The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Numbers 33:51-56, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places;

53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

54 ‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

55 ‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live.

56 ‘And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'”

When was the last time someone gave you something quite special? Whenever and whatever it was, more than likely, it was also given to you with a stated provision. “This belonged to someone very dear to me. He gave it to me, and now I am giving it to you. In time, you will want to give it to someone as precious to you as you are to me.”

Something similar to this statement from the LORD accompanied His bequeathing of the land to Israel. At the same time, Israel was required to eradicate the occupants of the land. Failure to drive out the current inhabitants would allow them to “become as pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides.”

Has the LORD never said something similar to you? I’m confident He has said something like that to me. We’re to be faithful in passing on to others the gift the LORD has given to us; however, we must be as certain as possible that what we have passed on to others is held and utilized as preciously as possible. It must forever honor and glorify the LORD Himself. TO GOD EVER AND ALWAYS BE THE GLORY! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 30:17-22, “For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”‘

18 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruins, And the palace will stand in its rightful place.

19 ‘From them will proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who celebrate; and I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.

20 ‘Their children also will be as formerly, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all their oppressors.

21 ‘Their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall come forth from their midst; and I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; for who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the LORD.

22 ‘You shall be My people, and I will be your God.'”

Have you ever found yourself in need of restoration? Circumstances have surrounded you, and there seems to be no way out. To cry seems a bit like self-pity; yet, to hold everything inward seems as if you’re punishing yourself for something not your fault. Such are tough days.

Yet, the promise of the LORD is sure: “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob!” When the LORD stands with you and on your side, it won’t be stated in those precise words, but the meaning will be clear: the LORD promises to “restore” the fortunes…of those who stand with Him in the sheer honor of being on His side.

Thanksgiving and celebration of all kinds will cover you with blessings, while those who do not rejoice in the LORD will suffer punishment. The solemn promise of the LORD is: “You shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Celebrations abound in Israel this day because the LORD heard the earnest cries of His people. Such cries arise from numerous souls who lack a true belief that He is their eternal Messiah. Yet, He is! How clearly we often resemble our Israeli friends! Thus, the challenge to us is to be something in order that we might do something – something for His glory alone!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 30:1-5, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.

3 ‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.'”

4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

5 “For thus says the LORD, ‘I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace.”

Again and again, the Bible predicts that the Jews must be back in their homeland for the events of the end times to unfold. It is the most prophesied event in all of the end times passages of the Bible. This modern return of the Jewish people to their Promised Land of Israel is one of the most unprecedented events in all of history. Thus far, the Jews have returned from more than 70 different countries in more than 20 centuries.

The first Zionist Congress was held in 1897. The leader was Theodor Herzl. During World War One, the British sought support from the Jews in the war effort. In response, the then British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, issued what has become known as the Balfour Declaration. It read: “His Majesty’s Government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” By 1939, when World War II broke out, there were around 450,000 Jews that had returned to Israel.

Ultimately, the United Nations approved the land as a national homeland for the Jews. British control of the land ended on 14 May 1948. The new nation was given 5,000 square miles for their then population of 650,000 Jews, plus several hundred thousand Arabs. Today, for the first time since AD 135, there are more Jews in Israel than in any other place on Earth! How mighty is the LORD’s Hand!

Now, the inevitable responsibility for the Church-at-Large is to pray for the spiritual conversion of the Jewish people. It is not by accident that the current American Ambassador to Israel is the Reverend Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, a truly born-again minister of Jesus Christ and Biblical Truth! Mike needs and deserves our prayers.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 6:11-17, “But I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary with holding it in. ‘Pour it out on the children in the street and on the gathering of young men together; for both husband and wife shall be taken, the aged and the very old.

12 “Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.

13 “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.

14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.”

15 “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,” says the LORD.

16 Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’”

In Ecclesiastes (1:9), Solomon writes: “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun.” Reference with that Matthew 24:21, which says, “…there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”

It was quite an impressive gathering of world leaders, meeting in Jerusalem to celebrate the release of the Israeli hostages from the grip of Hamas terrorists. Yet, while the free world cheers the release, the Word of the LORD (noted above) gives little hope for lasting change for peace in the Middle East.

Throughout history, numerous attempts have been made for reconciliations; yet, they have often been overshadowed by persistent conflict and unrest. Despite diplomatic efforts and moments of celebration, deeper issues remain unresolved, echoing the ancient warnings and observations found in Scripture. This reminds us that true and lasting peace cannot be achieved solely through human endeavors, but requires a transformation of human hearts that comes from seeking the ways of the Lord. Let us earnestly pray for true and lasting peace in our world, and in our time.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–

2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”

There is no question about the accuracy of Solomon’s words. There is certainly a time for every event under heaven. The circumstance of each and every event, however, determines (or ought to determine) how we approach the situation.

Generally speaking, we are excited about the birth of a child; therefore, it is appropriate (and expected) that we will rejoice with the parents in the child’s birth. Yet, with the pending death of a person, we are expected to be solemn and to offer sympathy to the family of the deceased. Selecting the proper attitude for a specific occasion is certain to gain the respected approval of the group.

When circumstances leave us in a quandary as to how to behave, we do well to be silent. In such times, however, we do well to be conscious of the LORD’s presence. He is always present regardless of the occasion.

I have a good friend who is Iranian. Politically, I sided with the recent bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities. Had the occasion arisen, however, that I had been asked my opinion of the bombing, I would have shared sorrow over those who were killed, regardless of their political affiliation.

Solomon’s notations of the multiple circumstances in the verses above demonstrate how all-inclusive the LORD is in every conceivable situation. Just remember to pray. And when you pray aloud, lean heavily on the LORD in the manner of your expressions. Such will serve you and your hearers well when you do.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom