The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 25:11-18, “For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

13 His soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.

15 My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.

18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”

It’s difficult to read these verses without believing that the writer was seeking

genuine forgiveness for some committed sin. We must be careful, however, not to condemn this writer because you and I often have need to confess sin.

This is written neither to condemn you for your sin, nor to admit my own; still both conclusions would doubtlessly be accurate. The passage assures us that our honesty in admitting sin, also assures us that the LORD will forgive it.

Further, whatever the situation, He is present to deliver His own. He understands the way of our hearts, and that way is troublesome and distressing.

“Bring me out of my distresses” is the call of the human heart. “Look upon my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” And when we meet His conditions, He forgives our sins. I will pray for you; you, 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 Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Daniel 4:28-34, “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king.

29 Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.

30 “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’

31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you,

32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.”

33Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

34 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.”

Did you ever hear the expression: “He’s too big for his britches”? It’s a quasi-attribution for someone whose speech and/or actions are out of character for someone. It’s like a third-grader talking and acting like a high school student!

Well, this is precisely what occurred to King Nebuchadnezzar He had been chastised by the LORD earlier for misbehavior. He had suffered rather severely; yet, now he was talking and acting as if he were responsible for all that surrounded him. So, in the end, he was made to suffer additionally for his arrogance.

We all need to be careful that our behavior doesn’t mislead others.

We may think we’re better in some ways, but there are always others, who know more than we. Besides, arrogance is not-at-all

becoming to those who claim to be followers of Jesus. If we simply

focus on being like Him, others will notice and will be encouraged.

Heartily in Christ,

(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 127:1-5, “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.

5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”

Solomon, the author of the verses above, was also the author of many verses that are discoverable throughout the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul contributed numerous spiritual truths in the New Testament, as well as references from Old Testament Scriptures, as well.

In one place, the Apostle Paul said, “For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down” (2 Cor. 13:10). We could all use the value of these words from the apostle.

With Thanksgiving now behind us, thoughts of the coming Christmas will doubtlessly be on our minds. We would do well to think deeply of the Scripture passage above. Children (and grandchildren and great-grandchildren) are all gifts from the LORD. Pictures that we take of them, surely depict the love they have for us. Further, we would do well to remember that every contact we have with them is making a life-long impression. We will be remembered as they see us today. May our lives always reflect the LORD Jesus Christ.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

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,

Leviticus 7:11-13 reads, “Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD.

12 ‘If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil.

13 ‘With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread.”

The word “thanksgiving” is mentioned some 30 times in both the Old and New Testaments. When combined with “thanks,” mention swells to 169 occurrences.

The actual number of instances, however, is of less importance than the quality of the occasion itself. We live in a world, however, where words are often carelessly tossed about.. We often say “thank you” without mentally calculating the purpose for saying it.

The fourth Thursday of November in every given year is officially constituted as “Thanksgiving Day.” The day, viewed as a “federal holiday, originated from harvest celebrations held by the Pilgrims in 1621…when they feasted with Native Americans after a successful harvest. Thanksgiving then evolved into a time for giving thanks and enjoying time with loved ones.”

What we must never forget, however, is that Thanksgiving is more than a mere national celebratory occasion. It is a time of spiritual remembrance, as noted in Psalm 126:3, “The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.” Nor was this time a terminus of His doings for us. Thus, we have every reason to be glad, regardless of the celebratory aspects of the occasion. May God continue to bless America’s future as He has America’s past. And may we so live that our celebrations are never in vain.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

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,

Leviticus 7:11-18, “Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD.
12 ‘If (anyone) offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil.
13 ‘With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread.
14 ‘Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the LORD; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
15 ‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.
16 ‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what is left of it may be eaten;
17 but what is left over from the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.
18 ‘So if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings should ever be eaten on the third day, he who offers it will not be accepted, and it will not be reckoned to his benefit. It shall be an offensive thing, and the person who eats of it will bear his own iniquity.”

Today is THANKSGIVING DAY! I trust that we all are truly thankful for the bountiful blessings that the LORD has bestowed upon us; for if we are truly thankful, the greatest offering we can give to Him is that of ourselves. The troubles and fears that we encounter throughout life are simply opportunities that we have for allowing the LORD to inject Himself into the multiple vicissitudes of our lives. Trust in the LORD emerges in and through His presence when we submit to His will. God bless you! You cannot escape the goodness of the LORD. He knows and controls it all! I love you and pray for you daily!

Love in Christ Jesus,
Gene
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom