The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 32:1-8, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!

2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”

How blessed it is to know that we are cared for by His almighty Hand! How free we feel within ourselves when our sin is forgiven. How thankful we are to know that the One who could crush us, instead forgives us and strengthens us in His love.

Sin drains us of our self-worth; He refreshes us! Yes, it is our privilege to reciprocate in thanks for all that He has done. He forgives our sin and covers us with His love and blessings! Yes, we deeply appreciate the kindness shown to us by our loving Christian friends; yet, nothing compares with His comfort and watch care. We owe everything to Him!

It is true that He often delays blessing us; and we are tempted to believe He has forgotten. Yet, it is for our benefit His actions are delayed. In time, we learn the value of that delay. Further, the songs He sings to us and places in our hearts are those melodies that calm the wild beast! We are so blessed! How can we not love and praise Him in the presence of others!

Let’s give thought this week as to how we can share His love with others –even those who have yet to understand the power of love. They may initially be surprised; but it will give them warmth when they have learned love’s value. Yet, it has come from Him, not a particle from us!

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 20:1-9, “For the choir director. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion!

3 May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.

4 May He grant you your heart’s desire And fulfill all your counsel!

5 We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright.

9 Save, O LORD; May the King answer us in the day we call.”

In the nine verses above, David models the way for desperate prayers! His cries to the LORD are for help for another, while simultaneously exalting the LORD as the Supreme Helper! In his desperation, he sets forth for us the model for desperate prayer.

“May He remember your offerings…may He fulfill all your petitions.” He then prays for the LORD’s counsel for his friends. There is not the slightest hint that the LORD will refuse his petition. And in the conclusion of his prayer, David affirms his unwavering trust that his prayer will be answered!

Let’s examine what surrounds our prayers. Do we truly believe the LORD will attend to what we ask? Do we fervently believe that our prayers will be answered? And how do we respond when the LORD does answer affirmatively? Do we praise Him, give Him credit? Or do we turn to others as the grantors of our petitions? Yes, He often uses others to help us. Still, there are many serious avenues to be considered. “…we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.” He alone is to be glorified!

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 5:1-7, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

Becoming a Christian is what it’s all about! Yet, it’s more than simply laying hold on eternal life. Christianity encompasses responsibilities much like any enterprise one would undertake, yet with dire consequences, if neglected. Oversight is the exercise of caring for those who are young in the faith. Oversight does not indicate harsh behavior; rather, it is being an example of Christ and setting Him before those in our charge.

In the truest of senses, we are preparing others to follow His example! As He was submissive to His Heavenly Father, so we are to be submissive to Him. Those who observe our submission to Him will likewise be enticed to submit to Him and His will for their lives. Grace will replace pride with humility, and anxiety will disappear altogether. What a joy to be a Christian and lead others to faith and trust in Him! This treasure can be yours! Christ Himself is the Treasure! He will use you, and you will treasure having been used for His glory!

Now, make a list of the people you would like to receive this Treasure! Think everything through very carefully. Pray about your approach. Pray for the time. Pray for the opportunity to speak with each of them. Then, leave everything to the Holy Spirit. He will thoroughly arrange everything, including what you should say and when you should say it. God bless you!

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,

Galatians 5:19-25, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

The Apostle Paul was likely a grown man when he cited these “deeds of the flesh.” Doubtlessly, he understood them much earlier in life, yet not in the context of a Christian perspective. Now, as a committed believer in Jesus Christ, he offers the comparison between the “deeds of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.”

An in-depth observation into the two concepts reveals that the deeds of the flesh number 15, while the fruit of the Spirit number but eight. Certainly, that’s not to say that evil outweighs good; but, it might be saying that there’s more evil out there to invade our lives than we might think. Still, I’m sure the Apostle didn’t have only numbers in mind when he wrote the words above.

What’s important is that the “deeds of the flesh” are normal for us until we’re converted into the life and manner of the LORD. From that point onward, the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit resides in us and His fruit, consisting of “love, joy, peace patience, kindness,” and all take root within us and we begin to resemble the LORD Jesus Christ.

It’s not easy to be a Christian. Yet, the results that come from fleshly deeds are not easy to deal with either. The fulcrum that differentiates the two is the LORD. And it is He who makes all things well. There will doubtlessly be those whom we will lose as friends, if we trust Christ and follow Him. Yet, when we move from Earth to Eternity, our spiritual friends will be our company. With whom do you want to spend eternity?

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,

Matthew 22:34-40, “But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together.

35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

37 And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

It was a mixed group that gathered around Jesus: the Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection, and the Sadducees vehemently denied it. (That’s why they were sad, you see.) We’re not told on what side the lawyer stood in that regard, but it could be that he sought to rationalize the difference between the two sides by asking, “…which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus’ response was all inclusive: “You shall love the LORD your God with all you heart, and with all you soul, and with all your mind.” Additionally, He said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Essentially, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees needed to upgrade their love for their fellowman as well as their devotion to Almighty God! To be even more specific, it is impossible to affiliate with the LORD without loving Him. The same is true regarding a neighbor.

Many times I’ve witnessed someone, seeking to borrow something from a friend, only to have the friend say, “Oh, just keep it. I have another I can use.” Such were indeed attitudes of love. And attitude is what truly matters. “Things” can always be replicated down the line. A true friend always views the other person as more important. May the LORD help us to always be that true friend.

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