Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

Have you ever wondered if you were too far gone? I know I have. When I was in my twenties, I was working in Boston, far from home and family, and I had completely turned my back on Christ. I was living for myself, partying, and drinking too much and all the rest – all the common things of this world. Every time a friend tried to talk to me about Jesus, the guilt of my choices kept me from following Him. Thankfully, my friends and family never stopped praying, and I was able to give my life to Christ. When I did finally receive Jesus into my heart, I realized that despite my behavior, God had never stopped loving me. God never turned His back on me. Even on the nights when I was broken, alone, and living in complete sin, God was there – I just hadn’t opened my eyes to it. Maybe you’re somebody who is struggling right now. Perhaps you’ve turned your back on Christ. Whatever your situation is, I promise you, nothing you have done is too much for God’s forgiveness. God sent His one and only Son to fix our situation. When Jesus came and died on the cross, He did so so that we could be forgiven and live in a relationship with God once again. The Bible says in Romans 8:39 that “nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God.” This is Andrew Palau.

I’ve talked before about a “God-shaped hole.” It’s a funny term, but it describes the needs that each of us have which only God’s love can fulfill. Deep within our soul, we long to know God’s love. We long to be accepted just as we are. But sometimes, we mistake this longing and latch on to counterfeit love from another person. We try to fill our “God-shaped hole” with another person’s love or approval. The trouble is, when we derive our sense of worth, or value, or get our needs filled from another human, we will always be let down. Even if the relationship or friendship lasts, at one point or another, we will experience a disappointment. So, how can we avoid feeling despair when this happens? Well, if we’re followers of Christ we can make sure it doesn’t happen by remembering daily God’s love, and getting our worth and value from Him! Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Friend, we don’t have to earn God’s love—and He will never let us down. I urge you today to let God fill your “God-shaped hole.” Share with those around you about His consistent, unending love. This is Luis Palau.

Technology is amazing! We often take for granted things like turning on a light, or instantly heating the stove, or even asking Siri for directions. Technology sure has made life easier, but when it fails, it can really mess things up. A few years ago, a winter storm caused power to go out on a friend of mine. During that time, he couldn’t watch TV, cook, or even read in bed at night. Technology had failed him. And you know, at some point or another, whether it’s technology, or a person in our life who lets us down, we will all experience something that fails us. But, did you know that while most things in this life will fail at some point, God’s love NEVER fails? I Corinthians tells us: "Love never fails." Can you imagine? We are used to things going wrong or failing - Electricity. Food. Cars. Jobs. Relationships. We start to expect failure. But what joy it is to know that true love never fails. And, because God IS love, we can trust Him. He will not fail. There is nothing more attractive to those who don’t know Jesus Christ than His unfailing love. Will you share it today? Tell them He showed His love by going to a cross, giving His own blood to forgive our sins, and then rising from the dead to give us the assurance of eternal life. Now that is the love of a true, divine friend. This is Luis Palau.

A reporter once asked an interviewee, “why do you want to get married?” to which the interviewee replied, “well, I want to be happy.” As it turns out, this idea — that marriage is about making you happy is common in this day and age. Turn on any Hollywood “romantic comedy” and you’ll see someone looking for marriage to complete them or make them happier. In other words, popular culture views marriage as something that is self-seeking. There are many problems with this way of thinking; one is that when conflict arises, or someone in the marriage decides they are no longer “happy,” they feel entitled to a divorce. This is all so destructive. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wife, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word…” According to this message of love and marriage, husbands are called to love selflessly in the image of Christ. In the same way, women are called to respect and love their husbands—also bearing Christ’s image. This paradigm requires us to have a servant’s heart towards our spouse—even when we’re not necessarily happy. This week, I urge you to love your spouse. Perhaps your marriage can show Christ to other couples in your life. This is Luis Palau.

In today’s culture, there’s a popular mantra that says, “Love is all you need.” Hollywood movies urge people to find their “soul mate.” They advertise passionate romance, and then often depict fiery breakups. I recently shared a message at a wedding of a young couple I have known for quite some time. One thing that stood out to me was that this couple had a genuine understanding that even though they loved each other very much, they were not getting married because they felt they needed each other’s love. Rather, they were entering into a holy union with Jesus Christ, where their first goal was to serve Him and share His love with others together. There’s a special pleasure when a husband and wife work for the kingdom and lead people to Jesus Christ as a couple. The truth is, no amount of love from another person can replace the significance of God’s love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” So, whether you are single and looking, or married for years, or somewhere in between — I urge you to put your focus on God’s love today. Tell others about it! This is Luis Palau.

It’s easy to see the shine of a new diamond ring from across the room. But over time, that shine can dull as dust collects on it. You’ve probably heard the famous children’s hymn that goes, “This little light of mine. . . I’m going to let it shine.” But what does it mean to shine? And why does it seem that – like diamonds – we, too, can lose our luster? In the Gospel of John verse 1:9, Jesus is called “the true light, which gives light to everyone”. And throughout the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are told to be lights in the darkness. Trying to shine on our own can be exhausting. Instead, we're simply called to be closely connected to God and remain in Him. When we do, His light pours forth through us in powerful, brilliant ways that change the world. The ways we shine might not make the news, but they make even more of a difference than we can see. Take a look at your life today and consider how you may be hiding the light that God has placed within you to shine to the world around you. Do you have sin or harmful habits that are keeping others from seeing the true joy and light of the Gospel? The world needs this light now more than ever. There are so many people searching for worth and hope and understanding and we have the answers in Christ. God's Word – the Bible - is filled with the answers to these questions.Stay close to Jesus – the true Light – and shine on. This is Andrew Palau.

Many of you have heard of Corrie ten Boom, the concentration camp survivor, who then went all over the world proclaiming the love of God, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and how to find eternal life, after she was set free. She made this statement one day, and I heard her say it myself.“When I enter that beautiful city, and the saints all around me appear,I hope that someone will tell me, "It was you who invited me here." I love that little ditty that Corrie ten Boom used to quote quite often. That when we get to heaven, what a joy it will be to see people that we led to faith in Jesus Christ or people that were led by somebody else but we supported them and prayed for them, and God used them to lead these people to Christ. One of the great joys of heaven, I think, is going to be, as Corrie ten Boom says, people coming up and saying, “It was because of you that I heard the Good News. It was because of you that I repented and received Jesus Christ. It's because of you and your telling me the story of Jesus that I'm in heaven today.” What a day that's going to be! And if we're going to reach our world in our generation, we must obey the great commission that says, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Let's do it today. This is Luis Palau.

When I came from Argentina, South America to the United States, I was accepted as a citizen after a few years here. One of the impressive things that happened to me going to church on Sunday morning, was what they used to call the pastoral prayer. And the pastoral prayer would include many requests of the Lord. But they prayed for the president, no matter what party he belonged to, the vice president, the cabinet, the military, the governors, the mayors, and I thought to myself, "That's why God has blessed the USA so much, because the Church is praying as the scripture says.” And you know, in first Timothy chapter 2, this is what it says in verse 1. Listen to this. "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone. For kings and all those who are in authority so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior." What an impressive request! Not only are we to ask for God to bless these leaders of the nation, but also to give thanks for the good things that happen. Let's practice it today. The nation needs it again, and we need to pray in obedience to the Lord. This is Luis Palau.

All over the world today Christians are suffering from persecution. This week I found a verse in Hebrews 13 that says, "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3). You know, now that I've been laid aside because of my lung cancer - although I'm still ministering but not traveling - I've had a burden to pray for people being persecuted in many nations of the world. I won't mention them on the program because you know them and it could hurt people in those countries where they live. But I have felt compelled by the Holy Spirit and I want to encourage you also, even though we don't know them, to pray for Christians under persecution. Some of the major nations in the world are severely punishing Christians just for the fact that they love Jesus, worship the Lord, and get together once a week to worship together. They deserve our prayers. They deserve our intercession. And let's ask God that persecution would be disappearing from these nations, and that God would either turn the hearts of hearts of the leaders in repentance towards God through Jesus Christ or remove them from power for the sake of our brothers and sisters who are suffering. This is Luis Palau.

The famous missionary Elisabeth Elliot once told this story that always makes me cry, and I know it will touch your heart. It was a minister in Scotland, of the Church of Scotland. They were having communion Sunday and the people came forward and knelt at the railing. There was a crowd of people there and at the end of the crowd was a teenage girl with tears coming down her cheeks. When the minister came and tried to give her the bread she shook her head, saying “no.” So the minister turned away, took the cup and gave the cup to the various people kneeling down. When he came to this teenager again, she again shook her head and said “no” to the cup. The minister then said to her, "Take it lassie, it's for sinners." What a beautiful thought that minister had, and he based it of course on the Bible. Because the Bible says, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son purifies from all sin" (1 John 1:7). And, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all uncleanliness” (1 John 1:9). If you have a load of guilt today, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, trust in His blood, and you will be forgiven. This is Luis Palau

