The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 1:18-23, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

As churches grow in number, they grow financially; and pastors expand their ministries either through radio and television or by writing and publishing books that carry the message of Christ into the homes and hearts of people throughout the world. In many ways, the Apostle Paul and other biblical writers set the example through their own communication of Scriptural truths.

The Christian faith was never intended to be hidden from the world-at-large. The LORD Jesus Christ was the Father’s intended focus when He was sent to earth to be the Savior of the world. Being crucified, buried and resurrected from the dead, He now elevated to the universal Lordship of the Church. When men and women purport to be supreme leaders of the church, they expose themselves as enemies of the LORD Himself and of His Church. It is HIS CHURCH! He alone paid the price through His shed blood; and He alone is the sole Commander.

Historically, the Church of the LORD Jesus Christ has fallen prey to what we know as “denominationalism.” Each group claiming to be exclusively His, and exporting its denomination’s understanding of the truth of His Message. Yet, the truth of His Message remains comfortably contained in the Holy Scriptures. Christ Himself is the Head and He alone is the way of salvation.

After greeting and blessing the Church at Ephesus through his prayers, Paul exalted Christ as the Head of the Church, and the people as the members. He also notes how believers should now walk (4:17ff), how they should conduct themselves in their homes (5:21ff), and how they should conduct “spiritual warfare” (6:10-24).

Paul states clearly that salvation is not gained by following the edicts of any church, but by yielding the heart and soul to Christ by faith. “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). Have you been saved? If not, believe on Him today. If you are saved, tell someone else about Jesus!

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 3:1-6, “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
4 Did you suffer so many things in vain– if indeed it was in vain?
5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

You can call me what you like, but there are some people that just cannot stay in their lane of traffic.
The Galatians were just that sort of people. In fact, they were “harum-scarum” in all aspects of life.
An Asiatic people, they accepted and adopted the ideas of every religious system that came their way.

The Apostle Paul became ill during his second missionary journey, and it was then and there that he came into contact with the Galatian people. So it was there that he preached to them Christ. With their character trait of accepting every and all new ideas, they accepted Paul’s Christ. For a while, it appeared that these Galatians were “all in” for Jesus. Then, suddenly, they broke with Paul’s Christ and took on another religion, this one pagan.

If you have ever encountered a person who was “all in” for Jesus and the Christian faith one day, and
all in for some pagan faith the next, you have a good example of the nature of the Galatians. Is it any wonder then why Paul calls them “foolish”? It was undoubtedly due to their indecisive approach to the Gospel. Oh, the Galatians had proffered a belief in Christ, but they didn’t stick with it. Did you ever meet anyone like that? Have you ever been like that yourself? You had best trust Jesus alone.

The Scriptures all soundly contend that man’s justification before God is by faith alone in Jesus Christ! Don’t subscribe to anything or anyone outside of the Christ of the Holy Scriptures! He alone delivers us from sin.

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 1:1-7, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
2 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.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

Did you ever have a sound spanking when you were still quite young? To ask that question is to answer it. We had a “weeping willow” tree in our back yard. And it was years before I knew that name designated the tree. Oh, I knew it was a tree, but I was equally assurred that I was the “weeping” part. Believe me, it was no laughing matter.

In his first letter, the Apostle Paul soundly scolded the Corinthian Church. Here, Paul teft Ephesus awaiting Titus’ appearance at Philippi. Paul’s first letter soundly excoreated the Church for her wrongdoing. Unlike the first, this second letter is tender and loving. Such tenderness, in fact, led the the Corinthian Church not only to reverse her demeanor, but to engage in a contributuib to the needs of Macedonian churches.

Isn’t this the way it ought to be? Should we not learn from those who knew the LORD and had been
appointed by Him to be His disciples? Should we not live to love and cooperate with thos who had come to know Christ Jesus as LORD? Thus, Paul gives an Explanation (1:1-7:16) of why he was so stern in that First Epistle.

Further, Paul now exhorts the newly-recharged congretation to perform some good deeds both in their community and in other regions of the world. They accepted the challenge and that’s why he praised them to the churches in Macedonia (8:1-9:27).

In a strange almost reversal, and a bit of sternness, the apostle vindicated his apostleship and proved his right to their love and respect (10:1-13:14), How is your church doing? Conceivably, she needs a spanking and a dose of what Paul gave the Corinthians. Just remember that even the harshest discipline can result in blessing if it’s administered with a spoonful of love.

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 4:1-5, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
5 Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

As sure as air pervades the earth, problems invade the Church. Paul labored many months in structuring this Corinthian Church. Yet, virtually as soon as he left, trouble invaded it. It’s not a lot of difference from what’s occurring in churches today. It’s only that some churches have been established on a business model instead of the spiritual model of the apostle.

It’s highly probable that none of this would have happened had Paul himself been present. That’s true even of well-founded churches today. A good pastor establishes a church “from scratch,” but view’s it crumbling under the leadership of another who is greatly concerned about being recognized as “superior” within the community-at-large. This was Paul’s discovery, and precisely why he wrote this epistle.

Did you notice from this Scripture that there were still some good people in this Corinthian church? It was they who reported the problems to the apostle. The church had fallen into disorder, and desperately needed correction! Immorality, too, had invaded the church –something that Paul resoundingly condemned! Immoralities such as divorces, eating meat offered to pagan idols, and consumption of alochol was evident among them.

Women were dressing immodestly; the LORD’s Supper was disorderly; confusion regarding spiritual gifts abounded –and the list goes on. Sound like some churches today? Is it any wonder why Paul so often cited the Coming of the LORD for His people? “Oh,” but you say, “years have gone by and He still hasn’t come.” That’s all the more reason we should be prepared. Are you prepared to meet Him? Isn’t it better to be prepared than not to be? Trust Him today! Confess your sins and believe Him when He say, “Come unto me…, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

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 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Romans 16:23-27, “Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

We freely engage in those things that we most enjoy. If you love golf, it doesn’t take heavy persuasion to get you on the links. If you love chess, you’ve probably read Ben Hogan or Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. Still, it’s one thing to read how others do it; it’s another to embrace and fully engage yourself in carrying it out.

Saul of Tarsus was converted to Christ on the Damascus Road –the road he was traveling in hatred against all persons Christian, when he met and yielded himself to Christ and forever became Christ’s foremost advocate: Paul the apostle!

Romans is arguably the foremost biblical book on Christian doctrine. Written in
A.D. 58 from Corinth where Paul was residing temporarily in the home of Gaius, a wealthy Corinthian Christian businessman (16:23).

From chapters 1 through 16, Paul concerns himself in setting forth the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Anyone wishing to know what Christianity is and/or stands for, has only to read this 16 chapter book.

Chapters 12-16 point out the duties and responsibilites of all believers: first to God, never to the world (12:1-2), then to one’s self (12:2), to the church (12:4-8), to other believers (12:9-13), to the enemies of the faith (12:14-21), to the government (13:1-7), to our neighbors (13:8-14), to young, weak believers (14:1-15:7), and to everyone else who doesn’t fall into one of the above catagorie (15:8-16:27).

As complete as Paul’s stated doctrine is, it is not enough to simply know it – it’s the living it out before one’s fellowman that truly counts. Think about it! Are you a Christian? As it has been asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” We live in tough days. It’s getting late.
It is very close to “quitting time.” Make your move –and in the right direction.

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