The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

If someone you and I knew suddenly died, and I were to tell you that I saw him alive
and walking the streets where we live, would you believe me? Probably not. Your
disbelief, however, would not negate my affirmation, would it? Absolutely not!

This was precisely the Apostle Paul’s situation with the Corinthians. To them, death meant death. They had never experienced the dead coming to life; thus, it was virtually impossilbe for them to believe that life after death had occurred with Jesus.

With Paul, however, it was real! He had met with the Risen Christ back on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9). Furthermore, his life had been so remarkably changed that those who had known him prior to that Damascus Road experience had no little difficulty themselves believing it to be true.

All of us, however, know or have known, someone whose life has been drastically
changed from a vile, filthy, atrocious individual to one of love and affection, such that it was as if he or she had become a totally different person, language, dress, attitude, speech –everything having been changed!

Wherever you are, whatever your current behavior, you can be different! Jesus Christ
has given new life to multitudes of previously vile sinners. He can change you! In fact, He wants to change you! “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31). And if you have already experienced salvation in Jesus, you
can share Him with others. What a blessed life He has given us! Praise His Name!

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,

Ephesians 4:25-32, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

One of the earliest things a child learns to say is “No!” Selfishness reigns and angry words find their way out of the mouths of all children. Learning to be selfless and putting away angry words is, perhaps, the most difficult of the early lessons.

“I want it!” the child cries. “No, it’s my time to have it,” the other child says. Now, the lady in charge encourages the selfish child to relinquish his grip on the toy. No one can deny the child from wanting the toy, as that is the natural attiude of a sinful and selfish heart. But, the lady in charge knows that life itself demands a timely relinquishment or everything that one holds.

Angry words often follow, when a person is denied his will. The words and angry looks are always a grievance to the Holy Spirit. Anger often becomes bitter and “wrath and anger and clamor and slander” must cease. Such attitudes are wrong and displeasing to the LORD.

Kindness is the warm attitude of the Holy Spirit, and forgiveness is (or ought to be) the way of every born-again soul. Regardless of your current age, do you more resemble the LORD Jesus or one who does not know Him? Search your life thoroughly! Search it honestly. If you’ve never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He is what is missing in your life. When you come to know Him, the kindness He has shown you and the forgiveness He has shown to you, will become what you will wish to show others. Trust me, it’s true!

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