Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

When I’m at a barbeque and spot a bag of original Lay’s, I’m known to walk over, grab a couple, and remark, “I love potato chips!” When I’m at that same barbeque and spot my daughter, Sadie Anne, I’m known to run over, give her a hug, look straight into her eyes, and say, “I love you, Sadie Anne!” Like a potato chip? Of course not! The word “love” has an extremely wide spectrum of meanings. What is “love” according to the Bible? First, love is the greatest virtue [1 Cor. 12:31-13:13]. Second, it is the chief fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in and through our lives [Galatians 5:22-23]. Third, God is the source of all true, giving, ongoing love. God’s love for us is fully expressed by giving His Son, Jesus Christ [Titus 3:5]. God’s love also is fully expressed by adopting us as His children [Ephesians 1:5]. In both cases, God loves us with an everlasting love [Psalm 103:17]. Fourth, in 2 John 6 the apostle tells us, “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another.” Love, then, is what motivates us to bless others in ways that matter here and now...and for eternity. This is Andrew Palau.

Think about the friends that you spend the most time with. Now, how many of those people do not follow Jesus? Do you have any friends who are not Christ-followers? It is important to have close friends who share our faith. The Bible warns us against being “unequally yoked.” Christian friends can encourage us, challenge us, support us, and point us toward Jesus. But it is easy to get stuck in our own Christian bubbles, surrounding ourselves only with people who think and believe the same as us. We can forget that our mission is like Paul’s mission after meeting Christ: to “be a witness … to everyone of what you have seen and heard.” So, we need to pop our Christian bubbles. This doesn’t mean that we have to leave our Christian friends. This just means that we need to make an effort to reach out to people who do not know Jesus. Maybe this means spending time with a co-worker outside of work. Or joining a group at the local library or community center, or a book club. Or just talk to the parents of your kids’ friends. We can always find new people to befriend. When we do, we get to know another person’s world, their joys and pains, and we can show them how Jesus can speak into those joys and pain. Once we have developed a friendship, we can’t help but tell them the good news of God’s love for them in Jesus Christ. This is Luis Palau.

American adults spend about one-third of their lives at work. That’s a lot of time! Our workplaces are part of the daily work of evangelism, where we display how God has changed our lives. We can have a good work ethic, treat others well, and engage with others honestly. We can also show everyone we work with what it looks like to “work for the Lord, not for men.” Also, because we spend so much time at work, we often get to know our co-workers well. I’ve developed great friendships with the people I work with, because I see them so frequently. They become almost like family. We should develop relationships with our fellow employees and our clients, students, or customers. Our workplaces are opportunities to show them what a true follower of Christ looks like. We might be the only Christians that our co-workers know, and some in the media often portray Christians negatively. We can fight those stereotypes by showing those we work with that the truth of Christ is freedom, love, joy, and eternal life, not hate or anger. Whatever our work is, whether it is working in an office or a store or a construction site or a living room, we should demonstrate Christ’s rule over our lives. Let’s show how following Christ makes us good people and good employees, so that others will want the goodness that we have in our lives. This is Luis Palau.

One of my favorite things is being at home with my family around me: the grandkids hanging out, my children laughing and talking, lots of food. I am so grateful for a family that loves each other and loves the Lord. Growing a godly family can be difficult, though, and part of the daily work of evangelism is filling your home with the word of God. The outside world is often loud and scary, filled with broken and sad people. Our homes need to be filled with God’s joy and be secure in God’s love. Not just for our own family’s sake but also for anyone who might come into our homes needing a safe place. Our homes can be an important place of evangelism, where we can share God’s love with those who need it. Joshua said in the Old Testament, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This commitment should be a focus of our daily life. We need to pray for and support our families so that they grow closer to God and serve Him with joy. We also need to encourage our spouses, our kids, our grandkids, and everyone who comes into our homes. We must remind them that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. If our homes are Christ-centered, people will want to be around us and our families. Then we can share the Good News of God’s love with them and show them that they can be at home with Christ also. This is Luis Palau.

When Jesus gave the Great Commission to His followers, He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Often, we focus on the “of all nations” part, and that part is really important. We do need to spread the Good News Gospel to the entire earth. But you know who else needs to know the Gospel? The person right next to you. Your co-worker, your friend, your brother-in-law. We need to pay attention to who needs to know God’s love wherever we are. This is the daily work of evangelism. George Verwer once said, “The Great Commission is more than a call for you or me to leave where we are and go somewhere else. There is of course a great need for people to go, but there is a greater need for each of us to take up our own responsibility as part of the Church’s response to the Great Commission; to be personally involved in whatever our particular role may be.” This personal responsibility can be challenging. It affects our daily lives and interactions. But it means that we should be advancing the kingdom wherever we go and whatever we do. Spreading God’s love should just be part of who we are, a natural reaction to God’s work in our lives. We are all invited and ordered to get involved in fulfilling the Great Commission. This is Luis Palau.

