The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 11:1-6. “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.”

Have you ever played games? Of course, you have. But, I’m not speaking of the kind of games which you are thinking. Perhaps, one of your parents was a “gamester.” Moms and dads can be, you know. Then, when you queried about who was coming or where the prankster parent was taking you, you found that parents can be tricksters as much as anyone else.

The Apostle Paul was no prankster! But he did engage in a bit of “foolishness.” He said so himself. “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.” He had every right to be jealous. He was the LORD’s servant; and he had led them to faith in Christ. It was his express desire to present each and every believer to Christ in the fashion that Christ desired.

Paul then mentions Eve. Yes, she is the same Eve that was created to be with Adam in those early days of creation! The serpent lied to Eve; and in the process of her yielding to the serpent’s temptation, sin, which had been unknown up to that time, deceived her into plunging the whole of creation into sin against the will of the LORD!

Paul did not want the believers in Corinth to be misled, as Eve had been. Verse four in the passage above is the revelation of the deceit that would have mislead the believers. It was someone Paul undoubtedly knew, yet he did not reveal it to the Corinthian believers. He actually chides the Corinthians saying, “you bear this beautifully” (v. 4).

Paul undoubtedly anticipated the attitude of the Corinthians when he admitted to being “unskilled in speech.” Yet, simultaneously, he vindicated himself when he said, “…even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge…” (v. 6).

Serious, godly pastors do not preach for money! Yes, but they have to live, just the same. Still, there are those who desire only the money! Watch out for them! Don’t be robbed of the Truth by those who could care less. Follow Jesus only!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
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,

2 Samuel 22:32-39, “For who is God, besides the LORD? And who is a
rock, besides our God?
33 “God is my strong fortress; and He sets the blameless in His way.
34 “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
35 “He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your help
makes me great.
37 “You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
38 “I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back
until they were consumed.
39 “And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not
rise; and they fell under my feet.”

A few days from now we will be celebrating THANKSGIVING! It’s a time
of historical remembrance of the Mayflower landing at Cape Cod, Mass.
on 21 December 1620, carrying 103 pilgrims (including one newly-born).
Primarily, these passengers were seeking religious freedom, although some
were doubtlessly anticipating a financial success in the new land.

To my knowledge, no one on the Mayflower quoted from our scripture
passage above; yet the passage fits well into the thoughts of the
passengers.

Surely, we would do well to think like they thought. They were courageous in taking the voyage, and once landed, determined to
erect a church house for worship. Oh, how much we can learn from
our heritage! Even more, however, from the Book that gave them
guidance! I trust that you are reading the Bible every day, and following
its teachings.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
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 2:16-20, “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.
18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”
19 So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.”
20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression: “One good turn deserves another.” Unfortunately, there are too few “good turns” to start with; and when they’re found, there are still fewer “good turns” left with which to reciprocate.

Watering flock of any description was and is a difficult task. In the first place, wells were exceedingly deep. I remember dropping a rock into Jacob’s Well in Israel. I waited and waited and finally heard it splash in the waters far below. Instantly, I had an appreciation for both the well-diggers and those who drew the water for their livestock.

I live in a nice community. Kids, many of whose name I do not know, are always waving to me when I’m outside. Sometimes they come to my door looking for a job that would help us both; and it’s then that I see how polite they are close-up.

But, apparently, those who opposed the seven daughters of the Midian priest didn’t have the manners of boys in my living area. Deep well or not, there was plenty of water for everyone. “Just get in line, boys! These girls were here first! And besides, they’re drawing water for my livestock, as well as for their own. You’ll get your turn!

It was then that the “Egyptian” (Moses) helped the girls; and the girls reported such to their father. In a half-hearted tone, Reuel, their father, rebuked the girls for not inviting Moses to dinner. (Politeness was the rule of the day, whoever you were.)

Although Moses never intended to stay with Reuel and his family, he evidently made an impression on them all, so much so that Reuel even gave one of his daughters to Moses as his wife.

Times have changed because people have changed. Unfortunately, it’s not always for the better. We have a different code of ethics than those of Moses’ and Reuel’s day. At the same time, they can teach us something if we will but listen. The LORD is our Shepherd, too, if only we will allow Him to be so.

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,

Joshua 21:43-45, “So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had
sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it.
44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that
He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before
them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not one of the
good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all
came to pass.”

Who, reading this letter, would have believed 1) that former President Donald J. Trump would have been elected President of the United States for the second time?

And further, who would have dreamed that he would have tapped Arkansas’ former Governor, Mike Huckabee (an ordained Southern Baptist preacher), to be the U. S. Ambassador to Israel?

These are strange days, to say the least. Yet, notice what the LORD promises yet to give! 1) All the land sworn to their fathers; 2) rest on every side; 3) all their enemies into their hands; 4) every promise He has given to Israel.

Do you believe that with all the promises the LORD has given to Israel, He would ignore or overlook the promises He has given to His Believing people? What’s that old junior choir song that says…

Every promise in the Book is mine;
Every chapter, every verse, every line;
All are blessings of His love divine;
Every promise in the Book is mine.

Well, the promises are there! Have you found them? Are your trusting Him to bring them to pass in your life? Even at my age, I’m looking for the Rapture –that’s when Jesus returns physically, bodily and snatches us out of this old world and takes us to be with Him forever in Heaven! Oh, what a Day that will be!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
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 40:21-25, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.”

“Why are you not on time? Where in the world have you been? Were you not aware of what was taking place?” Those who hover over us often blister us with such rapid-fire questions with that we scarcely have opportunity to respond. Isaiah exemplifies this tactic with four such closely aligned questions in verse 21 that the people have little-to-no opportunity to answer.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, close family friends are those who often assume the position of authority when they warn and/or chastise children when the parents are absent. Subsequently, the prophet speaks of the LORD and utilizes the remaining verses to respond to the questions. It is the LORD Himself who “sits on the circle of the earth.” It is the LORD, who sits “above the circle of the earth…and stretches out the heavens like a curtain.”

Utilizing comparison, the LORD reduces world leaders to virtually nothing! He merely “reduces rulers (and all, whom He wishes); “to nothing.” Isaiah’s purpose here is to demonstrate the wideness of the gap between the LORD Almighty and mankind, whom He has created.

The Word of the LORD then concludes by asking, “To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal.” He is our authority! It is He who made and rules the universe. No created human being comes even close to being and doing what the LORD has done!
“To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal? says the Holy One.”

“We are,” as the Psalmist’s Word says, “the sheep of His pasture” (Psa.100:3). We would do well to remember our place and adhere to His commands.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

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

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