The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 122:1-9, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD– an ordinance for Israel– to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For their thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.
7 ‘May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.”

If there is anything exciting about visiting another country, it is visiting Jerusalem! I remember well my first visit. I spent the night in an area so filled with history that I thought I’d never go to sleep. Truly, my “feet were…within the gates of Jerusalem.”

Yet, if there were ever a time we needed to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” it is today. The psalmist was “on target” when he wrote, “May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.” It was and is a solemn prayer that is as relevant for today as it was for Old and New Testament times.

The Land currently occupied by the Israeli people belongs to Israel. All land is the LORD’s land, and it is His to give as He wishes. The Land that is today disputed was conveyed to Israel thousands of years ago; and He has never rescinded it!

The multiple atrocities that have been perpetrated by Hamas against Israel are so utterly egregious that the very Heart of our LORD Himself must be painfully broken! The Israelis need and deserve our prayerful attention and help.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love 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,

Genesis 25:21-28, “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.”
24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.
26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.”

It’s an account you have doubtlessly read numerous times. Strangely
enough, the twin boys were always known as “Jacob and Esau,” despite the fact that Esau was the elder of the two. Nor did they get along, as it is with other twins we often know.

Rebekah, the mother, favoring Jacob, urged him to deceive Esau with regard to the family birthright. Time passes and Jacob learns that Esau is coming his way. Understandably, Jacob fears a confrontation with Esau and decides to share his wealth in lieu of engaging in a brotherly battle.

It’s unfortunate, but many families over the years have experienced
similar disfunctions. Some overcome negative experiences in their pasts; others, unfortunately, do not. Israel itself struggles today against her adversaries, despite the fact that the LORD has historically deeded land specifically to Israel.

The very best dissertation I have ever encountered on Israel’s right to
possess the land she currently occupies –including Gaza—is the
timely message by Dr. David Jeremiah, entitled, “When America Would Turn Her Back On Israel.” It is on YouTube, and I urgently
encourage you to view it!

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they
prosper who love you’” (Psalm 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,

Zechariah 1:1-6, “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying,
2 ‘The LORD was very angry with your fathers.
3 ‘Therefore say to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Return to Me,’ declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”‘ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the LORD.
5 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 “But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”

There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t do wrong and get by.” I’ve never traced the origin of that statement; still, it would be my best guess that it’s true. The Revelation (22:11a) says, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy.” In other words, there does come a time when forgiveness is simply not possible.

Were there not times in your youthful experience when an adult had warned you again and again of the problem you would encounter, if you continued to do something what you were doing? And when you continued to go against your adult counsel, you suffered?

It’s much like that with God. He warns against involvement in sin; and unless you relent and obey Him, He gives you over to whatever you were doing, and you pay the ultimate price!

Nothing you can then do will aleviate your problem. You simply “cannot do wrong and get by.” Let me urge you to surrender yourself and all you possess to the LORD who is in charge! It’s the only way out –the only way to receive His blessing!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

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,

Zechariah 1:1-6, “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying,
2 ‘The LORD was very angry with your fathers.
3 ‘Therefore say to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Return to Me,’ declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”‘ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the LORD.
5 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 “But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”

There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t do wrong and get by.” I’ve never traced the origin of that statement; still, it would be my best guess that it’s true. The Revelation (22:11a) says,
“Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy.” In other words, there does come a time when forgiveness is simply not possible.

Were there not times in your youthful experience when an adult
had warned you again and again of the problem you would encounter, if you continued to do something what you were doing? And when you continued to go against your adult counsel, you suffered?

It’s much like that with God. He warns against involvement in sin; and unless you relent and obey Him, He gives you over to whatever you were doing, and you pay the ultimate price!

Nothing you can then do will aleviate your problem. You simply
“cannot do wrong and get by.” Let me urge you to surrender
yourself and all you possess to the LORD who is in charge! It’s
the only way out –the only way to receive His blessing!

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,

Zephaniah 1:7-10, “Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.
8 “Then it will come about on the day of the LORD’S sacrifice That I will punish the princes, the king’s sons And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.
9 “And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.”
11 “Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, for all the people of Canaan will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 “It will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’”

I am of sufficient vintage that I remember when television was the “new kid on the block.” Simply watching it “snow” from as far away as Kansas City was an evening’s entertainment! So, when
I say that we now have a plethora of preachers on TV, I know whereof I speak.

But, have you noted how many TV preachers (the great and the
gruesome) are emphasizing the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Yes, some are “thin” in their theology, but many are clearly “reading” the signs of the times!

I have preached for years on the Second Coming of Christ; now I can see it virtually “upon us.” There is absolutely nothing prophecied in Scripture that stands between our generation and
the Rapture of the Church. The next major occurrence is Jesus’ coming in the clouds of the sky to “catch away” (rapture) His church.

His church is of no particular Christian denomination; rather, it is
the ingathering of all truly “born again” believers. Recent news
carries the account of more than 7,000 Muslims in Egypt who have come to faith in Jesus Christ! Many of them had visions of
Jesus beckoning them to be truly “born again!” That has occurred in our own country, except that it has not made the news.

I understand that this Grands Letter is reaching scores of persons who are already born again. Still, there are other readers who are not. Let me urge you to seriously consider
yielding your life to Him. It’s quite simple: pray and ask the
LORD’s forgiveness. Be sincerely sorry for your sin and tell
Him so! Ask His forgiveness for everything you done that was
outside of His will. Be specific! Be sincere! Believe that He has
truly forgiven you. How will you know whether He has? You
will know. That’s His responsibility, and He never fails!

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