The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 7:54-60, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.
58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep.”

Have you ever said something to someone that just made them mad? It wasn’t gossip. It wasn’t said in anger, but it was forceful; and above all, it was the truth! That’s exactly what occurred with Stephen in these verses of the seventh chapter of Acts. Stephen told the truth. It was a clear reiteration of a portion of Israel’s history. But, it just didn’t set well with the hearers.

It’s truly difficult to say things that you know beforehand will irritate those who hear them. Sermons are often like that. So, if your pastor shares Scripture that causes you to get angry, just stop for a few moments and evaluate what he said. It was biblical, wasn’t it? It fit the situation, didn’t it? Then, just praise the LORD that Truth from the Word had come to the ears of needy persons.

The verses above speak for themselves. Stephen spoke the truth; those who heard him didn’t like what he said. But his cry to the LORD should always be our cry; namely, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them!” It was at that moment that Stephen went into the presence of the LORD. What a way to go!! God bless you, dear reader! May the lessons of the Word strengthen you in the ways of the 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

Dear Grands,

Acts 2:36-40, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ– this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”

Have you ever made a serious mistake and wondered if you could ever correct it? This is one passage that should help you. Remember that Peter was the one who “jumped the gun” in casting lots that enabled Matthias to be numbered with the eleven apostles? Later in Jerusalem, he redeemed himself, as the Holy Spirit came upon the Jews on the Day of Pentecost. They began to speak in languages they had not previously known, and it was Peter who announced that what they had witnessed “…was spoken through the prophet Joel…” God had poured out on these Jews the Person of the Holy Spirit. And He had used Peter!

The Jewish people then turned to Peter for further instructions from the LORD, and Peter commanded them to repent (change their minds) and acknowledge the LORD Jesus’ in their lives by being baptized in Jesus’ Name. From that time onward, those who turned away from sin and trusted Christ Jesus for salvation, were baptized in acknowledgement their faith in Him.

It is not baptism that saves us; it is faith in Jesus that brings salvation. Yet, baptism in water is a pictorial sign of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, we physically demonstrate our belief in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for us! Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? If not, you ought to trust Him right now! If you have trusted Him, have you publicly demonstrated your salvation through baptism in water? If not, you should do so as soon as possible.

You may sometimes step out of line like Peter did before the Holy Spirit came. But you can still be forgiven and renew your fellowship with Christ just like Peter did. Don’t treat the love and sacrifice of Jesus with delay. Do all that He has commanded as quickly as possible! It’s obedience to Him and will be a blessing to 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,

Acts 1:20, “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and, ‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’”
Psa 109:1-8, “O God of my praise, do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without cause.
4 In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; let another take his office.”

To their credit, the disciples did pray when they got back to Jerusalem, but they failed to wait on the Holy Spirit for instructions. We’re like that sometimes –maybe more than “sometimes.” In yesterday’s Grands Letter, I noted that Simon Peter did not wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, as the LORD Jesus had instructed; rather, Peter quoted a verse from the Psalms and moved quickly to “cast lots” to determine who would take Judas Iscariot’s place among the twelve apostles. Sometimes we rush and grab a Scripture that suits our “thinking,” rather than waiting on the LORD as instructed.

Over time, the Psalms acquired categorical names. Psalm 109 is an “imprecatory” psalm — a psalm whose author calls for Divine devastation to fall upon his enemies. It certainly suited Peter’s personality. Doubtlessly, he had read it numerous times. Still, we have to be careful in our use of Scripture. The Bible does not exist as “ammunition” to destroy the thoughts or positions of others, who happen to oppose us on various issues. It needs always to be read and studied in the context in which it was originally written.

We would do well not to rush what we do, but to wait on the Holy Spirit’s lead. God’s ways are timeless. He doesn’t rush anything. We’re the ones who rush! And it often leads us to a less-than-helpful conclusion. Pray and wait! The LORD is always on time!

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,

Acts 1:6-11, “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

Ancient peoples often cast lots in order to determine their gods’ will for certain activities. Jews, Egyptians, all Old Testament people, used this means to realize supernatural determination of all kinds of matters. (Remember this when the referee tosses the coin at the commencement of a football game. This is the origin of the coin toss.)

Jesus is assembled with some 120 people on the occasion of His ascension into Heaven. Jewish believers were always concerned about the timing of the restoration of their kingdom. He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit, as all of that lay in the hands of the Father in Heaven. They would know when it was time for them to know, but not until the LORD revealed it. Then they witnessed Him ascend into Heaven.

Yet after they returned to Jerusalem, Peter got anxious and urged them to chose someone to take Judas Iscariot’s place with the 12, Judas having hanged himself. Peter was obviously not waiting on the Holy Spirit. And it was then that they prayed and “drew lots” (v. 26) according to the Judaistic way; and Matthias was numbered with the eleven apostles. The only other mention of “casting lots” in the New Testament is where the Roman soldiers “cast lots” at the foot of the cross for the seamless garment that Jesus wore (Lk. 23; Jn 19).

The teachings in these verses are multiple. We must pray and wait on the Holy Spirit to give us counsel regarding everything we do. God’s timing of events is always superior to ours. Be patient. Notice carefully the difference between Old Testament Judaism and New Testament Christianity. Judaism uses Law; Christianity relies on Grace, the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If you’re a Christian, you must rely on the Holy Spirit. He is given to you to guide and instruct you in the way of the 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

Dear Grands,

Matthew 6:9-15, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen .’”

The day just past having been “Fathers’ Day,” it was appropriate in multiple ways that we remember our Heavenly Father. It is He who lives to make us into His own likeness, and He does so when we divest ourselves of the sin that comes between us.

He lives in Heaven; we live on Earth. Yet, we on Earth are to revere His Name for there is nothing that we possess that is not first allowed by Him. He gives us all that we need and far more than we deserve. While we wait for His Kingdom to come with all of its wonders and purity, His will is being processed on Earth even as it is in Heaven.

He provides for our daily needs; He gives us food to eat. He forgives the debts we owe to Him for all that He is and for all that He provides. He expects us to forgive those who are indebted to us for much lesser things that we are indebted to Him. The Light of His Life delivers us from evil –even from the temptations that arise within us– temptations to entertain evil. We are His by creation– His by Divine Design. His alone is the kingdom that is coming, with His power and His glory forever. May it ever be so! And may we each be ready.

Thank you, Blessed LORD, for all that You are and all that You do! We owe everything to 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