As A Men Needs

James 1:9-10 

"Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as 

the flower of the grass he shall pass away."

    Christianity brings to every man what he needs. As the despised poor learns self respect, so the proud rich learns humiliation. Christianity brings to the poor man a new sense of his own value. He learns that he matters in the Church. In the early church there were no class distinctions. It could happen that the slave was the minister of the congregation, preaching and dispensing the sacrament, while the master was no more than a humble member.
    In the Church the social distinctions of the world are obliterated, and no one person matters more than any other. We have learned that we matter in the world. It is the teaching of Christianity that every man in this world has a task to do. Every Christian is of use to God and even if we be confined to a bed of pain, the power of our prayers can still act on the world of men.  My Friends, we matter to God for no man is worthless for whom Christ died. 

    The great peril of riches is that they tend to give a man a false sense of security. He feels that he is safe; he feels that he has the resources to cope with anything and to buy himself out of any situation he may wish to avoid. In the desert places, if there is a shower of rain, the thin green shoots of grass will sprout; but one day's burning sunshine will make them vanish as if they had never been. 

    To some it all up: If life is so uncertain and man so vulnerable, calamity and disaster may come at any moment. Since that is so, a man is a fool to put all his trust in things like wealth which he may lose at any moment. He is only wise if he puts his trust in things which he cannot lose. My Friends, we all must admit our essential human helplessness and humbly is to put our trust in God, who alone can give the things which abide for ever. 

Amen!

Reading: James 1:1-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

Christians, We Have A Goal!

Hebrews 12:1  

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so 

great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every 

weight, and the sin which doth so easily 

beset us, and let us run with patience 

the race that is set before us,"

     In our Christian life we have a goal! The Christian is not an unconcerned stroller along the byways of life; he is a wayfarer on the high road. He is not a tourist, who returns each night to the place from which he starts; he is a pilgrim who is for ever on the way. The goal is nothing less than the likeness of Christ. The Christian life is going forward, and it would be wise if, at the end of each day we were to ask ourselves: "Am I any closer today than yesterday"?
    In our Christian life we have a presence, the presence of Jesus. He is the goal of our journey and the companion as we travel on our way. The wonder of the Christian life is that we press on surrounded by the saints, oblivious to everything but the glory of the goal and forever in the company of Him who has already made the journey and reached the goal, and who waits to welcome us when we reach the end. 

Amen!

Reading:  Heb. 12:1-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

                 

 

O' How Your Loved!

Psalm 147:4

"He telleth the number of the stars; he 

calleth them all by their names."

 

    Few things compare to looking up at the night sky and gazing at the brilliant stars. On a clear night we might be able to spot a few thousand stars. But how many stars are actually there? According to astronomers, our Milky Way alone contains about 400 billion stars. However, there are many other galaxies in the universe, about 170 of them, some of which are estimated to contain more than 100 trillion stars! So how many stars are there in the universe? Astronomers estimate approximately 1024 stars. That’s a one followed by 24 zeros. 
    No matter how you figure it, that’s a lot of stars! Given that number, we now have a new appreciation for David’s claim in Psalm 147 that God determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 

    This single verse expresses the incredible magnitude of God’s omnipotence. God created each of the trillions of stars. He knows exactly how many there are and where each one is located. However, even more amazing is that God has a relationship, so to speak, with each and every star. He looks at each individual star, assesses its qualities, and gives it a fitting name. God knows each star intimately, by name.

    So what does this have to do with the seven billion human beings that occupy planet Earth? Often, many God fearing believers make the mistake of thinking that while God surely created the world and guides its course, He has very little to do with the nuances of our personal daily lives. Why would the Creator of the world care what I have for dinner tonight? Why would God take the time to listen to my prayers when there are billions of prayers being offered every day? However, as David teaches us, if God can have a relationship with every single star, how much more so is He involved in, and does He care about, the tiny details of every human life?

    God is involved in every aspect of life, no matter how big or how small, how important or how insignificant. In fact, every blade of grass has  God's personal attention over it, encouraging it to grow. If that’s the kind of attention grass warrants, can you imagine how much God cares about us?

    Next time you look up at the night sky and marvel at the billions of stars in the universe, take a moment to appreciate the fact that just as God knows them and loves them all, so does He know and love each of us infinitely! 
Amen!

Ref: Ps. 147
Space.com > Science & Astronomy

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Joy In Serving God

 Ecclesiastes 12:13

 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, 

and keep his commandments: for this 

is the whole duty of man"

    So why is it, that of all books in the Bible, we choose to read Ecclesiastes?  It’s not exactly an upbeat book. Yes, it is profound, wise, and even life changing. But it doesn’t have much to do with joy. After all, the underlying theme of the book is that we are all going to get old and die. Everything that we do in life, at least on the physical plane, is ultimately meaningless. We leave it all behind when we die.

    Friends, we often mistake the valued commodities of this world such as money, possessions, prestige, fame to be true wealth, when the real diamonds, acts of kindness, good deeds, faith are all around us. As Solomon explained at the end of Ecclesiastes, the only important thing is to fear God and follow in His ways. Those are the real diamonds, and they are available to us all.
    Let us remember, whether we come with a little or a lot "To God,"  Ecclesiastes gives us the proper perspective on life. It doesn’t matter how much we have because that’s not where our joy will be found. True joy comes with serving God, and that, my friends, is priceless. 

Amen!

Reading: Eccl. 12:1-14

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

God Takes Care Of His Own

Psalm 37:7

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:"

    As human beings we have the tendency of not wanting to wait on anything in our lives. However, as Christians we must learn to wait on our Lord. Everything in this world is on God's time clock, and all things have their allotted time and place. Jesus lived by God's calendar throughout His life, and he tried to teach His disciples to live by that timetable. 

    Often a time of waiting corresponds to a "dip" in our lives. For a while our lives move up and to the right, but then that growth slowed or stopped, and we felt as though we were in a dark valley. We've probably all had that experience some time in our lives.  This is a time while in the "dip" we fail our marriages, family, our ministry and our self. But on the other side of the "dip" is where we will see the most spiritual growth and fruit. 

    My friends, as we start this day let us start with prayer and guidance from God. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say , on the Lord" (Ps. 27:14) 

Amen!

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

God Will Fix What Is Broken

Amos 9:11

"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, 

and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up 

his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old."

    Only something that is empty can be filled. Only that which is broken and isn’t whole can be made whole by God. God spreads peace and wholeness over the broken and rejected. There is a time when our brokenness is celebrated, and it is through our emptiness that we are able to receive God.

    We may regret all the things we do wrong in our lives, but not with what went wrong with our lives. Because our broken places create ideal spaces in which to receive God. My Friends, during the rest of this year and the upcoming year, let’s pray that God will fix all that is broken, both in our own personal lives and also in our world. Let us pray too, that God may spread  His shelter of peace over Israel and the world.
Amen!

Reading: Amos 9:11-15
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Look Out For One Another

Galatians 6:10

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do

good unto all men, especially unto them

who are of the household of faith."

    Paul encouraged the believers in Galatia to see anothers needs. This was based on the principle that whatever a man sows he will also reap, (Gal. 6:7). We will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. Paul places a lot of emphasis on being good, especially for those of the household of faith. Needs of others are important every day, and especially during times of disaster.
    We see on Television and Online, during and after a disaster Celebrities and other organizations appeal for money and supplies, and this calls us into action and many of us give a donation of some kind. There is nothing wrong with writing a check for 100.00 dollars of course. But consider this, is it unusual to write a check for 100.00 to be sent to third world countries instead of our own church's.
    Paul puts emphasis on the household of faith (the church). Is he wrong?  I say No! My friends I ask you to look at our churches around us. Some churches that once were full are now empty and closed. Some of our churches can't pay their bills, because of to much money being sent to third world countries, plus attendance has dropped in some churches because they can't afford to buy the materials they need to aid them in teaching the Word of God. My friends, again let me say there is nothing wrong with giving donations to any Charity of your choice. However, I will ask you to always put, Our God First. 
Amen!

Reading: Gal. 6:6-10
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

                

Stop, Look, And Listen

Proverbs 20:12

"The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord 

made both even both them."

    The scriptures declare, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made," (Ps. 139:14).  Just think about the marvel of hearing and sight. Stop, look, and listen, life is so very awesome. God's creation is both wonderful and majestic. There is harmony throughout all of creation and we get to see and hear it all. To think
how much seeing and hearing has evolved, there is still unbelief and foolishness that tries to darken the fact that God is real. However when we; Stop, Look, and Listen; "We See, Hear, And Recognize That God is Real" 
    My friends, our God takes claim on all His creation: "And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?" (Ex. 4:11).  As we all go through the day today, let us all think God for the life He has given us. 
Amen!

Ref:  HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

      

Why Does The Gospel Fail?

2 Corinthians  4:1  

"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we 

have received mercy, we faint not;"

    As servant's of Christ we must never forget that we once needed and obtained mercy. This will sustain us in many a time when heart and flesh fail.  Our weapon is the truth, Our conscience is our guide and intellectual force. We have unrivaled supremacy in the realm of conscience.  Our conscience awakens and responds to the truth, which it recognizes as the voice of God.
    Why, then, does the gospel fail? Not through any defect in itself, nor because of some arbitrary decree on the part of God, but because the god of this world has blinded the eyes of the heart by the glamour of worldly prosperity and success, or perhaps by the covering film of evil habit, so that the light of the dawn, stealing over the world, is unable to penetrate the darkened life.
    My friend's, as Christians we must break through that darkened film of evil, by Preaching and Sharing the True Gospel of Jesus Christ.  "For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake" (2 Cor 4:5).
Amen!

Reading:  (2 Cor. 4:1-10)
Reading:  (HG SB )

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Comfort In Our Tribulations

Ruth 2:2  

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, 

and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. 

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter." 

     Naomi had returned. She was no longer the happy woman of earlier days. Ruth also must sometimes have experienced the depression of homesickness which often steals over the heart of the stranger. But the two women found comfort where sad hearts will always find it, first in God and then in ministry to each other, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (2 Cor. 1:4).  In fact, Ruth’s devotion to her mother became the common talk of the village. 
    Notice the beautiful old time salutations between the employer and his employees. The omission of these courteous greetings is one of the mistakes of our modern civilization. We live in a time when the relations between employer and employee, between the church and church members, are strangely altered, because of financial and selfish reasons. Each tries to get as much as possible out of the other, and thus the personal touch is absent. 
    It's know that the human machine runs hard and sometimes breaks down. But Boaz was clearly a good man. He had won the respect of the whole neighborhood, and his tender words to the young stranger, saluting her as a nestling under the wings of Jehovah. My friends, let's strive to have more of  Boaz's character in our daily life.
Amen!

Reading: Ruth 2:1-13
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Answer The Call

Jonah 3:1-2  

"And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the 

second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, 

that great city, and preach unto it the 

reaching that I bid thee." 

     The book of Jonah is a story about repentance. It begins with God calling to Jonah and directing him to the evil city of Nineveh in order to warn them of upcoming destruction if they did not change their ways. The story concludes with the entire city, one of the most evil places on earth, engaging in repentance. The lesson at the beginning and end of the story is that if the evil people of Nineveh could repent, then so can we.

    However, in between the beginning and end of the book is another story. One that focuses primarily on Jonah.  Instead, it is about righteous people running away from God and trying to escape their mission until at last they embrace it. You see, it’s not enough to regret our past mistakes. We also need to take stock of all our lost opportunities. It’s a time to ask ourselves what our calling is in life and if we are, indeed, living up to it. At the end of each day, we ask and received forgiveness for our mistakes. We have a clean slate; The question is: What will we do with it?

    Everyone has some kind of calling, a God given mission of some sort. But we don’t always fulfill it. We have all kinds of excuses: I’m too old, too young, too poor, too tired, too busy. Jonah had a great excuse. God had asked him to help the archenemies of Israel, the very same nation that had exiled ten out of the 12 tribes. Jonah, out of his love for God’s people, rejected his mission. 

    What Jonah failed to take into account, however, is that when God hands us a mission, it’s not our duty to judge. It’s our job to fulfill it. The good news is that God gives us second chances, and it’s never too late to start. Some people know what their mission is from a deep place inside. Others have to look around at what’s broken in the world and then assess what tools they have to help fix it. My friends, take time to discover what God's call is for you, and then answer it!

Amen!

Reading: Jonah 3:1-10

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Remove the Distractions

Leviticus 16:29

"And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in 

the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, 

ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, 

whether it be one of your own country, or a 

stranger that sojourneth among you:"

    The Day of Atonement: which is a holy day In the Jewish tradition, there are specific restraints that they must observe. Why are these denials an integral part of this holy day?  One reason for these restraints is so that they can focus on the goal of the day: To connect with God, regret their mistakes, and regain clarity on their lives. 

    Christians, we are distracted by the physical pleasures of the world all year long.  We must pray and take all things to God daily. Taking my cares to God always helps me to focus directly on Him for all things in my life. We can’t hide behind a good Job or no Job at all or what other people think. Let's see life for what it is, a chance to serve God and do good. Remember that God is present in all things and at any time, and we must seek Him out.

    My friends, let's remove the physical distractions and remember who, and what we really are. Let’s focus on God and let our physical nature take a back seat. Consider how we can reveal more godliness in our lives and live a life that fills our souls.

Amen! 

Reading: Lev. 16:29-34

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Everyone Falls Sometimes

Deuteronomy 31:29

"For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, 

and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; 

and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will 

do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to 

anger through the work of your hands." 

    As Moses’ life came to an end, he gave his last speech. As part of his final remarks, Moses told the Israelites that, inevitably, they would rebel against God. Now, if not for the fact that Moses was the greatest leader to ever live, I would have thought that his choice of words leaves much to be desired. How is telling the people that they were doomed to fail empowering? How was that encouraging? One can even argue that by placing the idea in their minds, Moses had set the people up for failure when they might have otherwise succeeded.
    This part of Scripture can seem quite disturbing. Israel was told without a doubt that they would anger God and be punished. It seems unjust that they might have been given a task doomed to fail. However, I believe the following perspective can shed some light on what is intended to be a loving, caring, and important message on the eve of Moses’ death. 
    Think of a baby who is learning to walk. The parent knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the toddler will fall. Not once, not twice, but many times over. The baby will fall and fail time and again until eventually the baby takes a few small steps at a time. Ultimately, after much practice and effort, the baby will walk on his or her own. 
    We as parents would never suggest that our child never try to walk, even though he or she may sustain some bruises along the way. If the baby could understand, We would say, "Don’t worry. You will fall, you will fail, but ultimately, you will learn to walk" Once that child learns how to walk, he or she will be able to skip, jump, climb, hike, and go all sorts of places. Learning to walk involves some failure, but it is well worth it.
    In the same way, Moses was telling the nation of Israel that they, too, needed to learn how to walk. Moses had led and carried them until now, but the time had come for them to walk on their own. Moses empowered them by acknowledging the pitfalls that they would stumble into, but also reassured them that it was all part of the process. Failure was part of success. Moses encouraged Israel not to give up when they fall down, and neither should we. 

Amen!

Reading: Deut. 31:24-30

Ref:

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry 

Fruitlessness Judged! Faith Rewarded!

Matthew 21:20-22  

"And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, 

ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto 

this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."  

    Christ returned in the morning to Jerusalem, because He had work to do there. "Note," what took place when Jesus cleansed the Temple the day before, (Matt. 21:12-17). We must never be driven off from our duty either by the malice of our foes, or the unkindness of our friends. Though He knew that in this city bonds and afflictions did abide Him, yet none of these things moved Him.
    As Christ went, He hungered. He was a Man, and submitted to the infirmities of nature; He was an active Man, and was so intent upon His work, that He neglected His food, and came out, fasting; for the zeal of God's house. Christ meat and drink was to do His Father's will. He was a poor Man, and had no present supply; He was a Man that pleased not himself, for He would willingly have eaten the green raw figs for his breakfast, No matter how much He desired to have a warm meal.
    "Can you see Christ justice," He went to it, expecting fruit, because it had leaves; but, finding none, He sentenced it to a everlasting barrenness. The miracle had its significance, as well as others of His miracles. All Christ's miracles were for the good of men, and proved the power of His grace and blessing (the sending the devils into the herd of swine was but a permission). 
    All Christ did was for the benefit and comfort of His friends, none for the terror or punishment of His enemies; but now, at last, to show that all judgment is committed to Him, and that He is able not only to save, but to destroy; Christ gave a specimen of the power of His wrath and curse; and the Fig tree set forth an example. Christ never has placed wrath on any man, woman, or child, because the great day of His wrath is not yet come,  Come, learn a parable of the fig tree, (Matt. 24:32; Luke 13:6).
Amen!

Reading: Matt. 21:12-27 
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

Blessing of The Chosen

Deuteronomy 33:3

"Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: 

and they sat down at thy feet; every 

one shall receive of thy words."

    The life of Moses can be divided into three periods of forty years each. The first forty years were spent in Egypt as a member of Pharaoh's household (Acts 7:21-23) The next forty years, he lived a private family life in the land of Midian (Acts 7:29-30). Moses last forty years was from God's call at the burning bush until his death. Before his death, Moses Blessed Israel. 

    The people of Israel, of which His giving the law to them in such a glorious manner was an instance, and was a distinguishing blessing which other nations were not favoured with, how much more is the love of God shown to His spiritual Israel and special people, by giving them His Gospel, the precious truths, promises, and ordinances of it, and, above all, in giving them His Son to be the Redeemer and Saviour of them. These He embraces in His arms and in His bosom, as the word here signifies; admitting them to great nearness and familiarity with Him, to commune with Father, Son, and Spirit, to a participation of all the blessings of Grace, and to the enjoyment of Eternity hereafter: 

    It is exceptionally true of the chosen people of God, who are given to Christ, and made His care and charge, as all such who are sanctified and set apart by God the Father. They are preserved in Christ, and these are sanctified in and by Christ, and by the Spirit of Christ, and so may be truly called His saints; and they are in the hands of Christ, dear to Him highly valued by Him, held in His right hand; they are in His possession, are His peculiar people, portion, and inheritance, they are at His dispose, under His guidance and direction; and are in His custody and under His protection, and where they are safe from every enemy, and can never be snatched, taken, or removed from His mighty hands.

Amen!

Reading: Deut. 33:1-29

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

 
 

Do Not Fear

Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be 

afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is 

that doth go with thee; he will not fail 

thee, nor forsake thee." 

     Moses told the people that he was about to die. He would not go with them into the Promised Land; instead, his disciple Joshua would take over and lead the children of Israel. Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate what impact this must have had on the people of Israel. Until that time, Moses was the only person who had ever led them. It was Moses who led their parents out of Egypt and shepherded them through the desert. It was Moses who ascended to the mountaintop in order to receive and bring down the Word of God. After the Israelites had sinned with the golden calf, it was Moses who prayed for them and brought about God’s forgiveness.

    Moses was more than a leader; he was a parent, a confidant, a savior. Just as Moses was about to depart, the people would face their greatest challenge. Back in Deuteronomy 9 we read a description of what was ahead for the Israelites. They were told that they would face giants who were greater and stronger than they. The cities they were commanded to conquer were surrounded by strong impenetrable walls. Talk about a challenge!

    Today, I want to encourage us to choose trust over fear knowing that God is with us in any battles that we might face. We may feel like the Israelites did at the bank of the Jordan River, about to face a monumental battle and on the verge of losing their leader. Things might seem uncertain, difficult, and even impossible. But we must know today, as God told the Israelites then: God is with us.

    Even when other people and things that we may have relied upon have disappeared, God is always here. If we walk in faith and obedience, God will fight our battles alongside us. And when God fights for us, no one and nothing can stand against us.

Amen!

Reading:  Deut. 31:1-30

Ref:  HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Offer God What You Have

Exodus 35:5  

"Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: 

whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an

offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass"

     This chapter commences with the Regulations for the Sabbath. Perhaps we all need to be reminded that, during all the .preparation for the new Tabernacle, they were not to allow their work, however noble the object, to break in on the Sabbath-keeping of the camp. How often have we overlooked God's Regulations for the Sabbath. 
    He then proceeded to address the character of the gifts that were required. Those who had costly heirlooms had nothing too good; and they who could only bring the acacia wood of the desert were welcome to bring that. Women who were clever with their hands might spin the flax or weave the soft white wool of the Angora goat. 
    A wide variety of work was offered, which reminds us of  1 Cor. 12:4  "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." But notice He Repeatedly urged the word "willing-heart." My friends, that signifies a heart driven by a holy purpose!  There should be no need for the crack of the taskmaster’s whip. "The love of God constrains."  "Thank God For the love that will not let me go!" 
Amen!

Reading:  Ex. 35:1-35
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry  

God's Agreement Renewed

Exodus 34:8  

"And Moses made haste, and bowed his 

head toward the earth, and worshipped"

    Before we can behold the vision of Eternal Love we must be willing to fulfill three conditions: (1) Earliness: "Our soul, be ready in the morning." (2) Solitude: "Approach God alone in that special," Personnel time with God. (3) Open your heart to God: "So God may write there what He will." My friends, God is always passing by and covering us with the shadow of His hand, and proclaiming His loving kindness and tender mercy.

    Whenever we get near to God we should begin to think of and pray for others. As the last notes of the divine procession were dying away Moses bowed his head and worshiped, saying, "Let the Lord go in the middle of us and forgive" It was as though he said, "If you are a God like that, you are the God that stiff-necked people need. Go with us, therefore, for thou canst bear with us."

    My friends, Our God is a never changing God, and just like Moses felt about the people is the same as most people are thought of today, "stiff-necked people." God is true to The Covenant He made with all mankind: Grace, Unconditional Love, Mercy and Loving Kindness, when He gave His Son, Jesus Christ For Our Sins.

Amen!

Reading: Ex. 34:1-17

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

.

