The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 4:1-5, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’
4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.”

Has it ever occurred to you that if salvation were accomplished by works, some would never ever be able to be saved? I’m always touched emotionally when I see the television ads from children’s hospitals. Yes, it’s encouraging to know that there are those who truly care about crippled children. But some of them will never be completely cured of their maladies. How then could they be spiritually saved, if salvation were dependent upon some kind of physical works?

The LORD God has fixed all of that by providing salvation by faith instead of by works. Paul speaks of Abraham in our verses above. “Abraham believed God.” Later, in this same Letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ” (10:17). All of that simply assures us that salvation is not a matter of who we are or what we physically do; it depends solely upon whether we believe in Jesus Christ and are trusting Him as our LORD and Savior. That takes in everybody!

None of what Paul says regardiing faith is intended to discourage us from living rightously. Attending church, reading the
Scriptures, praying, paying tithes –doing all kinds of good works is commendable. Still, those works are the products of
salvation, not the means to it. Don’t get the cart before the horse. We were all physically born in sin; that’s why Jesus said, “You
must be born again!” –this time, spiritually! And it comes by believing that His death on the cross and His resurrection prove He
is able and willing to save us. Repentance is telling Him that we are sorry for our sin. Faith is trusting Him to be faithful to His promise to save us when we repent and believe. Have you done that? Have you confessed your sins and asked the LORD to forgive you? Pray and trust Him and see what He will do for your life! I am praying for you.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 4:11-15, “I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on.”

If your inbox is assaulted like mine, you are aware that there are numerous persons, who look upon you for what they believe they can extract from you without exposure. Numerous items of electronic and other interest are paraded by way of your inbox, purportedly for free –until you are most graciously invited to give them your Credit Card information. At that point, I hear Paul’s
nephew’s youthful words to the Roman Commander, “Do not listen to them!” (Acts 23:21).

In the same way, for various ways of wickedness, we are skillfully directed away from the goodness of the LORD into the paths that led to death and destruction. Even a recent Executive Order has opened restrooms previously reserved for but one party of human nature now to anyone who “feels” himself or herself to be at that moment of the opposite sex. State and Federal legislatures put forth proposals that would only increase the wickedness already deeply embedded in human nature. Again, Paul’s youthful nephew cries, “Do not listen to them!”

The Sacred Scriptures the LORD has given us promise wisdom, if we will but heed them. Take hold of the discipline by which we are instructed. “Guard her,” the Word says, “for she is your life.” Intentionally avoid the path of the wicked that leads to sin and death! Stay far away from “the way of evil men.” Only the foolish give their financial information to unknown sources. Only the foolish neglect the wisdom of Holy Scripture! Hopefully, we know which is more valuable. Keep in mind the wisdom of a young lad, who said to a military commander, “Do not listen to them,” for only the Word of the LORD directs us into right paths.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Acts 26:24-29, “And while Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.’
25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.
26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.”
28 And Agrippa Acts replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”
29 And Paul said, “I would to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”

Someone once asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” It’s an amusing question, yet it requires a soberingly truthful response. What kind of a “Christian” are you?

The Apostle Paul was charged by the Jews with teaching things that were contrary to their beliefs. This is now his fifth occasion to give testimony. He first spoke to the Jews, as he stood under Roman guard (Acts 22). He then spoke before the Jewish Council (Acts 23); then before Felix (Acts 24); then before Festus (Acts 25); and finally before Agrippa (Acts 26). On each of these occasions, Paul boldly stood his ground and firmly avowed that Jesus Christ had arisen from the dead.

On his defense before King Agrippa, Paul daringly and pointedly asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” Would we be so bold to ask this of important governmental officials today? I should hope we would! According to a recent survey of those serving in our American Congress, over 80 percent claim to be Christians. Yet, their positions on legislative matters are often contrary to the biblical principles they profess to believe and uphold.

Sadly, the word “Christian” often today simply conveys that one is not without a “religious position.” The Scriptures, however, affirm that a true “Christian” is one who has repented of sin and has trusted the LORD Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Far too often those in “high places” (both in government and business) claim they are Christians, but live and behave as if they are not. That’s even true of some who claim to have been called of God to minister His Truth as pastors and leaders in the church.

May the LORD help us to be bold in our witness! At the same time, we are to be honest and loving; we are to be concerned for others, and not puffed up over the fact of our boldness. We are accountable to witness and we are accountable to be gentle and loving of those to whom we witness. There is no evidence that Agrippa ever truly trusted Jesus, but he was certainly on the threshold. We might be surprised to know how many truly want to know Jesus, even as they laugh and jest at our witness. Be bold! Be loving! Be consistent! Be humble! Be prayerful! Be prepared! Be thankful. God bless you as you live to do His will.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Numbers 17:11-13, “Moses then said to Aaron, ‘Take a censer, put fire in it from the altar, place incense on it and hurry to the community to perform the rite of expiation for them: for retribution has come from Yahweh, plague has broken out.’
12 Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the community, but plague had already broken out among the people. He put in the incense and performed the rite of expiation for the people.
13 Then he stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
14 There were fourteen thousand seven hundred victims of the plague, apart from those who died because of Korah.”

The word plague () ????????maggepha( is mentioned more than 70 times in the Bible. It means: a blow, a slaughter, or a pestilence. What we are experiencing in the world today has brought forth historical thoughts of the Black Plague that occurred in the world in the mid-14th Century. Termed “the Black Death,” because black sores broke out on human flesh, it has been estimated that between 25 to 30 million deaths occurred, taking some 200 hundred years for European countries to recuperate completely.

“There were so many deaths and so many bodies that the authorities did not know what to do with them, and carts piled high with corpses became common across Europe. It seemed the only course of action was to stay put, avoid people, and pray.”

The Covid pandemic that we are currently experiencing may well be a judgment the LORD is bringing against our nation. It is easy to blame others, but we would do well to examine ourselves. We have allowed millions of innocent children to be aborted. We have corrupted our own morality, allowing crassness and filth to pervade the society in which we live. We have lessened the depths of serious worship and brushed aside ancient Biblical truths. We have trivialized those elements the LORD terms as sacred, sweeping away what is not convenient to our decadent lifestyles. Then we dare to approach the LORD God for mercy without the slightest thought of repentance.

It is time for us to engage in serious repentance for our sins. We are as a nation what we are as its citizenry. We who fail to speak up are as culpable as those who won’t shut up. We engage in willful disobedience to the principles of the God we purport to worship. We’re learning how to “stay put” and “avoid people.” When will be learn to engage in serious, soul-searching prayer?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Acts 22:6-10, “”And it came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,
7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
8 “And I answered, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
10 “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’”

In my evangelistic ministry, it was sometime appropriate to have those who had committed their lives to Christ to openly share with others what had actually taken place in their lives, as they were committed to Christ.. In the verses above, we are encountering the Apostle Paul doing that very thing. He is recounting to crowd of Jews in Jerusalem what had happened to him on the Road to Damascus, as recorded in Acts chapter 9.

Notice that Paul asked only two questions. The first was, “Who are you, Lord?” The bright light was unique, and Paul recognized that whoever was causing the brightness was superior to him. That’s the first step in coming to know Jesus. He is superior to you, just as He was to Paul. Paul’s second question was, “What shall I do?” Paul was not immediately given precise instructions from the LORD relative to what he was to do. Yet, it was an acknowledgement of his willingness to obey. Obedience almost always has several steps.

The first step is to recognize the LORD’s superiority. He is superior over all things. He created the worlds and all that is within them. He holds the planets and stars in place; therefore, He is competent to superintend your life and all things within it. Have you recognized His superiority? That is the first step.

The second step is to surrender your life totally and completely to Jesus? Here, you give your life’s activities totally to Christ Jesus, just as Paul did when he asked, “What shall I do?” Some of you who are reading this are of the age that you are wondering what you are to do in life. Others of you made that choice on your own years ago. Now, you are asking, “How do I start over? I trained for what I am now; how do I change everything at my advanced age? You begin from where you are. The LORD has known His purpose for your life all along. He will now guide you from your current age onward. It will amaze you how He will transform your abilities to suit His purpose! That’s what trust and faith are all about. From this time forward, the LORD will lead and guide your life.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom