The Grands Letter

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.”

Someone once said, “Whenever you come to the word ‘therefore,’ ask yourself what it is ‘there for.’” Very simply, Simon Peter is concluding his first letter and is encouraging his fellow believers. They were all living in arduous times. Every day was difficult for them all. They had personally witnessed the suffering of Jesus, and discouragement lay heavily upon them.

Peter looks beyond the present and encourages the believers to continue living and working for the LORD. “Prove yourselves to be ‘Christ-like,’” was his message. Encourage the church to “keep on keeping on.” How could Peter be so faithful? What was behind his reasoning?

The Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ Himself, was coming again! Yes, He died on the cross; but He arose from the dead! What’s more, He is coming again! And when He comes, we will receive that “unfading crown of glory.” Stay in line! Attend to the work of reaching others for Him. Stay humble before Him. The LORD resists the proud. Cast all your worries on Him! Pray without ceasing! Be assured that He cares for you.

Simon Peter’s encouragement should touch our hearts as well. It’s not easy to be a Christian. It has never been easy. There are innumerable difficulties and sufferings. Yet, the LORD Jesus suffered for us; are we not to suffer for Him? To be candidly frank, most of us have no idea of what it means to suffer. Someone challenges our witness, and we think it’s suffering. Yet, those who seek to live for Him under ungodly regimes more clearly know what it means to truly suffer. We must pray for them far more than we do.

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 4:1-5, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

2 You lust and do not have; so, you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so, you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us?”

Do you recall that I shared in one of these letters that my cousin, Jim, and I used to argue vociferously – not because we disagreed, but because we were seeking to arrive at Biblical truth? It may indeed sound strange now, but it served us well then. What’s more, we’re still friends, and we still advocate what we learned from the Bible!

I say all of that to say that I’m thankful my friendly contests were with Jim and not with Apostle James! What James quotes above is not only to Jewish believers, but it’s a small part of the verbal scourging he is giving to us all. Look at what James includes: pleasures, lust, murder, envy, fights, quarrels, adultery, failure to pray – all hostilities toward God! And these were church members! “Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

James then adds: “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? Oh, indeed the Holy Spirit indwells us, if we have trusted Him as LORD and Savior of our lives! But our love for the world and its pleasures smothers His appearance, so that we don’t act or look like Christians!

Some churches today even fight within themselves, ignoring the mandate of the Scriptures. Some pastors are guilty of the very sins that James condemns. Let me encourage you to forsake that kind of pastor and those kinds of churches. They only destroy in you what the Holy Spirit seeks to build up. Love the LORD! Love His Word!

Be thankful for courageous pastors and Biblically sound churches! None of them are perfect because you and I are not perfect! Yet, we’re to strive for perfection under the power and leadership of our LORD Jesus Christ. Be prayerfully supportive of the LORD’s work, primarily in your own life. We strengthen others when we allow the LORD to strengthen us. God bless!

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,

Hebrews 1:1-9, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?

6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”

7 And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

8 But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.

9 “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”

Were you ever assigned a responsibility for which you felt totally inadequate? What did you do? Depending upon who assigned you the responsibility, you probably undertook it with great care. I recall a man being almost overcome by an assignment given to him by the company for which he worked. He could have asked to be relieved of the task, but that might have risked losing his entire job!

The Apostle Paul was assigned to enlighten his readers on the glory and power of the LORD Jesus Christ. It was Jesus’ sinless life itself that portrayed His Heavenly Father! It was Jesus Christ who created the world! It was He who superseded the highest angels of Heaven and is forever worshipped by the host of Heaven’s angels and those He rescued from sin.

The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus left Heaven for Earth, where He gathered about Him a small, unlikely group of adherents, whom He taught the purity and glory of His Heavenly Father! In time, Jesus’ outspoken appraisal of His Father wearied those who objected to His message. And why did they object? They were not prepared to renounce their sinful ways and submit to God’s Son, who came to gather mankind for eternity with the Father.

Those today who resist the clear salvation message do so at their own peril. Heaven’s gates are opened only to those who have turned from sin and received the LORD Jesus Christ. Where do you stand? Have you trusted Him? Do so today! Time is running out….

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,

Philemon 1:8-20, ‘Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you– since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus–

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,

11 who formerly was useless to you but now is useful both to you and to me.

12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,

13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 If then you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me.

18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self as well).

20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.’

Have you ever had the authority to require someone to do something, but wanted them to do it without any pressure from you? That’s exactly where Paul found himself as he wrote this letter to Philemon. Onesimus was Philemon’s slave, and he had run away from Philemon. Paul discovered Onesimus and led him to faith in Christ. Now, since Onesimus had also come to faith in Christ, Paul wanted Philemon to show love to Onesimus, too. This was further an opportunity for Philemon to grow in grace by also showing Onesimus forgiveness.

Isn’t this what we all ought to do? Find someone today to whom you can show the Savior’s love! Share your faith with that person. They just might be looking for what you have to share. 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,

Titus 2:1-8, “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;

7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”

What could I possibly add to what Paul has said here? It’s so simple and down-to-earth that there is little left upon which to comment. What we can see, however, is that Paul had excellent home training. Further, he saw what many parents fail to see: namely, that a proper upbringing is the doorway to a sound, adult Christian life.

Note, too, that Paul starts with the husbands and wives. It is their responsibility to be what they want their children to be. He encourages physical labor and pure doctrine—all things that are “beyond reproach”—things that not only shame the opponents of the gospel, but that honor the LORD and the parents from whom we have come.

What a transformation our society today would experience, were we all that we ought to be! It starts, however, with you and me. Are we ready? Are we honest? Do we honor and live as our LORD has instructed us? I pray that we are. Every day brings us nearer to the hour when Jesus is coming. Scripture is being fulfilled every day! Many are still lost, and we are responsible to witness and win them.

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