This is Devotion to Prayer

Thursday, January 23, 2020 When Darius became king over Babylon and its vast empire, he acted as one might expect a prudent ruler to do: he “set over the kingdom 120 satraps [i.e., provincial governors], to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials … to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss” (Dan 6:1–2, ESV). Among these officials, Daniel became the most distinguished—noted for the “excellent spirit” in him—and Darius intended to appoint him as his prime minister (v. 3).

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None Can Stay God's Hand

Wednesday, January 22, 2020 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,  and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”- Daniel 4:34-35 ( ESV)

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Revelation of God’s Presence

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Daniel answered the king and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.- Daniel 2:27-28 (ESV) An impossible task: tell the king his dream. Any clues? None. Any context? Not really. All right, go!  Crickets.  But God. God does something. He reveals to Daniel the king’s dream, and in so doing Daniel’s life is saved. Pagan wisemen are saved. Death was foretold by Nebuchadnezzar. But God brought life. But God. Possibly the two greatest words in all of Scripture. In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul writes “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…” An impossible situation. Death. The end. Yet Paul continues: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us…made us alive together with Christ.” Life! Hope! God’s grace in Christ Jesus!

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How to Find the God of Wisdom and Might

Monday, January 20, 2020 To you, O God of my fathers,    I give thanks and praise,for you have given me wisdom and might,    and have now made known to me what we asked of you,    for you have made known to us the king's matter.”— Daniel 2:23 (ESV) Daniel was guided by a deep-seated conviction, a belief that “God is the rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). This exiled Hebrew knew unequivocally that God opens to those who knock, He reveals to those who seek, He answers those who ask.

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Monday, January 20 - Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Christians across America participated in a ten-day fast (fasting from food). Participants followed the example of men and women of Scripture who humbled themselves and sought the Lord through fasting. Our country needs the spiritual renewal that only God can bring.  From Monday, January 20, 2020, participants sought God through the biblical practice of fasting. Some fasted from all foods for the entire ten days—drinking only liquids—or you may choose to fast one or two meals each day. For some, health limitations will require a different type of fast (see fasting resources). 

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• New York Events
• Past Events

CU New York Forum with Dr. Os Guinness

On Friday, January 17, 2020, CU New York had the privilege of hosting esteemed author and friend of the ministry, Dr. Os Guinness, for a forum on his most recent novel Carpe Diem Redeemed: Seizing the Day, Discerning the Times. Dr. Guinness challenged the audience to consider the true meaning and significance of time, our own mortality, and how intentionally we choose to live out our callings for God’s purposes. These biblical ideals about time stand in stark contrast to many common perceptions of time in today’s cultures, especially those in the west.

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• New York Events
• Past Events

Join Me and Believers from Across America for a Ten-Day Fast; Where Do We Stand on Abortion?; His Sister Was Sex-Trafficked for 6 Years — Here’s How He’s Devoted His Life to Fighting It; C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert; Tolkien’s Deadly Dragons; China Sentences Pastor Wang Yi to Nine Years in Prison and more, in this issue of Christian Union's bi-monthly email brief.  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.— 1 Chronicles 16:25

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Vita et Veritas

  Yale students are seeking to change the moral, cultural, and political landscape surrounding abortion on their campus and beyond.    Through Vita et Veritas, a pro-life conference in its seventh year, the student organizers from Choose Life at Yale (CLAY) aimed to provide a venue for thoughtful, productive, and nonpartisan discussion of the abortion issue and its broader implications for scholars, activists, and students. CLAY members “believe the right to life is fundamental, and we design our conference to help and inspire others to advocate for the lives of the unborn,” according to its website.

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• Yale

Remember the tape desk at church? I bet your church had one. As a child, I watched the adults drop a dollar or two in the donation box for a recording of last week’s sermon on audio cassette. Maybe they had missed the service, or perhaps they had enjoyed the sermon so much that they wanted to buy a tape for their friend. I remember that the tapes were pretty popular. More than a few copies were made each week for consumption by a small congregation.  

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• Seeking God

Princeton Students Lead National March for Life 

  On Friday, January 18, students from Princeton University were at the forefront of the March for Life in Washington, D.C., an annual rally aiming to protest peacefully the practice and legality of abortion in the United States. The rally started in 1974 and takes places annually near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the decision of the Supreme Court to decriminalize abortion.   This year, students from Princeton Pro-Life led the march, chanting in the front row as they proceeded through the city. Many Princeton students had come to the march in previous years. “It was really different to be able to march in the front and see all the people we were leading,” stated Allie Burton ’17, who served as past vice president of Princeton Pro-Life and made her third trip back to D.C. this year. “Personally, it was a very special moment for me when we marched past the Supreme Court.” Ally Cavazos ’19, the president emerita of Princeton Pro-Life, gave a speech to the crowd to fit the pro-science theme of the March for 2019: “Unique from Day One.”

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• Princeton

January 20 - January 29, 2020

 

“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” - Daniel 1:8 Who can stand against the living God when He chooses to act? No matter where our culture is currently, everything will change in a heartbeat when the God of the nations acts - and He acts when His people rise up, repent of sins, pray and fast and seek His face. What could be better than joining with so many others across the U.S. to fight in the spiritual realms through prayer and fasting?

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The Sexual State; Fast with Believers Across America; Ten Questions for the New Year; When Passion Leads to Burnout; Last Chance to Make an End of the Year Gift and more, in this issue of Christian Union's bi-monthly email brief.  Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.— Haggai 1:5

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The New Testament in Its World: How History Can Revitalize Faith; Christmas Doesn't Ignore Your Pain; Pressing Toward the Mark at Princeton; The Dark Psychology of Social Networks; Faculty Call for Ideological Diversity; Trevin Wax's 10 Favorite Reads of 2019 and more, in this issue of Christian Union's bi-monthly email brief.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.— Matthew 1:21

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Harvard Chaplains Pat and Tammy McLeod are sharing the account of their son’s traumatic brain injury and resulting disability in a new book entitled, Hit Hard: One Family’s Journey of Letting Go of What Was – and Learning to Live Well with What Is.

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• Harvard

“Whose Are We?”

  Editor’s note: The following staff editorial is reprinted with permission from The Harvard Ichthus, a journal of Christian thought and expression produced by undergraduates at Harvard University. This editorial is part one in the journal’s three-part series (to read parts two and three, visit http://harvardichthus.org).   In an article published in October of last year, The Harvard Crimson explored the ramifications of a new study from Harvard Medical School Professor Cindy Hsin-Ju Liu. A national survey conducted by Liu and her colleagues found that 20 percent of college students reported suicidal thoughts, 25 percent reported diagnosis or treatment for a mental health disorder in the previous year, 20 percent reported self-harm, and 10 percent reported having attempted suicide.   

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Testifying in Song

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer 

Stanford Testimony Christian A Cappella kicked off the new academic year by welcoming members of the class of 2023 during a spirited performance on the opening evening of classes. On September 23, Testimony joined with nine other student a cappella groups to stage the annual O-Show, Stanford University’s biggest a cappella event of the year. Each of the groups performed two songs during the 9 p.m. show at Memorial Auditorium. Stanford’s largest indoor performance facility was nearly filled to its 1,705-seat capacity for the annual gathering. The a cappella organizations banded together to greet students, especially frosh, and to invite undergraduates to audition for the coveted slots in the celebrated choirs. Per tradition, alumni of the musical groups returned for the back-to-school event. The O-Show is “one of the best ways we reach out to the campus broadly,” said Nate Marshall, president of Testimony. “We bring together the larger community. It’s a big a cappella scene.”  

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• Stanford

'Go and Make Disciples'

  Most Princeton students spend their summers engaged in activities such as internships, summer jobs, or backpacking trips, but undergraduates Jack Monaco and John Smith dedicated their long break to sharing the Gospel. The students’ spiritual fervor on summer break was the direct result of an effort at advanced discipleship by then-Princeton senior Mikal Walcott. During the latter half of the 2019 spring semester, Walcott led a group of five underclassmen (including Monaco and Smith) in an intensive, seven-week spiritual “boot camp” that included an hour of morning prayer and two hours of afternoon instruction, Monday through Friday. Walcott created this cohort after feeling called by God to pass along his knowledge and experience in advancing God’s kingdom to younger disciples. Although the commitment of nearly fifteen hours a week to prayer and instruction was difficult at a university like Princeton, the five young men immediately began to testify to incredible fruit and growth in their lives as a result of their commitment to the Lord and to each other during those six weeks. 

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• Princeton

Institute for Catholic Life Fosters Religious Discourse

  The Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life is a new initiative that will focus on the faith formation of Princeton students. Directed by married couple Alexi Sargeant and Leah Libresco Sargeant, and coordinated by Dr. R.J. Snell, the initiative comes out of the Aquinas Institute, the Catholic campus ministry at Princeton. Focusing on members of the undergraduate community, the Institute for Catholic Life offers a variety of seminars and guest speakers and hopes to create new conversations on campus related to faith and religious scholarship.    “As we develop, the vision is to provide a full range of formation,” explained Dr. Snell. “This includes liturgy and sacraments, small groups, Bible study, mentoring and spiritual direction, prayer, and also solid intellectual offerings in theology, philosophy, arts, and literature dealing with perennial Christian themes, as well as responding to contemporary questions and topics.”

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• Princeton

Ministry Leaders Seek to Foster Hope, Community 

  In the wake of the suicide of Gregory Eells, the University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, local campus ministry leaders pledged to actively support students battling depression. Christians with ties to Penn also expressed a desire to help foster a better sense of community and to emulate the hope of Christ to their collegiate peers. “Community is a big help. Welcoming people in and being especially attentive to those who are struggling is important,” said Patrick Travers, a director with the Penn Catholic Newman Community (newman.upenn.edu). In light of eternal matters, “the good news of the Gospel and the new life that Christ invites us to is quite different from the ‘successful life’ that Penn preaches.”

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• Penn

Penn for Jesus Hosts Edifying Event 

  Colossians 3:16 proclaims the fullness of joy and wisdom that can be gleaned from worshiping with other followers of the Lord: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (ESV)   The Scriptures make it clear how worship and fellowship will be used for building up one another. The All-Campus Worship Night at the University of Pennsylvania on September 28, 2019, certainly worked to rejuvenate the local community of Christians. The event, held at beautiful Christ Community Church, was hosted by Penn for Jesus, an organization with a mission of connecting and unifying all Christians on campus, irrespective of denomination, participation in any specific on-campus ministry, and church background.

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• Penn