In January 2018, international evangelist Luis Palau announced he’d been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He stated that although he believed the Lord still had more for him to do, he was at peace with “whatever tomorrow holds”. Today is that tomorrow, and Palau has passed away to be at peace with the Lord.

We grieve the loss of Palau, while remembering the coming promise of Revelation 21:4: “[God] will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.” This is the hope Palau preached about, captured in the precious Word of God.

American Bible Society partnered with the Luis Palau Association on several occasions—providing ever-important Scriptures to those who had just made decisions to follow the Lord. At one such event, a 2015 revival meeting led by Palau and CityServe, a diverse crowd of more than 60,000 people raised their voices in worship in Central Park in New York City. On that day, many came to know Jesus for the first time. Each one of them received a special devotional in their heart language of English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Korean—a reminder of God’s love and a guide to get to know Him better.

It seems appropriate then, as we remember the life of an evangelist who worked in more than 80 countries and led more than 1 million people to Jesus, that we point to the heart of Palau’s legacy. We encourage everyone to dig into Scripture, to grow in relationship with God. As an organization, we have witnessed the power of God’s Word in action for more than 204 years; we can attest to the truth that the Bible is a sure foundation for new believers and a steady encouragement for those like Palau who have known the Lord for decades.

We honor Palau and leaders like him who preach the Gospel and open hearts to receive the truth of the Bible. And we remember Palau the best way we know how: by promising to continue providing and engaging people with Scripture so that all experience the life-changing message of God’s Word.