The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 18:1-7, “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

The Kidron Valley is a sizeable ravine that separates the Temple Mount from the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s seems but a short distance when you’re viewing it; yet, it’s much longer when you’re walking from one to the other. Jesus had gone there to pray, and He was accompanied by His disciples.

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, had earlier advised the Romans and the Pharisees’ chief priests that Jesus would be there. It would have been a joyful reunion had Judas and the cohort come to hear and receive Christ’s message of salvation. Sadly, they had not come for that purpose. They had come to place Him under arrest.

It’s much like today. There will be people in church on Palm and Resurrection Sundays –not because they’re seeking to hear and learn His Message of Eternal Life, but because tradition beckons them. Some seek to satisfy family members, some of whom have come to truly worship Him.

When Jesus saw them, He asked, “Whom do you seek?” We will all do well to allow Jesus’ question to be asked of us. “Whom do you seek?” –and for what purpose do you seek Him?

Jesus responded, “I AM!” –and the power that exuded from Him knocked them to the ground! Only when He asked them the second time were they able to reply, “Jesus, the Nazarene.” Let me warn you of the power that’s encompassed in His Name. Be careful what and why you ask. It was this Jesus who who spoke– “Let there be light!” And the world’s firmament and the elements in the heavens were instantly exposed to the eyes of all mankind.

Jesus’ enquirers would soon learn of His Power, as the Cross and the Resurrection lay just ahead. For now, His power avails that you might believe on Him! You do believe, don’t you? Oh, I pray that you do!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.”
– Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Micah 6:6-8, “With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves?
7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

If you’ve ever been invited to meet or dine with someone of nobility, you have a small idea of
what was troubling the prophet Micah. Even more troubling was the translation of his name:
for in translation it meant, “Who is like Jehovah.”

Not much is known of the prophet Micah, and he is quoted but three times in the Scriptures:
once, by the elders of the land (Jer 26:18); again in the prophecy of Micah 3:12; and by the Magi, quoting Micah in their quest for the Christ Child, indicated in the writing of the prophet,

“AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST
AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME
FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL” (Matt. 2:6).

We might, therefore, assess that it matters less how many times a prophet speaks or writes; the importance lies in the vitality of his prophecies. All of God’s Word is of vital importance!

Many of us take medicine every day without knowing specifically what it contains. We take
it by faith. Our belief lies first in the doctor who prescribed it; then, we trust the pharmacist,
who dispenses it. We may not know specifically the value of Holy Scripture when we read
and devour it. Yet, it builds up our spiritual lives and enables us to grow in the likeness of
our LORD Jesus Christ.

Form a daily habit of reading the Bible. Establish a time for prayer and submit your needs
to the LORD. Trust Him and His Word thoroughly! He longs to be your Spiritual Provider.

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,

Judges 9:50-56, “Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it.
51 But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower.
52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman slew him.'” So the young man pierced him through, and he died.
55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers.”

There’s an old saying, “You cannot do wrong and get by.” Long before the occasion of these
verses above, Abimelech had murdered 70 of his brothers (Jud. 9:5). And for a short while it looked as if he was going to get away with it. Yet, there was indeed a payday coming. The word is true:
“For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings
will return on your own head” (Obad. 1:15).

The death that befell Abimelech repaid the wickedness he had dealt to his brothers. In fact,
it was more humiliating because of the way he died: that unknown woman who threw a
millstone from the tower and “crushed his skull.” It was not a warrior that hit him; it was not a
crew of brave young men; it was a woman –possibly a grandmother!– but too lowly for her
name to be included in the text. What a way for an egotistical young man to be remembered!

All of this is a stark lesson for us. It may be that we’ve not physically murdered anyone; yet we
have discolored someone’s reputation by the things we’ve said and the attitude we have conveyed. May the LORD enable us to escape the footsteps of Abimelech. We cannot do wrong and get by!

Have you done wrong to someone? It would be wise to confess that wrong. The LORD stands ready always to forgive.

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,

Romans 5:6-9, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Strange are the stories of those who are saved. The church of which I am a member is sponsoring a new church in London, England. We weren’t told all of the story, but the pastor was witnessing to a man, who, apparently in anger, arose and stalked out of the restaurant where the two had been in conversation. A week or so following, the man came to faith in Jesus Christ!

Only recently, I heard a man testify that while he had consistently resisted the Savior, a pastor had visited his home and led his Mormon wife to faith in Christ. When together the man and his wife attended the pastor’s church, the man came to faith in Jesus at the close of that morning worship.

As I heard these testimonies, the thought raced again through my mind: this is but one of the reasons the LORD saves us. He not only wants us to be saved; we are to bear a faithful witness that others might come to know Him, also.

Who have you encountered lately that needed the LORD? Sometimes, it’s difficult to know. Therefore, we should be alert. Both of the men mentioned above seemed not to want to hear the Gospel. Yet, they hungered within themselves to know Jesus! That London pastor could have given up. So could the pastor who visited the other man’s home.

There’s an old saying that goes, “The tougher they are, the harder they fall.” External toughness is the cloak with which people cover their known need for the Savior. They know; and when they know that you know, they pull the cover about them all the more tightly. Yet, Jesus cannot be avoided. Pray for His leadership. You never know to whom you are speaking.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Use this tract! Email it to someone too far for a personal witness.

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,

Leviticus 5:14-18, Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
15 “If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the LORD’S holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.
16 “He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.
17 “Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
18 “He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him.”

The two human activities in the verses above are both similar and yet they are different. Both
Individuals are guilty of sin. The first person appears to have acted against an edict of the LORD, yet, though he did it unintentially, it was still a sin at the time of its commitment.

The other individual appears to have done something the LORD had already commanded not
to be done, yet his activity was considered sin, although it was unintentional. I guess I could
liken this to a child who was absent when the teacher announced a forthcoming test. No one
told the absent child about the coming test; yet, he failed nevertheless.

When I was a child and told to do something, I often asked, “Why?” The response I received
from my mother was: “Because I told you to!” Had I known at that time in my life that no sentence should ever end with a preposition, I would still have best refrained from correcting my mother!

In my mind, the laws of the LORD in Old Testament times were very strict and often not as clear to our thinking as we might like them to be. Nevertheless, the LORD intends us to know
all He has said; thus, He intentionally gave us the Scriptures.

I will be the first to admit that there are verses in the Bible that I find very difficult to grasp and apply to my own life. Still, if the Holy Scriptures were to read like the few words in a small child’s coloring book, we would not be challenged! So, when I come across verses like these cited above, I know that it will take more than a casual reading to grasp their understanding. Yet, when we do understand them, they will continue to be a challenge to our lives!

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