Ray Family Update from January 2020

My heart has truly been stirred regarding Antioch’s place in God’s work. He has given us a great congregation of people who love Him and help and support me in accomplishing His choice work for our assembly; and each week, we are reminded that we are making a difference in the lives of individuals all over the world. The restructuring of ministries and goals, both near and far, and the ideas for how to reconstruct our auditorium to meet our foreseeable needs added to the excitement.

God, knowing my heart, knows all of the above is a recipe for trouble in the flesh for me. My tendency is to see God’s hand and His plan, roll up my sleeves, and attempt to conquer the world in my own strength. So the Lord concluded my month with a harsh reminder of my inabilities apart from His direction, help, and preservation. That reminder came in the form of pinkeye in both eyes and something akin to the flu or an upper respiratory infection just to be sure I got the message. The eye doctor walked in and started to say, “What can I do for you today?”; but before he could finish his spiel, he looked up and said, “That is the worst case of pinkeye I have ever seen!” I assured him that I try to never do anything halfway.

While the Lord’s reminder does not change anything that I stated above, it does remind me that God’s work here will not be accomplished as a result of my efforts. Furthermore, I have to learn to rest in His timing and His provision. Maybe you have that perfected, but I struggle to find the balance of labouring and yet knowing and trusting the results and timing to be in God’s hand. In my twisted sense of humor, I could see God killing me the moment I get all that figured out. Regardless, I am excited at what God is doing in and through the people of our church.

Before closing, it would do us well to consider some other newsworthy information. We had another successful opening night of Bible Institute with good enrollment and attendance. Included in this number were a few new enrollees which is always a blessing. If the number of in-house students maintains or grows, we will definitely need to figure out a better seating and note taking solution for our students. Also, we are excited to announce that we are hosting a Goodly Heritage Meeting with Brother Jeff Faggart covering the King James Bible, Baptist history, and hymn history and principles on March 29 through April 3. Please feel free to write if you would like more information about this meeting. Regardless of whether you can attend the meeting with us or not, please make it a matter of prayer.