The Grands Letter

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

Dear Grands,

2 Timothy 3:1, 13-17, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come…
13 …evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing
from whom you have learned them;
15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the
wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
training in righteousness;
17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Have you ever noticed how some people can say more with less words while others can say less with more words? It’s an interesting phenomenon. Paul is of the former group, and in verses two through 12, he lists some 20 evil, dispickable attitudes and expressions that characterized his world, and now characterize ours!

I find it interesting how I continue today to lean upon teachings I received in the past. Parents and pastors alike taught me the truths of Scripture that formed my belief-system. Confidence in teachers is an invaluable trait. Teaching, however, is more than wordy instruction; it is life that is patterned after Christ and lived before us day-by-day. Scripture provides the instruction; a godly teacher, led by the Holy Sprit, demonstrates the instruction in life. That’s what made Paul
the valuable, godly teacher he was.

We all value things of importance. There is nothing more important than the secure knowledge of Holy Scripture. It serves us in the most difficult of times, keeping us on course –the course our Heavenly Father designed and set forth in His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. There is no better way! It’s not always an easy course, but as life draws hurredly toward an end, it becomes our chief comfort. Do you have that comfort? It’s available for everyone who will believe.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

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