British singer-songwriter Matt Redman led worship at the Luis Palau Memorial Service in Portland, Oregon today, 20th March 2021. He started with his well known, song, 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord), which set the tone for a service of thanksgiving and praise to God for the life of the beloved evangelist who passed away on March 11th from cancer.
This song was an appropriate choice as it captured something of the determination of Luis Palau to serve God fervently until his last breath, no matter what, while giving all the credit to God.
“And on that day / When my strength is failing / The end draws near and my time has come / Still my soul will sing / Your praise unending / Ten thousand years / And then forevermore.”
Matt also shared how he got saved at a Luis Palau Festival in London as a boy and had received the call to become a worship leader. This is an amazing testimony in itself and the full story is carried as one of the notable reflections on the Luis Palau Memorial website. You can read the post entitled: Matt Redman considers the immeasurable impact of Luis Palau and watch the video testimony below.
“The most defining moment of my life happened at the age of 10, standing in a London soccer stadium,” Matt writes. “For that was the night I heard Luis Palau preach the Gospel and decided that I was going to be a worshipper of Jesus Christ.”
It’s not surprising that a man who led millions to Christ would inspire a young boy to come to know God in such a powerful way that he too has impacted the lives of millions with his music. This is part of the far-reaching legacy of Luis Palau and his mission to Latin America and beyond.
Luis Palau is survived by his wife Pat and four sons who all spoke lovingly of their father at his memorial service, however, Luis Palau also has many spiritual sons, like Matt Redman, who will continue to follow his unshakeable example and take the Gospel to the nations.
Luis Palau – Home at Last
“I felt stirred to write a song in loving memory of Luis and decided it should be about Heaven,” Matt Redman said at the Memorial Service. He explained that he wrote this special tribute song on the afternoon Luis passed. He also shared that he took inspiration from Charles Spurgeon who said, “I shall reach my home at last.”
The lyrics are profound and this song will no doubt be sung by believers across the globe in time to come.
Home at Last (Lyrics)
Beauty for ashes / Glory for tears / When we reach our home / At last / Gone all our struggle / Gone every fear / When we reach our home / When we reach our home / at last.
Gladness forever / Joys unknown / When we reach our home / At last / We will see in full then / Be fully known / When we reach our home / At last.
And we will behold the glory of that place / You’ll hold us in Your arms / We will see you face to face/ Forever lost in wonder, love, and praise / When we reach our home / At last.
Songs of rejoicing / Before Your throne / When you call us home to You / Jesus forever / Jesus alone / When you call us home. / You will call us home to You. / And we will behold the glory of that place.
His battle’s over / His race is run / and You say ‘Well done My child’ / And our hearts of heavy / Yet full of hope / For we know he’s home in Your perfect love / You have called him home / You have called him home / At last / Oh he’s home.
Matt Redman testimony
As recorded on the Luis Palau website, “The Grammy award-winning worship artist, Matt Redman, is known as one the great worship music composers and worship leaders around the world. However, not many know how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. During the Luis Palau Mission to London in 1984 Matt was a young fatherless boy struck by the message Luis preached on God our Father.”
Photos: Luis Pallau Association
Also read: New Matt Redman song, ‘Jesus Your Name’ couldn’t be more timely, as ‘whole world shakes’
Al Gibson
Wordsmith, overcomer and exhorter. Al has a degree in Journalism and Media Studies and years of communications experience in Africa, the UK, Israel and USA. He left South Africa in 2001 and worked for GOD TV in England for 18 years. He now heads up Countdown Creative, a content creation business in Exeter. Al is the author of three biographies. Blogs he writes for include GODTV.com; International Christian and UK and US Christian.
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