The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 3:14-18, “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Wherever you’re going, you want to be properly prepared. Preparation involves thinking through the conversations you will have and the questions you will be asked. You want to be on guard that you don’t fall into the habits of those with whom you’ll be mingling.

Above it all, however, you want to be recognized as a Christian. Recognition often depends upon what you say and how and when you say it. It also depends upon how you conduct yourself overall. If your meeting is in a church, and you’re meeting with Christian people, you should fare quite well.

If your meeting is secular in nature, you will need to allow your faith-beliefs to be easily recognized, but without flaunting them pridefully. After all, those who do not know the LORD need to know Him; and they will see and judge Him first in you and by your overall conduct.

But how is all of this to be accomplished? It is accomplished when you “grow in the knowledge of the LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.” For it is for His glory that we conduct ourselves properly. He is Coming soon! Therefore, we need to be properly ready for His Coming! Otherwise, He will be disgraced. And He is what our life and conduct are all about.

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 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

I don’t know whether you have ever seen a house fire; but believe me, it is not a pretty sight! Just the thought of someone losing, in a few short minutes of time, everything they’ve treasured, is more than most people could stand.

Some people today are caught up in what some call “climate change.” But that to which they refer is nothing compared with what Peter predicts will come as “a thief in the night.” The heavens will be destroyed with intense heat! The earth and its works will be consumed with fire! What will mankind do then?

Peter shifts the thought from destruction to dedication. He calls attention to godliness and holy conduct; for it is holiness that will surround the righteous. Humanity, in the Day of the LORD’s Coming, should be looking for “new heavens and a new earth, foundationed on righteoousness! Be alert because the LORD will come when you least expect it. Today? Tonight? This very hour? Just be ready!!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

sorry, yet I have no control over the Internet. Some, I understand, have found
it in their Spam files. You might look there.

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 3:4-9, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
7 But by His Word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Are we living in the “last days?” Certainly, each of us has a “last day”; we’re just not aware of when that day will come. It’s not difficult to convince a careful reader of the Bible that things of which we are warned, are the very things we find occurring in our world today. People seem totally unafraid of contradicting the Word of God –the very God who created the planets, one of which is our home.

The Bible (the very verses above) tell us that the wickedness of those who live in our world has not escaped His notice. Nor should it escape our notice that lacivious lifestyles are being reserved for the fires of judgment and Hell! “Don’t let this escape your notice,” Peter warns. The LORD does not operate on time as we know it. Yet, He alone knows the hour and the day when He will come. When that day occurs, those who have neglected to obey His Word will be charged with desecrating His Son, who died on the cross and arose from the grave for their salvation.

As I write, NOAA radio is warning of increasingly heavy thunderstorms for my area. Should I alter my plans for cooking outdoors over a fire pit? Or should I ignore the warning, telling my friends there’s nothing to worry about? You know the answer to that! Safety is the name of the game. But, when it comes to God’s warnings, it’s not a game! Treat the LORD and His Word with the utmost respect. Turn your life over to Him now! Trust Him to save you from both your sins and the Divine Judgment that is coming. I am praying for 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 1:3-5, “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.”

First century people commenced their letters by introducing themselves. Thus, after using two verses to introduce himself and the purpose of his letter, Peter addresses his readers with the word “blessed” in verse three.

The word “blessed,” refers to the LORD and cites His divine provision of mercy, which is God’s permittion for mankind to be spiritually born into a living hope that does not cease. This hope is made available through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Closely connected with this divine provision is the LORD’s protection of the inheritance. It is both imperishable and undefiled. Additionally, it is preserved in Heaven along with the one who receives it, all of which will be revealed at the proper time.

Did you notice that “salvation” is connected with “faith”? That means that one must trust the LORD in order to be saved. It is not related to any kind of human works or activities or affiliations. The Bible says, “Believe in the LORD Jesus, and you will be saved…” It is a personal trust and thoroughly irrevocable! It’s the LORD’s way –the only way! Do it 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,

2 Corinthians 4:15-18, “For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

It may be that my citation of Scripture above started in the wrong place. It says, that “all things” are for our good; yet, it says that “all things” are for the LORD’s glory. Yes, they can both be the same, if only we “do not lose heart” in the process.

Paul seems to imply that the older we become, the more physical strength we need. At the same time, our physical strength is fading, the LORD increases our understanding and implementation of the Scriptures into our lives. We are cautioned not to lose heart. It will then become easier to “float along” in life, rather than to struggle against the rough waters we encounter.

Yet, the things we encounter in this life are just that –in this life! There are eternal things that we do not yet see. That calls for faith –faith in the Word of the LORD, and faith in the LORD of the Word. It is all our LORD’s Word; thus, we can and must trust it fully and faithfully. We are instructed not to focus too heavily on the things that are temporal, but to trust that those things which we do not yet fully understand are eternal and will be revealed at the right time.

If you’re having trouble interpreting the times in which we live, I most heartily commend Dr. David Jeremiah’s latest book, Where Do We Go From Here? It will both inform and encourage you to maintain your trust in our LORD Jesus Christ.

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