Quotes

A few original quotes:

Regarding love:

The passions of love ignite, the emotions of love kindle, but the actions of love set the heart ablaze.

Regarding corporate worship music preferences:

Anything that is corporate, by definition, involves sharing. Typically congregations share one room, one sermon, one bulletin design, one set of communion plates, etc. Corporate worship music, by definition, means that we also share a set of musical selections with each other. Others get some of our music (the kind we like), and we get some of their music. But in our day of "me-ology" (versus theology), we think that the church exists to make "me" happy...especially regarding music.  Should everybody get to pick which room of the church they'd like to worship in...or which sermon topic they would like that week...or whether the bulletin should be printed in color or black and white, etc. Of course, that would be ridiculous and unacceptable. When children repeatedly speak of what 'they want', we say they're being selfish and instruct them by saying, 'You can't always have things your way.' When children don't share their toys, we say that they are hoarding and instruct them by saying, 'You get to play with your toys most of the time, and now it's time to share them with your friends. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that Sunday worship only represents one-seventh of your worship for the week? You (or your family) get to choose the Scriptures, prayers, and music used in your personal & family worship six-sevenths of the week. If you are having trouble sharing one-seventh of your worship music, you're either selfish, a hoarder, not worshipping throughout the week, or a combination of the three. Corporate worship necessitates a humble attitude of 'Share and share alike' not 'Share and share if I like'.

Regarding evaluating Sunday worship:

When most people say, 'I really liked worship on Sunday', or 'Worship was really great', what are they saying? Are they saying, 'The offering that I brought before the Lord was excellent?' Are they saying, 'God was honored by the integrity of my heart...the humility of my posture...the passion of my expression...and the gratitude of my lips?' Only God can know the heart of those who make such statements. However, based on my years of experience in worship ministry, I would guess that about 95% of those people are saying, 'The element(s) of the service really 'spoke to me, moved me, or brought joy to me.' In each of these latter statements the object of the comment was "me". Now, it's not wrong when congregational worship speaks to us, moves us, or brings joy to us. In fact, those are wonderful by-products of biblical worship...but they do not equate to God-worship. The definition of God-worship in the Bible is "to ascribe worth to God", "to bow down before God", "to kiss the hand of God", "to submit to God". According to the Bible, God-worship (what the congregation is to be engaged in on Sunday morning...and throughout the week) is all about ascribing worth to God...focusing attention on God...honoring God...bringing pleasure to God. If God is the object of our worship (and He should be), then we should let Him (and His Word) evaluate us. The real question each of us should be asking is, 'God, did you like worship on Sunday?' God (through His Word) can and does speak for Himself on this issue. Are we ready for His evaluation?

Regarding walking with God:

You just never know what is going to happen when you are walking with God...

“Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not,for God took him.” (Genesis 5:23-24 ESV)

Regarding choices:

He that simultaneously walketh in two directions rippeth his pants.