The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 2:41-43, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”

It all took place in a secular college classroom, in the midst of a Q & A situation. A girl in the class asked the professor, “Does prayer really work?” I have no recollection of the professor’s response. As best as I can remember, the class was divided on the question. Prayer, however, does not depend upon college students’ responses to the question.

Have you ever prayed fervently for something of vital importance, but wondered if your prayers would really be answered? If so, they probably weren’t. James tells us that “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick…” (Jas. 5:15).

The New Testament alone mentions the word “prayer” over 330 times. Still, I’ve had people earnestly ask, “Why is God not answering my prayers?” Quite candidly, I don’t know; but there are some conditions to prayers we want answered.

One common condition is asking with the wrong motive. Let’s think of sickness. You pray for healing, yet it’s because without it, you won’t get to go on the trip you and the sick person had planned. Such a reason for praying is faulty.

Another factor is that it must be God’s will. You know your will, but you don’t know His. Had you gone on that trip, possibly you and your sick friend would have been seriously injured in a wreck. You couldn’t have known that, but the LORD did!

But we prayed about the trip because we were going to witness to people along the way. There’s an old song we used to sing in church: We’ll understand it better by and by. I suppose there are thousands of hypothetical reasons why things go wrong –sometimes in spite of our prayers. We have to leave all of that to the LORD.

The one absolute necessity to prayer is personally knowing the LORD! Remember in our verses above: “they who received His Word and were baptized”? Receiving the Word is by faith. You must be committed to Him by faith before you can ask anything –except to be saved. Baptism does not save, but it is the spiritual response to salvation. Immersion in water symbolizes Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It also symbolizes ours. When we belong to Him –when we’re saved, He hears our prayers. We must then learn to trust His decisions as being better than “just what we want.” Just don’t give up praying!

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,

Matthew 24:3-14, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

The deaths of some loved ones was announced today in one of the Sunday Bible classes I attend. Death is a certainty for almost everyone. I say, “almost,” because there will be those alive when Jesus returns –and they will not die. Still, there is no indication in Scripture as to how many will be alive at Jesus’ coming.

His disciples were curious concerning His coming, and Jesus’ response was the Scripture passage cited above. If we belong to Christ, we are not to be misled by the many who will come claiming to be Christ Himself. If you have watched any religious programing on television, you have doubtlessly encountered some preachers, who claim even to be on a “first-name” basis with Christ! I have known some notable people in my lifetime, but never did I publicly address them on a “first-name” basis. Be aware of the wolves that dress in sheep’s clothing!

Jesus warned of the increase of “wars and rumors of wars” (v. 6). He noted that nations “will rise against” each other, and that there will be “famines and earthquakes” in various places throughout the earth. These disasters are already present in various countries of today’s world. People will betray one another, even some who were thought to be friends. False prophets are on the increase, seemingly by the day! And lawlessness is increasing at an alarming rate!

While spiritual coldness pervades the world, many nations are turning against the only hope they truly have – the Love of Jesus Christ that comes to them via dedicated missionaries and via Christian radio and television. Then, when the LORD is satisfied that His offer of salvation has been permeated this lost, hell-bound world, He will come back to rescue those who have trusted Him and faithfully served Him by loving lost souls and earnestly seeking to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ.

If you know Him, are you doing your part in witnessing of His saving grace? And if you have yet to confess your sins and begged His forgiveness, I would urge you to do so quickly! Nothing counts with God except the acceptance of His Son, Jesus. And no one knows how much time he has left to trust 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,

Deuteronomy 5:19-22a, “’Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.
17 ‘You shall not murder.
18 ‘You shall not commit adultery.
19 ‘You shall not steal.
20 ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
22 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more.’”

How many times did your parents have to remind you of the necessity of doing good behavior? The chances are the answer is “more times than you can count.” Yes, these are virtually the same Ten Commandments that were given to Israel in the book of Exodus. And their repetition is required, too.

The nations of the world are in deep trouble today for their lack of adherence to morality. Nations may all give allegiance to their gods, but the LORD God alone exists and demands that we all worship Him. His commandments alone are basic to the morality that we have forsaken. It is no wonder why the commandments are repeated for us.

Yet, even faithful adherence to these commandments is insufficient when compared with the death, burial and resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ. Salvation in the LORD Jesus results in the morality that is lacking in our world today. We must remember that salvation does not lie in the physical membership of any church. It lies in the LORD Jesus Christ alone. When our lives are surrendered to Him, He produces within us the morality that is sorely lacking. Have you surrendered your life to Him? He is the only key to true and abundant 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,

Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),
3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction
of the Lord.”

The concept of “freedom” is much easier to envision than it is to instill. If the original Old Testament Commandment, “Honor your father and your mother…” (Exodus 20:12), seems insufficient today, try the verses cited above for today’s times, as well. Noteworthy is the fact that Paul’s letter to the Ephesians carries with it the instruction of the LORD. And if today’s news is to be trusted, we had better move quickly and activate Paul’s directions.

Honor bespeaks “respect”; and it includes both parents and is accompanied with a promise. The initial aspect of the promise is that “it may be well with you.” Do what you’re told and you’ll get along well with your parents and your peers. Peace in the household sets the “temperature” for all other human connections. Stated simply: those who learn to obey their parents, learn to get along with their peers and with older adults. In all, it makes for a more peaceful world.

Yet, there’s another divine promise in verse 3: “…so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the Earth.” The idea of it “being well with you” may cover your health and even accomplishments in your life’s work. There is a temptation to focus solely upon what you can gain; however, a peaceful household is beneficial to parents and children alike. There’s an old saying that says: “You can’t do wrong and get by.” Perhaps, you’ve tried that and found it yourself to be true. Now, try the “good” side of behavior. My guess is you’ll like it best.

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,

Matthew 24:5-14, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

At the same time, readings like our Scripture above reminds us (or so they should) of how rapidly the world is changing and how close we are to the end of civilization as we know it. Everybody, it would seem, is in conflict of some sort – personal, political, international. Wealth, too, drives the conflict, and many of those who possess wealth believe it is the answer to all the problems of the world. It is not! But, the love of it is! Possessors of BIG MONEY believe they have the answer to everything. More often than not, they are the problem! Read 1 Timothy 6:10.

The Church is charged by the LORD to carry His Message of Love into all the world. Yet, while missionaries continue to carry the Message of Salvation worldwide, many churches have become largely political with leaders focusing on money and what it can buy! When money is prominent, the vision of the Word becomes foggy.

With all the world’s attractions dangling before us, it’s easy to neglect the Word of God. Yet, what we learn from Scripture will always supersede what we learn elsewhere. So, why am I reading Christian History instead of the Scriptures? It’s not “instead of”; it’s “in addition to” the Scriptures! Join me in that! You’ll be glad you did! The time of Christ’s return is accelerating. He is coming soon! Be ready!

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