2015 ADVENT DEVOTIONS Jesus is ourChrist Peace · 2015 ADVENT DEVOTIONS FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY BIBLICAL SEMINARY Jesus is ourChrist Peace. Welcome ... For us, not seeing all the

2015 ADVENT

DEVOTIONS

FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY BIBLICAL SEMINARY

JesusChristis our

Peace

Welcome“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” –Psalm 130:5

Read Psalm 130

Warm greetings in the name of Jesus, the word of God in the fl esh! Th ere are endless reasons today why we might feel discouraged and afraid—sickness, unemployment, violence, broken relationships, shatt ered

dreams—you name it. None of us are exempt from the sometimes overwhelm-ing concerns of the world. Yet the resounding truth of Scripture is this: In Jesus Christ, we have hope, hope that no one and nothing can take away!

As we move into and through the upcoming seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, we at Fresno Pacifi c University and its seminary want fi rst to thank all of you who have participated so generously and prayerfully in the kingdom work that we share. Please accept this devotional booklet as one expression of our gratitude for your support.

Beyond that, we want to invite you to join us in celebrating the hope that Jesus Christ off ers to each and every one of us—and to the entire world! As administra-tors, faculty, students, alumni and friends of the seminary, we have writt en these devotionals to inspire you in your walk with the Lord. We understand that life is oft en diffi cult and seemingly unfair, but we believe that in Christ we are people with a bright and eternal future! We are, once again, people of hope.

As you read through and refl ect on these short meditations, please keep all of us at Fresno Pacifi c in your prayers. Pray that we will be att entive to God’s Spirit, alert to new opportunities and faithful to our calling.

May the hope that we share in Jesus Christ lighten your load and inspire your testimony!

Terry L. Brensinger, Ph.D., Vice President of Fresno Pacifi c University and Dean of

Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

1

SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 28

Dad’s Home“Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.”—Isaiah 52:8

Read Isaiah 52:7-10

Like other children with caring parents, I remember saying from time to time something like, “Wait ‘til my father gets home.” On one occasion a neighbor-hood tough guy was bullying me as I lay defenseless in his backyard. “Wait ‘til my

father gets home,” I blurted out with confi dence and hope. In my mind—if not in the tough guy’s!!—my dad would make everything right.

In Isaiah 52:7-10 we encounter the people of Judah, who have for many years been beaten down by neighborhood bullies. When this patt ern of abuse reached its climax, the people lay helpless, pinned in a foreign land under the weight of their Babylonian oppressors. If you put yourself in their place and begin to sense their despair, you can almost hear them cry out, as I did many years ago, “Wait ‘til our father gets home.”

“Your waiting is over,” the prophet announces here with word pictures describing the arrival of a benevolent king to free his fallen subjects. “Your situation in life is about to change dramatically. Get up and brush yourself off . Dad is pulling into the driveway, and all of the neighborhood bullies have been put on notice.”

Dear God, help us to understand just how radically the coming of Jesus to earth changed the playing fi eld for everyone. With you at home and always watching over your children, we can stop pacing the fl oor, catch our breath and rest easier at night.

Terry L. Brensinger, Ph.D., Seminary President and Vice President of

Fresno Pacifi c University

2

SUNDAY | NOVEMBER 29

Dad’s Good Stuff

“But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without some-one to proclaim him?”—Romans 10:14

Read Romans 10:9-17

When as a child I’d say, “Wait ‘til my father comes home,” I typically had my own self-interest in mind. In fact I can scarcely imagine, let alone recall, a single occasion when I made such a remark with the welfare of

my tormentor in view! I wanted my dad to help and protect me—period!

Unfortunately, such an att itude failed to do justice to either my tormentors or my father. My tormentors, fi rst of all, were oft en lonely kids from the neighborhood who did not have a loving father of their own. My dad, furthermore, was hardly just a judge or protector. He was gracious and caring, willing to give the coat off of his back to anyone who needed it. In a real sense my father and my tormentors had a great deal to off er each other, but I never helped them make the connection. I never really shared all of the good stuff about my dad.

I can’t help but wonder, then, when I read Paul’s comments here in Romans 10:9-17. What if, rather than threatening my tormentors with comments about my father’s anticipated arrival, I invited them to a cookout with him instead?

Gracious God, please help us to realize that one of the joys of having a loving father like you is the privilege of sharing you with others. Forgive us when we, whether out of fear, hatred or indiff erence, overlook the deepest needs of others and keep you all to ourselves.

Terry L. Brensinger, Ph.D., Seminary President and Vice President of


3

MONDAY | NOVEMBER 30

Preparing for the Royal Arrival“He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5

Read Isaiah 53:4-6

Preparing for the birth of a baby fi lls everyone in the family with joyful antici-pation. Nothing is quite so beautiful or wondrous as a newborn, and if the baby is also a royal celebrity, all the positive emotions are intensifi ed. So it is

no surprise that the fi rst coming of Jesus was announced by celestial music from exuberant angelic choirs. Each year in countless cultures around the world the followers of Jesus prepare to celebrate the birth of the royal baby Jesus with happy hearts.

For us, not seeing all the emotional and physical wounds and suff ering that a baby will endure in a lifetime is a blessing that enhances our delight. But the prophetic vision of Isaiah the prophet describes the dreadful end of the royal baby Jesus’s life: whipped, stabbed, beaten bloody, horribly disfi gured and humiliated for no fault of his own. He was crushed for our sins and wounded for our transgressions. He was separated from the Father so that we could live in the Father’s loving pres-ence. All this the prophet shows us. Th e Prince of Peace will suff er and die for our peace.

We can rejoice at the fi rst coming of Jesus because there will be a second coming. We rejoice at the fi rst Christmas because there will be a second Christmas of glori-ous power and endless delight. We prepare our hearts for the royal arrivals.

Heavenly Father, prepare our hearts to joyfully celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, give thanks for his sacrifi ce that redeems us, and anticipate his coming again.

Richard Kriegbaum, Ph.D., President, Fresno Pacifi c University

4

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 1

Preparing for Peace “So he came and proclaimed peace to you.”—Ephesians 2:17

Read Ephesians 2:13-20

Preparing for the coming of the peacemaker typically means preparing for the arrival of an authority who will vindicate your position and declare that you are right and the other side is wrong. Th e peacemaker comes to

impose peace. You may be the insider who has the natural inherent advantage, the implicit blessing. Th e outsiders want your birthright and blessing. Th ey may think the values of their culture are just as valid as yours. Th ey may even think they have a right to fi ll key roles, infl uence major decisions and control behavior.

Neither side sees any possible way to reconcile the diff erences. Th e insiders must be declared right and the outsiders must submit if they want to belong. And thus disagreement becomes codifi ed with the distance and silence of a dividing wall of hostility. Th ose of the dominant culture claim higher knowledge of the truth and have more economic and political power. Th ey are the insiders trying to protect what they have from the “unworthy” outsiders. And thus it was.

So Jesus came. He did not impose peace, he proclaimed peace to reconcile the out-siders and the insiders. He became peace himself through the cross to reconcile both groups to God, and thus also to each other. And thus it is now. So we must once again humbly prepare for the coming of the true Prince of Peace.

Whether I am an outsider or an insider, purge and prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus, the true peacemaker who reconciles us to God and each other.

Richard Kriegbaum, Ph.D., President, Fresno Pacifi c University

5

WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 2

Praying for Peace

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”—Psalm 122:6

Read Psalm 122

Anyone who has been blessed with the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem has certainly noticed the many mementos sold to tourists on which our verse is engraved: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Th is past year I had

the wonderful privilege of spending six months in Jerusalem with my family, but Jerusalem’s peace seemed rather illusive. One poignant example was walking to our friend’s wedding at Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in the Mid-dle East, when the war sirens went off , signaling that rockets fi red from Gaza were heading for the city. Fortunately for us, the danger was quickly averted. We watched as Israel’s Iron Dome system shot the rockets down from the skies. Although the wedding proceeded as planned, one would hardly call that peace.

