The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 106:21-30, “They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wonders in the land of Ham, And awesome things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him,

To turn away His wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word,

25 But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

26 Therefore He swore to them, That He would cast them down in the wilderness,

27 And that He would cast their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds; And the plague broke out among them.

30 Then Phinehas stood up and interposed; And so the plague was stayed.”

From Genesis to Revelation, the word plague () ?????nega( and ????? (plege) strikes fear in the hearts of thinking people.

We are most fearful of things we cannot physically see or mentally comprehend. Historically, plagues have not been mere happenings, but encompassed peoples of nations, who had forgotten or neglected the LORD. Few truly intelligent people today would overlook what our world is experiencing in the Coronavirus as incidental. I say “truly intelligent people,” because everyone in that category view nothing as “chancery”; they all see such tragedies as either severe warnings or sure judgments from Almighty God.

Look at our verses above: Were the people of that day worse than the people of our day? Determine for yourself. “They forgot God; they despised the pleasant land He had given them; they did not believe His Word; they grumbled in private and refused to listen to the Voice of the LORD.” Further, they engaged in the vilest evils of their time, joining themselves to false gods and sacrificing to the dead. All of this provoked the LORD God to anger, and “the plague broke out among them.”

You may say that nothing of what His people did in ancient times to provoke Him is occurring today. And I would reply that “none is so blind as him who will not see.” It was the German philosopher Friedrich Hegel who said, “The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” And George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We have

a worldwide plague of evil existing in the Church today, and many pastors, are both personally and professionally denying and repudiating the very Word of God, leading congregations across the globe deeply into apostasy. Do we think the LORD is asleep? Do we think He has not seen what is being done?

We need a Phinehas today, someone who will stand up and intercede for the Church and for the world-at-large! Note that Phinehas stood alone! He had no cadre of believers supporting him. He had no position of national authority. He stood alone for God. And God plus one is still a majority. David stood alone against Goliath. The boy’s five loaves and two fish stood over against 5,000 hungry people. We’ve learned a lot from science; but science itself is not an active power. The LORD God alone is the power. It is time for us to forsake all sin and trust in human endeavors and call upon Him in serious prayer. “And so the plague –this plague (will be) stayed.”

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 12:1-5, “Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the

Lord.

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago– whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know,

God knows— such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

3 And I know how such a man– whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows–

4 was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

5 On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.”

Maybe you’ve heard of the young college man who published two novels while still in school. The title of one was,

The Most Humble Man on Campus –and Why I Am. His second book was published just a year leater, while still

studying for his baccalaureate degree, was entitled, My Humility And How I Achieved It. Neither was well received.

The Apostle Paul knew the futility of boasting, and while he allowed that it was sometimes necessary, it was never profitable. There are numerous interpretations of the passage above, but my investigation has led me to believe that

Paul himself was the “man in Christ” to whom he secretly alludes. Whether it physically happened or was a spiritual vision, he avows he does not know. So, we must rest it there.

The fourteen years, however, Paradise, and the third heaven, we must acknowledge were all physical and spiritual in nature. Did not Jesus Himself say to the penitant thief on the cross, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise”? Paul acknowledges that while he does not have clarity regarding everything that happened on that occurrence, he heard

words that reached beyond his understanding; and for that reason, he was not allowed to repeat them.

Many saints throughout Christian history have experienced phenomenal events and have shared them only with family and close friends. Never, however (at least in my research), did any one of them ever boast or brag about their experience. They were solemn and sacred occurrances, thus they were held quietly awau from the ears of the general public, and revealed by others only upon the death of the one who experienced them.

I am an expert on nothing –especially, with respect to humility; yet, I know from experience that some encounters I have had could have only come from the LORD. Scripture teaches us that the LORD Jesus Christ alone is to receive praise for all godliness. So, when we encounter some spectacular event for which we cannot give a rational spiritual explanation, we must let it go and simply give quiet and humble praise to the LORD for allowing us to experience His hand in the spectacular. Whatever else you do, please don’t write a book! God is capable of making things known. Just give Him the Glory!

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 9:25-27, “And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to

receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be

disqualified.”

I’ve always liked sports. Something tells me that Paul did, too. But, whether he “liked” them or not, he understood the

underlying principles of sports-preparedness. A good motto for all sports is “self-control in all things.” Basketball is now

“in season,” and you don’t have to watch any game very long to see who has practiced and who has not.

Virtually all sports, too, require excellence in both offence and a defense. Making a score is one thing; but defending your goal is just as important. I watched a heavyweight boxing match this week and observed that boxers don’t only need to hit their opponents, they also need to keep their opponents from hitting them. It takes skill and courage, either way.

As believers, we are always engaged in spiritual struggles that demand self-control. And self-control is not just when we’re engaged in a spiritual battle; we have to be self-controlled all the time. We have to be on offence, but without being offensive. We have to be on defense, but without appearing defensive. How on Earth can we accomplish all of this?

We have to observe the verse I omitted; namely verse 23. “And I do all things for the sake of the Gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” If our purpose is to glorify the LORD, then we simply live-out the Gospel Message in front those who have yet to believe. That’s the “offensive” part. When those who do not know Christ Jesus as their Savior attack our right to witness or the witness itself, we must revert to the “defensive” part. That’s where we smile lovingly and trust Christ to give us the words of defense. Hint: the words of defense are found in the Bible. When we read, we qualify ourselves to be in the “game.” Yet, it’s not a game; it’s far more serious than a sports contest. The spiritual battle in which we engage has eternal consequences. So, prepare well and you will do well. Oh, by the way, the reward itself is imperishable!

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 11:1-6, “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you

as a pure virgin.

3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity

and purity of devotion to Christ.

4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you

have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.

6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to

you in all things.”

In our last Letter, we established that the Corinthian Church was a difficult group. They would never have had the Gospel of Jesus Christ, had it not been for the Apostle Paul. Paul introduced the Corinthians to Jesus! But, they have grasped every conceivable opportunity to criticize him! (Know anybody like that?) The Greeks were a sophisticated lot! They prided themselves on their correct usage of the Greek language. And despite Paul’s knowledge of Christ, and his willingness to share His message with them, they delighted in criticizing and demeaning him.

Paul shuns defense of himself somewhat, but he gives a strong defence of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ. He warns them of listening to “ministers,” who preach a “different” Gospel. That introduces another fault of the Corinthians: they loved to hear of “new things.” Thus, a new preacher with a “new thought,” was an open invitation for false instruction.

Maybe I am unskilled in speaking, Paul said; but I am not unskilled in knowledge!”

Some of you readers, who know me personally, know how I hate to hear people misuse the English language. Yet, I have to say that I’d rather hear language misused than to hear the Message of Christ distorted. Tomorrow is the LORD’s Day.

Listen carefully to your pastor. He may misuse the language, as we preachers often do. Just be sure he doesn’t distort the Gospel. You’ll never know if you don’t listen carefully. God bless you! Pray for your pastor, even as he preaches.

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 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are

taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…”

The Church at Corinth was about as worldly as a church can get. They were not only at odds with the LORD,

they were at odds with the Apostle Paul. In fact, when any church is at odds with a godly pastor, they are at

odds with the LORD. They criticized Paul for being strong and bold in his letters them, but not so tough when

he came to them in person. Some of the outspoken “worldlies” in the Corinthian Church accused Paul of being

worldly himself, i.e., living a fleshly lifestyle.

Paul’s response was that he did live in a human body and was subject to human ways, but he did not battle

in human, physical ways. His battles were spiritual, not physical. His weapons were “divinely powerful” and

could destroy spiritual fortresses. In fact, Paul assesses he was “destroying speculations (reasonings) and

everything that was working against the knowledge and will of God. And what was Paul’s starting point?

It was in “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Just pause for a moment and think about that –“taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

I see two “doors” in Paul’s thinking: one is that every thought not obedient to Christ was imprisoned; and

two, every thought that was obedient to Christ could be loosed and become operative for His glory! Give that

some careful thought. What is there in your thinking that ought to operate to the glory of God? And what is

there in your thinking that ought always to be captive and never acted upon? Humm…

Whether the LORD uses us, clearly depends upon our spiritual cleanliness and willing availability to Him.

Are we clean (I say “we” because I’m involved in this, too.)? Are we willing to be used of Him for His glory?

Every person who enlists with a team wants to play in the game! So, every person, who has signed on with

the LORD, wants to be used. Are you being used? If not, why not? And, if you are, what points have you scored

for His glory? Let’s pray for each other; and let’s hold ourselves –not someone else—accountable unto 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.”