Anybody Can Pay
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid
(January 14, 2020)
“Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.” (Psalm 105: 18-20 King James Version [KJV]).
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus Yahshuah,
My sisters and brothers, have you found yourself singing with remorse [google.com, dictionary, “deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed. they were filled with remorse and shame"]: shackles on my feet, to describe an utterly diminishing experience that built you up, in strength, for the saving of the wellness of a people. Do you think the people think they are insane simply to get out of doing work, for anyone; not even willing to work for God as Christ said, I am about my Father’s business
[Luke 2: 49 King James Version (KJV), “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”]. Let me tell you folks like that rise up and oppress others to get out of work. In fact, they are willing to do anything else but work.
I heard one person who did not want to work in the family estate say, I want to have another baby. Well, now, it is my time to take care of me and let the other responsibilities that others run away from, fall wherever they may. We pray to God to have mercy on their souls, for they will need mercy to follow them all the days of their life, to do God’s work. Do you remember Jesus asking for the cup to pass him? He was already so worn and torn from the everyday wear and tear of taking care of the people, he did not feel he could make it to the beating and dying on the cross for the sins of man.
Do you imagine how it must feel to be too tired to make it to the grave, for righteousness sake-to resurrect a people out of death [Matthew 26: 39, King James Version [KJV], “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”]. I began singing, Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I am free at last. Then, I thanked God for releasing me from the duties of family responsibilities. This is where you find yourself, in the brotherhood, holding hands—-touching the fire of faith with each member, leaning on the Lord, knowing you came this far by faith and you will go the last mile, by faith. You, also know, that although you hold hands-with the congregation, together, not every member of the one body will hold you up.
You must hold on to your faith, to see what the end is going to be
[2 Timothy 3: 1-5 King James Version (KJV), “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”]. Wait until you get to the end to see God’s glory, the light of faith shining on you, through you, in you, permeating through to your very soul to wash you and cleanse you, keep you, out of sin
[Psalm 130: 5 King James Version (KJV), “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”]. Accordingly, in Matthew [24: 13, KJV], “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”]. You see the ones with hate, who do not think they have hate like that in them, condemning you, for they do not want to go through the cleansing in order to do God’s work, just keep playing at it, stealing God’s money, killing God’s people, destroying God’s property. Maybe, someone influenced them, planted hate in them, took them and when they began to practice hate they pretended that it was not hate—that they were good people in the light of Christ but those who suffered and died, could see they were hate.
Today, already in reflection, I still feel the overwhelming stress of yesterday’s travels to one of our local towns, in southwest Georgia. I woke up this morning, thanking God and upon learning that the game, you know the game that ends up taking from you to give to another with the comforting words, help them. I remember a second cousin said, you are the one who needs help. I wholeheartedly agree that is a fact. I am sure it is a joke for them to get a good laugh off of to ask me to help them when I need the help.
Well, you can only spin that false reality around so many times and you can only get folks to buy-in to that false reality so many times. The gig is up [google.com, Dictionary- a job, especially one that is temporary or that has an uncertain future. For example, “he secured his first gig as an NFL coach"]. Isn’t that how they say it? You have played your last time.
Most importantly, the music stopped playing and other people’s cash stopped flowing your way. Let me tell you I am all the better for it than I would be, trying to help folks that need to help me. This year, making it to my next birthday is what I often think about. Not the hate of others, putting their stressful pressures on me, lying and acting like they can not take care of their responsibilities, relying on you to bridge the gap of their faith!
A long time ago, a brother told me at the same time he was questioning me, Can you die for me? While saying, anybody can pay. Well, find the anybody to pay. I am not the anybody.
You know some unbelievers felt that way about Jesus—-that he was an anybody that could pay for their sins. Jesus is not anybody, was not anybody and will never be anybody, who paid for the sins of man. Jesus was the only Son of God who could and did pay for the sins of man. I thank God there just might be a whole lot of anybody’s out there to pay and do the work while the ones you should pay and work, party-down, with-out a care or concern, about anyone or anything.
I thank God the gig is up, the job of being anybody is no longer in my possibilities. I am not the anybody that they need to pay and work any more, for the sake of peace. My peace, highly-valued is not yours for the taking. You cannot steal my peace away.
I began to think of the last 17 years, working so hard to make a difference but still those who coveted my works and your works did so and continued to do so but God did not let them have their way, to steal, kill and destroy. I thank God for his mercy lifting that heavy-load off me, for he promised not to give me more than I or you could bear. Thank God for the strength to endure this far, in faith. God’s grace did not fail me. God bless
In closing the gap, the journey has been a long time coming, to see and taste the goodness of the LORD GOD [Psalm 34: 8, (KJV),
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”]. I thank you, Christ Jesus, for your saving grace. I thank you for the gift of sight. Lord, I thank you. God bless