It’s easy to hear pastors or evangelists like me say, “Go share the Gospel!” and think, “Sure, Andrew, I do intend to get to that later.” In fact, there have been times in my own life when I didn’t see the urgency in sharing the Good News. In almost every situation, it is easier to remain quiet than to boldly proclaim Christ. But the reality is, the Gospel is an urgent message. People need to hear about Jesus today. In a very joyful, clear, and bold way. The Bible relates the importance of sharing the Good News in Proverbs 24:11, saying, “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Before I knew Christ this was me and I was desperate. At any moment, something could happen to any of us. This happened to me in a plane crash in 2009. Life here is fragile and temporary. So consider who in your life still needs to hear about Jesus. Who has yet to accept Him into their hearts? Pray for an insight about who you could talk to. Then, be bold! Share God’s message. The best place to start is by telling what God has done in your life. In that way you will reach your world with the Good News today. I encourage you to do it. This is Andrew Palau.

At a festival in New York City, a woman seemed to be asking me, “is God still relevant?” My answer? Absolutely! When people ask if Jesus Christ is relevant to us today, the answer is a resounding yes! He is relevant to every aspect of our lives. And do you want to know why? It’s because Jesus Christ suffered, died in our place, and rose again on the third day. So we have a God who understands our suffering. Whether you’re struggling with a lost job, or broken relationship—Jesus gets it. Isn’t that amazing? In Peter’s first letter in the Bible, he tells us, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” When we suffer, we are sharing in Christ’s suffering. And the Bible says that this is cause for rejoicing. Our God understands our daily struggles and challenges. Jesus Christ is relevant in our sufferings. He will guide us through it. Elisabeth Elliot writes, “In all our afflictions he is afflicted. We are together in them...” Will you share the relevancy of our Savior with a suffering friend today? This is Luis Palau.

A friend of mine told me this: “When I was in New York City I decided I wanted to visit the Empire State Building. So, I took out my phone and used GPS to direct me to the building, from my hotel. Yet, I still got lost. When I finally got to the building and arrived at the top, I could see the route I had tried to take from above, and everything was so clear.” And I thought, you know, this is a metaphor for life. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 that “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Often, though, I think we forget to look to God—who sees everything from above, with absolute clarity—for wisdom and direction. When we get lost in the city of life, we keep going and try to “undo” or “fix” our problem, instead of saying, “Okay, Lord! I need your guidance.” We too often won’t admit we are lost and just trust God to guide us. This week, I encourage you to trust in God afresh. Recommit yourself to trust God’s word. Trust that He sees everything from above, and ask Him for guidance, for the next steps you should take, with problems you may be facing. This is Luis Palau.

I spent a lot of time in New York City for a large evangelistic outreach there. While in the city, I met people from all walks of life. Some of the people I met seemed to have it all: loads of money, great jobs, homes in the Hamptons, you name it! But one day, a comment struck me. A lawyer I met, who is not yet a believer, said to me, “you know, Palau, I appear to have everything, but I feel so empty.” I thought to myself, “this is really sad.” Here is this sharp man who seems to have everything—but in God’s eyes, he has nothing. He could die tomorrow, without assurance of salvation, and his beautiful home and fancy cars would be meaningless. But the reality is, all over the world there are so many people living for only money, or misunderstood success. Popular culture tells us we should be living this way, by glamorizing fancy cars, giant homes, and celebrity culture. But living this way doesn’t work. It doesn’t fulfill our spirits. It leads to emptiness, which is another way of saying, “You are dead in your disobedience and your many sins.” This week, I challenge you to assess your priorities. Where is your heart? What are you living for? The Bible says in Matthew 22:37 that “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. So do it! And share this with others in your life. This is Luis Palau.

I saw a shirt recently that said, “Enjoy it! Because it’s happening.” And, you know, I like that motto, because it’s true about life. Life isn’t going to wait for us to be prepared. Life doesn’t stop so we can get our priorities in order. Life just keeps moving. “It’s happening”—so we may as well be part of the ride. The thing is, I often meet Christians who aren’t taking advantage of each moment in life. They don’t open up and share the Good News because they don’t feel qualified to share the Good News. They say, “How can I evangelize, when I’m just a…student, or lawyer, or mother?” But here’s the thing: God does not call on the qualified. God qualifies the called. Life is happening, and it’s not slowing down. You may not get another chance to share the Good News with the person sitting next to you, so why not do it today? The Bible says in Acts 13:47, “I have made you a light for the nations… that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth”. So just do it! I encourage you this week - be bold! Take advantage of the moment. Trust the Lord that He will prepare you with the right words to say. Share the Good News! This is Luis Palau.