The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ezra 1:1-5, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
2 ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, the LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 ‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4 ‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.”

These words from Ezra concern Cyrus, the King of Persia, who was born about B.C. 599. Cyrus was a great military leader, who was determined to conquer the universe. One of his conquests was Belshazzar, who organized a great feast in the day of Daniel, where the hand scrolled on the wall “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.”

Translated, it said, “Mene: God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. Peres: Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians” (Dan. 5:25-28).

Cyrus is the one who now says, “…the LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” The people were directed to provide silver, gold, goods and cattle,
along with a freewill offering –all for the building of the house of God in Jerusalem.

We do much the same today in our churches. There is some difference, however, in that we generally think of dollars rather than cattle or goods that can be transferred into currency. None the less, money is an integral part of the business of the church. Those who are called to serve full-time in the church need money for their living expenses. Buildings, where people gather to worship, require electricity for lighting and control of various accoutrements for experiences unknown in the early church. Church-sponsored missionaries must be supported, as they carry out the Gospel to peoples in distant lands.

All of this comes from the LORD’s directive to His people. We cannot avow that we love those who have never heard the Gospel if we neglect to carry it to them. Churches do not demand monetary offerings, yet they are vitally necessary to the work of the church.

Do you support your church with a portion of your income? Do you do it cheerfully?
Do you do it prayerfully? Do you receive reports from mission fields that people there
are receiving the Gospel because of your gifts? Do you pray for those in your church
who bring you the Word of God each week? You will one day be rewarded mightily for all you have done; so, pray, witness, and give with joy in your heart!

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