The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Life is not easy. There are times when we just want to quit and give up. We feel that our efforts are

not producing what we intend, so there’s no use in trying. Missionaries often feel like that. They start

out with great enthusiasm; then they have trouble with the language; their communication links are

down and they can’t get help; they get sick and there’s no doctor within hundreds of miles. What is

going on?

A missionary to Taiwan noticed an elderly Chinese woman as she was witnessing to others. He

asked if he might follow her and learn how she reached her people. She agreed and told him to

meet her at the train station at 5 o’clock in the morning. His eyes widened at the thought of the

early hour, but he agreed.

They boarded the train, carrying a supply of gospel material, and as the train left the station, the

woman began making her way car-by-car, handing out the gospel reading material. When they

reached the foremost car, they began returning car-by-car noting carefully the faces of the people

who had previously received the material. Here and there the lady noticed tears in the eyes, tears

that indicated a concern of the heart. And then she stopped and shared more of the gospel and

prayed with the person to receive the LORD Jesus Christ.

By the time the train reached its final destination, the missionary was exhausted. He asked where

he might find a hotel and get some rest. “No time for rest,” the lady said. “We must return.” And

while the train was turned around, a fresh supply of gospel material was brought and they again

went through the train, sharing the gospel and distributing Christian literature. “Don’t you ever

get tired?” the missionary asked the woman. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “But when I do, I just say,

‘Quicken me, LORD,’ and He gives me strength to go on.”

How often we’re tempted to give up. We’re tired. What we attempted didn’t work. It’s no use.

I’m just not cut out for this. When those thoughts come to mind, it’s the Adversary, the devil,

seeking to discourage you. Don’t give up! Just ask the LORD to “quicken” you – to give you

spiritual and physical strength to go on. “In due season, you will reap, if you don’t give up.

Our prayers are with 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,

2 Corinthians 6:14-17, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a

believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the

temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and

they shall be My people.

17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean;

And I will welcome you.”

Talk about a mess! The Corinthians were believers, but they were a long way from what the LORD wanted

them to be. Sound familiar? It should, because we’re all like that at times. But, we’re not to despair because

the LORD has not abandoned us, just as He had not abandoned them. We are just to be careful with whom

we associate.

Let’s say you’re building a business. You’ve got all the right ideas for making it successful –all but one! The

money with which to finance it. Then, along comes someone who says he will put his money into the business

and the two of you will become partners. There’s jut one problem. You’re a believer; he is not. STOP! Go no

further. You’re a believer; he is not. You are God’s light; he is the devil’s darkness. How are you going to get

along? But, how are you going to finance the business without him? Have you lost faith in the LORD Jesus?

Do you not think that He who arose from the dead is able to provide someone else who can work with you?

It works the same way in life. Sometimes, we just get in a hurry. We’re so anxious to get things done that we

forget that God has His own purpose, His own timing, His own people, His own finances. Slow down. Things

done too quickly are often not done well. Remember the LORD’s admonition: “Do not touch what is unclean;

and I will welcome you.”

Our prayers for your “success” are offered 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,

2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away;

behold, new things have come.

18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry

of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses

against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf

of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become

the righteousness of God in Him.”

History was made last night as we slept. The United States and North Korea signed a reconciliation

agreement. Arguments will now avalanche the news media, as to whether the agreement will last.

The Apostle Paul, however, announced a reconciliation agreement that WILL last; namely, that God

reconciled us to Himself when we believed upon Jesus Christ and permitted Him to forgive us of all

our sin. No longer will past transgressions be held against us. Pastors and spiritual counsellors have

found that many people miss the “peace that passes understanding” because they will not forgive

themselves. When we’ve done wrong against others and they’ve said, ‘Forget it! It’s over! It’s past!”;

we need to do just that – forget our wrong-doings, and move on.

As believers, who are committed to Jesus Christ, we have a new position. We are Christ Jesus’

ambassadors. An ambassador is one who represents his king in the court of another. We are now

responsible to represent Christ Jesus in the world. We are to share with others that Jesus died and

arose again as our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice for our sin, and that they can truly become reconciled

to Him for now and for eternity. Being an ambassador for Christ is making history both for yourself

and for those who come to faith in Him.

We love you and pray 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,

2 Corinthians 4:15-18, “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading

to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man

is being renewed day by day.

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all

comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not

seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

“Why on Earth did this have to happen to me?” Did you ever think about something like that?

Everything was going well, when all of a sudden there was a turn for the worse. You had a

good job, making a good salary, and were up for a promotion when – your were told you were

not longer needed. You were driving along on a warm, summer day, when another car came

out of nowhere and you awoke injured in a hospital bed. Why?

When tragedy strikes, it’s hard to understand Paul’s meaning, “For all things are for your

sakes…” Still, it’s true. The lives of others around us –the first responders, the nurses, doctors,

lost and saved friends – their lives are touched by our tragedies and in the apparent mix of

things, the LORD is glorified as we give thanks that things aren’t worse.

Don’t lose heart, Paul says. Boy, that’s tough! It’s hard not to affix blame on the boss who

let you go or that driver who wasn’t paying attention when he hit you. It’s only the outer man,

Paul says. Only the outer man? That’s the only part of me that matters! No, you have an

Inner man beyond what is visible. What’s more, it’s far more valuable than the outer man, the

part you can see. And if we take good care of our inner self, we will understand the lesser

value of the outer self. Read and study God’s Word daily. Spend time in earnest prayer. You

may not avert every tragedy that comes your way, but you will understand that it was for the better.

Our thoughts and prayers are offered to Christ 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,

2 Corinthians 3:1-5, “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of

commendation to you or from you?

2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of

the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

4 And such confidence we have through Christ toward God.

5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy

is from God.”

Have you ever applied for a job? If you have, you have probably had to fill out an application and provided

a letter of commendation from a friend or a previous employer. No reputable company wants to employ a

person who is not competent to do the job required. The company also wants employees who are honest

and reliable. Letters of commendation say good things about the person for whom it is written. So do areas

that are required on the application form. In these areas, the person applying for the job speaks about his

own accomplishments.

Paul says he doesn’t need letters of commendation. Those who really know him, know in their hearts that

what he has accomplished is not from Paul himself, but from the LORD whom he serves. When I’m asked

to write such a letter for someone, I ask myself, “Do I really know him?” and “Can I say good things about

him that may be contradicted by his life?” But, when I’ve known someone over the years and everything

has been good, I can commend him without hesitation. If you are asked to commend someone in whom

you have no confidence, a good thing to say is “I am not his best reference.”

How about you? Are you always commendable? Do you freely acknowledge that the things you’ve

accomplished are not of yourself, but the doings of the LORD through you? Pride often stands in the

way of truthfulness. The LORD knows He is responsible and that He has accomplished good things

through you. You know it, too; so, why not simply tell “the unvarnished truth”? Telling the truth always

sets you up for a supreme letter of commendation.

We love you and pray for the LORD’s work through you every day,

Nana & Dado III

P. S. As I write this letter, we’ve learned that our dear friend, Gladys Cole is being rushed again to

the hospital. Please remember her in your prayers.