The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 1:14-19, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”

To most of us Obligation is a two-edged sword. One edge is viewed as positive when it’s in our favor. The other edge is viewed as negative when it’s not. We like it when people are obligated to us, but we’re not as favorable when the obligation cuts the other way. It was always positive, however, with the Apostle Paul. And so should it always be with us.

The Greeks of Paul’s day were sophisticats; the barbarians were the down-and-outers. What they were, however, did not matter to Paul. His message of salvation in Jesus Christ was for everyone. And he was eager to preach the gospel –the good news– to everyone!

I dare say that most –if not all– of us like to receive good news regardless of what it is. And Paul’s good news – what he was “eager to preach”—concerned eternal salvation for everyone who would confess their sins to the LORD Jesus Christ and trust Him to forgive them. Paul was eager to share good news like that, and so should we be.

There is no shame in sharing the Good News of Jesus. People need to know that eternal salvation exists only in the LORD Jesus Himself It does not exist in the membership of any church. When we have accepted Him as our personal Redeemer from sin, and gather together to worship Him, we become His church and learn to live the life of faith.

Are you living the life of faith? Is your trust for eternity solely in Jesus Christ? If it’s not, you need to trust Him today. If your faith is already in Him, then you need to share Him with those who are lost. It will warm your heart when you see people accept Christ as their Savior.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. For your internet friends, use this Gospel tract.

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,

Luke 12:15-20, “Then He said to them, ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.’
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’”

Sometimes we think that we are too busy to worry about solemn warnings. Sometimes warnings come so carefully clothed that we just glance at them and move quickly on to respond –too quickly!

Greed, however, is often overlooked for what it is. Take for example what I received only this morning on my computer. It was allegedly from a long-time friend, wanting me to do him a
simple favor. It seemed proper, although a bit strange in that what he wanted was for someone else, with apparently no name, no age, or occasion to receive what my “friend” allegedly needed to send her. In short… it was all a scam!

Satan is like that! And although I am not a “rich man,” as the man in our Scripture above, it has
always seemed foolish to me to “tear down” in order to build up. Greed is always foolish, no
matter how much it involves or for whom or what it is intended.

The man in our Scripture passage above was apparently rich in everything except good sense. Tear down in order to build up. (Even as a kid, that didn’t make sense to me!) Eventually, the LORD Himself called the man a “fool.” The man in our passage wasn’t wise as a builder of barns or as a builder of life!

Thousands of “things” are built to attract us as buyers. They’re all over the Internet! But, there is only one thing that is important –only one thing that rescues us from the designation “fool.”
And that is regarding our souls. To whom does your soul belong? Whose is it when you die?
Where will it go? Who will claim it? What will it then be worth?

Jesus said, “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Lk. 12:21). Trust Him today, dear friend; and “do not keep worrying…seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (Lk. 12:31).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. Only moments prior to sending this Letter this morning, I received an email from some
missionary grandparents, asking prayer for their granddaughter, Joanna. The little girl is
in hospital in Thailand suffering from multiple seizures of an unknown origin. Your prayers
for her will be deeply appreciated.

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,

Psalm 119:9-17, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to
Your Word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.
16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
17 Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your Word.”

Inasmuch as we credit Solomon with much of the writing of the Psalms (and rightfully so), it does us all well, regardless of our physical or spiritual age, to apply these thoughts to our hearts and lives as often as every day.

Purity of life is at the top of the list, and it aids us to consider the entirety of that list every day. We do that by treasuring within our hearts His teachings –both affirmations and prohibitions! Those teachings reside in His statutes. They are words that provoke us to obedience. When we abide in those teachings, they further provoke us, as we think of His delight!

The Psalmist prays that we may not forget the Lord’s Word. Simultaneously, he expresses his desire to live in the Word, always obeying it to the maximum. That same delight is ours, as we keep and obey His Word. Yet, even in language translation, we must maintain the ultimate possibility of the Scripture’s meaning. Then, and only then, can it be said of us that we are truly living in His Word.

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,

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14, “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

Life is filled with distractions! Have you not noticed? Some “things” are worth the time and energy necessary to understand and employ them in life. Many are not. Why then, do we fritter away our time with “meaningless things” instead of investing it in things of proven value?

Solomon cites the value of words originating from wise men. He says that they are like goads, proding us onward toward what may well be viewed as a worthwhile goal –a goal given by the Shepherd. Simultaneously, His warning is that “excessive devotion to books” is wearisome overall.

Have you not noticed that those who consistently warn us against certain things, incessently engage in them themselves? We need variety in almost everything. Certain foods may be more desirable than others; yet, even they must occasionally be “tempered” or changed.

What we must not forget is to “fear God.” That does not mean to be afraid of Him; rather, it
means to love Him so sufficiently that His desires will become our desires. And the things He hates will become the things we also despise. No one says all of this is easy. But things that are easy are often not worthwhile.

Think today of some unessentials in your life and erase them from your interest. Read your
Bible. Glean truths from His Word and apply them to your life. In the process of time, those applications will be more and more meaningful. And as they are, you will become more like 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,

Mark 1:1-4, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Did you ever pick up a book to read and start your reading at the end of the book? Hardly. If we’re going to get any sense out of anything we read, we have to start where the author starts. The same is true of the Bible.

The word “gospel” (??????????) means “good news,” and Mark, the human author of this book, commences his writing about “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Everything about Jesus is Good News: His life, His teachings, His deportment, His love, His prayerfulness; but most of all, His willingness to subject Himself to the vile treatment of mankind– His suffering and death on the cross.

That may not seem like good news when we examine all that He encountered and suffered;
Everything He did, however, was for the benefit of mankind. Every negative encounter in our lives requires accountability. Daily articles in the news reveal multiple nefarious acts of people all around us. Our sins may not appear as severe as those of others, but we will one day give account for them, nevertheless.

The “good” in Good News is not what we’ve done. It’s what the LORD Jesus has done for us!
We have actions that deserve the Cross; yet, He endured it for us! We have thoughts that deserve the Cross. He endured the Cross for all of our evil. In fact, every thought and act of evil in our lives has been paid for in Jesus’ crucifixion! Now, for His activity to be validated for us, we must turn our lives over to Him. We must accept Him, and what He did for us, and say “Thank You” in the dedication of your life to Him. Have you done that?

Pray a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, I am sorry for all my sin. Please forgive me. Thank You for dying on the Cross to save me. I love You and trust You to forgive all my sins. Just make me one of Your children, and let Your Life be visible to others through me. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.”

You may or may not “feel” anything when you pray this prayer. Just BELIEVE that He has done what He promises in His Word. That’s the key word: Believe! Now, share Him with a
friend.

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