mepastormike

The action taken yesterday by our Crossroads Congregation during our Annual Business Meeting in adopting the proposed revised bylaws, and the ratification of our Leadership Team members was a huge deal for me as pastor. This helps to provide in me a confidence in the direction I believe God is leading for our Congregation. The ministry plan I began to outline during our meeting produces an excitement within me to lead with direction and intentionality. We will continue to move as God gives direction which may seem slow at times, but we will keep moving forward!
Late last night I was reading from the book of Amos (chapter 4). In this chapter God gives His people opportunity after opportunity to turn to Him before finally suffering the full consequences of their own disobedience. I picture this as God holding back, or protecting, His children from experiencing the full consequences of their actions... allowing on occasion for those consequences to be felt in hopes of waking them up. Because of God's righteousness he must require payment in full for sins. The ultimate consequence is death of our spirit; an eternity in separation from God (this is Hell). The only way to have that debt paid in full and escape the consequence of Hell is to allow God to make that payment for you through faith in the sacrifice and resurrection of His One and only Son, Jesus.