No One Is Perfect

Ecclesiastes 7:20

"For there is not a Just man upon earth,

that doeth good, and sinneth not."

        I had just built new steps on our back deck, because the other ones where ready to fall at any moment. Now I must say myself, "That is a fine set of steps." So next I poured a concrete pad at the base of the steps, and my wife and I got it all painted, than it happened. I stepped back about 30 feet to see how good it looked, and there it was, the pad was not level with one side of the steps. I said to my wife, "How did that happen, it was level when I set it up and poured it!" She said, I don't doubt you, but "no one is perfect."  

       Those words really struck me. Not just because of the realization that even the finest works of architecture possessed flaws, but because I knew she was talking to my soul. Like many folks, I have strived to be perfect. And trying to be flawless is such a heavy burden to bear because it’s impossible to ever achieve perfection. By definition, being human means making mistakes.

      The recognition that nobody is perfect, except our LORD and SAVIOR, and by accepting our limitations allows us to go beyond them. When we strive for perfection, we set ourselves up for a lifetime of disappointment, low self-esteem, and failure. But when we aim for excellence or progress or any other type of self-improvement, we are headed toward becoming the best that we can be.

      Sometimes, it takes a healthy dose of humility to start small, but anything big that was ever achieved started from humble beginnings. As Scripture teaches: "For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth," Zech. 4:10.     
      My Friends; today, together, let’s give up on trying to be perfect and rather commit ourselves to being our best. Remember, even the holiest of men and women have made mistakes. God doesn’t ask us to be perfect. Our job is to work on becoming better; perfection belongs only to God.

      Amen!

Reading: (Eccl. 7:15-29)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

           

Leave It To God

Proverbs

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but 

the LORD directeth his steps."

 

       Leave it to God to make the oldest man alive today a person named Israel, living in the state of Israel, having lived through both World Wars and survived the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp. On March 11, 2016, Mr. Israel Kristal was given the title of “Oldest Living Man” by Guinness World Records. At 112 years old, Mr. Kristal has beaten all odds and outlived those who sought to destroy him, and he continues to do so.  If this doesn’t prove that God and not other people determines our fate, I don’t know what does.
       Here is what Mr. Kristal had to say upon learning of his status: "I don’t know the secret for long life. I believe that everything is determined from above and we shall never know the reasons why. There have been smarter, stronger, and better looking men than me who are no longer alive. All that is left for us to do is to keep on working as hard as we can and rebuild what is lost." 
       God couldn’t have picked a better messenger to deliver the message! As Mr. Kristal humbly asserts, he doesn’t know the formula for living a long life. He understands that he had nothing to do with it, "it was all God’s doing." Of course he did his best to survive and persevere through hard times, but this wise man doesn’t attribute his survival to his own wisdom. He knows that God does things for reasons that we will never understand and do not control. All we can do is be the best that we can be and do our part in making the world a better place.
       My Friends, let’s remember the inspiring story of Israel Kristal. We can beat all odds and we can go on to live long and happy lives if it is God’s will. It doesn’t matter what our circumstances look like, what anyone has said to us, or what our enemies have planned for us. We can outlive them all, prosper in spite of it all, and live to fulfill our true purpose, and that is to serve God, to love and help His children, and to have faith that He will take care of the rest. "LET'S LEAVE IT TO GOD" 
Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

Info:posted from Guinness World Records

(Oldest Living Man 112 years old)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

Do You Trust Me?

Leviticus 25:21

"Then I will command my blessing upon you 

in the sixth year, and it shall bring 

forth fruit for three years." 

        Every seven years in the land of Israel, God asks this question: Do you trust me? Hopefully, the answer is, "Yes!" Yes, Lord, we trust You. We believe in You and believe that You run the world. Then comes the real challenge. God says: Prove it!

