The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 2:18-20, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

How often do you think of yourself as a “servant”? My guess is: more often than you think of yourself as a master.

I just counted and discovered that I’ve spent 66 years as a student in formal education. (You’d think I would know more than I do!) Yet, it each of those years, I was a “servant”; my teachers were my “masters.” Masters are those in authority. It does not necessarily mean they know more, but it does mean they have been given control, as long as you are in their class.

Have you ever been sick, so that you had to go to the doctor? You were his servant; he was your master. Has your car ever needed repair? You were the master, so far as to where to go for that repair; but, when you put your car in the mechanic’s hands, he became the master and you were his servant. “Ah,” you say, “but what about the police?”

No policeman is in control of you unless or until you break a law. At that point, he becomes your master. At the same time, he has officers above him, so he is simultaneously a servant and a master.

We’ve all had masters who were harsh and ugly to us at times. Peter says we are still to be submissive to them. They may not deserve respect, but we are to respect them and their authority anyway. Passing through the gate at an army base, the guard salutes his superiors. They have identification on their vehicles that he sees and respects. A guard once told me that while he might not have personal respect for an officer, he nevertheless respected his rank. That’s what Peter meant when he said, “for the sake of conscience toward God.” It’s easy to be nice to masters we like, but when we are respectful to those we don’t like, we “find favor toward God.” And when all is said and done, isn’t what pleases and honors the LORD what it’s really all about?

We honor Him by remembering you in our daily 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 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Have you ever wondered what Heaven will be like? —a place of purity, wholesomeness, free from pain and troubles of every kind. Just being there seems sufficient, yet Peter says the LORD has an inheritance for each of us — for each of us, who have been born again, that is. To those of us who have believed upon Jesus and committed our lives to Him by faith, we have been born again to a “living hope.” Hope in Scripture means future certainty. It’s not a “maybe so” thing. It is an absolutely certain thing! The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gives us that assurance.

But, what is this inheritance? It’s apparently a surprise. And it’s a valuable surprise because it is protected (guarded)

just as we are by the power (miraculous might and strength) of almighty God. One of the joys of receiving a gift is the anticipation of it. What can it be? Will it be what I have wanted all along? Remember those days at Christmas? Well, just being with Jesus, who gave His life for our sins, will be more than sufficient. After all, is not the Giver greater than the gift? Yet, there will be the joy of reunion with loved ones who have gone on before us; the instantaneous knowledge of things we’ve never before understood; the fellowshipping with the saints of all ages! And there will be the meeting of those who are there because of our witness to them! Music and colors that exceed the vividness of our imaginations! Just think about it! WOW!

We love and pray for you daily,

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,

Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

John 19:25-27, “…there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ 27 Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”

History tells us that “Mothers’ Day” occurs on Sunday, May 13, in the United States, and that the American version of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Anna Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar.

All of that being said, the LORD instructed all children (and we are all children) to honor their mothers and fathers. He further promises a long life in the land that He has given. Not all children in the Bible honored their parents as they should have. Many did, however, and they set the pattern for us to do the same. But, what if parents don’t deserve being honored? Forget that! They all deserve honor, whether you think they do or not.

Parents might not have received the training that they should have when they were children. Thus, they didn’t know how to train you. Love erases all of that, if you will allow it. Just remember that they did the best they could. You

weren’t –and aren’t—all you should be, either.

While dying on the Cross, Jesus took time to think and care for His mother. “Woman, behold your Son!” Although she was suffering in her heart as she saw Him dying, she was honored that He thought and cared for her. How are you honoring your mother? She loves you and doubtlessly tells you so many times. Don’t ever be too “big” or too

“Involved” to honor your mother. You really only have one mother. Be thankful and tell her how much she means to you. There will be a day when you won’t have her. Honor that counts occurs today!

We love you and pray for you every day,

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,

Romans 12:1-3, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Okay, now I’ve got the job; what do I do? Did you ever long for a job and then wonder how to do it when once

you were hired? Christians are often like that. We turn willfully away from former things and give our hearts and

lives to Jesus. What then? How do we behave as believers? What do we do in this new life?

Paul wants us to notice first that we have been saved by the mercy of God, not by anything that we did. Our

conduct: speech, dress, mannerisms –all are to be changed. We are to live acceptably to Him. Worship is no

longer a mysterious ritual (if it ever was); it is now a daily manner of living that pleases and honors the LORD.

But, how is this possible? We’ve lived for ourselves and copied the bad manners of the world until they are

virtually automatic to us. We change by “renewing our minds.” Instead of just going with the flow and doing

what everyone else does, we THINK about what God wants from us and do that! So what, if others think we

are “strange”? We may even “feel” strange, like trying to walk in shoes that are too tight for our feet. Things

will work out in time, just like the shoes. Don’t quit trying to live the New Life! Don’t worry about those “friends”

who think you’re weird. And above all, don’t get puffed up with pride. Remember that this New Life has been

given to you; it’s not a life you created for yourself. At the same time, believe that the LORD is doing a new

work in you (remember the shoes!). Anything new takes time for adjustment. “God has allotted to (you) just

enough faith (belief, trust) for each day of your New Life. You are going to make it because He is within you

guiding and empowering you step-by-step. Never, Never give up!!

Remembering you in our daily 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,

John 21:21-23, “Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, ‘Lord, and what about this man?’

22 Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!’

23 This saying therefore went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet

Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, ‘If I want him to remain until I come,

what is that to you?’”

Communication seems simple, but the person talking and the person listening both have

responsibilities: one is to be clear in what he says; the other is to be clear in what he

hears. Prior to that is the simple fact that some things are just none of our business.

The Apostle John always referenced himself as “the one whom Jesus loved.” He never used

his name “John.” Peter (at least in verse 21) was asking Jesus about what He was going to

do with John. I guess we all get like Peter at times, in that we get concerned about what others

are doing and neglect what we are supposed to do. Sometimes, we have a responsibility to

speak up and neglect it. It’s often difficult to know when to do what.

Confusion often replaces communication. Jesus said to Peter, “If I want him to remain until

I come, what is that to you?” Evidently, some of the disciples heard only a part of what Jesus

said, and a rumor was set in motion that John would not die until Jesus returned. Rumors are

terrible things! I hear and read statements by grown, theologically-trained men – statements

with which I strongly disagree! I need to re-examine them carefully to see if I could have

misunderstood what I initially believed they said. If their statements are still unclear, I need to

read what others have said about those same statements. Sometimes, their understanding

helps to clarify my own. But only after careful examination am I free to express my objection

to what has been said by another.

Benjamin Franklin was a deist, not a Christian –at least, as far as we know. It was he who said,

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

What we do know, however, is that Jesus loves us and died on the Cross for our sins. He wants

everyone to be saved (born from Above) and has charged us with the responsibility to share

Him with them. Narrow your marching orders. Mind your own business. We have enough to do

without concerning ourselves about the responsibilities of others.

We love each of you with His undying love,

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.”