The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 4:15, “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace

which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks

to abound to the glory of God.”

Over the past few days, I’ve noted for you that “all things belong to you” (1Cor 3:21)

and that “all things are lawful,” but not necessarily profitable (1Cor 6:12). Now, the

verse above says that “all things are for your sake(s).” Would you believe that Paul

uses the phrase “all things” 98 time in 80 verses from Romans to Hebrews? He does!

Even the things that seem horrendous are for us! Why? It’s that the grace of God

might spread to more people and cause them to give thanks, that thanks might

bring more glory to God! If you say, “Wow! That’s fantastic; but, I don’t honestly

understand it,” you’ve including me in that as well. How can killings and imprisonments

and harassing of Christians throughout the world ever bring glory to God? It staggers

the imagination; still, it’s true. Remember Romans 8:28. God is at work bringing all

things together for our good and for His glory. So, don’t despair of anything. Just

remember that the LORD is in absolute control of all things! All is well, whether it

appears to be so or not.

Love you all beyond belief,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

There is no greater miracle than the resurrection of the dead. Even the death of our

LORD Jesus Christ would have been little more than a grand, moral exercise, had He not

risen from the dead. Further, there is no greater Scriptural passage on the resurrection

than 1 Corinthians 15. You need to read it carefully. After citing the invaluable

importance of the resurrection, Paul concludes with the verse noted above. Steadfast

means holding on tightly to the truth of the resurrection. Unmovable means not allowing

what anyone says to turn you away from resurrection truth. Abounding means actively

engaging in sharing Christ’s resurrection with others. And knowing relates to your

continuing faith that what you are doing is according to His will and will ultimately be

rewarded. That sets forth a lot of work with a huge promise. But, like a fabulous

dinner, it is devoured and enjoyed one bite at a time. Stay the course!

All our love and prayers for you in every endeavor,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 12:6-9, “And there are varieties of effects, but the same God

who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation

of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through

the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to

another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,”

Boy, that guy is really good at sports! I wish I could run like he does! And look

at her, she is so artistic! How I wish I had her talent! Have you ever looked at

someone else and envied their abilities? Sure, you have. So have I. But, when

Paul speaks of spiritual gifts, as he does in the passage above and the surrounding

verses of that passage, he cautions us not to envy others and their gifts, but to

recognize the gift the LORD has given us and work to develop it for His glory.

Nor are we to boast of our spiritual gifts. Nana and I have different gifts. They

complement each other. The LORD leads us to husbands and wives whose

gifts are different, so as to build us up spiritually. If you haven’t, start recognizing

your spiritual gift and develop it. It will honor and glorify the LORD.

We love and pray for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.

All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”

Remember the other day when we looked at the verse in 1Cor 3:21 that

said, “…all things belong to you”? Well, Paul adds a caveat to that idea

when he says, “but not everything is profitable”; not everything builds

you up. Once again, wisdom squeezes in between the two verses. You

can, for instance, eat anything you want; but what you eat may not be

nourishing for you. You can do what you want with your time. It’s yours,

but the way you use it may not be to your good. Be wise. Think through

everything you do, because while “all things are yours,” you still “belong

to Christ.”

God bless you and give you wisdom in all things,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear, Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 8:5-6, “For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth,

as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father,

from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things,

and we exist through Him.”

Yesterday, we learned that “all things are (ours).” Today, the Scriptures tell us

that everything has come from God and that we, who are His, exist for Him.

Think about that! We’re all quite sinful, even if our sins are not as egregious

as others. Yet, He loves us and does not cast us away. Rather, He wants to

forgive us again and again, just as our parents don’t cast us out because we

do wrong against them. He is without question the Creator of all things, and

we are alive because of Him. He has a purpose for our lives. In some ways,

His purpose for each of us is different; in some ways, His purpose for us is

the same. He helps us to sort out our strengths. Yet, when all is said and

done, we exist for Him! Be aware today of why you exist, and may God bless

you all day long!

We love and pray for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas