The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Numbers 8:23-26, “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 ‘This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.
25 ‘But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.
26 ‘They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.’”

“What are you going to be when you grow up?” How often I heard that when I was a child! In those days, the insurance man came to collect for the our family’s life insurance. That man used to call me “little preacher.” He insisted that that was what I was going to be. I was a young child and had no idea why he said that; but he was right. About the age of 17, the LORD called me into His ministry.

Doubtlessly, the sons of Levi had no idea the LORD was going to use them in His ministry. Such was not their choice; the LORD was in charge. He purified them and assigned them to “perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.” The LORD also stipulated that the Levites were to commence work at the age of 25 and retire at the age of 50. When we read of how strenuous their work was, we can understand why they were limited to 25 years of service.

Even today, those who minister to us have a strenuous work. It may look easy to some, but it is not easy. Prayer itself is strenuous; so is study. We enter our church buildings, expecting the pastor to have a helpful message from the Scriptures. It may not be long, but it has taken hours of s prayerful study in the Scriptures to formulate what the LORD wants for His people.

Still, the pastor’s task is far more than preparing a weekly messages for his congregation. We have the responsibility to support the pastor with our prayers. We will not always know the situations that occupy his time and energy, yet it will always be our responsibility to uphold him in prayer. As it was with the Levites, so it is with ministers today. Look for the good in the pastor you have been given, and thank the LORD for His ministry through him. He may some day call your son or grandson to be a pastor.

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,

Leviticus 19:1-5, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
2 ‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, “You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3 Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.
4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God.
5 Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.’”

It’s the responsibility of a potential employer to outline what is expected of those whom he employs in his business. That human responsibility derives its directive from the Word of the LORD.

“You shall be holy” focuses primarily upon the internal attitude of those who would follow the LORD (v. 2). It is the LORD’s holiness that prompts us to want to be holy. Exposure to Him enables us to throw off unholy habits and become more like Him.

The directive to “be holy” also focuses on our external attitude (v. 3).
How we respond to our parents demonstrates how we assess the value of their directives. It also reveals our attitude toward God, for He is the One who has ordered us to obey them.

Absolutely forbidden is the making or worshipping of idols (v. 4)! Irrespective of the situation or the encouragement of anyone to forsake and replace the LORD with anything or anyone is strictly in violation of the Divine directive.

What is both divinely desired and acceptable is the sacrifice of a peace offering (v. 5). Inasmuch as man’s tendency is always to sin, this peace offering is offered against that sin.

All of these offerings preceded the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. It was Jesus’ offering of Himself that replaced and fulfilled these Old Testament directives. It is still the LORD’s desire that we be holy; yet, no longer are we required to bring physical offerings. Jesus paid the price for us.

It is now for us to accept Him as our Offering. Now, through prayer, we confess our sin and yield ourselves to Him. Have you done that? Time is running out. “Today is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow might never come….

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 3:1-4, “Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.
3 So Moses said, ‘I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.’
4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Strange things occur when we least expect them. I remember just going into the garage, when the next thing I knew I had fallen and hit my head on the the car. The ER nurse gave me stitches for my nose; I had two PET scans and spent a night in hospital. Some things you don’t forget.

Moses had something like that. He was attending to the flock of his father-in-law, when he saw a burning bush. The LORD’s angel was in the midst of the fire, but the bush itself was not consumed. I doubt that Moses ever forgot that.

We don’t have to know where the LORD is, because He always knows precisely where we are and how to get our attention. When He makes Himself known to us, we are more than obliged to answer. Think how exciting it is that the LORD of the universe knows us and wants to use us in His plan!

Moses learned that the LORD uses His people to accomplish His work. And it’s never an imposition to those who know Him. We want to be involved with Him in His work. Yet, He only uses those who are committed to Him and stay in regular communication with Him.

Are you one of His? Are you in active communication with Him daily
in prayer? Are you reading His Word daily? Is He using you? Life with the LORD Jesus is life beyond all measure! Trust Him and see!

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 3:1-5, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden“?’
2 The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.”
4 The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

It can never be proved, but I suppose it’s possible that had my mother been created in the place of Eve, none of this would ever have happened. Why would I say that? It’s because my mother was scared beyond belief of mice! And it’s beyond imagination how she would have acted when approached by a snake!

Eve (living) had indeed received instruction from the LORD. Had she not received it, she would surely have been free from indictment. Her first mistake was allowing herself to interact with a creature she had never met. We’re often guilty of sharing what we don’t know with people we don’t know. That’s when we find trouble just around the corner.

What we do know is that we have been created to love and serve the LORD! Satan has diverted us from the clear instruction of Scripture and supplanted God’s Word with his own. That makes it much easier for us to do wrong than to do right. It’s what God calls sin! And it’s precisely because of sin that Jesus came to die on the cross. When we trust His Word –the Scriptures— and ask His forgiveness, He rescues us from sin and sets our feet on the right path.

Do you read the Bible daily? Have you experienced the LORD’s spiritual transformation? You can, you know. It’s saying a simple prayer of faith, asking God’s forgiveness. Your life can be transformed! Trust Him! 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,

2 Corinthians 6:13b-18, “I speak as to children– open wide to us also.
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (Satan), or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

I take nothing away from the validity and seriousness of the Scriptures, but it struck me funny when I read Paul saying, “I speak as to children: open wide to us also.” How often my mother said those words when I was ill and needed her remedy.

Many of today’s churches are sick and need to “open wide” for the remedy the LORD has for her. Corinth was a wicked city and possessed a greater influence on the Church than the Church did on the city.

Sadly, it appears to be that way today. Many pastors simply lack depth in their knowledge of the Word they preach. Music is often geared to the emotions of the congregation than to the seriousness of genuine worship. Many look in vain for a quiet, solemn reverence toward God.

Paul’s argument is that the Church in Corinth was linked to the worldliness of the city instead of leading the city into a deep reverence for God. “Do not be bound together with the world!” Paul says. “Come out from their midst and be separate…”

Paul closes his plea by promising to be the father the congregation and its children need. Our prayers should focus on our pastors and leaders. In many churches, the congregations have swooned, and then slipped into the ways of the world –the world we are charged to bring to Jesus Christ.

Pray for your pastor; pray for the church. Don’t settle for a little blessing.
Open wide for the blessings our great LORD has for us all.

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