The Grands Letter (1Th/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on May 31, 2020 5:11 pm (CST)Dear Grands,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-23, “Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit;
20 do not despise prophetic utterances.
21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and
body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Some people look upon Paul as a heavy-handed intellectual. He is that, to be sure; but simultaneously
he is a practical instructor of our LORD’s Truth, as we witness in these short verses.
“Rejoice always!” If you recognize that everything good lies in the Hand of God, there’s no good
reason to become downcast or gloomy. He does everything well and to our ultimate benefit.
“Pray without ceasing” certainly does not mean being on our knees before God at every hour of the
day. Throughout the day, we can and should pray silently with absolute confidence that He hears
and answers according to His will.
“In everything give thanks!” Not everything we ask is answered affirmatively. We should be thankful
that it is not, because we have no idea all that is wrapped up in what we ask. Some aspects could
work against us quite powerfully.
“Do not quench (extinguish) the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.” The Holy Spirit has been given to us to guide and instruct us in the will of the Father. Shutting Him out and ignoring His direction is spiritually destructive!
“Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” Test things to determine their goodness; then hold on to them securely, and abstain from everything that is productively evil.
‘Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and
body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Check the attachment for more information.)
Ever hear your mother say, “Wash your hands and your face; company is coming”? It’s true of Jesus.
He is Coming! And we need to be washed morally and spiritually clean when we meet Him! That
cleansing can happen quickly; but so can His Coming! So, don’t delay! God bless you!
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America
“We never know that God is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”