How Good News Started
by Jim Raines
By
One evening in 1986, I was praying. I had made a promise to myself
that I would not stop praying until I had an answer.
I desperately wanted God to give me some way to spread the gospel
and support my family of six modestly. After about 3 hours had
passed, it seemed that I was all alone in my living room. My
prayers bounced off the ceiling. But I was determined to pray
until I had an answer.
A lot had happened the last few years. We lived in the Houston
area and we had had three small car lots, a big house in Nassau
Bay and my sons were in private school.
Now we were in a house rent free in Spring that a friend of ours
couldn’t sell. But I was much richer now. I had met the creator of
the universe, been born again and He had changed my whole life.
This evening though, my friend was not speaking. I didn’t
understand then that you can serve God through any job or
position.
After another hour I heard in my spirit 2 words: Christian
newspaper. I didn’t know what He meant. But you know, when you
know, that you know, but you don’t know why. Well, I just knew it
was God.
The next day I called everybody I knew to see if they knew
anything about a Christian newspaper. I couldn’t find anyone who
did.
Two days later Sue and I went to the grocery store together. When
we were leaving I felt that I should pick up this free paper by
the exit. I asked God if He wanted me to read it. He said no, just
put it in the car.
On the way home He showed me all about the Christian paper He
wanted me to do. He showed me the name and that it was to be full
of true stories from people from all denominations. Through the
paper He was going to promote unity between churches, encourage
believers to really believe, and the paper would also show how
good and faithful HE is.
A couple of hours later I was in the bedroom praying. I still had
no idea how to do a newspaper. I didn’t have any money, didn’t own
a computer (at the time I didn’t even know that I needed one). All
I had was a friendship with the One who knows everything.
I went into the living room. Sue was reading the newspaper that I
had picked up at the store. Sue said, “Jim look here, the owner of
this paper is looking for someone to learn typesetting and do ad
sales for his paper.
Maybe you could go to work for him and learn how to start your own
paper.”
Looking back I should have been rejoicing but I wasn’t. I wanted
to work in ministry now. Not a year from now after working at a
secular job saving my money and learning how to do what He was
calling me to do.
But what Sue said made sense. Monday morning I called the paper
and set up an appointment for the next day. The paper’s office was
in Humble, and I can’t tell you how long the trip seemed to me. It
was the last thing I wanted to do.
Call me to be a pastor, work with the homeless, be a missionary.
But to work in a secular job for a year or more, at the time
seemed awful to me.
I really am a spoiled child of the king. When I got to their
building, the owner took me to his office. His first question
after looking at my resume was why I wanted the job.
I didn’t know what he believed but I decided to be painfully
honest. I said,”God told me to do a Christian Newspaper and so I
want to work for you until I learn how, and then I am going to
start the Christian newspaper He told me to start.” His mouth fell
open.
I was expecting anything, from all out laughter to treating me
like I was a nut case that had escaped from the loony bin. Instead
it was worse.
He called his wife in and said, “Tell her what you told me.”
Well I figured I had gone this far... so I said, “God told me to
start a Christian newspaper and I want this job so I can learn how
so I can obey Him.”
Well, her reaction was not what I expected. She turned to her
husband and said, “You told him.” He said, “I didn’t tell him
anything.”
Well, come to find out they were both Christians and God had told
him on two days earlier that He wanted them to help start a
Christian newspaper.
They had said yes to God, but told God He would have to send
someone. So that’s how Good News began. I worked with them for the
next two months. We put out the first issue of Good News about six
weeks after our first meeting.
That was 33 years ago. Praise God!!!
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