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Author Topic: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?  (Read 7906 times)

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loretta

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Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« on: June 29, 2013, 10:54:09 AM »

Seems like we're being labelled as followers of L.Ray Smith.  I came across one internet discussion group where a lady put up a spirited defence of the truth and she was called such. 

Is it ok to be called followers of Ray, because we're not.  We are followers of Christ.  With all due respect to Ray, and God knows how much we all love Ray, we ought not to give the impression that we a cult like the JW. (Joseph Smith)

I have a few Christian friends on my mailing list and since coming to BT, I've been forwarding excerpts from Ray's teachings with links to the site.  Ofcourse, no one has responded!  But now I am loathe to send out further links for fear of being labelled a follower, and a deceived one!

What can we do?  What should we do?
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indianabob

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2013, 12:02:23 PM »

Dear friend Loretta,

It is very tempting to try to inform your dear friends in order to help them to see what only God can show them.
I have had the same habit in my communication to friends and found it mostly counter productive.

One alternative is to study Ray's writings carefully until you can rehearse them in your own mind and then write your true feelings in your own words with Bible references that may appeal to your friends.

This would be an exercise of benefit to yourself as it will train you to answer for the faith that you hold.
I also read other forums and write responses to their questions and then email them to myself privately so that I have a record of my own thoughts over time. It is quite interesting to reread what I thought last year and the year before. Then I edit my own words for clarity and brevity.

It is usually best to share our new understanding ONLY when asked and then briefly so as to allow God's spirit to do the work when God is ready. If God is working with the individual it will become obvious.

Try it, you may like it.
Regards, Indiana Bob
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Extol

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2013, 01:01:12 PM »

It doesn't matter what they call you. What matters is what God is doing in your life.  ;)

Joseph Smith was Latter-Day Saint (Mormon), not JW.  8)
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Kat

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2013, 02:30:32 PM »

One alternative is to study Ray's writings carefully until you can rehearse them in your own mind and then write your true feelings in your own words with Bible references that may appeal to your friends.

This would be an exercise of benefit to yourself as it will train you to answer for the faith that you hold.

This is what I do as well Bob. When I have learned a truth verified it in Scripture (from Ray or anywhere for that matter) and come to understand it, then I express it in my own words, when speaking to someone.

I think that we may be considered/called "followers of Ray" if we always refer to him in our conversation about what we have learned. Ray was a great teacher for us and I gained a great deal while I studied his work. But what I learned was not his/Ray's truth, it was from God. Now I can stand on my own, and I believe we eventually have to. Nobody will get into the kingdom riding on Ray's coat tail...

Heb 5:12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

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cheekie3

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2013, 04:45:44 PM »

Loretta -

If it is Truth that we have learnt - we would have drunk and eaten of Christ - and as such it becomes a part of us - and when it is part of us, it is us - and we will express it in our own personal way - as it will be drawn from our embedded spiritual characteristics that the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father Jesus have imparted in us.

George.
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Dennis Vogel

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2013, 09:22:25 PM »

Once, maybe twice but after that:

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
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Rene

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2013, 10:49:50 PM »


Is it ok to be called followers of Ray, because we're not.  We are followers of Christ.  With all due respect to Ray, and God knows how much we all love Ray, we ought not to give the impression that we a cult like the JW. (Joseph Smith)


Hi Loretta,

Not one spiritual truth I have come to believe originated from Ray Smith, therefore, I do not and will not ever call myself a follower of Ray Smith.  Ray was a "tool" used by our Creator to teach "babes" in Christ and I am grateful I have been blessed to partake of this spiritual gift. :)

René
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G. Driggs

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2013, 11:36:46 PM »

I really don't care what people call me when I quote Ray or point people to Rays articles. When expressing what I believe I know it is not me whether or not I quote Ray or Scriptures. Seriously what do I have that I didn't not receive?

When ever the truth is being told Satan is there and will do anything he can to prevent someone from knowing the truth. Including telling someone Ray is a cult. And yes I learned that from Ray too, relatively speaking.  ;D

http://www.bible-truths.com/lake9.html

Jesus tells us in a parable that wherever His Word is heard, Satan is there to do his dirty work:

"And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, but when they have heard, SATAN comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in the hearts" (Mark 4:15).

I have no doubt but that this is happening right now to some who are reading this Series on the Lake of Fire. Some will see in their heart that these things I am teaching from the Scriptures must be true, but quickly Satan plants doubts and visions of persecution in their minds, and so some will immediately reject these grand truths because of Satan’s influence over their carnal minds. Satan is a very powerful spirit being.
--------------------

Remember, "many are called, few are chosen" in this age.
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hummer

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2013, 01:25:29 AM »

1Co 11:1 Become imitators of me, according as I also am of Christ."
 Ray followed Christ... We at least attempt to do the same daily

2Th 3:9 Not that we have not the right, but that we may be giving you ourselves as a model for you to be imitating us."
Paul said this and Ray quoted also.

Heb 6:12 that you may not be becoming dull. Now be imitators of those who through faith and patience are enjoying the allotment of the promises.
Ray followed Christ with Christ's Faith and Patience

Eph 5:1 Become, then, imitators of God, as beloved children,
Eph 5:2 and be walking in love, according as Christ also loves you, and gives Himself up for us, an approach present and a sacrifice to God, for a fragrant odor."

Ray taught us by the "Word" (Scriptures) and example. The sacrifices Ray made for us out of love, devoting his life to study providing for us the knowledge on how to dig for the TRUE TREASURES as well as having love for our enemies.

Tit 1:9 upholding the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able to entreat with sound teaching as well as to expose those who contradict."
Many in christiandom wished Ray Hell because he proved against tithing, hell, the trinity and on and on an on. Wow! Christ work is not in vain, Paul's work was in vain, Ray's work was not in vain, Ray's papers are still changing lives, why because he followed Christ's example.

Love,
Hummer





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loretta

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2013, 09:08:31 AM »

Tks again, ALL for so much wisdom.  Most of us will concede that the truth of God’s word was already dawning on us before we came by BT.  What Ray did for us was to show us scripturally that our knowledge was not unfounded.  However, we must imbibe the truth as revealed to Ray/us, so that it becomes a part of our very nature and the very fragrance we exude 2 Cor 2:15.  Much of Christendom remains gullible in part because we continue as babes, not desirous of doing the hard work of eating meat.  Ofcourse there will always be a place to reference Ray’s work, being guided by the Holy Spirit of God and giving heed to the admonition not to throw pearls before swine.  Then it will matter little what they call us, knowing that like Ray and Paul before him, we have strived to be imitators of Christ.  It will matter not when they know we are Christians by our love.

God bless us all.

loretta
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Pierdut

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2013, 10:44:50 PM »

I am definitely not a follower of Ray because I disagree with him on a lot of things, but I wont get into that on here because I don't want to open up that can of worms. These are mostly non-scriptural things.

Anyway,  to be a 'follower' of someone you have to agree with them on everything. I do not. But I do believe he had great understanding when it came to Bible matters, and I learned a lot from him. Or rather,  God used Ray's foolishness of preaching to teach me some things.


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Pierdut

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2013, 10:57:13 PM »

I did not mean to imply that any of ye are 'followers of Ray,' and I meant to include that in my previous post, but forgot.

I liked Ray's sense of humor; he was entertaining and not boring to listen to, or read. And within that, there were also a lot of profound things which once heard or read made me view the Bible in a whole new light. I would then try to tell others (Christians)  some of these things that God opened up my understanding to but they were unable to see them, and even said that it is 'from the devil.' But I can clearly see that it is true and is in harmony with the rest of God's Word. The Bible does not contradict,  but Christian theology is full of contradictions, and therefore wrong (to put it mildly).
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Dave in Tenn

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2013, 12:09:08 AM »

Oddly, I didn't 'like' Ray when I first started reading.  Still oddly, it was for some of the same reasons some didn't 'like' Paul.

I can identify with what Loretta said...that it was scriptural confirmation of some things I had already come to at least question and begin to see.  But mostly since then, it's been in seeing that the 'truth' is so much better than anything else I ever believed.

I don't know if 'follower' is the right word, but I'd like to be more like Ray.  But I gotta be me, what else can I be but what I am?   ;) 
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Heb 10:32  But you must continue to remember those earlier days, how after you were enlightened you endured a hard and painful struggle.

dave

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2013, 11:56:50 AM »

I miss Ray, appreciate the forum and at times still do, I was a follower of Jesus Christ and the Bible long before I was led to BT. What I learned from Ray does not make me a follower Ray. Besides the 12 Truths, the most important word I received from Ray and should have known it, but I didn't but now I do......
READ ALL THE WORDS. That may make me a follower of Ray and if so, I thank the Lord for that word. :)
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zander

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2013, 09:19:38 PM »

You are probably not going to gain an awful lot by emailing your christian friends links to this site.  As people have said, tell them only if they ask.  It's  bit like when Christian's preach to you in the street.  It's annoying and forceful.  You have your truth, share it only If asked.
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se7en

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2013, 01:03:51 PM »

Zander hit the nail on the head.

I've tried that, been there done that... and learned my lesson. Two of my pastors from the church I attended before I came out, read some links from BT. The doctrine of the trinity was a big thing to them.

It takes the Father through the Son to drag us to himself. God knows exactly who he needs to send our way, at the right time. :)
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~Se7en

Dennis Vogel

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Re: Followers of L.Ray Smith ?
« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2013, 01:26:40 PM »


Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, ...
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