The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 4:1-6, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

You don’t have to be a screaming football fanatic to enjoy the game. In addition to the game, I am always interested in the daily lives and personal beliefs of the players. Yesterday’s Christian Post noted several players, who confess the LORD Jesus Christ as their Savior. Not that I doubt the true faith of any player, who acknowledges Christ as His Savior, but it’s unfortunate if such a testimony becomes a mere “acquisition” for the moment.

The Apostle Paul faced something similar, only it was far more serious than the games people play. Paul had been an arch enemy of the Christian faith. Now, however, he has “renounced the things hidden because of shame.” He was at one time the arch enemy of Jesus Christ.

But now, times have changed. Saul of Tarsus had been enlightened with the truth when he personally encountered Christ Jesus on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9). From that time onward, to the day of his death, Paul ministered to the Jews on Christ’s behalf.

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord
and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”

I have previously shared my testimony of faith in Christ; now it’s my responsibility to ask if you have trusted Him. I’m not talking about your church affiliation or whether you live an upright and honest life. The question is much bigger than that!

The real question is: Have you confessed and repented of your sins in earnest prayer before the LORD and asked His forgiveness? It’s not whether you are honest in your daily life and work. It’s not simply how you play the game of life; it’s whether you’re genuinely on God’s Team by faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus!

If you are a true, biblical Christian, I rejoice with you! If you have yet to become a biblical Christian, I am praying for you. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. It is now for you and me to live for Him. That’s what Christianity is all about –our getting on God’s Team and sharing Him with those who aren’t. Find
your place and live it 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,

Revelation 14:14-18, “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a Son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
16 And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven; and he also had a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”

I’m not certain how other people treat death; nor am I wishing to scare
anyone by saying this, but the older I become, and the more I study the
Scriptures, the more excited I am about Heaven!

When I was younger and pastoring churches, I officiated at many
funerals. I counseled Christians in the effort to allay their fears of death,
and sought every opportunity to win people to Jesus Christ; for it was He who over-came death that we all might live with Him eternally.

Heaven is not a place to be feared. The Scriptures are replete with the
glories of an eternal life with Christ in a spectacular home in Heaven!
Every Scriptural description of Heaven is glorious! When we think of
the devastation many people suffer here on Earth, we should rejoice.

I lost my wife after 64 years of marriage. Losing her was not a happy experience. Death never is. Still, her home in Heaven is exceedingly more glorious and bright than anything she could ever have known here on Earth.

It may be a bit more than difficult to grasp, but it is true:

“Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD…that they
may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

What is your destiny? What causes you to think so?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not
lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths
straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

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 19:7-11, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”
11 By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.”
Reading these verses brings to mind how far removed we are from what the LORD requires. We thought the same of our parents when we were quite young. “Why?” became an often-used, one-word question. Yet, it was met with the simple and understandable response: “…because I said so!”
So, why do we now retain childish objections when we are faced with the LORD’s eternal directives? Whenever and wherever we have strayed, the restoration of our souls in the LORD is surely our only hope.

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making us wise beyond ourselves.
The directives that come from the LORD are always right and beneficial. Our hearts warm when we obey them.

The LORD’s commandments are always pure and holy; they erase the
obscurities that would ultimately harm us by enlightening our pathways.

The fear we have of the LORD keeps us spiritually and morally clean, much like the fear of our parents kept us pure and safe in our childhood. We knew the punishment we would endure for ignoring their directives.

In retrospect, we now understand how much more precious than gold, and sweeter than honey, are the ways and directives of the LORD. We know now, too, the ultimate value of purity that resides in the teachings of the LORD.

Thus, we ought daily to pray, thanking Him for His protective custody of
our lives and our eternal souls. May He ever and always be praised!

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,

Lamentations 3:17-25, “My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness.
18 So I say, ‘My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the LORD.’
19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
24 ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”
26 It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”

We’ve all been there. Some of us have been there more than once. Where? In the valley of despondence, of course. We’ve encountered difficulties of various sorts –things we never dreamed would come to us. So, we prayed; still, nothing happened. It was as if the LORD wasn’t listening.

We’ve confessed every sin we can remember; still, there is no answer from the LORD. What are we to do? Ah, but the prophet experienced some of the same –only his suffering was much more and exceedingly greater! What did the prophet do?

Jeremiah first resorted to positive thoughts. He said, “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.”
Just hearing yourself repeat the prophet’s words aloud seems to engender a ray of hope.

Not every prayer that a child of God offers is answered immediately. Some prayers are so long in reply that we begin to doubt that they’ve even been heard.

Ah, but don’t give up! The LORD has purpose in all that He does. That food that you wanted and wasn’t available, was ultimately found to have been tainted with poison. That airplane you missed—crashed; and several people were severely injured!

The prophet encourages us by reciting his own situation. He says, “It is good that (we) wait silently for the salvation of the LORD.” You can do that. Remember that “the LORD is good to those who wait for Him…”
Just relax and trust His judgment. He never fails; and He’s always on right on time!

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,

Jeremiah 32:16-19, “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying,
17 ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,
18 who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name;
19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds…”

Times change; yet, many things seem not to change. Jeremiah had just engaged in a monetary exchange with Baruch. The exchange closed with Jeremiah praying to the LORD.

He recognizes the power of the LORD in constructing the universe! He grants that the LORD’s power had made the heavens and the earth. He made the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets. He made everything!

“Nothing,” Jeremiah says, “is too difficult for You.” Yet, the construction itself was practical in that it demonstrated the LORD’s lovingkindness for those whom He had created.

One would also believe the LORD to be able to repay the iniquity of those who do not honor and respect Him in all that He says and does. Yet, the power of the LORD exists primarily for the benefit of His own children. At the same time, that same power can be used to destroy. How vital it is that we reject sin that destroys and embrace the Savior who died and rose again to put sin away!

Through His death and resurrection, the LORD enables us to be cleansed from sin and live “to the praise of His glory!” Is that where you are today? Is that what you are doing? …how you are living? … today?

Remember the words of this old hymn…

His power can make you what you ought to be;
His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free;
His love can fill your soul, and you will see
What it means for Him to have His way with thee.

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