Some time ago, I was studying Paul’s writings to the church in Ephesus in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy. As I read through the aging apostle’s writings I was struck with his fascination of what he called, “the blessed Gospel.” Here was a man who had seen and done it all for Christ. He had matured as much or more than any man had in Christ, and yet, here he was, absolutely fascinated with the power and beauty of the Gospel! I was pierced by my own flippancy toward what is “the power of God to us who are being saved.” I had viewed the Gospel as something for non-Christians to hear, and for new Christians to make their foundation, but beyond that we should mature into something greater. I’d been a Christian for years. Yet again, I was confronted with Paul and his childlike adoration of what Jesus had accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. Was it possible that I had far undervalued the enormity of what it meant that God Himself had become a man— to die, and then be raised from the tomb after three days? What incredible wonder is this that the Creator would enter His own Creation simply to let them kill Him— just so He could have them???
Over the course of the following months, I was struck, stunned, astounded, and driven to my knees in awe and gratitude over what Jesus Christ did for me, for us. I had never known how complete His work truly was, and why He was able to utter, “It is finished,” until that period of time, and my life was revolutionized once again. All it took was one moment with God, when He opened my eyes and I saw what He’d done, and everything became clear: ”It is finished.”
In two and a half weeks, at FireUP be.loved 2011, Jesus will be the center, the essence, and the everything of this event. The Good News will be proclaimed, and lives will be changed. I hope yours is one.
