Thank you

[Craig]

Greetings Ray,

I just watched your recent YouTube bible study on "Do You Fear God?" I was able to watch all three videos on my smart phone. It was a pleasure to see you again. You look thinner but you look healthy.

I ask the Father to bless you and allow you to do what he called you to do--to teach the Word and help others learn Truth in Our Lord, Jesus. I pray for your wife and ask the Father to give her strength and comfort in your illness. I ask the Father to extend your days here on earth so you may continue to be a blessing to others who hunger for truth.

Your teachings on the video series gave me more insight to the Father. And I agree that we should have used a better name than God. The pagans worshiped Gods and how can we attribute the same word for our hevenly Father. But Jesus came to and told us He is the Father. The Father loved His Son, Jesus. Jesus loved the Father.

What I admire about you is when you teach you are not afraid to say you don't know all things in the Bible. You teach as one who is still learning and share what you believe and back it up with scripture and scripture and scripture. You even ask those in your bible study what they think? So much of what I've seen in Christiandom is like you just listen and let it be. I haven't seen many preachers ask what their congregation think on most topics.

I was moved to tears in the end of the 3rd video on what you said about being chosen out of the (many) called. I was searching the internet in 2001 for truth, the Good News, truth in salvation and came to Bibletruths.com. I became overjoyed reading your pages and believed. Several years afterwards I'm struggling with the notion that out of all these people before me and with me here today that I am chosen to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth. You said we should be the light of the world, but my life is so unstable I feel that to be not possible. You said we should love on another and be like Christ. I'm 52 years old and wonder what can the Father do with me to bring Him Glory? I recall having the joy of the Lord.

Are his chosen ones going to go through more trials, tribulation and persecution because they know the truth? And even if I know truth what good does it do me if when I try to share it most people don't believe in a Father who will save all humanity? What do I do with this truth as a chosen one? How can I bring Glory to the Lord?

May His grace be with you Ray. I love you,
Ruben

Dear Ruben:  And I love you too, Ruben, because even though we don't personally know each other, we are nonetheless, God's Kin,
which makes us brothers.  How can we not love our own brothers.  I have been working overtime on a paper for the past couple of
weeks which I will entitle: "Why Does God Love You?"  Look for it hopefully before Christmas.

Believe it or not, but even I share your frustration at times.  I ask myself what it is that I can do to bring God Glory?  For sure it is
frustrating to see our loved ones have little or no interest in the profound truths of God which mean so much to us.  A good friend of
mine who graduated with me from Ambassador College introduced a mutual classmate to my bible-truths.com site.  He relayed to
my friend that he read a few pages and just lost interest.  There was nothing there that he felt was of any value to him.  It brings home
Jesus' statement that no prophet has honor in his own country.  Not that I am a prophet, but the principle certainly applies.

I was encouraged by a statement I heard many years ago by a Bible teacher who said that we are not only going to be rewarded for
the things that we have actually accomplished in this life, but also for the things that we DESIRED to accomplish, but because of
circumstances just weren't able to contribute.  I know that there are people who desire to contribute to our ministry, but don't have
the means.  Are we to believe that their "desire" to contribute is not taken into account by God?  I think so.  God looks upon the
heart, so keep a clean heart, and you will be rewarded.
God be with you,
Ray