The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 11:1-6, “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.”

“Do you want to foster a spiritual fight?” At every turn, that’s the essence of what prompts the Apostle Paul to challenge the Corinthian Church. “You’ve been hoodwinked,” says the apostle. “Here comes a preacher, who preaches ‘another Jesus,’ and you just buy into everything he says, as if he were the LORD Himself. (It sounds as if Paul has tuned into some of those “pastors,” we know only from television today.)

That people of every age are spiritually hungry is no surprise. That they fall for every-thing that’s preached, regardless who says it. It’s a surprise, except that they are so spiritually hungry that they rush to “gobble up” everything that’s said, regardless of who says it or why.

The apostle Paul admonishes the Corinthian believers to listen to him! Paul does not in the least consider himself as unqualified to share what the Holy Spirit has taught him from the Scriptures! I often wonder about the biblical qualifications of those churchless pastors, who teach only via radio or television. What are their qualifications? Do we not check the qualifications of medical doctors before we put ourselves into their hands? Why, then, not the “pastors?”

First and foremost, true and faithful preachers must be avid students of the Word of God. There must be evidence of prayerfulness in their lives, as well as in their sermon preparation. We have three such pastors in the church I attend. Their messages are well-studied and earnestly presented from the Scriptures. They give evidence of prayerfulness and serious preparation. There is no “shilling” of their audiences.

I thank the LORD for the ministers under whom I sit. I can invite people (which I have) without having to be embarrassed by my pastor-teachers. Isn’t the LORD good to give us Godly men to lead us? Thank You, LORD! Thank you, pastors!

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,

Proverbs 24:15-22, “Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; do not associate with those who are given to change,
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?”

I am aware that some of these words of Scriptural instruction do not fit every reader.
Yet, many of them do. For instance, not every person “rejoices when his enemy falls.”
Still, if he does rejoice when his enemy falls, the LORD will be displeased, and will “turn His anger away from” the enemy, and possibly toward the one who rejoices.

We believers always want to think of Jesus as never angry or displeased; still, He is like a loving parent – and they are often displeased when their children disobey. Solomon doubtlessly experienced the displeasure of both his earthly father, David, and his Heavenly Father, when he violated the instructions of the LORD given here in the Scripture.

It seems as if the LORD were saying, “Don’t laugh when a friend falls and skins his knee, or you might fall and skin your knee.” Thoughtful parents want their children to behave properly, even if it seems inappropriate that the children suffer when their friends are hurt. As spiritually magnificent as the LORD is, He nevertheless desires that we love what He loves and despise what He despises. Are you appropriating in your life what the LORD wants? I earnestly pray that you are. We’re talking about much more than “skinned knees.”

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,

Psalm 11:1-7, “In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain?’
2 For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.”

These seven verses give no hint of David’s age when he penned them for his choir director. We can only know that he was of sufficient age to understand their depth of meaning. Everything David did centered in the LORD and focused on the preservation of the foundation He had laid forth for His people. Righteous people were the ones who served the LORD. And it is that same righteousness that the LORD utilises to test the foundation of their faith.

The foundation of our human civilization rests upon our faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Satan seeks to undermine those foundations. He always has and he always will. We who are alive to serve the LORD are facing some of the most diabolical challenges this writer has ever seen. Having lived under the administration of some 14 presidents, commencing with that of Franklin D. Roosevelt, I have witnessed significant variations in their administrations.

It is my earnest belief that we are drawing perilously closer to the end of civilization, as I have always known it. The very foundation of our Republic is being challenged, just as Israel’s foundation is being challenged. If ever there were a need of repentance and prayer, it is today.

Some readers know that some time ago I telephoned the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas to ascertain whether Dr. Jeffress (whom I knew to be a close friend of former President Trump) believes President Trump to be a truly born-again believer in Jesus Christ. I was assurred by Dr. Jeffress’ secretary that Dr. Jeffress does indeed believe President Trump to be a truly born-again believer in Jesus Christ.

I have never met the Rev. Franklin Graham, but I agree whole heartedly with him when he urged President Trump to refrain from some of the saucy language he uses in his addresses to the American people. Vulgar language has no place in the hearts and lives of truly Christian people. Nor does it enable what is spoken to “stick” more firmly with Christians everywhere.

Let me urge you to pray for our beloved United States of America! Undoubtedly, there were some of our Founding Fathers that were not true believers in Jesus Christ, as we know Him. Yet, they possessed a true belief in God the Father and held to His Word, the Holy Bible! Benjamin Franklin urged that every session of their meeting commence with prayer. There is no record of Franklin ever becoming a born-again believer in Jesus; however, he heard the purity of the Gospel from the lips of an able evangelist one quarter mile away! Pray for our Nation! She is cradled in the sure, soft Hands of our blessed Redeemer!

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,

Job 21:1-9, “Then Job answered,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech, and let this be your way of consolation.
3 “Bear with me that I may speak; then after I have spoken, you may mock.
4 “As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient?
5 “Look at me, and be astonished, and put your hand over your mouth.
6 “Even when I remember, I am disturbed, and horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 “Why do the wicked still live, Continue on, also become very powerful?
8 “Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their
offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them.”

The questions that Job puts to his friends is much like what men say today:
Things are beyond wisdom. Those who oppose us lay hold on victory, while
we wonder who will be victorious in the end. Sometimes we find ourselves
asking, “Why do the wicked still live…?” Suffering is abundant in the life of
the righteous, while the ungodly appear to be winning. Why is this so? What
can we do to reverse life’s situation?

Have we not speculated on such factors in life, as we know it today? There
are those who are trustworthy that seem to be covered in frustration. Those
who are not trustworthy seem to have the edge. What the psalmist said can
be repeated here: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous
do?” (Psa. 11:3).

We must dedicate our lives, and the time the LORD has granted us, to reach-
ing those who do not know the LORD. Yes, time is quickly slipping away; we
have little time to accomplish that which the LORD has commissioned us to
do. Yet, He has well equipped us with His Word! He has given us strength
and knowledge. We know what to do; and time is running out!

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,

Nehemiah 6:1-9, “Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the
Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach
remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates,
2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet
together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me.
3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come
down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
4 They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the
same way.
5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand.
6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.
7 “You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A
king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports.
So come now, let us take counsel together.”
8 Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not
been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.”
9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged
with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Have you ever mentally questioned an invitation that just seemed suspicious? Someone invited you to join him and his friends when they had never before invited you to anything? Suddenly, it just seemed to them that you were the perfect person to be their guest. Does such an invitation seem a bit questionable?

Well, this is precisely what Nehemiah thought when Sanballat and Geshem wanted to meet with him. They had heard, they said, that Sanballat was intending to rebel and become king himself. It was not true, of course, so Sanballat declined their invitation. That should have been the end of the matter, but it wasn’t. Five times Nehemiah received the same invitation. He sensed that “something nefarious was up.” And it was!

I’ve received similar invitations in the course of my life and work. I’m sure you have, too. What are we to do? The last verse of our Scripture above is a prayer that says, “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” Let me suggest that you remain calm (not something of which I’m particularly capable) and breathe a prayer –but resist, all the same, those “invitations” that are clearly not from the LORD. An excellent respose is that that is issued by Sanballat: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come…”

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