The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jude 3-4, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Did you ever start to write something and change your mind? What you intended to say was

suddenly superseded by something else –something more important. I had once asked a true

and trusted pastor to write a letter of recommendation for me. He readily agreed, but said that

when he sat down and started to write, the LORD “stayed his hand.” Physically, he could not

say what he intended. The letter was never sent. The LORD intervened miraculously, and the

course of my life was changed.

Jude’s writing was changed, too. His emphasis was that they should “contend earnestly for the

faith.” The word “contend” (????????????) means “make a strenuous effort.” The faith in our

LORD Jesus Christ is no trivial matter. It is a life or death situation –eternal life or death! But

How do we “contend”?

*1. Be mindful of the enemies (vv.17-19). Don’t believe everything you hear. There are many false teachers in the world. Many are personally attractive and give plausible teachings, yet their teachings do not agree with the Bible!
*2. Be strong (built up in the faith) (vv. 20-21). We gain spiritual strength by maintaining
*Bible studies and prayer. We must be stronger in believing the teachings of Jesus than
*those the false teachers are in their unbiblical beliefs. 3. Maintain an evangelistic spirit (vv. 22-23). Be like Peter, who said, “always be
*ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope
*that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15).

Trust the LORD to keep you strong. Trust Him to give you understanding of His Word. And when

you encounter false teachings, you will know they are false, and you will know what to say and how

to say it. Be totally dependent on the Holy Spirit who lives within you, just as you are totally dependent

of your bank to keep save the money you have deposited. God bless you abundantly in all things!

Our loving prayers are for you and for your strength in Jesus Christ, our Savior,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

3 John 3-8, “For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers;

6 and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

8 Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”

It is always beneficial to hear something good. John rejoiced when some believer gave him a good report of other believers. It’s delightful to receive word that people who have heard what we’ve said or viewed our behavior are profiting from what we’ve said or done. Especially is this true when our teaching has affected the lives of those whom we’ve never known. We never know who is watching us or who is taking in things that we say. That’s why we need to be careful to live as the LORD would have us live.

Our lives affect the Church and its influence upon the community. Those who come to know Christ through our witness often go afar, becoming evangelists or missionaries to people we ourselves could never reach. John

therefore urges us to support those whom we know that are reaching others. I have often urged young people

to stretch themselves beyond the tithe to their churches and adopt a missionary. You may not be able to give

much, but the LORD can multiply your gift. Furthermore, He is able and will multiply your earnings, enabling

you to increase your giving substantially. What a joy it is to learn of the value your gifts have been to others!

What is more, you will never suffer loss when you give! The woman who gave those mites (Luke 21:2) received the praise of the LORD. Can there ever be a reward greater than that?

Lovingly, we pray for you and your witness for Jesus,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 John 8-11, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

No apostle of Jesus Christ speaks more about love than the Apostle John. Remember, John and his brother,

James, were called “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). In time, they mellowed, and John is enabled to write of love and faithfulness. He wants us to lay hold of love, too. It is more powerful for accomplishing the LORD’s purpose than intellect or status of any kind. In his later life, John has learned how to live and behave as the LORD desired.

John warns that there are teachers (pastors, missionaries, professors, et al) who become arrogant and go beyond what the Scriptures teach. Many so-called Christian books today go beyond what the Bible teaches; and seeking to be among the “elite,” readers absorb these ideas in preference to the Scriptures.

John’s warning is serious, practical advice: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching (i.e., the

pure unadulterated teaching of Scripture), do not receive him into your house.” The last bastion of security

each of us has is his own home. Where do we run when we have not place to hide? Home! So, don’t let anyone enter, who would invade your house with false teaching.

One commentator writes: “He who denies Christ’s coming in the flesh, denies the possibility of the incarnation; he who denies that He has come, denies its actuality. They denied the possibility of a Messiah’s appearing, or coming, in the flesh. I think the Greek present participle implies both the first and the second advent of Christ. He is often elsewhere called the Coming One (Greek), Matthew 11:3 ; Hebrews 10:37 manifestation in the flesh, at His first coming, and of His personal advent again, constitutes Antichrist. “The world turns away from God and Christ, busily intent upon its own husks; but to OPPOSE God and Christ is of the leaven of Satan.”

We are never to be obnoxious or hateful toward unbelievers; but we are to keep them out of our houses and,

by doing so, reject their false doctrine. We’re not even to say “Goodbye,” which means “God bless you.” For to say that aligns us with their evil doctrine. Remember this when they knock on your door.

Prayerfully loving you, as we await Jesus’ Return,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts;

but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”

Today’s news report of the Florida bridge collapse says, “Officials have confirmed that six people died and 10 others have been hospitalized, two with critical injuries.” Seven military personnel have been killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq. Additionally, two Navy men were killed in jet crash Wednesday just off of Key West, Florida. These tragic injuries and death accounts give additional meaning to the phrase “the world is passing away.” When death occurs, the world of the dead has passed away.

None of us knows when the time is up for us. Those things that seem so important vanish completely. That’s

why the Apostle John warns us not to love the world or the things within it. Rather, we are to be consumed

with doing the will of God. The persons we see today, just might suddenly be subjected to a tragedy like those

in the bridge collapse. Where those people were going, what they were intending to do, we will never know. We

only know that their world has now passed away forever. We are grateful for those who quickly responded and

saved the lives of some who were injured. Just think what would happen if we were as quick to respond to

the spiritual needs of those we see who are without Christ!! Some of those responders (both professional and ordinary citizens) even put their lives at risk in the effort to save others. Do we risk our pride and time in the

effort to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ? Our encounter with others could be their last opportunity –or ours!

We love you immeasurably! And you are foremost in our prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 John 1:5-9, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This was one of the earliest passages we were to translate when I was studying Greek. It was in this

passage that I also learned how the New Testament related to the Old Testament. Greek is arguably

the most exact language known to man. It expresses exactly what the writer wants to say; and if the

reader is careful, it is virtually impossible for him to misunderstand what the writer wants to convey.

Nothing in the physical realm is so diverse as light and darkness. They are exact opposites. God is

Perfect Light. He reveals perfectly everything He wants us to see and understand. The little word if

appears four times in these five verses. If signals something conditional. (“If I tell you, will you promise

not to tell anyone else?”) John states four conditional situations for our consideration: 1) “If we say” we

are in good standing (are having fellowship) with the LORD, but are walking outside and away from His

Light, we’re not living as He desires. 2) If we are walking in His Light, we are having fellowship with Him

and with others (allos; others like ourselves). 3) If we say that we just don’t sin, we’re lying to ourselves

and to others. 4) But if we confess (agree with what His Word says about us) that we are sinners, He

will forgive (aphiemi, send away, wipe out) all of our sins and cleanse us from all (pas, all or every)

unrighteous (adikia, wrong, evil, wicked, impurity).

Are you in good standing with the LORD? Do you always walk with Him in His Light? Do you regularly

confess your sins to Him? If you do, you’re walking with Him in His Light. Your conscience is free, and

you don’t feel guilty for anything because He has forgiven you. This is the way to live! His way is the

joyful way. There’s nothing to fear from Light –only from darkness.

We love and pray every day for His Light to shine on you,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”