Archive for December, 2020


The Grands Letter (Isa/GLJ)

on December 21, 2020 6:53 am (CST)
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Dear Grands,

Isaiah 55:6-11, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have
compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it
bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

While the Scriptures are lased with the love of God, they also contain some serious warnings. Many people, who think little
of the LORD, almost instinctively cry out His Name when faced with serious trouble. Isaiah warns us that the LORD will not
always be available to hear and answer our cries for help. We should be thinking of Him always, forsaking our own evil ways
and thoughts. He is both righteous and loving and will forgive our sins, but we must hurry. Time is upon us!

Humanity and Divinity are not on the same plane. The LORD’s thoughts and intentions are vastly different from ours. The
LORD’s manners and plans are significantly loftier than we even imagine. He controls the weather. It originates with Him, does its work and returns to Him, just as He plans. Mankind today is all worried and frustrated about “global warming.” A few years ago, man’s concern was “the ozone layer.” When will we learn that the LORD controls them both?

His Word is saturated with spiritual truths. He speaks forthrightly and His Word accomplishes His desires. It never fails!
Wouldn’t you agree that His purpose is superior to yours? His Word is superior to the thoughts and purposes of us all!

Some years ago, when I was engaged full time in evangelism, I used to ask, “Why not try Jesus? You’ve tried everything else,
and your heart and soul are still empty. What have you got to lose? Give Jesus Christ an opportunity. He can and will change
your life!” Let those words sink in. His promises never fail. They always succeed in whatever He desires. And He loves and
desires to enter and change your life for the good. Give Him the opportunity to prove Himself to you. You are in my prayers.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

The Grands Letter (Isa/GLJ)

on December 20, 2020 8:38 am (CST)
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Dear Grands,

Isaiah 53:1-6, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide
their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God,
and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell
upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.”

The two salient questions that open this psalm can surely be applied to our generation. With all that the LORD has said, with
all that He accomplished and has made visible and understandable to our minds, we have rejected. The psalmist’s Guide is the
very Spirit of the LORD guiding first His people, Israel, and then the whole Gentile world to believe and accept the LORD Jesus
Christ.

The Christ Child, of Whom we have spoken in previous Letters, is here clearly described. He grew up in the presence of
His Heavenly Father; yet, His appearance alone did not distinguish Him from His fellowmen. What condemns mankind is its vile
rejection of God’s Son. Men looked upon Him with contempt. He was rejected and scorned daily, despite their inability to
refute His words. You may recall the Australian girl whom I mentioned in a previous Letter. She heard my message of
salvation, and then checked the accuracy of her understanding of it with one of the pastors. Yet, upon receiving confirmation
of the accuracy of her understanding, she politely said, “Thank you, but I don’t want it.” That pastor came to me with tears in
his eyes. He was visibly hurt by her rejection. How much more pungent the hurt of the LORD Jesus when people reject Him!

The passage above prophetically predicts the Savior’s rejection. New Testament passages depict the fulfillment of the
prophecy. Jesus Christ was “pierced through…crushed…scourged,” thoroughly ridiculed and rejected. The shame of this
falls equally upon us for our rejection. Still, as a shepherd pursues a sheep that has wandered from his care, Jesus continues
to reach out in loving concern to all mankind. Name, if you will, all the vilest leaders in the world today. Include the rich and
famous in the entertainment world, whose lifestyles encompass the filthiest and morally debased, almost unbelievable activities.
He died for them.

Hopefully, none you reading this are involved in any moral decadence; but you may have friends who are. Just remember: Jesus
Christ lived and died for your sins. And the proof of His love is viewed in His Resurrection from the dead. If you’ve trusted Him,
thank Him for His sacrifice for you. If you have yet to trust Him, He lovingly awaits your repentance and faith. You are in my
prayers.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

The Grands Letter (Mt/GLJ)

on December 19, 2020 7:32 am (CST)
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Dear Grands,

Matthew 2:19-23, “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying,
20 “’Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are
dead.’
21 And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.
And being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee,
23 and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He
shall be called a Nazarene.’”

Joseph, the husband of Mary, was not the first Israelite named Joseph to reside in Egypt. The Joseph who much earlier had ruled Egypt was his ancestor and it was he in whose legal lineage the Child Jesus now stood. Through Joseph, the husband of Mary, Jesus lineage extended to Abraham. Through His mother, His lineage extended to Adam. Thus, Jesus was both “the Son of Man” and “the Son of God.”

Communication regarding the Child and His safety came to Joseph by way of dreams. The Child had been led to Egypt by a dream the LORD had given to Joseph. Now, with Herod dead, Joseph is once again instructed through a dream to take the Child back to Israel. Yet, the knowledge that Archelaus, Herod’s son, was reigning over Judea, produced fear in the heart and mind of Joseph. Fear is often the method by which the LORD guides us. Fear is an
indication of human insecurity; and when we are insecure, we ultimately look to God for direction.

The humility of the Child is referenced in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1). The word Nazarene is believed to have come from the word nettzer, meaning a small twig or sprout, in contrast to a stately tree. Thus, the word Nazarene, which is never mentioned in the Old Testament, is given to this little city as a designation of contempt. “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (Jn. 1:46). Yet, it is from this contemptuously insignificant city that Jesus would come forth to be the Savior of the world. If the LORD can do that with a city, what can He do with us, if only we are willing?

Humility is a spiritual virtue not often visible in our day and time. Yet, we are directed to be humble, just as Jesus was.
A friend of mine once said in my hearing, “It’s amazing how so many proud and haughty people claim to be followers of the lowly Nazarene.” We can well be thankful for Jesus; but we must resist being proud of ourselves. All praise and glory belong to Him, who came into this world to deliver us from our sin. Thank You, LORD!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

The Grands Letter (Mt/GLJ)

on December 18, 2020 7:15 am (CST)
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Dear Grands,

Matthew 2:13-18, “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying, “Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is
going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
14 And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt;
15 and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled,
saying, “Out of Egypt did I call My Son.”
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the
male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time
which he had ascertained from the magi.
17 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to
be comforted, Because they were no more.”

I can only imagine how difficult it was for the magi to leave the Christ Child and return home. Visiting spiritual people always begs for more time in their presence. At the same time, the magi doubtlessly remembered Herod’s instruction:
“…and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him.” Still, they a greater warning. They were “warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, (so) they departed for their own country by another way.”

Now, with the magi gone, the angel of the LORD appears to Joseph and directs him to flee with the Child and His mother to Egypt until further notice, because Herod was intending to slay the Child in the effort to protect his throne.
Interestingly enough, the departure of Joseph and his family not only protected the Child from Herod’s intended wrath, it fulfilled the promise of Hosea (11:1), “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

We are also taught here that it is not always cowardice to run away. In this instance, of course, it was a protection for the Child Jesus. In a much earlier instance, the shepherd boy David turned away from his brothers, who mocked him, as Goliath boldly challenged the army of Israel (1 Sam. 17:28-29). There’s an old saying that says, “Those who flee and run away, will live to fight another day.”

Learning that the magi had returned to their far-away home without revealing the location of the Child Jesus, Herod, in his fury, gave orders that all male children two years old and under living in Bethlehem were to be slain. The number was probably not more than about 20, based upon the size of the village of Bethlehem and its environs. Herod might have been even more furious had he known that his evil act was itself a fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15.

It’s understandable that there was no argument from Joseph about fleeing to Egypt. What is not understandable is the refusal of obedience to the LORD by many people today. The same Satanic force that directed evil in the life of Herod, works in people today to keep them from accepting Christ Jesus as their Savior and LORD. Is Satan working to keep you from trusting Jesus? If he is, then it’s time for you to run away from him and find the love and safety that resides in Jesus. You are in my prayers.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

The Grands Letter (Mt/GLJ)

on December 17, 2020 7:37 am (CST)
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Dear Grands,

Matthew 2:11-12, “And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and
worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another
way.”

Did you ever ask directions and then disregard them and go another way? I’m afraid I have at times. We might speculate on what causes us to ignore the very answers for which we ask, yet with the magi there is no reason to do so. Not only did they learn from Herod that the Child was in Bethlehem, but the star that had guided them from the east had not departed. This led them to further rejoicing, and the star guided them to the very house where the Child was. Why are we often so anxious to obtain directions, but fail to follow them? Do we not know that the LORD always leads us in the correct way?

Two notable factors differentiate the time of the shepherds from that of the magi. When the shepherds viewed the Child, the word ?????? (brephos) is used. It means “baby” or “newly born child”; and He was “lying in a manger” (????? (phatne). When the magi found Him, He was identified as a ??????? (paidion), “a young Child,” and was living in a “house” (????? (oikia). And there in that house, identified by the star, the magi found the Child with His mother; and they worshipped, they reverenced, they bowed down before Him. How much time elapsed between the shepherds and the magi, we do not know; but it was possibly, a year or more. Interestingly, too, the Scriptures do not tell us how many shepherds or how many magi there were. We generally think of three magi because of their three gifts, but there were probably several more. Travel in those days was quite dangerous, making it logical that the magi traveled with a sizable number of servants, as well.

It was characteristic of the times that gifts were required when visiting a dignitary; thus, the magi opened gifts, appropriate to the Child. Gold was the metal of kings. Jesus was indeed to become the King of Kings. Barclay states: “We do well to remember that Jesus Christ is King. We can never meet Jesus on an equality. We must always meet him on terms of complete submission.” Frankincense was the gift for a priest; and “the function of a priest is to open the way to God for men.” Myrrh was “the gift for one who is to die.” It was a substance used in embalming.

Each gift from the magi identified a characteristic of the Christ Child. He is indeed King above all earthly kings. He opens to us the only way to the Father, which is the way of faith. He died on the Cross — the Father’s willing sacrifice for our sin. Further, He arose from the dead, proving that His Life supersedes even death. What a Savior He is! Have you trusted Him for your salvation? Bow before Him today! He is Life; and He will invest Himself in your life when you trust Him.

The magi are often called “wise men.” They were wise because they sought Him; they were wiser still when they found Him; and they were wisest of all when they obeyed Him, and returned to their own country via another way. How truly wise are you? Have you obeyed Him? Jesus is the Greatest Gift you can ever receive! Ask Him into your life today!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

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