The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts;

but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”

Today’s news report of the Florida bridge collapse says, “Officials have confirmed that six people died and 10 others have been hospitalized, two with critical injuries.” Seven military personnel have been killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq. Additionally, two Navy men were killed in jet crash Wednesday just off of Key West, Florida. These tragic injuries and death accounts give additional meaning to the phrase “the world is passing away.” When death occurs, the world of the dead has passed away.

None of us knows when the time is up for us. Those things that seem so important vanish completely. That’s

why the Apostle John warns us not to love the world or the things within it. Rather, we are to be consumed

with doing the will of God. The persons we see today, just might suddenly be subjected to a tragedy like those

in the bridge collapse. Where those people were going, what they were intending to do, we will never know. We

only know that their world has now passed away forever. We are grateful for those who quickly responded and

saved the lives of some who were injured. Just think what would happen if we were as quick to respond to

the spiritual needs of those we see who are without Christ!! Some of those responders (both professional and ordinary citizens) even put their lives at risk in the effort to save others. Do we risk our pride and time in the

effort to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ? Our encounter with others could be their last opportunity –or ours!

We love you immeasurably! And you are foremost in our prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 John 1:5-9, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This was one of the earliest passages we were to translate when I was studying Greek. It was in this

passage that I also learned how the New Testament related to the Old Testament. Greek is arguably

the most exact language known to man. It expresses exactly what the writer wants to say; and if the

reader is careful, it is virtually impossible for him to misunderstand what the writer wants to convey.

Nothing in the physical realm is so diverse as light and darkness. They are exact opposites. God is

Perfect Light. He reveals perfectly everything He wants us to see and understand. The little word if

appears four times in these five verses. If signals something conditional. (“If I tell you, will you promise

not to tell anyone else?”) John states four conditional situations for our consideration: 1) “If we say” we

are in good standing (are having fellowship) with the LORD, but are walking outside and away from His

Light, we’re not living as He desires. 2) If we are walking in His Light, we are having fellowship with Him

and with others (allos; others like ourselves). 3) If we say that we just don’t sin, we’re lying to ourselves

and to others. 4) But if we confess (agree with what His Word says about us) that we are sinners, He

will forgive (aphiemi, send away, wipe out) all of our sins and cleanse us from all (pas, all or every)

unrighteous (adikia, wrong, evil, wicked, impurity).

Are you in good standing with the LORD? Do you always walk with Him in His Light? Do you regularly

confess your sins to Him? If you do, you’re walking with Him in His Light. Your conscience is free, and

you don’t feel guilty for anything because He has forgiven you. This is the way to live! His way is the

joyful way. There’s nothing to fear from Light –only from darkness.

We love and pray every day for His Light to shine on you,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

II Corinthians 10:12, “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.”

The world’s most renound theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, is dead. By worldly standards, Hawking ranked with Einstein in a discipline incomprehensible to most of us. What is a “theoretical physicist”? News

reports state Hawking as having said the following:

“The only certainty about the infinitesimally small quantum building blocks of our universe is that they are uncertain… “Simply observing them can cause them to change. They can be in two places — or two states — at once… “They seem to be a physical embodiment of probability and potential: elements of reality that haven’t quite yet decided what they’re going to do…“While it dictates our lives, we still don’t know what time is. Or exactly where it comes from…We know how it works. We know its effects. It’s like gravity…. ”It doesn’t entirely seem to fit in the ‘big’ world of the physics we experience, nor the ‘weird’ world of the subatomic…. But, like the strange behavior of quantum physics, perhaps time has a lot more left to tell.”

Several years ago, I read Dr. Hawkins’ celebrated book, A Brief History of Time. At that time, he said,

“My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is, and why it exists at all.”

Yet, he vacillated, giving one theory one time, and another at another time. Why was this a problem to him?

It was a problem because he had omitted God from all his calculations.

Those who omit God from anything will always be “without understanding.” Paul is unwilling to boast about

things he doesn’t know; but he is adamant about what he does know: “God has appointed us…to reach…as

far as you.”

We are not “know-it-alls.” We never will be in this life. But, we are to know what the LORD has enabled us

to know and to share it with those who don’t know. Remember the little verse?

Only one life; it will soon be past;

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

We prayerfully rejoice over your faith in Christ,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 12:5-11, “…and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;

6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.’

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Fully the first half of Hebrews 12 concerns discipline. Nine times in the seven verses above, Paul emphasizes

the need and value of discipline. The word discipline in Greek is paideia, meaning instruction. When instruction is repeated again and again, it becomes easier to retain. This week we learned that the Arkansas Razorbacks will face the Butler Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA basketball Tournament this coming week. Butler admits they know little about the style of the Razorbacks; but believe me, both teams will be disciplined in order to do their very best.

Everything requires discipline. Sometimes (maybe too often) we think of discipline as punishment. “Go to the blackboard and write, I will not talk aloud without permission 100 times,” the teacher says. Yes, it is punishment; but it is also training –training the mind to remember not to talk aloud without permission.

My neighbors have dogs; but I don’t discipline their dogs because they are not mine. God disciplines only those who are His. If you are one of His children, He will discipline (teach, instruct) you. If you don’t learn what He is

teaching, He will say it again until you get it. It’s important that we know with certainty that we belong to Him. Sometimes people say they are Christians, but they’ve never had a salvation experience with Jesus. When I was saved, the first think I wanted was to be baptized. Why? Because baptism is how we tell everyone that we have been saved. It does not save us, but it is an “act of righteousness,” commanded by the LORD Jesus.

When we are assured that we have been saved– born again, born from above—God takes us to school to learn of Him “that we may share His holiness” (v. 10). Yes, His lessons are often difficult, but when they are over, and we’ve learned them, they are exceedingly profitable. Don’t worry! Just stick with it. As you grow older, you’ll be glad that you did.

We love you exceedingly, and pray for you every, single day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 11:13-16, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11 is the “faith chapter” of the Bible. In earlier verses, Paul has noted numerous people, who

believed in the LORD and His promises, but died without seeing them fulfilled. What is remarkable of

those people is that they confessed that they were foreigners and just travelers here on Earth. They were

indeed true human beings, but they were looking for a promised land.

Nana and I have lived in many places over our lifetime. Some were better than others. My pick in southeast

Asia is Singapore; in Europe, Switzerland, although we only travelled through those countries. With all the

desirable aspects of many countries, we always longed to return to the United States.

Every Sunday we pass by a house we once looked to purchase. I remember the young lady who lived

there saying her family was moving to a larger house less than a block away. It was easy to see that she

was eager to move to that “better” house. When we’re focused on earthly things, we always look for better

things –a bigger house, a newer car, more and better electronics, money!! –and the list goes on and on. But the home for which those Hebrews 11 people sought was not earthly; it was heavenly! God had “prepared a

city for them.” And so He has for us! I guess everyone longs for better things. But they don’t have to be

earthly things. In fact, they ought not to be! We should set our sights on the life in Glory! In Heaven we will

have abilities that supersede our imagination! We will communicate by thought instead of cellphones. We

will not need to research anything –we will just know it! We will want for nothing, except to praise the LORD

for all He is and has done! Travel will be instantaneous! Think! and you are there!

Young people grapple with such thoughts. But the longer you live and the older you become, the more

your focus is on Eternity. Jesus Christ is coming again to take us to His Eternal City! Be prepared, and

tell your friends. He could come at any moment.

We love you all and we continually pray for you,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”