The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 1:18-21, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 ‘She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”

It seemed appropriate, as we celebrated our nation’s birth, to call to remembrance the One who engineered and brought that nation into fruition: our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. For had there been no Savior, there would surely have been no United States of America. Those brave souls who dared to risk their lives to an uncertain sea and to an uncertain vessel that was forced once to return for repair, as they ventured to freedom, seeking both worship and governance according to the Word of God, without fear of human reprisal.

Little did that small, courageous band know, nor could it have conceived, that it would one day, some 250 years later, be remembered as human suffrage both sown and grown into the foremost incentivized pursuit of freedom the world has ever known!

Yet, it now remains for those who have inherited this earthly freedom to protect and defend and hand it on to another forthcoming generation until the Chief Designer returns for His own! For on that day, those who are His will be removed for a Supreme Homecoming far above the heavens, where they will dwell forever with their Eternal Redeemer, the LORD Jesus Christ.

Are you one of those who will be included in Jesus’ retrieval? You can be; but you must hurry!

For no one but He knows when that day will arrive. Just be ready! The trip will be worth it all!

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,

2 Peter 3:8-12, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”

Things are not always what they seem to be. Sometimes they’re better; sometimes they’re not! It all depends upon the context in which one is speaking. Peter is telling us in the verses above that with the LORD, every day is the same. God does not reckon time as we do. By that I mean, He certainly knows what time means to us; He is simply not governed by its brevities or its extremities.

On the other hand, we mortals live by the clock! The Bible teaches us that “There is an appointed time for everything… a time for every event under heaven…” (Eccl. 3:1-2). I can almost hear my mother’s voice saying, “Alright, it’s time for bed.” You’ve heard a voice saying that, too! Solomon’s list of innumerable times supports the contention that mankind has always lived by the clock.

Living by the clock, however, assures us that we’re on time for every necessary event in life. We also need to be well prepared for the life events we encounter incidentally. Most especially, we should be prepared for the Coming of the LORD. Without question, we will one day meet Him! We should encourage others to be ready to meet Him, also. His Coming will be sudden and unannounced. There will be no time to prepare; making it mandatory that we be prepared!

Knowing Jesus as your Savior and LORD is vital for today and for eternity! Now, you know why your mother insisted that you get to bed on time!

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,

Psalms 10:8-13, “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He smote many nations and slew mighty kings,

11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan;

12 And He gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.”

Multiple things occur in life for which there appears to be neither reason nor human origin. Yet, the Psalmist tells us that the LORD is the One who orders them all.

What child is there who has wondered and asked for answers for which neither parents nor teachers could respond with satisfaction? Science has delved deeply into multiple mysteries of life, yet without clear and satisfactory resolutions.

How did the world begin? How will it end? What is the purpose of life? How are we to know whether we are satisfactorily fulfilling the reason we are here?

When “push comes to shove,” the only answer is the LORD. He is our Maker. He originated the plan for life; and He alone controls the whole of the universe and all that lives and thrives therein! His will is set forth in His Word, Holy Scripture. And He has preserved it as His instruction for all mankind.

Do you read the Bible daily? Do you read it meaningfully? Do you evaluate the things you do in the light of your understanding of the Word? One day, we will all give an account of how we have lived. It is my prayer that my life will have been lived for His glory. I pray that for you, too.

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 10:8-13, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’– that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;

13 for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”

I came to know the LORD Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was but seven years of age. I had always been in church and had doubtlessly heard the Gospel being preached numerous times. Still, I cannot recall any particular sermon or Bible lesson that weighed upon my heart; still, I was concerned about dying and particularly, dying without Christ Jesus as my Savior. That concern weighed so heavily on me that I awakened my parents in tears. And it was that very night that they prayerfully led me to faith in Jesus Christ.

“…with the heart a person believes…; with the mouth he confesses.” Salvation is the result. The spiritual capstone is “calling on the name of the LORD.” It’s the LORD’s promise that “whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Disappointment resides alone –outside of belief.

If only you could experience the joy that I have seen in the changed lives of those whom the LORD has saved, you would rejoice immensely! Pray for those whom you know to be lost. The Lord wants them to be saved more than we do! Yet, He graciously uses our prayers and witness to bring them to Him. What a blessing it is to be so used!

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,

2 Peter 3:10-15, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…”

Doubtlessly, we’ve all experienced numerous encounters with unexpected difficulties: accidents, illnesses, financial reverses, and the deaths of friends and loved ones. There are a host of things that we never saw coming! One thing, however, we know without question: the LORD Jesus, who came into this world as a baby and ultimately went to the Cross for the salvation of mankind, will one day come again! And it is our responsibility to be ready!

The clearest information we are given regarding this momentous event is contained in the verses above by Simon Peter. A huge roar will accompany the destruction of the elements that comprise our atmosphere, and absolutely everything, visible and invisible, will be destroyed! How long this will take, we are not told. The recent earthquake in Venezuela was quite sudden and caused innumerable casualties! Yet, it was measured at only 7.2 on the Richter scale. Without question, the destruction of the Earth will immensely supersede anything previously known or unknown to mankind!

Simon Peter’s warning is superseded by his encouraging notification that we be diligent and found in peace, spiritually clean, and personally blameless. Make no mistake! There will be no “warning sound” prompting humanity’s preparation! The time to get ready is now!

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