The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 18:18-19, “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.

He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.”

You will never know, but I have suffered numerous calamities in my life.

Some were of my own doing; others were thrust upon my by adversaries.

Yet, it every instance, the LORD was my comfort and deliverer. In each

and every situation, I turned to the LORD through prayer and His Word.

And in each and every situation, I found direction and deliverance through

prayer and the Word. That’s why I so often urge you to go to the LORD

through prayer and the Bible. The LORD loves us in every circumstance.

He is our strength when our strength is gone. What’s more, He really

does bring us into a “broad place” –a place of fruitful ministry! Trust what

I say; moreover, trust Him of Whom I speak. He delights in you!

Love and blessings be yours today,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Psalm 126:3, “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

When I went to bed in the early morning hours, the “talking heads” on TV

were swirling in a sea of consternation. For weeks, they had touted polls;

they examined exit polls; they studied former elections –the “hows and whys”

of what caused what. “How did we go wrong?” they said. “Where did we

miss things?” ~ Mimi, my maternal grandmother (your great grandmother,

Mary Agnes Cline Anderson) used to say, “They haven’t reckoned with the

LORD.” When will those who think they know all come to understand that

the LORD in His heavens rules over men? ~ Now is not the time for us to

gloat, as if WE had brought about the victory. Now is the time for us to

rejoice in the LORD. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How we love you all,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Psalm 5:4-7, “For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;

No evil dwells with Thee. 5 The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes;

Thou dost hate all who do iniquity. 6 Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood;

The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. 7 But as for me, by Thine

abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, At Thy holy temple I will bow

in reverence for Thee.”

Our LORD is not evil; nor does He delight in evil people. Rather, He despises

and detests those who engage in bloodshed and spout lies. What are we to

do when confronted with such people? We are to allow the lovingkindness

of the LORD to draw us to Him. He always protects and defends His own.

Trust the LORD without wavering. What can anyone do to harm us?

Pray earnestly for our nation. The LORD is our nation’s foundation. He

led God-fearing men in its founding; thus, in a true sense, the nation belongs

to Him.

We love you unceasingly,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

3 John 1:9, 12, “9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes,

who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say….

12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and

from the truth itself…”

How do you want to be remembered? Almost one-third of the

Apostle John’s third letter concerns two men. Diotrephes is evil;

Demetrius is good. Diotrephes literally means “cherished by Zeus,”

and is mentioned only once in Scripture. Demetrius’ name comes

from “Demeter,” the Greek goddess of agriculture. He was a silver-

smith and is mentioned three times in the New Testament.

All of that is to say that both men were originally godless. Diotrephes

probably was never saved, because he was an opponent of the

Apostle John and said and did things that were ungodly. Demetrius

was just the opposite. Like all of us, he was originally not a believer,

but came to know Jesus as his Savior and LORD. ~ The big question

is: how do you want to be remembered? John tells us all how we

ought to live when he says in verse 11, “Beloved, do not imitate

what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God;

the one who does evil has not seen God.”

Nana and I want to be remembered as like Demetrius. Pray for us

that we will be. May God bless you to be a good example, too.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

2 John 1:10-11, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching,

do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

Despite the fact that we are to show love toward others, John speaks

quite adamantly in these two verses. People do come to your house

pretending to be Christians, when they do not believe the Bible. The

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons are typical. They want to

enter your house and share their teachings with you. It is important

that you NOT let them in. You house (or that of your parents) is your

family’s last place of real security. Even our laws indicate that, and

even the police have to obtain permission to enter your house. Also,

while you are to be pleasant toward them, be careful not to give any

indication that you agree with them in any way. Be positive in what

you believe, but not in what they say. Their pleasantness is designed

to put you off-guard. Don’t be misled and don’t mislead them into

believing that you agree with them even a little bit.

Some unbelievers come at us with guns; some come with smiles

and warmth. Both are enemies! Both are dangerous! Be always

on guard against evil and the Evil One!

Love you all immensely,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas