The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 1:1-4, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Did you ever pick up a book to read and start your reading at the end of the book? Hardly. If we’re going to get any sense out of anything we read, we have to start where the author starts. The same is true of the Bible.

The word “gospel” (??????????) means “good news,” and Mark, the human author of this book, commences his writing about “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Everything about Jesus is Good News: His life, His teachings, His deportment, His love, His prayerfulness; but most of all, His willingness to subject Himself to the vile treatment of mankind– His suffering and death on the cross.

That may not seem like good news when we examine all that He encountered and suffered;
Everything He did, however, was for the benefit of mankind. Every negative encounter in our lives requires accountability. Daily articles in the news reveal multiple nefarious acts of people all around us. Our sins may not appear as severe as those of others, but we will one day give account for them, nevertheless.

The “good” in Good News is not what we’ve done. It’s what the LORD Jesus has done for us!
We have actions that deserve the Cross; yet, He endured it for us! We have thoughts that deserve the Cross. He endured the Cross for all of our evil. In fact, every thought and act of evil in our lives has been paid for in Jesus’ crucifixion! Now, for His activity to be validated for us, we must turn our lives over to Him. We must accept Him, and what He did for us, and say “Thank You” in the dedication of your life to Him. Have you done that?

Pray a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, I am sorry for all my sin. Please forgive me. Thank You for dying on the Cross to save me. I love You and trust You to forgive all my sins. Just make me one of Your children, and let Your Life be visible to others through me. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.”

You may or may not “feel” anything when you pray this prayer. Just BELIEVE that He has done what He promises in His Word. That’s the key word: Believe! Now, share Him with a
friend.

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