The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 5:33-45, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 “But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

41 “And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

If anyone ever wants to know whether Christianity is hard and “tough as a rock” or as “easy as gooseberry pie,” this is the passage to explain it. The passage says, “This is what the ancient fathers have told us.” (v. 33). It is not as easy as it seems.

Don’t promise what you will do, Jesus said, “Just do it!” Don’t rest your statement on some ancient saying; rest it on Jesus and what He has said. Let His Word stand for Itself! Resist the temptation to slip your own thinking into His Word!

Behaving like He wishes us to behave is not easy – at least, at first, it’s not. Yet, as time moves on, stick to what He has said. Let nothing divert you from His Truth. It’s His Truth that sets us free!

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

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.”

If you have been following the situation in Israel, you are aware of the tragic conflicts that exist between Israel and some of the nations that border her. I witnessed, via television, two young Israeli women who had been held captive by Israel’s adversaries. How those girls handled captivity was nothing short of miraculous!

The protection the girls received was clearly from the LORD! The Jews, we must not forget, are God’s people! Historically, when Israel strayed from God, they always encountered trouble from their enemies. That is still the situation today.

All politics aside, if you were being held captive, which side would you prefer to be your captor? In the passage above, the Israelites are encouraged to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Prayer is always toward the LORD, for He alone is able to bring about peace wherever its absence cries out for the need.

The primary need for peace is always within the heart. If you have never trusted Jesus as LORD and Savior, your greatest need is for Him to reside in your heart and guide your life.

Trust me—just a little; confess your sins, and appeal to the LORD for forgiveness. Only then will you know the peace that only the LORD Jesus can give. I am praying for you. Please offer a prayer for me.

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,

Deuteronomy 4:10-13, “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

11 “And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud and thick gloom.

12 “Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form– only a voice.

13 “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.”

Yesterday, 20 January 2025, President Trump placed his hand on the Bible and publicly swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.

It was a solemn occasion in which many prayers were offered by clergymen of various faiths. We may differ as to whether the prayers were intended for the LORD or whether they were for the ears of the congregation. That is for the LORD Himself to determine.

“And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.

29 ‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!

30 ‘Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.”

31 ‘But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess'” (Deut. 5:28-31).

It is now for us (wherever we live) to solemnly and sincerely present ourselves to the LORD, allowing Him to hear our prayers and to enable us to be used of Him, however He pleases. I pledge to so endeavor; I trust you will do so as well.

Heartily in Christ,

(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,

Daniel 1:1-9, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,

4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.

6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials..”

Have you ever been in a situation where you were required to do something you clearly knew was fundamentally wrong? You searched your mind and heart, and resultantly refused to do what you were told!

Situations like that are never easy. Those who know Christ as their Savior and LORD will understand and will doubtlessly be praying for you. They also know your position from past situations. Whatever you do, others will know, and they will subsequently judge you. You will always be judged by what you do in such a situation.

Satan works overtime to wreck Christian reputations. Those who know the LORD must stand as Daniel did and go only as far as the Spirit allows. He must refuse to allow either applause or abuse to direct his thinking. The LORD alone is our Judge!

It is virtually impossible to say here in this short piece all of how a true believer in Jesus Christ should respond. Yet, the believer risks the loss of his profession of Jesus Christ unless he stands consistently true. Are you standing true to His desire? Am I? The glory of His reputation is at stake; and its loss and ours are not easily rescued.

Let me urge you to pray for our forthcoming President. So much relies upon his commitment to the LORD Jesus Christ. I have previously shared that a well-respected national pastor, who is a close friend of President Trump, does believe him to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. President Trump is today our president, and he deserves and needs our daily prayers.

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,

Ezekiel 2:3-10, “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

4 ‘And I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’

5 “As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.

6 “And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.

7 “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

8 “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

9 Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it.

10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back; and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.”

Ezekiel was sent to the Israelites, largely because they were a rebellious people. Do you believe you could identify someone who is rebellious against the LORD God? I’m sure you could, at least in most cases.

Today’s Christian News identifies multiple people who parade as believers, but whose lives identify them as rebellious against the LORD. Numbers of such people call themselves “Christians,” yet their lives differ considerably from what the LORD desires. He is not asleep with respect to their habits. He knows they are not following Him. Moreover, they are stubborn and obstinate and choose not to listen. It is for that very reason the LORD elected to send Ezekiel with His message: “Thus says the LORD God!”

Have we not challenged others to do things they’ve not previously done? Is that not why we sometimes take a younger believer with us when we share Christ with someone?

Have you ever witnessed to someone you sincerely believed the LORD wanted to accept Him, yet he stubbornly resisted the LORD’s message? Why would the LORD send you to such a person? Certainly, He knew the outcome of such an encounter.

Could it not be that the LORD wanted also to develop us as messengers? Remember the mechanic who said, “I’ve never worked on this particular area before, but I think I can do it.” Is that not “learning on the job”?

The LORD has a work for each of us to do. It becomes easier and more delightful when we see progress in the other person’s life. Still, we also learn in the process, making it easier with the next person to whom we witness.

To be sure, not every person to whom we witness will yield his heart and life to Christ. That often requires an increase in prayer on our part. There are those who resist Jesus and never come to personal salvation. Yet, it is our responsibility to see that they hear of Him. Think of someone you know—someone who does not know Christ. Pray for that person and be willing to share your faith. The LORD trains spiritual mechanics.

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