The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 4:7-11, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11 Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

The Apostle Peter is not announcing an immediate end of life, as we currently know it. He is, however, warning us all that there is an inevitable end coming!

When I was affiliated with Northeastern Bible College in New Jersey, I had several opportunities to speak on a metropolitan radio station. Interestingly enough, a speaker (now deceased) had made his reputation on that station by announcing the precise date of the LORD’s return! (I trust he’s now with the LORD and is regretful of his error.)

We are not to speak as if we possessed some unique knowledge, but to speak His very words, as they are contained in the Scriptures. In this way, He is certain to be glorified.

Further, people everywhere are never more open to hearing the Good News of Jesus than at this special time of the year! To that end, I have appended a Gospel Tract that you can attach to Christmas greetings you send to family and friends. Be prayerful. The LORD alone is responsible for reaching people when we are willing to be used in the process.

Click here to view the Gospel tract — “It’s Not How You Play the Game

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,

2 Timothy 3:1-7, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,

7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

If you have read carefully the verses above, you have noticed that they indicate that “difficult times will come.” Let me assure you that those times are with us today!

Read slowly through this litany of 20-some things noted in the Scripture above! Every true Christian, as well as the pretenders, should engage in careful examination of his or her spiritual life. If you are not a truly born-again child of God, you need to trust Him immediately! Life is all too short. Good intentions will not do it! You can enjoy His forgiveness, but only upon the confession of your personal sin.

Yes, the times in which we live are difficult! That’s all the more reason why we all need Jesus Christ in our lives. It’s a matter of “surrender.” I gave my life to Jesus as a boy of seven. My three children came to faith at a younger age than I. You can accept Him! You can lead others to accept Him, too. Use the tract below. Attach it to the Christmas email you send to others. The LORD Himself only knows the ultimate value of your witness. God bless you abundantly!

Click here to view the Gospel tract — “It’s Not How You Play the Game”

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 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

5 for our gospel did come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

7 so that you became an example to all the believers…”

Even in these few verses, it is abundantly clear that the apostle’s desire for the Thessalonian Church was precisely what the LORD Himself desired. Hopefully, we continue to believe that His desire for us today is precisely what He desired for that early church in Thessalonica.

To be true, times have changed. Were that ancient congregation to witness our gathering today, they would doubtlessly be shocked at our numbers, our conduct, our electronic systems, and the multifarious means we have of sharing worship with thousands outside the walls of our own congregation.

Current methods of sharing the Gospel are not to be discouraged, so long as they do not impede the clarity of the Message itself. As ancient as the Good News is, it must not be beclouded by 20th-century innovations. Click on the tract attached and share it with others.

Click here to view the Gospel tract — “It’s Not How You Play the Game”

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 8:12-19, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’

13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.”

14 Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

15 “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.

16 “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

17 “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.

18 “I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.’

19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.’

Did you ever get into an argument only to discover that you were up against someone who knew infinitely more about the subject under discussion than you did? Well, I have; and let me tell you: it’s not where you want to be!

The Pharisees always thought they knew more about spiritual things than anyone. So, when Jesus humbly announced that He was “the Light of the world,” they saw the opportunity to pounce on Him and show all those standing around just how smart they really were! Yet, close examination shows that Jesus’ intention was not to argue, but to draw to Himself those who were living in spiritual darkness.

Jesus is, after all, “the only true Light of life.” Without Him, we are all living in the darkness of sin. He alone is the way out of spiritual darkness. Have you discovered Him to be that? If not, you need Him today! For we not only “see” by His Light, we need to share His Light with others. May He brighten your life and your pathway as He brightens those of others!

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,

Luke 2:13-20, “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’

16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

I’ve had a few “Wow!” moments in my life, but nothing to even begin to compare with what the shepherds encountered that night! It must have been as frightful as it was enlightening! Go out some dark night and try to imagine that happening to you! It just might be that you would then find it hard to sleep! People often travel miles to observe phenomena related to the moon, but nothing even close to what the shepherds encountered!

I heard some outstanding Christmas music the other day that prompted me to wonder what the music in Heaven will be like! But wait! Will there be music in heaven? Surely, there will be. Yet, the Scripture says, “…the heavenly host praising God and saying”—not singing.

As wonderful as heavenly things must be, we must be careful not to allow ourselves to mentally manufacture things that are spiritual. They will always exceed our expectations.

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