The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Zechariah 8:7-8, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’”

Have you ever wanted to see a miracle? I mean, a miracle on a large scale? It must have seemed almost too large to be believed when the prophet Zechariah announced the Word the LORD had given him for the people.

The Jews have always been a rebellious people. They were originally taken out of paganism when Abraham was called to leave his land and people and follow the LORD God. Many years later, Moses gave them the Law, by which they were to learn how far they were from what God desired them to be.

As punishment, He scattered His people throughout the Earth. They became the subjects of evil kings

and suffered enormously for long periods of time; yet they stubbornly refused to repent and return to the LORD, who loved them.

The LORD’s promise to deliver His people, who were scattered throughout the world, was literally fulfilled in 1948! After 2500 years, the Hebrew language was revived and once again the Jews became a gathered nation! It all took place within our lifetime. And the recent move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is something of a capstone in that the Holy City has again been offically recognized. Equally significant, if not more so, is the announcement that a chief Rabbi has recently announced that the name of their Messiah is JESUS!!!

Certainly, such momentous events taking place before our very eyes should awaken us to loyalty to our LORD Jesus Christ! If He could fulfill a prophecy in our day –as He has!– how can we not be fully alerted to the prophecy of His soon coming again for His believing people?

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and life up your heads,

Because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:27-28).

We’re watching as we pray for each of you,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

James 1:4, “…let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Are we there yet? It’s the normal characteristic of a child to expect immediate action in everything. If

something is expected in the mail, there is no patience in waiting for the mail to arrive. If someone is

coming to visit, there is excitement until they arrive. And the list of impatience goes on and on.

Patience is a basic attitude of the mind. It’s a component of hope and confidence. It’s a settledness, a comfort, an assurance of what is expected will come to pass in the proper time. Maturity demonstrates patience, just as immaturity demonstrates impatience. We have to allow things to run their course. We take medicine, but it often takes time to affect the desire we want. We have to be patient.

We pray about events that affect our lives and the lives of others, but we have to be patient. The old adage that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies to almost everything in life. But, notice the remainder

of our verse: “…that you may be perfect (complete)…” Nothing that is beneficial to you will be omitted. You will be more than satisfied. You will be elated! Remember that the LORD wants the best for you. Hurriedness is a human quality; patience comes from the LORD. Trust the LORD to give you His very best! He never fails.

You are in our prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Habakkuk 1:1-5, “The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

2 How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear?

I cry out to Thee, ‘Violence!’ Yet Thou dost not save.

3 Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on

wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife

exists and contention arises. 4 Therefore, the law is ignored And

justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous;

Therefore, justice comes out perverted. 5 Look among the nations!

Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something

in your days– You would not believe if you were told.”

Have you ever really been in trouble? I mean, like needing and calling

for first responders –only to have them never show up? Or like a thief

breaking into your home, but the law-enforcement never coming when

they had been called? Well, that’s nothing new.

The prophet Habakkuk experienced violence in his day. He cried out

to the LORD, but the LORD did not respond. Why is this happening,

he cried? Serious trouble surrounds me, but no one responds to my

cry for help! The law is ignored! Justice is never upheld! It that cry

sounding to you like what is happening in our world today?

Why is justice not being upheld? Because the crooks are in charge.

Oh, there are trials in the courts, but justice is all screwed up – it

comes out in favor of the criminals! What on Earth is going on???

The answer from the LORD to Habakkuk simply says, “I am doing

something in your day that you wouldn’t believe if I told you.” Would

you believe that the LORD is doing something in our day, too? Our

world is being prepared for devastation that is beyond imagination!

Israel is the prime focus of the ungodly nations of our world! They

are hated because they are loved by the LORD. He took them from

a godless people and formed them as a nation for Himself. He sent

His Son, Jesus, to save them from sin. He redeems us, too, as we

believe and trust in Him. We then, become His people –His ekklesia,.

“called-out” ones.

In His time, He will return to Earth to gather His people to Himself. We

who belong to Him, will be taken out of this worldly mess to live forever

with Him in Heaven. Then, the greatest trouble of all time will fall upon

those left behind. The Antichrist (Satan in human flesh) will take charge

and evil and wickedness beyond our imaginations will fill the Earth!

Are you ready? Do you belong to Jesus Christ? Do your friends and

family belong to Him? The way of escape is to turn from your sin to

Jesus. Confess your sin to Him, and trust Him to receive you into His

family. Yes, you better hurry. Time is rushing by. He could come today!

You are always in our prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?”

After a wonderful time with family and friends, today’s news tells of yet another

shooting –another senseless killing in what is called our “civilized world.” It brings

to mind the title of Dr. Frances Schaeffer’s book, HOW SHALL WE THEN LIVE?

The prophet Micah lived in troubled times, too. He was concerned for his people.

His word for them was not clouded with humanistic answers of political origin; he

simply reminded them of the LORD and His Word.

What the LORD’s Word was for Israel is what the LORD’s Word is for us today.

“He has told you…what is good”; and His requirement has not varied throughout

the ages. We are to live justly. It’s so easy to respond to evil with evil. But evil is

never from the LORD! Oh, He allows evil’s existence in the outworking of His

divine plan; but it never has its origin in Him. No, retaliation in kind is not the

answer. And justice is never achieved through evil retaliation.

Also, we are to “love kindness.” I can almost feel the education of those willow

switches my mother used on me! Viewed at the time as horrible, they were just

and they were loving. True kindness was in her heart, as was that of her father

when he administered the same to her in her childhood. And so it was and is of

the LORD. The administering of justice must always be applied with love and

kindness. Human society must rid itself of evil without becoming the evil it seeks

to supress.

Finally, we are to “walk humbly with our God.” I’ll show you! is never to be

our motivation in supressing evil. We overcome evil with good. We acknowledge

the just and loving Hand of God guiding and empowering us against evil; thus,

its supression is always His, not ours! He will deliver us from evil is our assurance

of escaping the evil in our world. For if He is our King and we are His subjects,

the responsibility of justice and love lies with Him. Our responsibility is live humbly

and faithfully before Him, sharing His Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ!

We remember you faithfully in our daily prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Acts 2:17, “…And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams.”

Psalm 71:17-18, “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth; And I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.

18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Thy strength to this generation, Thy power to all who are to come.”

I have coupled these two verses because they express precisely what lies before each of us. As young people, we had visions of what could happen and how our lives would fit with those occurrances. As an old man, I look back over my life, how it was lived and what was and was not accomplished.

As a child, I was blessed with godly parents. Their lives were filled with love for each other and for me.

They displayed before me the life they wanted me to live. I was taught verbally and by example. From my mother, I was taught to behave properly, to dress properly, and to treat others properly. From my dad, I was taught not to be anxious, not to take everything too seriously, and to work diligently at the tasks set before me.

Hopefully, I still retain and dispense those things the LORD set before me through my parents. They loved the LORD and served Him according to His plan for their lives. I was taught to trust the LORD, absorb His Word, and love and treat others as He (and they) treated me. Nor am I through attending to the responsibilites He has set before me. Writing this letter is but a portion of that responsibility.

I am now as the psalmist describes: “old and gray.” Yet, the LORD has never forsaken me, nor shall He as long as I run my course. I am here to tell you to follow Him without hesitation or reservation! Live in His Word; live as if you alone were responsible for telling others about Him and His saving grace. I must confess that I have often slipped from the standards my parents displayed before me. Nor am I the standard you are to follow. Yet, I trust that my life might serve in some small way to encouraging you to look to the Supreme Standard of our LORD Jesus Christ, and model you life after Him. Never walk in fear! Always walk in faith! Learn of Him and from Him. You have a heritage in the LORD!

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”