St. Patrick was born to an aristocratic family in Britain in the fourth century. While he was a young man, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland where he was enslaved for six years. Due to this enslavement, Patrick never learned to read and is known as having a poor rhetoric because he was never taught the rhetoric of Britain. Patrick, however, learned a different type of rhetoric that allowed him to return to Ireland as an evangelist.
Patrick’s story is inspiring to me as a Christian. First, instead of resenting God and walking away from him because he was enslaved, Patrick used his knowledge of how the Irish thought and learned as a means of bringing them Gospel. When Patrick was able to return to Britain after six years in slavery, he became a bishop for the Roman Catholic Church and was called by God back to Ireland. A second way that Patrick inspires me is that God was able to use him to evangelize an entire barbarian country without a formal education! Because of being enslaved at the age of 15, Patrick did not receive the formal education he would have due to his family’s status in society. We can know based on Patrick’s life that God is able to use anyone at any academic level to spread his Gospel to those who haven’t heard. Finally, Patrick inspires me because he answered God’s calling in his life to be an evangelist to Ireland. When his critics were asked why Patrick returned to Ireland, they replied “He was compelled by God and called by the need of Irish.” If Patrick had not listened to God’s call for his return to Ireland, many Anglo-Americans would have a different life than the one they have today.
Although St. Patrick lived 1600 years ago as a contemporary of St. Augustine, his life and works still have an impact on not only Irish culture but also on the entirety of Christianity. So when you pull out your green this year and watch the parades (or pinch people for not wearing green), remember this incredible story about a man who followed God to a barbarian land and evangelized an entire country. To find out more about St. Patrick, his life and writings, check out the articles “St. Patrick in Fact and Fiction” by A. Haire Forster and “’Ego Patricius, peccator rusticissimus’: The Rhetoric of St. Patrick of Ireland” by Paul Lynch. You can search for these articles on Ebscohost and also the various books in the Library about St. Patrick.
~Jenny Dunning
Are human actions actually free, are they determined by God to do what he wants, or is the answer somewhere in the middle? This question of freedom came to me during a difficult final I was taking. As I sat there in that final I felt that all of my studying was for not and I was most likely going to receive a low mark anyway so why keep trying. I considered just closing up the final, handing it in, and hoping that I would just pass the class. Be assured however that I did not do this I pressed on and finished that final. However it did make me think about freedom and why God chose to give us this freedom. I think that because I wrestled with the aforementioned dilemma it is obvious that we do have freedom in some form.
With the freedom that we have what should we do? There is both good and bad that can come from having freedom. Most of the time there is many options that we choose on a daily basis but all of the options usually boil down to two main conclusion, good or bad. In my final the good outcome was to continue, and the bad decision was to give up. The majority of the time the good outcome will be a harder outcome to go after in decisions that are important. This is where perseverance comes in. Perseverance is defined as steadfastness in completing a task despite any difficulty or length of time in achieving success. To me this embodies the college life experience, because it is a great length of time and a very hard task to complete. As Christians we need to persevere also and not be lackadaisical in life. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” As men and women of Christ perseverance is a must because we are not ourselves but we are Christ.
In closing, since we are free as Christians we must choose the life of perseverance daily not just a once in a while when it counts kind of thing, but a lifestyle of decisions that are hard and for the benefit of God. In college there is plenty of options to pick with good and bad consequences such as; to skip class just because I have skips to use, to not complete an assignment or not do it on time, to not study, to give up, to drop out, and many more that will lead to destruction of your college career. What you should do is when hard decisions come face them and pull through. Create a schedule to study and do homework so you don’t find yourself awake at four in the morning finishing a paper due at eight. Use your personal discernment and don’t bite off more than you can chew. All in all, use the freedom that God has placed upon you to do everything in a way which glorifies him, is beneficial to you, and causes something great in return.
~Ryan Eshelman
There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the sun rise above the horizon early in the morning. As
it slowly peeks above the horizon and seeps between the branches of the trees,
the warmth it sheds is enough to warm every passer by’s shivering hands.
This semester I’ve had the joy of watching the sun rise as I walk to work in
the library early in the morning . It’s been something that has brought joy and
warmth to my heart and my hands on cold wintry rainy mornings.
As I ponder the little joys in life, like the rising sun, I thought about our porcelain lives, so fragile and frail… only one crashing wave away from being shattered to peices. Yet with every day I wake and watch the sunrise, I somehow manage to take it for granted. With every breath, I fail to realize His grace in giving me yet another moment.
Another moment to breathe,
to see,
to dream,
to hope,
to grow in godliness,
to smile,
to be His,
to live a Holy life,
and to Love in obedience to His command.
