The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.

Whatever difficulties we might encounter (and there are plenty of difficulties in life!), the LORD is our only hope of divesting them! The Psalmist views Him as a shelter, a refuge, a fortress, a shield. We are to view Him as our shelter and refuge, too.

Terror, destruction, pestilence, darkness—all take aim at us for their ignominious purposes. Yet, the LORD is our shelter! Our faith rests ever and only in Him.

So, when the waters are rough and the winds blow against us, we can know that He is our “refuge and strength—a very present help in time of trouble” (Psa. 46:1). So, always be of good cheer!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

John 14:1-7, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

4 “And you know the way where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

While troubles abound throughout the world, peace is available to reign in our hearts. Many have been rescued from impending disasters through the sheer will that would not surrender to defeat.

Here the apostle John advocates the one aspect that will deliver us from fear: don’t give in to trouble! Trouble will reign in our hearts and minds only if we permit it. Solomon admonished us correctly when he said,

“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.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the

LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body And refreshment

to your bones” (Prov. 3:5-8).

Isaiah encourages us when he says,

“Trust in the LORD forever,

For in GOD the LORD, we have

an everlasting Rock” (Isa. 26:4).

What more do we need than He has already promised?

Heartily in Christ,

(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,

James 1:13-17, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

“Temptation” is the encouragement to do what is wrong, and we engage in it long before we know the definition of the word. When we’re old enough to know it is wrong, we find the “escape” in blaming someone else for what we do. Such a transfer of blame comes immediately on the heels of the action. Sometimes, we even seek to transfer the blame to God by saying, “I am being tempted by God.”

James is clear, however, saying, “God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” Rather, it is the enticement to do wrong that is evil, and God has no connection with that. Some years ago, it became popular to jest about wrongdoing by saying, “The devil made me do it.” Interestingly enough, however, James puts the blame on “lust”; and lust is blamed on mankind.

Shifting from evil to good, James informs us that every good and perfect thing is “from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” James will not permit us to place the blame for sin anywhere but upon ourselves; nor will he permit us to take credit for any good that occurs. Good is ever and always from the LORD.

We must give close attention to all that occurs; and our concentration on God will endeavor us to be more and more like Him.

Heartily in Christ,

(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,

James 1:13-18, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, so that we would be among the first fruits of His creatures.”

Temptation is a frightful experience. Yet, the “fright” is carefully masked by the Tempter. It is subtle. It is exciting! What’s more, the tempter “smiles” when he comes and “assures” you that all will be well. Trust me, it will not be well—not if you are a true and faithful believer in the LORD Jesus.

It’s as if there were room in your life for but one—and there is “but for one.” If you have trusted Jesus as LORD and Savior of your life, His presence within you fills you to the uttermost! For He overflows the fullness of your heart and life. There is no room for another.

Deception says there is; but deception lies! How efficient would any sports team be if a “second” coach were simultaneously allowed to be the coach of the team? How efficient is a local Police Department if two or three policemen insist on being “Chief”? Whoever is earliest to the office runs the department. Does that sound even slightly like “common sense”? Of course not!

Once we have committed our hearts and lives to the LORD Jesus Christ, He—and He alone!—determines how life is to be conducted. “You cannot do wrong and get by!” If you appear to be “getting by,” and there are no consequences, you simply do not belong to Him. Thus, a constant and careful evaluation is imperative. Do that evaluation right away! Right now!

Heartily in Christ,

(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

Matthew 24:1-8, “Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

The verses listed above give a clear account of the coming of the end of the age. Christ is warning that we should not be mistaken simply because some think it is otherwise. There have always been those who believe their understanding of the Word is accurate when it is not! Jesus’ warning, “See that no one misleads you,” is a clear acknowledgment that there are those who will intentionally seek to mislead others.

Still, it’s more than a few who are in error, and it is they of whom Christ speaks, that there are others who will attempt to mislead us. Our focus, however, ought never to be on those who are in error, but upon Jesus, who is never in error!

At the same time, it is obvious to those who are watching that there are more than a few whose preaching and teaching is not according to the sound teaching of Scripture! We must, therefore, be alert to their presence and their intention to mislead as many as possible.

Years ago, a pastor was heard to say, “I don’t believe all I hear preached.” Many could say “Amen!” to that statement. That’s why we ourselves ought to be clear in our understanding of the Bible. We should be careful and prayerful to always be aligned with a church that is clear in its teachings from the Bible. A slip here and a slip there will lead many astray.

Heartily in Christ,

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