The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 21:15-17, “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more

than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’

16 He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love

You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’

17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,

‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My

sheep.’”

“How many time have I told you that you cannot go until your room is clean?” How many times have we heard this from

our mothers? Most mothers would probably say that it is more impairing to them to repeat the warning than it is to their children

to hear it. Somehow, I think that’s what Jesus felt when He was speaking with Peter.

Breakfast was a welcome relief to the weary fishermen. They had fished all night and caught nothing –that is, until Jesus said,

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find a catch” (Jn. 21:6). And catch they did! The nets were full – 153 fish, but their stomachs yearned for that breakfast.

It was after breakfast that Jesus asked Peter, “…do you love me more than these?” Peter answered, “Yes, LORD; You know that I love You.” Subsequently, Jesus repeated the same question two more times. Now, to the English reader, that is called redundancy; you know, “I heard you the first time.” But, the key to all of this lies in the Greek words for “love.” Philos is the word for “friendship love.” Agape is the strongest word for love. It activates a supreme love that yields everything to the other person without expecting anything in return. In His first two inqueries, the LORD uses agape while Peter replies with philos. In the third instance, the LORD uses Peter’s word, philos. It must have crushed Peter that the LORD lowered His word to match Peter’s. The three questions paralleled Peter’s three denials. It was like rubbing salt into an open wound.

Nevertheless, at the conclusion of each inquiry, the LORD mentioned something for Peter to do: “Tend (feed, instruct) My sheep,” and “shepherd (lead, guide) My sheep.” The lesson was over. Peter was not excoriated; but he had received what he deserved. Now, with this final instruction from the Savior, Peter was put back into active service.

Oh, that some pastors today would differentiate between “feeding” and “fleecing” the sheep! But, it is not for us to instruct them; they are presumptive servants of the LORD. Our responsibility is to pray for them and listen to their instruction from the Word. If the instruction is accurate, the Holy Spirit within us will say so. If it is not, He will make that plain to us, as well. Either way, we are to pray and to witness to those who are lost. Jesus is coming soon! When is not for us to know. What we do know, however, is that tomorrow brings us another day closer to His Coming. Always be faithful! Be prayerful! Be a witness for Him!

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,

2 Chronicles 29:17-19, “Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the LORD. Then they consecrated the house of the LORD in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils.

19 “Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

Men and women are vastly different in many ways. For one thing, men don’t see dust; women complain that they cannot see the furniture because of the dust. In recent months, a Christian lady has been coming to clean my house. It was the first time

in my life that I heard the term “deep cleaning.” If you wipe off the kitchen counter, it is clean. How do you “deep clean” a kitchen counter? So, I find myself in school again –as a student, learning what “deep cleaning” means when applied to “dust.”

Ahaz became King of Judah when he was 20 years old. To say that he did not understand “deep cleaning” is an understatement.

In fact, Ahaz became an admirer of pagan gods and really spread “dust” everywhere! The LORD’s House was ignored and the

people became followers of pagan gods and riled the LORD considerably! In time, Ahaz died and Hezekiah, his son, became king. Some kids just have it all together! Hezekiah saw the “dust” in the LORD’s House and immediately called for a “deep cleaning.” Don’t ever let anyone tell you that pastors and deacons don’t see “dust.” Hezekiah’s spiritual leaders saw it and moved immediately to thoroughly cleanse the LORD’s House. It took them eight days.

When the cleansing was completed, these Priests and Levites came to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed (taher, purified) the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils…” Naming King Ahaz as the one who neglected the LORD’s House, they indicated the depth of their cleaning when they mentioned the utensils. These had been cleansed and consecrated to the LORD like everything else.

The utensils captured my attention. Who thinks about knives and forks and spoons when it comes to cleaning the house? The lady who periodically cleans my house has never washed my eating utensils. But when the LORD cleanses, He cleanses everything! We are His utensils. We don’t amount to as much as some larger things. We just hide in the drawers of the kitchen. But His cleansing of us is thorough, whether we’re on display or not. And when company comes, and we’re needed, no one has to ask if we’re clean. They can see us sparkle in His handiwork. Furthermore, we’re important to the company. Have you ever

cried to eat chocolate cake without a fork, or eat ice cream without a spoon?

You are important to God! He wants His company to see His love and concern for them. And His use of us is one way He does it.

He cleansed you from your sin. Keep clean, so others will see His handiwork and come to Him for cleansing, too. He does “deep cleaning”; but that only has to happen once! May God cleanse, bless, and use you abundantly is my 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,

2 Chronicles 26:3-5, 15b-16a, “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in

Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

4 And he did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

5 And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he

sought the LORD, God prospered him,” and “…his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

16 But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God…”

Not everyone, who starts out right finishes and wins the race. If 16 years old seems a bit too young to be anointed king, you and I are thinking along the same lines. But, it was the way of those in Old Testament times. Most of the time it had to do with lineage.

Yet, sometimes the one who proved his courage in winning a battle was sufficient for exaltation to the high office of king.

Not everyone who starts out well ends up the same way. The kid who was the last to be chosen for the sandlot ball team and ends up winning the game by hitting a three-run homer, is certain to be the first-chosen the next time the boys decided to play.

But a cranky attitude and a smug pride will ultimately sidelined him from all future games.

Uzziah was that 16-year-old boy who became king. He followed the footsteps of his father, Amaziah, and did right toward the LORD. The verse above tells us that “as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.” But it was then his heart became flooded with pride. He trusted his own instincts and overstepped his boundaries when he barged into the Temple of the LORD and behaved corruptly and unfaithfully toward the LORD. His ending was totally the opposite of his beginning.

That can happen to us! King Solomon wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Pro. 16:18).

Pride can occur right in the pulpit. Years ago, I witnessed a young preacher, who started his message with the credible appearance of true humility. Hardly into his message, he looked at the clock on the wall and said, “Wow, only 10 minutes gone! We’re really movin’ now.” In that instant, pride took over, and whatever message the LORD had given him, was replaced with the stuttering, mismanagement of words that pride itself had inserted. Be faithful to the LORD! Study and share only His Word with those who need Him. He will bless! He is faithful! And He tramples pride beneath His feet as He leads us into glorious paths of spiritual righteousness.

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,

Matthew 28:1-7, “Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other

Mary came to look at the grave.

2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the

stone and sat upon it.

3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow;

4 and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has

been crucified.

6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee, there

you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

On the eve of this Resurrection Sunday, it seemed appropriate that I should send you some fundamental–

PROOFS OF

THE RESURRECTION

OF JESUS CHRIST

Once again Resurrection Sunday is upon us. Of all the precious doctrines encompassed by the Holy Scripture, none is more vital than the Resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ.

When it became necessary for our LORD Jesus to state in unequivocal terms precisely why He had come to Earth, He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

The Apostle Paul explained yet more precisely how the LORD’s salvation was to work, he wrote, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9). The apostle further supports his thesis with evidence cited in First Corinthians 15, the “resurrection chapter.”

Someone in more modern times stated that “the most incontrovertible fact in human history is the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ from the dead.” Quite evidently, it is so because with the passing of some 2,000 years, the fact of Jesus’ Resurrection has suffered no refutation.

Considering everything, we can offer the following spiritually logical truths in support of Jesus’ literal, physical, bodily resurrection from the grave:

I. First, Jesus’ body was not stolen!

1. Jesus’ enemies would not have stolen His body because that would have propagated the very prediction that

He would rise from the dead.

2. Jesus’ disciples could not have stolen His body because Pilate established Roman guards to stand watch over

the tomb lest His body be stolen.

(1) Ironically, many of Jesus’ disciples were not fully convinced of His Resurrection itself until His

post-resurrection appearances.

(2) The very character and the later history of the disciples compels us to believe that they neither

stole nor secretly carried away the body of Jesus.

II. In nearly 20 centuries, no body –except the Resurrected body of Jesus Christ– was ever found. Thus, the evidence needed

to disprove Christ’s prophecy is missing.

III. The mathematical probability of anyone being able to perpetrate any hoax –especially concerning Christ’s Resurrection–

over 20 centuries is astronomically negative!

IV. The prophecy prediction record of the Old Testament is 100 percent accurate!

V. Notice that the chief priests and the elders never questioned whether the tomb was empty. There is no record anywhere

that they even questioned whether the guards’ report were true. They knew is was true!

VI. Notice that the soldiers were told to say that Jesus’ disciples came and stole the body away while they (the soldiers) were

asleep! How could they have known what was going on if they were asleep?

VII. The leaders of Judaism in Jerusalem, who had put the LORD Jesus to death, had nothing to offer to contradict these

disciples as they continued to preach Jesus and His Resurrection– because all Jerusalem knew the tomb was empty. If

there had been trickery involved, sooner or later it would have been suspected, then proven.

VIII. Had fraud occurred, surely one of the disciples, even most of them, would have confessed it under the horrendous

persecution they underwent. It may be possible to live a lie, but men seldom die for a lie –and most of these men died

for what they believed.

IX. The result ultimately would have been that the message that Christ had risen would have suffered the fate of all such

unfounded stories– it would have lost its power. Instead, this truth has swept the world, closed pagan temples, won

millions of disciples, brought hope to a despairing humanity, was the very foundation truth of the early Church, and is

as freshly glorious as ever!

X. But not only did Jesus come alive again, He did not disappear to leave the disciples speculating through all the subsequent

days as to what had happened to Him. Instead, He appeared to them literally, visibly, frequently and in bodily form –to

more than 500 believers following His Resurrection from the dead.

After more than 60 years in the Christian ministry, it has been my observation that those who persist in denying the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, are in the grip of some personal sin, which they are unwilling to surrender in order to lay hold of Christ. As with physical survival, it is in the nature of man to embrace hope, not to disparage or deny it. Thus, when men engage in unmitigated attacks upon the only One who offers true hope to all mankind, it is undeniable proof both of man’s own decadence and of his love of sin (GLJ).

You just might want to hold on to these proofs, as you witness of our LORD Jesus. If you have yet to accept Him as your LORD,

please consider these proofs. To whom else could they be applied except Him? Don’t wait! Trust Him right now!

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,

John 19:36-37, “For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Not a bone of Him shall be broken.’ 37 And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’”

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday! (I don’t recommend the use of the term “Easter,” as it comes from a pagan goddess.) But, before the Resurrection of our LORD Jesus, it was necessary that He die on a cross. Why was that necessary? It is because the Father so willed it that our sins might be forgiven.

WHAT IS CRUCIFIXION?

The Romans learned crucifixion from the Carthaginians in North Africa. It is yet the most inhumane form of execution known to man. Here, a medical doctor provides a physical description:

The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed.

The victim is now crucified.

As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again, he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.

Finally, as He allows His body to die, He yields up His Spirit to the Father and cries, “It is finished! Into Thy hands I commit my Spirit.”

What wondrous love is this! He loved us that we might love Him and love one another. Have you committed your life to Him? My prayer is that you will trust Him as you read this Letter. Then, die to yourself, and live your life to His glory!

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.”