The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 106:6-12, “Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people; Visit me with Your salvation,

5 That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance.

6 We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.

7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless, He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known.

9 Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, And He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness.

10 So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 The waters covered their adversaries; Not one of them was left.

12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.”

Man, by nature, is both stubborn and forgetful. The Israelites reflected this in their attitude. The LORD provided them with everything they needed; yet, they continued to sin! “Nevertheless, He saved them for the sake of His name.”

We rubber-stamp Israel in accepting the LORD’s gift, yet we refuse to live by His standards. We often fail to openly recognize Him as the Giver of the gifts, choosing to allow others to believe that His blessings were actually the result of our gifted initiative.

We would do well to recall the fate of others who failed to openly recognize and praise the LORD for His faithfulness. By the way, are you giving Him credit for what He is doing in your life? He is the only true Giver of good gifts that are eternal in nature. Think of that!

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 62:5-11, “My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

9 Men of a low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; they are together lighter than breath.

10 Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

11 Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God;

12 And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work.”

Waiting is one of the most difficult aspects of life. Some days seem just to drag because of “waiting.” We wait at stop lights that seem never to change! We wait on others, whose lives seem oblivious to any sense of time. We wait in lines that seem to never move. We wait on cars to get out of our way, so as to enable us to get to our destination on time. Why is life such a hurry?

The psalmist begs us to “wait in silence for God only!” He is the only One for whom we are to be concerned, for our “hope is from Him.” The LORD is our stabilizer! He alone is our balance! Our trust is in Him alone! We are enabled to rest in the assurance that He alone provides! “…power belongs to God” – God alone!

In what or in whom have you placed your trust? There is no restful place but in God.

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 42:6-11, “O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, ‘Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’

10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’

11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”

The Psalms are indeed a rich treasure! With long hours of tending sheep, shepherd David doubtlessly had enormous time to think and to pray. Not all of his days were tireless, however, for wild animals had to be discouraged from attacking the sheep he protected.

At times (probably more than we could imagine), David felt alone. And in these times, he turned to prayer and devotional thought regarding the LORD, whom he clearly adored. He would never have entertained the slightest thought that we would be reading his words over this distance of time.

David speaks of the LORD as his “rock,” a form of the Hebrew word meaning “divine origin.” What an encouragement! We would do well to think of that and how our words might affect others. Our words would undoubtedly do more for others were we more careful in their use. What might seem innocuous to us might actually be injurious to someone else. Without question, it is the LORD’s will that we speak to others in a kind, thoughtful, loving manner. Who knows who may one day read our words?

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,

Colossians 3:12-16, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Have you ever had a confrontation with someone that concluded in a less-than-friendly manner? I have every reason to believe that you have. Honestly, I can identify neither the differences nor the personalities; yet, almost everyone I know has, over time, encountered a difference with someone. The solution is always “forgiveness.”

The Apostle Paul instructs us, as with the believers in that Colossian Church, to show and demonstrate compassion and kindness in a truly humble manner, while simultaneously being both gentle and patient. Yes, it’s a tall order. Just saying “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong” is quite difficult for some people. (We are always so certain we are right!)

Yet, those who truly are right ought to be first in demonstrating humility toward others. Love, of course, is the overall bond that unites opposing parties. Love always produces peace. And peace arrives quickly when Christ rules in the human heart. Stay in the Word! It is the surest option for correcting misunderstandings. Furthermore, you will sing from a pure and thankful heart that reassures your alliance with the Savior, Jesus Christ.

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,

Mark 13:3-10, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately,

4 ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?’

5 And Jesus began to say to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you.

6 Many will come in My name, saying, “I am He!” and will mislead many.

7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.

8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

People have always expressed concern regarding the end of the world. What is taking place in Iran today can easily be considered one of the many “birth pangs” that will exist prior to the world’s total collapse! These warnings of Jesus, however, cover only a fraction of what will actually transpire, as the phrase “merely the beginning” clearly indicates.

The attitudes of many will turn against their fellow men. Pandemonium will be the key word of the day. Things never imagined will surface from the depths of human hearts and will cause inconceivable devastation! False accusations will abound from everywhere. Sheer panic will grip the entire globe! Nothing will be resistible! And every possible disaster will befall the earth prior to the end. There is but one viable solution: acceptance of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who do you know that needs Him? What are you doing to get him 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