Lullaby (The Last Temptation, 1994)

[Chorus]
I tell you right now
I don’t want your reptile embrace
I don’t want to follow you down to your place
I don’t want to be a child of disgrace
You can take your whiskey soaked, foaming
at the mouth, toilet talking, pea soup
Spewing, sweating blood demon breath out of my face

[Chorus]
I was the boy who said all of my prayers
Laid my clean face on the pillow
Tucked in real tight, so safe and secure
Through the night

In the first blog post, we discussed “Cleansed by Fire”, a powerful song of redemption and deliverance from the album entitled “The Last Temptation.”  This week we look at “Lullaby”.  Another song from that album which discusses one of the enemy’s age old tools – Fear.  The song finds Steven confronted by all sorts of evil staring him in the face and haunting him at night.  The song has him lamenting for those evil creatures to leave him alone – cursing them back to Hell from which they came.  Unfortunately, some children must deal with the evils their parents allow into the home.  It’s up to us, as a body of believers, to teach all children the power they have through Christ, His blood, and His Spirit.

“Lullaby” is a powerful tune.  Satan wants us to be fearful.  Fearful of life, death, and everything in between.  If he can keep us focused on fear, then we will never focus on Christ.  Cooper takes an interesting approach by having Steven be such a young, innocent child.  Scared of his room, the closet, etc.  But it’s true, satan wants nothing more than to terrorize our hearts, minds, and souls from any stage of life he can grip.  We must always be aware of his lies and know the truth.  In 1 John 4:18, we find the Apostle John reminding us of God’s Love – a perfect love that casts out all fear.  Fear is not from the Lord.  His Love banishes it and replaces it with the purest form of joy and love.

The Bible is full of narratives defining fear and leading us to Him as our refuge and strength.  In fact, Psalms, on its own, is a candy store when it comes to verses showing us how to walk with Him without fear or threat from the enemy.  Psalms 18 and 23 come to mind along with so many other verses guiding us to Him as our sanctuary from fear.  Verses that teach us to place our lives into His care and how to walk with Him without anxiety or worry.  The words and teachings in the Psalms written and spoken so methodically and beautifully make It sound so easy when you read them but it requires prayer, practice, and faith to apply the Word.  As a child, we cry out for one of our parents for comfort and strength when the proverbial ‘boogeyman’ is after us.  As adults, we tend to bury our fears deep within us building walls around them.  Allowing them to separate us from joy, peace, and fellowship.  When in reality, at any age those fears and anxieties need to be unwrapped – torn apart and laid before the Lord.  Also though, they should be confessed to one another in Christ…so that they may be together as the body of our Lord cast out and buried – back to hell.  Forgotten.  No more.  Fears, doubts, guilt, shame, etc. destroyed by the blood of our Lord.

This world can be and usually is pretty ugly.  Murder, rape, famine, abuse, the list goes on and on.  But there’s one thing absent from all of those heinous acts.  Love.  The Love of God knows not these things.  God loves His children and wants the best for them.  However, the opportunities are not always available for all of them to see His full radiance.  That is where He has passed us the baton so to speak.  He’s asked us to carry His banner into our neighborhoods, into our schools, into our places of work, etc.  He’s called us to show and invite others into the fold.  The world wants us to think we have no voice, that our days are numbered.  That Christianity is a dying way of life.  But the truth is, He’s alive and well – but the church is just now gaining back its voice.  It’s time for us to once again proclaim Him as our source of strength and refuge.  Not only for the sake of children – but for women and men alike.  For we are all His children, at any and all stages of life.

We’ve been given the most awesome gift known to man.  We’ve been bestowed the power, glory, and peace of the Holy Spirit.  John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do NOT let your hearts be troubled and do NOT be afraid.” Pretty awesome, right? So, once we’ve taken Christ as our Savior and invited Him, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within us. He bestows upon us the ability to leave fear behind – replacing it with the peace of Christ. However, pay close attention to those last lines – Christ requires us to rely on Him.  He tells us “do NOT be troubled” and “do NOT be afraid”. “Doing” something requires action. We must desire and fully place our trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we study His Word, pray, and wait upon the Lord, we find Him showing up more and more. Often times in ways we don’t expect.  However, it begins to become second nature for us to rely and trust Him. Replacing the anxieties of this world with His peace.

Let’s look at this song and these verses from two perspectives.  One from a child’s perspective and the second from an adult’s perspective.

A Child’s Perspective. A child learns and mimics (for the most part) their surroundings.  How were you raised?  Did you come to know the faith at an early age? Later in life? Still searching? According to George Barna Research reports, 32% of professing Christians chose the faith between the ages of 5-12.  That number drastically drops between the ages of 13-18 with only 4% claiming Christ during the stages of adolescence.  This means that close to 2/3 of the Christian population walked without Him during their most formidable years.  Stop and think about that.  Think about the lies, thievery, fear, doubt, shame, etc. the enemy has time to implant into those souls that have not yet come to know the peace and joy of our Lord.  So, what can we do?

As a body of believers, it’s our job to find avenues for these children.  Ways to show them His love and what life looks like with Him at the center.  James 1:27 talks about the need for us to care for the widows and orphans of this world.  Many might read this and think this only means to provide for their physical needs – shelter, food, etc.  But what about their spiritual needs?  We need to find ways to share with them, educate them, and help them to rely on Him fully.  Giving them the tools needed to stand up to the enemy and not be absorbed with fear and the other lies he wants them to believe.  Charities, organizations, and churches must stand firm in their faith – knowing that the freedoms of this country are still available for the church and Christians to share their faith with all who want to hear and know Him.

An Adult’s Perspective. As adults, we tend to believe the lies of this world more often than children.  Children look upwards all the time.  Up at the sink, up at the refrigerator, up at the television, up at their parents…up to their Creator.  Children inherently know that there’s something greater than themselves.  It’s only with time that they start to see the world is NOT so big, NOT so wonderful, and NOT so easy.  Instead of looking upwards, humanity, with time and age, starts to look forward.  At themselves in the mirror, at each other, at social media, at what they have and don’t have, etc.  But what they fail to see is the lie.  When we refuse to look up, it’s easy to believe that lie.

As believers, we have to apply the wisdom of His Word and know the difference between lies and truth.  The truth is we all have a certain amount of ‘life’ garbage.  Things in our past, our present, and things to come that will hinder and test our faith.  The truth is God’s plan has us walking together.  Sharing the garbage. Sharing our faith. Sharing His Love.  The same Spirit that dwells within one Christian dwells also in another.  In that spirit, the Holy Spirit, we are one.  In John 17:11, Jesus called for believers to unite as one. This means the pains and joys of one believer should be shared with other believers.  Allowing the Holy Spirit together in unity, to heal one another, rejoice with one another, and praising His name with one another. These are the things the enemy fears. The truth is satan wants us walking alone.  Because alone he has power.  Together with our Lord and with other believers he has none. It’s time for the body of Christ to turn the tables on the enemy. It’s his turn to walk in fear.

In conclusion, do you have someone to share with? Are you wrestling with something? Turning it over to the Lord will put you on the right track. But what God really wants is us working together through Him to help heal those hurts, right the wrongs, and bring glory to Him. The more we share the more we know that perfection is not possible, nor is it the goal.  The goal is to have His name ringing at as Lord over all nations (Matt. 28:16-20).  To do this we’ve been called to Love God, Love People, and live according to His Word (Matt. 22:36-40).  Here’s to another week with Alice.  Enjoy your weekend!

NOTE:  There are many ways to get involved with others that need to know the love of our Lord.  Check with your local churches, find ministries in your area to speak with about opportunities (can usually be found through Google searches), and be open to prayer and guidance from the Spirit.  Ask Him to help you find ways to make a difference, just don’t be shocked when that call is answered – and know it’s not always what you may have expected.

Fridays With Alice will soon be listing a number of different ministries across the nation that provide Christian-based outlets to both children and adults alike.  What better place to start than with Alice’s very own Solid Rock Foundation.

For more information, you can click the link below:

Solid Rock is a Christian, 501(c)(3), Arizona nonprofit corporation. The Board of Directors is made up of Christian men and women dedicated to SRF’s purpose. Started by

Alice Cooper and friend Chuck Savale along with an eight member board of directors, incorporated November of 1995.

Solid Rock’s primary goal is to honor Christ by helping to meet the spiritual, economical, physical, and social needs of teenagers and children within our community.

To honor Christ by providing a facility geared toward teenagers that will help them to negotiate through the turbulent adolescent years. The relationally trained Christian staff, of men and women, and the different venues will create an atmosphere which will make it a place where they “hang out”. “The Rock,” the name of the building, will be designed to be a flexible needs structure centered around music. Programs will focus around a multi-use concert hall, coffee house (kitchen/snack bar for concert & other events), indoor basketball/floor hockey court, rock climbing walls, sound room and recording studio, computer/reading/study rooms, game room.

Their goal is to make an everlasting difference in the lives of the teenagers and children we are dedicated to helping.

Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?

If you would like to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, please pray the following prayer:

"God, I believe in you and your son Jesus Christ.  I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to save me. Today, I invite Jesus into my heart to stay.  I make you Lord over my life. Make me new. Wash me, Lord, and cleanse me. In Jesus Name, Amen"

If you have just prayed that prayer, we want to celebrate your new victory with you.  Please contact us at prayers@oceanfloorministries.com so we can welcome you into the kingdom.  We don't want you to have to walk alone and we have some resources we would like the opportunity to share with you.

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