The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

3 John 1:5-10, “Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.

9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.”

Who knows how many people listened the other day when warning words from an American ship were delivered to an Iranian vessel: “Evacuate the engine room!” Yet, upon refusal, the ship was attacked and stilled in the water.

Notice carefully that prior to their destruction, the people in verse five above “did not believe” the instruction they were given. It was not that they did not know; they elected to ignore the instruction. The same was true of many angels and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and adjacent cities. In each case, those electing to reject the warning were ultimately destroyed.

God is a God of love! He desires everyone to be saved. Yet, man is saved by adhering to God’s instructions! There is no other way! Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth! “The LORD has borne His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God” (Isa. 52:10). Are you trusting in Him?

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 8:1-12, “Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice?

2 On top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

4 “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.

5 “O naive ones, understand prudence; and, O fools, understand wisdom.

6 “Listen, for I will speak noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

7 “For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

9 “They are all straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

10 “Take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11 “For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.”

Solomon was the LORD’s choice to speak on the subject of “wisdom.” At every juncture in life, it would appear that Solomon called upon wisdom to be his innate guide: “beside the gates…at the opening to the city…at the entrance of the doors” – virtually everywhere Solomon encounters wisdom. Those who fail to understand and/or possibly fail to interact with wisdom, Solomon cites as “naïve” or “fools.”

The psalmist’s admonition to his readers is that we are to listen and believe; for He views knowledge as more valuable than the “choicest gold,” and wisdom as more desirable than “jewels.” What invaluable treasures knowledge and wisdom are! Have we forgotten? Would we not exchange them for “lesser” things?

Have you ever been lost and without the slightest idea how to escape back into reality? What value then would those “fine treasures” be? You could be driving the finest and most expensive mode of transportation known; yet, without the slightest knowledge of your physical location, or how to maneuver back into reality, procuring a crumpled old map in exchange for an expensive wristwatch would seem the very thing to do. Listen and abide with Solomon. Be free indeed!

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,

Ecclesiastes 9:10-12, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.”

Our world has experienced the ultimate dichotomy. Man, the paramount figure in God’s creation, has severed himself from wisdom, the supremely divine principle of all time.

Take, for example, the man who hooked the bumper of his pickup to an Automatic Teller Machine. He was going to abscond with the machine and all its money. But as he sped away, the bumper ripped from the truck, leaving behind the license tag to be discovered by the police. They did.

Then, there was a man who intended to rob a confectionery. He entered the store barefaced. Then, after everyone had seen him, he donned a ski mask and announced, “This is a ‘stickup!”

Or take the girl who entered a convenience store under the pretext of asking for a job. She then robbed the store, discarding her resume as she left. Yes, you’re right; it contained her full name and address.

In the first edition of his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), Noah Webster, who, incidentally, was a committed believer in Jesus Christ, defines “wisdom” as, “The right use or exercise of knowledge… the knowledge and fear of God and sincere and uniform obedience to His commands. This is the wisdom which is from Above.”

Yet, long, long before Webster, the wisest of all Old Testament saints said, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Pro 4:7). From what we’ve learned from the three above, it seems Solomon is the one to follow.

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 42:11-17, “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies. 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.”

“Always tell the truth and you won’t have to remember anything.” That’s a truth often attributed to Mark Twain. It has also been repeated by parents and teachers, and even by children when speaking to one another. We should all repeat it quite often and obey it until it becomes an integral part of our lives.

Eight times in the whole of Scripture the word “honest” is clearly cited. The whole of Scripture is honest, so it figures that we, who align with God’s Word, should also hold to the veracity of what the Word employs. Sometimes we hear people say, “Well, it’s close to the truth,” intimating that it clearly isn’t the full truth. Yet, “shading” the truth is as wrong as simply telling a lie. In such cases, it is better just to say nothing at all.

Witnesses are sworn to tell the truth when they appear in court. Sometimes, they intentionally lie anyway. Evidence is then left to contend against them. Careful investigation often gives evidence that they were never taught at home to tell the truth. Thus, they end up harming others as well as themselves. Truth frees us from depression and credits us with a good name. Moreover, it is our obedience to our Blessed 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,

Nehemiah 1:1-6, “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital,

2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

5 I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.”

Did you ever ask a question only to wish you hadn’t? The regret accompanies the answer. This is precisely what Nehemiah discovered. He had asked about his people, yet the answer he received was neither what he expected nor wanted. What is most commendable is that prayer was his initial undertaking.

Far too often, disturbing news prompts us to establish a connection with someone we are certain has complete and helpful information. Still, our first contact ought to be the LORD! Whatever the occurrence, He alone holds the answer in His hands. Prayer ought to be our first line of inquiry. We used to sing it in church: “If you trust and never doubt; He will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the LORD and leave it there.” He is the Answer! He alone knows our needs. Foremost, He is our first line of defense in every situation.

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