The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 44:4-8, “Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.

5 Through Thee we will push back our adversaries; Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me.

7 But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us.

8 In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Selah.”

Most of you who are reading this know what is meant of “the wave.” It occurs during football season when a group of people rise to their feet and then sit down. The next section of the stands does the same until the whole stadium of people have done a “rise and sit.” How does that happen? Who starts “the wave.” Apparently, no one; yet everyone participates.

Recent news reveals that Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel is under attack and only six weeks from the time of Israel’s national election. Does that sound familiar? It does to Americans. It’s very much like “the wave,” only it’s political in nature. The opposition against President Trump in the USA has now moved to opposition against P.M. Netanyahu in Israel. It’s a political “wave.”

David experienced some “waves” in his day, too. There were people who violently opposed him; but David said, I won’t trust in my bow or my sword. They cannot save me. You, LORD, have saved me from my advesaries in the past. I will trust in You to save me from these. In the past I have boasted in You, O LORD. I will continue to give thanks to Your Name forever.

When we encounter opposition, we want to rise up and fight! That’s “the wave of the natural man.”

The “wave” of the believer is to simply praise the LORD and let Him fight the battle. It’s a difficult task to let the LORD fight for us. But, do we really want to win? If so, He has strength and power beyond what we know. Besides, whoever wins gets the glory. Right? Okay, do we want the glory for ourselves; or do we want Him to receive the glory?

The word Selah says: “Stop and really think about that.” Let’s try it His way and see.

We love and pray for you daily,

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,

Pslam 37:23-24, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD; And He delights in his way.

24 When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.”

A few days ago, I had the opportunity of a conversation with a nice, Christian man. I learned quickly that he was a pastor and a conservative on almost all things that our convesation allowed. When the President of the United States entered our discussion, I was amazed that he took a very dim view of what has been accomplished under his administration. I sought to smooth the way by saying that there were a few things I wished the President would do and not do, yet I rejoice in what he has done to energize our nation.

I shared that my investigation had given me confidence that President Trump is a truly born-again man, although I could wish he would omit unnecessary vulgarities from his speech. My friend would have none of it; yet his conversation allowed that believers in Christ do need to experience growth. In other words, he allowed the need for growth in the average Christian, but not in the President.

The Psalmist exorts us all to be patient and trusting with others. Believing men’s steps are ordained by the LORD. He delights in man’s spiritual growth. At the same time, when His children stumble, He tightly grasps their hands, so that they do not fall. Even after we’ve committed ourselves to Him, we are subject to falling back into sin. What keeps us from going headlong into the muck of evil, is His protection.

Our little grandson is only four months old. He cannot walk, although grasping his hands and walking patiently with him, we find that he tries. Were he to fall, none of us would laugh and walk away leaving him alone, abandoned, fallen and crying. He needs us, and we will not fail him. How much more do we need the LORD to hold and balance us. Yes, our feet do wobble from time-to-time; still, He is there to sustain us as we grow in His grace.

Whatever hurt, whatever maladies overtake us, He is there! He will not let us fall; He will not let us fail. Our steps (our lives) are established (appointed, confirmed, directed, positioned) by the LORD.

But we must be warned not to presume upon Him. Never say, “It doesn’t matter what I do, the LORD will keep me from falling.” He may let you know that He is in command. We cannot depend upon Him to order our own steps and hold our hands, if we continue to walk in sinful ways.

May the LORD bless each of you as you grow in His grace and love,

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,

Mark 10:35-40, “And James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Him, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’

36 And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’

37 And they said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left.’

38 But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’

39 And they said to Him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’”

Be honest now, how many of you have said to one or both of your parents, “Say ‘yes’?” And when they replied, “Well, what is the question?” you said, “Say ‘yes,’ and I’ll tell you the question.” Sounds a bit backwards, doesn’t it? How old were you when you asked that backwards question? Probably quite small.

James and John were well on their way to adulthood when they asked it. “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” I can just see Jesus hiding a smile when He replied, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They were forthright. They may have even said it together: “Grant that

We may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left.”

We have to credit them for believing in the Kingdom Glory –a kingdom they believed would be established on the Earth during their lifetime. When two young men are sufficiently brazen to ask such a question, you have to believe that each of them secretly wanted the best of the two positions.

What is worse is that two verses earlier in this same passage, Jesus had told His disciples that He

would be condemned to death and delivered to the Gentiles. Instead of agonizing over the death that was to come, they were vying for an exalted position in the Kingdom! Truly sad; yet isn’t that exactly how we are –always looking for the best for ourselves instead of showing concern for the LORD?

Jesus’ answer was somewhat blunt: “You do not know what you are asking for.” Isn’t that the prototype of us? LORD, I’ll go anywhere, do anything. Just give me a nice place on the oceanside, where I can relax to the sound of the waves as they roll in across the sand. No, they hadn’t fully examined the import of the question. Jesus goes on to speak of the cup and the baptism, both of which related to His coming death. Are you able to relate to the cup and the baptism of death? “Oh, yes we are,” they responded with arrogant thoughtlessness.

Well, you will experience both, Jesus said. But those positions that you seek are not Mine to give. They belong to the Father, and He will asign them according to His will.

LORD, humble us until we understand that we exist for YOUR Glory, not our own.

Prayerfully and humbly 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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 23:1-6, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

It is often said that the best-known Scripture verse in the New Testament is John 3:16. I believe that is true. But, probably the best known passage in all of the Bible is the 23RD Psalm. It is a Psalm of David, and as you can see from the verses above, this Psalm has only six verses; but, oh, what superb value is packed in those short verses! Let’s examine them.

1. Relationship: “The LORD is my shepherd….” The Hebrew word for LORD is Yahweh and it carries the meaning of absolute faithfulness. We need not question His ability or His concern. The Shepherd cares in every way for His sheep. We who have trusted in Christ are His sheep, His true, eternal concern.

2. Reliability of Provisions: “I shall not want.” The Hebrew word for want is chaser, meaning that we who are in Him will never be lacking anything that meets our physical and spiritual needs and keeps us looking to Him alone for our provisions.

3. Restoration: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” Our bodies and our souls need rest. We all need refreshment, both spiritually and physically. As the Good Shepherd, He gives everything that restores us. In all of this, we are bound willfully to Him.

4. Redirection: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” It is vital not only that we commit ourselves to Christ, but that we follow His leadership daily. What is it that He wants from you? What is His calling? I can tell you this with full assurance: You will never be completely at peace within yourself unless you are following the Holy Spirit’s guidance for your life.

5. Reliability of Protection: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (the valley of deepest darkness), I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” While these are two different words (shebet and misheneth), it is difficult to distinguish their usages. One is probably the walking stick of the shepherd, the other, the “crook” with which he grasped and rescued endangered sheep. The LORD teaches us to walk in His ways and rescues us when we stray from His teachings.

6. Recognition: “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” The Shepherd lavishes good things upon His children. What is more, He does it in the presence of His enemies. He blesses us abundantly, in the face of those who resist Him and mock Him. See how blessed we are? Our excitement abounds, trusting that those outside of His love and grace will come to know Him as their own.

7. Resolution: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” With the abundant blessings of the LORD falling upon His children, why should we want to stray? His house is more than His temple. We resolve to dwell in His truths and His righteousness.

Do these seven distinctives stir your soul? They certainly should! And they will if you belong to Jesus Christ. There is so much in store for us as believers! We owe our blessed LORD everything, starting with the will He has placed within us.

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.”

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

My mother should be highly honored for answering my multiple questions. It is arguable that no child ever asked more questions than I. “But what would happen if…?” or “I don’t think I can do it! What if…?” And for every question I asked, she had an answer. Most of the time her replies to my queries included the LORD. “You just pray about that, young man; the LORD will take care of it,” she would say.

Jude may have been a boy like that. I don’t know. But, he concludes his letter by emphasizing the things my mother told me; namely, the ability of the LORD to keep us from stumbling and to enable us to stand one day blamelessly and joyfully in the presence of the LORD and behold His glory. It would be my thought that we would bow our knees before the LORD; but Jude says the LORD will enable us to stand. I imagine that I would be fearful of even being in the LORD’s presence, but Jude says we will all be joyful.

Jude then offers a tribute to Christ Himself, for He is the only God. Mohammed, Buddha, the multiple gods of the Hindus –all of them are false! They do not exist! The LORD alone is God of all the Earth. It is His Creation, including man. Further, God has come to Earth in the person of Jesus. He is the Messiah, the deliverer, our God—the only God. Thus, we give praise to Him alone. All glory and majesty and strength and authority belong to Him. It was that way before time was ever reckoned. It is that way now. And it will be that way forever! Past, Present, Future – It all belongs to Him. And we do, too, when we turn away from sin and embrace Him in love. Amen (truly)!

Turn your eyes away from the world and look at Jesus! Take captive your thoughts and think only of Jesus! Trust in Him to be all-and-in-all to you! He will change your life and fill it with His Eternal Love!

We love each of you and pray that you will be fully and forever His,

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.”