The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Micah 6:6-8, “With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves?
7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Could you summarize the thought of these three verses above in one word? How about the
word “accountability”? That one word is a summary for just about everything we do. We can summarize a football game in two words: “We won!” or “We lost.” We can summarize a
court case in the same two thoughts: “I won!” or “I lost.”

One day, we will each and every one stand before the LORD and give account of everything.
The prophet Micah summarizes it well: “With what shall I come to the LORD…” It’s a sobering
thought to stand before the LORD. He will views us with the penetrating purity of His eyes.
He will not only know what we have done or not done, He will know our motivation for having
done or not having done it.

I’ve heard some people theoretically respond to Micah’s question in a flippant, devil-may-care manner. But, there will be no flippancy on the Day of Judgment! I’ve witnessed little kids boast of how they will boldly respond to an authority for some ill-chosen activity. Yet, when the time came for an accounting, they trembled in their speech and shook in bodily fear.

The Bible contains the all-important questions that we will be asked on Judgment Day. It also
contains the answers to the questions. If we seriously, earnestly apply our thoughts and actions to life as the LORD directs, we will have no fear because Jesus Christ paid for our sins
when He suffered and died on the Cross in biblical times.

How, then, do we get into the act, so that His payment covers our sins? We confess (agree)
with the accusations that are filed against us. We engage Jesus, who died for us, as our
Attorney. He lays before the Father (Judge) that He died for us on the Cross, and that we have
trusted Him with handling our case. His resurrection from the dead proves His case before the
Father –the case He is handling for us. With all evidence in, the Father dismisses the case.

The big question is: have you confessed your sins to (Jesus)? He is the only One who is handling your case? He’s the only Attorney who wins cases before the LORD! Good idea to
contact Him today. You know you’ve done wrong; you need Jesus to handle your case. He’s
just a prayer away.

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,

1 Samuel 2:1-2, 6-10, “My heart exults in the LORD; My horn (qeren, might) is
exalted in the LORD. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I
rejoice in Your salvation.
2There is no one holy like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is
there any rock like our God…

6 The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts.
8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make
them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; for the pillars of the earth are the
LORD’S, and He set the world on them.
9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 “Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; against them He will thunder
in the heavens, the LORD will judge the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to
His king, and will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

It was Alfred Tennyson who said, “Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
than this world dreams of.” Yet long before Tennyson’s time, a woman named Hannah
prayed for a son. His name was Samuel.

Buried, but not so deeply in Hannah’s prayer, was her confidence that the LORD will
win in His contentions with the unrighteous. It was a prophecy contained in her prayer–
a prophecy concerning a son that was to be born. His name was Samuel.Hannah was
aware that the LORD could do whatever He wished. How we today need to be aware of
His love and power!

Recessed within His loving power are all of those characteristics He desires to place
within His spiritual children: you and me. The clouds of darkness and uncertainty loom
over us every day. Some days are so dark that we question whether He is still with us.

Yet, the exercise of our faith in Him and in what He can do suddenly becomes productive!
Things we had never dreamed could come to pass, did! Sins we considered beyond His
forgiveness were forgiven as we prayed in faith and believed.

What the LORD –our LORD—performed in the life of Hannah, He is yet competent to
produce and perform in us. She believed in Him and He acted on her behalf. Spend
some time in His Word, the Holy Scriptures; then, pray a believing prayer; and watch,
as He exceeds your expectations!

Tennyson was right! “…things are wrought” by prayer. Just don’t forget to thank Him!

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,

Numbers 14:19-24, “’Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the
greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from
Egypt even until now.’
20 So the LORD said, ‘I have pardoned them according to your word;
21 but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22 “Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed
in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and
have not listened to My voice,
23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any
of those who spurned Me see it.
24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed
Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take
possession of it’”.

I don’t know what you personally think of Tucker Carlson. Personally, I am attracted
to his style of presentation. Even more, I’m attracted to his emphases of spiritual
things. I’m not saying that he is a born-again Christian; but I’m hearing him emphasize
things that I don’t hear many others emphasizing.

Recently, Carlson emphasized the need for all Americans to pray for our country.
“Just 10 Minutes a day,” he said. How long he prays, I have no idea. But, I like his
emphasis on “Praying for the USA.” Our emphases seem to be on lesser things.

There are at the very least several million born-again Christians in the USA. What
if each of us spent a brief 10 minutes a day in prayer for our nation. The Scriptures
put a huge emphasis on prayer. There are over 300 references to prayer in the Bible.
That ought to “jump start” prayer in our lives! How about it? Let’s join together. Grab
your Bible. Read a psalm or two and ask God to bless our nation. He can do it!
He’s just waiting to see if it’s important to us!

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,

Genesis 6:5-8, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the
earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in
His heart.
7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land,
from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I
have made them.”
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

One of the most difficult things in life is to say, “I am sorry.” Yet, knowing that the first
use of the worry “sorry” came from our LORD Himself makes saying it no less difficult.

Yes, the LORD made man to dwell on the earth. But, when the LORD saw that the
“wickedness of man was great,” He was sorry that He had made created him at all.

Sorrow often emerges from things we don’t like in others (“She/he’s a sorry mess…”).
Yet, to be fully truthful, sorrow hits us in the face like a steel pipe when we do or say
something that hurts others. And those are sometime things of which we have no
knowledge until they are said or done.

Notice closely the Scripture passage above. The LORD first said He would blot out
man (vs. 6); then He vowed to blot out all created creatures (vs. 7). Yet, in the end,
“Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

Are we here to believe that man’s conduct was the cause of the LORD’s displeasure?
Yes, but ultimately, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” I view this as saying
that we should never give up seeking forgiveness for things we’ve done in haste –things
that lead to disfavor in the mind and heart of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Our motive should always be: “Think clearly first”; then, don’t say or do it –whatever it is!
I once heard a man say, “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.” Someone nearby
heard him and replied, “Are you sure you’ve got enough of it to share?”

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,

Proverbs 1:20-29, “Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the
city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight
themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
23 “Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words
known to you.
24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof;
26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but
they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD.”

That is a long passage, but it needs to be read slowly and taken very seriously.
Everything our LORD has said is true, whether it be of Himself or of us. When He
accuses us of wrong-doing, we are clearly adjudicated “Guilty!”

A good part of our problem is 1) we do not like to be told that we are what we are!
2) We don’t listen clearly to what the LORD says, whether about us or about any-
thing! We look too often at ourselves and want Him to see us as we see ourselves.

On the human scale, we may want the doctor to tell us that we’re in good health;
however, what we need to hear is the truth, whether it’s good or bad. We may not
want to take the meds the doctor prescribes, but we must if we want to survive!

So it is with the LORD –only far, far more seriously! The doctor may not know
whether we’re taking the meds he prescribed; but the LORD knows whether we’re
behaving as He has directed.

Thus, we need to read and absorb His Word daily! This should be at the top of
our “to do” list. Then, we need to meditate on what we’ve learned from His Word.
We also need to pray. Our communication with the LORD is of highest importance!
Only then, can we depend upon His love and power.

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