The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 1:18-21, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.

20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 ‘And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.’”

I held my great-grandson, Joseph David VerHoeven, the other night. It’s an awesome experience to hold a fourth generation child, knowing his relationship to me. Questions multiply on such occasions: Who does he look like? He has this one’s ears…that one’s nose…another’s chin…” More importantly, what personal characteristics will he come to have as he grows to boyhood, to manhood?

Mary must have been smothered with such questions, even before the birth of her Son. Her pregnancy and her Son’s birth would be the most momentous experience of its kind in all of human history! Girls married

early in those days; thus, in all probability, Mary was an early teenage girl. She was engaged to a probably older man, say in his 20s or even 30s (we’ll never know exactly); yet, they had guarded their intemancy carefully. True love is clearly demonstrated in that when Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, and knowing himself to have been a righteous man, he did not want “to disgrace her” with a secret divorce.

The intervention of the LORD’s angel staighten out the thinking of Joseph when he said, “…that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Let me state clearly and without equivocation, I believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. That being said, it might more accurately be stated, “I believe in the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. His birth was ‘natural.’” Further, the angel declared his gender (Mary “will bear a Son…”); he declared the Son’s name (“…you shall call His name Jesus…”); and he declared the

Son’s destiny (“…it is He who will save His people from their sins.”).

The phrase, “His people,” certainly indicated the Jewish people. Yet, it might also be extended in meaning to “all people,” inasmuch as all human births are traceable back to Adam, the first human creation of the LORD God. Regardless of the specific meaning of “His people,” Jesus is the sole designate of the Father to deliver His creation from the shackles of sin. He is available to all –all, who will believe upon Him and trust Him as the sacrifice for their sins. Surely, He looks upon us, as Mary and Joseph once looked upon that new-born Child. Yet, He knows our destiny. Still, He leaves to us the responsibility of trusting Him as LORD and Savior of our lives. Yes, He knows Joseph David VerHoeven’s days, just as He knows yours.

What a joy it is to pray for you,

Nana & Dado III

(Gene & Rose Marie)

P. S. One or two Grands Letters have been missing recently. Rose Marie is back at Regional Hospital in Fayetteville

with pneumonia, but is in a recuperative stage. While we personally regret her circumstances, we continue to

have opportunities to meet and bear witness to new contacts of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Please pray for

her. She is in excellent spirits!

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,

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

21 “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Electric lights don’t work until they are plugged into a socket that carries electric power. It’s a strange analogy, but salvation doesn’t work until we are connected with Jesus. In the verses above, Paul tells us that he has been once-and-for-all time, connected with Christ Jesus; and the life-change that is viewable is not due to anything he himself has done, but is due to the life of Christ with Whom he is not connected. That connection can never be severed. Literally, the Greek language reads,

I have been once-and-forever crucified with Christ. I no longer live. Christ is living in me.

Christ Jesus died as the Heavenly Father’s sacrifice for mankind’s sin. It is available to everyone; but each person must believe (get plugged into) in Jesus’ death and resurrection in order for His sacrifice to apply to him. Just knowing that He died and arose from the dead is not enough. We just believe it was for us and trust in Him.

At the point in which we trust in Jesus, His Life enters us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Now, the change

that others see in us –the change in our lifestyle—is not reformation, but transformation. It’s not that we have made up our minds to live differently (How many times have we tried that and failed?); rather, it is that

He, the Holy Spirit, has transformed us and is forever working to make our lives like Jesus’ own life. We still

possess that old nature that wants to do what we used to do before we trusted Christ. Yet, the Spirit within us works against that old nature to conform us into His image.

The Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Jesus was His Father’s own sacrifice for our sin. Jesus’ resurrection proved that the Father was satisfied with His Son’s sacrifice and made it available to each and everyone who would accept it for himself. Native people living far away from civilization know nothing of Christ or what He has done. We send missionaries to tell them. When they hear and believe, they too are accepted into His family of believers. It’s the message of Jesus that constitutes the Gospel.

When those around us see His life in us, they wonder from where it came. When we tell them of Jesus, they, too, can be saved.

The big question is: Are we living His life before them? If so, they will notice and want to be saved, too. That is His plan. Let’s yield to the control of the Holy Spirit daily, so that His life in us will cause them to trust Him, too.

We love you and pray for you that Christ’s life will lead others to believe in Him,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

Galatians 2:11-16, “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.

13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

15 ‘We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.’”

Christians often disagree. They often disagree about biblical teachings. In this passage Paul disagreed with Peter. He vehemently, forcefully disagreed because the situation was extremely basic to the Christian faith.

Jews historically never had dealings of any kind with Gentiles. They maintained strict separation. The early Church, however, broke down that barrier as believers, both Jew and Gentile, engaged together in a Love Feast. Peter was partaking of the meal, eating with Gentile believers. Suddenly, some strict Jewish men appeared on the scene. Seeing them, Peter withdrew from participation with the Gentile believers. Paul saw this as a spiritual contradiction and he challenged Peter on the spot.

Christians today often differ about spiritual matters. Some things are trivial, like how often the Church is to partake of the LORD’s Supper (a memorial ordinance that helps believers to remember that Jesus is coming to Earth again). On the other hand, some things are vitally important, such as how one lives has any bearing on his salvation, Some would argue (as did the late President George H. W. Bush’s pastor). He argued that while Christ is involved, it is how we conduct ourselves that ultimately determines whether we go to Heaven when we die.

I would argue that what Jesus did, dying on the Cross and arising from the dead, is all that is needed. When we believe in Him, He forgives our sin and accepts us into His family. No amount of “good works” on our part can replace pure faith in the LORD Jesus Christ.

Be careful whose teachings you follow, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus…” (vs. 16). The interpretations of even the most sincere believers and teachers cannot substitue for the clear teachings of the Bible. The Bible itself is sufficient to bring men and women to faith in Jesus Christ. And if we follow the teachings of Scripture, we will live as we ought to live, bringing honor and glory to our LORD Jesus. Pray for understanding as you read the Bible. The Spirit of God will give you understanding.

We pray for you and for your understanding of Scripture,

Nana & Dado III

(Gene & Rose Marie)

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,

Galatians 1:11-17, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it;

14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

15 But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased

16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

I recently spoke to a Japanese lady, who has become a Christian. Strangely enough, she became interested in the Bible when she read the word in a comic book. She acquired a Bible and began to

read it. The Gospel of Christ became clear to her and she accepted Jesus as her LORD and Savior.

My purpose in citing that experience is to show that the Word –the Bible—itself carries the power

of its own accomplishment (Isa. 55:11). That does not mean that we should not witness verbally

to others; it simply means that the right Book in the hands of a hungry heart can satisfy the human

soul.

The apostle Paul was Jewish before he was Christian. His embrace of Judaism and his keen mind

had led him to a higher responsibility in that religion. He was not saved through the witness of a

Christian; rather he came to know Christ while on his way to persecute Christians (Acts 9). Paul’s

experience demonstrates that the harshest critics of the Christian faith can themselves be saved!

Mitsuo Fuchida was the lead pilot in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought America

into World War II. Jacob DeShazer, was a bombardier in the Doolittle raid over Japan. He became

a prisoner of war, and while in prison, came to know Christ as his Savior. He wrote a tract of his

salvation in Christ –a tract that was handed to Fuchida, as he was on his way to meet General

Douglas McArthur. Fuchida read the tract and accepted Christ as his LORD, too. He later became

an evangelist and preached throughout Japan, leading many to faith in Christ.

You can be active for Christ, too. You can hand Gospel tracts to people you meet. You can

encourage people to read the Bible. That’s what I’m doing right here and now. Paul had a unique

experience on the Damascus Road. He spent the rest of his life telling about it. What a fantastic

pattern for all of us! Let’s get started!

Praying for you to become strong in the LORD,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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,

Galatians 1:6-10, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

The apostle John wrote, “…and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32).

Pontius Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” We all want to know the truth, but there are so many who are saying that what they say is truth, that it becomes difficult to know what truth really is.

The Galatians had this trouble. Paul had preached the Gospel to them and many of them had believed in

Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior. All was well for a time. Then a group, who believed in a works-based salvation, came along and persuaded the Galatians to follow their teaching.

It’s the same today. We are constantly assailed by teachers and preachers, who say that salvation is dependent upon how we live and the good works that we do. “Live right and you’ll get to heaven,” they say.

But what specific “works” and how many of them have to be accomplished to secure salvation?

Paul denounces such teaching! He says that the Gospel –the Good News—is the simple belief in Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead that brings salvation. That being said, Paul denounces these false teachers by saying that anyone who teaches contrary of his (Paul’s) teaching should be set aside for divine destruction!

Simply stated, we are to read and study the Word of God –the Bible—and to believe only what it says. Turn off those who stray from that Word. Don’t listen to them! Listen only to God, who has given us His Word. “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved,,,” (Acts 16:31). That is His Truth!

We love you and pray for you earnestly,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

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.”