Retrogression In The Faith

Colossians 2:20 

"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world,

why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,"

    Paul is warning the Colossians not to adopt certain Gnostic practices, If they did they would not progress but rather retrogression in the faith. Other words they would return to an early state, possible a worse one. Paul has emphasized many times that spirituality is not achieved by self- centered efforts to control the passions, but by putting on Christ "setting one's affections on Him," and in doing so removing all that is contrary to "His will." Furthermore, as far as immaterial knowledge is concerned, true wisdom is not a man-made philosophy.

    As followers of Christ we must be aware of what Paul is teaching us in this passage, so that we can keep our self and others from retrogression. And that is not to fall in to Gnosticism. The Gnostic's separated matter from thought. They believed that matter was evil, and came up with the idea that the possession of knowledge was the only requirement for salvation, and they did not want to attribute humanity to Jesus Christ.
    Paul warns of false humility: We do not pray to angels! God is Almighty, but we can reach Him, for God is open to the humblest and the simplest person. Observance of special days, who keeps all the food laws and who practices ascetic abstinence is in very grave danger of thinking himself specially good and of looking down on other people. And it is a basic truth of Christianity that no man who thinks himself good is really good, least of all the man who thinks himself better than other people. This can lead to sinful pride.
    My Friends, a return to unchristian slavery instead of Christian freedom does not free man from fleshly lusts but only keeps them on the leash. Christian freedom comes not from restraining desires by rules and regulations but from the death of evil desires and the springing to life of good desires by virtue of Christ being in the Christian and the Christian in Christ. 
Amen!

Reading: (Col. 2:16-23)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Passing Opportunities

Mark 10:46 

"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho

with his disciples and a great number of people,

blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the highway side begging."

    We all have opportunities come our way, and we let them just go right on by without reaching out to grab hold of one of those passing opportunities. Today we have the story of Bartimaeus the blind beggar beside the road. Bartimaeus did not know that Jesus would be walking by, as he sat by the road going into Jericho begging as he probably did every day. But this day would be different for our blind friend. As he sat beside the road begging he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was walking by. Bartimaeus cried out for mercy twice and Jesus called for Bartimaeus to be brought to Him. Jesus ask Bartimaeus what could He do unto him. Bartimaeus replied, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."  "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way," (Mark 10:52).  

    My Friends in this one event there were three opportunities waiting for Bartimaeus:  A needed, an unexpected and a life changing opportunity. Bartimaeus grabbed hold of the needed opportunity and then the unexpected when he heard that Jesus was walking by and called out to Him. Then the life changing opportunity when he replied to Jesus, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."  and Jesus said unto him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole."

    After studying these scriptures and seeing this many opportunities in one event makes you realize just how many opportunities you have missed or let pass by. When you think about it, the reason we let that happen is the same reason Bartimaeus reached out and grabbed hold of his passing opportunity; He had no doubt and no fear Just faith in his Lord, Jesus Christ. How much better could we Serve and Glorify our God if our eyes where close to this world.

Amen!

Reading: (Mark:10:46-52)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry   

A Champion Of Freedom

Acts 6:8 

"And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great

wonders and miracles among the people." 

     After the Church's appointment of the seven men at the beginning of Acts chap. 6, in a since the great struggle had begun. The Jews always looked on themselves as the chosen people; but they had interpreted chosen in the wrong way, regarding themselves as chosen for special privilege and believing that God had no use for any other nation. They never dreamed that they were chosen for service to bring all men into the same relationship with God. But Stephen was one they could not deal with because he was full of faith, power and he did great wonders and miracles among the people. They were not able to resist the spirit and the wisdom when he spoke.

    Here was the thin end of the wedge. It is not a question of bringing in the Gentiles. It was Greek speaking Jews who where involved here. And not one of the seven has a Jewish name; and one of them, Nicolaos, was a Gentile who had accepted the Jewish faith. And Stephen had a vision of a world for Christ. To the Jews two things were specially important: the Temple, where alone sacrifice could be offered and God could be truly worshipped and the Law which could never be changed.  

    Stephen, however, said that the Temple must pass away, that the Law was but a stage towards the gospel and that Christianity must go out to the whole wide world. None could withstand his arguments and so the Jews resorted to force and Stephen was arrested. His career was to be short; but he was the first to see that Christianity was God's offer to all the world.
Amen!

Reading: (Acts 6:1-15)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Understanding Spiritual Truths

Matthew 13:13 

"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not;

and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

    Jesus used parables because those who had rejected Jesus did not have divine enlightened minds that would enable them to perceive the given spiritual truths. There is no amount of explanation that would have made them understand these truths. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned," (1 Cor. 2:14).

    Nothing has changed. No one is intelligent enough to understand God's spiritual truths unless they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. A person can watch and listen to believers that are around them with their eyes and ears, but they are not capable of understanding the truth in their own hearts. It is very simple. Those who have accepted Jesus as The True Light, which has been given will receive more light, while those who turn away from Jesus, The True Light will continue to be surrounded in darkness.

    My Friends, as believers and follows of Jesus Christ, we must let this world know that by turning away and rejecting Jesus they harden themselves against God. If you know someone that does not understand the spiritual truth of Salvation have them read the following Scriptures: "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  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.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."(Is. 55:6-8)

Amen!

Reading: ( Matt. 13:10-17)

Ref : (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

       

Happy Endings

1 Peter 1:13  

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, 

and hope to the end for the grace that is to be 

brought unto you at the revelation 

of Jesus Christ"

    We need to believe in happy endings beginning now. We need to believe that light can overcome darkness and that good will always triumph over evil in the end. It is not wishful thinking. It is hope. And in times of despair and trouble, hope needs to be rekindled in our hearts. We learned many valuable things when we were children. And now we only need to remember once again, to see the world with eyes that know how to dream and hearts that know how to fight to make such dreams come true.  

    This world we grew up in may be complicated, but the most important things remain simple, and heaven is always within the grasp of us all. Things are not perfect yet but they shall be, because times are troublesome, but all such troubles shall end.

     My Friends, In God, we never hope in vain for with hope there is a happy ending, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev 21:3-4) 
Amen!

Reading:(Rev.21:1-8)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Pursue A Holy Passion For God

John 8:31-32

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, 

then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, 

the truth shall make you free."

    During the pursuit of the knowledge of God one can began to have a bit of arrogance about himself. Theology can become a game, a power game to see who can display the most intelligence. When it proceeds as a game it starts from unholy passion and ends in unholy passion!
    A holy passion is a passion driven by a godly motive. To pursue the knowledge of God, to further our understanding of Him, and deepen our love for Him, is to start and stay on a quest that delights Him. Jesus encouraged such a pursuit. Jesus linked knowledge not with power but with freedom. Knowing the truth is the most liberating power in the world. Not the power to dominate; not the power to impress: These are not the powers we seek. But the power to set free, to give true liberty is tied to a knowledge of the truth. 
    We all want liberty. We want to be free of the chains that bind us. That liberty comes from knowing God.  Jesus spoke of “abiding” in His Word. The pursuit of God is not a part-time, weekend exercise. If it is, chances are you will experience a part-time, Christian freedom. Abiding requires a staying power of hunger and thirst for God's Word.
    My Friends, It is a pursuit of passion anything else will not do. Abide in God's Word, stand tall  with an unwavering manner. We don't stop until we are through the Gates of Heaven.
Amen! 

Reading: (John 8:28-36)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

All Souls Are God's Good Or Bad

Ezekiel 18:4  

"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the 

father, so also the soul of the son is mine: 

the soul that sinneth, it shall die." 

    One of the distinctive features of the book of Ezekiel is the pointing out of responsibility. (Ezek. Chap. 3, 14, 18 and 33). Notice that in this passage the Lord was setting aside an old proverb in Israel, (Jer. 31:29-30; Lam. 5:7) and replacing with one of His own: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." During the Old Testament times the people were treated as a national unit and their material existence and prosperity was often affected by the sins of the minority.  "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel," (Josh. 7:1).  

    However; God was just when He spoke of "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, (Ex. 20:5). But this passage, looks beyond material ramifications, and considers the eternal results of sin.. We see this by the use of the term "Soul" and the command to "make you a new heart and a new spirit:" (Ezek. 18:31)

    Many righteous people were going to die in the siege and many would be carried to Babylon as Ezekiel and Daniel were. My Friends, what God wanted was for His people to understand the ultimate fate of each person would be determined by his or her individual relationship with Him.  And that my friends has never changed since the beginning of time.

Amen!  

Reading: (Ezek. 18:1-32)

               (Highlighted Scripture)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Philippians 2:4 

"Look not every man on his own things, but every

man also on the things of others"

    There is that desire for personal prestige. However, prestige for many people is even a greater temptation than wealth. To be admired and respected, to have one's opinion sought, to be known by name and appearance, even to be flattered, are for many people the most desirable things. But the aim of the Christian should not be on self display, but be one with God. He should do good deeds, not that men may glorify him, but that they may glorify his Father in heaven. The Christian should desire to focus men's eyes not upon himself but on God. 

    The fact that we are all in Christ should keep us in unity. No man can walk in disunity with his fellow men and in unity with Christ. If one has Christ as his companion, he is also the companion of every wayfarer. A man's relationships with his fellow men are no bad indication of his relationship with Jesus Christ. 

    The power of Christian love should keep us in unity. Christian love is that unconquered good will which never knows bitterness and never seeks anything but the good of others. It is not a mere reaction of the heart, as human love is; it is a victory of the will, achieved by the help of Jesus Christ. It does not mean loving only those who love us; or those whom we like; It means an unconquerable good will even to those who hate us, to those whom we do not like. This is the very essence of the Christian life; and it affects us now and in eternity. 

    My Friends, "The Holy Spirit binds man to God and man to man." It is the Spirit who enables us to live that life of love, which is the life of God; if a man lives in disunity with his fellow men, he  shows that the gift of the Spirit is not in him.

Amen!

Reading: (Phil. 2:1-4)

Ref: (HG SB; DSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 
  

Time And Seasons Are God's

Ecclesiastes 3:11 

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath

set the world in their heart, so that no man can find

out the work that God maketh from

the beginning to the end." 

    God is able to use everything and everyone for the fulfillment of His purpose. He knows all things that have transpired in the past as well as those things that will be in the future. God has made all things which by their nature are good and pleasing to Him, and which things will please Him at the appointed time. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" (Eccl. 3:1). The fact that God is unaffected by the circumstances of the world is incomprehensible to the human mind. The only way that we will find true happiness is knowing that all events on earth and in Heaven have been and will be worked out according to His purpose. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," (Rom. 8:28). 
    In His omniscience, God knows how events of time will unfold in regards to mankind. The ability  for us to understand this is because we have a limited amount of capacity to comprehend, and God is eternal. My Friends, "in our lifetime we will never know the work of God from beginning to end." God knows the end as well as the beginning. Since He knows the outcome, God can see how each piece fits into His plan. The only alternative for us, since we cannot see the end from the beginning is,"all of us to trust completely in God."   
Amen!

Reading: (Eccl. 3:1-11)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

      

God Is Still That "Fiery Cloudy Pillar" Today

Psalm 84:11 

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: 

no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

    God, He is His people's shield: We need both, without the sun we would live in darkness and there would be no warmth. In times of temptations and danger we would be destroyed if we were without Him as our shield. God's children are never left uncomforted or unprotected. Every since the founding of our Nation God has been and still is that fiery cloudy pillar which was the symbol of God's presence, over the Israelites while moving to the promise land, and the Christian still finds both light and shelter in the Lord Our God. There is a place of  deliverance in God's Grace.

Amen! 

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God {pt-7}

John 20:31  

"But these are written, that ye might believe that 

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that 

believing ye might have life 

through his name"

    The eighth and final reason for studying God's Word is, because the only proof for our faith is the Bible, "God's Holy Word." And that is what a Christian stands on, God's word! For example, often the unbeliever throws an accusation at you the believer and says, "Oh, you Christians, your all alike! You think you are right and every one else is wrong. How can you be so sure what you believe is true?" This question is a fair question to an unbeliever. So what would your answer be?

    First there is a few things you couldn't say, "I know I'm right because I feel I'm right! Christ lives in my heart! This is a wonderful truth experienced by all believers, but it will not convince the  unbeliever. You couldn't say, I'm right because Christianity has more followers in the word than any other religion.

    What could you say? In reality you would have only one single answer. But the weapon, that unanswerable argument, is one's own personal copy of the Bible. You hold up your Bible and confidently proclaim the following: "Look at This! I Know I'm right because the Author of my faith has given me a book which is completely unlike any of the books of other faiths."  You can point out the unity, the indestructibility, and the universal influence of the Bible. You could discuss its historical, scientific, and prophetical accuracy. 

    My Friends, Then you want to end with exciting examples of perhaps the greatest single proof of the the supernatural nature of the Bible, that is, it's marvelous life transforming power! "God's Word Is True, Stand On It." 

Amen!

Reading: The Holy Bible

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

                    

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God {PT- 6}

Romans 6:23 

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is

eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

    The seventh reason a child of God should study God's Word is, to know that there will be no need to apply the following verses of Scripture in Heaven. Once we are at home in Heaven there will be no Temptation, because the source will be destroyed, "There hath no temptation taken you  but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it," (1 Cor. 10:13). And there will be no sin in Heaven, because we will be cleansed of all unrighteousness and have celestial bodies in Heaven. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," (1 John 1:9). 

    During our lives on earth we have needs, and nothing is guaranteed. We must provide for ourselves and our families  each day. In Heaven there wont be any needs because in Heaven God will provide all our needs, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," (Phil. 4:19).

     Every day on this earth someone will be burden with sorrow, because each day we may face and fight little and big battles with Satan and his advances during our walk as Christians. But the good news is there will be no sorrow in Heaven, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," (Ps. 23:4).

    The most important is we don't need to worry about the next life if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and what He tells us in the Scriptures. We know that the first death is the separation of body and spirit. The second death is where your spirit will spend eternity. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also," ( John 14:1-3)         My friends, if we apply this verses now in this life, we want be wishing we would have read them and applied them while living our lives on earth as sinners.
Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God {PT- 5}

Genesis 1:27 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God

created he him; male and female created he them."

    The sixth reason for us to study God's Word is, that it provides answers to our lives. Questions like where I came from. With God's Word we know exactly how we came to be. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Gen. 1:26-27).

    The Bible also tells us why we are here. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day," (Gen. 1:28-31). 

    My Friends, we must don't forget the most important words that God has put before us, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man, (Eccl. 12:13).

Amen! 

Ref: (HG SB).

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God {PT-4}

2 Timothy 4:6-7

"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my

departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight,

I have finished my course,

I have kept the faith:"

    The fifth reason is, the example Paul set for us all. Paul was probably the greatest Christian that ever lived. His spiritual accomplishments are nothing short of staggering. He was a man who made the first three missionary journeys, founded and pastored the first fifty or more Bible believing Churches and who wrote over half of the New Testament. 
    Even though Paul was a highly controversial figure throughout his life, Paul was recognized as a Hero of the Faith throughout the generations after his death, and he knew his reward in Heaven. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing," (2 Tim. 4:8). 
    Paul ask for several items to be brought to him while he waited his death.  "The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments," (2 Tim. 4:13). What were this parchments? They were his copies of the Old Testament Scrolls. The Point my friend is, that in spite of all his achievements the old apostle still felt he could profit from studying the Word of God on the eve of his death.
    My Friends, that is a very strong reminder that we must never give up on God! His Word is there for us in any situation, all we need to do is pray and read His word in Faith!  
Amen!

Reading: (2 Tim 4:1-8)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God {PT-3}

Matthew 4:6 

"And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands

they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou

 dash thy foot against a stone."

    The fourth reason is because even Satan knows God's Written Word. During the account in Matthew 4, Christ is tempted three times by Satan. On each occasion our Savior answered Satan with the phrase  "It is written," and than proceeded to quote from the book of Deuteronomy. But what is almost always overlooked is the fact that the phrase "It is written" is repeated four times in Matt. 4, But the second time it is Satan using it to quote Scripture to Christ, "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone, (Matt. 4:5-6).  

    When Satan quoted the above Scripture he quoted from Ps. 91:11-12. And surely when Satan quoted he quoted it out of context. Just compare the two scriptures and you can see the difference. Why does Satan even know about the Scriptures? The answer is obvious, He knows God's word, remember he is a fallen angel.

    My Friends, the sad thing is that so many Christians haven't ever read Ps. 91,  Oh' how sad that is. Brothers and Sisters we need to know God's word to battle Satan and His demons.

Amen!

Reading: (Matt. 4:1-11)

Ref: (HG SB; WSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God [PT-2]

Matthew 4:4 

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live

by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth

out of the mouth of God."

    The second reason is, because of the often repeated command to read it. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success," (Josh. 1:8). What should be pondered on is the last verse of our main Scripture,"but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4).

    The third reason is, because the Bible is God's chosen way to accomplish "His Divine Will". Sinners are saved through the message of the Bible. How can anyone call on Him in whom they have not believed? How can someone believe in Him if they have not heard? And how will they hear God's word without a preacher? "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," (Romans 10:15-17).

    My Friends, Saints are sanctified through the message of the Bible. "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth," (John 17:17).  "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" (1 Peter 2:2). "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar," (Prov. 30:5-6). "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you," (John 15:7).  "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified," (Acts 20:32). 

Amen!

Reading: (DSB; HG SB)

God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why A Child Of God Should Study The Word Of God (PT-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." 

    Most people would say why discuss reasons for studying God's Word. However the thing to do is for the believer (old or new), is to begin a lifelong study of God's Word, "The Holy Bible" which originally brought them to Christ. But observation, as well church history, proves the fact to be quite the opposite. The truth is/ most Christians know very little about the Bible. Here are some reasons for studying the Scriptures.

