By Ricardo Butler
On May 23rd, 2012 I got a Youtube Video in my gmail box, because I was subscribed to this particular Youtube channel that said that Bible Teacher L. Ray Smith had passed away due to bone and prostate cancer. It was a short video with and picture of him and several messages appearing on the video. It was about 32 seconds long.
Uploaded by NoHellForeverandever
on Feb 6, 2011
Official Video and Audio for - https://www.youtube.com/@bible-truths
I was immediately crushed! I felt like my chest has collapsed because of the pain I had in my heart. I cried pretty much most of the day at work. The funny thing about it was that I was surprised that I even felt this way about him. I’ve never met him before and I think I have actually talked to the man through email twice. I asked him some questions on a certain teaching I was struggling to understand and he actually replied back!
I forget how I stumbled upon his website, which is called “Exposing Those Who Contradict” found at http://bible-truths.com, but I knew that it was by divine appointment. I’m not going to get into the stuff that he teaches in detail, but let me say this: Everything I thought I knew about God, Jesus Christ, Satan, the Church, the Kingdom of God and the Word of God as taught by the church was FAR from the truth of what the God’s Word actually teaches!
After reading through his websites teachings day and night like a beast eating bigger animals then it self, I was going through the hundreds and thousands of his teachings. I would stop, meditate, cry about it, get sad, get mad, and go read some more. I printed out almost all of his main teachings just to take with me and read. I went through so much copy paper and ink that trees probably were scared of me!
I came across his site back in 2007 and it changed my life. I felt so betrayed by the church (when in reality it was Satan through the church)! Every pastor or teacher I ever listened to I now viewed like a child who views a parent that has sexually abused them. That’s how I felt! I was deeply hurt! Because everything that I feared about the church from a child was now true! Let me back up a bit and share what I believed about the church as a child.
The Call to Church
I seemed to have had a good understanding for some reason of many of the End Times stuff I read in the Bible. I saw things that most didn’t see. Truths about the antichrist, great tribulation, Armageddon, the new or one world order, the mark of the best, the rapture, blah, blah, blah!
I got all the dirty secrets of the Catholic Church’s history and all the other major denominations. But what I could not figure is this:
“If all these churches believe in the same thing or at least the same Jesus, why are they divided?”
You know I didn’t find the answer to that question until 2007, when I read Ray’s site! That was like almost a thirteen-year period.
I didn’t want anything to do with the division of the church. I learned quickly when I was involved in gangs the dangers of division between the same gangs. And here in Orlando we had at that time: Gangsta Disciples, Maniac Latin Disciples, Latin Eagles, International Posse, Taking Kings Out, Netas, Black Gangsta Disciples, and a hand full of Crips in our neighborhood. Netas were not under our flag, but were in the middle of our neighborhood. We had a peace in place with them though.
We were a whole bunch of gangs under the same color flag: blue. I was a GD (Gangsta Disciple). War broke out with the Gangsta Disciple and with everyone else and the Netas got caught up in the mix. Except for my boy and I who is now my Christian buddy today (and best man at my wedding), Joel Gonzalez. We were not caught in the middle of that war, because we were considered two of the realist GD’s from our gang. The other gangs somehow set us aside from our own gang and made peace with us. Probably because when these other gangs had problems and beefs going on we were always there to help.
Listen; there was also the damage of the gang’s reputation in the eyes of the opposing gangs (Bloods, Latin Kings, Netas, and a few others) whom we were actually supposed to be warring against. All the other opposing gangs, especially in the city of Chicago, they were saying, “Why Kill Folks when Folks kill each other?”
Body of Christ–Church of God, this is what is going on in the church worldwide! This is what is going on with all the denominations and divided churches! It has been going on for 2,000 plus years!
This is why I (and probably many) personally decided not to go to church as a youth and during my early adult years.
As I got older, throughout my wild years, and throughout my prison time by God’s will, it was now time to eventually get into the church (or Mystery Babylon–what I thought was the true church).
