The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 1:4-8, “I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God

which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord

Jesus Christ,

8 who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Corinthians –even the Christians among them—were not without sin. Yet, they had traveled a long way down the road of redemption when compared with the Galatians. Still, with the Apostle Paul, all believers were remembered in his prayers. His ministry linked them with the grace of God and they were enriched in the LORD with every possible spiritual gift.

Consider Moses. He didn’t think he had the speaking ability that was necessary to reach those to whom the LORD intended to send him. So, the LORD sent Moses’ brother Aaron along. Yet, in the end of their assignment, Moses discovered his speech was quite sufficient.

No employer worth his salt would require an employee to do a job without furnishing him the needed tools to do it. Would you not be surprised, therefore, if I were to tell you that the moment you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the LORD God implanted within you every spiritual gift necessary to complete His design for your entire spiritual life on this Earth?

The New Testament informs us that there are specific divisions of spiritual gifts: Serving Gifts and Speaking Gifts. There are seven specific Serving Gifts and five specific Speaking Gifts. The Serving Gifts include Faith, Discernment of Spirits, Helps, Mercy, Management, Leadership and Giving. The Speaking Gifts are Preaching, Teaching, Exhortation, Knowledge and Wisdom. There was also a Sign Gift. It provided the ability to speak in languages totally unstudied and unknown to the speaker. This gift was specifically present for the evangelization of the Jews and was terminated with the completion of the Scriptures at the end of the first century when Paul said, “tongues shall cease of themselves” (???????, ?????????) (1 Cor. 13:8).

It is important that all believers in Jesus Christ examine these spiritual gifts and apply them as the Holy Spirit leads. Further information on the gifts is contained in the attachment included with this Letter. 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 God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Galatians 6:7-10, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,

this he will also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one

who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow

weary.

10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those

who are of the household of the faith.”

Just in case you handn’t noticed, let me tell you that there is a lot of deception in the world! Virtually all types of advertisements are in som way deceptive. Oh, they offer the world, but in the fine print (if you read it) you learn exactly what you’re up against. The deception of which Paul speaks, however, is focused on man’s attempt to deceive the LORD.

Did you ever make a vow (a promise or a pledge) to the LORD and then not keep it? Well, you didn’t fool the LORD! He has His own way of “returning the favor.” And that is never pleasant. However, if you obey the Holy Spirit, He will give you the guarantee of eternal life.

“But it’s difficult,” you say. “My friends are doing things that I know are not right, and I don’t want look like a ‘goodie two-shoes’ in front of them.” Oh, really? You haven’t grown up spiritually, have you? Are the “things” they do and say –things you know to be wrong – are they of greater value to you than the LORD is? Do you think being embarrassed in front of your friends for abstaining from their way of life is more important than being embarrassed before God for partaking of ungodliness?

Don’t let what others think or say carry so much weight in your thinking! Just do what is right in God’s eyes, and don’t allow yourself to worry about what others think or say. Remember that just as a farmer reaps what he sows, you reap what you sow, as well.

Every encounter with someone gives you the opportunity to either influence him for Christ or fall prey to his influence upon you. Just practice doing what is right in God’s eyes! Don’t worry about what others think! They may judge you for not doing what they do. But, God will judge you for not following His instructions. Who is more powerful? Whose judgment is more vital? Whom do you love more?

Look for opportunities to do good, to show love and compassion. Of special concern are other believers. The LORD is concerned for all of His people. When we show concern for them, He shows more concern for us. Who do you know than needs to observe and receive your genuine concern? Do it! You’ll be glad that you did. God bless you!

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.”

Dear Grands,

Galatians 5:19-25, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality,

impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,

factions,

21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just

as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the

kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and

desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Which is easier, to involve ourselves in things of the flesh or allow the Holy Spirit to guide us? By nature, the Galatians were an impetuous people. By nature, we are also impetuous. Paul cites 15 sinful attitudes and actions that people commit and then he concludes by saying “those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

It hardly seems necessary to further describe the sins to which Paul alludes. They are largely known to all of us because they permeate our daily lives. It is sufficient to under-stand that participation in such sins eliminates our inheritance of the kingdom of God.

In stark contrast, Paul cites only nine fruitful elements that come from the Holy Spirit of God. It is obviously not an indication that less comes from God than comes from our sinful natures. Perhaps, the apostle is being subtle in saying that it takes less to be what the LORD wants of us than we think.

