The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly,

righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the

appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave

Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself

a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

I was taught to 1) memorize the books of the Bible, 2) learn the theme of each

book, 3) memorize the number of chapters in each book. This gives the good

Bible student a “firm handle” on the whole of the Scriptures.

The theme of the Epistle to Titus is “God’s Ideal”; and nowhere is that theme

more fully expressed than in the verses above. Grace is favor that we don’t

deserve. To all men does not mean that everyone will be saved; but rather

that it is possible for all people to be saved. Once we are saved, we are to

deny (refuse, disown) all ungodliness and to live righteously, and to look

for the blessed hope, which is the return of the LORD Jesus Christ. We

never do wrong in the sight of someone who always does right. That’s why

we are to watch daily for the return of Jesus Christ.

When I was just a kid, before my teenage years, I was convicted of going

to movies. (And they were “good” compared to anything showing today!)

Then, one night I had a dream that I had gone to a movie and was sitting

on the first row. Some girls came out on the stage before the movie, and

one of them pointed to me and said, “Gene Jeffries, what are you doing

here?” In my dream, I was doing something I knew not to do and had been

“called out” for it. It was then many years before I even entered a movie

theatre, even when there was no movie showing. Think what you will, but

I am still sensitive of doing anything that takes my thoughts off of the Return

of Jesus Christ. I don’t want Him to come finding me doing something that

is offensive to Him and contrary to His purpose for my life. Sound stupid?

Well, it’s not. We belong to Him! Read the verses above again.

Love and Prayers for you all, every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas