The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 74:10-11, 18-21, “How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Thy name forever?

11 Why dost Thou withdraw Thy hand, even Thy right hand? From within Thy bosom, destroy them!

18 Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled; And a foolish people has spurned Thy name.

19 Do not deliver the soul of Thy turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Thine afflicted forever.

20 Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Thy name.”

Remember when you were young and attending school? There were always some kids who thought they were tough.

Whatever they said, they backed up with threats of youthful violence. My cousin apparently didn’t understand them,

because one day when he was threatened, he took the tough guy to the ground and made him cry. Did that not make

a difference in things!

Some of those who escaped being defeated as children are still with us. They threaten us with words and violence.

They appear to outnumber those who could match them in physical battle. Yet, our victory lies with the LORD! The psalmist

simply cried, “Destroy them!” Do it completely! Wrestle them to the ground! Bring them to an end! And the basis for the

psalmist’s cry is that the enemy has defied and insulted and scorned the Name of the LORD! And in the process they have

caused “a foolish (senseless) people” to disdain the LORD’s Name, too.

Simultaneously, the psalmist pleads for the lives of those who love and follow the LORD. Please don’t deliver us (the dove)

into the hands of the enemy (the wild beast). Don’t ever forget how we are being afflicted (mistreated). But do remember

the covenant You promised to “Your descendants…throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7-8).

Especially, do we need Your promised covenant now, when our “land is full of the habitations of violence.”

Our final verse above pleads with the LORD to bring honor and deliverence to those who praise His Name! There is no

question but that we deserve the LORD’s wrath. As a nation, we have stood by and literally watched while babies (the LORD’s little ones) have been butchered and their body parts sold for money! Oh, we deserve His wrath! Still, Abraham once pled with the LORD not to destroy Sodom; and the LORD said, “I will not destroy it…,” if but ten righteous persons can be found there

(Gen. 18:32). Are we among the righteous? There are but two positions, and there is no escape from being counted.

May the LORD be gracious to us as well, and forgiving of our many sins. The LORD alone is our only hope! He can transform

us from sinful to righteous. We must just be willing to ask His forgiveness and commit our lives to Him and His directives.

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,

Psalm 62:1-8, “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation.

2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will you assail a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth,

but inwardly they curse.

5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

If you are reading these daily Letters as closely as you should, you are as amazed as I at how the Scriptures are tracking the

election quagmire in which our nation is currently bogged down. The Bible is not a political entity; yet, it speaks miraculously to every nation’s people with respect to their political and social conduct. Those who left the old country and sailed to this New World in ships, did so both as an escape from tyranny and in search of freedom to worship God as His Spirit directed them.

Interestingly, the passage above initially directs us to wait on the LORD’s activity. He alone is our salvation! We are not to trust in

the genius of legal counsel. Their success comes from the LORD’s guidance, regardless of their personal spiritual standing with Him. He is able to direct the thoughts and activities of all men, just as He directs the thoughts and activities of those who love and follow Him. Still, it is the LORD and the LORD alone who is to be our focus. He is our only salvation, physically, politically and spiritually.

Verses three and four are addressed to those who would assail with murderous intent the one they politically denounce. But, before we rejoice at their ruin, that same Scripture commands that we “wait in silence for God only,” for our hope lies only in Him. The psalmist declares the LORD to be his “rock and…salvation.” He is adamant that he himself “shall not be shaken.” For the LORD will not allow anything or anyone to move him away from the only Person of trust. This is how all victories are achieved.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for 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,

Psalm 61:1-8, “Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth I call to Thee, when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For Thou hast been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy.

4 Let me dwell in Thy tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Thy wings. Selah.

5 For Thou hast heard my vows, O God; Thou hast given me the inheritance of those who fear Thy name.

6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life; His years will be as many generations.

7 He will abide before God forever; Appoint lovingkindness and truth, that they may preserve him.

8 So I will sing praise to Thy name forever, That I may pay my vows day by day.”

Reading through this Psalm reminds me of a game we used to play at recess in grammar school. We called it “King of the Mountain.” One boy would position himself on a large, flat rock that enjoyed permanent residence on the playground, while the rest of us sought to disengage him from his higher position.

The psalmist David was engaged in a similar activity, only his was an activity of real life! He sees the threats of an enemy,

and he calls upon the LORD to be his refuge. His plea for the LORD’s defense is accompanied by honest pledges of love and devotion. He is then aware that the LORD has heard and granted him the inheritance he requested. Still, it appears that David has added the king’s preservation of life to his request. His faith in the LORD is exceedingly strong! Further, his request was not selfish, had he asked only for himself.

As we face current turmoil in our own nation, we would do well to follow the pattern of the psalmist. The LORD alone is our sure defense against evil. Our trust must be in Him, not merely in those who seek to extricate the president from an evil delimma, planted by his enemies. Nor should we merely desire to defeat those who have sinned against us. What is at stake is more than personalities. It is the moral function of our voting system that undergirds the integrity of the rule of law.

“King of the Mountain” was just a game. What ultimately occurred had no serious repercussions on the lives of the players. Such is not so with our nation. Some may “play” as if it were, but the lives of multitudes are ultimately at stake in this process. David prayed and the LORD responded. Would that not seem the proper activity for us all? Yet, prayer is only heard when it arises from a clean and sincere heart. God does not hear the prayers of unrighteous people, except when they ask forgiveness for their sin. Our lives must be spiritually and morally clean for Him to hear and respond. Please join me in sincerely scrubbing our lives clean by repenting of our every-known sin. More than we know is at stake!

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,

Psalm 59:1-4, “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity, And save me from men of bloodshed.

3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me, Not for my transgression nor for my

sin, O LORD,

4 For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me. Arouse Thyself to help me, and see!”

Trouble comes packaged in many forms. The one factor that is certain, however, is that the ultimate intention of trouble is destruction – destruction of righteousness and those who advocate and propagate it. From the Garden of Eden to this very day, Satan’s game plan has not changed. David’s cry for deliverance is our cry today. David’s confidence in his Deliverer must also be our confidence.

David’s focus is two-fold: the first is the enemy –those whose oppose righteousness and all for which we stand. Truth has no value to the enemy. For them, truth is whatever they desire it to be. In fact, if truth exists at all, it is only in their twisted definition.

The other focus is the Savior –our Savior, the One against whom the entire host of enemies cannot prevail. Our cry for deliverance must be bold and continuous. There is no room for “now I lay me down to sleep” prayers. They must be prayers of deep thought and meaning. Such prayers come from spiritual growth. Far too often, we face a dilemma, with the belief that we ourselves are capable of conquering it. Yet, we often are in need of help, but don’t know where to find it. It is at that point, we suffer from spiritual embarrassment.

The final factor that allows the LORD to hear and answer our prayers is our lack of personal culpability. David cries, “For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.” If we are to witness the LORD’s destruction of our enemies, we must ourselves be bereft of all guilt. There is no room here for “play-acting.” We must truly and completely be righteous and in good standing with the LORD. His activity on our behalf will then prevail. His eternal power cannot be overcome. The price for His deliverance is our yielding to Him. He gave His all on the Cross for our sins. Now, He demands our giving our lives to Him in exchange.

Are you facing a potential dilemma in your life? Do you need someone to rescue you? Jesus stands ready to help. Just yield your life to Him, and call upon Him in serious prayer. You will be amazed how quickly and thoroughly He meets your need! Your

life and focus will be changed forever! You’ve tried everything else without success. Try Jesus! He never fails!

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,

Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

Trouble is a universal adversary. It comes in a variety of forms. It is sometimes physical, sometimes emotional, sometimes psychological, sometimes spiritual. Yet, it is always accompanied with some form of anxiety. The word trouble (tsarah) means

affliction, anguish, distress. Paul describes his trouble as “a thorn in the flesh,” for which he “entreated the LORD three times that it might depart” from him (2 Cor. 12:7-8). Yet, the LORD’s response was “My grace is sufficient for you…” (v. 9).

More than 10 years ago, I elected to undergo surgery on my right hand. I have what is called “Dupuytren’s conjecture.” It’s an “abnormal thickening and tightening of the normally loose and flexible tissue beneath the skin of the palm and fingers,” and it impedes the normal usage of the hand. In can be compared with sin, in that it always returns.

Paul, you will recall, petitioned the LORD three times for the alleviation of his malady. And each time, the LORD said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

I lay no claim with Paul’s malady, but I am earnestly trusting our LORD’s power to avail for me in this situation. I am not looking for sympathy, I am writing to encourage you who have truly serious conditions that through prayers of faith you may know the LORD’s strength and comfort.

To those of you who have not committed your natural, sinful nature to Him, I appeal to you all the more. Sin is not merely a physical condition; it is a spiritual condition with eternal consequences. Turning to Christ in faith, and repenting of personal sin is the sure and only method of spiritual rescue. My prayers reach out for 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