The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 91:1-7, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence
4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.”

The rescue of the American pilot, who was recently shot down in Iran, is undoubtedly one of the most incredible events in all of human history! Parachuting from his plane, then scrambling for his life and hiding until he could activate the apparatus that would lead his searchers to his location… it was all amazingly unique!

Then, add to all of that, he thanked the LORD for His protection; not only for himself but for those who diligently hunted for him! All the while, he was under enemy fire! The man was indeed “dwelling in the shelter of the Most High,” the Almighty!

Danger is hardly a friend to any of us. Yet, prayer summons the activity of our Heavenly Father, who is always alert to the trouble His people encounter. Never fear asking Him anything. He is indeed “a very present help in time of trouble.”

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 91:1-7, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence
4 He will cover you with His pinions, And bunder His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.”

The rescue of the American pilot, who was recently shot down in Iran, is undoubtedly one of the most incredible events in all of human history! Parachuting from his plane, then scrambling for his life and hiding until he could activate the apparatus that would lead his searchers to his location… it was all amazingly unique!

Then, add to all of that, he thanked the LORD for His protection—not only for himself but for those who diligently hunted for him! All the while, he was under enemy fire! The man was indeed “dwelling in the shelter of the Most High,” the Almighty!

Danger is hardly a friend to any of us. Yet, prayer summons the activity of our Heavenly Father, who is always alert to the trouble His people encounter. Never fear asking Him anything. He is indeed “a very present help in time of trouble.”

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,

Philippians 2:19-24, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

16 holding fast the word of life, so that on that day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

23 Therefore, I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;

24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.”

We all need help at times! It matters little what lies before us; some tasks simply require the able assistance of competent associates. Paul was no different. Every believer in the LORD’s work encounters difficult responsibilities. Thus, while Paul waited patiently for Timothy to join him, he rejoiced in what lay before him.

Think about what lies before you today. Approach all responsibilities with cheerfulness and care. No one is ever weighed down with work beyond his ability. It’s the attitude that makes the difference. The Scriptures say that God is “a very ready help in time of trouble” (Prov. 17:22). It’s true! Why not give Him a prayerful call?

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,

John 11:17-27, “So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,

19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.

21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

John 14:12-14, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

The firm and indisputable fact is that Jesus Christ died and was subsequently raised bodily from the dead by the power of His Heavenly Father! This is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Any petitioner must be a truly born-again believer and exceedingly serious regarding his request. The LORD’s reply will come in a time and manner of His choice; although He is bound by His promise to reply, He may deny the petitioner’s request. I have personally witnessed numerous answers to prayer. Each has been a strengthening of my faith and has proved beneficial in ways I could never have imagined. The LORD is simply amazing!

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,

Numbers 30:1-4, “Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This is the word which the LORD has commanded.

2 “If a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

3 “Also, if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father’s house in her youth,

4 and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand.”

The standard commanded here, notwithstanding that it lies in an Old Testament repository, is simply “Tell the truth.” To the best of my memory, it was Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) who commended honesty when he said, “Always tell the truth and you won’t have to remember anything.”

As a youth, I was taught to always tell the truth. That often led me to believe everything others said to be actually true. In a short time, however, I learned not to believe everything I heard. It takes time and effort to sort out who tells the truth and who does not.

The Old Testament clearly charges the head of the household with the guardianship of truth. He is also charged with always telling the truth himself. Thus, the entire household is clothed with integrity.

Refusing to take sides regarding whether someone outside of the home is being truthful is not another person’s obligation. Truth itself will ultimately prevail, and everyone will clearly understand. One should not have to be put under an oath regarding his words, as to whether they are viewed as truthful. At the same time, no one should ever repeat anything unless and until it is clearly verified. Even then, it may not be beneficial.

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