At the outset you might be wondering what is VEP - Simply said it is VERY ENCOURAGING PERSON. There are a number of people who has been VEP in my journey. I was 7 years old when I understood my spiritual condition in a Daily Vacation Bible School in Grace Baptist Church in Kalasungay, Bukidnon Philippines . Through Miss Mugot's explaination I accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal saviour. I will be forever grateful to her for being an instrument in me knowing the gospel. She said someday God is going to use me in spreading God's word.
The other VEP in my life is Miss Abejuela, my Literature teacher at the Bukidnon Provincial High School. I still remember those authors and books that we have to study. Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupasant, In Flanders Field, Charge of the Light Brigade, Man from La Manza, Gettysburgh Address of Lincoln, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, etc. She was the one who told me that I have the gift of explaining and making quick outlines of literature. She said someday I will be a great orator.
I was active with the youth fellowship of Bible Baptist Church in Cebu City during my college years. It was Miss Daisy Madula who auditioned me to join the choir and later on the men's quartet. She was the one who told me that I can sing high and low octave with ease. I could be either Bass or Tenor. She said God will use me in music ministry someday. She was a VEP during my college years.
God did use me to plant evangelical churches in Montreal and Ottawa as well preaching and a choir conductor.
There are only two things we can do to anyone either we ENCOURAGE or DISCOURAGE them. Be a VEP.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
The land of Aurea or OPHIR - Las Islas Filipinas
Recent finds in 1981 of what is known as Surigao Treasure can be seen at the Ayala Museum in Manila reveals that pre-Hispanic Philippines is already advanced in culture, trade and education.
Trade between its neighboring countries is already established, China, India and the middle east. Ships of Tyre and Solomon must have traded for gold from these Islands. The Surigao Treasure shows an exquisite design suited for royalties. The Bible says it takes three years for journey to Ophir and back.
Josephus Account
Chryse the "Golden One" is the name given by ancient Greek writers to an island rich in gold to the east of India. Pomponius Mela, Marinos of Tyre and the Periplus of the Frythraean Sea mention Chryse in the 1st century CE it is equivalent of the Indian Suvarnadvina the "Island of Gold. Josephus calls it in Latin Aurea and equates the islands with biblical Ophir from where the ships of Tyre and Solomon brought back gold and other trade items.
Because of this early trading contacts they have left some of their practices in the islands.
Marriage Settlement
The groom must work for the family before he can claim his bride. Similar to Jacob working for Laban.
Circumcision
Of all the Asian countries only the Filipinos follow this medical operation to the dot.
Blood Sacrifice
Shedding of animal blood is used in sacrifice for harvest, planting and even putting of blood during construction. I remember when we built our house in Bukidnon blood of Chicken was sprinkled into the foundation post.
Substitutionary Atonement
I belong to the Higao-onon tribe of Bukidnon. "Tampuda" or "To Cut" is a ceremony performed in settling conflicts between tribes. A pig is put on a hole and the chieftains of the warring tribes will each take their turn aiming their spears to the pig until the pig dies. Then the hole is covered and they will exchange porcelain cups symbolyzing peace among them. Their anger is transferred to the pig. This is similar to the propitiation sacrifice perform in the Jewish temple.
Spanish Account
It was Roy Lopez de Villalobos named the islands Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain. But the spaniards believed that they have arrived in the land of Ophir or Aurea. Spanish conquistadores were overwhelmed of the abundance of gold.
Trade between its neighboring countries is already established, China, India and the middle east. Ships of Tyre and Solomon must have traded for gold from these Islands. The Surigao Treasure shows an exquisite design suited for royalties. The Bible says it takes three years for journey to Ophir and back.
Josephus Account
Chryse the "Golden One" is the name given by ancient Greek writers to an island rich in gold to the east of India. Pomponius Mela, Marinos of Tyre and the Periplus of the Frythraean Sea mention Chryse in the 1st century CE it is equivalent of the Indian Suvarnadvina the "Island of Gold. Josephus calls it in Latin Aurea and equates the islands with biblical Ophir from where the ships of Tyre and Solomon brought back gold and other trade items.
Because of this early trading contacts they have left some of their practices in the islands.
Marriage Settlement
The groom must work for the family before he can claim his bride. Similar to Jacob working for Laban.
Circumcision
Of all the Asian countries only the Filipinos follow this medical operation to the dot.
Blood Sacrifice
Shedding of animal blood is used in sacrifice for harvest, planting and even putting of blood during construction. I remember when we built our house in Bukidnon blood of Chicken was sprinkled into the foundation post.
Substitutionary Atonement
I belong to the Higao-onon tribe of Bukidnon. "Tampuda" or "To Cut" is a ceremony performed in settling conflicts between tribes. A pig is put on a hole and the chieftains of the warring tribes will each take their turn aiming their spears to the pig until the pig dies. Then the hole is covered and they will exchange porcelain cups symbolyzing peace among them. Their anger is transferred to the pig. This is similar to the propitiation sacrifice perform in the Jewish temple.
Spanish Account
It was Roy Lopez de Villalobos named the islands Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain. But the spaniards believed that they have arrived in the land of Ophir or Aurea. Spanish conquistadores were overwhelmed of the abundance of gold.
Pieces of gold, the size of walnuts and eggs are found by sifting the earth in the island of that king who came to our ships. All the dishes of that king are of gold and also some portion of his house as we were told by that king himself...He had a covering of silk on his head, and wore two large golden earrings fastened in his ears...At his side hung a dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all of gold, and its scabbard of carved wood. He had three spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as if bound with gold.
--- Pigafetta on Raja Siaui of Butuan during Magellan's voyage
For brass, iron and other weighty articles, they gave us gold in exchange...For 14 pounds of iron we received 10 pieces of gold, of the value of a ducat and a half. The Captain General forbade too great an anxiety for receiving gold, without which order every sailor would have parted with all he had to obtain this metal, which would have ruined our commerce forever.
--- Pigafetta on gold trade in Cebu
Sailing in this manner, for some time, in 16° of north latitude, they were obliged by continual contrary winds, to bear up again for the Philippine islands, and in their way back, had sight of six or seven additional islands, but did not anchor at any of them. They found also an archipelago, or numerous cluster of islands, in 15 or 16 degrees of north latitude, well inhabited by a white people, with beautiful well-proportioned women, and much better clothed than in any other of the islands of these parts; and they had many golden ornaments, which was a sure sign that there was some of that metal in their country.
--- Antonio Galvão in 1555 describing the journey of Bartholomew de la Torre in 1548
"...the ore is so rich that I will not write any more about it, as I might possibly come under a suspicion of exaggerating; but I swear by Christ that there is more gold on this island than there is iron in all Biscay."
--- Hernando Riquel et al., 1574
In this island, there are many gold mines, some of which have been inspected by the Spaniards, who say that the natives work them as is done in Nueva Espana with the mines of silver; and, as in these mines, the vein of ore here is continouus. Assays have been made, yielding so great wealth that I shall not endeavor to describe them, lest I be suspected of lying. Time will prove the truth.
--- Hernando Riquel et al. on island of Luzon, 1574
There are some chiefs in this island who have on their persons ten or twelve thousand ducats' worth of gold in jewels--to say nothing of the lands, slaves, and mines that they own. There are so many of these chiefs that they are innumerable. Likewise the individual subjects of these chiefs have a great quantity of the said jewels of gold, which they wear on their persons--bracelets, chains, and earrings of solid gold, daggers of gold, and other very rich trinkets. These are generally seen among them, and not only the chiefs and freemen have plenty of these jewels, but even slaves possess and wear golden trinkets upon their persons, openly and freely.
--- Guido de Lavezaris at al., 1574
About their necks they wear gold necklaces, wrought like spun wax, and with links in our fashion, some larger than others. On their arms they wear armlets of wrought gold, which they call calombigas, and which are very large and made in different patterns. Some wear strings of precious stones--cornelians and agates; and other blue and white stones, which they esteem highly. They wear around the legs some strings of these stones, and certain cords, covered with black pitch in many foldings, as garters.
-- Antonio de Morga, 1609
"... the natives proceed more slowly in this ,and content themselves with what they already possess in jewels and gold ingots handed down from antiquity and inherited from their ancestors. This is considerable, for he must be poor and wrethced who has no gold chains, calombigas, and earrings."
-- Antonio de Morga, 1609
--- From Wikipedia
In a book found in Spain entitled Collecion General de Documentos Relativos a las Islas Filipinas, the author has described how to locate Ophir. According to the section "Document No. 98", dated 1519-1522, Ophir can be found by travelling from the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, to India, to Burma, to Sumatra, to Moluccas, to Borneo, to Sulu, to China, then finally Ophir. Ophir was said to be " in front of China towards the sea, of many islands where the Moluccans, Chinese, and Lequios met to trade..." Jes Tirol asserts that this group of islands could not be Japan because the Moluccans did not get there, nor Taiwan, since it is not composed of "many islands." Only the present-day Philippines, he says, could fit the description. Spanish records also mention the presence of Lequious (big, bearded white men, probably descendants of the Phoenicians, whose ships were always laden with gold and silver) in the Islands to gather gold and silver. Other evidence has also been pointed out suggesting that the Philippines was the biblical Ophir.
--- From Wikipedia
In a book found in Spain entitled Collecion General de Documentos Relativos a las Islas Filipinas, the author has described how to locate Ophir. According to the section "Document No. 98", dated 1519-1522, Ophir can be found by travelling from the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, to India, to Burma, to Sumatra, to Moluccas, to Borneo, to Sulu, to China, then finally Ophir. Ophir was said to be " in front of China towards the sea, of many islands where the Moluccans, Chinese, and Lequios met to trade..." Jes Tirol asserts that this group of islands could not be Japan because the Moluccans did not get there, nor Taiwan, since it is not composed of "many islands." Only the present-day Philippines, he says, could fit the description. Spanish records also mention the presence of Lequious (big, bearded white men, probably descendants of the Phoenicians, whose ships were always laden with gold and silver) in the Islands to gather gold and silver. Other evidence has also been pointed out suggesting that the Philippines was the biblical Ophir.
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