The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 2:21-25, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for

by His wounds you were healed.

25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

Heroes have been around forever. Sports heroes, musical heroes, scientific heroes, political heroes –they have all demonstrated abilities we like, and we seek to pattern our lives after them. Who is your hero? Those who stand

out, however, are those whom we’ve met and those who have touched our lives in unique ways. The greatest

hero to all of us, however, is the one who risked his life to save ours. The swimmer, the doctor, the neighbor, that

first responder – they are the true heroes!

Yet, when all of those life-saving heroes have been named, there is One who rises above them all: Jesus Christ!

He suffered for us and became our Supreme Example in all things. And as a teacher exposes us to information

with the hope we will follow it, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are His example for us to follow. Think about it:

1.He never committed a single sin.
2.He was ever and always thoroughly honest.
3.He was always gentle, and never abused those who abused Him.
4.He never threatened to “get even” with anybody for anything.
5.He always trusted His Heavenly Father and did His will.
6.He took every person’s sin upon Himself and died for them on the Cross.

Whoa! If He died for every person’s sin, then everyone is saved, right? Wrong! Think of it this way: everyone’s

house has electricity, right? But before the electricity runs the TV, the washing machine, the lights, they have to

be “plugged into” the outlet. The electricity is available, but electrician things have to be connected (plugged in) to

run like they were designed to run. It’s much the same with Jesus.

He died on the Cross to save you from sin and Hell. His Resurrection proves the value of His death for you. Now, you have to believe on Him and what He did. You have to repent (change your mind; confess your sins to Him) and trust Him to save you and guide your life from here on out. It’s not just being “religious”; it’s being Christian (Christ-like).

You march to the beat of a different drummer. The LORD Jesus Christ is now the Shepherd (Leader) and

Guardian (watchman) over your life and your eternal soul. Sound good? It’s the only sure way.

Our love and prayers for you are directed to Him for your good,

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 Peter 2:18-20, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

How often do you think of yourself as a “servant”? My guess is: more often than you think of yourself as a master.

I just counted and discovered that I’ve spent 66 years as a student in formal education. (You’d think I would know more than I do!) Yet, it each of those years, I was a “servant”; my teachers were my “masters.” Masters are those in authority. It does not necessarily mean they know more, but it does mean they have been given control, as long as you are in their class.

Have you ever been sick, so that you had to go to the doctor? You were his servant; he was your master. Has your car ever needed repair? You were the master, so far as to where to go for that repair; but, when you put your car in the mechanic’s hands, he became the master and you were his servant. “Ah,” you say, “but what about the police?”

No policeman is in control of you unless or until you break a law. At that point, he becomes your master. At the same time, he has officers above him, so he is simultaneously a servant and a master.

We’ve all had masters who were harsh and ugly to us at times. Peter says we are still to be submissive to them. They may not deserve respect, but we are to respect them and their authority anyway. Passing through the gate at an army base, the guard salutes his superiors. They have identification on their vehicles that he sees and respects. A guard once told me that while he might not have personal respect for an officer, he nevertheless respected his rank. That’s what Peter meant when he said, “for the sake of conscience toward God.” It’s easy to be nice to masters we like, but when we are respectful to those we don’t like, we “find favor toward God.” And when all is said and done, isn’t what pleases and honors the LORD what it’s really all about?

We honor Him by remembering you in our daily 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 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Have you ever wondered what Heaven will be like? —a place of purity, wholesomeness, free from pain and troubles of every kind. Just being there seems sufficient, yet Peter says the LORD has an inheritance for each of us — for each of us, who have been born again, that is. To those of us who have believed upon Jesus and committed our lives to Him by faith, we have been born again to a “living hope.” Hope in Scripture means future certainty. It’s not a “maybe so” thing. It is an absolutely certain thing! The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gives us that assurance.

But, what is this inheritance? It’s apparently a surprise. And it’s a valuable surprise because it is protected (guarded)

just as we are by the power (miraculous might and strength) of almighty God. One of the joys of receiving a gift is the anticipation of it. What can it be? Will it be what I have wanted all along? Remember those days at Christmas? Well, just being with Jesus, who gave His life for our sins, will be more than sufficient. After all, is not the Giver greater than the gift? Yet, there will be the joy of reunion with loved ones who have gone on before us; the instantaneous knowledge of things we’ve never before understood; the fellowshipping with the saints of all ages! And there will be the meeting of those who are there because of our witness to them! Music and colors that exceed the vividness of our imaginations! Just think about it! WOW!

We love and pray for you daily,

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,

Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

John 19:25-27, “…there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ 27 Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”

History tells us that “Mothers’ Day” occurs on Sunday, May 13, in the United States, and that the American version of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Anna Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar.

All of that being said, the LORD instructed all children (and we are all children) to honor their mothers and fathers. He further promises a long life in the land that He has given. Not all children in the Bible honored their parents as they should have. Many did, however, and they set the pattern for us to do the same. But, what if parents don’t deserve being honored? Forget that! They all deserve honor, whether you think they do or not.

Parents might not have received the training that they should have when they were children. Thus, they didn’t know how to train you. Love erases all of that, if you will allow it. Just remember that they did the best they could. You

weren’t –and aren’t—all you should be, either.

While dying on the Cross, Jesus took time to think and care for His mother. “Woman, behold your Son!” Although she was suffering in her heart as she saw Him dying, she was honored that He thought and cared for her. How are you honoring your mother? She loves you and doubtlessly tells you so many times. Don’t ever be too “big” or too

“Involved” to honor your mother. You really only have one mother. Be thankful and tell her how much she means to you. There will be a day when you won’t have her. Honor that counts occurs today!

We love you and pray for you every 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,

Romans 12:1-3, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Okay, now I’ve got the job; what do I do? Did you ever long for a job and then wonder how to do it when once

you were hired? Christians are often like that. We turn willfully away from former things and give our hearts and

lives to Jesus. What then? How do we behave as believers? What do we do in this new life?

Paul wants us to notice first that we have been saved by the mercy of God, not by anything that we did. Our

conduct: speech, dress, mannerisms –all are to be changed. We are to live acceptably to Him. Worship is no

longer a mysterious ritual (if it ever was); it is now a daily manner of living that pleases and honors the LORD.

But, how is this possible? We’ve lived for ourselves and copied the bad manners of the world until they are

virtually automatic to us. We change by “renewing our minds.” Instead of just going with the flow and doing

what everyone else does, we THINK about what God wants from us and do that! So what, if others think we

are “strange”? We may even “feel” strange, like trying to walk in shoes that are too tight for our feet. Things

will work out in time, just like the shoes. Don’t quit trying to live the New Life! Don’t worry about those “friends”

who think you’re weird. And above all, don’t get puffed up with pride. Remember that this New Life has been

given to you; it’s not a life you created for yourself. At the same time, believe that the LORD is doing a new

work in you (remember the shoes!). Anything new takes time for adjustment. “God has allotted to (you) just

enough faith (belief, trust) for each day of your New Life. You are going to make it because He is within you

guiding and empowering you step-by-step. Never, Never give up!!

Remembering you in our daily 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.”