The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Exodus 34:6-9, “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.’
8 Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship.
9 He said, ‘If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.’”

If you’ve ever been surrounded by difficulties and saw no way out, you have some understanding of where Moses stood when he prayed, as recorded in the verses above.

Sin will always seek to smother us, like filling the room full of smoke, so we’re not sure where the door of escape is! Yes, the Fire Department has been summoned; however, perhaps there are some firemen who want to see the house burn to the ground and
the owner along with it!

There is but one way out– it is prayer! When those responsible to effect our rescue are the very ones who’ve lighted the fire, we must seek help from another source! That Source is the LORD! The way of our communication with Him is prayer.

The initial step required in prayer is confession. We all have sins, be they enormous or miniscule. Our sins must be confessed to the LORD before He will issue an alarm for our deliverence. Such is true
for us and for our nation as well!

Personally, I am both amazed and pleased at the outpouring of financial response that originates with those who love our country. Yet, we need prayer more –far more, than we need the “currency of the realm.”

Like it or not, “we the people” are in this together! I pray daily for numerous people and serious situations. Yet, every prayer is initiated with a confession of my own sin. Sin is Satan’s key method for interrupting our prayers. When sin is erased (and only God can erase
it!), He lovingly leads us into the realm of answerable prayer.

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,

Psalm 122:1- 9, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD– an ordinance for Israel– to give thanks to the name of the LORD.’”
5 For there thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.
7 ‘May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May peace be within you.’
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.”

I rejoice for the multiple opportunities today for the sharing of the Gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ on radio, television, and the worldwide internet!

At the same time, I cringe at some of the misguided theology that abounds only to confuse multitudes of people. Far too many “preachers” feed their people with less than biblical truth. In fact, I cringe at much of what I see and hear through the media.

There are others, however, whose true calling of the LORD is unmistakably evidenced in their love for the clear teaching of the pure Word of God. We must not forget that there are thousands of indigent people, who are dependent upon radio and television to bring them the warm encouragement of the Gospel.

Simultaneously, we must be careful to live out the Gospel before everyone; for it is in that way that people are assured of its truth. God is glorified when we live before others the Gospel we preach and teach.

A man I had never met used some “colorful” language in my presence the other day. I wanted to reply to him, but chose instead to make a warm and appropriate response that said everything that needed to be said, but without openly rebuking him. As I left, I smiled and spoke to him, and he smiled in return. There is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl. 3:7). Yet, we must always remember Who we represent and how we package Him to others.

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,

John 11:21-26 “Martha then said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’
23 Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’
24 Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’
25 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

It was an honest and sincere question. Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, had died. Mary was apparently away when the death occurred because there is no word from her regarding her brother’s demise. Martha, however, is more noted for speaking out on things, so, it should not surprise us that she is the spokesman on Lazarus’ death.

Faith is an attitude of trust. It is not, however, just a “serious belief”; it is a deep and honest trust that the LORD can and will produce what we have asked. Such faithful trust seems rare today. We areoften in too great a hurry to “take time to be holy.”

Sincere, earnest, continual prayer touches the heart of the LORD, whereby we ultimately receive answers to prayer. He is never late, and He always responds with what is best for us. It was Tennyson who said, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”

Do you have a problem? Do you have a friend, who does? Pray for your friend or yourself and trust the LORD for the answer. Jesus
never fails!

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 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