Your Successes Come From Your Struggles

Let’s imagine a crazy scene…

Imagine a tourist who goes on a trip to the Vatican. And while walking through St. Peter’s Baslica,the church of the Pope, he oohed and aahed at everything he saw. Especially when he saw the most popular sculpture in the world—The Pieta.

As he gazed at this particular statue, he didn’t realize that it was already evening. All of a sudden, he heard the giant doors of the church close. Immediately, the lights went out. And he discovered he was the only one inside. He got afraid and was about to run towards the doors when the unthinkable happened…

The Pieta spoke up! The statue said, “Don’t worry, in ten minutes, another guard will be walking around…”

Of course, the man wanted to run away. But his curiosity was stronger than his fear. So he asked, “Who…who…who are you? Are… are… are you Mother Mary?”

The sculpture spoke, “Nah, of course not. I’m just the statue. I’m The Pieta.”

Inexplicably, the man calmed down and said, “You’re an incredible work of art. You’re so beautiful…”

The statue said, “Would you believe? Once upon a time, I wasn’t beautiful at all. Once upon a time, no one wanted to look at me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” the tourist asked.

“Once upon a time, I was an ugly block of stone. I was in an old warehouse, together with other ugly-looking blocks of marble. We had no shape. We had no distinctions. We were nobodies.”

“And then what happened?” the man asked.

“Well, one fateful day, a young man walked in the warehouse. And this 25-year old kid looked at me in a queer way. Like he saw something in me. While everyone else saw marble, he saw a masterpiece. He walked around me, looking at me from different angles. He kept gazing, observing, studying me, it was unnerving. Finally, he asked a few men to carry me into his house. And that’s when the torture began…”

“What do you mean?” asked the tourist.

“Well, I learned that this guy’s name was Michaelangelo. And he started drawing pencil marks on me. Thousands of pencil marks. And it was slightly painful. More importantly, I felt violated!  But then he put his pencil down and he picked up a metal stick… with a sharp point at the end. I cringed. I asked myself, “What is he going to do with that thing?” Somehow, I knew this wasn’t going to be good. That was when he placed that metal thing on me—and then I saw him holding a hammer in his other hand!  I froze in terror.  And WHAM! The pain was horrendous. What shook me was seeing little pieces of me on the floor. This Michaelangelo was a violent lunatic! But I didn’t know he was just starting his work. I didn’t know it was the first of many, many blows…”

“How many?” the tourist asked.

The Pieta said, “Tens of thousands of blows. Probably more. I lost count. All I knew was that those blows lasted for 8 long years.”

       “My goodness!”

       “But finally, the chiseling stopped in 1499. And lo and behold, I was beautiful. And I’ve been beautiful these past 500 years….”

       The tourist said, “And the most wanted, most valuable, most famous sculpture in the entire history of the world.”

       Suddenly, the security guard opened the massive doors of the church and saw him. “Oh, you’re still inside? Sorry about that…”

       “Not at all. I was able to spend quality time withThe Pieta…”

       The guard nodded. “Yep, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

       “More than I ever imagined,” the tourist smiled.

You’re God’s Masterpiece

Michaelangelo said that when he makes a marble statue, his role is to simply “liberate” the masterpiece that is trapped inside the marble.

Friend, you are that marble, God is the Sculptor, and He is creating a masterpiece out of you.

When God sees you, He just doesn’t see you as you are now. Like a sculptor that gazes upon a block of marble, He already sees your beauty and glory and wonder trapped inside you. God’s role is to liberate the masterpiece in you!

God’s Chisel

And do you know what is the chosen chisel of God? 

Pain. 

I do not know what your pain is right now.

Perhaps your pain comes from your family. Or from a lingering sickness. Or from a strained relationship. Or from a mountain of debt. Or from difficult people in your life.

God says, “The beautiful YOU is already inside you. And I allow pain in your life to bring that beauty out of you.”

Think about it. Aren’t these two things very different?

                                     

  

Yet they’re essentially the same thing.

In my life, God has done MORE through my struggles than through my successes. If you study my successes, you’ll see that it’s made up of raw ingredients coming from my struggles. 

My struggles became the pathway to my successes.

Are you in pain? Are you struggling now?

Don’t EVER give up.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

What Is YOUR Special Gift?

Last week, I said that in order to hit your mission in life, you need to align 3 things: your passion, your potential, and your purpose. 

Today, I’d like to talk about potential.

You see, passion isn’t enough to discover your purpose.

I know some people who love singing but singing doesn’t love them. One day, a woman come up to me and told me, “Brother Bo, I heard God tell me, ‘I’m calling you to sing to the world.”   She proceeded to give me a sample of her singing. And as I listened to her, I wondered if she heard wrongly. Perhaps God told her, ‘I’m calling you to sting the world.’” Because that was what I was experiencing at that moment. She wasn’t a singing sensation, she was a stinging sensation.

You need to identify your potential, your special gift. God has given you one. And it’s very simple to find out what it is. Ask yourself, “Where do I excel? What one thing do I do that when I do it, people are blessed?”

This is your core gift. And this is how you become a superstar.

Face it. People love superstars. People like to deal with superstars. People will buy from superstars. People will listen to the music of superstars, watch the sports of superstars, eat in restaurants with superstar chefs, wear the clothes of superstar brands, and read the books of superstar authors.

Here’s my belief: God has given you a unique gift that will make you a superstar in your world. God is telling you today, Do not neglect your gift. (1 Timothy 4:14)

       If you find your unique gift, develop your unique gift, and resist the temptation to divert away from your gift—you’ll be Number One. 

