Venturing Far and Wide

The past weekend was far beyond describing! It was without a doubt the best weekend I've had all year, I don't think I've had such an encouraging, uplifting, enjoyable and all around fun time in...well, I have no idea when!
I spent the past week staying with some college friends in Ohio, for a massive student gathering there as Collegeplus! students came from far and wide to have fun and encourage each other, and even get the chance to work a few community projects such as helping repair a church building and holding our own impromptu worship service! The trip was absolutely fantastic, I would go again next week if I could. Thank God that there's still some God honoring, Christ-minded college students out there!



We flew into Dayton Ohio on Thurday, and left Monday.







At any rate, you get the idea. It was a blast, and I was blessed to go. Now, all that remains is 3 college papers, two work schedules and a filming project to be worked on. Please pray that I don't drown, if you would. God bless!

The Art of Life

Yep, that's right ladies and gents. Life is an art. The art of living, it is not a science. There, I'll leave you all to contemplate and try to understand that little puzzle for the rest of the day. Tis true!

At any rate, I suppose before I give the impression that I'm really dead or non-existent, I had better post and at least inform the world (or those interested)at least some of the details so far that has kicked my own little life into an extremely high gear...or perhaps just a different gear entirely? I'm not sure anymore, but I do know that things have definitely majorly changed since I last posted!

Let's see...first it was the call that I got a couple Saturdays ago, when I was away and in hickory for the night to visit some old friends. Apparently calling from my house to my friends' cell, my mother informed me that someone named "Jessica Blocki" from Collegeplus! had just called and offered me an interview. And you can imagine how that went. I frantically made efforts to take the interview, and the following Monday...I was hired! I am officially a Prep Advisor working for Collegeplus! How cool is that?! And right off the bat, I have nearly fifty students under me...God help me. Hopefully I can just make it till the end of November...! That's all I need! I'm just waiting for some clever parent of the student to ask me, "So, how qualified are you to do this job?" Oh well...like I said, God will help me.

So now, I have a job, and a very nice one also! Now that I look back, I roll my eyes at the very fact that I ever was worried that God would provide the way for me to go after college. Of course, I still have considerable plans in the way of Bible teaching, God willing, but now a lot of my worries have been cleared up. Collegeplus! is a good organization, Christian, friendly, and making a difference. I can certainly do well there. Over the past few weeks I've felt my conscience pricking me, saying, "What happened Alex? Did you think that God didn't have your problems well in hand a week ago?" Yep. I deserved that.

Putting aside that fact on the financial side of things...there's more news! As you know well, our church has long been dealing with several issues, such as the need for a new pastor and the general move towards some slight reforms. Our church was founded on one thing: Scriptural, accurate Bible teaching, period. That is great, and indeed that is the best foundation to lay any church on. The Bible, the WHOLE Bible, and nothing BUT the Bible, period. But on top of that, some things are changing...it's becoming apparent that my church is in need of a few more leaders in the way of deacons and youth pastors.
...Yep. I applied.
I thank God and praise Him that He has allowed me to be friends with and daily have so many nearby friends who are honestly and fully devoted to God and Christ, spiritually mature, and theologically sound in heart and mind. And together it's become apparent that some of us would like to step up and ask if we could in general serve the church and God in places of music and worship, youth pastoring and ministry. Though I'm not much for 'church programs' (most of you know that), the idea of helping to serve God and man in these small ways is something I would like to do. Pray for me, I ask, that God would reveal to us(random dudes) what steps to take in this road.

On top of that, there's MORE! Feel free to take a coffee break.
With the addition of the job, the church work, and constant studies and online business...we, that is, the random believers in Christ under age 25 in Vale, NC, have decided that we want to ATTEMPT: Film making. Or at least, we're gonna darn well try! Yep, this means Alex is picking up yet another exciting project to flood himself under with! Movie making! Yay! Already equipment has arrived, scripts are being written, and test shooting being made! It IS tons of fun to make a movie! ...Even if there's only like three to six of us, total, on staff.
So ladies and gents, guess what? Anyone got any film editing skills? 3D model designing and integrating abilities, experience with sound building and editing or video graphics? Or, ya know, has some extra props we can rent? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! OR, if you want to, you can book the next ticket to Vale NC and be an actor yourself on the big screen, in front of the camera! Join the staff and all that... :P

The only other crazy change I can think of is that I finally got a phone (a very nice Samsung Flight with AT&T, believe it or not! I'm happy!) No, no data. Nope, not an iPhone or a smartphone or any other of those insane PDA things that are overrated. Just a phone. So yeah, this is why I'm not a good geek. :P I just like to call and occasionally text people, period. And maybe take some pics. But whatever, right? Definitely better than no phone at all! Go ahead and text me if you have a random extra minute at 704-530-5111!
Other than that, little else is new. Autumn is coming. The other day I could scent it coming. You guys ever know how you step outside and the wind just smells different, and there's a change in the air? Well, summer is now dying, and autumn's scent is already on the wind...along with the other tell-tale signs like the birds disappearing, the summer storms growing rare, and the mountains in the distance starting to glint red and gold rather than green. God moves the seasons as He loves the seasons and phases of our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 reads, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Good things to consider as we live our daily lives, piece by piece and hour by hour.


~Alex

A Few Articles Of Interest.

HEADLINES: LINCOLN COMMUNITY BIBLE CHURCH HEADS HUGE BIBLE STUDY

LINCOLNTON - With so few real biblical and truth-seeking churches in existence today, it is incredible to hear one of the few functioning Bible churches studying Scripture. That is what happened last night, Wednesday, at 7:30 PM when Lincoln Community Bible Church hosted their weekly Bible Study at the residence of Doug and Laura Clark, members of the church.
Opened with a time of prayer requests and prayer, the some twenty odd people attending commented and discussed the meaning of 1st Peter 3:19-22, and some areas of 4:1-2. The debate was lively and intriguing.
"This is a pretty controversial spot!" Mr. Trae Martin, the leader of the study, commented that night. "This could take some weeks to study in detail."
The topic, which mostly centered on 4:1 and the theology behind suffering and sin, was divided evenly into two camps, with Matthew Brown heading the belief that the verse implicated a physical death and thus ending suffering.
"I read a commentary of MacArthur's on the subject which was pretty convincing." He commented. "He said that this passage was about physical death putting an end to sin, not just temporary suffering." When asked to comment on how that applied to the immediate statement in verse 2 that seemed to contradict the idea, Brown refused to comment.
The other camp, heading the belief that 1st Peter 4:1-2 implicated that suffering in some areas of life actually means a victory over sin in that area of life, was heading by Mr. Steve Bushnell.
"I believe that it's talking about the suffering you experience after being a victor over sin in your life. Like a cause and effect sort of thing, where suffering for doing right implies that the sin is gone."
Martin, the leader, closed the meeting saying that everyone involved would have to do more research and study into the area and then take it up again next week.
Following the Bible study was a group visitation to the local Zaxby for a milkshake, involving the vast majority of the youth members of the study.
"YAY! ICE CREAM!" Was the only comment Raven Ramsey would make on the way there.
With the arrival of three more unexpected members to the party and the lack of car seats at one point, it was apparent that complication might rise on the drive home. John Herson refused to comment when asked if he would ask his girlfriend to sit in the back to make room for one more. He did not. - Alex Reese, 8-12-2010

