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Step of Faith

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Cameron Townsend was a missionary who was working on translating the Bible for a tribe in Guatemala but was frustrated that he couldn’t reach more tribes with Bibles in their languages. So he came up with an idea.

Dr. Townsend’s goal was to go into the jungles of South America with groups of linguists, learn the languages, form alphabets, teach the people how to read, and translate the Bible into those languages.

Now, Cameron Townsend had no funding, no linguists, no help of any kind. But he had faith that God would bring it all together.

Townsend went back to the United States to begin recruiting the finances and volunteers. Only a few months later, he returned to Guatemala with a group of linguists to start his project.

Essentially, that’s how Wycliffe Bible Translators began. Because of Cameron Townsend’s vision and faith, there are now people groups all over the world who have the Bible in their own language.

What is God calling you to do? Where is He calling you to go? Who is He calling you to serve? Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

So take a step of faith right where you are. Watch the Lord work in miraculous ways as you reach your world for Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Assurance

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When I think about what God offers us through His son Jesus Christ, I find it staggering! He forgives all of our sins – one hundred percent. He also gives us His Holy Spirit to live within us.

But the most staggering thing of all probably is that He offers us the only way to Heaven. And that isn’t just a nice thought. It’s an absolute assurance!

The Lord tells us, when you die, you’re going straight to Heaven. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.”

Too many people simply don’t have the assurance of Heaven. Did you know? Unfortunately, we live in an age where it isn’t very popular to say that Jesus is only one way.

And yet, if you believe the Bible, you can’t deny the truth that Christ is the only way to the Father. And we’re commanded to tell the world about Him!

So be sensitive, but speak the truth in love to those who are searching for answers. It may be someone you work with, go to school with, or sit next to on a plane. Sometimes all it takes is a simple question like, “Where do you think you’ll go when you die?” It’s a great conversation starter.

You’ll be amazed by how that one question may lead to their salvation! So try it and God will use you.

A Guilty Conscience

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When I was 12 years old, I received Jesus Christ into my life at a Christian camp. I’ll admit, I didn’t understand everything that happened when the missionary Frank Chandler led me to receive Christ.

I hadn’t committed any of the ‘big sins,’ so to speak. But, I knew I needed forgiveness. I needed to be reconciled to God because I was guilty.

I had a foul temper; I had a dirty mouth, as a boy, so when my camp counselor asked me where I would go if I died tonight, I said, “Hell.” I knew it; I deserved it. I didn’t need him to point the finger. Even as a boy I had guilt on my conscience.

In fact, whether they admit it or not, all human beings live with a guilty conscience. I’ve been amazed from talking with people who say they’re atheists. They tell me that they don’t believe in God. Yet when they start talking about evil in the world and why bad things happen, it’s obvious they’re struggling with their own guilt, too.

No one can escape it, until they come to Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1 reminds us: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The next time you’re talking to a friend about the Lord, remember she may be struggling with guilt, too! So be prepared to share the Good News that the blood of Jesus Christ is the answer to a guilty conscience and lead them straight to Christ.

A Changed Life

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I recently read a quote in a British magazine that said, “Conversion to Christ is a staggering event.” What a well-chosen word! Conversion really is staggering, if you think about it.

I remember as a boy I would sit in church listening to preachers quote 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creature. The old has passed away. The new has come.”

And I would wonder, They look the same on the outside, so where does the change take place?

Years later, I made a list of what changes when someone accepts Christ. Here are a just few ideas from that list: “Once I was lost, now I am found. Once I was blind, now I can see. Once I was dead, now I’m alive. Once I was a slave, now I am free. Once I was empty, now I’m a temple of God. Once I was in the darkness, now I’m in the light. Once I was guilty, now I’m forgiven.”

Isn’t that staggering to think of how God changes us? And that’s just the tip of the ice berg!

Why don’t you try coming up with your own list of what happened – Biblically as well as visibly – when you came to faith in Christ?

The next time you’re talking to someone about the Lord, you can share those changes in your own personal life. Many times the most powerful testimony is your own transformed life.

Giving the Call

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A few years ago I was speaking at an evangelism conference. A young British man came up to me and introduced himself as Rupert. He was a 31-year-old clergyman in the Church of England. Rupert said to me, “Mr. Palau, when I was 16 years old I went to the stadium in London to hear you preach. I had no idea what Christianity was about. But I was converted that night and my life has never been the same!”

Now, this young man of 31 is serving the Lord in ministry in England. How exhilarating it was to hear about Rupert’s decision to believe! Whenever I hear stories like that, I think of III John 4: “I have no greater joy than this, to see that my children are walking in the truth.”

There truly is nothing as exciting as when someone makes a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, especially when God uses you. So we need to remember to always give people a chance to respond to the Good News. You may sow the seed, but be sure to give the option of responding to Jesus Christ as well. Don’t just throw out the seed and hope for the best.

Part of the Good News is the call of Jesus Christ. I promise, you will receive no greater joy in your entire life than when you get to pray with a soul ready to accept Christ. Think of how many people are simply waiting for you to ask them the question! So, go ahead and ask!