The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 12:2-4, “’Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;

For the LORD God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.’

3 “Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.

4 “And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.

Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name

is exalted.’”

Repetition is not always bad. As children, we had to be told things over and over and over,

until what we were told had been learned, engrained deeply within us. Had our parents not

drilled us on important matters, we would not be remembering them now.

Isaiah was one of the chief prophets in Israel, and he again and again recalls that the LORD is his salvation and the Person in whom he puts his trust. None other. And because he trusts in the LORD, God alone is his strength. He sings joyously about the LORD.

Recall a time when you went on a long hike. You had run out of water and had grown intensely thirsty. Then suddenly, you came upon a small stream. How joyously it was to

have discovered this cool, refreshing water. That’s the picture Isaiah holds before us when speaks to us of what salvation brings. The salvation of the LORD is always refreshing. There are no situations, no conditions under which He cannot produce what we need.

What the LORD provides for us in our need is precisely what we make known to others. We are to make others remember that His Name is to be exalted. Therefore, we sing praises to Him daily and from the deep recesses of our hearts. Live daily in the Word of God! Spend time daily with Him in prayer. You will be refreshed by His presence. And you will have something to share with others. Praise the Name of the LORD!

Robert Browning was a poet. So was his wife, Elizabeth Barret Browning. But Elizabeth was weak and sickly. One day she said to him, “Robert, you are so strong and good. I am

but weak and sickly. Why do you stay with me?”

Robert replied, “Your weakness needs my strength; and my strength needs your weakness.”

So it is with us and God.

We need to pray for one another that God may be glorified,

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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 119:73-77, “Thy hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments.

74 May those who fear Thee see me and be glad, Because I wait for Thy word.

75 I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.

76 O may Thy lovingkindness comfort me, According to Thy word to Thy servant.

77 May Thy compassion come to me that I may live, For Thy law is my delight.”

When we really come to know the LORD, we begin to understand that He alone is the recipient of all glory. We are alive because He intended it that way. He fashioned (appointed) us to be “to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12).

Evangelism (the telling of the Good News of salvation) begins with those who “fear (stand in awe of [Him]” and and see Him in us. Christianity is comprised of faith in Jesus Christ; and the indwelling Holy Spirit manifests a change in us that causes others to see Him. We are not to be like others, even others who claim to know Him. We are to be like HIM!

His judgments (arrangements, plans) area always righteous (right, just). Even when we are afflicted (oppressed, violated), He is faithful in what He allows. Then He comforts us with His Love and perfection. And when we look back and see it all, we learn that while we were benefited by His hand, it was all intended to be “to the praise of His glory.”

Our comfort is the result of His loving kindness that we may say with the psalmist, “May Thy compassion come to me that I may live, for Thy law is my delight.”

May the LORD bless and use you “to the praise of His glory,”

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

P. S. Rose Marie is gaining strength daily! And for that (among many other things) we

Praise the LORD! We thank you for your earnest prayers for her. She faces yet

another surgery in the days ahead. Please pray for her strength. Thankfully, she

is not in any pain; she’s just weak.

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,

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

To those who follow the ranglings of politics, the “big news” today is that President Trump

had no affiliation (collusion) with the Russians that affected the outcome of the last Presidential election.

I believe that most Americans were confident of that before this $25million investigation. Those who have made big noise about the “information” they possessed – information that would have “done in” the President – are now scrambling to gather their scattered pages that have blown away in the wind.

All of that prompted the thought of the Great Announcement that will one day come from the LORD. He will announce who has truly come to Him by faith and who has relied on

personal “goodness.”

Many will say, “Lord, look at all I have done! I have been on the right side, the good side, all the time. I’ve proclaimed some great things in Your Name! I’ve helped the poor more than once, and even given to a missionary or two –NO, I think three missionaries! I’ve given blood; I’ve honored those who served in our military; and I shook hands with Franklin Graham! Oh, Lord, I’ve served You in so many ways….”

Yet, His reply will be “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

There are many people –good moral people—who mistaken their works for personal commitment. To be a Christian is more than believing that Jesus is God; you must be committed to Him and engage in the work He assigns you to do.

When a young person enlists in the military, he is assigned numerous tasks. He’s not just for the military; he’s committed to it! Not everyone who is committed to Jesus Christ is called to be a pastor or Bible teacher. Not every soldier is selected to train as a sniper! We all do without resistence what the LORD tells us to do. Are you enlisted in the LORD’s work? Have you met Him? Are you growing by reading His Instruction Manual (the Bible) daily? Do you spend time talking (and listening!) to Him in prayer?

A day of reckoning is coming! Make preparations now!

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

P. S. We so appreciate your prayers for Rose Marie! She is gaining more strength each day.

And despite her weakness, she prays more than anyone I know! She sends her love.

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,

Pslam 103:1-6, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The LORD performs righteous deeds, And judgments for all who are oppressed.”

There are a few times in our lives that are simply special. The LORD has performed His

work –work for which we have prayed and prayed! Yet, the joy of our hearts are so filled

with exuberant praise that we find ourselves overjoyed and it is as if everything within us

is crying out: “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

Yet, with that exuberance of praise comes the warning: “And forget none of His benefits.”

Oh, how utterly human we are. We remember His work one minute and forget the next.

He pardons our wrongs, our sins, our iniquities. He heals all our diseases and pains.

He redeems (buys back) our lives from the pit of destruction, and crowns us –bestows on

us – an abundance of His lovingkindness and compassion. He makes us satisfied with all the years He has allowed us, as well as with the abundance of blessing that crowns those years. He renews us physically with strength, just as He does the eagle, who soars through the heavens.

Above all, “the LORD performs righteous deeds” before our very eyes, and we ask our-

selves, What has He done? Yes, He has done more, much more than we have asked or ever dreamed. Such are His judgments! They are what He knows to be best. When we

are oppressed, crushed and defrauded, He restores life within us –life that arises to praise

Him for His might and wonderful works!

Oh may we join together over the span of this globe to sing praises to His Name! There is

another, even Greater Day that is coming soon! And we will see Him face-to-face!

Heartily and lovingly in Christ we thank you for your prayers,

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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 96:9, “Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the Earth.”

Some years ago a young man, who was dating the daughter of a high governmental official, appeared at the White House for a formal evening attired in a white turtleneck

sweater. As you would expect, the media buzzed with horrified fury. His dress was

totally inappropriate for a meeting in the presence of the President.

Several years ago, I attended the wedding of a friend, and to my horror, one of the

bridesmaid’s attendants walked the aisle with his entire shirttail hanging outside his

trousers!

Athletic coaches, TV announcers and color commentators, often wear shirts and ties,

while engaging in their required positions. Yet, in many churches, pastors adorn themselves in sport shirts and bluejeans while offering the sacred words of Scripture

to their audiences. What has eroded the culture that once adorned our nation? Would

you go to meet an important, world-renouned individual inappropriately attired? I hope

not! Would you enter a pulpit or address an audience from the stage draped in casual,

raggity clothing? I sure hope not!

Certainly, there are people who don’t have the financial means to dress as well as some

others. But, each of us should dress cleanly and as well as we are able when we enter

the LORD’s House to worship Him. Yes, there was specified dress for priests in the Old

Testament. And we are not required to dress as they. But, reverence of the Holy surely demands that we do the best we can. Jesus Christ alone is the object of our worship. The Word of the LORD –the Holy Scriptures—should demand of us a cleanness of heart and body.

Ten times the word “attire” is used in Scripture. It’s a small, but vital, first step toward

restoring the culture that has been handed down to us by those who led us to Christ.

“Tremble before (the LORD) all the Earth!”

Prayerfully and lovinging yours,

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.”