A week later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows? Only God knows” said the farmer.

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone agreed that this was very bad luck. Not the farmer, who replied, “Bad Luck? Good luck? Who knows? Only God knows.”

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and forced every able-bodied young man to go fight in a bloody war. When they saw that the farmer’s son had a broken leg, they let him stay. Everyone was very happy at the farmer’s good luck.

“Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows? Only God knows.”

This ancient Chinese story tells us a lot about what’s going on in our world. If there’s one thing that really amazes me it is the fact that just when the the knowledge age is hamde men more knowledgeable,  there is likewise an upsurge of interest into the occult (Vampire movies), astrology  and mysticysm. Visit your friendly neighborhood book stores and you will discover that the shelves assigned to carry such books have expanded tremendously. Man will always hunger and thirst for that mysterious dimension which is the spiritual realm and all means will be exhausted in order to have a glimpse into the future and the unknown.

Something doesn’t seem to connect here. If my life is governed by luck whether good or bad, then where would I place God? My Bible says that God is in full control and so nothing ever happens without His knowledge and control. And so if I believe in this, then where will I put luck? It doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to figure out the fact that being a Christian and believing in luck is a contradiction in terms.

I just make it simple. I do my best and God does the rest and I’m not going to let any fortune teller tell me how to live my life and neither am I going to allow any moronic horoscope to dictate what my day will be.

Sometimes it seems like things are going well, and at other times, things seem to be going badly. And we let those things dictate our feelings and our outlook on life. When things are going well, we’re happy and we think God is with us. If they are going badly, we get discouraged and think that God must have abandoned us. We end up being tossed around by our circumstances. And if faith in God is sadly wanting, then the tendency is to believe in luck.

But the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content, even happy, in all circumstances. He was happy when things were bad (he was in jail at the time), and he was happy when things were going good as well. That’s the great thing about being part of God’s family. We really don’t have to worry in our circumstances, because no matter what, we have hope in Christ. “We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Believe me this is such a liberating feeling. To know that my life and my future is in God’s hands. So I can travel without a charm in my wallet and I can pass under the ladder and enjoy seeing a black cat cross my path. Every single fortune teller died and remained dead. Jesus Christ rose up from the dead and that’s why I’m putting my trust in Him! It’s a spritual discipline we all have to exercise.

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The judge showed it to a local FBI agent, who was equally suspicious that it might be a ‘bug’ planted by the conspiracy defendants.  The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters In Washington, DC for analysis.

Two weeks later, the judge phoned the Washington office to learn the results of their tests.  “We’re not sure where the disc came from,” the FBI told him, “but we discovered that when you press it, it plays ‘Jingle Bells.’”

So! Are you ready for Christmas?

Is Christmas all about having parties and exchanging gifts?

It must be more than that.

Here’s a reminder from Henry Van Dyke.

ARE YOU WILLING –

• to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children;
• to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old;
• to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself whether you love them enough;
• to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;
• to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke;
• to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open?
• Are you willing to do these things for a day?
• Then you are ready to keep Christmas!

Text messages are swell but nothing beats an old fashioned Christmas cards that will always pass the test of time.

One of my favorite Christmas cards carry the following words:

The title is: “WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT JESUS?”

Here’s how it goes:

He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God.

He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up.

He became a servant so that we could be made heirs.

He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends.

He denied Himself so that we could freely receive all things.

He gave Himself so that He could bless us in every way!

MAY YOU KNOW HIS LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS

Such simple words that may mean nothing to a lot of people but it means a whole lot to those who know Him.

When you read the Bible you will be able to see all the symbols of Christmas.

And as I present them to you, treat this day’s message as if it were a Christmas card I am giving you.

So please listen very carefully.

May the Christmas PRESENTS remind us of God’s greatest GIFT – His only begotten Son.

May the Christmas CANDLES remind us of Him who is the LIGHT of the world.

May Christmas TREE remind us of another TREE on which He died for us.

May the Christmas FEAST remind us of Him who is the BREAD OF LIFE.

May the Christmas CAROLS remind us of His glad tidings which we are to proclaim to all mankind?

May the Christmas season remind us in every way of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a Christ-centered productive New Year.

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He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.

Then one day this master violinist was walking by a pawn shop. He noticed an old, beat-up, worn-out violin. He walked into the pawn shop and asked how much it would cost. The owner of the pawn shop told him the American equivalent of five dollars. He bought the violin, and he took it home. He polished it, and he refined it, and he tuned it, and he retuned it, and he built some character into that violin. Then, when he was to play the greatest performance of his life in a concert hall, he took out the little, five-dollar, worn-out, beat- up violin that he had polished and refined. He put it up to his chin, and he began to play, and everybody in the concert hall whispered, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.”

These words from Ron Lee Davis in his preaching material entitled “Rejoicing in Our Suffering” is a great reminder for us not to forget the Musician.

I do a great deal of speaking.

If musicians give concerts I give seminars and keynotes.

After a moving speech or a life-changing seminar people come to me and say, “You are the best I have ever heard.”

I smile and say “Thank you…you are very kind.”

I do my radio program, I write my books and I do my newspaper column and eventually people would send me emails, drop me a text message and compliment me with the material and I always respond with a “Thank You.”

Makes me feel good. But here is the key.

I need to remind myself that I can do this only because I am an instrument and I should never forget the Musician.

I can only do what I do if I point the adulation to the One who has given me the ability to do this. I take the Scriptures seriously especially the part that says without Christ, I can do nothing.

The only reason why we can do what we do is all because of the Grace of God. We are accomplishing His Purpose. With this as a thought then we are willing to be tuned by Him and we are willing to be played by Him no matter who or what the audiences are.

Speak in a classy hotel? Sure. Speak in an international convention center. Of course. But to speak under  torn roof, non-concreted public schools that cannot even afford a low cost sound system? Aha…that is where the challenge is.

If I say no because the place and the people are inconvenient for me then I have increased and my God the Musician has decreased but if I accept the invitation with a cheerful heart knowing that God is about to play me again and have His Purpose met then the music comes out beautiful.

You and I are only as good as God would allow us to be.

Most people miss out on the verse. That God has given us a life to be lived to the full. And most people think that fullness living means living life enjoying all the blessings that God provides. While this is true is some cases we also need to consider the trials and challenges that come. They too constitute fullness living because they’re what make us stronger. Stronger in character and stronger in our love and trust in the living God.

We are His instruments and we are to serve and the only way we can be effective is when we know that without the Player then we accomplish nothingl

This is why we should decrease and only God increases!

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When you go to parties your brain is parked on the parking lot. But when you go to funerals you come face to face with death? Actually no. You come face to face with the realities of life.

Here are my thoughts.

I don’t like to end my life with a comma (pun intended). A comma signifies an incomplete task. A sentence is not complete as it ends with a comma.

I want my life to end with a period. When my work on earth is done. It’s when I have finished the race and completed the task that God has called me to do.

Some people end their life with an exclamation point. All the toil and labor and all the things accumulated throughout their lifetime only to discover that they would not fit in their coffins.

Others end their life with a big question mark. Is this all there is to it?

My friend Larry Almeda experienced an accident in a chopper ride that malfunctioned. Fortunately he got away with some broken bones and scratches but in this experience he said something significant. He said, “In a helicopter that is about to crash, there is no time to pray.

How do you see yourself in the very last day of your life?

When people ask me how I would like to go when it’s time for me to depart,  I said I would like to go out in style. Doing what I love doing and that is speaking in public. Can you imagine the kind of impact that speech would have made?

What a grand finale wouldn’t it be?

On March 12, 2011; I was invited to an interview for a cable channel program.

The very charming Dina Loomis and husband Bruce were part of the panel. Raju Mandarayan took on the job of interviewer. We were laughing and enjoying each other both oncam and offcam. Right in the middle of the interview and when I was the one speaking, the 79 year old Brooks just gave out a heavy sigh, slid in his chair, gave up his last breadth and went home to be with The Lord. And the camera was still rolling.

Dina remained calm and strong and still a faithful witness of Jesus even during her husband’s final moments was still sharing the love and importance of being in Christ to everyone including the hospital workers.

I saw the doctors worked on Brooks. I saw how they injected the medicine, used the fibrillator to no avail. Science fails after all and is impotent in the light of God’s Sovereign will.

Driving to my next appointment from the hospital I prayed and worshipped. God gave me the impression that heaven applauded when Brooks entered Jesus’ Presence. You know what? Through the tears in my eyes I smiled and said, Bruce beats us all to the punch. He had his grand finale. Not many speakers could have that.

Before the interview, Brooks shook my hands and said how honored he is to be on the same interview. That caught me by surprise such that my flimsy return on the compliment paid sounded empty an unappealing. Today I want to say that sitting beside such a humble person adorned with such great accomplishments points to one realization; that I am truly the one who is honored.

Brooks is in a better place today and enjoying the Presence of God.

What a fitting finale for one who has been faithful.

I wish I would too.

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As his friend picked up the chopsticks and began to eat this food, the Rabbi burst into the restaurant and reproached his friend, for he could take it no longer. “Morris, what is this you are doing? I saw you come into this restaurant, order this filth and now you are eating it in violation of everything we are taught about the dietary laws and with an apparent enjoyment that does not befit your pious reputation!”

Morris replied, “Rabbi, did you see me enter this restaurant?”

The Rabbi nods yes.

“Did you see me order this meal?”

Again he nods yes.

“Did you see the waiter bring me this food?”

Again he nods yes.

“And did you see me eat it?”

The Rabbi nods yes.

“Then, Rabbi, I don’t see the problem here. The entire meal was done under rabbinical supervision.”

Legalism sure can put people in bondage. This is why Jesus focused on love. Because love sets us free. And in Christ He sets us free. I no longer go to church out or a sense of duty but I go to church because I love Jesus. I don’t stay faithful to my wife and family because I have to but I do because I love them through the love Christ has for me.

The “Holy Week” is no longer just another feast and tradition for me but the week reminds me of the great love Jesus has for me. Going to the Cross, bearing my sins so that in Him I may have forgiveness and new life. Simple yet complex, hard to believe yet by faith is believable; experiential and subjective yet historically proven and fact-based. This is why you and I need to have faith like that of a little child that we may merit heaven.

One day in a church in Atlanta, one of its senior pastors was being honored. This faithful pastor has retired many years…… He was 92 at that time and was asked by the church to preach.

After a warm welcome and introduction of this speaker, as the applause quieted down he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gate to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak……

“When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me…

“Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,  We are weak but He is strong…..

Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.”

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his chair. What an unforgettable moment.

When all is said and done, all our theology can be boiled down to Jesus loving us so much that He died for us. Oh, the simplicity of it all!

Listen to the words of the song. I won’t sing it. I won’t scare you away but you think about it and perhaps put this song in your heart.

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,

Though my hair is white as snow.

Though my sight is growing dim,

Still He bids me trust in Him.

YES, JESUS LOVES ME..

YES, JESUS LOVES ME…

YES, JESUS LOVES ME,

THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow

With my hand in His I’ll go

On through life, let come what may,

He’ll be there to lead the way.

Though I am no longer young,

I have much which He’s begun.

Let me serve Christ with a smile,

Go with others the extra mile

When the nights are dark and long,

In my heart He puts a song.

Telling me in words so clear,

“Have no fear, for I am near.”

When my work on earth is done,

The curtain closed, the race been won.

He will take me home above,

Then I’ll understand His love

YES, JESUS LOVES ME..

YES, JESUS LOVES ME…

YES, JESUS LOVES ME,

THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

And may you have a Glorious Resurrection Sunday celebration!

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How strange that people would think that Christmas is one giant party without understanding what the celebration is really all about.

Yvonne Chiarelli says “Our lives are busy all year long. How do we fit those things that we do once a year in an already overcrowded schedule? How do we fit in more time for shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, planning, partying, and traveling? It’s no wonder the holidays bring additional stress to many.”

She’s right.

Only a few people I know would take time this Holliday season to be still and be thankful for understanding the reason for the season. I’m sure many would spend the days worrying about what our economy will be next year.

Many business people are saddled with cash flow problems.

Uncertainty looms over the air.

Mergers and acquisitions will displace many people in their current positions.

Low sales, a weak economy and little purchasing power will force companies to continue with their personnel liposuction activities.

Listen.

Take time out. Let’s devise a strategy here so that we will not be spending the holidays in woes and sorrows and miss the true spirit of the occasion.

Enjoy the holiday season by doing the following things:

• Say no to meetings that aren’t holiday celebrations.
• Say no to requests that could be done after the holidays.
• Say no to the routines that don’t add to or support your holiday experience.
• Say no to the non-essentials.
• Say no to the season’s aspects that don’t appeal to you.
• Say no to inappropriate and unreasonable expectations.
• And then:
• Say yes to gratitude.
• Say yes to allowing others their desired holiday experience.
• Say yes to taking care of yourself.
• Say yes to wider boundaries and higher standards.
• Say yes to the parts of the season you enjoy the best.
• Say yes to giving thoughtfully and accepting gifts with grace.
• Say yes to expressing your best to others.
• Say yes to forgiveness.
• Say yes to fun.

Handcraft the holiday experience of your choice.

Here is a success formula for enjoying the holidays:

Let go of what’s not absolutely necessary. Participate with your family, friends, and colleagues. Smile and laugh a lot.

But the best suggestion is to understand what the real significance of Christmas is.

Let me present it to you based on the words from a Christmas card:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Notice this, as a child He was born of a virgin, as a son He was given.

The manger gave way to the cross many years later when He gave His life for us so that we may be saved.

And this is why the real meaning of Christmas is that the Savior has come but the real meaning of Christianity is not the manger but the empty tomb.

No, it’s not about the gifts and the parties, it’s not about cash flow, it’s not about stocks inventory and it’s not about our failing economy.

It’s all about putting accepting the Prince of Peace and allowing Him to reign in our hearts so that we may spend the rest of eternity with Him.

Then and only then do we enjoy Christmas.

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People who know me well know that I kid a lot. The Ilocana and I had a great time in Cagayan de Oro giving talks recently. My friends Dr. Alan Melicor and Chris Barrameda fetched us from the airport and they must have noticed how many people recognized me. Chris thought about this deeply and then asked me a pointed question: “Francis, how do you keep yourself from being proud as I am sure the temptation for you is great!” I looked at him and said, “Chris, it’s so hard to be humble when you’re great like me!” He frowned and then we all broke out laughing as he realized I was kidding. And then I offered an advice. The best way to deal with pride is to develop a healthy sense of amnesia. Whatever the accomplishments are, good or bad, just move on to the next task at hand knowing that we have done our best and now God will do the rest.

This story that is credited to anonymity delivers the lesson. Read the words carefully and then think through it:

Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to some orphanage in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China! The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”

Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. “But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top.”

The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that.” The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

You and I will never know how God is going to use us. All we need to do is to trust Him.

Most people think that they’ve got to have super ability in order to be useful but the key is to leave the ability to Him, meanwhile we offer our availability. After I speak people come to me to tell me how good I was and all I need to do is to remember that if God can use a donkey He can sure use me.

Not everyone agrees with me. That’s all right. I respect their opinion. Not everyone likes me. That’s all right. They do not know me well enough to do so. I have been praised, awarded and complimented, attacked, ridiculed and insulted and that’s all right. It comes with the package. But to stick to the mission of inspiring excellence and encouraging people I must. For that is what I have been called to do. And what about you? Have you discovered your mission and are you sticking to it? Do your best. You will never know how God will use you.

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