The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 10:1-9, “Getting up, (Jesus) went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds gathered around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more began to teach them.
2 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.
3 And He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?’
4 They said, ‘Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY.’
5 But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
6 ‘But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.
7 “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,
8 AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.’”

Anyone who believes that Jesus was only concerned about the ultimate home of a person’s residence after death (i.e., heaven or hell), has simply overlooked the passage above where Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ question on divorce.

Moses allowance of divorce (Deut. 24) occurred under a special circumstance. The man divorced his wife, she married another man, who died. Now, the first man was forbidden
to marry the woman again. In substance, Moses was guarding the homelife of the Nation of Israel.

Jesus is effecting guardianship of homelife in much the same way as Moses. We need to guard our homelife today, too! Children grow into adulthood embracing the same values (or lack thereof) their parents embrace. If marriage is a genuine expression of love between the parents, it will most likely be the same with their children. “More is caught than taught.” If alcoholic beverages are frequent in the home, arguments and fights will likely occur between parents. It’s all but a “given” that the children will enter into marriages that allow and produce the same.

The forces of evil are more than ‘on the alert’ today. The proliferation of alcohol exacerbates and destroys homelife. The absence of a spiritual environment literally destroys the home! And the lesson that comes to the youth in an ungodly atmosphere ultimately destroys the nation.

Reading the Bible, praying, depending on the LORD throughout the day is a spiritual diet that produces a wholesome homelife. It was true in Jesus’ day on Earth; it was true in the era of Moses. It is true today. Yet, like the lack of medicine leads to an increase in illness, so, ignoring the LORD leads only to devastation and destruction in life.

“Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psa. 37:5).

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 9:17-24, “And one of the crowd answered Him, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.’
19 And He answered them and said, ‘O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!’
20 They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth.
21 And He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood.
22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!’
23 And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.’
24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’”

Having difficulty of any sort is hardly a unique experience. You and I have stood in that “difficult line” on many occasions. Yet, when others have been unable to understand and even remove the “difficult” from the situation, we generally suppose that if others cannot solve the problem, we won’t be able to do it, either.

This is precisely what occurred in the verses above. A loving, well-intentioned father had a son posssessed of a demon-spirit that troubled the boy, prohibited him from speaking, and even motivated him to take his own life. The boy’s father did what most loving fathers would have done: he brought his son to Jesus’ disciples for healing; but they were totally unable to help the boy.

When Jesus arrived upon the scene, the father gave Jesus the background of the boy’s situation and said, “If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Jesus responded to the father, saying, “If You can? All things are possible to him who believes” –to which the father replied, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

I trust that you will find this experience in your Bible and read the entire account. Whatever you may be currently encountering, Jesus is the answer! His answers are not always immediate. This one was not. We just have to be desperate and full of trust in Jesus! I have some lost friends for whom I have been praying for years! They are still lost. I have some sick friends for whom I have been praying daily as well. I pray daily for my family and for myself.

Some of my prayers have been answered; some are still awaiting the LORD’s reply. Just don’t give up! Your prayers may seem to lie dormant. Maybe He is waiting to see how serious you are. Just don’t give up praying! The LORD’s response is our only hope!

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 9:1-6, “And Jesus was saying to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.’
2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them;
3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’
6 For he did not know what to answer, for they became terrified.
7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud,
‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’”

Have you ever found yourself in the presence of some distinguished people, but clearly lacked the ability to contribute anything of value to their conversation? Well, I have; and what was more, I lacked the good sense to just listen and refrain from contributing anything! My feeble contribution was received for what it was worth; and I was left standing alone, embarrassed, and with no way out. In this manner only could I ever claim a relationship to Simon Peter.

Notice too that James and John, who were known as “the sons of thunder,” were entirely quiet throughout the conversation. Ultimately, the voice of the LORD broke through the heavens with exactly what was needed to be said, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”

The presence of Christ involved in that august gathering called forth that which was primary. Jesus’ instructions are always primary! Why, then, do we manufacture sub-standard stuff and inject it into His plan instead of simply saying, “LORD, what will You have us do?” Possibly, we are frightened over what we believe He will say. Yet, are we afraid of His inevitable plan. Do we believe that He will allow the plan to hurt or consume us? Do we believe His plan to somehow be inferior?

Whatever Elijah was saying to Jesus was forever interrupted. Possibly, Elijah had a plan. Nothing, however, could have overshadowed the plan the LORD Himself could set forth. Thus, whatever we think…however much we would like to be included…we simply need to “be still and know that (Jesus) is God.” Our ways are
not His ways; and His ways are always superior.

“Heavenly Father, make us willing to cease resisting
Your Plan, and to know that with You, all things are well. Amen.”

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,

Hebrews 11:1-3, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

Anytime we willfully encounter something we’ve not previously encountered, we can speak of it as a “faith-encounter.” Take bungee jumping. You have to trust the cord that it is designed to withstand your weight as well as its secure binding to something grounded and stable– something with sufficient elasticity to withstand your weight without being disconnected at the terminal point of your jump. In short, you have to believe the cord will withstand your weight when it is thoroughly challenged to do so.

Faith, therefore, may be defined as “believing in something or someone” whom you have
never previously trusted. We exercise faith when we agree to bodily surgery. We exercise
faith when we eat a food we’ve never before eaten. I exercise faith every time I submit
myself to the massage chair because I was once literally “bound” to the chair when the electricity decided to cease its participation!

Yet, these expressions of “faith” are quite minimal when compared with faith in the LORD
Jesus Christ and what He can accomplish. I put my faith in Him when I accepted His
promise to save me 80 years ago. And it was the continuance of faith that prompted me to share His Good News with thousands of people around the world.

If you have never experienced faith in Jesus Christ, I urge you to do it today! He is stable
and able to forgive your sins and to set your feet on paths that He Himself has walked. There’s a ine in a song that epitimizes all I’m saying:

“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! no, not one!
None else can heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!”

Now, in simple faith, ask Him to save you; trust Him with your life. You’ll forever be glad that you did!

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,

Daniel 5:1-4. “Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God, which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”

Did you ever devise a plan that turned out all wrong? Have you ever known someone who experienced an unexpected tragedy when he had been drinking? Do you or any of your friends ever honor or mess with gods that do not exist? Doing that is tantamount to mocking the True and Living God. You don’t want to anger Him! He is the Supreme Being of all time! He constructed and maintains the entire Universe in which we live. He is
powerful beyond words; yet He is kind and loving, and understands us and all of our needs.

Galatians 6:7-10, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

Sometimes situations are so complicated that it often takes more time for us to receive what we want than we had hoped or planned. At the same time, there are people who need our attention and the provisions that we have. If we assess that the LORD truly wants us to help others, we need only to trust Him to lead us. Things will occur on time; others will be helped, and we will know the joy of having worked with Him.

Daniel 5:5-6, “Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
6 Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.”

You don’t ever want to mock God or even summon the power of His Hand against you. He loves you, but will never overlook our selfish attitudes or unconfessed sins. Trust Him with your life. He loves and cares 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