The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; 14who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

I can clearly recall the meaningful joy Proverbs 25:25 brought to my heart when I was far from home and felt very much alone. It reads: “Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.” Yet, being physically close to those whom we love, has no comparison to these words of the Apostle. For “the grace of God” that brings “salvation” overshadows every joy and sorrow of an understanding human heart.

Paul speaks of the past when he says, “The grace of God has appeared…” That loving grace was in Jesus Christ, who brought “salvation to all men” through His death and resurrection! He does not show partiality, but in every nation those who respect and believe in Him, He welcomes and receives in love and salvation (Acts 10:34).

Paul then speaks of the present, when he says that the LORD instructs those who have committed their lives to Christ, to resist and do away with all “ungodliness and worldly desires.” We are to live “righteously and godly” in front of others. That intuitively means we are to allow the instruction of Holy Scripture to teach us the ways of the LORD. Moreover, that requires us to sit under the teaching of sound biblical doctrine!

Sound doctrinal teaching includes the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return. That is the future aspect of Paul’s instruction, and it encourages us to live in readiness. The redemption that Christ offers is potentially available to everyone; however, it requires our personal acceptance of Him as Savior and LORD over all aspects of our lives. As military servicemen obeys their superior officer, so we are required to submit to His total leadership over our lives.

Have you committed your life to Jesus Christ? Is He your LORD and Savior? The only hope we have, as we live in this sinful world, is Jesus Christ. You may have tried other things, why not give Jesus an opportunity with your life? He has never failed.

Heartily yours 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,

Psalm 5:1-7, “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my groaning.
2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to Thee do I pray.
3 In the morning, O LORD, Thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.
4 For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with Thee.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity.
6 Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7 But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, at Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.”

You and I are not the only ones to experience evil in the world. Since the Garden of Eden, sin and trouble have invaded the residence of man. There’s an old hymn that says,

Living below in this old sinful world,
Hardly a comfort can afford;
Striving alone to face temptations sore,
Where could I go but to the Lord?

David’s cry to the LORD commenced in the morning and continued throughout the day. He acknowledges that no evil resides in the LORD, nor does the LORD look with favor upon mankind’s indulgence in sinful activities. The LORD is poised to destroy evil and those who relentlessly practice it.

David’s determination is to forsake evil in favor of the lovingkindness of the LORD. What a challenge for us! In David’s time, the House of the LORD was a physical Temple. Today, His Temple is the life of those who have renounced sin and trusted Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.

When we come to know the LORD Jesus by faith, His Holy Spirit enters into us and resides within us forever. He then protects us from the rigors of evil and guides us in the paths of righteousness. He forever loves us and and enables us to love others, even our enemies who would like to destroy us.

Does this all sound exciting? Believe me, it is! The pressures that sin brings upon us are successfully resisted by the Holy Spirit. Our focus then becomes the LORD Himself instead of the sin that would wreck us. His abundant Life leaves no room any other. We are sheltered forever in Him and His Love! Yield your life to Him! He truly loves and preserves us from evil.

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,

Psalm 115:15-18, “May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
16 The heavens are the heavens of the LORD; But the Earth He has given to the sons of men.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But as for us, we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD!”

It would seem that most people believe that we who live on Earth, deserve the blessings of the LORD. Yet, rarely, if ever, is that true! Yes, He, who created the Heavens and the Earth, did it for man as His provision of our habitation. But we must be careful, lest we become presumptive of all He has given us.

At the same time, we who are blessed of Him ought also to bless Him for all His provisions. He has blessed us with life and the beauty of loving others. Love is His chief quality, and He has enabled us to love and praise Him, along with others of His creation.

Those who perish physically cannot continue to praise Him, as once they did. Though they loved and cherished Him in life, they can no longer exhibit His love. Yet, our cherished memories of their dedicated love lives on. And those memories treasured in our hearts shall continue to praise and bless the LORD to the very end of time.

Oh, may we always use care when saying, “Praise the LORD!” May such never be uttered glibly or superficially. May we always be aware of His right to our praise. Job of old says, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). May that ever and always be our 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 5:28-32, “’We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’
29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.
30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Have you ever been warned not to do something you knew without a doubt was the right thing to do? Perhaps, someone in authority warned you not to do it. Yes, we live in difficult times. But true Christians have always lived under difficult circumstances. What is important are not the circumstances, but the way we live in reaction to them.

The disciples of Jesus were teaching about Him in an open, public forum. Their teaching was strongly opposed by the Jews. In a formal session of the Council (the Sanhedrin) the Jews strictly warned the disciples not to teach about Jesus! Peter’s response was courageously clear: “We must obey God rather than men.” Peter backed up his courage with the Gospel message that he and the other disciples had personally experienced.

Having received the Holy Spirit, Peter and his companions spoke freely of Him. The Council, however, had no knowledge of any Holy Spirit. We don’t have to reveal the Holy Spirit to those without Christ. He will reveal Himself when they believe upon Jesus. Yet, in this instance, Peter saw fit to do so. All witnessing has some variation. How you were saved may be markedly different from how I was saved. The circumstances may differ, but the experience is the same.

Simon Peter’s courage should give us courage as well. What we don’t know is how eager others are to hear and receive the message of salvation. Like a military friend once said to me: “On the outside they look and act tough; but on the inside they are like a small boy hungering for what you have to offer.” Be courageous! Find someone who needs Jesus and share your faith with him today!

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,

2 Timothy 4:1-5, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

I have to admit to being an emotional person. As such, I often wonder if Paul ever laughed. If he did, it was not in this final letter to his dear friend, Timothy. Ministry is, as he said, a “solemn charge.” Paul was anticipating his departure to be with Christ. We would all do well to keep that thought in mind; for we will all one day stand before Him. What an awesome thought –standing before the very Creator of the universe!

In the meantime, we have a ministry to carry out. We are to “preach the Word.” The word “preach” simply means to “proclaim.” It does not apply merely to a pastoral role; it encompasses witnessing, living, sharing in love the truth of the Good News. Jesus Christ died and arose from the dead to be our Savior and to ready us to someday stand before the Father. Currently, we are to expose sin and warn others of its deadly influence on human life, while patiently encouraging and instructing them in the Holy Scriptures.

Paul’s solemn warning of difficult times has truly arrived! Men and women alike are disregarding the truths of Scriptures. They are listening to and absorbing whatever teaching suits their own way of life. We are to keep sober and suffer whatever hardships come our way. We are to continue to witness of the LORD Jesus Christ and His love. That is what fulfills our responsibility. Are we truly doing that? Are we sharing God’s Truth with others? It’s not enough for us to know Him; we are responsible to live the Christian life as we share Him with others! May the LORD bless you abundantly, as you fulfill His calling on 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