The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 6:1-11, “And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain–
2 for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION “–
3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,
8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;
9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,
10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.”

If you believe these eleven verses from Paul are long and tedious reading, you have
a snapshot of my first public sermon. I was eager and overly well prepared. The audience
expected a rather brief, maybe 15-minute, address from this teenage boy. Unless my
octogenarial years have distorted my memory, I spoke for some 45 minutes! My pastor,
who has now been long with the LORD, had some choice words, doubtlessly intended
as encouragement.

What has the Scripture above to do with the timing of my first sermon? Perhaps, it’s that
last verse: “Our mouth has spoken freely…our heart is opened wide.” My defence to my
pastor was that the Apostle Paul spoke quite long (Acts 20:9). It’s sufficient to say that his rebuttal was pointedly instructive. All of that being said, I should note that the Scripture above speaks of the day of salvation and quite pointedly notes that it (was) Paul’s responsibility to lead others to Jesus and to teach us to do so as well.

The day in which we are living is quite parallel with the day of Paul. Sin is rampant! Evil
permeates the world in which we live. People are lost; and the Holy Spirit lives and works in and through believers to bring the lost to faith in Jesus Christ. You know people who are lost. So do I. Let’s pray for one another and be prepared to reach those who need to know 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