My Experience as Youth Pastor

You know it amazes me that Christians can steal from the church. I'm talking about people in ministry at the church using church funds for personal things to people literally taking money and.or stuff from the church.

I honestly can't grasp that thought. I've read the Old Testament, I know what happens when judgement comes. I just read the book of Amos, and I gotta say ... he called women cows. Now I'm not Bible scholar, but I think that was still an insult back then. Then he goes on to tell them how they were going to suffer, how people would be pulled through the breaches by meat hooks and the last by fish hooks.

The thought of taking from the church makes me fearful. Don't get me wrong, I understand some amazingly powerful things about grace, but I don't take it for granted. Still, I come back to what Jesus tells us, we must forgive others if we want to be forgiven. So I forgive the ones that have been stealing. What is more, God will forgive you if you let Him.

Speaking of grace. I heard someone say this recently and it was so obvious but so totally amazing.

We are all under the wrath of God. Every judgement that is spoken by the prophets is on our head, but when we go to the cross it is like a lightening rod for God's wrath. It turns the wrath away from us and to the cross.

Now just think this through. Jesus is the son of God, but He is also the infinite God, this means God turned His wrath that none of us could withstand into Himself so that Justice would be served, but so would love and grace. That is powerful.