Brother Ray Brown

       Brother Ray wrote this about a month before his passing. He was the walking definition of love. He lived to help as many people as he could, however he could and as often as he could. He was an unsung hero of our community.

Hello, my name is Ray Brown, but many people call me brother Ray. This is my story for His glory!
My life had a rocky start. When I was three, I had kidney failure. That same year I died but came back to life well at the hospital. At 7 ½ years old I was placed into an orphanage with my sister. They gave me the nick-name Yankee, because I couldn’t pronounce my own name clear enough for them to understand it. I had a speech impediment causing me to not be able to pronounce words correctly.
They thought I would never amount to anything in life, so they neglected and ignored me, even more than the other orphan kids. For example, when I was nine, I felt sick and during the process of letting them know I needed help, I got my behind severely whooped for being an inconvenience.
This led to my appendix exploding and my stomach-turning gangrene. Through surgery I survived. My sister and I was split up into different orphanages and didn’t talk. At this point I didn’t care about anything. I thought why should I? I was abused, neglected and not wanted.
Early on in my life I was involved in a terrible car accident, where I died again. I woke up under a white sheet saying the words over and over, “I can’t breathe.”, “I can’t breathe.” so they removed the sheet.

They didn’t think I would survive past noon from the severity of the injuries. I broke 12 places on my leg. Broke my left foot and pelvis bone. I eventually went home in a full body cast and was told I would never walk again. Against all odds and with determination and many painful and experimental surgeries I eventually relearned.

I got a job, a place to stay and had food, but I hated people. Many did not like me either. This one girl, a friend of mine, told me I needed to get saved or she would kill me. I believe she was joking, but I am not sure. By this time in my life, I had knives, and guns pulled out on me.

When those type of moments happened, I remember how I really didn’t care if I died. Anyways for some reason this time, whether it was a joke or not, what she said bothered me and I cared.

I ended up visiting a church a few times. One night I arrived, and the place was packed. I had to sit in the front row, which I hated doing because I was so shy. As I was sitting down, I saw my daughter and she invited me to sit next to her. When the message was done, I went to the alter which was directly in front of me. They asked what I wanted, and I said, ‘I want to know the Lord.”

I was led into a prayer of salvation, which the Lord heard, because something changed inside of me. Something strange happened. People who hated me, became my friends. I went from hating people, to helping at homeless shelters, visiting jails, to encourage the inmates and feeding the needy and less fortunate as often as possible.

Another miracle happened in 2002.

I was on dialysis for my kidney. I could not afford one, nor did I qualify to receive one. I was ready to die. I prayed in faith and confessed Gods promises. One night the phone rang. God heard my prayers! He made a way! There was a perfect match, and the next morning I went into surgery and received a new kidney.

None of us know the moment we will take our last breath here on earth.(Brother Ray was the longest survivor of a kidney transplant in NC.) Life itself is a miracle. The good news is you are still alive and that you are not reading this by accident! God wants to help you and save you as he has done for me.

If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart Jesus came to die on the cross for your sins, and that God the Father raised him from the dead three days later. You too can be saved.

In the same way I stepped up to the alter to make Jesus my Lord, God is waiting on you to take this step towards him. Pray this right now wherever you are, and the Lord will hear you, save you and heal you.

Father God in the name of Jesus, I am asking you to come into my life, minister to me in every aspect about Christ. Forgive me for my sins, I give them to you and ask for you to save me. Direct my steps every day and night and put the right people in my path so that I can seek you and learn how to walk and live with you as you are now Lord of my life. In Jesus name Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:17
The Bible say’s “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

We encourage you to spend time with God today. Prayerfully open your Bible
and read it. If you were blessed by brother Rays life and story, please let us know!

Come visit the church Elder Ray served our Lord at. They would love you meet you.

WORD SEEKERS INT’L CHURCH

Shepherds Toby & Brenda Johnson
812 Nance Ave, High Point, NC 27263
Wed: 7PM, Fri: 7PM, Sun: 12PM

1-336-456-9032
wordseekersnow.com