This is My Plea

Wake up my Love, this is my plea-
That you'd arise -- Make demons flee!
Evil trembles at your step
When you stand up, show no regret.
Hard yourselves against the World
Being lights seen, felt, and heard.

Stand up my Love, this is my plea-
That you'd arise -- Make demons flee!
Show yourselves approved by God,
Bringing clarity through the fog.
Shining armor, sword of steel,
Sound of thunder, lightning peel.

Rise up my Love, this is my plea-
Forever now, you see, We're free!
Fly away, forevermore!
Take joy in this love galore!
No more fear, and no more hate
Look now, see, tis heaven's gate!

Here in the Plains of Shinar

Here in the Plains of Shinar, it is anything but plain. In the bountiful rein of Nimrod, the Great, the people have risen up to build a monument to their power. In the heart of the city of Babylon, the greatest ziggurat to ever grace the world is being constructed. I interviewed one of the main wall architects and this is what he had to day about the matter.

"I believe that is will be the full embodiment of how great, we as human beings, have become. We grow crops, build roads -- We are the best, and greatest this world has to offer. It is our hope that this Tower, will prove that we have the power. The stars are the limit!"

A casual glance at this project will show that it is definitely the pinnacle of architecture. Even as it is unfinished, the top of the tower is hidden in the clouds. The outer staircases are wide enough for five to walk abreast and each level is graced with carvings and windows. I tried to get an audience with King Nimrod, but he was unavailable for comments. However, his head priest had this to say.

"We are planning to make this tower the greatest temple to ever stand. It is a temple to us; we have become gods. We survived the Great Flood; it is us who are the true gods of this earth! As proof, we are building this tower temple to the very heart of the heavens. We will be as great as the heavenly stars."

Yesterday was the Grand Opening of the lower floors. The public was be given a tour and sacrifices were made to King Nimrod. As soon as the first of the flames began licking at the carcass, however, pandemonium ensued. I saw people fall off the levels of the tower and plummet to the ground. I saw people screaming at each other, and even more were running about in terror. When I tried to inquire what the chaos was about, I could not understand anyone. Perhaps we are not gods, as everyone has been saying, for our language has changed. I heard at least 20 different styles of speaking, and I know that no one understood a word I was saying.

All construction on the tower had halted. Since no one can understand each other, there is no way that the temple will be completed. Our crowning glory has now become our crowning shame.

Amos Comes To My Church

I had a professor assign me the project of writing what Amos might say if he came to my church. After writing everything out, I thought that it was a message well needed to be heard, even now, 2500 years later.


I was sitting in one of the many chairs at my church’s auditorium getting ready to listen to the Sunday sermon. I could see a small group of elderly ladies and their husbands sitting in the front rows, followed by mothers attempting to control their unruly children. At the very back of the room I could see that the last rows were filled with teenagers ready to bolt out the door just as soon as they called for the dismissal of the youth.

While the band was tuning up before worship, a man climbed on stage. He was dressed very simply, a red t-shirt and thick blue denim jeans. He faced the congregation and began to speak.

“This is what the LORD has told me,” he said. There was a stir in the vast room as he continued, “‘I hate your hypocrisy! You come in your name-brand designer clothes to my house, not to honor me, but to declare your wealth. You hand out money to the beggars on the street corner, and yet do not lift a finger to evangelize them! You preach about purity and chastity, but allow your daughters to be promiscuous -- becoming pregnant before even reaching the age of sixteen. You support orphans, and yet encourage your daughters to get abortions. You say you love Me and my Word, yet you accept the very acts I despise most!’”

The pastor stood up and yelled, “Who are you to say this? Get off the stage!”

The man replied, “I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet! I herd sheep and tend my orchards, but God took me and said to prophesy against you!” the man stared at the pastor with a look of distaste and continued.

“‘Your homes are in shambles! You divorce as much as the pagans outside the church. Your children rebel and hate my laws because you have not set an example -- no! -- you are too busy reading the latest magazines or coveting the latest cars. I have given you a home and a life, all of which you have allowed to rot!

“‘I despise your tithes and offerings and your missionary trips! You give for show, and let the widow with three children next door desperately struggle to survive. You travel to make yourselves feel good -- not to share My love. You spit in my face, then act as though I should bless your efforts, you cows!

“‘You can name every sporting team on television, and yet you cannot share the gospel. You watch every movie, and hear every band, yet you cannot find time to reach the lost. Take away the sound of your drums and keyboard! Your choirs and guitars! I will not listen to that noise!

“‘My wrath will come swiftly if you do not change your hearts. You say that calamity will not overtake you, but lo! Everything you love will be laid to waste because of your disobedience. You will have famine and drought without relief, but I am the God of Love and Forgiveness. Change your ways, turn to Me, and follow My commandments. Be bold and true in your love to Me, for I AM the LORD your God.’”