        Today we learn about the laws of the sabbatical year. There is a seven-year cycle in which farmers may work their land for six years, but during the seventh year, the land must rest. Farmers cannot sow seeds or reap the harvest for an entire year. Now to put this into perspective, let’s imagine that every seven years, we were commanded to march into work and announce that we would be taking the year off. We’re not talking about a paid sabbatical; we’re talking about simply quitting our jobs for the year while living the same lifestyle that we have always maintained. At the conclusion of the year, we would fully expect to get our old jobs back, or to get another one that was even better. That would be some act of faith. And that is exactly the kind of faith that God demands of Israel on every seventh year, even today. In the natural world, this kind of business practice would set a person up for bankruptcy. But God promises, "Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years." If we demonstrate our faith in God, then what should lead us to insufficiency, will instead lead us into abundance and blessing.
        You see, God wants us to know that He’s got our backs. It’s not the fluctuations of the stock market or the luck of the real estate market that will determine our blessings. It’s not our clever ideas or working overtime that will yield promotions. God alone will deliver abundance and blessings in our lives. Sure, we’ve got to put in our effort and do our part, but the heavy lifting is God’s doing. 
        At the end of the day, it’s not the land that needs the rest; we need it! We need to stop worrying ourselves sick about how we’ll get by next week or in the next 20 years. We need to stop working so hard at making a living that we neglect to make a life. We need to trust in the Lord and step out in faith. As it says in Jeremiah, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."

        Amen!

Reading: (Lev. 25:1-24)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Hope For A Better Tomorrow

Jer. 32:15  

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 

Houses and fields and vineyards shall be 

possessed again in this land." 

       

        King Zedekiah of Israel didn’t care for Jeremiah's message, so he threw Jeremiah into prison. There, confined and restrained, Jeremiah received a most surprising prophecy. God instructed Jeremiah to buy land in Israel, specifically a field in a place called Anathoth that was once owned by Jeremiah’s cousin.The cousin had fallen on hard times and was forced to sell the land, so he came to Jeremiah, as God had foretold, and asked Jeremiah to purchase it. As God had commanded him, Jeremiah bought the field and had the transaction sealed and preserved in the ground.

        From the perspective of an outsider, this transaction appeared to be a very foolish thing for Jeremiah to do. Here he was in prison with no hope of being released, and he bought land somewhere that he might never see. On top of that, Jeremiah knew that Israel was about to be conquered. He knew that the entire nation would be exiled. Yet, Jeremiah invested in Israeli real estate. Jeremiah’s act was one of great faith and was meant to instill faith in all Israel. God wanted His people to know that no matter how bad things appeared to be, the present situation was not their final destination.Things would turn around, and Israel would see better days.
        This is a powerful message for us today, especially for those who are going through particularly challenging times. Sometimes it feels like we are confined and restricted It could be health problems, financial constraints, or a difficult relationship with someone at home or at work. But God wants us to know that we will see better days. Like Jeremiah, we are to plan for a brighter future because no challenge lasts forever, and a new day will dawn.
        Friends, know today that our current situations will change for the better, both for us as individuals, and for humanity as a whole. Have faith that a better day is dawning, and, with the "Grace of God," we shall see it.

        Amen!

Reading: (Jer. 32:1-15)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Power To Go On

Acts 1:4  

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded 

them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait 

for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, 

ye have heard of me."

        Beyond a doubt Jesus won an immortality of influence for his effect upon the world and the life of men cannot die. Above all, there is an immortality of presence and of power. Jesus not only left an immortal name and influence; he is still alive and still active. He is not the one who was; he is the one who is. The Church continued where Jesus had left off at his death and still continues today. 
        Let us remember one important thing. The apostles were enjoined to wait on the coming of the Spirit. We would gain more power and courage and peace if we learned to wait. In the business of life we need to learn to be still. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint,
(Is.40:31). 
        Amen!

Reading: (Acts 1:1-5)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Where Are You Looking?

Proverbs 4:25

"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine 

eyelids look straight before thee"

         The best way to climb a mountain is by looking straight ahead. Look down, and we might be frightened as we notice our height and contemplate the danger we are in. Look behind, and we will be blind to the obstacles or safest routes ahead of us. Look up, and we may be daunted as we are confronted with how far we still need to go. It can make our climb feel hopeless and cause us to give up. The best way to climb even the tallest mountain is to simply look straight ahead and focus on taking one step at a time.
        In Proverbs we read,"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee"

In life, too, it is helpful to fix our gaze on what is right in front of us. Of course there are times when we need to look at the bigger picture so that we can adjust our direction, but most days it’s helpful to focus on the present.
        If we focus on the past, we can get stuck. We can get bogged down by our past mistakes or hurts. If we focus too much on the future we can become intimidated as we contemplate how much we need to accomplish or worry about how things will work out. Overly focusing our attention on what is behind us, under us, or way ahead of us can leave us confused and disoriented in the present. It’s best to stay in the moment and live our lives one day at a time, trusting God for His unlimited mercy day by glorious day.

        Amen!

Reading: (Prov. 4:1-27)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

        

      

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 Timothy 2:3

"Therefore endure hardness, as a

good solider of Jesus Christ"

        There is grace enough in Jesus for every need, but we must utilize ourselves of that grace. We can expect nothing less than hardship, since life is a battlefield. Our one aim should be to please Him who chose us to be soldiers. In order to be all that he would have us be, we must avoid entangling ourselves in the conditions around us.
        We must resemble a garrison in the town where it is quartered, and from which it may at any hour be summoned away. The less we are bog down, the more easily it we be for us to execute the least command of our Great Captain. How high an honor it is to be enrolled among His soldiers!       
        Life is a theater, filled with celestial spectators. Probably our hardest battle is found in our own heart. If we win the crown, we must observe regulations as to diet, exercise, purity. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" 1Cor 9:24.
        Amen! 

Reading: (2 Tim. 2:3)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

What About We?

Proverbs 3:3

"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind 

them about thy neck; write them 

upon the table of thine heart:"

       Have you ever been unhappy and needed guidance to get your life back on track. Do you start your day by saying, " I wake every day sad and anxious. I have difficulty concentrating. I find it hard to pray. I feel that life has lost it's joy and meaning. I need help."  My friend what I have to say for that, is to take a red pen and circle the first word in every sentence "I."   

       In Proverbs we read this powerful message: "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart."  King Solomon recognized the importance of kindness, too. By telling us to bind it to our necks and inscribe it on our hearts, he was teaching us that we ought to make kindness as well as truth a major part of who we are both inside and out. 
       Most people go through life asking themselves, "What is in it for me?" However, this ultimately leads to a shallow existence and a feeling of emptiness. Life lived "all about me" can be a very lonely experience. Instead of asking "What about me?", we need to start asking, "What about we?" In other words, how can I help us out? How can I brighten someone else’s day? How can I make the world better for everyone? 

       Everyone can perform acts of kindness today. Speak some encouraging words to someone who is down. Cook a hot meal for someone alone or hungry. Help someone run an errand, or offer your seat on the crowded bus to another person. Even something as simple as asking, "What can I do for YOU today" can enrich your life as well as many others. Make kindness a priority today

        Amen!

Ref: (HG SB) 

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Godliness Is True Gain

1Timothy 6:7  

"For we brought nothing into this world, and 

it is certain we can carry nothing out." 

         The Apostle gives rules for the treatment of the slaves who rendered service in the households of that time. If the slave was in the household of a heathen master, he must honor and glorify Christ by being respectful and obedient; but if the master was a Christian, and therefore a brother in the Lord, he was still required to yield courteous and willing service. Service rendered for the love of God must not be inferior to that rendered from fear of man.
        There were many false teachers in the early Church, the chief aim of whom was to make money. They were proud and dis-tempered, jealous and suspicious, juggling with words and given to splitting hairs. Godliness truly is great gain. It makes us content with what we have, and it opens to us stores of blessedness which the wealth of this world could not buy. It is good to have just what is necessary.     
        Let us leave the provision for our needs with God. He is pledged to give food and covering,  including shelter. Not money, but the love of it opens the floodgates of the soul, through which wash the destroying waters of passion that drown men in destruction and perdition. Remember that you can carry nothing out of this world except your character.
        Amen!

Reading: [1Tim. 6:1-10]
Ref: [HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

Light in Dark Times

Job 17:11,12  

"My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the 

thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day: 

the light is short because of darkness." 

      The book of Job speaks to the brokenhearted. It’s a book that gives voice to the hurting, the lost, and those struggling to make sense of their lives in the context of a God driven world. Job was simply expressing his feelings about having his dreams shattered. It's like writing all your life dreams on a board, and then someone comes along and  takes an eraser and wipes them all away. Sometimes life can be that way. Sometimes all the plans we had for our life evaporate before us when we least expect it.

      The book of Job can be comforting in witnessing the way a man of God goes through similar circumstances and devastating emotions. We learn from Job that we are never alone in our grief. Many before us have gone through tragedies, and many are going through difficulties we don’t even know about right now. 

      What does it mean that night is turned into day? Job was so troubled by his circumstances that when he should have been peacefully asleep at night, he was awake as though it were day. His worries kept him wired and awake. However, just as changing our perspective in our lives can change our experience, so we can shift our perspective of this verse slightly and obtain a new meaning. 
      We can understand that the dark times, the night of our lives, can be like daytime like the good times when we cling to the light of God. Then we can see that "in the face of the darkness light is near." At any point in our life, all it takes is a shift in perspective to turn darkness into light. When we change our perspective, we can change our lives. We must find the good in all that happens to us. As we keep God’s Word close to our heart, we will always have a guiding light.

      Amen!

Ref: (HG SB )

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Separated Life

Romans 12: 2

"And  be not conformed to this world: but be ye

transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that ye  may prove what is that good and

acceptable and perfect will of God."

         As Christians we find ourselves captives in the life of worldliness and pleasure that surrounds us, and many of us instead of being transformed are conformed to this world. We have fallen in with the spirit of this "Present Evil Age," and are living a life of  "Compromise," the outcome of which is a life of powerlessness and spiritual barrenness, the result of which is, we have no "dreams" or "visions" of the things that God is waiting to reveal to us out of His Holy Word. We as Christians must unite and stand for our Lord in these days of  "Persistent  Evil"
        Amen!

Reading: (Rom. 12:1-21)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

 

We Are the World

Ecclesiastes 9:18

"Wisdom is better than weapons of war:

but one sinner destroyeth much good."

        In a world as big as ours, it’s hard to feel like what we do has a significant impact on anything. Yet, sometimes we feel that the entire world is riding on our shoulders. In Ecclesiastes we read: "one sinner destroys much good." What the Scripture is saying is that every person must see his or her good deeds and bad ones in perfect balance on a scale. One more good deed, and the scales will tip in the person’s favor; one more sin and the scales will tip to the other side.

        So then we must see the world as one collective whole, who, like an individual, is also in constant assessment. The scale is likewise in precise balance with good on one side and evil on the other. Every person must feel as though his or her one act, either good or evil, can tip the scale in any given moment. What I am doing right now can doom the world or bring about salvation.

While this situation is unlikely to exist, in theory, it could. God does judge each of us as individuals and the world as a whole. And because the situation could theoretically arise that our one deed could make all the difference, we are required to live our lives as if it does, therefore, "We are the world."

        However, this is the exact opposite approach to how most think; "that nothing we do matters." When we think that our actions bear little or no significance, what point is there in pushing ourselves to be extra kind, to be honest, to reach out to someone in need? If our actions don’t really matter, what harm is there if we cheat just a little, engage in sinful acts just a bit, or treat someone badly?

        This is what Solomon was addressing when he wrote that "one sinner destroys much good." Just one sin can tip the scales the wrong way, doing a lot of damage. But if one sin can destroy it all, the opposite is equally true and one good deed can repair everything and result in unfathomable benefit. Each of us has tremendous power. If only we recognized the power God has placed in our hands to do good and repel evil, we would all live more productive lives, full of meaning and contribution.

        My Friend's, Today, let us act as if each of our actions can determine the fate of the world. How might our choices differ from those we make every other day? How might our life be different if we truly lived like this every day, "We Are The World!"

        Amen!

Reading: (Eccl. 9:13-18)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Be Good to Your Family

Proverbs 11:29

"He that troubleth his own house shall

inherit the wind; and the fool shall

be servant to the wise of heart."

        Family can be tricky sometimes. In so many ways, family is the greatest blessing in our lives. At the same time rare,  is the family without their fair share of quarrels. Our families can be the source of our greatest joy. Still, they hold the most potential to inflict our deepest pain. They say that to love is to risk loss, and I would add that to love our families is to risk the hurt that can sometimes come from those we love so dearly. Yet, ultimately, for most, it’s worth the risk. The occasional disagreements or fallout's are nothing compared to the support, love, and lifelong companionship that family has to offer.
        However, it does happen that sometimes there is a member of a family who causes more harm than good. We don’t get to choose our family, but for reasons only God knows, sometimes we are given a family member that causes much sorrow. Our job is to love them anyway.  As someone once told me, when there is a difficult person in your life, remember it could be worse; you could be them.  Even when it’s painful to be on the receiving end of a difficult person’s spitefulness, it’s worse to be the source of the pain.

