The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 2:16-21, “…this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.
19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.
20 ‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”

You don’t have to be an acclaimed genius or possess a Ph.D. to see and understand that the whole world is in a mess. The word “disagree” fits well with most people, regardless of the subject matter. Politics, religion, law and a host of other matters – are all subject to disagreements.

Theology, too, has it’s protagonists and its antagonists on just about every conceivable aspect one might draw from the Bible. Ministers of various religions differ widely on biblical teachings. Many ministers –even some who hold tenaciously to long time biblical truths– are being relieved of their pulpit positions due to moral issue that date well into their past histories.

Are not all of these atrocious matters prevalent in our own time? Indeed they are! And the demons of Hell shout for joy when those of the “Christian faith” fall prey to such Satanic beliefs and pleasures!

How then is mankind to discern truth from error? The Holy Scriptures depict truth from error. And the Holy Scriptures, having filled the lives of repentant men, work to construct lives that pattern the LORD Jesus!

One day (perhaps not as far in the future, as we might think), He will notify us all to give an account of the stewardship of our lives — to Him. How prepared we are for this “accounting,” lies squarely in whether our lives are truly His! Be ready! That Accounting Day is closer than we think.

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,

Numbers 14:18-21, “’The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’
19 “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
20 So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;
21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.”

What we envision in today’s world is hardly “the glory of the LORD.” Yet, He is able to encourage us personally and nationally. Our sin is beclouding His blessing. We must recognize our sin, sincerely ask His forgiveness, and rejoice in His blessing!

There’s an old hymn that says,

“We are often tossed and driven
on the restless sea of time,
Somber skies and howling tempest
Oft succeed a bright sunshine;
In that land of perfect day,
When the mists have rolled away,
We will understand it better by and by.”

Yet, are we willing to pay the price of confessing our sin?
The LORD stands ready to forgive us. It all depends on whether we are willing to renounce our sin and ask His forgiveness.

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 119:30-38, “I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me. I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!
32 I shall run the way of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.
38 Establish Your Word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.”

These nine verses above are but a small portion of the 176 verses that comprise this 119th Psalm. In a way, these selected verses set the stage for the entirety of the Psalm. In every way, these verses seek to guide and encourage us to learn the way of the LORD and establish His way as our own.

These nine verses seek not only to enlighten us as to the LORD’s way, but to make His way our way; for since they are His, they are the
best way. Israel’s fathers walked in this way (Jud. 2:22). It was the admonition of the Judges (Isa. 30:21), the very encouragement of the LORD (Jer. 6:16), and the reminder of the Apostle John (2 Jn.
1:6).

May we prayerfully seek to become what the LORD desires of us. For in becoming what He desires, we become more like Him. Remember how proud you were when someone first said of your children, “He’s just like his father!” or “She’s the spittin’ image of her mother!” That’s what our Heavenly Father wants others to say when they encounter us.

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,

Genesis 30:30-34, “’For you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?’
31 So he said, ‘What shall I give you?’ And Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock:
32 let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.
33 ‘So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen.’
34 Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’”

Jacob’s conversation with his father-in-law, Laban, is mysterious, to say the least. Laban has asked Jacob what wages (other than Laban’s eldest daughter) should be Jacob’s. Surprisingly, Jacob responded saying, “…my honesty will answer for me later…”

The difficulty determining Jacob’s wages is not easily understood. Jacob had devised a scheme: he would allow Laban to survey the entire flock of sheep and goats. Jacob would accept only the “speckled and spotted sheep, lambs and goats” as his wages.

What Laban did not know was that Jacob had cleverly devised a means whereby the speckled and spotted animals of his choosing mated more often than the non-spotted animals, giving him a decided advantage in the numbers comprising his wages. Yet, he had said, “my honesty will answer for me later.”

We need to be careful how we behave when we insert “honesty” into our bargains. In fact, we need to be careful saying “I know” or even intimate knowledge of things of which we are not fully aware. We will one day stand before the Judge of all the earth and give an account.

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,

Acts 5:1-6, “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

What ultimately occurred in these six verses, commenced with goodness in the heart of this early church. There was such an atmosphere of spiritual prosperity that members of the congregation began selling their possessions and sharing the proceeds with those who were in greater need.

A man named Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property as well. Their problem looked spiritual, just as much as some other gifts that had been given. Problem was, they didn’t give all the money they got from the sale, they just said they did. In the end, their lying cost both of them their lives.

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, but contended it wasn’t? That’s lying, too. Wrongs can never be justified as rights! The sin resides within the person, no matter how “justifiable” the circumstances might appear to be.

Sin is never justifiable! It always goes against the LORD; and for that, we will always be held accountable. There’s an old saying that says, “It’s never right to do wrong to do right.” If “wrong” lies anywhere in the activity or in the motive, it is wrong! Yes, we can be forgiven of all wrongs –except the wrong of not confessing our sins and trusting the forgiveness of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Do you believe we’ll see Ananias and Sapphira in Heaven? I’m not sure. That is the LORD’s call. What I’m more concerned about is whether I will see you! You’re on my Prayer List, and I pray for you regularly. I know the LORD wants to save everyone who is lost. I wish you, who are lost, were yielded to Him and His salvation. You are in my prayers.

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