The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 John 4:7-9, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead! The most feared and most heinous man in the world, leader of ISIS, the organization that physically terrorized the Middle East and psychologically terrorized much of the remainder of the world, succumbed to the explosion of his own suicide vest, taking the lives of his three of his children in the process.

It has now been reported that the whereabouts of ISIS’ second in command is known, and is targeted by American Special Forces. The sheer atrocities perpetrated by ISIS, and under the command of such vicious leadership, tend to make us cheer to know that they are no longer on the scene. But the question then comes, “Should we cheer at the death of anyone?”

The Old Testament book of Ezekiel is literally filled with the wrath of the LORD upon His people for their love of idols and gods that did not exist. He pours out His vengeful wrath upon them even as He excoriates them for their participation in vile, evil practices! Yet, oozing between the lines of His chastisement, is the reality of His tears of sadness. And it is that that prompts me to believe that even when His own people stray from His love, His love remains.

It is true that John’s verses above speak of believers loving believers (the word another (???????, allelon) meaning “another of the same kind”); yet, when we permit ourselves to reflect on the eternal state of those who die without Jesus Christ, are we so heartless as to “cheer” that they are dead? Is it not better that we cheer that others will not suffer at ISIS’ hand, than that we cheer that ISIS’ leaders are now in Hell?

I’m always encouraged to see players from the opposite team show genuine concern when a competitive player is hurt, than when they walk away with a smirk of glee. Do you see what I am saying? By all means, we should HATE ISIS’ ways!

We should deplore to the maximum the atrocious evil they work on their enemies! But we must as believers, separate them

from their ways. Whether we do, says more about us than it does about them. May God ever teach and love us all.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”