The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 4:12-18, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?”

Who really knows what true suffering is like? Several years ago, a Hollywood actor directed and produced a film of the suffering of Jesus Christ, leading to the crucifixion. The entire production was in Latin, making it impossible to grasp the full meaning without hearing any discernable narration. Nevertheless, the scenes of Christ’s suffering needed no language. I can still remember how difficult it was to watch.

Today countless believers are suffering simply because they are committed believers in Jesus Christ as their LORD. It’s hard to realize the horrors of true suffering. Some are physical, some are mental, but all of them are real.

Peter himself suffered for Jesus. He suffered when the cock crowed, as Jesus said it would. Peter then remembered Jesus’ words; and they brought tears to his eyes and grief to his heart.

Living in the United States, as most of us do, we have perhaps escaped the rigors of real suffering. Some today, however, are being denied employment simply because they affirm Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. While our national constitution allows freedom of speech, the very denial of free speech becomes suffering to many.

Peter concludes in the verses above that if judgment begins with the people of God, the Church, what can we expect to happen to those who do not believe and are without hope? It is indeed time to seek the LORD! Are you certain you are on His side? Is He truly your LORD and Savior? He can be. What’s more, He wants to be! Trust Him as LORD today! You will then know the hope and faith He came to give you.

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 4:7-11, “The end of all things is at hand; 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.
9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of
the manifold grace of God.
11 Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as
by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Someone once said that there were basic personality types: The Optimist says “It can be done!” The
Pessimist who says, “It cannot be done!” And, the Peptimist who said, “I just did it!” When Simon
Peter said, “The end of all things is at hand…,” he was speaking words of encouragement to all believers.
It was not that his readers were going to die (although some in time did die); Peter was speaking of the
soon coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. And in the light of that spiritual certainty, they should be alert and
give themselves more and more to prayer.

Peter encouraged believers to love one another. He knew what we need to learn: basically, that love
smothers sin. It’s as if there is a fire of anger between two believers; yet, when someone takes a blanket
and covers the fire, the fire goes out. Without the oxygen of anger, harsh disagreements disappear. Do
you know something that needs “smothering”?

A “good steward” is one who manages the things of his master. The LORD has given to us His Infallible,
eternal Word; and it is that Word that we are to manage well, injecting it lovingly and earnestly into the
lives of others. The steward of the LORD clearly declares the Word of the LORD, as He intended. The
steward seeks to glorify God, for God has given him the strength he needs do so.

Yet, with all that is present for the use of the believer, the glory of God belongs to the LORD alone! His
glory contains the purity, strength, and hope needed by every believer. We who know Him are commissioned
to wear His purity in our lives, and to do so that others who know Him will be encouraged to do likewise.
He is preparing to Come Again! We must not be sleeping! Are you spiritually awake? Are you active in His
service? Are you witnessing to others? Are you earnestly praying for the lost you know? for your church? for
your pastor(s)? for yourself? For the lost? Give this some thought. The LORD is present to help you.

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 1:3-9, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

Buying something can sometimes be a surprise. “If you purchase this fine table with six matching chairs,” the
salesman says, “you will also be given this gorgeous set of dishes and cutlery –all free with the table and chairs.”

Also, there is nothing more exciting than having someone do for you what you are not able to do for yourself. That is precisely what occurred with Simon Peter. He had been born again; now his old life was replaced with a “living hope” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By accepting Jesus as his LORD and Savior, Peter had received the Holy Spirit, who would guide and bless him throughout the remainder of his life.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior of your life, you possess the Holy Spirit, too. If you have
not accepted Jesus, you are on your own with Satan and his forces leaning on you to believe and do his will instead of the will of Jesus. Satan doesn’t speak of the “inheritance” you will receive from him because what he has in store is not a pleasant place to reside.

Living by faith is living with trust –trust that the LORD is always with us, enabling us to side-step those things
that are contrary to His will. How precious is that? Our passage above tells us that it is “more precious than gold…” It is tested by the fires of temptation, but always shows itself to be superior because it is of the LORD.

It is beyond the scope of this Letter to reveal the blessings that attended Simon Peter’s Christian life; however,
He speaks beyond the words of his Letter, as we view his life through the Scriptures. Our lives are different from
Peter’s life. Yet, we face the same trials and temptations Peter experienced; thus, the promise the LORD gave
to him, He gives to us. We can know the LORD’s precious promises to us, just as Peter knew His promises to him.

Turn your life over to the LORD. Yield yourself fully and completely to Him. You will learn what Peter learned.
Jesus is real! Yield your life to Him today and see! You are in my prayers.

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,

II Corinthians 4:7-12, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;
8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body
the dying of Jesus, that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in
our body.
11 For we who live are constantly
being delivered over to death for
Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our mortal
flesh.
12 So death works in us, but life in
you.

Did you ever possess something that was just too precious for words? It was excitingly gorgeous to you, but almost too gorgeous for the eyes of anyone else! Wow! That’s exactly how Paul felt about the message of the LORD Jesus Christ! The “greatness of the power” resided in the LORD God Himself.

Notwithstanding the greatness of the LORD’s power that resided in Paul and his companions, they all suffered affliction and persecution. Simultaneously, this small, but powerful band of Christians – who were afflicted by being physically run out of towns — were nevertheless strengthened spiritually due to the presence of the Holy Spirit’s residence in our lives.

How in contrast we are to those early believers, who risked their very lives in the effort to bring Christ’s hope and life to the people of their day! We are too often afraid of being asked what we cannot answer. Yet, does not the Holy Spirit dwell within us? If He does, what enemy of the faith is so powerful that the LORD cannot overcome Him.

Let us not forget that we, who have trusted in Christ and now possess the Holy Spirit within our lives, have every Spiritual Resource within ourselves to reply to any, who might ask us of the strength we have to live in such a time as this.

Do you possess His strength? Are you ready to give answer those who ask us? Then let’s do it!! The LORD is our Spiritual Resourse! Let Him be 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,

II Corinthians 4:7-12, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;
8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So death works in us, but life in you.

Did you ever possess something that was just too precious for words? It was excitingly gorgeous to you, but almost too gorgeous for the eyes of anyone else! Wow! That’s exactly how Paul felt about the message of the LORD Jesus Christ! The “greatness of the power” resided in the LORD God Himself.

Notwithstanding the greatness of the LORD’s power that resided in Paul and his companions, they all suffered affliction and persecution. Simultaneously, this small, but powerful band of Christians – who were afflicted by being physically run out of towns — were nevertheless strengthened spiritually due to the presence of the Holy Spirit’s residence in our lives.

How in contrast we are to those early believers, who risked their very lives in the effort to bring Christ’s hope and life to the people of their day! We are too often afraid of being asked what we cannot answer. Yet, does not the Holy Spirit dwell within us? If He does, what enemy of the faith is so powerful that the LORD cannot overcome Him.

Let us not forget that we, who have trusted in Christ and now possess the Holy Spirit within our lives, have every Spiritual Resource within ourselves to reply to any, who might ask us of the strength we have to live in such a time as this.

Do you possess His strength? Are you ready to give answer those who ask us? Then let’s do it!! The LORD is our Spiritual Resourse! Let Him be 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