The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 1:28-29, “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that

we may present every man complete in Christ.

29And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”

I’m sure you have someone (maybe more than one) of whom you are exceedingly proud: a mother, a dad, a son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter. Maybe a close and endearing friend. You were so thrilled, so pleased, that you wanted everyone to see and meet the one you loved so much! Well, what if you were in jail? Or “imprisoned” with the virus? How would you manage for your dearly beloved and others to meet?

Paul faced just such a dilemma. He had appealed to Caesar and was imprisoned in Rome awaiting that audience. Days had gone by, weeks on end. Would he ever meet Caesar that he might share his Beloved Savior, Jesus?

In the meantime, he wrote letters. Four of his 14 writings in the New Testament (Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians) are known as “Prison Epistles.” And whether or not he would ever meet Caesar, he could write to his beloved friends and tell them more about this Special Friend, his LORD and Savior, Jesus!

Paul loved the Word of God, but His proclamation was the person of Jesus! Fastened to a Roman guard for hours, the guard had only to listen, as Paul admonished (????????, noutheteo, instructed) and taught (???????, didasko, preached to every visitor he had. Do you believe you would do that? We (and I include myself) probably would be talking with an attorney, seeking every possible means for our release. Yet, bound or released, Paul’s driving force was to preach Jesus to everyone that they might be “complete,” having reached the end fit to stand before the LORD.

Paul had but one purpose: that others might know Christ Jesus as fully and completely as he did. Wow! That really

stimulates my soul! I need to be more like that! I need to be the LORD’s “prisoner,” free only to share Him with others!

What about you? Would you like to be free? –really FREE? Then, become a “prisoner” of our loving LORD! There’s

nothing like it in all the world.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. Please remember to pray for the salvation of Whitney Tilson, the New York millionaire, who carried mulch for Samaritan’s Purse?

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.”