life consists of hills and valleys.  Life is a composition of good times and bad times.  There are moments of success and moments of failure.  This is true for believer and unbeliever alike.  

So is the Lord only the God of the hills?  Are the promises of God good only in the good times?  Is He trustworthy only when things are going right?  Or is He just as real and just as faithful in the hard times?  Is His goodness steady and unchanging?  Is His love still amazing when you are passing through some deep, dark valley?

I think you know the answer.  No matter where life takes you, God is there and is able to bring you through.

Most of us have read the beautiful poem entitled Footprints. The story behind the poem concerns the trials the author, Margaret Fishback, went through prior to writing the piece.  The person she loved left her.  On the heels of that she became seriously ill with meningitis and was bedfast for many months.  As a result, she came to the lowest place in her life.

A little later she met a man who fell in love with her and wanted to propose marriage.  But she refused, stating that she had no trust.  She didn’t know if she even trusted God anymore, and she knew she certainly did not trust men.

It was late one night, in this valley of sorrow, that she began to write in her diary the beautiful poem we know as Footprints.  And it was in the writing of the poem that God gave her the answer the needed.  

“One night a man had a dream, and he dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the Lord.  And across the sky flashed scenes of his life, and for each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand – one belonging to him, and the other belonging to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him he looked back at the footprints in the sand.  He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.  And he also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and the very saddest times of his life.  This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.  He said, ‘Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way.  But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there’s only one set of footprints.  I don’t understand, Lord, why when I needed you the very most you would leave me.’

The Lord replied, ‘My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’”

Whether you are on the hilltop or the valley low, God is there for He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  He is the God of the hills and the valleys.

Pastor Todd Weston

It is silently going on all around us.  It’s affecting river banks, shorelines, glaciers, and deserts.  I’m talking about the process of erosion.  Erosion has been defined as “the gradual destruction or reduction and weakening of something.”  The devastating effects are not manifested all at once.  Rather, erosion is the process of where something is diminished or destroyed by degrees.  

In the physical realm erosion is the result of natural forces such as wind and rain.  Possibly the greatest example of the erosive powers of nature I have ever seen is the Grand Canyon which is believed to have been formed by the waters of the Colorado River.  Whatever the cause, erosion always results in loss.

In last Sunday’s message we talked the spiritual erosion that occurred in Israel when a generation arose who did not know God or the work He had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).  In an alarming rate of speed, Israel experienced an erosion of faith that undermined the spiritual supports and plunged the nation into deep darkness.

So how can we personally avoid the dangers of this destructive process?  Here are three helpful suggestions:

1. Be Aware – Realize that no believer is immune from the dangers of spiritual erosion.  We must maintain an attitude of alertness and vigilance.  If it could happen to such biblical characters as Samson and Solomon, it can happen to anyone.  Thus the warning of Scripture, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
2. Be Proactive – As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  The time to address the danger of erosion is before it occurs.  Put safeguards in place by following the advice of Peter who said, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue… knowledge…self-control…perseverance…godliness…brotherly kindness…and love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
3. Be Connected – We cannot always see the spiritual erosion that is occurring in our own lives, but others can.  For this reason alone we need the constant accountability that comes from being connected to the Body of Christ.  It’s easier to stop erosion than to repair or rebuild the damaged life.  To prevent spiritual erosion, stay connected to the church.
   

The danger of erosion is a natural and spiritual reality.  It can be prevented if we will just pay attention to the things that matter.  As the proverb writer said, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).




Pastor Todd Weston

His name was V.G Greison.  As a young man he emigrated from Europe to the United States.  Somehow he ended up in Kansas, and somehow he ended up in the Assemblies of God.  He eventually rose to the position of superintendent of the Kansas District of the Assemblies of God.  

I had the privilege of meeting brother Greison (as I called him) forty-one years ago this month.  He was a friend of my grandfather who pastored in Kansas, and came as a guest speaker at the church our family attended in Springfield, Missouri.  My parents entertained the Greisons in our home (I will always be indebted to them for that), and that is how this great man of God became my friend.  

We corresponded by mail a few times.  I wish I would have saved the letters.  On other occasions I had the opportunity to sit with him in his home office at the Wheat State Campgrounds just east of Wichita and listen to his stories from the past.  I even have a few treasured items he gave me from his collection of mission’s souvenirs.  They are now on display in my office.

So why am I taking you on this trip down memory lane?  To show you the impact an eighty-year-old preacher had on a twelve-year-old kid.  An impact felt just as much today, if not more so, than it was in March 1973.   

Never underestimate the impact you can have in the life of a young person.  Do not miscalculate the lasting power of your godly imprint.  And don’t undervalue the influence of your example and words.  

As a seasoned believer in Jesus Christ, you have more to offer than you know.  Don’t hold back.  Be a model and a voice to the next generation, “Telling the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.”  (Psalm 78:4)




Pastor Todd Weston