The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

II Kings 9:1-3, “Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, ‘Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead.

2 ‘When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room.

3 ‘Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee and do not wait!”

Some things are so urgent there is no time to loiter! Just get in! Do it! Get out! And there are times when we just don’t want to do it! We just want out before anything starts!

This occasion demanded quickness! Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, but he “walked in the way of the former kings of Israel. He reigned for only one year and did evil in the way of Israel’s previous kings, just as Ahab had done.

Elisha knew the occasion was right for a change. He summoned one of the prophets and hurried him to Ramoth-gilead with the message to Jehu. “Go in,” Elisha said, “bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then get up and get out of there as fast as you can!

Running away is not always wrong. In this case, it was firmly ordered by the LORD’s prophet, Elisha. It was indeed the safest response to an orderly task that would only be understood by those who walked closely with the LORD.

Sometimes, walking away from something looks and even feels cowardly. At other times, it’s the safest and wisest thing to do. We must always be certain that what we’re doing is what the LORD has ordered us to do. He understands the nuances that are beyond us. Besides, He is our Commander-in-Chief!

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 30:24-28, “Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

25 The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer;

26 The shephanim are not mighty people, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks;

28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.”

Have you ever encountered a man clothed in ragged blue jeans and a faded old shirt, but who owned a multi-million dollar enterprise? Well, whether or not you’ve met anyone like that, you surely know that “clothes don’t make the man.”

When a man has virtually everything, as Solomon did, it’s understandable that he would investigate the smaller, overlooked things in life. At first glance, it would appear that they are merely wandering insects or mammals doing virtually nothing worthwhile. But, when concentrating on them, we discover they are not just alive – they have purpose in what they’re doing! Yes, the LORD created them with and for a purpose.

The LORD created everything with purpose! You yourself are an intentional, meaningful creation of the LORD! There is purpose to your life – meaningful purpose! Yet, the tragedy is that life is often lived as if it had little to no purpose whatsoever.

The LORD said to Abram, “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen. 17:5). To Moses, He said, “I have made you as God to Pharaoh” (Ex. 7:1). To Israel, He said, “I brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves” (Lev. 26:13). So has He made and ordered our lives that we might live for Him! Are we what He intended us to be? One day we will be called to account for how we lived? Are you ready?

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,

Romans 5:1-6, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

The sweetest possible words emanating from the mouth of a judge are the words: “not guilty!” Thereafter, peace and contentment reign freely within the human heart.

Simultaneous to our true and faithful confession of sin, the LORD, as Supreme Judge, declares us forgiven and free! The LORD Jesus Christ immediately becomes our Lord and Savior. Furthermore, He Himself delights in our joyful freedom!

Now, hope reigns within us, as we patiently and confidently await the trials and tribulations the adversary is certain to place challengingly in our pathway. Nevertheless, our confidence rests thoroughly in the LORD! The Holy Spirit’s presence is our preparation against every demonic attack. He is infinitely capable of protecting us. We need only to faithfully trust and rest in Him.

Do you have such confidence? Are you confident the Holy Spirit is residing within you? If you have faithfully trusted the LORD Jesus Christ as your Savior, you may rest assured that He is! If you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are totally devoid of any and all protection and thus, vulnerable to Satan’s sudden, vicious attacks. Commit your life to Christ Jesus today! Ask Him to forgive your sins and save you today! You will never regret this decision. I promise.

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,

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Without question, this is the most comprehensive statement of love in the entire Bible! The Bible Dictionary says, “While the Hebrew and Greek words for ‘love’ have various shades and intensities of meaning, they may be summed up as an earnest and anxious desire for an active and beneficent interest in the well-being of the one loved.”

Love then becomes what we might term a “dual communication.” There is no question that God loves us. He gave His only Son, Jesus, in death on the cross for our sins. Christ Jesus Himself, lovingly and willingly surrendered to the cross for us. The question that remains is: Do we love God and His Son, Jesus, for the sacrifice They each made for our sins? The Father gave His Son; Jesus gave His life! The least any of us can do is to surrender our will and life to Christ.

So, if we genuinely love the LORD, we will demonstrate that love through an absolute and unfailing obedience to His will. How can we know His will? We know it through prayer and the study of His Word, the Holy Bible. I am a person of books; yet, the most valuable treasure I have in my library is the Bible, the Holy Word of the Living Savior! Have you read your Bible today? Don’t miss the opportunity to savor the Word that so many long to have, but do not possess. Your life will be enriched; your soul will be refreshed. Savor the Word today!

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,

Genesis 11:1-7, “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.

2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower, whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; otherwise, we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

Language can indeed be beautiful. It can also be quite beneficial. It often, however, becomes a trap that leads to grave difficulties. Whether these people in the text above were intending to engage in open rebellion against God, or whether they were simply ignoring Him altogether, may be open to question. In any event, what they did was wrong!

We often fall into traps by simply not thinking through a situation before engaging in it. We need to remember that old oft-suggested question: “What would Jesus do?” There is no indication in the Scripture above that any thought was given to what the LORD wanted, or what He might think of what they were doing. He was not in their thinking at all! That was their primary problem.

Just stop and consider how many things we all do without thinking: “What would Jesus do?” How will what we’re about to do or say reflect upon Him? We want Him as Savior, but omit Him as Lord! There is a significant difference. If He is our Savior, He must also be trusted as our 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