The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 3:10-14, “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.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…”

As a kid, I think I remember a friend of mine destroying a plaything. It was something I would dearly loved to have possessed. “Why did you tear it up,” I asked. His reply was that it was his and he cold do what he wanted with it. There is no argument with a thought like that!

This passage above tells us that the day is coming when the LORD will come secretly and suddenly cause the elements with which He constructed the heavens and earth to be destroyed. We live in a world populated by people both rich and poor. The rich want to get richer, and the poor seem to have no hope, except for getting poorer. Since the LORD was the Earth and heavens’ Creator, He has every right to destroy what is His.

The big question, however, doesn’t concern the “destruction of the elements,” but what sort of people you and I will be when it all takes place. We are urged to be holy in conduct and looking earnestly for the Day of His Coming! Those of us who are believers in our LORD Jesus Christ and trust implicitly in His Word, “are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Remember when your favorite aunt and uncle were coming to visit? Your mother barely had to urge you to get yourself chean and put on clean clothes. Simon Peter urges us to get ready for the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. “Be diligent,” Peter says, “to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” Is you life clean? Has it been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ? That’s what it takes to be ready for His Coming. Pray to Him for forgiveness for your sins; trust Him thoroughly to cleanse you and make yourself ready to meet Him. His Coming may be closer than you think!

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,

Philippians 4:1, “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”

Over the past few months, I have sought and found sufficient time to engage in an exercise called “reading.” As strange as it may seem that I should read and be moved by some booksother than the Bible, still, it is true. The book, written in 2017 by pastor, producer, writer Greg Laurie, is entitled Steve McQueen; The Salvation of an American Icon.

McQueen, who never knew his father, and was reared by an alcoholic mother, leaves us no surprise that he himself became addicted to alcohol and drugs, and engaged in a turbulent, decadent lifestyle. Yet, through an almost silent pilot, who taught him to fly, McQueen was introduced to the LORD Jesus Christ, ultimately becoming an out-spoken evangelist to everyone he knew and to some who only knew him.

You and I may know or live nearby a spiritually lost “Steve McQueen.” From the lifestyle, we assess that they are incorrigible and would never listen to our witness of the Savior. Yet, deep down within themselves, they wonder –they know!– there must be something more to life than they’ve experienced. They just need someone to “show and tell” them what that that “more” is! It is Jesus!

In his book, Things to Come, Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost cites five rewards that will one day be presented to some Christian believers. I’m going to list them with their biblical references. Your assignment is to look up the references and assess how many apply to your own life. No test from me. The only failure is not reading and assessing the verses as they apply to your own life.

(1) an incorruptible crown for those who get mastery over the old man (1Corinthians. 9:25);
(2) a crown of rejoicing for the soul winners (1 Thessalonian. 2:19);
(3) a crown of life for those enduring trials (James 1:12);
(4) a crown of righteousness for loving His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).
(5) a crown of glory for being willing to feed the flock of God (1 Peter 5:4).”
How many will you receive? God bless you abundantly!

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 John 1:7-11, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

Have you ever encountered a deceiver? You probably have. It may have been a door-to-door salesman, or someone standing just outside a store you frequent. It might even be a “pastor,” who pretends to have all the answers –except that he always has a “price” for what he shares wiith you. Well, John says, “Watch yourselves…!” That one is a deceiver!

John also says that the one who “does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God…” Other writers of Scripture warn of deceivers, too; but John goes further. He says not to allow them into your house, and not to give them greetings. Isn’t that rude? Not in this instance. Read on – “…for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

There is a practical side of refusing entry into one’s house. A person weak in the faith can easily be led away from his faith in Christ. I have a book entitled, Churches that Abuse. The author exposes several churches whose pastors’ primary purpose is far afield from the purpose of Jesus Christ. Those who attach themselves to one of those churches, loses faith in Christ altogether.

Key Help: Find a Biblical Church! Attend Sunday services for several weeks. Listen carefully to the pastor’s preaching. Does his preaching come from the Bible? Does it uplift Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation? Is the church worshipping Jesus as LORD and Savior? If those elements are in place, schedule a consultation with the pastor. Share your spiritual needs and questions with him. Everyone needs salvation in Christ! Everyone needs Christian friends. The right church will provide the right friends. And you will be on the right track! God bless you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. Thank you for praying for Erin! Everythign went well.

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,

Mark 13:19-26, “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.
20 “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him;
22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
23 “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT,
25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.”

Follow the stories in any current newspaper and you will learn of the multiple tragedies that plague the nations of the world. News writers differ regarding what nation is at fault, but none disagree that times are bad and getting worse. Individuals, commenting on the news reports, often cite Scripture saying that we are living in the end times of human history.

Mark notes that there is indeed coming a time of unprecedented tribulation in the world. He states that all humanity could be wiped out, except for the LORD’s declaration that He has elected to shorten the days of mass destruction. It is also the time of severe persecution where many will pretend to be Christ and many will give false teachings and false directions as to where the one they call “lord” is residing.

Today, many people are aroused by what is called a shortage of food. Some are even close to panic; yet in that day, people will seek the LORD, knowing that He alone can give light where there is darkness and truth where conflicting ideas of “Him” abound. Antichrist will be visibly on Earth in those days, yet he will pretend to be their savior. Think of how man so-called “pastors” today are found to be guilty of heinous sins.

The only hope for the peoples of the world is their faithful embrace of the LORD Jesus Christ. Have you embraced Him? If you have not, I would urge you to do so immediately! Better not to be late. There’s no second opportunity.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. Please pray for my granddaughter, Erin. She is undergoing surgery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as I write.

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,

Judges 6:1-2; 8-10, “Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.
2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian….”

8 “…the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery.
9 ‘I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land,”
10 and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.”‘”

Most of the time we know when we’re in trouble. Most of the time we would know why if we looked at the situations clearly and honestly. It’s all really quite clear: 1) we do wrong in God’s sight; 2) God deals with us for our wrong-doing; 3) We choose either to admit to our wrong-doing and express sorrow for it, or we look for someone to blame and continue to stagnate in trouble. But, if we truly belong to God, the enemies that assail us will find it impossible to contend with His strength.

Do we really need to be reminded of why we get into trouble with God? We have His Instruction Book (the Bible) that tells us how to live according to His Divine will. If we do as we’re instructed, we will reduce the number of times we encounter trouble. But, if we neglect to follow His Instructions, we can well expect difficulties to rush wildly into our lives. Israel discovered this when she encountered the Midianites.

The answer to our dilemma, both personally and nationally lies in our yielding to the LORD. He is ever and always concerned for His people. The BIG question is: are we committed to Him? Are we willing to abide by His instructions? He is the LORD, we are His people. We have only to obey.

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