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“Ray stated that if we cannot personal
recognize and identify with all the accounts of the Old Testament then we haven’t begun to overcome our carnality”..
Hi Wendy. In the Lake of Fire article Ray mentions GOD pulls us out of the very ‘church system’ (Babylon) he brought us into. To me, and to all of us, that is one giant step for mankind. It’s like when GOD told Abraham ‘go to a land I will show you’. He had no idea but, in faith, made his walk without knowing the end destination. The Israelites were grumblers. For 400 years in Egypt (Babylon) they harvested a mindset, and heart attitude in a land full of false Gods. On the 40 years journey they complained endlessly. They wanted to ‘turn back’ (leave their first love) (except at the time did not recognize their ‘first love’) and return to live in complacency of what they had become accustomed. Then they didn’t want Moses. Then they wanted the food of Egypt. Then they needed judges. Then they needed kings. Then they needed altars to ‘other gods’. Then they needed a golden calf. And they got it, so much so that they drank it. Not unlike today when GOD crushes our idols to powder. And all the while, they, still complaining and not trusting in GOD.
The scripture speaks heavily on judgment, as does Ray in his teachings (see lake of fire, parts 3, 6 and 12).
I left my first love in my early years, navigated life haphazardly in ‘the world’. Became expertly accustomed to it. Later through a series of weird and strangling life turns found myself staring at a computer screen and L Ray Smith cautioning the dividends of leaving your first love. It’s my opinion, and somewhat heavy experience that we (all of us) once the tug of heart is made, will grumble. We will not trust. We will want to ‘turn back’. The spiritual struggle is too difficult and the habits of the old life is just too comfy. We KNOW where we’re going ‘in that life’, so we assume. When GOD pulls us, we must “walk by faith, not by sight”. Abraham, by faith, left his comfort zone. Moses didn’t want to lead. GOD had another idea. Miriam and Aaron questioned Moses and his leadership, which was an affront to GOD. But the Israelites, in spite of Egyptian hardship, were comfortable with ‘the old way’. And, in spite of our doubt he will, by and through mercy and grace, will continue to provide to meet our needs (manna, water, quail, pillar of cloud) even though we may not immediately recognize it as we continue to ‘look back’. And he/she ‘looking back’ is not worthy of the kingdom.
We ‘identify’ with the accounts of the Old Testament in these ways. They were no different than we, we are no different than them. We grumble, we hesitate, we lose sight. We lack faith. We’re most assuredly as human as they.
But…..we maintain:‘onward and upward’.
My short sided view. Hope it helps.
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