New Telugu Christian Book

నీవు నిజముగా ఆత్మ మరియు నీరు మూలమున తిరిగి జన్మించితివా ?

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త్వరలో
అ౦తరి౦చబోతు౦ది !
అవతరి౦చబోతు౦ది !!
( ఏమిటో తప్పక తెలుసుకో౦డి )


భూమ్మీద మానవపాలన అతిత్వరలో అ౦తరి౦చబోతు౦ది !
అతిత్వరలో యేసుక్రీస్తు కే౦ద్రిత ప్రప౦చ మహ సామ్రాజ్యము అవతరి౦చబోతు౦ది !
( బైబిలు ప్రవచనాల నెరవేర్పు, చరిత్ర సత్యాలు తెలుసుకొని జగ్రత్త పడ౦డి. )

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Jesus Loves You (Story)

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning Service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, “OK, dad,I’m ready.”

His Pastor dad asked, “Ready for what?”

“Dad, it’s time we gather our tracts together and go out.”

Dad responds, “Son, it’s very cold outside and it’s pouring down rain.”

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, “But Dad, aren’t people still going to Hell, even though it’s raining?”

Dad answers, “Son, I am not going out in this weather.”

Despondently, the boy asks, ? Dad, can I go? Please?”

His father hesitated for a moment then said, “Son, you can go.Here are the tracts, be careful son.”

“Thanks Dad!”

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract .

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for some one to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, “What can I do for you, son?” With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, “Ma’am, I’m sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.”

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. “Thank you, son! And God Bless You!”

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, “Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?” Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, “No one in this church knows me. I’ve never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, “I’ll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.” I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, “Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.”

I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice , “Ma’am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.” Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn’t be needing them any more. You see—I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God’s little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.”

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son…

Except for One……….

This Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

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The Passover Bread and Wine The Meaning of the Passover Symbols

                                                                                                                  .....Article by Bill Bradford

The significance of the bread and wine commanded by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, at His last meal with His disciples, commanded His friends and followers to remember Him in a specific way. Although He had earlier warned them of His approaching death (John:12:32-33), they found that certainty hard to accept.
But less than 24 hours later Jesus would be dead, His body hastily entombed and His disciples shocked, confused and scattered.
At that last meal, Jesus Christ told His disciples to eat bread and drink wine as symbols of His body and blood.
"...When He had given thanks, He broke [the bread] and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup [of wine] after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me'" (1 Corinthians:11:24-25).
The New Testament Passover is one of the most widely celebrated observances of the Christian faith.
When we partake of the bread and wine, are we merely following a tradition? Does this ceremony have meaning for us in our era? How important is it that we understand the meaning of the Christian Passover?
Lack of comprehension
The first-century congregation of Corinth did Not understand the significance of the Passover. They observed it "in an unworthy manner," not "discerning the Lord's body" (verses 27 and 29); they did not comprehend its real meaning.
Because of their lack of understanding, Paul warned the Corinthians they could be "guilty of the body and blood of the Lord," and if they failed to properly judge themselves they would be "eat[ing] and drink[ing] judgment" to themselves (verses 27, 29).
Paul took the Passover ceremony seriously. His warning makes it clear that Christians should not only observe what Christ commanded, but should understand the meaning of eating the bread and drinking the wine at the Passover service. It is vital that we understand the intent behind Jesus Christ's commands concerning the Passover. Christ said that unless we (symbolically) eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have no life in us (John:6:53). It is that important.
Once each year, on the anniversary of the night on which one of Jesus' own disciples betrayed Him, Christians should recall and contemplate the meaning of Christ's death through the observance of the Passover service (1 Corinthians:11:26). Paul told the Corinthian members that "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians:5:7).
The Passover service commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. By participating in the service, we personally proclaim the death of our Savior
(1 Corinthians:11:26). We acknowledge that His dying paid the death penalty for us (Ephesians:5:2).
While the "blood" and "body" of Christ refer to the same sacrifice, Jesus Christ shows there is a clear distinction in the meaning attached to each of the two words.
Representing that differentiation are the two specific symbols: bread and wine. Let's examine the special significance of Christ's body and blood as represented by the two simple, unadorned aspects of the observance.
Jesus Christ's body a sacrifice
Let's first understand the meaning of the bread. "...As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body'" (Matthew:26:26).
The body of Jesus became an offering for sin, for "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man . . . offered one sacrifice for sins forever . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews:10:10-14).
Our partaking of the Passover bread indicates that we understand that Jesus Christ has put away our sin by the "sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews:9:26). He willingly consented to suffer an excruciating death for us. His blood was not swiftly shed; He was tortured many hours before He died. He bore in His body the physical suffering caused by sin.
Under the first covenant the sacrifice of animals for sin by the Levitical priesthood could not remove the guilt of the ancient Israelites. Those sacrifices just reminded them of their sinfulness and were only types of the one future sacrifice that could remove all the transgressions of repentant sinners.
However, those animal sacrifices helped the Israelites understand how serious sin is in the sight of God. How much more should the sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of the whole world help us to understand that sin has brought nothing but tragedy and suffering on mankind. Jesus had to endure intense suffering for our sake.
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah:53:4-6).
At the Passover service, when we eat the bread that symbolizes the broken body of Jesus Christ, we should remember and deeply appreciate why He had to offer His body to be beaten and abused as a sacrifice for us. He was "smitten," "afflicted," "wounded" and "bruised" for our transgressions.
Why did Christ have to die?
Why was it necessary for Jesus to die that our sins could be forgiven? Sin is the violation of God's law of love. Through our disobedience, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans:3:23). We earned the death penalty because of our sins (Romans:5:12; Romans:6:23).
Paul explained the principle of a righteous man who would give up his own life as a replacement for one who is guilty (Romans:5:6-8). We would all be destined for the finality of death had someone not paid the penalty for our sins. Christ substituted His death for ours. His sacrifice became the payment for our sins.
By living a sinless life and dying for us, Jesus took on Himself the penalty that we ourselves should have had to pay. Jesus Christ died in our stead so we could share life with Him forever.
A new way of life
The Passover bread also reminds us of the close relationship Christians have with Jesus Christ, resulting in a new way of life.
After transforming five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food for a crowd of multiple thousands (John:6:5-14), Jesus was followed by crowds seeking Him for the wrong reasons-they wanted a free meal (verse 26).
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life..." He told them (verse 27).
"...My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world...I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (verses 32, 33, 35).
Speaking of the future Passover symbols of the bread and wine picturing His body and blood, Jesus Christ said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day...[He] abides in Me, and I in him" (verses 54, 56).
In Romans:6:1-6, Paul shows that once we are symbolically united with Christ in death through baptism, "we should no longer be slaves of sin" but "should walk in newness of life."
The bread we eat at Passover demonstrates our commitment to live in Christ and allow Him to live in us.
The apostle Paul described this commitment in Galatians:2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Paul understood that controlling his own life was no longer important. His relationship with Jesus Christ, surrendering his life to the One who had willingly given His life for Paul, was now far more important to him.
The apostle John described this relationship very succinctly: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John:2:3-6).
The Passover bread reminds us that Jesus Christ, the true "bread of life," must also live in us, making it possible for us to walk in newness of life, living just as He lived.
The Passover wine
Why did Jesus command His disciples to drink wine as a symbol of His blood? What meanings are wrapped up in this extraordinary analogy that are vital to our understanding when we drink the wine at Passover?
Notice the meaning Jesus gave to the Passover wine: "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom'" (Matthew:26:27-29).
What does Christ want us to understand about His shed blood?
First, Christ knew that our drinking wine as a symbol of His shed blood would impress indelibly in our minds His death for the forgiveness of our sins. "This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians:11:25).
God forgives our sins through Jesus' blood. We are taught that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John:1:7). Jesus Christ "loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation:1:5). Christians normally understand this basic tenet of faith-that our sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ-but not all professing Christians fully comprehend how this is so. Let's be sure we understand.
Paul explains that "according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews:9:22).
In the context of the Old Testament, God instructed the priesthood to foreshadow the shedding of Christ's blood by a system of cleansing and purification through the blood of sacrificed animals.
He commanded the nation of Israel to undertake this temporary system of the ritualistic cleansing from sins (Hebrews:9:9-10). Animal sacrifices served as types of the one and only future sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who would pay the penalty for the sins of everyone once and for all.
Sacrifices were a reminder
In reality, the sins of the people under the old covenant were not forgiven through the blood of the animals they sacrificed. Those sacrifices only reminded them that they were sinners (Hebrews:10:1-4).
All those sacrifices, with their emphasis on blood, looked forward to the real "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John:1:29).