Hidden Treasures

Isaiah 45:3  

"And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and 

hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest 

know that I, the LORD, which call thee by 

thy name, am the God of Israel." 

        It is a natural human reflex to squint or shut one’s eyes when in pain. We wince when we are hit with unbearable experiences and we tend to close out the world around us. However, this reflex has a powerful message for us. Our eyes are the vehicle through which we bring objects outside of us into our brain. We call this process "seeing."  But sometimes, we can’t see. If something passes by us very quickly, we won’t be able to see it. The eyes don’t have enough time to process and send the image to the brain.

    Another time we have difficulty seeing is when an object is very far away. When this happens, our vision is diffused over a lot of space and it doesn’t have the power to bring the image into the brain. To solve this problem, we squint. By closing our eyes we are able to concentrate all our visual capacity on the object we want to see and our vision extends farther. 

    This same principle applies when we are going through emotional or spiritual pain. When we are going through challenges or difficulties, we need to see the whole picture, "the end of the story." We have to see that everything God does is for our best. We have to be able to see that all the pain we are experiencing is for a good purpose. But how do we attain such a perspective when we are in the midst of deep pain? "We close our eyes." 

    Sometimes we only need to "squint." We need to shut out the things that don’t really matter in life in order to see what really does. Often this partial blinding is enough for us to see that all is good. However, other times, we must completely close our eyes to the physical world so that we can focus on non-physical matters. In this space, we can see the beauty and light in our situation that we couldn’t see with our eyes open wide. 

    My Friend's, there are some treasures that we can only attain in the darkness; some riches we can only find in hidden places. When we go through challenging times or even in good times, "if" we are able to close our eyes to the material world and gain perspective on the truly important aspects of life, then we will be truly blessed. Having that clarity through life is one of the greatest treasures we can ever receive.

Amen!

Reading:  Is. 45:1-8

Ref:  HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

   

God Shall Choose

Deuteronomy 12:5  

"But unto the place which the LORD your God shall 

choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, 

even unto his habitation shall ye seek, 

and thither thou shalt come:

    To put His name there. That is, to set up His worship there, and which He shall call by His name, as His house, or His dwelling place; namely, where the ark should be, the tabernacle, or temple: which was first Shiloh, and then Jerusalem. And how significant is, that appointment? They must keep to one place, in token of their belief. That there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man. It not only served to keep up the notion of the unity of the Godhead, but the one only way of approach to God and communion with Him in and by His son.

    We as Christians are lead by the Holy Spirit to to the place of worship were God want's us to attend; "if " our heart is where it should be, and we seek guidance from the "Holy Spirit." Throughout, Deuteronomy Chap. 12, God lay's out His statutes and judgments which Israel was to observe.  
    He concludes (Deut.12:32) with the same caution concerning the worship of God which He had before given concerning the word of God, in Deut.4:2  "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."  We may then hope in our religious worship to obtain the divine acceptance when we observe the divine appointment. God will have His own work done in His own way. 
Amen!

Reading: Deut. 4:1-14
               Deut. 12:1-32
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

     

The Purpose of Creation

Deuteronomy 26:1-2 

"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God 

giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That
thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt 

bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt 

put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the 

LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there."

    "G times five," That’s the reason why the world was created. The "five G’s" are this: "The Greatest Good that God can Give is God Himself." In other words, God created the world as an act of kindness. He wanted to give something wonderful to us, and the greatest pleasure that any human being can experience is the pleasure of having a relationship with God.

    The bringing of the first fruits was a spiritual practice that was deeply symbolic. It characterized a person’s entire relationship with his or her Maker. A farmer would plow a field and plant some seeds. Over time, he would cultivate the plants and care for the field. Finally, after much labor and patience, produce would emerge. After working so hard on his field, the farmer would be delighted by the first signs of success. He did it! All that hard work paid off. He created fruit from the earth. 
    However, the danger in the celebrating one’s achievement in producing the first fruits is forgetting that there is only one true Creator. As Scripture warned, we might say: "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:17). Yet, while we certainly play a role, it is God alone who creates and provides everything. 

    God gave us the commandment of the first fruits so that we will recognize Him and have a relationship with Him, the very purpose of creation. The true test of our relationship is not when we are in need; rather, it is when we are most successful. It is in our greatest moments and achievements that we must recognize our dependence on God.
    Today, we can practice this by recognizing God in all we do. We can dedicate a percentage of our earnings to charity and use our talents for God’s purposes, not because He needs our help, but because we need Him in our lives.

Amen!

Reading: Deut: 26:1-19

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry