The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philippians 4:13, 19, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me….

19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

There’s nothing like an encourager. Fans in all spectator sports yell encouragement to team members.

Teachers encourage students to learn and solve problems they think are impossible. Parents encourage

their children by both showing them how to do things and then urging them to do things for themselves.

The world is filled with encouragers!

Sometimes the simple boasting of what one can do encourages another to think, “I can do that.” The

Apostle Paul falls into this category when he says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

“All things” covers a lot of territory. This may look like an opening for a challenge to Paul, but he quickly

adds, “through Him who strengthens me.” Maybe we need to go back and read the verse that precedes

his bold remark.

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity;

in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry,

both of having abundance and suffering need” (Phil. 4:12).

Okay, Paul, we all know how to live when we have everything we need; but what about when we don’t?

Paul’s answer is: God supplies all your needs. You’ll always have enough to get by, enough strength to

accomplish the task before you. Don’t cry about what you don’t have; rejoice over what you do have!

Trust the LORD for everything! His riches, His abilities, will always be there for you. They may come

“packaged” differently than you thought; but what you need will always be sufficiently supplied.

Stay in the Word –the Bible! Pray for guidance –and for others! Trust –believe—He will supply every need!

Then, be thankful and willing to share with others. You may be His channel for their blessing.

You are always in our love and 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,

Philippians 3:10-14, “… that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

It’s one thing to know what you desperately want; it’s quite another thing to know how to get it. Years had passed since Saul of Tarsus (later, Paul the Apostle) had met Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus. The well-educated, enthusiastic young man who thought he was doing the LORD’s will, had his life changed 180 degrees on that day! Now, years later, Paul still hungers to know more about Christ, more about the power of His resurrection, to experience the “fellowship of His sufferings,” and even be so identified with Him that he would die to the evil motives and attitudes for which Christ had died.

Paul knew what he wanted – and needed! He just had not yet achieved his goal. How is he to do it? How are you and I to do it? First, by forgetting things of the past. All of us have things in our past that we regret. We confess them to Christ and He forgives them. But we don’t forget them and often don’t forgive ourselves. We also have some good things in our past – things we need to forget as well. Remembering too often the good we’ve done leads to pride. That good in our past is the product of Christ’s love and power in our lives. We need to give Him the glory!

Second, we need to energetically reach (literally, “extend the neck”) for the goal that brings the prize. And what is that prize?

It’s the supreme call of God the Father that we should become like His Son, Jesus Christ! Wow! That’s a prize worth the effort! When runners in Roman times won a race, they were given a wreath to wear. It was glorious, but only for a short time. The prize that Paul sought –and the one we should be seeking – is eternal. It never fades, and it lasts throughout Eternity.

That is something we should desperately want because we will one day lay that crown at Jesus’ feet in acknowledging that He alone is worthy.

We pray for you and for ourselves as we stretch for that supreme goal,

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,

Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard

your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The word “Rejoice” is mentioned over 480 times in the Bible. Good things

happen in our lives and we rejoice. Bad things happen in our lives, and we

despair. But, Paul says, “Don’t do that! Rejoice in the LORD always…”

Only yesterday, I received word from northern Nigeria of a Christian man

and his family, who were threatened by the Boko Haram, told to recite the

Koran and become Muslims. The man replied, “I am a Christian — and will

always remain a Christian — even to death.” The Muslim leader then

shot him in the face and left him for dead. Miraculously, he lived! Yet, it goes

without saying that it takes more than courage to “rejoice” in such circumstances.

We rejoiced when we learned of Rose Marie’s medical lab report! We voted

yesterday in the early election cycle, and as we left, we rejoiced that we lived

in a country where we are free to select our leadership at every level of our

government! We rejoice, too, that the peace of God guards us from worry and

frustration over things that don’t go right in life. We rejoice that we know the LORD

Jesus Christ as our Savior, and that He is Coming Again to take us to be with Him

for Eternity! What joy there is in Jesus! Just keep praying and giving thanks! Christ

alone is our hope and our joy!

Our love and our prayers are always for 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.”

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 2:1, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”

You’ve heard the old saying, “What goes around comes around.” Well, here’s another: “What comes around has been

here before.” That what Peter meant when he warned those of his day about their teachers. False prophets are those

who have not been called of God. A man I met in Florida years ago, knew L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Hubbard used to write Western Novels for something like a nickel a word. But he told the man I met that he was going

to quit westerns and go into religion because there was more money in it.

Don’t get me wrong! Not every pastor or teacher is in it for the money. But some are, and you need to be careful not

to follow them. The love of money is a moral corruption. Peter emphasized moral corruption in chapter one. Moral

corruption leads to doctrinal corruption. Peter emphasizes doctrinal corruption in chapter two. “Destructive heresies”

are false teachings that can and will ultimately deny Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection that provided our

salvation! Pretty serious stuff, I’d say!

So, what do we do to protect ourselves? How do we know what is true and what isn’t? Treasury Agents who track

down counterfeit currency so thoroughly acquaint themselves with the details of the true currency that when they

come across a counterfeit, they know it immediately! We need to so thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the Bible’s

truths, that when we hear or read something that’s different, we will know immediately that the speaker or writer is

wrong. This isn’t accomplished overnight. It’s a never-ending process. That’s why we need to read the Bible every day –

and read it very carefully. Sound and earnest Bible teachers and preachers will point out both biblical truths and the

human errors of other teachers. Above all, the LORD Himself, who has given every believer the Holy Spirit, to help us understand the true meaning of Scripture. Read the Bible. Pray for understanding. Believe what the Bible has said.

You’re on your way! God bless you!

We prayed for you yesterday, we will pray for you today,

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,

Matthew 19:4-6, “And He answered and said, ‘Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 “Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Sixty-three years ago today in the St. Louis suburb of St. Ann, at the Mary Ann Baptist Church, Nana (Rose Marie) and I (Dado III) were married. She was 21 and I was just two months shy of 20. We met at Southwest Baptist College (now

University) that was then a two-year college. I entered college to prepare for the ministry, and girls were the furtherest thought from my mind. She was there to prepare for the mission field. Interestingly enough, she had been to my home church and had seen me; but I had not noticed her (Can you imagine!). But we met in the bookstore where my cousin Gerald introduced us. Two years later we were married.

Since that time, we have traveled the world, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Have those times been rough? Some of them have. But we are agreed that even the tough times are not to be compared with the joy of loving one another and growing in the LORD. We had been counseled by our pastor, the late Rev. Dr. Earl L. Pounds, to share responsibilities. “There are things your wife can do that you simply cannot. Let her do them! Don’t try to do everything yourself.” We’ve followed that rule throughout the years, and things have run smoother that you might expect. Yes, we’ve had our struggles, too. But, praying together has drawn us both toward Him and smoothed the paths ahead.

As born-again Christians, we both commend marriage in the LORD. We work as a team. We make all decisions together. When we disagree, as the husband is the leader of the household. I make the ultimate decision, At the same time, if that decision is wrong, and it sometimes has been, I alone am totally responsible to the LORD. We’ve very seldom gone to sleep at night without clearing the air over daytime disagreements. When we have, we’ve shared our sorrow the first thing the next morning. Hint: Keep short accounts!

Regrets? We may have a few, but they are small by comparison. The LORD led me to the finest girl ever! We now have three great children, who have unbeatable spouses, 11 grandchildren and a great-grandson en route that we wouldn’t trade for the whole wide world! We don’t hold ourselves up as a pattern for a Christian marriage, but we do honor and praise the LORD for how He has blessed and guided us along the way. Just always doing things His way is what assures blessing. We’re not perfect, but our sixty-three years speaks for something. And it is our prayer that each of will bask in the sunlight of His Everlasting Love!

Yes, we do pray for each of you every day, and we thank Him for the spiritual growth we see in each of your lives,

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.”