The Case for Heaven Young Reader's EditionSample

A Call for All

Luis also anticipated spending time with his mother. He recalled when he was a new Christian in Argentina that his mother urged him to take the gospel to nearby towns that didn’t have a church.

“She kept encouraging me and pushing me,” he said. “She’d say, ‘Go, go, go. Get out and reach people with the good news!’ But I was slow to step out in faith. I’d say to her, ‘Mom, I’m waiting for the call.’ ”

His mom didn’t like that reply. She got upset and said, “The call? The call? The call went out two thousand years ago, Luis! The Lord’s waiting for your answer! You’re not waiting for his call!”

Luis knew she was right. The Bible makes our task clear—go out and reach people with the truth and love of Jesus. Whether they’re friends, family members, neighbors, classmates, or just people we meet along the path of life, everyone should hear about Jesus. The assignment for every believer is to spread God’s love. There’s no excuse for inaction.

“I’m guessing your mother’s words got you moving,” I said.

“It was one of the defining moments of my life,” Luis answered. “I realized I didn’t need to wait around; instead, I needed to do.”

Luis did do. During his sixty years of ministry, God used him to bring at least a million people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That’s an amazing number—and one that amazed Luis.

“If I’ve ever impressed anybody, I hope it’s because they realize I’m not very special,” he continued. “I hope they say, ‘If God can use an ordinary person like Luis, why can’t he use me?’ You don’t have to be a genius. You can just be a boy from a small town in southern Argentina. And if we’re faithful, the sky’s the limit—because the power comes from God.”

That’s his encouragement to fellow believers: Trust in God’s power and go for it! Step out in faith, take action, strike up a conversation with someone about God. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict people of their sin. We can’t control whether someone accepts the gospel. But as Luis told me, “We can bring them the best news on the planet—that there’s redemption, there’s a relationship with God, there’s heaven, and there’s an eternal party waiting for them.”

Will everyone immediately believe that truth? No. Could you be rejected and made fun of for your commitment to Christ? Sure.

“But when all is said and done,” Luis said, “you’ll never regret being courageous for Christ.”