The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:23-24, “O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

Did you ever say something that shocked you? It was just something that you never expected

to come out of your mouth! Before you answer, note that I have not said that you were wrong

in what you said, or that was bad. Nor have I said that you were right. My initial sentence only

implies that what you said was unexpected! You were shocked by what came out of your mouth.

The psalmist says that if we love the LORD, He preserves us because we are faithful. The one

who loves the LORD speaks up on His behalf, regardless of the one with whom they are speaking.

It could be the Chief of Police, the Mayor, the Governor, a Senator or the President. It doesn’t

matter. The shock came because you didn’t realize you had the courage to speak up for the LORD.

The “flip side” of the psalmist’s note is that one who is too proud to admit that the LORD’s Word

has value and power, will simply not speak up for the Him, but will be recompensed for spiritual

weakness, which, in effect, is a denial of one’s own spiritual affiliation with the Savior.

We’ve all been in both situations. When we’re faithful, it shows that we possess real strength and

courage. When we’re proud, we demonstrate spiritual weakness and fear. Instead of standing up

for the LORD, we want to align oourselves with their thinking instead of His. For shame! What is

gained by denying the LORD? If you wonder, ask Simon Peter.

“Be strong,” the psalmist says. “Let your heart take courage.” Self pride demonstrates fear. Hope

lies in our LORD, Jesus Christ; and others need to see it in us. Remember: Everyone is either looking

for something he doesn’t have, or he’s running from something he doesn’t want, or he’s found

it and is trying to share it. Let’s pray for ourselves and each other. The world has enough weaklings!

It’s time we made a stand for Jesus!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 23:4-6, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Yet another Christian friend of ours recently “slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the Face of God.” We prayed for her recovery, now we pray for the family she left behind. Like the psalmist, she

possessed a Relationship with Jesus Christ. And like so many Christians who face the uncertainties of death’s darkness, she rested in the Realiability of our LORD’s protection. She feared no evil, knowing Who was with her and that He possessed the rod and staff that assured her comfort.

Having spoken with some who have encountered “near-death” experiences, including my own wife, I have come to view death as separated from Life with Christ by a thin veil through which we merely walk. A medical doctor, who is now with the LORD, told me of his collapse in his office. It was as if he were levitated above his staff, who earnestly endeavored to bring him back. He could hear all they said, but they could not hear him. Eventually, they were successful in his resusitation.

From the LORD we can expect to receive full recognition of His “goodness and lovingkindness.” Our joy will be beyond words or imagination! We are even now enabled to experience our LORD’s presence all the days of our lives; thus, it is no surprise that we want to dwell in His presence forever!

There’s a contemporaneous song that fits this psalm of David:

“Amazing Grace” shall always be my song of praise
For it was grace that bought my liberty;
I do not know just why he came to love me so;
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary;
To view the cross where Jesus died for me.
How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul,
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

Let us agree that we shall never lose heart. We serve a Risen Savior, in whose possession lies all that we need or ever could need. He is our Father, our Spiritual Parent, who delights in His children, as they conform to His teachings in a spirit of love. You are in my prayers! Do please, pray for me.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 23:1-3, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”

The Psalms are divided into several themes. Some are Didactic, some are Natural (having

to do with nature), some are Penitential, and some are Messianic. Most beloved of all the

Psalms, is the 23RD and it is a Messianic psalm. David, who was a shepherd, is the human

author of this psalm, and he uses the word Yahweh, capitalized as LORD in many of our

Bibles. It is an indication of his personal relationship with Almighty God.

The LORD is David’s shepherd. He does not view himself as shepherd of his own life;

rather, he acknowledges the LORD as in that capacity. David’s desires are all in the hands

of the LORD. The reliability of all his provisions belongs to the LORD, too. That’s what he

means when he says, “I shall not want.”

It is easy to imagine lying down “in green pastures.” This relates to the restoration of his body

and soul. The “still waters” is easily understood as a refreshment for the mentality of a busy

shepherd as he tires in the toil of tending sheep, especially those who are given to wandering.

Additionally, The LORD guides the shepherd, who himself is the guide and protector of the

sheep. He keep the shepherd on the path of righteousness, lest in his fatigue, he wanders

into areas not suitable for one who is charged with leading others. Above all, The LORD

does what He does “for His Name’s sake.”

Apply these thoughts to your own life. You are not your own shepherd. The LORD is.

Everything you want and need, The Good Shepherd possesses. You need not be in

want of anything that is necessary to the accomplishment of The LORD’s work. His

provisions are bountiful! He refreshes your spirit and restores your soul –things that you

cannot achieve on your own. He guides you in “right paths” –paths that are beneficial to

you, but that are also “for His sake,” for His glory! He is what it’s all about! And when we

learn that, we will have reached a milestone in understanding Him and His love for us!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:22-25, “And have mercy on some, who are doubting;

23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

I can recall more than one occasion when someone said to me, “I know you! You saved me!” Those of you who know me, know with certainty that I would never allow words like those to stand unchallenged. I quickly and lovingly corrected those persons, saying, “No, I didn’t save you. Only the LORD Jesus Christ can do that. What I did was help you to come to faith in Him. He alone did the saving!”

When Jude says, “save others,” in verse 23, he’s not saying what my young, Christian friends said to me. Rather, he is saying what I said to them. We have never saved anyone, but we have shown mercy to some and helped them out of their doubts. In fact, Jude clarifies what he said by adding verse 24: “Now to Him, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless…” Jesus only can allow us to stand blamelessly in “the presence of His glory.”

All praise must go to God alone! It is sufficient that you and I are allowed to experience the joy of seeing others come to faith in Christ. Jude closes his short letter saying “to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our LORD, be glory (honor), majesty (greatness), dominion (strength, might), and authority (power to act), before all time and now and forever.”

All of that having been said, we have joy unspeakable from the LORD when He uses to share His Word! How long has it been since you

seriously talked to someone about Jesus Christ? They’re all around us –and they’re waiting for someone to show them love and mercy.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:20-22, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit;

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting…”

Throughout the Scriptures we are told again and again to “love one another,” and to help and assist others to be what they

should be. But, before we can be effective in helping others, we have to watch out for ourselves. Jude has spoken quite directly concerning those who are “grumblers, finding fault, (and) “following after their own lusts” (vs. 16); but, Jude knows that we will not be successful in helping others until we have become what we need to become.

Why do you think the airline stewardesses tell us to put the oxygen mask on our own faces first?

Physically weak people cannot help physically weak people. Neither can spiritually weak people help spiritually weak people or those who have no faith at all. We must attend to our own spiritual needs before we can help others. Jude lists several things we need to do to become spiritually stronger. First, we must build ourselves up by faith! Learn to believe, to trust the LORD in and for everything. We must learn, also, to pray by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us. If He is leading you, you will know it. If He isn’t, you’ll know that, too.

Stay close to the love of God; keep looking for His Return, whereby He will show His mercy and will lead the lost into eternal life. Not everyone will believe. Yet, those who are amenable to believing need the assistance of those who have believed already. Some will continue to doubt. But, we must not fail to show them mercy, too. Think of the mercy our LORD has shown on us!

Today you will come into contact with someone who needs the LORD, someone who is looking for something they do not possess, someone who is feeling lost because he is lost. It’s the faithful, prayerful, loving, merciful, believing Christian,

whom the LORD has prepared to reach them. You are that one! May Jesus Christ give you victory in your life today!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”