Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

“God must be punishing me.” Many people believe this when bad things happen. We tend to forget in this day and age that there is an enemy of God trying to destroy us. We blame God for things He isn’t responsible for. We put down our defenses against our enemy, Satan, far too often. This makes us an easy target for his schemes. It is clearly stated in the word of God, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And Jesus himself says in the book of John, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus Christ brings life, not destruction. Bad things happen because of poor choices. But many times it is the enemy of our souls, Satan, seeking to destroy us by misrepresenting the meaning of our troubles. My friend, I encourage you to remember to be alert for Satan’s attacks. Bring this discernment to those who still believe God is punishing them. Share with friends and family how great a gift that God would send his son to die on the cross to save us from punishment, especially from eternal punishment.

In life people are faced with choices. When a fork is in the road, we have a choice. Either we go to the right or go to the left. Once a choice is made, we cannot wonder about the alternative route. Even if the Lord had wanted you to pursue the other option, He doesn’t really punish you. There are consequences for sinful choices, but usually our heavenly Father doesn’t punish, He disciplines. God gave his Son to die on the cross, so we can be washed of all our sins. It says in Hebrews, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” Frequently discipline makes us stronger in our faith. Discipline requires us to exercise self-control, love and patience. It forces us to really, deeply humble ourselves with fear and sometimes with great confession and repentance. Everyone makes poor choices. There will be consequences for these choices.  Teach others who are going through a hard time that discipline will strengthen them. Discipline returns us to the straight and narrow path, as we walk with Jesus Christ. Reach your world with this truth today. It’ll encourage a lot of people. 

Not all optimists are believers. And not all believers are optimists. But the optimistic believer is irresistible. Think about someone you know who is an optimist. When confronted with a challenge, a bold smile and a cheery word are their response. Now, think of someone you know who has a rock-solid faith. This person is firm. Steady. Immovable. Their faith is not for show, but humbly calls for company. Those without Christ are attracted to the peace they radiate. When is an optimist not a believer? When she desires to look at the bright side of life but refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. She is a poster child for secular self-help. When is a believer not an optimist? When he has entrusted himself to Jesus Christ but fails to walk in Him and continues to respond to life’s challenges with fear, anxiety, and doubt. He has not let his faith permeate every nook and cranny of his life. The optimistic believer, however, is a joyful combination. This person isn’t fake or shallow. They have a tangible and contagious faith. They say with confidence “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” Be an optimistic believer and reach your world. Let Christ have the victory in your life. 

One of my very first experiences of public speaking was at a street meeting. Those types of meetings can fizzle fast if they’re not kept lively. I was nervous and had prepared for days. I was worried I would not be able to keep the crowd’s attention. A close friend and I really started enjoying these meetings, however. Although we saw few conversions, I began to learn the basics of evangelism. We ran into everything: laughter, scorn, questions that required quick answers, questions that required diplomacy, you name it. One thing our church elders burned into our minds was that we had the truth. Let people argue and heckle all they want. Truth is truth. We stood on the truth just like Jesus. Jesus himself was questioned frequently. In Matthew 19 it says, “Some Pharisees came to him to test him.” The religious leaders wanted to trick him but Jesus knew the word of God better than they. He was able to see through their trickery. He answered them not only from the word of God but also with the living revelation He got from His Father.As we follow Christ’s footsteps and share the good news, let’s be prepared to answer questions. Let’s have answers ready for the questions people will ask. But more importantly let’s be guided by the Holy Spirit as we answer their questions patiently and lovingly.

I heard of a small group that would practice leading each other to Christ. Everyone in the group was well along in their walks with Christ. But they recognized the difficulty in starting a conversation with people, especially strangers. So they decided to practice on themselves. Someone in the group would be the person sharing Christ and another would listen and ask questions. They would practice starting conversations and leading people through a prayer of salvation. This exercise helped the group feel better prepared to go out and share. . Jesus modeled evangelism to his disciples and then sent them out. He knew how to lead conversations. I remember the story of Zacchaeus climbing a tree to see Jesus when He visited. Jesus looked up and called Zacchaeus out, telling him He would be going to his house that day. If Jesus can start a conversation with a strange man in a tree I think we can start them with the people in our world. Practice what you might say in a conversation about Christ and be prepared to lead someone into a relationship with the Lord Jesus. If you need more help, let us know.  We’ll send you basic, simple, biblical material to do it.

