Dear Forum members and Readers worldwide!
Since we are now down to hours before my scheduled hip replacement operation, I thought it needful for me to write to you.
My surgeon and staff are not particularly confident of the success of this operations. My family physician made it known to me that "You are not a candidate for any major surgery." After viewing and discussing my situation with Dr. Branberry (one of the very best orthopedic surgeons in the region), it was concluded that I would die if this major hip fracture was not fixed.
One of their main concerns is the anesthesia. They felt general anesthesia too dangerous, but then upon further deliberation they felt that a epidural injection of anesthesia into the spinal carried its own life-threathen dangers for someone in my cancer condition. I believe now that they have settled on general anesthesia. They will remove all of the upper femur, neck, and head, and drill out the remaining femur down toward the knee to insert an much longer anchoring rod than is normally used, as the top of the femur is eaten to thin from cancer to support much lateral pressure without re-breaking. Operation is 9:00am tomorrow morning, so we won't have long to wait. Then there are the serious post-op problems to deal with--infection, rejection, and infection. What I have on my side to beat all these odds is an army of Christian believers worldwide who I know will be asking our God for merciful intervention.
On a brighter side, as most of you know, my wife fully supports me and all that I do. She is truly a help-mate of the highest caliber. She is not a Believer in the doctrines that we all believe in, however. She loves and loves to serve any and all who come to our home during Conferences and scheduled Bible studies. Always has volunteered on her own to prepare nice lunches for all that come to our home, and writes and communicates via e-mail with others of you. But last night something incredible took place. I was reading a few responses from some of you when she stopped me and said: "You know there are a lot of people out there who don't have computers or the use of one, and wouldn't know how to use one if they had one. There must be a way to reach those people with your teaching." I was floored! So I began telling her of some ideas I had where we might go to more and more cities (not just the few we go to regularly), where we know of virtually no one who is following the truths of bible-truths.com. If our loyal members could help pay for a hall and pay for a good-sized media ad for any particular city, perhaps people would come. I could write a mind-grabbing ad for the local news paper or maybe a short TV ad.
Something to be considering should God grant me healing and strength to do it. Let me know what you all think.
I have finished my introduction to my "Creed" or "Statement of Faith" that we will be now posting on our bible-truths home page under the caption: "Ray Releases His CREED." There is nothing orthodox about my Creed. It is totally different from any such statement of faith on the Internet. A warning: most people will NOT understand my statement of faith. They will find it doesn't contain enough specific beliefs and / or doctrines. They will think it has little meaning. They will think it entirely too short, etc. That's because few will understand it without considerable meditation and prayerful consideration. Every word is profoundly accurate and all-encompassing. But the reason many if not most religious creeds and statements of faith do NOT fully believe in and live by every single word of my little one sentence statement of faith. Fact is most religions and Christian denominations and sects do not fully understand, or believe, or live by every word of my creed. Conversion and time will prove the validity and profoundness of my creed and / or statement of faith.
I hope that all of you know how profoundly I love each and every one of you, and yes, that includes all of you that I do not as yet know personally. I might not now know you personally, where you live, how many children you have, what your occupation is, but I do know "OF you!" I pray for all of you daily. I pray for physical and spiritual prosperity for all, and especially so for all those who have financially sacrificed to keep our little ministry going for nearly twelve years now. It's just amazing how in today's world, a site such as ours can become the center of attention almost overnight.
All it takes is that right message that is followed up on by a few million u-tube viewers who get the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill getting larger and larger with every revolution. Maybe it will come about through our debunking of the Christian Hell doctrine, or the tithing doctrine, or maybe just the way I might comment on some national event of international interest. I look forward to that day. When the Christian Church begins an unrestrained media campaign against us, then the "chosen of God" will become strong in the faith as never before.
Well I hope that your prayers will be with me tomorrow as mine will be for you. Yes, "These are the days that try men's souls!"
May God bless, protect you, and keep you through His Great Love,
Ray