The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 32:24-28, “Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Israel is at war! That’s hardly news, especially if you read the Old Testament. Joshua 10:42
tells us that “the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” If you watch the news on television, you just
might come to the same conclusion.

It would be a mistake to view Israel as a “Christian” nation. By and large, the Israelis are not
Christians! At the same time, some of the miracles that have attended some of the Israeli
people would make you wonder. Our last verse above finds the LORD Himself saying, “Your
name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel.” In my view, that brings the Jewish people a step or
two closer to becoming Christians. Closer, but they’re not there yet.

Recently, I witnessed the television confessions of two young Iranian women, who had come to
faith in Jesus Christ. Every Jewish woman should know the LORD Jesus Christ like these two
Iranian women! Yes, they suffered –and at the hands of their own people—just like the Jews.
But their faith in Jesus Christ is undeniable and productive in their witness for Him! (We should
all have such a witness!)

I trust you have a prayer list. Remember Psalm 122:6-9 that says,

6“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
9 May peace be within you 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.”

By the way, the LORD seeks your good, too! Thank Him, and stay out of the way!

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