The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 1:7-10, “…you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”

Isn’t it an encouragement when we learn that something good we have said about another believer has become an encouragement to the believer himself? Epaphras must have felt good in his heart, too, for the opportunity he had to share good things about the Colossian believers.

When Paul learned the Colossians’ faithfulness from Epaphras, he increased his prayers for them. We should always pray for the lost and errant believers. At the same time, we should pray fervently for those who are increasing in the faith. None of us are truly “filled with the knowledge” of God or His will for our lives. That’s why we need to pray fervently for each other.

We need increased knowledge of God and His will for our lives. We need divine wisdom and understanding. It is those spiritual ingredients that enables us to live godly lives –lives that in everything are pleasing to the LORD. We don’t always know how influential our lives and words are on others. I’m thinking now of someone

to whom I witnessed years ago. To my knowledge, she has yet to come “full circle” to Jesus Christ. Yet, I still pray for her. We all need to pray for others, both the saved and the lost. And our lives need to be lived to the glory of Jesus Christ. That will be the influence needed to support the words that we speak.

God bless you abundantly, as you yield your life to Christ today,

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,

Colossians 1:3-6, “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,

6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth…”

I know I’m supposed to love him, but I just can’t! I’ve really tried, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Ever feel that way? I’m sure we all have. What makes it easy for us not to love someone is the way they behave. But is that really an excuse? Maybe we ought to start by “giving thanks to God” and “praying always –at all times.

Admittedly, it’s easier to pray for those who are already saved, already committed to Jesus Christ. When we pray for fellow believers, and witness, or even hear of their love for others, it produces a love within us for them and for those for whom they are praying.

The Gospel is the Word of Truth! It has been brought to us through the Scriptures and through the witness of those who were believers in Christ before we were. And everywhere the Gospel has been introduced, it “is constantly bearing fruit and increasing.” You should read the missionaries’ reports that I receive! Tribes that only a few years ago were literally “head-hunters” have opened their hearts to Christ Jesus and are now missionaries to those they previously hated and killed. We hear of hoards of Muslims in Africa, but Christianity is increasing all over that continent! Muslims in Turkey are turning to Christ in huge numbers! Recent reports reveal that mulitudes of Jews, although not Christians, have come to believe that Jesus is truly the Messiah!

Sometimes when we witness, we meet strong and often hateful resistance to that witness. We must remember two things: 1) Satan often fills the unsaved with hatred, intended to scare us and run us off; and 2) often harsh and hateful words are intended to test whether we will respond the same way. So, always be loving. Be gracious. Remember that they do not know Christ’s love as we do. Deep down they want to know it. They hate what they do and they hate what they are. Remember: every person in the world is either looking for something he doesn’t have, or he’s running from something he doesn’t want, or he’s found it and is trying to share it. Let’s be the once who are sharring!

Praying for you as you share Him with othes,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

P. S. I would love to hear from you with regard to your witnessing experiences. If you have questions about how you

could better your witness, write me. I’ll be glad to respond to you, and it will always be in strictest confidence.

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,

Colossians 1:1-3, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…”

How often have you heard someone refer to another person as a “saint?” More often than not, when the word is used in this regard, it is intended to convey a person’s excellent, spiritual attitude. In the Bible, however, –particularly in the New Testament– “saint” refers to a spiritual position, not a spiritual attitude. Of course, those who are in the right spiritual position will possess a spiritual attitude as well.

The word “faithful,” also in verse two, refers to spiritual responsibility. Paul doesn’t waste words. “To the

saints and faithful brethren…” –those who have the good spiritual position because they have trusted in Jesus Christ and those who are living up to their spiritual responsibilities. The word “brethren” in this verse refers to others who are “in Christ.” Those “in Christ” are the Church, the Christian community, in every successive generation. It has no bearing upon any religious denomination, except that those embracing a Christian denomination, hopefully, are themselves embraced by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The statement “Grace to you and peace from God our Father” (v 2b) opens Paul’s acknowledgment of blessing from the LORD. As always, “Grace and peace” are his subjects of focus. Grace is the activity of God’s love. Nowhere in history is this more visible than in A.D. 33 on a hill just outside the walls of Jerusalem. For there on Calvary Jesus Christ was crucified, giving Himself to His Heavenly Father as payment for our sins. “Clean out the old leaven,” Paul said in First Corinthians 5, “that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (I Cor 5:7). Paul admonishes the

Corinthian believers to live consistently clean lives, inasmuch as Christ has paid the supreme sacrifice for them.

“Peace,” by definition, is the confidence of God’s Love. If Grace, as the activity of God’s Love, is associated with the Cross of Christ, then Peace, as the confidence of that Love, is associated with the Resurrection of Christ. For it is through His Resurrection, His people know peace.

The Father and the Son are jointly the source of favor and blessing bestowed upon sinful, but repentant, man. When Paul says “Grace to you” and “peace from God,” he says more than our English translation allows. “To you” means “advantage.” ‘Grace is to your advantage,’ Paul is saying. And ‘peace comes from the ultimate source: God.’

The big question is: Are you a saint? That means, Have you willfully turned away from your sin and received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If you have not, you ought to immediately! “Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation!” (II Cor 6:2).

If you have been saved, the big question to you is: Are you faithful to the Lord? Faithful in reading His Word

daily? Faithful in praying–not just when you’re in trouble, but to tell Him you love Him, just to praise His Name! Are you faithful in worship? Do you worship regularly in a Bible-believing, Christ-exalting church? Do you contribute your spiritual gifts to the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, His Church? Are you faithful in witnessing to others about Jesus’ saving grace? How long has it been since you spoke personally to someone in the effort to see them receive Christ? There really is a lot to being a Christian!

Pray for us as we pray 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,

1 Timothy 6:13-16, “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 which He will bring about at the proper time– He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords;

16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

Have you noticed that Paul, John, James, Peter –all prominent ministers of the Gospel—always direct us in how we are to behave? They rarely make suggestions; most of the time they command us to behave righteously! Here Paul commands Timothy and us in the very presence of Almighty God.

God “gives life to all things.” Recently, where I live there has been an abundance of rain. As difficult as it is to live life in a downpour, were it not for the rain, growth of grass and plants and trees would be stunted. Rain is only a portion of the life the LORD gives to things we need for food and clothing.

The LORD Jesus bore witness of the truth about Himself and His Father when He stood before Pontius Pilate.

Therefore, Paul is directing us to follow Christ’s example by scrupulously keeping His commandments, so that no one can successfully challenge us of being hypocritical. Christ Jesus is coming again; and as Sovereign, He will corroborate our witness at that time! Christ alone possesses immortality. Moreover, He dwells in Light so brilliant that it cannot be approached. Thus, no man has ever seen Him! He alone is worthy of supreme honor!

Honor the LORD this week! Read from His Word every day! Keep your mind and heart pure before Him. Praise Him for His supplies that keep you alive and healthy. Guard your eyes from seeing evil. Guard your feet from straying from His pathway. Guard your thoughts, keeping them loving toward all people. He honors those who honor Him. Be one of “those” this week!

We love you and praise the LORD for His using of 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,

1 Timothy 6:7-11, “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

8 And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.

11 But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”

How much did you bring into this world? You probably came into the world kicking and screaming and hungry! And we’ll all leave this world with nothing material in our hands. Paul says we should be satisfied if we have food and covering for our bodies.

But some are like the young entrepreneur, whom I asked, “How much is enough?” said to me, “There’s never enough.” He ultimately “fell prey” to the love of money and drifted away from the LORD he once perported to love and serve. Money itself is not evil; but the love of money is. It leads those who are captivated by what it can buy into “many foolish and harmful desires” that “plunge men into ruin and destruction.” The worst of those “harmful desires” is “wandering away from the faith.”

When I was young and still in high school, I worked part time for a local funeral home. A woman we buried wore diamond rings worth thousands of dollars, as she lay in her casket. Undoubtedly, she adored their beauty while she lived, but they were of no value to her when she died. You’ve heard the old saying, “There’s no U-Haul behind the hearse.”

Paul says we should “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” Why these? Because they have a lasting value that reaches beyond the grave. What we are spiritually while we live, not only leaves its residue when we’re gone, it commends us to the LORD throughout Eternity. Give your life and interest to the things of the LORD. Pray for those you know are sinful and lost. Witness to them, that they might come to know Jesus. God will provide for your current needs, just as He provides for your life hereafter! Nothing else is worth possessing.

Praying for you and for those for whom you pray,

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.”