The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 1:19-23, “And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 And he confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

22 They said then to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

When you really get down to the root of it, there are only two basic kinds of questioners: One is sincere and really

wants to know what you know. The other is insincere, doesn’t know what you know, but wants you to think that what he knows is better than what you know. One is a sincere seeker; the other is only argumentative. John the Baptist encountered both, but the latter (the insincere), those who had come from the priests and the Levites, were contentious and obnoxious.

John, on the other hand, kept his composure and responded graciously to his inquirers. Politely (as we interpret his replies), he responds saying, “I am not the Christ…I am not (Elijah or the Prophet). I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’ (just as Isaiah said).”

What we can profitably draw from this passage should be self-evident. Those who approach us regarding our beliefs, or those whom we approach with a witness for Christ Jesus, are either sincere and wanting to know, or they are insincere and want to endlessly debate. The latter seek debate as a means of self-extraction from the guilt of sin. Some of them know they are outside of God’s will. If they can “defeat” the one witnessing for Jesus, they feel less guilty, if guilty at all. But, in this they are self-defeating because “defeating a witness is not extraction from sin. It takes the love and blood of Jesus to deliver them.

So, how should we behave in such a situation? What did John the Baptist do? He refused to be ruffled. He spoke

Truth in love. He stood his ground in the Prophet Isaiah. John was not the Savior, yet he had fulfilled his responsibility in witnessing. Can you behave like that? Most definitely you can! He cared for his questioners, but their insincerity barred them from the Truth. Be like John! Don’t get discouraged. You were not called to “win” them, but to witness of the One who could. May the blessed LORD both ground and guide you is my prayer.

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,

John 1:5-9, “There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.

9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

Did you ever meet someone and think he was someone else? Situations like that are embarrassing.

If anyone mistook John the Baptist for Jesus, it was his own fault, because John made sure no one

thought he was Jesus. Oh, John came with authority from God. Make no mistake about that. But his

mission was to introduce Jesus. Jesus is the Light, and John is presenting Him to the world. Why?

The world is in darkness and in desperate need of the Light. It has been that way since the beginning

of Creation. God has sent His Son, Jesus, into the darkness to rescue mankind from sin. The “true

Light” is the only One who can affect man’s rescue. Moreover, He makes salvation possible for every

person, no matter how deeply embedded they might be in sin.

He “enlightens every man.” That does not mean that every man will be rescued or saved. It simply

means that God is not partial to anyone; therefore, He makes it possible for everyone to be saved.

It’s not just an effort to do better that saves man; nor is it man’s affiliation with religion that saves him.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as God’s own sacrifice for sinful, decadent mankind.

And when man expresses to God his sorrow for his sin (that’s repentance), and expresses thanks to

God for sending His Son (that’s faith), God accepts man into His own Family of believers.

I once witnessed to a young woman, who said, “I guess I’ve just not gone that far yet.” That has been

many years ago. I still pray for her that she might accept Jesus Christ before it’s too late. How about

you? Are you in God’s Family? If you’re not, let’s settle that right now. And if you are in His Family,

are you praying and witnessing for those who are not? That’s the calling of every believer.

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,

John 1:6-8, “There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.”

Names are primarily the designations of specific people. “George, come here immediately!” If there is but

one “George” in your family, you know immediately who is intended by that solicitation. If you were calling a

“George” in my family, I can count six “Georges”: George William, George Wayne, George Wallace, George Henry,

George C., and just plain George. Which George do you want?

It’s somewhat the same with the “Johns” in the Bible. We have John Mark, John the brother of James (i.e., the Apostle), and John the Baptist. John Mark went by Mark, thus we have only two Johns, if we think of John Mark

simply as “Mark.” John the brother of James (i.e., the Apostle John) is the author of the Gospel of John, as well

as 1ST, 2ND, 3RD John, and the Revelation.

John the Baptist has no direct, relational affiliation as what we know today as the Baptist Church. Literally, he

should be known as “John, the baptizing one.” He was, however, a first cousin of our LORD Jesus Christ, and

was divinely selected to be Jesus’ forerunner. Think of it like this: the Vice President of the United States generally

speaks first and introduces the President. John the Baptist came on the scene first to introduce the LORD Jesus

Christ to everyone. He came as a preliminary witness to the Light in order that all might believe through him.

It is not the calling of any believer to be the primary witness of the LORD Jesus; yet, it is the calling of every true

believer to witness to others of that same LORD! And we are to bear witness to Him through our dedicated lives

that all (that is, everyone!) might believe upon Him as their Savior and LORD. I’ve led some people to faith in

Jesus, who said of me, “He saved me!” No, I never saved anyone. But, I have had the privilege of sharing my

faith with some who then came to know Him!

If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you have this responsibility, too. We are not “saviors,” but we are

to be witnesses. We are not responsible for whether others accept Him, but we are responsible whether we tell them how! Tell someone this week! You’ll be amazed at how good you feel just knowing that you have obeyed the King of Kings and LORD of Lords! God bless you!

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,

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.”