The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Judges 1:1-7, “Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?’
2 The LORD said, ‘Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.’
3 Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So, Simeon went with him.
4 Judah went up, and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
5 They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.”

Have you ever heard of the “Law of Retributive Justice”? Possibly not; however, what you have just read is the prime example of it. The LORD’s Word, spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah says, “As she (the Babylonians) has done to others, so do to her” (Jer. 50:15).

The LORD then spoke saying, “Summon many against Babylon, all those who bend the bow: encamp against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her work; according to all that she has done, so do to her; For she has become arrogant against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel” (Jer. 50:29).

Thus, Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.”

It undoubtedly was a punishment unlike any Adoni-bezek had ever previously received. We should note
that our LORD’s punishments are not softened for us
anymore than for Adoni-bezek. We are able to hear and understand His Word; thus, when we refuse or neglect to do as He has commanded, we should not be surprised at His reactionary punishment.

When my dear Mother punished me, she always reminded me why. God does the same with us. The
key is to obey, so we’ll never be surprised.

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,

Deuteronomy 8:11-18, “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today;
12 otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them,
13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,
14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
15 “He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint.
16 “In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.
17 “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’
18 “But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

With all the provisions and protection we are promised in the Scriptures, we are nevertheless warned against becoming proud and forgetting the good Hand of God that has provided it all.

To our discredit, we are forced to admit that when good things come our way, we either credit ourselves with their procurement or grant that “luck” has “smiled upon us.” Rarely, do we acknowledge the LORD for such provisions.

Throughout the Scriptures, we are taught that all good things come to us via the benevolent Hand of God. Do we trust Him? Do we really believe Him? Is He really, truly resident in the Heaven as supported by the Scriptures? If we truly believe in Him, why do we so often behave otherwise?

“Put on your thinking cap,” my mother used to say. Quit listening to those who boast of their doubts! “Doubt,” by definition says, “I don’t know.” So, why would anyone listen to those who admit to possessing no knowledge of spiritual things? Who is truly the less dependable?

There are 291 verses in both the Old and New Testaments that attest and support the concept of “belief.” True believers need only one.

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,

Joel 2:25-31, “Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 “You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame.
27 “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.
28 “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke.
31 “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

An historically unparalleled calamity had befallen the land! Joel was himself as insignificant as the catastrophe that had come upon the land. Yet, the LORD had obviously selected him to sound the alarm to the nation of Israel.

A severe drought had visited the land, with unprecedented swarms of locusts gleaning what they could of the remnant. Joel’s ministry was to highlight the seriousness of the spiritual condition of the people –a condition that was an irritant to Almighty God!—and to call the nation to repentance!

We’re not under attack from streams of locusts today, yet our situation is far more severe. “Spiritual locusts” have invaded our religious world and are gnawing away in every possible manner against our reverence toward God. These “locusts” have
removed virtually all meaningful, sacred songs from our itinerary. There is no quiet time for prayer and inner reflection. Instead, we are often left with noise and homilies that have replaced Scripture!

Men, whose “callings” into ministry fail the spiritual, moral and biblical tests, now occupy the pulpits of the spiritual churches of the past; and those men feed their congregations with chaff that even the locusts could not devour.

The emphases of these pulpits no longer ring with “thus saith the LORD”; rather, they focus upon receiving the monetary offerings of people, while in turn they dispense a pablim of humanistic “feel good isms” that clearly attack or ignore the purity of the Gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ.

When will all of this “playing church” nonsense end? There is no end to the locusts’ attacks in Joel’s prophecy. True worship is, therefore, relegated to the earnest hearts of the true believers.

Are you a true believer? The Word of the LORD, the Bible, exists for your spiritual nourishment. Devour the Scriptures daily! The “church players” are intent on taking even them away.

Prayerfully 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,

Proberbs 15:27-33, “He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones.
31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.
32 He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.
33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.”

Have you noticed how many names in the news are connected with theft? Politicians, sportsmen, actors, even pastors — “men of the cloth”? There seems to be no limit to what some will do for a mere monetary increase.

The only humorous aspect of these cravings lies in the manner of how some of them are caught. “Nobody will ever know,” they think; yet, that very thought belies their human ignorance. They would do well to listen to Solomon.

Solomon says, “Craving for dishonest gain brings trouble on a house…,” while “…hatred of bribery earns life.” Simultaneously, he notes, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3). Still, stories abound of thieves who believed they would escape the next time.

Ananias and Sapphira lied about keeping back some of the money they had pledged to the LORD; and they paid with their lives (Acts 5:1ff)!

Still, the root of theft is not always about money. It’s the human ego that erroneously believes it is more intelligent than the Mind of Almighty God! Some, in fact, deny the very existence of God; yet, in the finality of all, those men lose.

When our minds are trained to focus on Jesus, and when we endeavor to live in His Word every day, we will avoid the thoughts and activities that run counter to His will. It is then that He will bestow upon us far more than we had thought to bestow upon ourselves. Trust Him and see!

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,

Proverbs 15:7-10, “The lips of the wise spread knowledge, not so the hearts of fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is abhorrent to Yahweh, dear to him is the prayer of the honest.
9 The conduct of the wicked is abhorrent to Yahweh, but he loves the person whose goal is uprightness.
10 Correction is severe for one who leaves the way; whoever hates being reprimanded will die.”

There are five emphases in these four verses that are as mandatory as they are instructive.

1.Who gains anything by listening to the muttering of fools? The instruction here extends far beyond mere nonsense from a person; it extends to what we see and hear via radio, television, the internet and elsewhere.

2.Only the fool believes his ungodly behavior is covered from the knowledge of God by some “self-sacrifice,” “good deed,” or “superficial prayer.”

3.Only the fool believes that his daily, wicked conduct –even in part– escapes the all-seeing eye of the LORD.

4.Only severe correction will straighten the life of the fool who departs from the way of the LORD.

5.Hatred for reprimands leads to death for the one who resists sincere, godly instruction.

The wisdom of the LORD is partially contained in Holy Scripture. All who read and heed His words of instruction are wise. Pray for me, too, that I might always heed His instruction.

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