The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 John 3:9-14, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed
abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone
who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love
his brother.
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we
should love one another;
12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason
did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the
brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

This is a clear and cogent word from the apostle John. Love and sin do not
go together. They do not agree. Love is from God; sin is not. Those who love
are of the LORD, while those who practice sin are of the devil.

The Old Testament Scriptures tell us that Cain killed Abel because Cain’s
deeds were evil and Abel’s were righteous. Remember that when the two
brought their offerings to the LORD, Abel’s offering was righteous and accepted,
while Cain’s was unrighteous and neither he nor his offering were accepted.

Cain thought he could remedy a bad situation by killing his brother. But, he
forgot that God was in control. That’s what is wrong with a lot of people today:
they live outside of the will of God and are sloppy in their offerings to Him.
When people don’t do right by you, you can know that they have first done
wrong toward God. Just be sure you do what’s right toward God.

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,

1 Peter 4:1-8, “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;
5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

Traveling in different countries of the world, it is virtually impossible not to observe various manners of the people. I remember clearly how utterly surprised I was when a Christian layman, treating me to lunch, was shocked that I did not drink alcoholic beverages. I was surprised that, as a Christian, he suggested it.

Only recently, I have witnessed verbal testimonies of some American Christian believers, who speak of the changes in their lives, but never clearly mention that it was Jesus Christ who saved them and affected the change.

Currently, America is aligning with Israel in war against Hamas, who is in league with
Iran. Iranian Christians are paying a heavy price for accepting Jesus Christ as their LORD
and Savior. I am personally ashamed of how lax I am when compared with believers in
Iran. They pay a heavy price for yielding to Jesus Christ and then sharing Him with others
in their culture.

Verse seven above says, “The end of all things is near.” I wonder if we’re aware how
near we are to the end. If we were aware how little time is left –or even how brief life itself
is, we would undoubtedly be more active for Him than we currently are! True love for those who are lost comes only from Jesus Christ. He lives within us, if our lives have been
yielded to Him. Is your life centered in Jesus Christ? It can be… even today!

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 50:15-20, “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong
which we did to him!’
16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father charged before he died,
saying,
17 “Thus you shall say to Joseph, ‘Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?
20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Were you taught in childhood, that “You can’t do wrong and get by”? It’s a truth
that will bite you at some point in life. Any news outlet will support the validity of that statement; yet, long before there were news outlets like we have today, this simple
fact could easily have been learned from the Bible.

Joseph had a dream that one day he would rule over his brothers. He made the mistake
of sharing the dream with his brothers. They became angry and sold him to some
travelers, and then reported him as dead to their father, Jacob.

After a time, the brothers came to the Egyptian authorities to buy grain for food. Joseph
had become an authority in Egypt, and he recognized his brothers. They, however, did
not recognize him. After considerable time, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers,
and they then feared for their lives! “Little brother” Joseph was now second only to
Pharaoh, King of Egypt! The brothers were trapped! What possibly could they do now?

We sometimes do and say things that we come to regret. We view ourselves as “in
charge,” until we learn that Jesus alone is truly in charge! Will He forgive us for what
we’ve done? Will He forgive us for what we’ve not done? The account of Joseph should
teach us to yield our lives in obedience to Christ, while we can. Joseph was in charge,
but only for a short time; Jesus is in charge all the time! May His Holy Spirit guide our
lives before we forget this true story! Is He guiding your life? Is He in charge of you? Is
He pleased with what you do?

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,

Matthew 21:23-27, “23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders
of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’
24 Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell
you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?’ And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to
us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
26 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”
27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will
I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Did you ever have someone ask you a question, the answer to which was either already
known or simply had no answer at all? “Have you stopped drinking since you left the academy?” Such a question would surely have the intention of embarrassment; especially if the person were known as a “non-drinker.”

Jesus had a similar question posed to Him by the chief priests and elders. It was a question regarding authority; and asking it publically, it was their belief that He would either have to answer the question in front of the people or suffer embarrassment.

Jesus’ response was to ask a question of His accusers. “The baptism of John–” He had only to mention the name of John the Baptist to inflame their hearts with fear of a greater accusation: “The baptism of John (the Baptist) was from what source, from Heaven or
from men?”

His accusers could not answer the LORD Jesus’ question, except to say, “We do not
know.” Then Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

We still have quislings around. They love to embarras believers. Such, however, becomes
difficult, if not impossible, when we stay close to Him and live by His teachings.

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,

Matthew 6:25-34, “”For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow;
they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of
these.
30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What
will we wear for clothing?’
32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things.
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.”

There’s an old adage that says that opposites attract. My parents were both devout Christians. At the same time, they were quite opposite in many ways! My Dad never worried about anything! My Mother, on the other hand, worried about everything!
We lived next door to a couple who were “addicted” in the same way, only she never worried about anything, while he worried about everything.

I remember him saying to my mother: “Velma, don’t let anyone tell you that it doesn’t
pay to worry! Nothing I ever worried about ever happened!” Both of them had a problem.

“Worry” (????????, merimnao) means to be anxious about something — anything. It
constitutes doubt on our part and, simultaneously, challenges the LORD’s ability to
provide what is right and needed. Imagine challenging the LORD –saying that He
was wrong…that He could not provide something we thought we needed, when all
along He was keeping us from something that would have been to our detriment.

Good parents do the same thing. It’s just that parents are human, and humanity leads
us all into a lot of mistakes! Still, don’t hesitate to engage in something out of fear
that you will fail or cause someone else to fail. Be prayerful! Trust in the LORD! He
is the Good Parent and free from the encumbrances that befall all mortal beings.

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