“What can Jesus do for me that I cannot do for myself?” That was the question put by evangelist Luis Palau to Scotland during his Highland Festival in Inverness last Friday and Saturday.
Palau, who has a Scottish grandfather, told around 1,000 people that Jesus could do everything that money could not and that which university or science could not explain.
"Only Christ can give you eternal life. Religion cannot do it. Charitable work will not do it. Good behaviour will not do it. Doing communion won't do it. Reading the Bible won't do it. Saying your prayers won't do it. Only Jesus Christ will take you to Heaven if he lives in your heart," he said.
Quoting extensively from John 15, he assured them that Jesus calls those friends who do as He commands.
“When you feel lonely, when you feel empty, Jesus Christ can do for you what no simple human being can do for you,” he told them.
“Jesus Christ shows you that he wants to be your friend because He gave his life for you.
“Jesus Christ says ‘I want to be your friend and I proved it when I went to the cross and died for you to be able to become your friend and you can become my friend’.”
The Highland Festival, in Inverness’ Bught Park, marked Palau’s first evangelistic outreach in Scotland in 30 years.
The event attracted many families and teenagers with extreme sports demonstrations, live music, and play areas for children in addition to the main sermons delivered by Palau.
He went on to speak to anyone in the audience feeling like they were about to lose control of their lives because of the temptation of drugs or alcohol.
He urged the crowd to seek Christ in moments of weakness and trust Him to help them overcome any temptations they were facing.
“If you are going wild or tempted to do something stupid you need Jesus Christ. He will give you supernatural power. He will give you the Holy Spirit,” said Palau.
He continued: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. You come to Christ and He will do something in your life.
“He will help you to crucify the flesh that will lead you into really stupid or sinful behaviour.”
Palau spoke of his sadness at the death of a 22-year-old man from a drugs overdose in a McDonalds toilet cubicle in Inverness just before his arrival in the Highland capital.
He told the crowd: “Jesus Christ will give you power to overcome temptations and not make the mistakes that destroy so many people … How many wreck their lives because they have no self control.”
He warned against the dangers of sexual temptation, saying that although sex was a beautiful gift from God it should be used within God’s plan of marriage.
