The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 5:14-23, “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.

15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.

16 Rejoice always;

17 pray without ceasing;

18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit;

20 do not despise prophetic utterances.

21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

22 abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The airplane is ready for take-off. Your flight has been called. There’s not much time left. So, when you’re in a hurry, you say a lot of things quickly and without much elaboration. That’s what was occurring in Paul’s quick thoughts to the Thessalonians –and to us! “

Admonish (give instruction), encourage (give comfort), help (hold up), have patience (take time) with everyone. Don’t do evil toward those who do evil toward you! Always look for the best and share it with everyone. Rejoice, pray, give thanks to the LORD for everything! Don’t pour “cold water” on what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. Follow the Word of God, for it always agrees with the Spirit.

You’ll hear a lot of things from a lot of people. Some will be good; some will be bad. Examine everything carefully. Use the Bible to measure what you hear and read. The Holy Spirit will confirm what the Bible says, so you will know the Truth as God wants you to know it.

You can’t get too far away from evil. It’s like a raging fire –a horrible disease! And it comes in various forms, often looking like good candy. Don’t be fooled! It will destroy you and everything good that God has for your life. You can’t control it, however powerful you think you are. Trust the LORD. He warns against “playing with fire.”

God is a God of Peace and holiness. He will permeate (fill fully and completely) your life with Himself. Your spirit (that part of you that is God-conscious); your soul (that part of you that is self-conscious); your body (that part of you that is world-conscious) –every part, totally will be submerged in His purity and holiness, so that you will take on His likeness. That likeness will draw some people closer to you because they want what you have. Others will run from you, because they love their sin and want to rule their own lives. Our job is to be like Jesus, without blame. He is Coming again to take us to be with Him in Heaven. Work on getting ready. At any time, He may announce our departure.

Love and prayers for you all,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”