Left Without Excuse

Romans 1:22  

"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

    In the world we can see God. So then  it is completely valid if we look at the world we also see that suffering follows sin. Therefore; if we break the laws of architecture, our buildings collapse. Break the laws of health, our body suffers. "Look at the world! See how it is constructed! From a world like that you know what God is like." Therefore; the sinner is left without excuse. 

    So what are the sinners doing? Instead of looking out to God they are looking into themselves. The sinner involves himself in vain speculations and thinks he is wise, while the whole time he is a fool. Why is he a fool? Because he made his ideas, his opinions, his speculations the standard and the law of life, instead of the will of God. 

    A sinner always makes "man the master of all he can." He founds his standards on his own opinions, and not on the Law of God. He a self-centered person instead of a God-centered person. Instead of walking looking out to God, he walked looking into himself, and like any man who does not look where he is going, he shall fall!!!

Amen! 

Reading: (Rom. 1:18-22)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Teach Your Children Well

Psalm 78:4  

"We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation 

to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, 

and his wonderful works that he hath done." 

    We must not deprive our own from the precious truth of God. We must look forward to our future generations and provide godly education, for it is the duty of the Church and family for the religious education of our young. Children must be taught to magnify the Lord. The first lesson for a child should be concerning his God. Teach him what you will, if he doesn't learn the fear of the Lord, he will parish for lack of knowledge. Every child's book bag should have a Bible in it! 

    We dare not follow the vain and evil direction this world is headed in. The infallible word of God should be studied by every Christian in the family, and children taught cheerfully by word of mouth by their own mothers and fathers, as well as by the printed pages of what they too often regard as a dull, dry book.

    My Friends, what happy hours and pleasant evenings have children had at their parents knees as they have listened to a story of Jesus Christ and what He came to do?  Reader, if you have children, I pray you do not fail in this duty.

Amen!

Reading: (Ps. 78:1-7)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

   

Shame {Part 4}

Romans 9:33  

"As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone 

and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth 

on him shall not be ashamed." 

    The third and final option, and the only right option is:  Christians acknowledge what is shameful within them in the safety of God's promised grace. Shame is an internal witness that sin has corrupted us, and only God could set things straight. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise," (Ps. 51:17).

    As I said early shame is a healthy part, but not a healthy end of the Christian identity. That's because Christian identity is founded on the message of Jesus Christ. "And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," (Mark 2: 15-17). 

    My friends the end of Christian identity is Righteousness, not shame! Righteousness is given by faith. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith," (Rom. 1:16-17).        

    Shame is a privilege, remember that the next time you experience it. It shows that God God values you enough to beckon you to the righteousness that, He alone can provide. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever," (Ps. 23:6) 

Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

  

      
  

Shame {Part 3}

Psalm 119:80 

"Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; 

that I be not ashamed." 

    The second option: Christians can seek to avoid their sense of shame. We don't enjoy it and believe it to be harmful to our sense of self. So through various means we talk our way out of feeling shame by making excuses, to make things fit, or to shift the blame. It is also possible for Christians to feel fake shame, which is fearing the condemnation of others because they don't add up to some cultural value system that is not even Biblical.

    For instance, some may feel shame because of a skin condition, their height, level of education, or their begin to become forgetful. all this is "false shame" because it is based on "false standards." The only way to deal with this is to deny those that go against God's, and refuse to measure ourselves by them. "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain," (Phil. 2:16).
    My friends, shame is a necessary part of the experience of a Christian, because it drives us back to the "Cross," and we experience that our has already been removed. So that tells us that the second option doesn't work, because "shame" needs to be removed not avoided. There we have it. Both the first and second options are completely bogus.
Amen!

 We Will Cover Option Three, The Only Right Option Tomorrow In Shame {Part 4}

 
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

       

Shame {Part 2}

Psalm 119:6

"Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have 

respect unto all thy commandments."

     What do Christians do with shame? There are three options: First we could hide from God and others in fear. Christians know what God's Word says about sin. It is preached in our Churches, and from other believers around us. Sometimes Christians will do just as our Biblical Parents, Adam and Eve did, they hid from God and each other. Some Christians live under the awareness that things inside of them don't fit the expectations of everyone around them. It's one thing to admit to pride. Everyone calls that sin and confessing it is expected of all Christians. 
    But what about private, deep sins? The gross sexual fantasies, the vicious confidential insults, the drunken indulgences? Just the thought of anyone finding out about these causes such distress that they will isolate themselves from everyone, including God "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself," (Gen. 3:8-10).
    My friends, this first option doesn't work, because shame needs to be removed not hidden! "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see," (Rev. 3:18). 
Amen!

Tomorrow We Look In To The Second Option

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Shame (Part 1)

2 Timothy 2:15  

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a 

workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 

rightly dividing the word of truth."

    What do I mean "Shame," who's Shame, what kind of Shame? The shame I'm talking about is what we feel inside. Do we claim the name of Jesus as our Saviour? Are we afraid to say we believe in a man that History says He died for our sins, and we believe just by Faith. 

    We must remember that the Pastoral Epistles were written against a background of those Gnostic's who produced their long words and their fantastic theories, and tried to make Christianity into a  philosophy instead of an adventure of faith. Let's take ourselves into God's Word in order to understand this word "Shame." 
    Our experience of shame is this: It is a feeling about self, but always conscious of the grace of others. It is the feeling that we not measure up and also the fear that others will see this within us. However, shame is not the final conclusion we make about ourselves. It is a painful awareness that keeps us from resting in our fallen state. we seek defense from accusations or refuge from the threat of judgment, or some shred of grace from a merciful Judge. "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf," (1 Peter 4:16).
    Only by knowing and believing in God, and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will we find more than a shred of grace; but rooms of White Linen to Clothe us in His Grace. This my friends is the Christian gospel! One which we must proclaim to ourselves and to others as we live daily under the burden of the remaining darkness within us. God uses this to reverse Satan's use of shame. Satan wants our shame to drive us away from God and in to the bushes. God wants our shame to drive us to Himself to be clothe in White Linen. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels," (Is. 61:10).  
Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

 


   

What Will Happen To You

Revelation 20:12  

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: 

and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead 

were judged out of those things which were written 

in the books, according to their works."

    Everyone of us will have a last meal, last day and a last breath to come from our mouth. Our life is being weight in God's balances. God allows us to write our own itinerary, what is yours going to be? One day you will not stand with your friends in a party room, or with your family at the beach, or at church during the Alter call; "but standing at the judgment seat with the book of life open before you.
    I know this is not a pleasant thought, but here is the good side of it! In the Book of Colossians, it tells us, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" (Col. 2:13-14).
    My Friends, there is only one way to really grasp and understand God's Holy Word, and that is to take them and ponder on them while on your knees!  Again, I must ask "What will Happen To You."  
Amen!

Reading: Rev: (20:11-15)
                Col: (2:9-19)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 
    

The Light That Shines In The Darkness

Psalm 136:8-9  

"The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon 

and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever."

    Whenever we sit in the sunshine, our gratitude should shine forth, because by God's mercy it is moderated to our feebleness; let all who rule take lessons from the sun which rules to bless. By day we may well give thanks, for God gives cheer. The sun rules because God rules; it is not the sun which we should worship, like the Pharisees; but the Creator of the sun, "Our God."  Day after day our speech should include the mercy of the Lord; because every sunbeam is a mercy, for it falls on undeserving sinners who would sit in darkness, and find earth a living hell.
   God, never leaves us in complete darkness. The moon with her charming changes, and the stars at night, are one of light and benediction. The sun is enough alone; but when it is gone the moon can only give a humble imitation of his radiance. Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, alone, can do more for us than the sun, moon and all the stars put together. He makes our day! When it is night, in the darkness He remains with us. My Friends, "He is the light that shines in the darkness." Let our thanks be as many as the stars, and let our lives reflect the goodness of the Lord, even as the moon reflects the light of the sun.

Amen!

Reading: (Ps. 136:1-9)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

A Family Blessing

Psalm 128:4  

"Behold, that thus shall the man be 

blessed that feareth the LORD."

    It is not that all blessed men are married, and are fathers; but that this is the way in which the Lord favors godly people in life. He makes their relationships happy and profitable. God brings blessings to God fearing households, for he is the God of the family. We have seen this blessing scores of times, and we have never ceased to admire this domestic peace, the sweetest of human happiness and joy. Family blessedness comes from the Lord, and is a part of his plan for the preservation of a godly race. It is to the Lord alone that we must look for it. 

Amen!

Reading : (Ps. 128:1-6)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

A Wicked Course Of Life

Isaiah 55:7  

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

 and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon

 him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." 

    When the wicked forsake his way, it is "his" wicked course of life; and which is "his" own way, of "his" own choosing, and in which "he" delights, and a very dangerous one it is; and yet "he" is bent upon it, and nothing can turn "him" from it but the grace of God. He will never forsake it till he sees the evil, danger, of it; and when he does forsake it, it is so as not to make sin the course of his life, though he does not and cannot live without sin.
    "Wicked" signifies restless, troublesome, and ungodly, and is the pollution and guilt of sin we are all are under. Some are notoriously wicked, and all men are wicked in the account of God, though they may think otherwise themselves; until they become thoroughly awakened and convinced of sin, and of the evil of their ways. 
    When the sinner has proclaimed the name Jesus, then by God's grace and mercy he will be abundantly pardon. The promise of pardon is absolute and unconditional, and gives comfort to those that are distressed with sin.
    Only all Mighty God does and will pardon, and he has declared that he will; forgiveness is with him, and it is written in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He pardons all sorts of sinners, and all sorts of sins; original sin, actual sins and transgressions; all backsliding and revolting. All but the sin against the Holy Ghost! I ask you today, "Have you accepted Christ as Your Personal Saviour"? If not I pray that you do, so your life would not be, "A Wicked Course Of Life"!   
Amen!

Reading: (Is. 55:3-13)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Trust In The Divine

 2 Timothy 1:12  

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: 

for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able 

to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

    Paul says that he has made his deposit with God.  He has entrusted both his work and his life to him. He had sowed his seed and preached his gospel, and the result he left in the hands of God. Paul had entrusted his life to God; and he was sure that in life and in death he was safe. Why was he so sure? Because he knew whom he had believed in. 
     We must always remember that Paul does not say that he knew what he had believed. His certainty did not come from the intellectual knowledge of a creed or a theology; it came from a personal knowledge of God. He knew God personally and intimately; he knew what he was like in love and in power; and to Paul it was inconceivable that he should fail him. 
    If we have worked honestly and done the best that we can, we can leave the result to God, however inadequate that work may seem to us. With him in this or any other world life is safe, for nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. 
Amen!

Reading: (2 Tim. 1:12-14)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Suffering For Christ

1 Peter 4:14  

"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are

 ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon 

you: on their part he is evil spoken of, 

but on your part he is glorified." 

    Here Peter says it all!  If a man suffers for Christ, the presence of the glory rests upon him. The Jews had the conception of the luminous glow of the very presence of God. This conception constantly recurs in the Old Testament. "And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD;" (Ex. 16:7)." When the law was being delivered to Moses, "And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days:" (Ex. 24:16). 

    It is Peter's conviction that something of that glow of glory rests on the man who suffers for Christ. When Stephen was on trial for his life and it was certain that he would be condemned to death, to those who looked on him his face was as the face of an angel, "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel," (Acts 6:15).  
    Christian's must suffer, and not as an evil-doer.  If a Christian has to suffer for Christ, he must do so in such a way that his suffering brings glory to God and to the name he bears. His life and conduct must be the best argument that he does not deserve the suffering which has come upon him.  
    And to look upon that which belongs to another might well mean to be too interested in other people's affairs and to be a meddling busybody, (v15). There are Christians who do a great deal of harm with misguided interference and criticism. This would mean that the Christian must never be an interfering busybody. That is good sense and, I believe, it to be the best sense.!
Amen!

Reading: (1 Peter 4:14-16)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Temperament In Religion

Luke 10:41,42  

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and 

troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath 

chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." 

    There is no right or wrong in this. God did not make everyone alike. One person may pray. Another may sit with folded hands to think and pray. Both are serving God. God needs his Marys and his Martha's, too.  Martha and Mary show us the clash of temperaments. However, in God's Church's today, we don't allow enough for the place of temperament in religion. Other words, we seek to display who was right and who was wrong.
    Some people naturally seek activity; others are naturally quiet. It is hard for the active person to understand the person who sits and contemplates. And the person who is devoted to quiet times and meditation is more likely to look down on the person who would rather be active.
     Was Martha showing us the wrong type of kindness? Yes, but not by intent! Think where Jesus was going when this happened. He was on his way to Jerusalem to die. His whole being was taken up with the intensity of the inner battle to bend his will to the will of God. When Jesus came to that home in Bethany it was a great day; and Martha was eager to celebrate it by laying on the best the house could give. So she rushed and fussed and cooked; and that was precisely what Jesus did not want. All he wanted was quiet. With the cross before him and with the inner tension in his heart, he had turned aside to Bethany to find an oasis of calm away from the demanding crowds if only for an hour or two; and that is what Mary gave him and what Martha, in her kindness, did her best to destroy. "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (v-42). Maybe it meant He did not want a big meal, a one course meal for example. It was simply that Mary understood and that Martha did not.
     Here is one of the great difficulties in life. So often we want to be kind to people, but we want to be kind to them in our way; and should it happen that our way is not the necessary way, we sometimes take offence and think that we are not appreciated. Christians we don't do things to be appreciated, we do them out of Godly Love! If we are trying to be kind the first necessity is to try to see into the heart of the person we desire to help, and then forget all our own plans and to think only of what he or she needs. 
    Jesus loved Martha and Martha loved him, but when Martha set out to be kind, it had to be her way of being kind which was really being unkind to him whose heart cried out for quiet. Jesus loved Mary and Mary loved him, and Mary understood.
Amen!

Reading: (Luke 10:38-42)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 
 

Triumphant Over Affliction

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the 

inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is 

but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding 

and eternal weight of glory;"

    Few men have been more conscious of their weakness than Apostle Paul was. Paul's earthen vessel had become very cracked and scratched, but the heavenly treasure was unimpaired, as in the case of Gideon, when the pitcher was broken the lantern shone out, (Judg. 7:16-20). Paul here confesses that he was troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down, always bearing the scars of Jesus, and being perpetually delivered over to death. But he gratefully accepted all these disabilities because he knew that they gave greater opportunities to Jesus to show forth, through him, His resurrection power. 

    With the daily decay of the outward, there came the renewal of the unseen and spiritual. It is only in proportion as we are conformed to the sufferings and death of Christ that we begin to realize the fullness of what He is, and what He can be or do through us. Our one thought must always be the glory of Christ in the salvation of others. My Friend's, Christ paid our sin debt, with His life. We as human beings, must give our life on earth back to Him! 

Amen!

Reading: (2 Cor. 4:7-18)

               (Judg. 7:16-20)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

   
 

Stumbling over the Cornerstone

Romans 9:33  

"As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: 

and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

    There has been a notable transference of privilege from the Jew to the Gentile believer. This had nothing to do on God’s part, but to a fatal defect in the Hebrew people. The vessel that was marred in the potter’s hand did not suffer from the clumsiness of the potter, but from some inherent flaw in the clay. The Chosen People stumbled over the law of faith and rejected their Messiah. 

    The Gentiles, on the other hand, have exercised faith in Him, and have thereby attained a justifying righteousness. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," (James 1:17). Any apparent change in His dealings is determined by our attitude toward Him.
    Jesus is a stone of stumbling to the blind, but all who confide in Him and rest on Him shall not be put to shame. God has laid the foundation of our salvation deep in the waters of death and judgment. In the death of Christ He condemned sin in the flesh, and now we who are built into Him, as a stone is fixed to the foundation, and shall rest secure when the last great storms sweep over land and sea. 

