The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers. 11 Just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Redoing some things in my office at home, I came across a lot of pictures – pictures of my parents and my sister and myself. Our parents labored to encourage my sister and me to grow up into the likeness of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. To be sure, our parents walked in Christ’s likeness, and they encouraged us to live and behave as nearly to His likeness as we could.

Surely, we made mistakes along the way; but we never forgot their example or their teaching. Today we both trust that we are walking in a manner worthy of the LORD whom they taught and mirrored before us.

I didn’t check with Carol prior to scripting and sending this letter, but I’m sure she agrees that they did the best they knew how, and that meant their following Christ and demonstrating His likeness in their own lives. I know when we each left home, we did so with the determination to live for Christ, as we had been taught. Today, we thank the LORD for His Word and for His performance as a pattern for which to follow.

Solomon wrote: “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Hopefully, we are living to His standard.

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 1:1-12, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

Did you ever try to have a conversation with someone who just wouldn’t stop talking? That’s exactly how I felt trying to forge my comments into this little space. Paul wouldn’t let me! He speaks non-stop from verses 3 through 12. Well, after all, Colossians is his book, so he can say as much as he desires. What’s vitally important to him—and to the LORD—is that you and I live in a manner worthy of the LORD. Please join me as I endeavor to live like that today! You will join me, won’t 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,

Philippians 2:1-8, “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus, To

all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers

and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work

in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I

have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense

and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of

Christ Jesus.”

How important to you is the word “example”? How important do you believe it is to the LORD? The Bible mentions it only 16 times in both the Old and New Testaments. Yet, in those 16 times, the word is strategically positioned so that you and I might view our relationship with Him somewhat like the LORD Himself views it.

The author of this Philippian Letter is Paul. His companion in the faith is young Timothy. Paul had led Timothy to faith in Jesus Christ; now he, too, is an example of a believer! That’s exactly how conversion to Christ is supposed to work. Yet, before Paul could lead Timothy to faith in Christ, Timothy had to be willing to receive Him.

Here are two supreme admonitions for us: first, we should lead more people to faith in Christ and teach them to follow Him and witness to others. Timothy had trusted Christ; now, he was following Paul and sharing Christ with others.

Rethink your salvation experience! It’s spiritually healthy to revisit your time with Jesus Christ. If your experience is not clear to you, prayerfully confess your sins to Christ and ask for His forgiveness. There’s nothing like a clean heart and life! There’s no one like Jesus!

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,

Ephesians 2:11-15, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands—

12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace…”

Have you ever had any trouble looking back? Sometimes it’s fun just thinking about how things were in former days. Riding ponies on Sunday afternoon; looking forward to the school’s basketball game on Monday night; anticipating a visit from an old friend – yes, those things were fun-filled days! On the other hand, there were days we would just rather forget – days that are past and hopefully we’ll never experience again.

The Apostle Paul experienced such days. He was Jewish; therefore, he cites Israel’s experience in reverse order. Commencing with verse 13, Paul calls his kinsmen to a remembrance of their better days: “But now in Christ Jesus…”

Sometimes, we recall both kinds of days. We remember things and people who were kind and enjoyable to have around. Still, we remember things we’d rather forget altogether! But what do others think of us? What about right now? Are we living the life that demonstrates a “Jesus likeness”? Are we rejoicing that we know Him and want, more than ever, for others to know Him also? Then we would do well to demonstrate peace. Maybe we need to start “establishing peace” with everyone! Give it a try. It will reveal to ourselves and others just how sincere and peaceful we are.

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 5:19-26, “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. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the expression: “It takes one to know one.” In these verses, we have a snapshot of the past and present of the Apostle Paul’s life. In verses 19-21, Paul gives us a glimpse of what he was before he came to faith in Christ. In verses 22-26, he gives us a second glimpse of what he is at the time of this writing. Don’t think, however, that he is glorying in his past life. He’s simply drawing the comparison between what he once was and what he now is by the grace of Almighty God!

Yet, beyond Paul’s comparative analysis of his past with his present life, he is challenging those who are still in the former stage to quickly abandon it and adopt the spiritual stage of Christ-likeness.

There are those who will say, “It’s too late for me! I’ve been riveted too long in sin.” But Paul argues against that when he stands as an exhibition of a former sinful life. “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15). Failure to personally accept Jesus Christ as one’s Savior is itself a failure to make Heaven. It is my earnest prayer that you will renounce your sin and accept Jesus Christ as LORD!

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