The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 8:14-18, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
16 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
17 “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
18 “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

It’s an age-old parable, but it carries an eternal, time-sensitive truth for every generation: Those who intentionally move away from the truth will pay a penalty.
It’s simply another way of saying, “You can’t do wrong and get by.”

“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men
of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens” (Ex. 18:21).

Those who wish to be leaders of others, whoever they are and to whatever office
or possetion they aspire, must be men and women of absolute, impeccible honesty! There is not the slightest microcosm of “wiggle room” when dealing with other
people’s lives or possessions. They simply “cannot do wrong and get by!” Nor are
we allowed to let them get by. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace
to any people…”

Furthermore, “The King’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, but his anger
is toward him who acts shamefully” (Prov. 14:34-35). May we be faithful and wise in
praying for our beloved nation! The LORD alone is our strength and our comfort!

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 Timothy 6:6-12, “…godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Is there actually profit in doing good? A host of men throughout the years apparently believed it to be so. Yet, if that be true, we must, at the same time, also conclude that there is strength and character in some who did not profit. They, who did not profit, would say that “great gain” is “accompanied by contentment.”

Temptations and snares cause many to stumble. “…those who want to get rich often fall into ruin, and suffer destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…”
The lure of wealth too often leads men into destruction. Does not the Scripture say,

“…the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs”?

The human author of this sound advice further says that “the love of money is a root
of all sorts of evil,” punishing many and forcing them from “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, and perseverance” –all the good things that arise from the fire to assist those who “fight the good fight of faith.” At the same time, persevere, but gently.

May our blessed LORD encourage and use us to free the imbondaged from slavery!
And may we ever be to the praise of His glory!

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,

Acts 14:11-17, “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’
12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out
15 and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.’
16 ‘In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.’”

When we look closely at human nature, we are certain to see individuals, who clearly want to go their own way and do their own will, regardless of what other people think.

Thus, when groups of individuals gather with others of similar thinking, they produce a nation that does precisely what it thinks! It exercises what it wills without subjecting itself to what other nations believe or how they behave.

That is exactly the conclusion of Luke, author of the Book of Acts. He allows that the LORD has permitted nations to deviate from His original intention and go their own way, yet history clearly reveals the difficulties nations have encountered as they wandered willingly away from the LORD’s and His righteous intentions for them.

The emphasis of the closing verses above is that the LORD gave them “their own head” to do what they willed; yet, He never left them without His witness! And how did the LORD share His witness? “He did good and gave (them) rains from heaven and fruitful seasons…”

He does the same for mankind in every generation. Some of the poorest countries on earth today have His very witness in their midst. He has “never left them without His witness”! What is wrong is that countries have forgotten the LORD and have ignored the His witness that came to them through the sunshine and rain and crops–all that bring life.

All that we are, even all that we hope to become, we owe to the LORD Christ. We
are, therefore, responsible to yield our lives to Him! “Trust in the LORD with all your
heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

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,

Acts 17:24-31, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Not too long ago Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of the State of California and retired body builder, took a swipe at God by denying that He was Who He said He was. It was one of those “here today-gone tomorrow” news clips that really concerned no one – except God.

Schwarzenegger’s comment is hardly unique. Unfortunately, it is the comment of many thoughtless people in their attempt to fool themselves into believing that God really does not exist! Therefore, they feel free to mock Him at will.

The comment, however, reminded me of the little children’s rhyme of warning:

“Oh, be careful little tongue what you say,
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say.
For the Father up above
Is looking down in tender love,
Oh be careful little tongue what you say.”

Just imagine what I would look like, were I to make such a negative remark to Arnold’s face!

Rather than believe his mocking remark to be His genuine thought, it is my belief that the remark was intended to mask his true fear regarding a meeting with the Creator. People don’t generally make fun of things that don’t exist.

Our verses above say that there was a time when the LORD
simply overlooked such “things of ignorance”– but no more! God is
the Supreme Judge of the Universe! And He will one day soon sit in court judging the entire world population! Be careful that you have trusted Christ Jesus and surrendered to Him the entirety of your life. There will be no “second chance” in that day!

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,

Acts 22:1-10, “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
4 “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,
5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
6 “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,
7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
10 “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’”

What a charge given to a young man! His business was persecution, but at this moment he is the persecuted! The young man was Jewish, born in Tarsus and a superior graduate of the schools that existed there.

He was Jewish, and as such, he had been well-trained in the religion of the Jews –that is, as well as the university where he lived could train him. And as in keeping with the Jewish tradition, the young man was trained in the business of tent-making (Acts 18:3)!

We are not told how he got into the business of persecuting
Christian believers, but he was chief at the stoning of Stephen.
While we cringe at the thought of Stephen’s untimely death and
the manner of it, his attitude and dying words (“Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge.”) had a powerful effect on young Saul (Paul).

I’ve never thought it through completely, but that may account for my love for Jewish people. They are blunt and harsh sometimes,
but that appeals to me and I give it right back! I’m never savage,
just meeting “push” with “shove.” What’s more, they love it!

The LORD is not through with His people. It’s just that His people
have expanded well beyond the Jews! I’m not Jewish, yet I marvel at all He has done for and with my life!

If you’ve not trusted Him, you’re missing life’s greatest blessing! You know the tough part? It’s admitting that you’re a sinner and need Him. You may be living under the thought that you will “check in” with him just before you “check out.” But “check-out time” may be closer than you think! There’s nothing like being ready!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We may never know that Christ is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.”
– Corrie ten Boom