Amen!

Reading: (Romans 9:25-33)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

A Man After God's Heart

2Sam. 22:2-4  

"And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God 

of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, 

my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: 

so shall I be saved from mine enemies."

    David comes forth from his sufferings and his affliction with a song of triumph and of praise. He had learned what God was in his sufferings. He celebrates all that God had been for him, all that he had found Him to be in his necessities and dangers, the effect of God's power on his behalf, and the glorious and blessed result of this power. 
    Those that trust God in the way of duty shall find him a present help to them in their greatest dangers. David did so. God delivered him out of the hand of Saul.  Remarkable preservation's should be mentioned in our praises with a particular emphasis. He delivered him also out of the hand of all his enemies, one after another, sometimes in one way, sometimes in another; and David, from his own experience, has assured us that, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all," (Ps. 34:19). We shall never be delivered from all our enemies till we get to heaven; and to that heavenly kingdom God will preserve all that are his.
    Those that have received many mercies from God ought to give him the glory of them. Every new mercy in our hand should put a new song into our mouth, and praises to our God. Where there is a grateful heart, out of the abundance of that the mouth will speak. We ought to be swift in our thankful returns to God:  Thanksgiving to God is the sweetest vocal music to one's ear.
Amen!

Reading: (2 Sam. 22:1-51)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Dereliction of Duty

Daniel 6:3-5 

"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit

was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and 

princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could 

find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any 

error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any 

occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him 

concerning the law of his God"

     Man in general is well pleased with a god who will help him to satisfy his passions and his desires, a god who suits his purpose for the unity of his empire and the consolidation of his power. The religious part of man's nature is satisfied with gods of this kind, and worships them willingly, though he who establishes them imperially may do it only politically. Poor world! The true God suits neither their conscience nor their lusts.  
    The enemy of our souls is well, pleased to cultivate in this manner the religiousness of our nature. False religion sets up gods that correspond to the desires of the natural heart, whatever they may be; but which never call into communion and never act upon the conscience. That my friend is a Dereliction of Duty to our God. 
    That which man fears and that which man desires, is the sphere of their influence. They produce nothing in the heart beyond the action of natural joys and fears. But, on the other hand, the pride of man sometimes assumes a character that changes everything in this respect. Man will himself be God and act according to his own will, and shut out a rival ship which his pride cannot endure, again Dereliction of Duty to our God. Where are the Daniel's of this world? Let us all be more like Daniel!!! 
Amen!

Reading: (Dan. 6:1-23)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Choices Have Consequences

Galatians  6:7-9  

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth 

to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary 

in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

        Before we were saved, we had a choice. We could choose to ignore the gospel, resit the Holy Spirit and die without Jesus. Sadly, many people make this choice. But, we also can choose to repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. That choice forever settles the matter of salvation and brings life to our eternal souls. Once we are saved, we are eternally saved.
      We must live on in sinful bodies, but we have choices and our choices have eternal consequences. We do not often think about it, but, when we choose to do so something right, the choice is eternal. If you pray today, witness for Jesus, or do good for your neighbor, these deeds pass into eternity and are done forever.  On the other hand, when we are selfish and spiteful, these moments also pass into eternity,and we will never be able to live them over again.
      Every day we have decisions to make. Some of them are momentous, some of them we regard as small, but all of them are important. There is no such thing as an unimportant fruit of the spirit, and there is no work of the flesh that does not produce unhappiness. Who will win the battle for your mind? 
Amen!

Reading: (Gal. 6:1-18)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You 

And Your Family 

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Happiest Person On Earth

Psalm 64:10  

"The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust 

in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory."
 

