The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Chronicles 15:1-7, Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded,

2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, ‘Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.’

3 “For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law.

4 “But in their distress, they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.

5 “In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.

6 “Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.

7 “But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”

Anyone upon whom the Spirit of God falls is of extreme importance! Azariah’s importance manifests itself in his address to Asa and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. What’s more, his immortal words reverberate throughout the ages to all believers: “…the LORD is with you when you are with Him.”

Have you ever been in a situation where you sensed that you were alone? It’s an awful feeling! Yet, the sense of loneliness gives way to shame when you realize that as a believer in Jesus Christ, you are never alone! He never abandons His children!

At the same time, it is possible that the “loneliness” abounds because we have forsaken Him! It’s true that we often take the LORD for granted. “He’ll always be there,” we say. Yet, when we turn away from Him and begin to think that we can navigate life alone, we stumble and fall.

In those times of failure and loneliness, He allows us to experience life as it would be without Him. It’s a spiritual shock intended to awaken and bring us back. He forgives our sinful departures and wraps us again within His tender arms. “Be strong,” He encourages us, “there is reward for your work.” Are we truly engaged in His work? Personal inventory is required.

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,

Numbers 25:4-9, “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.’

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000.”

Reading through the Old Testament reveals innumerable instances of stunning surprises! It not only demonstrates that the LORD is real and powerful; He dealt with His Old Testament people in a manner that ought to instill fear in the heart of every living human being.

The LORD’s multiple miracles that accompanied Israel’s exodus from Egypt all the way to the Promised Land are nothing short of stunning! His maneuvering of the huge and numerous tribes, providing food and water for such an enormous congregation, leaves the reader wide-eyed and almost gasping for breath!

The minutiae of Divine Instructions coupled with daily repetition make our activities seem almost childlike and virtually insignificant. At the same time, every Divine requirement had a precise purpose, leaving no room for questioning the wisdom or intention of the LORD! Yet they did!

Long hours of travel, the mingling of enormous family households, wandering children, seeking where their families were located at nighttime. Arguments among and within family units were doubtlessly ongoing. Except for the LORD being patient, neither they nor we would arrive safely. How great and how wise and how patient our blessed LORD is! Praise His Holy Name!

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 Peter 2:13-19, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.”

Did the first 10 verses of the passage above give you a start? Maybe we need to repeat them: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…” No, Peter is not saying that we ought to join every human institution and live by its rules. No, we are to be submissive to law and order as constituted by government. But, read on – “…for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”

Notice, too, that we are to do everything “with all respect,” even toward “those who are unreasonable.” If we apply these divine instructions to the day in which we currently live, we can depend on the LORD to advance and ultimately implant respect into the lives of those who are “unreasonable.” It’s like fighting the fires of harsh opposition with the sweet waters of kindness. Even if the cause is lost for the moment, what will linger in the minds and hearts of the opposition will work toward a compatible conclusion. It’s winning with kindness instead of raw power!

Wherever “sticky” situations arise, the resolution for the Christian is through prayer and kindness. “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” The LORD always has a way that is superior and beyond our wildest imagination!

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 9:57-62, “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’

58 And Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’

59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”

60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Decisions require severe investigation. Years ago, prior to my affiliation with the Arkansas Civil Air Patrol, I had to understand the responsibilities of affiliation. You didn’t just walk in and say, “I’d like to join.” There are standards that members are required to know and adhere to.

The qualifications for becoming affiliated with Jesus’ group were pretty stiff, too. The men cited in the verses above very quickly learned that there were indeed some hardships. Comfortable accommodations for living were often non-existent. Animals readily found accommodation, but Jesus and His followers often just rested and slept outdoors in the open air. In fact, Jesus’ earliest accommodation as a newborn child was in an animal manger.

Due to the responsibilities of the connection with Jesus, parents, loved ones, and friends were often neglected without prior warning. Important family matters were delayed or completely pushed aside in deference to the work found in the ministry of Jesus. It gave promise to no easy road.

Strangely enough, accommodation today is quite similar. Families leave loved ones for far-away mission fields. It’s not easy on either group. Those on the home front send money and provisions, yet provisions are often shared with native people, who have needs too great to ignore. Be thankful for what you have! And be ready to share with those who have even less. It’s not easy!

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 5:33-40, “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

34 “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

35 “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish– the very works that I do– testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

37 “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.

38 “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”

It’s amazing that with more than 2,000 years separating us from the time of Jesus on earth, people are still debating exactly how mankind can be spiritually saved! Some believe salvation is in church membership. But, what church? Others believe salvation comes through baptism. But, whose baptism? Still, others believe one must simply live a “good” life. But, what constitutes “good”? And the quest continues, while the ultimate judgment lies with God Himself.

Jesus clearly said that His testimony was greater than that of John the Baptist. Jesus’ works gave clear credence to that. Further, the Scriptures, if read and properly understood, testify that the Father sent Jesus to be mankind’s Savior and Redeemer.

So, how is one to know whether he has been saved? The Apostle John speaks to that very thing in his first epistle: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

Now, permit me to ask: “Do you know that you have eternal life?” You can know! Confess your sins to Him in prayer. Ask Him to forgive your sins and come into your life. Trust Him to do it; then, thank Him for saving you. Don’t stumble over the simplicity. Just ask and you will receive.

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