Beginning April 19, 2009
Hettie Green was one of the wealthiest woman in America at the beginning of the 20th century. When she passed away in 1916, she left an estate valued at over 100 million dollars. But during her life, she ate cold oatmeal every morning. Why? Because she did not want to pay for the oil to heat her breakfast. She had at her disposal the resources to truly enjoy all the comforts of life, but she never did. Her son suffered a leg amputation because she refused to spend money for medical treatment, preferring to take him to a free clinic. She was wealthy and yet chose to live the life of a pauper.
My observation is that many of Jesus’ followers suffer the same fate—being a child of the King of kings but living like a pauper. Choosing to eat cold oatmeal instead of experiencing the abundant spiritual life Jesus offers.
In the letter that Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in the city of Ephesus and surrounding area (Turkey), He teaches great truths about the wealth we have in Christ and, because of this wealth, how best to live as followers of Christ. In fact the phrase “in Christ” and its equivalents “in Him” and “in Whom.” appear 90 times in this letter. So as people passionately pursuing spiritual growth in Christ, as our theme for the year states, this letter will be a great help.
I invite you to join me April 19, as we begin our study of the book of Ephesians.
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