The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Prov. 22:9-12, “He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, even strife and dishonor will cease.
11 He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.”

It does us well not only to hold fast to the words of Solomon, but to share with others some of what we have. Of course, there will always be those who scoff and contend regarding everything we do, regardless of why we do it. At the same time, no one truly knows our heart except the LORD Himself.

Although the King is our friend when we “love purity of heart” and speak with graciousness; still, such an attitude of kindness always stimulates our own heart. It prompts our superiors to respect us.

Furthermore, the LORD retains within Himself the knowledge of purity He sees in us. Remember that “special prayer” you offered? It came to pass because the LORD saw and understood the sincerity with which you offered it. He saw and respected your spiritual attitude, and was prompted to grant your request.

We may all wonder from time to time why some prayers are answered and some are not. The answer to that may not come to us in this life. The One who knows always responds according to His will; for it is He who knows the true attitude of our hearts when we pray. It is He who “preserves knowledge.” Thus,
we do well when we just stay pure and live close to Him.

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 30:1-3; 8-9, “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 “Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3 “You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.
…
8 “When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.”

We cannot read very far into the Book of Exodus without encountering the overall strictness that the LORD requires of His people. Here in verses one and two, the LORD sets forth the size and substance of the Holy Altar. Not just any size or any substance are of any value. The LORD is precise! Further-more, the Altar is to be overlaid completely with “pure gold.” Only the bottom side of the Altar, resting on the ground, is bereft of gold for its covering.

I’ve often wondered if that’s where my parents received the idea that that everything that I was required to do (piano practice, memorization lines for school plays, etc.) came from this Old Testament Book of Exodus! However, what they required of me, was ultimately required of our children. Had it not been so, some of our family would have landed far from the Church and even further from the LORD!

The LORD is very strict with His people! He sets the standard for all parents and for all their children. Unfortunately, parents that fail to follow the LORD, more often than not, fail to set the standard for their children. Such failure encourages crime, including all unacceptable conduct, leading thereto.

The human conduct that the LORD requires is further supported by the words of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

We parents are not without human errors. At the same time, we are the shadows, as it were, for our own children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children. May we ever and always set an acceptable standard by adhering to His Word ourselves! May God bless us all!

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,

Romans 8:34-39, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The United States Federal Election has concluded; and there is, as expected, serious disagreement among some as to who actually won. Such is the case of all elections! It would be easier to adjudicate if the matter did not involve the entire country. Yet, it does; and who knows how long it will be until the nation settles down?

Whatever ultimately occurs on the political scene, there will be no argument regarding the LORD and His people when the Final Spiritual Judgment is tallied. There will, of course, be many, who thought they would “win” due to their living that included multiple good works that accrued to the benefit of the less fortunate.

Some will lose because they were never privileged to know the truth that would have set them free. Others will lose, not because they neglected the needy, but because they ignored the truth that came to them packaged in the love of family and friends.

Still others possessed the Good News of Jesus themselves, but never shared Him with their neighbors or friends. Where are you and I in this election? It is probable that both of us are acquainted with several who need to embrace the Gospel of our LORD, Jesus Christ. There is an “election” coming! And it will not be for some public office; it will be for Eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Now, what are we going to do about that?

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,

Matthew 8:19-23, “Then a scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’
20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.”

There’s a story circulating about that says Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, had an encounter with the LORD Jesus Christ. Musk, however, is not the only claim to such an encounter. If we research history, we can find many men and women who claimed to know and follow Him. Those who are recorded in Scripture as to following Him are to be believed because the Word of God does not lie!

I have known numerous persons who have claimed to know Him, too; yet, their lives did not consistently demonstrate that He was their leader. True followers of the LORD Jesus will demonstrate through their lives that they have truly met Him and are following Him.

In the passage of Scripture above, a scribe said to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Whether that man was truthful and actually did follow Jesus, only eternity will reveal.

There was another man, who pledged to follow Him, but deemed the burial of his earthly father to be more immediately important. There are times we can question the validity of even His close disciples –even Simon Peter! More importantly still, there are times when others might genuinely question whether we ourselves really know Him, as our actions display a love for contrary things.

Whether Elon Musk experienced a truly born-again encounter, only time will tell. What should concern us even more is whether others can view our encounter with Him as genuine. The proof of a true relationship with Jesus lies in whether we are with Him “in the boat”! Are you? Think carefully.

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

The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Deuteronomy 19:16-21,”If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing,
17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.
18 “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely,
19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
20 “The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you.
21 “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”

If it has never occurred to you, prior to reading this passage of Scripture, it seems certain that it will have its intention on your life. Of course, we are not living in Old Testament times; therefore, it has to be understood, as if we were, in order for its meaning to be perfectly clear.

I was once introduced to a man who had for several years served my area as a judge. I greeted him with an extended hand and an intentional fear-like face saying: “I didn’t do it, your Honor!” Fortunately, we both laughed. It might not have worked as well, had we been in court and in session.

Our judicial system was originally founded upon Scripture. Everything honest and truthful was originally based upon what is written by the Hand of God. Over time, however, mankind drifted away from the Scriptures and from all of the LORD’s instruction. When that occurs without punishment for even one person, it gives encouragement to others to ignore what is right and to act as if one were not guilty.

The LORD’s instruction for the judges regarding those who stand before them is “…you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” We should all remember this teaching and determine to be what we ought to be at all times, just as the LORD wills. And if we want justice, we must be willing for others to have it, too –even if works against us!

Heartily in Christ,

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