The Grands Letter

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

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