The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 22:1-8, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’

2 He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.

5 Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.’

6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So, the two of them walked on together.

7 Isaac spoke to Abraham and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’

8 Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So, the two of them walked on together.”

There were multiple trying times in the life of Abraham. It might easily be argued that no one in the Old Testament had more “excitingly colorful” experiences than he. This one, however, was perhaps the most troubling of them all. It was a straight-line directive from the LORD: “Take your son…and offer him as a burnt offering…!” It had to be the most troubling directive he had ever heard. Yes, if you’ve had children, you’ve had “moments.” But just think of how you would have felt had this been ordered of you!

Still, Abraham never quivered – at least, he never displayed it. What’s more, Isaac never suspected that he was the one to become the sacrifice! I’ve heard men say, “Well, had that been my son…!” Yet, what they undoubtedly meant was far, far less than what Abraham was ordered to do.

I am confident that the very place where Abraham offered Isaac is today covered with a golden dome and rests on what we can safely call “Calvary” in the City of Jerusalem. Many years ago, when it was legally allowed, my family and I entered beneath that golden dome and stood on the rocks where Abraham and Isaac once stood. Many orthodox Jews today hold that as the place of Abraham’s sacrifice.

Although the LORD Himself ultimately provided the lamb for Abraham’s sacrifice, He continues to provide for us what we need and what He intends. Always “trust in the LORD…” He never fails!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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“We will never know that Christ is all we need,

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 30:4-12, “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I will never be moved.’

7 O LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

8 To You, O LORD, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication:

9 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

10 “Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper.”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

It may be honestly said that no one exceeds David in the works he sets forth in Scripture. He looks with earnestness toward the face of the LORD as he encourages the “godly ones” to give thanks and praise to the LORD.

David allows that the LORD is his Master, and that His strength comes from the LORD alone. All believers could say the same, but all too few do. We want to claim that we possess what we have due to what we have done. Yet, it is the LORD alone who has given us the strength to do it. David lurches into genuine praise when he asks what profit it would be were he to spend eternity in hell. How would that bring praise to the LORD?

It may be somewhat futile for any believer to seek to uplift David for his praise of the Savior. Yet, David’s selfless praise serves as an exciting pattern for all believers. If we are spiritually the practical encouragement to others that we ought to be, the LORD will then be praised.

It was the disciple Matthew who said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Let’s earnestly work for the glory of the LORD! He alone is worthy of our praise.

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,

Psalm 19:7-11, The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

As I was preparing to write this letter, a remarkable news story appeared on my screen. A young, married, Islamic girl was sharing her conversion from Islam to our LORD Jesus Christ. Her words and her demeanor witnessed to the sure and certain truth that she had accepted the LORD Jesus into her heart!

Some years ago, an ex-Navy SEAL shared with me that numerous Islamic people started coming to his church. When asked how it was that they had come to a Christian church, they replied that they had had a dream in which the LORD appeared and instructed them to come. In a matter of time, some came to truly know the LORD Jesus as their Savior! Instruction: NEVER GIVE UP! The LORD is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!”

The Law is the LORD’s instruction, whereby He converts the soul from sin.

The Testimony is the evidence that transformation has taken place in the human heart.

The Precepts are the principles that are to now regulate Christian behavior.

The Commandment is the overall Divine Rule that governs the Christian’s life.

The Fear is the terror that threatens danger but becomes the believer’s internal guard.

The Judgments bespeak the LORD’s ability to enable the believer to behave like a believer.

We Christians must remember that those who have embraced “spiritual” beliefs outside of the LORD’s truths are yet His people; in the sense that they, like we, are descendants of Adam and Eve. He longs for their return to the Faith, just as He longs for all nations to do.

Where are you in all of this? Have you trusted Him as your LORD and Savior? If not, why not? If you have trusted Him, are you living with His joy – joy that says to others that you know Him and love Him? Quite honestly, where do you stand?

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,

2 Peter 2:1-9, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

3 and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.

5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would thereafter live ungodly lives;

7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men

8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment…”

I’m not certain that everyone who hears a false prophet believes him. Perhaps it’s how hungry he is that he leaps for what is called “truth,” without knowing whether it is truly the truth. There are a host of false prophets spreading untruth, but the best we can do is to emphasize the truth as it is set forth in God’s Word!

Years ago, while pastoring in Florida, some men were able to get a Jewish printer in New Jersey to produce a Gospel tract I had written. Those tracts are long gone; however, my local church has graciously undertaken to reproduce that same tract. A believer who operates a stall in our local mall hands them out to patrons. I hand them out at the local Walmart. The only sure way for a person to be saved is to accept the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his or her life. The tract will lead the lost to Jesus Christ. It can be easily attached to any email, and clicking on it will open the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior.

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,

Deuteronomy 7:7-11, “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.

11 “Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.”

Have you ever wondered why the LORD decided to love you? We know how unlovely and unloving we are; why then, would the LORD ever love us? In all probability, our “dilemmas” occur because we simply love ourselves! “How could the LORD not love us?” we say. “How could anyone not love us?” Oh, please!

Possibly, others resist loving us because we’re so consumed with ourselves. Could they possibly conceive of us not having room for the love of others? Is that not possible? With the LORD, however, things are different. His love is far greater and exceedingly beyond our knowledge! His love is not because we love Him; He loves us because of who He is! God is love!

Look at our world! It excels in the hoarded accumulation of “things” – things that will ultimately be destroyed in His judgment upon the world. Are we not His in order that we might be used by Him in securing others into His love? Do we not truly know Him? To know Him is to love Him! And to love Him is to love others – even those who do not know or love Him! May God help us to excel in demonstrating His love to the world that is laid before us for that very purpose!

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