The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 1:20, “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and, ‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’”
Psa 109:1-8, “O God of my praise, do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without cause.
4 In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; let another take his office.”

To their credit, the disciples did pray when they got back to Jerusalem, but they failed to wait on the Holy Spirit for instructions. We’re like that sometimes –maybe more than “sometimes.” In yesterday’s Grands Letter, I noted that Simon Peter did not wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, as the LORD Jesus had instructed; rather, Peter quoted a verse from the Psalms and moved quickly to “cast lots” to determine who would take Judas Iscariot’s place among the twelve apostles. Sometimes we rush and grab a Scripture that suits our “thinking,” rather than waiting on the LORD as instructed.

Over time, the Psalms acquired categorical names. Psalm 109 is an “imprecatory” psalm — a psalm whose author calls for Divine devastation to fall upon his enemies. It certainly suited Peter’s personality. Doubtlessly, he had read it numerous times. Still, we have to be careful in our use of Scripture. The Bible does not exist as “ammunition” to destroy the thoughts or positions of others, who happen to oppose us on various issues. It needs always to be read and studied in the context in which it was originally written.

We would do well not to rush what we do, but to wait on the Holy Spirit’s lead. God’s ways are timeless. He doesn’t rush anything. We’re the ones who rush! And it often leads us to a less-than-helpful conclusion. Pray and wait! The LORD is always on time!

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,

Acts 1:6-11, “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

Ancient peoples often cast lots in order to determine their gods’ will for certain activities. Jews, Egyptians, all Old Testament people, used this means to realize supernatural determination of all kinds of matters. (Remember this when the referee tosses the coin at the commencement of a football game. This is the origin of the coin toss.)

Jesus is assembled with some 120 people on the occasion of His ascension into Heaven. Jewish believers were always concerned about the timing of the restoration of their kingdom. He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit, as all of that lay in the hands of the Father in Heaven. They would know when it was time for them to know, but not until the LORD revealed it. Then they witnessed Him ascend into Heaven.

Yet after they returned to Jerusalem, Peter got anxious and urged them to chose someone to take Judas Iscariot’s place with the 12, Judas having hanged himself. Peter was obviously not waiting on the Holy Spirit. And it was then that they prayed and “drew lots” (v. 26) according to the Judaistic way; and Matthias was numbered with the eleven apostles. The only other mention of “casting lots” in the New Testament is where the Roman soldiers “cast lots” at the foot of the cross for the seamless garment that Jesus wore (Lk. 23; Jn 19).

The teachings in these verses are multiple. We must pray and wait on the Holy Spirit to give us counsel regarding everything we do. God’s timing of events is always superior to ours. Be patient. Notice carefully the difference between Old Testament Judaism and New Testament Christianity. Judaism uses Law; Christianity relies on Grace, the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If you’re a Christian, you must rely on the Holy Spirit. He is given to you to guide and instruct you in the way of the LORD.

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,

Matthew 6:9-15, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen .’”

The day just past having been “Fathers’ Day,” it was appropriate in multiple ways that we remember our Heavenly Father. It is He who lives to make us into His own likeness, and He does so when we divest ourselves of the sin that comes between us.

He lives in Heaven; we live on Earth. Yet, we on Earth are to revere His Name for there is nothing that we possess that is not first allowed by Him. He gives us all that we need and far more than we deserve. While we wait for His Kingdom to come with all of its wonders and purity, His will is being processed on Earth even as it is in Heaven.

He provides for our daily needs; He gives us food to eat. He forgives the debts we owe to Him for all that He is and for all that He provides. He expects us to forgive those who are indebted to us for much lesser things that we are indebted to Him. The Light of His Life delivers us from evil –even from the temptations that arise within us– temptations to entertain evil. We are His by creation– His by Divine Design. His alone is the kingdom that is coming, with His power and His glory forever. May it ever be so! And may we each be ready.

Thank you, Blessed LORD, for all that You are and all that You do! We owe everything to 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,

Acts 1:6-8, “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’
7 He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’”

One of the things I greatly enjoy is reading the comments of people who are responding to the news. Not only is it a gauge on what people are thinking, it’s a colossal opportunity to site Scripture relative to the subject of the comments.

One of the major subjects of discussion of newsreaders is: Are we living in the Last Days? Since comments vary quite widely, it is difficult to know who is writing to influence others and who is simply “venting.” Yet, there are some comments that reveal anxiety over the Coming of the LORD Jesus.

Jesus Himself said in our verses above that we are not to know “the times or epochs (seasons) that the Father has fixed.” He is The Authority and everything will occur in His time, just as He has planned it. At the same time, He desires our awareness that there is a set time for Him to return. Were He to reveal that time to us, we would probably live for ourselves until that time arrived. We should be living for HIM at all times!

In the meantime, we “shall be (His) witnesses” whenever and wherever we go, even “to the remotest part of the Earth.” “But, I wasn’t called to be a missionary,” you say. Let’s be very clear: missions is simply a word. It can mean around the world or across the street. The only persons who are relieved of the responsibility of sharing the Gospel are those who have yet to receive it for themselves.

Just remember: while we have no assurance of WHEN the LORD Jesus will return, we have every assurance that He WILL return. May we be ready and have some with us who are ready when that day occurs! Examine yourself carefully! Be on the alert! And may God bless you abundantly!

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,

Acts 22:6-10, “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,
7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
10 “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’”

There’s a decided advantage to be conversant in more than one language. The Apostle Paul was conversant in Greek and possibly Latin, but when the crowd that screamed for his life heard him speak in Hebrew, they immediately quieted themselves to hear what he had to say. What he told them was how he came to know Jesus right in the middle of the Road to Damascus. It is precisely what he said back in chapter nine of the Book of Acts, when he first related how he came to know Christ.

There are believers today who have never related their conversion experience. Some may have fear of how it will be received. Some possibly doubt that others would even care to hear it. Yet, there is strength in every one who witnesses of his conversion to the LORD Jesus. The conversion of our self-centeredness into love and dedication toward Christ is exactly what those without Him want and need to hear. If they don’t have Christ, their lives are sinful and empty and longing to be cleaned and filled with something new.

Those who count for Christ are they who want to share their witness of Him. It’s not a selfish, “look-at-me” type of thing. It’s shared to the glory of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection were for all mankind. There are those who have received Him as their LORD, and there are those who haven’t, but who desperately want to know Him. That’s where you and I come in. We can share Jesus with the trust that He and He alone will be glorified. You life will fill with joy just in the telling. You will burst into joy when you see them blessed by having heard of Him. So, share Him today! You’ll be
glad you did, and so will they.

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