The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 1:1-10, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’

3 What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?

4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place, it rises there again.

6 Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

8 All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’? Already it has existed for ages which were before us.”

These words of Solomon remind me of a word my grandmother used when someone had said or done something they shouldn’t have. It was the word “comeuppance.” It’s not a popular word today, but it was with my grandmother. It’s without a doubt that Solomon and those of his day clearly understood its meaning.

What Solomon encountered in science, philosophy, wisdom, pleasure, materialism, and morality (to name but a few), he discovered to be totally unsatisfactory. Life itself is from God, and no one but God Himself can or will ever satisfy us. As it was with Solomon, so it is with us. Yield your whole life to Jesus! Confess your sins to Him in prayer. He alone will bring to you the comfort and warmth of love. There’s not a friend anywhere like Him!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

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 9:10-18, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by me, your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The woman of folly is boisterous; she is naive and knows nothing.

14 And she sits at the doorway of her house, on a seat by the high places of the city,

15 Calling to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight:

16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” and to him who lacks understanding she says,

17 ‘Stolen water is sweet; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’

18 But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”

Are you fearful of the LORD? Are you truly? Do you live each day with a sensitivity to His presence and His will for your life? If you do, you’re on the path of wisdom. That is precisely what the LORD desires. It is His will that we always live with a clear knowledge of His presence. If we are truly His, and yet ignore Him, we will quickly learn that He is not to be ignored.

Remember when you were a child and how you quickly learned that your parents were in charge of your life? You were trained to do what they wanted, not what you desired. They were aware of the pitfalls that would lead you in life’s wrong direction. The LORD is all-wise. He wants the best for you. Ignore Him at your peril.

Jesus, His Son, was sent to give us life that only He could give. Jesus walked in the right pathway; He taught what we need to know. He gave us the Scriptures as our sole guidebook and the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. Yes, “stolen water is sweet,” but only for the moment. Christ alone is forever!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

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 29:1-4: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His Name; worship the LORD in holy array.

3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.”

The entirety of what we know and call “Psalms” is a collection of 150 psalms, averaging some 30-odd psalms in each of five groups. Book One concerns man’s beginning in blessedness, his fall into sin, and recovery at the LORD’s hand.

Book Two tells of Israel’s ruin, her Redeemer, and redemption. Books Three through Five speak of the holy counsel of God, the earth, as man’s dwelling place, and the living Word of the Gospel (Jesus) as man’s Redeemer.

The word “worship” (Heb. shachah) means literally “to bow down.” Thus, the LORD, who is our Redeemer, possesses absolute authority by which to demand our proper recognition of Him as our only Redeemer. Nations that are basically ruled by one person understand their leader’s superiority and their own need to treat him with reverence. That’s why we also bow in prayer. All mankind is equally required to worship Jesus Christ with the utmost spiritual reverence.

The concept “…the LORD is over many waters” (v. 3b) verbally indicates the universal authority of the LORD Jesus Christ. When the King of England arose from his seat at the commencement of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, he was acknowledging the authority of the LORD Jesus Christ. As believers, we can do no less.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

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,

Job 1:1-4, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, ‘Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus, Job did continually.”

What’s initially missing from today’s society is the concern of fathers for their children! Think about it! Job was not a Christian! There were no Christians in that era. Still, Job was responsible for those whom he had physically brought into life.

Job was also wealthy, and the wealthy too often have little to no time for their children. Not Job! He took time quite regularly to be with his children. It would have been of interest to have attended one of these father/children sessions. There is no record in history (other than the Scriptures) of any of these periodic family sessions.

The greatest value is the concern each of them had in making themselves available for these gatherings. It certainly would be a welcome situation for today’s families! How about your family? It’s certainly worth the effort!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
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, 10, “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… For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”

The circumstances of life are anything but circumstantial. The LORD affected King Cyrus, using Jeremiah to spread His Word. At the same time, He used Ezra to teach His Word to the nation of Israel.

Right now, as you are reading this letter, He is using it to instruct you in preparation for reaching someone else. That “someone else” is also being prepared to respond to your teaching, just as another is being prepared to reach yet another – and so, the cycle goes on and on.

What is the LORD preparing you to do? He wants your life and mine to reflect His Life in every possible way. There’s a song that reflects all of this:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas,
United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.”
– Corrie ten Boom