The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 11:29-30, ““Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (KJV).

More literally Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me (??? ????); because (???) I am gentle (?????) and lowly (????????) in heart: and ye shall find spiritual rest (???????? ?????????) to your souls. 30 For My yoke is kind (???????), and My burden is easy to bear (???????).”

When Jesus spoke to the people in this Matthewen text, He expressed it in soft and endearing words. He was certainly concerned that they learn the content of His teaching; however, He was equally concerned that they learn from Him. In the truest sense, to learn from Him was to learn of Him. And so it is of us today.

The Daniel text (1:5) is far less soft. Daniel growls, “..grow up; become great!” Why do you suppose He saved you, anyway? Some of us need that stiff language at times, do we not? We tend to “baby” ourselves, when we’ve been His far too long to be handled with kid gloves. The twigs that are intended to become trees need support. And stiff language is often the very support we need.

The John 7:15 verse is softer, yet it still carries the mandate: learn from Me. If we are to do just that, and become what our LORD intends us to become, it is imperative that we study His Word daily! There is always the tendency to peruse what others have said about Him. Yet, even the most humble, dedicated, scholars know less of Him than He knows of Himself. Therefore, always choose the best scholar. He wrote the best Book!

Acts 4:13 was both startling and self-identifing of me! Agrammatos translates “without learning, uneducated!” In an honest self-assessment, there was a time when I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Scriptures. Yet, if truth be told, I am now like a small child just commencing to learn the alphabet. Serious study in the Word of God reveals human inadequacy. Could that be why we’re tempted to slight our Bible study?

Acts 7:22 and 22:3 utilize the same Greek phraseology that urges us “to train and “chasten” and “correct” children. What the Scripture knows, however, is that as we obey the instruction it gives regarding others (i.e., the children), we cannot help but learn what the LORD has there for us.

Let me urge you to engage in serious, daily study of the Holy Bible. Start with prayer because without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can quickly find yourself in a Biblical quagmire. The Spirit leads us as we pray and brings the Scriptures to life! And when they come alive, we soon learn that we are alive, as well. God bless 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,

Revelation 22:17-21, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

There was an old radio game show that used to keep America laughing during war times. It was called, “Truth or Consequences.” Hosted by Ralph Edwards, it was a goofy show, where contestants often gave goofy answers to silly questions asked by the host. It was a clean and wholesome show and, for the most part, achieved precisely what it intended.

The LORD’s Words that close the Book of Revelation carry a “truth or consequences” theme also. Hear and embrace His Truth or suffer the eternal consequences for failure.

Notice the Truth: The LORD, together with His Bride, the Church, says “Come.” To embrace the LORD is to forfeit everything else. Pride, self-achievements, wealth –everything that is self-produced –everything that is dispensable– is not of Him. Those things are to be forfeited!

Yielding to the love and control of the LORD is to embrace His Truth. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…” (Jn. 14:6). Those who embrace Christ Jesus and His Word (the Bible) are indeed His people. We are all forbidden to add to His teachings (v. 18) and will suffer the “plagues…written” in the Holy Scriptures, if we do so.

At the same time, we are strictly forbidden from twisting or removing any of His Words from the Scriptures (v. 19), so as to alter His intended meaning.

And yes, He is “coming quickly!” Time is running out! Those of us who know Him must
fearlessly speak of Him and act quickly, as He has indicated.

On the 20th of April 2001, the India Mail (newspaper) reported on a Christian worker who was preaching the Good News in Madhya Pradesh in the Himalayas. The village chief asked the preacher, “Tell me the truth: why did you not come here two weeks earlier? I consulted a sorcerer to gain goodwill in my family. He performed some religious rituals in my house and said that if I sacrificed three small children before the moon came up on a full moon night, prosperity would never leave my home.”

“I was carried away by his words and I kidnapped two five-year-old boys from a neighboring village and sacrificed them to the gods; yet, I failed in all my attempts to kidnap the third child. Finally, I took my seven-year-old son and sacrificed him also, without any forethought. If you had told me about this Jesus a little earlier, I would never have killed those innocent children. Why did you come so late?” Then the chief wept bitterly.

Jesus’ Truth must be shared! Those who do not know Him, must hear and obey His Message! Those of us who know Him, must share His Message before it is too late.

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,

Revelation 9:1-4, “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.
2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

Previously, we have examined the LORD’s various judgments that will befall the Earth in the Last Days. They were attacks upon the Earth and its vegetation and atmosphere.
Of course, Satan is involved in seeking to wreck everything that God has established. He started with his wrecking crew in the Garden of Eden. Still, he will not win in the end!

Isaiah (14:12) tells us that Satan will fall: “How you have fallen from Heaven, o star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the Earth, You who have weakened the nations!” The devil will not quit until he is forced by the LORD to do so.

All that being said, what is most important is that you and I are not being influenced by the LORD’s chief adversary! We should make sure that we “have the seal of God” on
our lives. Turn your life over to Jesus. He will cleanse you and make you His own!

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

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,

Revelation 8:1-6, “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.
5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”

Under the Seventh Seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour! Remember that the First Four Seals sounded out the voice of thunder: war, removal of peace, famine and death. The Fifth Seal revealed the cry for vengeance from the Tribulation martyrs. And the Sixth Seal was a fearful tremor, reverberating throughout the whole of nature.

Now, in chapter eight, the Seal Judgments continue. With the Seventh Seal comes silence that emphasizes a declaration of major importance. It may be compared with the temporary silence in a courtroom just before the foreman reports to the Court the verdict of the jury.

Seven presence angels now stand before the LORD. They are the highest and mightiest of all created beings. The seven receive trumpets through which divine declarations will be announced. These Trumpet Judgments are infinitely more intense than the prior Seal Judgments.

Trumpet One (8:7) sounds a Botanical judgment (ground, trees, grass, vegetation). With this trumpet comes hail and fire, mixed with blood –all thrown to the Earth. And a third of the Earth suffered destruction from burning. Leaves purify the air by taking out carbon dioxide and giving back oxygen. Without photosynthesis, the replenishment of the Earth’s fundamental food supply would stop, and the planet would become devoid of oxygen (Compton).

Trumpet Two (8:8-9) sounds a Marine Judgment “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

Trumpet Three (8:1-11) sounds a Geological Judgment. “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.” Wormwood “is a bitter, intoxicating and poisonous herb. Used freely, it produces convulsions, paralysis, and death” (Seiss, 197).

Trumpet Four (8:12) sounds an Astral Judgment (sun, moon, stars). “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.” This is a distruction of the sources of light and heat to our world: the sun, moon and stars will shine with only a third of their light. This will disturb the seasons, hindering the ripening of fruit and harvests, and filling the world with a chill and an abundant sickness (Seiss, 198).

Give attention to the Eagle (8:13: “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-Heaven, saying with a loud voice: ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
(1)The Eagle is symbolic
A.…of Grace (Ex. 19:4, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself”).
B.…of Judgment (Dt. 28:49, “The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the Earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand…”).
C.…of Christ’s Coming (Mt. 24:28, “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.”)
(2)The Eagle is visibly allied with God (“flying in mid-Heaven”).
(3)The Eagle is audibly announcing God’s judgments (“shouting with a loud voice”).
A.Note well what he says: “Woe!”
B.Note well of whom he speaks: “…those dwelling on Earth.”

And still, these are only the beginnings of more intensive woes to follow. Evil will finally meet its execution! Make certain you belong to the LORD. He alone is your way of salvation!

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,

Revelation 6:1-17, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’
2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’
4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’
8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;
13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

It was John the Baptist, who first identified Jesus to the people by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). For Jesus would indeed be offered as “the Lamb,” sacrificed on the Cross for the sins of His people. His death was the Sacrifice for our sins, too. Yet, we have to acknowledge Him as the Substitute for us.

In the long, 17-verse passage above, the Apostle John (different from John the Baptist)
reveals the seven “seals,” or chapters, that will become known as the LORD reveals the things that will come to pass on the Earth. Like leaking water coming from a loose pipe, samples of what will come are already being revealed.

In Seal One there is the White Horse, the Antichrist. He pretends to be the Christ and ultimately persuades the Jews to follow him. They have long looked for their Messiah, and believing this to be Him, they fall in line and believe him. even as he misleads them.

Seal Two reveals a Red Horse, who is permitted to take peace from the earth. Under him, many wars break out and scores of people die as men vie with each other over land and various material things.

Seal Three is a Black Horse, whose rider carries a pair of scales, provokes famine
throughout the world. Food will be scarce, and where it is found, it is extremely
expensive! We’re experiencing a foretaste of that just now with oil and food prices on
the rise.

Seal Four is an Ashen Horse, bespeaking wars and famine. Death and Hades possess
authority to kill with the sword and with famine one-fourth of the earth. Pestilence and wild beasts will be employed as well.

Seal Five reveals the scores of souls who have been slain because they held fast to the Word of God and to their testimonies. To each of the believers was given a White Robe and is encouraged to hold out until the time of suffering is completed.

Seal Six produced a massive earthquake; the sin turned black and the moon became like blood. Stars fell from the sky, as the sky itself split apart. Mountains and islands were moved out of their places. Kings and mighty men, rich and strong, along with slaves and other free men cried out for the mountains to fall upon them and “hide themselves from the presence of Him who sits on the throne. They will cry for the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the LORD Jesus Christ, who sits on the Throne!

Oh, my dear friend, that terrible day is coming! The “winds of turbulence” are already
upon us! The LORD Jesus Christ is our only hope! “And there is salvation in no one
else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which
we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Pray a simple prayer to the LORD. Ask Him to forgive
your sins and take control of your life. He will forgive your sins; He will control your life!
Just ask Him to do it; and believe that He has! You are in my prayers, too.

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