The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 10:32-37, “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,

33 partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with

those who were so treated.

34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for

yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.

35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.”

Those were indeed troublesome and difficult times. Quite honestly, most of us have never known real trouble! Have we been openly, publicly defamed? Yes, but no worse than others have encountered. Harsh wrongs have been done to and against us, but what we retain is much better than anything that’s been taken from us. We’ve continued to be joyful in the face of formidable tragedy.

Paul reasons with us, saying, “Don’t throw away your confidence!” Confidence is faith that lies deeply within us. It is the build up of true reality from the LORD –reality that has arisen despite the negative activity we have encountered. Satan is the one who causes distress and he seeks to destroy the faith that would refute it. The promise of the LORD, however, is that we will receive His reward provided we have lived and ministered according to His will. When will that time of reward be? “…in a very little while…”

There is a decided purpose in His not giving us a specific date. Those who keep a clean house, don’t have to worry about

visitors coming unexpectedly. The house is always ready for company, whoever may come and at whatever time of the day or night. Thus, there is incentive for us to live cleanly and up to our LORD’s expectation. There is also the incentive for us to accomplish the work He has assigned us to do. Spiritual work requires time, tact, prayer, love and a host of things that cannot be hurried! Thus, praying and working at a consistent pace is best. For some of us that means hurrying to the work He has allotted us, but working at faith-pace in its accomplishment.

Remember Paul’s encouragement: “Don’t throw away your confidence!” Just keep believing and praising the LORD!

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,

Hebrews 10:21-25, “…since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you

see the day drawing near.”

Did you ever fall off of a bike when you were a kid? You looked quickly at your skinned knee, saw some blood oozing out,

and RAN screaming to your mother! Why did you run to your mother? You did it because you knew she loved you and knew what to do. She would not turn you away or be too busy to tend to your hurt. And when she cleansed the skin and spoke to you reassuringly , you felt better. Mom bandaged the hurt, it slowly diminished, and you returned to play.

We’re adults now, but hurts often come. Where do we go when they do? Paul assures us that the LORD is always present.

First, we must draw near to Him “with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” Why do we have such a problem with that?

We ran to Mom; why do we not run to the LORD? We trusted Mom; surely, we can trust the LORD! The secret to fully trusting Him is living closely with Him day-by-day. Stay in His Word, the Bible. Pray to Him throughout the day. Tell Him you hurt and let Him take it from there.

Paul admonishes us “hold fast the confession of our hope,” and do it “without wavering”! Did our LORD not tell us He would deal with the issues we face? We believed Mom; why can’t we believe our LORD Jesus Christ? Don’t give up! Don’t question His ability to keep His promise! The Bible teaches us that “He cannot llie” (Titus 1:2). Once again, living closely with Him day-by-day is the secret to maintaining a strong faith.

Finally, Paul encourages us to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” One of the greatest means of growing in faith is to encourage others to love one another and to stay in church (Yes, that’s what he means by assembling). This is not the time to fall away from church. Other believers need you, just as you need them. We are social beings. God made us that way; and when we get together, we encourage each other, sometimes without even knowing it. Jesus is coming to Earth again! We want to be ready. Accepting Him as our LORD and Savior is the major step. Fellowship with others is the second step. Put them in the correct order (Christ first) and your faith will increase amazingly!

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 37:1-17, Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

2 For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

6 And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who

carries out wicked schemes.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.

9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.

11 But the humble will inherit the land, And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous, And gnashes at him with his teeth.

13 The Lord laughs at him; For He sees his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow, To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are

upright in conduct.

15 Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken; But the LORD sustains the righteous.”

Times like these call for all believers to seek the LORD through His Word. When we encounter frustration and do not know

where to go or what to do, it is always best to seek the LORD and the comfort of His Word.

A late night phone call from a long-time friend on the coast prompted the focus of today’s Letter. Bothered by the circumstances that currently surround our nation, he cried out to the LORD for an answer of comfort. As he prayerfully meditated before the LORD, the LORD guided him to the words of this 37TH Psalm. The relevance of this Psalm parallels

with David’s encounter with Goliath. It seemed impossible for a mere teenage boy to prove victorious against a giant,

whose whole life had been immersed in military battles. Yet, the LORD accomplished the impossible, as David’s sling

brought the giant to his knees.

These United States are the product of the Hand of God. Scores of people left the United Kingdom seeking freedom.

Their trust was in the LORD. The Mayflower’s passengers reverenced the Scriptures as they reverenced the LORD. One

of the earliest structures in this new land was that of a Church. There they gathered to hear the Scriptures and prayerfully seek the LORD’s direction and blessing.

In the course of time, God-fearing men assembled to frame the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of these United States. Prayer for Divine guidance was at the top of the list concerning governmental activities. Benjamin Franklin was a close friend of Evangelist George Whitfield; yet, while there is no irrefutable proof that Franklin was ever a born-again Christian, history clearly records that he reverenced the Almighty. Thus, all things considered, we can safely acknowledge that these United States were the design of Almighty God, and will ever be under His protection. The LORD is in control. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs, He removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2:21). Our responsibility is to rest in the LORD.

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Ps. 126:3).

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,

Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the

division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have

to do.”

How do you eat steak? Let’s suppose that someone set before you the tenderest, most delicious, “melt-in-your-mouth” steak. How would you eat it? Would you gobble it down swiftly? Or would you savor it, as if your taste buds were begging for more time? If you like steak, you have already answered the question.

How do you read the Bible? Do you race madly through the words, as if you have but seconds before they

mysteriously disappear from the page? Or do you savor every word, pausing to squeeze them, as you pray for understanding?

Paul tells us that the Word of God (the Scriptures) is more than words on a page. It is a living Word! It is active, and sharp –sharper than a two-edged sword. Moreover, it pierces our very being as we read and savor it. All human beings have a body. They also have a soul and a spirit. Your human spirit is what gives you a consciousness of God. There are no genuine atheists. They are seeking to displace God from their thinking by denying His existence. It won’t work! God has placed the human spirit in everyone. Atheists are like a child, red-faced and holding his breath to spite his mother. Eventually, he gives way to breathing.

The human soul is self-conscious. It was Rene Descartes, who said, “I think, therefore, I am.” Such is true of all of us. We cannot help but be conscious of ourselves and our thoughts. Conscious of self, conscious of God. The LORD has made us so.

What is more, the Word of God reaches into the depths of our being and assesses our “thoughts and intentions.” Wow!

That should shake us up! We spend time thinking how we can cleverly conceal things from others, and the Bible says that God already knows what we’re up to and why. Have you not read this before in the Bible? It pays to read slowly and thoughtfully.

It is this God from whom the atheist seeks to hide by denial. Yet, he seeks in vain. And so do we, unless we give in to Him by faith and trust. Have you done that? If so, He is your LORD and Savior. If not, you will ultimately face His eternal wrath. What are you thinking? Be careful; He already knows!

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,

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own

possession, zealous for good deeds.”

When I was a kid, there was a strange woman who attended our church. She believed that she was a Christian and was going to Heaven because her parents were Christians. I was not yet in my teens, so I never personally discussed the matter with her. I have often wondered, however, if she would have used verse 11 as a “proof text” of her belief.

When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Titus, his meaning was that salvation is possible to all mankind because the grace of God had come in the person of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, no one could be saved! We should be ever so grateful to God for the gift of His Son, and follow His spiritual instructions in the Bible.

“Living sensibly” means to deny –to say No— to all worldly lusts and evil, wherever it exists throughout the world. Sin exists in every nation! I remember asking someone in Sweden if he knew what others in the world thought of his nation. His reply was “Yes,” but that the “really bad stuff” came from Denmark. It’s all much closer than we think!

Keeping focus on the Coming of the LORD helps us to resist evil. The phrase “that He might redeem us” tells us that salvation is possible for all; but it is only for those who personally accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. When we trust Him, He forgives us and accepts us as His own. We then become part of His Christian Family. Have you received Him? If not, please do it today! Then His power will shield you when evil comes with temptation. It’s a spiritual life-change! And it readies you for Jesus’ Coming! 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