The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

We are living in exceedingly difficult times. Everything known to us as morally pure has been effectively turned on its head. Women want to become men; men want to become women. Women abort their children, but deny that abortion is murder. We even have a U. S. Supreme Court Justice, who claims she cannot define the word “woman” because she is not a biologist. Pastors are being dismissed from their pulpits because of innumerable, indiscreet activities. The love of money has replaced the love of souls. And some known as “evangelicals,” are denying the veracity of the Scriptures, the very Word of God!

Apart from the message of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection, there is nothing as exciting to believers as the promise of His personal, visible return to earth, known as the Rapture!

At that point in time, loved ones, who trusted Him in their lifetime and have preceded us in death, will be raised alive from their graves and, with all living believers, will be caught up to meet Christ in the air! The Apostle Paul writes this word to comfort us concerning believing loved ones who have died and are themselves awaiting resurrection. This is comfort for you –unless you have yet to believe on Him. “Today,” the Bible says, “is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Have you trusted Him? Oh, I pray that you have! Time is running out…

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,

Colossians 1:2b-8, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the Word of truth, the gospel
6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.”

It’s always encouraging to receive a notice that brings good tidings. Grace and Peace are two of the very best notifications, especially when they are mentioned in connection with God the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ. What can one do but give joyful thanks in earnest prayer? Faith and love then follow closely the giving of thanks.

For what can we be more thankful than the Word of God, which we have in the love of the Holy Spirit? Feeding daily upon the Word of God promtes spiritual growth and fervent witnessing. It may not seem so in the times in which we are living; however, we are so saturated with news of gross sin, that pristine news suffers near total erasure. The Gospel, however, is bearing fruit! People are being saved; and they are faithfully witnessing to others.

It is my sincere attempt to leave everyone I meet with a warm, spiritual hope. Sharing the Gospel should always be our preeminent intention. When circumstances, however, do not allow a truly full witness, a simple “God bless you” offers an upward, upbeat parting communication. It also provides a “love in the Spirit,” that provokes focus on the LORD Jesus Christ.

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,

Philippians 1:3-10, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ…”

What a sweet notation Paul sites of the Philippians! He thanks God for every remembrance he has of them! Don’t you wish you could honestly say that of everyone you’ve met? What’s more, don’t you wish everyone you’ve met could have that notation of you?

Somewhat inadvertantly, perhaps, Paul notes that this fellowship comes from their participation with him in he Gospel. It takes a minimum of two sincere believers, working together for a common cause, for that to be honestly said. Do you have a friend who works with you in sharing the Gospel? Someone has said that the best way to get rid of your enemies is to make friends of them. Undoubtedly, Paul had long ago learned that.

Paul’s admonition was that the Philippians might abound in true love. He shared with them an accurate focus on true knowledge and spiritual discernment. That enabled them both to “approve the things that are excellent,” making them compatible with each other and be ready when Christ would appear.

Do you have a love for other people? –not just the ones who love you, but the ones who don’t? Such love is spiritual and is derived from knowing Christ as your Savior and living daily in the Word of God –the Bible! Children grow physically by eating. Christians grow spiritually by devouring the Scriptures. Start today by reading this short letter to the Philippians. It will prepare you for the day Jesus returns.

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,

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Did you ever misread something? If you left off reading after verse eight above, you might be led to believe that the LORD has already saved you. Yet, the writer, Paul, goes on to say that salvation is not earned by or for anyone; it is a gift from God. What’s more, salvation is entirely the work of Jesus Christ. Is that everything the verses say? Not quite. Read it fully once again. First, note that it says “our Lord Jesus Christ.” That means that Jesus Christ must first be your Savior, then your LORD.

Verse nine adds that it is all of Him. It’s the gift He gives to those who trust Him; and He gives it so that no one might boast and claim that it was the result of something they themselves did. No true artist fails to initial his work, so that everyone who beholds the work will know who the creator was. It is much the same of God, only more so.

What’s equally important is that once we are spiritually re-created, the glory of the creation accrues to the LORD alone. And the “touch-ups” that an artist does to his work is like the LORD’s day-by-day work in our lives: that we might be to the praise of His glory alone!

“But, how does all of this work in my life?” you say. It works when you trust the LORD Jesus both as your Savior and LORD. How does that work? Honestly confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you. Then, trust that He has. How will you know? He will reveal Himself to you. You will know! And when you do, thank Him for His forgiveness. Your new life has just begun!

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,

Galatians 1:17-24, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)
21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;
23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
24 And they were glorifying God because of me.”

What would you do if someone were to ask you to share an important area of your life with them? I have no doubt whatsoever that you could do it. Whether you could cover as much territory as Paul in the eight verses above, I would have my doubts.

After his conversion, Paul went into Arabia, where he was alone with the LORD. Afterward, he returned to Damascus. After three years in Damascus, he went to Jerusalem to visit with Simon Peter, and stayed with him for 15 days. After his visit with Peter, he met briefly with James, the half-brother of the LORD Jesus.

As a recently-converted Christian, Paul visited churches in regions where he was unknown. That must have been an interesting experience, listening to people talk about you without their knowning you were hearing all they were saying. Ever have that happen to you? Paul was a new Christian; how else could he have learned what “church” was all about?

The crowning joy for Paul, however, was in knowing that they were “glorifying God” because of him! Is anyone you know glorifying the LORD because of you? Your husband? Your wife? Your parents? Your children? Your neighbors? Apart from knowing Jesus Christ, it is doubtful if there is anything greater anywhere than knowing that someone has come to know Christ because of you! Think about that, my friend!

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