The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

A man I knew years ago in Australia, founded and organized a Christian group called “Ambassadors for Christ.” It was dedicated to evangelism and the growth in Christ of those who embraced the Gospel. Believe it or not, I met one of their Ambassadors in India!

When I was a kid, the Southern Baptists had a boys’ organization called “Royal Ambassadors.” I’ve forgotten a lot of that now, but some passages of Scripture –passages we were then required to memorize—still bring to mind that organization and what it was designed to accomplish in our lives. What I fear was missing is what is missing in all of our lives today; namely, the begging, entreating of the lost, to be reconciled to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Ancient history tells us of parents who gave their children in human sacrifice to gods that did not exist! (Only today in church, a man seated in front of me, held a precious little baby. I reached up and put my finger in its little hand. It looked at me only briefly, but I cannot conceive of parents giving the life of their child in human sacrifice!) Yet, that is precisely what God our Father did with His Son, Jesus!!

Jesus had never known sin! Oh, He knew what sin was, and He knew it existed in mankind; but, until He went to the Cross, He had never known sin in so intimate way. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed fervently, “Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from Me.” He was not afraid to die. He knew from where He had come; and He knew where He was returning after His resurrection from the dead. It was “becoming sin” that He abhorred! He had witnessed the awfulness of sin in the lives of others. He knew sin’s power! Yet, His prayer, “…not My will, but Thine be done,” indicated His willingness to become what was loathsome to His divine nature, in order that those whose lives were saturated with sin, might freely be made “the righteousness of God!” Oh, what LOVE!!!

It is that LOVE that compels us to witness to others! It is that LOVE that transforms the lives of the lost into what God the Father desires them to be. Jesus, at 33 years of age, became His Father’s human sacrifice on the cruelest of executions ever known to man! In that execution, Christ’s blood was intentionally shed because “without the shedding of blood (HIS Blood!) there is no remission –no forgiveness—of sin” (Heb. 9:22).

Think of the privilege we have! We are the Father’s Ambassadors to the World-at-Large! Ambassadors that witness to who Christ Jesus is and what He has done for us, enabling us to be forgiven of our inherited sin from the first man, Adam! Have you enabled your inheritance? You can be forgiven of all sin! Simply repent. Tell the LORD you are sorry for your sin and that you want Him to forgive you. He will. He lives for that very privilege. Are you then exercising your privilege as a believer? Are you sharing the witness of Christ with those who are lost like you were? Think of this: to fail to witness to the lost is tantamount to offering them as human sacrifices to an evil, pagan, lifeless god! If that doesn’t stir you spirit….may God help you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 2:14-16, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?”

Have you ever thought of the Gospel as having an aroma, an odor, a smell? Probably not; but it does! Paul says in the verses above that when we witness to others of the saving life of Jesus Christ, we are a sweet fragrance of Christ. That fragrance is primarily detected by God Himself, but it affects the lives of all of those whom we meet and with whom we speak.

Nobody likes an aroma that stinks! I once knew someone who needed something to mask the putrid, breath-taking aroma that the body put forth in abundance. This person was a believer in Jesus; and everything I knew about that one was spiritually acceptable. It was the physical that needed attention! Even Paul thanked the Philippians for the “fragrant aroma,” calling it “an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18).

Think about what Paul says in our verses above: God (the Father) manifests a sweet, delightful aroma through us, as we spread the knowledge of Christ among those that do not know Him. In fact, he says that “we are a fragrance of Christ to God.” How is that possible? People who work with animals on a daily basis, often smell like those animals.

People quite naturally absorb whatever odors they absorb on a daily basis. So, if we live with the LORD daily and absorb His Word, we will reek with the sweetness we have absorbed from being in His presence!

Think about this: When we carry with us the Divine Odor of the LORD, the acceptance we receive even from unbelievers, demonstrates their awareness that we possess something they do not possess. Yet, it is something they desire. That gives us the opportunity to share our faith in Jesus Christ, praying that they will come to faith in Him, also.

Still, “who is adequate (sufficient, worthy) of these things?” Those who work in the midst of foul odors and absorb them, need to bathe and free themselves. Those of us who live daily in the presence of Jesus Christ, are already spiritually clean. What is the odor of your life? Do others see and know that you have been with Christ? Or do you need to spiritually bathe because you have strayed from Him and His Word? Think about it and do what is necessary to bring Glory to the LORD! The LORD loves a sweet smell.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

All of the Bible is instructive, but this verse is often overlooked. The 15TH Chapter of 1 Corinthians is the Resurrection Chapter. Paul has just just concluded his instruction on the death, burial and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. As a capstone to the chapter, he admonishes his audience (including us) to be steadfast; that is, we are to be settled in our minds with respect to the LORD’s sacrifice for our sins. After all, who could challenge Christ’s ability to forgive sin, when He raised Himself from the dead?

We are also to be immovable; that is, so settled in mind regarding our salvation through the LORD Jesus Christ that we are incapable of changing our trust and love toward Him. When I was a child, this verse gave me no little difficulty. I believed the Bible to be totally without error. I still do! Further, I understood what it meant to be steadfast and immovable. What troubled me was how one could be steadfast and immovable while abounding at the same time? It’s amusing to think of that now, but when I was seven or eight, that really puzzled me.

The key to understanding the verse (as I now view it) is that steadfast and immovable are spiritual and mental attitudes, while abounding adds physical to the equation. It’s initially vital that we know and believe Christ. It then becomes necessary that we excel in sharing the Good News of His death, burial and resurrection with others, who have never heard or believed.

There’s always an assurance in our work for the LORD. What is it? It is the assurance that our excessive labor and energy will not have been for nothing! He’s not promising money per se; what He is promising is far more than silver and gold. His promise is productive rewards here and hereafter. Don’t miss out on those rewards!

And don’t miss out on being their, either! Trust and Obey!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”

Dear Grands,

Acts 27:9-11, “And when considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them,

10 and said to them, ‘Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’

11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship, than by what was being said by Paul.”

Whom do you trust? I have only twice been fearful amid the many flights I’ve taken throughout the world. The one that stands out as most fearful was in Sydney, Australia. We were landing and got closer and closer to the ground, and I had yet to hear the landing gear go down. Pilots, of course, know whether the gear is down, so why would they or anyone pay any attention to me? It did occur to me to mention what I had not heard to a flight attendant, but as I was about to do so, the plane’s engines powered up and we ascended, later to land without incident.

Paul was en route to Rome. He had appealed to Caesar and was being accompanied by a Centurion of the Roman army. It was the time of the year for wild seas –not a good time for sailing. But, when you’re the prisoner, you don’t have any say as to when and how you travel. Nevertheless, Paul was bold, and announced to everyone onboard that there was going to be damage and loss of cargo; even life was endangered.

But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and captain of the ship than he was of Paul’s warning.

When there is danger, who figures more significantly in your life? Do you trust the pilot or the captain or an army officer –someone in a controling position? Or do you put your full trust in the LORD? Be honest with yourself. I’m neither asking nor expecting an answer from you. I want you to be honest with yourself. Do you really trust the LORD? Or do you trust a “scientist” or a “counselor” or a university professor more? Or do you most greatly trust the LORD?

Yes, we all go to doctors. And we trust them with our lives. That’s fine, provided our basic trust is not in them, but in the LORD who guides them! The same goes for airplane pilots or ship captains or taxi drivers. I am an excellent driver! I am always aware of the cars around me and those that are controlling their vehicles and passing me on either side of my lane. But, I am even more aware of the LORD, who controls all of the drivers. He is the one who keeps us all safe.

Moreover, He not only controls and protects drivers, he protects, doctors, lawyers, housewives, teachers, students – He is in control of everything! So, when He speaks to you, LISTEN and OBEY! And remember, Paul was right because the LORD was in control. Does all of this resonate with you? I honestly hope so.

You are in my daily prayers. Please remember me in your prayers.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”

Dear Grands,

Acts 21:4, 10-14, “And after looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem….

10 And as we were staying there for some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says: “In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”’

12 And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’

14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’”

Do great men make mistakes? Yes, they do; but they never make little ones!

Paul was en route to Jerusalem, hoping to get there before Pentecost. His ship docked at Tyre, where he and Luke

stayed for seven days. The disciples at Tyre warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Yet, it was not merely their thought;

it was the directive they had received from the Holy Spirit. You would think that would be a sufficient warning. It was not!

His further journey brought Paul and Luke to Caesarea. And it was there that the prophet Agabus physically demonstrated the Spirit’s directive by tying Paul’s hands with Paul’s own belt, and uttering the solemn warning that Paul would be bound and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles (Romans). This observable illustration struck fire in the

hearts of the believers in Caesarea, and they begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem!

But, the man who was so close to Christ and gave instruction to the Churches that had embraced Him, would not allow that the warning from God applied to him. Has that ever happened to you? Let’s say that you read something in the Bible that strikes a chord in your heart and mind. You KNOW without a doubt that the LORD has spoken to you through His Word. He has given you instruction! It weighs heavily on your mind and heart. You pray about it, and the burden to

obey is still there. Then, suddenly you dismiss it entirely! You rationalize that God could not mean you when the instruction came from the Bible that was written long before you were even born! Big, BIG mistake!

A dear lady in a church I once pastored said to me, “Pastor, I’ve never told anyone this before, but God called me to be a missionary when I was a young girl. I told my father, and he said, ‘That’s wonderful! But you don’t need to go overseas to be a missionary. You can stay right here and be a teacher. It’s the same thing.’”

Then she said to me in a solemn voice, “I love my husband. He’s a good man and a Christian man. I love my children. They are faithfully in the church and they love the LORD, too. But, I live every day with the awful awareness that I have missed the LORD’s calling for my life.”

Let me beg of you: DON’T MISS THE LORD’S CALLING ON YOUR LIFE! He may not want you to be a preacher or a missionary. He may not want you to live outside the country in which you were born. But, He HAS a divine purpose for you somewhere! Don’t go your own way! It cost Paul two, two-year imprisonments, and it cost those to whom he would have preached, to miss the Gospel Message! We don’t live alone! He saved us for His purpose! Find it! Do it! NOW!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”