The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 1:22-24, “For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,

24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the

wisdom of God.”

In reading through some old documents, I learned (again) how different people are. We tend to

forget those differences and how much they mean to a select people. Paul had not forgotten. He

was Jewish, and prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was doubtlessly “seeking signs” with

respect to everything he did. A “sign” (???????, semeion) was something that authentically distinguished a one person from another, or thing from something else. The Jews wanted a sign

from Jesus, that He was authentically from God. He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days

I will raise it up.”

Greeks, on the other hand, were in a constant search for wisdom. Wisdom (????? , sophia) was to

them the insight into the true nature of things, the ability to discern different kinds of actions with a

view to their different results. Such things get complicated.

Paul was a Jew who understood both Jews and Greeks quite well. Yet, his emphasis was upon

Christ. He knew the Christian faith was a stumbling block to the Jews and was foolishness to the Greeks. Yet, he had discovered something that was better than both. To Paul, Christ was “the

power of God and the wisdom of God.”

This is what we all need: faith and trust in Christ! No matter how severe a matter, Christ has the

power and wisdom to overule it. Why then, do we need medical help in times of severe crisis?

We need it because the LORD has ordained help for us despite our faithlessness in Him. Were

we as infinitely strong in our trust of Him, we would acknowledge and receive His unique power.

Inasmuch as we are weak in faith, He provides additional means for our physical deliverences.

Peter walked on the water until he took his eyes off of Jesus; but Jesus reached out and saved him.

Jesus’ reaching out to Peter was a physical salvation, albeit a secondary one! May we learn to

trust Christ Jesus implicitly! He will always be our Supreme Help.

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,

John 2:1-5, “And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus

was there;

2 and Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding.

3 And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

It was Mark Twain who said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

My mother was a wise woman! Oh, I didn’t think so when I was small kid. She was strict, but she was

loving with it—always a teacher at heart. Such things are the discoveries of old age.

What those attending the marriage at Cana thought about Jesus’ mother, we will never know. But, what little we do know about her is good. She surely would not want to be known as some think of her today. Really great people don’t think that way of themselves. As a boy of about 14, I clearly recall commending a preacher for what I considered an outstanding sermon! He looked surprised, smiled, and did his best to correct the level of excellence on which I had placed him.

Mary saw a problem that needed to be corrected at the marriage feast. The hosts had run out of wine.

She was not the hostess; she was only an invited guest. So, it was not required of her to correct the deficiency. But, she knew her Son was competent for what was needed. Thus, she said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” In the margin of my Bible beside that verse, I have written, “Excellent advice for every situation.” Leave everything in the Hands of Jesus! That’s not to say we ought never to work or do good things for others. Rather, it is that we should talk everything over with Him in prayer before we act on anything!

Should I go to college? Should I change jobs? Should I get married? Whom should I marry? What church should I attend? –and the list goes on. Each of these short questions fits everyone; yet the “who, what, why, when and where” may differ completely. Sometimes, it’s just best not act too quickly on anything –certainly, not without praying! “The LORD knows those who are His…” (2 Tim. 2:19); He also knows what’s best for each of us.

As we grow older, we look back with a very different perspective than when we were young. There are things we ought to have done, that we failed to do. And then, there are things we ought not to have done that we seriously regret. In most cases, our regrets come from not having laid everything before

the LORD Jesus Christ in serious prayer. We can’t change the past, but we can better the future. We can also be a spiritual model for others. Whatever He says to you, do it! That, you will never regret!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

NOTE: For those who might want to justify drinking today, based upon Jesus’ turning the water to wine, this instance

will not work! Wine in Jesus’ day was not what it is today. In that day water was mixed with wine to purify the

impure water. The Romans, known for their lavish drinking, mixed three or more parts of water with the wine.

Believers have a testimony of separation to uphold. Even Paul said, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine,

or to do anything by which your brother stumbles” (Rom. 14:21 NAS).

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,

Luke 24:44-48, “Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with

you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms

must be fulfilled.’

45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

46and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the

third day;

47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations,

beginning from Jerusalem.

48’You are witnesses of these things.’”

“Where on earth did I put them? Where did I leave my keys?” Have you ever said that or words to that effect? Of course, you have! I’m confident that everyone who has keys to anything has said that more than once. A friend of mine in Australia always left his keys on the floor immediately in front of the living room door. That way, he never had to hunt for them in the morning.

