THE PRIZE

Did the Grammys come to mind when you read Psalm 12:8?  "The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men."

This year's Grammy awards show reached new depths.  What was held high and applauded?

1.  THE DEMONIC
Katy Perry sang a song about love, but her goth stage was set to give another impression with its witchy and Satanic look.    LINK   Ms. Perry wore a rather prominent cross on her chest while taunting the flames of hell/darkness with horned creatures and a horsehead with red eyes.  The song lyric gave warning to her "would-be" lover to treat her right.  But it sure seemed more like a commercial for the dark side as she told him if he did her wrong, she was capable of anything.  This beautiful young woman has come a long way from her first gospel album.

2.  LEWD BEHAVIOR
When Jay-Z accepted an award, he had charming remarks about giving his son a new sippy cup.  But then imagine that son watching his parents open the Grammys.

Jay-Z and Beyonce are a winsome couple with amazing talent.  They had a national audience and could have had a class act.

But Jay-Z objectified his wife; he didn't show how a man protects and cherishes his wife. And as Beyonce bent over in a raunchy thong with her booty writhing in our faces, she showed no consideration for men who have a hard time dealing with the eyegate.  If lyrics have to be beeped, can they truly be edifying?  Can this nasty song ("Drunk in Love") be good stewardship of the gifts this couple has generously been given?

3.  PANTHEOLOGY
Macklemore illustrated pantheology (embracing all gods) when he said... "Whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one."  Is that sound theology?

God would disagree with the first part because over and over He describes Himself as the one true God over all the little gods of the world.  So it matters A LOT which God you believe.

And our origins?  Yes, in a general sense God created us all.  But in a specific sense, God the Father has a special covenant with ones He has regenerated, adopted, and made heaven-bound.  So perhaps Macklemore isn't a thought leader in theology.

4.  GAY MARRIAGE
Chaplain (and Queen) Latifah spoke wedding vows and Madonna sang "Open Your Heart".  Then as the stained glass backdrop was lowered, the participants in effect were saying "we will define church and marriage".

Thirty-three couples (some same sex) were actually married, ecstatically thinking they had carried the day.  But the Lord didn't blink when these people led the way off THE path.  And when they stand before the Judge one day, they will cower to realize how far into the weeds they went...and will regret deeply that they used their gifting for mocking the sacred.

Perhaps you are thinking "No big deal, it's the GRAMMYS.  They're always outrageous, but it doesn't affect me."  No?  It's a slow drip of getting used to deviancy...forgetting how/when to blush...the coarsening of our daily lives...enlarging and accelerating judgment.  It's not good for us.  Instead, put in good seeds that the Lord can water.

C.S. Lewis said we are half-hearted creatures who fool about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us...like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea...we're far too easily pleased.

The Grammys remind us that the earthly prize is not the prize we're after.

AFTER ITS OWN KIND

One of God's fundamental laws of nature is that this guineafowl will reproduce "after its kind".  She's not about to species-hop and give birth to a snake or puppy.

Man likes to tickle his imagination with evolution.  Instinctively he knows if there's no Creator, there's no accountability.  And man also likes to tinker with God's design.  Lately he's been monkeying with a kernel of wheat.  Can you say CELIAC?

When Adam and Eve reproduced, they passed down their sinfulness because they reproduced after their kind.  Then we can watch their offspring follow two paths as the sons of Cain went one way and the sons of Seth, another.

Every living thing reproduces according to the power of the seed within.  God's Word is pictured as the good seed.  When it falls on fertile ground, it reproduces for good in a person's life.  That's why it is said that we reap what we sow.  If we sow to the flesh, we will harvest corruption.  Sowing to the Spirit brings light and eternal life.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But every man has access to the Repurposer.  By choosing Him, we choose our final resting place.  Mark Twain said "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why."

Are you born to love the Creator?

SNAP OUT OF IT!

Remember the scene in MOONSTRUCK when Loretta (a very young Cher) slapped Ronny (a very young Nicholas Cage) and told him to "snap out of it!"

In our country, we find ourselves immersed in dirty politics and scandals that go unresolved.  We need to snap out of it.  But how can we do that?

This week's newest scandal is Bridgegate.  After the story broke about Governor Christie, the media was all over the scandal.  And Christie rightly SHOULD acccount for the alleged abuse of power.  But one wonders at the selective prosecution of these scandals.

#1.  In the 24-hour period after the Christie story broke, the "big three" networks reported Bridgegate SEVENTEEN times more than they had covered SIX MONTHS of the IRS scandal.  link

Lane closings on the Brooklyn Bridge could have impact on many people (including a lady stuck in an emergency vehicle), but it does pale in comparison to a story of the IRS abuse.  Why?  IRS abuse impacts everyone who pays taxes...and compromises our election process.  Placing the IRS scandal in LaLa Land was handy because when people heard no more from the scandal, they naturally assumed there was nothing to it.  Now months later, the administration snaps to and appoints an Obama donor to investigate the Obama scandal.  Seem unbiased/impartial to you?

#2.  The Justice Department has pounced on a Texas case of the violent "knockout" game.  Shouldn't  that be a welcome development?  Yes, but for months there were numerous knockout cases (black-on-white) and the government did nothing to stop it.

Now in Katy, TX there comes a case of a white-on-black knockout and Eric Holder is immediately all over it.  As this link points out, the previous cases had established hate toward "whitey" and Jews.  It would have been nice to have heard from Mr. Holder earlier.

#3.  Last week (SIXTEEN months after Benghazi), the State Department admitted that it WAS Al Qaeda and it WAS carefully planned.  link  That news story had already been reported SIX DAYS after the attack by Fox, who even included the name of the Al Qaeda terrorist in charge.

Still, this story went into limbo for a long time.  Even last week, the New York Times posted an exhaustive story that concluded the attack WASN'T Al Qaeda, without even mentioning the Pentagon's assessment.  The New York Times' reputation as the premier news source is down the tubes.

Just today, 450 pages of sworn testimony on Benghazi was unclassified.  link  The military knew all along it was a terrorist attack and advised the President in a meeting (Panetta, Ham, Dempsey) the afternoon of 9/11.

Benghazi hurt our country badly.  We lost people.  We lost our military commitment to never leave anyone behind.  We lost our trust in what our leaders told us.  The world heard our message loud and clear that "political well-being" trumped all else.

If Bridgegate was nothing compared to the IRS scandal...and the Justice Department was nothing compared to Benghazi scandal...then what takes the cake as the mother of all scandals?

Obamacare.  Politifact.com made "keep your plan" the 2013 Lie of the Year.  Who looks you in the eye and repeatedly gives a bait-and-switch?

Now our country's economic malaise begs for reduced spending and for JOBS.  None of the administration's job ideas have worked and Obamacare is the big sucker on the jobs market.  Even the President's Jobs Council was disbanded this month. link   Created in 2011, the Jobs Council only met 4 times.  Their suggestions (which were what Romney suggested during the presidential debates) were dismissed.  How can jobs be a priority with this record?

It is hard to maintain outrage over the daily occurences that pop up in this adminstration like Whack-A-Mole.  Outrage takes an emotional toll on the carrier and people also have daily lives to administer.

But if we don't SNAP TO IT and find governmental representatives who will honestly represent us (leaders who will tell the truth, take responsibility, and fire mismanaging employees)...we will all end up either on unemployment or living on Shirley Jackson Lee's new word for welfare ("a transitional living fund").  C'mon America!  Pay attention.  We can be better stewards of our vote.

"WHILE THE GETTIN'S GOOD"

Mankind is pretty bodacious.  We take our selfies and we think history began the day we were born.  And apparently, environmentalists really think man can destroy the earth.

Perhaps we didn't believe the words we sang last month in the Christmas carol..."He rules the world".

What will it take for men to believe they are not in charge of the climate? How about if a ship of global-warming scientists got stuck in the ice of the South Pole?

Wasn't it almost five years ago that Al Gore said the North Pole would be completely melted in five years?  Now the scientist's ship (and their Chinese rescuer's ship) are powerless in the ice while the USA icebreaker, the Polar Star, is on the way to help.  Pretty ironic.

