The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

I’m sure you will forgive me for not recalling the first time I attended a funeral. You may have the same difficulty as I in remembering your first funeral. Yet, what I do remember is that those being buried were professing believers in Jesus Christ.

It’s important to know, however, that those who believed and trusted in Jesus before they died, will one day be raised alive from the dead! This is the certainty of Paul’s teaching in this passage. I have ultimately attended many burials, some in which I officiated. In some, there were delicate smiles of warm
remembrances; in others, there were screams of uncertainty!

Jesus taught us that He would one day come again. His coming
will be announced with the archangel’s shout and with the Trumpet of God! Those who are alive and trusting in Jesus, will hear both; and the dead, who were committed to Him in life will arise from their graves and join the living believers in a gigantic resurrection!

Those who are not committed believers will be forever left behind and without hope. There will be no second opportunity. Belief is not tied to any particular church. It is tied only to a personal, commitment of trust in the LORD Jesus Christ. Do you have a trust like that? Is your hope for eternity grounded in faith in Jesus Christ? The Bible says that He is the only hope. On what are you anchoring your hope? Jesus is the only way! I am praying for you.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom