The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 9:5-8, “When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us.”
6 He said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.”
7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8 The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.”

Kish was a decendant of Benjamin and he had a son named Saul. In the course of time, some donkeys, belonging to Kish, became lost, and he sent Saul and one of his servants to find and return them. The two of them searched quite carefully, but found nothing of the lost donkeys.

It was Saul’s thought that they should return home, lest his father become concerned for their long absence from home. But the servant who accompanied Saul, insisted that there was a man of God who lived in this nearby city. So, Saul relented and agreed –but wait! “How can we inquire of him and not give him some remuneration?” Saul said. “We’ve eaten all of our food and we have nothing to give.”

The servant then discovered one-fourth of a shekel of silver in his pouch. They could give it to the man of God, and he would guide them, hopefully to the lost donkeys. Isn’t it amazing how people in those days whent to the spiritual leaders for information? Even more, they saw it necessary to offer him money for sharing something with them something they did not know?

It is truly amazing how much information pastors know, even today! If you’re curious, keep on reading beyond the few verses cited above. You’ll learn how true men of God know so much! We would all know more, were we living closer to the LORD. It all starts with daily Bible reading and prayer. Have you started that daily routine in your life? You should, you know!

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 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

Dear Grands,

Joel 2:1-13. “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near,
2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations.
3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.
4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run.
5 With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle.
6 Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale.
7 They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like soldiers; and they each march in line, nor do they deviate from their paths.
8 They do not crowd each other, they march everyone in his path; when they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks.
9 They rush on the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness.
11 The LORD utters His voice before His army; surely His camp is very great, for strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, and who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.”

If I were to continue to open my comments with notations of my childhood, I would undoubtedly run the risk of your believing that I was indeed a mischievous child. Well, I was sometimes mischievous –just not all of the time!

Still, I have to wonder if my notice of the nefarious occurrences in our nation and world is aided in any way by the learning (or lack of it) I had as a child.

The Book of Joel is listed among the prophecies of the Old Testament. And those very prophecies, if not fulfilled in biblical eras, are destined yet to be fulfilled in our own time. Their position and appearance are as biblically accurate as was the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ.

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants
of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near” (vs.1).

Years ago, when my wife and I lived in the St. Louis area, the pastor of one of the downtown churches preached every Sunday evening on the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. Yes, and he drew crowds! Yet, as I revisit that era in my mind, there was nothing of the open criminal activity like we are experiencing today. Over the years, I’ve attended numerous court sessions; but they were virtually a children’s playtime when compared with what we’re experiencing in our courts today.

The church I attend has numerous groups that minister to men and women who are incarcerated in county facilities. Recent reports were most encouraging concerning the numbers who received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Still, it’s a small, small group when compared with the hundreds and thousands
who are imprisoned throughout the nation and the enormous number that ought to be!

“They’re getting away with their crime!” some shout. Yes, but there is a day coming when they and we all will be called to answer to the LORD for our sins. And the sins of the multitudes that have never ever engaged in “criminal activity” will be rounded up and incarcerated by the Strong Hand of Almighty God!

No guilty party will escape. From the lowliest undisciplined child who never heard of God except in vile,
blasphemous language, to the highest ranking official in the government of the most powerful nation on
Earth – each will be brought before the LORD in His Court of Divine Justice.

Yet, for the righteous, there’s a GREAT DAY COMING! Jesus will reign! And they who know Him will reign with Him! Where are you on God’s List? He has two lists: 1) those who are repentant and belong
to Him; and 2) those who neglect or refuse Him. Don’t miss the Good List! Those on that List are praying for 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,

2 Samuel 1:1-16, Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag.
2 On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
3 Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”
4 David said to him, “How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”
5 So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely.
7 “When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’
8 “He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’
10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him.
12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”
14 Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?”
15 And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died.
16 David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.'”

This is a long passage, but it seemed to me that we needed it all in order to get the background and meaning.

It was the custom of the Jews to weep and tear their clothes when a devastating occurrence had befallen them. We generally withdraw away from others when occurrences similar to this befall us. Moreover,
David wanted the full accounting of how it all came to pass. David was not only devastated at the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, he was concerned that Saul’s death came at the hand of an enemy.

At the same time, Saul ordered the young Amalekite to kill him. It seems to escape David’s notice that instant death was better than death by lingering. Remember too that David and Jonathan were very close companions in their youth; yet David said nothing about Jonathan’s death, only Saul’s.

The slaying of the young Amalekite, who thoughtfully brought the news to David, seems inappropriate. Yet, all of these queries fall in line with the customs of that day. David’s statement, “Your mouth has
testified against you…” seems quaint, too. Yet, I am fearful that many of us fall prey to testifying against ourselves in the same way.

We do testify negatively when we acknowledge being Christians, but fail to open our mouths on behalf of our LORD Jesus Christ! Perhaps we can extricate ourselves from such neglect by asking the LORD’s blessing upon a dear, elderly friend, who, as I write, is facing a situation of which she has no current knowledge. Please pray for Barbara.

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,

Joshua 1:1-7, “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,
2 ‘Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
3 ‘Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.
4 ‘From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.
5 ‘No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
6 ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 ‘Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.’”

I don’t normally read the sports pages; however, the other day I noticed that a 30-some year-old aspiring professional football player had died. Not that his death did not matter, but whatever team had aspired to sign him is now looking for someone else. None of us is indispensable!

The LORD alone is qualified to say who shines brighter for His service. Moses stood out like none other!
He foreshadowed the Baby Jesus Himself when he was withdrawn from the Nile River by the daughter of the Egyptian King. He was schooled in the language and culture of Egypt; yet he stood before the king and performed miracles until the king released him to leave Egypt. He then lead the Israelites through the Red Sea and into the promised land!

Now, Joshua, who was faithful under Moses’ leadership, is the LORD’s selected new leader. The LORD is never without a chosen leader. It’s as if Joshua were under His serveilence all the time. Indeed He has each of us under serveilence, being morally and spiritually evaluated for some future, spiritual service. Yet, none of us is fully prepared until we meet the spiritual standard of His desire. At that point, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life…Be strong and very courageous…so that you may have success wherever you go.”

Spiritual strength commences with spiritual trust in the LORD Jesus Christ! Do you know Him? He is the
One whose death and resurrection we celebrated recently on Resurrection Sunday! His death was for you! His Life is for you, as well. A simple, yet sincere, prayer of trust will make Him your’s –and you His!
I am praying for 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