Did you know that the Christmas promise—the promise of a coming Messiah—was first made thousands of years before Jesus Christ’s birth? If we miss this, we risk missing the whole point of Christmas. Christmas is about an incredible promise God made to Adam and Eve that took thousands of years to be fulfilled. It’s about that promise...and then waiting a very long time. Don’t get me wrong. At the right time, Jesus Christ was born. The Lord added scores of prophecies to His original one, telling His people precisely when, and where, and why, Jesus Christ would be born. The miracle isn’t that a handful of shepherds and wise men came to worship the newborn King of kings...but that many others didn’t flock to Bethlehem to greet His entrance into the world. The Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 11 and 12, tells us that Jesus came to “his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” What about you? Have you received Jesus? Have you believed in His name? If not, please pray and do so today. Don’t delay. Today, receive God’s greatest gift of all. This is Andrew Palau.

Where is the Christ Child in your Christmas? If you’re not sure, please know that this can be the most wonderful holiday you have ever known. If you receive the greatest gift of God—Jesus Christ—this Christmas will have true meaning for you forever. You will have peace with God and peace in your heart, a peace unlike any the world can offer. The best way I know to put Christ back in your Christmas is to simply confess your sins to God, by faith trust that Jesus Christ’s death has paid for those sins, and receive His free gift of eternal life. If that’s your decision, then tell God now—silently if you wish—right where you are. You may wish to use this prayer. Let me help you. Repeat after me: Heavenly Father, I want to celebrate the real Christmas. I believe Your Son, Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life and then died on the cross for my sins. I don’t completely understand it, but I accept it by faith. I want to be a child of Yours, too. Please come into my life, Lord Jesus. Because You have forgiven me, I want to follow You and obey You forever. Amen. If you just prayed that prayer with me, congratulations! You have just received God’s greatest gift. This is Luis Palau.

Did you know there are actually two Christmases? One is the Christmas of commercialism and overeating, overdrinking, and overspending. The other Christmas is one of love, joy, peace, and adoration of the One whose birthday we celebrate. The real Christmas is a vivid demonstration of God’s love. In 1 John 4:9-10, the Bible says: "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." Jesus Christ was God’s love gift to the world. He came into the world, was born of a virgin, and lived among us humans. The Christ Child of that first Christmas is the One who, 30 years later, sacrificially died for the sins of the world on a cross, and who rose again on the third day by the power of God. That is why, as we read in Romans 6:23, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." To experience and know God’s gift of eternal life, you must receive Jesus Christ. John 1:12 says: "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." This privilege can be yours. Pray right now and receive God’s marvelous gift today. This is Luis Palau.

With Christmas in the air, I wonder: Where is the Child whose birthday we celebrate? During the first Christmas, angels visited shepherds with their flocks at night. At their command, the shepherds hurried back to Bethlehem to see the newborn babe, the Christ child, “the Savior of the world.” [Luke 2:8-20] Today, if your friends and neighbors want to see Jesus, where would they find Him? Thankfully, there are a number of good answers. You can invite them over to your festively-decorated home. You can take them a plate of delicious homemade holiday treats. You can buy extra tickets and invite them to go with you to a Christmas concert. What else can you do? You can invite some of your church friends to come over and help you winsomely sing Christmas carols in front of each home in your neighborhood. Or, you might do what two of my adventurous friends have done, and set up a “living room” of sorts in your driveway, complete with lamps, chairs, sofas, refreshment tables, and your favorite Christmas music. People may just flock over to join you. This Christmas, pick one thing you can do to make it easier for your friends and neighbors to find Jesus. This is Luis Palau.

The Christmas season is wonderful. Whoever invented it deserves a crown in heaven! Some people argue Christmas is pagan, that we’re celebrating a holiday to some sun god or tree. I disagree. We’re celebrating the birth of the Son of God, no matter what others may have celebrated in ages past. I’m so glad for the opportunity Christmas gives us to speak openly about Jesus Christ and His purpose in coming to earth. Even those who have no love for Jesus Christ, who are enemies of the cross, are forced to hear and even speak about Christ because signs of Him are everywhere. Stores play Christmas carols, manger scenes decorate homes, television stations broadcast Christmas specials, even newspapers and magazines publish articles about the Savior. These testimonies often soften hearts and people readily receive Jesus Christ as Savior. At Christmas time, it’s easy to get caught up in the decorating, the presents, the busyness of the season, but let’s not forget the reason behind Christmas. Take advantage of this season and share the true meaning of Christmas with at least one other person. Consider using the Bible or New Testament to offer someone the greatest gift ever—Jesus Christ. This is Luis Palau.

Every Christmas, my kids rush to unpack all the decorations. And while their primary focus is decorating the tree, I carefully unwrap the Nativity scene and put it in its spot right on the mantel. Did you know that you have a nativity too? Nativity simply means the time and place of one’s birth and as a Christian, you have both a place where you were born physically and a place where you were reborn into the family of God. In John chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus goes on to say “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Isn’t that good news? Through Jesus, we get to start fresh. We walk away from old habits, sadness, broken hearts, hopelessness, and we can accept new hope and life through Jesus. In this holiday season, let every carol, every manger scene, every Christmas card, and every time we hear someone say “Merry Christmas” be a constant reminder of the new life Christ has given us through His life, death and resurrection. Be sure to share this joy and hope with others in your world who need to hear the Good News. This is Andrew Palau.

How many of you parents have said to your kids, “Christmas isn’t about receiving, it’s about giving?” It can be hard, though, when everything on TV and the internet says, ask for more, more, more! Even adults get into this mindset. Christmas is all about us. We want to have the perfect storybook Christmas, where we make all of the cookies we love and do all of the events we want to do. Christmas becomes about us doing what we want, instead of remembering that Christ has always asked us to “take up our crosses and follow Him.” While that verse reminds us of Easter, not Christmas, the life of a Christian always has both in mind: the cradle and the cross. So, even at Christmas, we can be looking for ways to give of ourselves and our time – because that is what Jesus would have us do. He did that Himself, didn’t He? Remembering the cross at Christmas might mean, for some of us, spending Christmas day at a local soup kitchen or with elderly people who no longer have families. It might mean setting up the chairs for Christmas Eve service, and staying long after to clean up. It might mean inviting someone who is alone this Christmas to dinner. And here’s the best part: we will be blessed as we bless others. As we share the light of Christ with them, we will feel the light of Christ become brighter and stronger in our own hearts! What world-changing work Jesus has called us to do! This is Luis Palau.

Christmas often means inviting people to your home, whether its family, neighbors, or co-workers. We often work hard to create the perfect holiday, making sure everyone is comfortable and welcome. But sometimes, sharing the true meaning of Christmas requires going outside of our comfy, warm houses and meeting people where they are. Sometimes we have to go to them. It can be so easy to sit in our own little bubble, assuming we are doing Christmas in the right way because we are showing people the love of Christ. Suddenly we look around and realize that everyone in our bubble already KNOWS the love of Christ. To spread the good news of Christ’s birth to those who need Him most, we need to leave our bubbles and go out to where others are, bringing Christ to them. This could look like any number of things. It could mean throwing a Christmas party for the community youth center, but first asking the kids what THEY want. Or not just donating money to a local homeless center, but asking what they need and then BRINGING it to them. Jesus says Christians are to “go into ALL the world and proclaim the Good News to everyone.” Sometimes that might mean China, and sometimes that might mean the company Christmas party. Let’s get out of our comfort zones this Christmas, and share the light of Christ. This is Luis Palau.

Where I live in Oregon doesn’t get much snow at Christmas time. It’s often grey and rainy. But I love looking at those beautiful images on Christmas cards, pictures of cozy houses with thatched roofs nestled in banks of white snow. The reason they look so inviting is that every window is bursting with light! You can just tell that the inside is warm and bright, even while the outside is cold and dark. The home just can’t contain its welcome. It shines out! Christmas is so much about hospitality, inviting other people in. I think partially it is because the blessed virgin Mary and Joseph didn’t find any “room at the inn,” and so were forced to entertain shepherds in a barn. But they still invited in the poor shepherds because the welcome of Jesus cannot be contained, no matter where He is. Wherever Jesus is, there is hope, and joy, and warmth: in barns and in homes, in cold and in clouds. We are welcome into God’s family, thanks to Jesus our Lord. Is the welcome of Jesus felt in your home this holiday season? Is your home bursting with light and warmth? Do people feel welcome in your home: not just because you have Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, but because they can sense that Jesus is there? This Christmas season, let Jesus spill out of your windows, lighting the whole street with His joy. You don’t know who needs to come in out of the cold, and into God’s loving, eternal family. This is Luis Palau.

I am always at home over Christmas, celebrating at the Palau Association Christmas party, attending events at my church, and enjoying my family. But it’s amazing how quickly “staying home for the holidays” can turn into “I’m never home during the holidays.” Christmas parties and church events start to multiply, as do Christmas programs, concerts, and open houses. Add to those wonderful things the baking, shopping, and planning holidays always seem to require, and “the most wonderful time of the year” quickly becomes “the busiest time of the year.” Christmas brings all sorts of wonderful opportunities to reconnect and enjoy our communities, but we can so easily get too busy celebrating Christmas that we forget the Christ we are celebrating. We get so busy planning the perfect Christmas that we neglect to read the Bible and learn more about the reason for the season. We get so busy running from here to there that we start missing church. Christmas is a beautiful time of the year, but we cannot neglect to remember the real reason for the season. We celebrate Christmas because “unto us a child was born, unto us a son was given!” Imagine! The Son of God chose to become a man so He could rescue us all if only we believe in Him and repent of our sins. What a blessing! What a joy! What a message that needs to be spread far and wide to everyone we know! This is Luis Palau.