The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),
3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

“But, that’s the Old Testament!” Ever hear someone say that about a passage they wanted to refute? Well, to clarify everything, let me say that there are no contradictions in the whole of Scripture! There is, to be sure, some “growth” between the Old and New Testaments; yet there are no contradictions! All of the Bible stands together under the Hand of Almighty God.

The Old Testament directive above is addressed to the fathers. It is their responsibility to bring up their children to love and honor the LORD. Further, they are to honor their parents and carry out the responsibilities assigned to them by their parents.

The New Testament directive gives no “wobble room.” Children are to obey their parents (mother and father); and by so doing, they are promised that things “may be well with (them),” and that they “may live long on the Earth.”

The fathers were charged not to irritate their children, but rearing them “in the dicipline and instruction of the LORD.” If the instructions given to parents are obeyed, the children will not only learn to obey the LORD, but will learn to be parents in the process. May God give us truly Christian homes! May we learn to obey 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 9:42-48, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.
43 “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
44 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
45 “If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,
46 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.”

What causes kids to spiritually stumble? One of the saddest things that all-too-often takes place in a child’s life is the mishandling of the child by a church leader. Sometimes the pastor, who is called to be one of the child’s spiritual leaders will misguide the child into realms of sin and spiritual mismanagement.

Ministers and church leaders, like parents, are called upon to lead children in right paths –paths that lead to the LORD Jesus.

Others, who are equally responsible (if not more so!) are the birth-parents of the child. Whether the child is the parental birth-child of its natural parents, or of adoptive parents, it is the parental responsibility to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Prov. 22:6).

Maltreatment of a child virtually assures training the child in a wrong way. It is true that many wrongly-trained children overcome bad training and grow up to be well-trained, well-established men and women. Still, it is something not to be taken for granted. Remember the words of Solomon: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

Some readers of these words will assert: “It’s been too long now for my child to be changed. Yet, it is never too late — at least, this side of death, it is not. As long as life is alive, there is hope in the child. Give that lost one the Hope that exists in our LORD Jesus!

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,

Genesis 2:1-3, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

One of the difficulties we often encounter is that we rest before we’ve completed the task. Interestingly, there are twice as many references to work in the Bible as there are to rest. Still, we’re more inclined to rest. Could it be that that’s why we don’t get more done? We “stop” more than we “start.”

If the chairs in our homes were no more comfortable than a park bench, we might ultimately get more done. Can’t you remember your mother saying, “You can have it when you’ve finished what I gave you to do?” Failure to complete any task is the invitation to fail on the next one.

Our LORD set the pace, as it were, by not “resting” until His task was completed. So, the next time you face a not-so-exciting thing to do, remember the example the LORD established for us: “Plan your work; work your plan.” One day you will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21).

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,

Romans 12:1-3, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

“You’re wasting your time if you’re trying to convert him! He’ll never change!” Negative affirmations always abound! Yet, the truth is that people can change! What’s more, people often do.

One of the most unlikely men for change –yet, one who actually did, was the Japanese Naval Pilot, Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II with Japan.

Who would have believed that Fuchida would learn of the change
Jesus Christ had made in others and venture to give himself to Christ? Who would have believed that Fuchida would then become a Presbyterian evangelist, leading multiple Japanese men and women to faith in Jesus Christ? Yet, it’s true!

We all engage in things that are inapropriate before we’re saved.
Truth be told, we all engage in things inappropriate even after we
have been saved! Yet, when we confess those sins to Christ, He
is true to His promise: He forgives us and sets our feet on the right
path and at the right time.

Live in His Word, my friend! His Word (the Holy Scriptures) always leads us as we follow Him. If the LORD can transform a
man like Fuchida, He can transform anyone! He can transform you!
“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).

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,

II Chronicles 36:22-23, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia– in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah– the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'”

I was only in Iran for a very brief time, and was headed to Scandinavia for a series of evangelistic meetings. Our airplane did a brief stop-over in Tehran to take on and drop off passengers. Unfortunately, it was nighttime, and I never had opportunity to view the beauty of the country, only the inside of the airport.

Over the years, however, I have made some Iranian friends right here in Arkansas. And very recently, two young ladies from Iran, spoke of the growth of the Christian faith in their native land! God is everywhere! And He is constantly reaching out to save those of many countries.

Personally, I believe we are living in the “last days.” How much time we have before Jesus returns, I do not know. Neither does anyone else know; so, don’t be misled by what others say. Satan is stirring things because he knows his time is short! Get your information straight from the Bible, the Holy Scriptures!

Read and share the tract, “It’s Not How You Play The Game.”
It’s in .pdf format just below my address.

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