The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 12:3-7, “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so
that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT
REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE
REPROVED BY HIM;
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY
SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom
his father does not discipline?”

“If you think that the punishment you received was hurtful, you ought to know what your friend received for his part in what you two did.” I’ve never figured out just how knowing that someone received a harsher punishment than I, makes my punishment seem less hurtful. It has to be a working on the mind. Jesus received much harsher treatment than any of us would ever receive; and He only did good and pleased His Father.

The word discipline suggests that by punishment for wrong doing, we will not do wrong in the future—at least, we’ll not do the same wrong. What the LORD uses to discipline those of us who belong to Him is an outgrowth of His Love. I can clearly recall my mother telling of how her father disciplined her with a switch. “He cried as much as I did,” she said. “It truly hurt him to hurt me, but he loved me and did it for my benefit.” He did it to bring her into line with what he believed to be best for her. And it worked! She was a delightfully loving mother!

That’s why the LORD disciplines us. Those who are not His seem to always get away with doing wrong. Paul notes that the LORD wants us to be like Him. Question: Would you rather be disciplined severely by the LORD or just be allowed to get away with doing whatever you please? Take a look at our world and see how few –how very, very few fathers have ever disciplined their sons. Then thank the LORD for having dealt with us as He has! In time, we will know He was right and we will be thankful for His love that led to His discipline.

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,

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

“Do those who are in Heaven see us and what we do here on Earth?” That’s a good question, one I simply cannot answer. Paul may have had Heavenly people in mind when he wrote the words in our verses above. More than likely, however, he was referencing the earthly activities and attitudes of those mentioned in the previous chapter.

Running in any race, however, is always encouraging when there are those in the stands who are watching and cheering us on. It just might be to our advantage to think of friends in Heaven as viewing us. Greater still, it’s to our advantage if we remember that the LORD sees us, whether anyone else does or not.

Paul also encourages us to lay aside things that would hinder our running the race. Runners know that the cheers of the crowd are still exceeded by their own good mental attitude. If we know of sin in our life, we do well to confess it because we’re always in the race!

Paul says, “Fix your eyes on Jesus!” Divest yourselves of worldly desires. Jesus will perfect our faith and give us joy, just as He did when He went to the cross. He endured the agony of the cross by fixing His mind on sitting beside His Heavenly Father. At the same time, He established that very thing as an example for us. Die to self; sit with God! Live in faith! Know the joy!

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,

Hebrews 11:1-3, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

Remember when you mother said something like…”If you complete the work assignment your father gave you, I will permit you to do what you ask”? The thing hoped for was within your grasp; yet there were two definite requirments involved. The first requirement was the completion of a task assigned by your father. The second requirement involved believing your mother.

You could believe your mother without completing your father’s assigned task. But both trust and physical involvement are sometimes intricately related. Faith was indeed the key to both!

It’s an old mystery how a black cow can eat green grass and produce white mink –and, ultimately, yellow butter. Yet, even that pales when we think of creation. The worlds, the sky, the stars, the planets, space –all were products of “the word of God.” He simply spoke and it all happened! In the “twinkling of an eye!” What we know of even outer space took form instantly!

Why do we doubt God? Why do we seek to avoid trusting His Word? Why do we allow others to usurp the place of faith His Word reserves for us? Men of old were approved by trusting His Word. You can gain His approval the same way. Read His Word, the Bible! Believe and practice what it says! You will be amazed at the change in your life and in the lives of those around 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,

Hebrews 10:36-39, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.
38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

In reading this short passage of only four verses, I am reminded of Paul’s statement in his Letter to the Philippians,

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

There would be those who would take issue with Paul’s words in both passages, for he proclaims the LORD’s Coming “in a very little while.” Yet, that very phrase of five words must be accepted in the light of Paul’s timing. He had no knowledge how long it would be before the LORD would return; at the same time, it was (and is) a brief time when compared with the thousands of years since Creation.

Also, we have no knowledge of how much Paul knew when he wrote those words. For all we know, the LORD might have revealed the time of His Coming to Paul with the restriction of his making known the precise time. One thing Paul knew for certain: the righteous (are to) live by faith; and those who shrink back –those who refuse to believe– will meet with everlasting destruction.

We who know Him and profess to have been “born again” (born from Above) have faith that preserves the soul. I earnestly trust that you, my dear reader, have placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone. The Church proclaims salvation in the LORD, but the Church itself, like the baptism it administers, does not save. Only Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, is allowed to exercise salvation. And that comes by faith in Him alone!

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,

Hebrews 10:32-36, “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.
34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Wherever you are now, and regardless of your current age, you have had some “former days.” Somewhere at sometime, someone brought you to the light of the Scriptures concerning the LORD Jesus Christ. And others ridiculed you for accepting Him as LORD and Savior of your life. Thus, you “endured a great conflict of sufferings.”

Some of that suffering was personal; some of it was public, making you suffer shame for His Name. Having become identified even with those who had accepted Christ as their Savior, you were ridiculed and your property was seized and destroyed. All the while you maintained identity with those who knew Him, knowing that what you would ultimately receive from the LORD was of infinitely greater value than the ridicule and confication that brought you harm.

Don’t toss away your confidence! You have great reward coming! The LORD promises greater reward when we endure His will and accept and embrace His promises! Hang tough! He is coming and will be here soon! At that time, you will receive all that He promised—and possibly much more!

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