Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

There’s a lot of different kinds of love in the world: there’s sexual love, married love, teenage love, a father’s love, a mother’s love, and platonic love for our friends and neighbors. But there is a love greater than all other loves and once you know this love, all other loves begin to fall into place. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never ends.” What all of us are looking for, even when we fall in love with another person, we’re really, without realizing it, looking for God’s love in our soul. Ultimate love is this: In John 15, Jesus says, “No one has a greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” And then Paul reminds us that even while we were sinners, God showed us His love for us in that Christ died for us. Jesus gave His life to love you. And He died voluntarily knowing your story. The cross is the greatest demonstration that God loves you. Remember this today. The way Jesus loves you is the ultimate display of true love.                This is Andrew Palau.

There always will be a few insensitive individuals who glibly quote Scripture at random and have an answer for every instance of life. That said, you and I must not overlook the fact that in times of stress and difficulty, nothing, absolutely nothing, takes the place of holy Scripture. When I am feeling weak and discouraged, I look for someone with a light of hope in their eyes. I long for someone to reach out to me and encourage me. The Scriptures give us hope, not only for the present, but also for eternity. If the ultimate fear—death—becomes a reality, God has promised me heaven. I am sure of that. This is not a pat answer to avoid in counseling. It is the truth from which we find answers, the ultimate reality in a world which sometimes makes no sense. When I called a friend who lost his mother earlier that day, I had my Bible open to Psalm 46 and, with my friend’s permission, read it to him. I never have known anyone to refuse. And by the way, it was one of my mother’s favorite Bible passages that she quoted over and over throughout her life. Psalm 46 begins by saying, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Wow! What could be better to share with a hurting friend today? This is Luis Palau.

After my wife Pat’s breast cancer surgery, a friend came to visit her in the hospital. The friend was a new believer with little Christian background. As she sat beside Pat’s hospital bed, though, she just happened to speak for God when she said, “I think that you’re going to have to let some of your friends carry your pain for you.” My wife found great comfort in her friend’s desire to help carry Pat’s pain. Had this friend experienced cancer surgery? No. Nor did she have a doctorate degree in counseling. Yet she comforted my wife with one simple sentence of hope. During my own battle with cancer thousands of people have communicated with me. A number have quoted Jeremiah 29:11 to me: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” I’m blessed whenever I read this verse. I’ve never thought, “Surely they could come up with a more original verse!” On the contrary, this verse gives me a sense of strength that this is indeed a word from God to me. Both my wife Pat and I have always appreciated Jeremiah 29:11, and I encourage you to use it in your sphere of influence. Ask God to speak through you today to a hurting friend.        This is Luis Palau.

When a friend of yours needs comforting, don’t draw back with uncertainty, thinking you haven’t the experience or the right words to say. Comforting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord is not an assignment reserved only for some “expert” or salaried staff person. It is the duty and privilege of everyone who knows, loves, and follows Jesus Christ. The longer I live, the more grateful I am for the efforts people have made to comfort me during my prolonged struggle with lung cancer. How could I ever forget those who have reached out to me, when from their standpoint, comforting me was the last thing they wanted to do that day? Those friends will always be dear to me because they did reach out. They weren’t afraid of making a “mistake.” Some of them had deep, insightful things to say and responded with thoughtful actions. I love them! When Jesus comforted His dear friend Martha after her brother Lazarus had died, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” John 11:25. What a rock-solid promise from the lips of our Lord and Savior. Again, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” [John 11:25]. Who do you know who needs to hear it? Go and comfort them. This is Luis Palau.

The other day I heard a Christian describe how a mutual friend had made several “mistakes” while trying to comfort them during a time of difficulty. They complained that the friend offered advice, solutions, and even dared to quote Scripture, which bothered them. When I first was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a couple of years ago, many friends, family, and even strangers reached out to me. What if, instead, they all had avoided me for fear of making a “mistake”? Today we are not only discouraged from reaching out for fear that we may make a “mistake,” but we are practically disqualified from doing so unless we have walked the same road of divorce, death, cancer, abuse, alcoholism, or even financial bankruptcy. Am I wrong in attempting to comfort my abandoned friend because I have not experienced the same kind of abandonment by my own wife? Is this the best we can find—the commiserating of those traveling the same path? I think not. Instead, let’s visit, call, and write. Encourage, counsel, comfort. And when we do, let’s quote verses like 2 Corinthians 1:3, where the apostle Paul praises “the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our afflictions.” That God, our God, wants nothing more than to be your friend’s comfort and solace today.  This is Luis Palau.

2 Timothy 4:2 reads “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” This passage stands out to me because it’s a charge. Here, we’re told exactly what we’re supposed to do. It’s clear cut. The expectation is obvious. We are supposed to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ and be prepared to do it at any time.   This makes me think of my children. They enjoy sports. Chris loves lacrosse and Jon loves soccer. Now, if my boys only played their sport during the game, they wouldn’t be very good. They might do okay, but they certainly would not perform as well as if they had practiced and prepared. The reason athletes do so well is because they practice. They prepare and train and equip themselves all year long.   Sharing our faith requires the same discipline. If we expect to be comfortable during “game time” yet don’t practice the rest of the year, our efforts will be stunted. However, if we do as the scripture says and prepare ourselves “in season and out of season” we’ll be equipped and ready to tell the people in our lives about Jesus Christ as soon as an opportunity arises. So, let’s go for it. Let’s be ready to share our faith at all times.   This is Andrew Palau.

In a book called Radical by David Platt, I came across a line that stood out to me. Platt said, “Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is more than enough for us.”  I think sometimes we forget that real faith is not always comfortable. We may think to ourselves, “I go to church Sunday. I volunteer on occasion. But I’m not going to step out of my comfort zone to talk about Jesus to a friend. That’s crazy!” But the reality is, God has called us to spread His Good News. And sometimes, that means stepping outside of our comfortable space. Mark 16:15 says, “And Jesus said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News Gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.’” So what are we waiting for? What’s holding us back? This week, I urge you to throw off whatever is hindering you and be radical in living and sharing your faith. In heaven you will meet more than one person who was converted because of your testimony. This is Luis Palau.

A friend of mine is a pastor, and his church has a motto that reads “here, near, and far”. Basically, that means the church wants to spread the Good News here locally, nearby, and far across the world. To accomplish these three tasks, the church sends missionaries to far away places. They’ve set up church-school partnerships throughout the state nearby. And internally, the church focuses on helping families in need. They are here, near, and far!  The Bible talks about the concept of here, near, and far, too, in Acts 1:8, where Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This week, take a look at your own life. Where do you have the ability to serve God? One day I talked to a Salvation Army leader in the United Kingdom and I asked him where he worked.  He said, “In Bristol.” And then I said, “What do you do?” And he said, “I minister to the last, the least, the lonely, and the lost.” What a tremendous view of the calling of God! To the privileged and to the unknown, we are called to give the blessed Good News of Jesus Christ.  God bless you as you do it! This is Luis Palau.

I have a friend who struggles with anxiety. He told me, “Luis, it feels like I’m always stressed out, or worried about something.” And, indeed, anxiety can be a very real feeling. It can feel suffocating. But the key is remembering that God – the Creator of the entire universe – is on our side. In fact, He lives in us who believe. God promises to be with us in EVERY situation. He promises to go before us. He promises to never leave us. Philippians 4:6-7 in the Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When my friend expresses his anxiety, I pray with him, and remind him of God’s provision and love. This week, consider someone in your life who may be going through the same struggle with anxiety, and talk to them about what the Bible says about anxiety. Tell them that we are never alone when we have Jesus in our hearts. My mother was a great example of a person without anxiety. She was a widow for so many years with seven children. And yet, when we were short of food or anything else, she took it to the Lord in prayer, and we knew that everything was going to be okay because my mother was without anxiety in the presence of the Lord.  Make that your habit too.                      This is Luis Palau. 

One of the fastest ways to feel discouraged is by getting trapped in the sin of envy, where you compare yourself to others. This is especially easy nowadays, with so many people using social media, like Facebook and Twitter. We see someone who appears to have it all and we think, “Why can’t my life be that way?” So instead of being grateful for all we do have, we find ourselves unhappy about what we don’t have. The reality is, every person on earth has fallen short; we are all in need of Jesus Christ, and God loves all of us the same. While some people may appear to have more money, or fame, or things, Philippians 4:19 in the Bible says that God “will supply every need…according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy” and it’s true. The Bible says in James 3:16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder...” So, this week, instead of looking at what other people appear to have, spend some time thanking God for all He has given you! Then, look for opportunities to share about God’s goodness with people in your life. Through your joy, your quiet confidence in His promises, as a result of prayer and biblical meditation – display the Lord Jesus Christ who “never leaves you, nor forsakes you.”  This is Luis Palau.  

Someone older and wiser than me once said, “Silently and imperceptibly as we work or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak; and at last some crisis shows us what we have become.” Bishop Westcott added that crises “do not make heroes or cowards; they simply reveal them.” So, what kind of man or woman are you becoming? Are you becoming a man or woman of backbone, boldness, determination, durability, faithfulness, fortitude, patience, and persistence? Are you becoming a man or woman of resilience, resolution, stamina, staying power, steadfastness, tenacity, and toughness? What’s more, do you know the meaning of adversity, bravery, conviction, discipline, endurance, fearlessness, gratitude, hardship, insult, joy, keeping the faith, and listening to the Lord? Do you know the meaning of motivation, never giving up, perseverance, righteousness, strength, trustworthiness, and zeal from the Lord? Today, and every day, my friend, make it your goal to grow stronger. This is Andrew Palau.

One of the men who has influenced my life almost more than any other was a pastor named Ray Stedman from California. He came to Argentina. We became instant friends. God used him to bring me to the U.S.A., and from then on he opened many doors. He had many statements that have influenced my life. Here’s one that I want to tell you about today. He said, “Woe to the person who has to learn principles at a time of crisis. And you know what a profound statement that is? You learn principles about God’s will for your life by meditating, rejoicing in, memorizing, and thinking through what the Bible says, which is the holy word of God. And you know, the principles that God reveals in the Bible explain why many things happen in the world today. Why wars. Why pestilence. Why enmity. Why broken homes. Why people stay away from each other, and why do some people respond to the message of the Gospel and others don’t. When you learn God’s principles you’ll be able to understand the world around you. The sooner we learn those principles the better, because then we will know God’s way for us in the world today. This is Luis Palau.

God has given us four sons, and they all have families of their own. But you know, I often ask myself, “I wonder what they think about God and Jesus Christ, and my life in the world when they watch me in action.” I often think about it, and you probably do too. What I remember about my father was how serious he was about the things of God, how cheerful he was about his work, how dedicated he was in helping the needy and the poor. I remember one day – I probably told you this before – as a little boy I walked into his office early in the morning in the winter and he was covered with a blanket, and he was reading the Bible. And I said, “Dad, what are you reading?” He said to me, “I’m reading the book of Proverbs.” My dad told me, “Luis, when you grow up, read a chapter of the book of Proverbs every day because it has 31 chapters – one chapter for even the longest month of the year.” You will learn how to be a successful man, how to walk with God, how to do well financially, how to help other people, how to be a pure person. You will learn everything you need to know, he said to me, from the word of God in the book of Proverbs. I took it seriously and from age 16 until now, I still read the book of Proverbs and I recommend it to everyone, and they all thank me.           This is Luis Palau.

On my desk in my house I have a photo of myself at two years of age, standing by my dad. Even though he died when I was a boy, my father left an example that I can’t beat any time, anywhere. He would always sing the praises of God. He would always read the Bible. He would attend communion every Sunday. And many a time I found him on his knees in his office, reading the word of God, and praying to the Lord our God. My father was unashamed of Jesus Christ. In the small town in Argentina where we were born everybody knew that he was a businessman, that he was successful, but also that he was wide open and unashamed about the Lord Jesus Christ. He helped the poor. He was in construction, building homes. And he would sell a home to a poor family and say, “We won’t even sign a contract. You pay me when you can, so much every month.” And when he died, so many people came to say, “Your father loved us. You father took care of us.” And even today, 70 years later, they still talk in that town about my dad giving an example of helping the poor and living for Christ, and honoring Jesus Christ. You can do the same thing in your town and in your home, and you’ll be reaching your world often without realizing it. This is Luis Palau. 

Most of us have people in our lives that we consider our heroes. We would like to be like them. We want to learn from them. We would like to imitate their way of expressing things. And when you’re thinking about reaching your world with the wonderful good news about God and His love and mercy and forgiveness, I have to go back to Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Rogers in Argentina, South America. They were British. They were missionaries. They came down there to work in a big company, but mostly they came to share the good news of Jesus Christ. So they supported themselves working for a British corporation but the rest of their life and their time they spent with us. I was a boy, and my five sisters, and my little brother, and we were all blessed by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. You know what I remember the most as a boy? Mr. and Mrs. Rogers treated us with great respect, even when we were little boys and girls seven, eight, nine, ten years of age. They would teach us to memorize Bible verses, to take the word of God seriously. They would teach us about the fall of the human race, about the virgin birth of our Savior, about the cross of Jesus Christ, and how He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now lives to forgive our sins. All that I learned as a child from my favorite hero, Mr. Rogers.   This is Luis Palau.