The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

James 4:17, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

There may not be any conclusion to any stated principle anywhere in the Bible that is more forcefully direct than the verse above. I have taken it somewhat out of its context to enable a more flexible usage to the multiple aspects it has when applied to our individual lives.

Let’s take the concept of people and put that into the equation. What is the right thing to do with regard to people? Well, of necessity time is again involved. I met and conversed with people today at Walmart. That time has now passed, so those people can no longer figure into our “right thing to do” equation. I met a new

girl working at the bank when at Walmart. Time was short there because I was not the only patron. Yet, I took time to hand her one of my Gospel Tracts entitled, “It’s Not How You Play The Game, It’s Which Team You’re On.” And I told her that I wrote it –because the of something you wrote, personalizes it and gives impetus toward reading it.

I also met a young family in a rather narrow aisle of the pharmacy section. He instructed his little girl (maybe 7) to get out of my way. I told him she won’t be in my way; then, I said, “You were once that size, weren’t you?” He smiled and answered, “Yes, I was.” I said, “The best thing you can do for your kids is to keep ‘em in Sunday School.” He immediately and quite forcefully agreed. “The problem today,” I said, “is not children; it’s the lack of good parents.” He agreed even more forcefully. Once again, people were the thing and time brought them together. Do you see how this works?

When we have the “Main Thing” in focus, time means reading, writing, working, playing, resting –all with respect to Jesus Christ, who is (or ought to be) our “Main Thing.” His Holy Spirit, who indwelled us from the moment of our repentance of sin and our faith and trust in Him, lives to direct our time and all things that vye to fill it. We need to refocus on how we use our time. If we are focused on ourselves, we will spend time doing what satisfies us alone. If, however, we are focused on Christ, the Spirit will direct and fill our time. And we will then and there know the right thing to do! For if we fail to know and do it, it will become sin to us; and then the LORD will not answer our most earnest prayers. Think about this! Keep HIM in focus – always!

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,

James 3:13-16, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Have you ever been a member of a church that was involved in calling a new pastor? If you have, you should be greatly interested in what kind of person he really is! Selection of even a committee to interview pastoral candidates and/or administrators should its self be wise and understanding. While I want to believe that most pastoral candidates for a church are wholesome and honest men, truth often skews to the edge of the boundary line when delicate questions are asked. James has a solution for that: check the man’s “good behavior” in areas where he has previously served. Check his “deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” We can learn more about others when we are gentle, softly inquisitive, and possess an honest inquiry of ourselves.

James says that jealousy is a vile trait in anyone! Instead of developing one’s own skills, the jealous person simply criticizes someone whose skills are better. Jealousy is blatantly unfair and accomplishes nothing. Moreover, a jealous attitude is often simply one person’s attempt to put another person “down.” Sometimes the critic is attempting to “feather his own nest” in the process. He may appear to have spiritual wisdom from the LORD, but he doesn’t! His “wisdom” “is earthly, natural” and sometimes “demonic!”

Jealousy and selfish ambition always produce disorder and chaos, neither of which results in anything of true value. It is worthwhile to conduct a careful investigation of anyone, especially someone who is a potential minister or teacher or even a life companion. Yet, such an investigation should be conducted prayerfully and carefully. And spiritual investigations always start with an honest search of our own hearts. Have you searched your heart lately? Now that I mention it, I’d better search mine, too!

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,

James 3:6-10, “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race.

8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

Did your mother ever give you a “tongue lashing”? Well, mine did! What’s more, it hurt more than that willow switch, but in a different way. James has already given us a thrashing in 3:1-5; now, he lays it on us with even more ferocity! His tongue is telling us about ours! He says the tongue is a fire of iniquity! We can sin with our eyes, with our hands, even with our ears; but the tongue –your tongue and mine—ruins our lives and others, body and soul, and finds its origin in Hell itself! Wow! That’s heavy!!

Virtually everything else in life can be tamed and controlled, but not the tongue! It restless in that it wants to spout out words, often to the hurt of others. And there’s yet another aspect of the tongue that’s even worse: that same tongue that

is utilized in praying to the LORD (which is good), is tuilized in cursing men (which is not good) –men who have been created in the likeness of God! We can understand the vileness of a lost person’s speech. But when saved men and women, whose lives have ostensibly been committed to the LORD Jesus Christ, when they use their tongues to pray lovingly to God on the one hand, and simultaneously curse their fellowmen on the other, that’s too much! God is not pleased with that!

So before the LORD Himself gives you (and me!) a “tongue lashing,” we had better get a grip on our tongues! When was the last time you earnestly prayed to the LORD? And when was the last time you spoke scathingly to someone else? Who was behind what you said? Prayer won’t work in a situation like that! The LORD knows when we are consistently clean and faithful, and when we are not. Believe me, HE alone can control your tongue! When He does, you will begin to get answers to your prayers.

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,

James 3:1-5, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!”

James begins this chapter with a stern and valuable caution! Believe me, I am paying close attention, too. But why would he say that to teachers? Because teachers have a proclivity to behave as if they know what they’re saying. If they don’t know what they’re saying, why are they in a position that says that they do? Further, those who listen to teachers,

accept that the teachers know what they are saying, whether or not they do. So, if the teacher misinterprets what he teaches, his listeners will never come to rightly understand the subject. Being a teacher is a huge responsibility!

James further emphasizes that none are perfect, even if they are teachers. Thus, they must submit to discipline. He then uses several illustrations from practical, everyday life. Bits are placed in horses’ mouths to force them to obey their riders. Ships have rudders that guide them when strong winds would carry them off course. The human tongue is very small when compared to other body parts, but it’s often boastful and causes difficulties like small fires cause in forests.

The tongue is controlled by the mind; and the mind is controlled by the Spirit. I’ve always been a “talker!” My mother said that I talked before I walked. I honestly believe that it is the LORD’s gift –but it must be under the Holy Spirit’s control or it can be my greatest curse! There is a time and an opportunity for everything. Just as I completed writing that last underscored line, my watch signaled me that it was time to “breathe.” Since I was talking about submission, I stopped and did a breathing exercise. I don’t know what my watch knows about my breathing, but if I cannot submit to little mechanical things, I will never learn to submit to the Voice of my LORD. Take a tip from a talker: Don’t talk too much! Listen to the Holy Spirit! If you’re not prepared for a task, don’t undertake it! Get prepared! Share only what you know. Be cautious as to whom you listen! Check everything out with the Spirit of the LORD Jesus Christ. He makes NO mistakes!

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,

Titus 3:1-5, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

2 to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…”

When I’m reading a passage of Scripture, I like to outline it. Outlining is like seeing the bones without the flesh. Often it helps in understanding the passage as a whole. This passage outlines like this:

1. Instruction given (vv. 1-2)

2. Confession made (v. 3)

3. Transformation occurs (vv 4-5).

It’s always best to commence with the positives. Keep your atttitude positive. Show respect to those who are in authority. I once an author overseas. A friend kindly introduced us; but I had to add that I had read his book, but didn’t find anything with which I could agree. STOP!!! Not the right thing to say. While it was the truth, it flew in the face of Paul’s positive instructions.

Then, in verse 3, Paul cites things he had done that he ought not to have done. (This is where my comment on the man’s book should be found –if it needed to be referenced at all.) Paul’s mention of negatives in his past life has the purpose of drawing a picture of what he once was in variance to what he is at the time of writing. In other words, he was saying, “I know what you are and what you’ve done because that’s how I was and lived before I met Jesus Christ.”

*Notice that Paul says less about what he was then, than he does about what he is now because of Christ.

The ultimate emphasis is on what Christ Jesus did to and for him and that it is all Christ’s doing, not his own!

Thus, the glory all goes to the LORD! We who know Him have been saved, spiritually washed, forgiven of our past indulgences and made spiritually new and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. It is He who will keep us on the right path and keep our attitudes soft, but positive regarding what the LORD can and will do!

Please don’t ever give up! Even as a saved person, you won’t live totally outside of sin. But, that will require you to seek continual forgiveness. When you’re hungry, you keep going back for food. When you sin, you keep asking the LORD for forgiveness. Each time, however, He will give you added strength until you conquer that transgression! This happens to me on a daily basis! And I’ve been a Christian for 77 years! Surprised? Stay in the Word (Bible) daily! Pray specifically and often! The LORD wants to know that you are serious about being a true Christian.

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.”