The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 30:30-34, “’For you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?’
31 So he said, ‘What shall I give you?’ And Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock:
32 let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.
33 ‘So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen.’
34 Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’”

Jacob’s conversation with his father-in-law, Laban, is mysterious, to say the least. Laban has asked Jacob what wages (other than Laban’s eldest daughter) should be Jacob’s. Surprisingly, Jacob responded saying, “…my honesty will answer for me later…”

The difficulty determining Jacob’s wages is not easily understood. Jacob had devised a scheme: he would allow Laban to survey the entire flock of sheep and goats. Jacob would accept only the “speckled and spotted sheep, lambs and goats” as his wages.

What Laban did not know was that Jacob had cleverly devised a means whereby the speckled and spotted animals of his choosing mated more often than the non-spotted animals, giving him a decided advantage in the numbers comprising his wages. Yet, he had said, “my honesty will answer for me later.”

We need to be careful how we behave when we insert “honesty” into our bargains. In fact, we need to be careful saying “I know” or even intimate knowledge of things of which we are not fully aware. We will one day stand before the Judge of all the earth and give an account.

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,

Acts 5:1-6, “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

What ultimately occurred in these six verses, commenced with goodness in the heart of this early church. There was such an atmosphere of spiritual prosperity that members of the congregation began selling their possessions and sharing the proceeds with those who were in greater need.

A man named Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property as well. Their problem looked spiritual, just as much as some other gifts that had been given. Problem was, they didn’t give all the money they got from the sale, they just said they did. In the end, their lying cost both of them their lives.

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, but contended it wasn’t? That’s lying, too. Wrongs can never be justified as rights! The sin resides within the person, no matter how “justifiable” the circumstances might appear to be.

Sin is never justifiable! It always goes against the LORD; and for that, we will always be held accountable. There’s an old saying that says, “It’s never right to do wrong to do right.” If “wrong” lies anywhere in the activity or in the motive, it is wrong! Yes, we can be forgiven of all wrongs –except the wrong of not confessing our sins and trusting the forgiveness of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Do you believe we’ll see Ananias and Sapphira in Heaven? I’m not sure. That is the LORD’s call. What I’m more concerned about is whether I will see you! You’re on my Prayer List, and I pray for you regularly. I know the LORD wants to save everyone who is lost. I wish you, who are lost, were yielded to Him and His salvation. You are in my prayers.

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 33:1-3,10-15, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’
2 “I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.
3 “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.” When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
12 Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’
13 “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.”
14 And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.”

It’s truly difficult to believe that a people, with the LORD as their Leader, would embrace a concept that differed from the One who had successfully led them in multiple victories over their enemies.

At the same time, any variance from the Leader’s Word, would surely bring the people into conflict with Him. When will they learn? When will we learn that He always knows what is best? Therefore, if we would embrace victory, we must follow our Leader. He always knows
best!! Are you truly following Him?

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 5:1-8, “Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
2 He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it and also hewed out a wine vat in it; then He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.
3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
5 “So now, let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
6 “I will lay it waste; it will not be pruned or hoed, but briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.”
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus, He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
8 Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land!

The book of Isaiah contains some startling, but practical, instructions for us in every age and under every circumstance. Dr. Irving L. Jensen sites for us a practical means by which to remember both the Book of Isaiah and the entirety of the Bible.

“Isaiah has 66 chapters. The Bible has 66 books. Isaiah has two main divisions: the first, of thirty-nine chapters; and the second, of twenty-seven chapters. The Bible has two main parts: the Old Testament of thirty-nine books; and the New Testament, of twenty-seven books.

“The prevailing note in the first division of Isaiah is judgment; in the second division, comfort. The prevailing note of the Old Testament is Law; of the New Testament, grace.

“In the first section of Isaiah, there are frequent allusions to and predictions of the Messiah; but He is described with great fullness in the second section. In the Old Testament, there are frequent allusions to Christ in types and prophecies; but in the New Testament, He is presented in all His fullness” (Jensen, Survey of the Old Testament).

There is nothing in all the annals of Christianity that comes even close to the clear, practical teachings of Holy Scriptures. Passages that seem to make no sense, simply beg for closer reading. Your life will be richer for your daily reading of the Holy Scriptures. So, “seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read…” (Isa. 34:16).

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 5:20-25, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!
24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble and dry grass collapses into the flame, so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 On this account, the anger of the LORD has burned against His people, and He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down. And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. For all this, His anger is not spent, but His hand is still stretched out.”

Examining the sins of the people, as listed in the verses above, the LORD could have justly erased all mankind from the face of the earth. Yet, God, in His providence, elected to forestall His wrath and allow men to hear first the warning of the prophets.

Some of the prophets were “writing prophets.” All, were at first “oral prophets”; thus, every opportunity for repentance was allowed to Israel. So it is with us. We have pastors and evangelists and missionaries –all who join under the Holy Spirit’s leadership in forestalling judgment upon the nations, and allowing first the gracious Word of God to permit repentance from sin and faith in the LORD Jesus!

Have we not also been allowed such a privilege? Certainly, we have! Those gracious spiritual leaders, faithful to every word of the Holy Scriptures, have been placed in our midst for that very purpose.

Shamefully, there is an increasing number of “ministers,” who seek only the prestige and monetary reward that comes from holding forth the Word of Life. As it would seem, such ministers are clearly in contrast with the prophets of old. As it is, therefore, people gather together, thinking to be fed. Yet, instead of feasting on the Word of God, they dine on the mere husks that swine would eat.

God’s ministers bear a heavy load! They are more than deserving of our sincerest prayers. Yet, for men to view His Life in us, we must be as the prophets of old. We must yield to the control of the Holy Spirit and allow the likeness of the LORD to be seen in us. Is He seen in you? Is He viewable in me? May it always 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