Why Ask Why?

 There is something that we all do that is wrong. We always want to know why something happened. Why did they die? Why am I sick? Why aren't they saved? Why did God...

Asking why God did something implies that we can know the Divine purpose and motivation. Only God know why He did or did not do something. We do not have logical reasons for why we act or speak and we think that we can understand why God acts or speaks?

When you are tempted to ask why, stop, and remember that our is not to know why. Our duty is to do what God says. We have pastors and we have Bibles and God has not lost His voice.

Asking why comes from a proud heart.

The Heart of Worship

 There are a lot of things that I do not like about modern worship music. I am old enough to remember the old hymns and choruses. I remember when we did not have to stand up just to sing in church. I remember when hymns were written by people who were real Christians. And we sang them to the Lord like He heard us. We have drifted far away from what I remember.

Today we sings songs about God and about Jesus. We sing songs where the focus is I, me, my, or mine. We sing about feelings not faith. We stand like we are at a concert, not in church. And the big failing is we think because we feel something we have been touched by the Holy Spirit.

It is possible to be moved emotionally and the Spirit not be present. It is possible to feel emotionally high and there is nothing of God present. Feelings and the Holy Spirit are not the same thing. I have heard music that moved me to tears and I have felt the surge of music that brought me to my feet. Rarely do I feel that in church.

First, music must be God focused and God worshipping. Second, God will inhabit our praises and we may feel nothing. Finally, Let the music bring us to our feet. There is absolutely nothing spiritual about standing up to sing. Feeling goose bumps is not evidence that God is moving.

We still must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth!

Advice On Dating?

 Pastor Rubi announced that he would be preaching on dating. I was looking forward to hearing what he had to say on this subject. Instead, he preached like an old man who is telling young people what to look for in a potential mate. Nothing on dating. He came across to me like he was upset or annoyed by the subject that he chose to preach on.

I went home slightly disappointed. I figured he would speak mostly to young people about dating. I figured that I would have to glean among the sheaves to get something that would be useful to me. I didn't figure that he would not preach on dating after he went out of his way to announce his intentions.

The next day I went shopping for books on dating for widowers and older men. I ordered three books on this subject. They will be at my front door in a few days. I know how to get for myself what I didn't get in church.

I do not know if dating is in my future. I do not know if marriage is in my future. I am trusting that God will work this out for me when the time comes.

When Good Friends Leave

 An old friend informed me that he and his wife are leaving the Fellowship. They have been around for many years. They once were valuable parts of one of our churches. They got into a conflict with their pastor, and they left the church where they were saved under a dark cloud of accusation.

Their problems followed them to the Fellowship church they transferred to. And now, after a few years of feeling ignored and unappreciated, they have decided to just leave and go somewhere new where their Fellowship baggage carries no weight.

I have written before that very few people leave our churches over doctrine. It is usually over relationships or pastoral insensitivity. If you talk to your pastor and then he preaches on what you told him that is a deal breaker. If you tell a friend in confidence something and soon everyone in church knows about it that is a deal breaker. When you leave and you are the bad guy that is proof that you needed to leave.

This guy has been a good friend. I am not surprised or shocked that they have left. I will not follow his example and leave.