The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 26:1-7; 12-18, “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:
2 “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today;
3 especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.
6 “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;
7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.”

(Saul now tells of his conversion to Christ.)
12 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.
14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”

Yesterday’s opportunity to witness for Christ prompts these passages concerning Paul’s witness of his own conversion. He had been the Jewish leaders’ foremost advocate and was unexcelled in imprisoning and killing those who believed in Jesus’ resurrection and Messiahship. Still, when the LORD revealed the Truth to Paul, he suddenly became the LORD’s chief spokesman. There is little I can add to what is stated above, except that Jesus is real, He changes people when they acknowledge their sins and confess Him as their LORD and Savior. And as I have said previously, salvation is so simple that that some stumble over its simplicity. A holy God requires a sacrifice for man’s sin. He provides the sacrifice through His Son, Jesus,
who died on the Cross of Calvary.

Yet, He did more: He arose from the dead; and when we believe on Him and ask His forgiveness for our sins, He accepts (saves) us, and He does so without delay. A mystical change occurs within us; we become new creatures and He becomes our LORD and Savior; and Heaven becomes our eternal home.

You won’t hear this in many churches today; but where you do hear it, you can count on it being one of His Churches. Trust Him today! Yield yourself to Him and His way! You will never regret knowing Christ Jesus as your Savior!

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