Even in Jail and prison I fellowshipped with Christians, but never joined them when they set up real time church services on the indoor basketball court. With stacked up plastic chairs they made a pulpit or podium or whatever you want to call it. It was the system–Mystery Babylon, even in Jail. But for some strange reason I heard the Spirit of God call me into this when I was locked up at Jefferson Correctional Institution in 2004.
A guy named Michael Guidas tapped me on my upper bunk and invited me to church. I seriously fought the Spirit on this one. But I kept hearing the Spirit say, “Go with him.” So I started going to church in the prison and it continued for a while until I was released from prison.
From the Bus Stop to the Altar
Let me tell you how Reneta and I met. Coming out of prison I moved
back in with my parents to stay away from the rough neighborhood I used
to stay in. I was in Christ now, so I didn’t want to associate with the
people, places, or things I used to be involved with over there.I used to still hang out with a family friend named Reggie at the time, because I had no other Christian friends yet. I hadn’t found a church yet to my liking since coming out of prison.
I remember when I started catching the bus to work after I got my old job back at Boston Market. I used to see this lady at the bus stop with her little girl. I thought she was Jamaican because of the dreads (she calls them “locks”) in her head. At the time I was still smoking Black ‘N’ Mild cigars, so I kept my distance from those at my stop. I didn’t want to bother any with the smoke.
I used to get on the bus and just read my Bible in front of everyone. When I first started to do it I was so uncomfortable. But I was consumed by the Word of God and couldn’t help it.
As I read my Bible, I’d see the lady and her child relating real well together. I’d say to myself, “She is a really good mother! I’d like a mother like that for my daughter, too. Plus she’s cute!”
Anyway, one day while we were on the bus she was reading a book. So I was like, “Cool she reads, too!” She read this book like everyday. Until one day when the bus got so full, we ended up having to sit next to each other. And I turned over to see what she was reading and it was the Word of God! I fell in love with this lady instantly!
Over the next few days, I would tell Reggie about this lady and talk about another girl I was involved with at the time named Melody and compared them. Believe me, Reggie was not an active believer though he grew up in Church with his mom, sister Jackie and my grandmother, sister Irene Price with my dad, uncles, and aunts. But he said something so profound and powerful that I knew at the time God was speaking through him. He said,
“Leave Melody alone dog. Look at the mess she gets into though she says she’s a Christian? You don’t need that in your life right now. Go a head and talk to this new lady. She seems like the real deal!”
That same night I decided to throw away my pornography collection, the Spirit spoke to her. God asked my (future) wife to invite me to her church. She didn’t know why. She’d done it plenty of times but for some reason she was nervous about this ask. Plus she could not get over the fact that I smoked.
The next morning on the bus, going to work, my wife said that she did not want to ask me what the Spirit gave her the night before. She seemed to keep reading the same passage over and over in her Bible. And as we got downtown to the bus station she just did it. She tapped me on the shoulder and the rest is history.
Online Mentor
Though I never thought of it, Ray was basically a mentor to me. Though we really never met before, just listening to his audio messages and reading his teachings I started noticing that I was picking up his habits and ways.I would talk like him, write like him, teach like him, and view things the way he did. It was a spiritual impartation without literally knowing him up close.
I think I told my wife the day that I heard about his death was, “Ray probably has had more influence on me than you or anyone else on the planet (of course after Jesus).”
I have other powerful mentors that I follow out there like Apostle Les D Crause, John C. Maxwell, Rick Warren (not as much as I used to for Rick), Dave Ramsey, Apostle Dr. Tim Early; just to name a few. But I measured or shall I say sifted through all things and all messages through what the Spirit taught me through L. Ray Smith. I guess you can say my spiritual discernment was heightened after the impartation of Ray’s framework of his understanding of the Word of God.
There is so much more that I can say about Ray, but I’m going to end with one of his greatest lessons from his website, which is again, http://bible-truths.com.
Twelve Truths to Understanding His Word
This was put together by L. Ray Smith off his ministry website called “Exposing Those Who Contradict” (http://bible-truths.com/). These twelve principles in God’s Word are the twelve principles that I always use when putting together a message or sermon, or sometimes even a blog. Here they are:
Truth Number 1 The Natural First Then the Spiritual (John 3:12; Heb. 10:1; 1 Cor. 15:44-46; Phil. 3:21; Heb. 8:4-5; Col. 2:16-17): The sequence of God’s plan of salvation for mankind is most important—First is the physical and then comes the spiritual.
Truth Number 2 Jesus Spoke in Parables ONLY (Matt. 13:34-35; Mark 4:2, 12-13, 34; Psalms 78:1-2; John 10:6): Jesus taught in parables only, and no one understood His parables, hence Jesus taught in a way that He knew no one would understand His message. Just understand, that Jesus’ entire ministry was preached in such a way that no one would understand Him, except to those very few to whom it was later (much later—see Truth Number 3) given to understand.
Truth Number 3 Understanding God’s Words are for Those who come AFTER Christ’s life, death and Resurrection, not before (1 Cor. 2:14; John 12:16; John 2:22; John 14:29-30; Matt. 13:13; Matt. 16:11; Luke 9:45; Rom. 8:7; John 16:4): The Scriptures tell us that the Kingdom of the Heavens is like a treasure hid in a field. This parable tells us that the spiritual treasures of God’s Word must be sought after with great diligence. People don’t leave treasures lying around in open fields for all to take at their leisure. And remember it is God Who has hidden these spiritual treasures. The Church does not believe that these treasures are hidden at all. That is why they are deceived by their unscriptural belief that the Bible is to be taken “literally,” and that everything is only understood in “context, context, context.” They refuse to believe that Jesus spoke in parables to hide the meaning of His teachings. Stay with it. Don’t give up, thinking that this is too complicated. Read it over and over and over again, and it will begin to show crystal clear.
Truth Number 4 Jesus Prefigures ALL and Fulfilled ALL (Luke 24:27; Luke 16:31; 2 Cor. 3:14-16; Matt. 5:17; Mark 14:49; John 19:28; Matt. 25:40b & 45b; Rom. 6:4 & Gal. 2:20; John 15:20 & 1 John 4:17; Matt. 10:24-25; John 21:25): Contained in these few Scriptures is the reason why the Church has not a clue as to what the plan and purpose of God is, or how the Scriptures are applied to the working out of that purpose. How did Jesus “fulfill” the Scriptures? By fulfilling the 44 Scriptures listed in the back of Strong’s Concordance concerning the coming Messiah? Forty-four Scriptures only? Those 44 Scriptures are truly, not even the tip of the iceberg. What Christ did could not be put into books—the whole [kosmos] could not contain it. Jesus did not fulfill the sacrificed sin offering only. Jesus was not merely one offering, but the many offerings, burnt offerings, the meat offering, the peace offerings, the trespass offering, and the sin offering. Jesus also prefigured the priest doing the offering, the meaning of each offering, the compartments and furniture of the tabernacle, the bread, the candles, the curtain, the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle itself, Jesus was Adam. Jesus was also Joseph, Moses, Joshua, King David, Solomon (We are going to talk A LOT about these FIVE characters in the next section), and the whole nation of Israel—Jesus prefigures all and FULFILLED ALL. No one could comprehend every verse in the Old Testament Scriptures that represented Jesus, but they could learn the PRINCIPLE by which Jesus fulfilled all the law and all the prophets. And that is how the apostles and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had their understanding of the Scriptures opened in just a very short time. When the Scriptures speak of Israel they speak of Jesus, and when they speak of Jesus they speak of us, for “…as Jesus is, so are we in the world” (1st John 4:17).
Truth Number 5 The Word of God Pertains to a HIGHER SPIRITUAL Meaning than the Physical Examples (John 6:63; 1 Cor. 2:4, 13; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; Rom. 8:16; 1 John 5:6; John 7:39; 1 Cor. 12:8-10; Acts 1:1-3; 2 Sam. 23:2): Everything from Genesis to Revelation pertains to a higher SPIRITUAL meaning than the physical examples, parables, metaphors, allegories, stories and symbols in which they are written. “Let us make man in Our Image” (Gen. 1:26) are words of SPIRIT: “…Surely I come quickly…” (Rev. 22:20) are words of SPIRIT. The day that we fail to believe Jesus when He tells us that His words “are SPIRIT,” is the day that we will fail to understand anything spiritual. The words of Jesus are not to be taken literally, physically, materially, carnally. All of Jesus’ teachings are SPIRITUAL. I will keep this section short, as this principle overlaps with all of the rest of the principles.
