Posts

Building Community

/0 Comments/in /by

I remember the story of Keith Green. He was a highly influential American singer and songwriter from the 1970s. Before he gave his life to Jesus, though, he was heavily involved in drugs and eastern philosophies. But one night he was invited to a Bible study at a friends house.

The true fellowship in the group impressed Keith. He saw people full of joy and love as they studied the Word of God together. And thats where the Lord really began to tug at Keiths heart. Later he paraphrased Matthew 18 like this: “Its time to quit playing church and start being the Church.”

Keith was “burdened with reaching the lost, and broken with the true message of the Gospel.” And he had witnessed himself the power of community in reaching lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Living out the Gospel message in Christian unity is a powerful way to make an impact on our world. Psalm 133, you remember what it says… It says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

When you and I live together in the joy and peace that only comes from Jesus Christ, the world, like Keith, will sit up and take notice and our neighborhood will notice too. The world will pay attention when theres unity. Jesus said that in John 17 and Ive seen it to be true all over the world.

A Personal Relationship

/0 Comments/in /by

Abigail was 10 years old when she was invited to hear us present the Good News at our London Festival in 1984. She and her family took the train from Wales to the Queens Park Rangers Football stadium.

Abigail says she remembers vividly every detail from that night – from the songs that were sung, to the sights of thousands of people everywhere. But what she remembers most was the message about a personal friendship with Jesus Christ.

Abigail had never heard that before, and was excited to think that she could know God personally. So when I gave the invitation, both Abigail and her brother came forward to commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

Now, all these years later, Abigail is still going strong with the Lord. She and her husband worship at a church in Wales, where they lead weekly small group Bible Study.

There are many people like Abigail who have heard about God, and may even think they are Christians, but don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Think of one person today who perhaps looks OK on the outside, but has never made a personal decision to follow Jesus. Then, pray about how to share the Gospel with him or her.

In John 14:13 Jesus says “I will do whatever you ask in my name.” Ask God to open the door of opportunity, and when He does, walk through it with confidence in His name.

The Vilest Offender

/0 Comments/in /by

Growing up in Hastings, England, Jim Perry had only limited exposure to church.

By the time he was 15, Jim enlisted in the British military. The year was 1963, and it was there that he had his first experience in the world of the occult. Sadly, Jim became entrenched in occultism for the next 20 years. It almost killed him.

Then, in 1983, some Christians moved into the community house where Jim lived. They started praying for him. During this same time, my team and I were in London holding a 6 week-long evangelistic festival.

One of the Christians living in the house, a woman named Veronica, decided to take a risk and invite Jim to hear the Gospel. To her surprise, Jim accepted.

Jim says that he heard a message that night that astounded him. He heard that Jesus loved him and had defeated Satan on that Cross, and would forgive his many sins. He knew deep down that this was the truth. So Jim made the decision to no longer live for the darkness, but for the light of Christ.

Because of Veronica’s faithfulness to pray for Jim, he is now in the Kingdom of God! And she later married Jim! And, they started three local churches!

James 5:16 says “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Don’t give up praying for people you know, no matter how far away they seem from the Lord. Like Jim, you never know when they will finally decide to follow Jesus Christ.

Finding the Answer

/0 Comments/in /by

I met Steve on a recent trip to London, England. He approached me and said, “Mr. Palau, I committed my life to Jesus during your festival to London 23 years ago.” Then Steve told me his story.

Since he didn’t grow up in church, Steve knew very little about God. He began serving in the Royal British Forces in his early 20s. There, he struggled with severe bouts of anxiety and depression, which led him to heavy drinking binges. In Steve’s words, he was one inch away from becoming an alcoholic.

Steve was searching for answers in various religions, when a friend invited him to hear me speak at Wembley Stadium in London. Steve agreed to go. That night he heard the Good News Gospel, and realized what he needed in his life wasn’t religion, but a relationship with Jesus.

When I gave the invitation, Steve made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Today, Steve is married to a wonderful Christian woman, and they are raising their three sons in the ways of God.

Think about where Steve might be today if his friend hadn’t invited him to our festival. Ephesians 5:15 reminds us: “Be careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

We need to remember to be intentional about inviting our friends to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. It may be just what they need to hear

Drawing Near

/0 Comments/in /by

I really admire a man named Robert Levy. He’s my son, Andrew’s, father-in-law. Robert’s a very powerful businessman, but his main purpose in life is leading people to Jesus Christ – which is what I respect most about him.

Robert is a true man of God, but that didn’t happen by accident. I believe it’s because He purposes to spend time with God every morning. Before anything else, he’s up at 5:00 am to spend time with God.

Do you want to be someone like that, too? James 4:8 tells us: “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Those aren’t just words that James wrote because they sounded nice – they’re true! It’s a call from God. It’s an invitation from the King.

God longs to be near you, to change you, and use you for His glory. When we make one small move toward Him, He rushes to us with open arms!

The Lord Jesus said that he wants to be a close friend of yours. But you need to make the choice to spend time with Him, reading His word, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Then, as you walk with God, people will notice.

They’ll think, “There’s something different about her – maybe I’ll ask her about the struggle I’m going through.” By spending time with the Lord, you will have his quiet power and confidence to witness to the lost and lonely people in your world.