Bearing Witness

BEARING WITNESS

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (December 26, 2015)

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people” (Isaiah 55:1-4, King James Version [Pardon for the penitent]).

Greetings In The Holy And Merciful Name Of Jesus,

My brothers and sisters, in reflection as the year cease to be, closing-out for the days of the year were near done, I found myself witnessing sickening rage, daring condemnation, and morbid fortitude championing death over life, in particular the gift of life everlasting, that was lost to them when the people beared their souls. On Christmas Eve night, I laid down, not to sleep for sleep I could not for four-to-five days but I waited for the God-effect to prevail, to know truth in the morning light, relinquishing the torment of the egregious transgressions seemingly committed without conscience, rather I preferentially relished and abased to know the height and breadth of God's glory instead of the old roll-in-the-hay toppling over in misery, for misery still loved company, known and unspoken of, which compelled me to continue in prayer to see God's miracles each and every day---to see God's deliverance for the pain of lost---for the agony of defeat did not and does not rest in me. In the last three months, the death sentence given for capital punishment was standing in question to the Word of God and in question of man's civility wherein the State of Georgia executed three persons, one, for hiring her boyfriend to kill her husband, another for stabbing a woman he met at a night club in Albany, Georgia, 41 times until she died, and the last one, for killing his mother's seventy-years old friend Most importantly, we speak to the body of Christ for insight into what a man needs to keep him on the straight and narrow in holiness in marriage in general and in relationships with husbands, friends, peers, and wives. What keeps a society of peoples whole-believing Christ Jesus will accept the substance of their faith?

More importantly, the struggles that exist between man and woman for control of each other in relationships renders one vulnerable to the other justifying money as one of the key factors suggesting the bread winner is always the man and the woman no matter how much she brings to the table must submit and not weigh-out her contribution for her contribution does not hold weight it is merely part of the whole. Circumspectly, most women see themselves as silent without a voice even without substance---the substance that is needed for the things hoped for so ultimately women feel their substance not weighed holds no hope and bears no faith unless it is deemed necessary through their husbands. What a shame? Let us think through the substance of faith which bears all the hopes and dreams of man and woman as one unit in the one body of the faith of Christ Jesus or man and woman singularly in the one body of the faith of Christ Jesus.

Hence, a man brings to the table of Christ Jesus, the fruits of the labors of men or the bread and wine which is in transubstantiation to the body of Christ and the blood of Christ as the change in the element of Eucharistic service and hopefully as the change from the bread and wine to the body of Christ and the blood of Christ, in the element of all services that invite members of Christ to partake of Christ during communion as the bread and wine, so each member of Christ takes in the body of Christ and the blood of Christ when they eat the communion wafer and when they drink the communion wine. Therefore, your strength comes from the LORD GOD as Christ Jesus. Most members do not

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understand the connection of their substance as their faith given for the things they hope for with no

respect for persons deeming woman a free woman who can bear her soul witnessing in confession with the Spirit of Christ Jesus in her in prayers and supplications, offerings and church services.

I know I look forward to the substance of my faith in transubstantiation to the body of Christ and the blood of Christ because without the body of Christ and the blood of Christ, in me the trials and tribulations of everyday life heavily bear down so much some days I know the stress of everyday living and the pressures that mount in your mind are not easy to filter through for a man or woman easily could snap, lose control, become a peddler of sinful thoughts and entertain the sinful nature of the fallen man. It is not easy to live an abundant life without Christ Jesus because when you find yourself entertaining thoughts of being a thief or a murderer---black-hearted and darkened thoughts of depravity yet sane because you know you wrongly crossed the line over to sin but you just do not seem to be able to control yourself or stop yourself from listening to sinful thoughts and you find yourself deeply entrenched in a hole you can not climb out of and you regret the days you rejected when someone tried to reach out to you. Sometimes it does not take much for a man or friend who once held an adoring loving look at his wife to look upon her with contempt and malice. Sometimes it does not take much for a woman or friend who once held an adoring loving look at her husband to look upon him with contempt and malice. We must be baptized in water and in fire, born again---transformed to a new creature in Christ Jesus. I ask you, Is your living in vain?