The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Exodus 2:1-8, “Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her.

6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go ahead.’ So, the girl went and called the child’s mother.

This is a much longer-than-usual text, but it is necessary to demonstrate the LORD’s ultimate plan for Moses — to say nothing of His use of Moses’ sister and mother. The plan was the LORD’s; however, He utilized Moses’ family members in the process.

He has a plan for each of us. We must, however, divest ourselves of our ideas and be willing to yield to His plan. Just how difficult do we think His plans are? You’d be surprised! And with His “assistance,” things will go amazingly well. Give Him the opportunity to show you!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:3-7, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Have you ever experienced an intrusion into something you were doing? Oh, I need to do that before I do this, you thought! That’s exactly what happened to Jude while he was writing this epistle. Instead of writing a treatise concerning salvation that was common to all believers in Christ, Jude was spiritually impressed to warn believers that there were certain persons who had secretly entered their group and were teaching and practicing bad doctrine.

How the LORD handled those who had broken from the truth and were currently teaching heresy, Jude does not specifically say. Jude’s concern was that this impure belief does not reach and hinder the spiritual growth of other believers. True biblical pastors are concerned about that, too.

Have you not seen and heard “impure beliefs” being touted by “preachers,” some of whom are on television? It is best in many ways that you stick with your local pastor, whom I trust is “feeding his flock” with the “many infallible proofs” and is enabled to answer questions you have. Pray for your pastor!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Galatians 6:1-9, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load. 6 The one who is taught the Word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

This is not at all an unusual directive for believers in the Galatian camp. Prior to their conversion, the Galatians were a “wild and woolly bunch.” No doubt, even some of those who professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior had a difficult time becoming what they ought in this new way of life.

Prior to his own conversion, Paul undoubtedly saw himself like the Galatians. In any event, he knew just what to say (and when!) to bring them back to the Cross of Christ.

Do you see someone who is having trouble behaving like a Christian? Help him! Do you see someone who thinks he is “elevated” now that he’s saved? Teach him to be and do right! Instead of changing your personal behavior, be sympathetic regarding those who have yet to learn how to behave as a Christian. That’s something we all would do well to learn.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

1 Kings 22:11-14, “Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'”

12 All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

13 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

14 But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak.”

There’s an old children’s chorus we kids used to sing. It said,

“Be careful, little child what you hear;

Be careful, little child what you hear…

For the Father up above is looking down in love;

Be careful, little child, what you hear.”

The chorus then repeated with the words “say” and “do.”

Generally, we think of children learning a lot from us. Of course, they do. They should. At the same time, there’s a lot we can learn from them – if and when we pay attention. Paying careful attention to others is one of the foremost responsibilities we Christians have. We will do well to adopt the wise words of Micaiah: “…what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak.” When we do as the LORD directs us, we then abdicate responsibility in the lives of others.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Genesis 1:1-5, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and

the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and

there was morning, one day.”

“Light has value far beyond allowing unseen objects visibility. Light “shapes” bodies and minds, structures time, and serves as a central metaphor for truth, goodness, and God in philosophy and Christianity.”

The LORD God is our Creator and Preserver. He preserves what He creates; thus, when we turn from sin and accept Him as LORD and Savior of our lives, He is our LORD and Savior forever!

Further, “light,” as has been emphasized above, is therefore more than physical. It is the perceptible light, the understanding, that allows what we call “intelligence” to exist within us. It is always to be grasped and retained for our benefit! It clearly brightens and tightens our grip on those factors that would otherwise never be truly, fully understood.

In the nighttime, when light is absent, we live with the belief that we are protected from whatever exists beyond our ability to see; thus, we can know of our LORD’s ever-present watch-care over all that lies within us – and for that, we can ever be thankful.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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