The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 26:40, “And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping,

and said to Peter, ‘So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?’”

It was a deeply disturbing time for Jesus. He and His disciples were in

Gethsemane. The Cross was not far away. Jesus was deeply and emotionally

Involved in prayer. The disciples were asleep. Should they not have been

praying or Him? ~ How like the disciples we often are! Do we pray for each

other? Do you think to pray for the other relatives who are receiving this letter?

Do you pray for your parents, you uncles and aunts, or for Nana and me?

We all have needs. Some are physical, some are material, but we all have needs.

Jesus needed the disciples’ prayers. But they were asleep. . . .

Our love and prayers for you are daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Matthew 21:22, “’And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’”

Kids are notorious askers! I always wanted something! As I grew older, I

came to realize that not everything I wanted was good for me. My parents

knew much better than I. ~ Still, Jesus says that everything (?????) we ask

in prayer, believing (???????????), we will receive. Apparently, Jesus meant

that anyone who was old enough to have accepted Him as LORD and Savior,

was old enough to ask only for things that would glorify Him. True prayer is

only true when accompanied by belief. Hope (??????) in Greek always means

future certainty. We must believe with certainty in order to receive. And

that kind of belief comes from a life of consistent spiritual mindedness.

Is that the kind of life you have?

We love and pray for you always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Matthew 18:14, “’So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven

that one of these little ones perish.”

The first email in my inbox this morning was a prayer request from

Australia. The two-year-old girl of an Australian pastor and his wife

has been diagnosed with leukemia. My reading today included the

verse above, and my prayer for little Lara was based upon the will

of our Heavenly Father. Please join me in prayer for Lara and her

parents and siblings. With all the troubles we sometimes face,

none is more serious than what this Christian family is now facing.

God bless you. And thanks for praying.

Love you immensely,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Matthew 16:23, “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!

You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s

interests, but man’s.’”

There is no question but that Simon Peter was the impetuous disciple! It

was Peter who whacked off the servant’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane.

It was Peter who, although out run by John, rushed inside the Tomb to see

that Jesus had arisen from the dead. It was Peter who walked on the water.

But in the verse above, the LORD sternly rebuked him for “not setting (his)

mind on God’s interests.” That rebuke gave me pause as I read it. Whenever

we are thinking of our own interests ahead of God’s, we are a stumbling

block to the LORD’s interests and work! That caused me to think: What is

the LORD’s interest for me today? Are we thinking of His interest or our own?

We love you all more every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

Dear Grands,

Matthew 15:33, “The disciples said to Him, ‘Where would we get

so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?’”

What an incredible question!! Oh, it might have been viewed as

ordinary, had previous miracles not occurred. But Jesus had fed

the five thousand in Matthew 14; and in that same chapter, Peter

had walked on the water in the midst of an horrendous storm.

Had they forgotten all of that? Apparently so. ~ But before we

demean the disciples for their forgetfulness, we better take a look

at our own lives. We have prayed and witnessed the LORD’s

answer. Why are we doubting Him on immediate things? He is

never without power. He IS power! Trust Him and obey!

May He increase the faith of all of us,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas