The Grands Letter

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

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 43:10-13, “’You are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.’

11 ‘I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.’

12 ‘It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I am God.’

13 ‘Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?’”

As amazing as it is, there are those among us on this planet who apparently believe that they possess the authority and power of Almighty God! Yet, the LORD proclaims that He alone is God. “Before Me,” He says, “there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.”

Many years ago, I heard of a man in New York City who drove a white Cadillac with the inscription: “I am the LORD” boldly emblazoned in black on the side of his car. I never personally witnessed the event, but doubtlessly, there are many examples throughout the world of those who, in one way or another, lay claim to the same for themselves.

Moreover, many who lack the audacity to publicly affirm such a thing, nevertheless, believe that they actually have divine power equal to or surpassing that of the LORD Jesus Himself! Such a preposterous claim, whether concealed or not, is the height of blasphemy! Such people will one day be held to account; for the LORD said, “…you are My witnesses… I am God.”

We, who know Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, ought to resemble Him in the total demeanor of our lives. He saved us for this very purpose. This gives credence to the validity of His Word and demonstrates what He can accomplish in transforming human life! He’s counting on us! Are you in?

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 9:23-24, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.”

Please re-read the above two verses once again. Read them slowly; let the message sink deeply into your mind and heart.

“Wisdom, might, and riches” are the uppermost thoughts in the life of man. I am the smartest; I am the most powerful; I am the richest. These are uppermost in the minds of many men. But, is it true?

The LORD disavows this untimely trilogy in mankind He has created. Let them not boast of such, He says. Rather let man boast that “he understands and knows Me.” Let him acknowledge that it is the LORD “who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth.”

How is man to come to such divine thought? He comes to it by immersing himself daily in the Word of God in Holy Scripture! For it is there that we learn both of Him and of ourselves. It is within the Scriptures that we gain knowledge of how different we are from God. Yet, it is in Scripture that we learn to love Him and embrace His teachings and become more and more in His image, day by day.

Read His Word daily. Let its truth be absorbed in your life. Life then comes alive!

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,

Philemon 1:1-7, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,

2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

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

4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;

6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.

7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

Without question, this is one of the tenderest, most loving epistles the Apostle Paul ever penned. Although there are many facets to the purpose of this epistle, it sets the standard for everything anyone needs to know and employ when pleading for a serious cause.

Onesimus was a slave of Philemon. He had escaped and come into contact with the Apostle Paul. Although Paul denounced slavery in his day, he assessed the reinstatement and determined to return Onesimus to his owner.

Certainly, Paul had the overall spiritual aspect in mind. It’s a pattern we must all embrace. As someone once said, “It’s never right to do wrong to do right.”

There are some interesting things we’ll have to examine throughout eternity. For now, it’s sufficient to live by the teachings of the Scriptures. Oh, what a day that will be!!

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