80% Of Your Life Should Be About Your Special Gift

       I’m not saying, “Abandon everything else you’re doing.” My gift is in speaking and writing, but I still do other stuff like running my businesses, leading a lot of meetings, and pioneering new projects. Those things are still necessary, and I have to do them. But I focus at least 80% of my productive time in what I do best—speaking and writing.  

       And when I say superstar, I’m not suggesting that you be superstar of the entire world.

       Just the superstar of your niche.

Be A Niche Superstar

       Let me give you an example.

       I’m not the best preacher in the world.

Again, my mother will disagree, but please be quiet about it and don’t burst her bubble. She’s 87 years old and I want her to live the remaining 23 years of her life on earth (yes, she’ll live until 110) with the belief that I’m the best preacher in the world. So Shhhhhhh…

But this I can accept. I think I’m one of the best (1) Lay, (2) Catholic, (3) Filipinopreachers who preach on (4) practical topics, (5) especially in the area of personal finance, personal health, and personal relationships, (6) that speak in a very simple and down-to-earth way, (7) who always gives it from a spiritual perspective, (8) whose audience is primarily the English-speaking crowd, (9) funny in a corny way, and (10) who has a huge black mole on BOTH of his ears. In that tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny niche, I’m a superstar.

       Question: How can you be a superstar in your niche?

       Define yourself.

       Mark your boundaries and call it your property.

Let me give you a very simple example about my property…

Focus On Your Strength—Forget Your Weakness

Here’s my niche: I preach mainly in English. 

Which is a problem. Because I can’t reach the majority of the Philippine population. And believe me, I want to! I still feel a pinch of envy when I hear my fellow Feast preachers preach in fluent, spontaneous, powerful Tagalog—and they connect to all sorts of crowds—something I can never do.

Regularly, I get comments from Facebook and my blog, telling me, “Brother Bo, please preach in Tagalog so we can understand you more.”

But today, I realize that this is what God wants me to do—to preach and write in English.

Yes, I can keep on working on my Tagalog preaching. But no matter how much I try doing that, I’m ashamed to say that I can’t preach in Tagalog in the same level that I preach in English. If you heard me preach in Tagalog and were impressed, don’t be. I was probably giving one of my memorized Tagalog talks. (I have 3 of them!)

Yes, I can preach in Tagalog adequately, but I always sound… uh, queer. Let me give you an analogy. When I preach in English, I feel like I’m driving the fastest motorbike in the world. My thoughts and words flow like the wind.

But when I preach in Tagalog, I feel like I’m riding this rusty bicycle overloaded with stuff in my mind that I can’t express…

 

Again, I’m not proud of this.

I don’t even have a Filipino accent. Years ago, when I preached in the US, Americans think I live there. Some of them asked me, “What State were you born? California?” I told them, “No, I was born in the State of Caloocan.” They get surprised why I speak the way I do. “Did you grow up here perhaps?” they asked.

I told them, “Well, I lived in Chicago for 20+ years.”

“I knew it, ” they smiled.

“Every morning, from Chicago, I turn right to New York, turn left to Aurora Boulevard until I reach Araneta Coliseum.”

This conversation happened years ago. That doesn’t happen anymore today. When you speak without a Filipino accent in America, they now ask, “Do you work in a Call Center?”

       Why do I preach in English? I see two twists of fate that made me speak this way…

       First reason: I was born to parents who spoke only two languages—English and Spanish. Since I felt that Spanish wasn’t very useful for me, I grew up speaking only English.

       Second reason: When I was one year old, Dad’s company transferred him to Cebu. We lived there for 8 years. As a kid, I learned Cebuano, not Tagalog. But when I transferred back to Manila at 9 years old, I forgot my Cebuano and wasn’t great in Tagalog.

       It’s Divine Orchestration. Through my history, God prepared me to preach in English.

       But here’s a fact. When you have a strength, you also have a weakness. And that’s okay. Let me give you my controversial point: Focus on your strength and forget your weakness. Often, our school system aims to produce well-rounded students who are jack-of-all-trades, but masters of none. Believe me, that’s the recipe for mediocrity. Successful people aren’t well-rounded people—they’re extremely fantastic in one specific field and a total nincompoop in other fields.

I can write a book in five days with ease. But I can’t dance.

I can give a whole day seminar in my sleep. But I can’t memorize the multiplication table. (I keep forgetting what’s 8 x 7 and 9 x 6…)

Goodness, I can’t even replace a light bulbdecently. Believe me, I tried. Three weeks ago, my wife asked me to change the light bulb above our bed. So I stood on the bed and reached up. The light fixture slipped off my hands and it shattered to a thousand pieces. My wife looked at me and said, “Bo, go back to preaching.”

Do you want to be successful in life? Focus, focus, focus. Be good in one thing. Be a master of one skill and make that your special gift to the world.

       Next week, I’ll give you my final installment of this message on passion, potential, and purpose…

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Do You Want To Succeed? Work On Your Patterns.

I always teach people that if you want to know who you’ll be 10 years from now, list down the 5 people you spend the MOST time today—write down their strengths, their weaknesses, their passions, even their incomes—average them—and that’s who you’ll be 10 years from now.

Why does that happen? Because of the power of patterns.

The first persons that influenced you are your parents. That’s why the Bible talks about the reality of “Generational Sin” in Exodus 34:7. It says, “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected–even children in the third and fourth generations.”

       How does this generational sin work?

For example, when the husband is unfaithful to his wife, the children see his example. Living with a father that is unfaithful will influence them to repeat the same sin in their own lives. (I didn’t say define them. Justinfluence them.)

       Do all children follow the sins of their parents? Of course not. It’s still a personal choice. But they do have very bad models.

But what if the father hides his sin from his children? Will they still be affected? I don’t believe one can hide it. We’re spiritual beings. Deep down, subconsciously, they already know.

