“…and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” - Philemon 1:6

Fasting is a time of humbling ourselves before the Lord so that we might behold Him in His glory and satisfy our spiritual hunger instead of our physical one.  In the absence of the richness of food, fasting gives us greater understanding of the richness we have in Christ.  In the midst of fasting, perhaps sharing your faith is not the first thing that comes to mind as a means of greater intimacy with Christ, yet Paul includes this discipline as a means of gaining the “full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.”  There are a number of ways that sharing our faith can provide us with a greater understanding of our riches in Christ, just as fasting can do.

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  - Deuteronomy 4:29

The Bible is full of such promises as this in Deuteronomy 4:29, with a straightforward equation for intimacy with God.  Unsurprisingly, these promises of seeking the Lord and finding Him include conditionality, such as the requirement that you seek after Him with all your heart and soul.  We know of God’s holiness and the need, as the Preacher says, to guard our steps when we go to the house of God  (Ecclesiastes 5:1). This might even appeal to our sense of piety and undergoing the necessary rituals to ready our hearts to seek Him.  However, I would argue that more than being conditional, these passages present the situational requirements for seeking God, making the pursuit of God more dependent on realizing our circumstances than in anything we can do or say.

In every society, the act of eating transcends an intrinsic need for food and involves, too, a complex web of individual, social, and historical particularities. The presence of food and drink throughout Scripture narrates, in both subtle and powerful ways, how people of faith come together and find themselves in relationship with one another. Instances of Jacob’s stew, manna from heaven, a widow’s everlasting cupboard, Jesus’ transformation of water into wine, and the great supper of the Lamb function to communicate deeper realities, from deception and isolation to God’s enduring faithfulness.

The evolution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament stands as one crucial example where the sharing of food and drink conveys a profoundly spiritual dimension. Paul finds it a matter of first importance to write to those Christians in Corinth concerning how they were misconstruing this very special meal. Paul’s corrective teaching in 1 Corinthians 11:17–22 sought to carefully illustrate how the Corinthians’ separatist participation in this meal was in fact contributing to the malnourishment of the body of Christ.

“Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” - John 12:1-3

Please read this passage a few times (and maybe John 11 as well) and try to visualize this scene. Imagine and feel the love, joy, and thankfulness around that dinner table.

Have you ever found yourself lost on the Internet? After 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or maybe even an hour, you catch yourself and wonder, “How was I able to waste so much time without even thinking about it?” For me, it is on Etsy or Pinterest browsing ideas for decorating my house -- and poof -- 30 minutes are gone.

I am not alone in wasting time decorating my house. In a little book called Haggai, at the end of the Old Testament, God raises up a prophet to tell the Israelites that they are wasting their time paneling their houses instead of rebuilding the Temple, and God is not pleased (Haggai 1:2-11).

One of my husband’s college friends posted on Facebook: “Does anyone in the D.C. area have a suit I can borrow, I am going to a meeting with President Obama.” We assumed he found one, even one that fit, because the next Facebook post was a picture with him and the President. We are a casual society; whether going to the opera in jeans or showing up to class in sweatpants, we don’t think our clothes represent our respect for a person or institution. But does the casual nature of our society influence our approach toward God?

In Exodus 19, the Israelites have been brought out of slavery and have come to Mount Sinai to worship and meet with their Deliverer. Verses 10-13 give instructions for this meeting: Moses is to consecrate the people, then they are to wash their garments and wait three days. Peter Enns explains consecration throughout Exodus is the “act of setting apart for special service to God. This fits well with the notion of Israel’s being a ‘holy nation’ and ‘kingdom of priests’ (19:6): They are set apart for God’s service.” They are about to meet the King of angel armies, something no other nation has ever done, and it’s clear preparation is involved. It is not a casual meeting, but a meeting with gravitas.  They are to prepare themselves and wait until the King is ready to receive them.

Overview

Athens in Paul’s time was no longer a politically important city.  Greece had given way to Rome, and its political influence had declined through the centuries.  It was, however, still the intellectual center of the world.  This city was heir to the great philosophers who set the standards and patterns of thought: Socrates, Plato, Epicurus, and Pericles.

After hearing about Athens all his life Paul, the academic and now the apostle, is finally there -- a city intellectually and culturally sophisticated but morally decadent and spiritually dead -- in spite of having, according to some accounts, up to 30,000 statues of gods.  No wonder they had a statue to “the unknown god!”

“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 Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College, when a student takes the initiative to call a fast, it’s become quite common for a fellow student or two to inquire whether fasting is a good idea for them, considering they formerly struggled, or now 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 to engage in further maladaptive restrictions.  There is no one-size-fits all solution to this very real struggle, but, often, I’ll direct the student to the point of fasting.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
- James  5:14-15

If the foundation of our faith is based upon the imitation of the Suffering and Triumphant Servant, Jesus Christ, and the tenor of the Scriptures is repeatedly one of grace in suffering for the people of God, what does seeking God look like in the midst of tremendous pain?

“And the king said, ‘Hang him on that.’ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated. “ - Esther 7:10

He was blindfolded; he couldn’t see anything.  But what he heard and felt terrified him. His head was spinning with what had overtaken him. The plan had seemed to come together better than he had ever dreamt.  He had planned things out meticulously. 

Please enjoy this devotional video, or stream/download an audio version below, or scroll down to continue reading.



https://soundcloud.com/christianunion/a-the-fall-of-evil-jim-black

Things had fallen into place beautifully.  Not only was King Xerxes going to exterminate his enemies—the Hebrews—but there was hope that one particular Jew would get his comeuppance.  The arrogant Jew, Mordecai, was going to see that he should have been more…respectful.  

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”  - Esther 4:16

She’d been in turmoil for days.  Her stomach was in knots.  Her family and friends were in despair…they were on the verge of genocide.  An evil man had desired the annihilation of all the Hebrew people; through political cunning, he had legislated a governmental policy of ethnic cleansing.  For the time being she was safe, but none of her dearest relations were. 

Their world was about to end.

Please enjoy this devotional video, or stream/download an audio version below, or scroll down to continue reading.



https://soundcloud.com/christianunion/a-courageous-fasting-jim-black

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:7

What is the result of the last post’s description of a lifestyle encompassed by expectant, petitionary prayer and thanksgiving?  A promise!  It is a “peace” that “guards” hearts and minds as they remain fixed on Jesus Christ.  Not only “a” peace, but His peace.  And not only His peace, but His peace which transcends all understanding!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” - Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:6 is one of the most well-known and certainly most quoted passages in Philippians.  And no wonder since in a modern day, anxiety-prone society we find God’s very real alternative to experiencing anxiety in just a few short verses.  While there is no doubt that these verses are applicable to our lives today, it appears that they were also applicable to the Philippians as well.

We live in a world where many view suffering as the primary indicator you are doing something wrong.  “You made a bad decision.” “You should have tried harder or prepared more."  Even when we view suffering through the lens of Christian faith, we hear similar reverberations.  “You don’t have enough faith.” “God must be judging you.”  While those are at times absolutely true, they can discredit the oft-neglected reason we suffer—for the good purposes of God.  Are we not called to persevere?  Are we not called to fight against the affliction of this present life?

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” -Colossians 3:1-4

It is possible to do all the right things in all the wrong ways. You may already know this, but it is something very easy to forget. It, therefore, ought to come as no surprise that we find warnings about this very thing throughout Scripture, especially in the Prophets. It is put perhaps most poignantly in the first chapter of Isaiah:

10            “Hear the word of the LORD,

                                    you rulers of Sodom!

                   Give ear to the teaching of our God,

                                    you people of Gomorrah!

As I was strolling in the Gastown section of Vancouver, British Columbia, I came across a storefront with a t-shirt on display that read: “I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry.” I posted a photo on both Instagram and Facebook and received quite a number of likes. I deduced two conclusions from this: 1) many of my friends know what it’s like to be “hungry;” and 2) our appetites have a lot more control over us than we care to admit.

I’ll illustrate my point with a headline I read in The New York Times in mid-July: “Amazon, a Friendly Giant as Long as It’s Fed.” You could replace “Amazon” with “Kevin” and the statement would be no less accurate. Perhaps this is true for you, too.

Hebrews 10:32-11:3

The Word of God is full of paradoxical statements, such as: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35); “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35); “….whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45). Many of the aforementioned teachings of Jesus are commonly referred to as paradoxical teachings. According to the Merriam Webster’s dictionary, a paradox is “something that is made up of two opposite things that seem impossible but is actually possible.” In other words, a paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement containing truth that joins two opposites.

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live…I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” -Deuteronomy 30:6,19-20

Every morning I face a real choice.  Do I spring out of my bed at 6 am when the alarm goes off to meet with the Lord in His Word and prayer before work, or do I hit ‘snooze,’ enjoy the weight of my down comforter and drift back into sweet slumber for another hour?  This has been no small matter for me over the past year, and sleep has regretfully won out more times than I would like to admit.  But when I immediately throw off the covers at the sound of the alarm, I have the sense that “today I win!”

Matthew 9:1-8 reads:

“And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.  And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”  And he rose and went home.  When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.