The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Deuteronomy 12:32, “’Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.’”

Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is tested (refined); He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6 Do not add to His words Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.”

Revelation 22:18-19, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them,

God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book

of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

We often bought eggs from a home grocery a few blocks away. One day my mother sent me for bread, and said,

“And don’t forget! You tell Milo those eggs we bought from him last week tasted like they came out of Noah’s ark.”

Dutifully, I said exactly what she had told me. Milo’s reply was, “Well…, truthfully they didn’t. But they were laid

just after the ark landed.”

It’s important to relay words exactly as they have been told you. That is especially true of the Words of the LORD.

Both the Old and New Testaments warn us not to add or subtract from the Words of Scripture. In the AWANA

program, kids are trained to memorize Scripture with accuracy. Missing one word may alter the meaning of what

the LORD actually said; furthermore, it could change the meaning entirely and lead us and others astray. Even

pastors often inadvertently mis-state what the Scripture says. Some even purposely twist the Word to say what

they want it to say. That’s dangerous! Some years ago, I read a book by a prominent pastor. He changed translations

when one said more like what he wanted. That’s really dangerous!

Sometimes we encounter people who say they just cannot understand the Bible. Yet, when they continue to read

it, it reveals itself to them. God has the power to make His Word understandable to the faithful reader. He also has

the power to make it understood to the faithful listener. So, today, when you hear your pastor preach, don’t look

around, don’t play with your cell phone, LISTEN carefully! The LORD has a message for YOU today! And that message

is true, even if some of it comes from Noah’s ark!

We love you immensely, and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”