The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2; 6-12, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;
2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain…
6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;
7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11 The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”

The dictionary defines a “hobby” as “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.” In some sense of this definition, I have found the reading of
both the Bible and biblically-related themes as relaxing. The above warning words of Solomon, the “Preacher,” notwithstanding, I have discovered in reading a treasure-trove of spiritual truths omitted in previous days due to multiple obligations.

One of the themes that has for years intrigued me is that of the Second Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. Leon J. Wood, the author that I am currently reading, gives this most interesting comment:

“The modern state of Israel is now a reality in the world. The student of prophecy need no longer say merely that this will happen some day, but that it has already happened. This is one of the clearest and most unmistakable signs that the last-day events are near at hand. One should still be cautious, of course, and avoid being too specific. One should realize that God’s timetable could call for Israel to be in the land for many years before bringing the fruition of the age. But with the nation actually there, and with many factors concerning it fitting into conditions set forth in Scripture for the last days, as will be seen, one may safely believe that Christ’s coming is not far in the future.”

I was in Australia at the time of Israel’s Six-Day War with Egypt. An Australian soldier was
excitedly proclaiming his intense desire to be there and engaged in the conflict. I asked him why he should care so, inasmuch as he was an Australian. His reply was, “I am Australian, but I AM JEWISH!”

It was never my thought that I would be alive when the Six-Day War occurred in Israel. We are surely living in the End Times of human history. It is possible that you, reading this Letter, may be alive to see Jesus Return to Earth from Heaven! All I can say is: BE PREPARED! If you’ve never trusted Him as your Savior, do it now! To do it then will be too late. “Today is the Day of Salvation!”

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,

II Kings 2:9-14, “When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”
11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.”

Elijah and Elisha always seemed to me like Siamese twins. Yet, while they were alike in many respects, they were in reality quite different. Elijah was the principle prophet in First Kings.
Elisha was the principle personality in Second Kings. “Elijah’s ministry was characterized by great public acts with emphasis upon God’s Law and Judgment. Elisha, on the other hand, emphasized the LORD’s grace, love and tenderness. Both ministered to the Northern Kingdom.

The time had come for Elijah’s meeting with the LORD in Heaven. Elisha would then undertake the earthly ministry of his protégé. Not all of us are called to do exactly what others are called to do. Look at how expanded the ministries of preachers are due to their exposure on radio and/or television. Yet, those who labor in the media itself are the enablers of those ministers who share the Word of God.

What is your ministry? Not everyone is called to pastor a church. Not everyone is called into evangelism by way of the pulpit. Yet, there are multiple avenues for sharing the Word of the LORD with spiritually hungry people. The type of ministry is always subservient to the message itself. Thus, the pastor, who has been spiritually trained for his role, is no greater in God’s sight than the layman, who supports his pastor in prayer and with monetary gifts.

When my wife was ill and spent much time in hospital, we learned that our presents there was to witness of the grace and mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ. Not everyone who received our witness came to faith in Him; yet, those who did come to know Him, went on to glorify Him through their lives and in their professions.

What is your profession? How are you witnessing to the Grace and Love of the LORD Jesus Christ? Like Elijah and Elisha, you’re where you are for a reason –His Reason! Be faithful!

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,

1 Samuel 9:5-8, “When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us.”
6 He said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.”
7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8 The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.”

Kish was a decendant of Benjamin and he had a son named Saul. In the course of time, some donkeys, belonging to Kish, became lost, and he sent Saul and one of his servants to find and return them. The two of them searched quite carefully, but found nothing of the lost donkeys.

It was Saul’s thought that they should return home, lest his father become concerned for their long absence from home. But the servant who accompanied Saul, insisted that there was a man of God who lived in this nearby city. So, Saul relented and agreed –but wait! “How can we inquire of him and not give him some remuneration?” Saul said. “We’ve eaten all of our food and we have nothing to give.”

The servant then discovered one-fourth of a shekel of silver in his pouch. They could give it to the man of God, and he would guide them, hopefully to the lost donkeys. Isn’t it amazing how people in those days whent to the spiritual leaders for information? Even more, they saw it necessary to offer him money for sharing something with them something they did not know?

It is truly amazing how much information pastors know, even today! If you’re curious, keep on reading beyond the few verses cited above. You’ll learn how true men of God know so much! We would all know more, were we living closer to the LORD. It all starts with daily Bible reading and prayer. Have you started that daily routine in your life? You should, you know!

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,

Joel 3:14-17, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness.
16 The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more.”

I remember Billy Graham referring to the lost in one of his crusade meetings as their being in “the valley of decision.” Undoubtedly, he was viewing them as needing to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. Still, this is hardly what Joel meant when he spoke of the “multitudes in the valley of decision.”

The prophet Joel was one of the minor prophets of Old Testament times. “Minor,” however, does not mean that his message was of less value that those of the prophets who wrote more. It simply means that his message was shorter than say, Isaiah’s that has 66 chapters.

Joel’s name means “Jehovah is God,” and his writing of this three-chapter book occurred about 820 B.C.
It was a warning to the tribe of Judah because of her sin. As far removed as the date of this writing is from our time, the message is as relevant to us as it was to the nation of Judah! Joel was prophesying of the Final Day of Judgment that would fall upon all of the lost souls who had rejected His plea for their salvation.

Conservative Christian historians, agree that we, in our own time, have strayed from the ways of the LORD, and that Divine Judgment is surely our destiny. Yet, the LORD is not bound by time, as we consider it. Luke writes much like Joel when he says,

“’THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND
IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL
BE SAVED’” (Acts 2:20-21).

You are undoubtedly a sincere person; otherwise, you would not be reading this Letter. Yet, just reading
it is not sufficient. You need to make a commitment to the LORD Jesus Christ. Pray and confess every
sin in your life that comes to mind. Ask the LORD for forgiveness for those sins. Then, thank Him for forgiving them. Your life will be changed! He promises that! “Who can thrill the soul like Jesus?” God bless you abundantly!

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,

Joel 2:1-13. “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near,
2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations.
3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.
4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run.
5 With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle.
6 Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale.
7 They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like soldiers; and they each march in line, nor do they deviate from their paths.
8 They do not crowd each other, they march everyone in his path; when they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks.
9 They rush on the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness.
11 The LORD utters His voice before His army; surely His camp is very great, for strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, and who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.”

If I were to continue to open my comments with notations of my childhood, I would undoubtedly run the risk of your believing that I was indeed a mischievous child. Well, I was sometimes mischievous –just not all of the time!

Still, I have to wonder if my notice of the nefarious occurrences in our nation and world is aided in any way by the learning (or lack of it) I had as a child.

The Book of Joel is listed among the prophecies of the Old Testament. And those very prophecies, if not fulfilled in biblical eras, are destined yet to be fulfilled in our own time. Their position and appearance are as biblically accurate as was the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ.

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants
of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near” (vs.1).

Years ago, when my wife and I lived in the St. Louis area, the pastor of one of the downtown churches preached every Sunday evening on the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. Yes, and he drew crowds! Yet, as I revisit that era in my mind, there was nothing of the open criminal activity like we are experiencing today. Over the years, I’ve attended numerous court sessions; but they were virtually a children’s playtime when compared with what we’re experiencing in our courts today.

The church I attend has numerous groups that minister to men and women who are incarcerated in county facilities. Recent reports were most encouraging concerning the numbers who received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Still, it’s a small, small group when compared with the hundreds and thousands
who are imprisoned throughout the nation and the enormous number that ought to be!

“They’re getting away with their crime!” some shout. Yes, but there is a day coming when they and we all will be called to answer to the LORD for our sins. And the sins of the multitudes that have never ever engaged in “criminal activity” will be rounded up and incarcerated by the Strong Hand of Almighty God!

No guilty party will escape. From the lowliest undisciplined child who never heard of God except in vile,
blasphemous language, to the highest ranking official in the government of the most powerful nation on
Earth – each will be brought before the LORD in His Court of Divine Justice.

Yet, for the righteous, there’s a GREAT DAY COMING! Jesus will reign! And they who know Him will reign with Him! Where are you on God’s List? He has two lists: 1) those who are repentant and belong
to Him; and 2) those who neglect or refuse Him. Don’t miss the Good List! Those on that List are praying for 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