The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 2:1-3, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

If you do much reading at all, you are undoubtedly aware of the plethora of “ministers,” who are feeding their congregations with corrupt ideas that they themselves claim are biblical. Additionally, these “ministers” claim phenomenal encounters with angels and even the LORD Himself.

The apostle Peter foresaw such anomalies as attacks upon the Christian faith and upon sincere people, who are earnestly seeking pure biblical truth. That time is now upon us. Advocates of what is known as the Word of Faith movement are teaching
adherents that they should be free from all illnesses and possess huge wealth. Yet,
neither of these is biblically truthful.

What’s interesting is that these Word of Faith “ministers” are alone in their acquisition and possession of wealth: huge homes, expensive automobiles, aircraft, jewelry and such things that indicate wealth. Few, if any of their congregations possess the wealth of those who advocate it for everyone. Yet, it is from the poverty of their constituents that the “ministers” accumulate their wealth.

Those who lay aside Scriptural Truth to pursue wealth, are deserving of what they receive. Jesus Himself said,

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mat. 6:19-21).

Where is your treasure? Is it in Christ Jesus who gave Himself for your sins? I pray
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

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 1:15-18, “And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased “—
18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

It may be that an earnest mother or a teacher might say to a child, “Don’t you story to me!” It might, however, be better if she were to say, “Don’t you lie to me!” because the word “tales” in verse 16 above can fit well into a true and valid “story” or it can be used to intentionally mislead the hearers.

There exists a plethora of words today that are intended to misguide hearers. Due diligence disallows our exposure of them here for the same reason an expert in deciphering counterfeit money always focuses on the true and honest bill.

Simon Peter has clearly laid the truth of our LORD Jesus’ return before the people in the passage above. He witnesses to them of his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mat. 17:2; Mar. 9:2), and speaks openly and excitedly of Christ’s Return for all who have believed. Peter’s focus on the coming of the LORD was intentional. Those who hear of His Return will be more inclined to prepare for it.

Are you prepared for Christ Jesus’ return? If you pray and confess your sins to the LORD and ask Him to forgive you, He promises that He will. Just trust Him, like the way you trust your bank to register a deposit to your personal account. Trust the LORD! Believe and remain confident in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. The Bible then becomes more to you than it previously did. Prayer becomes exciting as you realize that you are talking directly to the LORD who created mankind and gave His Son, Jesus to die for your sins! Trust Him 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,

1 Peter 1:2b-7, “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
3 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 so 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…”

One does not have to live long to understand that good and bad often go together. From the “grace and peace” that Peter mentions in the commencement of our verses above, through the “imperishable and undefiled” inheritance, all is well. Inheritance is reserved in heaven for the ones who have trusted Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.

The interjection of the word “protected” in verse 5, however, suggests that sinister forces (either human or demonic) are involved in attacking that inheritance. The “power of God,” however, is protecting the inheritance, just as we are trusting its safety through faith in the LORD Jesus. Thus, what might have caused us to fear loss is now forever safe because of Christ.

Gold is but a mineral; and though precious in value, it is of far less value than faith in Christ. For only saving faith will “result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” So, put faith first in the order of your calculations. True faith can never be destroyed. It is the key to our salvation in Jesus Christ. “”Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

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,

James 5:7-12, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.”

It is indeed a narrow path that James ourlines for believers. “Why doesn’t He come?” is the internal and sometimes external cry of the Christian. Christians worldwide see and experience the avalanche of sin in their surroundings and throughout the world. Governments either cannot or will not attempt to erase the wrong done to the people they purport to represent. In many cases, governments themselves are the problem.

Is there an answer to the morass we face? Yes, there is! The answer lies in the promised return to earth of our LORD Jesus Christ. James cautions us to be patient. His epistle allows that Christ will return, but we cannot hurry His Coming. We can, however, cease to complain against other believers. Some of us are simply impatient by nature. Nothing seems to occur when and how we think it should.

James cites for us the “suffering and patience” of “the prophets who spoke in the name of the LORD.” In fact, he cites the patience of Job, who suffered the loss of his family and his wealth. Job treasured the peace of God in his heart –exactly what we must do! Don’t “get out of joint” regarding anything. Exercise complete trust in the LORD. He IS Coming! Keep that thought and He will keep you calm.

“Be Still My Soul the Lord Is On Your Side…”

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,

Acts 2:41-43, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”

It all took place in a secular college classroom, in the midst of a Q & A situation. A girl in the class asked the professor, “Does prayer really work?” I have no recollection of the professor’s response. As best as I can remember, the class was divided on the question. Prayer, however, does not depend upon college students’ responses to the question.

Have you ever prayed fervently for something of vital importance, but wondered if your prayers would really be answered? If so, they probably weren’t. James tells us that “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick…” (Jas. 5:15).

The New Testament alone mentions the word “prayer” over 330 times. Still, I’ve had people earnestly ask, “Why is God not answering my prayers?” Quite candidly, I don’t know; but there are some conditions to prayers we want answered.

One common condition is asking with the wrong motive. Let’s think of sickness. You pray for healing, yet it’s because without it, you won’t get to go on the trip you and the sick person had planned. Such a reason for praying is faulty.

Another factor is that it must be God’s will. You know your will, but you don’t know His. Had you gone on that trip, possibly you and your sick friend would have been seriously injured in a wreck. You couldn’t have known that, but the LORD did!

But we prayed about the trip because we were going to witness to people along the way. There’s an old song we used to sing in church: We’ll understand it better by and by. I suppose there are thousands of hypothetical reasons why things go wrong –sometimes in spite of our prayers. We have to leave all of that to the LORD.

The one absolute necessity to prayer is personally knowing the LORD! Remember in our verses above: “they who received His Word and were baptized”? Receiving the Word is by faith. You must be committed to Him by faith before you can ask anything –except to be saved. Baptism does not save, but it is the spiritual response to salvation. Immersion in water symbolizes Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It also symbolizes ours. When we belong to Him –when we’re saved, He hears our prayers. We must then learn to trust His decisions as being better than “just what we want.” Just don’t give up praying!

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