Desmond Tutu, a civil rights activist from South Africa once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” I have to agree, hope is a powerful tool. In fact, hope is like a secret weapon. When life seems to be chaotic and in shambles, hope is the thing that allows us to look forward with confidence. And as followers of Jesus, we have an endless supply of hope, because true hope is found in Jesus.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Did you catch that? Not only do we have a new life in Jesus, but we have hope for all of eternity. There is nothing here on earth that can keep us from the glorious paradise we will share with Jesus Christ.

I urge you to refuse to live in desperation or despair. Do not take the world’s circumstances at face value. Instead, rely on Christ and live in His living hope.

This is Luis Palau.

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? Each year, millions of young adults head off to college to study something that will presumably launch them into a career. And outside of college students, millions of people look for counsel, take personality tests, and read books about what their “calling” really is. Now, there’s no doubt - we all have different spiritual gifts. But much of the stress relating to “finding our purpose” is unnecessary, because when we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we already know our purpose. God has laid it out before us.

In Exodus 9:16 in the Bible God says, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” Did you catch that? Our purpose – your calling - is to proclaim God’s name. To share His Good News. Everything else is important but secondary.

This week, focus on living out your true purpose according to God’s Word, the Bible. Look towards Jesus and share His Good News. Live boldly, knowing that your purpose has eternal ramifications.

This is Luis Palau.

If you turn on the TV, it’s inevitable that you’ll catch a story on crime, scandal, or tragedy. The bad news is unrelenting. But when we have a personal relationship with the true living God, we have peace even amidst all the bad news.

You may be listening and thinking, “Luis, how can I possibly have peace when there’s so much darkness in the world today?” but I will tell you this: God’s peace transcends all understanding. His peace is the kind that gives us confidence in a future with Him, so we are not swayed by the dramatic news updates of each moment.

John 16:33 in the Bible says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior – if you do not live with His peace and assurance of Heaven, why not open your heart to Him today?  There’s someone that wants to talk to you, and you can call them up.  Call 1-888-NEED-HIM.  There are folks there who would love to tell you how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus.  So just call 1-888-NEED-HIM.

This is Luis Palau.

I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me, “Luis! Thank you for changing my life. I accepted Jesus at one of your festivals, and now I live in freedom.” Of course, I know that I am not responsible for their life change – God is. But it is humbling to know that people are listening when you speak the Good News Gospel.

The truth is, Jesus offers us complete freedom from our past. John 8:36 in the Bible says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Freedom means no more bondage. No more being stuck. Freedom means you no longer live in the chain of your old sin. “The old has gone, the new has come.” When you receive Jesus into your heart, He literally makes you a new creation. You have been born again into the Kingdom of God.

Maybe you’re listening today thinking, “I need that kind of freedom.” If you have never received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and would like to talk to someone about it, you can call 1-888-NEED-HIM. There are folks there who would love to tell you how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus.  Just call 1-888-NEED-HIM.

And then, go tell others in your world about the freedom you have found in Christ.

This is Luis Palau.

I once heard that the two marks of a good friend were candor and commitment. Candor--because friends need to be honest. And commitment--because all relationships require commitment to grow over time.

Thankfully, Jesus promises to be the best friend that we could ever hope for. Jesus is honest and keeps His promises that we read in the Bible. And He is committed in a way nobody else is. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:6 that God will “never leave or forsake” us.  Never! How’s that for commitment? This week, consider the two traits that make for a good friendship: be honest, and stay committed. Live this way in relationship with others, and use your testimony to point others to our ultimate friend: the friend we have in Jesus Christ.

If you do not yet count Jesus as a friend, and would like to get to know Him, you can call 1-888-NEED-HIM and talk to one of my friends there to find out more.  There are people there who would love to talk to you and answer your questions, and to pray for you. That phone number again is 1-888-NEED-HIM.  The line is open 24 hours a day. I would love for you to get to know Jesus, my best friend.  This is Andrew Palau.

Isn’t it good that we can daily thank God for all that He is and all that He does in our lives?

First, we can trust that God the Father knows all and guides us with all the truth we need for this life. Deuteronomy 29:29 says: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever.”

Second, much of what we know about God we see in Jesus Christ as we read the Gospels. Hebrews 1:3 tell us that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Third, how astounding that the Holy Spirit lives in us, seeking to fill every fiber of our being—and producing wisdom, perseverance, peace, joy, and love in and through us.

In John 14:25-26, Jesus promised: “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

How good, indeed is God our Father!  

This is Luis Palau.

Your wedding day is thrilling. The birth of your first child is thrilling. But there’s no greater thrill than loving someone and leading them to faith in Jesus Christ.Yet, to be honest, a divine encounter with one of our neighbors might make us feel awkward or even scare us to death. Yet we need to remind ourselves that each such encounter is no doubt authorized and orchestrated by the blessed Holy Spirit.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are different from other human beings. Our willingness to commit our lives to the Lord results in the Father placing His Holy Spirit within us. So, wherever we go, whomever we encounter, the Holy Spirit of God goes with us everywhere. Additionally, Jesus has promised that He will work through each of us. That includes Jesus’ efforts to woo our neighbors and friends into His Father’s Kingdom.

If you think it’s thrilling when someone makes a commitment to the Lord Jesus, just imagine what it’s like in heaven. “There is joy in heaven ovr one sinner who repents.” Every time someone repents, the Lord throws a party!

If the Lord is that excited, you better believe He already is at work in the lives of our friends, neighbors, colleagues and loved ones. So never give up hope, and never stop praying. Instead, start thanking the Lord in advance for their response to the Gospel.   

This is Luis Palau.

As you and I read the Gospel accounts, several hallmarks of Jesus’ earthly ministry stand out. I find them incredibly important to loving our neighbors today.

The first hallmark is Jesus’ prayer life. The second is Jesus’ habit of doing things only the way He knew the Father love to work.

The third hallmark is Jesus’ compassion for people. On many occasions the Gospel writers make reference to Jesus seeing the people gathered around Him, and feeling deep compassion for their needs.

The fourth hallmark is the utter simplicity with which our Lord touched the lives of so many people. He performed great miracles, yet sometimes said little. To the man lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years, Jesus simply asked, “Do you wish to get well?” And after taking the time to listen to the man’s story, our Lord’s command was equally as simple: “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.”

Like Jesus, sometimes we can best love our neighbor or acquaintance by asking a short question, and then listening for however long it takes to hear their whole answer. True, patient listening may feel counterintuitive, but it allows hearts to be unlocked and opportunities to abound to share Jesus with your world.     

This is Luis Palau.

Because He wasn’t a hypocrite, Jesus didn’t just talk about the Great Commandment. The fact is, at every turn Jesus loved God His Father and His neighbors — perfectly. Have you ever considered this thought? If so, it changes how you and I read the Gospel accounts.

Several hallmarks of Jesus’ earthly ministry stand out. I find them incredibly important to loving our neighbors today. The first hallmark is Jesus’ prayer life. On more than one occasion we find Him slipping away to pray by Himself, sometimes spending an entire night in prayer.

The second hallmark is Jesus’ habit of doing things only where He knew that the Father already was at work, and how the Father preferred to work. In fact, Jesus went so far as to claim that He was unable to do anything, anywhere, on His own – as we should do daily.  The Lord Jesus, as a man, depended on God the Father’s omnipotence.

What do these hallmarks tell us? First, they speak to the importance of praying for those God places around us. Second, they speak to the significance of watching for signs of how God already is at work in their lives. Think of it. God already is actively loving your neighbors. So, why wait? Begin praying for them, by name. And then thank God for what He’s going to do in their lives.  This is Luis Palau

They say a person’s true nature shines through during times of trial. When we’re faced with scary or unpredictable situations, we have two options: panic, or live in Jesus’ peace. I remember clearly when my family and I were involved in a terribly unpredictable situation: we were involved in a plane crash in Jamaica. It was horrible! Thankfully, all the passengers lived — but the incident was chaotic, to say the least. The plane broke into three parts, crashing right on a beach just feet from the deep ocean. If I were not rooted in Christ, I might have let this incident rock me to my core. But instead, I felt God’s peace—even during the most uncertain moments.

The Bible says that Jesus will bring us peace. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  This means that regardless of what we face, we can rest, knowing that God is in control.

Maybe you are going through trials in your life. Perhaps you are walking that line between peace and anxiety. If so, can I just encourage you to turn to Christ? Choose His peace. Read His Word, pray often, and trust that He has a unique plan for you.

This is Andrew Palau.