We can relate their works to what we call horoscopes.  They have the ability to read and interpret these movements.  Are horoscopes bad?  All these studies and knowledge are not bad if all of these things lead us to God.  All these teachings become bad if they keep us away from God, when the sun and stars have become our god.

These three wise men were advisers and therefore close to kings.  In those years, the fate of the kingdom depended on the advise of these wise men.  They are now called astrologers who foretell the effect of the movements of the stars and planets and the occurrence of a significant event on earth.

In 1880, St. Beda did a research on this and named the three wise men as Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar. He concluded that one of them came from Africa, one from Europe, and one  from Asia.  It is not far from the truth that Baltazar was black. And why did he call them kings?  We can read in the Old Testament that the king of the Jews  to be born in the line of David would be visited by kings from different places to pay homage to Him.  True enough, it was stated in the Bible that knees will stoop down in the name of Jesus, including kings.

Looking at the background of the three wise men, they were close to kings, and therefore they were influential. In the present time, if you are a presidential adviser, you are in the palace together with the president.  Likewise, during those time, the wise men lived in the palace with the kings; if not, the king went to their place to seek their advice.  With a good advise, they were complimented by kings with so much wealth.   Hence, we could surmise that these three wise men were  wealthy people who could afford to go cross-country.

During those times, the mode of transportation was the camel, which was far more discomforting than a ride on a horse or  carabao on a long journey.  These three wise men left their kingdoms when they saw the manifestation that a true king was born.  In so doing, they risked their lives.  If the kings they were serving would know that they left to seek another king, they could be executed.  This is what we call "going against the flow."

When these wise men saw the sign that the true king was born -- the king of kings, the lord of lords, God who became man, they left their good life and took a journey to the desert.  Unmindful of what was in store for them in the desert,  they left their comfort zones.  They had to sacrifice and risk their lives to look for Jesus Christ.

This was the very same thing that happened to me.  When I was still not in the renewal, I was employed as a supervisor in a company that provides manpower services.  It was a small but growing company. I was made to handle payroll and inspection and supply the needs of the clients.  I saw how the ‘game was played,’ and I decided to ‘go against the flow.’  When you are already in Christ, this is what we should do. Look to what is happening now at Congress and the Senate, there are people going against the flow; risking their lives in the name of justice and corruption.

Going back to my story, during that time, if you want to maintain your business standing, you must be a good negotiator with your principal. For you to get an immediate release of checks, you must be a good fixer at the accounting department, as well as with the controller, purchaser and other staff. So, one must go along the "flow of the’ world." I became a distributor of envelopes to  this person, to another person, and another.  I deposited the check, I withdrew them, I gave them salaries, etc.

But when I became a speaker, I learned to go against the flow. I gave a talk in the Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar of one company, which at first I was not aware was one of the companies that I've been giving envelopes to for years. When I was introduced and stood in front of the audience, lo and behold! There seated was the comptroller, the purchaser and the others. I was to talk about "Salvation," the very teaching that says we should go against the ways of the world. I don’t know how I was able to finish the talk.  It was the longest talk I’ve ever delivered.

After the talk, I decided to work full time and left my comfort zone.  It was not easy, but it was the most fulfulling thing that I’ve ever done.  The more sacrifices, the more I found happiness and peace.  That you have to discover.

I started to become a speaker in 1986. Many are asking me, “How many souls have I led to heaven?”  I don’t know and I don’t care.   I’m just standing here doing God’s will and accepting His call to His ministry.  Don’t consider it as a big deal if you did something good.  We are supposed to do good because we are children of God.  We are not to brag about doing good because we are created to do good.

I’ve been using a motorbike as my means of transportation for eight years now.  I thought I was a very good motorbike rider until I met an accident.  One day in November, I was invited by a community in Quezon to talk on their 28th anniversary. I left to go to another engagement. I was on a straight road and not many people were using it. I pressed on the gas and traveled fast,  I didn't notice one of the motorcyle's rims was wiggling, probably dislocated by previous trips on uneven roads.

I hit 110 on the meter until I wasn't able to control the motorcycle anymore. I fell left and right. It was my worst accident.

Can I blame God?  This is where we see our relationship with the Lord. I have hit 120 in previous trips but nothing happened, but this one? Can I complain? This is where maturity comes in. If I ask God why He allowed it, I would appear like I knew better.

I stood up from the site of the accident, with the help of copra farmers who saw me. I was in front of a cemetery; before me were three tombs. I had known the doors of death, but God really protects His servants. I learned three things - God gave us life and we must protect it, we need to do something more, prayers of people around us help. That I learned from the incident.

Truly, we will encounter hardships in following Christ. But rewards will be received as promised by God. I thank God I had this opportunity to see you again.  I hope we shall see each other again on our next meeting.  More will be added, none will be eliminated because we grow by the Lord’s blessing.