The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 20:7-12, “And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

8 And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.

9 And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead.

10 But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, ‘Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.’

11 And when he had gone back up, and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.

12 And they took away the boy alive and were greatly comforted.”

The situation with the Thai soccer players trapped in a cave has been all over recent news. The lives of many rescue teams from many countries have been involved in helping to extract them from a huge and dangerous cave. Thus far, one rescurer has died, while a few of the boys have been saved.

Preaching, too, is serious business. Emergencies sometimes occur during preaching. I remember a lady passing out during a service when I was about 15 years old. A man had a seizure during my preaching,

and everything stopped until he could be properly attended. These are not easy situations with which to grapple.

In our passage above, Paul preached longer than usual. His intended departure the next day required it.

Eutychus was sitting where he could get some fresh air, although the air was likely warm. He fell asleep and fell out the window to the ground below. Some few raced to help him, thinking he was surely dead. Paul’s examination, however, revealed that the boy was not dead, and he then resumed his preaching until daybreak.

What Eutychus encountered was not sufficiently serious as to terminate Paul’s message. It might well be viewed as having been a Satanic endeavor to interrupt what the LORD had put on Paul’s heart to share. There are no “accidents” in God’s economy. The situation might also be viewed as having been allowed in the presence of Christian people, who would be concerned for the boy’s welfare.

We cannot always be fully prepared for medical emergencies. But we can help prepare others for spiritual emergencies that will come their way by sharing the Good News of Jesus and His love. I’ve witnessed to people I’ve encountered only once. What subsequently happened to them, I have no idea. That’s why we need to say and do what the Holy Spirit leads us to do at the time. Our job is to share Christ’s “rescue message”; the Holy Spirit alone can draw them to Christ in saving faith.

Remember that you are a vital rescurer in God’s eternal plan. Lovingly share the news of His salvation rescue! It just might be the last opportunity someone has to respond.

Praying for you daily,

Nana & 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 1:22-25, “…prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.”

When was the last time you looked at yourself in a mirror? Do you remember how you looked? Maybe you better look again. James relates our looking at ourselves in a mirror to one who hears without doing. We listen carefully to our pastors as they tell us what God’s Word says, but are we doing what that Word says we are to do?

I remember a conversation from years past. Someone was defending himself by saying: “I don’t drink! I don’t smoke! I don’t use curse! I don’t steal! I don’t—” when he was abruptly interrupted by someone who asked, “Hey, what do you do?” Think about that. We may have temporarily conquored some things, and that is good. But what are we doing that is beneficial to the lives of others? What are we doing that brings honor and glory to Almighty God? It’s that mirror thing again. We can’t just keep going back again and again, relying on what we don’t do! We need to move forward and become true doers, sharing what we know of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Don’t think you can? There’s an old song’s chorus comes to mind:

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen and keep you;

He is willing to aid you.

He will carry you through.

Praying for you and for our nation and her leaders,

Nana & 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,

Hebrews 13:1-5, “Let love of the brethren continue.

2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

It is my studied belief that the Apostle Paul wrote Hebrews. He is coming to the end of his life and he wants desperately to convey to his fellow-believers the things that matter. Love other believers is his initial instruction. Then love strangers by showing them hospitality. Feed and shelter them because you never know how important those strangers may be. Don’t forget those who are in prisons for their faith. Put yourself in their place. Think of yourself as if you were a prisoner with them. Be faithful in your marriage. Let your love be focused on your marriage partner, not on others. And finally, keep your character free from the love of money. Live within your means and be satisfied. The LORD will provide everything you need. He will never forsake you!

Reading this we might ask, “Paul, what’s wrong with being rich? Wasn’t Abraham rich? Wasn’t Solomon rich? What’s wrong with my having money like they did?” If you’re reading closely what he wrote, you’ll see that he does not say there is anything wrong with being rich. Rather, he says don’t fall in love with money! The Bible says, “…remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth…” (Psa. 37:25). And if He is responsible for the money you have, what you do with it is also His business. So, set your focus on Him, not on what He has given you! The psalmist says, “I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread” (Psa. 37:25).

No, money itself is not evil, but “…the love of money is the root of all evil…” and many who have coveted wealth, have fallen away from the faith, and have brought many sorrows into their own lives (1 Tim. 6:10). Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you…” For the standard your set will be used against you in return (Lk. 6:38). Think about it!

We love and pray earnestly for you every day,

Nana & 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,

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

It was a warm, sunny day –just the kind of a day for an intercollegiate track and field contest. I was

about 10 years old, so I was only an observer. But what I saw that day has stayed with me for 70 years.

It was the race that captured my attention. One runner in particular just left all the others “in his dust.”

He flashed down the track at what seemed lightning speed, his red hair flaming in the wind. My best recollection is that his name was Plummer and he came from Seneca, Missouri High School. He had already won a couple of races, and looking behind him saw a teammate from his school coming on. He slowed up and encouraged his teammate to cross the finish line ahead of him. I had never seen such an act of kindness!

Paul saw that our race is surrounded with onlookers, too. He encourages us to lay aside everything that could possibly keep us from winning, and to run with steadfast patience the race the LORD has set before each of us. There are a lot of “encumbrances.” People from the other schools in the stands will yell against us. They will call us names, make fun of the way we run, and do everything they can to hinder us from winning. What are we to do? How can we win against such odds? Fix your eyes on Jesus, he said. He is the one who trained us for this race. Remember what He said: Ignore the opposition; don’t think about anything except your Coach, what He said, and reaching the finish line well.

No one reading this letter needs more instruction about what it all means. We know Him; we read His Word; we know the drill. Just keep on keeping on. We want to finish well. We want our Coach to be proud of us. Don’t get distracted. You can win! God bless you abundantly!

Our love and prayers are with you daily,

Nana & 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,

Psalm 121:1-8, “I Will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”

Trouble seems always our lot regardless of who we are or where we are.

And when trouble comes, we naturally look for help. But we need look no

further than the LORD. He is the creator of all things, and He will preserve

us regardless of how powerful our opposition looks. The LORD will not

allow our foot to slip. He is neither asleep nor disinterested concerning the

problems we face. He is our keeper, preserver, by day and by night. He

protects us from every form of evil. And His protection is without an end.

The soccer team that is currently trapped in the cave in Thailand has been

found alive and in good spirits. A top-notch, Thai Navy Seal Team found

them; however, severe difficulties in achieving their full release from the

cave remain. Prayers are being offered on a world-wide basis, as men

come to the limits of their abilities in the rescue.

It’s when we come to the end of ourselves and realize that we truly need

serious help, that the LORD moves in to affect our rescue. Whatever

trouble you are experiencing, He is adequate to relieve you. Trust Him in

every circumstance. He will guard and protect you!

We are praying for you,

Nana & 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.”