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The most recent articles, videos, blog entries, and more that have been added to ChristianUnion.org.
Personal Reflections on How God Can Use Failure in Your Life
Failure in the life of a Christian should not surprise us, yet it is a topic that is not often addressed, even by Christian speakers. And when failure is inevitably experienced, either in the Christian life (moral/spiritual failure) or in the life of a Christian (defeat in day-to-day life), there is often little guidance for dealing with the agonizing and pervasive questions that may arise: Where is God? How could He let this happen? Does He really care or exist?In a recent article on Reasonable Faith, Christian apologist William Lane Craig sheds light on the topic of failure and its italy-med.com his own personal reflections.
Corinna Tu ('13) and Christopher Wood ('12), both Harvard Alumni, Have Something Significant in Common: They Both Discovered Their Faith During Their Time at the University.
Prominent universities like Harvard are often viewed as places where students, attracted by the freedom of a nonreligious lifestyle and besieged by temptations and radical secular teachings, lose what faith they may have had going in. This may regrettably be the case for a great many students, however there are some who earnestly seek God during their college years to develop a relationship with Him and a foundation of faith. Through deep intellectual curiosity and rigor in authentic Christian community, students like Corinne and Christopher experience moments that cause them to question, and eventually believe.
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Dear friend in Christ,Congratulations on making it to the 40th day of the fast, whether your fast has been every day, liquids only, or one, two, three or more daysper week, or whether you joined in for a dedicated stretch of a few days to many days. I praise God for you and am honored to have sought the Lord with you for these many days.
Though unknown by some Christians,
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away." – Song of Solomon 2:10-13Lush and heavy connubial language runs throughout all Scripture though is arguably the most evident in Hosea, Isaiah, and Song of Solomon. Here, God is a contemplative as He rhapsodizes like a lovesick teenager that would put a Taylor Swift song to shame. Yet, while there is unbelievable tenderness (Hosea 2:14), there is also protective jealousy. How often do you meditate on the fact that God is unapologetically jealous for you, His beautiful one (Exodus 34:14)?
The story of adulterous Israel and her many affairs among the nations reveals our own
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
It is difficult to say no. Particularly to yourself. Donna and Tom, two government employees on NBC's television show, Parks and Rec, have an annual "Treat Yo Self" day in which they allow themselves to be selfish. They pamper themselves, treat themselves to expensive and useless items, and do whatever makes them happy. What makes Tom and Donna's "Treat Yo Self" day so apropos is that these two, more than any other characters on the show, clearly treat themselves all the time.It is the natural inclination of the human heart to be selfish. In the book of Isaiah, God addresses Israel's failure; they do not trust in the Lord, they flirt with idols, and they fail to do justice. They are consumed
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
In fasting, let us consider God's call to humility. In Isaiah 66:2 God speaks through Isaiah the prophet and says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah is addressing the people of Israel. Uniquely chosen by the God of the universe, they had everything going for them. They were given the very law of God and experienced numerous blessings as the set-apart people of God. Yet they lacked the very thing that mattered most: humility. They were not trembling at God's word; they were not broken and contrite before the Lord.In the same way, we can lack humility. Rather than realizing our dependence upon our Maker, we are tempted toward pride and a spirit of independence. We think we can handle life on our own. Perhaps we pay
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Dear friend in Christ,Thanks a million for joining with me and hundreds of others in this 40-day endeavor to draw near the throne of God! The fast ends this Friday, February 21st, and it has been glorious! It's been greatly encouraging to interact with so many during this fast, including many who did not officially sign up but followed and participated in the fast via Facebook. Many have participated in liquids only up to this point and plan to end the fast that way on Friday. Others like myself have fasted liquids only and switched to one meal per day once they dropped below a certain weight.
This is what I did a week ago when my weight dropped below 160 lb., which is thin for a 6' 2" man! I was in J.Crew a few days ago trying on a shirt to wear for the annual benefit for The Bowery Mission here in NYC. I was trying on the slim fit shirt and the salesman said, "Hey man, I don't mean to offend you,
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
I hope you are all encouraged in this time of fasting and experiencing God's presence ever more fully, even as the stomach growls increase. More than anything, I hope that you have found yourself humbled by God as you've set yourself to the practice of righteousness in this fast. Today I'd like to concentrate on the concept of humility as the greatest fruit of any given fast. This is the manner in which we speak of fasting when it comes to a seeking-God lifestyle and a necessary reminder at this point in the fast.The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (cf. James 4:6-10). In Isaiah 57:15 God says, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (see also Isaiah 66:1, 2). This great God, who is above all earthly powers, loves to draw especially close to those who
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days..."- Luke 5:34
If we have never experienced what typically are the collective symptoms diagnosable as an eating disorder, then at the very least, we have certainly experienced the effects of being in a culture that is preoccupied with food, body image, and control.
Within the ministry at Harvard when a student takes the initiative to call a fast, it has become quite common for a student or two to inquire whether fasting is a good idea for them considering they formerly struggled, occasionally, or regularly struggle with a preoccupation with food. These students genuinely want to experience God through fasting but feel that their motives are "tainted" or that fasting might trigger the urge
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. - Colossians 1:24-2:5
Located on an important trade route in what today is modern Turkey, the ancient city of Colossae became home to a congregation of new believers who were facing the challenge of learning how the distinctive doctrines of Christian teaching differed from the pagan religious philosophies that surrounded them. Receiving news of the troubling teaching infiltrating
