God is Now Here

Last night, I was reading a book by Greg Laurie called Essentials. He opened with this story:

I once heard a story of a hardened atheist who had led a successful life, and had a nice home and family-a loving wife and a little daughter he adored. He simply had no place in his life for God. One day, unexpectedly, his health took a sudden turn for the worse, and it didn't look like he would survive. Rather than softening his heart toward God, however, he became harder and harder. When at last he seemed to be at his deathbed, his wife called the pastor at her church to come visit her husband, hoping he could perhaps lead her atheist spouse to faith in his last days. When the stricken man saw that pastor walk into the room, however, he began to scream profanities at him. "Don't you ever let that preacher in my house again!" he yelled. "I don't want God. There is no God. Infact, I want you to take out a piece of poster board, and write these words on it: 'God is nowhere.' And I want you to put it at the base of my bed so every morning when I wake up I can see that sign."
The one soft spot in this man's heart was his little daughter, who was the apple of his eye. But the though he loved her, he didn't want her influenced by his wife's faith. As the man's condition worsened and it looked like the end might be near, it was decided that this little girl should be taken out of the home for a time. The pastor and his wife kindly offered to take her in. So the atheist's daughter lived in the pastor's home, and for the first time she saw a family praying, reading the Bible, and going to church together. Her little life was changing, and her heart eagerly responded to the truths about God and Jesus. Not only that, but the pastor's wife began to teach her how to read. Then, again unexpectedly, the father's health began to improve. As a result, the little girl was allowed to go and spend a few moments with her dad. He was still weak, but she climbed up onto his bed, threw her arms around him, and kissed him. "I love you, Daddy," she said. "Well sweetheart," he replied, "I love you, too. Now, where have you been? What have you been doing?" "I've been going to church and hearing about Jesus," she replied. "And I've even been learning how to read." The father could hardly believe that. "But you're so little," he said. "Surely you couldn't know how to read too much at this point. You've only been gone a short time." "No, Daddy," she insisted, "I can read now." "Really?" he said. "Tell you what. Why don't you read that little sign there at the base of my bed. What does that say?" The little girl looked at it for a moment, and began sounding out the words. "GOD IS..." she began. Thinking about it for a moment, she suddenly brightened. "Daddy, I've got it now! Your sign says, 'God is now here.'" And then she said, "And you know what, Daddy? God is here. And He has been with you the whole time you've been sick. And we've been praying for you." Suddenly the father choked up, asking his wife to take their little girl from the room. He asked God to forgive him, and he believed in Jesus Christ.


When a child attends a Good News Club just once, he/she is taught the Gospel and taught how to pray. We do not know what kind of home life they have. As this story shows, the little girl was gone a short while, but was taught about Jesus and how to pray. Because of that short time, she was able to go home and share the truths about God to her atheist father. He had heard the same things from his wife and his wife's pastor, but he only hardened his heart. When he heard his daughter talking about God, he asked for forgiveness and became a child of God! The Good News Clubs work the same way. We reach the children and the children reach their families.

God is now here. He is here in Greenwood, Abbeville, McCormick, Edgefield, and Saluda - the Lakelands. The Lord is opening up doors into the schools throughout the Lakelands area! He is moving in the hearts of pastors and church members to adopt a school and start a club. We are starting a club at Oakland Elementary, Ninety Six Elementary, W.E. Parker Elementary and a community club at La Puerta de Esperanza. Praise the Lord for everything He is doing! God is Now Here!!!!