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan identifies the fruit of the Spirit as in correlation with the attributes of Christ’s life. Morgan cites love as the essential attribute underlying each of the others. Joy is identified as “the consciousness of love”; peace, as “the confidence of love”; longsuffering, as “the habit of love”; gentleness, as “the activity of love”; goodness as “the quality of love”; faith as “the quantity of love”; meekness as “the tone of love”; and self-control as “the victory of love.”[1] What a life to know and live –if only we were totally yielded to the Spirit’s control!

I spoke today with man who identified a long-time friend of his as “having possessed the nearest likeness to Jesus Christ” as any one he had ever known. What an enviable characterization! Yet, it could be true of any of us if we were only to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and control our lives. Pray that we will all turn our lives to His control; for when we do, we bring honor and glory to His Name.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

1G. Campbell Morgan, The Westminster Pulpit (London: Pickering and Inglis, Ltd., n.d.,) pp. 171ff.

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.”

________________________________

[1]G. Campbell Morgan, The Westminister Pulpit (London: Pickering and Inglis, Ltd., n.d.), pp. 171-179.

Dear Grands,

Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of

the flesh.

17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for

these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you

please.”

Paul’s ministry is summarized in verse 16. The word walk (?????????, peripateo) indicates the behavior of the Spirit-led believer in Christ. We are to obey the Holy Spirit, who indwells us when once we accept Christ as our LORD and Savior. Summarily, this is how the LORD is glorified.

When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he transmitted the “virus” of sin into the lives of his progeny. That’s how Paul can say that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). We naturally possess the tendency to sin. At the same time, he warns us against carrying out the desires of the flesh – the desires that he quite distinctly names in the following verses.

No two forces ever stood in greater opposition to each other than the flesh and the Spirit. “He’s done wrong to me and I’m going to ruin him!” is an attitude of the flesh.

“Yes, he was wrong in what he did, but his parents failed to rear him according to the Bible. Let’s show him Jesus’ love; maybe he will repent and become a Christian.” The latter response is of the Holy Spirit.

The LORD God sent Jesus into the world to suffer and die for our sins. When we turn our lives to Him, He not only forgives us for all our past sins, He sends the Holy Spirit into our lives to teach and train us to follow the LORD and adopt His characteristics.

Paul himself was a furious persecutor of Christians until he met the LORD and was born again.

If you’ve never accepted Christ Jesus, the same transformation can occur in your life.

He will turn your insecurity into security, your hate into love, so that those whoi knew you in your old life will hardly recognize you. Christians, too, can wander from God, making it necessary for the Holy Spirit to become your spiritual compass. Wherever you are, you can be back on track through sincere prayer for forgiveness. God loves you. He will help you to love Him and others, too. He waits to hear your prayer.

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.”

Dear Grands,

Genesis 16:3-6, “And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s

wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as

his wife.

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had

conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into

your arms; but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight.

May the LORD judge between you and me.’

6 But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in

your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.’”

There were so many things my dear mother told me not to do; and when I did them, I knew why she had said not to. She was wiser than I was obedient. Song writer Lethal Ellis certainly told the truth when he wrote:

Out into the darkness you alone may go,

And seeds for the wicked one you may sow;

But, there’s an eye that’s watching from the Throne on High,

You can’t do wrong and get by.

It’s too bad Sarai hadn’t heard those lines. It was her thought that the LORD was too slow in giving Abram and her the child He had promised. She jumped ahead and encouraged Abram to have a child by Hagar. But when Hagar conceived, Sarai became jealous and treated Hagar quite harshly.

Now, Sarai’s really steamed and turns on Abram. In the moral culture of that day, what Abram did with Hagar was not considered wrong, as it would be today. What was wrong was Abram’s lack of trust in the LORD, leading him to listen to Sarai. The situation had not gone as either of them expected, and Hagar is blamed for her participation. For Sarai’s part, all blame fell on Abram. What a mess!

Abram was the head of the household, so essentially the responsibility was his. But Hagar was Sarai’s maid; so Abram laid some responsibility on her when he said, Look, you started all of this; if you’re upset with Hagar, she belongs to you; do whatever you want with her. Poor Hagar got such rough treatment that she simply took her newly-born son and left. Everybody is at a loss.

Does the moral of this biblical account have meaning in today’s culture? It certainly does! The ultimate authority in all matters and under all situations lies with the LORD! He always speaks in wisdom, and He never forgets what He has said. Unlike Sarai and Abram, you and I need to heed the directives the LORD gives us. We are not permitted to change anything. He alone is the fulfiller of His promises; and the timing of His fulfillments resides with Him alone!

Do you have any messes you need straightened out? Take my mother’s advice: “Let the LORD do it! Don’t try to do anything alone! You’ll just regret it!” Thank you, LORD, for giving us godly mothers! “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

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.”