Further, the ancients understood that life is in the blood (Genesis:9:4). When a person loses his blood, he dies. Therefore it is appropriate that blood make the atonement for sin (Leviticus:17:11). Jesus' blood was shed, or poured out, while He hung
on the cross (Luke:22:20; Colossians:1:20). His life drained from Him when He lost his blood (Isaiah:53:12). By allowing sinners to shed His blood, He gave His life for us.
When we drink the wine at the Passover service, we are to consider the gravity of its meaning. It represents the very life's blood that flowed from Jesus Christ's dying body so we may have complete forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians:1:7).
The shed blood of the righteous Jesus Christ for our sinful life should powerfully motivate us never to want to sin again. It is the way our merciful God chooses to reach us in our obstinate states of mind.
Our wanting never to sin against our Savior is not the same as our acquiring the means to overcome sin. To effect the necessary change within us, God provides us the help of the Holy Spirit. However, the blood of Christ deals a powerful blow to sin because His undeserved death for us is one reason we should not want to sin again. It is the realization of the magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice for us that should bring us to repentance (Romans:2:4). Upon our repentance and baptism for the removal of those sins, God imparts the Holy Spirit to enable us to change.
Conscience freed of guilt
The second point Christ wants us to understand about His shed blood is that not only does it cover our sins, but makes it possible for us to be rid of guilt.
Notice Hebrews:9:12-14: "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
When God grants us a pardon, we are no longer guilty in His eyes, but we still need to solve the problem of our guilty feelings-our guilty conscience. That is why Paul declares that the blood of Christ cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. How can this be?
The word conscience comes from "conscire," meaning "be conscious of guilt.". Our conscience is our awareness of right and wrong. When a person has no sensitivity to or awareness of right and wrong, we say he has no conscience.
Paul said the consciences of some people are seared (1 Timothy:4:2); that is, they have suppressed their awareness of right and wrong and have no desire to alter that tragic situation.
When God calls a person whose conscience is still sensitive to right and wrong, and that person is faced with the understanding that someone else had to die for him-and all along he has been unaware of or ignored this truth-his conscience is affected (Acts:2:36-37). The realization of this truth brings home to him how ungodly he is, how far he falls short of the goodness of God (Romans:5:6-8). He becomes acutely aware of his own guilt; his conscience plagues him.
What can he do?
His awareness of the awesome meaning of the death of Jesus Christ for his sins awakens in his conscience a desire to obey God (Romans:7:20-21). He can then accept Christ's sacrifice for his sins and have faith that Christ took all his guilt upon Himself. Now he can rest assured that he can continue in "newness of life" (Romans:6:4) with a clean conscience; he can be confident that all his guilt has been erased.
No need for self-reproach
When our conscience is purged, we are freed from guilt. We were all guilty because we all violated God's holy law and fell short of His glory (Romans:3:19, Romans:3:23). Sin is breaking God's law (1 John:3:4). When our sins are removed after we repent (Psalm:103:12), there should be no more self-inflicted guilt or self-reproach.
Unfortunately, many people still feel guilty after they have repented and have asked God to forgive their sins. While our conscience should rightly convict us if we sin again, we should not continue in self-condemnation over the sins God has forgiven, but be able to operate confidently in the freedom from guilt God provides (1 John:1:9; 1 John:3:19-20).
We express our faith, our confidence, that through the blood of Christ we are truly forgiven when we partake of the wine at the Passover service. The taking of the wine should impress upon us that we are free from sin and guilt, and that we do not stand condemned before God or ourselves (John:3:17-18).
This is what it means to have "our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" (Hebrews:10:22).
Access to the Father
The third point Christ wants us to understand about His blood is that it makes it possible for us to come before the very throne of God.
Under the old covenant, only the priest could enter the area of the tabernacle known as the "Holiest of All" (Hebrews:9:6-10). In it was the "mercy seat," which represented God's throne.
In Leviticus 16 is explained a ceremony that took place each year on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest sprinkled the blood of a goat, representing the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ, on the mercy seat so the Israelites could be symbolically cleansed of all their sins (Leviticus:16:15-16).
Because the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us and made us pure, each of us enjoys direct access to the Father (Hebrews:9:24). Jesus, as our High Priest, has entered into the Most Holy Place by His own blood (Hebrews:9:11-12). In fact, we can approach God without hesitation or fear of rejection, but with confidence and assurance because of the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews:10:19-22).
Let us rejoice, when we take the wine of the Passover, that the blood of Christ has made us worthy to experience an intimate relationship with our Father!
Blood of the covenant
The fourth point to understand is that the blood of Christ signifies that He has entered into an agreement-a covenant-with us. When Jesus instituted wine for the New Testament Passover, He said: "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant..." (Matthew:26:27-28).
Why is taking wine, symbolic of His blood, called the "blood of the new covenant"?
Once again we go to the Old Testament for background information. Paul explained that both parties under the old covenant manifested their agreement by the ceremony of sprinkling
of blood. The Bible writers called this blood the "blood of the covenant" (Hebrews:9:18-20; Exodus:24:3-8).
It is of utmost importance that we understand that our repentance of our sins, our baptism and acceptance of the blood of Jesus Christ to redeem us from the penalty of eternal death-coupled with our belief in His promise to forgive our sins-constitute a covenant.
By accepting the blood of Christ for the remission of our sins, we enter into a covenantal relationship with the God of the universe. The terms of this covenant are absolute, because it was sealed with the shed blood and death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews:9:11-15). We renew that covenant every year when we partake of the Passover. Let us understand the terms of that covenant relationship.
"'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,' says the LORD: 'I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more'" (Hebrews:10:16-17).
We have already seen a major difference between the old and new covenants. Cleansing from sin is no longer accomplished by the sacrifice of animals, but by the blood of Jesus Christ.
There is another major difference. Under the new covenant, we learn that God will write His laws in our hearts and minds. Under the old, God simply gave His laws on tables of stone. The Israelites agreed to obey His laws without understanding that, by their own human efforts, they were unable to do this (Exodus:24:7-8).
His laws in our heart
This shows us the chief weakness of the old covenant (Hebrews:8:7-10). Israel did not have the heart to faithfully keep God's commandments (Deuteronomy:5:29). Under the new covenant, God is writing His law in our hearts and minds. Not the laws of physical purification contained in the system of sacrifices, washings and service in the tabernacle; instead, He is adding to our very being His holy and righteous laws, which define right behavior and attitudes toward Him and our neighbor (Romans:7:12).
When we partake of the wine, we acknowledge the covenant relationship ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are in effect saying we will allow God's Spirit to work in our hearts and minds, meaning that we will keep God's laws out of a deeply thankful attitude for His forgiveness of our sins. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit, we cannot muster up the spiritual strength to obey His laws.
The apostle Peter refers to us as the "elect...for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter:1:2). The Passover wine is a yearly renewal of our agreement to this covenantal relationship.
As we can see, the Passover is one of the most meaningful events of the year in the life of a Christian. We have seen that some in the early Church who were partaking of the Passover symbols of bread and wine were guilty of the blood and body of the Lord because they never understood or bothered to learn the real meaning and significance of their actions.
They allowed neither the depth of spiritual understanding nor the appreciation of the sacrifice of Christ to effect a spiritual change in their lives (1 Corinthians:11:27-29). It is important for us to fully understand the spiritual implications of our participation in the Passover. GN
 Courtesy : http://www.ucg.org/

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Win the Mountains

Before my own ministry in evangelism launched years ago, I met with Billy Graham at a pre-crusade breakfast. He discovered my ambition was to preach in evangelistic crusades. And he advised me to stay with the big cities.

“Paul (in the Bible) always went to the centers of population,” he told me. “And D.L. Moody used to say that the cities were the mountains; and if you won the mountains, the valleys took care of themselves.”

What was Mr. Graham trying to tell me? Simply that cities are important. According to urban missiologist Ray Bakke, the word “city” occurs 1,250 times in the Bible. Cities matter to God because people matter to God.

Do you live in a city? Do you live in a neighborhood? More than likely, the answer is “yes.” The point is, you have people all around you. The Lord Jesus has compassion on these individuals and wants to save them!

Psalm 116 in the Bible states, “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Pray to God; ask Him to give you His compassion for others. He will begin to use you to reach your community, your city, and your world with His love!

Courtesy : Evangelism Tips

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Cities: Good or Bad?

When I say the word “city,” what picture comes to your mind? Some people think of lights and wonderful opportunities. Some people think of crime, smog and traffic. These people see city life as Henry David Thoreau once described, as “millions of people being lonesome together.” A sad picture indeed.
Regardless of how you view cities, aren’t you glad that Jesus desperately loves them? Remember in Matthew when Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem? He loves cities! And, one of the pictures of heaven is the “city of God.” God wouldn’t use that picture if He didn’t care about cities. No matter where people are, city or country, there will be sin. Even if the people in your life aren’t perfect and aren’t friendly, they still need the Lord.
My friend, do not ignore your city, or your street, today. The world’s cities need a revival caused by changed hearts that only the Gospel can activate! YOU may be the only person willing to share God’s Good News with your bus driver. With the person next to you on the Subway. With your taxi driver. YOU have a purpose in your city. Say “YES!” to reaching your world today for Jesus Christ!

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People, People Everywhere

What kind of people live in your city? Ambitious people. Lonely people. People struggling financially. Young people in search of freedom. Displaced people out of touch with their families. The list goes on!

The point is: The harvest is ready. But where are the workers? In city after city around the world, I proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ before massive festival crowds. Through my preparatory work in each city, I have discovered that many Christians fail to see the importance of evangelism. What does that mean? It means that before we can bring the hope of Jesus to our cities, we must first recognize the urgent need!
In the Bible, Mark 16:15 reports Jesus telling His disciples to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Guess what? That command is for you! Those words include your city. God has a plan. And YOU must respond to His call.
You may not have the opportunities to share your faith with thousands, but you can share God’s love in your city by reaching out to your neighbor. Will you do it today? Reach your city by reaching those in your community. Reach out and see what God can do through you.

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One Answer for Many Cities

Living in the city certainly has its dangers. These serve as daily reminders for city-dwellers that evil is loose in society.  But, guess what that means? It means that people in cities do not need to be convinced of their need for a Savior! They are already eager for a hope that proves real. They are already longing for a better life. And they already feel the need for divine protection. The cries of the people in your city have only one answer – Jesus Christ!

Praise God that He sends us into cities to seek the lost and point them to Jesus! Because, through the power of our Savior’s death and resurrection, lives are changed.
In the Bible, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Life-change is possible through Jesus. This is the message that God is asking YOU to share with the hurting people in your city.
Will you step outside of your comfort zone today? Will you dare to offer someone the hope and peace found only in Jesus Christ? Take the Good News of Jesus Christ to your community. Do it today.

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Your Family

There’s a wonderful promise in the Old Testament that I came to understand when I was a young boy. The promise is found in Genesis 26:6. God says to Abraham, “Through your descendants all the nations on earth will be blessed.”

When I read that as a boy, I remember thinking, This is something I can pray for my own kids someday! So, as my wife and I started our family, we prayed that prayer for each of our four boys. We said, “Lord, through these boys, please bless all the nations of the world.”
Now, there were some rough years. One of our sons, Andrew, took a big spiritual hike for about 13 years. We experienced a lot of sadness. But we kept praying, “Lord, bless the nations of the world through our boys.” And praise God, Andrew did finally surrender his life to Jesus Christ!
Now, he’s an evangelist – sharing the Good News all around the world. In fact, each one of our boys is serving the Lord in different capacities. It’s thrilling to watch how God has answered that prayer of ours!
So, dream great dreams for your family. No matter where your kids are right now with the Lord, don’t despair. Pray for your children by name, asking God to bless the nations of the world through them. The Lord will hear, and answer!

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The Body of Christ

Many Christians today are in the habit of not going to church. Most are good-hearted believers, who simply don’t think they need the local church. But Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”
Why do we need church? Because the local church is God’s way of shaping us, molding us, and then using us to reach our world. Although there may be people there who rub us the wrong way, that’s part of the genius of Gods design!
He wants to stretch us, and cause us to grow. We may get bothered by the style of this, or the sound of that. But it’s good for us! It’s humbling, it’s purifying, it’s “iron sharpening iron.”
As we are sharpened by others in the church, we become more like Jesus Christ. We also learn how to work with those who are different than us. And working well with other believers is one of the best expressions of Jesus Christ to our world.
So, dream great dreams for your church! Be faithful to it! Pray for it! And get involved. Ask God to use your church to reach your neighborhood, your city, your country for Jesus Christ. That’s exactly what He wants to do!

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Working Together

Do you remember what the Lord Jesus prayed the night before his crucifixion? He was going to the cross the very next day, and yet, in the Garden of Gethsemane, what did Jesus pray about? “Father,” Jesus said, “I pray for those who will believe in me, that they may be one as we are one, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”
That was the cry of the Lord Jesus – that God’s people will act, and function, as one, “so that the world may believe…”
It pleases the heart of God when Christians work well together. It’s a clear message to our world that we belong to Christ. And, by teaming up with other believers, you can do great and powerful things for Jesus that you could never do alone.
So, do you have a dream of doing something big for God in your neighborhood, town, or even country? If so, remember you can’t do it alone! Of course you’ll need God’s blessing and leading and wisdom; but you’ll also need fellow believers to help your dream become reality!
We’re most effective when we pull together, not apart. When we work with other Christians, “as one,” the world takes notice. And the result is that many may choose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!

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Pray Great Prayers

When I was a teenager in Argentina, a missionary from California taught me how to pray. His name was Keith Benson. Keith asked if I would like to pray with him once a week. I was thrilled! The first afternoon we got together, Keith put a map on the wall. On the map was the city of Cordoba, which is the second largest city in Argentina.
We began praying for each and every church in Cordoba. It took many months, but we did it! Then Keith began putting up maps of other cities throughout Argentina, and we prayed for those by name, week after week.
Eventually, it was on to South America. We prayed for each and every country. Finally, Keith brought out a globe of the world! And I fell in love with the nations! I learned so much through those prayer sessions. Keith taught me that regular prayer not only enhances your relationship with God, but it increases your vision for what God can do through your prayers. I determined that I was ready to go wherever the Lord called me!
In John 16, Jesus says: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Whatever we ask in Jesus’ name, He promises to do it. So dream big – but pray even bigger – that God will use you to reach your world for Jesus Christ!

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Christ’s Ambassadors

It’s easy to get discouraged in evangelism, isn’t it? Sometimes you’re criticized, given the cold shoulder, or can’t see the fruit of sharing your faith. When we’re feeling low, we often forget that God has called each of us to be His ambassadors.
Second Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” That’s so important to remember!
What does it mean to be Christ’s ambassador? First of all, an ambassador doesn’t invent the message. His president tells him what to say. This means that you don’t have to come up with the message. You simply give out the beautiful Good News Gospel, wherever God has put you.
Leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Also, since you’re an ambassador, you’re not just some ’nobody’ praying for your neighborhood. You have power. You have authority. You have an important mission to spread the Good News message to your world!
No matter how people may respond, it doesn’t change the way God sees you. You are His messenger – His ambassador. So keep sharing God’s message of Good News, with dignity and power. After all, that’s exactly what an ambassador is called to do!

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The Foundation of the Word

When I first began to follow Jesus, at 12 years old, I would often pray that God would open doors for me to reach the whole world with the Good News. Since I was new in my faith, and still a boy, I had a lot of learning and growing to do. I felt that a wonderful place to start was studying the Bible, and getting to know it well. And so even as a boy I found myself pouring over the Bible.

Some people wonder if the Bible is a divinely inspired book, or simply a work of literature that men wrote. The Bible is written by men, yes, but these men were under the direct inspiration of God. St. Peter writes, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
Reading God’s Word, meditating on it, and studying it, are great ways to become effective in sharing the Good News with others. After all, the Good News is found in scripture. What better way to reach the lost then to share with them what God has said in His Word.
So try it this week, won’t you? Set aside time in your day to read the Bible. You will find, in time, that sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ is easier when you have the power of God’s Word on your mind and in your heart.

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Teach the Word

You know, many times people feel they cannot share the Good News because they haven’t been believers very long. But, one of the best ways to learn more is by sharing. The more you share, the more you will grow. Shortly before Jesus went back to Heaven he told his disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations. He also comforted them saying, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Do not be held back by your lack of experience- the Lord is with you always. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
God has different standards than this world- and your humility is something that God can work with. A theology degree doesn’t necessarily equip you to be effective for the Lord… though education is important, but without an attitude of humility and love for other people, all the education in the world is useless. God looks at the heart first.
So, don’t be held back by being new to the faith or by feelings of inadequacy. Depend on God and His Holy Word when you’re sharing the Good News, and the Lord will be with you every step of the way.

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Confidence in the Word

You know, these days, it seems nothing is absolute anymore. Malcolm Muggeridge said that the greatest problem of our day is not political or economic but it is “the loss of a sense of moral order.” It is so exciting to me, that as followers of Jesus we have an absolute standard to live by.This absolute standard is God’s Word to mankind- the Bible. The Bible is without error. You can trust it 100%. It is the inspired Word of God. If we don’t think God is big enough to create a book without error, then we serve too small a god. God absolutely can create a perfect book and He did.

The Bible says of itself in Second Timothy that “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Isn’t this exciting? The more we read the Bible, the better equipped we are to reach our world. When we live our lives in light of the scriptures, we live based on unchanging, absolute truth.

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The Power of the Word

Throughout my years in ministry, I’ve heard from many people that if I had their mother-in-law I wouldn’t feel so victorious, or if I was married to their wife, I wouldn’t feel so optimistic.We all have difficult circumstances, but it is important to saturate our hearts and minds with the Bible- this helps us maintain the proper perspective. One glorious truth of the Bible is that nothing and no one can take away the power of Christ in you. Regardless of what’s going in our lives, we are headed for Heaven and there is no greater joy than that.

St. Paul writes in Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
There is authority and power in the everlasting truth of the Bible. When you share the scriptures with others, it isn’t some opinion- it is God’s Word. If you are a follower of Jesus- don’t keep it to yourself. Tell anyone and everyone who will listen.
Get to know the scriptures well. Read them often. As you read you will find your passion for the lost renewed. The more you learn about the Lord Jesus the more you’ll want to tell people. Try it today, won’t you? Reach out and discover the joy that comes with knowing God’s Word.

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Blessings from the Word

This week we’ve talked about the importance of knowing God’s Word as you step out in faith to reach your world. We learned that you don’t have to be a scholar to witness, but God’s word will give you a passion for the lost, power in your speech, joy in your life, and a standard to live by. The last thing I want to tell you about the Bible is that in reading it, and getting to know it well, you will find great blessing.

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Reading the Bible is not a chore. It’s not something you are forced to do either. It’s something we are privileged to do- and it is a joy. If we meditate on God’s word often, we will be blessed. It’s not we might be blessed, the scriptures say we will be blessed.
And if the Bible says something will happen, you can count on it. I’ve found this to be true in my own life, and I know you will too. Read your Bible today, and as you’re blessed, go out and bless others.

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The Masks We Wear

In our neighborhood, and I suspect in yours, in October the kids put on costumes and go trick-or-treating. Most kids wear the mask of their favorite comic book hero to hide their identity and hopefully get a treat.
The sad thing is that many of us adults do the same type of thing. We put on the mask of a pious Christian. We go to church on Sunday. We say all the right things. We pretend to be faithful. We pretend to be a “good Christian.”
The apostle Paul attacked this imitation of Christian living. In 2 Corinthians, he says that “unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity like men (and women) sent from God.” Paul is telling us to take off our masks. To stop trying to deceive others. To stop trying to cover up our sins.
God can see through the masquerade that keeps us from walking openly with Him. It’s only when we open our hearts and allow Christ to make us the kind of people He wants us to be that we can stop pretending to be someone we’re not and truly let the world see Christ through us.

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Your Spiritual Letter of Recommendation

Most of us at some point have asked for, or perhaps written, a letter of recommendation. In the early days of the church it was common to write such letters. These letters verified that a person was a church member of good standing and was truly walking with God.
When the apostle Paul was asked by the Corinthians for such a letter, he told them that “you yourselves are our letters of recommendation, written on our hearts…not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God.” He was telling them that they were his living letter and all the recommendation that was needed.
As Paul points out, either we have handwritten approval from man, or divine approval from the Holy Spirit. Our lives show where our approval comes from. Just as a doctor’s reputation is the proof of his or her abilities – so the impact of our lives on the lives of others is the living proof of our relationship with Jesus.
A Spirit-filled believer doesn’t have to present a Christian letter of recommendation. Everything about that person gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Are you living proof of Jesus? Do people see Him through your life?