Truth Number 6 We are to Have at Least a Second Witness to Establish a Scriptural Truth or Doctrine (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Rev. 11:3; Isaiah 34:16; Matt. 13:52; Gen. 41:32; Eccl. 4:9-12; John 5:31-32, 36-37; John 8:16-18; Matt. 11:2; Luke 7:19; Matt. 21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; Mark 14:13; John 1:35-37; Acts 9:38; Acts 10:7-8; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28; 2 Peter 3:1-2; Ezek. 21:14): This particular law of Scripture is constantly violated. We are to have at least a second witness to establish a Scriptural truth or doctrine. Unfortunately, the Church does not follow this truth of God in establishing doctrine. Truth be known, orthodoxy has not even one witness to support any of their doctrines!Jesus tells us in parable of two great witnesses. What “new and old” treasures do “scribes” preserve for us regarding the “kingdom of heaven?” Why the NEW Covenant Scriptures and the OLD Covenant Scriptures, of course. And both the Old (Deut. 17:6 & 19:15), and the New (2nd Corinthians 13:1 & Matt. 18:16) command that we must have two witnesses to establish every Word of God.
Truth Number 7 There is a Spiritual SCRIPTURAL Match for every symbol in the Word of God (1 Cor. 2:13; Acts 15:15; Isa. 28:13; Acts 17:11; John 17:18; John 15:20; 1 John 4:5-6; Acts 3:18, 20-21, & 24; John 13:20): The purpose for comparing spiritual with spiritual is to find a spiritual match. There is a spiritual match for every symbol in the book of Revelation. This is a powerful truth that will open the whole Bible to us. Question: As the world of Christendom predominantly believes that the Bible is to be taken literally, how pray tell is it even within the realm of possibility for them to compare ANYTHING “spiritual with spiritual” from the Scriptures?
Truth Number 8 Now All These Things Happened unto them for Examples: and they are Written for OUR [God's Church's] Admonition (1 Cor. 10:6, 11; Rom. 15:4; 1 Pet. 1:12-13; Heb. 11:13-14, 16, & 39-40; Psalm 102:18; Matt 11:11–MSG; Gal. 4:21-31): It is essential that we study the Old Testament Scriptures, for they are often the only key to the New Testament Scriptures. Paul used the Hebrew Scriptures to teach the foolish Galatians the New Covenant promises. The Truth of God, “thou shall sureLY die,” and the lie of the Devil, “you shall NOT surely die,” is for “our admonition.” The story of Cain and Able is for “our admonition.” The story of the flood is for “our admonition.” The story of Babel is for “our admonition.” The promises to Abraham and the meaning of faith are for “our admonition.” The entire story in every single detail of Joseph and his brothers is for “our admonition.” Do you wear your “coat of many colors,” or do you hide it in the closet? You say: “What coat of many colors?” Forget it—ask your pastor why he has never taught you how to wear your coat of many colors?
