The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 30:4-12, “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I will never be moved.’

7 O LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

8 To You, O LORD, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication:

9 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

10 “Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper.”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

It may be honestly said that no one exceeds David in the works he sets forth in Scripture. He looks with earnestness toward the face of the LORD as he encourages the “godly ones” to give thanks and praise to the LORD.

David allows that the LORD is his Master, and that His strength comes from the LORD alone. All believers could say the same, but all too few do. We want to claim that we possess what we have due to what we have done. Yet, it is the LORD alone who has given us the strength to do it. David lurches into genuine praise when he asks what profit it would be were he to spend eternity in hell. How would that bring praise to the LORD?

It may be somewhat futile for any believer to seek to uplift David for his praise of the Savior. Yet, David’s selfless praise serves as an exciting pattern for all believers. If we are spiritually the practical encouragement to others that we ought to be, the LORD will then be praised.

It was the disciple Matthew who said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Let’s earnestly work for the glory of the LORD! He alone is worthy of our praise.

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 19:7-11, The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

As I was preparing to write this letter, a remarkable news story appeared on my screen. A young, married, Islamic girl was sharing her conversion from Islam to our LORD Jesus Christ. Her words and her demeanor witnessed to the sure and certain truth that she had accepted the LORD Jesus into her heart!

Some years ago, an ex-Navy SEAL shared with me that numerous Islamic people started coming to his church. When asked how it was that they had come to a Christian church, they replied that they had had a dream in which the LORD appeared and instructed them to come. In a matter of time, some came to truly know the LORD Jesus as their Savior! Instruction: NEVER GIVE UP! The LORD is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!”

The Law is the LORD’s instruction, whereby He converts the soul from sin.

The Testimony is the evidence that transformation has taken place in the human heart.

The Precepts are the principles that are to now regulate Christian behavior.

The Commandment is the overall Divine Rule that governs the Christian’s life.

The Fear is the terror that threatens danger but becomes the believer’s internal guard.

The Judgments bespeak the LORD’s ability to enable the believer to behave like a believer.

We Christians must remember that those who have embraced “spiritual” beliefs outside of the LORD’s truths are yet His people; in the sense that they, like we, are descendants of Adam and Eve. He longs for their return to the Faith, just as He longs for all nations to do.

Where are you in all of this? Have you trusted Him as your LORD and Savior? If not, why not? If you have trusted Him, are you living with His joy – joy that says to others that you know Him and love Him? Quite honestly, where do you stand?

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 Peter 2:1-9, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

3 and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.

5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would thereafter live ungodly lives;

7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men

8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment…”

I’m not certain that everyone who hears a false prophet believes him. Perhaps it’s how hungry he is that he leaps for what is called “truth,” without knowing whether it is truly the truth. There are a host of false prophets spreading untruth, but the best we can do is to emphasize the truth as it is set forth in God’s Word!

Years ago, while pastoring in Florida, some men were able to get a Jewish printer in New Jersey to produce a Gospel tract I had written. Those tracts are long gone; however, my local church has graciously undertaken to reproduce that same tract. A believer who operates a stall in our local mall hands them out to patrons. I hand them out at the local Walmart. The only sure way for a person to be saved is to accept the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his or her life. The tract will lead the lost to Jesus Christ. It can be easily attached to any email, and clicking on it will open the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior.

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,

Deuteronomy 7:7-11, “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.

11 “Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.”

Have you ever wondered why the LORD decided to love you? We know how unlovely and unloving we are; why then, would the LORD ever love us? In all probability, our “dilemmas” occur because we simply love ourselves! “How could the LORD not love us?” we say. “How could anyone not love us?” Oh, please!

Possibly, others resist loving us because we’re so consumed with ourselves. Could they possibly conceive of us not having room for the love of others? Is that not possible? With the LORD, however, things are different. His love is far greater and exceedingly beyond our knowledge! His love is not because we love Him; He loves us because of who He is! God is love!

Look at our world! It excels in the hoarded accumulation of “things” – things that will ultimately be destroyed in His judgment upon the world. Are we not His in order that we might be used by Him in securing others into His love? Do we not truly know Him? To know Him is to love Him! And to love Him is to love others – even those who do not know or love Him! May God help us to excel in demonstrating His love to the world that is laid before us for that very purpose!

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 37:1-11, “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers
in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his
place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”

I received a ton of instructions when I was young! My mother was a teacher—at home as well as at school. What’s more, she told me what to do and what not to do on just about everything. It was not a force; it was excellent instruction. Ultimately, I learned that she knew what was good for me and what wasn’t. My only regret is not having obeyed in every instance.

David sets forth some worthwhile instructions, too. “Don’t get upset; don’t envy others; don’t get angry. Those don’t help one little bit! Trust in the LORD; cultivate faithfulness; delight yourself in the LORD; commit your ways to the LORD; rest in the LORD; wait patiently for Him to respond to your prayers. Mom pointed it all out right from the Bible! In time, I learned the value of her instruction. I also learned to look to the Bible’s instruction.

Let me encourage you to look there, too! It will serve you well and save you from a host of hurt.

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