The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 15:4-7, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Did you ever stay in a home that was not your own, but one that “felt” like your own? The owner said, “I want you to be at home here.” You may have felt a bit uneasy at first, but soon began to settle in an feel very much at home.

That’s precisely what Jesus intends for you, as expresses in the verses above. Seven times in those four verses, Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” Twice He warns that failure to abide in Him will produce negative results. It’s somewhat natural to be unsure when meeting a person of prominence. I have a very close friend, who personally knew Billy Graham. He says, “To meet him was like having known him for many years.” He was, in the best sense of the phrase, “a regular guy.”

In the “best sense,” I will exercise protocol and refrain from speaking of Jesus as “a regular guy.” Yet, He was tender and gentle toward the people with whom He mingled while here on Earth. He is still that way. To treat His Words in Holy Scripture as Words of truth is to treat the LORD Himself with the love and respect He deserves.

To express our sorrow for the sins we have committed and to accept His forgiveness by faith initiates our relationship with Him. Living as He then directs us is what it means to “abide” in Him. Then, when life’s storms rail down upon us, Jesus becomes our shelter and hides us from the storms. Just believe and trust His Word. He will then set your feet on solid, spiritual ground. You will rejoice in Him, and He will rejoice with you.

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 8:5-10, “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,
6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.”
7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

It was in his First Corinthian epistle that he Apostle Paul stated, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Faith is the belief that something can occur. Hope is the expectation that it will occur; and love is the gratification that it did occur.

Exactly how much of these three powers resided in the heart and mind of this centurion, we are not told. But, his trust in their combination was apparently enough to convince Jesus. The centurion, however, assessed that he and his home were unworthy of the
presence of the Messiah; therefore, he asked simply, “…just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

The centurion seems an honest man, who truly felt unworthy; yet, if he is willing to lean on Christ for the preservation of the boy, he must allow Him to do everything His own way! The centurion had sufficient faith. He dared not push for more. Such is the same for us: just make your needs known, trust the LORD and leave everything in His capable Hands. He does everything exceedingly well!

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 6:26-34, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

My mother was a worrier! The man who lived next door to us was a worrier, too. Yet, neither my dad nor the wife of that man next door worried about anything! Mom was discussing that one day with her “worry partner.” His reply was simple: “Don’t tell me it doesn’t pay to worry! Nothing I ever worried about ever happened.”

Jesus was undoubtedly on the side of my dad and my neighbor lady. He discouraged –and even denounced—worrying of any kind. “The birds don’t worry,” He said; yet, our Heavenly Father sees to their needs. “Aren’t you worth more that those birds?” You worry about time (v. 27), about clothing (v. 28); yet the lillies of the field grow, but they do nothing to deserve it.

Jesus called attention to the difference between the Gentiles, who worried about everything, and the Jews, who were well cared for by their Heavenly Father. He concludes His instruction by providing the answer to it all: “…seek first His kingdom (i.e., be saved; be born-again); “and His righteousness (i.e., learn to depend upon Him), “and all these things will ab added to you.”

Give Christ an opportunity with your life! Turn everything over to Jesus! He is everything, and all you will ever need!

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 16:13-18, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’
14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’
15 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
17 And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 ‘I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.’”

There are no accidents in Scripture! What the LORD had promised to the Old Testament saints, He fulfilled in the hearts and lives of their New Testament children.

Previously, Jesus had spoken commendingly of John the Baptist. He had also made emphasis of the prophets Elijah and Jeremiah. So now, with them in the background of the conversation, He asks, “But who do you say that I am?” That’s a vital question for us as well. Who is Jesus Christ to you?

If your friends are like some of mine, there’s always a “speedy spokesman” in the group. He (or she) always responds more quickly than anyone else. Simon Peter was that “speedy spokesman” in Jesus’ group. Immediately, he replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus blessed him for his quick and accurate response, yet Peter did not have that answer within himself. He was speaking what his Heavenly Father had put within his mind to say. I have to admit that I’m one of those “ready speakers”; yet not everything I say (I’m compelled to admit) always comes from the LORD. Are you like Peter? Or are you more like me? (We’ll, let’s keep your answer between the two of us. Okay?) Just remember that if you truly belong to Him, He will put into your heart, mind and mouth what is necessary to say to others. Thus, you can then speak freely.

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,

Genesis 19:1-11, “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
2 And he said, ‘Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.’ They said however, ‘No, but we shall spend the night in the square.’
3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;
5 and they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.’
6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him,
7 and said, ‘Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly.
8 Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.’
9 But they said, ‘Stand aside.’ Furthermore, they said, ‘This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.’ So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.
10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
11 They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.”

This incident in the life of Lot and his family runs parallel to events in our own day. So wild and ruthless were Lot’s homosexual neighbors that they wanted their “pleasures” without respect to Lot and the hospitality he extended to his visitors. There is no indication in the Scripture that these homosexuals knew that the men that had come to Lot’s house were in fact angels sent from God.

Hospitality was top priority in those days. In fact, it remains so in various areas of our world today. Missionaries learn such things quickly. It was hospitality that prompted Lot to offer to give his daughters to the men instead of his new visitors. It always bothered me that Lot called these evil men “brothers,” until I learned that the Hebrew word ??? ach could also mean “fellow countrymen.” Remember, too, that Simon Peter called Lot “righteous” (2 Peter 2:7) when the LORD rescued him, using the two angels.

Two major factors stand out in this recorded experience: first, sensual activity is always seeking to undermine whatever is godly. Such has been virtually unleashed in our world today! Second, the LORD always stands ready to rescue His own. Lot was far from perfect, notwithstanding his hospitality to the angelic strangers; Still, Lot was the LORD’s. Thus, he and his family were delivered.

We must never put ourselves in any situation that would smother our Christian influence. Yet, when situations that are beyond our control arise, we can always count on the LORD for our rescue. Be always spiritually prepared!

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