The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 9:22b-23, “’… if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!’

23 “And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.”

Mark 9:43-48,”And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

44 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched .

45 “And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than having your two feet, to be cast into hell,

46 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched .

47 “And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell,

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Not all fathers are good fathers. This one was. His boy was possessed by an evil spirit, and the father was seeking help for the boy he loved. Jesus had delivered some from demonic possession, so the father brought his son to the LORD. The father was clearly in doubt, causing him to say, “If You can…” Jesus countered him saying, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.”

Did you ever pray earnestly for something, but had a lingering doubt that the LORD was going to answer you? That’s so common. Too common!! The question is never whether Jesus has sufficient power; the answer always hangs on whether we believe! That father got Jesus’ meaning and cried, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” And the boy was healed.

Later, in the hearing of that same crowd, Jesus warned believers of the three most severe areas that plague believers. “If your hand causes you to stumble…” indicates the things that we do that lead us away from Him and from sound trust in His deliverence. “If your foot causes you to stumble…” indicates the places where we go that leads us away from Him. In the third aspect, and perhaps the most serious, Jesus says, “If you eye causes you to stumble…” which indicates the things that we see – things that take our attention away from the LORD and focus on the things of the flesh.

Take a moment and meditate on these three cautions from our LORD. Do you do things you ought not to do? Do you go places where you ought not to go? Do you focus your eyes on things that you ought not to see? As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives within you to guide you to walk in right paths. Don’t quench the Spirit! One Day you will be required to give an account of what you have done in this life. And you will want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I am praying for you. Pray for yourself; and do please pray for me.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”