The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

6 And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Why is it that when we both trusted Jesus at the same time, he finds it easier to lead people to Christ than I do? I try to live like Jesus would have me to live, but I’m just not as effective in leading others as is my friend.

Paul answers that question in the four verses above. First, not every believer in Jesus has been given the same spiritual gift. Not every woman is a good cook; not every man is a good driver. Some people draw exceedingly well; others can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. I am a good driver, but I sure can’t draw! Why is this? We simply have different talents. It’s the same with spiritual matters. Some people can just approach anyone and get immediately into the Gospel. Others, get tounge-tied and stutter and stammer all over the place. We might say that our talents come to us via our parents’ DNA. But when it comes to spiritual gifts, ministries are clearly assigned to us by the LORD.

Some people are called to preach; others have the ministry of business, and are enabled to support pastors. Some minister as missionaries on foreign soil; others are called to pray excessively for those missionaries.

This is what Paul means when he says, “there are a variety of ministries.” Not everyone is called to do the same thing, yet is is the LORD “who works all things in all persons.”

We are never to be envious of what others do. We are just to do what the LORD calls us to do! Henry Ford was the first to develop and use an “assembly line” for producing automobiles. Some men installed one thing; other men installed other things. If they had all done exactly the same work, the car would never been built. So it is with spiritual matters. The LORD has a job and a place of service for each of us.

The men, who work on the assembly line are all paid for what others do as well. If cars were never built, no one is advantaged. So it is with spiritual matters. We have different ministries, but all work together to lead others to Christ and teach them His Word, producing something that is good for everyone.

What is your spiritual gift? Where is your spiritual ministry? Commitment to Christ means allowing His will to be done in your life, at all times, for His glory! Is this true of you? Don’t endeavor to assign yourself something you just want to do. Ask the LORD what He wants you to do and where He wants you to do it. He will lead you into the rich fields of harvest, in order that the scores of lost, Hell-bent people might hear the Good News and turn in faith to Christ. Blessings will then aboud! –all this, and Heaven, too! God bless you as you minister where you are.

Praying for you is a ministry for us,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

Numbers 25:1-8, “While Israel remained at Shittim (a place west of Jerusalem and east of the Jordan River), between, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.

2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.

4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.”

There’s far more to be learned from these verses than from my comments. Just note that the Israelites’ sin began when they kept company with the wrong people. Watch out for the company you keep. You may have the mistaken idea that you can change them to righteous thinking. Yet, it rarely works. Israel was on Moabite

real estate. It was not long before they “joined themselves to Baal” and worshipped him.

Acting at the direction of the LORD, Moses commanded the judges of Israel to slay those who had joined themselves with the pagan god Baal. Some of the “arrogant young men” openly paraded their Moabite girls before Israel and even before Moses. Why do those who are fundamentally opposed to what we believe often seem attractive to us? Perhaps we want to show how diversely tolerant we are. Or, perhaps it is an open rebellion within us that arises from pride and self-assessed authority. In any event, they were wrong in God’s sight.

One Israelite, a man named Phinehas, the grandson of Moses’ brother, Aaron, went after the arrogant young man, who flouted his sinfulness in the face of the LORD’s servants, and he “pierced both of them… through their bodies.” God’s commands must be obeyed. Phinehas was not arrogant; he simply carried out the order the LORD had given through His servant, Moses. Why are we so slow in obeying the Word of the LORD? Is His Word not more valuable than as to be ignored? Is the upholding of the honor of the LORD more worthy than dismissing the sins of men as irrevelant?

Finally, it must be said that when God’s Word is obeyed, the troubles we face will be divinely erased. The burdens the LORD allows to fall upon us are multiple. Sometimes it’s an earthquake; sometimes, a tornado; sometimes, a flood; sometimes it’s a financial disaster; sometimes it’s death. With Israel, it was a plague. But the LORD stayed the plague when one man –Phinehas—obeyed Him. Sometimes it takes just one to bring about blessing. Are we willing to be that one who stands for the LORD, regardless of what others think? We are, if He is truly our LORD!

We think and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.”

If anyone who watches sports doubted that Clemson came to win, they were sadly mistaken. Both Clemson and Alabama entered the grass-laden arena with perfect records. Neither team had lost a game this year.

Sometimes I think we have gone overboard with sports. Then, I remember how the Apostle Paul, if not a fan, was certainly familiar with sporting activities that were plentiful in ancient Greece and Rome. Corinth sponsored the Isthmian games, second only to the Olympic games. What’s more, Paul advocated fairness in such activities. Note that he said that many could enter the race, but “only one receives the prize.”

Some years ago, some of our so-called institutions of learning came up with the idea that everyone should be given a reward, regardless of how well or how miserably the player was. The philosophy was that the child’s ego would be marred if a prize were not given to him. After all, he did his best, even if he came in last. There was nothing of this in Paul’s day! “Only one receives the prize.”

Nor was any entry in the games likely to win unless he was a true competitor, one who “struggled” (agonized, agonizomai in contending to win. The runner must also be self-controlled both in his training and in the race itself. He must then run with every intention of winning. Shadow-boxing will not do. A well-intentioned boxer meant to defeat his opponent. His body itself must be disciplined in eating the proper foods, in getting sufficient rest. Train! Train! Train!

One of Rose Marie’s nurses is an MMA (mixed-martial-arts) fighter. She told us that when she started to train, her trainer said, “I’m going to hit you in the face harder than any opponent will ever hit you.” And he did! The purpose (as distastful as it was) was to get her body ready to receive the punishment the sport involved.

Paul was not obsessed with sports. He was illustrating to the Corinthians that serious training must take place if one is to enter the spiritual arena, sharing the Gospel. We must know what the Bible teaches and embrace it without question. We must also know our “opponents,” that they are lost in sin and know little or nothing of what God’s Word teaches. So, instead of “blowing them away” with an avalanche of Scripture, we should demonstrate love and share gently the LORD’s message of salvation. We tell others how it should be done; we must also do what we teach; otherwise, we ourselves, will be disqualified. We’ve got to be something before we can do something in His Name. Just remember: our reward is imperishable!

We love and pray for you all,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

Mark 7:5-8, “And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, ‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?’

6 And He said to them, ‘Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”

8 “’Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.’”

Driving home last night, I caught a broadcast from Moody Church in Chicago. Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church, told that on the night spiritually lost, young Charles Spurgeon attended a Bible study. The

pastor who was to conduct the study, never arrived, and a layman shared the Word that started young Spurgeon thinking about Christ and his need for him.

I had to wonder how many young men might become another Charles Spurgeon if some pastors were absent more often from their churches. Yes, it’s a cynical thought, but it parallels Jesus’ remarks concerning the scribes and the Pharisees in our verses above.

When I was a child, we had set Bible verses that were to be read every night. Then we checked little boxes within the booklets to show that we had read the verses that were assigned. All of that was excellent! But none of the readings “counted” if they were read after midnight. Why? Why, because midnight started yet another day! How foolish! It was a page out of the Pharisaical Handbook.

Of all the things that needed spiritual consideration, the Pharisees focused in on the disciples’ unwashed hands! Jesus called them hypocrites! In ancient Greek plays, the hero and the villan were often played by the same person. Each character was masked according to his part. Thus, a hypocrite was one who disguised himself with a mask of pretence. And that’s what Jesus meant when He called the Pharisees hypocrites! They pretended to be spiritually minded, but they were not.

Their hearts were far from Him; they neglected the commandments of God, and they taught the precepts of men as if they were the teachings of God –but they were not! We have some “pastors” doing the same today.

They teach a moral-uprightness, but neglect the heart of the Gospel, which leads to eternal salvation.

We need to attend faithfully to the BIBLE that gives the LORD’s own instruction! We need to wash our hands of pastors and churches that teach a feel-good religion because it is not the teaching of Christ! May the LORD, who is always faithful, lead us by His Truth. He is that faithful pastor, who is always present to teach the True Word to his people. Who knows but that he might be teaching another Spurgeon!

Pray for your faithful pastor, just as you pray for us and we for you,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

Mark 6:31-32, “And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.’

(For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

32 “And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.”

Tragedies often drain us of strength. The death of a loved one is just such a tragedy. John the Baptist

(literally, John the baptizing one) had just been put to death by King Herod. It was that same John, and a

cousin of Jesus, who had earlier come out of the wilderness to introduce Him to the multitudes. John was

a bold and righteous man. The agony of John’s death was heavily upon the minds and hearts of those

early apostles.

Thus, Jesus said, “Come away / by yourselves / to a lonely place / and rest a while.”

Here is the first part of Jesus’ four-part command: “Come away…” At first, it may seem as if Jesus is signaling a retreat for His men. But, in reality, He is not calling them to forsake their work altogether. They just need to cease work for a time and in order to rest their minds and emotions.

He also said, “by yourselves.” We are social creatures. We tend to share our worries and joys with others. We tend to be suspicious of hermits, who steer clear others. There are occasions when we just need to be by ourselves. We have to think things through without the well-meaning direction of even the closest of friends.

Further, we need to withdraw “to a lonely place.” That means, we don’t need a crowd to confuse our thinking. We need to be alone. Crowds are distractions, and within a short time we will find ourselves siding with their thoughts and their involvements concerning things that are neither their business nor their knowledge. All of that is a distraction from the purpose for which we have come to “a lonely place.”

Additionally, Jesus’ instruction indicates that our “rest” is not a total relinquishment of the work He has assigned us; it is just the right amount of “withdrawal time” we need to work out the problems we face. Nor is it inconceivable to believe that when our work is resumed, it will offer a better result and a more efficient product.

Subsequently, the disciples obeyed and “went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.” A runner who prepares himself to race is more apt to win over those who have not prepared. So it is spiritually. When we obey the LORD’s commands, we win over those who neither know Him nor know to obey His will. Think about this with respect to your own life. Are you too much in the fray of things? –too much to take time to hear Him and to obey Him? Start today to discipline yourself according to His Word. Anxieties will vanish, and you will be refreshed for the work to which He has called you.

You will be in our prayers,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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.”