Every responsible person is on Earth's stewardship page.  We can agree that as good stewards, we should take care of and clean up what we have been given.

But take the earth OUT?  The earth goes when her Creator says she goes.  He is Lord over creation.  He holds all things together by the power of His word.  Read about the majesty of His creation in the beautiful song of Psalm 104.

Some may feel sheepish when this global-warming hoax comes into the light.  We will have spent a PILE of money both in our country and also worldwide for a lot of bovine flatulence.  Does it seem reasonable to let the same ones define this "science" who hugely profit from it?  Think advocate/investor Al Gore, who used taxpayer's money to become the world's first carbon BILLIONaire.

Melting poles aside, this thinking is "poles" away from CONFIDENCE in God's might or an AWARENESS of His plan.  The Bible says the earth will warm, but not because man set the event into motion.  2 Peter 3:12 says "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."

Peter is describing God's cosmic wrath that is to be released at the end of time.  Until then, the Lord is the one who keeps the pale blue dot spinning as Earth awaits the completion of His purpose.  And what is that purpose?  God is gathering His elect.

And here is another sure thing.  Our purpose is not to save the earth.  Let's not assume the audacity which would presume man has the power to bring creation to a halt.  Surely that brings a big snicker in the heavenlies.

It is helpful to recall that God has already destroyed the earth by water.  At His command, the floodgates of heaven and the fountains of the deep were opened.  (And hopefully, the new Russell Crowe epic coming out in March will faithfully tell Noah's story.)  But now in obeisance, the earth waits until the last soul (who will respond) responds to the gospel.  THEN the sky will be rolled up like a scroll.

Isaiah 51:6 says "Look up at the sky!  Look at the earth below!  For the sky will dissipate like smoke, and the earth will wear out like clothes; its residents will die like gnats.  But the deliverance I give is permanent; the vindication I provide will not disappear."

If global warmers feel the need to work at something beyond themselves...a noble cause that bears honor...they might consider making known the One who  spoke the world into existence.  He alone is worthy of our praise.  He restores hearts and lives; one day He will restore the earth's Garden of Eden beauty.  This narrative belongs to Him and He leaves Christians on our planet as spokespersons.

On the day of the fiery and noisy show, the Lord will shake the earth as He did at Mt. Sinai.  Global warming will become reality as flames burn away all that we see.  When is this great and terrible Day of the Lord?  Not even the Son knows, but only the Father.

But we are thankful to belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Shall we lift a signal flag to call people to His side now..."while the gettin's good?

NEW YEAR GREETINGS FROM THE CRUSES

The older you get, the more you reflect on your blessings.  That makes Mike and I big reflectors.

Back in the early 80's, Robert Lewis explained Psalm 84 in a sermon that was one of those blessings.  And in only about five years, I finished it in cross-stitch and it has been hanging in our kitchen ever since.

Mike and I know these words to be weight-bearing for living life.  What would YOU say a clear conscience is worth?  Or a joy that comes bubbling up...or the satisfaction that is a peaceful "settledness" with life...or the sweet fruit of relationships...or a ministry in other's lives?

All these things are true prosperity.

Mike and I were looking in the rearview mirror this morning, thinking about our prosperity in 2013.  We talked about how much we enjoyed our bucket list trip to the Canyonlands and loved playing in the pool.

But prosperity is in people.  Much of our 2013 was spent ricocheting between Little Rock girls and Fayetteville boys (between American Girl dolls and Legos).  Both boy and girl grands did agree on one thing.  They want to go hunting and Papa is just the guide for the job.

So far the deer have eluded firstborn NATE (9), but he's getting to be a good shot.  Smaller game beware.

The thing we've noticed about Nate this year is the way he generously loves his little brother, who is a scene-stealer.  But then, Will does call Nate's name about every third word AND has been known to come up behind Nate and hug his legs from behind at every chance.

Nate's favorite things are trips to Silver Dollar City with his Daddy, having time/space to assemble a big new Lego project. and gaining mastery of his new Ripstick.

Oh, and one other thing.  Nate loves dressing up and every year he and his Mama cook up the Halloween costume and make it from scratch.  This is a cool ninja zebra.  The stripes on his costume were made of reflective duct tape.

Guess it's true that duct tape can do anything.

While we're on Halloween, the girls love to dress up, too.

Caroline probably was more excited about getting to wear the lipstick than even the poodle skirt or the candy.

Next in the birth order comes HANNA (8).  Hanna reads voraciously, gets good grades, is a talented violinist/pianist/performer and runner.
Her favorite plaything is her American Girl doll.

This summer Hanna prayed to receive Christ and her Daddy was pleased to baptize her.

And, Hanna joined the Squirrel Club.

This is CAROLINE (6.5) who is our social and giggly girly-girl.  She's not so sure about the dead carcasses and squeals loudly at anything with multiple legs.

Caroline hasn't joined the Squirrel Club just yet, but she has been deer hunting...once...for about 12 minutes.

Caroline has the most amazing heart that was born to give.  When the LR Cruses came for  Thanksgiving, Caroline brought every family member a gift from her own things that she had wrapped herself.

Caroline's a giver.

The third Cruse girl is LILY (3.5).  Lily is just Lily.  She's old enough now to hold her own with her sisters.

Lily is funny.  She's content both to play alone or play with the crowd.  Lily LOVES books like her sisters and loves to role play with Mama.

Lily (or as Will calls her, Yilly) is a character and she may have a little scrapper in her, but she also has a sweetness that wants to be in your lap with a good princess story.

Just look at that sweet baby girl.

Now for the caboose, WILL (almost 2).  This one I could eat with a spoon right now.

Will knows all the names of the trains.  There are Maymes (James). PerPer (Percy). Unintelligible (Thomas). and Emee (Emily).  He also loves to call the names of all the Sesame Street characters; Elmo is his favorite.

Will has been known to burst into dance to the song "One, Two, Three, Four, Monsters Walkin' Cross the Floor".  He has the moves.

Will loves it for Nate to cue him.  "What does C stand for, Will?"  And just like Cookie Monster, he purses the lips to says "CuhKee!"

How did we ever get by in this family without Will?

Hope you have enjoyed this year's pictures.  Here are just a few more because I can't stop myself.

It's true that the only things that will go into eternity...are people and the Word of God.  So we love investing in these people, our true prosperity.

                                               

Brad and Laura

Matt and Beth.

Mentoring.

In the Saferite's boat on Beaver Lake.

Nate and I both had a cold
so we didn't have to worry about giving it .

Woody and his personal assistant.

Our new sister in Christ.

Celebrating after the baptism.

Blessed.

PHIL

Dennis Miller tickles me.  He has said "we need to have a talk about free speech".

Of course, the Phil Robertson/A&E "dust-up" IS a freedom of speech issue.  But speaking candidly, does anyone believe that's the heart of it?

We all sense that Phil has pulled out a silver bullet.

So regarding the larger issue of morality, it doesn't matter what I think.  Or what you think.  Or even what Phil thinks.  It matters what God thinks.

It's pretty ironic how people with little Bible knowledge tie themselves up in a knot trying to explain how Phil is unChristian...while quoting Scripture.  They are ripping their britches and don't even know it.

We will all answer to THE Authority who has already written His position paper on the subject.  We might instead be about figuring out what He says.

Listen, Friends.  We all tell our teens "the guardrails are there to protect you".  And so it is with us.  God is FOR US just as you are for your kids.  You don't offer them drugs or destructive behaviors because you love them.  We all either live self-determined lives, or submitted lives that believe the Way set out the best way.

There will be peacemakers with a twisting stomach who read this and they wish we didn't have things that divided us into camps.  Jesus tells us to choose.  And he says something interesting in the book of John.  "If anyone hears my words and does not obey them, I do not judge him.  For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.  The one who rejects me and does not accept my words HAS A JUDGE; the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day."

God wants our best and we should want that, too.

NOTES FROM THE MAGNIFICAT

Yesterday we loved a Mark Henry sermon on a favorite passage of Scripture (Luke 1:46-55).  Here are some thoughts from the notes.

Christmas has birthed many songs.  From majestic pieces such as Handel's Messiah and Bach...down to the 2013 season's offering ("Duck the Halls") from the bearded Robertson's.

Songs can be found for every style, but no one sings sweeter than Mary.

Mary responds to God in her magnificat after her pregnancy is acknowledged by cousin Elizabeth.  Luke gives us a look into this young girl's heart as Mary sings thanks for her unique assignment.  This is an ordinary girl from an ordinary village...with extraordinary faith.

*EVERYONE'S SOUL MAGNIFIES SOMETHING; MARY'S SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD.  To magnify something is to give it far more than usual space in my life so that my desires are shaped around it, resulting in joy or sadness.  For example, if I am materialistic, my happiness comes in acquiring a pile of "things" and my sadness comes if I can't have things.  The same is true for a workaholic or alcoholic or someone on a power trip or any number of placeholders.

I ask myself...am I magnifying anything above God in my life?

*MARY IS STRUCK WITH THE RICHNESS OF GOD'S GRACE TO HER.  Mary is a poor maiden, chosen from all the women in the world to bear the Messiah.  That gives her a moment much like believers have at salvation.  They look down at their sinfulness and up at God's holiness and feel most unworthy.  And so did Mary.  She wondered how a holy God could use her to accomplish His purposes.  

In verses 46 and 47, Mary says "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God, my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant."

Mary calls God her Savior and is blown away by His goodness to her.  Am I doing the same?

*MARY HAS AN EXALTED VIEW OF GOD, NOT OF HERSELF.  From verse 48, Mary marvels that generations will call her "blessed".  Still, the statement is not self-focused because the very next verse she doesn't say "mighty is my name".  Instead, Mary shows her grasp of Scripture by going into great detail about God, describing HIM as mighty.

"He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name.  He is merciful from generation to generation to those who fear Him.  He has demonstrated power with His arm; He has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts.  He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up those of lowly position; He has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, remembering His mercy, as He promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Am I making more of Him and less of me?

MARY SUFFERED FOR THE MESSIAH LONG BEFORE HE SUFFERED FOR HER.  Don't you know as Mary protested her innocence and said she was pregnant by God...the villagers must have rumored about her?  Isn't that how small towns are?  "She's such a liar!" "How promiscuous...who does she think she's kidding?"

Mary was probably 15 years old.  What would it be like if everyone in town was whispering about you?  

Have I run to God in full embrace of His purpose and glory in my life?  

MARY SINGS OF GOD'S GRACE TO THE DISGRACED.  From verse 50, Mary says God gives mercy to those who fear His name.  And living such a God-respecting life brings good from God, but disgrace from the world.  Ever hear the term "fanatic" or "judgmental" or "right-wing fundamentalist"?  

According to verses 51-53, God challenges and defies and overthrows the systems of this world, scattering the proud and arrogant and bringing down the mighty from their thrones.  His "Great Reversal" lifts up those of lowly position as He says "the last shall be first".  He takes those whom the world views as of little value and gives His grace, filling the hungry with good things, but sending the rich away empty.  He lifted Mary and she worships Him because He gives grace to the disgraced.

Am I willing to suffer the world's disgrace for His name?

From verses 54,55 MARY PUTS GOD'S PROMISES TO ISRAEL IN VIEW.  She remembers the promise of Genesis 12:3 that God made to her ancestor Abram that He would bless the world through Abram's seed.  

Mary was saying that the same salvation was being brought to pass in her and would be spoken of for generations to come.  And while God's greatest saving purpose would be brought to fruition at the cross, we are graciously included in Israel's blessing by the Messiah's coming.

Am I believing what God has promised?

Here's a closing thought that we liked.  If you put a bug under a microscope, something small gets bigger.  But if you put a planet into a telescope, a large thing becomes even larger.  We want to be telescopes that bring God into view for others.  

Mary believed God and was such a telescope for Him as she sang her song of praise.  She wasn't singing about herself, but about God's promised grace and mercy from the Christmas Child.  Have you found that grace?