A friend of mine, and his family, sold their house and moved in with relatives while they saved up to buy a new home. In the process, my friend lost his job, and he and his wife realized they would need to live with relatives a lot longer than anticipated. As grateful as they were to have family offer them a place to stay, they couldn’t help but feel like their life had turned upside down. Their space wasn’t their own.

At first, my friend and his wife had a positive attitude about the situation, but after a while, they began to sour. They worried about how they would make ends meet, and what their next step would be, and how long it would be before they had a home of their own. Their worries drove them to grow distant from God, until one afternoon as they were reading the Bible and became convicted about a verse in Matthew. Matthew 6:27 says, “Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?” The answer, of course, is no!

None of us can change our circumstances by worrying. In fact, the only thing that can change our circumstances is our decision to rely on God, to trust in Him, to surrender to Him, and act wisely too.

Are you worrying about something you cannot control? Let God take your fears. He can handle them and open a surprising, fresh door. 

This is Luis Palau.

When I first gave my life to Christ, He called me to roles I was very happy to accept: marrying Wendy, becoming my dad’s personal assistant, and being a festival director. I loved it all. I thought, “This is my calling and it’s great!”

And it was my calling for a season. But then God said “Now I want you to be a preaching evangelist.” That thought scared me. I didn’t like speaking. I wasn’t good at preparing. And, I was afraid that people would think I was doing it just to be like my dad. So, I said no. The more time that passed, the more tension and pressure I felt both with the team and at home. I knew it was because I wouldn’t listen to God’s new calling and release my former role. I liked my former role too much.

Through that time I learned that resistance to God’s calling is serious. The Bible says in Exodus that God was angry with Moses when Moses asked God to send someone else to Egypt. God had a plan. He knew what He was doing and He knew that Moses was the man. When I realized the same was true in my life and obediently submitted to God’s calling, wonderful things happened. Doors opened, opportunities came, and I found myself passionate and excited for my new role.

If you’re fighting against God’s calling, stop! His plans are far better than our own and He has a role for YOU.                                                                  This is Andrew Palau.

In the Bible, the Apostle Peter says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” This Bible verse is often used in church benedictions, but sometimes the “after you have suffered a little while” is omitted. Suffering is not a popular subject. It’s one I would like to avoid myself. But you know, God has a way of using suffering to strengthen His people.

My wife, Pat, suffered terribly during chemotherapy at age 44, yet her deep trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and the promises of God made her a hero in my eyes.  One of the songs she often sang was “Under His Wings I am Safely Abiding.”  She really has known Jesus since she was a girl, and it showed during her suffering.  I know many people who have come to know Jesus Christ by my telling her story of suffering and strength through Jesus Christ.

Ask the Lord to help you draw near to Him in your suffering. He will use you to reach your world with your newly deepened faith.                                         This is Luis Palau

James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, once said we should be wary of laws “so voluminous, that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” I think the same warning should be heeded in our explanations of the Christian faith.

I find one of the biggest hindrances for people in reaching their world is overcomplicating things. If we can’t even articulate what we believe, how do we expect anyone else to understand? We use all sorts of confusing terms, and complicated explanations, and sometimes I wonder if the whole point is missed entirely. Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

Make an effort to simplify your explanation of the Good News gospel. Make it so simple a six-year-old could grasp what you are saying. Remove all confusing terms and references, and get back to the basics. There’s always a simple word to replace a complicated word. When St. Paul addressed the jailor in Philippi he kept it very simple. He said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Whom can you share this beautifully simple and direct message with today?This is Luis Palau.

German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “The aim of friendship is exclusively determined by what God’s will is for the other person.” That’s really true, isn’t it? You know, I believe friendship to be one of God’s greatest gifts in this life. We are told in Proverbs that a friend “loves at all times.” Christian friendship is different than your average friendship. Two people can share common interests, or a similar sense of humor. But Christian friendship goes deeper. Christian friendship aims to point each other to God and to help each other spiritually grow in their knowledge and understanding of Him.

I’ve got several great friends from my teenage years in Argentina.  Terrific guys.  We don’t often see each other, but when we do it’s like we chatted a week ago.  They love Jesus Christ just like I do.  Often we serve Him together around the world.  On the other hand, like the songs says, “The best friend to have is Jesus.”

It is important to consider the kinds of friends you have in your life. If you want to reach your world, the right friends can help you do it. And the wrong friends could keep you from doing it. Ask the Lord to bring you friends who will work with you to reach your world- it will make all the difference!This is Luis Palau

A radio ad for a seminar sounded interesting. The announcer said, “You can beat death for good; I’ll show you how.” That’s quite a claim, isn’t it? I’m sure many would be interested to attend a seminar on that subject. But you know, it turns out the announcer actually said “debt,” not “death.” That made much more sense! But it got me thinking- Jesus beat death, by paying our debt. Isn’t that amazing?

We all owe a debt for our sin. But Jesus paid it through His death on the cross. And so Jesus is the only one who can truly say He has beaten death. And through Jesus, we too can experience life eternal. It’s one of the most amazing truths of the Christian faith.

In First Corinthians St. Paul says, “O death, where is your sting?” Paul continues in Second Corinthians saying, “the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Beating death is possible, but only through Jesus Christ. Whom will you share this incredible news with today? This is Luis Palau.

I lived a wild and crazy life before surrendering to Jesus Christ. I was selfish, foolish, and near-sighted. Though I’m certainly not proud of that season, I can see how God used those experiences for His ultimate good. My story has resonated with others. Because of it, they’ve heard the Good News. God does that. He takes our past, whether good or bad, and allows it to be a platform to reach people.

Another example of that is King David. Before David became king he was just a shepherd boy. He faithfully did his job, day after day after day. When the Philistine army came, King Saul needed someone to fight Goliath. David responded by saying that, as a shepherd, he fought lions and bears and God rescued him. Now he would fight Goliath, knowing that God would rescue him again. God used David’s past of faithfully tending the sheep to prepare him for battling Goliath and a future as the king.

Is your past one of rebellion like mine? Or, is your past one of faithfully doing your job like David? Regardless, God wants to take the experiences that you’ve had and the choices that you’ve made to reach others. There isn’t a past that He can’t redeem and use for a glorious future. Ask God to show you how He wants to use your story for His glory. Then, step into the marvelous future that awaits.                                                                                     This is Andrew Palau.

In a Wall Street Journal article I once read, Joseph Loconte explored the example Jesus set after His resurrection for our evangelism efforts today. He wrote, “In all of the New Testament’s resurrection accounts, the method of Jesus for winning hearts and minds- his emphasis on peaceful persuasion- couldn’t be plainer. All depict the patience and kindness of God in the face of human doubt.”

The author recalled how Jesus was patient with the two disciples when He appeared to them on the road to Emmaus, after He rose from the dead. The disciples at first were unsure who Jesus was. He was a stranger to them. But God’s Word tells us that, “beginning with Moses and the prophets, he explained to them what was said in the Scriptures concerning himself.” Loconte writes, “the disciples had been guided, not coerced out of their skepticism. Their objections had been met with reason, not force.”

Jesus should be our example in evangelism. We too should be patient and willing to meet people where they are - to respond kindly to questions and patiently to doubts. To share what the Lord has done for each one of us. To evangelize with peaceful persuasion. Do it today, won’t you?          This is Luis Palau.

In Gene Edward Veith’s book, “The Spirituality of the Cross” he writes, “Every proclamation of the Gospel, whether in a sermon or in a layperson’s informal witnessing to a friend, is a dissemination of God’s Word. This oral word, insofar as it is the message of the Bible, is God’s Word delivered by a human voice… Just as God is not ashamed to inspire the utterances of fallen human beings, to have His truths written in human language with paper and ink, He is not ashamed to have His Word communicated by the halting speech of His followers… God the Holy Spirit promises to be at work whenever His Word is spoken.”

What a humbling thought, that is, isn’t it? That God would use you and me to speak His word to the world? In Isaiah, the Lord tells us, “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Perhaps you’ve been nervous about sharing the Good News. You’ve thought, ‘what could I possibly have to say?’ But God has chosen you to speak to the world through human language. Who can you share God’s Word with today?This is Luis Palau.

I read an interesting article some time ago in the Wall Street Journal. Kathleen Hughes wrote about finding true greatness by rethinking priorities and everyday uses of time. She wrote about the need to find meaning in life, especially in the second half of your life. In the article she quoted Henry David Thoreau who wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I think in many ways Hughes and Thoreau are correct. We are searching for meaning. People desire to make a difference with their lives. They are hoping to leave a legacy, to do something that matters. But so many are floundering. They aren’t sure where to begin or what to do.

I would encourage you that there is nothing more meaningful to focus your life on than matters of eternal consequence. If you are feeling desperate to find meaning, open your Bible today. Open it to the Gospel of John. Read the amazing true, written account of God’s work in this world in real time and space. Consider your part in God’s great story. Say to Him, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Or “Here I am Lord, show me.” He is ready to free you from your desperation. And to equip you to reach your world.This is Luis Palau