The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark14:3-9, “And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

9 “And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.”

Why did yo throw that away? It could have been used for that special event that is coming! Something like this has occurred in all of our lives. Something one person views as worthless, another person views as valuable. Our family was far from wealthy, but when my parents entertained guests in our home, the best that we had was set before them. The woman who anointed Jesus is not named. What she did was vastly superior to who she was; thus, her act was a kindness of love unlike any other.

Nard was a costly perfume, derived from a rare plant that grew in far-off India. By today’s monetary value, the perfume was worth $54.00; but in Jesus’ day, that was equal to a year’s wage. It was the custom of that day to pour a few drops of perfume on an honored guest, but this woman poured the entire vial full on Jesus’ head. Then she broke the vial, so that no one else should ever use it in honoring another guest.

What she did upset someone (undoubtedly, Judas Iscariot), and others joined in objecting to what the woman had done. But the perfume belonged to her and she was entitled to do with it what she wished. Jesus saw it as an act of love –a pre-anointing of Him, looking forward to His death and resurrection. He said, “Let her alone…She has done what she could…” Each of us has been gifted with some unique ability to honor and glorify the LORD Jesus. Such gifts are often varied, and what we consider as acceptable, someone else might consider a waste. What’s important is that each of us glorifies Christ with the gift we’ve been given. You may have the gift of sharing His Word verbally with the lost or the gift of writing with which you share His love through letters or email. You may have been blessed with the gift of giving that enables you to help support missionaries, who share Him with those who have never heard.

What others think of how we honor Him is not important. What’s important is that we honor Him in the way He has enabled us to do it. What is your spiritual gift? How well are you doing with the gift He has given you?

Faithful prayers of love are prayed 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.”

Dear Grands,

Mark 13:9-13, “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

10 “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

11 “And when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

12 “And brother will deliver brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

13 “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.”

Did you ever ask a question and then regret that you had asked it? I have to wonder if Jesus’ disciples felt regret when Jesus answered their question. It must have shocked them to the core: delivered to the courts, flogged in the places of worship, forced to answer to legal authorities for being a Christian! It was not what they had wanted to hear.

In case you hadn’t noticed, such things are happening throughout our world today. Pastor Andrew Brunson had shared the Gospel with the Turkish people for 25 years, then he was arrested as an enemy of the state. Asia Bibi is on trial for her life in Pakistan for offering a drink of water to a fellow field-worker, who was a Muslim. The rise of hatred against political conservatives in Australia and Canada and the United States has the undergirding of hatred toward all who embrace positions that are Christian. Jesus said that such behavior that brings believers into court is for His sake, “as a testimony to them.” Don’t worry about what you are to say in court, He said. The Holy Spirit, who dwells within every true believer, will speak through you, giving you then and there what you are to say as a testimony for Jesus Christ.

It is the ultimate plan of God that the Gospel “must first be preached to all the nations,” before the end of the world comes. Recently, I received word from a foreign country regarding the natives, who had heard the Gospel for the first time. They rejoiced saying, “We have never heard this message before! Now, we know what our ancestors did not know. They taught us to fear the evil spirits, but they did not know the true God or His message of love and peace.”

Your Christian faith will get you into trouble in this evil world. Count on it! Just don’t be afraid. Satan is on the rise because he knows he has little time left to work his evil against the LORD. God is still in control. He always will be. Trust Him! Live for Him every day! It will be worth all our suffering and trouble when He comes for us. God bless you!

Pray for us as we pray daily for 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,

Exodus 16:13-15, 31, “So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground.

15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat’….And the house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey.”

There is so much we don’t understand! When the LORD used Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, they left with the riches of their Egyptian neighbors. The LORD had put it into the hearts of the Egyptians to freely give what they had to the Israelites. But the value of material possessions were little when it came to the need for food. How would they procure food for such a multitued? As with the material goods, God would supply their need for food and water.

Mysteiously enough, this “fine flake-like thing” would appear on the ground daily –every day, that is, except Sunday. On the day before Sunday, they were to gather twice as much. Thus, they were never without sufficient food. But, what was it? That puzzled the Israelites, so that they called it “manna,” meaning “What is it?”

There are multiple, countless provisions that the LORD has made for us, the reality of which we do not know. Negative circumstances fall upon us and we ask “Why?” The LORD replies with substance and we ask “What is it?” I have friends that I have met on mission fields that are now suffering from life-threatening diseases. Why has this befallen them? “What is it” that the LORD is allowing? Does He not know that they gave their lives to share His Message of Salvation with those who had never heard? Of course He does! What is happening is no mystery to Him. It is only a mystery to us.

The word manna is used only 11 times in the Old Testament and only four in the New Testament. The last mention of that word comes in Revelation 2:17: “To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna.” He promises to reveal what is hidden to the one who spiritually overcomes –to the one who conquers, prevails, who is victorious. Things we cannot understand now, He will make known to true believers in due time. Don’t worry that you don’t understand everything happening around you today. Just live as an overcomer that honors Him. And as the old hymn states it, “We’ll understand it better bye and bye.”

Praying in faith and love 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.”

Dear Grands,

Mark 12:41-44, “And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.

42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.

43 And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;

44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.’”

How do you measure value? Let’s say you’re hungry. One café has the more delectable food, but gives much smaller

portions. Where do you go? Let’s say you’ve found an item you always wanted. It’s for sale in two places, One costs more, but is offered with an extended warranty. How do you determine which is the best buy?

How do you value people? Is it by how much they have? or is it by their demeanor? In the workplace, let’s say, there’s a fellow, who rarely speaks to other workers, but he focuses intently on doing what he was hired to do. There’s another, who focuses more on his fellow workers, joking and laughing with them, more than upon turning out work. There is value in both, but which would you value the more?

True and valued friends are those who value us in return. They pray for us, meet our needs when we are unable, and value our prayers and concern for them, as well. Is Jesus such a friend to you? Are you such a friend to Him? Think about it. He lovingly gave His Life that we might know freedom and peace in the midst of a corrupt and evil generation. Do you have that peace? If not, maybe you need to review how you value things.

We value you 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.”

Dear Grands,

Mark 11:27-33, “And they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders came to Him, 28 and began saying to Him, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?’

29 And Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 ‘Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.’

31 And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say, “Then why did you not believe him?” 32 ‘But shall we say, “From men”?– they were afraid of the multitude, for all considered John to have been a prophet indeed.

33 And answering Jesus, they said, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’”

Sometimes it just better not to ask questions. Especially is this true when you’re trying to trap someone. The question of the Pharisees concerned authority. “By what authority are You doing these things…?” That’s the key question in just about everything these days. “Who told you to do that?” or “When did you become boss?”

Let’s suppose that you have discovered an error in the place where you work. Let’s suppose, too, that you have a pretty good idea who caused the error and why he did it. What are you to do? If you report the error, all of your fellow-workers will come down on you for being a snitch, a whistleblower! If you don’t report the error, you will be inviolation of the rules of the workplace and could suffer demotion or even lose your job.

This was the dilemma the Pharisees produced for themselves when they challenged Jesus. He simply turned the tables on them by saying, If you will answer me a question, I will answer yours. Now, they’re on the defensive. They huddle together and search for an answer. It must have been humiliating for them to have to say, “We do not know,” because they saw themselves as the authority over all legal matters. They were the high and might mukity-mucks. But they had to swallow their pride and admit defeat.

I submit that both of these situations –the biblical one and my work-place one– all come back to the matter of character –your character. James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

We dare not play fast-and-loose with clearly displayed rules. All authority ultimately is traceable back to God. What would Jesus do? becomes the all-important question. And when “push comes to shove,” what happens to us is not important. What reflects upon Him is! Old doctor Bob Jones, founder of Bob Jones University, used to say, “It’s never right to do wrong to do right.” In other words, just always do the right thing. It’s a matter of character; and that’s the basis upon which the LORD will ultimately bestow His reward.

You are ever and 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.”