BREAKING NEWS: PLUMBING DAMAGES HALT WATER SUPPLY AT REESE RESIDENCE

VALE - Everyone enjoys the delights of fixing broken pipelines and doing plumbing repairs in six inches of mud under the house. But even more than most was Alex Reese when he awoke at 9 AM this morning to repair a large leak in the old copper piping under his home.
"Alright, let's get this party started." He mentioned before crawling into the hole at 9:30 AM this morning, and refused to comment further.
The leak was rather large, but easily fixed by a simple procedure of cutting the copper and replacing it with a three quarter inch coupling that could be applied easily. However Reese was not prepared to discover the other two holes also located on the same pipeline after he had finished repairing the original leak.
"Are you SERIOUS?!" His voice echoed out of the house vents after the pump had been turned on, revealing the leaks.
His sister, Elizabeth, commented, "I think he want's the water turned off."
After more couplings were relayed under the house by means of the air socket into the house, Reese continued patching leaks and once again ordered the water turned on. He found yet another two more leaks, on top of the original three, within the same copper piping as soon as the water nearly blew him away.
He refused to comment further on the state of affairs when asked how repairs went.
Upon climbing back out of the under-house, he announced plainly that the entire section would have to be replaced before any more water could be run. This was greeted with mixed emotions of disgust, bewilderment, and grim acceptance by the authorities.
"Are you sure? The fittings won't work? What went wrong?" Jane Reese, his mother, questioned, but for the most part remained bewildered and somewhat disgusted with the current situation. Elizabeth refused to comment on the situation, and continued playing Facebook games.
Conclusions have been reached that the arrival or Mr. Andy Reese will be required to completely repair the damages later this afternoon. Until then, repair crews have stopped work in disgust. - THE DOG, 8-12-2010

EVENING STORY: PRAYER GROUP AND SKYPE PARTY INJURES FEW, SCARES SEVERAL

THE LAPTOP - It's not just the brick and mortar college kids that can party the night away and still be able to function in the morning, to the surprise of skeptical, wiser parents. The online college kids can do it too.
A twice-a-week Prayer Group Call was assembled as always on Tuesday night, 8:30 Eastern Standard Time, to bring before the Lord our God the petitions and concerns of His children for one hour. Joining the call was Royal Chaplain Eric Moores, Grand Master of Audio Jonathan Wunrow, Royal Queen Hannah Mackey, and Countess India, among others.
Upon the formal asking and reporting in of volunteer personel that night, India replied, "MEMEMEMEMEMEME!" Sir Mac, upon his arrival 30 minutes later, did not comment.
When asked if they would join, Grandmother Ashlea shrugged and mentioned she had tons of schoolwork to do. She remained on Skype IM for the following 4 hours after the Prayer Call had ended.
The call went until 9:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, with Emily Sanders closing.
The following conversation involved Moores, India, Wunrow and Sanders as they discussed plans in general for the up-and-coming student conference in Ohio at the Sanders' residence.
Also the talk involved square dancing and in which Wunrow nearly proposed to someone after commenting his requirement to find a wife within the next following months.
"So, yeah...I guess I'll have to start looking." He mentioned. After some appearance of proposing, Countess India left the conversation on the grounds of being disturbed, followed by an apology of those concerned.
"We sowwy." Wunrow offered. India did not comment further.
Later that night upon the arrival of Countess Rochella Tauer and Karsten Wolf into the voice call, some members immediately dropped out of ninety-five percent of the voice call at the exact moment of their arrival. Most claimed that due to sleeping families, it was impossible to continue further. Mr. Wolf left soon after he found that only Reese and various ghosts remained upon his arrival.
"Thanks guys. Thanks a lot." Reese commented. He refused to comment further on their apologies and explanations.
Around 12:30 AM Jedi Master Jeth Calark arrived, whispering as he did so. When asked why he was whispering, he mentioned various explanations about proximity to elderly sleepers. However he continued talking through the entire conversation.
When asked about her affiliations with Paramore and Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Tauer did not make a comment.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." She offered and said nothing more.
Upon termination of the call at nearly 1:30 AM, India hurriedly urged the Jedi Master not to resume the call. Tauer took the opportunity to escape, and not only that, but to inform them that she was escaping so that she did not escape.
This was followed by the immediate leaving of all parties involved. The next day, Wunrow asked in a tone of concern, "Why did you kick me out? Now I can't respond to what Emily told Kar!" Reese refused to comment. - THE LAPTOP, 8-12-2010

I enjoy storms. As I write, outside my window, the sky grows darker by the minute and a black stretch of clouds in the west comes closer, rumbling in warning. Occasionally a crack of thunder rips through the quiet, causing me to look up, my family to pause in their work, and the family dog to jump about two feet.
I can’t explain why I like a good thunderstorm, and have been known to go outside just to walk through the sheets of rain and see the sky light up like the sun and roar with anger. I was told once that a thunderstorm is a tiny example of what God’s holy wrath sounds and feels like. Perhaps then I should take more warning than I do when it comes to enjoying the show.
At any rate, while the storm continues to cover the horizon about me, other storms appear in my life. I speak not just of simple physical storms, but the storms that make up our lives, from the spiritual to the emotional to the mental. It’s no secret that life isn’t perfect, but usually its the ones most beset by the hardest storms that come out the strongest. In which case, I will welcome grimly all my storms.
Up to my neck in schoolwork, ranging from the unforgiving college classes to self-imposed studies of the Bible, languages, music, and plenty of others, not to mention my usual fiction work, at last I’m coming to find my limit of how much I dare attempt, without having to move into my closet for six months of my life as Brad Voeller did. It grows more frustrating to fight through the workload that I have without seeing any apparent light at the end, especially when most of it seems so unnecessary. Never mind. It matters little.
Putting aside mental storms and physical challenges, my walk with God faces new tests and trials that I did not expect to see, with Satan and I admit, my own self sometimes, still attacking. That’s nothing new, but all the same, pray for me. Recently my life, the true source of my life, has been changing for me and my spiritual storm thunders. As I face a few new trials in my Christian life and continue to combat some old ones, its going to get a little harder.
Believe me when I say I’m not complaining or grumbling. Like I said, I should be ready for and welcome these trials, as tests to my faith and strength. But what I am saying is that…this little journal is about to be put on hold for some time.
No, I’m not ceasing to write period, and I still intend to keep up with Spires of Savarica, but I won’t be updating this web blog much for a while. Don’t check back to A Servant’s Journal for a month or two, perhaps longer, until life slows down a bit. The beginning of the beginning has begun, so to speak. I would not have much time to update, and I’m sure you don’t want to read poorly-thought, hastily written posts! Worse than they already are, that is.
So ladies and gentlemen, I shall see you in a little bit! And as a parting gift...
…Alex’s new marching/working/encouragment/get-up-and-keep-moving song!



I warn you, this is good old, typical, familiar, hard ROCK, period. No real spiritual message or unusual theme like my typical taste runs, just a good pumping up song!
And me last parting gift, one of my favorite pictures. You didn’t know one of themes of The Legend of Zelda was human depravity, did you?






That’s me, above, by the way.

Colossians 2:11-15

In our last study we looked at verses 5-10, which covered a range of Theological subjects, from the rooting and walking in our faith, to warnings concerning what kinds of worldly thinking and traditions we are to avoid. Even at that, Paul also instructed us about the Deity of Christ working in our own persons and souls as part of His Body, being subject to no rule but His, just as Christ is. I believe I can safely say that the former study will form the basis and introduction to the next few studies and the point that will be made in those studies.
Let’s take a look at verses 11-15,

“…and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rules and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” -Colossians 2:11-15

Looking back for a moment, Paul has just finished telling us a rather unusual truth in verse 10, the fact that in Christ we do not need to obey any authority but His, which means submitting to His Word, and to the authorities that we are commanded to obey IN His Word, and those alone. He goes on to inform us that we, as Christians, have undergone the process of spiritual circumcision with our salvation. Done without hands but rather in our hearts and minds, our depraved mindset and heart is changed at salvation, when Christ ‘circumcises’ our hearts, removing the flesh and complete depravity. This is to say that we are able to have faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives once our hearts are circumcised like this. This is not to say we’re capable of perfection after this fleshly circumcision, unfortunately. Since we still alive in fleshly, fallen bodies on this earth, we will not be able to achieve complete Christ-likeness until they are entirely dead and we are free of them. Though eventually we will receive a new body (see 1st Corinthians 15:36-49). This is also reflected in Romans 7, where Paul teaches that as long as our fleshly bodies remain we will be sinning.
Next, Paul goes on to say,
“…having been buried with Him in baptism in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” -Colossians 2:12

This is interesting, because after explaining how the circumcision of our depraved hearts works in Christ, Paul goes on to say that we were buried with Him in baptism. Not only that, but also this same baptism, is that which we were also raised up with Him through faith. What does this mean? Is this the baptism of water? Is Paul speaking of water baptism here? I think not. I doubt that in water baptism we would be raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, since we are saved of faith, not works. What then?
What is being spoken of here is not water baptism, but rather the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are born again in Christ with the fire of the Spirit and not through water. Baptism is nothing but a symbol, an outward reflection of the faith that is already within. When salvation happens, all believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in their lives, and is felt, literally FELT, in the heart of every believer. This is a baptism that goes far deeper than baptism of water.
That being said, it makes sense how spiritual baptism not only buries us with Christ as He was buried, dead to the world and to the flesh, but also that like Christ, we’re also raised up in Him through our faith in God’s work, not our own. The Holy Spirit in us baptizes us into Christ’s death and resurrection, since it makes us a new creature that is dead to the world and alive to God. This is the key issue here in this verse. (see Romans 6, particularly 3-5, for more on this subject.)
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificated, of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” -Colossians 2:13-14

Having explained the important passage above, Paul goes on to explain more details about this business of our being ‘dead and buried with Christ’ and ‘raised up to life.’ As stated above, in our spiritual baptism and salvation, which is the renewing of our minds and being born again, we are dead to the world. We are dead to this world and its enslavement to sin, no longer part of it. However, with our salvation and renewing in Jesus Christ, we are similarly dead to our transgressions and former uncircumcision. It’s like we have changed sides, from being dead to Christ, to being dead to the world. Alive on one side and dead on the other. However, what does it mean, to be ‘dead’ or ‘alive’ in this manner? Paul explains.
Being dead to Christ, dead to His Life and salvation, is being in the enslavement of transgressions and uncircumcision, our minds still being of depraved thinking and still being bound by our sinfulness to death. (again, Romans 7 speaks on this.) This is, quite literally, an outworking of death, the death that exists in us as human beings separated from God. Since God is life, and is THE Life, being separated from Him literally is death to us. Since His good Life is the only true life, we are dead when we are apart from Him. Being still lost to sin, guilt, the Law, and transgression is death in this case.
However, there is good news, as we all know! Despite this condition, Paul goes on and states that God made us alive with Him, wiping away all of our transgressions in the form of Jesus Christ. We are once again connected to God’s wonderful life-giving Spirit when He saves us. Now, at this point, we are dead to the world in that we no longer are part of it or function through its principles, but alive with Christ instead. And only because, as Paul so aptly claims, we were forgiven of all our sins and evil, be literally canceling our our debt to Him. Since we were formerly under the Law, which consisted of decrees against us, telling us to obey certain laws, rules, and commands in order to please God or else die, God saved us from its rule. We are no longer subject to the decrees of the Law because God has canceled out its condemnation of us.
We all know too well that anyone who is subject to Law, and breaks it even in the most minor offense, will be condemned as a lawbreaker. (James 2:9-13 is great for this subject.) This is why the Law serves as an accuser against us, and why only Christ, who was perfect, could fulfill its requirements perfectly. (Galatians 3:19-29) And as a result, since He was subject to it, we no longer have to be. This is why the Law is hostile to us, even as saved believers, for its purpose it not to guide, but to condemn the lawbreaker. For the Law says, “The soul that sins, it shall surely die.” (Ezek. 18:4)
However, the power of the Law over us, as well as our sin, was nailed to the cross in the form of Jesus Christ, and thus destroyed. Christ not only took on our sins, but the condemnation of them in His crucifixion. Praise be to our Lord and Savior for it!
And finally, let’s look at the final verse in our study, on which Paul closes this train of thought and continued to the next one.

“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” -Colossians 2:15

Paul informs us in this passage that Christ and His actions, particularly His death and resurrection, have been responsible for ‘disarming’ the rulers of this world, the principalities that are the masters of the vast majority of humanity. (Ephesians 6:12, for example.) These powers and the prince of this world was disarmed and rendered powerless by Christ’s death, which made it impossible to condemn those who believed. The main idea is that Satan was defeated by Christ’s death and resurrection, and how because of the triumph over sin, death and the prince of the world, the Gospel and good news of it is ‘proclaimed’ throughout the world, publicly displayed for all to see. Indeed though many are unable to see something so blatantly displayed as Christ’s triumph, those not blinded by their own depravity and worldliness can see it clearly, which are the saved believers in Christ. Thank God on High that He has made a public proclaiming to all the world of His triumph over the powers of this world!

~Alex
Phil. 4:13