The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Kings 8:33-36, “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy,
because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess
Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house,
34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring
them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have
sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name
and turn from their sin when You afflict them,
36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your
people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk.
And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.”

Sin always brings defeat. It may not appear so on the front end of things,
but it will eventually prove to be so as things move along. Notice that the
Biblical writer above says, “When your people Israel are defeated before
an enemy, it is because they have sinned against the LORD.”

It is so with Christians as well. What kind of god would God be if He were
to allow His people to get away with sinning? What kind of Savior would
the LORD Jesus be for us, were He to allow us to get away with sinning?

Ah, but the best is yet to come! Yes, Christ Jesus hates sin! Yet, His love
for His people is greater than His hatred for sin. So, when we sin and
confess it to Him, He forgives it instantly! Furthermore, the hurt we
receive for sinning is overwhelmed with the love and forgiveness He shows
us.

Forgiveness then intiates the pattern we are to follow. Our Deliverer now
becomes our Teacher. He shows us “the good way in which (we) ought
to walk. As we eagerly learn from the Teacher, He now sends the rain He
previously withheld because of our sin. Now, the Land which He has given
Israel is productive as part of our spiritual inheritance! Oh, what a Savior!

Please pray for the nation of Israel. They are not Christians, but they are
what we were before we trusted in Jesus! Incidentally, my view of some
Israelis on television is that they are prayerful, and are looking to God
for deliverence, even as they exhort us to pray for their nation. Thank 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