The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 1:3-7, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

It was indeed a cold day, and it grew colder as the day began turning to night. I well remember those cold days in my youth. Yet, they never seemed cold until my boyish strength gave out. Then the cold set in, and it was good to be inside and by the fire.

My grandmother used to cover me with what she called a “comfort.” It was actually a heavy cloth simply called by that name. But it was indeed a comfort—especially to a small boy who had played too long in the cold outdoors.

As I grew older, I learned that the LORD Jesus Christ was the God of all comfort. Numerous situations required care that only He could provide. Afflictions, sufferings, and multiple things not covered by my human “comfort” were then required. I learned to lean on Jesus for divine comfort. Some afflictions require more than human comfort can provide. Further, along with His comfort is clear and careful instruction for the extrication of the hurt and future avoidance of the root cause.

Eventually, we all suffer from situations that are extremely discomforting: such as accidents, illnesses, and even the deaths of loved ones. Yet, the LORD is the Great Physician! What the best doctors and ministers cannot do, Jesus can do; and He is willing. We simply need to know He is always present to comfort and guide us. But we must first embrace Him as our LORD and Savior. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).

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,

Psalm 46:1-10, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations made an uproar; the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”

One of the most comforting aspects of the Christian life is simply knowing that the LORD is always with us. As the psalmist says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The psalmist goes further still and says, “Therefore, we will not fear…”

The promise of the LORD’s presence is demonstrated multiple times throughout history. Nations have always been “boisterous”; kingdoms have always suffered “shakeups.” Yet, the LORD’s voice has always sounded a death knell against the ungodly—unless His allowance of the ungodly was the means of causing His people to recognize and respond to His clarion call.

The LORD’s clarion call requires His people to recognize that He alone is to be exalted throughout the earth! The LORD is the Creator! He is the Regulator and Sustainer of all world affairs. His “allowance” of evil is only for the purpose of declaring His power to control and “be exalted among the nations.” The LORD longs for that! Both we and our world will be upright and strong when we learn that. Yield your life to Jesus today! Do your part in helping our world to know and honor Christ as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords!”

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 12:1-8, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;

8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

When someone charged with controlling you gives you an order, obey it without delay! I learned as a child that delay only brings a repetition of the same order, but is stamped with a harsh reminder. Further, Paul, the divinely assigned author of the order, emphasizes that he is merely the conveyer of it. The order is initially from the LORD!

Further, the purpose of the order is that we might present to the LORD everything that is required for a “spiritual service of worship,” such as total transformation from self-will to the will of the LORD. We are not to be spiritual robots! Reason requires that we yield to Him and serve Him, utilizing the gifts He has given us. Sometimes, however, we are not only to do the work but to advise and assist others. We are certainly not to simply sit on the sidelines and watch! We are always to be in the battle, but cheerfully, as we assist and encourage others. 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,

1 Chronicles 29:10-14, “So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, ‘Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever.’

11 ‘Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty; indeed, everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.’

12 ‘Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.’

13 ‘Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name.’

14 ‘But who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.’”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–” David had longed for the time when he would build the House of the LORD! Yet, it was not to be David. He was a man of war, and in the sight of the LORD, he had forfeited his right to be the builder. Solomon, David’s son, however, was a man of peace; therefore, the LORD had determined that he should be the builder of His House. Certainly, David was disappointed; yet, it was to be the LORD’s House, and it was His right to assign whom He wanted. In the hurry of daily life, we don’t often think things through as thoroughly as we ought.

The boy who wanted to be the pitcher of the baseball team quite simply didn’t have the perspective of his coach. The boy was not as prepared as he thought. We’re quite often like that. We long to engage in activities for which we are simply not spiritually prepared. And in such instances, we would do well to acquiesce in favor of those whose spiritual lives offer a better perspective on the outcome. The LORD always knows who is best for every task. He is God!

And it’s precisely at this point that prayerful examination of the entire situation should be undertaken. The LORD often uses prayer to reveal His will to us. So, let’s start praying!

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 Kings 8:54-58, “When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven.

55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 ‘Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.’

57 ‘May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us,

58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.’”

As a small boy, I remember a man in our community who was known for his long prayers. He was not a member of our church but attended quite often and was occasionally called upon by the pastor to offer prayer. I had no way to calculate the length of his prayers or the increase of their volume, but to a 6-year-old boy, they seemed very long and very, very loud!

King Solomon had just concluded a long, all-encompassing prayer. It is just too long to include it all here. Hopefully, you will turn to this passage in your Bible and read everything that Solomon said; for what he said to the people at the conclusion of the prayer was quite telling. “Blessed be the LORD,” Solomon said, He “has given rest to His people Israel,” just as He had promised! Have you ever prayed and known with certainty that the LORD had already determined to give what you had asked? Does that encourage us to pray, or what?

Solomon also noted that “not one word” of the LORD’s promises had ever failed! When our lives and hearts are right toward Him, without the slightest question, we can depend upon His promises! In fact, He causes our hearts to incline toward Him and live according to His Word! Thus, our very lives and prayers are locked tightly in His grasp as we yield our wills to Him and for His glory! Thus, it’s not how loud we shout or how long we pray; it’s how we live our lives to the praise of His glory!

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