Sounds like you might be running under Cash-basis Accounting.  However, I have never run a file under cash basis so i can't guarantee that nor tell you exactly how the program works under those settings..  Check under Setup, Settings, Company, System to see if your file is set up that way.

if so, then I believe that when you pay bills, then you will see the journal entries as of the payment date.

Thank you very much. I changed it (back) to accrual accounting and it now works as it did before. Thank you again.