The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Kings 2:9, “Now it came about when they had crossed over,

that Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you before I

am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please, let a double

portion of your spirit be upon me.’”

Persistence pays. Elijah and Elisha were in Gilgal. From there,

they went to Bethel; from Bethel to Jericho; from Jericho to

the Jordan River. Each time, Elijah told Elisha to stay put, but

Elisha persisted in sticking with him. Amazingly, all the prophets

along the way knew that Elijah as going to depart and be with

the LORD. Elisha knew it, too. And whatever was to occur, he

wanted to experience it.

Elijah parted the waters of the Jordan like Moses had parted

the waters of the Red Sea. He then turned to Elisha and

asked what he could do for him before he left the Earth.

Elisha was exceedingly bold and asked for a “double portion”

of Elijah’s spirit. When Elijah was taken into Heaven, he dropped

his mantle (a hairy robe that designated him a prophet of the

LORD). Elisha picked it up and struck the same waters with it,

and the waters parted for him as they had for Elijah. But did

Elisha receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit? Indeed he did!

Elijah in his lifetime performed seven miracles. Elisha performed

14!

What would have happened had Elisha stayed in Gilgal? Or what

would have happened if he had not had the courage to believe

he could receive that “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit? Always

be courageous! Always be bold in your faith! You may never

have the “hairy coat” of a prophet, but the LORD is your strength

in every situation. Trust! Believe! Ask! Receive! And do it all

for His glory! He will be to you what He was to Elisha.

Our love and trust for each of 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,

1 Kings 21:19b, 23, “Thus says the LORD, ‘In the place where the dogs

licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs shall lick up your blood, even yours….’

23 “And of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat

Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.’”

Not everything in Scripture is pleasant to read. Ahab, is the King of Israel.

Jezebel is his wife. Ahab is pouting because Naboth would not sell him his

vineyard which was adjacent to the king’s palace. Jezebel determines to

murder Naboth and take the vineyard; and she does just that. But the

LORD is not unmindful of what they have done, and He sends His prophet,

Elijah, to cite the consequences for their evil joint operation.

Three years go by without incident. Then Ahab teams up with Jehoshaphat,

King of Judah, to go to war against the king of Aram. Ahab goes to battle in

Disguise. Jehoshaphat boldly identifies himself to the enemy by wearing

his kingly attire. What neither of them know is that the king of Aram tells

his warriors to ignore everyone except Ahab. In the course of the battle,

an unnamed archer struck Ahab and severely wounded him, so that he

withdrew from the battle. He “died at evening, and the blood from the wound

ran into the bottom of the chariot….And they washed the chariot by the pool of

Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood…, according to the word of the LORD

which He spoke.”

What happened to Jezebel was worse. Time has passed, and Elisha (who

succeeded Elijah as prophet) anointed Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, as king

of Israel. Elisha also announces that the entire house of Ahab, including Jezebel,

would be destroyed. Ultimately, Jezebel was thrown to the ground from an

upper-story window and trampled beneath the horses’ hooves. Jehu ordered

that she be buried, but when “they went to bury her, but they found no more of

her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands” (v. 35). The dogs

had eaten her flesh, just as the LORD had said through Elijah.

Be careful! Learn from this biblical account! Obey the LORD at all times!

He ultimately destroys evil, and all those who identify with it.

Our love and prayers for you all continue day-by-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,

1 Kings 20:11, “Then the king of Israel answered and said,

‘Tell him, “Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him

who takes it off.”'”

Ben-hadad was king of Syria. Ahab was king of Israel.

Ben-hadad had sent word to Ahab saying, Everything

you have is mine! Subsequently, he said, “”May the gods

do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall

suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”

It was then that Ahab replied, “Let not him who girds on

His armor boast like him who takes it off.” It was another

More refined way to say, “Don’t count your chickens

before they hatch.” Ben-hadad was what my dear mother

would have called “too big for his britches.”

Anthony Scaramucci only recently became Director of

Communications for the Trump White House. He came

Into office with something of a blustering attitude. He

was in charge, and everyone better know it. Maybe,

just maybe, he should have heeded Ahab’s words. We

are not exempt from those words, either. Don’t boast

about what you’re going to do; just do it. And if what

you attempt is guided by the LORD, it will be successful.

Stay close to Him! Keep your ears attentive to His directions!

If and when you are successful, others will praise you for

your accomplishment, and the LORD will be glorified.

We love you and pray for your success in all that you do,

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 Kings 17:2-5, “And the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the

brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 “And it shall be that

you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens

to provide for you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the

word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith,

which is east of the Jordan.”

In First Samuel 15:22, the Bible says, “…to obey is better than

sacrifice…” And the verses above are all about obedience.

Let me challenge you to read the entire 17TH chapter. It is filled

with miracles; and the miracles come when the LORD speaks

and His servants obey. Miracle one follows our verses above.

The LORD provides food for Elijah twice a day by the ravens.

Miracle two, He provides a cook for Elijah –the widow. The widow

obeys Elijah and—Miracle three, the LORD provides food for

Elijah, the woman, and her son. The son dies and Elijah prays

for his recovery. Miracle four, the LORD “obeys” the prayer of

Elijah and returns the boy’s life to his body and the boy to his

mother.

There is no end to the miracles the LORD can and will provide

for those who obey Him. But how are we to determine the

LORD’s will for us? “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD,

and read…” (Isa. 34:16). Start right now by reading First Samuel

17. It will bless and instruct your heart!

All of you are in our prayers daily!

Love you, each and every one,

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,

Joshua 6:26, “Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying,

‘Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho;

with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss

of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.’”

You can’t do wrong and get by. The LORD is eternal and His Word will

always be fulfilled. The occasion of Joshua’s oath was at the time of

the capture of Old Testament Jericho – the time when Rahab, the harlot,

had hidden the Israeli spies. (There are three cities of Jericho: Old Testament

Jericho, New Testament Jericho and modern Jericho). Joshua spoke prophetically

when he said that whoever sought to rebuild Old Testament Jericho would do

so at his own peril. ~ ~ Now, after Solomon’s death, Israel was divided into

two kingdoms: Israel the northern kingdom and Judah the southern kingdom.

And a long list of kings and battles ensued until Ahab became king of Israel. He

was more evil than all of Israel’s previous kings. And in Ahab’s time, a man named

Hiel, of Bethel decided to rebuild Jericho. Not a good idea! For First Kings 16:34

says,

“In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations

with the loss of Abiram his first-born, and set up its gates with the

loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD,

which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”

Love the LORD! Trust His Word! And know that what He says, He will do!

We love and pray for you every, single 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.”