The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

3 While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

After Paul’s first verse above, I almost didn’t write! Still, I wondered if those to whom I’m writing are as knowledgeable as Paul believed the Thessalonians to be. We’ll leave the assessment of all of that for another time. Paul was concerned that the Thessalonian Christians be aware of the nearness of the LORD Jesus’ return. Simon Peter had the same concern when he noted the indifferent attitude of people and wrote:

“…the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away

with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth

and its works will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10).

Paul then assured the Thessalonian believers that the LORD had not destined them for wrath but willed that they obtain salvation through the LORD Jesus Christ. The Gospel tract will enable you to witness to others who are lost. Click on the PDF. It will give you the opportunity to learn of His salvation and to share it with others.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

Dear Grands,

John 11:38-42, “So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Did you ever say or do something with the purpose of obtaining a crowd reaction? I’m sure we all have at some point in time. Well, Jesus did the same thing, except His was for a very different reason. Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, had died four days previously. Jesus was a dear and close friend of Lazarus and his sisters; and it was His intention to use the raising of Lazarus to convince the multitude that God the Father had indeed sent His Son, Jesus, that the Jewish people might believe in Him.

Common caves were often used as burial grounds, and a cave was used for the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus Himself was deeply moved by Lazarus’s death; and He reverently said, “Remove the stone.” Lazarus’ sister, Martha, objected; yet, Jesus reminded her that He had previously said that she would indeed witness the power of God.

Jesus then cried aloud, “Lazarus, come forth!” And “the man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings…” Then Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go… Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.”

The miracles Jesus performed were as much for us as they were for the Jews of Jesus’ day. He went to the cross to cover our sins with His blood. Then, He arose that we, too, might believe in Him and receive everlasting life. Have you received His Life? He is available to you when you confess your sin and believe in Him as your personal Savior.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

Dear Grands,

1 John 3:1-6, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him, there is no sin.

6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”

Does it excite you when someone actually calls you by name and not just yells, “Hey, you!”? The Apostle John says that when we have come to know Jesus as LORD and Savior of our lives, our Heavenly Father calls us “children of God.” Being a child is certainly an intimate, coveted designation. Further, being a child of the LORD is a designation of divine relationship, parental guidance, protection, provision, and so much more! It means comfort, both spiritually and physically. It means that as His children, we can rely upon the LORD for every conceivable need, at all times.

Still, there’s more to a relationship than merely what we receive. Relationships extend in both directions. There’s a responsibility on our part to behave as He requires. Were we employed with serious responsibilities, as are many in our society, we would be responsible to behave in accordance with the stated regulations of our employment. It is the same with being a Christian. There are both personal and spiritual regulations that dominate our lives: things that we are responsible to do and things that we are responsible to avoid.

How are we to know? Our Father has set forth such regulations in His Book, the Holy Bible. And further, He has provided the Holy Spirit as our internal Guide. No, we’re not abandoned to roam life’s road alone. He is our constant Guide; and He provides everything we could possibly need for living the life that He requires. It’s all in the Bible! May God bless you as you live and trust Him daily!

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,

James 1:2-8, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Certainly, we all face life’s trials. And if we are honest, we hate having to face them, whatever they are and from wherever they come. Negatives always produce negative thoughts, don’t they? James, however, says that we should view and consider trials as all to be joy when they befall us. The temptation is present to simply ignore James’ way of thinking. (He can’t be serious!)

Yes, he is serious! He knows how to turn lemons into lemonade. James says, “…the testing of your faith produces endurance.” I know that when I pray, some of the things for which I’m praying simply do not come to pass. At the same time, their failure to appear causes me to pray all the more. That’s called “endurance!” And endurance has a perfect result. That “perfect result” is the LORD’s provision. When we receive it, we understand why it’s called “perfect.” When we learn all of that, we commence to understand what “wisdom” is.

Doubting is the lack of assurance that God knows what He is doing! Doubting produces spiritual motion sickness; and in the end, we have no knowledge of whether we are going or coming. We suffer both from not knowing and from total instability. The way back is simply trusting the LORD!

If this has been your problem (and it’s a “sickness” that’s always going around), try the LORD’s remedy: “…ask in faith without doubting. The LORD wants the best for all of us. He often lets us stumble and drift about until we come to the end of ourselves. Sometimes, we think He’s not even where He can be found. But that is not true. He loves us and wants us to follow His lead. We’re the problem. He’s the solution! Stabilize yourself! Trust completely in Him! He has not programmed you to fail.

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,

Jeremiah 7:3-10, ”Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.’ Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’

5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor,

6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,

7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

8 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail.

9 “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known,

10 then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’– that you may do all these abominations?

11 “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

If you think the LORD is having trouble with the church today, you need to think again. Having trouble with people is hardly new to the LORD. The opening words in the passage above (“Amend your ways…”) are indicative of trouble within the LORD’s people. Look at the wrongful deeds of which He speaks: deceptive words…wrongful deeds…injustice…oppression of both aliens and orphans…worship of other gods…trusting in deceptive words…theft, murder, adultery – and the list stretches onward! All of these were an abomination to the LORD.

Now, look at many who claim to be part of His church, yet are thieves, haters of others, adulterers, liars, servers of other gods of multiple covert names. Yet, the Church is the LORD’s House! It is where His Person and Word are to be extolled! For if the Church lacks reverence inside, where corporate worship occurs, what can be expected elsewhere? Pray for the Church!

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