    Many people seem to have the idea that salvation is some kind of insurance against going to hell that secures a reserved seat in Heaven.  Of course, the salvation of our souls does accomplish these things, but it involves more than that.  The salvation of our souls begins a new kind of dimension of life.  It is the life that lost people cannot have because of their sin nature and their choices.
    Many also have the view that following Jesus means that we have to give up everything that might bring joy to our lives.  This may be due in part to the sour Christians whom we encounter from time to time.  Some of God's children act as if they have gotten something sour in them and never got rid of it.  A smile seldom crosses their faces.  
    This is sad because following Jesus offers us joy unspeakable and full of glory.  A child of God, who is serving their lord, should be the happiest  human being on earth. "O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved," ( Ps. 66:8-9).
Amen!!

Reading: (Ps. 64; 66)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Choosing Freedom

Exodus  21:5-6

"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; 

I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall 

also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore 

his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever."

    The Israelites had just been freed from slavery, and now the first law listed was about becoming slaves again!  Why was the ear singled out from all other body parts to be the place where the Hebrew slave was to be punished, what was the significance of that?

    God had given the children of Israel their freedom and explained that they would no longer be servants to any man, only servants to God. But the slave who chose to remain a slave refused  God’s gift and was not appreciative of his freedom. His ears heard God’s words, but he chose to ignore them, and that’s why the ear was to be pierced. 

    It’s hard to understand why anyone would willingly forfeit their freedom. When someone is enslaved, they are told what to do, when to do it, what to eat, when to sleep, and so forth.There is a comfort in servitude. There is no need to take risks or make choices. Freedom is a gift, but it also comes with responsibilities. For some people, it’s simply easier to remain a slave than step out into the great wide world of freedom.

    We fall into this same trap sometimes. We say it this way: "If only this or that were different, then I would be different." But God says that we are free to be whomever we want to be. We are slaves to no one and nothing but God! We can choose a life of slavery, believing that we have to do certain things or look a certain way. We can make excuses for why we can’t do this or that. But God wants us to be free. He wants us to know that only He is our master and that we are free to become whomever we choose. What kind of person would you like to be? Exercise your freedom and be that person now! 

Amen!

Reading: (Ex. 21:1-11)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister R. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Glaze Of Love

1John 4:16  

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. 

God is love; and he that dwelleth in love 

dwelleth in God, and God in him"

     Before His face all falsehood melts away. This encounter with Him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. His gaze, the touch of His heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation as through fire. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of His love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God.
    Want to overcome the evils of this world? Let Christ enter, and the world will have no hold on you. There is only one source of pure, divine love, and wherever that love is present, you know that you the possessor has found its source in God. God’s love is absolutely selfless. He loves the unloving to make them love, putting away their sin and perfecting their union with Himself.
    Where love was crucified there was a garden. Where there is love, lonely places blossom as the rose. Be not afraid! Love on! Love always! "This is the true God, and eternal life."
Amen!
 
Reading: (1John 4:1-21)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister R. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

God Wants YOU!

Exodus 25:1-2 

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the 

children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of 

every man that giveth it willingly with his

heart ye shall take my offering." 

     In the opening verses, God instructed Moses to collect contributions from the children of Israel in order to construct the Temple. When you think more about it, we might also question why God asked for the people’s contributions in the first place. After all, He brought forth manna from heaven and water from a rock. Surely He could provide the means to build His own home! And that’s just the point. God could have done it all on His own, but He chose not to. Instead, He gave humankind a role to play. God doesn’t need us, but He wants us. He wants us to be His partners in bringing holiness to the world and making the world a better place. 

    The building of God’s home hinges upon the contributions of His children. God wants to be a part of our world, but it has to come through us, through our desires, our actions, and our contributions.

Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it. Well, you might say "why don’t you ask Him?”  Because I’m afraid He would ask you and I the same question. 

    Just like God could have built the Temple without any help from the Israelites, He could also solve all of the world’s problems without any help from you or me. But just as He chose to give the Israelites a role in building His home, He gives each of us the opportunity to be a part in building His world. God wants you to be His partner today and every day in perfecting the world. What can you do today? What will be your contribution, this week, this year, this lifetime? 

Amen!  

Reading: (Ex. 25:1-9)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry