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 there 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.”

One of the many unforgettable aspects of our time in Australia, was the emphasis of pastors regarding the Second Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. We were there when the “6-day war” was fought in Israel. Many of those Godly old preachers have gone on to be with the LORD; and if they have knowledge of what is occurring on earth today, they surely know how close we are to the Second Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ for His Church.

I have intentionally highlighted verses six and seven above. Jerusalem is currently not at peace, although the entire situation has enabled discussions in Israel (and hopefully, here) of the Second Coming of Christ. Jews For Jesus is quite active in Israel, as are the Gideons. (If you have ever noticed Bibles placed in hospital rooms or hotels, they were placed there by the Gideons, and at no expense to the recipients). CBN-TV reports regularly on the Israeli situation. All of this gives emphasis to the LORD’s promise that Jesus would return in the air and for His own.

With our world in current torment, we have unprecedented opportunity to share the Gospel with those who do not know Him. In my years, I have never known greater troubles than those that exist today! Jesus’ Coming is surely very near.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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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,

Psalm 103:1-7 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 The LORD performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.”

What a precious psalm! Of course, all of the Scriptures are precious; however, this one is indeed special. Notice how the psalm begins with the human cry: “Bless the LORD…!” Such should be the initial cry of all of us –especially, those of us who truly know Him through His Son, Jesus!

Read with emphasis the five activities of the LORD: 1) He “pardons” our sins; 2) “heals” our diseases; 3) “redeems” us from the pit (ultimately, from Hell); 4) “crowns” us with love and compassion; and 5) “satisfies” our years with all good things –just think about all of that!

Further, He “performs” multiple things that are well beyond our performance ability, and including the marvelous things He produced for Moses and through him for Israel!

How can we endeavor to praise Him, if not by yielding to Him our very lives? What more can we give? “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name.”

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,

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 there 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.”

Although all Scripture ultimately glorifies our LORD Jesus Christ (Yes, even Old Testament Scripture!), it accomplishes many other things, as well. Worship was certainly more subdued in biblical times. It was also quite personal. And there was also judgment in worship. In point of fact, were we today more given to true worship (?????? shachah, bowing down and giving thanks), we would doubtlessly encounter less judgment.

The focus of all genuine prayer is always the LORD! We need to thank Him for His multiple blessings! We need to confess our sins and plead with Him for mercy. It is not too much to say that our view of our own sin lacks the purity of genuine confession. Could that not be why we often discover the absence of His blessing upon our lives?

Verse 9 above should not be overlooked. Confession of sin is not only for us;
it is for the LORD our God. May He bring all of this to mind as we enter His
presence on His day. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me,
bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His
benefits” (Psa. 103:1-2).

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,

Isaiah 38:1-8, “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,
5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 “I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”‘
7 “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken:
8 “Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.”

I recently witnessed Donald Trump speaking to a largely Jewish audience. His praise for Israel was strong and certain. Yet, he subsequently predicted a time when Israel would fail as a nation. Donald Trump is right about many things, but I hasten to note that he is not right about everything –especially, not about things related to Israel.

Despite the LORD’s criticisms of His people, Israel, there is no biblical statement related to her total destruction. Israel is the LORD’s chosen people (Rom. 11:1-2). What’s more, He speaks of Israel’s restoration and salvation (Rom. 11:5-6).

We must never forget that Israel is God’s “Chosen People.” However it may appear, the LORD is guiding and discipling and protecting her by His eternal Word and for His own glory. He cites her as “a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever…” (Ex. 31:17).

I have known numerous Jewish people over the years. Needless to say, most were not Christians. Yet, I have sensed in them all something unique. The Word says,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.
May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.
For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May
peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good” (Psa. 122:6-9).

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,

Galatians 1:3-8, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

The Apostle Paul sets the standard for all believers with this address to the Galatian Church: “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…” Of course, this was the general greeting of believers to believers in the early centuries of the Church.

Paul commences by speaking forthrightly to the Galatian Churches. The Galatians were originally a rough and rowdy crowd who had burst into the southern region bearing no standard of living, even closely resembling that of those upon whom they encroached. Paul had known them previously; therefore, he speaks to them as the wild bunch they basically were.

We have to be careful in our approach to others. I have often sought to “size up” those to whom I was speaking prior to sharing the Gospel with them. People are not always where we are; therefore, it is to the advantage of what we’re going to say that we evaluate them as best we can.

Teachers in school make it a habit to know something of the homes from which their pupils come. In this way, they do not say things that would offend a child. At the same time, when instructions for behavior in the classroom have been given, that more easily becomes the “platform” from which the teacher speaks.

All of that is to say that Paul was eminently justified in chastising this church. The people had allowed someone to mislead them. They were indeed a church of Paul’s founding; therefore, he possessed the right to scold them for deserting the Gospel he had given them.

There are multitudinous “gospels” being preached today. They are on radio, television, and in places where hundreds of people gather on the LORD’s Day. Many of these gatherings seek more from their constituents than they give in return. I can only urge you to find a church where the Bible is preached and Jesus is uplifted –a church that looks to give instead of receive. For the church that uplifts Jesus and stays close to the Scriptures will be the church that is caring for those who are in need of Him.

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