The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 3:8-13, “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’
10 He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was
naked; so I hid myself.’
11 And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree
of which I commanded you not to eat?’
12 The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the
tree, and I ate.’
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ And the
woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”

Excuses, excuses, excuses… Life is full of excuses, most of which are lame and
worthless. Such was so of Adam and Eve in the beautiful and luscious garden of
hope and peace the LORD had ordained for them.

Subsequently, there was a “passing of the buck!” It’s so easy for us to blame Eve
and Adam for their disobedience against God. They apparently ignored the fact that
God was still around. That was their second problem. The first was their having done the very opposite of what God had told them.

It’s an old, old story –a truthful account, nevertheless, and traceable to how we got
to where we are today. I well remember when Pearl Harbor was bombed and we
were launched into World War II. Everyone was fearful that a loved one would be
called into military duty. Some boasted that they could hardly wait to get into the
fight.

It’s beyond our reach to surmise what lay in the hearts of Eve and Adam on the
fateful day when they were summoned before the LORD. Everything each of
them said was true –true to a point. Yet, they were quick to pass the blame to yet
the other.

We’re still like that! I don’t pretend to know everything that lies in the minds and
hearts of warfaring people; but I will forever remember the Hamas leader who
shouted against Israel as he launched that first strike! Now, his people suffer the
loss of so much, as they drag other nations with them into the fight. Unlike Eve,
who admitted to her sin, Hamas elects to forget they fired that first shot.

We must pray for Israel and for those in Gaza, who are suffering from the fire their
own kinsmen kindled and fanned into flame! Surely, we’re living in the last days!

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,

Luke 10:25-37, “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
26 And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’
27 And he answered, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
28 And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.’
29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’
30 Jesus replied and said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, (see Jn. 4:9)
34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.”
36 ‘Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?’
37 And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’”

It’s probably just as well than I cannot remember the people there or the occasion involved. In retrospect, it would surely have been best had I said nothing; yet, the truth is I clearly spoke out-of-turn, and was softly rebuked by one who said, “We’re
a little touchy about such things here.”

This lawyer’s question, however, was as polite as it was appropriate! Jesus’
response went directly to the heart of the issue. It asked which of the three who encountered the injured Samaritan in the parable that Jesus cited was correct? Remember, that Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Had the priest or the Levite stopped to attend to the Samaritan’s needs, they would have violated their vows and been religiously “unclean,” and they would have been denied entrance into the Temple.

In our time, that would be the equivalent to a man with a carefully detailed car,
being unwilling to transport a bleeding man to a nearby hospital because of his clean car! In both instances, we have to ask: “What is of greatest importance?”

Spiritually, we are always to “put first things first!” The question is: “Do we?”
What is of greatest importance? Is it always “greatest” to us, regardless of where
we are? If not, why is it not? It should be, should it not?

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,

Mark 13:11-13, “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry
beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in
that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children
will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures
to the end, he will be saved.”

Please permit me to ask you an extremely serious question: Do you worry?

My mother was a strong Christian woman, but she was a worrier. I have
no idea where her tendency to worry originated. But it did! Her mother (my
grandmother) never worried. She turned everything over to the LORD. I can
clearly (well, almost clearly) recall grandmother saying, “You just have to
turn it over to the LORD.” That’s what she did, but apparently, she was
never able to transfer that trust totally to her daughter, my mother.

For one thing, my mother was told by physicians that she would never be
able to bear a child. That, to a young woman, is a serious matter. Then I
came along and gave her real reason to worry! (No comment, please!)

A well-intentioned neighbor once said, “Don’t tell me it doesn’t pay to worry;
nothing I ever worried about ever happened.”

Still, Jesus tells us not to worry. Say, you’re told that you going to be arrested:
“What on earth will I say?” you ask yourself. Jesus says just don’t try to get
ahead of what you’re facing. When the right time comes, I will tell you what
to say.

I’m sure I’ve previously shared my experience with two men, who were
seated in the front of a small truck. I shared Christ with them, and they asked
a question. I had not anticipated any questions, but I laughed and without the slightest hesitation, I said, “Oh, that’s right here in the Bible.” I flipped open
the Bible and the very verse I needed was right there before my eyes! I was more surprised than the men in the truck! That happened twice with those men!
It has never happened since!

I am certainly not urging you to ignore the understanding of the Bible! But the
LORD is in control when we relinquish control and trust thoroughly in Him!
Arrest, betrayal, hatred, and all evil things argue for fear and anxiety. Still, the LORD is in control and will enable you to endure to the end. Then, you will
value salvation and learn to trust in God! Are you there yet? I sure hope so!

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,

Mark 13:3-10, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter
and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately,
4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things
are going to be fulfilled?”
5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
6 “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many.
7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things
must take place; but that is not yet the end.
8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will
be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely
the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged
in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a
testimony to them.
10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

Are you an inquisitive person? Do you always “have to know” what caused what?
Well, I will admit that I’m one of those who always has a need to know “what started
what –and why!” Undoubtedly, that will be as close to Peter, James, John and Andrew
as I will ever get — except for being on the Mount of Olives. I’ve been there.

Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a monumental work of over 3,000 pages; yet it demonstrates that war then was much like the current Israeli-Hamas
War in the Middle East. Nevertheless, we should neither be surprised nor misled;
Jesus said that these things “must take place; but that is not yet the end.”

The best reporting I have found on the Israel-Hamas War comes from India’s television “Vantage” (F.). To me, the India report is much like a reading of the Scripture above. Nations are taking sides, leading some to wonder how widely this war will spread and how long it will last.

What is uppermost, however, is Jesus’ reply to his disciples’ questions. It ought to be uppermost to us; namely, “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations…” Sin
is the cause of nations warring against each other. The gospel (Good News) brings
light into darkened souls –light that leads away from war and harm and into love and fellowshiip.

We must pray for the leaders of both sides. One Muslim shared the account of his
Salvation in Christ. The Jews believe in God, leaving them just one step away from
being “born again.” Yet, that is the vital step! “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may
they prosper who love you” (Psa. 122:6).

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

Dear Grands,

Mark 8:34-38, “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them,
‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow Me.
35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
and the gospel’s will save it.
36 ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
37 ‘For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 ‘For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father
with the holy angels.’”

There is as much difficulty, if not more, in following Jesus than there is for Hamas to
surrender to the Israeli forces with whom they find themselves locked in severe conflict.
I site the physical difficulties of the two opponents to note how difficult it is for all people
to allow the LORD to control their lives.

Believing that we are already spiritually right, immediately places us in opposition to the
LORD Jesus Christ! Were we “already spiritually right,” He would never have come and
willingly died as His Father’s sacrifice for our sins. Furthermore, how do we answer the
One who died for our sins? Surely, we wouldn’t say, “I didn’t need You.”

Surrendering to Jesus means acknowledging Him to be who He claimed to be. It also
means the surrender of our lives to Him. His Word, the Holy Scriptures, tells us who He
is and what He wants us to become. Surrender is a complete denial of ownership with
respect to one’s life. It’s somewhat like enlisting in the military. From the moment of
induction, you lose complete control of your life. It then belongs completely to the military!

Yet, the exchange of your life for His is thoroughly beneficial. There exists no credible
insurance other than that which the LORD supplies! “I am with you always,” He says,
“even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

To help you to further understand salvation, I have placed a digital version of the Gospel
below for your convenience. I wrote it many years ago and it has proved helpful to those
who need to meet Christ. I trust that it will help you to come to know Him.

You may also feel free to forward it to others who need Him. From the way things are
developing in our world today, it may not be long before the LORD Jesus comes again,
just as He said. God bless you abundantly! You will be in my prayers.

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