Ray Family Update from May 2015

Dear Praying Friends,

I am reminded of some lines from the song of Moses where he asked, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). I fear that modern Christianity, myself included, has lost much of the sense of who and what God is. As a whole, we know very little of His attributes; we hear very little preaching about His person; and we sing very little of His praise. Yet this has been the source of much of my meditation over the last few weeks. It has also noticeably been the focus of our song services. For this I am grateful! Thinking upon Him has affected my heart! Singing of Him has stirred my heart! Hearing of Him has melted my heart! I would to God that He would assist the thoughts of my heart in dwelling upon Him continually.

A Shift in Focus

The month of May always brings a shift in focus as we prepare for our annual King James Bible conference. Several of the men jokingly refer to our to do list as “BC 15” (before conference). They are already asking to receive the “BC 16” list. Truly I have been blessed to be surrounded by some fine men. Many of them laboured day and night to ensure that the conference was a success. Though we still have much to do on the building, we are grateful for all that God has allowed us to do to get it to where it is. I know many of the conference attendees were extremely grateful for the elevator that allowed easier access between the two levels of our facility.

As to the King James Conference, it was a tremendous blessing on many fronts: the fellowship, the preaching, the scripture reading, the SINGING, and obviously the eating. We rejoice that God allowed us to host the meeting one more time. Perhaps next year’s conference will be preceded by the Saviour’s return. Can you fathom the ongoing meeting we will have when we get there! I am especially awaiting the opportunity to sing the Lamb’s praises with all the other saints who have been redeemed by the blood.

One Thing at a Time

Now that the conference is past, I will return to my regular schedule of writing and preaching. If you know me at all, you know that I look forward to returning to my routine. I am truly a creature of habit, and I need the scheduling to push me to accomplish what God has so graciously given me the time to accomplish. Please pray for God’s grace in this area.

Last month I indicated a high level plan for future works. I realize God may very well have a plan different from my own. According to scripture, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD” (Psalm 37:23). As such, I want God to guide my steps. I want God to help me turn my attention to accomplishing one thing for His glory each day, each week, each month, and each year. If God’s plan strays from mine, I want to choose His. I know this may seem strange to some, but I struggle in this area. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt when I leave any work undone. It consumes me! I have to learn to trust the Lord with what I am able to accomplish each day and leave the rest in His hands.

Looking Ahead

Lord willing, I would like to make some additional headway this month on the songbook, the devotion book, and the dispensational book. I would also like to print the tract for bereaving mothers. On another front, it would be a blessing to see some more work done on LearntheBible.org. Likewise, I have a smaller work I desire to author but need some transcribing help in order to make this a reality. (If you would like to offer your services, please let me know.) Truthfully, none of this will happen without God’s help.