The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him,

2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming…”

Have you ever had someone relate something to you that you ultimately forgot? I surely have! Especially is that true as I grow older. Well, don’t despair. It happened to the Thessalonian Christians, too.

Paul had previously been to Thessalonica and had shared with the believers what he knew of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apparently, however, as is often true, once the bearer of the news to the church departed, confusion arose and it became necessary for the apostle to write to the church and repeat what he had previously said.

Notwithstanding, these words from Paul have as much relevance for our own day as they did for the Thessalonians or any group in all of human history.

It’s easy to misunderstand. It’s even easy to have forgotten the matter altogether.

The “lawless one” of whom Paul speaks is the antichrist. Elements of his presence are within our midst even now! People who claim to be Christians proudly acknowledge belonging to a religion that denies what they claim it believes.

Let me urge you to read and study the Bible regularly! God’s truth is in His Word. Not every church, not every pastor, believes what the Bible contains. Still, unless you read the Scriptures yourself, you won’t know whether you are receiving the truth. If you’re not currently reading the Bible daily, you need to start today! Be prayerful as you read. The Lord will bless you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

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