The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place– unless you repent.”

Revelation 2:16, “Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.”

Revelation 3:11, “’I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.”

Revelation 16:15, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.”

Revelation 22:7, “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

As the story goes, a local pastor had for some time sought to reach the soul of a man he knew. The man always had an excuse. He was thinking about it; he wasn’t quite ready; and such excuses. One day the

pastor manouvered himself into the business place of the man and shouted aloud: “ARE YOU READY?”

The man heard the voice, and llooked up. But no one was there. He wondered about it, but was soon busy again at his work.

Later that week, the man and the pastor met. This time the pastor asked if the man remembered him coming to his shop. He did; but he was puzzled, he said, that the pastor would simply shout out a question and leave before he could reply. “What was that all about?” he asked. The pastor responded asking, “Well, were you ready?” The man thought and said, “No, I was not.” To which the pastor then asked, “What if I had been God?”

Seven times in the Revelation, Jesus clearly warns, “I am coming!” Five times He adds the word “quickly.”

Three times He warns us to repent of our sin. And twice He says for us to “hold on” to the good things we have. All of this should be sobering to us. We should not be complacent and let what we know slip away from us. We should be “about our Father’s business,” as young Jesus was when Joseph and Mary found Him in the Temple. Put first things first!

I have a routine that commences with the prayerful writing of this letter each morning. There are other things to do as well, but this is my priority. What is yours? What do you do that is all-important? What is first and foremost to you? Does it have to do with prayer and Bible reading? That is what the Bible means when it says, “hold on to what you have…don’t let them slip.”

As a small boy, I can remember my mother saying, “There you are dirty and your aunt Dene will be here any minute. Get yourself clean! There’s not much time. She’ll be here soon.” Does something like that resonate with you on the spiritual level? It should. Jesus could come at any moment. Our lives must be clean and ready. Nothing else matters. Are you ready?

We love and pray for you earnestly,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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.”