Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

My friends say I’m bold for Christ, but nothing compared to my dad, Luis Palau. On one of his many trips to England, a clergyman told Dad, “Well, you must understand in our circles, basically, we feel that mass evangelism doesn't work. There are better methods.” So my Dad said, “Really? What method have you discovered that works in your city?” I've seen people swallow their tongue. He ate it! The two young women sitting on either side of him pulled away, as if to say by their body language, “I don't know this guy.” Then a woman named Jane stood and proceeded to tell how God had saved her. Jane described a wild life filled with trouble when she was single. One day while drinking vodka and high on pot, she started shaking, panicked, and recalled a friend's advice: “When you hit bottom, listen to these two recorded messages.” She decided to listen to a message my Dad had given at a London stadium. Halfway through the message, she called her friend, who had given her life to Jesus Christ there at that stadium, and begged her to come. That day Jane’s friend led her to Christ.  “Now I'm married,” Jane concluded, “and my husband is pastor of this great church. I don't understand why you're against mass evangelism.” Why, indeed! This is Andrew Palau.

I remember hearing a story a number of years ago about a businessman named Ernie who was working on a Gospel campaign. There was a deep divide between the white community and  the African-American community. Ernie and the campaign leadership felt called to address this divide by bringing people of all races together to plan the event. However, the more that Ernie, who was a white man, spent time in his community with people of color, the more he began to realize his own racial prejudices. As Ernie said, “If God was fixin’ to do a new thing, I had to get out of His way and let Him do it. I needed to repent of the racism and prejudice and selfishness in my heart.” Ernie wasn’t a bad man; he loved God. However, the way he grew up and how he lived his life meant discrimination against others different than him was engrained in him. When he realized this, he confessed it to those affected by his prejudice. The final step, however, was to change. As 1 John says, “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” [1 John 3:18]. When it comes to the prejudices in our hearts, we need to bring them into the light before God, and then change them. We need to act: educate ourselves and reach out. Then we will begin to create a world welcoming to all, regardless of skin color or educational background. This is the true Gospel of Christ for everyone.  This is Luis Palau.

Sometimes I am so encouraged by the disciple Peter. He was there for everything: the miracles, the messages, the baptisms. However, Peter was very human. He was argumentative. He made a lot of mistakes. Even so, Christ gave him the task of leading His Church. Peter’s story gives me hope that if Christ can use someone like Peter, he can use someone like me, and someone like you. Peter was with the Lord in Samaria when Jesus said “open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest.” He was there when the Lord commanded to “go and make disciples of all nations” and “be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” But he was a slow learner, perhaps from cultural and ethnic prejudice. It took a peculiar vision and the Holy Spirit’s specific directions to convince Peter to associate with a Gentile, the Roman centurion Cornelius, and preach the Gospel to him and his household. Sometimes it takes a while for a message to sink in. Sometimes it takes us a while to see our own prejudice and blind spots. What matters is what we do next: how we confess our sins and change our actions. The process can be painful, but we need to be honest about what words of Christ we may have overlooked because of our prejudice. Then we can confess, change, and work to bring about God’s beautiful kingdom here on earth. This is Luis Palau. 

Being a Christian can be challenging. Being “in the world, not of it” means we often spend our time with other Christians: people who look, act, talk, and believe like we do. While we all need encouragement in our faith, we also need to be challenged to look outside of our own experiences and hear the stories of others that may differ from ours. If we are only in groups of people who are like us, how can we hear those other viewpoints? Jesus was the master of surprise, continually astonishing people by His choices of association. For example, He talked to a Samaritan woman, something other Jews would never do! It’s clear that He orchestrated the encounter with the Samaritan woman not only to reveal Himself as the Messiah to an entire village, but also to give His disciples a preview of their worldwide mission following His resurrection. What did the disciples see when Jesus told them to “open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest”? - despised Samaria. It was Samaritans who proclaimed Jesus “the Savior of the world.” Being like Jesus means we should have friends and colleagues from all walks of life. Our mission is go to all the world, learning about God’s people and spreading Christ’s love. Imagine how the world will be surprised and changed when we reach out to love people different from ourselves and give them the Good News.              This is Luis Palau. 

Christ-followers believe the Gospel is good news for all people. A verse in Galatians talks about how in Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” [Galatians 3:28]. What a blessing that verse is! However, in a broken world, that equality can be hard to find, even among us Christians. Even within ourselves. A number of years ago, a prominent European minister said to me, “We hear good things about your ministry in South America, and we thank God for all that’s happening there.” Then he pointedly added, “I think you’d be better off just preaching to your people.” This man eventually became a good friend of mine. But his prejudice, deep in his soul, kept him from seeing how God had called me to bring the Gospel to all people — even to sophisticated Europeans - regardless of my background or theirs. As Christians, we desire to be unified. But we are also called to speak truth and call out prejudice wherever it exists … especially within ourselves. Until we do this hard work, God will not be able to use us all the way to spread His Gospel. So, we must be ready to look deep within ourselves and ask Christ, “Reveal my prejudices, so that you can redeem them.” Then, we can go out into the world and spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all people, enlarging the kingdom of heaven here on earth.                     This is Luis Palau.  

Where does true wisdom come from? Some people feel wisdom is obtained by immersing yourself in religious activity. Others see wisdom as the unattainable picture of climbing the highest mountain seeking a white bearded guru. Or you’ve heard people described as “wiser than their years”. But if we look for wisdom to come through our experiences or from the world around us, we will certainly wind up disillusioned. God’s Word tells us wisdom is available for all - and that it comes to us from God himself. In the book of Job we read, “God understands the way to wisdom and he alone knows where it dwells.” Wisdom is not far away and only for a few wise old folks. It is for you! For anyone who trusts in the Lord. In James 3 [verse 17] we read, that ”…the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.“   The big picture then is this. If you want wisdom, you must understand that it comes from God alone, for His purpose. It’s all right there in the Word of Christ and this kind of wisdom is very fruitful, it brings what God calls abundant life. So as you desire to love people and reach your world, open up to wisdom God’s way.                       This is Andrew Palau.

When my wife, Pat, had cancer, it wasn’t what I would have planned. When our son, Andrew and his wife, Wendy, suffered multiple miscarriages, it wasn’t what they had hoped for. When my Dad died when he was still a young man of 34, I wasn’t planning on that… Life often doesn’t go according to our plans. But it is in those times that I cling to the promises of God and the character of God more than ever.   In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 8 [verse 28] we read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Sometimes we will see how God worked things out for our good in this life. Other times I don’t believe we will fully understand the suffering and loss in this life until the life to come.   As an older man now, I have the benefit of perspective. I can look back and see why certain things turned out the way they did. I see how God has been working everything together for good. Some things that didn’t make sense 20 years ago make more sense now. Other things still don’t make perfect sense to me. But I know that when I meet Jesus face to face all my unresolved questions will be answered. Do you have this comfort and encouragement in the struggles of your life? Then you must share it with others. There are so many lonely and confused people.      This is Luis Palau

I’ve met many people during my years of ministry who struggle with crippling guilt. Their biggest hindrance to coming to Christ is their shame over past and current sins and struggles. They think God could never forgive them. They believe He wouldn’t want anything to do with them. But I thank God that nothing could be further from the truth. God wants to give those burdened souls salvation as a gift. No one can get closer to God in their own power- God has come close to us in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our way to God. We simply have to receive and believe, with a repentant heart.   The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” [1 John 1:9]. God promises to forgive all those who come to Him. He promises eternal life to those who believe in His Son. If you or someone you know are struggling with guilt, talk to God today. He wants to set you free – Christ will set you free by forgiving you. You will truly be free - not because of anything you have done, but because it is a gift from a good and loving God based on the crucifixion of Christ on His cross. Now that really is Good News, isn’t it?  So pass it on.   This is Luis Palau

When is the last time you moved to a new place? Or even just traveled somewhere you’ve never been before? Back in the good old days, we used good old-fashioned maps to find our way. Today we get the fancy GPS on our smart phones. It can be quite unsettling to be completely turned around in an unfamiliar place.   I remember my friend, Fred Conklin.  He was driving us to a very important meeting in a home, with a high official of the state of California.  The GPS said “turn right,” but the road was closed for repairs.  We had to go around a mountain and back and it took 15 minutes.  We were late for our appointment.  We never forgot that.  But God’s GPS never needs to recalculate.  God’s GPS is always correct.   And isn’t this true of life in general? We need God to sort out our life’s direction. We need His wisdom, eternal perspective, and sovereignty. We need His plan. And thank goodness He has one! When we feel confused and turned around we can trust the promises of God’s Word that He knows exactly where we are headed. He will “direct your paths,” the book of Proverbs, chapter 3 says. Do you have a friend who is wandering through life and seems lost? Share with them the biblical Good News Gospel and they may get back on track with God through Jesus Christ today.   This is Luis Palau.

If God doesn’t promise something in His Word, we shouldn’t be disappointed when He doesn’t do that very thing. He doesn’t promise to make you rich, or handsome, or famous. Many faithful Christians have been poor, lonesome, and unknown. Does this mean God failed them? No! Jesus never promised to make this life perfect. In fact He said we would have trials and tribulation. But Jesus does promise to remain with us through it all. St. Paul tells us in Romans, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” [Romans 8:39]. One glorious promise of Scripture is that no difficulty of this life can separate us from the love of God.   If God didn’t tell us He would do something in the Bible, then we shouldn’t be disappointed when He doesn’t. But there are many things He does promise and we can cling to His promises through the ups and downs of life!   In order to better reach your world, I think it is essential that you know a good number of the promises of God. Study them, memorize them, and share them with others. They have great power.             This is Luis Palau. 

Over the years, my Dad has made a point of telling his testimony of how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He wraps it up by saying, quote, That night I could hardly sleep, I was so excited about committing my life to Jesus Christ. I knew I was saved. I was a member of God’s family forever, end quote. What most people haven’t heard, however, is my Mom’s story. Here’s what she told me: As a child, she went to Sunday school, heard lots of Bible stories, memorized Bible verses, and even heard her mother teach about the Lord, but she didn’t trust Jesus Christ as her Savior until she was about 8 years old. She still remembers that day. She had done something definitely wrong. It was obvious and undisputable. My mother stopped ironing and said, “Pat, You need to ask Jesus to forgive your sins, don’t you?” My mom said, “Yes.” Grandma had capitalized on a very distinct failure, something she had done that was very tangible. It wasn’t an attitude problem, it was a deed, and she zeroed right in on it and led Mom in a prayer to ask forgiveness for her sins and to give her life to Christ. Isn’t that great? So, what’s your story?  Have you given your life to Christ?  If not, do so today. This is Andrew Palau.

From my mother quoting Matthew 6:33 to me and my six siblings over and over again, I learned the sacred principle of seeking God’s kingdom first, and I still firmly believe it today. God has gone on record saying that He will provide what you need. Granted, He does not promise riches or outrageous prosperity, but He will give you what you need to move forward in the work and life of His good kingdom. The Lord’s promises are many, and it’s our tragic loss if we fail to claim them. What are your needs? How are you seeking the Lord’s kingdom today? Are you in need of provision that only your Creator and Redeemer can give? Have you ever tasted the goodness of the Lord’s perfect provision? I want you to remember the example of my mother. She believed that as she sought the kingdom, God would respond as He promised and faithfully give whatever she needed. And our heavenly Father did it! My prayer for you is the same one I pray for myself. I pray that you may always turn to the Lord for every need you have, small or great. And I pray that you might experience the richness of His provision with the same depth of faith that I saw in my mother, Matilde Balfour de Palau. This is Luis Palau.

Through the unwavering example of my mother, I learned that God truly is trustworthy. For my Mom, seeking God’s kingdom wasn’t something you just did on your knees; it was something you did on your feet. Even after my father’s death, and after our family was plunged into poverty, my mother constantly pushed me to preach. “But Mom,” I’d say, “how are we going to eat?” “The Lord will provide,” she’d say. “He’s no man’s debtor.”Still, it took me a while to take that step of faith. So I left my job at the bank and began to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. I was single and young, but God used it in a tremendous way. Do the same yourself. Then again, as we sought God’s kingdom, following our mother’s example, we experienced God’s faithfulness. What Matthew 6:33 says is true:  “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Although those times were difficult, God always provided. Always. Looking back, I see that poverty taught us how to see ourselves as part of an invisible economy, the system of the kingdom of heaven. By God’s grace, this system can supply our every need with elegant timing and by the simple miracles that God uses so often. What is your own experience with our faithful God?   This is Luis Palau.

My mother was always an avid reader, constantly reading us the biographies of great missionaries and Christian workers. She often read them in English because in those days few Christian books were in Spanish. My first memory of her reading these stories is when I was about four or five years old. The one that struck me most deeply was about Hudson Taylor and his remarkable mission to China. Those men and women missionaries were my heroes, and they still are. Basketball players and musicians are not my heroes; they’re just gifted millionaires. Those who give their lives for the service of others, those who put their own comfort or safety aside to bring the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard—they are the real heroes, and deserve to be honored and supported. We ministered as best we could in the hills of Córdoba, a city of about a million. We held children’s meetings in our house and in the open air. We held street meetings. We would do anything to proclaim the Good News. Sharing it was our life.   We spoke of everything other than Christian service as the “world.” Our family lived to preach the Good News Gospel, and we still do. And we have no regrets. I encourage you right now to get on your knees and say, “Lord, use me to bring the Gospel to the world.” And He will do it, I assure you. This is Luis Palau.

My mom enthusiastically applauded everything her children did. I remember learning to read and her ringing praise: “Oh! So young, and he can read so well!” Perhaps she spoiled me a bit, but I had no doubt how much she loved me. Even more, my mother centered her life on God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I can hear her voice still, hushing in prayer, rising in praise. She read the Bible constantly, almost always on her knees. She quoted many verses to us, and she insisted that we memorize the verses we were given in Sunday school. Today, those verses have the strength of promises fulfilled. Of the many Bible verses that my mother loved, one sums up perfectly the lesson that she taught me: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” [Matthew 6:33] What a simple promise. But how profound! All the things we worry about—what we will eat, drink, and wear—will be supplied by God as we seek His kingdom. It is an audacious promise that Jesus made, yet my mother trusted God innocently and completely, like the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. Like my mom, I hope and pray that you trust God completely, and encourage others. This is Luis Palau.