Captives Of Christ

                                          2 Corinthians 2:14
                                    "Now thanks be unto God,
                     which always causeth us to triumph in Christ"

           Our viewpoint for God must not be as near the highest as we can get, it must be the highest.  The viewpoint that I am talking about and one we must maintain is that we are here for one purpose only; to be captives in Christ's triumphs.  We are not in God's showroom, we are here to exhibit one thing; the absolute captivity of our lives to Jesus Christ.  How small the other viewpoints in life.  I am standing alone battling for Jesus; I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold this fort for Him.  Paul says;  I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.
          Is this idea being worked out in us?  Paul's secret joy was that God took him, a rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive of the Lord, he had no other interest in heaven or in earth.  It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory.  The Victor ought to have got us so completely that it is His victory all the time, and we are more than conquerors through Him.  "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ."  We are encased with the love of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God.

                                   May God Bless You
                                    And Your Families

                                                Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                                The Cross Life ministry  

Do It His Way

                                         1 Corinthians 9:22
                                "I am made all things to all men,
                             that I might by all means save some"

          A Christian worker has to learn how to be God's noble man or women in a crowd of ennoble things.  Never say to God;  "If only I was somewhere else!"  We are all ordinary people made extraordinary by what ever God has given us to do.  Unless we have our minds right intellectually and our hearts filled with affection we will be hustled out of usefulness to God.  We are not workers for God by choice.  Some people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no matter in them of God's almighty grace, or His mighty word.  Paul's whole heart and mind and soul were taken up with the great matter of what Jesus Christ came to do, he never lost sight of that one thing.  We must face ourselves with one fact;  Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
         Let us remember that it is not us who has God, but God has got us.  Never choose to be a worker, but when God has put His call on you, woe be to you if you turn to the right hand or to the left.  He will do with you what He never did with you before the call came;  Let God have His way in your life.

                                        May God Bless You
                                         And Your Families

                                                      Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                                      The Cross Life Ministry 
 

Don't Walk Away

                                         John 6:67
                               "Will ye also go away"

           A penetrating Question.  Our Lords words come home to us when He talks in the most simple way.  We know Who Jesus is. but in spite of that, Jesus says:  "Will ye also go away?"  We stray and we stumble; however we must brave our dangers with Him in charge.  Jesus knew from the beginning who believed not and who would betray Him.  After Jesus said that to the disciples many went back, and walked no more with Him.  They went back from walking with Jesus, not into sin, but they back-slid because they walk away from Him.
          Many of us today are spending time working for Jesus, but some don't walk with Him.  The one thing God keeps us to is that we may be one with Jesus Christ.  Once God gives a clear spiritual realization to your soul of what He wants, don't try to keep yourself in touch with Christ by any particular method, just live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ.  We should live a life with God with absolute devotion to Him.  Jesus Christ ministered salvation to the world.  Our Lord wants us to be yoked with Him and spread His Gospel to a dying world.

                                 May God Bless You
                                  And Your Families

                                               Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                               The Cross Life ministry 

Look Up!

                                         Isaiah 45:22
                         "Look unto Me, and be ye saved"

         Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us?  He says;  "Look unto Me, and be saved."  The great difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, until troubles come our way.  Many of us have a mental conception of what a christian should be, and trying to live up to it sometimes becomes a hindrance to our concentrate on God.  Salvation is there;  "is it not simple enough."  "Look into Me"  and----not  "you will be saved,"  but  "you are saved."
        The very thing we look for, we shall find if we will concentrate on Him.  We get preoccupied and sulky with God, while all the time He is saying,  "Look up and be saved."  The difficulties and trials--- the casting about in our minds as to what we shall do this summer, or how will I fix this mistake, all these vanish when we look to God.  Let's pickup the broken pieces of our lives, and look up to God.  Let's build our hope on Him, no matter what we will face in this life.

                       "FOR WE ARE A SAVED PEOPLE"   
 
                                  May God Bless You
                                   And Your Families

                                                Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                                The Cross Life ministry            

On His Right

                                        Psalm 139:10
                        "Even there shall thy hand lead me,
                          and thy right hand shall hold me"

          Our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ upon His Ascension;  "He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God (Mark 16:19b)."   "Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62)."  This same Jesus gave His life for us, that we may have eternal life with Him and our God in heaven.  Now if that is hard for you to believe let me tell you; that Christ confirmed it as well.
          Here is our assurance.  "And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand.  I and my Father are one" (John 10:28-30).  We are given a chance to escape the depths of  "Hell"  through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; we are left with our guide the Holy Spirit until we pass from this life to eternal life, where we will remain with; God the Father and Jesus Christ The Son, for eternity and there His right hand shall hold us.

                                   May God Bless You
                                    And Your Families

                                                 Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                                 The Cross Life Ministry      

Despair

                                         Matthew 26:46
                                    "Rise, let us be going"

          The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair.  The sense of falling short will cause us despair, and we say; "It is all up now, it is no use trying any more."  If we began to except this kind of despair as being exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience.  When we realize that we have missed a great opportunity to do something and don't;  we sink into despair.  But wait!  As with the disciples Jesus Christ comes and says;  "Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost forever, you can not change it, arise and go on to the next thing."  We must let the past sleep but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ.
          There are experiences like this in each of our lives.  We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it.  The disciples had done an unforgivable thing; they went to sleep on Jesus.  Jesus gave them a spiritual initiative against their despair.  He told them to arise and go to the next thing.  If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing?  To trust Him totally and to serve him faithfully.

                                      May God Bless You
                                       And You Families

                                                  Minister: Robert A. Lail
                                                  The Cross Life Ministry 

How to Spend Time With God (Pt. 2)

How to Spend Time With God (Pt. 2)

                                                                  Robert Lail Jr

Summary:

Prayer is not a religious act; it establishes a relationship with Almighty God. While in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wanted His disciples to watch and pray with Him for one hour, but they fell asleep while on their prayer watch. Today, the Body of Christ must guard against neglecting consistent prayer. When we pray for a significant amount of time, and honor and praise the names of God, we can expect a supernatural breakthrough.

   A. Jesus expected His disciples to pray with Him for one hour (Matthew 26:38-41).

      1.Jesus wanted the disciples to stay awake and pray so they would not succumb to temptation.

                A.      He soon discovered they could not stay awake.

                B.      Today, Jesus is still praying, yet in many ways the Church is asleep.

                C.      Something supernatural happens when we pray for one hour.

            2. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1).

                 B.    The Lord's Prayer is a model prayer with seven topics; Jesus said we should pray in this    

                        manner not recite his words its a template to follow.                           

                 C.      Take your time with each topic until you have the peace of God.

            3. Here are the topics:

                 A.      Our Father in heaven: This signifies approaching God on the basis of intimate  

                         relationship. Only children can call the master “Father”. Only those who have come to the

                         saving knowledge of God through Jesus  Christ can call God father.

                 B.       Hallowed be Your name: This is worship. Our prayer must include worship. Though 

                         children of God, we  must devote ourselves to worship, service and praise of His name.

                 C.      Your kingdom come: Jesus before His ascension said to His disciples, “the Kingdom is 

                         within you”  (Luk.17:21). He was referring to the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of 

                         those who believe.

                 D.     Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven: God’s will is that everyone becomes saved 

                        and comes to the knowledge of truth.

                 E.      Give us this day our daily bread: After you have put God first in worship, devotion to His 

                        kingdom, and  saving of souls, then you can ask for your own daily bread. This refers to 

                        your daily needs.

                 F.       And forgive us our sins as we forgive those indebted to us:  Sin breaks the fellowship of 

                        God with man. Following salvation, it is not expected that there be any sins in your life. 

                        God expects that there be no grudge in your heart as you approach Him in prayer. We are 

                        instructed by Scriptures to love one another

                 G.      And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: God is the one who 

                         keeps us from  the afflictions of the evil one. James 4:7 says “submit yourselves to God, 

                         resist the devil, and he will  flee from you”. Your submission to God’s authority in prayer 

                         will move Him to protecting you.

             4. What should be your course of action if you just do not feel like praying?

                 A.      Begin your prayer by singing songs of praise to the Lord.

                 B.      God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3)

                 C.      Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).

                 D.      Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence singing (Psalm 100:2).

                 E.       Remember that you are not racing against the clock

                 F.       Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you.