I get these FCA things everyday and I really liked this one, so I thought I would share it.

READY: 
“So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.”
-Deuteronomy 5:32 (NASB)

SET: 
You step to the free throw line and look at the rim. “Just put the ball through the hoop, and we go to overtime,” you say to yourself. You’ve done this thousands of times in practice. Bounce the ball three times, spin it in your hands, look up at the rim and let her fly. But just when you’re about to shoot, you take your eyes off the rim and gaze through the glass backboard at what seems like a million fans yelling, screaming, waving things, and doing whatever they can to distract you from making this shot. A home crowd would never try to distract you, but this is enemy territory, and they will do whatever they can to make you miss this shot.
You try to refocus. You let the ball go. It heads toward the hoop, bounces off the rim, and out…

Ever been distracted like that in a game? I think we all have. And the same thing often happens in our spiritual lives. As Christians in this world, we are playing in an away game all the time. According to 1 Peter 2:11, we are residents of God’s Kingdom, not the world. Because of that, we are constantly being bombarded by flaming arrows from the home team that is trying to make us take our eyes off our target: the Lord.

These distractions can be obvious or subtle. They can cause immediate damage or erode over time. Think about it. The Old Testament is full of cases where God’s people replaced their devotion to the Lord with that of idols. Those idols were dangerous distractions and carried devastating consequences. Even though our idols are different than those of long ago, we still have them. Almost everything that distracts us from doing what the Lord has asked us to do is could be considered an idol when we place it above Him in priority.

The Lord wants us to spend time with Him daily through prayer, reading His Word, and fellowshipping with other believers. If we are spending all of our time on Facebook, YouTube, Nintendo, playing sports, or a variety of other activities, then we have clearly become distracted from our first love: Jesus.

Today, take an inventory of where you are spending all of your time. Are you turning to the right or to the left and not doing what the Lord your God has commanded you? Let’s commit to challenging each other to be victorious at this away game, keeping our eyes constantly on Him.

The president from Tabor College spoke this morning in our church and I like how he summed up the Bible in these three sentences:

God made me. God loves me. God calls me. 

So I have been student teaching for 6 weeks now and I have had the opportunity to get to know my students a little better. They are so amazing, each and every one of them. Don’t get me wrong, some never do their homework or pay attention. But I care for each them. I find myself wondering what their home life is like. Or driving past Sunnyside on my way home from class or work, and hoping they’re all doing well. It’s amazing how much energy it takes to care for 80 people. To pray for them and worry about them. To want to help them. I only have two classes, 80 students, and the emotional side is already wearing on me. But it is a good wear, it means I care. That I love what I do, and am invested in my career. 

On my way past Sunnyside today, it made me think how amazing our God is. He cares deeply for each and everyone of us. And not just on a ‘I know your name, grade, and basic interests’ level, but on a deep spiritual and emotional level. Here I am struggling to care for 80 people, when he cares for cities, countries, and the whole world full of people and all at one time. He loves us, and cares for us EVERY SINGLE SECOND of our lives. Now that’s amazing. 

I am currently reading 1 Kings. What would God think of our country’s history? Our leadership? Our faith? I thought it would be interesting to see it written out in similar format. I am in no way trying to rewrite the Bible, just looking at our history in a new way. Enjoy. 

1 Presidents 1

In the thirteenth year of the United States of America, George Washington became President. He reigned for eight years. His father was a planter and he grew up learning the morals, standards and knowledge of a Virginian gentleman. He wed the widow Martha.

There was war between the U.S. and Great Britain in his lifetime. As for the other events of Washington’s reign are they not written in the history books? And Washington rested with his fathers and was buried in Mount Vernon, his home. And John Adams succeeded him as President. 

1 Presidents 16

In the eighty fifth year of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln became President. He reigned for four years. A man of extraordinary faith and humble origins. He wed Mary Todd.

An enemy rose up during his reign, in the form of the Confederacy. He expelled slavery from the land and got rid of the laws laid down by his predecessors. Lincoln did right in the eyes of the Lord. As for the other events of Lincoln’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the history books? 

On Good Friday, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. And Andrew Johnson succeeded him as President. 

1 Presidents 44

In the two hundred and thirty third year of the United States of America, Barrack Obama became President. The first African American to serve in this position. He reigns to this day. 

We have a great variety of Presidents: religious, scandalous, firm, weak, brave, smart, arrogant, humble. What would God have to say about them? But more importantly what would God have to say about us? How we spent our life? I want him to say “Her heart was fully devoted to the Lord her God, as the heart of David her forefather had been.”