The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Joel 3:14-17, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness.
16 The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more.”

I remember Billy Graham referring to the lost in one of his crusade meetings as their being in “the valley of decision.” Undoubtedly, he was viewing them as needing to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. Still, this is hardly what Joel meant when he spoke of the “multitudes in the valley of decision.”

The prophet Joel was one of the minor prophets of Old Testament times. “Minor,” however, does not mean that his message was of less value that those of the prophets who wrote more. It simply means that his message was shorter than say, Isaiah’s that has 66 chapters.

Joel’s name means “Jehovah is God,” and his writing of this three-chapter book occurred about 820 B.C.
It was a warning to the tribe of Judah because of her sin. As far removed as the date of this writing is from our time, the message is as relevant to us as it was to the nation of Judah! Joel was prophesying of the Final Day of Judgment that would fall upon all of the lost souls who had rejected His plea for their salvation.

Conservative Christian historians, agree that we, in our own time, have strayed from the ways of the LORD, and that Divine Judgment is surely our destiny. Yet, the LORD is not bound by time, as we consider it. Luke writes much like Joel when he says,

“’THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND
IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL
BE SAVED’” (Acts 2:20-21).

You are undoubtedly a sincere person; otherwise, you would not be reading this Letter. Yet, just reading
it is not sufficient. You need to make a commitment to the LORD Jesus Christ. Pray and confess every
sin in your life that comes to mind. Ask the LORD for forgiveness for those sins. Then, thank Him for forgiving them. Your life will be changed! He promises that! “Who can thrill the soul like Jesus?” God bless you abundantly!

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