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Our Competence Comes from God

I have a dear friend who recently, for the first time, led a person to Christ. He’s a committed Christian and a fearless businessman, yet he had never experienced one of the greatest joys of a Christian life – sharing the Good News of eternal salvation and God’s love.  The majority of Christians never share their faith with others. A lot of people feel incompetent and nervous. We all can be nervous at times, but that doesn’t mean that we should not share our faith. We can have confidence to speak out because of Jesus Christ!

The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that “confidence is ours through Christ…not that we are competent to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” God, through Christ, qualifies each of us to be personal evangelists.
Have you hesitated to share your faith because you’re nervous or feel inadequate? My friend was able to share one of the greatest joys this side of heaven when he stopped depending on his own abilities, asked for strength from the Lord, and turned to the competence that comes only from God. Try it today.

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Assurance of Eternal Life

remember a few years ago, talking to a young dad who had just lost his 10-week-old baby girl. It was so sad. His daughter died of SIDS. He and his wife were completely torn up about it, as anyone would be. This father was wondering where his little girl went, and if he would ever see her again. I assured him that his little baby was in Heaven, and if he believed in Jesus Christ, he would see her again someday.
I can’t tell you how many people, over the years, have asked me if heaven is real. And if heaven is a real place, they wonder, how can they get there? People want to know there is another world, an afterlife.
Without the hope of eternity, there’s no point or purpose to the life they’re living right now. You and I need to be prepared to share the wonderful Good News message with people in our world: If they accept Jesus Christ, by faith, they can have absolute assurance of eternal life. The moment they die, they go to be with the Lord in Heaven.
Jesus says in John 10, “I give you eternal life. You will never perish. No one can snatch you out of my hand.” What great comfort we can offer those with deep questions about eternity.

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Pretense Leads to Burnout

Sooner or later most of us will encounter a Christian who is wearing a mask. We find out the pious Christian we thought we knew isn’t the Christ-centered person they appeared to be. It seems to happen all too often on the national news and, sadly, in our local church.

The reality is that most people wear some sort of mask. We’re scared that without a facade, people will see our inadequacies. We’re scared that people won’t like us if they really knew us.
But, the apostle Paul reminded us in 2 Corinthians that “whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away…and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.”
Paul’s message is that we can take off our masks, when we truly accept Christ into our hearts. Not only will we experience freedom, but Paul promises we will grow steadily in the image of Christ.
Let’s face it – living a life of pretense is exhausting. We can avoid the burnout and live victoriously when we stop pretending. So, stop pretending and turn to Christ for your security. Then, you’ll be ready to tell others of the glorious freedom you found in Christ.

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An Open Sincerity

Many of us came to Christ through the words and example of a Christian who showed the open sincerity of a true believer. That sincerity can come to each of us when we acknowledge our personal frailties and take off the masks we use to hide them.  In the early days of my ministry I sometimes tried to be self-sufficient and relied on my education and my Bible knowledge instead of God. Sometimes I wore a mask of toughness and confidence that kept me from getting through to people who were hungry to hear of God’s love. Thankfully, God saw though my masquerade and eventually took off my mask of pride. Only then was I able to share the Good News with sincerity and power.

In those times when we doubt our competence to be ambassadors for Christ, let’s remember the words of the apostle Paul from Philippians 4: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
As Christians, it’s our privilege and responsibility to share the message of God’s love. We don’t need to hold back! God will give us the strength to share the Good News with the sincerity that comes from total trust in Him.
If you’ve experienced the blessing that comes from letting God be your confidence, I’d love to hear about it. Write to me at radio@palau.org. I’ll be praying for you!

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Loving Others

I remember when I met Susan. She called in to our live television show a few years ago. Her voice was shaking, and she was very nervous. Susan said that she felt like God had thrown her out of His life.
When I asked why she felt that way, Susan told me, “In every church I have attended, people judge me when they find out about my past.” Apparently, she had been married multiple times, and had some past sins that she was ashamed about. Susan felt that she didn’t fit in at any church.
Isn’t that sad? What Susan needed was Christians to really show her Christ-like love. To accept her for where she was, not judge her past, and encourage her to grow in the Lord. Jesus Himself commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
So why is it so difficult to love others sincerely? Because loving as Jesus loves is impossible to do on our own. We need God’s love in us, to show that love to our world.
First John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.”
Loving well takes practice, and resting in the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. But it’s absolutely essential if you want to see people changed. Love, my friend,

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Forgiveness through Jesus

LuAnn was a 20-year-old student at a local college. She told my wife and me her story. “I was recently in a relationship,” LuAnn said, “but that ended because I got pregnant. Now I’m three months along, and I’m considering an abortion.”

LuAnn’s situation broke our hearts. Obviously, the worst option for her would be to have an abortion. But, I knew that before LuAnn could make any decision about her baby, she needed to make a decision about Jesus Christ.
“LuAnn,” I said, “God, the Father, loves you with an everlasting love. God will not ever leave you, He will never forsake you, as Hebrews 13:5 says. He forgives and forgets, wipes clean, and then does new things in our lives.” After talking a bit more, LuAnn was ready to commit her life to Jesus. She also decided to keep her baby!
You know, the ability to start fresh, knowing that Jesus has forgiven all your sins, is so freeing! And, like LuAnn, there are many people today who are desperate for this kind of clean start. Yet often, they don’t know where to look. That’s why God is calling you and me to be his Good News messenger.
Are you willing to share the hope that Jesus offers with a friend – perhaps this week?

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Accessing Godly Wisdom

Sandy was a young woman whom my wife and I met a few years ago. At 36 years old, Sandy had been married three times, and had six children. She had recently ended a relationship, she said, because her boyfriend would choke her and beat up on her.

Sandy said she loved her kids, but they didn’t want anything to do with her. “I need help,” Sandy told me. “I’m so confused, and I just want peace.”
Wow, talk about a woman in need of the Lord’s direction and wisdom! I had a long conversation with Sandy, and eventually ended up leading her to the Lord, which was the best decision she could make!
Many people, like Sandy, are searching for peace of mind and heart. But the only way to have true peace is to have the mind of Jesus Christ, which happens the moment you receive Him into your life.
Romans 8:6 tells us that “the mind controlled by the Spirit [of God] is life and peace.”
Receiving thoughts and direction from God, through the Holy Spirit, is the only way to live! Is there someone in your life looking for this kind of peace? Take a risk! Tell them that the only way to experience true peace is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Hope for Change

Paul was a young guy I met in Maine a few years ago. He told me that he was really into drugs and drinking, and needed help. But, Paul said his biggest problem was that he didn’t have any hope. “My family just keeps telling me I’ll never amount to anything,” he said. Unfortunately, Paul believed them.

I asked Paul if he had heard of the Lord Jesus, the forgiveness of sins through the cross of Christ, and the new beginning He offers all of us. Paul said he’d never opened a Bible, and didn’t know much about the Lord. I was so glad to have the opportunity to share the Good News with him!
I quoted 2nd Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!” I told Paul, “When you give your life to Christ, you become a totally new person. Jesus forgives every sin you’ve ever committed. He helps you start over.” To my delight, Paul decided to surrender his life to Jesus! I knew God would change him dramatically!
There are people all around us, like Paul, with empty hearts — wondering if there is hope, and a way to start over. It’s our privilege, and calling, to tell them about the hope and forgiveness that’s only found in Jesus Christ.

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When God says “No”

Do you believe that God hears your prayers? And if He hears them, do you believe that He answers them? This week, we’ll look at five specific ways God answers prayer. Not just mine, but yours, too! We’ll take a look at a different answer each day this week.  The first is the answer we most dread. It’s when God says, “No, my child, I love you too much.” It’s hard when God says “no” to our heartfelt requests. Have you experienced this? I certainly have.
Take, for example, when my friend Diane started losing her hearing. When my mother-in-law came down with polio. When my father died. God said “no” to each of my requests, leaving me wrestling with the reality of His “no” answer.
In the Psalms in the Bible, many times David cries out to God to answer his prayers. But if God answers with “no,” does that mean we shouldn’t bother to pray? No! Just the opposite. The Bible tells us, “to be patient in affliction” and “faithful in prayer.”
Whom do you know who may feel as though God is saying “No” to them? Be an encouragement for them. Continue to remind them of Christ’s unending love, even through the hard times. Tell them that even through the storms, God is there and wants to draw near.

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“Yes, but you’ll have to wait”

Phil Callaway didn’t know what to say when his children asked if Mommy was going to die. His wife, Ramona, suffered horrible seizures. Hundreds of friends and relatives prayed. Medical specialists tried everything. But Ramona’s weight eventually slipped to ninety pounds. And soon the seizures occurred daily, sometimes hourly.

One evening, when things looked utterly hopeless, Phil fell to his knees. “God!” he cried out. “I can’t take it anymore. Please do something!” As he stood, a doctor’s name came to mind. Phil called the doctor, who saw Ramona the next morning and diagnosed a rare chemical deficiency. Within a week, Ramona’s seizures ended. She was a different person. The miracle was so incredible that Phil says, “God gave me back my wife.”
Immediate answers to prayer. You want them. I want them. But God simply does not always work that way. And to receive His best, we must be patient. The Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
When praying for our loved ones who do not know Jesus, we must persist. Because sometimes God will answer with, “Yes, but you’ll have to wait.” So, don’t give up. Keep praying that your loved one will come to the Lord.

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