When I first started evangelizing through television, it was exhausting and invigorating. Answering caller’s questions live over television required the ability to think biblically under pressure. Thankfully the Lord graciously gave me the gift to think fast on my feet. But this also required me to rapidly recall scriptures. I always enjoyed studying the Bible, but now I was forced to go at it with a vengeance. I had to store up God’s revealed answers in the Bible for the many problems represented by callers from all walks of life. Leading people into a relationship with Jesus Christ requires knowledge of scripture whether you are on television or not. Jesus says, “I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” As Jesus shared words from His Father, so we too need to share scripture from our heavenly Father. We can prepare to reach people in our world by studying and memorizing the scriptures that answer their questions. A great way to start is by studying the book of John. Knowing many passages in the word of God by heart gives us a tool – God’s tool - to use as we share the good news. Jesus shared God’s words when reaching those in His world let’s do the same in ours.

The Lord placed a desire in my heart when I was young to reach the masses with the Good News and I deeply dreamt of it. The Lord’s heart pulsed through my veins for all the people I wanted to reach during my first campaign. I knew it was on His heart and thus it was also on mine. Christ’s passion to see people come to know him was being developed through me and it was so exciting. We need to listen and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in reaching our world.  The Bible says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways…” This Psalm of David – number 51 - is a perfect example of asking for God’s heart in reaching those in our world. If we have not developed a heart to see others come to know Christ but would like to have this passion let’s ask Christ for it. Let’s pray that Christ gives us a clear vision of the person we should share our faith with. And then pray that we will have the courage and desire to lead them to Jesus Christ.

Prayer is a great mystery. The concept of mere humans engaging in communion with the God of the Universe is hard to fathom. As absurd as it may sound, you and I can engage in prayer and have a conversation with our Creator. We can seek Him and expect tangible results, a reply. The Scriptures are full of accounts of God being pleased when people come to Him in prayer. Philippians 4 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Did you get that? God cares about everything we care about. I’ll be the first to confess that His answers never cease to amaze me. Do you have a friend who doesn’t know the Lord Jesus? Pray for the lonely without the voice of God in their life. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to their heart. Ask for an open door to share your testimony, and walk into it when it comes.  But begin with faithful prayer.  As the Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet with several ambassadors in several nations. What’s an ambassador, you ask? In the United States, it’s a high-ranking official handpicked by the president to be sent out as his mouthpiece — his spokesperson. As such, it is the ambassador’s job to bring any message from their leader to the people of the land to which they’ve been sent. It’s a privileged position. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be His ambassadors. We have been given a message and a mission. We have been sent out to share it with the world. What an honor! What a challenge! In describing our ambassadorship, the apostle Paul says that it’s “as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore [others] on Christ’s behalf [to] be reconciled to God.” I personally find great freedom and comfort in knowing that I am God’s ambassador. Not only does it lend me dignity and power, it removes the burden of initiation. Ambassadors aren’t in the business of creating their own message. Their sole purpose is to listen to their leader and follow what he says. Are you living up to your calling as an ambassador of Christ? Together, let’s reach our world for Jesus Christ.

A rabbi was teaching a class of Hebrew students one morning when a pupil raised his hand. He said, “Rabbi, tell us, when should one repent of their sins?” The rabbi stood up tall, stared the students in the eye, and responded with complete confidence, “Students, please pay close attention. Each person should repent of their sins the day before they die.” At that, he sat down. The students thought for a moment in silence. Then a hand in the back rose up. “But, Rabbi,” the student said, “no one knows the exact day they will die. How can we repent the day before we die?” At that, the rabbi challenged them, “Then repent today!” Some of you listening may be wondering about death, sin, and repentance. Each day, on average, 155,000 people die around the world. The truth is, we do not know when our time will be up. The Bible says, “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” Part of living wisely is admitting our shortcomings, our sin, to God. The good news is that He not only hears us, He is faithful to forgive. When we truly repent in the name of Jesus Christ, He makes us clean again. Won’t you take a moment to repent today? Hope, freedom, and forgiveness can be yours in Christ!

When you are a student in a classroom, it’s clear who’s in charge: the teacher. When you’re at work, it’s your boss who has authority. But in our personal lives, we often live as though we are the only ones in control. We live as though we’re the ones calling the shots. If you’re relying on your own strength, talents, and resolve to make it through the day, how’s that working for you? I ask because I think it’s absurd when we live this way. The reality is that God has numbered our days. God has given us life. God gives us our talents, and God oversees our comings and goings. He makes this truth clear in the Bible, His living Word. And Jesus says point-blank, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Why do we try to assert independence from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? It’s the age-old problem of sin and the temptation to be self-sufficient. What is the solution? We must humble ourselves. We must recognize our rightful place as merely the created before the Creator. The Bible says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Won’t you take a moment right now to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only authority of your life?

Oh, to be a kid again! Though we are under our parents’ authority, we feel free as a bird. We can run and play in the yard, get dirty, and laugh at – or shall I say “with” – our siblings… Life is grand when you’re a kid! I remember as a young boy being under my father’s authority. I lived under his protection and love. Frankly, it felt like true freedom. I knew I was taken care of. I knew I was valued. The same holds true regarding our heavenly Father. When we surrender our lives to His care, we move into real freedom. The Bible says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” When we surrender to Jesus Christ, He breaks the chains that bind us. When the Holy Spirit controls us, we find freedom … freedom from sin and death and decay. The Bible says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Isn’t that exciting? Only surrendering to Jesus Christ will bring the true freedom for which we long. Have you surrendered your life to Him? Do it now! Talk to God in prayer and give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. True surrender to Him means true freedom in Him.

Sadie is my adopted daughter. She is beautiful, intelligent, and kind. But, before she came to our family, she was abandoned. Though she physically had everything – she had a brain and a heart and a soul – she was alone. She needed a father to engage with her, reach down, pick her up, and bring her into the family. Though Sadie was a functioning human being, she needed a family in order to thrive. It would be tragic if Sadie were to go on living as if she were abandoned. She has been adopted. She no longer is alone. Her needs are met and she is loved. In a similar way, God has reached down and adopted you. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are adopted by Him. You are not abandoned. Though you were able to function before you became a member of God’s family, you now can flourish. You can know true life. The Bible says that we have everything we need for life and godliness. If you know Jesus Christ, act like you do! Don’t continue to live as if you’ve been abandoned. God has great things in store for His kids. He wants to give us true life and then open doors for us to tell a hurting world of His love. Today, don’t just function. Don’t just get through the day. Live as if you’ve been adopted into God’s family. Live with joy, peace and love and tell others the Good News that, because of Jesus Christ, they can be adopted too.

A 62-year-old brain surgeon was working at a Birmingham, Alabama hospital, when he got the call. A patient at another hospital had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and urgently needed surgery. The patient had a 10% chance of survival. The surgeon immediately left for the other hospital, but there was a major problem. Much of the South had shut down due to a massive winter storm. Traffic was at a standstill in every direction. The doctor drove as far as he could and then decided he would walk the rest of the way. He walked more than 6 miles to the hospital – through snow, wearing only scrubs and slip on shoes. He finally made it to the hospital, performed the surgery immediately, and the man who was on the brink of death is alive and well today! When I read this story I couldn’t help but think about sharing the Good News- how far are we willing to go to save a life? For eternity? Would we go as far as this brave doctor to reach our world? And you know, you may not even have to walk 6 miles to do it. You may just need to walk next door to share the truth with your neighbor. Or to the next desk at your office. We are told in Corinthians that we are “ambassadors of Christ.” Share the Good News today, won’t you?  

What are your goals and aspirations? Are you interested in attending a particular university? Pursuing a particular career? Marrying a certain person and raising a family? These are all wonderful goals to pursue. But you know, I think it’s also important to set goals when it comes to reaching your world! How do you aspire to be used by God to bring others to Him? Do you feel called to a particular ministry or place? I’ve always felt a call to bring the Good News to China. I remember when I was a 5- or 6-year-old boy, my mom praying for China.  I read all I could about China.  It seemed absurd that I’d ever make it to China.  But finally in the year 2000 we landed in China.  God is using thousands and thousands to bless China with the Good News.  And He also used me.  Isn’t that amazing?  Since I was a boy I’d been praying and God answered that prayer.  So I challenge you today. Perhaps you aren’t called to China. Maybe you’re called to your neighborhood or city. But wherever you are and whatever it is, prayerfully consider setting goals for reaching your world! You’ll never regret intentionally pursuing evangelism in your everyday life - I can assure you it’s the very best use of our time on this earth that there could ever be.