The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Timothy 4:2-3, “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…”

Someone recently asked me if I were related to Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. I responded with my usual quip, “We might be related, if he could only learn to properly spell his name.”

The good doctor and I have never met, yet I faithfully follow his weekly ministry on television. We agree on most

things, like the inerrancy of the Scriptures and the basic theology that they contain and teach. We both endeavor to “preach the Word,” as Paul enjoins Timothy to do.

But preachers differ in personality, and personalities have a lot to do with the delivery of the Messages. The same is true of each of us in witnessing. You’ve heard the expression, “It takes all kinds.” So it does. When I was a pastor, my delivery was different than when I was an evangelist, but the Message was always the same. To be more specific, I was even more of a “revivalist” than I was an “evangelist.” I discovered early on that churches needed to get right with the LORD before they could reach the lost with the Gospel. When the Church got revived, lost people began to be saved.

Being “ready in season and out of season” means being morally and spiritually prepared to share the Word, as well as being intellectually prepared to reason well and respond lovingly, as the situation demands. To “reprove” is to expose sin and error in someone’s life. To “rebuke” is to sternly warn of God’s coming judgment and Hell to follow.

To “exhort” is to urge with encouragement and “great patience and instruction.”

Why all of this? Because there is a time coming –a time that may already be here—when people will not listen to sound instruction, from thee pulpit or the pew. Rather, they will swarm around those who say what they want to hear. Someone recently told me of a teaching heard in church –a doctrine with which the hearer did not agree. It was an unsound doctrine, a teaching that has subtly displaced Scriptural Truth. We must be alert! Only the Scriptures are the Word of God, and only the Scriptures are totally without error. We must live in the Word if we are to discern God’s Truth from man’s error. God bless you abundantly, as you remain faithful to Him!

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,

Psalm 31:7-8, “I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,

Because Thou hast seen my affliction;

Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,

8 And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;

Thou hast set my feet in a large place.”

Some people have the idea that becoming a Christian means the end of all trials and tribulations.

Those of us who have become Christians know how wrong ideas like that are. The psalmist David

spent long nights in the fields with his sheep. He had many hours available for prayer, praise, and

fellowship with the LORD. He also had encounters with animals that were, for nefarious reasons,

seeking his sheep. Yes, he had his share of afflictions, but the love of the LORD was always near.

Missionaries who have dedicated the entirety of their lives are often far from everything but trouble.

Pastors, evangelists, Christians in every walk of life know what it is to have troubles that affect the

Soul. I could write a book on troubles I’ve encountered, and with so-called “Christian” people in

the church. When those you love and have received your ministry both from the pulpit and at the

hospital bed, now turn angerly against you – those things trouble you soul.

David reckons, as I have sometimes reckoned, that we could easily have been given over to our

enemies. David’s enemies could be men, who were looking to steal his sheep, or wild animals that

were looking for his sheep for food. Either way, he had enemies; yet, the LORD knows the troubles

of His children’s souls.

When our souls are troubled, we often fall into fear. We become anxious and frustrated because

we have no ready answer to squelch that fear; much less, do we know where to go. David turned

to the LORD in prayer. He looked UP and away from the circumstances that plagued him. When

the LORD answered his prayer, he rejoiced in singing the LORD’s praises! And, in turn, the LORD

altered the place of David’s service. That’s what it means to have Him “set (your) feet in a large place.”

You may not always be serving Him in the place where you are now. He sees your labor of love, and

may promote you to a wider place of service. Don’t be afraid! You belong to Him! And He will always

be with you and lead you in right paths. Let’s just praise Him for Who He is!

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,

Psalm 30:4-5, “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones,

And give thanks to His holy name.

5For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime;

Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning,”

Have you ever known that the LORD was angry with you? It’s not an easy question to ask

because to ask it is to acknowledge having examined it myself. Yet, we have all done and

said things that were not to the glory of the LORD. Conscience rises within us to mock us

in our sin. But, it is even more humbling to know and acknowledge the wrath of Almighty God!

I was often spanked as a child. A friend and I recently rehearsed that subject and discovered

it was a mutual experience to both of us. (Who’s surprised?) But, we both knew at the time

that the administrator of justice was only angry for the moment. Her favor was “for a lifetime.”

So it is with the LORD.

Therefore, the psalmist can encourage us to “Sing praise to the LORD…give thanks to His

Holy Name.” For as with our parents in younger days, so it is with the anger of the LORD.

His anger is disciplinary. He knows what to do to accelerate our rememberance. Our “weeping

may last for the night,” as in our youth; but our “shout of joy will come in the morning,” when

as adults, we understand and employ the life that is pleasing to Christ.

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,

Psalm 27:11-14, “Teach me Thy way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path, Because of my foes.

12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

Do you know what makes good teachers? Good teachers! Those of us who have lived a few years, can recall the techniques some of our teachers had. One, of course, was pleasantness. It’s always easier to learn from someone who is pleasant. You like them and want to be like them. Another characteristic of a good teacher is one who lives what he teaches. A good teacher, also, knows how to control things when they go wrong. When we were young, and things went wrong, we were confident that the teacher could straighten them out.

I see a lot of the paragraph above foretold in the verses above. The LORD is our Teacher. He leads as He teaches and keeps us from slipping by providing level pathways. There are always adversaries, but He can handle them and He does! People lie against us because we’re Christians or because they want to cause us trouble. Sometimes, these adversaries become violent and engage in some dangerous activities. All of that is disturbing, regardless of whether we are Christians. Yet, we have confidence in Him in every situation, just as we did the teacher, only more so.

But the question remains: what do we do? and when do we do it? The answer lies there waiting in the last verse:

“Wait for the LORD!” Don’t presume to answer every problem yourself. You may not even understand the problem, much less, the answer. Yes, “be strong,” and “take courage” in your heart. But don’t get in a rush and attempt to be your own savior. You’re not the Savior. You don’t have the ability apart for God to overcome adversity. Don’t hurry. Just wait, and trust the LORD! He never fails; and He’s always on time! “Let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:4).

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,

Psalm 31:23-24, “O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

Did you ever say something that shocked you? It was just something that you never expected

to come out of your mouth! Before you answer, note that I have not said that you were wrong

in what you said, or that was bad. Nor have I said that you were right. My initial sentence only

implies that what you said was unexpected! You were shocked by what came out of your mouth.

The psalmist says that if we love the LORD, He preserves us because we are faithful. The one

who loves the LORD speaks up on His behalf, regardless of the one with whom they are speaking.

It could be the Chief of Police, the Mayor, the Governor, a Senator or the President. It doesn’t

matter. The shock came because you didn’t realize you had the courage to speak up for the LORD.

The “flip side” of the psalmist’s note is that one who is too proud to admit that the LORD’s Word

has value and power, will simply not speak up for the Him, but will be recompensed for spiritual

weakness, which, in effect, is a denial of one’s own spiritual affiliation with the Savior.

We’ve all been in both situations. When we’re faithful, it shows that we possess real strength and

courage. When we’re proud, we demonstrate spiritual weakness and fear. Instead of standing up

for the LORD, we want to align oourselves with their thinking instead of His. For shame! What is

gained by denying the LORD? If you wonder, ask Simon Peter.

“Be strong,” the psalmist says. “Let your heart take courage.” Self pride demonstrates fear. Hope

lies in our LORD, Jesus Christ; and others need to see it in us. Remember: Everyone is either looking

for something he doesn’t have, or he’s running from something he doesn’t want, or he’s found

it and is trying to share it. Let’s pray for ourselves and each other. The world has enough weaklings!

It’s time we made a stand for Jesus!

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.”