But here’s the Good News: You can cut the effect of generational sin. What are the sins of your fathers and mothers? Cut the curse of generational sin in your life today. It should stop in YOUR generation. You can decide to stop passing onto your children the sin you inherited from your parents and grandparents. Come to God now and seek His power. He will transform what was meant to curse your family into a blessing.

How? Follow Jesus.

I was talking to a man whose mother was hopelessly addicted to gambling. She would lie to him, steal from him, and steal from other people, only so that she could gamble in a Casino. He felt so bad that his mother was like this. I told him, “You see the condition of your mother as a curse to you and your family. But trust in God that even this awful situation will turn out to be a blessing for your future. I don’t know how. But this part of your history will prepare you for your greater destiny.”

My friend is following Jesus with this whole heart. I believe he has cut the generational sin in his family.

This reminds me of the story of Margaret.

14 Years In Prison

Margaret was born a hunchback, dwarf, deformed, lame, and blind. And she didn’t have very good parents. Her parents, Parisio and Emilia, was so ashamed of her, they imprisoned her in a tiny cell far from their house. How long did she stay in that prison?  14 years. 

One day, when her parents realized there was really no cure for her deformity, they simply abandoned her. 

By God’s grace, a kindly priest came to know her and introduced God to her. And she gave her life to Jesus. 

That was how she responded to her situation. Let me say this very important point again: Your past doesn’t define your future. Yes, your past influences, affects, and disturbs your future. But it doesn’t define your future. What defines your future is your RESPONSE to your past… And this was how Margaret responded to her horrific past: She followed Jesus.

She was able to go out of her prison and join the Dominican Third Order. 

Here’s the massive blessing: Because of the suffering she went through, she understood the suffering of others. Because she was imprisoned for 14 years as a child, she knew what it meant to be imprisoned. She would visit prisoners and share God’s Love to them.   Because she was physically deformed, she understood the sick. So she would visit hospitals and share God’s Love to the sick and dying.

Let me tell you the bigger miracle in her life.  Despite all her suffering in the hands of her cruel parents, being locked up in prison for 14 long years, Margaret grew up to be a very happy woman. Her friends said that they never heard her complain about life. They never heard her complain about others. Discouragement was a word she did not know.

Because she followed Jesus, the curse of generational sin was cut in her life. Her past didn’t hold her prisoner. She was free—because she followed Jesus.

Because of this, the Catholic Church beatified her—and she is the patron saint of the crippled and unwanted. Her incorrupt body lies in the church in Castello, Italy.

Margaret’s past was not perfect. In fact, it was evil. But it prepared her for her purpose.   As the Bible says, what was intended by the enemy to harm you, God will transform it for your good (see Genesis 50:20).

When you look at your past, especially when you look at all the suffering you went through, don’t be discouraged.   Every detail of your history—both good and bad—will bring you closer to your destiny.

Let me say it again: Your past may not be perfect, but it was perfect for your purpose.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Are You Insane Enough To Love Your Enemies…

Have you been hurt by others? Offended? Betrayed? Slandered? Maligned? Gossiped about? Cheated on? Stolen from?

Then I’m writing to you.

It could be small stuff. If you’re a driver, and some other “idiot” driver cuts you off, do you have this urge to press on the accelerator, overtake that car, and cut him off as well? Do you like to give him a dose of his own medicine?

Today, God will teach you the insanity of loving your enemies. I know it’s difficult. Impossible, even. But here’s a big promise: If you do this, streams of healing will flow into your life.

Yuck!

What I’m about to tell you is distasteful stuff.

We knew Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” We heard this command since we were kids.

But for crying out loud, we never thought He meant it literally. We thought that when Jesus said, “Love your enemies,” He meant, “Don’t shoot your enemy with a machine gun,” or “Don’t poison your enemy with cyanide,” or “Don’t axe the head of your enemy so his head rolls off and you can kick it off a cliff and you can watch his head bounce down a thousand feet below…” But somehow, we thought we could still hit our enemy a couple of times on the head with a lead pipe—at least to injure him. 

But Jesus was serious.

When Jesus said, “Love your enemies,” He meant that we really, genuinely, actively, concretely, go out of our way, think of the other person’s wellbeing, wish him the person’s wellbeing, pray for the wellbeing, and actually do something for our enemy’s wellbeing! 

Yuck! 

Can you think of anything more repulsive than that?

But He meant it…

He said, You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5:43-48)

To Be Fully Blessed, You Need To Fully Obey

Some people complain to me, “Why isn’t God blessing me?”

       Here’s the truth: God is ALWAYS blessing you. The problem?  Not that God isn’t giving us blessings, but that we aren’t receiving His blessings.

One reason?  You’re not fully obeying God’s Word. (Note: This isn’t the only reason for suffering. Some very holy people suffer for other reasons.)

For example, when God says, “Love your enemies,” are we really doing it? Let me say this to you loud and clear: I believe many don’t receive the fullness of God’s blessings because you have not yet learned to love your enemies.

God stated how we should love our enemies. He didn’t leave it to our imagination. He listed down explicit instructions on how to love our enemies.

Insane Instructions

The Bible even tells us practical ways to love our enemies. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.(Romans 12:20-21)

Gosh. God’s instruction is absolutely insane, it’s tempting to think that God was joking. 

Usually, if our enemy is hungry, we don’t think of feeding him—We think of making fun of him. We want to gloat and say, “Ha! May you starve to death. May your big intestines eat your own small intestines so that you start digesting your flesh and blood until you die a horrible death.”

And when we see our enemy thirsty, we want to say, “Good for you! Serves you right. You deserve it. May you go so thirsty, your tongue becomes so dry, it crumbles to dust…”

But God says, “Feed your enemy when he is hungry. Give a drink to your enemy when he is thirsty.”

Believe me, to do this, you need a miracle from God.

A Deep Hurt

Let me tell you a story that’s very close to my heart…

In 1987, Light of Jesus Family was only 7 years old.

We were still very small, somewhere between 200 to 300 members. There were very few preachers in the community and I was thankful that one of our Elders, let’s call him Ric, was a very effective preacher. A lot of people admired Ric for his deep knowledge of the Bible.

Because of this, I always felt Ric and his wife Gemma were big blessings to the Light of Jesus.

Back then, Ric worked as an insurance salesman. But soon after joining us, he left his job and became a fulltime leader for Light of Jesus. And the community gave him a small monthly allowance. He also asked me if Light of Jesus could pay for his post-graduate Bible courses—and we supported him.

Ric and I also became next-door neighbors. We worked so closely together that Ric and Gemma moved in a duplex right beside the community center—which was my parents’ home. Ric and Gemma lived in one apartment and I lived in the other—with just a thin wall between us.

There were many lovely nights we’d just hang out together in their apartment or my apartment, chatting and laughing over a big bottle of Coke and peanuts. Those were beautiful times of friendship. I didn’t know that those happy times were about to come to an end…

A Punch In The Stomach

One morning, I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it and Ric was standing there, looking very pensive. “Can I talk to you Bo?” 

“Sure!” I said. I followed him into his apartment.

We sat in front of each other in his living room. Ric blurted the news, “Bo, I’m leaving Light of Jesus…”

At first, I didn’t understand. I kept quiet and allowed him to speak.

Ric continued, “I believe God is calling me to build my church. And more than twenty people in Light of Jesus are leaving the community and joining me…”

I felt Manny Pacquiao punched me on my solar plexus.  (Correction. This happened in 1987 and Manny was yet a kid. So the more accurate description is that I felt Muhammad Ali punched me in the solar plexus.) It was difficult to breathe. I tried to digest what he was saying. Ric, my friend of 5 long years, was leaving. His wife Gemma—also a dear friend—was leaving too. Not only that, more than twenty of my friends were going with him. And they weren’t only leaving Light of Jesus. They were leaving the Catholic Church and setting up their own church.

A wave of profound sadness washed over me. Ric had campaigned behind my back. He held underground meetings, inviting his friends to join him in his new church.

“Bo, I know this is difficult for you but I have to do this,” I heard Ric say—or at least something like that. Because by that time, I couldn’t hear him very well.  The throbbing pain inside me was deafening.

Bless, Not Curse

I walked out of his apartment and went to my room.

In my room, I sat down and cried to God. 

And while praying, God spoke to my heart.

I heard God say, “Bo, love your enemies. Bless, do not curse. Love, do not hate. Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Don’t let good be overcome with evil. Instead, overcome evil with good.”

A few days later, we had a Light of Jesus prayer meeting. We were so small, we knew that some people were missing. People were asking, “Where’s Brother Ric? Where are Brother Ric’s friends?” So I stood up on stage and did one of the most difficult things I remember doing. I announced, “Friends, Brother Ric has decided to leave and start a new church. More than twenty of our members are going with him…”

A loud gasp shook the room.

As I explained more details, people began to sob around me. Others were very angry. Some were so angry at Ric, I heard them say, “Ric betrayed Bo! Ric betrayed us! Ric will never succeed! Their work will never be blessed by God!”

I raised my arms to quiet the increasing buzz in the room. “I’m very hurt by what happened. I’m as hurt as all of you are. But I’ve prayed to God about this matter. And it’s very clear in my heart that God wants us to bless them, not curse them. God wants us to love them, not hate them.”

Everyone stood up, and with many tears, we prayed together. I said, “Lord, we pray that you bless Ric. We pray that you prosper the work of his hands. We pray that Ric and his church will serve You and serve Your people…”

After praying for them, I knew I had to do one more thing—I had to visit Ric in his new church…

Love, Not Hate

When I walked in their rented venue, I saw our former members, cleaning, sweeping, and mopping the hall.

They were shocked when they saw me. “Brother Bo!” they all greeted me.

Ric was now Pastor Ric. He came up to me and we hugged each other for a long time. “Thank you for coming, Bo,” he said.

“I’m here to bless you,” I told him.

We formed a circle and we prayed together. Again, I prayed that God bless them.

I went around and hugged everyone in the room.

Before I left, I dug into my pocket. At that time, I was a poor 21-year old missionary, so I had very little money. But what I had, I gave. “This is my love offering to you,” I told them.

While driving home, there were tears in my eyes. But they were no longer tears of pain but tears of love. I realized all the hurt and heaviness in my heart was being sucked out by love. It was amazing. I felt a lightness in my spirit. Love really healed!

A Tragic Happy Ending

I wish I could tell you that this story ends in a totally happy way. Sadly, Ric’s new church didn’t last. At first, they were growing. But after a few years of exciting growth, his members dispersed and the church closed down. 

And Ric went back to selling insurance. 

When I heard about it, my heart felt sad for Ric. I’m a preacher, so I know what happens when a preacher stops preaching. When a preacher doesn’t preach, something dies in him.

Fifteen years after leaving Light of Jesus, Ric called me up to sell me insurance. We met for lunch and it was like old times. We talked and laughed together. I also bought insurance from him and referred him to my friends.

He also told me he wanted to preach again—but didn’t know how. I felt sad that this once-upon-a-time great preacher was no longer using his gift. I prayed for him that God give him an opportunity to do so.

I was happy to hear that a group invited him to give a talk—and Ric was very happy.

But soon after that, one day, I received a phone call from his wife Gemma. With her voice shaking, she said, “Brother Bo, Ric had a heart attack. God called him home…”

It was a sudden departure. The only consolation I had was the fact that before he died, we reconnected again.

Soon after that, Gemma rejoined Light of Jesusand became a Catholic again. She served the Lord with passion at the PICC Feast.  She even worked fulltime in one of our ministries.  

When she was 59 years old, God blessed her with a wonderful man who fell in love with her. Gemma got married a second time and they live a happy life together.

Why am I telling you this story?

To tell you that my life has been blessed beyond my wildest imagination. I’m surrounded by a wonderfully HUGE family and the most loving friends. I’m doing the most exciting things on planet earth. I cannot begin to describe how blessed I am!  

Why? One reason I can think of:  Because when I was 21 years old, God taught me to love my enemies. When you love your enemies, you open your life to so much blessings.

Who are your enemies?

Don’t just refrain from doing bad to them.

God wants you to do good to them.

Look, I’m NOT saying that a wife should continue to stay with a physically or emotionally abusive husband (Run away!); Or that an adult child should continue to give money to his mother who is a compulsive gambler (Don’t do that!); That’s not what I’m talking about. These extreme cases comprise 1% of my audience. 

I’m talking to the other 99% who need to hear this message.

Ask for His guidance. 

What can you do to express your love to your “enemies” today?

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

How To Encourage Yourself

Do you want to be successful?

You’ve got to learn how to encourage yourself.

Because there are days when you won’t receive any encouragement from anyone else, you’ve got to do it yourself.

There’s this one passage in the Bible that I love so much. It says, David encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6)

Let me tell you the Bible story behind this verse.

David and his men—600 of them—went away to work and left their wives and children in their camp called Ziklag. Three days later, tragedy struck. The Amalekites, sworn enemies of Israel, attacked and burned the entire village to the ground—and taking all the women and children with them as slaves.

When David and his men arrived, the Bible says his men “wept until they could weep no more.” Can you imagine 600 men crying at the loss of their wives and children? Can you imagine 600 men weeping over a pile of burning rubble that was once their home?

You think that was bad? It got worse. The Bible says that these men—once upon a time fiercely loyal to David—wanted now to stone David to death. 

I’ve noticed that when things go wrong, human beings want to look for someone to blame. We always want to look for a scapegoat to vent our rage.

Imagine you were David.

You just lost your family. Your kids were taken away from you. Your home is now but ashes under your feet. You now own nothing except the clothes that you’re wearing. And the friends that you thought were friends now want to kill you. 

This is what you call an Impossible situation. 

In other words, it’s a Ziklag…

Are You Going Through A Ziklag?

Are you going through an Impossible situation?

Then you’re going through Ziklag right now. 

Perhaps you lost your job.  Perhaps you lost your possessions. Perhaps you lost your friends. Perhaps you lost a loved one. 

In Ziklag, you have a choice: You can do what the 600 soldiers of David did or you can do what David did.

The 600 men wept and found someone to blame. (Because hurt people hurt people.)

But I love what David did. In the midst of an impossible situation, he did the impossible. What was that? The Bible said, “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Let me explain what that meant…

Getting Encouragement From Within

Normally, we get encouragement from people around us. 

And rightly so. Because we’re the Body of Christ.

When I feel burdened, the first person I go to is my best friend—who happens to be my wife Marowe.  She’s not a preacher. If given a choice not to shop for a year—or to speak in public—she’d choose not to shop for a year. (Okay, maybe one week…) But she’s my encourager. She’s the builder of my faith. When I tell her my burdens, she doesn’t even say anything. She just listens—and I feel my burdens are lifted up from my shoulders.

And I’m spoiled. God gave me the most fantastic friends on planet earth.  They’re my Super Friends, my Avengers Team. When I’m going through my struggles, I share it with them—and when I do—I don’t feel alone anymore.

But I believe there are times when we go through Ziklag. Ziklag is a place where even the family and friends that we depend on aren’t there. Perhaps because they’re busy. Or because they’re faraway. Or because they themselves are going through some struggle—and they’re not there for us.

And that’s where you have to learn how to go to God directly.

Ziklag is the place where your relationship with God goes to a whole new level.

Ziklag Is A Furnace…

Let me warn you…

Ziklag is a burial place and a birthplace. It’s where boys are buried and kings are born.

Ziklag is a furnace. If you are made of wood, you will be pulverized. If you are made of gold, you will be purified.

Ziklag is a rock. You can be crushed under the weight of the rock or you can stand on top of the height of the rock—and see the world in a whole new perspective.

Ziklag is a sword. It can kill or it can cut. It can kill your soul or it can cut the cancer in your soul.

In Ziklag, David had to learn a very important life skill, a life skill you need to win permanent victory: You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Do not wait for others to encourage you. Do not wait for your spouse to encourage you. Do not wait for your friends to encourage you. Do not wait for your leaders to encourage you. You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord.

How To Encourage Yourself

       I don’t know what David did specifically. The Bible doesn’t say what he did. 

But I have a guess.

Because I’ve been through Ziklag many times. And I know how I encouraged myself. 

I believe David went back into his own history to remember those special times when he saw God intervene in his life. Like when God rescued him from the bear and the lion. Or when God rescued him from Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.

       I have those special stories too. I dig deep and remember them….

       Like the day God called me to preach when I was twelve…

       Or the day God rescued me from my addictions…

       I even remember the small miracles in my life.

       Let me tell you one of them…

Recall God’s Interventions

       Twenty-five years ago, I attended a graduation ceremony in PICC. Not as a preacher but as a photographer. My cousin was graduating and I volunteered to take his pictures. To do that, I borrowed a friend’s expensive camera, complete with a long lens that the paparazzi use. I went up in the balcony and took lots of photos.

       It was a long graduation ceremony.

By the time it was over, it was evening.

After the ceremony, I congratulated my cousin and walked back to my borrowed car. (Borrowed camera, borrowed car… You get the picture how poor I was then?) But when I rode the car, I noticed that my bag was light. I looked inside it. To my horror, I saw that the long lens was gone!

       I knew that long lens was expensive—more expensive than the camera itself. And I was a poor missionary. I stepped out of the car and looked back at gigantic PICC. Where will I look?

       I remember praying, “Oh God, you’ve got to help me!” Immediately, I felt peace. I knew God was in charge.

       I walked back to the building, taking a shortcut through the grass. Picture this: I was walking on grass in the dark. And that was when I felt an inner nudge to stop walking. 

       And I did. At that exact spot, I felt the same nudge to bend over and reach down. In that darkness, I stooped down and held something round. I lifted it up—it was the camera lens!

       The grounds of PICC are massive and covered with darkness. It was literally like finding a pin in a haystack.

I remember that day and tell myself, “If God guides me for a something as small as a camera lens, I believe God will guide me for the bigger things in my life.”

God allows Mt. Tabor experiences in our lives to ready us for Mt. Calvary experiences. In Mt. Tabor, Jesus showed Himself with brilliant light beside Moses and Elijah to Peter, James, and John—because he knew that in a few days, they’ll experience the horrific sight of him hanging on a criminal’s cross. When they start doubting, “Did I follow the wrong guy?” they can look back that once upon a time, they saw a glorious Jesus.

Which reminds me of a very important point in the story of David and Ziklag…

God Will Return What Was Stolen From You

David wasn’t only seeking for Encouragement. He was also seeking for Enlightenment. He asked God, “Can I pursue the Amalekites? Can I overtake them?”

God told David, “Pursue the Amalekites. You shall be able to overtake them.” So David rallied his men and they chased after the Amalekites. They found them in the middle of a party, drunk and distracted. They attacked them, defeated them, and took back their wives and children. They also brought home the spoils of war—the wealth of their enemy.

When you experience loss, I believe that if you “encourage yourself in the Lord”, you’ll experience what David experienced: God returned to him what was stolen—plus interest!

What kind of interest? The Old Testament says that the thief, once caught, should return seven times what he has stolen. (Proverbs 6:30-31) 

Have you lost anything? 

Whenever I lose money in business, I ask God to return it to me sevenfold. It happens.

If you go to the courthouse of men, they may punish the thief and ask him to return what he has stolen. But if you go to the courthouse of God, claim in faith that God Himself will see to it that what was stolen from you shall be returned sevenfold.

Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one. Perhaps a parent just passed away. Perhaps you experienced a miscarriage. And there’s a deep wound in your heart. Believe me, God will not only return this person to you sevenfold, but eternal-fold. Be patient. In Heaven, you’ll be reunited with your loved one forever and ever and ever…

       Learn to encourage yourself in the Lord.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Your Failures Are Temporary

Failure can be devastating.

Just recall your most painful failures.

          Have you failed in school?  Have you experienced waiting outside the registrar’s office, your body sweating, your knees shaking, your stomach churning, praying that your grade isn’t a 72% but 75%–or you get kicked out of school? (Been there, done that.)

Have you failed in your job? In your business?  Did you lose money in your investments?  Have you plunked in hard-earned money in a business—only to have the money disappear? (I’ve experienced this ten times in my life…)

Have you failed in your diets?  My friend tried the Atkins Diet and he failed. He tried the Mediterranean Diet and he failed. He tried the After Six Diet, and he failed. He tried the South Beach Diet, the North Beach, The East Beach, and the West Beach—and failed all of them too. Finally, he’s doing the Seafood Diet and its been working. What he sees, he eats. 

Have you failed in your exercise programs? Have you decided to run each morning—and lasted only for two weeks? Have you bought a treadmill and now use it as a clothes hanger?  Skywalker? Abroller? Abflex? ThighMaster? StepMaster?  Used them for three weeks max, and are now symbols of your undisciplined life?

Have you failed in your love-life? Have you ever experienced a broken heart? Have you loved someone with all your heart, but that someone didn’t love you back but just wanted you to be a friend? (“But I don’t want to be just your friend! Grrrr!”) Or have YOU broken someone’s heart?   Is your theme song, To all the girls I’ve loved before. Who travelled in and out my door       Have you failed in your family life? As husband, wife, father, mother, sibling, child, grandchild? 

       Have you failed God?

       Have you failed yourself?

       People ask me how could I have written 27 books, so far. The answer is easy. It’s not because I have more brilliance. It’s because I have more blunders. Because every time I fail, I try to learn from my failures—and share this wisdom in my books.

Here’s God’s big message for you today. Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail…

3 Lessons I Will Never Forget

       A few years ago, I wanted to learn how to play badminton. I asked my friend Mike Joseph to teach me how to play. Mike was phenomenal in badminton. He has been playing the sport for 30+ years. Before badminton became fashionable, he was already playing it as a kid. I bet when he was still in his diapers, he wasn’t holding a rattle, he was holding a badminton racket.

After two training sessions with him, something unforgettable happened. While we were dressing up to train, two guys invited us to a doubles game.

I was about to tell them, “Oh sorry guys, I don’t know how to play yet. Just in kindergarten…”  But Mike blurted out, “Sure!”

My jaw dropped. Was he out of his mind? I told the two men, “Excuse me for a moment while I confer with my friend…”

I walked near Mike and whispered, “Are you insane?  I don’t know how to play! These guys look like star players. We’re going to be massacred.”

He said, “It’s okay, Bo. Here’s what you do. Just stand in front of the net. If the shuttlecock goes near you, raise your racket and swat it down.  Remember these two things: Give it your best shot.  And I’ll take care of the rest.”

So I did the unbelievable.

With trembling knees, I took my place near the net. I looked at the two opponents on the other side and froze. They looked like pros.  Because they had expensive badminton rackets. And matching outfits!

In the entire game, I did what Mike told me to do—stand near the net and swat whenever the ball came near me. And Mike would do everything else. Believe me, he was like The Flash. When I turned to my right, he was there. When I turned to my left, he was there. When I looked behind me, he was there!  

What happened? That day, Mike and I crushed those guys. They didn’t know what hit them.

I felt great winning the game. Honestly, I didn’t do much. Goodness, I think I didn’t even perspire. In the entire 45 minutes of playing, I probably hit the ball twice. Okay, that’s an exaggeration.  I did more than that.

Let me share with you three key lessons I learned that day…

1. Always Play Doubles

Today, you’re fighting different battles in your life. Perhaps you’re fighting health problems. Or you’re fighting financial difficulties. Or you’re fighting relationship conflicts. Sometimes, you feel these opponents are huge and strong and powerful.

Here’s my word for you: Don’t try to fight alone.

Because God designed your life to be lived NOT as a Singles Game, but as a Doubles Game.   You need a Partner. 

There are people I know who fight their fights alone—and sooner or later, they lose.  People think they lose because of a lack of proficiency. Or a lack of power.  Or a lack of perseverance. Or a lack of provision. But actually, they lack a Partner. They lack a Champion Partner. Because if they had a Champion Partner, that Partner will give them the proficiency and power and perseverance or provision they need.

In our first game, the score was 15-9. We got 15 and they got 9. Do you know why the opponent had 9 points? Because I made 9 mistakes. 

Here’s what I learned: If you Partner with a Champion, you can make all sorts of mistakes—and still win.

I Shouldn’t Be Here!

This is the story of my life. I have made so many mistakes in my life, I’m wondering what in the world am I doing here, experiencing great blessing and success?

As I told you, I failed in school.

I think it all started when I was in Kindergarten. My teacher asked the class to write our names. Simple, right? Not if your name was Eugenio Isabelo Tomas Reyes Sanchez Jr. At that time, I couldn’t even memorize my name, much less write it down.

So I probably felt bobo (dumb)because by recess time, all my classmates were already playing outside—but I was still on my seat writing my name.

Seriously, I probably was mildly dyslexic because I couldn’t spell my words right. In Grade school, my teacher gave us 20 words to spell—and I only spelled 2 words right. The two words were “cat” and “dog”. But I couldn’t spell words with two syllables.

I was also bullied. Note: Not just by my classmates but by my teacher. Not only was I small and thin, but I was terrible at sports. I remember playing baseball. My teacher assigned me to be right outfielder. But I was so uncoordinated, I couldn’t catch the ball. My Teacher told all my classmates, “Try to hit the ball towards Eugenio because he won’t be able to catch it…” and then he’d laugh really loud and all my classmates would laugh with him. 

For our yearbook, they couldn’t write anything under my photo. There was nothing to write about. So they wrote something like, “Eugenio existed… sometimes.”

       As I grew up, I failed God. I sinned against God many times.

And that’s why God’s big message for you today is very close to my heart: Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail.

Despite all those failures, I’m living a dream life today. I’m blessed beyond my wildest imagination. Everyday, I’m surrounded by love. I have a wonderful family. I have phenomenal friends. I have the most amazing work in the universe. There are days when I pinch myself. How can someone who has failed so much be so blessed? 

Here’s how: God’s specializes in transforming your failures into your fortunes, your defeats into your doorways, your disasters into your destinies, your messes into your magnificence.

Have you failed in your life? Have you made so many mistakes that you can’t count them? I’ve got good news for you. If you make God your Partner, no matter how many mistakes you‘ve made in your life, you can still win!

I repeat, Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail.

Here’s my second key lesson…

2. Always Give Your Best

Mike told me only two things. He said, “Give it your best shot. I’ll take care of the rest.”

As I said, in our first game, the opponent had 9 points because I made 9 mistakes. Think about it: If I stood there like a flagpole, and did absolutely nothing, we would have won the game with the score 15-0. It would have been a more impressive win for Mike.

But Mike’s goal wasn’t to win. Mike’s goal was to teach how to win. He wanted me to learn, to grow, to develop, to be better. So before playing, he told me, “Give it your best shot.” Even if my best wasn’t good enough. Even if my best meant making all sorts of mistakes.

Friend, that’s exactly what God is telling you to do now.

God wants you to give life your best shot.

The world is your stage! And everyday, God wants you to go out there, stand on that stage, and give your best performance.

So if you’re a teacher, then teach your students so well that they’ll be wiser and better and kinder and nobler than their parents. If you’re an Entrepreneur, sell us products that will elevate the human spirit.  If you’re a janitor, hold your mop like a king holds his scepter and make that floor shine so that when people look at it, they’ll say that life is getting brighter everyday.  If you’re a nurse, then love your patients so well that they’ll think angels are walking in our midst. It doesn’t matter what you do. The world is your stage and your audience is begging you to give your best performance every time. Soon, people will travel for miles, line up for a chance to sit at your feet to watch you give your best. 

Here’s my final lesson…

3. Always Trust Your Partner

We actually played three badminton games that day.

In the first game, we won. But in the second game, we lost. The score was 13-15. Yes, I made more mistakes.

We took a water break after that. I walked up to Mike and said, “I’m such a lousy player. I think we should give up.”

“Nonsense!” he said, “You’re getting better!”

“Huh?” I looked behind me, wondering if he was talking to someone else. Nobody was there.  “Gosh Mike, we lost! All because of me.”

He shook his head, “We just lost one game. We’re now going to win the next game.”

That’s when I remembered that Mike gave me only two instructions. First, he said, “Give it your best shot.” Second, he said, “I’ll take care of the rest.”

I realized I needed to trust my Mentor. If he said, “We’re going to win this next game,” then we’re going to win the next game. If he said, “Bo, you’re getting better,” then I’m really getting better!

True enough, we won that third game. The score was 15-7. They made 7 points because I only made 7 mistakes.  I was getting better because I was committing lesser mistakes.

Friend, perhaps you’ve made a lot of mistakes and you feel disappointed with yourself today. But God is telling you, “You’re getting better! You’ll win in the next game.”

When you turn to the right, God will be there.   When you turn to the left, God will be there too. When you look behind you, God’s got you covered. He’ll back you up. He’ll make you win.

Live by this Law: Do your best and let your Partner do the rest. Friend, remove worry from your life. Trust in your Partner! Even when your situation is impossible. Especially when your situation is impossible!

Do Your Best And Let Your Partner Do The Rest

       Let me tell you a true story of my friends, James and Diana, a married couple who have been members of Light of Jesus for 30+ years now. (I’ve changed their names.)

30+ years ago, James and Diana had 3 friends who wanted to work abroad. Luckily, Diana had another friend who was in charge of hiring staff for luxury ships—and asked for her help for their friends. In no time, the three men got jobs as waiters in restaurants in the ship. The men happily worked as seamen, sending precious dollars to their family.

That same friend offered James a job as well.  “James, we still need waiters. Why don’t you apply?” she asked.

Diana and James talked about the offer – which was really tempting, because at the time, they were in their 20s and were minimum wagers.  Diana worked in a printing press and James in a food chain. They already had three kids, and their eldest, already six years old, would soon start school.

At that time, they were already part of the Light of Jesus Family.  After praying together with their friends in community, James didn’t feel peace about working abroad. He decided he should turn it down, stick it out here, and believe that God will prosper them.

“In the beginning, it was difficult to stand by our decision,” Diana told me. “I saw the families of my 3 friends happy with the money the men were sending them.  They had big TV sets and nice ovens. The ladies also showed me their branded imported bags.  Their kids played remote-controlled big toy cars—and my sons just watched them, their mouths salivating.  When the men came home for a vacation—they gave us chocolates and imported canned goods. Through those early years, we wondered if we made the right decision or not. It felt like we were failures and they were winners.”

Fast forward 30+ years later. Here’s what happened to them…

Friend #1 fell in love with a chambermaid in the luxury ship. His wife threatened to leave him. James advised his friend to quit working at sea.  He listened.  He found a job as waiter in a local restaurant—and saved his marriage.

Friend #2, lonely at sea, found comfort in shabuhe found in ports where his ship docked.  He became a drug addict and was fired.  Because of his addiction, he couldn’t find work in the Philippines, so his family went bankrupt.  To save her kids from poverty, his wife left him and lived with another man who provided for her. Friend #2 is now living on the streets, begging for food from his neighbors.

Friend #3 did not have a mistress, neither did he become a drug addict.  He provided for his family so well that his kids were able to go to exclusive schools. Happy ending?  Not quite.  His wife, unable to sleep during the long nights that her husband was gone, took downers—sleeping pills that eventually affected her brain. She is now mentally ill and he had to quit working abroad so he could take care of her and their kids.

Meanwhile, James and Diana, gave their best. And God did the rest. Their home now also has the large TV set. James rose through the ranks until he became a top supervisor. But most importantly, they had their family intact.

       By the way, I’m not telling you this story to tell you NOT to become an OFW. It’s still possible, but I urge you that if you’ll be separated from your spouse, it can’t be for too long. If at all possible, find a way to be together. Because that’s how God designed families.

But that’s the main reason why I tell you this story.

Here’s my main point: Early on, Diana and James thought they failed in life. But God vindicated them. 30 years later, they realized that failure is temporary, and victory is permanent, because God cannot fail.

God Doesn’t Do The Easy Things Only

Nothing is more impossible than death.

In the Bible, Jesus raised 3 dead people to life. They were the daughter of Jairus, the son of the Widow of Nain, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

The daughter of Jairus had just died a few minutes ago. Her body was still warm. Because when Jairus asked Jesus to pray for his daughter, she was still alive. But when they arrived at the house, someone told Jairus, “Don’t bother the Master. Your daughter is dead.” But Jesus still entered the room, and said to her, “Rise!” and the daughter of Jairus rose up from her deathbed.

The son of the widow of Nain died possibly for more than 12 hours. When Jesus met the funeral procession on the road, the guy was already in a coffin about to be buried. So his body was stiff and cold. They didn’t embalm people then, so they bury people in the same day they died. But Jesus stopped the funeral procession, touched the coffin, and said, “Rise!” and the man rose up from his coffin and started talking.

But among the three, no one was deader than Lazarus. Lazarus has been buried for four days. In fact, when Jesus came, Mary said, “Jesus, his body smells by now. His body has been rotting for 4 days.” But Jesus still said, “Lazarus, come out!” and Lazarus walked out of the grave.

What do these three miracles say to you?

       Perhaps your dreams have died—and they’re dead in varying degrees.

Perhaps your dream just died yesterday and it’s lifeless now on its deathbed. Perhaps your dream died some time back, and it’s now lying stiff and cold in a coffin. Or perhaps your dream died many years ago and it’s rotting in a grave.

All that doesn’t matter. Because God is in the business of resurrecting dead dreams. 

       God isn’t here to do the easy things only. God is here to do the impossible things.

God is telling you now, “Nothing is too hard for me.”

       All your failures are temporary. All your difficulties are temporary. All your disappointments are temporary. All your heartbreaks are temporary. All your bankruptcies are temporary. Even the pain of death is temporary! But your Victory is permanent. Because God cannot fail.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez