Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

It was prophesied long, long ago that one day a sacrificial hero would arrive. He would be God Himself. He would eliminate the power of death, overturn evil, and rescue all who would come to Him. That’s Jesus. Jesus said as He died on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When He took all the sins of the world upon Himself, the Bible says He became sin for us, and His Father, God,...

Who do you believe God to be? If you’ve been raised in a home or a church where God has seemed hard or unkind, judgmental, or angry, it can be difficult to want a relationship with this type of God. Or to trust Him or to even believe in Him. Yet we all long for truth. Can I encourage you to pick up a Bible? To find out what God is like for yourself? Colossians tells us that Jesus is the image of t...

Have you ever wondered… When Jesus died on the cross, did He really die, or just partially die? How did that work? Well, when He breathed His last on the cross, death attempted to take down the author of life. Without a doubt, He did die. He even lay dead in the grave for three days. Revelation 1:18 , says this, Jesus says, I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and fore...

Who sees your tears? Who sees you cry? Some of us cry easily and openly for all to see. Some of us don’t have anyone we feel safe to cry with. Tears and sadness, agony, or grief are all part of our human experience. The Beautiful thing is that there is ONE who knows every tear. Psalm 56 tells us that God knows... that He collects our tears in a bottle. What an image! That our tears are written in...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday, the people bowed down and placed palm fronds on the ground for Him to ride over. This action was a show that they were welcoming, not just any person, but a king. As people were worshiping Him, and shouting, "Hosannah! Blessed is the king of Israel!", what do you think He did? He wept because He knew that these people did no...

Before Jesus came into the earth as a human, the Bible tells us He already existed. Before the beginning of time! Out of pure, overwhelming love, He willingly became a human baby entering into the very world that He created Himself. He willingly stepped into our human experience, with all of our struggles and limitations, knowing from the very beginning that He had one main purpose: to go to the c...

People say it’s better to give than receive. This truth actually comes from the Bible. Jesus said: You are more blessed to give than receive. And He knows because He gave everything for the world, so that we could receive life. He said: I lay down my life for my friends. Jesus said: Because I live, you will live. What an offer! Have you received all that Jesus has offered you? Have you said: Yes,...

1 John 3:16 says this... This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Is this the way you’ve thought about God? As the One whose love actually moves us to love others, to show compassion, and moves us to live generously? This isn’t some distant, uncaring God. This is a God whose heart beats for you and fo...

Sin isn’t a popular word; it sounds antiquated. But sin is a real thing. The original Greek word means to miss the mark. To not do what should be done or to do what should not be done. We all know in our hearts what sin is because every single one of us sins. So, how do we deal with this problem? Do we work hard to make up for the wrong things? Do we try to do more good to outweigh the bad? God ma...

I’m sure that you’ve heard the saying, “It’s better to give than to receive.” Did you know that Jesus is the one who said that? The Apostle Paul quotes Him in Acts 20:35 when he says, “…. by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself, who said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” There is one thing, however, that we cannot give but on...

Where is Heaven? Have you ever pictured it like castles in the clouds or in a mystical other dimension? Well, I believe that you can experience something similar to Heaven right now where you are, and you don’t have to wait until you die. Do you want to know the peace and the presence of the One who loves you so much that He gave His life for you? His name is Jesus. If you follow Him, His powerful...

What is love? There is a passage in 1 Corinthians that gives us direction on how to love. It's beautiful…and it’s impossible. Love is the most excellent way to live and without love all we do is meaningless. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. It doesn’t delight in evil, but rejoices in what is true. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. As I read these words I th...

Do you need hope in your life? Starting even today, in Jesus, you can have peace that doesn’t depend on your circumstances. The Holy Spirit will fill you to overflowing, an overflowing of His powerful love. He’s the one who can start the restoration of your broken life. Will you let His comforting presence begin to heal even the deepest wounds of your heart? The Bible promises in Revelation 21 tha...

What have you heard about God? I’ve heard people say that God is in all of us. It sounds lovely, but is it true? The Bible says that we’re all made in the image of God, the likeness of God. But God doesn’t enter our lives until we make a decision to follow Him. John 1 says: To all who believe Him and accept Him. He gives them the right to become children of God. This is very Good News because bein...

What is the worst day of your life? Our worst days often involve the death of a loved one, a shocking diagnosis, or sometimes it just strings out like the discouragement of chronic pain. No matter how we try to prepare ourselves for what we all know is coming, death and pain feel terribly wrong. Why is that? Well, they feel wrong because they're wrong. You were not created for death; you were crea...

What are you looking forward to? Maybe you’re excited about something in the near future. Well, enjoy it! But, I hope you never lose sight of this truth: Life’s pleasures come—they make us happy for a little while. That’s great, but then… they’re gone. You can find great joy, peace, healing, and satisfaction now, in Jesus. And if you choose to follow Him, He promises a beautiful eternity spent in...

Jesus was born to die, and we were born to live. It may sound morbid, but when Jesus came as a baby all those years ago, He knew what He was doing. He had a mission, a purpose: to give His life for ours, for every human being, so that we could have life. He told us, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, and I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Have you receive...

Are you feeling empty? You can be filled. Listen to the words of this beautiful prayer from Psalm 90… Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, Lord, so that we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. God’s unconditional love brings deep, lasting satisfaction. Do you know this love in the depth of your soul? God loves you. He created you, and He has a good plan and purpose for your life....

I had a driver in Zambia named Abraham. I spent the week with him as he drove me all over the city. But as we talked, it became evident that he was disappointed with God. His life had not turned out as he expected. After a week together hearing the message of God's mercy and kindness over and over again I could see his heart beginning to soften. I reminded Abraham that God has never promised us an...

As human beings, we need constant support, we love acknowledgment, and we need kindness. And there is not enough of it. You and I were designed to be fulfilled, satisfied by the One who created us—God alone! And He, the very one who made us, knows exactly what we need. God is inviting you into an intimate relationship, unlike anything you can experience from humans. And He loves you right now. Do...

Do you feel overwhelmed by the darkness of this world? The book of Revelation in the Bible says this about Heaven— In that city, there is no need of sun or moon to shine in it for the glory of God gives it its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The Lamb? That's Jesus. Imagine the brightness of that world. It sounds so beautiful…the darkness that surrounds us—gone! You don't have to wait for Heaven t...

What have you heard about God? Have you heard that He's too busy dealing with the problems of the world to care about you? This thought is a lie. God knows you; He cares about your life. He cares about people personally. He promises rest for the weary, and He provides for the needy. He intimately interacts with people over and over again. He understands our pain, our deeds, our sickness, our suffe...

There is darkness and hatred, and evil all around us. After a while, it starts to feel normal. Evil becomes standard—goodness seems so rare. But from the very beginning, God had a plan to rescue us from this brokenness. It was Jesus! Jesus is the one and only savior for us because He became human and walked through the depths of this world’s brokenness. When He was crucified, He bore the penalty o...

Do you feel the need to understand everything? Do questions about God nag at you? I would like to suggest that if we knew everything and understood everything about God, He wouldn’t be God. He would be a fantasy created in our own imaginations. The very nature and existence of God is beyond understanding. 1 Corinthians tells us that Now we see as a poor reflection in a mirror, but one day we’ll se...

Are you feeling out of control right now? Here’s truth for you, today—your life can be held by God, the One who holds all things secure. Picture this with me right now…God’s powerful, strong hands, holding your life in just the right place. This is not only beautiful, it is possible. Will you trust Him to hold you steady? He is actually directing and guiding your life, even now! And if you choose...