The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 139:1-10, “O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

The all-sufficiency of the LORD is well noted in the Scripture above.

1)It existed prior to birth –all births!
2)It exists at all times and in all places!
3)The ways of the LORD are well beyond all human sufficiency!
4)The knowledge of the LORD is well beyond all and every human being.
5)The presence of the LORD is everywhere.
6)The trust of man, ever and always, rests only in the LORD.

Examine your life! Examine it carefully and in the light of the Scripture above.
Be honest with yourself in every category and at all times!
Acknowledge the LORD as possessing full and complete understanding of you and
your motives!
Believe and admit that trust finds rest only in the LORD Jesus Christ.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We will 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.’”

When things go wrong, we are encouraged to pray. When things become twisted, so that we lack encouragement as to their outcome, we are encouraged to pray.

It’s difficult to put ourselves in David’s place. Jerusalem was his city. It was the dwelling
place of his people. They gathered there to pray. They gave thanks to the LORD; they
honored His Name.

Yet, Jerusalem has experienced a history of turmoil. Scattered through the historic pages of Holy Scripture, we find turmoil and strife plaguing the Holy City. Such was true in David’s era. Even today, the people who dwell there are divided on spiritual things.

Therefore, David’s prayer must be our prayer. The people who dwell there must come together in the LORD. The final battle will be fought in the land we call “Holy.” Thus, the Scriptures cry out to us, “He will exterminate its sinners.”

The prophet Isaiah said, “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus, I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore, I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger” (Isa.13:9-13).

What we are seeing now in Israel may be the beginning of “His burning anger.” Pray for Jerusalem! Pray for the Israeli people! Despite their rejection of Jesus, He holds them
in His heart, as we hold wayward children.

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,

Matthew 24:3-8, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

It was always an exciting time when I learned, as a small boy, that someone was coming
to visit. “Who’s coming?” I would repeatedly ask, frustrating my mother beyond normally.
“When will she be here?” “How long will she stay?” “What time is it now?” I could ask
multiple questions before mom had the opportunity to answer the first one.

In some respects, the disciples, who lived and walked with Jesus, were much the same as you and I. In a quiet time together on the Mount of Olives, they asked Him the precise timing of His Return. His response, however, focused more on them that it did on their questions. He wanted them to know that difficult times lay ahead of the specifics of His return.

Such is the same with us. Yes, I will acknowledge that the world situation is more serious
today than it was when World War II commenced. The weapons of today’s wars are far
more dangerous than those of previous times. At the same time (viewing in retrospect),
we seemed more ready to act then than we do now!

Jesus’ response highlighted impostors, who would claim to be the Christ. Men would spread rumors intended to frighten people, whose response would repeatedly be false.
At this writing, some serious “players” are engaged in seeking to erase Israel altogether.
They cannot win, however, because Israel is living on land the LORD granted her. She
will not be displaced!

More could be said; but none is more important that Jesus’ words: “…all these things are
merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Daniel, too, prophesied, “…even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined” (Dan. 9:26).

Put you full faith in our LORD Jesus Christ! If you have already trusted Him as your Savior, you are even now under His protection. If you have not trusted Him, it is vital that you do so today!

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,

Matthew 24:21-27, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.
24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
25 ‘Behold, I have told you in advance.
26 ‘So if they say to you, “Behold, He is in the wilderness,” do not go out, or, “Behold, He is in the inner rooms,” do not believe them.
27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Although I have not yet heard it said, with all the conglomeration in the news these days,
it would come as no surprise if someone were to say (or, has already said) that Jesus is hiding in seclusion in a little-known cave somewhere in Israel. Stranger things are said
these days.

The phrase, “do not believe them” in verse 26 tells us that His Coming will not be to the
few alone. Rather, He will be revealed to mankind when and how He chooses. Anyone
who listens to the multiple “preachers” on the Internet and/or on YouTube, will soon
know how confused many preachers are about the Coming of our LORD Jesus. Of course,
they all want every viewer to assume their position as their own. Just note carefully that
it is Jesus who says, “…do not believe them.”

Have you intentionally noticed the way of lightening? The Bible says that lightening flashes from east to west. When, though, does lightening flash? It flashes when, where and as
often as the LORD desires. We have no more control over when it flashes than we do that
it flashes. It is entirely under control of the Almighty! And in the same way, we have no knowledge of when or where on Earth the LORD is coming. That’s why we must be ready!

Don’t waste time with foolish things or foolish talk about the precise time of His Coming!
The LORD alone knows when it will be. We have enough to do to be ready for when He does come!

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.”

Have you ever wondered why so few people enter Churches to worship? When we’re
there, it often seems as if the whole city were there. Yet, a quick body count tells a different story. Perhaps so few attend because they have lost the purpose for attending.

There are undoubtedly multiple “things” that people assess to be of greater importance. Yet, notwithstanding illness of one’s self or that of another, nothing should be considered
of “greater importance” than the solemn worship of our LORD.

The verses above say that we are to “give thanks to the name of the LORD.” How often
do we pause just to give thanks? In fact, just uttering a common “thanks” to another person, for anything is often slighted.

It follows that we are also to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” If you have been following
Israel’s war against Hamas, you know how desperately Israel needs our prayers. May we
be faithful in praying for Israel. The land for which they are currently fighting was given
to them by the LORD in centuries past. Read again verses 6 and 7, as they encourage us to pray for our own peace. Let us join faithfully as we seek for Jerusalem’s peace, too.

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