Truth Number 9 No Scripture Standing Alone is the Interpretation of itself (2 Pet. 1:20; Prov. 1:6; Dan. 2:26 & 45; 5:16; Jud. 7:15; 1 Cor. 13:9-10; 1 Cor. 14:26-33): So here is what God is teaching us. No prophetic statement (Revelation is prophecy—See Rev. 22:18, “…the words of the prophecy of this scroll”) has within its OWN statement the explanation and fulfillment of that statement. Therefore it is wrong and unscriptural to insist that the very verse that contains the prophecy (such as “the lake of fire. This is the second death”) has within itself the interpretation of itself. Why is no Scripture its OWN interpretation, we might ask? To protect the integrity of the Scriptures, for one thing. ALL twelve of these spiritual principles are to be used together in explaining the Scriptures. If every Scripture or even any Scripture can be its “own interpretation,” then we wouldn’t need the other eleven principles. How can a Scripture be its own interpretation when we are told to “compare or MATCH spiritual with spiritual?” One standing alone cannot at the same time be a match to something else. Why then the need for “TWO witnesses” if each Scripture fully interprets itself? No, everyone one of the principles that we are presenting is of paramount importance. That’s what God has now taught us in 2 Pet. 1:20! Therefore, we must go elsewhere to find the correct interpretation. But how do we do that without making blunders and mistakes? Jesus Christ is the “wave sheaf” and the “first fruit,” but the saints and patriarchs of old were not “first fruits” at all. Jesus, not they, was the “FIRST of the first fruits” (1 Cor. 15:20 & 23), and WE, not they, are also “first fruits” (James 1:18 & Rev. 14:4). When will we believe the Scriptures? The FIRST to be called will be the LAST TO BE SAVED, and the LAST to be called will be the FIRST TO BE SAVED (Matt. 19:30 and 20:16). My, what we can learn when we begin to obey the commandments of GOD. All Scripture is inspired, and all Scripture is true, but no one Scripture fully explains and interprets itself.
Truth Number 10 ALL IS OF GOD! (2 Cor. 5:18; Rom. 11:36; Heb. 2:10; Col. 1:16 & 17; Acts 17:28; Eph. 1:9-11; Isa. 46:9-11; Pro. 16:33; Phil. 2:13; Prov. 16:1; Jer. 10:23; Prov. 20:24; John 5:19; John 15:5; Rom. 2:4; John 6:44 & 65; John 15:16; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:11; 1 Cor. 12:3; Eph. 2:8-10; Gen. 50:18-20; Prov. 21:1; Psalm 37:23; Rom. 8:7; Eccl. 3:1, 11, 14-15; Rom. 9:18-21; Daniel 4:34-35 & 37; Dan. 12:9-10; Dan. 4:17, 25-26, 32, 34-35; 5:21; Amos 3:3-6): God has always worked all things after the counsel of His Own will. His plan needs no midstream adjustments, corrections, or refinements. It cannot be improved upon. It cannot be added to or detracted from. IT IS PERFECT. GOD IS PERFECT. ALL WILL TURN OUT PERFECT. WE ALL WILL BE PERFECT BECAUSE GOD WILL BE “ALL IN ALL”! I believe it. I hope you do too. Yes, God tells us that this is how He operates in ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH! A few have been aware of God’s operation of all, down through the centuries; most however, have not. I will share these Scriptures with you next time. Robots? Nay, we are but clay (albeit ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ clay, Psalm 139:14) in the hands of the Master Potter. It is absolute blasphemy to think or teach that God is the Creator of all that is, but then takes zero responsibility for all the evils of that creation—ALL is of God.
Truth Number 11 When God Wants to Emphasis Something, He Repeats it Multiple Times—GOD OPERATES IN A PATTERN (Rev. 1:8; 4:8; Heb. 13:8; Eccl. 1:9-10; Rev. 1:19; 17:8 & 11; Mal. 3:6; 1 Sam. 15:29; Heb. 6:13-18; Jam. 1:17-18; Rom. 11:29; Acts 10:34; Luke 20:21; Matt. 5:45; Luke 6:35-36; Rom. 9:18; 11:32; Psalms 102:26-27; Heb. 1:11-12): When God wants to emphasis something, He repeats it. When He really wants to emphasize something, He repeats it again. When He really, really, really wants to emphasize something, He repeats it multiple times. Jesus Christ is the BEGINNING and the END; He IS, WAS, and WILL BE. The book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, therefore, the book of Revelation tells us what “IS [or ARE], WAS, and WILL BE.” Everything spoken to the churches “is, was, and will be.” But not everything that “is, and was,” “will be” eternally. Virtually everything in the Bible pertains to the ages [Greek: aions - a period of time with a beginning and an end]. All of these ages will come to an end, as will some things that are only used during eonian times or the times contained in the ages. And thus we, today, members of the Church of God of the Twenty-First Century, are to “…hear what the spirit says [not what the ‘spirit said,’ past tense only, as this is in the Greek aorist tense and is still ‘saying’ these same things to every generation] unto the churches.” If you can’t or won’t see this, then you probably need read no further. If you don’t understand what I have presented, then God has not opened your mind to the spiritual understanding of this Revelation prophecy, or all of Jesus’ parables, or all of the rest of the Bible. The testimony of Jesus Christ does not change, and Christ Himself does not change, and therefore His dealings with humanity do not change, other than that there is coming a consummations of sin and death. Christ is not changed, but WE WILL BE CHANGED to conform to the Image of Jesus Christ.
