The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ezra 7:10, “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.”

Teaching is a noble profession. My mother and her father were both schoolteachers. It was never my intention, however, to follow in that profession. For a long time, I had no idea what I wanted to be and do in life. I loved music…maybe a concert artist. I loved to debate… maybe a lawyer. It wasn’t long, however, before I learned that the LORD was calling me to preach.

Ezra “set his heart to study the law of the LORD…” Whatever else we might choose to study, there is nothing so valuable as the teachings of the LORD! Following the study of the Word, Ezra determined to practice it. I’ve heard some devastating tales of some notable men who studied and taught the Scriptures, but failed themselves to practice what the Word had taught them.

Teaching is both intentional and unintentional. You may stand before a class of students and share what you intended to share. That’s intentional teaching. The most valuable form of teaching, however is when we practice in our daily lives what we’ve learned from the Scriptures. That’s often unintentional teaching. Set your heart on learning what the LORD has for you in the Scriptures. Then, live out what you have learned. It’s not just the knowing of Scripture that He wants; it’s the intentional doing of it in our daily lives. Jesus did always those things that pleased His Heavenly Father. We cannot afford to do less. What has God taught you from the Scriptures today? Obey His teaching and He will bless you!

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,

2 Chronicles 1:7-12, “In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’
8 And Solomon said to God, ‘Thou hast dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and hast made me king in his place.
9 ‘Now, O LORD God, Thy promise to my father David is fulfilled; for Thou hast made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
10 ‘Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?’
11 And God said to Solomon, ‘Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king,
12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you.’”

Ice cream is getting expensive! If you’v not noticed the rise in price, you don’t go back far enough in time. I’m sure I’ve told you this previously, but when I was a kid, my dad would often take our family to the ice cream parlor after Sunday night church. The parlor made its own ice cream, and it was good! What made it even better was that they piled the “good stuff” as high on the cone as possible; and it only cost a nickel (5 cents for those who don’t go back that far). To a small boy, that made church more than worthwhile.

When the LORD asked King Solomon what he wanted, he asked only for wisdom and knowledge that he might rule the people wisely. The LORD then acknowledged that he might have asked for riches, wealth, honor, the lives of those who hated him, or even for long life. Yet, because Solomon had asked for none of these things, he would receive them anyway! Additionally, he would be granted wealth and honor that no previous or subsequent king had or would ever possess.

All of this is to say that the LORD is sovereign. He searches out the hearts of those who belong to Him and are humble and wise. He then gives to them far more than they would ever have believed. It is also a strong parallel to the argument that good fathers have wonderful plans for their children when they have learned how to behave and obey.

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 Kings 9:3-7, “The LORD said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
4 As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘“You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.”
6 “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

Upon the death of David, his son, Solomon, became King over all Israel. It was Solomon who authorized the building of the Temple and his own place of dwelling. It was when all of the building was completed that the LORD appeared to him the second time. It was the LORD’s acknowledgement that He had heard Solomon’s prayer. Further, He promised that if Solomon were to live before Him according to His commandments, He would “establish his throne forever…”

But, as always, the LORD reminded Solomon that if he turned away from His commandments and statutes, and followed and served other gods, He would cut Israel off from the land and destroy the house that had been built for His Name.

In the simplest of terms, the LORD just doesn’t put up with foolishness, regardless of who it is. Medical doctors often refuse to work with patients who will not follow their instructions. Lawyers often refuse to legally represent clients who will not be honest with them as they seek to build their case. Why should we believe the LORD would provide for us in any manner if we elected to follow our own ways instead of His? Simply stated, He will not. What we can learn from Solomon is to keep on praying and live righteously before the LORD. He will always be faithful to His Word.

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,

2 Samuel 5:9-12, “So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.
10 David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.
11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David.
12 And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”

Did anyone ever become important without knowing it? Probably not anyone you or I would know.
A lot of us think more of ourselves than we have become. David had a problem similar to this. Notice verse nine: “David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David.” He had to know where he lived and how he had come to live there. He even named the city after himself. Yet, David’s greatness increased because “the LORD God of hosts was with him.”

King Hiram was a friend of David and he provided men and material for building David’s house. It seemed then than David realized that the LORD “had established him as king over Israel.” This is the shepherd boy who challenged and defeated Goliath (1 Sam. 17); and almost before he knew it, he was King over all Israel!

It speaks well of us when the LORD uses us. It speaks better of us when He uses us and we hardly know it. It speaks best of us when the LORD uses us and we know and acknowledge that it is He who has done it all. Pride is a camouflaged deception. It’s a trap! It’s Satan’s chief weapon. Yet, it’s one of the psalmist’s consistent reminders: “The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad” (Ps. 126:3).

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 1:19-20, “Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

It is the purpose of the LORD that women should bear children and so populate the human race. Hannah was one of Elkanah’s two wives, but she was baren. Women are often troubled when they do not have children, and such was the way with Hannah. Every year Elkanah would go to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD. Hannah, however, refused to go. She was in great distress and prayed fervently to the LORD that she might have a child. In due time, Hannah conceived a son and named him Samuel, because she had “asked him of the LORD.”

The lack of children is but one of the distresses familes encounter. Still, the answer to any and all of the difficulties we face lies in our relationship and fellowship with the LORD. Relationship always precedes fellowship, because there is no fellowship with the LORD until we have become a spiritual member of His family. Thereafter, we must maintain an acceptable fellowship with Him, prayer being a heavy part of that fellowship.

The LORD knew Hannah’s distress, and she sought to erase it through her fevent prayers. Untimately, in the LORD’s own timing, He answered her prayers and gave her a son. She named the son Samuel, meaning “name of God.” Hannah loved her son, but she doubtlessly loved the LORD more. For when the boy was weaned, she gave him to the prophet Eli and he trained the boy for service in the house of the LORD.

Not all family situations conclude as well as this one did; nevertheless, the principle of substantial prayer is borne out for all of us to see. Hannah’s prayers persisted. She did not give up until she had what she asked. How often we pray a pithy prayer and then seek to blame the LORD for not answering. When we follow the life of Samuel, we clearly see the value of his life and of his mother’s prayers. Don’t give up praying! Keep on keeping on. The LORD wants to know how serious we are before He replies.

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