The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Well, how many times have you heard it? Parents and teachers who truly care don’t measure the number of times they have instructed those under their authority. The point is to keep saying what they need to hear until it all sinks in!

Paul repeats his instruction again. He seems never to tire of the repetition of what we ought to do. Paul is willing to restate his instructions as often as necessary until we get it right. Why is that necessary? God has saved us and purified us that we might pray and instruct others in His Word and His Way.

We are always to obey the LORD! One reason for our obedience is because the LORD loves us. If He did not, He would not desire for us to follow Him. It’s like a parent who repeatedly disciplines a child. Another reason is that His way always leads us to do right. We are through repetition encouraged to become responsible and follow the LORD.

Paul closes this area of the Scripture with an earnest prayer that we might have eternal comfort and be strengthened in our hearts as we labor in good works. Are you investing your time and effort is doing the LORD’s will for your life? Are you drawing closer daily to Him? And is your life drawing others closer to 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,

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

I have always loved a good mystery. Even my dear wife, who knew, loved, and taught more Scripture than you would believe, loved a good mystery. Neither of us, however, were on the side of the “mystery of lawlessness” of which Paul speaks in these verses. This “mystery” commences with a teaching of corrupt doctrine. And when true doctrine is corrupted, the general behavior of mankind races toward evil with a passion!

Currently, Satan is working through those who embrace everything that is forbidden by Scripture. When man’s passion for lawlessness has run its course, Satan’s counterfeit messiah, the Antichrist, will be revealed with Satan’s “answer” to mankind’s problems.

Even now, some who profess to have believed upon Jesus, have turned away from Him,
returning to the very lifestyle they claimed to have resisted. Job said, “They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; even like the heads of grain they are cut off” (Job 24:24).

Eventually, the Antichrist and his teachings will be obliterated by the power of Almighty God. Simultaneously, those who rejected God’s Truth and embraced the pleasures of wickedness will fall prey to God’s righteous judgment. Don’t risk being found among the wicked. The LORD’s judgment on sin will be severe! “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).

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 Thessalonians 2:6-10, “And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”

The word “coming,” with its affiliates (come & came), is mentioned more than 3,900 times in the Bible! The phrase, “in His time,” is mentioned only twice in the whole of Scripture, here in verse 2 and in Genesis 6:9. I have several books and pamphlets that in their time purported to have information supporting precisely when Jesus was returning to Earth. But those times have come and gone and we are still awaiting His Return.

In the meantime, we are surrounded and confounded by “the mystery of lawlessness.” Lawlessness will continue until the Father’s restraint is removed. Restraint? Where’s the restraint? We live in the time of “wars and more wars.” Yet, the suggestion of “restraint” is that we have seen nothing yet of the tremendous onslaught of Satan’s evil and vicious lawlessness! That Satanic lawlessness will continue until Jesus Comes Again!

All wickedness is deceptive. That’s why two alleged Iowa teens sought to cover up the killing of their 60s-year-old High School Spanish teacher. That current story has more “light” than the deceptive accounts of what we call “Satanic” activity. Friends, we are living in a “devil-may-care” world environment. We’ve twisted the love and beauty from our Creator into lust and porn. But, things will get worse.

The answer is both personal and corporate. We have yet to receive “the love of the truth –His Truth– so as to be saved.” That Truth – the Truth that saves – is that “Christ died for our sins” and when we repent and confess them to Him, He has agreed to forgive us and grant us His Life through the Holy Spirit. Now, it’s our turn to decide: repent and believe or resist, die and be cast into Hell for eternity.

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