From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 3

Have you ever like you let GOD down?

Who hasn't? We aren't angels, we are human. Every single person sins and will sin many times before they die. You are probably letting GOD down right now, and you don't even realize it. In today's society, it is harder to obey GOD now than ever, from all the pressure of drinking, to girls struggling with vanity, to guys struggling with sexual images. If satan wants you to sin, he's going to make you now easier than ever. GOD is powerful enough to help prevent it, but he isn't going to baby us the whole time. It is your duty to decide to quit; that proves that you have enough religious strength not to let him down.

When times are good, and you are on fire for GOD, list the reasons why you feel this way.

I think those statements are virtually the same thing. When things are going good is when I am on fire. It's because there is nothing in your life that can make you trip or fall down. You stand tall with your chin high and you proclaim his name. It's pretty much saying "Thank you GOD for making the world good", when in reality, the world is still a very bad place. It just seems more significant and optimistic when you are spiritually high.

When times are bad, and you feel distant from GOD, list the reasons why you feel this way.

I honestly think that times are always bad, in their own generation that is. For our current society, it is the lack of religious thirst in our churches that makes me feel when times are bad. When I look out at the people proclaiming GOD one minute, cursing up a storm the next, drinking alcohol, sleeping with their bf/gf, that is when I realize that satan has us in his grasp. Those are the lost that I feel sympathy for. I should feel closer to GOD, but I get jealous. I feel like that when they, as "christians" can do that, why can't I? But I have to slap myself in the face and come to the conclusion that I'm living in the safety net, and those are the ones that need to really get closer to GOD.

What do you notice in other people when they are distant from GOD, but used to be so close to Him?

Every single christian acts the same way when they are away from GOD. They put up this face in front of their church members and other christian friends, but when they are with secular people, they expose their true sides. This needs to stop! We don't need to be putting on this fake show of emotions around one group of people and a different one around others. And I'm sitting here typing, calling the kettle black. We need to find a good balance to where we can have the same face in front of our christian friends, and the same one in front of our secular ones, without abandoning GOD. How do we do that? I can't explain it. Since we all have different friends, and we all have different struggles, it is your responsibility to pray with GOD, and find that good mixture, so you can witness to your secular friends, and still have a good bond with your christian friends.

How big a role do emotions play in your life? In your spiritual life?

For me, they are the same emotions. I have been blessed to grow up in a spiritual home. So my spiritual life and my regular life are the same. I am one of only a few people these days to be blessed with that. GOD doesn't love me anymore than anyone else though, it's still hard for me. If I'm feeling upset about people who don't talk to me, or if something happens with someone and I get jealous, I don't always have someone to talk to that lives in my house. Yes, my family is very religious, but sometimes, it is something I'd rather talk about with someone who isn't around. That could take days. I normally walk around either mad at everyone, or extremely annoying to everyone, as I repeat the same cheesy jokes over and over again, to make me seem like I'm ok. In reality though, when I do that, it's my cry for help. When I get to that point, I try to find the nearest Godly person to help me with it. I call my youth group, maybe my youth sponsor Robert, maybe even just talk about it with my Dad, I try to find whoever I can to get me reattached with GOD.

How does hearing that your relationship with GOD is not based on how you feel change things for you?

It's pretty much like a kick in the mouth. I feel so selfish for saying "I'm sad, so now I'm going to worship GOD, but now I'm happy, so I can make room for GOD later", but that's how I act, and how the majority of people act. We can't base our relationship with GOD off our feelings. If we did, I think everyone would go to hell. Since we are humans, we factor in how others view us, which in turn, messes up our emotions. We need to come to the realization that GOD loves us no matter how we feel, and doesn't really care how we feel, as long as we worship him and apply him to everyday life. "Smile, Jesus loves you!", a mildly humorous quote from Kristen Hodges, but yet she is right. It doesn't matter how happy or sad you are, Jesus loves you no matter what!

From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 2

What did it feel like to wait for Christmas morning as a kid?

I think every kid felt just about the same way. They can't sleep, they just want it to be the next morning already. I would look over at my clock and think "It is really late", and it's actually like 12. Pretty much, kids get the feeling of hope and they wish they get what they want.

Have you ever felt the same when thinking about spending time with GOD? Was it a camp, a concert, an event at church, or just being alone with GOD that excited you?

Well, most Wesleyans can agree with me, but the greatest time of the whole year is having to go through the whole day of camp, just to get to the services. We all know that once the fun of the camp ends for the daytime, the night will be even better. Everyone just goes into the Tabernacle and we just let loose of all our built up GOD energy, and it's this explosion of fun and screaming and just rejoicing his name, and it is better than any Christmas, with the exception of the first one that is.

Do you feel you've grown spiritually this past year?

Grown is such a broad word. Maturing in your age can mean growing in your spiritual walk with Christ. However, since I was lucky enough to experience two camps and a convention this past year, I'm extremely blessed. I think that GOD has shown himself at both of those places in more ways than one. This year, though, it wasn't as much finding GOD as it was finding his word and how it fits in with reflecting the Godly life. For example, I honestly don't remember the majority of the sermons at the convention, but the one that really stands out is The Blakeneys' service on how to deal with relationships and reflecting yourself through those. I didn't have a big revelation in my walk with Christ, but I did get a much stronger sense of what GOD made us for when he designed sex. So it isn't as much a growing thing as it was broadening my religious horizon.

What do you think GOD cares about?

A better question here would be to ask what he doesn't care about. GOD cares about everyone and everything. People are always going around saying "Jesus loves" when people should be saying "Jesus cares". All christians know he loves us, but some don't realize how much he actually cares about what we do. The littlest things can make us falter, but he knows that we will. It is more important to him that we pick ourselves up and shrug it off as opposed to taking a nose dive right into that.

Have you read the Bible lately?

Of course. I love it! Jen actually asked me today what my favorite book was, and I told her "The Bible" because it is. There is love, hate, drama, sex, conflict, violence, and happiness. It's the most interesting book in the world. I'm supposed to be doing summer reading for school, and I easily put down those at night and flip open my Bible, because nothing else compares to hearing about GOD's life, what is right and wrong, how I can further express my love for people, the best and worse areas to fail, it's amazing!

What does GOD's voice sound like? How do you know when he speaks to you?

There are very few people who have truly heard the voice of GOD, ever. GOD doesn't speak like a normal person. He speaks mentally. Whenever you get that feeling that says "Maybe I shouldn't do this", that isn't you, that is GOD. Some things aren't as black and white though, some things you just know. For example, the last time I truly heard GOD speak to me was wednesday night of Senior High Camp. I heard no voices, I wasn't being told anything. I just looked over the crowd of crying faces and people rejoicing, and I just knew that I wanted to be a youth pastor. It's like this ring of happiness that swallows your whole body, and it's absolutly astounding. GOD is a being that no one can even begin to fathom in our human form, that's how amazing he is. So just imagine that it's hard to interpret when he says subtle things to it, and it encloses us, just imagine when we go to heaven and we get to chill with him every second of every day, forever! It blows me away!

From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 1

How has culture influenced you?

The culture these days says that it's all about you, forget about others. Most of the time, I have gone against this logic. However, the past year has tried to tell me to go with what everyone wants you to be. I have finally realized that I don't care how others treat themselves towards me, but that I need to lead them on a path to Christ, and stop trying to make so many friends. I need to be more focused on others' lives & trying to get them saved that worrying about if people like me or not. I couldn't care less if someone likes me; if I'm spreading the love of Christ, then I don't worry about how people see me.

What do people at your school say about Christians?

It is really hard to witness to non-believers in the Bible Belt because I know that some people have been told about Christ from the wrong people. I know they have good intentions, but some of their motives are way off. The wrong influx of people giving a false witness over and over causes some non-believers to abandon religious teachings all together. They think that you can or can't do some things as a Christian, but this is the typical non-christian reaction.

Are most people okay with your being a Christian, or do they judge you more than others?

Factoring in again that we live in the Bible Belt, most people don't think of me as being bad for being a Christian. Most think I'm just a pretty cool guy. This is the best time to show the love of Christ. If they start judging you, let them. Most of the time they just want to get a rise out of you. If you were really strong in your faith, then their comments won't mean anything to you. If you flip out at them, you are a hypocrite, and they will more that likely lose their thirst for GOD for a few, and they more than likely won't like you that much anymore either.

What do you value most in your life? (You can answer this question best by looking at how you spend your time)

Well, the Sunday School answer here is to say Jesus, but no one is that much on fire for GOD. I love my relationship with GOD, but I'm human, so I obviously won't lie to myself with the religious answer because it isn't true. Lately, I have become obsessed with my relationship with others & not a relationship with GOD. I need to have him as my main emotional priority. However, if he is telling me to work as a youth pastor (which he is), then my main priority needs to be school & trying to achieve what he has called me for, my relationship with him will shine through that.

How can you make more time to focus on your relationship with GOD?

If I cut out all these petty, earthly things, like video games or music or my relationship with others, my relationship with him will grow, just by living life. He will call me through his word without forcing anything. However, by completely resenting the gifts he gave you, you might as well dig your religious grave yourself, because you will throw his gifts away as well.

What is true freedom?

When you get to the phase when you don't need to keep going back to those things that bog you down, you have reached full salvation. However, humans aren't perfect, so we go back to those things often. When people get to the point when they see nothing wrong in their actions, that is the point when you start losing your freedom and losing your salvation. Just because someone went to jail doesn't mean they aren't ever free again, try to bounce back from those faults.