Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

Is there any hope if someone imitates the prodigal son in Luke 15, if they wander away from our heavenly Father, and live it up in various sins season after season? Most people say, “No.” Yet if that’s what you and I think, we’ll likely never pray with hope for our wayward prodigal family members and friends. Most people also say, “Why should I care? It could never happen to me.” True, none of us wake up in the morning and say, “I think I’m going to deliberately rebel against God and screw up my life today.” No, we much more often choose to sin by degrees. How prone we are to hear God’s Word and then shortly after ponder, “Well, I am forgiven after all, and I’m not quite strong enough to obey that anyway.” The problem, as James 2:10 reminds us, is that to disobey God in one point is tantamount to rebelling against everything God has said. The answer, James goes on to say, is to humble ourselves, confess and turn from our sins, and earnestly turn back to our heavenly Father with hope and great anticipation. Is that what you want to do today? I hope it is. This is Andrew Palau.

Did you know that some of the major revolutions throughout history started with just a few people? Often, a small handful of people would rise up and rally others for one cause. And it’s been the same way within the Christian Church. Whenever I’ve seen a church renewal and revival, I can always trace it back to a small group of Christians who were broken over their sin, confessed it, were cleansed, and began a fresh walk with the indwelling Christ. Change and revival has to start somewhere—so why not let it start with you? Like, today! Often, we get caught up in living the way we’ve always lived and we accept things as the way they’ve always been—but God calls us to be active in living a godly life and sharing His Good News! God calls us to more than just church on Sundays! Psalm 51:10 says “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” And I pray this for you and me today! As you go about your week, I challenge you to spend time in prayer with God, and seek to be renewed. Then, share God’s renewing and transformative power with people in your life. This is Luis Palau.

Have you ever tasted a nice, refreshing Coca Cola? Perhaps the word “Coke” is already making your mouth water! The Coke brand has become popular all across the world, partially because of a guy named Robert Woodruff. You see, Woodruff served as the president of Coca-Cola from 1923-1955, and during that time he said his vision was for everyone in the world to taste Coca-Cola! Now that’s a a big goal! But Woodruff helped make this vision a reality because he believed passionately in the Coca Cola brand and product. This story makes me think about us as believers. How many more people would hear the Good News if we truly believed in the power of Jesus as passionately as Woodruff believed in the Coca-Cola brand? I think that if we felt this passionately about Jesus, we would feel more confident in talking to people in our life about the Good News. We wouldn’t be able to contain ourselves! The Bible encourages us in Ephesians 4:23 to be “renewed in the spirit of your minds”! This week, pray for a renewed spirit. Spend time in the Bible, and really mediate on God’s amazing truth! When you feel passionately about Jesus, you won’t be able to resist finding a way to share Him with others! This is Lui Palau.

At the end of each year, Christianity Today publishes a list of the most popular Bible verses from that year. In 2014, the number one most popular verse was Romans 12:2, which says, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” And you know, this got me thinking about how easy it is to conform, to blend in, and to keep our faith locked up in a church on Sunday. It is easy to fall into the habit of going through the motions in our daily lives. But, where is our passion in all of this? Our excitement? Our transformation and renewal? The fact is, to be transformed we must be actively seeking God and His Will. We can do this by spending time in His Word each day, by working together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to make an impact in our community, and by sharing the Good News with more people, more often. This week I encourage you to spend time in the word each day, alone with God. Look for people to serve with. And share the Good News with someone in your life. It’s a God-given privilege! This is Luis Palau.

In my book, “Say Yes” I write about how God desires to renew you and me. But some Christians are confused when I talk about being renewed. They say, “But Luis, I am already a believer! I have already been renewed from my old ways into my new relationship with Christ!” But you see, renewal is something that the Lord can do throughout our lives. Renewal is when God wakes us up from living a certain way, and restores our passion for following His Word. With renewal, the Lord reignites our enthusiasm for sharing the Good News with nonbelievers. When we are renewed, God gives us a new passion for His Church—our brothers and sisters in Christ! And when a group of people experience spiritual renewal, the Church, community, and world benefit from the impact of people on fire for Christ – because the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ indwells us, literally! This week, I encourage you to pray over Psalm 51:12, which says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Seek renewal! And God will instill within you the passion to reach people, working together with His Church. This is Luis Palau.

We have a great woman, Gail, who sits on our board. She reminded us recently that life comes at us in seasons outside our control. One season that came to her she describes as the DINKS. Double Income-No Kids. Gail was happily married, both had successful jobs (double income) - but no kids. Before long, they didn’t want to be DINKS any longer but couldn’t get pregnant. As the years went by, this desire for children grew. They struggled and prayed. And in God’s plan, just as they were about to adopt, she became pregnant, ultimately having three precious children. It is hard to wait and release control of our seasons. We question God: “When? How? Why?” But His timing is perfect and hurry is not in God’s nature. Through their trials, Gail held onto Paul’s attitude described in Philippians as an example. “I consider all these things as a loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ.” Be encouraged, even in the season you are in. You still have Christ. Dealing with the season we are in from this perspective gives us the spiritual health and the authority to testify to God’s faithfulness and to reach our world. This is Andrew Palau.

It can be too easy for each generation of Christians to lose sight of our heritage. One way to stay connected to all those great saints who have gone before us is to read what they wrote, and to learn the ancient creeds that have echoed through generations of the Church. I’m sure you’ve heard the Apostle’s Creed but I thought I would say it here today as a reminder of what Christians have said together for centuries: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead: I believe in the Holy Spirit: I believe in the worldwide church: the communion of saints: The forgiveness of sins: The resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting. Amen.” Amen! Who do you need to share this great and truthful Good News with today so they can experience life everlasting in Jesus Christ? Think about it and share it. This is Luis Palau.

It can be easy to be impatient in school. In elementary school you can’t wait for junior high. In junior high you can’t wait for high school. In high school you can’t wait for college. And in college you can’t wait to graduate and begin life after school. If you are a student, rather than always waiting for what’s next, I would encourage you to view school as your current vocation from God. Whatever grade you’re in, don’t rush through. Study hard, do your best. Make friends. Approach school with a commitment to excellence. As you work hard in your vocation of school, the Lord will open doors for spiritual conversations. God can use you where you are today to make a big difference with your classmates, teachers and other school staff. Work hard, and when matters of faith arise, boldly share what is true - that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that you know Him, that you revere Him, and recommend Him too. As Colossians tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” You don’t have to wait until after graduation to reach your world- reach your world at school today! And God will use you in a big way. This is Luis Palau.

Jill felt overlooked. All of her friends were getting married. It seemed like one more wedding every week. She tried to be happy for her friends, but it hurt to watch, as everyone seemed to get married. Then everyone started having children. Jill was smart and funny, beautiful and talented. She had a successful career, and many friends. But she started to wonder- what’s wrong with me? Will I ever get married? Does God hear my prayer? Now, some of you single people listening may not feel this way. Perhaps you’re perfectly content in your singleness and you don’t desire marriage at this time. That is wonderful! But if you are listening today and you do feel overlooked, I want you to know that God does hear your prayers. That there is nothing wrong with you. And that while you are waiting, I pray that God would bring you comfort and peace and joy that He has promised. That you would fill up your days serving other people and sharing God’s Good News. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Continue to love your friends and share in their joy. And trust in God’s perfect timing for you. Your faith during a season of waiting will be a powerful testimony to a watching world around you. This is Luis Palau

C.S. Lewis’ classic work, the Screwtape Letters, is a collection of imaginary, insightful “letters” from a wise old devil named Screwtape, advising his nephew, Wormwood, a new demon-in-training. In one letter, Screwtape writes to Wormwood, “We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow’s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present.” And you know, I’m sure most of us have been tempted to be discontent many times. Never resting in present circumstances. Always hoping to find the next best thing. We think to ourselves… If we could just… graduate college. If we could just… get married. If we could just… have a bigger ministry. If we could just… make more money. But you know, if all we’re ever thinking of is what’s next, we will miss what God wants us to do right now. Like, today! In Matthew 6:34 Jesus tells us not to, “…worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Ask God to open your eyes to the needs around you right now, today. People who need to hear His Good News right where you are. You’ll be amazed at all the opportunities you find to reach your world when you live in the present. This is Luis Palau