My first encounter with Major Thomas was through his writings, "The Saving Life of Christ." As our Lord often uses His "sent, went, and put" sons and daughters, Major Ian Thomas was surely used mightily through the Master's hands. His fresh, exciting and most importantly biblical rendering of "His Life in Us" was heard and then applied early in my infancy as a child of God. My first personal meeting with God's anointed servant was at a church service in a small community in Kansas where he proceeded to enlighten, encourage and challenge me as to the "Normal Christian Life." When he left the airport in Wichita Kansas, my wife looked at me sobbing in the drivers seat of our car and asked, "what is wrong with you?" I could only reply, "I believe I've met the first man, as God intended man to be." Such was God's character working through Major Thomas.

 

 Later, as a pastor I was privileged to have Major Thomas present to our church body a series of messages that once again profoundly and deeply affected our entire congregation as well as myself. My daughter still, to this day, proudly shares with any who will listen, that "Major Ian Thomas once stayed in our home, ate at our table, and slept in her bed." Victorious Christian Living was not first announced by the Major, but Christ's unique and irresistible articulation through Major Thomas changed my life, and the principle he spoke of, "The Exchanged Life" found in Gal. 2:20, quickly became my life verse and passion. Today, we sing a praise song "It's all about Him," but Major Thomas was championing this truth as our Lord revealed to him on that November evening where he heard and responded to our Lord's call, and never looked back.

 

 Thank you Thomas family, for sharing Major Ian Thomas with the world, of whom I was only one who was blessed by his love for Jesus!

 

Dr. Mike Schill Redding, CA