The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

II Corinthians 11:17-28, “What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.
19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.
20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold– I speak in foolishness– I am just as bold myself.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ?– I speak as if insane– I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.”

How many times I have witnessed ministers boast of their
humility! What made those situations unbearable was the simple fact that there were those within the hearing of that boasting, who had encountered greater persecution than those who were
uplifting themselves.

It was the same with the Apostle Paul. What’s more, Paul’s
suffering was far greater than that of the encounter of others. Is there then a time for telling of difficult times in the ministry? Apparently, so! Yet, we all need to be careful, lest we fall into the trap of sheer arrogance.

I clearly remember a clash of some fellow-students in college. They had laid it on pretty thick regarding how invaluable they were, when an older student in the class spoke up, saying that
he had been in the military overseas. “I fought in the rain and
in the drought; I went often without sufficient food and without sleep. And then I came home and am putting myself through
school.” There was a notable silence in the comparison of sacrifices.

Yes, there is a time to speak up and a time for silence. Paul is
hardly boasting of his achievements; rather, he is drawing a comparison between his sacrifice for the LORD and that of those who viewed themselves as dedicated to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Admittedly, I am ashamed at my paultry witness when reading
of Paul’s! I’m confident you are, too. May we simply yield our-selves wholeheartedly to Him as we live “to the praise of His glory!”

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 Samuel 16:11-15, “And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all the children?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.”
15 Saul’s servants then said to him, ‘Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.’”

Verses previous to these cited above reveal that Saul, although originally chosen by the LORD, was replaced by Jesse’s son, David. He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons, tall and winsome. Yet, it was the LORD’s Spirit upon him that made him what he was.

It is the teaching of verse 13 that the Spirit of the LORD came into David’s life, prompting him to follow the Spirit in the things the LORD had produced for him to do. Where the Scriptures say, “…an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you,” we are to understand that those in Old Testament days saw the “evil spirit” as being under the LORD’s sovereign control.

Such is still the case! Our LORD is not the “author of evil”; yet, He establishes how far and to what extent the devil (and his adversaries) can go in harassing mankind.

There are those today who seek to analyze and categorize “evil”; yet, it is best to leave that, too, to the LORD. Satan undoubtedly seeks to mask the work of his spirit, so as to confuse those who would follow the LORD God! Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

We will not be hindered from understanding Satan’s tricky disguises, if we focus clearly on the teachings of the LORD Jesus! It’s a good idea to pray that Christ will give you understanding before and when you seek to study His Word! Read slowly. Savor every word. God bless you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

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,

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, “In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11 The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

So far as many of today’s people are concerned, the pastor is simply a man, who stands before his congregation and declares
Sunday-after-Sunday one or more principles from the Bible that helps them make it through the following week. That’s the only time they see (or hear) him, so what else should they expect?

Well, the truly God-called pastors offer much more than that!
The pastor is something of a builder; he seeks out the meanings
of biblical truths and applies them to the needs of his congrega-
tion. He is to be a wise and studied man, one who knows and
understands the needs of his people and knows and under- standsthe truths of God’s Word.

Yes, “the excssive devotion to books is wearying to the body”;
yet the needs of his congregation are greater than his weariness, thus he toils on heartily “feeding the flock.” Only
those who have walked in shoes like the pastor’s understand
the awesome God-given responsibility to “feed the flock of God.”

The judgment of the LORD, that will one day fall upon us all, will
“bring every act into judgment…whether it is good or evil.” And it is the awesomeness of that day that urges us to follow Him
closely today. There is no escape!

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 1:8-15, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. keep your feet from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.”

There was an interesting Congressional hearing on YouTube yesterday. The House of Representatives’ Ethics Committee, having met numerous
times, was seeking to remove from Congress a member whom the committee had investigated with respect to activities worthy of expulsion.

Solomon addressed a similar situation in the verses quoted above. He warns against fellowshipping with evil doers. If they do wrong and are not
punished for it, they will do wrong again; and the second time, they will be
worse than the first.

Learning to behave correctly should be first taught in the home. Parents, who engage in nefarious activities, set an evil standard for their children. When those children become parents, they will set the same, low standard
for their children, and “wrong” will quite easily become “right.”

Solomon warns against such activities! To fail to heed his instruction is to
jeopardize society as a whole. What we are is what our parents taught us,
unless we learned in vain.

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 6:16-23, “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.
20 My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;
21 Bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.”

Why would Solomon, author of the words above, speak so solemnly, yet forthrightly, to his sons? Could it be that he had experienced some or all of those things of which He warns them, and knew the pitfalls that lay ahead? Undoubtedly, he had experienced them all.

Strangely enough, youths are often warned by their parents. Yet, how would their parents know to warn them of such things? Youths are so focused on things of their delight, that they often have no time to give to thoughts of their parents’ youthful days.

Both the youth and the parents have serious responsibilities. If the proper
love and concern exists between them, trust will work in both directions, the vicissitudes of life will be mutually beneficial.

Such relationships, however, are simply not acquired in the moment of need. Mutual loving trust must be developed over a lifetime. A parent gains
the respect of a child over years of loving fellowship. Now, as the children move into adulthood, they assume the responsibilities of practical teachers.
Their children will become what their parents have taught them.

Parents who have loved and committed their lives to Jesus Christ, will mirror and teach His Life to their children. Thus, the values cited by Solomon in the
verses above, will demonstrate their value in the generations that follow.

Where are you in the matter of teaching others? Often, more is caught than taught. Thus, the influence of the true Christ-like believer never dies. Is that
the value of your life? I most heartily trust that it is!

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