It’s so easy to get distracted by the grandeur of this world and all it has to offer, and I am not immune. But I wonder…what would it look like, if every porcelain life lived wholly dedicated to His purposes? What would my life look like if in light of my hopes and dreams, I let His light shine the way and change the path where He sees fit?
Maybe a porcelain life isn’t that bad after all. If it’s shattered by a crashing wave of reality, all it’s pieces will rest in the hand of the one who molded it to be in the first place.
C.T Studd put it this way:
Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
…
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13: – 18
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that , we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
~Grace Suliman
I have been at PBU for 10 years this semester. I started my undergraduate work in Fall 2001, I lived in Davis Dorm with a wonderful group of women who loved adventure and had huge goals for the future. It is has been a privilege seeing how their lives have changed and the paths they have taken in the last 10 years. I have remained at PBU to work in the library as my life has always revolved around books, my parents and grandparents fostered this love in me and my work as a librarian here at PBU is rewarding as I get to help students at PBU learn and exceed in their academic studies.
During my undergraduate years a large percentage of my friends consisted of music majors and through them and my cousin in the honors program I was introduced to Dr. Hsu. My first thoughts on Dr. Hsu was that he was brilliant on the keys, he played superbly and yet was one of the most approachable men I have ever met. I worked in the library and it was months before I realized Dr. Hsu and the Dr. Hui's were all related, I think it finally sunk in when I was invited to Ms. Stewart's house for one of the holidays I couldn't get home for that year.
In the last 10 years I have been blessed to know and to learn from Dr. Hsu, not piano (I am a hopeless cause there), but rather in his wisdom and love of the Lord. My roommate for many years was a music major and when several of my classmates and Dr. Hsu's personal assistants had left the area my roommate and I would on occasions take Dr. Hsu home. Those trips were always interesting and filled with grand conversations. I especially remember one trip out to a friend's wedding in Shoamokin, PA when my roommate and I took Dr. Hsu out there so they could play a duet together for the wedding. Dr. Hsu was internationally known and yet he was always so involved in his students and former students lives that he would frequently play at their weddings and events. He is a man who left a deep impact on the people in his church and here at PBU. Even when he wasn't feeling well he would always have a smile and a kind word.
We will miss Dr. Hsu, but we also know that he is with the Savior he loved so well. He spent almost 40 years with the students at PBU, investing and sending them out to the field. I am sure if you asked him how the time went he would say quickly, and yet what a wonderful investment.
~Laura Saloiye
From the PBU Facebook site:
Dr. Samuel Hsu Memorial Visitation Wednesday, December 7, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Dunn-Givnish Funeral Home in Langhorne, PA, the family will receive visitors. Memorial Service Thursday, December 8, 10:00 am at Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA. There will be a prelude beginning at 9:30 am with former students of Dr. Hsu playing. The service will also be simulcast at Philadelphia Biblical University in the Chatlos Chapel.
We often talk of the fact that we are the church, and that is most certainly true, but I think we often forget to think of ourselves in terms of the invisible Church. The invisible Church, as most theologians describe it, is the body of God’s people throughout all of human history (or Pentecost, if you don’t include Israel). Regardless, I think it’s important to remember that when we are adopted into the family of God we are not by any means the only ones; there are a lot of those old boring dead guys who were bought by the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit too. And, many of them had really helpful things to say.
~Zak Fixler
library for a few years now. It was one of the most beautiful messages I have heard and it seemed a lot of people found it to be really encouraging for where they are at and have been feeling. Although his artwork is most definitely fabulous, what touched me the most was the fact that he was able to make the message he shared this morning an art in and of itself.
He spoke on John 11. He focused on verse 11, pointing out that Jesus’ tears in this passage can aid our understanding of the arts and culture. He described three of the people present at the scene including Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Each of these individuals had very different personalities, mannerisms, desires, thoughts etc. throughout the chapter. Because each of them was so different, the approach that Jesus Christ had to take to reach them individually had to be unique. Fuijimura reminded us that in our suffering and crises Jesus is the ultimate master of helping us uniquely in difficult situations. When life is filled with chaos, we need to be reminded that Jesus wept. He stated that a day will come when our sufferings will not be worth it anymore because we will be reclining with Jesus. Our reaction to this is to be that of love, prioritizing our lives, and truly living in Christ's freedom. Fujimura challenged us to face the world by creating and showing beauty, truth, and goodness. All of this should be done in confidence for God's glory.
Makoto Fujimura’s message displayed such reverence for the Lord, while also pointing out so many aspects of John 11 that I have never noticed. Take some time and check out the passage in light of Fujimura’s thoughts. Also, take some time and stop by the library to check out some of his artwork!
~Christa Joy Ciotta
Library Items by Makoto Fujimura
Makoto Fujimura's website
Image: Fujimura, Makoto. Aijo (Compassionate Love). Digital image. Makoto Fujimua. 1987. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.
The last week of the semester is here. It’s crazy to think how much has been accomplished or how much work is left to be accomplished, all the events that have taken place, and everyone we have gotten to know a little better these past months. So much has happened and so much has affected the way we think and the way we act. Each occurrence, each lecture, each person has an effect on our lives and it is amazing to look back and see the difference. Whether it has only been a semester or it has been your college career, life changes you and it is amazing how God uses it for His glory. We have talked a lot about God’s power, mercy, and glory in chapels with President Williams has spoken often on how we view God. It leaves us with questions we need to ask ourselves. After your time here so far, how have you changed? How has your view of God changed and what has caused this? After so many lectures, we can either leave completely unchanged or completely renewed and abounding with a great knowledge and love for God. I hope that the time we have spent here has been beneficial and that God’s goodness and hand are seen throughout it all.
~Sara Garms
When God Doesn’t Make Sense- By James Dobson
0 comments Posted by The Masland Library Blog at 2:56 PM
Whether be it today, a month from today, or in ten years, I can assure you of one thing, we will at one point ask God, “ Why?!?” Why me? Why now? And we may even proudly scoff, “I could do better than this! You have NO idea what this is doing to my life.”
As if he didn’t already know what was happening and as if he forgot to wear his glasses today and was too far off to see you crying fountains in your bedroom. Well let me assure you of this: 5 The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.( Psalm 121: 5-6) He sees everything your going through, and He knows exactly what’s happening…even when it seems otherwise.
Dr. James Dobson makes it clear that he cannot answer the enduring “Why?” But he says this: “God always makes sense even when he doesn't make sense” Often when we are in the midst of trials we feel as if we’ve been abandoned by God. As if he really couldn’t care less about what’s happening with us, and we too quickly lose our faith and write God off as an uncaring and blind God. Our emotions and feelings….honestly, they are not the most reliable. If you’ve ever “followed your heart”, as you know the saying goes, you’ve probably often found yourself wondering why you ever did that. (Jeremiah 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ) “Establish your foundation not on ephemeral emotions but on the authority of the written Word. He promised never to leave us (Matthew 28:20).” (When God Doesn’t Make Sense- James Dobson)
So even when God doesn’t seem to make sense to us, He still makes sense… because He is God and we are not, and when we “feel” like He is doing a bad job, we need to stand upon the firm foundation of God’s promise. (Yes, I acknowledge, it is much more easily said than done. But with God’s empowerment….it is possible.)
God told Job…
Job 38: 4-8 4"Where were you (E)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
5Who set its (F)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6"On what (G)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together
And all the (H)sons of God shouted for joy?
8"Or who (I)enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
And just like Job, our response should be :
1Then Job answered the LORD and said,
2"I know that (A)You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
3'Who is this that (B)hides counsel without knowledge?'
"Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (C)too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
4'Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will (D)ask You, and You instruct me.'
5"I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (F)eye sees You;
6Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes."
~Grace Sulaiman
The book can be found in the PBU Library here: BT732.7 .D628 1993
If it is true that nothing even remotely compares to knowing Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:8), and I believe that is true, then how does a follower of Christ handle literature? Why do we promote learning other things to such an extent? Why are we not simply studying the Scriptures constantly? It is them that point to Christ after all (John 5:39). These are questions that have hounded me for a good portion of this semester, and I am finally ready to approach an answer to them – from the example found in Acts 17.
Once we have traveled 16 verses into Acts 17, we find Paul hanging around in Athens. He was just sent away from Berea because of the angry Jewish mob that had been chasing him, and he is now waiting for Timothy and Silas to catch up. Since Paul never made a habit out of wasting time (something I need to learn from), he immediate started, “preaching Jesus and the resurrection” (17:18, ESV). Paul’s teaching apparently caught the attention of some Greek philosophers, and from verses 18 – 32 we can listen in on their dialogue. During the course of this discussion, Paul both uses their own sculptures (vv. 22-23), and quoted from a couple of their own poets, the [1]Cretan poet Epimenides, and the Cilician poet Aratus (v. 28). This should tell us two things: firstly, that Paul knew the current poets of his time, and secondly, that Paul used those poets as a door to reach people with the gospel.
This has convicted me personally, both with the amount that I interact with literature, and with what I do with it. Here at the library, we have a massive supply of books ranging from literary classics to biblical commentaries. I believe, as good stewards of the time God has given us, that we should engage ourselves deeply in both. During our time Philadelphia Biblical University, we have an incredible opportunity to gain knowledge about Christ, and the world He has called us to minister in. Let’s engage carefully, and thoughtfully, in literature. That way, when the time arises, we can be like Paul and use the world around us start conversations about Jesus – the only knowledge that truly matters.
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