During this Advent season we are focusing our att ention on Jesus our peace. Even for those who seek God, it is surprisingly easy to miss that Jesus is our peace. Jesus himself noted it about Jerusalem–a city fi lled with those most concerned about being faithful to God and obeying what he required of them: “If you [ Jerusalem], even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:42).

Sometimes Jesus shows up to bring peace in ways we don’t appreciate, in places where we’re not looking or to areas in our lives where we haven’t yet recognized we need peace. In short, we don’t recognize the peace Jesus brings. We confuse our own fabricated “Iron Domes” as being the absence of rockets. May we be watchful to recognize how Jesus wants to be our peace.

Lord, give me the humility to recognize where it is that Jesus would like to bring me peace, that I may more fully experience what it means that Jesus is my peace.

Brian Schultz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies

and Program Chair, Fresno Pacifi c University

6

THURSDAY | DECEMBER 3

Peace in the Messiness of Life

“My steadfast love shall not depart fr om you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”—Isaiah 54:10

Read Isaiah 54:9-10

A few years ago my family and I visited the self-proclaimed “happiest place on earth” (also known as Disneyland). While there, the ground began rolling and the buildings and rides began shaking. An earthquake! We

quickly ran to safety until it was over.

In our pursuit of peace and happiness, the earthquake image oft en describes our lives. Th is is the picture of Isaiah 54. Words of promise and peace come to a shaken, abandoned, childless woman. Maybe you identify with her or other “earthquake-like” experiences: grief, fi nancial hardship, personal health issues, a relational crisis or even the stress and dread of Christmas. Th e list of potential points of chaos and pain in our lives is virtually endless. God reminds us that our circumstances do not defi ne us and need not keep us from peace and happiness.

While we pray for peace on earth, God’s words of peace also come to us in the midst of our everyday lives. Th is is where the miracle of peace does its best work—in human hearts. God is in the midst of turning our mess into something beautiful. Do you believe he can do that in your life? Trust—that seems to be today’s invita-tion. Personal peace begins as we place our trust in God despite our circumstance. His promise is that our mess is not the result of his anger but the place where his steadfast love, compassion and peace turn broken pieces into beautiful things.

Lord, our redeemer, breathe peace into our troubled lives. As we face various “earth-quakes” this Christmas season, may we trust in your promise of peace and see signs of you in our daily lives.

James Bergen, Pastor at North Fresno MB Church, FPU Trustee and

Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary Committee Chair

7

FRIDAY | DECEMBER 4

Unlikely, Irrational Peace “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will fi nd your welfare.”—Jeremiah 29:7

Read Jeremiah 29:7-14

My parents looked at me with that “if-anything-happens-to-our-grand-kids-because-of-your imprudent-decision-we’ll-never-forgive-you” look. We had decided to put our kids in the worst school in Fresno, in

the worst neighborhood of the city, a result of a dramatic call on our lives to link our welfare to the peace of a place. It indeed seemed risky; would their options be curtailed because of substandard education? Would the diff erences in class and race mean an excessively diffi cult road ahead? Could they thrive, as all parents want?

Conventional wisdom. Don’t you love it? It is cultural consensus on the right way to go, developed over generations. Up is up. More is bett er. Security equals happiness.

Th e people of God, starved in the siege of Jerusalem, relatives killed, physically ripped from their homeland, psychologically tormented by their captors (Ps 137), are now told to seek the welfare of a city they considered evil—and to do it because, according to God, it would be an investment in their own peace. Th ey are asked to believe that down is up, that losing could be winning, that there was a future and a hope.

Th e local schools did mean some diffi cult times. But if you ask my sons today how it infl uenced their lives, they will tell you they wouldn’t have had it any other way. Down was up indeed…hmmm…just like it was for Jesus.

Lord Jesus, in this time of celebrating your downward journey, your love-fi lled relocation on our behalf, help us choose to walk unlikely paths to peace in our city as well.

Randy White, D.Min., Associate Professor of Community Transformation

and Executive Director of the Center for Community Transformation,


8

SATURDAY | DECEMBER 5

Scary Joy

“Th ey shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.”—Jeremiah 33:9b

Read Jeremiah 33:6-9

My friends Bev and Matt were excited to join a movement to repair a broken neighborhood by relocating there with their friends Craig and Amber. Th eir vision: buy houses next to each other and form a shalom

alliance—to bless and be blessed in a place of tears. Th ey found side-by-side houses. Craig and Amber’s purchase went well. But when the owner of the other house learned of their hopes, he jacked the price up $30,000 more than the house’s value. Th e bank wouldn’t loan that amount. Th ey would have to use cash. Bev called me in tears and asked, “Does God want us to spend our entire savings, and leave no money for repairs and margin in our lives at all?”

An “unwise” purchase. Why did they do it? Th e lesson from yesterday’s passage was key. Down is up. Sometimes you have to fl y in the face of conventional wis-dom to get the true peace that God off ers. But as Bev explained to me, there was another factor: Th ey could envision the blight of the neighborhood healed. Th ey could see it become “a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth for the good and prosperity [God] will provide for it.” And something else: “Our friend-ship with Craig and Amber was worth far more than the extra $30,000,” she said, also through tears. Joyfully scared.

Lord Jesus, give us a vision for our city that compels us to pursue its peace, even through tears. Fill us with a scary joy for your praise and glory.

Randy White, D.Min., Associate Professor of Community Transformation and

Executive Director of the Center for Community Transformation,


9

SUNDAY | DECEMBER 6

Presence in an Age of Absence

“To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”—Luke 1: 79

Read Luke 1:68-79

You have seen it: a group of friends together at a table, but all looking down at their phones; a couple taking a walk and each talking on a phone; or a family eating together but repeatedly one or another turn-

ing aside to respond to a text. Is this the picture of peace? “Shalom,” is one of my favorite words. Th e Hebrew word is so much richer than our English word “peace.” It means not just absence of confl ict, but the presence of harmony and well-being. Mobile devices connect us to someone or something far away, but disconnect us from the person next to us. Th is is not shalom.

Advent is preparation for presence. John the Baptist in the fl esh prepares the way for God incarnate—Jesus. God did not send a text; God came to be present and live among us. Ours is an age of absence. We sit in the artifi cial light of screens of all sizes, yet in terms of relationship we too oft en sit in darkness—absent even from those close at hand.

How might you prepare the way for presence this Advent? How might you be more present to yourself, to God, to others? Might you experience more shalom through taking a sabbath from your phone? Th rough sett ing times away from all screens? Th rough covenanting to be present with others and putt ing your mobile devices aside?

Jesus, may we experience the richness of your presence and may we be present to others so lacking in shalom in this age of absence.

Mark D. Baker, Ph.D., Professor of Mission and Theology,


10

MONDAY | DECEMBER 7

Rains of Justice“May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days may righteousness fl ourish and peace abound.”—Psalm 72:6-7

Read Psalm 72:1-7

Parched lawns were a common sight in California this year. Collectively we yearned for showers to water the earth. Th e drought aff ected some indi-viduals and towns much more than others, yet it was a minority that said,

“Th ere is still water in my faucet. I don’t care.” For most people, even if their well had not run dry nor fi re consumed their home, there was a sense of the drought being our problem. We desired rain for all.

Th e need for rain was not metaphorical in California; it was real. In this Psalm it is an analogy—may the king’s actions of justice for the poor and oppressed be like rain.

As you think of your community, what are places that are like parched lawns in desperate need of the rain of justice so that peace, shalom, may abound? In your community who are the poor in need of defenders like the tinder-dry hills needed defense from fi res of destruction? Who are those in need of deliverance who are like empty wells hopeless and without resources? Th ose in a drought long for rain because they observe fi rsthand the lack of water. Similarly, my yearning for justice increases when I have direct contact with those suff ering injustice. What might you do to increase your contact with those suff ering injustice? How might God be calling you to be part of the rain of God’s justice?

God, just as Californians recognized the drought as a problem of all may we, your people, recognize that injustice, poverty and oppression aff ect us all—not just those with the “parched lawns” and “empty wells.” May we be instruments of your justice and may our communities be like reservoirs overfl owing with shalom.

Mark D. Baker, Ph.D., Professor of Mission and Theology,


11


Our God Satisfi es

“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusa-lem.”—Isaiah 66:13

Read Isaiah 66:10-13

Shhh, mommy…she’s sleeping!” Tucked beneath a mountain of baby blankets smelling of sweet, powdery dryer sheets was a carefully diapered baby doll; bobbling eyelashes snapped shut from the moment her head hit

the pillow. My daughter stood proudly surveying her laundry sculpture, then suddenly dove in and scooped up the doll, twirling her around the room and landing soft ly in a pile of pillows by her bed. She nuzzled her nose against her doll’s the same way I nuzzle hers every night, and she squeezed her tight. Th en in a blur, she was bounding down the hall. Everything is fl eeting for my four-year-old daughter, moments of joy and pain carried through our home on the cool breeze of the winter nights. I envy the way my daughter drinks in the joy of these fl eeting moments, signaling something I have forgott en how to do. If I am able to be still, she reminds me and my belly is warmed in shared joy.

In today’s passage God commands, blesses and promises his precious children. We are to rejoice, love and receive satisfying comfort with his gift of a home, nestled in his presence. He knows that we have wounds that need nursing and a deep, primal thirst in our bellies that longs for his nourishment. God off ers to meet our need for aff ection and play and he adores and delights in us.

Father, thank you for comforting and delighting in your children with a deep and abiding love. May we drink deeply fr om your provision and have eyes to see you.

Autumn Lindberg, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapy Program Director of the

Visalia Campus, Adjunct Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy, Fresno Pacifi c

Biblical Seminary

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12


In His Secret Presence of Peace

“My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”—Ezekiel 37:27

Read Ezekiel 37:26-28

The young woman was at long last content carrying her special cross that the Lord had uniquely designed just for her—a wooden cross with one beautiful white rose wrapped around the beams. Jesus walked towards

her with eyes of perfect love and declared his covenant by presenting her with a diamond as a stone of remembrance of his “covenant of peace.” It was a covenant that promised his unwavering presence with her as she would enter into the wilderness, denying herself, carrying her cross and following him. “Th is stone, my beloved, is a symbol of who I am. I am yours and you are mine,” the Lord proclaimed to her. “I shall be your peace. I will be with you wherever you go. Even when you do not feel me, I am there. Even amidst suff ering and storms of life I am with you. People will know that I am the Lord who is with you because my presence of peace is with you.”

His peace over your life is the prosperity of your soul even in the midst of your darkest hour where no one, not even your closest friends, can explain what he is doing in your life. Your life may be utt er confusion, chaos, suff ering or perhaps silence. Cling to him through obedience, and you will experience the peace that only he can give to you; a peace that brings restoration to your soul. Th ere is noth-ing like it in the world, for the world cannot accept it.

My heart and soul have found peace and rest in the secret place of your holy and intimate presence. My Lord, do whatever you need to do in my life to keep me near your sanctuary.

Savannah Jean Pronovost, M.A. Old Testament Student,


13


Follow His Example

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suff ered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.”—1 Peter 2:21

Read 1 Peter 2:20-25

I have been wrestling with this passage for months. On its surface it seems to say to the oppressed, “Be quiet in your oppression, just take it. Submit to the authorities because that’s what Jesus did.” I imagine this passage being used by

slaveholders to subjugate people, by victims of domestic violence to convince themselves to stay in dangerous relationships, by immigrants exploited in the fi elds of the Central Valley. Is this the message Peter sent when he wrote this lett er to the Christians in exile who faced persecution?

I’ve been wrestling with this passage for months and I think there’s another way to look at it. Peter is writing at a time when it was dangerous to be a Christian—persecution was on the rise. Th roughout the lett er he works to bring a sense of connectedness to a people displaced. He reminds them that as a despised, minority population that their individual actions refl ect on the group as a whole. He urges them to act in ways refl ective of Christ—to love, show mercy, walk in peace. In this context the call to follow the example of the suff ering Christ makes more sense. Not because Jesus wimped out and took what was coming to him, but because Jesus endured suff ering with courage and conviction as if it were a non-violent protest against the systems of the day.

It is time for the church to repent of the ways we have used these verses to subju-gate people. May we follow the example of Christ and stand with the oppressed.

Jesus, lead us through your example. Teach us to resist evil in ways that empower others to live for righteousness.

Angela J. Turner, M.A., LMFT, On-Site Counseling Program Assistant Director,

Adjunct Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

14

FRIDAY | DECEMBER 11

Back to the Future

“Th e Holy Spirit will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”—John 14:26

Read John 14:25-27

As a child and even as a teenager, I didn’t particularly care for the Advent season. Now don’t get me wrong. Aft er all, who doesn’t love having a couple of weeks off from school? Or who doesn’t look forward to the presents under

the tree?

But Advent just seemed dated. Dressing up for church in clothes that were uncomfort-able and that reminded me of a bygone era. Singing songs accompanied by music that I would never play on my boom box. Singing songs penned with lyrics which were certainly not a part of my everyday vocabulary.

What modern young person wants to celebrate an event from 2000 years ago?

But as husband and a father, now in my late 30s, it all makes sense. Especially as I con-sider the gift that Jesus left us—the Holy Spirit.

As a pastor I oft en was asked to describe the work of the spirit. My best explanation?

Consider something about the life and teachings of Jesus while also considering the details of your present life. When you hold them together in your mind and some new possibility pops up, that is likely to be the work of the Holy Spirit. By the gift of the Holy Spirit God illumines our imagination with the perspective of Jesus.

Advent isn’t simply the reminder that God revealed himself to us in Jesus two millen-nia ago.

Advent is the reminder that the entire life of Jesus shows us the way into the future.

Spirit of Jesus, give me the inspired imagination to behold your life fr om long ago and see how it connects with my life today.

Brian A. Ross, D. Min., Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries,


15


Holiday Pain

“I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.”—John 16:32-33

Read John 16:32-33

When I was a child, we always had Christmas dinner at my maternal grandparents’ home.

Grandpa always began the meal with prayer. Every year this tough old guy (nicknamed “Th e Bear”) would begin to weep. When I asked Mother why he was cry-ing, she would simply say, “Christmas brings up a lot of bad memories for Grandpa.”

Christmas has a way of doing this, right? For some of us it seems that while others are gulping down their eggnog, we are left to drink an emotional cocktail of pain, regret and loneliness.

But we are not the only ones to experience this.

Jesus himself clearly had some tense moments with his family (Mark 3:31-35). At times it was downright ugly (Mark 3:20-21). He was rejected by all, yet he embodied the very presence of God.

It is crucial that we vulnerable human beings embrace the biblical story of Jesus and not the Hallmark card images of who he was. Here was a single man, batt ling with fam-ily turmoil, who completely lived out the perfect will of the father.

Th is Advent season you may fi nd yourself hurting, dealing with complicated rela-tionships. You may fi nd that your dreams for a perfect family celebration never quite materialize. If so, forget the traditional carols, holiday movies and the cliché Christmas commercials on television. Read the real stories of the birth, life and death of Jesus again. You just might fi nd that your personal experiences are closer to his than you may have initially imagined. If that’s the case, your life too just might end in resurrection.

Lord Jesus, thank you for experiencing all of the suff erings of this world. Th ank you for understanding my experience. May I fi nd the peace that only you off er.

Brian A. Ross, D.Min., Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries,


16

SUNDAY | DECEMBER 13

Just Stop and Ask

“Let your gentleness be known to everyone. Th e Lord is near.”—Philippians 4:5

Read Philippians 4:4-9

It’s been said that the Western world is living in a “post-Christian” era. It’s easy for Christians to point to others’ behaviors that off end our moral sensibilities or defy our traditions of right and wrong. But do we stop and ask ourselves

how this “post-Christianity” has seeped into our own way of thinking and be-having? As the saying goes, “Fish don’t know they’re in water.”

Gentleness, humility, piety, esteeming others more highly than ourselves, storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth—these are not att ributes prized by our culture. Quarrelsomeness, avarice, arrogance, self-promotion and asserting our “rights” are not only acceptable but encouraged. It’s no wonder that those who try to live as Paul describes in Philippians are “fi sh out of water” in our world.

Th ough I fail oft en, I try to remind myself to be aware of my fi shbowl. When lis-tening to the radio or viewing other media, following politics or even talking with my friends, I try to stop and ask, “What att itudes and values are being promoted here? As a Christian, are those the att itudes I should be nurturing?” It’s hard to live a life of gentleness when the culture tells us we will be trampled over and left behind if we don’t grab for all we can. But Paul reminds us, “the Lord is near,” our needs are known to him and there is peace enough for all.

We do rejoice in you, Lord, thankful for your peace that passes understanding in a contentious world.

Mary Shamshoian, LMFT, Program Director of the On-Site Counseling Program,


17

MONDAY | DECEMBER 14

God is Our Help

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”—Psalm 46:1

Read Psalm 46:1-11

There are dates and events that are burned into the memories of diff erent generations. Depending on your age, you may recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when Pearl Harbor was bombed, when you

fi rst heard that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated or when you saw the news footage of the devastation wrought by planes fl ying into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. It felt like the waters roared and foamed, like the mountains trembled with the tumult.

Events like these make us feel vulnerable, especially because in them we recognize that change is about to happen and that we have litt le control over it. Th e events of Pearl Harbor helped propel the United States into war, as did the events on September 11, 2001. For a great many people, the earth changed.

It is in this context, a time of uncertainty and change, that the psalmist wrote the ancient words of comfort and hope. Like us, the people who fi rst heard and learned to recite these words lived in a time of uncertainty when the nations were in uproar and people felt troubled. Th ey, too, were subject to natural disasters—storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions.

“Th is isn’t all there is,” the psalmist reminds us. Th ere is another reality. God is on the throne. God is refuge and strength, the one who will not be shaken. God will make all wars cease and for all time. “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Mighty God, help us to live with confi dence in your strength and presence. When we are uncertain or afr aid, help us to put our trust in you.

Valerie G. Rempel, Ph.D., Academic Dean of the Seminary and Associate Profes-

sor, J.B. Toews Chair of History and Theology, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

18


Jesus Wins

“Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him.”—Psalm 85:9

Read Psalm 85:8-13

Recently I was talking with one of our seminary alumni who is serving as the pastor of a church that is facing some prett y rough challenges. I asked him how he was able to cope with those challenges. He smiled and said,

“Th e seminary faculty taught me how.” I was surprised because the challenges his church is addressing are unique. I did not recall anything in a course about those particular challenges. When I asked, he explained, “You taught me that Jesus wins! No matt er what, Jesus wins!”

Th at is the message Psalm 85 proclaims. Th e psalm is writt en to be sung in a troubled time. Just before today’s passage the psalm asks for restoration and re-vival, but it does not leave us there. In the midst of trouble the psalm sings loudly that Jesus wins. “Surely his salvation is at hand. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet. Righteousness and peace will kiss each other” (Psalm 85:9, 10).

As you sing the songs of Advent and Christmas this season, listen carefully. Over and over again those songs proclaim that God has become human. Jesus is born to bring us salvation; Jesus brings us peace with God. Luke records the angels sing-ing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” May you fi nd peace this Advent as you sing of Jesus.

Lord God, we pray that with each carol, hymn and song we sing , our faith in the victory of Christ deepens and grows.

David Bruce Rose, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


19


Grace and Peace

“Th rough whom [Jesus] we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”—Romans 5:2

Read Romans 5:1-5

Nine days until Christmas. By now you have been inundated with TV specials proclaiming that if we “believe” then all is well. Every time my grandchildren watch one of those specials, I want to say, “Sorry, it is not

that simple. Bad things happen even when you have faith.” Over and over in my counseling practice I hear, “Why did this happen? I did everything right. I was faithful. I trusted Christ and it didn’t work.” We need to remember that God is not like Santa Claus. Being on the “nice list” does not get us “just what we always wanted.”

Romans 5 describes the grace of God. Read it carefully. We who trust in Christ have peace with God. Th at peace gives us access to grace. Grace allows us to stand faithful, regardless of what happens to us. Grace even redeems suff ering. God uses our suff ering to bring endurance, character and hope. “And hope does not disap-point us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts” (Romans 5:5).

Th is is the hope of Advent. Just like God broke into our world through the birth of Christ, God will break into our hearts with his love. Th at love becomes our core whether “all is well” or not. Trust God. Look for that love. Allow the Holy Spirit to give you peace this Advent.

God, deepen our hope in you through the love that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

David Bruce Rose, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


20


If Christ Sets You Free…

“Th ere is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”—Romans 8:1

Read Romans 8:1-9

Generally, I was a good kid. As a fi rst-born rule-keeper, I rarely got in trouble.

Mr. G was my sophomore high school math teacher. On Friday before spring break, we were a particularly rambunctious class. At the chalkboard–with his back to the class–an undeterred Mr. G was att empting to teach. For reasons that to this day remain blocked from memory, I decided this day to throw a paper wad at a friend. My aim was off and the errant paper ball landed at the feet of Mr. G. He pivoted sharply demanding, “Who threw that?!”

Th ere was no response, including from me. Mr. G folded his arms, raised his eye-brow and stated, “Very well–everyone, head on your desk.” During the 15 minutes that followed, I waged an internal debate, “Should I confess or not?”

As the bell rang and everyone got up to leave, I couldn’t handle it any longer. I approached Mr. G and admitt ed my guilt. He looked at me and cocked his head; then patt ing my shoulder, he smiled slightly, and said, “Don’t do it again. Now, go on.”

Sweet relief! I was off the hook. I’d been honest (eventually), and was no longer threatened with punishment.

God in Christ has made the way for us to be free from condemnation. While the law holds us to account for the way of Christ, the law of the spirit transforms, giv-ing us peace and helping us fl ourish in the way of Christ. In this season of Advent remember that Christ comes to set us free. May this Christmas be a season to celebrate such relief.

Jesus, Th ank you for a love that fr ees us fr om condemnation. May your spirit make us mindful of you that we might have the life and peace you came to provide.

Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Program Director, Christian Ministry

& Leadership, Fresno Pacifi c University

21


Against Such Things There is No Law

“Th e one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval.”—Romans 14:18

Read Romans 14:17-19

With every shift in the culture, and there have been many recently, there are North American Christians who are quick to assert that our faith is under att ack. Some say that one day soon it may be illegal to

espouse our beliefs or practice our Christianity openly, without fear of public disapproval or even civil or criminal penalties. Paul lived in an empire hostile to the faith, but he knew that even non-believers can recognize and appreciate the peace of God in us. When we look at Paul’s characteristics of the kingdom of God, or the book of James’ “true religion” (James 1:27), it seems we are not in as much danger of censure as we suppose.

Th ere are so many hallmarks of Christian faith about which the Bible is unequivo-cal, despite our temptation to see them as optional: forgiving one’s enemies, helping one’s neighbor, caring for creation, off ering hospitality, giving generously, walking humbly—celebrating male and female, Jew and Greek, slave and free as co-heirs with Jesus before God. As Paul says elsewhere about the fruit of the spirit, “Against such things there is no law.” If we relentlessly pursue this way, we will have no energy to lament the edicts of the world and instead, perhaps, would truly be the City on a Hill that invites others by its light. Let’s race to catch what makes for peace. Let’s follow hard aft er everything that makes the church grow stronger.

Jesus, peace is hard to pursue in a culture that works to create enmity and suspicion. Help us to remember that loving you and loving others are the greatest commandments of all.

Mary Shamshoian, LMFT, Program Director of the On-Site Counseling Program,


22


The Shepherd King“And he shall stand and feed his fl ock in the strength of the Lord.”—Micah 5:4

Read Micah 5:2-5a

It’s one of the rituals of childhood. An adult, faced with a group of children that need exercise or entertainment, selects two to be captains and then steps back as they take turns choosing team members for the game that is about to begin.

If you are a good athlete—a fast runner or hitt er, perhaps someone good at strat-egy, your name is likely to be called out early. If you’re not athletic, the process is a whole lot less fun. You’re likely to be there at the end, facing a captain who is trying to assess which player will do the least damage to the team and hoping your name won’t be the last one called. It’s no fun being viewed as the least likely to succeed.

Today’s text points to an unlikely ruler coming from an unlikely place. Bethlehem, described as one of the smallest cities in Judah, is similar to the small child who doesn’t appear to be much help to the team. It is not the kind of place from which a king is likely to come.

But the king that is described is also a bit unusual. Th e prophet describes him in terms that sound more like a shepherd than a mighty warrior king. Th is ruler, writes the prophet, will “stand and feed his fl ock in the strength of the Lord, and he shall be the one of peace.” Th e promise is clear. Th ose in the care of this shep-herd king, the one of peace, will live secure.

In this season of Advent, help us to anticipate the coming of your son, the shepherd king who will establish peace even to the ends of the earth.

Valerie G. Rempel, Ph.D., Academic Dean of the Biblical Seminary and

Associate Professor, J.B. Toews Chair of History and Theology,


23


To Whom are Blessings Due?

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”—Luke 1:45

Read Luke 1:39-45

As Mary and Elizabeth greet one another in their pregnancies, Elizabeth proclaims a series of blessings upon Mary and the child she carries. Th e presence of the Holy Spirit is explicit in this passage, so blessedness

seems an appropriate outcome. But reading the Bible is a tricky thing: are the promises specifi c to the biblical characters, or do they apply to us too? Does this passage tell us anything about how we could be blessed this Advent season?

Scripture requires that we live with a nuanced “yes.” Th ough Mary’s circumstances seem far grander than our own, we may yet walk in some of the ways of blessed-ness described above. For example, we are not the miracle-working, salvation-bringing Jesus, and yet on some things we will do greater than he ( John 14:12). A pregnant woman today knows she is not carrying God’s son, but nevertheless can know she is carrying God’s child and his handiwork (e.g. Rom 8, Ps 139).

Th ese seeming contradictions help us to think that we too can blessed as we hear God’s word and respond in obedience. We may need some creativity and faith to be open to believing the signifi cance of the ways in which the Holy Spirit wants to work in us. Shall we listen for God’s voice this Advent season, as Mary did, and believe that God’s purposes will be accomplished? Will we believe, then, that blessedness will follow? God, assure us that the promises of scripture can be ours as we listen for your word and respond with our best yes. May our own sense of smallness compared to the bigness of your story not hinder us in att ending to your blessing.

Adam A. Ghali, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


24


Being Blessed—More Than Receiving Blessings

“From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me. He has fi lled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”—Luke 1: 48-49, 53

Read Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s song responds to Elizabeth’s blessing. Mary celebrates God’s gra-cious favor. Th is holy God, Mary sings, is working for his people. Amen, we agree. But what does an incredible reversal of power, wealth and

status have to do with Mary’s blessing? In those days Mary, Elizabeth and most of the Jewish people would not have been on the top of the totem pole. Life was hard under Roman rule. Th e Jewish people looked to God to release them from suff ering. With the birth of Jesus, Mary says, God is overturning that old system. Th is gives hope to those who have been suf-fering.

Most of us are probably in a diff erent situation—we’re not at the mercy of an au-thoritarian state. But many still feel the sting of pain during the Christmas season. Lost loved ones, broken relationships, shatt ered dreams. All in a system that seems to prioritize power and economics above values that we hold dear. Is there hope for those who experience that ache at Christmas?

In Luke 6 Jesus says that blessedness is that state that comes in walking in God’s ways, even as one is experiencing hard times. Some resolution seems promised now, and some in a future day when God gives fi nal vindication. Can this be blessedness?

Th is Advent if we have grief or hunger, are we still blessed? God’s church is a place that can make some of this new order happen now, even as but a taste of what is to come. How can we look to join with others who their situations and so bring Mary’s song to life?

God, help us not confuse blessings as pleasant comforts. Lead us in eyes to see your blessedness, and give us surprising fullness as we seek to give it to others.

Adam A. Ghali, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


25


Not Just a Title

“And he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace.”—Isaiah 9:6-7

Read Isaiah 9:2-7

I’m a choir singer. I have loved singing in choirs, especially when it comes time to sing Handel’s Messiah. Th e song For Unto Us a Child is Born is drawn from this text. It’s especially fun, festive and musically demanding. Th e song musi-

cally proclaims the titles given to Jesus that are listed above, but it doesn’t look much at the text surrounding Verse 6.

It’s easy to focus just on these titles that we lay at Jesus’ feet, but throughout this passage we see the oppression, the wars, the threat of violence from which people were longing to be freed. It was most certainly a time of great uncertainty and fear, where calamity might be around every corner. But the word is proclaimed that out of this great deep darkness, a light comes. Hope is on the horizon. “Prince of Peace” is not just the title to show Jesus’ royalty. It shows hope that peace will be established—a deep peace, endless peace.

Th at longing is surely a longing with which we can join today. Violence seems to be all around us, whether it’s the violence of wars, terrorism or crime. It can be motivated by all kinds of things from religion, to greed to racial hate. Yet even in the midst of all of this violence we can still look to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It is not merely a title given to a government offi cial. It is a declaration of what will be.

Jesus, we long for your peace and for your just rule over this world. Show us where we may be your agents of peace in a world that desperately needs it.

Ben Friesen, M.Div. Student, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

26


A Little Child Shall Lead Them

“Th e wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . . and a litt le child shall lead them.”—Isaiah 11:6

Read Isaiah 11:1-9

I waited and waited—and realized God wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain. I got angry. Why wouldn’t God give me the desires of my heart? It couldn’t be too diffi cult to bring someone into my life to marry. I thought about the deal I

had made with the Lord and realized he had never promised to fulfi ll this desire. It was a one-sided promise, from me to God.

Th e author of Isaiah 11 prophesied to Israel that a king would come. He would come from the line of Jesse and the spirit of the Lord would rest on him. Every-thing would be made right. Th e vulnerable would be protected. Righteousness would cover the land. Even children, the most vulnerable, could live and lead without fear. Th ere would be peace in the land because the earth would be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Eden would be restored.

Isaiah’s prophecy did not come the way Isaiah (likely) expected. Th is prophecy was not fulfi lled in Isaiah’s lifetime or through a regular king. It was fulfi lled by God-in-the-fl esh, Jesus Christ, fully divine and fully human. He came as a vulner-able baby and led by the power of his word, not by threat of the sword.

Jesus Christ has come and is here. Take heart when your desires do not seem to be met. God always fulfi lls his promises.

God our Father, you are good and your mercy endures forever. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear your promises and the patience to wait for them.

Jonna Bohigian, M.Div. Alumna, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

27


King Jesus

“In those days a decree went out fr om Emperor Augustus.”—Luke 2:1a

Read Luke 2:1-7

Those of us who grew up in the church know that the Christmas story starts with an emperor’s decree. But, oh what irony! Th is emperor, like those aft er him, really did think they were in charge of the world, doing what-

ever they want, moving their subjects at will, making them do their bidding—in this case issuing a decree, moving Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethle-hem, forcing them to take part in a compulsory census. When the emperor from across the sea commands, people move!

Th e irony is that this emperor, like all emperors, kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers only think they run the world. God’s eternal plan to restore creation and to do so through the advent of his own son always trumps the deci-sions of earthly monarchs. If God decides the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, it is not only Emperor Augustus moving Mary and Joseph there, it is God moving Emperor Augustus to move Mary and Joseph there. God gives this world’s rulers a lot of free rein to do good and evil, but they are never ultimately in charge. God’s purposes will come to fulfi llment. God’s unseen hand will, if necessary, move emperors and make them do God’s bidding.

As we pray for peace and as we work for peace, let’s pray for this world’s rulers, that their decisions might contribute to God’s plan for peace. But let’s never be duped by their pretentious claims that they really are in charge. God is the one who will bring peace on earth. Jesus arrived long ago as the peace-bringer. His church con-tinues the work today. One day Jesus will return to fi nish the project.

Sovereign Lord, Mover of Kings, may we remember always, that we are citizens of a kingdom that will cannot fail, no matt er what the powers of this world may do.

Tim Geddert, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

28


Euangelion

“I am bringing you good news of great joy.”—Luke 2:10

Read Luke 2:8-10

Perhaps I should apologize for using a Greek word as my title. But it is such an important word—the word from which we get “evangel,” “evangelist,” “evangelism” and “evangelical.” We usually translate it as “gospel” or

“good news.”

Th is was a well-known word in Jesus’s day. His fellow Jews knew it and words similar to it from their Greek translation of the Old Testament, for example: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” (Isaiah 52:7). It is good news when God brings peace and salvation, when God is on the throne!

But everyone in Jesus’s world would have known the word from its political use. When batt les were won, it was “euangelion”—when a new emperor came to power, it was “euangelion”—when the emperor had a son, it was “euangelion.” In the halls of power the good news rang out. Messengers were sent throughout the land, shouting: “Euangelion!”

Yet Rome’s good news does not hold a candle to the message of the angel. God has sent a son; God is now upon the throne; God will now defeat the enemy—salva-tion and peace to all the earth. Euangelion! Th e irony is that this most incredible news is proclaimed fi rst to shepherds. In Jesus’s day they were lowly and despised; they were unclean, outsiders, out in the fi elds. What more eff ective way of saying, “Th is Good News is for everyone!” than to start with people like this.

Lord, may the good news truly bring us great joy! And may we be worthy witnesses of that good news that brings salvation and peace to us and to the world.

Tim Geddert, Ph.D. Professor of New Testament, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

29


Clothes“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility… ”—Colossians 3:12

Read Colossians 3:12-17

I have an unusual friend. She’s a 70-year-old Roman Catholic sister. Th is dear woman, barely four-and-a-half feet tall, talks with a heavy Italian accent, lives by vows of poverty, wears a habit and loves Jesus as much or more than any-

body I’ve ever met. She leaks the love of God, speaks about our mission as the body of Christ and spends her days in prayer. Despite our theological diff erenc-es and varied ways of celebrating Christmas, she consistently shows me Jesus.

Paul was writing to two very diff erent groups of Christians in Colossae. As recipi-ents, the Jews and Gentiles had much they could disagree about—circumcision, food, worship and more. One of Paul’s greatest challenges was to convince these groups from diff erent cultures and religious systems to live in harmony. Unity became one of Paul’s primary instructions to New Testament churches. His chal-lenge to live as a new humanity, transcending walls and boundaries, was a renewed call to be a people that give witness to the kingdom of God through love.

So many issues divide Christians these days, and our arguments build barriers rather than remove them. My Catholic friend literally wears garments of her reli-gious tradition, but even more she clothes herself with compassion, kindness and humility. In our relationship we put aside all that could divide us, focusing instead on what unites. Th e highest law for us is love, not doctrinal certainty. I’ve learned to love the clothes that she wears.

God, may we your children clothe ourselves in love. Grant us your peace and rule in our hearts that we may be a light to the world.

Tim Neufeld, D. Min., Assistant Professor of Contemporary Christian Ministry, Fresno Pacifi c University

30


Finding Peace

“When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.”—Luke 2:43

Read Luke 2:41-52

Blinding terror. Frenzied, white-hot panic. Th at gut-wrenching, can’t breathe, ominous awareness of impending doom that comes when you cannot fi nd your child. It may be in a park or a crowded shopping mall or

a dusty caravan-traveled road outside Jerusalem. Loss, whenever it occurs, leads to an instantaneous explosion of fear.

I’ve only experienced this once in my life and then, mercifully, only for a short space of time when compared to Mary and Joseph’s three agonizing days of separa-tion and searching. It’s easy to imagine the fear, guilt and secret recriminations Mary and Joseph felt as they conducted their desperate search. Th ey surely ques-tioned every relative, scoured every tent, scanned every roadside ditch during their rushed return and raced through every building and marketplace once back in the city. Every empty room encountered escalated that deafening drumbeat of dread pounding in their ears. When they fi nally entered the temple and saw Jesus sitt ing among the teachers of the law, their relief was palpable. Finding Jesus silenced the fear that had echoed noisily in their minds.

It’s hard to fi nd peace once fear takes hold. Oft en we lose sight of Jesus in the frenetic schedule of daily life. When the drumbeat of dread echoes loudly in your ears, ask yourself, “Where am I searching for relief?” Perhaps, like Mary and Joseph, you’ve been searching in seemingly logical, but ultimately wrong places—seeking peace through family, friends, career or fi nancial success. May we learn to look fi rst to the Father’s house and his interests to silence fear and fi nd lasting peace.

Lord Jesus, quiet the noise fear lodges in our lives. Open our eyes to what is truly important. Help us keep our sight fi rmly fi xed on you. Bring us peace.

Cynthia McGrady, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


31


How do I Respond to This Gift?

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a litt le lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.”—Psalm 8:4-5

Read Psalm 8:1-9

Few moments compare to that of receiving a bouquet of fresh fl owers. With ideal care the bouquet retains its vibrancy, beauty and fragrance for a week or so until it withers and loses its life. As sad as it is, the bouquet’s unfortu-

nate demise is not surprising, but expected. Precautions are taken to extend its life to the fullest extent, but no one receives this gift with the expectation that it will outlive the recipient. Yet bouquets have a wonderful way of fi lling a room with beauty and fragrance and represent a special relationship between the giver and the recipient. As Christians we are given far more beautiful, imperishable bouquets that represent our special relationship with God.

Th roughout Scripture, the writers express awe and wonder, asking, “Who are we, Lord, that you would want us?” Even as God’s adopted children, how are we to respond to such bouquets? We turn to Scripture and fi nd examples of how to respond in Ezekiel 16 and Revelation 4:10-11. Unlike the faithless wife Israel who puts her trust in the gift s she received (Ezekiel 16), the apostle John paints a bett er picture of how we are to respond to our gift -giver. John’s vision describes 24 crowned elders who fell to worship Christ seated at the throne of glory, simulta-neously casting their crowns, saying “Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power.” Recognizing that we are insignifi cant and unworthy of such gift s, we are to respond in adoration of the one who gives gener-ously.

Lord, we are humbled and amazed that you honor us and call us your children. We, like our spiritual ancestors before us, give you all praise and glory.

Christine Simon, Executive Assistant to the Seminary President, M.A.

Theology Student, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

32


Peace in the Unexpected

“Th e Lord bless you and keep you.”—Numbers 6:24

Read Numbers 6:22-27

Planning daily expectations, making lists, controlling my time and space are not my strong suits. It comes in fi ts and starts but sputt ers and falters as the unexpected encroaches. I admire those who do it more consistently,

but I have also had to develop openness to the intrusions of the unexpected.

Numbers 6 begins with instructions for men and women taking the Nazarite vow to separate themselves to the Lord. Th e three commands listed here are to abstain from eating or drinking anything produced from grapes, to avoid using a razor on the head and not to go near a corpse—even in the event of the death of a family member. Willingness to cut oneself off from mourning a family member takes serious forethought. However, the longer part of the chapter, verses 9-20, specifi es what the Nazarite is to do if the unexpected happens and someone suddenly dies near them causing them to break the vow quite unintentionally. In addition to ap-propriate sacrifi ces and off erings, the head is to be shaved and the time of the vow is restarted. Th e unexpected does not change the goal of the vow, only the timing and cost of it.

Th e blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 is reassurance that God is watching, keeping, being gracious and giving peace. Th is comes even when our plans are thrown into disarray and new hardships emerge. May this be our prayer for one another in the coming year.

Th e Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gra-cious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Greg A. Camp, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies,


33


Who is Our Enemy?

“For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and fl esh.”—Ephesians 6:12

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

When my boys were litt le, I did not provide them with guns or weapons of warfare. In a fl ash a stick, a pencil, a toy became a tool of destruc-tion. Of course they batt led each other or their friends to determine

who reigned superior. Th e same plot thickens in Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or many other movies or books.

Why must there be a victor? Who really is the enemy? At times our family mem-ber, neighbor, co-worker or the stranger in our midst appears to be the enemy. Th is text reminds us that our focus should be on the enemy that is unseen, our true enemy! But fi ghting this batt le alone remains impossible. We must unite as the church equipped to stand against evil, not simply defensively, but off ensively to advance the kingdom of God.

All batt les require certain gear. Th e tools for this particular batt le are outlined for us: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God, prayer and alertness. Like any warrior fi t for batt le, one should be experienced with this godly equipment. One can be prepared only if they apprentice with the master. Like Mary sitt ing at the feet of Jesus, we must! Otherwise, we use the tools destructively on each other rather than the enemy.

Holy Spirit, we implore your divine help in identifying our “true enemy,” in order to defeat him and establish true peace.

Debra Brensinger, M.A., Spiritual Director, Adjunct Professor of

Practical Theology, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

34


Humbling Ourselves“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who humbled himself.”—Philippians 2:5, 8

Read Philippians 2:5-11

Part of loving someone is not doing the things that drive them crazy.” I say this a lot in our house—to myself, to my tween-age daughters, to my husband. Increasingly, they also say it to me. We fi nd ourselves caught be-

tween exerting our individuality and showing respectful consideration of each other. Some of it is small: the stack of dishes left to be washed on the kitchen counter, the trail of dirty laundry marking one’s progress through the house. But some of it gets prett y big: when we don’t all agree on what to eat or watch or do, when we can’t agree together how to resolve a confl ict, whose preference “wins”? Who “gives in”? We want a family life that’s close, connected, even har-monious. And mostly, we all also want our own way. What to do?

Exploration of today’s text, an ancient hymn narrating the Christ story, oft en focuses on the big theological ideas present. But at least as important is its presenting Christ as the best example of behavior that brings about unity. Paul’s concerned about the relationship between behavior and identity in Philippians (Carolyn Osiek, Philippians, Philemon). Th e oneness that should mark this family of faith because of their common commitment to Jesus is absent. Th ey “look to their own interests” (Phil 2:4) instead. Th e hymn narrates for them what is surely the most dramatic example of humility that leads to unity—God’s “self-emptying” choice to be born a child, Jesus’s self-sacrifi cing obedience even to death. Our one-ness with God now possible through the exalted Christ.

Lord Jesus, help us to act in ways that manifest our true identity as ones who are united in belonging to you, our source and best example of humility.

Laura Schmidt Roberts, Ph.D., Professor, Biblical & Religious Studies,


“

35

FRIDAY | JANUARY 1

No More Resolutions! Just Fruit!

“By contrast, the fr uit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Th ere is no law against such things.”—Galatians 5:22-23

Read Galatians 5:16, 22-26

Happy New Year! It is 2016! By this age we should be riding around on hover boards and telepathically communicating, but alas it seems all my favorite 80s sci-fi fi lms were prophetically inaccurate. Nonetheless,

the New Year typically prompts us to think of goals that we had hoped to have accomplished. Th us, many of us have joined the nearly 44 percent of Americans who create New Year’s resolutions. Have you fi nalized your resolutions? Or goals for the year? Do you plan to get fi t? Drink less coff ee? Get out of debt? Save more? What if instead of att empting to conquer overwhelming resolutions this year, we instead bore fruit? What if we produced the kind of fruit that is not only benefi cial to our own well-being but to the well-being of many?

In this lett er to the Galatians, Paul is speaking to a divided community in need of reconnecting to one another. Th e Galatians have been arguing over what religious rituals a person had to perform in order to be included in the church. Paul reminds the Galatian church that the real emphasis should not be religious semantics, but rather those ethics that are benefi cial for the entire community. Paul is telling the community of Galatia that the focus ought to be on those things that bring them together, not divide them. Could this be a resolution for us in 2016? In light of all the controversial issues of 2015 that have divided the church, could Paul be reminding us to bear the fruit that binds us together instead of throwing it at each other?

Lord, we are thankful for another year that lies ahead. We hope to bear fr uit that is benefi cial to all this year. Help us in when bearing fr uit is tedious and give us joy when it comes easily.

Cindy Jurado, Director of College Hour & Chapel Programs, Fresno Pacifi c

University, M.A. Theology Student, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

36

SATURDAY | JANUARY 2

Being Made Complete

“Now may the God of peace by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good.”—Hebrews 13:20-21

Read Hebrews 13:20-21

Do you remember your fi rst true friend? Some people call them best friends, the people in your life that you can trust to pick you up from the airport at 3:00 a.m. or listen to you during a tough time, the ones that

will forgive you if you make a mistake or ask for forgiveness aft er acknowledging their mistake.

Th ese verses highlight the hope we fi nd in covenant fellowship with Jesus. Th e author uses the words “blood of the eternal covenant” to allude to the cross of Christ, who, in the truest sense of friendship, chose death of self over will of self for the sake of our being rescued. Covenant has the risk of sounding only contrac-tual, but for God, making his creation complete is a highly relational, personal, invasive process! Th e best relationships are those that honor the stated or unstated covenant between selves.

But what do we do when we dishonor our covenant relationship with God or oth-ers? Th e Holy Spirit works in us in loving conviction and may use our true friends to remind us of our covenant. If it is true that we are being made “complete,” (and it is), then we can trust in God’s eternal choosing of relationship with us! Yes, we make mistakes, but the God of peace gave all of himself so that we may fi nd our complete self in him! Let us honor his love and allow ourselves to be made complete.

Dios nuestro, Our God, thank you for choosing relationship with us! Please give us the wisdom to be in true covenant with you and the ones you love today.

Noemi Vega, Latin@ Student Specialist, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, M.A.

Theology Student, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

37

SUNDAY | JANUARY 3

Band of Love

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.”—Hosea 11:4

Read Hosea 11:1-11

In College Station, TX, during the winter of 1995 a 33-year-old trumpet player sat on a stage in the fi nal quarter of a cross-country ministry tour. He was tired. His heart just wasn’t in it that day and he wasn’t even sure his playing

made a diff erence. Th e man had followed God’s leading through each step of raising support, climbing on a bus, leading worship in church aft er church and bedding down in host homes every night for 11 months. But this day, as the fi nal worship set came to a close and the crowds made their way to the doors an older woman walked up to the man. She locked eyes with him and said, “I wanted you to know how much your playing blessed me. I can tell you have a heart for God.”

Th e man was stunned. How could God lead him into blessing when he didn’t even feel like playing? “…with cords of human kindness…” And what prompted the woman to share her gratitude rather than drink in the blessing and going about her day? “...bands of love.” Tenderly, God walks us through each step of the seasons of our lives and when we grow weary, he carries us. In this verse he assures us that he tends to us in ways we don’t even realize simply because he loves us.

Lord, thank you for being faithful in the face of our ingratitude and ignorance. Bless us with wisdom to follow your lead whether we feel like it or not.

Autumn Lindberg, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapy Program Director of the

Visalia Campus, Adjunct Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy,


38

MONDAY | JANUARY 4

He Will Be Our Peace When...

“For fr om you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”—Matt hew 2:6

Read Matt hew 2:1-11

As a child I was serious about the task of arranging the nativity at Christ-mas. Sometimes I gathered the wise men into a group, a chorus of adoration. Other times I arranged them single fi le, kneeling, leaning and

standing, as if they could not help but fall on their knees as they arrived. Th e birth of Jesus invites us to joyful, reverent worship.

Did you notice in the text that not every heart leapt at this news? For the people living in Jerusalem, the news made their hearts sink. In their experience a new king’s arrival meant fi ghting and suff ering. Herod the Great was already their king, and he had proven repeatedly that he would defend his throne from usurpers at any cost, even if it meant executing his own sons. Everything they had experienced told them to dread the news of a new king.

Matt hew interrupts this distress with a quote from Micah 5:1-6. Jerusalem’s circumstances in Micah’s day were similar. Micah was confi dent that God would bring the people to astonishing joy if they would only trust him as they endured hardship. In fact that is precisely what happened. Isn’t that the way our God works? Even in the darkness of dread, God leads us to the dawn of joy as we follow him.

When life throws bad news at us, experience and even common sense might fi ll us with fear, but the reality is that our shepherd and king, Jesus, not our circumstanc-es, brings us peace. With this assurance we can worship with joyful confi dence in every situation.

Jesus, I leave my fears behind me and I run to you instead; help me to never trust my perception of my circumstance more than I trust you.

Rachel York, M. A., Instructor of Biblical Studies, Fresno Pacifi c University

39

TUESDAY | JANUARY 5

Yield

“But the wisdom fr om above is fi rst pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fr uits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”—James 3:17

Read James 3:13-18

The book of James is a favorite of many Christians who emphasize disciple-ship, “following Jesus,” as do the spiritual ancestors of the founders of Fresno Pacifi c. Th ese radical reformers understood discipleship as the

integration of faith with life. Menno Simons set out “the way of Jesus” when he wrote, “True evangelical faith cannot lie sleeping for it clothes the naked, com-forts the sorrowful, gives the hungry food, and shelters the destitute.”

James calls this wisdom of Jesus “wisdom from above.” In the Beatitudes Jesus blessed peacemakers, calling them God’s children (Matt . 5:8). Peacemakers have God’s peace DNA! Just as traits carried on genes inherited from biological parents can be developed, godly peacemaking “DNA” is activated by practicing peace.

Let’s accept James’s challenge by doing “peace drills.” Do aggressive drivers frus-trate you? Yield—and wave. Do people at your workplace annoy? Extend an olive branch by affi rming their positive contributions. Practice daily! Are you moved by reports of violence systematically practiced by authorities? Pray for peace. Stand with those who experience racial injustice. James promises a harvest of righteous-ness for those who make peace.

In Engaging the Powers, Walter Wink says that sometimes wisdom can disarm an explosive situation with humor and wit. Wink tells of Bishop Desmond Tutu walking by a construction site on a temporary sidewalk the width of one person. A white man appeared at the other end, recognized Tutu, and said, “I don’t give way to gorillas.” At which Tutu stepped aside, made a deep sweeping gesture, and said, “Ah yes, but I do.”

Prince of Peace, strengthen our resolve to practice the disciplines of peacemaking in relationships with those close to us as well as those far away who claim to be enemies.

Lynn Jost, Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament and Preaching, Director of Center for

Anabaptist Studies, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

40

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 6

No Other Foundation

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that founda-tion is Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 3:11

Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Menno Simons, from whom Mennonites take their name, prefaced all of his writing with the trademark 1 Corinthians 3:11: Jesus Christ is our only foundation. For years Menno had fl oated between the easy life of a

village priest and the growing conviction that relationship with Jesus demanded life in the believers’ church. Th e violent peasants’ revolt motivated Menno to get off the fence and into building on the Jesus foundation. God called Menno to live for Christ and to work for peace.

Th ree centuries later some Mennonites grew dissatisfi ed with the easy life of a village faith. Fired by Bible studies and renewal, a group of “Brethren” left the Mennonite village church to found the Mennonite Brethren church on January 6, 1860. Today, on the day when Christians around the world celebrate the adoration of the Magi, the conference of churches that founded Fresno Pacifi c University and Seminary celebrates its birth.

As Paul says, our focus is not on the builders, but on the foundation, Jesus Christ. Like the Magi, we seek to give Jesus our best, to build with gold, silver and pre-cious stones. Like Menno, we seek Jesus’s lifestyle of peacemaking and reconcilia-tion. Like the early “brethren” and sisters, we want to be “like our brother Menno” in community life.

Building on Jesus leads us to live in the community of faith. Paul was addressing the Corinthian church. Despite their squabbles Paul gave thanks for that church and noted that God was at work among them. In 2016 may we build on the Jesus foundation by investing our lives with his body, the church.

Jesus, our one foundation, thank you for your body the church. Teach us to build to-gether, sharing joys and burdens, living by your grace.

Lynn Jost, Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament and Preaching, Director of Center for

Anabaptist Studies, Fresno Pacifi c Biblical Seminary

1717 S. Chestnut Avenue Fresno, CA 93702

559-453-2000 seminary.fresno.edu

Richard Kriegbaum, Ph.D. President

Stephen Varvis, Ph.D. Provost

Senior Vice President

Terry Brensinger, Ph.D. Seminary President

University Vice President

Mark Isaac Vice President of

University Advancement

Documents

2015 ADVENT DEVOTIONS Jesus is ourChrist Peace · 2015 ADVENT DEVOTIONS FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY BIBLICAL SEMINARY Jesus is ourChrist Peace. Welcome ... For us, not seeing all the