Truth Number 12 Whenever God and our Saviour Speaks to us, we are to BELIEVE AND OBEY! (John 7:17; John 3:21; Col. 1:9-10; Prov. 2:1, 5-6; 1 John 5:20-21; Matt. 13:23; John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 15:8 & 20; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 John 2:5-6; Psalm 111:10): I have thus far presented you with hundreds of Scriptures. Do you agree with them? Do you believe them? Are you willing to DO THEM? Whenever God and our Saviour speak to us, we are to BELIEVE AND OBEY. All who have ever attempted to circumvent these spiritual truths learned were not taught of God. Every single person I know that has stopped growing, spiritually, begins to go backwards, loosing what light they may have possessed because they are no longer faithful to the Word and commandments of Almighty God. They all possess one or more “idols of the heart” (Ezekiel 14:3), that they will not give up or repent of. Sadly, in most cases, (even when backed into an indefensible corner with the Scriptures), it is extremely rare that such ones will acknowledge their sin and repent of their error. Over time such individuals usually become bitter, after which it is only a matter of time before Satan has them for lunch! These twelve spiritual truths are not just helpful in understanding God’s word; they are essential. Without them, you cannot understand anything spiritual in the Scriptures. To the degree that you deny or leave off one or more of them is the degree that your spiritual understanding diminishes. Apply them all, always, and you will see spiritual revelation like you never even thought possible.
God also warns against…
- “Adding to” or “taking away from” His Word (Rev. 22:18-10).
- We are to rightly “divide” God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15-18).
- We are to “…distinguish the things that DIFFER” (Phil. 1:10).
- We are to have a “PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS” (2 Tim. 1:13-14).
- We are to “PROVE ALL THINGS” (1 Thes. 5:21-22, 1 John 4:1-6).
- We are to “STRENGTHEN the things that REMAIN” (Rev. 3:2, Luke 22:32).
- The message must be “UNDERSTANDABLE TO ALL [believers and non-believers] FOR THEIR EDIFICATION” (1 Cor. 14:5-9 & 23-26, 2 Cor. 3:6 & 12-13).
- Also, we are to shun the “TRADITIONS OF MEN” (Col. 2:8).
- And the “WISDOM OF THIS WORLD” (1 Cor. 1:20 & 3:19).
- The Gospel we teach is not about Christ, but about “the KINGDOM OF GOD” and “the THINGS concerning THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Mark 1:14-15, Acts 8:12, Acts 28:23 & 31)
- Whatever we teach must be “honest, straightforward, cater NOT to a particular crowd, and teach the way of God accurately” (Luke 20:21).
- Whatever we teach must “GLORIFY” God. (Luke. 2:14 & 1st Peter 4:11).
- Whatever we teach must not detract one iota from Christ’s sacrifice for all humanity. (1st Timothy 2:3-6 & 4:9-11).
“Study [Gk: 'use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest, do give diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavor, labor'] to show thyself approved [acceptable, tried] unto God, a workman [toiler, teacher, laborer, worker] that needeth not to be ashamed [Gk: 'irreprehensible (blameless, faultless, flawless, immaculate, perfect, impeccable, impossible to fault, spotless)'], rightly [Gk: 'in a straight manner, correctly, plainly, honestly, directly, uprightly'] dividing [Gk: 'to make a straight cut, i.e. to dissect (expound) correctly'] the Word of truth [Gk: '(the divine message) true, truly, verity'].” (2nd Timothy 2:15).
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it IS sin.” (James 4:17).
You can find teachings like this and more at L. Ray Smith’s website, again called, “Exposing Those Who Contradict” at http://bible-truths.com.
Rest In Peace Ray! I love you and I will miss you!
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