In our verses above, Jesus is meeting with His disciples. He has already risen from the dead and is reminding them how His death and resurrection were a fulfillment of the Law of Moses. Perhaps He sensed that they were not really grasping all He intended; thus, “He opened their minds to understand

the Scriptures.”

We have the same trouble today. There are passages of Scripture that we hurry by because they don’t immediately have meaning to us. We just shouldn’t “hurry by.” We should pray and ask the LORD to “open our minds” to their meaning. Preachers often neglect passages they don’t quickly understand. It would do us all well to remember that “they were written for our instruction” (Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 10:11). Thus, they ought to be savored like a delious, juicy steak.

Look now at Jesus’ final words in verse 48 above: “You are witnesses of these things.” What a privilege they had to have been witnesses of His Resurrected Life! Now, what? What would you have

done? The privilege of a witness is both to see and to tell. To be sure, there are many scriptures that

we have difficulty understanding. But, we know what He has done in our lives, and we can and must share that with others. Will you endeavor to do that today? There are lost souls who are waiting for your witness.

And if you yourself have never trusted Jesus Christ, let Him open your heart and mind to Him today.

Ask Him to forgive your sins and open your mind to spiritual things –things that really matter. You will never regret having Christ in your life!

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,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event

under heaven–

2 A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun

embracing.

6 A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.”

Some things simply cannot be avoided. Good things occur and we are happy; bad things occur and

we are sad. It’s the cycle of life and it is the way of us all. It has always been that way and it will

always be that way. Yet, Solomon affirms that all of these events occur in God’s “appointed time.”

As you consider the situations listed in the verses above, match them with events in your own life.

There were times of joyous encounter! There were times of deep devastation. We often consider

such events as normal occurances; yet, the Scriptures say that the LORD is ever and always in

control and that nothing that occurs without His notice or approval.

When we were children, we were disciplined by our parents. Discipline does not always mean

punishment, yet sometimes it does. The primary meaning of the word is “training to act in accordance with rules.” When we know the rules and act in accordance with them, we gain approval. When we fail to live within the rules, we suffer punishment. Such is normal in every area of life. There are rules for

flying, for boating, for surgery, for ministry, for building, for demolition –and the list goes on and on.

Every discipline known to man has rules.

The LORD has set the rules for life and reveals them to us in the Bible. When we trust Him and learn to live by His rules, things go well. When we fail to obey, punishment is inevitable. We learn His rules by reading Scripture. What we find difficult to understand (and there are such things), He has given us

ministers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers to help us understand His way.

Get with the rules! Learn to live by faith and trust in Him! Don’t allow yourself to be troubled by the

rule-breakers among whom we live. Our LORD is not asleep, nor does He ignore the happenings

that surround us in life. He makes Himself known in the right way and at the right time. In the mean

time, He has given us His Word to be our guide. I hope and trust that you read the Bible every day!

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,

Proverbs 3:25-33, “Do not devise harm against your neighbor, while he lives in security beside you.

30 Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways.

32 For the crooked man is an abomination to the LORD; but He is intimate with the upright.

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”

The Proverbs literally overflow with wisdom! They often reach right into our lives and meet needs we

never realized we had. I have truly good neighbors. Next door on either side, across the street and over the fence behind, I’ve never had a problem with any of my neighbors!

Why would anyone devise harm against people who had never devised harm against him? I don’t know, but it happens. Why would anyone argue or complain about a neighbor when he had no cause? I don’t know, but that also happens! Is it possible that what we dislike in others actually arises from within ourselves? We contend because we are not contented. When we’re troubled deeply about a matter we cannot resolve, we become discontent because of a barking dog or loud music.

The biblical directive is that we NOT become violent like a crooked or devious person, because to do so is an abomination (detestable) to the LORD, whom we are positioned to serve. We are to be different from the world! If the LORD is our security, surely He can control the uncontrollable who live beside us. And if those beside us do not conform to His standard, “the curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked”; but the LORD blesses the house of the righteous.”

Join me in praising the LORD for good neighbors! Just think how your area, town or city could be totally transformed were we to trust Him to bless them with His presence! Prayer works, folks!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”