The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

5 for our gospel did come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

7 so that you became an example to all the believers…”

Even in these few verses, it is abundantly clear that the apostle’s desire for the Thessalonian Church was precisely what the LORD Himself desired. Hopefully, we continue to believe that His desire for us today is precisely what He desired for that early church in Thessalonica.

To be true, times have changed. Were that ancient congregation to witness our gathering today, they would doubtlessly be shocked at our numbers, our conduct, our electronic systems, and the multifarious means we have of sharing worship with thousands outside the walls of our own congregation.

Current methods of sharing the Gospel are not to be discouraged, so long as they do not impede the clarity of the Message itself. As ancient as the Good News is, it must not be beclouded by 20th-century innovations. Click on the tract attached and share it with others.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need,

Until He becomes all that we have.” –Corrie ten Boom