The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 19:13-20, “But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over
those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preaches.”
14 And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so
that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and
the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of
all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

Evil spirits do exist! The Bible speaks clearly and accurately that Satan is the chief adversary of Jesus! Why, then, would we believe that what existed 2000 years ago (the New Testament era) does not exist today? Do you believe the teachings of everyone who claims that his or her teaching is from God? I sincerely hope not! The key to truth is what we learn of Christ Jesus from the Bible!

The power of evil is undeniable; yet, the power of the LORD Jesus Christ is greater! Seeing and experiencing this power of God is what persuaded many in Ephesus to believe upon Christ. And when they came to know Him, they did away with all of their books and implements regarding magical arts. Have you put out of your life everything that speaks against Christ? Books, filthy television programing, trinkets, pictures, necklesses, arm bands – everything that promotes evil or is worn to guard and protect you from evil—it all should be eliminated from your house and your life! Only Christ and His Word should be your guide! He alone is your guard and protector from evil.

What is interesting is that when the Ephesians eliminated evil from their lives and trusted the LORD, the Word of the LORD began to increase mightily, and their lives took on new meaning. The Word of God still prevails in our day! His power and presence have not been diminished over time. What has been diminished is our faith and trust in Him. But that faith and trust in Him can be restored! He will renew your life as you yield it to Him.

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 17:22-31, “And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are
very religious in all respects.
23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this
inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in
temples made with hands;
25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and
breath and all things;
26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their
appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each
one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His
offspring.’
29 “Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an
image formed by the art and thought of man.
30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should
repent,
31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has
appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

This Scripture passage is rather long, but I wanted you to grasp as much of this momentous occasion as possible. Paul’s message on Mars Hill, delivered amid the surroundings of Athens’ magnificent structures, is itself an oratorical masterpiece. He never chides them or ridicules their idols of worship. Rather, he warmly acknowledges their religious awareness, while simultaneously exalting the LORD Jesus Christ as Creator and Controller of all things.

Think about that for a moment. He could have ridiculed as thoroughly nonsensical all of those stone idols. He could have chided them for believing in such lifeless imitations of non-existent deities. Rather, he segued into the Truth with love instead of with ridicule. Think of this when you have opportunity to share Christ with someone. Instead of ridiculing their tattoos, as lifeless imitations of nonsense, tell them how you were tattooed in your heart by the LORD Jesus Christ. Yes, it may shock them at first mention, but you will have channeled a way by which they could commence thinking of the LORD.

Paul’s concluding emphasis foretells man’s need to repent because the LORD has “fixed a day in which He will judge the world.” If you were going to court on a serious charge and had the opportunity to admit to wrong and forego imprisonment, wouldn’t it make sense to confess and avoid the punishment? That’s what everyone is ultimately facing: standing before the LORD when He asks, “What did you do concerning my Son Jesus?”

Those of us who now speak for Him have ourselves faced that question. We have believed and been born-again.
We have been received a spiritual release from the LORD. Now, we speak to you as Paul spoke to those in ancient Athens, where “some men joined him and believed” (v. 34). Will you believe and join with them and with us? I am praying that you 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,

Acts 17:1-8, “Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where
there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the
Scriptures,
3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This
Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing
Greeks and a number of the leading women.
5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and
set the city in an uproar; and coming upon the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the
people.
6 And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities,
shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;
7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another
king, Jesus.”
8 And they stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.”

Being Jewish by birth, it was natural for Paul to seek out the Jewish places of worship to bring his message of
faith in Jesus Christ. When we come to faith in Christ, it is natural that we seek out close friends and share our new-found faith with them. Yet, even within our own family and friends, we often encounter opposition. What are we to do in such circumstances? We are to lovingly explain and give evidence from the Scriptures that Jesus is the one and only way of salvation.

Our opposition is not likely to be as severe as Paul’s. The Jews in Thessalonica were ruthless! It took them three weeks to get traction, and then they raged against Paul and his company. They took what appears to be legal action against all who would believe in Jesus. Still, there were a number of Jews and Gentiles who were persuaded to believe in Jesus. We must remember that our calling is to tell others about Him. It is the Holy Spirit who will persuade them to believe in our message.

We are not all called to share Jesus in the same way. Not everyone is called to be a pastor or an evangelist or a missionary in the way we normally understand their calling. But, we are to share Him with others, as the Holy Spirit leads us! We live in an electronic age. We can share the Good News of Jesus through email and texts. All of us receive postal mail that contains reply-paid envelopes. I have often put a Gospel tract in these envelopes and returned them to the sender. We can speak verbally to others by way of the telephone.

At the same time, we must be loving and gentle. We must use the Scriptures; therefore, we must read and study them daily. We must listen faithfully to the teachings of men whom we know to be godly. We must be prayerful, holding the lost before the LORD, and trusting Him to touch their hearts with His Truth. And when He does, we must be thankful. We must then encourage those who have come to know Him to grow in His likeness! What a joy it is to hear from those who have been saved by His grace! May the LORD help us to keep on keeping on until He comes again!

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 16:35-40, “Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, ‘Release those men.’
36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Now
therefore, come out and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us
into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring
us out.”
38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that
they were Romans,
39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave
the city.
40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they
encouraged them and departed.”

Were you ever severely mistreated? Someone accused you of doing something you did not do? What are we to do in such circumstances? I was watching a football game on television. The quarterback threw the pass too quickly. He didn’t let “the play develop,” as it was intended. Sometimes it’s like that with us. Certainly, it was like that with Paul. He and Silas had been beaten with rods, imprisoned in stocks –all without their legal rights under the strictness of Roman Law.

Why didn’t Paul acknowledge his Roman citizenship from the start? He was allowing “the play to develop.” Had he reacted earlier, the jailor and his household would not have come to faith in Jesus Christ. The delay also gave time for Lydia’s household to learn of their plight and call prayerfully for help from their newly-found Savior. Paul may have recalled Solomon’s words that there is “a time to be silent, and a time to speak” (Ecc. 3:7b).

The magistrates, who had ordered the LORD’s servants to be beaten and imprisoned, may have been frightened by the earthquake and the potential loss of all the prisoners. In any event, they sent word that Paul and Silas were to be immediately released. Yet, once again Paul allowed “the play to develop,” when he refused to leave.
What they have done to us as Romans was illegal, he said. And now they just want us to go away? Not on your life! There is a time for us to “stand up and be counted!” There is a time for the “frighteners” to be frightened. But, we must be certain everything is according to the LORD’s leading and that it all occurs according to His time.

Never allow fear to dominate your circumstances! Just recognize that Christ is in control of all situations. And when we belong to Him, the “plays will develop” according to His will and all will be well with us.

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 16:25-31, “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them;
26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and
immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword
and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!”
29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “’Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.’”

I have always loved music. Space is insufficient here to detail my family’s musical talents, except to say that throughout the years of my upbringing, I learned how music feeds and fills one’s life in dark and dismal times. It is indeed therapeutic. Paul was Jewish, remember; thus, music was warp and woof of his life also. He mentions singing in First Corinthians 14:15, and connects it there with prayer.

It’s worthy of mention, too, that the music Paul and Silas sang were hymns of praise to Almighty God! So much of what is called “music” today is mere clap-trap! We have allowed true praise of God to be hijacked by an industry focused on showmanship and materialism. True praise, however, results in Divine action! All prisoners were released from their shackles. “If therefore, the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn 8:36).

Jailors in those days were threatened with death if prisoners escaped. That’s why the jailor was about to kill himself. But, Paul shouted for him to stop what he was intending. There is a time when we need to shout an alarm! Sin binds mankind more securely than the shackles of that dismal prison. Those of us who know the LORD in His saving grace, need to do some shouting! Men and women are lost without Jesus Christ! They know the emptiness of being lost, but we who are saved know the way out of that darkened condition.

The jailor asked, “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul said, “Believe in the LORD Jesus, and you shall be saved…” It’s so simple, yet many stumble over the simplicity. They want to do something magnanimous. No!
Jesus did the magnanimous when He died for our sins and arose alive from the grave! Mankind is a prisoner of sin. If you have yet to truly trust Him, you can be freed today. He will banish the darkness from your life and flood it with His love! What have you got to lose by doing it His way? What have we got to lose by sharing Him?

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