The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Chronicles 16:29-36, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; nring an offering, and come before Him; worship the

LORD in holy array.

30 Tremble before Him, all the earth; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’

32 Let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it.

33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth. O give thanks to the LORD,

for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

35 Then say, ‘Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name,

and glory in Thy praise.’

36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, ‘Amen,’ and praised

the LORD.”

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks. There are multiple things for which we should give thanks; yet, there is but One to

Whom we owe the fullest gratitude of our hearts. It is the LORD, the Father, who sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

From Him has come everything for which we should be thankful: parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, friends – and

the list goes on. The Church is the assembly of believers, all of whom for which we are thankful. The multiple pastors and

teachers, whose instructions and examples portrayed the likeness of the Savior – for them all, we are thankful.

Those of us who live in freedom have so much for which to be thankful. We are free from the slavery of debauched leadership.

We are free from hunger, from the winter’s chilling cold and the summer’s burning heat. We have clothing and shelter and books and music. We are more than well-equipped with the ability to communicate with others. We are free to travel, to meet new friends, to learn of the cultures of other peoples. We are free to pray, to believe in and worship and share the God who gave us this freedom.

There is so much more! We are comforted in our illnesses and in the loss of those we so dearly loved. We are comforted in the

surety of hope of a glorious life with our LORD and with our loved ones, who are domiciled in that better place we know as Heaven. Moreover, we live and rejoice in the forgiveness of sin against our LORD and against our fellowman. We are thereby wrapped in the righteous warmth and comfort of our LORD.

Let no one be so blatently dense as to ask, “What is Thanksgiving? Why do we celebrated it?” It is all about Jesus: His birth, His life, His ministry to us all, He death, His resurrection, His ascension, His promised return for which we who know Him anxiously await. Do you know Him? Have you embraced His love? He longs to embrace you as a forgiven child of faith and hope. And it all comes by faith, the true belief that Jesus is the LORD and Savior of all who turn from sin and accept Him. Trust Him today and

come to the full understanding of what it means to be Thankful!

Pray this simple prayer. Pray it meaningfully, believing in Him to Whom you pray.

Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I know I’ve done many wrong things in my life.

I’m sorry for my sin. I know that Jesus loves me, and that He died and rose again

to save me from my sin. Right now, in my heart, I willingly turn from my sin.

By faith, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Now, if you sincerely prayed that prayer, take God at His word and believe that you are a “born again” Christian! Jesus said, “…him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Nor can you ever again be lost outside of Christ. Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Thus, as a born-again believer, you are thoroughly and forever secure in Jesus Christ. And for that you can be truly Thankful!

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 92:1-2, 5-9, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;

2 To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, And Thy faithfulness by night…

5 How great are Thy works, O LORD! Thy thoughts are very deep.

6 A senseless man has no knowledge; Nor does a stupid man understand this:

7 That when the wicked sprouted up like grass, And all who did iniquity flourished, It was only that they might be destroyed

forevermore.

8 But Thou, O LORD, art on high forever.

9 For, behold, Thine enemies, O LORD, For, behold, Thine enemies will perish; All who do iniquity will be scattered.”

When was the last time you said, “Thank you” to someone? When was the last time you said “Thank You” to the LORD?

It is when we assess ourselves worthy recipients of another’s kindness that we eliminate any expression of gratitude. Such

neglect is hardly worthy of one who claims the LORD as his LORD. The LORD’s loving watch-care over us by day and by night surely requires our praise. We have no idea how closely we come to daily tragedies, only to be delivered by His watchful care.

The psalmist enjoins us to consider the magnificence of the LORD’s works and the depths of His plans. Our failure to acknowledge His glory and power renders us both “senseless” and “stupid.” And we’re the ones who are so steeped in our own stupidity that we neglect to say “Thank You.”

Here is a mystery now clearly revealed: When the wicked sprout up like grass, and engage in iniquity, it is an activity focused

against the LORD. Furthermore, He only allows it in order that they might be destroyed forever! Nothing the wicked does affects the plans of the LORD! He is sovereign! He reigns on high forever! And His enemies will ultimately be annihilated!

All of that is to say that the LORD is ever and always in control. We are not to worry. We will not always understand His plans and thoughts; but they are always in play, and the truly righteous are always under His protection. Maybe it’s time for us all to

faithfully focus our trust on the LORD and say “Thank You”!

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 85:8-13, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;

But let them not turn back to folly.

9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.

10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth springs from the earth; And righteousness looks down from heaven.

12 Indeed, the LORD will give what is good; And our land will yield its produce.

13 Righteousness will go before Him, And will make His footsteps into a way.”

“If you will behave yourself, like I have told you, we will see about you going to play with your cousins this afternoon.”

How often this strong-willed lad heard those words from his mother! Yet, time and again he was prohibited from those

desirable activities because he had disobeyed.

The previous seven verses of this Psalm parallel both my youthful disobedience and the disobedience of our nation.

We begged and begged for forgiveness, promising never again to ignore the commands of our Leader. We knew at

the point of our pleading that the LORD was right. He is always right! How could we ever dream of constructing a

nation without His guidance? Yet, one, small success after another led us to believe that WE had achieved the inevitable!

We then grew proud, boasting of our “successes,” but ignoring the spiritual guidance that would have guaranteed it.

Salvation ) ??????yesha ) translates as “deliverance, rescue, safety, welfare!” Is that not what we desire for ourselves

and our nation? Indeed it is near! –but only when we learn to fear and reverence the LORD! Glory (honor, abundance)

can indeed pervade our nation! The LORD “will give what is good,” but not until we learn to honor and obey Him.

Quite often, when I dutifully obeyed as a boy, my mother would exceed in her promises to me. Not only was I

allowed to play with my cousins, but the time was so extended that it seemed I was there all day. Obedience does

exceed stubbornness. Righteousness does produce peace. The LORD does “give what is good” to His people.

Just guess what’s holding Him back….

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 84:10-12, “For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of

my God, Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who

walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”

Life by any other name is a mixed blessing. There are those experiences that are so delightful, so precious, that we long for

them to last forever. At the same time, there are experiences that are so devastating that we actually doubt whether we can survive their experience!

The pslamist vows that an enclosure with the LORD is vastly more desirable than anything apart from Him. He would rather stand at the entrance to the door of the LORD’s house, without the privilege of even entering, than to shelter in fellowship with the wicked. The sun is productive. By it the LORD gives light and warmth and growth to things beneficial to mankind. At the same time, the sun is protective. By it, the LORD shields His own from the evil intentions of the wicked.

The LORD’s grace is His favor to His people. Every good thing His people possess is a gift from Him, Life itself graced with peace, has been bestowed at His hand. His glory bespeaks His honor that is awarded to those who love and serve Him sincerely. Check closely the psalmists closing words: “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

All of this says that rather than focus upon the uncertainties of the legal and illegal activities of others, our focus must ever and always be upon the LORD. For it is He who is rules and reigns on High! And His promises are unbreakably and securely bound up with mankind’s holy and upright living. Thus, “winning” in the current delimma that faces our nation and the world-at-large, depends solely on you and me! We must totally and thoroughly divest ourselves of all thoughts and intentions of wickedness –however pleasurable and justified it may seem. We must focus fully and completely upon the LORD and yield everything to Him! He alone is our Protector. And the quicker we learn to obey, the quicker He will alleviate our suffering.

“O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 74:10-11, 18-21, “How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Thy name forever?

11 Why dost Thou withdraw Thy hand, even Thy right hand? From within Thy bosom, destroy them!

18 Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled; And a foolish people has spurned Thy name.

19 Do not deliver the soul of Thy turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Thine afflicted forever.

20 Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Thy name.”

Remember when you were young and attending school? There were always some kids who thought they were tough.

Whatever they said, they backed up with threats of youthful violence. My cousin apparently didn’t understand them,

because one day when he was threatened, he took the tough guy to the ground and made him cry. Did that not make

a difference in things!

Some of those who escaped being defeated as children are still with us. They threaten us with words and violence.

They appear to outnumber those who could match them in physical battle. Yet, our victory lies with the LORD! The psalmist

simply cried, “Destroy them!” Do it completely! Wrestle them to the ground! Bring them to an end! And the basis for the

psalmist’s cry is that the enemy has defied and insulted and scorned the Name of the LORD! And in the process they have

caused “a foolish (senseless) people” to disdain the LORD’s Name, too.

Simultaneously, the psalmist pleads for the lives of those who love and follow the LORD. Please don’t deliver us (the dove)

into the hands of the enemy (the wild beast). Don’t ever forget how we are being afflicted (mistreated). But do remember

the covenant You promised to “Your descendants…throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7-8).

Especially, do we need Your promised covenant now, when our “land is full of the habitations of violence.”

Our final verse above pleads with the LORD to bring honor and deliverence to those who praise His Name! There is no

question but that we deserve the LORD’s wrath. As a nation, we have stood by and literally watched while babies (the LORD’s little ones) have been butchered and their body parts sold for money! Oh, we deserve His wrath! Still, Abraham once pled with the LORD not to destroy Sodom; and the LORD said, “I will not destroy it…,” if but ten righteous persons can be found there

(Gen. 18:32). Are we among the righteous? There are but two positions, and there is no escape from being counted.

May the LORD be gracious to us as well, and forgiving of our many sins. The LORD alone is our only hope! He can transform

us from sinful to righteous. We must just be willing to ask His forgiveness and commit our lives to Him and His directives.

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