The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Deuteronomy 1:1-8, “These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab.

2 It is an eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.

3 And it came about in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had commanded him to give to them,

4 after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.

5 Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law, saying,

6 “The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

7 ‘Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8 ‘See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’

Life needs direction. The LORD had led His people from the wilderness all the way to Kadesh-barnea. Forty years had now passed, and it was time for Moses to reveal to the people what the LORD had revealed to him.

There’s a time and a place for everything. In many ways, Moses was like a parent instructing his children, Israel. Yet, it was the LORD Who instructed Moses, and through him, passed on to the people what the LORD had said. It’s the LORD who is always our Chief Instructor. What He shares with His leaders, He will eventually allow to be shared with us, His people.

All of this requires us to be patient and obedient. Trouble persists when we get hurried and out of line with what the LORD requires. His authority can be for us a parent, a pastor, or anyone who outranks us in authority in the LORD’s work. Our key responsibility commences with learning that we are not in authority and then submitting to the One who is.

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,

I Samuel 15:22-28, “And Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.

23 ‘For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.’

24 “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

25 ‘Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.’

26 But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not return with you; for you have rejected the Word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.’

27 And as Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

28 So Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.'”

The problem in the passage above is not a problem with the commentary; it’s a problem with Saul’s refusal to accept it. When we find ourselves questioning the LORD’s Word, either as to its accuracy or as to its relevancy in our lives, we have a problem!

Saul’s sin ultimately brought him the rebuke of the LORD through the ministerial voice of Samuel. Saul was intentionally attempting to overlook his prior sin of sacrificing on the altar of the LORD. Samuel was aware of Saul’s sin; he was also aware of Saul’s attitude. He refused to travel with Saul. Neither he nor we ought to attempt to run with both sides.

Ultimately, Saul “seized the edge of (Samuel’s) robe and tore it.”

Samuel immediately pronounced a judgment against Saul, saying, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”

That must have stung bitterly! Yet, what Samuel said, he said as from the LORD! Saul spoke against the “LORD’s anointed.” Be careful about criticizing those whom the LORD has placed over you. They are His men. He has anointed and trained them for our benefit.

Saul might have been extremely useful in the LORD’s work. Yet, he dared to criticize the LORD by criticizing the LORD’s servant. None of us (servants or not) are ultimately “in charge.” We ourselves have responsibilities for which we must give an account (2 Tim. 2:15).

May our prayer be that we might become a credit to our LORD and to the responsibilities He has entrusted to us.

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 1:1-7, “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,

2 ‘Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

3 ‘Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.

4 ‘From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory.

5 ‘No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

6 ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 ‘Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.'”

The LORD has always had for Himself an earthly, human ally. The birth of Moses and his introduction into the house of Pharaoh gives us a hint of the coming of the Messiah. Yet, that’s a considerable distance from Moses.

Now, Moses dies, and Joshua takes charge of the Israelites, saying, “Arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” God has always had His leader. What’s more, every leader the LORD has elected to lead His people has been faithful, all the way to the disciples John and Paul.

How are we to determine the one whom the LORD has chosen as His leader? He will simply make him known in His own time. With some of the almost unbelievable sins of some pastors today, it is easy to know who is not our LORD’s chosen leader!

Moreover, the LORD’s leaders will be fully conversant with the Word, the Holy Scriptures! Their focus will be both upward in respect and devotion to their LORD and outward in their focus on those whom they have been assigned to win, to teach, and to train.

There will be times His leaders will be instructed to “cross the Jordan,” times to confront adversaries of the Gospel; yet, always with the focus of love that arises from the Holy Spirit, Who indwells and overflows them for the LORD’s purpose.

Do you really know the LORD? Have you truly been born again? If you have, His Spirit indwells your life, and you are responsible to follow Him and do what His will commands. Believe me, it is a joy to live and work for Jesus! What’s more, it’s to our spiritual advantage to do 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,

Numbers 16:41-46, “But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’s people.’

42 It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,

44 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 ‘Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.’ Then they fell on their faces.

46 And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!'”

Accusations against anyone are dangerous, whether or not they are correct. In this instance, however, earlier verses (vv. 18ff) tell us that the people had murmured against the LORD. Moses now comes before the people, challenging and admonishing them for speaking against the LORD. Furthermore, he challenges them for sinning—something many of us today could well suffer for failing to heed the LORD’s instructions.

We learn early from the verses above that the LORD is not pleased that we distrust Him. Nor is He pleased that we argue and ignore His instructions.

We have pastors, schooled in the truths of Scripture. They love us and our families. Thus, they seek to instruct us in His ways. Such instruction is an awesome, two-way responsibility. Hearing the LORD’s Word makes us responsible to adhere to its truths. Failure to do so reveals us as irresponsible to the admonition of the LORD, our God.

When we read and study the Word of God, we ought always to assess how His Word applies to our lives, our families, and our friends. They should all “see” Him patterned in us and be led to be like Him by the power of His Holy Spirit. Think on these thoughts. They are spiritual food for us and for those we love.

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 9:6-7, For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

What Isaiah recorded had been the plan of God the Father from eternity past. The plan was to provide and execute an eternal existence, as noted in the verses above.

As parents often conceal surprises they have for their children, so the LORD has concealed His Universal Plan for all mankind – concealed, that is, until His day of Divine Revelation. In the meantime, “there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace… The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

It is difficult, if not impossible, however, to ascertain at this time in history exactly what the LORD is doing. We can see Israel back in her ancestral land. We can understand that she is being challenged by her historical enemies. Yet, there is much involved beyond what we can understand.

The prophet Isaiah clearly foretold the birth of the LORD Jesus Christ and that there would be no end to His Kingdom. He was introduced as

“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father (and) Prince of Peace.” Could it not be that we would learn more if we embraced Jesus Christ as the Owner of that fourfold designation?

Ask yourself: “Is Jesus Christ that ‘Wonderful Counselor’ to me?” Am I relying upon Him for counsel with respect to my life’s decisions? Is He truly the One and only “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” and “Prince of Peace” to us? He is if we are thoroughly committed to Him!

War in the Middle East continues, as prophesied in Scripture. Would we not be wise to believe and be committed to Jesus Christ? I should think so – especially as time is running out!

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