The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 27:24-29, “And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.’

25 And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’

26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.

28 And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him.

29 And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!'”

What had Jesus done to deserve this? His claim to be the Son of God could not be refuted. He had come to give His life a ransom for the very ones who wanted to crucify Him. Yet, the furious crowd wanted Him out of the way.

Isn’t that often the way for all of us? What the LORD has prepared for us is best and far beyond what we can imagine. Yet, we think we know best. But to realize our best, we must first remove Him. Can so many shouting “Crucify Him!” be wrong? What’s more, we have the legal authority of Pilate on our side.

Centuries pass, but we seem to have learned nothing! Can so many be wrong? Yes, how wrong we can be; how wrong we are, despite the ever-maddening crowd!

“Look and live, my brother, live!

Look to Jesus now and live!

‘It’s recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!

It is only that we look and live!

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,

Ezra 1:1-4, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 ‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4 ‘And every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'”

The prophet’s proclamation in the first two verses above demonstrates the LORD’s plan and purpose. God never engages man to comply with His plan, but that He has a spiritual purpose in mind.

At the same time, the LORD’s purposes are not always fully disclosed. We discovered that as we endeavor to follow what we assess to be His divine purpose with and for our lives. Without fully revealing His purpose, the LORD moves upon His own, complying insofar as we mortals can understand.

My late wife and our three young children were often led to places we had only known by name. We were not told beforehand what we were to do or say. Yet, in the right place and at the right time, He used us for His glory and often to our utter amazement!

We were just people, following a new procedure in a new land, until the LORD Himself more fully revealed His will and purpose to us. Things we thought at the time were intrusions to ministry, He then revealed precisely why we had been “stationed” where we were.

Yes, there were times when our needs looked impossible. Yet, He always came through, often providing more than we needed, perhaps just to show that His Hand was never empty and always outstretched and timely, always meeting our necessities.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3). The LORD is incapable of failure. We can always trust Him!

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.”

The word “glad” is mentioned in Scripture 146 times, 25 of which are in the New Testament. It’s the Hebrew word samach, which means “rejoice!” It’s a word that appears numerous times in the Scriptures! It’s interesting, too, that the word also means “fruitful.” It is an expression that often links the Jews and Gentiles in a religious bond.

Physically going to church originated with the Jewish people. David was always glad when it was time to worship the LORD. I wish we could say the same for Jews and “Christians” today. Oh, there are quite a number who attend worship on the LORD’s Day. But I often wonder whether people are there to truly worship the LORD—or just attend?

There will come a day when Jesus will return. Were He to return this LORD’s Day, would He find us truly “worshipping Him?” Or would He only find us physically in a building that was ostensibly constructed for worship?

Pray earnestly for your pastor. Pray for all pastors, who hold to the truths of Scripture. One day the LORD Jesus will return! Not every believer will be able to be physically “in church” at that particular time. But, when our hearts are tuned to Him, His Church (all true believers) will be ready to answer His call.

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,

2 Chronicles 18:1-9, “Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.

2 And some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

4 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

5 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”

7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

8 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.”

There is no question but that Ahab and Jehoshaphat were friends. And it was largely that friendship that induced them to go to battle against Ramoth-gilead. Their feasting and collaboration drew them more closely together, and Jehoshaphat soon discovered that Ahab was planning a war.

Jehoshaphat, however, insisted on consulting the LORD prior to any activities of a warlike nature. Ahab, it seemed, would have gone to war without consulting anyone; nevertheless, to keep Jehoshaphat onside, he assembled 450 prophets and inquired of them what should be done. To a man, the 450 prophets said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”

Jehoshaphat was still unsure, so Ahab reluctantly consulted Micaiah, a prophet who never prophesied in favor of Ahab. That tendency is often ours. We ask only those whom we are certain will respond to us in a favorable manner. In effect, those prophets said to the prophet Micaiah, “Please let your word be like one of the 450 favorable for war.”

So, when Micaiah was asked to speak, he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd; and the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'” Thus, the thought of war was terminated, and doubtless many lives were spared.

May we always prayerfully consult the LORD regarding what we are to do; and may we follow His leading, knowing that He knows what is best.

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,

John 1:1-12, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.

9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, that all might believe through him.

When I am telling of an event that occurred in my life, I often disrupt my account by inserting things that are relative, but not substantive, to the entire discussion. (I’m certain that every reader of this Letter has done the same.)

The disciple John is the author of the above passage; yet the John of whom he speaks is another; namely, John the Baptist. And the Baptist speaks of the LORD Jesus when he says in verse 10 that He was the True Light that enlightens every man.

That clearly means that we all need Jesus as our LORD and Savior, and the possibility of receiving Him as such is within our grasp. He came to receive us, not to reject us. Rejection comes from us. We need to reject ourselves and all of those things that are clearly not of Him.

If you have not received Him as your LORD and Savior, do it today! If you have already received Him, you have the responsibility to share Him with those who are still lost. That opportunity of sharing is in itself a blessing from Almighty God. It’s a joy unlike any other except that of yielding yourself to Him. It’s a blessing that He freely extends to you.

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