> General Discussions

New Message from Ray

(1/4) > >>

Craig:
This is strange, I was cleaning up my emails and scanned through my spam account (Normally I just delete them) but on scanning it I found an email to the forum from Ray.  He sent this on April 19th 2012, I'm sorry to you all and Ray that I did not find it and post it before now (Ray's emails had never went to my spam account in the past.)  I searched through the forum and I could not find where it was posted previously by myself or Dennis.  If someone finds where it was posted previously please let me know right away so I can remove this.

All is of God and this message may touch someone, so here goes.
Craig


Dear Forum and Readers:

I don't have anything particular on my mind to share with you today, but I just felt
like communicating as I haven't written to you very often since my last bout with
my body parts.  I'm feeling pretty well right now, although I hesitate to say that
too loudly, as it sometimes takes a turn within a few days of my statement--and
I'm not superstitious either.

I thought I had finished my paper entitled:  "Was it Better for Judas had he Not
Been Born?" but I then decided to expand my discussion on Judas' repentance.
I think it makes it a better paper, and it should be ready to post on our site in a
few days.  I'm about twenty pages along with what will probably be the first
Installment of my paper:  "Solving the Enigma of God."  It's titled: "What is the
Name of the Father and His Son?"  I hope you find it interesting and helpful.
I am also about 33 pages along with Installment Two of this series which I
entitled:  "Jesus Before Mary."

I also have about a hundred pages of additional notes, which I probably won't
use all of.  It is the last Installment that will be the most difficult. Both the concept
and the explanation are a handful for most people to wrap their minds around,
so as with all of my papers, I will strive to made it as simple, logical, and
Scriptural as I am able.  The few papers that I have read on this subject by
scholars who have a relatively good understanding of this Enigma of God,
are so erudite that I doubt many could follow or discern their teaching. That
is decidedly not how I write.

I remember one particular criticism I received years ago where in a reader
took me to task for my unlearned, unsophisticated, poor grammar, writing.
I thanked him for his critique and then asked:  "But did you UNDERSTAND
what I was saying?"  I never heard back. I am reminded of what the Jews
spoke concerning Jesus:  "And the Jews marveled, saying How knows this
Man letters, having never learned?"  And so I am asked where I learned
things not knowing either Hebrew or Greek, and having never attended a
seminary.  Tis true, all of it, but what I can do is read what those who have
attended seminary, and many are not qualified to teach the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.

Don't get me wrong, however.  Sometimes we can get a little too smug
thinking since we know a few truths of God not generally taught or accepted
in Christendom, that we are somehow spiritually superior to those who do
not understand many of these truths.  How thankful we should be, however,
that many have dedicated their lives to the study of manuscripts, archaeology,
history, languages, etc.  We wouldn't even have an English translations of
the Scriptures if it were not for such dedicated Christians (and some non-
Christians).  Not all translators are Christians. In some ways, that is an
advantage, but in other ways it can be a serious handicap.

Another tremendous help that cannot be overemphasized is the marginal
and center references found in all better Bibles.  Those marginal notes
referring one to similar passages dealing with the same subject.  Wow,
what a tremendous help they are.  And I do believe we can thank God
and Rick Meyers for the invention of e-Sword.  That one device can save
literally hundreds of man-hours when writing a lengthy paper. I you were
studying Revelation, and wanted to know if "I am the first and the last" is
found anywhere else in the Bible, how long do you suppose it would take
to find this phrase three times in Isaiah without a marginal reference or
e-Sword?  It could days.

I believe God was inspiring the accumulation of all these Scriptural
helps down through the centuries so as to be especially helpful in the
last generations of man's rule. This too has got to be part of Daniel's
prophecy that "knowledge shall be increased."
 
I'll close for now and wish you all a healthy and happy day.

God be with you all,

Ray

Gina:
Thanks, Craig!!  No worries!!  That one never made its way to the forum.  What a welcome surprise. 

I especially like this part:


--- Quote ---Don't get me wrong, however.  Sometimes we can get a little too smug
thinking since we know a few truths of God not generally taught or accepted
in Christendom, that we are somehow spiritually superior to those who do
not understand many of these truths.  How thankful we should be, however,
that many have dedicated their lives to the study of manuscripts, archaeology,
history, languages, etc.  We wouldn't even have an English translations of
the Scriptures if it were not for such dedicated Christians (and some non-
Christians).  Not all translators are Christians. In some ways, that is an
advantage, but in other ways it can be a serious handicap.
--- End quote ---

Foxx:
It is wonderful to hear another message from our friend. Makes me happy and a little sad to read it.  I too hope that his last works will be published on the site. Perhaps Craig and Dennis could collaborate with whatever other notes he has written to perhaps finish what he started. I know both of them are quite knowledgeable like Ray, so maybe they would be qualified enough to finish those last couple of things he had been working on. I'm sure Manuela would be more than happy to forward it to you guys.  Just a thought, it would be a blessing to read those final pieces.

Anyway, thank you Craig!

chav:
Thanks Craig
I really enjoyed that
Dave

Cypress:
Thank you for this. I haven't wanted to ask so soon since his passing, but Ray mentions those papers he was working on...and I was so looking forward to reading them...do we know if any of that material will be shared with the forum?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page