The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 11:23-26, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin;

26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”

A child from birth to three years of age, has no concept of the meaning of “faith.” A child learns quickly, however, to trust his parents in a variety of things. It’s not uncommon in Australia for a child to learn to swim before he learns to walk. And any child at an early age, and beckoned by a parent to “jump in,” can be said to be “trusting.” In Moses’ situation, however, that first notation of faith falls to his parents. Their trust was sufficiently great in the LORD as to erase their fear in the Egyptian king’s edict (Exo. 1:22).

The Old Testament account of Moses is that he was placed in a wicker basket covered with tar and pitch. Moses was then put into the basket and it was set among the reeds at the bank of the Nile River. Miriam, Moses’ sister, watched to see what would happen.

And when the daughter of Pharaoh came to the Nile to bathe, she discovered the child and ultimately raised him as her own. Thus, Moses studied in Egypt and became proficient in all things Egyptian.

When Moses became of full age (40), he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” He chose instead to suffer the treatment the Israelites suffered than to side with the Egyptians. Note that verse 26 above says that Moses “considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.” What all Moses may have known about Christ, the Coming Messiah, we may never know this side of Heaven; but as Abraham looked for “a city, whose builder and maker is God,” so Moses saw in Christ greater and richer rewards than could be found in all of Egypt.

What is the object of your search? Are you looking for riches that are visible around you? Are you looking for the City that the LORD is building for His born-again sons and daughters? What is it that you really, deep down in your heart, want above all else? What you

choose to pursue may be far less than your Heavenly Father wants to give you.

I heard a story of a son who wanted an automobile for his high school graduation. His father surprised him by giving his a gorgeous, genuine leather-bound Bible. The son was so angry at not getting the car that he threw the Bible down and left for college in a huf!

While he was away at college, his father took ill and died. The son returned for the funeral feeling somewhat ashamed at the way he had acted years before. In a moment of sadness, he reached for the Bible his father had given him; and as he flipped aimlessly through the pages, he discovered an envelope that had never been opened. In deep melancoly, he opened the envelope and

discovered the title to the car he had so desperately wanted. It was his free and clear. In all the years he could have used it, it lay quietly there in the middle of his Bible. Our desires are always far less than our Heavenly Father’s desires for us. Take your eyes off of the treasures of Egypt and trust that the LORD has greater riches in store for you –greater than you could possibly imagine!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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,

Hebrews 11:20-22, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.”

Men are always proud of their sons! Especially is this true when a son achieves the level of his father. Isaac was the son of promise. Remember that Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah, his wife, was 90 when the LORD promised them a son. That son of promise was Isaac, who in turn, was the father of Jacob. Jacob was a man of faith and the father of Joseph.

Much more could be said of Joseph than will be in this letter. The admiration of Jacob for Joseph was excelled by the LORD’s admiration of him.

There is no personality in all of Scripture, who was more Christ-like than Joseph, with the notable exception of Jesus Himself. Joseph was loved of his father, hated of his brothers, thrown into a cistern, raised from the cistern, sold for 20 pieces of silver, ultimately exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. All of these characteristics (as well as others) are later depicted in the life of Jesus Christ Himself.

What is more than worth your interest (and mine) is noticing that Joseph did nothing to promote himself, whether with his father, his brothers, or Potipher. The LORD pushed Joseph into every position and Joseph brought glory to the LORD wherever he was placed. Isn’t that what our LORD wants of us? Don’t worry about things that lie ahead! Don’t seek to maneuver yourself into what looks to be a desirable position of authority. The LORD knows who is best fitted for every opening. Just pray for His will to be done. He will place you appropriately. Often, those “opportunities” that look so good turn out to be not so good. Best to follow the Leader. Look at what was accomplished through those who did! God bless you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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,

Hebrews 11:13-16, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the Earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

Although, it was many years ago, I can remember being promised things that were never given to me. I clearly remember a friend of the family describing something from the war (WW II, not the Civil War!!). When I asked something about it, he said, “I have a piece of that and I’ll give it to you.” But his promise was never fulfilled. Without any doubt whatsoever, I will die without that promise ever coming to reality.

These people who are listed in the Roll Call of the Faithful here in Hebrews 11, “died in faith without receiving the promises.” Yet, by faith they saw what had been promised them. It was a heavenly city, and they realized that they were not citizens of Earth, but of that Heavenly City –a City that God had faithfully prepared for them.

If you believe that these faithful people were thinking of another earthly city, verse 15 says, they would then have had the opportunity to return to the area from which they had come. No, they were looking for a Heavenly City, a better place than that from which they had come. And because they were trusting God, Who had promised them that City, He was not “ashamed to be called their God.” For truly, He had prepared a City for them.

Have you grasped what this is all about? The totality of persons listed in Hebrews 11 believed that God had something in store for them that was infinitely superior to anything they had possessed on this Earth. What He had prepared for them, He has prepared for us as well. You and I won’t see the place until we die, leaving behind this corrupted, evil world!

When D. L. Moody was dying, he cried out, “I see Earth receding! I see Heaven coming! It is glorious!” Those standing beside Moody, heard and recorded his final words; but they saw nothing because their time for moving from this world into the next had not yet come. What we see and hear of happenings in our world today makes us eager to move heavenward.

Yet for now, we must exercise faith in the clear promises our blessed LORD has made to us. He has prepared for us a City. The sign on the door is marked “THE ENTRANCE FOR THE FAITHFUL.” Can you enter at that door? Have you trusted the LORD Jesus Christ as your Savior? Don’t put that off! “Today is the day of salvation.” And if you have trusted Him, are you sharing your witness of Him with others? One day, I will be writing and —

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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,

Hebrews 11:11-12, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

A lot of women today are woefully discouraged because they are omitted from things historically left to men. Godly men, however, are not desirous to omit women; rather, they delight in women, knowing that multiple tasks virtually require the attention of industrious women. I could speak at length on this subject without fear of successful contradiction because I was married to such a woman for 64 years! Believe me there were subjects that she handled that I could never have handled so successfully; and I’m not bound in my thinking to the bearing children and caring for them at various stages in their lives. Men, we have to fact it: women can do some things we could never do!

The name Sarah (??????) means “princess” in Hebrew. Yet, as with modern “princesses,” Sarah did not always behave as her name would imply. We find her first in Genesis 17, where she is already the wife of Abraham. We also learn that Sarah was baren. Neither she nor her husband believed what the angels said when they told her that she would bear a son. Sarah was 90 years old at the time.

Her disbelief was a failure of faith.

She added to her unbelief when she suggested that her husband have a child by Hagar, Sarah’s maid. That union produced a son, named Ishmael. He was their son: Abraham’s, Sarah’s and Hagar’s; but Ishmael was not God’s promised son. He would be named

Isaac, and he would be the son of Abraham and Sarah, as the angels had promised. Oh, how often we seek to be the answer of the LORD’s promise. And what is that except our lack of faith?

As Ishmael and Isaac grew, they became rivals. Ishmael taunted Isaac, and Sarah would not stand for that son of Hagar to belittle her son Isaac. Much less would she stand for Ishmael to rivial Isaac for the inheritance that would eventually come from Abraham. Thus, she pressured Abraham to turn Hagar away and she and her son Ishmael left and wandered for a time in the wilderness.

How on Earth could Sarah have found herself listed in the Roll Call of the Faithful here in Hebrews 11? I can find only two things: one, she by faith “received ability to conceive” even at 90 years of age; and when she considered the LORD to be faithful. For it was He Who was the One who had given her the promise. Further, she acknowledged Abraham as the leader, obeying him and even calling him “lord.”

The LORD has a means of honoring women. And many would have been honored had they simply believed in Him and labored faithfully in the place in life He intended for them to occupy. A personal note to the women reading this Grands Letter: You are never so honored as you are when you occupy the place the LORD has for you. Don’t try to be manly! Find the LORD’s place and He will honor you beyond measure with abundance! A personal note to the men reading this Grands Letter: You have been gifted in life with the most precious treasure of all, a loving, faithful wife. Never put her down! Never belittle her –ever, especially in the presence of others. Such is an act of faithlessness toward God, because it is He who has blessed you with her! One Day He is Coming! And on that Day you will discover the value each of you has had to the other. Pray together! Pray for one another! Be faithful to Him and to each other! You may yet make His Roll Call of the Faithful. I pray you will. Pray that I will, too!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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,

Hebrews 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

There’s far more to be said about Abraham that you want to read here. Almost everything he did was by faith. To begin with, Abram (that was his earlier name) lived in Ur of the Caldees. He was a worshipper of the moon goddess, when the LORD God called him to leave his fields and his religion –everything!—and follow Him to a place Abram had never known. Interestingly, there was no objection to doing exactly what he was told. Are we that faithful toward the LORD? What would you do if the LORD were to instruct you to move across the country, or even across the world? Remember, He’s not telling you where, He’s just saying “follow Me.”

He resided in a strange land, living like a foreigner, asking nothing, just obeying! Much later he would become the father of Isaac; and Isaac would become the father of Jacob. His greatest known act of faith occurred when the LORD told him to take his son, Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. Isaac was a grown man at the time, and he did not object to being the sacrifice. What a glorious pre-picturing of our LORD Jesus, who offered Himself upon the Cross for our sins. Isaac, however, was spared. The LORD staid the hand of Abraham, and a ram was offered in place of Isaac. The LORD told Abraham that this was a test of his faith. Thankfully, Abraham passed the test and became the father of the faithful. The Nation of Israel exists today because of Abraham’s faithfulness.

As believers, we are often moved by the Holy Spirit to go to places where we’ve never been. Often, too, we live among people who are foreign to our culture and language. Worst of all, we’re often called to live apart from all we’ve ever known, even friends and family. If and when that call comes to your life, remember Abraham! There was no mail service, no Internet, no cell phone, no contact

with those left behind –only the LORD. But, when you have the LORD, the Creator and Controller of the Universe, what is there to fear? Trust His Word; trust the Holy Spirit. That “He will never leave you nor forsake you” is His promise (1 Chron. 28:20).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

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.”