The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Job 5:17-27, “Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves! So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

18 “For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.

19 “From six troubles He will deliver you; even in seven, evil will not touch you.

20 “In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

21 “You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

22 “You will laugh at violence and famine, and you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

23 “For you will be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

24 “You will know that your tent is secure, for you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

25 “You will know also that your descendants will be many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth.

26 “You will come to the grave in full vigor, like the stacking of grain in its season.

27 “Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it and know for yourself.”

Most of us gripe and complain when things go wrong, don’t we? (Be honest!) We ask, “Why did this happen to me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” All the while we plead “Innocent,” without the slightest, slimmest, sliver of a thought that our attitude could be the cause.

Well, it can. No honest, loving, intelligent parent would ever reward a lazy, indolent, disobedient child for being the opposite of what he intended. So it is with the LORD! His rewards are for the faithful, the loving, and the obedient.

The LORD said, “…the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever” (Genesis 13:15). “I will bless…I will give…” again and again He says it with promise. Yet, it awaits our devotion to Him. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me; bless His holy name” (Psa. 103:1).

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 Chronicles 7:12-16, “Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,

14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

15 ‘Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

16 ‘For now, I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.’”

Solomon had completed the construction of the LORD’s House. The LORD had viewed His House; He then appeared to Solomon and blessed him with His promise for his solemn gift. Further, He offered this responsive promise that regardless of what might occur in the future to hinder or harm the life of the people, the LORD would be there to protect them all.

We should all know that the LORD loves us as much as He loved Solomon; thus, His promise is as fundamentally ours as it was Solomon’s. We, too, who have been born again in Christ are the LORD’s children. The “born again” factor is of utter necessity. Many actions of the LORD may fall incidentally upon people who do not know Him; but His blessings are reserved for those who have turned from sin and are resting in His promises of safety and blessing.

Want to be a recipient of the LORD’s blessings? Yield your heart and life to Him, and He will attend to the rest.

“Open my eyes that I may see Silently now, I wait for Thee;

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Place in my hands the wonderful key Open my eyes, illumine me;

That shall unclasp and set me free. Spirit divine!”

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 Corinthians 7:8-11, “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it– for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while–

9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”

Congregations often make mistakes just like individuals do; and those who attempt to correct the congregation often err also. It’s then difficult to express sorrow for saying what was first deemed necessary, despite being misunderstood by either or both parties. Paul evidently fell into the trap resulting from what he said to the Corinthian Church.

In our passage above, the apostle seeks to rectify the sorrow he caused the Church. Here he turned the thought into a positive benefit when he learned that the church had repented of what it had done. It was a ticklish situation, however you view it. Yet, because both the church and the apostle were prayerful and repentant, love once again filled the vacuum in their midst.

Repentance is a change of mind. What’s more (if there needs to be more) both parties are “back on track,” and productive! “Look how you have changed,” Paul says. “Look at what has come out of this!” Both parties (the church and the apostle) have reinstated themselves with each other. They’re both back on track in their service for the LORD!

I’ve witnessed reconciliations between opposing parties. They each become winners when, as gruff, angry opponents, their contorted features turn into warm smiles and laughter! It is something to behold. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!

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,

James 1:2-8, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

If you’ve ever contemplated a purchase, you’ve doubtlessly examined the item closely prior to making a final decision. That’s precisely what the word “consider” means when the verse notes that in life we “encounter various trials.” We must examine every situation carefully because we know that any decision will doubtlessly put our character to the test. We cannot afford to rely solely upon our own judgment. This is where that second opinion from a trusted friend comes into play. To believe that you have no need of anyone else’s consideration in the matter is a disastrously wrong step. Consultation is vital!

Faith is another aspect to consider. Faith excludes doubt. And the LORD is the singularly unique Person for consideration in every matter. He is the “doubt remover,” and He gives His opinion in “full disclosure.” Furthermore, He is trustworthy beyond anyone — even the best possible, knowledgeable consultant. He has your sole interest at heart, well beyond that of anyone! He is ever trustworthy and will work for you on and beyond the scenes. May God alone be glorified!

“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one; no, not one.”

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 John 1:6-11, “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

It’s a positive teaching, but one that is often overlooked: there are “many deceivers” in the world; deceivers who wish to engage both the lost and the weak believer into believing another way. In some instances, they know they are deceiving; in other instances, they have embraced non-Christian doctrine, believing it to be a truth. In either instance, beware! And be prepared!

You may have heard of the young man who embraced a belief contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Unknowingly, he encountered a pastor who ultimately led him to Christ. When he returned home, he shared the pastor’s testimony, along with his own, ultimately leading his parents to genuine faith in the LORD Jesus Christ!

What is commendable is the fact that those who lack genuine faith in Jesus Christ are, nevertheless, out there seeking to influence others. We who know the truth in Jesus Christ are often either too timid or too busy with lesser things to share our faith in Him. Just a simple question: “Are you a Christian?” will provoke a conversation. Why not give it a prayerful try? You don’t have to have all the answers to everything. You just need to know the One who does! Do you know 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