Preaching To Yourself

Romans 10:2  

"For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, 

but not according to knowledge." 

     God does not intend for the message of the gospel to stop after the reading of the Scriptures. We must have "Regular Bible Intake," whether it’s reviewing memorized Scripture passages, enjoying Bible conversations with fellow believers. You just don't stop after preaching of God’s word on Sunday and Wednesday or when ever your church meets. All these things combined serves to shape, strengthen, and sustain your daily preaching of the gospel to yourself. The Scriptures, rightly understood with Jesus at the center, nourish your heart and sharpen your mind, so that you are able to rehearse the truth of the gospel with texture, edge, and definition, with freshness and power.
    The message of the gospel is not meant to be something you "get," carved into your brain, and tell yourself over and over for a lifetime that it's some sort of magic words to fight sin. God means for you to be regularly pushed and formed, hurt and healed, challenged and encouraged by passages you’ve never heard before, haven’t given enough attention to, or haven’t considered in a while. He means for you to understand even your best known verses at new depth, and know the power of his grace more deeply, through new applications, as you encounter situations in life you’ve never faced before. My Friends, call it what you want but I call it "Preaching to Yourself!"  "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me," John 5:39).

Amen!

Reading: Rom. 10:1-18

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Let Your Soul Be Happy

John 16:22  

"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, 

and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy 

no man taketh from you" 

 

   If only mankind would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.

    How can you not be happy, when Jesus has loved you so? How can you not be joyful when He has chosen you, and rejoiced over you as a lover rejoices over his beloved one? How can you not be happy, when heaven is waiting just for you? And when mansions have been prepared for you even before you were born? How can you not shout in praise for Him who cared for you and protected you? For Him who died for your sins long before you were born?

    My Friends, This world may yet be filled with darkness and difficulty. It may yet cause you to cry. But let not your sufferings take away your happiness. Let not the darkness take away your love.
    No pain on earth could ever match the joys of heaven. No trial could ever take away God’s peace. Light shall always prevail. Love shall always be triumphant! Tell me then, how can you not let your soul be happy? 

Amen!

Reading: John 16:1-33

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Spiritual Cleansing

Psalm 51:2

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin."

    This is one of the greatest passages in the bible concerning confessions and forgiveness of sin. As recorded in biblical history David committed adultery with Bath-sheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle, (2 Sam. 11:2-17). David's repentance included: (1) a godly sorrow for his sin (cf  2 Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death). (2) A verbal confession; (3) a turning away from sin and denouncement of it; (4) Forgiveness; (5) Restoration to God's favor; (6) Rejoicing in salvation; and a willingness to testify to others about the grace of God.

    This is a written picture of how God cleansed David of his sin. It is a reminder to all of us today that God alone can forgive and remove it. "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). It is something we cannot  do our self.  Do not interpret (1 John 1:9) to mean that you must constantly receive cleansing from your sin for salvation, which was covered by Christ's shed blood on Calvary. However if we commit a sin we should ask forgiveness for ever sin we may commit during our Christian walk in order for us to be in constant communion with God. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," (1 John 1:8).

Amen!

Reading : Ps. 51:1-19 

                1John 1:5-10

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

In Your Darkest Night

Psalm 23:4  

"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."

    Never think that God is only with you when things go well. He is not a fair-weather friend who gets frightened when things start to fall apart. He does not leave us alone just when we need Him most.

He is closer to us when it’s darkest. He stays with us through the most difficult times.

    When everyone else walks away, we can count on Him to be there for us, comforting us and strengthening us, guiding us until we can find our way back into the light again.

In your darkest night, you can count on God to be there for you. It is there when you can know Him better. It is there when you would realize how much He truly loves you so. My friend, when you walk with Christ at "No Time Are You Walking Alone."   

Amen!

 

Reading: Ps. 23:1-6

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Asking For Divine Protection

Isaiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:

I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee

with the right hand of my righteousness." 

    What is Divine Protection? I am not talking about just your daily prayers, because we know He is always listening, and that is why we pray? Let me lay out a scenario for you from my own experience. My wife Janet and I pray at every meal, before we go anywhere in a vehicle, before we start any task outside; basically anything we do we ask for God's Divine Protection Around Us.
    Have you ever been in a situation that you were unsure of, or making a decision that you were not sure if it was right or wrong? You see that is what I am talking about, it is God's Divine Attention at a certain time. I mean on the spot, "God I need your guidance and your Angels around me." It might be for a planned road trip,a Hospital stay or just asking God to look over you today.
    My Friends, Our God is there, waiting for us to call upon His name whenever we need Him. God is not a myth, or just a sweet bible story. God Came down and walked this earth as a man and died on a cross as a man that became our Savior Jesus Christ. God is always listening, just call upon His name, and ask for God's Divine Protection at anytime, or in any situation in your life.  
Amen!

Reading: Is. 41:10-20
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

    

 

Let Jesus Fulfill Your Desires

John 15: 7 

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,

ye shall ask what ye will, and it 

shall be done unto you." 

    The phrase "abide in me," has been viewed in different ways, but all arrive at the same conclusion. But no matter how you read it Jesus meant it one way. To obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to, adhere to, stand by, act in accordance with, heed, accept and respect. In verses 7and 9 Christ desired that His disciples continue to obey the words that He had spoken to them so their lives would be full of joy.
    My Friends, John 15:7 reflects one's dependence on Christ, communion with Him, and obedience to Him. Remaining in these things will result in your life becoming fruitful for Christ. For the believer, Christ alone can provide the grace and provision of needs in life. Therefore, we must remain faithful to our service for the Lord and to the study of the Scriptures in order to bear fruit. Let Jesus Fulfill Your Desires
Amen!

