Seems like there are many excuses in this post about not sharing which I don't understand as it's a joy to share the truth and not the lies of Christendom.
Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Rom 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
Of course God has His roles for all of us but all of them don't excuse one for not sharing the good news and it is good news. The church teaches it's bad news yet still call it good news when it's not. Who cares if they get it or not as God said His word shall go forth and not return empty.
I feel sad for all Ray did when I hear such comments as he seemed a man that spoke up to what God was doing in him without the excuses.
Always speak His truth in love whenever you can
Eph 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Eph 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Eph 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Paul and the disciples went out there and spoke the word so why not us. Maybe because it's difficult and hard we don't but the persecution should be part of our lives
Mat 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat 5:15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
2Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
I'm not sure how you get persecuted from people who ask you about the hope you have, that's never happened to me. The times when I get persecuted are when I take a stand and say that's not right because this is what God's word says. Other than those times I don't experience persecution but maybe others get persecuted some other way......don't know. It seems that's what happened to the disciples.
2Ti 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
2Ti 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2Ti 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
2Ti 4:5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Does not seem to hard to understand. I wonder why we just don't do what the word says, that's what I admired about Ray as that is what he did so why not do the same. I think I know why in the next verses:
Mar 4:3 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
Mar 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Mar 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.
Mar 4:6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
Mar 4:8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
Mar 4:9 And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Mar 4:10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
Mar 4:11 And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
Mar 4:12 so that "they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven."
Mar 4:13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
Mar 4:14 The sower sows the word.
Mar 4:15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Mar 4:16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.
Mar 4:17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
Mar 4:18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,
Mar 4:19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Mar 4:20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
As Ray says from Winning souls for Jesus
http://bible-truths.com/souls.htmI'm asked why I teach the Truths of God if "All is of God," and God does all the choosing and drawing? Because that is HOW God operates. God uses the foolishness of preaching as one of His means by which He communicates with His Elect:
"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish [Gk: ‘stupid’] the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:20-21).
It is ALL OF GOD. It is not wrong to tell others of your knowledge of God and His Word. It is not, however, your responsibility to "get people saved." Only God can do that.
It is GOD who does the calling:
"For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen [Who? ‘GOD’] the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty…" (I Cor. 1:26-27).I feel that our life and our words should share the good news, live it and speak it. This email from Ray covers it for me
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,10897.msg94142.html#msg94142i've been reading your website for over a year now and i feel like a blind person who has recieved sight. so sorry to hear about your condition and you're in my prayers. i've heard i think it's B17 in apricot seeds (the nut part inside the seed) can actually heal cancerous cells. you can buy them by the bag-full in most asian markets, although i'm sure your kung-fu friend would have told you about them if there's any validity to this rumour.
i really want to thank you for the very extensive work you've put into your writing. the first time i opening up your website, i read for a few minutes and had to stop and pray right away because i was scared. i could tell there was something to this and i was scared it was satan who had planted the many questions in my head that lead me to your site, and scared that it was satan who led me to your site. but after reading with a critical eye for months, i finally allowed myself to relax and really absorb the truth. i want to shout from the rooftops about how very good the good news is, but something holds me back. in particular, i want to use my facebook status to tell people how amazing Gods love really is. this might sounds silly to you but of course God can use the silliness of facebook to teach us about himself too. i was just wondering if i SHOULD be shouting from the rooftops, or just being salt and light and letting the holy spirit do its work? i'm not bothered in the least if i don't hear from you. rest, pray and wait on the lord. (maybe that should be the advice to me?)
GOD BLESS YOU MR. SMITH!
-Vicki
Dear Vicki: There are numerous people who use a plethora of methods to introduce others to our Bible-Truths site. I don't discourage anyone from showing others the Truths of God by whatever method they feel comfortable in using. You might receive some persecution, but hey, that's one of the blessings that come along with defending and obeying our Lord. There is no better defense of the Gospel than one's own OBEDIENCE and KNOWLEDGE. Peter said we are to be ready always to have the proper answers and information regarding what we believe and why we believe it.
May God be with you always,
RayI know for me I need to get out of the church mindset that you must share or else but rather come from a place of joy and love that His truth has set you free in. That seems something you want to share and would love to do. God will do His will but what joy there is when He uses us to do it through so why not take the opportunities when they come. That is what I see in Ray.
Rhys