Ray is gone

[Gina]

Gal 4

14  Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn.  Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

15  What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

[the truth]

I just wanted to say to Rays family.That because of Gods Grace in using Ray Smith in a most powerful way in so many other peoples lives.That the hope that we to could... by the grace of God..... make a life changing difference in others lives....is truly the purpose and plan of God.Ray Smith I love you my brother thanks for everything.Thanks for being a awesome example to us all.And to all bt..ers..Out there that help us so much in understanding Arc,Kat ,Dave in tenn,marques,Gina,Denise,God is Gracious,Samson,Craig,John in Kentucky,and on and on!I love you brothers and sisters and so we carry on preaching and teaching.
The Truth, The Faith!

[rsks]

My heart goes out to Manuela.  I thank her for sharing our beloved Ray with us.  We that never got to meet Ray in person, love him just as much as a brother.  I am so very sad.  I am so very grateful that God took his pain away.  I am so very empty feeling.  I thought about Ray every day since coming to BT.  I have countless binders and folders of his work printed up and have all his audios and videos on every electronic device I own and go to sleep EVERY night for 5 years now with my Ipod set on a timer with Ray's audios going.  When I wake up in the middle of the night, I reset my timer and start listening to Ray again.  I read and re read his papers almost every day.  Ray has "been in my heart" every day now for over 5 years.

I feel like I know his voice better than anyone close to me.  I love his sense of humor.  When I read and re read my binders with his papers, I mark up sentences with colored pencils each time and make little comments on the side margins about how funny Ray is and how much I agree with what he is saying and how blessed we all are by God that He raised up Ray to teach us these truths.

I so appreciate how intelligent Ray was.  I love to listen to intelligent talk.  All the blither blather that goes on with most people is so boring to me.  It is rare to have any intelligent input around you anymore.  Most people don't even want to mention God or Christ, not alone discuss anything about them.

Ray filled my intellect and my heart every day.  He made my life fuller than any one I have ever known.

May I ask everyone, please continue supporting Ray's work.  My husband Rick and I have been contributing for a number of years now and encourage everyone to continue or start!  I love you all,  Kelli

[whyisthatso]

I did not know Ray personally, in the flesh I mean. But I know him in spirit, as I think we all do.  I also agree and think the best way to honor his memory is to continue this work, and God willing it will continue. I know this is a sad time for all of us, but we must keep in mind that God's work is never about one person.  And also, it should comfort us to know that Ray has left to go to where he really wants to be. Is this not what we live ( and die ) for daily ?  I could almost envy him in a way. The Lord truley does come as a thief in the night. We know not the day or hour of our death.  So, even in death Ray continues to teach us.
                                                                                             
            " The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken to spare him from the evil to come .  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace ; they find rest as they lie in death "

Sleep well brother, it will be morning soon, and time to get up.                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

[joneseva67]

Fortunate for the believers of God, Ray and Bibletruths, "Ray will NEVER BE GONE" from this website, our hearts, our souls, nor our lives.

Ray has been the 'earthly father' I never had. He was and will forever be the inspiration I needed to become the person God intended me to be. Ray's words to my life has given me the strength to grow into the word of God and forget the things I was raised on as a child. By non-believers of Our Lord and Saviour because they are willing to live blind. So willing not to find nor believe that God is th's only way. 

Ray, whom we have all grown to know and love through his beliefs and knowledge of Christ the Saviour will be my inspiration for life.

To Ray and his beloved family "weeping may endure for a night,  but joy shall cometh in the morning".

Ray will live on through "his supporters,  staff and loved ones". Dennis please be strong because you have some very large shoes to fill and I am anxious to hear where God is leading us next.

I love my family and i need you all to keep me grounded because i am a wild one. God is in control.  Amen and God's continued blessings to this site.

Eva

[whyisthatso]

    Eva, if it be of any comfort to you, many of Gods prophets of old, including John the baptizer, whom Jesus said there was none greater born of woman, and even some of the deciples themselves ( "sons of thunder" ) were what we could term "wild ones" .

[Kat]

Hi Eva,

Welcome to the forum 

God is in control

This statement that you made is what we all have to hang on to. Ray finished all the work that God had for him to do, then He brought his spirit back to Himself to keep until the resurrection! We have an incredible amount of material on this site that we can peruse as we wish, praise God!

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Foxx]

hello Eva, welcome, we are so happy you have joined our family of friends here. We will all miss Ray so much. I will always remember that man's voice and no nonsense way of explaining things. He could explain things in a way that no one else I know could. God really blessed him with this ability to share the truths of God's word.

He also was so kind even to those who condemned him and he considered everyone here his family and friends. We are all joined together and are here to support and help each other out. So welcome.

[Gina]

Welcome back, Eva. 

I remember you from about a little over a year ago.

[Dennis Vogel]

From Manuela.


Dennis,

Please let everyone on the forum know how much I appreciate their prayers and support and I will answer the emails in time.

Thank you

[onelovedread]

Manuela,
I pray that you continue to experience God's comfort in your heart and mind. Please be assured of our loving support and our willingness to help in any way possible.
God's richest blessings to you and the family.

Dennis,
You have been such a faithful servant in keeping us all updated. We truly appreciate it and comfort you on the loss of your friend and brother. God's richest blessings to you and the family.

[darren]

Such a lost, a great teacher for Truth. My heart and prayers go out to Ray and his family especially for his wife whom i never met and only know through BT.

Darren

[Foxx]

Thank you again Dennis for conveying her messages to us! We all want to keep in touch with her. I miss Ray so much I can't imagine how hard it must be for her. She seems like a strong kind lady though.

[dogoftwohead]

God bless you Ray, and may you rest in peace. thank you for setting me on the road of bible truths, now I shall do my best to continue. you have helped lay the foundations of my faith. hopefully we shall meet in the first resurrection.

alan

[ez2u]

well I am sorry he has died  I will miss him  and  his love for the truth  so much that he would study for weeks and weeks seeking God for the truth  and then share it with those that would listen or not and argue with him.  God took him home and we were blessed with much more time than we were suppose to have had and he suffer so much to give us that time.  my heart has a hole in it right now from this lost  he has left a wonderful wife who was so good to him  she will need our help  love and support I am sure Ray would like that  peggy

[justdebby]

I came on here tonight and couldnt believe what i was reading, i been on the other main site every day all week but didnt really come to the forums much but i did come and read some of the comments n stuff but i missed the part that ray had died on may 24th wow I am so upset tonight over this, I really admired his work and his words of truth I was a non believer when i first came, i came here by going to ask jeeves typed in hell or something to that effect and it brought up bibe truths site and that was at least 8 years ago or longer not sure but been here since, Rays teachings were the only ones that made sense to me i went to church oof CHRIST for awhile but it just didnt seem right to me teachings and tithings ect so i  quit actually they dis fellow shipped me, i couldnt afford tithing i live on ssi and so i left it and im so glad i found this site it has taught me alot and im still learning i hope this site continues to be on here so more people can experience rays teaching to the true GOD true facts, again my heart and sympathy go out to Manuela. craig andd the ones who knew Ray and kat and well all of us on here may GOD help us all thru our loss of Ray....

[lderr]

My condolences to Manuela, and also to Ray's family, physical and spiritual.  The grief will pass, but let us remember and honor Ray's life and legacy.  

We all have been expecting this day.  We've had years to prepare.  Ray's race is done, Blessed be the name of the Lord.  

Ray has been an inspiration and a goad to study the scriptures: 
   to confirm what he said, because some things I needed to read myself
   to pursue subjects of my own interest that hadn't been covered 
   and just general study methods.  
Our studies must continue, more so now than ever.  

Of course bible-truths must continue!  We need each others' support.  But more than that, God hasn't closed the door yet.  There are many Called that are yet to discover this site.  I hope they come and learn as much as I have.  No.  I hope they learn more than I have!

Lewis

[Fester]

 
I have learned so much and I will miss him.

[dave]

I have learned so much and I will miss him.

I could not say it better.

[jingle52]

Hello Everyone,
It was with profound saddness that I read of Ray's death.
I want to add my belated but heartfelt and sincere condolences to Manuela and family. I am relieved (it may sound selfish) that God has ended Ray's suffering. Ray was a light to all of us and he shall be in our hearts and minds until the end... God the Father has blessed us by drawing us nearer to His Son, and blessed Ray with the insight and relentless faith that he had in teaching us the True Word of God. Yes, my fellow BTers, brothers and sisters who I admire and love from afar... we are all saddened by Ray's death but now he sleeps peacefully. I /we have all been touched and blessed by this faithful and called servant of our Lord. Amen
May God continue to bless us through Jesus our Saviour.
Thank you all for the deep, inspired and relevant verses you have all so wonderfully shared with us for our beloved Ray!