The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 3:12-13, “Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not be angry forever.
13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the LORD.’”

Have you ever disobeyed a direct order and done it so viciously that you honestly believed you could never return and face those whom you had disobeyed? “I was so wrong and so disgustingly vile that I could never return, much less could I face those to whom I had showed such excessive anger.” Well, maybe you have a memory of such temperament. Have you ever viewed it as having been toward God?

Jeremiah views the LORD as gracious and forgiving. The LORD will not react in anger. He is gracious and loving even to a faithless and iniquitous people. But what are we to do regarding our transgressions against Him? Acknowledge them as having been wrong. He promises that He will not be angry forever.

Such a directive has often been offered from the LORD. Yet, as mankind moves through the centuries, our sins seem to grow worse. What was once known only in brothels seems now a regular occurrence in some churches. How much will God take before His wrath overflows on us? We must turn from sin and learn to obey His voice. And like a loving parent, He promises that He will not be angry forever.

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,

Isaiah 1:18-20, “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
19 ‘If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

I’ve made up my mind! I know what I’m going to do! Has anyone ever said that to you, or have you ever said that to someone? The chances are, you have experienced both at some remote time in your life. I cannot recall ever having someone threaten to take his own life. But, I have experienced some who have become so frustrated with their life situations that they don’t know where to turn for help.

In our verses above, the LORD reveals to the prophet Isaiah that His Jewish people were in serious rebellion against Him. They had provoked Him to anger; yet, before the LORD pours out His wrath upon His people, He appeals to them through the prophet. “Let’s reason together,” says the LORD. Think this thing through. Sin can be forgiven. Lives stained with scarlet can be washed “as white as snow.” It all depends on whether you are willing to trust Him and become obedient.

The sins that brought about this dilemma started with the LORD’s people; so the forgiveness of the LORD requires a change of man’s mind. It’s called repentance. Refusal, invites disaster from their enemies. It’s much the same with us: we have sinned against the LORD. Now, we must sincerely repent (change our minds and our life’s direction) and ask forgiveness from the LORD God. We can either be “willing and obedient” or “be devoured” by our enemies.

Make the smart move: turn from sin and throw yourself on the mercy of the LORD in Heaven. Why? because then we “shall eat the good of the land,” which means the LORD will bless His people. And when His people mind Him, honor and glory are bestowed upon the LORD. Give this some serious thought and let it apply to your own life. You’ll be glad you did!

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,

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the afterlife) where you are going.”
Our world has experienced the ultimate dichotomy: Man, the paramount figure in God’s Creation has severed himself from Wisdom, the supremely Divine principle of all time.
?Take, for example, the man who hooked the bumper of his pickup to an Automatic Teller Machine. He was going to abscond with the machine and all its money. But as he sped away, the bumper ripped from the truck, leaving behind the license tag to be discovered by the police. They did.
?Then, there was a man who intended to rob a confectionary. He entered the store bare-faced. Then, after everyone had seen him, he donned a ski-mask and announced, “This is a ‘stickup!”
?Or take the girl who entered a convenience store under the pretext of asking for a job. She then robbed the store, discarding her resume as she left. Yes, you’re right; it contained her full name and address.
In the first edition of his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), Noah Webster, who, incidentally, was a committed believer in Jesus Christ, defines “wisdom” as,
The right use or exercise of knowledge…. the knowledge and fear of God and sincere and uniform obedience to His commands. This is the wisdom which is from Above.
Yet, long, long before Webster, the wisest of all Old Testament saints said “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Pro 4:7). Add to wisdom and understanding the activity of your hands. That’s right! Do what you know to be right! Do it in faith; do it love; do it for the glory of our LORD Jesus Christ.
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,

Esther 4:10-14, “Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai:
11 ‘All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.’
12 And they related Esther’s words to Mordecai.
13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.
14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?’”

Ahasuerus was at this time King of Persia (known today as Iran). He had thrown a banquet for all of this nobles and displayed the enormity of his riches to all who were present. At that time, he ordered Queen Vashti to appear and display her beauty to all the guests. But, Vashti refused to attend. Ahasuerus became sullen and a search was ordered to find a beautiful girl to replace Vashti.

Inasmuch as all things occur according to the sovereign will of God, a young Jewess named Esther, was chosen to replace Vashti. What King Ahasuerus did not know was that there was a plot one of his men had designed against all the Jews in Persia. Mordecai was a relative of Esther and he learned of the plot against his people. He informed Esther of the plot and urged her to tell the king.

Esther knew she would be laying her life on the line were she to address the king without being called before him. Mordecai said to Esther, If you remain silent, you and all of the Jews in Persia will be killed. “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Ultimately, Esther was allowed to share the plot with King Ahasuerus, and the one who had originally designed the plot was subsequently executed by the king.

Just for the moment, imagine yourself in Esther’s place. Imagine, too, Mrodecai saying to you what he said to Esther. Are you where you are because the LORD has a mission for you to do? Has He enabled you to know certain people in order to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them? Nothing occurs by accident. There are no accidents in the economy of God! He is sovereign! So, are you sharing His salvation message with those He has allowed you to meet and and know? You just might be the very one He has placed with them “for such a time as this.” I pray that you are and that He will bless you mightily!

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,

Nehemiah 6:1-4, “Now it came about when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates,
2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, ‘Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.’ But they were planning to harm me.
3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?’
4 And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way.”

Nehemiah was a servant to King Artaxerxes. When the king noticed Nehemiah’s sadness, he asked why he was sad. Nehemiah replied that he was sad because he had learned that the walls of Judah, his hometown were broken and in need of repair. The king asked Nehemiah how long he would have to be gone. Nehemiah gave the king a definite time, and the king gave him permission to go and attend to the rebuilding of the walls.

It goes without saying (although, I am saying it here) that anytime the LORD’s people are seeking to serve Him, there will always be those who object and seek to interfere with the LORD’s work that they are trying to accomplish. So it was with Nehemiah. Sanballat and Geshem were his adversaries, and they did everything they could to discourage Nehemiah and his workmen. One of their tricks was wrapped in a note that said, “Let’s meet together…” They didn’t say why they wanted to meet, which gave Nehemiah the thought that they intended to do him harm, and thus, hinder the wall’s repair.

Sanballat and Geshem were persistent; yet, Nehemiah stood firm and refused to meet with them. Often what we are already doing is of more value than stopping to listen to some adversaries. Nehemiah was there to rebuild the walls of the city, not to debate with others. Follow Nehemiah’s example: just keep on doing what is right in God’s sight. God doesn’t engage in nonsense! Listen only to Him! Read His Word every day and pray! Get direction for the work He has for you, and stick with it! In the long run, you will be blessed by the LORD! And what could conceivably be better than that?

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