The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 14:11-17, “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’
12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out
15 and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.’
16 ‘In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.’”

When we look closely at human nature, we are certain to see individuals, who clearly want to go their own way and do their own will, regardless of what other people think.

Thus, when groups of individuals gather with others of similar thinking, they produce a nation that does precisely what it thinks! It exercises what it wills without subjecting itself to what other nations believe or how they behave.

That is exactly the conclusion of Luke, author of the Book of Acts. He allows that the LORD has permitted nations to deviate from His original intention and go their own way, yet history clearly reveals the difficulties nations have encountered as they wandered willingly away from the LORD’s and His righteous intentions for them.

The emphasis of the closing verses above is that the LORD gave them “their own head” to do what they willed; yet, He never left them without His witness! And how did the LORD share His witness? “He did good and gave (them) rains from heaven and fruitful seasons…”

He does the same for mankind in every generation. Some of the poorest countries on earth today have His very witness in their midst. He has “never left them without His witness”! What is wrong is that countries have forgotten the LORD and have ignored the His witness that came to them through the sunshine and rain and crops–all that bring life.

All that we are, even all that we hope to become, we owe to the LORD Christ. We
are, therefore, responsible to yield our lives to Him! “Trust in the LORD with all your
heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

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