The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 5:7-9, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications

with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard

because of His piety.

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of

eternal salvation…”

God always hears the prayers of His own. We are His because we have trusted in

Him to forgive our sins and have committed ourselves to Him by faith. Now, why

then, are our prayers not answered? The LORD alone knows what is best for us.

Sometimes, He says, “Yes”; sometimes, “No”; and sometimes, “Wait.” But He

always hears and is always concerned.

These verses struck me because I had never thought of Jesus having cried so loudly

(strong and mighty). Despite his loud prayers, the disciples slept. They were afraid.

What struck me the most, however, was verse 8: “He learned obedience (received

instruction) from the things which He suffered (endured).” We don’t think like

that, do we? We want to avoid the distasteful things in life. ~ Only yesterday, I

received two email from students, seeking prayer and help for things they could

not control. One was from a former student, who is completing a degree and

desperately wants to find the LORD’s place of service. The other was from one

whose son says he does not believe in Jesus. This student desperately wants to

see that son come to faith in Jesus. Both of these students are suffering. Their

circumstances are different, but the suffering for each is just as real. Why does

the LORD allow this? They are learning to lean on Christ and trust His leadership.

Don’t try to avoid suffering. View it as the LORD’s method of teaching you.

That’s what Jesus did; and we are certainly not as dedicated as He.

We Love and Pray for you daily! We hope you do the same for us.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper

than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul

and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts

and intentions of the heart.”

I remember so clearly how Sue Portner, then my secretary at Mary

Ann Baptist in St. Ann, simply could not understand how the Bible

could assess her thoughts and intentions. Maybe you have that

problem, too. Ellicott, in his commentary, brings it into perspective

with this question, “Does (the writer) bring before us again the word

of Scripture, or the divine Word Himself?” He goes on to answer the

question when he says, “…the Spirit of God is never absent from His

word.” In other words, the Holy Spirit uses the Written Word of

Scripture to bring to us His direct, divine utterances that meet every

situation in life.

The Scriptures are “quick” (living), “powerful” (active) and able

to judge all of our innermost thoughts (reflections, intentions).

Could what the Scriptures know and how they influence us to be

more like Jesus Christ be why Satan wants to keep us away from

reading the Bible? Could it also be why we, too, often want to keep

away from the Bible? Don’t be deceived! The LORD God has put the

Holy Spirit within us and the Holy Scriptures before us, so that we

may not fall into disobedience. Protect yourself every day!

Our love and prayers track you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

Chapter one of the Revelation is all about Jesus. So is chapter on of Paul’s epistle

to the Hebrews. Paul calls his day “these last days.” How much closer we are than

he was when he wrote this letter in A.D. 68! He emphasizes that the Father has

spoken to us through His Son, Jesus. And all we know of Jesus is in the Bible! Jesus

has been appointed the Father’s heir to all things! Think about that! Everything the

Father has (more than we could imagine!) He has given to Jesus, His Son. And it was

The Son who made the world. It was the Son who showed the Father’s Glory. Do you

remember the Transfiguration (Mat. 17:2)? Everything Jesus did was a perfect

representation of His Father. And the planets and stars and everything is kept in

place by the spoken word (???? rhema) of His power. Then, on the holy basis of all

of this, He died for us on the Cross, making purification for our sins, and is now

seated in Heaven at the right hand of the Father. Further, too, He is far better than

the angels and has inherited a Name more excellent than theirs.

You and I have a heritage through our parents. When Dado and Gogie died, everything

they had was divided between Aunt Carol and me. When Nana and I die, everything we

have will go to our two sons and our daughter (I think you know who they are.). What is

more important than the material things we have (which is not that much), is the heritage,

the name, we leave you. We are honest, truthful, spiritual believers in Jesus Christ.

That is the whole of our fortune! It is left to you for you to leave to your children until

Jesus Comes Again! How you are known by others vastly excels what you will ever have.

Love and prayers always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Philemon 1:7, “For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love,

because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

Onesimus was a slave owned by Archippus. He had escaped and ended

up with Paul. Paul knew Onesimus needed to return to his master, but he

wanted to pave the way to eliminate any harsh punishment that he might

encounter for having run away. Archippus was a Christian man, so Paul

appealed to Archippus’ loving nature in the effort to spare Onesimus.

There is no greater power anywhere than the power of love.

Sometime last night during my sleep, I had a dream. I dreamed that two

young people living on my street were being virtually hidden from view by

their parents because they were autistic. But, for a brief moment they were

outside, so I hurried to them and hugged them both to show them love.

In reality, I met an autistic girl the other day when I was working out at the

Fitness Center in Fayetteville. She just smiled continually, as the instructor

helped her on one of the exercise machines. I walked up to her said, “You

are having much too much fun, girl.” Her smile was “pasted” on her face,

but she reached out to me and I took her hand. It was a love connection.

Think about how love acts and how much it accomplishes. Someone

sees an accident and calls an ambulance. Why? He doesn’t know the

person who has been injured. Why would he even get involved? Love.

A house is on fire, and someone just driving by calls for help. Why does

he get involved? Love. Neither may know he is acting in love, but it is

love that wants to help. Interestingly, too, is the fact that angry people

don’t know how to respond to love. They usually just go away. The

next time you find yourself in a conflict, show love and just see what

happens.

We LOVE you and pray for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly,

righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the

appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave

Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself

a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

I was taught to 1) memorize the books of the Bible, 2) learn the theme of each

book, 3) memorize the number of chapters in each book. This gives the good

Bible student a “firm handle” on the whole of the Scriptures.

The theme of the Epistle to Titus is “God’s Ideal”; and nowhere is that theme

more fully expressed than in the verses above. Grace is favor that we don’t

deserve. To all men does not mean that everyone will be saved; but rather

that it is possible for all people to be saved. Once we are saved, we are to

deny (refuse, disown) all ungodliness and to live righteously, and to look

for the blessed hope, which is the return of the LORD Jesus Christ. We

never do wrong in the sight of someone who always does right. That’s why

we are to watch daily for the return of Jesus Christ.

When I was just a kid, before my teenage years, I was convicted of going

to movies. (And they were “good” compared to anything showing today!)

Then, one night I had a dream that I had gone to a movie and was sitting

on the first row. Some girls came out on the stage before the movie, and

one of them pointed to me and said, “Gene Jeffries, what are you doing

here?” In my dream, I was doing something I knew not to do and had been

“called out” for it. It was then many years before I even entered a movie

theatre, even when there was no movie showing. Think what you will, but

I am still sensitive of doing anything that takes my thoughts off of the Return

of Jesus Christ. I don’t want Him to come finding me doing something that

is offensive to Him and contrary to His purpose for my life. Sound stupid?

Well, it’s not. We belong to Him! Read the verses above again.

Love and Prayers for you all, every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas