Aventuras en España (Take 3) and Aventure dans France

Had the privilege to attend the 32nd Annual European Association for International Education (EAIE) Conference and Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain, under the auspices or with funding from the Project Antena, with the University of Alicante and nine other universities from the Philippines, including University of Montpellier in France.

32nd Annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain 

(Photo credits: Dr. Feline Espique of SLU)

 

Lyon and Dijon, France

As part of trying to find more concrete linkages, I also extended my trip to visit three more universities in France (University of Montpellier IUT, ISARA Agroschool for Life in Lyon, France; and L' Institut Agro Dijon in Dijon, France).

University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

With partners from University of Montpellier with Ma'am Feline Espique of SLU, and Sir Parsons Hail of CLSU 

ISARA, Lyon, France

What Must We Do with the Election Winners

(as posted for the FB group Treasure in Jars of Clay in Northern Luzon)

Whether those whom we voted for won or lost in the election last May 9, the winners will take their oath and assume their responsibilities on June 30. What must we now do with them, most especially with those whom we did not vote for? 

Firstly, let us acknowledge that God institutes or establishes every civil authority (Romans 13:1). As I confessed in my last post, I did not vote for BBM and Sara. But now that they won, whatever Biblical bases I had in not voting for them, I must now recognize them as the ones whom God wills to be our next highest national executive officials. Paul’s statement in Romans 13:1 is clear: “. . . there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” This principle applies, not only to the president and vice president but also to all the other national and local officials who won the election. The final rule and arbiter concerning who should rule our country is, not us and our votes, but God and His sovereign will.

Secondly, let us submit ourselves to these governing authorities. In verses 1-5 of Romans 13, Paul exhorts Christians to submit themselves to the governing authorities because God instituted them to do good to the citizens whom the Christians were among. When we study carefully the “good” that the civil government ruler (magistrate) must do to his constituents we will know that it refers to at least four things: (1) Protection of human life; (2) administration of civil justice; (3) promotion of social harmony; (4) security of civil requirements. Thus, we must submit ourselves to our newly elected government officials because God instituted them to do us these things. Paul explains in the same place that rebelling against them is rebelling against God who instituted them. Peter, in verses 13-17 of the second chapter of his First Epistle, exhorts Christians as Paul does. He adds that they must submit to the governing authorities for the Lord’s sake. The authorities that Peter refers to is the emperor and the governors whom he sent to “punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (v.14). Take note that in Peter’s time, the emperor and his governors were killing the Christians because they hated Christianity, yet Peter exhorted God’s people to submit themselves to these authorities.

Thirdly, let us pray for these governing authorities, that is, let us make intercessions and thanksgiving for them “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Paul tells us that doing this is good and “pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 

who desires all people,” that is, all people groups including the civil government officials, “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3). 

Fourthly, let us disobey in a non-violent way these governing authorities if they will command what the Bible prohibits and prohibit what the Bible commands. In the New Testament time, the governing emperor instituted puppet rulers in the nations that he ruled, including Israel. His puppet rulers in Israel were the king and Judaic religious leaders. These puppet rulers prohibited the Christians from proclaiming the resurrection of Christ and persecuted and incarcerated them for their stubborn actions. We can see in the whole Book of Acts that despite this they insisted on proclaiming the gospel and endured these puppet leaders’ violent treatment without resisting them violently. This descriptive Biblical truth teaches us that we must submit ourselves to our newly elected governing officials if they will fulfill their God-given duties to protect human life, administer civil justice, promote social harmony, and secure civil requirements; but that we must disobey them non-violently if they will make and enforce laws that prohibit what the Bible commands and laws that command what the Bible prohibits. 

Lastly, let all Christians repent and obey God’s laws, and beg for God’s mercy on the church. As I showed in my last post, God does not handpick women to occupy the top seats of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of our government, and the seats whose occupants can become the chief officials of these branches by the law of succession. I also showed that when God allows women to occupy these seats it means that He is making a testimony against the church’s sinfulness and disobedience to His laws. We have a woman Vice President again, and she can, by the law of succession, become the President. There are also many elected women officials for the chief and vice chief seats at our local government level. Christians like me must not take this lightly. Let us repent and obey God’s words, and beg God to be merciful to us. Let us also ask Him to grant us the strength to overcome the pain of submitting ourselves to these women governing authorities who are monuments of God’s disappointment over His church’s rebelliousness before Him.//

- Rev. Marlon P. Launio (Teaching Elder, Hope Presbyterian Church)

"The important and not urgent"

 

Deciding Who to Vote For as Civil Government Officials

...for he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4).

As the 2022 national election approaches, we become more concerned about whom to vote for. Without necessarily campaigning for or pointing you to specific candidates, I would like to give you a guideline in choosing whom you must vote for the different political offices, not only this coming May 9 but also every election day.

In Romans 13:4, Paul speaks of the office, position, and function of the governing authorities, who were the civil government officials in the context of Paul’s statement. He argues that it is right to fear the one who is in authority (13:3), for he is God’s servant to do Christians good and carries on them God’s punishment for their wrongdoing. From the way Paul describes the office, position, and function of the governing authorities, we can discern that civil government officials exist to carry out God’s civil law or national law.

God instituted His civil law or national law in the Old Testament, where His covenant people (the Israelites) were at the same time the citizens of the nation Israel. In essence, the church was, at the same time, the nation. Thus, in the earlier part of the Old Testament, God implemented both the moral law (for the Israelites as God’s covenant people) and the civil law (for the Israelites as citizens of the nation of Israel) through the same leaders (Moses, Joshua, the Judges, and Samuel). In the later part of the Old Testament, God implemented His moral law through prophets and His civil law through kings. In this system, God required the civil law administrators to be both God-fearing and nation builders. The Old Testament civil law can be summarized into at least four categories: (1) protection of human life; (2) administration of civil justice; (3) promotion of social harmony; (4) security of civil requirements.

It is important to note that God handpicked men to administer the civil law. God did not handpick Deborah, the only woman judge, to administer the civil law in Israel. However, God allowed her to do it to post a living testimony of the failure of men to stand for their God-given office as administrators of civil law. Deborah herself had a sense of this which is why she was not zealous about the position but instead wanted Barak for the position (Judges 4-5).

By the New Testament time, God gave the moral law to the church and the civil law to the civil government authorities. In this system, God no longer required the civil government authorities to be God-fearing before they were allowed to administer the civil law. This is probably because not every citizen of the nation of Israel was a member of local churches. God only expected the civil government authorities to be faithful in implementing the civil law. We can discern this trend from Paul’s exhortation in Romans 13:1-7 and Peter’s in his first epistle (1 Peter 2:13-17). For everyone’s information, the governing authority Paul tells the Christians to submit to, and the emperor whom Peter tells the Christians to honor were ungodly civil government leaders who were actually persecuting and killing the Christians.

In the Old Testament time, God spoke directly and audibly to the citizens of Israel, so the Israelites took instructions directly from Him. However, after He sent Jesus Christ to earth, He no longer spoke audibly and directly from heaven but spoke to the nation of Israel and is now speaking to us through the Scripture. Thus, we must consult the Scriptures if we want to know God's directions concerning whom He wants to become our civil government leaders. In light of this, I think the Scripture shows us that the people who must become our governing authorities are those who will uphold the four categories of civil law.

In light of what we have discussed, I suggest that you vote for the candidate who has the capacity and willingness to protect human life, administer civil justice, promote social harmony, and secure civil requirements. A Christian candidate who passes these requirements is a better option because he is expected to uphold the civil law and the moral law (the ten commandments). Nevertheless, a candidate does not have to be a Christian to be the right person for a political post. The minimum requirement is that he will protect human life, administer civil justice, promote social harmony, ad secure civil requirements. If he passes these requirements and upholds the moral law, he is the right candidate, even if he is not a Christian. I also suggest that you vote for men who pass these requirements for the top posts in all levels of our civil government's executive, legislative and judicial branches.

The one who should win a post among all right candidates is in the hands of God. Our job is to vote for the candidate we think is the right person to occupy the post.

-Rev. Marlon P. Launio (Minister, Northern Luzon Presbytery, Presbyterian Church of the Philippines)

(this was posted for the FB group "Treasure in Jars of Clay in Northern Luzon")

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: "the last puritan"

Thank God for the holidays. I had the chance to read this unofficial biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the 20th-century theologian and pastor, who originated from Wales, spent a great many years at the Westminster Chapel in London, and was a mentor of pastors in his time and even now through his written works (My husband is a great fan.). This man is credited for the term "logic on fire" in relation to preaching and is considered by some as the "the last puritan." An inspiring read.

Dearest Kharece (@4)

January 29, 2022

Our dearest Kharece, my favorite daughter,

Today, you are 4 years old. I promised to write you a blog letter every time you celebrate your birthday. I am happy that for the first time, January will pass and you are healthy. You did have some of the cough and colds a few weeks back but Ptr. Soh was able to manage and you are now well.

What should I thank God and pray to God about you today, Ms. Happy Pill? Well first, I thank God that you can comprehend well, even though you can not speak in sentences just yet. Two words -- mama didi, daddy pss pss pss pss, car go, bibi up, mama go, 'bay em' (short for yes labay please" and many other one word-sentences (if there is something like that :-))... are all you can manage, but we pretty understand what you mean when we just try to listen. You have weird words for many things and that's alright.

Second, we thank God because you still bring joy to everyone you meet. You are still Ms. Congeniality at church, and you give the bestest smile with a wave when they say hi or hello. At home, your laugh is contagious and my work from home is less stressful with you peeping and waving every now and then. 

Third, you can read and write letter "A". That's all you can manage so far but it is enough to thank God for. I wish I was a full-time mom, or wish I can be one, but it's just not possible yet so the residual time is all we got for me to teach you the As and the Bs, the B, you seem to hate. 

I don't have to go to your development pediatrician for assessment, because I figure, in many aspects, you are probably still in the 1.5 to 2 yo bracket, in some aspects, 3 yo. But Kharece, you are way, way, advanced in sweetness and maybe that's one big role you are made to be. You can melt even your "uyong" Kuya Khane away and your tough Dad away with your sweet gestures and pureness of love.

So as you continue in your journey in this life, my prayer is that God will continue to accomplish in you and in us, what He purposed you for, in the first place. Whether you can manage kindergarten a few years hence, or not, we will journey with you and will try our best to provide you the opportunities available. 

We so love you Kharece Ayen! We so so love you more than your "love love" gesture that never fails to incite a smile and good feeling to all the downtrodden. 

Today, I continue to pray for good development, good health, good words, any good that God has in store for you. I pray that you will reach the milestones again that God will allow you to reach in His sovereignty, grace, and mercy.  "I wish you Jesus, for when I wish Jesus, I wished you everything," goes Scott Wesley Brown's song.

Happy birthday anak.

Mama

What a Faithful God Have I (by Robert and Dawn Critchley)

(This is really one nice song.)

Lord, I come before Your throne of grace
I find rest in Your presence,
And fullness of Joy
In worship and wonder,
I behold Your face
Singing what a faithful God have I

What a faithful God have I
What a faithful God
What a faithful God have I
Faithful in every way

Lord of mercy, You have heard my cry
Through the storm You're the beacon
My song in the night
In the shelter of Your wings
Hear my heart's reply,
Singing what a faithful God have I

Lord, all sovereign
Granting peace from heaven
Let me comfort those who suffer
With the comfort You have given
I will tell of Your great love
For as long as I live
Singing what a faithful God have I