Archive for April, 2023


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Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 30:15-18, “’Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great and your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.
16 ‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; and those who plunder you will be for plunder, and all who prey upon you I will give for prey.
17 ‘For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”‘
18 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwelling places; and the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, and the palace will stand on its rightful place.’”

The armies of Nebuchadnezzar had surrounded the people of God. Jeremiah had been taken, and was being held prisoner. The people of the LORD had turned away from His directives; thus, things indeed were looking bleak.

Still, the LORD had promised His intervention. He has promised to devour those who had sought to devour His people. He will plunder those who have plundered His people. He will heal the wounds of His people because they had been called an outcast by their enemies. Delivery is promised because it has been said, “No one cares for her.”

Did you ever have a feeling somewhat like that? Things were going wrong. Everyone seemed to be against you. You tried to remedy things for yourself, but nothing was working. Time was failing just as energy and plans were. Is there a way out? Is no one is interested in helping me? What am I going to do? To whom can I appeal my case?

The only difference was that the LORD’s people had not turned things over to the LORD! Will a godly parent forsake his child? Will a loving mother not comfort her own offspring? Even so, the LORD will care tenderly for His own. He knows the way out of all your troubles.

“The LORD will restore the fortunes you have lost. He will show compassion on your dwelling place that has been confiscated; and the city where you lived will be rebuilt on its ruins; and the palace of the LORD will stand again in its rightful place.

Dodge despair! Grasp the promises of the LORD! He is the answer to all your dilemmas. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”
(1 Pet. 5:7).

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

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Dear Grands,

Matthew 12:35-41, “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

My daughter, Teri, and I always do our grocery pickup together. We each know the way, so it’s not that either of us needs the other –it’s just fun!

Today, as we set out on our weekly excursion, we talked about the Resurrection of Jesus and how thoughts of it has drifted from Him and fallen into Easter egg hunts and the like –things that delight young children, but truly are misdirecting them away from the spiritual Truth involved.

Verse 35 above truly captures everything within us all: “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.” This is certainly not to say that everyone who initiates or participates in an Easter egg hunt is evil; it only says that they have sidestepped the Truth – truth that children especially should hear and believe.

Additionally, it misguides the children by denying them the truth the LORD intended us all to know about Him and His Resurrection. Think what you will,
my late wife and I dismissed the “egg routine” with our kids when they were young and taught them the true meaning of Jesus Resurrection. That’s what
my daughter remembered in our conversation this morning.

“By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (v. 37). Jesus is Alive and, by the looks of things, He will be coming shortly. Please be ready! And help your children and grandchildren
to be ready, 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

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Dear Grands,

Matthew 12:43-45, “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

One of my hobbies is reading. Currently, I am reading Volume 2 of Albert Henry Newman’s A Manual of Church History. I find it a little more inviting than Volume 1 because it is concerned with how the Church originated, leading up to its origin and development in the United States. Those of us who love history are particularly interested in spiritual matters and how they developed leading up to our own times!

One interesting comment reads, “…no man was eligible for a civil office, unless he was a menber in good standing of a recognized church; and loss of membership meant expulsion from office,” meaning, of course, political office! How that would regulate things if it were enforced today!

Our verses above, of course, relate to Satan and his emmisaries; but it is not a red-colored, long-tailed adversary that we have. Our adversary comes well
dressed, with an excellent vocabulary, piercing eyes, and a bright, warm smile.

Take a look at many of our civil office personnel today. They’re warm and compelling. Yet, that’s the outside…the visible self. They often profess a faith, but seldom live as if they possessed it. They look just like we look! For
shame, but they do! We both –we all look about the same!

Dear friend, we are living in the Last Days! My “last days” may come before
those described in the Scriptures. Of that, I don’t know! But everything that
we never imagined would turn for the worse is upon us. Fewer churches today are preaching the Gospel, advocating spiritual principles, or living out the truths established for us and portraded in the Life of our LORD Jesus Christ.

What counts today is MONEY!! “Dollars for drivel” is the current watchword. Never mind the spiritual lifestyle, just go for what counts: that mighty dollar!
That’s today’s mantra of multiple churches. And our nation is reaping what
the self-called pastors advocate. “Even so, come, LORD Jesus!”

If you’re attending a Gospel-preaching church, pray for your pastor! He’s
often under far greater pressures that you will ever know. Only the LORD
can call and install His men in His pulpits. Christ and His Word are our only Hope!

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

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Dear Grands,

John 12:9-11, “The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also;
11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.”

I love Jewish people! They love to debate –and so do I! We never get mad – at least, I don’t. I just stay with the core aspect of the discussion and relate it to the Scriptures.

One of my friends in college was a Jewish believer. When we lived in Florida, the man across the street was Jewish. We became good friends and spent some good time playing tennis. His son (much nearer my age) and I quite amiably discussed the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He was so close coming to Christ when he suddenly left for Israel.

Most of the Jewish people I have met were either very interested in Jesus, or they simply wanted to debate. Enroute to Australia, the man across the aisle was Jewish. I gave him our Team paper to read. He read every word, then turned to me and said in a rather gruff tone, “Why does everyone want to blame the Jews for crucifying Jesus?” To which I calmly replied, “Because they did! –and so did I.”

Have you ever thought of yourself as being one who crucified Jesus? Probably not. Yet, in reality, failure to trust Him as your Savior is virtually the same as saying, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

We are currently in the Resurrection remembrance era. Read the whole of the Gospel of John during this time. Recognize that Jesus gave His Life for Jews as well as for Gentiles. His death and resurrection were for everyone! Yet, no one belongs to His New Creation until they have asked serious forgiveness for their sins. All sin is really against Jesus, and He alone can forgive sin. What a joy that we can come to know Him in this very, holy Resurrection Season! I will be praying for you who do not know Him.

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

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Dear Grands,

Matthew 26:20-25, “Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.”
21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
22 Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.
24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

Here’s an old saying: “Sometimes silence is golden; sometimes it’s yellow!”
Judas Iscariot would have done well to have been “golden” in that moment. Yet, he was not. Why are those who are guilty always the first to proclaim their innocence? –and they do it without thinking!

It was one of the most solemn moments Jesus ever had with His 12 disciples. It must have crushed His heart to even mention disloyalty in a moment like that one! Oh, it had to be disclosed. Yet to those of us who read the account in the Scriptures, it is heart-breaking!

Those of us who have harbored a secret and then shared it within a group, have noticed that just keeping silent is often sufficient to prompt the guilty party to be the first to speak up. In this instance, it was Judas Iscariot, who blurted out, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Oh, but it is! “It’s the squeaky wheel that has gotten the grease.”

The disciples were in the upper room, when the 120 decided to select someone to take Judas Iscariot’s place, and they spoke of him as one who “turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24). Yes, sadly, Judas Iscariot “hanged himself” (Mat. 27:5). He was obviously unable to contend with the consciousness of what he had done. How is your conscience? Will it stand in the presence of God? It can; but you must first turn your heart over to Christ!

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

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