The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 3:1-5, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden“?’
2 The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.”
4 The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

It can never be proved, but I suppose it’s possible that had my mother been created in the place of Eve, none of this would ever have happened. Why would I say that? It’s because my mother was scared beyond belief of mice! And it’s beyond imagination how she would have acted when approached by a snake!

Eve (living) had indeed received instruction from the LORD. Had she not received it, she would surely have been free from indictment. Her first mistake was allowing herself to interact with a creature she had never met. We’re often guilty of sharing what we don’t know with people we don’t know. That’s when we find trouble just around the corner.

What we do know is that we have been created to love and serve the LORD! Satan has diverted us from the clear instruction of Scripture and supplanted God’s Word with his own. That makes it much easier for us to do wrong than to do right. It’s what God calls sin! And it’s precisely because of sin that Jesus came to die on the cross. When we trust His Word –the Scriptures— and ask His forgiveness, He rescues us from sin and sets our feet on the right path.

Do you read the Bible daily? Have you experienced the LORD’s spiritual transformation? You can, you know. It’s saying a simple prayer of faith, asking God’s forgiveness. Your life can be transformed! Trust Him! 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,

2 Corinthians 6:13b-18, “I speak as to children– open wide to us also.
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (Satan), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

I take nothing away from the validity and seriousness of the Scriptures, but it struck me funny when I read Paul saying, “I speak as to children: open wide to us also.” How often my mother said those words when I was ill and needed her remedy.

Many of today’s churches are sick and need to “open wide” for the remedy the LORD has for her. Corinth was a wicked city and possessed a greater influence on the Church than the Church did on the city.

Sadly, it appears to be that way today. Many pastors simply lack depth in their knowledge of the Word they preach. Music is often geared to the emotions of the congregation than to the seriousness of genuine worship. Many look in vain for a quiet, solemn reverence toward God.

Paul’s argument is that the Church in Corinth was linked to the worldliness of the city instead of leading the city into a deep reverence for God. “Do not be bound together with the world!” Paul says. “Come out from their midst and be separate…”

Paul closes his plea by promising to be the father the congregation and its children need. Our prayers should focus on our pastors and leaders. In many churches, the congregations have swooned, and then slipped into the ways of the world –the world we are charged to bring to Jesus Christ.

Pray for your pastor; pray for the church. Don’t settle for a little blessing.
Open wide for the blessings our great LORD has for us all.

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 5:18-21, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Give it some real thought! What do you possess that is of real value that did not come from God? Life, health, abilities, family, friends – all of this and more came from God! He also reconciled you to Himself, if indeed you have trusted Him as your LORD and Savior.

The word “reconciled” comes to us from the Latin word reconcilen, that means “to make good again.” The LORD makes us good by Himself and for Himself. That’s part of why we pray. We confess our sins, which are unpleasant to Him; He forgives us and makes us good and acceptable to Himself.

Following our reconciliation, the LORD sends us forth into the world as His ambassadors (representatives). He appeals to the unreconciled (the lost) through us. We call it “witnessing.” It’s exciting to experience people coming to faith in Jesus!

Jesus had no sin in His Life! He did always –from the beginning of His life—things that pleased God, His Father. And it was the sinless Jesus, who became sin, in order that He might bring us to faith in the Father. Resisting His love and sacrifice is worse than spitting in the face of someone handing you an item of extreme value.

If you have yet to personally accept Him as your LORD and Savior, I urge you to do it immediately. If you know someone who has yet to accept Him, be the Father’s ambassador and share His Son with them. God bless you abundantly! 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,

2 Corinthians 5:17-19, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

The best resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian War is for Vladimir Putin to come to faith in Jesus Christ. That would immediately expel the aggressor, although it would not erase the damage the agressor has caused. This resolution is an unlikely event, yet I believe it would stand well before God.

I met a man today who possesses some “old things” that should be put away, too. After expressing several words, that lie well outside the Christian vocabulary, he shared with me that his older brother was a preacher.

It is the Bible’s contention that we should endeavor to lead the lost to faith in Christ. I prayed silently for the opportunity to share Him with the man. Almost instantly, the man himself opened the door and I rushed in!

I am in no way seeking to applaud myself for the utterance of a few words on the LORD’s behalf. The LORD Himself only knows how many such opportunities I have let slip in the past. Now, it is the Holy Spirit’s work to stir that man’s heart and bring him to faith in his brother’s LORD.

If you are a born-again Christian, dear reader, please prayerfully grasp those opportunities the LORD sets before you. If you have yet to trust the LORD as your Savior, please do it today! It may seem a small thing to you, until you do it. It will then be an awakening to your eternal soul –the solution to the battles that have raged within you. 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,

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the
Lord–
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight–
8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Were you ever in one place, but wished you were in another? Many in the military have undoubtedly wished that. A student studying for a test would rather be playing ball. All of us at some time have wished to be somewhere other than where we were.

The Apostle Paul had the same desires that we often have. His advice was that we should “always be of good courage.” To the Philippians, he said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Phil. 4:11). The substance of his advice is grounded in the assurance that we all will one day be with the LORD. In the meantime, as we live for Him, we must “walk by faith, not by sight.”

Faith is trust in the LORD, knowing that He loves and cares for us and has prepared a place for us in Heaven –a much better place than the best circumstances under which we are living just now. At the same time, we who have committed our lives to Him will be required to appear before Him at the Judgment Seat, where we will account for all we have done and for all we have not done.

Where are you in all of this? Have you trusted Him as your LORD and Savior? If so, are you living as He directs? If you have not trusted Him as your LORD and Savior, why have you not done so? No “personal works” or “religious affiliation” will take the place of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross! Time will not exist forever. Please, don’t ignore His Love for you! Trust Him now!

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