Sign Of The Times, Is Jesus Christ

 Matthew 16:4  

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; 

and there shall no sign be given unto it, but

the sign of the prophet Jonas. And 

he left them, and departed." 

     They knew very well that a red sky in the evening would bring fine weather; and that a red sky in the morning was the warning of a storm. But they were and today's generation is blind to the signs of the times.  Jesus told them that the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. We have already seen what the sign of Jonah was (Matt. 12:38-40). Jonah was the prophet who converted the people of Nineveh and turned them from their evil ways towards God. Now the sign which turned the people of Nineveh to God was not the fact that Jonah was swallowed by the great sea monster. Of that they knew nothing; and Jonah never used it as a means of appeal. The sign of Jonah was Jonah himself and his message from God. It was "the coming of the prophet and the message which he brought which changed life for the people of Nineveh." 

     So what Jesus is saying is that, "God's sign is Jesus himself and his message." They were blind and some still are. Are we so blind that we cannot see. What more could one possibly need? There is truth and there is warning here. Jesus Christ is God's last word. Here is God plain for all to see. Here is God's message for all to hear. Here is God's Sign to man. 
    My Friends, When we are confronted with Jesus Christ, we are confronted with God's final word and God's ultimate appeal. If that is so, what can be left for the man who throws away that last chance, who refuses to listen to that last word, who rejects that last appeal? Don't Be One, Who throws that last chance away!!!
Amen!

Reading: Matt: 16;1-4
Ref: HG SB, Study Notes

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

The Choice Stone

1 Peter 2:6  

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, 

I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: 

and he that believeth on him 

shall not be confounded"

    The Nation of Israel had shown no desire for the Word of God. And when the Son of God appeared they viewed Him the same. "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him," (Isa. 53:2). 

    Our duty as Believers is to view our Savior as God's precious Rock. Let's take a look into the different views of God's Choice Stone: He is the smitten Rock to all who will drink, "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ," (1 Cor. 10:4). He is the precious Stone to all who have drunk, "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious," (1 Peter 2:3). He is the chief Cornerstone to the church, "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Eph. 2:20). 
    He is the stumbling Stone to the Jews at His First Coming, "Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed,"(Rom. 9:32-33). He is the Headstone of the corner to the Jews at His Second Coming, "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it,"(Zech. 4:7). 
    He is the smiting Stone cut without hands to Gentile world powers at His Second Coming, "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces,"(Dan. 2:34). He is the crushing stone of judgment to all unbelievers, "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder," (Matt. 21:44).
    My Friends, Note, the Devotion Scripture "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded,"(1 Peter 2:6). Certainly here is the fulfillment of Christ's promise in (Matt. 16:16, 18). "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."  Peter was not the foundation; Christ was.
Amen!

Reading : Devotional Scriptures
Ref: HG SB, Study Notes

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

   

The High Calling Of Our Salvation

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 talk a lot about the greatness and the glory to which the Christian may look forward; but here  just as Peter told his people, he is telling telling Christians today, not to get lost in dreams of the future; he must always be virile in the battle of the present. So Peter sends out these challenges to his people and to Christians today.

    What do we need to do to "grid up"? This girding up is so important that Peter mention it in both of his epistles. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance,(2 Peter 3:1). Most people probably say; "I have no problem staying focused on the present. Well I hate to burst their bubble, but most people these days can't stay focused on one thing more than one whole day! 

    That's why Peter is saying "Gird Up"! Tighten things up, keep it together! What is to be kept together is this: 1. Keep sober in spirit. 2. Fix your hope completely on God's grace. 3. Do not turn back to your old life. 4. Be holy (separated unto God) in all your behavior. 5. Conduct yourself in fear (a respectful awe and concern not to displease our Savior).

    My Friends, I am sure this is not to much to ask for, after all Jesus did give His life for ours, payed our sin debt in full, and gave us life eternal! I believe today would be a great day to ponder on, The High Calling Of Our Salvation.

Amen!

Reading: 1 Peter 1: 13-17

Ref: HG SB  Study Notes

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr

The Cross Life Ministry

The True Treasure

Matthew 6:21  

"For where your treasure is, there 

will your heart be also." 

    Our everyday life should be managed by simple wisdom in order for us to get only the things which will last. When we buy clothes, a car or furniture, we always avoid buying bad products. We make sure that they are solid craftsmanship and made to last. That is exactly what Jesus is saying here; He is telling us to concentrate on the things that last.

    Jesus tells us to avoid the things that the moth can destroy. This is something that all of us are guilty of because we do have the tendency to store away things and let them stack up and eventually become destroyed. So such things like this are things that are foolish to set the heart upon. 

    Jesus tells us not to lay up treasures that thieves can breakthrough and steal. There is nothing permanent about a treasure which is at the mercy of any thieves. Any one whose happiness depends on things like that is doomed to disappointment. Any man whose treasure is in things is bound to lose his treasure, for in things there is no permanence, and no thing lasts forever. 

Whatever is selfishly kept will be lost, but whatever is generously given away brings treasures in heaven. That was the principle of the early Christian Church.

     My friends, The True Treasure is this: The only thing which a man can take out of this world into the world beyond is himself; and the finer the self he brings, the greater his treasure in heaven will be.  If all through his life a man's eyes are on eternity, then he will evaluate lightly the things of this world. This world is not the end of life, it is a stage on the way; and therefore a man should never lose his heart to this world and to the things of this world. His eyes ought to be forever fixed on the goal beyond.

Amen!

Reading: Matt. 6:19-21

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

You Shall Be Tested!

James 1:3  

"Knowing this, that the trying of 

your faith worketh patience"

     One of the first things we hear as a new believer, is something like this, " You thought you were having bad times before, well you just wait, you haven't seen nothing yet." And you best be ready for some new experiences.
    Let me name a few experiences (trials)  that a believer may go through. All kinds of experiences will come to us. There will come the test of sorrows and disappointments which seek to take our faith.
    There will be the test of the seductions which seek to lure us from the way of truth. There will be the test of dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the believer is well aware of. But all these and other experiences (trials) are not meant to make us fail. They are meant to make us grow and soar.
    My friends our experiences should make us stronger not weaker. We should not express discontent or sorrow; we should rejoice over them. We must welcome each struggle In Jesus name. "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him," (James 1:12).  

Amen!

Reading: James 1:1-18
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

   

Light The Path For Others

 Hebrews 12:1-2  

"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, Looking unto Jesus the 

author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before 

him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set 

down at the right hand of the throne of God."

    In the 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 forever on the way. The goal is nothing less than the likeness of Christ.
    In the Christian life we have a means. That means is steadfast endurance. It does not mean the patience which sits down and accepts things,but the patience which masters them. It is not some romantic thing that gives us wings to fly over the difficulties and the hard places. It is a determination, unhurrying and yet undelaying, which goes steadily on and refuses to be stopped.
    To God a man must present a clean heart; to men he must present an upright life. To show a man the right way to walk, by personal example to keep him on the right road, to remove from the path something that would make him stumble, to make the journey easier for faltering and lagging feet, is a Christian duty. A man must offer his heart to God and his service an example to his fellow-men.
Amen!

Reading: Heb. 12:1-2
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

A Man Who Believed God

Hebrews 11:7  

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, 

moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; 

by the which he condemned the world, and became 

heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

    Noah was not bothered by the mockery of others. His conduct must have looked like that of a fool. Who ever in his right mind would built a great big ship on dry land so far from the sea? Sometimes a man who takes God's word may often have to adopt a course of action which looks like madness to those around him.
    That's exactly what Noah did. He took God at His word no matter how far fetched it may have seemed to others. He obeyed God, he pleased God and he saved his family and all the animals from the flood. The choice comes to every man either to listen to or to disregard the message of God. He may live as if that message is of no importance or as if it is the most important thing in the world. 
    My Friends, God's warning comes to us in many ways. It may come from conscience; it may come from some direct word of God to our souls; it may come from the advice of some good and godly man; it may leap out at us from God's Book or challenge us in some sermon. Wherever it comes from, we neglect it at our demise.
Amen!

Reading: Devotional
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

Christian Hope

Hebrews 11:3  

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were 

framed by the word of God, so that things 

which are seen were not made 

of things which do appear."

    Christian hope dictates all a man's conduct. He lives in it and he dies in it. Christian hope causes us to act as we should act. It is belief in God against the world! If we follow the world's standards we may have ease and comfort and prosperity; if we follow God's standards we may have pain and loss and not be popular. It is the conviction of the Christian that it is better to suffer with God than to prosper with the world. The Christian is certain that in the long run no man can change the truth for "great is truth, and in the end truth will prevail."

    The Christian hope is belief in the spirit against the senses. The senses say to a man: "Take what you can touch and taste and handle and enjoy."  The senses tell us to grasp the thing of the moment. The spirit tells us that there is something far beyond that. The Christian believes in the spirit rather than the senses.

    My Friends, Here is the answer to a long standing argument. Why should I refuse the pleasure of the moment for an uncertain future? The Christian answer is that the future is not uncertain because it belongs to God; and it is enough that God has commanded and that God has promised. If we believe that this is God's world then into our lives come a new sense of responsibility and a new power of acceptance, for everything belongs to God and all is in his hands. 

Amen!

Reading: Heb. 11:1-3

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

What Does God Want From You?

Hebrews 10:35-36  
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath 
great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, 
that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." 

     God' wants us to be at our best. If we were at our best all the time, life would be very different. Being a Christian does not demand the impossible. But if we were always as honest, as kind, as courageous, as courteous as we can be, life would be transformed. The question is how can we do  these things.

    We need to keep our hope evident and in our heart. If life is only a day to day routine of things, we may slow and began to drift; but if we are on the way to heaven's crown, effort must always be at full throttle. We need fortitude. Most people can start well but not finish well. With great effort everyone can run and not be weary; but the greatest gift of all is to walk and not be faint.

    My Friends, Gods word tells us to hold fast to our loyalty. God will see us through our present situation. Remember the victory comes only to the man who holds on. Be your best and remember that the end comes. Life is the road to eternity and no one can afford not knowing Jesus Christ as their personnel savior.

Amen!

Reading: Heb. 10:32-39  

Ref: HGSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Christ Came To Save All

Mark 7:25  

"For a certain woman, whose young daughter had 

an unclean spirit, heard of him, and 

came and fell at his feet:" 

    This incident is one of the most moving and extraordinary in the life of Jesus. The first thing we see is that Jesus is in Gentile territory.  Early we read about Jesus wiping out the difference between clean and unclean food. Could it be here we have Jesus, symbolically, wiping out the difference between clean and unclean people? The Jew would never put his lips on forbidden food, so he would never soil his life by contact with the unclean Gentile. It may be that here Jesus is saying by implication that the Gentiles are not unclean but that they, too have their place within the Kingdom.

    The woman came asking Jesus' help for her daughter. His answer was that it was not right to take the children's bread  and give it to dogs. That must have been a shocking saying to the woman that came for help. To understand this story we first must understand that a dog was not a well loved guardian like it is today. A Dog then was commonly a symbol of dishonor. To them, the Greek it meant a shameless and audacious woman. to the Jew it was a term of contempt. "give not which is holly unto the dogs," (Matt. 7:6). 

    No matter how it looked or sounded, the term dog was an insult. The difference here is how Jesus used it and the tone of His voice. Jesus did not shut her out He was saying the children gets fed first  and then the dogs (Pets). This is symbolic that the gospel was offered to Israel going to the Jews first, but only the first, for there was more to come.

    So the woman said, "I know the children are fed first, but can't I even get the scraps the children throw away?" And Jesus loved it, (V-28). Here was a faith that would not take no for an answer, here was a woman with the tragedy of an ill daughter at home, and there was still "light" in her heart to reply with a smile. Her faith was tested and her faith was real, and her prayer was answered. Symbolically she stands for the Gentile world which so eagerly scooped up on the bread of heaven which the Jews rejected and threw away. 

Amen!

Reading: Mark 7:24-30

Ref: HG SB, BSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Evil Proceeds From The Heart

Mark 7:23  

"All these evil things come from within, 

and defile the man." 

    Christ has shown how hard line adherence to the traditional law can actually mean disobedience to the law of God. But here He says something more startling yet. He declares that nothing that goes into a man can possibly defile him, for it goes into the body which rids itself of it in the normal, physical way.

    What Jesus was saying is that things cannot be either unclean or clean in any real religious sense of the term. Only persons can be really defiled; and what defiles a person is his own actions, which are the product of his own heart. Jesus declared the whole thing irrelevant and that uncleanness has nothing to do with what a man takes into his body but everything to do with what comes out of his heart. Let us look at the things Jesus lists as coming from the heart and making a man unclean: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness," (Mark 7: 14-23).

    My Friends, It is a truly terrible list Jesus covers of the things that come from the human heart. When we read this list a shake or shudder surely passes over us. It is a summons for us to do an honest self examination of our own hearts

Amen! 

Reading: Mark 7:14-23

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

A Man That Stood On His Faith

Luke 7:9  

"When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, 

and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, 

I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." 

    He was clearly a religious man. A man needs to be more than superficially interested before he will go and build a Synagogue (place to worship). But this man was not just a good man, he was  sincerely a religious man. He was a humble man. He knew quite well that a Jew was forbidden by law to enter the house of the gentile, just like the gentile was forbidden to enter into the home of a Jew. He would not even go to Jesus himself. He had his Jewish friends to approach Jesus. This man who was accustomed to command had an amazing humility in the presence of true greatness. Ref: (V-6,7).

   He was a man of  faith. His faith was based on truth. His decisions were based own his own experience to God. He came with perfect confidence which looks up and says, "Lord, I know you can do this." My Friends if only we had a faith like that, for us too the miracle would happen and life become new.
Amen!

Reading: Luke 7:1-10

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Why The Law?

Galatians 3:19  

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, 

till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and 

it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." 

    Why introduce the law at all? Well as Paul puts it, it was introduced for the sake of transgressions. What does that mean? It means that where there is no law there is no sin. A man cannot be charged (condemned), if he don't  know what he did was wrong.  So therefore the function of the law is to define sin. Even though the law can and does define sin, it can do nothing to cure it. It's like a doctor who can diagnosis a disease but can not cure the disease he has diagnosed.

    In verse 20 we read "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." What does Paul mean here? An agreement based on law always involves two people, one who gives and one who accepts it; and it depends on both sides keeping it. that was what happen to those who put their trust in the law. Break the law and the agreement was broken. But when it comes to a promise it depends only on one person. The way of Grace depends on entirely on God.; It is His promise. Man can do nothing to change that.

    The consequence of the law is to drive everyone to seek grace, because of man's helplessness. No man can get in the right relationship with God by obeying the law. All men will find he cannot do it and will be driven to see that all he can do is accept the wonderful grace of which Jesus Christ Came to tell all men. 

Amen! 

Reading: Gal. 3:19-22

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Listen And Walk In The Lord

Psalm 32:8-9  

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or

as the mule, which have no understanding: whose 

mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, 

lest they come near unto thee." 

    Our Savior is the believers instructor. The Lord Himself teaches His children to walk in the way of integrity and His holy word. Is the Holy Spirit the director of you're daily conversations? The Lord's eye is upon you and He over looks everything you undergo. The believer should be as a sheep of His pasture, following the guidance of His wisdom. 

    Men should take counsel and advice, and be ready to run where wisdom points the way. We need to be cautioned against stupidity of heart, for we are very apt to fall into it. Why is it that some people will take chastisement before they will obey? Because they are acting on their own will without the Holy Spirit, and move like robots without Heaven itself in view. Affliction show how hard-mouthed humans are, and those bridles of infirmity manifest headstrong and willful manners. 

   My Friends, with infractions like these, expect to be kept in tight rein.  Let us obey the Lord willingly, lest like the willful servant, we are beaten with many stripes.

Amen!

Reading: Ps. 32:1-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

  

A Message Of A Miracle And Salvation

Mark 5:34

"And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith

hath made thee whole; go in peace,

and be whole of thy plague."  

    This is a message of a miracle for the plagued woman as well as the sinner. The woman had a condition, (hemorrhage) for twelve years. This portrays  the fate of the sinner. She faced physical death. The sinner faces death of the soul. Both the woman and the sinner faced condemnation. She could not find a cure and was going to die from the disease, her faith was sealed. And the sinner has no human remedy for the disease of sin. There was no human hope for the woman and no human hope for the sinner. Both are condemned without Christ. She tried it all, but came to Christ empty handed. The sinner must come to Christ empty handed, acknowledging his status as a sinner and his failures.     
    The plagued woman's faith grew from hearing the message of the power of Jesus to heal because she was told about Jesus. The sinners faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The woman's faith was expressed in a act, she came to Jesus. The sinner must come to Jesus as an act of faith.
   Once faith was in place a miracle take place. Immediately the blood dried up. The woman was cured instantly, right then and there, just by the virtue that had gone out of Jesus when she touched His clothes.  My Friends, that is a picture of salvation, it is instant just like an event; The Gift Of Eternal Life. 
Amen!

Reading: Mark 5:25-34
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

Everything That Is Faced Cannot Be Changed

Mark 10:43  

"But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, 

shall be your minister:  And whosoever of you will

be the chiefest, shall be servant of all." 

    James and John asked Jesus if He would give them whatever they desired. But notice His answer was not yes at that point, instead it was, "What would ye that I should do for you.," (V-36). James and John were asking for something they could not receive. They wanted to set one on the right and the other on the left of Christ in glory. This of course made the other disciples a little angry with James and John.
   This was a serious situation. The fellowship of the disciples might have been wrecked, if Jesus had not taken immediate action. He set them together him, and made quite clear the different standards of greatness in his Kingdom and in the kingdoms of the world. In the kingdoms of the world the standard of greatness was power. The test was: How many people does a man control? How great an army of servants has he at his beck and call? On how many people can he impose his will?
    My Friends, We tend to think this is an ideal state of affairs, but, in fact, it is the soundest common sense. It is in fact the first principle of ordinary everyday life in today's society. The basic trouble we have today is that men wish to do as little as possible and to get as much as possible. Let us be like James and John and not be afraid to step up and ask, seek or even change things in your life or others. I leave with this: Nothing can be changed until it's faced. And everything that is faced cannot be changed.
Amen!

Reading: Mark 10:33-45
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry  

Tossed In A Storm

Mark 4:39-40  "

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 

Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was 

a great calm.  And he said unto them, 

Why are ye so fearful? how is

it that ye have no faith?"  

    After Jesus had spoke to the multitude by the sea in parables, He also spoke to His disciples and explained things more in depth to them. Then on the same evening, Jesus said, "Let us pass over unto the other side," (V-35c). When Jesus had got on the little ship, He went to the very rear of the ship and fell asleep. That was most likely the quietest place on the ship to sleep.

   Once they had set sail a great storm came upon them with strong wind and waves that was filling the ship with water. His disciples were afraid and thought they were going to sink. So they woke Jesus from His sleep and ask him, did He not care that they perish?  "And Jesus said unto them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (V-40). 

    My Friends, As believers our Christian walk is not always on the sunny side, however we tend to give the appearance that it is. Jesus taught that multitude in parables, But He taught the disciples the word of God. So why were they so afraid? Because fear over took their faith, and Jesus knew it!

    Is your life being tossed in a storm and being over taken by waves of failures, about to lose your home or your company. Your family has turned against you, and you have no one on earth to turn to. Your faith has become weak. The same God that stop that storm that day, is the same God that will pick you up out of whatever storm you're are in. Faith Saved You, And With Faith You Will always Be Safe.

Amen!

Reading: Mark 4:35-41

               Matt 8:23-27

               Luke 8:22-25

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

   

      

Out Of The Darkness Came Light

Mark5:33  

"And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness 

over the whole land until the ninth hour." 

    When it was twelve o'clock midday, there came a darkness over the whole earth, and it lasted until three o'clock in the afternoon. And at three o'clock which was the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. Here was the last scene of all, a scene so terrible that the sky was unnaturally darkened and it seemed that even nature could not bear to look upon what was happening. Here we have the divine paradox; Jesus knew what it was to be a sinner. And Jesus had never known what it was like to be separated by this barrier "sin" from God.     

    The way to God was now wide open. Into the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could go, and he only once a year on the day of Atonement. But now, the curtain was torn and the way to God was wide open to mankind. Within the Holy of Holies dwelt the very essence of God. Now with the death of Jesus the curtain which hid God was torn and men could see him face to face. No longer was God hidden. Men could look at Jesus and say, "That is what God is like! God loved me so much, that He gave His only begotten son for me! My Friend, God loves you that much and more!

Amen!

Reading: Mark 15:33-41

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Truth Is Meant To Be Seen

Mark 4:21  

"And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be 

put under a bushel, or under a bed? and 

not to be set on a candlestick?"

    Why would anyone light a lamp and put it where it would be hid, and not seen? It would be like putting a bowl on the top of it, so it would be concealed. A lamp is meant to be seen and to make men able to see; and it is put in a place where it will be visible to all. Truth is meant to be seen; it is not meant to be concealed. There may be times when it is dangerous to tell the truth, and there may be times when to tell the truth is the quickest way to persecution and to trouble. But the true man and the true Christian will stand by the truth in face of all. 

    In every walk of life there are times when we know what the truth demands, what is the right thing to do and what a Christian ought to do. There are also times in our life that we fail to do these things. My friends, We ought to remember that the lamp of truth is something to be held in sight and not concealed in the place of cowardly safety.

Amen!

Reading: Mark: 4:21-25

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry