The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Timothy 3:2-7, “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.

4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity

5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

Timothy was a young Christian lad when Paul wrote this letter. Timothy’s mother was Jewish, and his father was Greek. This was the first of two letters that Paul, now in his seventies, wrote to young Timothy. Paul himself was writing from Lystra, but he always maintained encouraging communication with Timothy. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:12). Those five Christian virtues cover the conduct of all believers in Christ. We should all examine ourselves regularly in the light of this verse.

Paul emphasizes doctrines that should be cherished and demonstrated within every believer’s life: sound doctrine, prayerfulness, spiritual oversight, particularly of those younger in the faith, and the careful exercise of one’s own spiritual responsibilities.

Although set forth in Scripture many years ago, these principles of the Christian faith ought ever and always to be observable in a true believer’s life. We need to remember each other in our prayers.

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,

Proverbs 6:16-23, “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,

19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.

20 My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.

22 When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life…”

What a transformation our world would encounter, were we only to accept the challenge of these eight verses! Just imagine! The identification of all that is wrong is but the initial step to a wonderful, marvelous way of life! Yet, it all begins with the recognition that what affects us is precisely what God hates!

Note, too, that it is not the responsibility of the LORD to initiate alterations in our lives. He leaves that to us. If you want a better life, eliminate those situations that are hindering it. First, alter your eyes! Raising one’s eyebrows, so as to squint, expresses a supercilious, “better than thou” attitude toward others. Second, quit lying to others, especially as it leads to murder.

Stop thinking and planning wicked things that negatively affect other people. Don’t lie and cause people to think bad things about others. Such things magnify and proliferate wrong attitudes. And above all, remember and express only those good things that you were taught by your parents. Keep them foremost in your memory. These are the things that will guide and uplift your life.

Beyond that, by the utilization of these good things, the LORD Himself is pleased and glorified!

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,

Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

I once asked a fellow preacher I knew what he did for pleasure. His answer surprised me. He forthrightly said, “Some people engage in sports, some in pleasures of various kinds. I make money.”

It was a terse reply—one that frankly intrigued me. He was a nice, warm, personable fellow. I never knew or heard of any scandal attached to him or his ministry. His vocabulary, so far as I knew, contained no profanity or off-color humor of any kind. His ministry, however, was always somehow attached to his pleasurable desire to make money. He pastored churches, was true to the Scriptures, evangelized the lost, and engaged in the normal activities of ministry; yet, somehow he was always engaged in some enterprise that produced money.

He had apparently forgotten the Word that says, “…For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”

That preacher is gone now; and I have no thought that he ever lacked the knowledge of the grace of almighty God, or that his ministry in the Word was somehow meshed with his extracurricular activity. It simply underscored my thought that the Word of God in Scripture is to be the exclusive pursuit of those who are called to deliver it to a lost and dying world. May the LORD keep us ever faithful to His calling.

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,

Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

If you’ve ever doubted the veracity of this verse, you have never downsized your living. It is more than remarkable how much has occurred in your life! The things you have done, the things you have given away, the lives you have affected. It’s like a small avalanche, awakening thoughts of the past – thoughts that had lain dormant over the years.

Don’t be afraid to assess your past life. What has lain there over the years has doubtlessly touched the lives of family and friends in ways you’ve never dreamed. Yes, there have been situations you would rather not remember, yet the joys of the time have refreshed your memory and given you energy to press on.

A small gesture, a phone call, an email message simply asking, “How are you?” revitalizes thoughts buried and all but forgotten. Further, they refresh thoughts in the lives of others and awaken warm memories of the past.

How good the LORD is to allow such dormant thoughts of the past to refresh our memories and awaken the lives that thought they were forgotten. Remember His Words:

“He will not allow your foot to slip; He who watches over you will not slumber. Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your protector… the LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time and forever.” May our hearts and lives ever and always praise the LORD!

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,

1 Corinthians 1:1-9, “Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother,

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Moving closely to the end of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul affirms his authority as he addresses the saints within the Corinthian church. Simultaneously, he offers thanks to God, who has enriched their lives in the knowledge of Christ and encouraged them to share Him with others. Further, by having trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior, they will now be found blameless “in the day of our LORD Jesus Christ.”

This may seem somewhat strange, but there are those today (and possibly were in that day) who acknowledge Jesus as the Savior, but there are those who listen to the Gospel and give every outward indication of belief in Him, but never show evidence of true salvation. They “like” Jesus, but fail to “love” Him by way of His saving grace!

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