The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 1:2-5, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

Six times in four verses, Paul uses the word “comfort.” How often we have needed comfort! In accidents, in illnesses, in deaths… in whatever brings troubles our way, comfort becomes our healer.

True comfort, however, has its origin in the LORD. The words, the tears, the touch of others, whose intention is to soothe our hurts –all originates in the Supreme Comfort of Jesus Christ. No one ever suffered like He suffered. No one can comfort like He comforts. Prayer…urnest, sincere prayer from our hearts… all originates from Him!

Further, the Word quoted above teaches that He comforts us so that we might, in turn, comfort others! Whatever the situation, our Christian calling is to pass the comfort we receive onto others, who are in need. It is truly amazing how a few tender, honest, heart-felt words spoken earnestly in Jesus’ Name can sooth a troubled, broken heart. My prayer is that He might use us both to encourage someone 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,

1 Corinthians 1:9-18, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.
12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.
16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

There were several churches in the small town where I lived as a boy. Each had beliefs that differed from the others, yet there were no quarrels that I can recall. Each year, at the appropriate time, the churches formed a combined choir came together to sing the praises of the LORD. It is hardly the situation in which we find ourselves today!

Paul admonished the Corinthian Church for its division. It seemed to embrace exactly what Satan desired. One group praised this one as its leader, another that one. Quarrels abounded throughout! No one was following the love that Christ Jesus desired for His Church.

It’s much like that today. Pastors are confusing people everywhere! Many are not preaching the Gospel at all. Their focus is upon themselves and their “gospel” concerns money, enabling them to live a lavish lifestyle, the like of which is unknown to their congregation. Surely, this is exceedingly hurtful to the LORD Jesus, who gave Himself on the Cross for our sins.

We must pray for such pastors, that they will return to the purity of the Gospel. Our LORD is not the Lord of such divisions. And we must thank Him for those who hold firmly to
the true doctrines of the “faith once delivered to the saints.”

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,

Romans 1:18-24, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.”

Did you ever construct something of which you were very proud? You couldn’t wait to show it to a friend; but he broke what you had made, and then just laughed at what he had done. You loved your friend, but you were furious over his reaction.

John 3:16 says almost the same thing about God: “…God so loved the world…”; yet Paul reminds us that God possesses wrath, too. Mankind, originating with Adam and Eve, had every reason to be loving and joyful. They loved their Creator LORD, and they loved each other. Yet when Satan interfered with God’s creation, mankind changed and God gave Adam and Eve over to impurity.

Have you not noticed man’s impurities in the world today? On virtually every hand, man has gone against the will of the Creator. The LORD has graciously provided us a way of escape throught the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Yet, mankind has arrogantly resisted and rejected the LORD’s salvation. He has provided His Scriptures to show us the way of salvation; yet, mankind has renounced them, going even so far as to deny the very existence of God Himself.

The Scriptures say that He will not put up with man’s rebellion forever! “Behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION’” (2 Cor. 6:2). Tomorrow may never come….

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 9:1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…”

1 John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

As far back as I can remember, I have been “fascinated” with this Acts passage. As a young man, Saul of Tarsus was the chief persecutor of the Church. He hated Christians, and with full Jewish authority, he imprisoned and executed many of them. Yet, on the Road to Damascus, Christ Jesus arrested him with His own heavenly Light. It was to be the end of Saul’s persecution work and the beginning of his sharing salvation through Jesus Christ his LORD!

The Apostle John enlarges the witness of Christ, calling Him the Light of the Christian Message. In the three verses of his first letter to the Church, John says that “God is the Light” (the same that Saul of Tarsus saw); and we are to walk in His Light and enjoy fellowship with other believers. We have access to Jesus Christ through His blood that cleanses us from our sin.

Stop and think: Do you truly know Jesus? You know about Him; but a lot of people know about Him. You can know Him personally. When you yield your life to Him, He changes you from inside out! He then gives you the Holy Spirit to guide and stabilize your life. Saul was so grateful, he changed his name to Paul, the name that fit his new life! Sound good? Believe me, it is!

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,

John 3:13-18, “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

What would be your best guess as to which verse above is the most often quoted? If you said, “John 3:16,” you are right! While it is unfortunate that most children have never heard that verse (let alone not having memorized it), verse 16 is still the most often quoted verse in all of the Bible.

Many parents, who were “forced” to attend Sunday School when they were small children, and who know only one verse of Scripture, still know the John 3:16 verse.

Verses 14 and 15, however, speak ahead of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Further still, verses 16 and 17 declare that you and everyone you know can possess Eternal Life by acknowledging the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus and trusting Him as your LORD and Savior.

Verse 18 declares that salvation is issued to every person “who believes in Him.” Belief, however, is more than just acknowledging that Jesus died on the Cross. It is a deep-seated confidence that Christ died in your place and mine. We deserved to die on the Cross, yet Jesus took our place.

Ask Him to forgive your sins. He loves you and gave Jesus to die in your place. Life is not truly life until you know Him. Trusting Jesus exchanges your life for His, and His Life is eternal!

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