The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

When was the last time you watched a sporting event? Whenever it was, you witnessed athletes who had prepared themselves for the event. I could never have been considered an “athlete” by the standards of athletes today. Still, as a youngster, I trained and prepared myself as best as I could because winning was always more enjoyable than losing.

Athletics has existed for many years. The ancient Greeks were known to have trained in the gymnasium as early as the 1500s. Earlier still, Elijah is recorded in 1 Kings 18 as having urged Ahab to harness his chariot horses and hurry so that he might escape the heavy shower that was coming. Yet, Elijah fastened his cloak around his waist and outran Ahab to Jezreel on foot! Just imagine!

I have every confidence that the Apostle Paul was physically disciplined. He allowed that he was in the verses quoted above. Still, there is a spiritual discipline of which he spoke; and it is that discipline that is far superior to being able to outrun Ahab’s horses!

How disciplined are you? Are you disciplined in reading and studying the Scriptures? Are you regularly disciplined in prayer? How about your witness? Is your life so immersed in discipline that Christ is easily seen in your life and its activities?

No one so excels in spiritual discipline that he or she can afford to take time off. It was the famous pianist and composer, Ignacy Paderewski, who said, “If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it.”

May we so discipline ourselves spiritually that everyone will notice that we live with and for 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,

2 Samuel 12:1-10, “Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom and was like a daughter to him.

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; rather, he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

6 “He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8 ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

9 ‘Why have you despised the Word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

10 ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’”

All sin is serious and should be viewed as such. Some would distinguish between excessive speeding in a car and parking a car in a “No Parking” zone. Yet, each is an infringement of the law. What David did in the passage above was wrong. It is doubtful that he overlooked the wrong when the instance of the poor man’s lamb was used as an illustration of his greater sin. We are always and ever in the sight of the LORD!

What we should not miss is that all wrong is sin in God’s eyes, and that He will require payment for everything that we intentionally or unintentionally overlook. Way back in the book of Numbers (32:23), the LORD said, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” It was true then, and it is true today. Yet, He will forgive our sin if we turn from it and humbly ask for His forgiveness.

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,

Daniel 9:2-10, “…I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the Word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.

6 “Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day– to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.

8 “Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

9 “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;

10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.”

How often we come to the LORD in prayer, asking forgiveness for our sins; yet, we fail to acknowledge His spiritual means that exist to prevail against our transgressions. The LORD forgives sin, which is made known through the teaching of His ministers (vss. 6 & 9). Any man who steps into the pulpit to share the teachings of Holy Scripture does so in fear and trembling. For he is responsible to have thoroughly lived and studied the Word from which he draws His LORD’s teaching. Only then is he responsible to share it clearly and sincerely with his people.

Such is not as easily shared as one might think. Every minister is first required to have lived the Truth that he shares. Paul says this in Romans: “…you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You, who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?” Pray earnestly for those who minister God’s Word!

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 33:51-56, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places;

53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

54 ‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

55 ‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live.

56 ‘And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'”

When was the last time someone gave you something quite special? Whenever and whatever it was, more than likely, it was also given to you with a stated provision. “This belonged to someone very dear to me. He gave it to me, and now I am giving it to you. In time, you will want to give it to someone as precious to you as you are to me.”

Something similar to this statement from the LORD accompanied His bequeathing of the land to Israel. At the same time, Israel was required to eradicate the occupants of the land. Failure to drive out the current inhabitants would allow them to “become as pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides.”

Has the LORD never said something similar to you? I’m confident He has said something like that to me. We’re to be faithful in passing on to others the gift the LORD has given to us; however, we must be as certain as possible that what we have passed on to others is held and utilized as preciously as possible. It must forever honor and glorify the LORD Himself. TO GOD EVER AND ALWAYS BE THE GLORY! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

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,

Jeremiah 30:17-22, “For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”‘

18 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruins, And the palace will stand in its rightful place.

19 ‘From them will proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who celebrate; and I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.

20 ‘Their children also will be as formerly, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all their oppressors.

21 ‘Their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall come forth from their midst; and I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; for who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the LORD.

22 ‘You shall be My people, and I will be your God.'”

Have you ever found yourself in need of restoration? Circumstances have surrounded you, and there seems to be no way out. To cry seems a bit like self-pity; yet, to hold everything inward seems as if you’re punishing yourself for something not your fault. Such are tough days.

Yet, the promise of the LORD is sure: “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob!” When the LORD stands with you and on your side, it won’t be stated in those precise words, but the meaning will be clear: the LORD promises to “restore” the fortunes…of those who stand with Him in the sheer honor of being on His side.

Thanksgiving and celebration of all kinds will cover you with blessings, while those who do not rejoice in the LORD will suffer punishment. The solemn promise of the LORD is: “You shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Celebrations abound in Israel this day because the LORD heard the earnest cries of His people. Such cries arise from numerous souls who lack a true belief that He is their eternal Messiah. Yet, He is! How clearly we often resemble our Israeli friends! Thus, the challenge to us is to be something in order that we might do something – something for His glory alone!

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