The room had become deathly silent. When the man finished, he jumped off the stage and walked to the back of the room. I grabbed his sleeve right before he left and asked him his name.

“Amos,” was his reply, and I never saw him again.

Survey!

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?
Morning or early evening. These are my magic moments when the world seems to come alive with thoughts and sights that seem to melt away in the bright sunlight. These are the times when dreams are made, and do I love to dream!

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?
My mom's greek salad! It is the best food IN THE WORLD!!! It's got all my favorite foods: olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, artichokes... YUM!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?
To buy Barns and Noble AND Border's bookstores.

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?
I don't like to be touched. It makes be feel threatened and uncomfortable. People, for some reason, take joy in tormenting me with ceaseless poking and petting!

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?
Either Stardust or the Princess Bride (I can't decide between the two) I would be the damsel who is usually in distress, but I can turn around and help the hero with my secret abilities.

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?
To be able to learn any language quickly and easily OR to be able to read any book at lightning speed!

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
I've always wanted to go on a 1-2 year world tour. I want to visit all the major sights in Europe, see Turkey, India, Japan etc. I want to see the WORLD!

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?
Rock. Like Chris Daughtry, but the girl version.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?
Jo-Ann fabrics or Hobby Lobby, I could make all the costumes I dream of...

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?
I like it right now (with all of our tchnology and modern convineces) but I think it would be really cool to live back when ladies and gentleman held balls and huge dance parties.

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?
AH! One color? I love blue. But I love red too... I guess all different shades of blue.

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?
(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)
Somewhere between Doc and Happy ;)

13. What's the last album you listened to?
Seth Lakeman's Poor Man's Heaven.

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?
I put yogurt on my cereal -- not milk.


Now it's your turn! Have fun with it, and post a link in the comments below, I'd love to read your answers!

Think on These Things

I originally wrote this article for my beloved Passion Magazine. If you'd like to read the original click HERE.

So often we do things and don’t even consider the ramifications. We watch movies, read books and we don’t even take a second thought as to what we are doing to ourselves. I wanted to address some very serious side affects that most people don’t know about. Let me start with an excerpt from Leslie Ludy’s book Set-Apart Femininity.

“A close friend of mine was really struggling with spiritual attacks upon her life, waking up with horrible nightmares and battling fearful irrational thoughts on a nearly-constant basis. One afternoon as we met together for prayer, she casually mentioned that she’d just come from a movie. When she told me which one she’d seen, I was taken aback. It was a horror/suspense film and though it was one of the milder ones it still was leaving a gaping breach in her life though which the enemy could gain access. Paul said, ‘Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.’ (Philippians 4:8)”

What we put into our minds either makes us spiritually stronger or spiritually weaker. I’m sure most of you never thought that you could be demonically attacked because of what you watched or read – I sure didn’t!

Please understand that I’m not trying to insight fear or paranoia about what we watch in movies or read in books or listen to in music, but you must know that these things DO affect you.

Not too long ago, whenever I felt lonely or depressed I would listen to music. That music, however, tended to be either very dark or very provocative in it’s lyrics. As time would pass and I continued to fill my head with the sound of this music, I found myself spiraling down into sorrow and (even though I never did it) self-harm. I was poisoning myself with the music I was listening to.


Another example would be of my wonderful mother. When she first got married, she had to move away from her very large family. She was depressed and lonely, and in her efforts to relieve the sadness she would watch afternoon soap operas and reality TV. In a few short weeks, my mother was plagued with nightmares, severe anxiety, paranoia (all of which were demonic attacks). As soon as my father found out, he posed the question to her, “Could it be what you are watching?” That was when it dawned on my mother. All of the un-godly, pagan television she was watching was poisoning her mind and soul – leaving her open to attacks from Satan. As soon as she stopped watching all of her regular programs, the nightmares and stress melted away.

Another thing that can be very damaging is books. The first thing that usually pops into our minds when we think of “books that we probably shouldn’t read” are romance novels, but I want to delve into something much more popular...manga.

Manga and anime are some of the most popular reading materials out there. Both girls and guys go crazy over the latest issue of their favorite comic – never mind that over 90% of them are filled cover to cover with extremely satanic and sexual messages. I don’t mean this to be a rail against manga, there are some very good ones out there, but the majority of the comics are anything but “holy”. Is this really something we should be filling our heads with? Leaving, as Leslie Ludy put it, “a gaping breach” in our lives? Everything affects us. It is, however, up to us what we allow into our lives – be it the Internet, movies or novels.

Our thoughts stir up our emotions. Our emotions stir up our desires. Our desires trigger our actions. The most important battles we fight are those of the mind. That is why Paul is so insistent on “Whatever things are true… meditate on these things.” Whatever time we spend cultivating in our minds will effect our actions. Constant baragement from evil things will cause us to be more and more prey to our sinful actions. But, daily devotion and prayer will strengthen us and draw us closer to the Lord for He has given us the power to, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7b)