The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 1:1-5, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of
the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the
darkness.

5 And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there
was evening and there was morning, one day.”

With the commencement of the year A.D. 2025, it seems appropriate that we
start with the first verses of our LORD’s instructive words: “In the
beginning.” Isn’t that where we each started? Didn’t we each have a
beginning? You may not remember it, but you had one!

Your parents instructed you in the “to do” and “not to do” lists of life.
They also held you accountable for your behavior in both designated areas.
But, why would they do that? Could it be that they believed that the passage
above (and countless other passages they would ultimately thrust before you)
were invaluable to your living a life that would be pleasing both to
themselves and to the LORD?

God is the Creator! Everything that we can see, and everything that is
hidden from sight, are His creation. “Hidden” is the exact word because
until God said, “Let there be light.,” nothing of any aspects of His
creation could be adequately viewed. Man himself had not been created. Thus,
His creation in apposition to darkness, He called Light.

Summarily, the LORD created mankind, male and female. And for a time, they
lived wholesome lives. But there were and are obstacles coming.

Heartily in Christ,

(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,

Deuteronomy 1:1-11, “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 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.’

9 “And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear the
burden of you alone.

10 ‘The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as
the stars of heaven for multitude.

11 ‘May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand-fold more
than you are, and bless you, just as He has promised you!”

Were you ever given instructions that included passing them on to someone
else? That is exactly what the LORD said in these opening words to Moses.
That’s precisely what your pastor gives you when he preaches to you on
Sunday! (Knowing that should cause you to listen all-the-more carefully to
what is being said).

Israel had experienced some physical victories over their enemies. Yet, they
were not to rest on their laurels. Physical situations in the area had
changed. A new king was now in charge; and the LORD instructed Moses to move
the people in yet another direction.

Moving should not always be thought of as “running away.” Israel was simply
following the LORD’s directive. Pastors sometimes move from one church to
another. If they do so at the LORD’s directive, no one has the right to
challenge them. It is simply the LORD’s instruction. Note, too, that the
LORD did not immediately share why He was telling them to move. That could
have caused trouble among the people. The LORD always knows more than His
people. If they (and we!) are quietly

faithful, He will reveal what we need to know in His own good time.

We should never forget that we are here for Him, just as He is here for us!
Faithfulness will, in good time, reveal the details. Just keep on being
faithful!

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 1:1-4, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the
wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second
month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt,
saying,
2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of
Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the
number of names, every male, head by head
3 from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go
out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
4 “With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe,
each one head of his father’s household.”

The validity of the Book of Numbers is highlighted and
authenticated by the names of those to whom the LORD, and then Moses, spoke.
It might be compared with whether the President of the United States spoke
or some appointee of a much lesser rank. The place and the time of the
meeting were also indicated. In the effort to authenticate anything, the
more evidence given, the sounder the authentication.

The circumstances under which certain persons were directed
by their leaders, serves to underscore the validity of the meeting and what
was said.
Here the LORD spoke to Moses, giving him both instruction
and leadership over the people. He still calls pastors, evangelists,
missionaries, teachers, and parents to educate others in the ways that are
both honoring to Him and beneficial to the obedient.

Numbers cites the service of the people in the wilderness,
the failure of the people to adhere to the Divine Instruction the LORD had
given them; and the ultimate victory when they listened and followed the
LORD’s commands.

The circumstances of Israel are different from what we face
today. At the same time, the principles of leadership and obedience are very
much the same. The LORD gives us instruction in His Word. He gives us mature
and obedient leadership, that we might become all that He intends us to
become. As with Israel, we will do well to listen, learn and obey what the
LORD gives us in Holy Scripture. Failure to obey always results in
punishment. Obedience always results in victory. Thus, what-ever orders we
have from Him, we will do well to follow.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We shall never know that Christ is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Leviticus 4:1-6, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “If a person sins unintentionally in
any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits
any of them,

3 if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let
him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he
has committed.

4 “And he shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before
the LORD, and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slay the
bull before the LORD.

5 ‘Then the anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and
bring it to the tent of meeting,

6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the
blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.”‘”

If you’ve ever wondered why the LORD presented such a detailed analysis of
some Old Testament books, we only need to ask ourselves why we were
presented things that we continue to present to our children in such detail.
Things I tend to remember are the finicky little things my mother taught me.

Here in our passage above, we learn that Moses taught Israel one of the many
requirements of the LORD; namely, the holiness of God, mentioned almost 700
times in the entirety of the Scriptures. God is holy, and the remembrance of
that is ever and always to our advantage. “Thus you are to be holy to Me,
for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be
Mine” (Lev. 20:16).

Holiness is somewhat contagious, in that those who seek to live holy lives
are not only attractive, they are encouraging to others to be better than
they are. Yet, not just “better,” but more and more like the LORD
themselves. Are you holy? Are you seeking to be holy? Get close to the LORD
and His holiness will permeate your life.

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 1:1-12, “Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 And all the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.”

8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 “Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply; and in the event of war, they also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us, and depart from the land.”

11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.”

It’s tough when someone who is available to help you suddenly disappears. Joseph was the ideal person to have helped his countrymen. His relatives also died, leaving the Israelites, who had just arrived in Egypt, to fend for themselves. I’ve had an experience or two like that. (They sure left me to figure things out for myself.)

What’s worse, a new king, who did not know Joseph or the Israelites, feared the possibility of a hostile takeover; so he appointed taskmasters who put them under hard labor, lest they join forces with those who did not like the king. Talk about a difficult situation!

But the LORD was more than a watchman over the situation! He arranged things so that the more labor the taskmasters heaped upon Joseph’s people, the more births they had within their families. Now, the king and his taskmasters were the ones in the difficult situation.

All of this should encourage us 1) not to worry about difficult situations that appear to have no “backdoor”; and 2) not to forget that the LORD was observing everything; and as soon as His people started to be treated harshly, He increased their numbers, giving the king and his ilk something to really be concerned about!

It’s just possible that you are facing difficulty with a new boss. His assignment is far beyond what you had been hired to do. What do you do? Trust the LORD! Do some serious praying! (Of course, all praying should be serious!)

Leave the situation squarely in the LORD’s hands. I know; that’s a tough assignment. Yet, there’s none better. 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