The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Exodus 20:1-6, “Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2 ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5 ‘You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’”

If you are reading carefully, you will recognize these words as the commencement of the Ten Commandments. It takes eleven more verses, however, to complete the LORD’s words with regard to all the Commandments. They should all be read slowly so as to absorbe their full meaning.

You probably don’t have any symbols or carvings or pictures of false gods in your home; at least, I hope you don’t. But there are other gods that can be worshiped just as truly as those made of wood or stone. A craving for money can make money your god. Honors bestowed upon you can produce pride, which can become a god in your life.

Religion itself, mixed with pride, can become a god. Even emphasizing that you are nothing can itself become a god; for a perpetual emphasis upon your own weakness cannot escape notice as being an emphasis upon youself! It is an easy trap into which we all can fall.

Jealousy is most often considered an unacceptable god; however, when the LORD God speaks of being jealous, it is understood to be a Divine Quality of His alone and is always right. When we accept Christ Jesus as our personal Savior, we belong to Him totally! Thus, He has the Divine Right of jealousy over our lives. Such jealousy is acceptably mirrored in a father over his child.

Does the LORD have that right over your life? It’s far better for you if He does! Far better!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Exodus 1:7-10; 15-20, “But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10 “Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives…
16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth…, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.
18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”
20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.”

Were you ever in a situation that left you not knowing which way to turn? One person is telling you to do one thing; another is telling you to do something completely different. How do you resolve such a quandary? It seems that you’re destined to upset someone, either way you go.

I won’t pretend that Christians never face such situations. Indeed we do! But when situations like this arise, we pray, inquiring of the LORD’s will. In the situation with the midwives, they did as they believed the LORD would have them to do: they simply “feared God.” One meaning of “fear” ( ????? yare) is “reverence.” Thus, it can be said that these midwives “reverenced the LORD” rather than the king of Egypt. Thus, God was pleased with the midwives, and they prospered due to His pleasure.

Whenever we face a trying situation, putting the LORD first is always the right thing to do. Remember that phrase: “What Would Jesus Do?” Pharaoh didn’t change his mind. In fact, his fury cost the lives of many Egyptian children. But the midwives’ dedication was exceedingly rewarded through the subsequent birth of Moses, who would ultimately lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Are you facing a difficult situation today? Are you caught between “right and wrong”? Just pray earnestly to the LORD. He specializes in giving His people the right answers to difficult situations –and just at the right time!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Genesis 31:44-49, “’So now come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.’
45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, ‘Gather stones.’ So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
47 Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between you and me this day.’ Therefore it was named Galeed,
49 and Mizpah, for he said, ‘May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.’”

Did you ever have an agreement with someone you thought you could trust, only to have it turn out that you couldn’t trust him at all? Yes, somewhere you have. Laban was Jacob’s uncle and they had agreed that Jacob would work for Laban for seven years, after which Laban would give his daughter, Rachel, in marriage to Jacob. But the morning after their wedding night, Jacob learned that he had been given Rachel’s older sister, Leah, instead. This caused an tremendous family uproar!

Love is indeed a strong factor! Jacob’s love for Rachel was so intense that he agreed to serve another seven years for her. In all of that time, Laban cheated Jacob again and again (Genesis 31), until they agreed to part ways completely. But first, they heaped together a pile of stones as a visible sign of their relational covenant. They were still not in full agreement when they piled the stones because they couldn’t even agree on what to name the stone! Strangely enough, it was Laban who said,

“…although no man is with us,
God is witness between you and me.”

Although we might strike an agreement with someone we do not fully trust, once it is agreed upon, the moral law of God requires that we stand truthfully by what we have said. God will have indeed witnessed the agreement, and it is His will that you remain true to everything you have said.

We have to be true to our fellowman if we expect the LORD to protect us. Friends and neighbors are watching to see if they can trust us as well. Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the LORD God is witness to every situation. If we are truly His, we will act accordingly.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Genesis 21:22-24, “Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, ‘God is with you in all that you do;
23 now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.’
24 Abraham said, ‘I swear it.’”

Even the most cursory examination reveals truth, if examined in a careful and sincere manner. Such truth was resident in Abraham, whom Abimelech commended as one who worshipped and served the LORD. Is it not worthy beyond words to be known as the LORD’s servant? Or is there anything more precious than to have it said of you that “God is with you in all that you do”?

Most of us glibly say, “Thank the LORD” when something that could have worked against us, turned out well. Yet, unless we are committed to Him, He has no obligation to protect us from any adverse circumstance. What we may have viewed as His protection of us might well have been His protection of someone else, who stood nearby.

Abimelech was protected from doing wrong because of the LORD’s love for Abraham. Those who know Him often unknowingly bring His protection on others without the knowledge of either. It is much more commendable, however, when we all are committed by faith and trust in the LORD. It can then be said of us, “God is with you in all that you do.”

Is He with you? Are you committed to Him in full surrender of your life? The LORD always resides with those who are His own. Thus, when you are His, you live fully and completely under His protection. Commit your life to Him! There is no greater protection! And there is no reason to ever worry!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 53:1-6, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”

In the course of my life, I have had the privilege to meet a number of famous persons. The big surprise was that none of them looked anything like I thought they would. They were ordinary people in every possible way. Jesus was just like that, too.

No dedicated and conscientious Jew could read that passage above without understanding it to be a reference to the Messiah. Everything in those verses speaks of Jesus. He was the “arm of the LORD.” He grew up from childhood to manhood with the normal appearance of any Jewish boy of His age.

Yet, Jesus was more –much more! He attracted the crowds with what He said, not with how he physically appeared. They had been taught of the Messiah; and He, they believed, was coming to throw off the yoke of their oppressors and usher in a holy kingdom. Well, it was something like that, only more –much more.

Jesus came to forgive the sins of all mankind! He was His Father’s human sacrifice –the sacrifice that satisfied the judgment of Almighty God. And for all who ask forgiveness and turn from their sins, Jesus gives Eternal Life. Sound simple? It is! The sadness is that many stumble over the very simplicity, thinking that it how they live or to what religion or church they adhere. Yet, the Scripture says, “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon Him.”

Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? A simple, prayerful request for forgiveness is all that’s necessary; and “the LORD causes the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Then, you will possess His Holy Spirit and your life will take on new meaning, and He will be glorified!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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