The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 20:32-35, “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes.
34 “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.
35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

The apostle Paul is coming to the end of his ministry. He is hurrering to Jerusalem that he might be there in time for the feast of Pentecost. I suppose it’s natural when one is coming to the end of his ministry that he should be drawn closer to those he loves. Yet, despite Paul’s love for his friends, his love for the LORD –his LORD! — exceeded his love for his friends. He longs to meet Jesus again. I say “again,” because their first encounter was on the Damascus Road, an encounter not to be forgotten for it altered his life completely!

Now, as he approaches the end of his ministry –and his life—he encourages those whom he loved supremely to stand by the faith that was delivered to the believers themselves. Stop being preoccupied with what you have received! Start thinking of the privilege you have in sharing it with others! It IS more blessed to give than to receive. If you doubt that, you have failed to notice the thought and time and effort others have sacrificed for you.

Yet, beyond the apostle himself, and the avalanche of truth and love he poured out upon others, the preeminent focus is upon the gift of the LORD Jesus Christ Himself; for it was He who went to the cross for the sins of humanity –your sins and mine! Let those who willfully reject Him maintain their focus upon whatever the world has to offer. Let our focus ever and always be upon Him, who gave Himself for us and forgave our sin.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable (inexpressible) gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

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,

Ezekiel 16:4-6, “As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths.
5 “No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.
6 “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’”

The LORD is speaking to Israel as if she were a child, despised and abandoned by the parents. All that was due to a newly born Israeli child was that 1) the the navel cord be cut, allowing the child to live apart from its mother; 2) that the child be washed of the afterbirth, thus thoroughly cleansed; 3) rubbed with salt as a purifying substance; and 4) wrapped in cloths, so as to be protected from the surrounding elements.

Yet, none of these normalities at birth were performed upon the child. It was abandoned to an open field, despised by its parents from the very day of its birth. Squirming in its own blood, the LORD said “LIVE!” And the child lived!

Matthew Henry comments on this passage, saying, “…it is a very apt illustration of the miserable condition of all the children of men by nature. As for our nativity, in the day that we were born, we were shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin; our understandings (were) darkened, our minds alienated from the life of God, polluted with sin, which rendered us loathsome in the eyes of God. Marvel not then that we are told, ‘You must be born again.’”

I write this on my 86th birthday. My parents were superb Christian people, and it was they who prayed with me the night I repented of my sin and accepted
Jesus Christ as my Savior. Thus, I have been committed to Him for these 79 years, wishing only that those years might have been more completely dedicated to Him. Give Him your life! There’s no life like it anywhere else!

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,

Titus 3:1-7, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,
2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.
3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Did your parents ever have to remind you as a child of things they had taught you? To ask the question is to answer it: of course, they did!

And so it was with Paul to Titus, a younger, but eager, disciple of the LORD. He reminds him that there are others, who have authority over him. And so, Paul reminds all believers. A ruler (????) was one who taught another elementary things. An authority (???????) was one who possessed the power of control. Thus, the believer was to “be ready for every good deed,” administering both peaceably and gently.

Simultaneously, the apostle forces our recollection of our own past lives. They were lives filled with utter foolishness, disobedience, deception, lusts and pleasures that were enslaving to evil, were they not? Prior to the knowledge of Christ, life simply overflowed with envy and hatefulness toward everyone. So, it’s time for us to start exercising love toward those who are now in authority over us.

Have consistent regard for the LORD. His salvation is according to His will and power; yet, He requires us to love and serve Him with all earnestness. When we believe, we are not our own; we belong totally to Him. We were saved for His purpose and glory. Nothing we possess is our own. It all belongs to Him. So, yield your life to Him every single day. Let all you are and do be “to the praise of His glory!”

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,

Titus 2:11-15, “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 to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
15These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

There are so many people who believe they will get to Heaven because they live a good life or because their good deeds outweigh their bad ones. There are others that believe their salvation is assurred because they attend or belong to a certain religion or a certain denomination of the Christian faith. Others believe they are saved because they have been baptized or because they partake of the LORD’s Supper as often as possible.

But the Scripture verse above says “…the grace of God…(brings) salvation to all men.” That does not mean that all men are automatically saved. It means that God has made the offer of salvation available to all mankind. Then, why are not all people saved? It is that either they have yet to hear the Gospel message or they have heard it, but they’ve yet to believe and accept it by faith.

Why would anyone not accept the gift of Eternal Life? It is often because of their preoccupation with worldly desires. It is the desire to be their own god and do what they want instead of what God wants. Their eyes are blinded to the blessed hope of Christ’s coming. He came first to the Cross and offered Himself as the Father’s Sacrifice for our sin. Then He arose from the dead and is coming again for “a people for His own possession” –for those who have trusted Him to have forgiven their sins and to have become the LORD of their lives through faith in His Resurrection.

Those of us who know Him as our Savior and LORD have an ongoing responsibility to share the news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Are you sharing Him with others? Don’t disregard Him and His Message of Salvation. He is their only hope and yours!

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 4:16-18, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

We are created with a mechanism of self-defense. When danger becomes our enemy, we don’t have to be told it is danger. The mechanism of self-defense kicks in and we are alerted to protect ourselves. The defense of which Paul is speaking, however, is not that kind of defence. He had been charged with an unlawful act, and not one person was there to speak in his defence. Yet, while we would not reprove him for discounting them as “friends,” he takes the high road as says, “…may it not be counted against them.”

If those who knew his innocence would not stand with him in his defence, how could he then be freed? His own words allow that the LORD Himself was his deliverer. Paul discovered the power of the LORD working on his behalf, just as He had worked for David, as recorded in the Psalms:

“You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God
of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the LORD will take me up” (Psa. 27:9b-10).

Yet, why would the LORD deliver the Apostle Paul? It was that through him the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that the Gentiles might hear the Word of Salvation. Remember that God is sovereign. His will cannot be countermanded. But Paul is stuck in the middle, you say. Yet, but the LORD is there with him to deliver him.

And how did Paul keep from buckling? His friends had deserted him; the counselor-at-law stood against him; but the LORD lifted him up! Remember this when you think everything and everyone is against you. Even if your father and mother were not to stand for you, the LORD will be your sure defense. Oh, what a Savior we have! Trust Him! He trusts you with the dissemination of His Gospel!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. A good way to witness on the Internet is to send a Gospel Tract. I have one that you can use over
and over again. I have attached it in two formats for you to read and share with others. Jesus will
stand with you in this venture just as He did with Paul. Just share it prayerfully. Then follow it up
with a kind and sincere inquiry.

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