The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 15:1-2 “’I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and

every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.’”

Jesus often used analogies to bring His truth to light. Here He speaks

of Himself as “the true vine.” The word true implies that there are vines

that are not true. Things that often appear beautiful to us are beautiful

only on the outside. Inside they are vile, bitter, and ungodly. The fruit

that the LORD desires are the attributes of Christ Himself. Paul lists

them in Galatians 5:22-23. Branches that are not fruitful are destroyed.

If we’re not personally what the desires us to be (bearing true fruit),

why should He not destroy us? Yet, when we begin to look more and

more like Jesus, the Father cleanses us all the more that we may be

more like His Blessed Son! Are you and I bearing fruit? Are we more

like Jesus every day? If we are, life will be all-the-more glorious! If

we are not, the consequence is bleak and fearful.

We pray for you because we want the LORD’s best for you.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 9:9, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days

of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is

your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.”

This is a reward that I do not deserve. Yes, I have enjoyed life with

Nana for 62 years! She is my love. And both of our days are “fleeting.”

What is most important is to know and acknowledge that our lives

(and our life together) is a gift from the LORD.

Thank you so much for making her 83RD Birthday the Grand Time it was!

Third John 1:4 says, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children

walking in the truth.” While that is true of the LORD regarding us, it is

also true of us as it regards you. Nana prays exceedingly for her

children and for you! If there is any “success” in my ministry, it lies at

the foot of her prayers for me. All of this will become clearer to you

as you grow older. There will come a day when Nana and I are not

here. What you will have are memories. What we want is to know that

you, our children, are walking faithfully with the LORD.

We love you abundantly!

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

John 21:19-22, “…(Jesus) said to him, ‘Follow Me!’

20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus

loved (i.e., John) following them; …and said, 21‘Lord, and

what about this man?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him

to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!’”

I have shortened some of this long passage in order to get

to the “meat” of the message. What Jesus said to Peter is

what He intends for each of us: “Follow Me!” That is first

and foremost for each of our lives. Jesus must be first!

What Peter meant when he saw John, I cannot be sure. He

might have meant that he wanted John to experience whatever

he was going to experience with Jesus. That is commendable.

But Jesus said, That’s not your business. You do what I told

you to do: Follow Me! Sometimes we are to be concerned

about others; foremost, however, we are to follow Jesus.

Is what concerns you what He wants? Or are you distracted

by what others are doing or not doing? First things first!

And that always means Jesus!

Love and prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Ezekiel 18:20-21, “’The person who sins will die. The son will not bear

the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the

punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous

will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and

observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall

surely live; he shall not die.’”

I read recently of a woman who was in deep anguish over the loss of a

loved one. “Why did the LORD do this to me?” she asked. Then, I saw

and heard a Vietnam veteran say, “Why the LORD allowed me to live

through all the dangers of this war, I’ll never know.”

Ezekiel 18 is a powerful chapter! I urge you to read it in its entirety!!

Don’t say you don’t have the time. It is spiritual medicine that we all need

from the Great Physician. God HATES sin! And He does not overlook our

sin. Punishment and death are the sure results of sin. Still, God LOVES us!

He did not create us so we could sin. But when we truly repent, He

forgives us! Our minds and hearts are cleansed from sin and guilt. We

feel clean because we are clean!

Very often, I encounter some really BIG men. I love to approach them and

say, “I never mess with guys that are bigger than I am.” I have yet to meet

a BIG man that doesn’t laugh heartily. Don’t mess with God! He won’t

laugh. Sin is serious with Him; but He will forgive and cleanse you.

True Love and earnest prayers –always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Ezekiel 14:2-4, 6, “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

‘Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and

have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity.

Should I be consulted by them at all?

‘Therefore speak to them and tell them, “Thus says the Lord GOD,

‘Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart,

puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then

comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an

answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols…

Therefore say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD,

Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away

from all your abominations….”

Although this command was spoken to Ezekiel to share with the men

of Israel, the principle applies to all of us today. And idol is anything

that attracts our attention away from God. It can be money or the

things money buys; it can be a physical wrong or a mental wrong –or

both! We all know the idols that turn our eyes away from God and

spiritual things. What’s more, some of the hurts we encounter are

what the LORD allows as a punishment for our wrong doings. Sin

is not something to play with. It’s like drinking poison directly from

a bottle. Grab you Bible daily and pray often. The LORD love you

and is willing to erase from you mind those things that come between

you and Him.

We love you, too, and pray for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas