The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 1:1-4, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in

Christ Jesus:

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

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”

Ephesus, in the time of Paul, was the second largest city in the Roman Empire. Ephesus was a city of about 250,000 people, and was known, among other things, for its famous Temple of Diana (Artemis). Paul had been there and indeed there were true Christians in the city. It was to them that the apostle said, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.”

You’ve doubtlessly heard grace described as “God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense.” Peace is the confidence of God’s love. The two little words “to you” are in Greek known as the dative (case) of advantage. Grace is to our advantage because without our LORD’s love there would be no redemption of mankind from sin.

Paul goes further to say that through salvation, God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing” that is currently housed in Christ in the heavenlies. Just pause and think about that for a moment. If the LORD were to ask you to name the one thing you would like more than any other, what would you say? WAIT!!! Don’t ask yet! Think for a moment. (Hint: remember Solomon? The LORD asked him that very thing. What did Solomon say? Do you remember? He asked for wisdom. [2 Chron 1:7-12]) Is that what you would say if the LORD asked you? I wonder….

Paul also says that the LORD “chose us in Him (Christ)…that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” Holy means sacred; blameless carries the idea of “above reproach.” Just as godly parents didn’t produce children so they could be drug addicts and tear down the family name, God didn’t save us so we could bring reproach on His Name! The best way to destroy the goddess Artemis is not to smash and tear down her pagan image; rather, it is simply to win Ephesians to faith in Christ. Ultimately, Artemis will disappear.

But if Christian lives are no different from what their pagan lives were before meeting Christ, Christ has effectively been brought down to the level of a pagan god.

Now, let’s put the question again: “If the LORD were to ask you to name the one thing you would like more than any other, what would you say?” I’m praying for you daily. Please pray for me.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. All politics aside, our President and Vice President live under unimaginable pressure every day! It is our Christian duty to pray for those

who are in authority over us. I live under some pressure. You do, too; but none of us knows the pressure of a president.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”