Comments on: And This Is How I Feel

By: hardcorefaith

hardcorefaith — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:29:03 +0000

I must admit, I did think through his response and mull it over for a while before writing this article. My initial thoughts were as yours, maybe he's just fed up with the whole church mentality that sometimes seems to hold people back. However, I was disturbed by his comment that it's by feelings and not by study. Being a Seminary grad I know what it is to struggle through an issue, sometimes for no other reason than to become more informed myself. Would I teach on an issue I had only given thought to? No way! If I felt called to talk or teach about something I would hope that I would become more informed as to the issue and not just spout off at the lips.

Thanks again Ruth for your comment, always a pleasure

Chris
(Give my regards to Dave when you see him)

By: Ruth Rich

Ruth Rich — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:20:26 +0000

I can see where this fellow was coming from. Sometimes the debate on issues is so exhausting that you just want to get on with it and do what seems to be best.

However, I agree with you that when we dig deep, the scriptures will always lead us in the right direction because they point us to Jesus, who is always good. I don't have much respect for teachers who just give people what they want to hear without a foundation to support their ideas. Why would you even want to listen to someone like that? What a waste of time!

By: hardcorefaith

hardcorefaith — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:45:07 +0000

Thanks for you passionate reply. I think you may have missed your vocation in life… you'd make a great preacher because of your passion

As I read this blog back to myself I was reminded of the wonderful charge of Paul to Timothy, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Tim. 4:2-4.
It seems that many of today's teachers/preachers preach what they feel and not the full Word of God. I have seen over the years that many of these touchy-feely preachers constantly draw huge crowds, while the guys trying to engage and speak the whole truth find that their congregations fail to grow. I can't help but think that maybe this is because the above text is the truth, not because I feel it, but because it's God's Word!

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:20:50 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly. As I've gotten older, I've found more and more people being swayed by "emotions" rather than by Scripture. One thing nice I like about our church (it's tied into Calvary Chapel), is the verse by verse teachings. There is no way to skirt an issue, and no way to preach repetitively. I've been to a few churches that were "stuck on stupid" as I like to say. It was always the same message.

I'm a very emotional being, but I constantly have to put myself up against scriptures, to see if that emotion is "real" or not. I love Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" That always keeps me in check. It makes me realize that at any given moment, something I believe to be true, even religiously, can be absolutely false. It HAS to line up with God's Word! If not, then it is poop. Thank God He understands it, and is the cure.

Thanks Chris!