The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 4:8-11, “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the

kingdoms of the world, and their glory;

9 and he said to Him, “All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your

God, and serve Him only.'”

11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

There’s an old adage that says, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Whoever penned it, must have gotten it from the devil. Why? Because he has failed twice in the greatest, historical swindle of all time to seduce Jesus; yet he positions himself for one, final try.

In this final phase of Satan’s effort to subdue Jesus, he sought to dazzle Him with the glittering things of the world. (Have you noticed that he’s still at it with all of us?) The devil displayed before Christ all the glories he could muster, control, power, riches! Paul speaks of Satan as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), and that he “has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.” Thus, Satan might have believed that he could turn Jesus’ head by the glories he displayed, if only He would “fall down and worship me (Satan).” What impudence to say such a thing!

In a somewhat different context, Paul says, “The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay…?” (Rom. 9:20-21). Of course, Satan knew what he was asking was wrong. He created wrong, away back in the Garden of Eden. He wanted to be in charge! He might even have known that his temptation of Christ would result in failure. How much Satan knows, we are not told. What we do know is that with the seventh angel’s pronouncement (Rev. 11:15), loud voices in Heaven cried, ” “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our LORD, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever!”

Is the LORD Jesus Christ in control of your life? If not, why not? Jesus alone will triumph in the end! I’ve pledged my life to Him. I urge you to pledge your life to Him, too!

Revelation 5:11-14, “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb (Jesus) that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ 13And every created thing which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ 14And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped.”

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.”