        When we wrongfully hurt each other, no one gains. When we bring others down, while we may not realize it, we will suffer as well. At the same time, the exact opposite principle is true: Whoever does good to their family will bring blessings to his or her own self.  Again, I believe this to be true of our biological families as well as our friends, acquaintances, and society.  When we bring others up, we raise the level of living for us all. My Friends, Let’s remember to do our best to be givers of love, joy and comfort; "In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and for our own sake."

        Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Lord Is Your Shadow

Psalm 121:5

"The Lord is thy Keeper: the Lord is

  thy shade upon thy right hand." 

       Psalm 121 is essentially a prayer for protection.There is one whole new meaning in this verse. It is, that just as our shadow mimics our actions, so does, God copy what we do. If I move my right hand, my shadow does the same. If I go backward, my shadow has to follow. So God follows our lead as well. If we are kind and merciful toward others, then God will treat us with kindness. But if we are judgmental and cruel, then God will follow our lead and judge us harshly as well.

       This idea is empowering to my soul. It should cause us to pause and reflect upon how we treat the people in our lives. Are we as kind as we would like God to be with us? Are we as forgiving as we would hope God would be of us? What we extend to others comes right back to us. So we had better be careful. It may not seem intuitive, but the most selfish thing that we can do is to be unselfish toward others. The greatest kindness that we can do for ourselves is to be kind to everyone else!

       Amen!

Reading: (Ps. 121)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

     

Knowing How To Choose

 Proverbs 16:3 

 "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and 

thy thoughts shall be established." 

        Life is full of decisions. Sometimes the answer is obvious, but other times, the answer simply eludes us. Let me tell you a story about a man who had a problem of making decisions. We will call him Mr. Question. Now Mr. Question always had someone else to take his clothes to the cleaners, however, this time he had to take them himself. Here is what happens when we can't or don't have the desire to make our own decisions. The attendant ask Mr. Question, "How would you like your shirt's finished?" Just cleaned and pressed or cleaned and pressed with heavy starch or light starch? Mr. Question stood and thought for a while and said, " I'm not sure, how about just one or, the other it don't really matter."   Mr. Question got all his shirts back with half the shirt heavy starched and the other half with light starch. Needless to say the problem with Mr. Question's decision was, he didn't make a decision, so the cleaners did.  My Friends, If you don't make your own decisions, someone else will."

       However today, we are often alone in deciding what to do. Sometimes, there is a lot riding on our decisions. Even advice from respected individuals is no guarantee that we are choosing correctly. So how are we to know which decisions to make? Proverbs gives us an answer. To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. When we are committed to doing God’s will, we will be pointed in the right direction. Let us remember this wise advice the next time we have to make a decision. God can send us the clarity we are looking for when we are clear on what, and for Whom we are working. 

       Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Life With God Is Amazing

Proverbs 15:15

"All the days of the afflicted are evil:

but he that is of a merry heart 

hath a continual feast"

         I love this quote from Proverbs: "All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the merry heart hath a continual feast."  Life can be an everlasting feast for the person with the right perspective. And just to further emphasize the point, the Hebrew word for "oppressed" used in the original Scripture is (ani) which means "poor." This is extremely significant; because Biblical teaching instills in us that determining who is rich or poor has nothing to do with money.

       The person who is never satisfied with what he or she has, experiences a wretched life no matter how much wealth that person might possess. In contrast, a person who is content with what God has given them is cheerful and grateful, and consequently, can experience life as one continuously amazing experience.
       What a refreshing idea in a world where so much complaining abounds! In today’s world, the bar has been set so high for what one must have and achieve in order to have a good life. We think we need a certain income level, a certain standard of living, and a certain career path. However; this verse in Proverbs, teaches us that having an amazing life is really quite simple, "just rejoice in what you have and never mind what you don’t." 

        Amen!

Reading: (Prov. 15:13-17)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry