The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 1:14-17, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

15 Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew

first and also to the Greek.

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live

by faith.’”

Are you indebt? Oh, there are various kinds of indebtedness. You may be indebt for your home or your car or your college tuition. But those are all financial debts. There are debts of kindness, debts of love, debts that cannot be measured, thus they can never be fully repaid. Paul, the author of Romans and 13 other books of the New Testament, declared his indebetedness to the Greeks and barbarians (strangers).

The LORD declared Paul’s indebtedness when He said to Ananias, “…he (Paul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). While Paul’s primary task is to preach to the Gentiles, he does not neglect the Jews; and in the process, he is brought before kings, much as the late Billy Graham was welcomed by dignitaries throughout the world.

Paul is eager to preach! Everything he had done up to this point had been wrong! When he met the LORD, he changed his message and his direction. He was no longer ashamed of the Gospel. He had witnessed the LORD’s power and salvation on the Damascus Road! He now saw himself as indebted to everyone! And the world was turned around through his ministry!

Now, let’s go back to that first question: Are you indebt? If you know the LORD Jesus Christ, you are! All who know Him are! The teller at the bank; the girl filling the shelves in the store; the checkout person; the garage mechanic; the doctors, the nurses — we owe them a debt! We know the One they all need. He’s the One the world needs! Jesus Christ is our Hope! Others need Him to be their hope! Pray for your lost friends, and share Jesus with them!

We may not have much time left; and that leaves them with virtually no time at all.

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 28:1-6, “And when they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

2 And the natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the

cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat,

and fastened on his hand.

4 And when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, ‘Undoubtedly

this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’

5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a

long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was

a god.”

Did you ever change your mind? Be careful! To admit to having changed your mind implies that you were wrong in the first place. Mathematically, you are then only 50% correct overall. I don’t need to retell the account; it’s all there above in six verses. The ship on which Paul was sailing ultimately crashed. There were no deaths; still, it was raining and cold. They desperately needed a fire.

By the way, did you notice who was gathering wood for the fire? It was Paul, the able servant-minister of the LORD Jesus Christ, the Creator of the world and all the heavens! Paul gathered sticks for the fire. Don’t ever conceive of yourself as too good or too important to do menial things that are of benefit to others. Self-assessment usually weighs in its own favor. That’s what the assessment of the natives was, when they witnessed a viper emerge from the stick and fasten on Paul’s hand. “He’s a murder!” they said, and expected him to die from the viper’s bite. When Paul did not die, the natives changed their minds and reckoned he was a god. (Just as well Paul was gathering sticks. Had he envisioned himself a god, he might have died.) But God had a greater work for him to do.

Were you ever wrong in your assessment of someone? I sure have been. I can remember people I thought to be less than “normal,” only to discover that they were far more competent than I was! That stings like a viper’s bite!!

Snap judgments are usually wrong. “I can’t talk to him about Jesus,” you say, only to hear him say, “I was hoping there would be someone I could talk to about the Bible.” Believe me when I say that Paul’s shipwreck on Malta was as much the plan of God as his imprisonment in Rome! We simply overlook the “little” things and focus on those we assess to be “more important.” It’s just not always that way.

Meeting an old friend you haven’t seen since high school; having someone ask you direction to the nearest eatery; coming upon someone who has been crying –each and all of these are opportunities to share the Gospel. I’ve told you before that I often use humor. But, I notice other opportunities, too. Be alert! Assess situations! Don’t draw conclusions too quickly! Stay prayerful. Keep Christ and His Word at the fore of your thinking. And in the LORD’s own time, you’ll discover the true meaning of the viper’s bite! And it doesn’t hurt! God bless you abundantly!

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 27:22-25, “And yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but

only of the ship.

23 “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,

24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who

are sailing with you.’

25 “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.”

Do you remember a few Letters ago when we talked about Paul being jailed in Jerusalem? The LORD appeared to him, promising that everything would go well. Immediately after that promise, Paul’s nephew spoke to the Commander about the plot to take Paul’s life. The Commander wrote a letter to introduce Paul to Felix, who was in Caesarea. Then under heavy guard, the Commander sent Paul to stand before Felix.

Back in the Jerusalem jail, the LORD spoke to Paul, assuring him that he would stand before Caesar. Now, en route to Rome with an horrendoous storm preying upon the ship, an angel of the LORD once again encourages Paul, “Do not be afraid… you must stand before Caesar…” Paul, then encourages the sailors and passengers, saying, “I believe God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.”

Sometimes when we hear the LORD call us to a specific task, we find obstacles in the way. Satan is very real, and he always, without fail, seeks to intervene. But, God is Almghty! He keeps His word and He can overpower Satan.

Our responsibility is simply to believe the LORD and get on with what He intends us to do. We may not be called to do exactly what others do. Yet, it is our responsibility to determine our part and follow His directions. Remember these words: encourage, believe, pray. Then apply them rigorously despite all external circumstances. Yes, Paul did stand before Caesar; and it is necessary that all mankind hear the LORD’s Word and come to faith in Him! You and I have a responsibility to share Christ. Are we fulfilling His calling to us? Encourage, believe, pray.

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 23:19-22, “And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately,

‘What is it that you have to report to me?’

20 And he said, ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they

were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him.

21 ‘So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under

a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.’

22 Therefore the commander let the young man go, instructing him, ‘Tell no one that you have notified me of these

things.’”

Did you ever sell someone short? That’s another way of saying “Did you ever look at someone, especially a child, and say to yourself, “He’s just a kid! He could never do what I need him to do!” There’s no way of knowing, of course, but it would be interesting to know exactly what went through the Commander’s mind when Paul’s young nephew shared the conspiracy that was afoot, a conspiracy to kill his Uncle Paul.

Did the boy’s manner strike strangely in the way he spoke to the Commander? It was as if he just blurted it all out! The childish way in which he instructed the military leader is itself amusing. “So, do not listen to them!” he said rather commandingly, leaving nothing to chance. Children tend to be forthright and determined in the way they say things. This boy’s facts were in tandum with his determination. His mind was not cluttered with the sights inside the prison. He knew what he was saying and why it was necessary to get it all straight.

The very mention of the boy’s manner of speech contrasts with what we would expect. As adults, we often feel sensitive, and sometimes necessary to add to the facts our implications. Yet, these only clutter the minds of our hearers and leave them wondering what it was we really intended to say. Little kids only clutter their rooms, not their minds. They learn mind clutter from us.

How old was Paul’s nephew? It’s impossible to know with certainty. The word for “lad” in Greek is ?????????, neaniskos, meaning “a young man,” making him to be somewhere in the range of 8 to 10 years old, but possessing

a clear concept of truth and bespeaking the decorum of a well-trained child. We would all do well to examine the pattern of a well-trained youth, even better to exploit it. Let’s examine ourselves carefully. The better behaved we are, the clearer our mission will be to ourselves and to those we pray to win to the Savior.

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,

I regret that these items were mistaken on tonight’s Grands Letter.

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.”