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When we asked Luis Palau who he was addressing in his recently released book God Is Relevant, he replied "the cynics." Palau goes on to say he is also writing to help Christians respond to atheists and not to panic about their opportunity to witness. In the words of Francis Schaeffer, he is looking for the "honest seeker."
"People are not as hard as we may think," says Palau. "Evangelism should always be centered on the Cross, and quoting Scripture is elemental. It's better to take one verse and drive it home in a non-Christian setting."
A worldwide evangelist, Palau has preached to more than 12 million people in 63 countries, the majority of them in Spanish-speaking nations. Born in Argentina, he was brought up in England, and came to this country for graduate study. He became a U.S. citizen and has lived in Portland, Oregon for about 30 years. He now travels from his headquarters in Portland 70 to 75 percent of the time, although he turned down a number of invitations earlier while his four sons were growing up.
Palau is devoted to his family. "It's worth staying married to your first wife," he says with a smile. He believes the seed planted in kids always bears fruit. "Don't despair."
Palau's excitement about evangelism is at high pitch in the first chapters of God Is Relevant because of the growing interest in faith and spirituality among people in Latin America and China as we approach the turn of the century. Throughout the book he begins chapters with interesting analyses of the present and future scenarios, and then turns to very personal stories of changed hearts he has known.
Palau is convinced that Christian books and literature reach more people for Christ than any other method. He also believes television is the least effective means of evangelism. But as you might expect from this international evangelist, he is very excited about evangelism opportunities on the World Wide Web. He has maintained a web site for more than a year, estimating his devotional section alone reaches 15 to 20 million people.
"We Christians are not afraid to face up to what unbelievers think. Atheists are just angry people. Don't be afraid," Palau says again and again.
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