    The first reason is, because of it's Author:  God is often thought of as a Creator, a Redeemer, a Shepherd, a Judge and of course other titles. God does indeed function in all these roles. However, there is one great accomplishment of God which is almost always left off the divine attribute list compiled by man. This wonderful and forgotten role is that of Author! book.God has written a book and that priceless book is "The Holy Bible."  As testified by any Author, the nicest thing one can say to an Author is, "Oh Yes I've read your book."  
    It is a tragic but true fact that many of the Christians who will some day (along with all believers) will stand before the judgment seat of Christ will have to sadly admit that while they were saved by heeding to and by the Salvation Message in God's Book, that they still failed to read it. 
    My Friend, This if for no other reason, the Holy Bible should be carefully read to allow the believer to proclaim to Christ on that day, Jesus, there were many things I did not do on earth that I should have done, as well as the other things I did do that I should have not done. But one thing I did, "I read Your Book, The Holy Bible!
Amen!

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

        
    

Wait with An Open Heart

2 Thessalonians 3:5 

"And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God,  

and into the patient waiting for Christ." 

    Nowhere is Paul's humility more clear to see. And we see that Paul, having threw himself on their hearts must have open the hearts even to his opponents to, because it is very difficult to dislike a man who asks you to pray for him. Amen!
     But in spite of his love for and trust in men Paul was a person who accepted a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly. Now that is a lesson we can take and use from Paul.
    The faith, he said, is not for everyone. We can be certain that he said it not cynically but sorrowfully. Once again we see the tremendous responsibility of free-will. We can use it to open our hearts and we can use it to shut them. Faith's appeal is not selective, it goes out to every man; but the heart of man can refuse to respond.
    In the last verse of this passage we see what we might call the inward and the outward characteristics of the Christian. The inward characteristic is the awareness of the love of God, the deep awareness that we cannot drift beyond His care, the sense that the everlasting arms are underneath us. One of the basic needs of life is security and we find that need met in the unchanging love of God.
    The outward characteristic is the endurance which Christ can give. We live in a world where there are more nervous breakdowns than at any time in history. It is a sign that more and more people have the feeling that they cannot cope with life. The outward characteristic of the Christian is that when others break he stands erect and when others collapse he shoulders his burden and goes on. With the love of God in his heart and the strength of Christ in his life a man can face anything. 
Amen!

Reading: (2 Thess. 3:1-5)
Ref: (HG SB; DSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Are You Prepared To Chose

Matthew 10:36 

"And a man's foes shall be they
of his own household"

    "The end you have always heard about has come; and the intervention of God in history is splitting homes and groups and families into." When some great cause emerges, it is bound to divide people; there are bound to be those who answer, and those who refuse, the challenge. To be confronted with Jesus is necessarily to be confronted with the choice whether to accept him or to reject him; and the world is always divided into those who have accepted Christ and those who have not. 

    It can happen that a man loves his wife and his family so much that he may refuse a call to service, a call to sacrifice, either because he does not wish to leave them, or because to accept it would involve placing them in danger. However, it is very seldom that any man is confronted with this choice; he may go through life and never face it; but the fact remains that it is possible for a man's loved ones to become in effect his enemies, if the thought of them keeps him from doing what he knows God wants him to do.

    My Friends, there is a choice, and a man has to choose sometimes between the closest ties of this world and loyalty to Jesus Christ.

Amen!

Reading: (Matt. 10:34-39)

Ref: (HB SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail

The Cross Life Ministry 

Jesus Say's, Not To Be Afraid

Matthew 10:30 

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

    Three times in this short passage Jesus bids his disciples not to be afraid. In Christ' message there is a certain courageous fearlessness which stands him out from other men. He told them not to be afraid, and His word still tells us today not to be afraid; because there is nothing covered that will not be unveiled, and nothing hidden which will not be known. The meaning of that is this, the truth will triumph. "Great is the Truth," "and the Truth will Prevail." 
    My Friends, You cannot hang or exile the truth. When the Christian is involved in suffering and sacrifice and even martyrdom for his faith, he must remember that the day will come when things will be seen as they really are; and then the power of the persecutor and the heroism of Christian witness will be seen at their true value, and each will have its true reward.
    A Christian must not be afraid to speak with boldness the message they have received. What Jesus has told them, they must tell to men. Christ talks to his people through the Holy Spirit and it is not just a function for the preacher but to all believers in Christ. No man can speak for Christ unless Christ has spoken to him; no man can proclaim the truth unless he has listened to the truth; and no man can tell that which he does not know.  
    Men do not like the truth, for, truth is like the light to sore eyes. The Christian witness is the man who knows no fear, because he knows that the judgments of eternity will correct the judgments of time. The Christian preacher and teacher is the man who listens with reverence and who speaks with courage, because he knows that, whether he listens or speaks, he is in the presence of God.
Amen!

Reading: (Matt. 10:26-31)

Ref: (HG SB) 

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry