The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 1:1-5, 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it….

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten

from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Several years ago, I sent a small flashlight to the son of some overseas friends. I remember his parents

writing and saying that he could hardly wait until it was dark, so that he could use the flashlight in the darkness.

John writes this fourth Gospel to the Church. It is what all sermons ought to be: it’s all about Jesus! He tells us

that Jesus was resident with God, His Father, and the Holy Spirit in eternity past. He tells us that Jesus was the Creator of all things. Moreover, He is life, which in turn, became the light of mankind. It is the responsibility of light

to dispel darkness. Darkness hinders sight. Light opens the way and identifies the impediments over which we

would otherwise stumble.

Jesus’ Life that was Light, then became flesh. He became man while retaining His deity. The darkness never

understood the Light. Nor do those who live in darkness today understand His glorious power and glory! Yet,

we who have been blessed to know Him, behold His glory and recognize that has indeed come to us from the

Father. He still shines into the darkest corners of our lives, cleansing us from every vile thought and deed. He

works fervently to make us in His own image, so that those who see us in daily life will see Him in us, and wish

to be made in His image, too.

Light also has beauty. Passing through a prism, light reveals its many glorious colors. Light focused as a lazer,

can pierce the hardest of objects. Light, properly utilized, can purify the filthiest and most vile objects imaginable.

Jesus is the light! He cleanses and purifies us, clothes us in His beauty, and directs our paths, as we walk in the

darkness of this world. Do you know Him? He is available to all who will turn willfully from sin and trust 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,

Luke 1:1-4, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us,

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in

consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have

been taught.”

Did you ever have an idea and believed it so fervently that you refused to investigate to see if you were wrong?

That has happened to a lot of people. Some of the ideas to which we fervently hold really don’t matter that much.

But, when we come to the Bible, the very Word of the Living God, we need to examine it most carefully.

When the Romans ruled the world, they often sent Greek slaves to medical school in order that they might serve as their family doctors. In all probability (thought it cannot be proved), Luke, the author of the third Gospel account, had been a Roman slave. Yet, somewhere along the line, he became a follow of Jesus Christ and later became the travelling companion of the Apostle Paul.

Inasmuch as Luke is writing to Theophilus (“lover of God”), a powerful ruler in his own right, we have to conclude that he wanted to get the story of Jesus straight; therefore, he “investigated everything carefully (with exactness) from the beginning to write it out for (him) in consecutive order…”

Luke, however, was not the only biblical investigator. Many years later, Sir William Ramsay, the renound Scotish archeologist, and a devout atheist, set out to disprove the Bible! Yet, in the conclusion of his extensive research, he became a believer and wrote the following concerning Luke’s account,

I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regard

to its trustworthiness…. You may press the words of Luke

in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand

the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.

Yes, Luke wrote his Gospel account specifically for Theophilus, but God intended it also to be for you and me,. So think like that when you read it. This was written especially for me! In that way, you will read it more carefully (just like

Luke originally wrote it) and it will become more meaningful to your life. It’s interesting, too, that a lowly servant wrote

it for the lowly servant who is reading this letter and for the lowly servant who has written it out for you. Isn’t it amazing how the LORD works!?

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,

Mark 11:25-26, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone;

so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.

26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”

For a number of years I conducted evangelistic meetings in a number of countries throughout the

world; and, to my surprise, I discovered what worked the hardest against lost people coming to

faith in the LORD Jesus Christ: the lack of forgiveness! To be accurate, I was more of a revivalist

than an evangelist. Once the church got right with the LORD, lost people began to come to Christ!

Mark writes more like a quick-copy newspaperman. He doesn’t mince words; he come right to the

point. Do you pray? he asks. Well, you have to forgive others before the LORD will forgive you.

Forgive is a word that means “to send away.” The things that we hold against others has to be

sent away –away out of our minds, and away out of our hearts.

Some weeks ago, a policewoman was tried and convicted of shooting and killing a young man.

At the trial (a portion of which was later shown online), the brother of the young man who was

killed, said from the witness stand that he forgave the officer for what she did. He then asked

permission from the judge to approach and hug the woman who killed his brother. The judge

gave permission, and he hugged her repeatedly as she wept profusely. It was a touching moment,

to say the least (no pun intended). In those moments of tenderness, the young man demonstrated

his forgiveness. It was brushed away, out of his mind and heart.

this list may have had someone kill a loved one of theirs, and they’re wondering why their prayers

are not being answered. It’s the lack of forgiveness.

I experienced a situation some years ago that provoked anger in my heart. A loved one of mind

was dealt wrongly, resulting in a serious loss. Quite honestly, I was furious! I nursed that grudge

for some years before I came to the point of forgiveness. And during that time, I had difficulty

with answers to my prayers. Hey, the LORD means business! And when I got right with Him,

He began to answer my needs. Do a little clean-up in your life and life will trully get better!

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,

Matthew 6:1-4 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them;

otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 “When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do

in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you,

they have their reward in full.

3 “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing

4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

The word Gospel means “Good News.” Sometimes we believers refer to “the four Gospels.”

Actually, there is just one “Good News,” and that’s about Jesus Christ coming into the world

and dying on the cross for our sins. Yet, there’s more! He arose from the grave and was

received again into Heaven from where He had come. Yet, when we say “four Gospels,”

we’re referring to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John –the four accounts of the Gospel.

Matthew was written to the Jews; Mark was written to the Romans, Luke, to the Greeks,

and John, to the Church.

Matthew warns us to beware of our motivations as we share this Good News. Some people

know more than other people in some matters. But when we flaunt our knowledge so that

people will look up to us and give us praise, we are doing wrong. Jesus is the one who died

for us and arose from the grave. He alone is worthy of man’s praise!

I seriously doubt that anyone reading this letter ever literally blew a trumpet when they dropped

money in the offering plate. But they might have said, “Whew! I don’t know how I’m going to

make it through this next week. Do you know how much I gave to the LORD this morning?”

The LORD tells us to give quietly. Here’s how: put your money in an envelope, and if you

Indicate on the envelope how much you have given, drop the envelope into the offering

plate UPSIDE DOWN! That’s what the Word means when it says not to let your left hand

know what the right hand is doing.

Here is what’s really important: The LORD sees what you’ve given, and He also knows how

much you have left! (He can read through envelopes!) We are to do what we do quietly, and

He promises to reward us. There is much that I could saw in support of His rewards, but it

can be summed up in this: You cannot out give God! He has given His Son; and the Son is

the Savior of the World. We have nothing of which to be proud –nothing except 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.”

Dear Grands,

Colossians 3:5-10, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6 For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,

7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him…”

There’s a little rhyme that came to mind as I loaded the six verses above:

I don’t smoke

And I don’t chew;

And I don’t go with

Girls that do.

The intimation of that verse is that all bad stuff has been emptied from the author’s lifestyle. But how does that rhyme

connect with the biblical verses above? Hang on, and I think you soon see it.

Paul urges the Colossian believers to “consider the members of (their) earthly bod(ies) as dead to immorality,

Impurity, passion evil desire, and greed. Those are the elements of evil that perished simultaneously with their coming to faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. That’s the “heavy stuff,” and its all gone under the Blood of Christ. Forgiven. Forever.

But that’s not the end of the fight with the flesh. The six sins noted in verses 8 and 9 are not so easily dismissed.

Have you noted that? Anger (orge, impulsive wrath), wrath (thumos, rage), malice (kakia, wickedness), slander (blasphemia, blasphemy), abusive speech ((aischrologia), and lying (pseudomai) false speech) –all of these creep back into our lives and explode in unexpected moments. They may not dominate our daily lives, but they exist; and it’s their existence that ruins our testimony for Jesus Christ.

I won’t go so far as to say that lost, unregenerate people are “spying” on us as believers. But to some extent they are. We’re the ones they know as “Christians” (little Christs, as it were). We lay claim to being different; and when we are at our best, we are different. But in moments of tension, when we say or do something that is less than it ought to be, the ones who need our witness and need Jesus Christ, lose hope in Him, as they lose hope in us.

We must always be on guard! We must always be truthful! We must always be aware of Satan, who ensnares us and drags down our good words and works. Live in the Word of God! Live in earnest prayer that He will enable you to stand strong and forthright in the “faith once delivered to the saints.” God bless you abundantly! I pray for you daily!

Please keep 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.”