Reading: John Chap. 15
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

You Can't Hide From God

Jonah 1:3 

"But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, 

and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so

he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with

them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

    Tarshish was a Phoenician mining town (located in modern day Spain) which was situated on the western extremity of the trade routes of the ships of Tyre. Study has shown that the Tarshish Navy, was a specialized "refinery fleet" primarily responsible for transporting refined metal fro Solomon's mining operations. The "three years" journeys were the exceptions, when the ships went south along the African coast gathering the exotic cargoes mentioned, and trading the iron and copper of Solomon's mines. "For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks," (1Kings 10:22).

    Now Nineveh was the east of Israel. in other words, Jonah was going as far as he could in the opposite direction from the place God had sent him. But we must notice in the verse, the phrase "from the presence of the Lord,"  referring to Jonah's attempt to escape from the will of God. 
    My Friends, how many times in our own walk with God have we turned in the other direction and try to escape from the place God has sent us. I believe that most of us has tried to hide from God at least once or maybe more. But like Jonah we know in our hearts that God will find us where ever we escape to; because like Jonah we feel that in leaving the place where God has called us, God would no longer desire us to attend to His calling. It is often the misconception of God's people today that there are some places where God is more evident than others. In the same manner, they feel that if they go far enough away from these places of God's "presence," He will no longer seek to use them. It might not be by a big fish in which God retrieves you, "But you can't hide from God."    
Amen!

Reading: Jonah Chap 1
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Renew Your Passion

Psalm 33:12

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; 

and the people whom he hath chosen

 for his own inheritance" 

    Lets talk about "Renewing Your Passion For America." I trust you have a passion for America. But I believe that as believers we all need to, renew our passion in a spiritual sense. When God said "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,"  to the Nation of Israel. He wasn’t talking about the Nation of America specifically; However the principle of it can apply to any Nation. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." If you stop there, he is talking about any nation who will make the Lord their God. And America certainly made the Lord her God when America became a Nation.
     The dedication of the World War II Memorial is a fitting tribute to the greatest generation of men and women. These men and women who gave their lives in many cases, these men and women who as young teenagers left the shores of America and fought in the great World War II that you and I might be free. We celebrate Memorial Day, a day that has come to be a day when we celebrate all of those who have served in the Armed Forces and all of those who have given their lives in all the wars that have been fought.
     And we celebrate the loss of our loved ones as well. Memorial Day is a wonderful time because it brings us back and reminds us of those that we should remember, those people who have been willing to pay the price for freedom. And "The United States Of America." My Friends, as we go through this week celebrating Memorial Day, Lets not forget our service Men and Women and Our Great Nation!!!!
Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scripture
Ref: HG SB

"Happy Memorial Week"

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Our First Parents

Genesis  3:20-24

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and 

clothed them. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one 

of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and 

take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the 

LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the 

ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the

man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden

Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned 

every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

     When our first parents left the garden of Eden, it was not without hope, nor into outer darkness. They carried with them the promise of a Redeemer, the assurance of the final defeat of the great enemy, as well as the Divine institution of a Sabbath on which to worship, and of the marriage-bond by which to be joined together into families. And with the foundations of the Christian life in all its bearings that were laid in Paradise.
    The descent of all mankind from our first parents determines our spiritual relationship to Adam. In Adam all have sinned and fallen. But, on the other hand, it also determines our spiritual relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the second Adam, which rests on precisely the same grounds. For "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," and "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." 
    The descent of all mankind from one common stock has in times past been questioned by some, although Scripture expressly teaches that "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation," (Acts 17:26). It is remarkable that this denial, which certainly never was shared by the most competent men of science, has been almost universally abandoned, and the original unity of the human race is now a generally accepted fact.
Amen!

Reading: Gen. Chap 3
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Follow Me

1Peter 2:21 

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also

suffered for us, leaving us an example,

that ye should follow his steps:"  

    Jesus said, "Follow Me" Your self-esteem must be based on God's opinion, not someone else's opinion or even your opinion. Your self-esteem is to be based on what God thinks. And God Thinks you're fantastic! The Lord doesn't ask us to be perfect. But He does call us to follow His perfect will. The Lord doesn't ask us to succeed in the eyes of others. He ask us to seek to live the life that is acceptable to Him; a life of sacrifice, giving, and complete and utter reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus never said, "Do  your best." He said, "Follow Me."

    God sees all our potentials. God sees our light when all that we can see are our shadows. God sees this person who falls but who has the power to get up again and again. When in need fall upon your knees, and "Arise" and follow Jesus again and again!
Amen!

Reading: 1 Peter 2:21-25
Ref:  HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

God's Treasured Possession

Exodus 19:5 

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,

then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above

all people: for all the earth is mine:"  

    This is not in anyway one particular favor, but  an expression that was inclusive of all happiness, that He would be to Israel a God in covenant, and they should be to Him a people.  God also called the Gentiles to be a peculiar treasure: not that God was enriched by them, as a man is by his own treasure, but God was pleased to value and esteem the Gentiles as a man does his treasure.   
    My Friend, We are all precious in God's sight. He takes and puts His children under his special care and protection, as a treasure that is kept under lock and key. God dignifies His children above all people, as a people devoted to Him, and to His service. I leave you with this question. Are you one of God's Treasured Possession's?
Amen!

Reading: Ex. Chap 19
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless you

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry